On this desolate battlefield completely shrouded in darkness, the thick darkness is like an airtight curtain, enveloping the entire world, making it impossible to see one's own hand in front of one's face.
A fierce wind, carrying a putrid and pungent stench, swept in with overwhelming force. The stench was as thick as ink, like countless hideous demons tearing at his once-shining robe.
This robe, which had accompanied him in countless battles, carrying his glory and dreams, was now tattered and worn like a piece of trash in the wind.
The tattered strips of cloth swayed helplessly in the eerie, biting wind, like ghosts, each sway seeming to whisper a lament about the cruelty of this brutal battle.
Ren Xiaoyao knelt on one knee, his body swaying precariously, like a candle flame that might be extinguished at any moment in a storm.
His aura was chaotic and disordered, his spiritual power rising and falling like a surging tide. Every surge of spiritual power was accompanied by a violent tremor in his body, as if countless evil hands reached out from the darkness, trying to drag him into an endless abyss and into silence.
His hair was matted together with layers of blood, strands of it sticking haphazardly to his face. Bloodstains meandered from his forehead to his chin, resembling a ferocious centipede with its claws outstretched, exuding an eerie aura.
Even more terrifying was the wisp of black smoke emanating from the wound. These were traces of Dark Power eroding his life like maggots clinging to his bones, like greedy demons slowly devouring his vitality.
The Golden Spiritual Energy flickered like a candle in the wind, its light fading and threatening to be extinguished by the overwhelming darkness at any moment, plunging it into eternal darkness.
Each flash was accompanied by an uncontrollable spasm in Ren Xiaoyao's body, as if his soul was waging a desperate final struggle against the Dark Power, trying to find a glimmer of life in the darkness.
Not far away, the Demon Body swayed its massive, mountain-like form. Each sway was like triggering a magnitude 10 earthquake, causing the earth to tremble violently.
The ground beneath their feet cracked like fragile glass, with huge fissures spreading wildly in all directions like a grotesque spider web. From the fissures, Black Flames erupted like surging lava, instantly engulfing everything in a strange sea of fire.
The Black Flames, as if possessing a life of their own, ferociously devoured the surrounding space, emitting a "whooshing" sound that resembled the agonizing wails of countless wronged souls, sending chills down one's spine.
The air was thick with a pungent, acrid smell of burning and a suffocating aura of death, as if this place had become an extension of hell, a forbidden zone for all life. From the shallow wound on its throat, Black Blood gushed out like a raging torrent, emitting a nauseating, pungent stench.
The stench spread like a tangible force, instantly corroding the land, leaving it riddled with holes and uneven, and sending up plumes of black smoke.
From within the smoke, distorted human faces vaguely appeared, their mouths agape, emitting shrill screams that seemed to tell of the darkness's terror and despair, sending chills down one's spine.
Dark Creatures lingered timidly in the distance, their forms varied, like monsters crawling out of the depths of a nightmare.
Some were as large as mountains, covered in sharp scales, each scale gleaming with a cold, eerie light. The scales rubbed against each other, making a piercing sound, like fingernails scratching glass, sending chills down one's spine, as if countless needles were pricking one's nerves. Their thick limbs pounded the ground, each step causing the earth to tremble, and the black dust they kicked up blotted out the sky.
Some figures were elusive, moving through the darkness like ghosts, leaving behind eerie afterimages wherever they went, emanating a chilling aura, as if it were a call to death.
A putrid stench filled the air, the stench emanating from them, so foul it made one want to vomit, as if their internal organs were churning.
Intimidated by the lingering power emanating from the Demon Body, they dared only let out low, fearful roars, the sounds echoing in the darkness like the weeping of countless wronged souls. Yet, they dared not venture forward rashly, but could only watch from afar, waiting for their chance.
Suddenly, the Demon Body let out a defiant roar, the sound waves like a surging black tide, sweeping over with overwhelming force, making the surrounding air buzz and even causing ripples in space.
Wherever the ripples reached, space seemed to be distorted by an invisible hand, emitting a wail of unbearable strain, as if it would shatter at any moment, revealing an endless Dark Abyss behind it.
The entire Demon Body trembled violently, as if being pulled by an invisible force from the Nine Nether Hell. Its body began to twist and deform, its original outline gradually blurred, and its massive body disintegrated like a melting wax figure.
In the blink of an eye, the Demon Body transformed into countless black limbs, some with arms as thick as thousand-year-old stone pillars, their surfaces covered with sharp barbs, each barb gleaming with a cold, eerie light, as if it could easily pierce through steel.
Black venom flowed from the barbs, dripping onto the ground and instantly corroding deep, bottomless Black Hole. The venom hissed upon contact with the air, emitting puffs of green smoke filled with suffocating toxins. Inhaling even a single breath would cause excruciating pain in the internal organs and rob one of all life.
The claws, sharp as spears, emitted wisps of black mist from their tips. Wherever they passed, the air seemed to be sliced by the blades, hissing as they passed. The mist contained a powerful corrosive force that could reduce all matter to Void, even distorting and deforming light within it.
It also had tentacles as flexible as pythons, and its body was covered in a sticky Black Slime. Wherever the mucus dripped, the ground was instantly corroded into deep holes emitting black smoke. It rushed towards Ren Xiaoyao from all directions with lightning speed, as fast as lightning across the night sky.
At this moment, the space around the battlefield seemed unable to withstand the impact of this powerful force, and tiny Space-time Rift began to appear.
From within the cracks came eerie lights and chilling roars, as if terrifying creatures from another dimension were about to burst forth. The ground beneath their feet sank continuously under the combined pressure of the Demon Body and Ren Xiaoyao's power, forming huge depressions.
Within the depression, black magma churned and surged, occasionally spewing out scorching waves of air that collided with the chill emanating from the Dark Creatures, forming powerful vortexes of air.
The swirling air currents, carrying sand, gravel, and decaying leaves, raged across the battlefield like enraged beasts.
At the edge of the battlefield stood several dilapidated stone towers, teetering on the brink of collapse under the onslaught of the wind and the battle. High Antiquity the towers flickered faintly, seemingly trying to resist the erosion of Dark Power, but all in vain.
Ren Xiaoyao inwardly cried out in alarm. He forced himself to stand up, his legs trembling slightly, as if he might collapse again at any moment. His joints cracked from the long battle, and every movement was accompanied by excruciating pain, as if all the bones in his body were rubbing against each other in protest.
He gritted his teeth and poured the last bit of Golden Spiritual Energy into the longsword.
The runes shimmered faintly on the sword, each rune like a warrior on the verge of death, making its final stand.
A faint golden light occasionally flashed between the runes, as if awakening a long-dormant power, attempting to unleash a storm of light in the darkness.
A thick arm, accompanied by a whooshing sound, struck first. Before the arm even reached him, the powerful wind pressure made Ren Xiaoyao's cheek sting, as if he were being pierced by countless steel needles at once, or as if a thousand small knives were scraping his face. He dodged to the side, his body as light as a leaf in the wind, avoiding the arm's attack at the last second.
He swung his sword at the joint of Ren Xiaoyao's arm. With a piercing metallic scraping sound, Mars flew everywhere. Only a shallow mark was left on his arm. The force of the recoil made Ren Xiaoyao's tiger's mouth go numb, and his arm felt sore and numb. He almost dropped the long sword from his hand.
The force of the recoil traveled up his arm and throughout his body, making his internal organs feel as if they had shifted. A mouthful of blood welled up in his throat, but he forced himself to swallow it down.
At the same time, the barbs on his arm grazed his skin, leaving a deep wound. Black Venom quickly seeped into the wound, Ren Xiaoyao felt a sharp pain. A burning sensation came from the wound, and his skin began to turn black and rot. He could clearly feel the venom, like countless tiny snakes, swimming through his blood vessels, trying to devour his life force, as if it wanted to slowly erode his life. Every second was filled with immense pain. Wherever the venom reached, the blood vessels showed strange black patterns, like countless black centipedes wriggling under the skin.
Almost simultaneously, several tentacles, like black lightning, coiled around him from behind, their speed so fast that Ren Xiaoyao's senses were momentarily impaired. In an instant, the cold, sticky tentacles tightly bound his body, like countless icy pythons coiling around him. The cold and sticky sensation from the tentacles felt like thousands of tiny insects crawling on his skin, making him extremely uncomfortable, as if countless cold hands were touching his body.
Moreover, the tentacles were tightening their grip, like steel ropes squeezing his chest, making each breath extremely difficult. It felt as if a boulder was pressing down on his chest, and his ribs seemed about to break at any moment, making a crisp cracking sound.
Ren Xiaoyao gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, and mobilized the last of his spiritual power, unleashing a sudden burst of golden light, like a blazing sun in the darkness. He wielded his longsword rapidly, the Heavy Sword Shadows like a golden whirlwind, severing the tentacles binding him one by one.
The severed tentacles twisted and struggled on the ground like dying venomous snakes, emitting black smoke filled with a pungent, burnt smell, as if the Dark Power were roaring in despair.
However, the tentacles' slime splattered onto his body, rapidly corroding his skin with a sizzling sound. Ren Xiaoyao trembled in pain as he could see the skin corroded by the slime disappearing bit by bit, revealing the stark white bones beneath, as if telling the story of the brutality of the battle. Every inch of skin that disappeared was accompanied by excruciating pain.
However, before Ren Xiaoyao could even catch his breath, more limbs surged in from all directions like a tidal wave. A sharp claw, carrying an aura of destruction, tore through the darkness, aiming straight for Ren Xiaoyao's heart. Wherever the claw passed, space seemed to be torn apart, revealing tiny Black Cracks. From these cracks came eerie howls and wails, as if connecting to another terrifying world where countless evil souls struggled. In the nick of time, Ren Xiaoyao mustered his last bit of strength and held his longsword horizontally in front of his chest.
The claws clashed with the longsword, producing a deafening roar. The powerful impact, like that of a raging Ancient Ferocious Beasts, sent Ren Xiaoyao flying, crashing heavily into a boulder. The boulder shattered, countless fragments flying like bullets. Ren Xiaoyao coughed up blood, his body limp and sliding down, leaving a long trail of blood on the ground.
At this moment, his back was cut open by sharp pebbles, Dao Wound blood stained the ground beneath him. Some pebbles were even embedded in his flesh. Every movement brought excruciating pain, as if countless small knives were churning inside his body, and every breath was accompanied by intense stabbing pain.
The Demon Body seemed to sense Ren Xiaoyao's tenacity, and its remaining limbs began to combine in a rhythmic pattern, forming an even more bizarre attack formation. Thick arms swung out black blades of energy, slicing through the air with sharp whistles as they approached Ren Xiaoyao from different angles. Meanwhile, agile tentacles wove a vast black net in the air, enveloping him with a suffocating sense of oppression. Wherever the black net reached, the surrounding light seemed to be swallowed up, creating a dark vacuum.
Despite his pain, Ren Xiaoyao's eyes blazed as he rapidly analyzed the Demon Body's attack rhythm. He rolled on the ground, dodging the fatal blow of the energy blade, and simultaneously swung his sword at the descending net of tentacles. The sword collided with the tentacles, producing a series of rapid sounds, and Black Slime splattered, corroding small pits in the ground. The slime splashed onto the nearby rocks, instantly corroding them into countless holes, emitting a hissing sound and rising plumes of black smoke. Within the smoke, grotesquely distorted, agonizing faces vaguely appeared, emitting chilling shrieks.
Taking advantage of a lull in the Demon Body's attacks, Ren Xiaoyao focused his mind, trying to find a weakness in the Demon Body. He noticed that the light at the joints of the Demon Body's limbs was relatively weak, so he decided to take a risk. He took a deep breath, mobilized the remaining spiritual power within his body, and gathered it onto his longsword. The longsword emitted Dazzling Light, within which ancient runes faintly flowed, as if awakening a long-dormant power. These runes exuded a mysterious aura, resisting the surrounding Dark Power, and as the light flowed, ancient Brahma Sound seemed to echo in the air above the battlefield. As the runes flickered, a warm power emanated from the hilt of the sword, slowly flowing through his body, relieving some of his pain.
Ren Xiaoyao roared and charged towards the Demon Body like a golden lightning bolt. He skillfully dodged the oncoming attack and, at the last second, swung his sword at the joint of the Demon Body's limbs. With a muffled thud, a black crack spread across the joint, and the Demon Body let out a painful roar, its limbs trembling violently. The roar of the Demon Body caused the surrounding Dark Creatures to prostrate themselves, afraid to move. Some weaker Dark Creatures were even blasted into oblivion by the sound waves. In the instant the Demon Body trembled, the surrounding Dark Power experienced a brief disturbance, and the eerie light emanating from the Space-time Rift dimmed slightly.
But the Demon Body did not stop there. It frantically mobilized Dark Power, attempting to repair its damaged parts. At the same time, more Dark Creatures, summoned by the Demon Body, surged from the depths of darkness to join the battle, making the already dire situation even more perilous. Above the battlefield, lightning flashed and thunder roared. Black lightning, like giant dragons, weaved through the darkness, each strike accompanied by a deafening roar, as if the End of the World was imminent. The lightning struck the ground, instantly stirring up a cloud of black dust, within which strange runes flickered, seemingly echoing the Dark Power of the Demon Body. From among the Dark Creatures emerged several monsters of even greater size and more terrifying aura. They exuded a strong aura of death, and wherever they passed, the ground was instantly corroded into scorched earth.
Ren Xiaoyao gripped his longsword tightly, his inner conviction burning like an inextinguishable flame in the darkness. Even with his body riddled with wounds and his spiritual energy nearly depleted, he stood tall on this dark battlefield, an immortal monument, ready to face the next challenge of darkness. Each heartbeat of his was as resolute as a war drum, urging him to continue forward in the darkness, never giving up for the sake of light and hope. At this moment, a gentle breeze swept across the battlefield, carrying a faint, refreshing scent, as if a harbinger of impending light. But Ren Xiaoyao knew this was merely the calm before the storm; a fiercer battle was yet to come. His gaze remained fixed on the Demon Body, silently calculating his next move. The longsword in his hand trembled slightly, yet still radiated an indomitable light. Suddenly, the Dark Power surrounding the Demon Body began to surge wildly, forming a massive Black Vortex, seemingly brewing an even more terrifying attack...
The Black Vortex surrounding the Demon Body spun faster and faster, emitting a sharp whistling sound, as if it wanted to suck the entire world into an endless Dark Abyss. Driven by the vortex, the surrounding Dark Creatures seemed to be propelled by an Invisible Power, frantically rushing towards Ren Xiaoyao. With each step of those enormous Dark Creatures, the earth trembled, and deep footprints instantly appeared on the ground, from which black venom gushed out and quickly spread in all directions. Meanwhile, those ghostly creatures with elusive forms were even faster, leaving blurry afterimages in the darkness, launching sneak attacks on Ren Xiaoyao from all directions.
Ren Xiaoyao knew the situation was extremely critical; a single misstep would mean certain death. He mustered his strength, his Golden Spiritual Energy struggling to circulate within him. Though its light was faint, every strand carried Unbending Will. Just then, a Dark Creatures the size of a mountain swung its enormous claws, slamming them down towards Ren Xiaoyao. These claws were the size of houses, covered in thick black scales, from which green venom flowed, emitting a nauseating stench. Ren Xiaoyao had no time to think; he instantly retreated, simultaneously unleashing a Golden Sword Qi. The Sword Qi collided with the claws, producing a deafening roar. The powerful impact sent Ren Xiaoyao flying backward, leaving a long trail in the ground.
However, the attack did not end there. Almost simultaneously, several ghostly Dark Creatures silently appeared behind him, wielding black daggers that gleamed with an eerie purple light—a symbol of deadly poison. Ren Xiaoyao keenly sensed the danger behind him, whirled around, and swiftly swung his longsword, forming a golden defensive net. The Dark Creatures ' daggers struck the net, producing a series of piercing sounds and Mars flying. But due to their sheer number, Ren Xiaoyao gradually found himself overwhelmed, several cuts appearing on his arms, from which blood gushed.
At the same time, the Demon Body let out a low roar from within the Black Vortex, followed by the emergence of several thick tentacles. These tentacles were covered in sharp barbs, each gleaming with a chilling light, and venom dripped continuously from them. The tentacles coiled towards Ren Xiaoyao with incredible speed, the air seeming to freeze in their wake, emitting a crackling sound. Ren Xiaoyao focused his mind, a resolute glint in his eyes. He channeled the last of his spiritual power into his longsword. The longsword shone brightly, runes flashing, as if it had been infused with new life.
He roared and charged towards the tentacles like a golden meteor. The longsword clashed with the tentacles, producing a series of rapid sounds, Black Slime splattered, and a pungent odor filled the air. With his tenacious will and superb swordsmanship, Ren Xiaoyao severed several tentacles. But the Demon Body seemed to be enraged; the vortex suddenly accelerated, and more Dark Creatures poured out, surrounding Ren Xiaoyao.
Ren Xiaoyao looked around, but felt no fear. He knew that retreat meant death, and only by forging ahead could he find a glimmer of hope. He took a deep breath and began to silently recite an ancient sword incantation. As he recited the Mnemonic, the runes on his longsword shone even brighter, and a powerful aura emanated from the blade. The surrounding Dark Creatures sensed this aura and hesitated, but driven by their Demon Body, they still pounced on him madly.
Just as the Dark Creatures were about to touch Ren Xiaoyao, he suddenly swung his sword, unleashing a massive Golden Sword Qi. Wherever the Sword Qi struck, the Dark Creatures were cleaved in two, Black Blood and slime splattering everywhere. However, this strike also consumed a great deal of Ren Xiaoyao's physical and spiritual energy; his body began to sway, and his face turned as pale as paper.
Seeing this, the Demon Body let out a triumphant roar, and the Dark Power within the vortex condensed once more, forming a massive Black Sphere. The sphere's surface shimmered with an eerie light, continuously absorbing the surrounding Dark Power and growing ever larger. Ren Xiaoyao knew that this attack would be incredibly powerful; if he were hit, he would surely die. He gritted his teeth, bracing himself, preparing to face this final challenge...