Chapter Eighty-Two: The Stag-Horned Immortal and the Sleeves of Yin and Yang

Yuyan was always meticulous by nature, and having been subtly influenced by the God of War, Fanxian, since childhood, she was never careless when facing an enemy. No matter the situation, she was ever vigilant.

Unfortunately, the Antler Demon had no inkling that his fate had already been sealed by the stars of death. At this moment, a single fervent thought consumed him: to seize the immortal sword from the little girl’s hands as quickly as possible—a goal he deemed even more important than capturing souls for Fuyao.

Yet, the Antler Demon was no fool. Judging by his earlier attempt to ambush the Mountain Sprite with the Yin-Yang Sleeves, it was clear he was a cunning and experienced spirit. Moreover, his ability to take human form from his deer body proved his cultivation spanned at least five centuries.

After composing his thoughts, the Antler Demon slowly raised his thick hands and muttered an incantation: “Spirit of the antlers, soul of Gaolou, with my essence, form the spirit seal—now!”

As he finished, his seemingly ordinary palms suddenly blazed with white light, which instantly formed a massive circle that surged toward the spot where Yuyan stood.

Wherever the circle passed, all the grasses snapped, and even the sand and soil tumbled and rolled under its force—a true spectacle of flying dust and stones.

“A petty trick,” Yuyan remarked calmly as she glanced at the approaching ring of light. The Remnant Snow Sword in her hand shivered in the wind, and from its blade an intense chill erupted, swirling around her in all directions.

In moments, the cold air emanating from the sword coalesced into thick ice spikes, neatly arrayed before and behind, left and right of Yuyan.

“Banish Evil!” she called out, her voice even.

At her command, the floating ice spikes shot forth with unstoppable momentum toward the Demon's ring of light.

Though Yuyan’s ice spikes did not seem particularly remarkable, nor as overwhelmingly powerful as the Demon's circle, the instant the two forces clashed, the ring conjured by the Antler Demon was riddled with countless gaping holes by the spikes. Before it could even reach Yuyan, it dissipated, its energy spent, vanishing into the gentle night breeze.

But the ice spikes born of Yuyan’s sword did not halt; having shattered the Demon’s attack, they continued their fierce onslaught, driving relentlessly toward the spot where the Antler Demon stood.

Though the spikes had not yet reached the Demon, the biting cold they exuded had already left his limbs numb, filling his heart with terror.

He had anticipated that this self-proclaimed immortal maiden would possess formidable strength, perhaps even rivaling his own. After all, she appeared only sixteen or seventeen years old—how powerful could she be, even if she had cultivated since the womb?

Ordinarily, such reasoning would not be wrong.

Yet, as a spirit, he had overlooked a crucial fact: in the wild realms, ancient gods and demons abounded, and the strength of their descendants could never be judged by appearances.

Take Yuyan, for instance. Though she looked like a young girl of sixteen or seventeen, as a descendant of the gods she was already over a thousand years old. Of course, the Heavenly Emperor’s beloved daughter Lingyan was similarly aged. But the lifespan of the divine race far surpassed that of ordinary beings in the wild realms. Compared to ancient beings like the Heavenly Emperor Lingxiao or the God of War Fanxian, who had lived for thousands of years, both Yuyan and Lingyan were still considered tender and inexperienced.

But let us set these matters aside for now.

As the Antler Demon’s limbs went numb from the approaching spikes’ chill, the icy projectiles hurtled toward him with blinding speed. If he did not flee at once, death on Gaolou Mountain would surely be his fate.

The fierce sound of the ice spikes slicing through the air finally jolted the Demon from his shock. Seeing the peril that loomed ahead, his heart pounded wildly.

In a desperate rush, he poured all his cultivation into his legs and, just before the spikes struck, launched himself into the sky.

Though his build was heavy, his movements were astonishingly nimble, and this sudden leap narrowly spared him from Yuyan’s attack.

Deprived of their target, the ice spikes struck the ancient trees behind the Demon. The cold they carried surged into the wood like a flood, and within the blink of an eye, the towering tree cracked apart with a series of sharp snaps, splitting visibly from within. In moments, it crashed to the ground, sending dust billowing through the forest and scattering the roosting birds in all directions, filling the night with a cacophony of startled cries.

Suspended in midair, the Antler Demon witnessed the devastation below and couldn’t help but pat his chest in relief.

Having repelled the Demon with a single move, Yuyan darted forward with ethereal grace, instantly appearing beside the abducted child. She swept him into her embrace, her voice gentle and reassuring: “Don’t be afraid, child. I will protect you.”

At the same time, she cast a sidelong glance at the Mountain Sprite and saw blood streaming from his arm and abdomen—he was clearly gravely wounded.

Moved by his bravery, Yuyan generously retrieved two Life Pills, crafted by her senior brother Heaven’s Wrath, from her pocket and tossed them to the Mountain Sprite, instructing in a calm voice, “These are Life Pills from the Sanctum of the Ruins. Take them, and your wounds will soon heal.”

“Th-thank you,” the Mountain Sprite murmured weakly, stretching out his hairy arm to grasp the pills, then added a warning: “That Antler Demon has… has a Yin-Yang Sleeve artifact. You must not… not be careless. Beware his sneak attacks!”

“Don’t worry,” Yuyan replied with a nonchalant smile. “That Antler Demon has harmed countless innocents. Today he will not escape justice!”

As she spoke, she glanced upward at the Demon hovering in the air and called out in a clear voice, “Do you admit defeat in this contest?”

“Nonsense!” the Antler Demon sneered, casting a disdainful look down at Yuyan. “We’ve only exchanged one move. Don’t expect me to surrender so easily!”

With that, he shook his left sleeve briskly, a sly grin spreading across his face as he taunted, “Now I’ll use my ultimate technique. If you surrender now, it’s not too late. If not, you may end up just like the Mountain Sprite!”