"Hum!"
Suddenly, a green light shot into the heavens. Countless golden willow leaves whirled through the air, turning into peerless immortal swords that annihilated the drifting fluff.
Immediately afterward, a towering willow appeared. Its luxuriant branches drooped, wreathed in green radiance and surging vitality, covering half the sky. The branches swayed gently in the wind, every leaf gleaming with sacred golden light.
"Willow Deity!"
Outside the Hundred Broken Mountains, Bear Child cried out. He recognized it as the Willow Deity's Dharma body, but did not understand why the deity had appeared in the Hundred Broken Mountains.
Could it have come for that Pu Demon Tree?
A vast crowd poured out of the golden gateway, their faces filled with horror. The native inhabitants also scrambled to escape. The casualties had been far too devastating.
Of the creatures that had entered the Hundred Broken Mountains this time, fewer than one in ten had survived. Nothing like this had ever happened in recorded history!
"What exactly happened inside? Why was the commotion so immense? So many have died-could some primordial creature have awakened?"
An ancient Venerable spoke. He hailed from a Primordial Divine Mountain, and now narrowed his eyes, his expression grave.
"It wasn't a primordial creature, but something even more terrifying-a Pu Demon Tree. It may already be a god."
"No, it may be even more terrifying than a god. We suspect the Pu Demon Tree from ancient times has revived!"
"Indeed. A fairy is fighting it. Without her protection, we could never have escaped."
"What?"
Everyone outside was shocked. This was a heaven-shaking upheaval. The revival of the ancient Pu Demon Tree was certain to unleash winds of blood and rains of gore. The entire world would be plunged into turmoil, ushering in its darkest age.
"Look, the sky is splitting! That Pu Demon Tree is about to break free of its seal!"
Inside the Hundred Broken Mountains, two towering trees faced each other, both radiating immortal splendor. Their fierce, boundless auras shook the world.
Even the laws of the Hundred Broken Mountains were shattering with thunderous rumbles. Order Divine Chains thrashed wildly. The two beings stood at far too lofty a level; this world could no longer bear them and was about to break apart.
"The Ancestral Sacrificial Spirit of Immortal Ancient! You're still alive!" The Pu Demon King was aghast. Even he could no longer remain calm. This being was terrifying beyond measure, no weaker than his true body, yet it still lived in this world!
"Pu Demon King, to think Without End failed to destroy you completely back then, leaving a wisp of your imprint in this world. Today, I will slay you."
The Willow Deity assumed human form, its body wreathed in chaotic energy. Three thousand spheres of light circled behind its head, continuously echoing with sacred sounds of worship. Immortal radiance suffused the air, and its peerless bearing was that of an undying immortal walking the mortal world. When it spoke, its voice could not be distinguished as male or female.
"Willow, you've only just revived yourself. Don't you find it laughable to boast of slaying me now?"
The Pu Demon King snorted coldly. In truth, his condition was terrible. If he truly fought the willow, even this final wisp of his primordial spirit's imprint might dissipate.
Thus, unless absolutely necessary, he did not wish to fight it. He had lain dormant for nearly an epoch, and had finally recovered a little vitality. He had no desire to die again.
But this was his mortal enemy from long ago. Now that it knew of his existence, it would certainly strike. This battle was unavoidable.
"Then fight! Do you think I'm afraid of you?" the Pu Demon King roared. Chaotic energy swirled around him, symbols of the Great Dao interwove in the void, and luminous fluff filled the sky before cascading down.
The Willow Deity said nothing. With a raised hand, it sent willow leaves flying to sweep away the fluff. Then its entire body blazed with light, burning with immortal radiance. Translucent, gold-washed leaves whirled like countless golden divine chains, their might shaking the heavens.
For a time, runes rose everywhere. Radiance rolled between heaven and earth, clouds and mist surged, and demonic stars were cleaved from the sky one after another, falling beyond the realm. The manifestations were astonishing.
"Ssh!"
The Willow Deity thrust out a translucent palm and struck across the heavens. Wind and thunder abruptly roared, and the Pu Demon King was hurled away. The deity had not truly died, but undergone rebirth, so its condition was naturally somewhat better than his.
The next instant, they clashed again. All manner of divine light blossomed, dazzling and brilliant. The aura of the Great Dao swept outward, and it was impossible to discern how they were exchanging blows.
The Hundred Broken Mountains were already in ruins. The entire world had been shattered. The Hundred Herb Garden was swept flat by the shock waves of their power, while Treasure Division Cliff and the Heavenly Bone Forbidden Zone were severed as well. After this battle, the Hundred Broken Mountains would cease to exist!
The heavens seemed to have been gouged open. Blood rained in torrents, thunder dragons danced wildly, and an enormous black hole appeared, terrifying beyond measure.
Were it not for the protection of the Immortal King Burial Shroud, the Reincarnation Disk, and the laws descending from the Willow Deity, this world would have been overturned. Countless mountains and rivers would have become scorched earth, and endless living beings would have been reduced to ashes in the calamity.
"That's... a divine willow, fighting that Pu Demon Tree!"
At that moment, the haze between heaven and earth dispersed, revealing the light of the sky. Everything could now be seen.
An immortal willow and a demonic tree stood facing each other, clashing incessantly. Brilliant divine light illuminated the universe like a blazing divine sun, as though it would break through the vast firmament and reveal eternity.
Gold-washed willow leaves whirled, white fluff cascaded across the sky, and runic light scattered in all directions. Ringing divine notes resounded like peerless immortal swords colliding, scattering droplets of luminous rain.
"This is too terrifying. This is no longer a battle between gods. They have definitely touched a higher level."
All living beings trembled as they gazed up at that shattered sky, shaken in both heart and soul.
"Willow, must we fight until one of us dies? Your condition isn't much better than mine. Why don't we each take a step back?" the Pu Demon King shouted, unwilling to keep fighting.
By now, he had suffered grievous injuries. His already fractured primordial spirit had frost heaped upon its snow, leaving him in terrible shape.
"There is no peace to be found in yielding. Only battle-to fight a path to clear blue skies," the Willow Deity said.
This was a formidable enemy who had once been a titan. If allowed to remain in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, he would eventually become a source of disaster. The deity would not yield, nor did it fear a fight.
"Boom!"
Countless willow branches shot upward, all turning silvery white and crackling with lightning like thunder dragons descending upon the world. At the same time, the deity's hands formed the True Phoenix Seal. A heavenly phoenix burst forth, wrapped in surging divine flames, as though it would burn through the nine layers of heaven!
Faintly, ancient sounds of worship arose, as though the prayers and calls of the ancestors could be heard.
"Sounds of worship! Is this divine willow a Sacrificial Spirit? This is unbelievable!"
People speculated. The divine willow was far too powerful, all but suppressing the Pu Demon Tree. Even heaven and earth shattered before it, and order descended into utter chaos.
For a time, everyone cheered endlessly. That demonic tree was about to be executed, and the world would be spared a great calamity!
The Willow Deity attacked repeatedly, beating the Pu Demon King until blood streamed from him. A willow branch sheared one of his arms clean off, exposing jagged white bone.
"Across all heavens and myriad realms, the laws are infinite! My Dao shall prosper forever!" The Pu Demon King went utterly berserk, roaring as snow-white fluff filled the sky around him.
"Boom!"
Endless enormous symbols swept down like a torrent of heaven and earth, cleaving the great universe. Beyond the realm, everything grew hazy. Numerous primordial stars shook loose and fell, only to be seized in his palm.
Heaven and earth shook violently. The sky collapsed, and chaos emerged. The Pu Demon King unleashed his ultimate divine
ability, truly staking his life on the battle.
This willow was far too terrifying. It had undergone rebirth several times, rising from ruin. Each time it returned, it surpassed its former self and ascended to an even higher pinnacle.
He realized that today, calamity truly awaited him. This wisp of his primordial spirit would be annihilated, consigned to eternal silence, never to reappear.