The Great Tengu stood over five meters tall. Feng Lin crashed into its chest, sending it flying backward.
He clung tightly to the Tengu, unleashing a storm of fist shadows that rained down like a furious gale.
The Great Tengu hadn't expected this seemingly weak human to be so ferocious once he started fighting. Struck repeatedly, its body swayed violently as it plummeted backward like a cannonball.
With a thunderous crash, a massive crater was gouged into the earth, kicking up clouds of dust.
The Great Tengu immediately rose again, its already red face now flushed a deep purple. Its eyes burned with rage. "Human, you've angered me! Die!"
With a furious roar, its wings flapped rapidly, lifting its body off the ground. It swung its long blade in a graceful upward arc toward Feng Lin, the edge sharp and deadly, brimming with murderous intent, as if it wanted to cleave the detestable human in two.
Feng Lin steadied his stance, not dodging. His fists struck like heavy hammers, slamming hard against the blade.
Blade met fist, sparks flying everywhere.
Feng Lin was sent flying backward, tumbling through the air before using clouds to steady himself.
The Great Tengu had just risen into the sky when it was struck again by this overwhelming force, plummeting downward once more. Its wings flapped wildly before it could ascend again.
Seeing this, Feng Lin's confidence grew.
Though the Great Tengu possessed extraordinary swordsmanship, it was no match for him in raw strength.
And its physical blade techniques were inherently countered by the Stone Monkey gene. Today, victory was within his grasp.
While his psychic power couldn't block the Tengu's blade strikes, it wasn't useless.
Feng Lin's mind transformed into an invisible hand, sweeping stones from the ground into the air, forming a rain of boulders that crashed down on the Great Tengu.
The Tengu's wings fluttered nimbly as it dodged, its hands gripping the sword, weaving a web of light that sliced each boulder cleanly in two without hesitation. Its swordsmanship was exquisite, rivaling the greatest warriors in the world.
Feng Lin was thrilled. The Great Tengu, as the most combat-capable of Japan's three great demons, possessed terrifying martial prowess. Subduing it would be immensely beneficial.
"Triple Annihilation Slash!"
Suppressed by a mere human, the arrogant Great Tengu flew into a rage. Its wings wrapped around its body, spinning like a top, conjuring a black tornado that shredded the falling rocks with wind blades.
It became one with its blade, thrusting straight forward.
The tip gleamed with deadly sharpness, flashing through the air like lightning, like a flame—instantly before him, extinguishing all life.
Feng Lin instinctively struck with his fist, but a sharp pain shot through the back of his hand. Sensing trouble, he retreated hastily.
After creating distance, he saw a clear wound on his fist, blood streaming out.
For the first time in so long, he had been injured in a direct confrontation.
Too careless!
Feng Lin silently warned himself. Mythical gene abilities were diverse, and no power was invincible.
He had grown complacent, relying on the Stone Monkey gene's formidable defense to defeat many foes, forgetting that abilities could counter each other.
Back then, Sun Wukong, after mastering his skills, rebelled against Heaven and fought the Three Realms' War God, Erlang Shen Yang Jian, for hundreds of rounds without a victor. But in the end, he was bitten by the Celestial Hound, losing his shape-shifting power, and struck by Taishang Laojun's Golden Cudgel, leading to his defeat.
The Great Tengu, as the Celestial Hound's counterpart in Japan, seemed to possess a similar ability. That last sword technique had a strange rule—seemingly ordinary and weak, yet it ignored defenses.
Though the Tengu hadn't shown other abilities, this alone was terrifying. Even the Stone Monkey gene, usually unstoppable, couldn't withstand such cuts.
He couldn't take it head-on!
Feng Lin quickly changed his battle strategy. Since he couldn't block the blade, he would prevent the Tengu from using it.
Fighting bare-handed against a blade was too disadvantageous.
Swish!
Another slash came.
Feng Lin's psychic power surged, lifting his body rapidly into the air to dodge. He flashed above the Tengu, closing in, his hands like binding ropes, grappling it tightly to prevent escape.
"Immortal Binding Rope Seal!"
Legend had it that the Immortal Binding Rope could restrain even divine immortals and Buddhas, stripping them of their transformative powers.
Feng Lin's hand seals flew, capturing its essence. Instead of retreating, he pressed forward, closing in on the Tengu and grappling relentlessly.
His hands turned into claws, seizing one of its wings. With a sudden, forceful yank, he tore the five-to-six-meter-long wing from its root, hot black demon blood drenching him.
The Great Tengu roared in pain, its remaining wing unable to maintain balance, and it tumbled from the sky.
Feng Lin grew even more ferocious. He grabbed its neck with one hand and reached for its sword-wielding wrist with the other, preventing it from using its blade.
Man and demon tangled together, plummeting downward.
Aside from its deadly swordsmanship, the Tengu seemed weak in hand-to-hand combat. Caught off guard by Feng Lin's hold, it flailed, its remaining wing beating wildly.
Feng Lin didn't dodge. His rock-hard back absorbed the blows like an iron wall. He then headbutted the Tengu's chest like a battering ram, making it howl in pain.
The two figures crashed heavily into the ground.
The Great Tengu, an immensely proud high-level demon, refused to yield, struggling fiercely. "Damn human, I'll kill you today!"
Unable to bear the humiliation, it lashed out with claws and wings.
Feng Lin didn't reply. He knew that to subdue this defiant Tengu, he had to beat it into submission with sheer brutality. Words were useless.
He kicked away the Tengu's most threatening sword, leaving it no chance to resist. Then, fist after fist, he pounded into the Tengu's face relentlessly.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The ground trembled. With each heavy blow, the Tengu's long nose twisted, its head driven into the pit, wounds piling up, black demon blood spilling from its mouth. Its resistance weakened.
Finally, it was barely breathing.
Feng Lin stopped, standing up, his eyes fixed on it. He asked only four words, "Want to die? Want to live?"
The Great Tengu lifted its eyelids with effort, falling silent. It heard the ruthlessness in Feng Lin's voice—if it refused to submit, it would be killed on the spot.
But its innate pride made it hard to speak, to surrender to a human. In the end, it closed its eyes, saying nothing.
Seeing this, Feng Lin knew the Tengu had accepted its fate and would no longer resist.
He took out the purple demon-sealing gourd and activated it using the method the ninja had given him. An immense suction force pulled the Tengu's massive body inside. On the gourd's surface, a pattern appeared: a Great Tengu in armor, holding a sword.
Feng Lin knew he had fully subdued this great demon.