A Fight to the Death

Screech!!

As Er Dongsheng charged out, his arm naturally bent, and his elbow shot straight toward the Abyss Demon's head. Moving at blinding speed, it tore through the air with a buzzing whine. His spike-like elbows stabbed at the demon's head from both sides.

Bang!

This time, the Abyss Demon had learned its lesson. It swiftly raised an arm to shield its head, only to be caught off guard by a kick from Er Dongsheng and sent staggering far backward. Just as it prepared to counterattack, Er Dongsheng's figure flashed before it. Violent pain erupted in its chin, chest, and lower abdomen almost simultaneously, followed by a voice.

"Lion Barrage, Limit Combo Punch!"

Bang bang bang bang!

The two of them—no, it would be more accurate to call them two demons—clashed endlessly in the forest. Every time their hands met, Er Dongsheng could feel immense force pounding into his sharp claws. Explosive vibrations surged from his claws, shaking his internal organs until they churned without end.

I never expected the Abyss Demon to become this monstrous after being empowered by the Abyssal Will. Before and after the empowerment, it was practically two different species!

Boom boom boom boom!

Pits of varying depths appeared one after another across the ground. Even the Abyss Demon was beginning to feel exhausted after fighting this long. It truly had not expected an ordinary Abyssal Species to be so difficult to deal with.

From far away in the forest, the little succubus could only see Er Dongsheng and the Abyss Demon, two humanoid monsters, fighting madly. They turned into two black shadows, crossing and intertwining frantically through the woods.

This small patch of forest was deathly quiet. The chirping of insects, the calls of birds, and the roars of beasts had all vanished, leaving only the thunderous sounds of violent battle—bangs and booms without end.

Every so often, one black shadow would be viciously smashed flying, crashing through thorny bushes before finally stopping against an Abyss Tree. Then it would whirl around and charge at the other figure once more.

With a boom, the Abyss Demon was knocked back more than a dozen steps again. Finally unable to endure it any longer, it spat out a mouthful of bright red blood with a "wah."

Er Dongsheng remained expressionless. He rounded his arms before his chest, and the muscles all over his body wriggled rapidly like countless tiny motors. They swiftly spread the vital essence and life energy stored within his cells throughout his body, repairing it and transmitting energy.

The life energy from those Abyss Tree Hearts and the vital essence he had stored were the key to sustaining him until now.

"Combo Punch. I'll send you to your death!"

He vanished from where he stood. In an instant, he rushed before the Abyss Demon, his fists rapidly striking the same spot on the demon's body—the heart.

In that instant, all his essence, energy, and spirit concentrated at one point. Tens of thousands of tiny motors gathered together into one super motor, channeling every shred of energy into this attack. Violent power flooded into his hands, passed through those claws tempered a thousand times over, and smashed completely into the Abyss Demon's body.

This strike of Er Dongsheng's reached an unprecedented height. It surpassed his present self, and even surpassed his past life, reaching a realm that not even his master from his previous life had ever attained.

This opponent surpassed every being he had ever faced, giving him a sense of threat that towered above life itself. It was destruction, devastation. If he died, even his soul would be worn away.

At that moment, he suddenly understood why, no matter what he had done in his previous life, he had never reached his master's level. He had grown too accustomed to comfort. Without experiencing life and death, without tasting the great terror between life and death, how could he ever reach a higher realm?

"Just as expected—how can one become a demon without going mad first? In this life, I am a demon. Let me go mad just once!"

At that moment, his mind became empty and crystalline, without thought or desire. His spirit entered an entirely new realm. After coming to this world so long ago, that faint sense of estrangement finally dispersed. Now, he could clearly feel the vast, dark, profound, and great will within the Abyss—a will like a father, and also like a mother; violent, cruel, and bloodthirsty, yet filled with selfless love for all Abyssal Creatures.

That must be the Abyssal Will. Like the Heavenly Dao Will of Earth, but even more powerful. If I survive, I'll definitely reach Level One after this battle.

His spirit seemed to merge with the sky, looking down from high above at the two demons fighting on the ground. At this moment, both demons stood perfectly still, waiting for the final outcome.

This strike would either succeed or see him die! Either this Abyss Demon died, or Er Dongsheng entered reincarnation once again.

"Pfft!"

A huge spray of blood suddenly burst from the Abyss Demon's chest. The scales there shattered with a crash, and a bloody hole the size of a bowl punched straight through its body. Blood gushed from the opening.

"Crack—snap—" The enormous heart hidden in its chest cavity burst apart completely.

Only then did Er Dongsheng finally relax. His entire body went limp, and he nearly collapsed to the ground. This strike had almost completely drained every last bit of his strength.

"W-Won? Did we win?" From afar, the little succubus saw the hateful, vicious Abyss Demon get beaten to the ground by the big guy. She stammered as she spoke.

She was terrified to death. She wanted to flee far away, yet she could not stop worrying about the big guy who had saved her. This little creature of the Abyss seemed rather decent now, at least.

"Yeah. I finally killed it," Er Dongsheng said weakly to the little one, who was preparing to run over from not far away.

"No, the battle isn't over yet!"

"Boom!"