The battle instantly escalated to a fever pitch! Every Ultimate Realm expert poured their full strength, displaying their Divine Abilities, engaging in a desperate struggle against the omnipresent, endless Strange Mist Vines and the cold will contained within them!
However, the situation was not optimistic!
Time mercilessly flowed in the fierce clashes, and each collision of power accelerated the consumption of the Demon Gods and Ultimate Realm experts' Origin of the Great Dao.
The gray-white Strange Mist seemed to have the entire Silent Star Domain as its backing, endless and inexhaustible. Its corrosive and assimilating properties were even more difficult to guard against. Fighting it was like wrestling with an entire decaying Star Domain.
Celestial Venerable Fentian's Golden Crow Fire Net grew dimmer and dimmer under the endless impact, its range continuously shrinking, and blood constantly seeped from his lips.
Star Dome Old Ancestor's Starlight Chains were almost completely covered in gray-white, his figure tottering, relying entirely on a surge of will to support himself. His star source was shielded by the Strange Domain, and his power was continuously weakened.
Mind Clarity Holy Monk's Buddha Light was relentlessly pressed back by gray-white Sanskrit runes, and his chanting carried a hint of imperceptible tremor.
Grand Profound Sword Revered's Sword Qi was still sharp, but the speed of cutting was far from keeping up with the regeneration speed. The invisible will's erosion caused his sword-like eyebrows to be tightly furrowed.
Blood Prison Demon God's Blood Sea Demon Souls were largely contaminated and assimilated, forcing him to painfully sever the connection. The Blood Sea's scale shrank by nearly 30%, and his aura also became much weaker.
Bone Emperor Demon God's Bone Emperor Domain was riddled with holes from the gray-white erosion, and his Death Qi was constantly being neutralized.
Soul Devouring Demon God's face was ashen, the gray-white patterns on his Soul Banner already occupying nearly half of its surface. The backlash made him suffer immensely.
The nine Profound Fiend Nether Dragons wailed repeatedly, their movements becoming slower and slower, as if burdened by heavy shackles.
Pressure!
Suffocating pressure!
The Strange Tree's will had not yet descended in its true form, yet merely by controlling this completely assimilated Star Domain and its endless strange-transformed substances, it managed to exhaust the Demon Gods and Ultimate Realm experts, leaving them scrambling, their methods exhausted with little effect, while their own power and Origin of the Great Dao were continuously consumed and eroded!
A shadow of despair quietly crept into everyone's hearts. The terror of this Strange Dao will far exceeded their estimations! It was like the Star Domain itself, the materialized malice of the entire environment!
“This won't do! The consumption is too great!”
Bone Emperor Demon God's bone knuckles cracked audibly. His Bone Emperor Domain was once again brutally struck by several thick Strange Vines, causing the Domain's light to tremble chaotically.
“Its power… is almost endless!”
Celestial Venerable Fentian gritted his teeth, maintaining the tottering fire net, his voice a little hoarse.
Just as the experts felt their strength failing, their defenses beginning to loosen, and a crack appearing in their minds due to the immense consumption and continuous will erosion—
Consumption and fatigue, like a persistent disease, quietly crept onto the bodies and Divine Souls of every expert.
Star Dome Old Ancestor's figure stooped even deeper, as if burdened by a thousand tons, urging his star Daoist Magic, his withered fingers trembling uncontrollably.
His eyes, once as brilliant as a galaxy, were now dim and lusterless, filled with turbid bloodshot veins. The range of his surrounding Star Domain had shrunk by nearly half, its edges eroded by gray-white like rusted scrap metal chains.
The Blood Sea churning beneath Blood Prison Demon God's feet no longer possessed its initial ferocity and surging power. The viscous blood plasma had become dull in color, and what it brought forth when churning was no longer pure blood fiend Qi, but rather nauseating gray-white foam mixed in. Deep within his crimson blood pupils, besides ferocity, there was an added touch of unconcealed fatigue and a hint of…
The light of Mind Clarity Holy Monk's Buddha Wheel behind his head had shrunk from its grand illumination of the galaxy to a mere ten-foot radius barely protecting himself. Although the Buddha Light was still pure, it appeared exceptionally “strained,” as if struggling against heavy, viscous mud.
The speed of his chanting of True Words grew faster and faster, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, sliding down his wrinkled cheeks, dripping into the Void Realm, and instantly being annihilated by the Strange Mist. Each counterattack of the gray-white Sanskrit rune phantom caused his withered body to sway slightly, his Buddha heart having reached its limit of pressure.
Grand Profound Sword Revered's sword-wielding hand remained steady, but that “steadiness” revealed a stiffness of a spent force. Each time a Sword Qi splintered and struck, the clear light on the sword's edge dimmed a bit.
The efficiency of the invisible Sword Qi in severing Strange Vines was visibly decreasing, as it required more mental effort and power to disperse and expel the encroaching cold, reverse-attacking will. On his ancient, unperturbed face, his sword-like eyebrows were tightly furrowed, revealing deep solemnity and the paleness of over-exertion.
Bone Emperor Demon God's White Bone Throne no longer stood firm, but emitted a subtle yet continuous “creaking” groan. At the edge of the eerie white Bone Emperor Domain, the gray-white stained area was slowly but steadily expanding, like ink dripping into clear water. The bone spikes generated within the Domain were significantly less in speed and density than before.
The madness in Soul Devouring Demon God's crimson eyes intensified, yet it could not conceal the pain and weakness deep within his eyes. The gray-white patterns on the Soul Banner spread even faster, and he had to allocate a considerable portion of his power to forcibly suppress the violent backlash arising from the pollution within the Soul Banner, which caused his demonic essence to be consumed much faster than others.
Three of Profound Fiend Demon God's nine Nether Dragons were completely stiff in their movements, and gray-white patterns like ugly moss covered most of their massive Dragon bodies. Their Dragon roars became painful and weak. For the remaining six, the power and range of their Dragon breath also significantly weakened, requiring longer recovery time after each Sigh.
Celestial Venerable Fentian was under the most direct pressure! He alone supported the “Burning Void Refining World” Great Array, enduring the fiercest frontal impact of the giant Strange Mist Vines.
The light of the Golden Crow Lamp Flame had shrunk by a third, and the fire net barrier vibrated violently, with cracks appearing. His Immortal robes were already stained with several golden-red bloodstains, his face was pale as paper, and his aura fluctuated violently, relying entirely on an indomitable will to forcibly burn his Origin and support this last line of defense. Each strike of the giant vine made him feel as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer, his body trembling slightly.
The shadow of despair, as power rapidly drained and fatigue deepened, began to spread through everyone's hearts. They were like giants trapped in an endless swamp, each struggle pulling them deeper, while their opponent's power seemed boundless.
Just at this precarious moment, when the defense line could collapse at any time!
The core area, enveloped by “Eternal Night,” suddenly erupted with an unprecedented emerald green radiance!
“Yi Wood gives life, all things return to spring!” The Green Emperor's deep voice, full of life force, penetrated the dark barrier of Eternal Night!
Buzz—!
The purest and most extreme power of Yi Wood Origin, like a volcano that had been dormant for ten thousand years, erupted with a roar! Vast and boundless vitality instantly spread out, forming a huge Green Wood Domain covering the entire battlefield! Within the Domain, countless phantoms of exotic flowers and plants, and ancient towering trees appeared out of thin air, lush and green, filled with the supreme power of nurturing, nourishing, and reviving!
It was the purest gift and recovery, originating from the Origin of life!
Specks of emerald light rain, containing infinite vitality, like Nine Heavens nectar, accurately sprinkled onto every struggling expert.
The effect was immediate!
Star Dome Old Ancestor trembled all over, as if parched, cracked earth had received a sweet rain. His depleted star power received unprecedented nourishment, and the dim Starlight Chains suddenly brightened. Although they could not completely dispel the gray-white pollution, they temporarily curbed its spread, invigorating his almost collapsing spirit and slightly calming his heavy breathing.
The dim Blood Sea beneath Blood Prison Demon God's feet seemed to have been injected with new vitality, churning with slightly brighter waves. The stinging sensation of erosion and pollution was greatly reduced, and the depleted power within his demonic body was effectively replenished. He let out a joyful low roar, and the fatigue in his blood pupils was dispelled a few points.
Mind Clarity Holy Monk's Buddha Wheel suddenly brightened! Like a pearl dusted off. The sprinkled light rain of vitality merged into the Buddha Light, as if injecting it with a tenacious Bodhi heart, instantly stabilizing his Buddha heart, which was being impacted by the gray-white Sanskrit runes. His chanting became more stable and powerful, and the protected range subtly expanded outwards a little.
Grand Profound Sword Revered's sword-wielding hand instantly stabilized, and the clear light on the sword's edge became sharp again. The cold will that constantly invaded his sword heart seemed to be washed away by a warm current, temporarily retreating. His eyes narrowed, and he pointed his sword again, countless Sword Qi splintering, and his striking efficiency soared!
At the edge of Bone Emperor Demon God's Bone Emperor Domain, the expansion trend of gray-white impregnation abruptly halted! A thin film of imperceptible vitality seemed to coat the eerie white bones, temporarily resisting the erosion of the power of silence. The throne stopped groaning, and the rhythm of the jumping ghostly flames also stabilized much.
Soul Devouring Demon God felt a clear current flow into the frenzied Soul Banner, and the screams of the resentful Souls seemed to carry a hint of relief. Although the pollution could not be eradicated, the violent backlash was temporarily neutralized by the vitality, greatly reducing his pressure, and a hint of surprise flashed in his crimson eyes.
The gray-white patterns on Profound Fiend Demon God's three stiff Nether Dragons stopped spreading under the light rain of vitality, and even showed faint signs of being suppressed and diluted. The pain in their Dragon roars also greatly lessened.
Celestial Venerable Fentian was greatly invigorated! Vast vitality surged into his body, like divine oil poured onto a dying flame! A flush of color appeared on his pale face, and his depleted Immortal essence was powerfully replenished. The Golden Crow Lamp Flame suddenly flared up, and the violently vibrating fire net barrier instantly stabilized much, with cracks rapidly mending! He let out a long roar and straightened his back once more!
The Green Emperor, this “bait” who offered himself, at the most critical moment for everyone, revealed his true value as the ancestor of all wood and the source of vitality! With his own vast Yi Wood Origin, he forcibly injected a strong stimulant into this almost collapsing battle line!
The moment the vast vitality permeated and everyone's spirits were invigorated!
The entire battlefield suddenly fell into an indescribable, horrifying… silence.
It wasn't the disappearance of sound, but all the gray-white Strange Mist, all the painful, twisted phantom faces, all the striking and eroding giant vines… their movements, at the same instant, stopped!
As if time had been paused.
A cold will, a hundred, a thousand times stronger than before, filled with greed, longing, and covetousness, like a tangible gaze, penetrated layers of space, disregarding the darkness of Eternal Night, the scorching of golden flames, and the obscuration of defiled blood, fixating tightly and unreservedly on the source that released the vast vitality—the Green Emperor, enveloped by Eternal Night!
The feeling was like a primordial beast that had been lurking in the darkness for billions of years, starved to the extreme, finally locking onto its dreamed-of, most perfect prey!
“Om…!”
A low hum, as if from the deepest abyss of the Nine Hells, yet reverberating in the deepest part of everyone's Divine Soul, sounded.
Deep within the churning gray-white Strange Mist, a core so profound that it seemed to swallow all light, slowly emerged, condensed, and expanded… like… a cold, ruthless, greedy eye slowly opening!
It avoided the frontal assault of the experts, like the most insidious venomous snake, precisely focusing all its “malice” and “greed” on the core enveloped by the darkness of Eternal Night, “protected” by the Golden Crow Fire Net, and emitting the alluring aura of a “Jianmu Tree Heart”—the Green Emperor!
This will was formless and immaterial, yet more deadly than any physical attack! It disregarded Eternal Night Demon God's light-devouring dark shield, as if that darkness itself was an extension of it! It easily penetrated Celestial Venerable Fentian's tottering Golden Crow Fire Net, and the true sun flames on the fire net were unable to cause effective scorching to it!
It was like a drop of ink falling into clear water, or a slimy, cold venomous snake, silently and directly… invading the interior of the Eternal Night dark shield, coiling around the Green Emperor's Yi Wood Origin, which emitted vast vitality!
The Green Emperor's body trembled violently!
The carefree smile on his face instantly froze! In its place was an extreme pain and… shock!
The Green Emperor felt as if his pure and vast Yi Wood Origin, representing the source of life, had been cast into the most defiled, most desolate cold pool! A will so cold it froze the Soul, so desolate it erased vitality, was greedily and frantically gnawing at his Dao Origin! It wasn't eroding his physical body, nor polluting his magical power, but directly targeting the very foundation of his existence—the Yi Wood Great Dao Origin!
“Ugh—!”
A suppressed groan of pain came from within the Eternal Night dark shield! The deep darkness enveloping the Green Emperor fluctuated violently, as if enduring unimaginable impact from within! The vast vitality, originally stable like a “Jianmu Tree Heart,” now flickered violently like a candle in the wind, becoming chaotic!
“Green Emperor!”
“Old friend!”
“Not good!”
The experts' minds were greatly shaken! They instantly understood what had happened! The extremely cunning Strange Tree's true will did not directly appear to confront their combined strength, but instead, while they were distracted and heavily consumed by the outer attacks, and a crack appeared in their minds, it directed the most fatal attack directly at the bait itself—the Green Emperor's Dao Origin!
It wanted to infect, devour, and assimilate this purest vitality, which was enough to “complete” itself! Once the Green Emperor was completely eroded, not only would the bait plan fail, but they would also instantly lose a top-tier combatant, and might even gain a terrifying enemy controlled by the Strange Tree's will!
The true crisis had only just arrived! And the experts were already showing signs of fatigue and exhaustion!
It appeared!
The Demon Gods and Ultimate Realm experts all looked at Li Mu, whose aura was hidden in the Void Realm. At this moment, it was time for him to act, as they had sacrificed themselves to draw out the Strange Dao will.
However, he had not yet moved?
Was he not confident?
It's over! (End of Chapter)
