At the very moment the demon stumbled into the trap and floundered in disgrace, Yi Chen burst forth like a bolt of lightning.

　　His movements were swift and supple; with a powerful spring of his legs, he leapt instantly to the demon’s front, and in the next breath sword shadows interwove as the two became locked in fierce combat.

　　Qing Nianli was still frozen in astonishment. Her eyes were wide, her face filled with disbelief.

　　Her thoughts remained stuck at the instant the demon had appeared. She stared blankly at the violent clash before her, her heart flooded with shock.

　　She simply could not comprehend how such a fearsome demon could be toyed with so thoroughly by traps that looked little more than childish tricks.

　　Her mouth hung slightly open, and she stood dazed, unable to fully recover from the sudden turn of events.

　　On the battlefield, Yi Chen and the demon exchanged furious blows.

　　Blades and sword light flashed in chaotic brilliance. The demon wielded two curved sabers, slashing wildly, each swing carrying a howling wind.

　　Yi Chen, however, held only a wooden sword, his figure weaving nimbly through layers of blade light.

　　At times he twisted aside with razorthin precision, the twin sabers grazing past his body; at others he struck true, parrying cleanly as wood met steel and showers of sparks burst forth.

　　The wooden sword in his hand shifted through wondrous techniques.

　　Now a lightningfast thrust shot straight for the demon’s vital points; now a storm of chained sword strikes descended like driving rain, forcing the demon into frantic defense.

　　Though the demon’s assault was ferocious, Yi Chen relied on agility and exquisite swordsmanship to hold him in perfect check, neither yielding an inch.

　　Gradually, the demon sensed himself falling behind and the thought of retreat crept into his mind.

　　He feinted, turned, and attempted to flee—but had scarcely taken a few steps when a shrill scream tore from his throat.

　　The cruel steel jaws of the trap bit deep into his flesh, leaving him utterly unable to break free.

　　With no choice, the demon was forced back into combat with Yi Chen.

　　Blades and sword light crossed relentlessly as both sides fought with all they had, neither willing to retreat even half a step.

　　At the height of this fierce struggle, two crisp cracks rang out—both the demon’s blade and Yi Chen’s wooden sword snapped in the same instant, fragments scattering as the battle plunged into uncertainty.

　　Seeing Yi Chen’s sword break while he himself still held a blade, the demon was overjoyed. He burst into wild laughter.

　　“Hahahaha! Without a weapon, how will you fight me now?”

　　He straightened his back, brandishing the blade arrogantly before Yi Chen, as though victory were already in his grasp.

　　Step by step, his gait grew ever more domineering as he pressed forward.

　　At that moment, however, a faint smile flickered across Yi Chen’s face. His gaze subtly shifted to the rake lying between the demon’s legs.

　　The rake rested there quietly, as if waiting for the moment it would be called into use.

　　As the demon approached, a glint of cunning flashed in Yi Chen’s eyes. He stomped down hard.

　　In an instant, the rake snapped upward at terrifying speed, striking squarely between the demon’s legs.

　　“Aaaargh!”

　　The demon never anticipated such a turn. A wave of agony crashed over him; his face twisted grotesquely as a piercing scream tore from his throat. Clutching his groin, his body curled involuntarily, and the blade slipped from his grasp.

　　Qing Nianli was stunned once more.

　　Her eyes widened, her face frozen in disbelief, lips parted as though she wished to speak but had no idea what to say.

　　Her thoughts simply could not keep pace with Yi Chen’s astonishing maneuver. She stood there blankly, her mind in utter chaos.

　　Moments ago she had been worried sick about Yi Chen losing his weapon, yet in the blink of an eye he had reversed the situation in the most unexpected way imaginable.

　　And yet, seeing the demon writhing in agony and the faintly smug look on Yi Chen’s face, she could not help herself.

　　A soft laugh escaped her lips.

　　She hurriedly covered her mouth, trying not to laugh aloud, but the sound still slipped through her fingers, her shoulders trembling.

　　Her eyes sparkled with mirth—both astonishment at the absurdity of the scene and helpless amusement at Yi Chen’s ingenious surprise.

　　Yi Chen raised an eyebrow as he looked at the demon’s misery.

　　“Just as the book said,” he remarked lightly. “Hitting here hurts the most. Now you really can’t run, can you?”

　　His face brimmed with mischief, his eyes alight with playful confidence.

　　Qing Nianli nearly burst out laughing again at his words.

　　The demon, meanwhile, could only howl in agony, clutching himself, utterly unable to spare Yi Chen’s taunts even a glance.

　　Watching Yi Chen, Qing Nianli thought to herself that she truly had no idea what strange books he had been reading to know such bizarre tricks.

　　Shaking her head, she gained yet another new understanding of his eccentric cleverness.

　　“Demon!” Yi Chen shouted coldly. “You have slaughtered innocent children. Today is the day you meet your end!”

　　He raised what remained of the wooden sword high. His inner energy surged, wrapping the broken blade in a radiant aura that formed a blade of qi.

　　“Mercy, young hero! Mercy!” the demon wailed in terror, smashing his forehead into the ground again and again, trembling as he begged. “I’ll never dare again—never again!”

　　Yi Chen’s expression hardened. His brows knitted tightly as his gaze locked onto the demon kneeling before him.

　　His innate kindness tugged at his heartstrings. His hand trembled against his will, and the sword he had raised slowly began to lower.

　　Struggle and hesitation churned in his eyes as he wavered between killing and sparing.

　　At that instant, a flash of viciousness burst forth from the demon’s eyes, and without warning he struck.

　　“Yi Chen, watch out!” Qing Nianli cried, her face draining of color.

　　She moved in a blur, striking with lightning speed and knocking the demon’s weapon away.

　　Yet the demon, carried forward by his own momentum, slammed straight into Yi Chen—colliding squarely with the wooden sword that had not yet been fully lowered.

　　For that brief moment, time itself seemed to freeze.

　　Yi Chen’s eyes flew wide, his face filled with shock and disbelief.

　　As the demon’s body slowly collapsed, a storm of emotions flooded Yi Chen’s heart—shock at the accident, sorrow and helplessness at the loss of a life.

　　Qing Nianli hurried to his side and gently patted his shoulder, the warmth of her palm offering silent comfort.

　　Yi Chen seemed hollowed out, staring blankly at the demon’s corpse on the ground, his eyes empty, words long failing him.

　　Killing this monster who had committed countless evils should have brought satisfaction—yet the spray of blood at the moment the blade fell carved an indelible mark into his heart.

　　He could not help but ask himself: is killing to stop killing truly the answer to everything?

　　The weight of that question pressed down on him until he could scarcely breathe, the boundary between good and evil blurring before his eyes.

　　After a long while, he let out a slow sigh, as though expelling all the heaviness in his chest.

　　“Let’s go,” Qing Nianli said softly.

　　Yi Chen nodded. With heavy steps, he left alongside her.

　　A trace of confusion still lingered on his face; clearly, he had yet to escape the mire of inner struggle over taking a life.

　　Walking beside him, Qing Nianli spoke gently. “Yi Chen, evil must be eradicated. If he had lived, he would only have harmed more children.”

　　Yi Chen opened his mouth to reply, but she cut him off first.

　　“Yi Chen, your kindness is not wrong. I admire it deeply. But we must know when to be kind and when to be resolute. If our tolerance allows evil to continue and innocent people to suffer, then we too become accomplices. That is also a great evil.”

　　Yi Chen listened, his brow furrowing as he sank into deeper thought.

　　Struggle flickered in his eyes, yet gradually he began to grasp the truth in her words.

　　Qing Nianli patted his shoulder gently once more. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. We are all growing, learning to face these complexities.”

　　Yi Chen nodded silently. The fog in his heart slowly dispersed, replaced by firmness and resolve.

　　They continued forward, their shadows stretching long and thin in the glow of the setting sun.

　　In Yi Chen’s mind, Qing Nianli’s words echoed again and again—

　　“Eradicate evil to the end.”

　　Suddenly, a strange power stirred within him, as though something long dormant were awakening.

　　“To kill is to protect life. What I sever is evil, not life itself…” Yi Chen murmured.

　　As his words fell, his aura surged upward. Spiritual energy from all directions rushed toward him in a frenzy.

　　Yi Chen closed his eyes, immersing himself in this wondrous realization.

　　A beam of light seemed to flash through his heart, illuminating the longstanding confusion within him.

　　In that moment, he understood the boundary between good and evil, and knew how he should choose.

　　The power within him grew ever stronger, surging through his body like a roaring tide.

　　Brilliant light radiated from him, and within that radiance his very bearing underwent a dramatic transformation.

　　When the light finally faded, Yi Chen opened his eyes, sensing a rebirthlike change—a realm utterly different from before.

　　Through this moment of enlightenment, he had broken through to the Divine Transformation realm.

　　Qing Nianli watched from the side, a smile of relief and joy blossoming on her face.

　　This was not merely a breakthrough in cultivation, but an elevation of Yi Chen’s state of mind.

　　From this day forth, he would face the world with renewed resolve—protecting those who needed protection, and upholding his belief in eradicating evil to its very end.