Their first clash, and the still-enormous gap

Before the palm even arrived, the powerful wind had already cracked the earth and distorted space, as if even heaven and earth would have to submit to this palm strike.

The patterns around the seal crumbled inch by inch, and the entire Blood God Great Array shook violently, emitting a mournful cry of unbearable strain.

Huo Yuhao's expression was serious, and he had already grasped the Heavenly Burning Divine Pestle in his palm. The blue-gold flames, formed by the fusion of Crimson Gold Profound Flame and Ice-Devouring Divine Flame, clung to it like living things, burning away the void.

Without hesitation, he instantly transferred or injected all the powers within him— the Laws of Destruction, the Eternal Light of the Eye of Eternity, the Bloodline Power, and the power of Soul Power and Divine Consciousness after breaking through limits—into the Heavenly Burning Divine Pestle.

The Heavenly Burning Divine Pestle seemed to truly awaken at this moment. Blue-gold flames soared into the sky, transforming into a blue-gold fire dragon ten thousand feet in size, its roar shaking the heavens and burning the space.

Huo Yuhao raised the divine pestle high, his Essence, Energy, and Spirit becoming one, and he launched a fierce attack on the pale giant hand!

The moment the Heavenly Burning Divine Pestle clashed violently with that pale giant hand—the world fell silent.

Boom!

Immediately afterwards, a blazing ball of light, over ten thousand feet in diameter, exploded at the point of impact. Blue-gold and pale light intertwined, devoured, and exploded wildly, tearing the entire sky in two.

Above the Endless Mountain Range, vast areas of space shattered, and pitch-black void rifts continued to spread.

The two forces were locked in a stalemate in the void, with blue-gold and pale each occupying half of the sky, neither willing to yield.

The shockwaves surged higher and higher, pressing down on both the Blood God Legion and the Abyss Creatures, leaving them unable to lift their heads.

On the Blood God Legion's side, Zhang Huanyun did his best to open up the spatial barrier. The Passionate Douluo and the Smiling Douluo joined forces to protect the main line with their Soul Power, but many soldiers were still blown away by the shockwave and coughed up blood. The Heartless Douluo held the Blood God Great Array firmly, and the bloodstains overflowing from the corner of his mouth were particularly glaring under the reflection of the golden patterns.

On the other hand, the scene was quite different for the Abyss Creatures. The lower-level Abyss monsters that were closer to the shockwave turned into black mist and dissipated the moment it passed; the higher-level Abyss Creatures were also shaken so badly that they bled from all seven orifices and were on the verge of collapse.

However, Huo Yuhao and the Abyssal Sage King, who were engaged in battle at the moment, had no time to pay attention to them. Every collision between the two forces forced them to exert their full strength.

The difference is that Huo Yuhao can unleash his full potential.

For the Abyssal Sage King, the full force he exerted in the Douluo Plane was only one ten-thousandth of his peak strength—this was the suppression he Douluo Plane!

At this moment, the strength he displayed was only equivalent to Third Rank God in the lower realm, and it was even weakening over time.

His seven-fingered hand, as white as jade, was gradually being stained with nine colors, a sign of the frenzied backlash from the Power of Heaven and Earth. As the Plane Master, the fact that part of his true body had descended to a plane that had not yet been conquered meant that he would inevitably suffer the rejection of the entire plane, and this backlash would only grow stronger.

Until finally, he was completely excluded.

The suppression from the Douluo Plane had a far greater impact on him than on those beings in the Douluo Plane who wanted to break through to the God Rank. After all, no matter what, those in the Douluo Plane who wanted to break through to the God Rank were ultimately the plane's own creations, not outsiders like him.

Without a suitable vessel for divine descent, he couldn't even maintain the strength of Second Rank God or Super God Rank, let alone stay in the Douluo Plane for long.

But the Abyssal Sage King still declared: Even though I bear the weight of dimensional suppression and need one hand to support the Abyss Passage, I, the Sage King, am still invincible in the world.

Yeah, right.

Huo Yuhao could naturally see the impact of the Douluo Plane the Abyssal Sage King.

He took a deep breath, absorbed the vital energy into his body, seized the opportunity of the Power of Heaven and Earth to counterattack the Abyssal Sage King, and pushed the Heavenly Burning Divine Pestle to its Limit. The blue-gold fire dragon, carrying various powers, exploded in the palm of that pale giant hand.

Boom--!

The heavens and earth roared, and a space ten thousand meters wide was shattered.

The Sage King's giant palm was forced back several feet, and his seven fingers were almost powerless. The passage trembled violently, and the seal rekindled its golden light.

Seeing this, the previously oppressive atmosphere of the Blood God Legion instantly dissipated, and their morale soared.

"So this is your Divine Tool and divine fire as the Fire God? As expected of a former First-Level God, you have not yet been able to Re-Cultivation your godhood, yet you can still unleash such power. I underestimated you!" The Abyssal Sage King seemed somewhat shocked and annoyed when he saw the charred marks on his palm.

It wasn't because of the injury; this injury was nothing to his Super God Rank physique, and he would recover quickly.

What concerned him was that Huo Yuhao, who had not yet become a god, had actually managed to block his attack, which was close to the middle level of Third Rank God, and even managed to push back in the end.

It's important to understand that being above or below the God Rank God Rank is a completely different concept.

Taking Gu Yuena and Tang Wulin from the original novel as examples, even when they Quasi-God, they had extremely profound foundations, possessed Divine Consciousness and Divine Body, and could even break through to the God Rank, they still could not suppress the Demon Empress who had just broken through to Level 100. In a one-on-one fight without cheating, they would lose more often than they would win.

Perhaps not exactly the same, but the God Rank can indeed be seen as the Saint-level barrier in the Douluo version. The difference in strength between those below and above the God Rank God Rank like heaven and earth. Without completely crossing that level, those below the God Rank can at most contend with those at level Level 100, which is similar to how only Divine-Forbidden Half-Saint can contend with Zero-Forbidden Saint.

This is normal in the eyes of the Abyssal Sage King, after all, he has a deep understanding of the God Rank and knows how big the gap is between those above and below the God Rank.

However, Huo Yuhao's current situation clearly cannot be viewed through the lens of common sense.

Despite not having become a god, he was able to withstand an attack from Huo Yuhao that was close to the middle level of Third-Class Deity —even though the Sage King could see that Huo Yuhao had used his full strength, this was enough to demonstrate the depth of the opponent's foundation.

And indeed, that was the case. Thinking of the methods Huo Yuhao used to fight him—two divine flames, top-tier Divine Tool, the Laws of Destruction, and the Light of Chaos that seemed capable of assimilating everything— the Abyssal Sage King was somewhat alarmed.

Is it fair to say that he is First-Level God in the Divine Realm?

Even if he Re-Cultivation and cultivated again, and his realm was not restored, his profound foundation still far surpassed that of ordinary gods, and some things were extremely valuable to him.

Upon hearing the words of the Abyssal Sage King, Huo Yuhao showed no joy whatsoever.

They only managed to repel one of the Sage King's hands; there's nothing to be happy about.

Moreover, he was very clear about just how much of a bargain he had gained.

Under the pressure of the plane, the Abyssal Sage King was not only repelled by heaven and earth and suppressed by the Blood God Great Array, limiting his strength, but also had to divide his efforts to support the passage, while I was going all out and waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out.

It's fair to say he had all the advantages – timing, location, and popular support. If he still lost, he might as well just kill himself.

"But this also shows that in terms of raw strength, I am still far from being a match for the Abyssal Sage King. I am still too weak." Huo Yuhao sighed inwardly.

That attack just now could be considered his all-out effort. Not counting his trump cards, his current strength is only at the lower end of the Third Rank God in the lower realm. The Saint Barrier in the Douluo version is not something that can be easily ignored.

Reaching the God Rank had already consumed a considerable amount of his resources. After reaching the God Rank, it wouldn't be so easy for him to gain the power to fight beyond his level at the God Rank level.

You can't fly if you step on your right foot with your left.

Seeing that he couldn't defeat Huo Yuhao with his strength in the Douluo Plane, the Abyssal Sage King changed his strategy.

His pale, enormous hand suddenly opened, a dark vortex surging from between his seven fingers, and a powerful suction force erupted from his palm—

It's not an attack, but rather to sweep the remaining Abyss army on the battlefield, along with the Seed of the Plane of those Abyss King, back into the Abyss.

The surviving Abyss Creatures, as if granted a pardon, turned into black mist and were sucked into the passage.

The few Seed of the Plane that Huo Yuhao had collected also trembled violently, trying to break free from his control and fly towards the Sage King's palm.

These Seed of the Plane are ultimately manifestations of the Abyss Plane's origin, belonging to the Abyssal Sage King from beginning to end. Now that the Sage King has personally summoned them back, they instinctively respond to their master's call.

But what's in your possession can't be returned.

Huo Yuhao snorted coldly, his Divine Consciousness sense transforming into a spatial prison, severing the connection between the Sage King and the several Seed of the Plane. Not only that, he also seized the opportunity to launch Soul Devour, snatching food from the tiger's mouth and swallowing up the remaining Abyss Creatures on the battlefield.

"You want to take them away?" Huo Yuhao raised his eyes, golden light piercing straight into the Abyss Passage. "Come and get them yourself next time—if there's still time."

As soon as he finished speaking, Huo Yuhao flashed to the side of the Heartless Douluo. Then, the Heartless Douluo and the group of Blood Gods were shocked to find that they had lost control of the Blood God Great Array.

The aura of the great formation was rising exponentially.

Countless primordial energies from heaven and earth surged in from all directions, and the originally stable nine-colored halo suddenly increased tenfold, transforming into a nine-colored pillar of light that reached the heavens and the earth, soaring straight into the sky.

In an instant, all the vital energy in this world was at Huo Yuhao's command, as if he were the master of this world at that moment.

A nine-colored divine sword materialized in his palm, changing the color of the entire sky.

Huo Yuhao gripped his sword with both hands and slashed down with a fierce "Slash!"

The nine-colored sword energy tore through the void and struck the palm of that pale giant hand!

Boom-!

The sword energy collided with the giant palm, exploding into a nine-colored halo of Heaven Destroying Earth Annihilating. The overwhelming force that gathered by borrowing the power of heaven and earth was like an Formless giant hand, forcefully pushing back the power extended by the Sage King from the entrance of the passage.

The Blood God Great Array itself was set up by borrowing the repulsion of the Abyss from the Abyss. The power that Huo Yuhao released with it as the core can suppress the power of the Abyssal Sage King to the greatest extent.

The Abyssal Sage King was forced to withdraw his hand, and his voice, filled with shock and anger, echoed from the depths of the passage.

"Good, very good!"

The Sage King spoke slowly and deliberately, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, "Huo Yuhao, I will remember you. When my true form descends, your life will be the first thing I do!"

Before the words were finished, the passageway slammed shut.

A nine-colored halo swept over in an instant, and the previously broken seal healed itself, with countless complex runes being re-imprinted on it - sealing and suppression!

The members of the Blood God Legion watched this scene in a daze.

Once everyone was certain that the battle was completely over and no more Abyss Creatures were causing trouble, they finally relaxed completely.

Xie Xie plopped down on the ground, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. "That scared me to death! When that Abyssal Sage King appeared, I thought I was going to die—thank goodness Boss was here."

His voice still trembled with the shock of surviving a close call. Several other recruits sat down beside him, panting heavily, none of them minding the dirt on the ground.

A new recruit from the Spirit Pagoda looked up at the distant figure with fluttering robes, his gaze burning with fervor, and murmured, "Yes, if it weren't for Your Majesty, we would have been smashed into mincemeat long ago—praise be to Your Majesty!"

These words seemed to ignite a fire in everyone's hearts.

More soldiers looked at Huo Yuhao with admiration, and some even cheered for him.

The sounds rose and fell, lingering for Jiujiu.

Zhang Huanyun approached Huo Yuhao, unable to suppress a wry smile, "After this, Your Majesty's prestige in the Blood God Legion will likely surpass mine."

He paused, then added, "However, this is what you deserve, and you should also thank Your Majesty for saving the Blood God Legion's life!"

As he spoke, Zhang Huanyun bowed respectfully to Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao frowned and gestured to help him up. "Your Majesty Bright Mirror, what do you mean by this? I was the one who planned this operation. You and the Blood God Legion took the risks, which was what I should have done. Moreover, I benefited from it. If anyone should be thanking someone, it should be me."

"That's not how it works." The Heartless Douluo, having finished his meditation, spoke up, "If it weren't for Your Majesty's plan, we would never have discovered that the Abyss possessed the ability to invade at any time."

"Yes, if this passage were opened when we weren't prepared, the consequences would be unimaginable."

Zhang Huanyun paused, the seriousness on her face gradually turning into a smile, and her tone became lighter.

"However, this battle truly gave me hope for ending the Abyss."

Killing the Fiery Emperor and six Abyss King, and forcing the Abyssal Sage King to retreat, was an unprecedented victory.

Upon hearing this, Huo Yuhao's expression shifted slightly. "Your Majesty Bright Mirror, how much of my strength do you think I used before?"

Zhang Huanyun was taken aback, not understanding why he asked such a question. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "Over 90%?"

He actually felt that Huo Yuhao had probably already done his best.

After all, Huo Yuhao's expression was always very serious when he fought the Abyssal Sage King, which was completely different from his relaxed and carefree attitude when he fought the Fiery Emperor. He also used more of his own power, and even used the power of the Blood God Great Array in the end to force the Abyssal Sage King to retreat.

It's close enough that it's not going all out.

"Is that so? The Abyssal Sage King's strength this time was suppressed by the plane, and it is probably not even a fraction of his strength at his peak," Huo Yuhao said calmly.

The pupils of Heartless Douluo and Zhang Huanyun suddenly contracted.

Is the difference really that big?

"Don't you think the gap is huge?" Huo Yuhao smiled slightly. "But this is good news for the Abyss, isn't it?"

Zhang Huanyun and the Heartless Douluo were stunned.

They stared into Huo Yuhao's unfathomable blue eyes, then suddenly realized something and fell into deep thought.

Huo Yuhao stopped talking about the topic and instead looked at the Blood God Legion in the distance.

"I still have a considerable amount of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth left, which I can use to offer you all a fortunate opportunity as compensation."

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and waved it. The nine-colored halo that was slowly dissipating suddenly froze, and then, as if guided by an Formless hand, carrying the Power of Creation that Huo Yuhao had specially added, it transformed into countless soft threads of light, which drifted down from the sky and enveloped the Blood God Legion soldiers on the entire battlefield.

Bathed in the nine-colored halo, everyone felt a warm and gentle power permeating their limbs and bones, Power of Heaven and Earth was cleansing their bodies.

The rich spiritual energy of heaven and earth nourished everyone present, and almost everyone could clearly feel their cultivation level significantly improving. Some were pleasantly surprised to find their bottlenecks loosening, some broke through to the next level directly, and others saw their long-accumulated injuries slowly healing in the aura of light.

Even Zhang Huanyun felt that she had found a breakthrough opportunity.

But he was still thinking about Huo Yuhao's words.

Huo Yuhao's goal in this operation may not have been the Abyss Emperor from the very beginning, but rather to show the Sage King his "full power"!