Niu Ben was dismissive of the Grand Luo Golden Immortal's demand, saying scornfully:
"Who, you?"
"You are not worthy of knowing my name!"
At those words, the Grand Luo Golden Immortal flew into a rage, his eyes seeming ready to spit fire.
After all, he was a demon king who dominated an entire region. When had he ever been treated with such contempt?
"You are courting death!!"
The next moment, the Grand Luo Golden Immortal roared, demonic qi surging wildly around him as his terrifying pressure sent the seawater for tens of thousands of miles churning.
"Boom!"
Then, the demon king struck in fury, immediately producing his cone-shaped Houtian Spiritual Treasure.
In an instant, immense power erupted, raising towering waves.
"Whoosh!"
The cone-shaped Houtian Spiritual Treasure shot toward Niu Ben like a flying rainbow, carrying power capable of shattering mountains and cleaving peaks.
Even an ordinary Grand Luo Golden Immortal would not have dared to take such terrifying force head-on.
"Oh?"
Niu Ben's expression did not change as he faced the demon king's fearsome attack.
He did not take the power of a mere Houtian Spiritual Treasure seriously at all.
The cone-shaped Houtian Spiritual Treasure was just about to crash down upon him.
At that moment, Niu Ben casually raised a hand and threw a seemingly effortless punch.
"Boom!"
Under the sweeping force of that mighty punch, even space and time seemed to twist and warp.
Looking again, Niu Ben's fist had already struck the cone-shaped Houtian Spiritual Treasure.
"Bang!"
A deafening explosive impact rang out.
"Crack!"
The demon king's cone-shaped Houtian Spiritual Treasure shattered beneath Niu Ben's punch, turning into countless motes of light that scattered into the sea breeze.
"Ah?"
"What?"
"His physical strength is absurdly powerful, isn't it?"
"My Lingbao!!"
The demon king's face changed drastically, his expression filled with disbelief.
He had never imagined that Niu Ben's physical strength would be so formidable that he could directly clash with a Houtian Spiritual Treasure.
What pained him even more was that his Houtian Spiritual Treasure had been smashed apart by a single punch from Niu Ben.
That Houtian Spiritual Treasure had been forged from countless heavenly materials and earthly treasures. It could even contend with an Innate Spiritual Treasure to some extent, yet it had now been shattered barehanded by his opponent!
Not far away, the Three Xiaos cheered in delight at the sight.
"Senior Disciple Brother is amazing!"
"He shattered that man's Houtian Spiritual Treasure with his bare hands!"
"He is so cool!"
In their excitement, the Three Xiaos all glanced at Ao Run.
"Our Senior Disciple Brother was willing to help you. Consider your little life saved."
Bixiao pouted as she spoke.
When she had seen Niu Ben step in to help earlier, jealousy had surged within her. She suspected that he had lent a hand because he had been captivated by Ao Run's beauty!
Ao Run stood frozen in place, her face full of disbelief.
She paid no attention to Bixiao's jealous words.
Niu Ben's earlier punch continued replaying in her mind.
"So... so powerful!"
"A punch relying purely on physical strength shattered that old demon's Houtian Spiritual Treasure?"
"Who exactly is he?"
With that thought, Ao Run's gaze sharpened and fixed directly upon Niu Ben.
At this moment, Niu Ben looked as calm as ever, watching the demon king with an unruffled expression.
"What?"
"Is that all you can do?"
As Niu Ben spoke, the demon king snapped out of his shock.
Thinking of how Niu Ben had humiliated him and shattered the Houtian Spiritual Treasure he had painstakingly forged, he was beside himself with rage.
"Y-you are courting death!!"
The demon king roared, fury overwhelming his reason.
"Boom! Boom!"
Demonic qi around him surged explosively.
Looking again, the demon king's body rapidly swelled. In less than a moment, he had transformed into a colossal beast standing ten thousand zhang tall.
The instant his sky-obscuring true form appeared, a terrifying aura spread outward.
The entire West Sea trembled beneath his might, and countless Dragon Clan creatures prostrated themselves.
"Roar!"
The demon king howled, his vicious eyes icy.
"Oh?"
"Your true form?"
Niu Ben spoke coldly. Divine light flared in his eyes as the muscles all over his body bulged.
The next moment, a terrifying aura that seemed to hail from the ancient Primordial Wilderness erupted.
"Boom!"
Then, an earth-shaking ox bellow echoed between heaven and earth.
"Moo..."
It sounded like thunder splitting the skies, and the entire West Sea instantly boiled.
The violent soundwaves became tangible ripples, forcibly pressing the seawater across tens of thousands of miles down a hundred zhang.
Then, Niu Ben's body began to expand rapidly.
Every inch of his muscles erupted with world-destroying power. Profound and unfathomable Great Dao patterns emerged, each seeming to record the mysteries of creating heaven and earth.
In but a few breaths, he had transformed into an Azure Ox true form ten thousand zhang tall.
His thick hooves stepped upon the void, and the entire West Sea immediately shook with earthquakes and roaring mountains.
Most terrifying of all were his horns. They seemed forged from black iron, wreathed in Chaos Qi, their tips gleaming with cold light that distorted even space.
With a mere swing of his head, he carved two pitch-black tears through the void that refused to close for a long time.
In an instant, two ten-thousand-zhang figures stood proudly above the West Sea, their violent auras tearing apart the clouds for tens of thousands of miles around them.
The shrimp soldiers and crab generals in the sea all trembled in fear at the sight.
Some of the weaker aquatic creatures were even knocked unconscious on the spot by that terrifying pressure.
"Hm?"
When the demon king saw this, his vicious gaze tightened. He had not expected Niu Ben's true form to be so terrifying.
Though shocked, he did not hesitate. He swung his massive body and charged straight at Niu Ben.
"Boom!"
Niu Ben's expression remained unchanged. His true form shot forward, meeting the attack head-on.
In less than a few breaths, the two colossal creatures slammed into each other above the West Sea.
"Bang!"
A terrifying blast resounded from the collision, shockwaves spreading out in arcs as space and time themselves seemed to be annihilated.
Yet the demon king's true form proved utterly unable to withstand the impact.
The body he had taken such pride in was as fragile as paper before Niu Ben.
Niu Ben possessed the foundation of an Innate Demon God, and his true form had undergone two earth-shaking evolutions. He had long surpassed the realm of ordinary Grand Luo Golden Immortals.
In only a moment, the demon king was sent flying. His insides churned violently, as though all his organs had been displaced.
After steadying himself, the demon king returned to human form and could not hold back a mouthful of blood.
"Pfft!"
That collision had already inflicted severe injuries upon him.
"So... so powerful!"
The demon king spoke in a trembling voice, his gaze toward Niu Ben filled with terror.
He had originally believed that once he revealed his true form, he would be able to suppress Niu Ben with ease.
Who could have imagined that Niu Ben's true form would be even more terrifying than his own?
After thinking it over, the demon king regained his reason.
He understood perfectly well that Niu Ben had shattered his Houtian Spiritual Treasure with a single punch, and that his true form was even more terrifying.
Such an existence possessed strength that no ordinary Grand Luo Golden Immortal could possibly have.
Run!
A trace of determination flashed through the demon king's eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, he turned and fled.
At that moment, he had only one thought: The farther away from this monster, the better!
Before you continue