Tang San's face was so gloomy it could drip water.
He stared intently at the figure in the smoke and dust who slowly withdrew from Playful Cloud, flicked the golden divine blood off the Soul Liberation Blade, his fingers clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and his eyes flickered with an unprecedentedly cold killing intent and a trace of fear that he himself was unwilling to admit.
In the deep purple eyes of the Destruction God King, the flickering flames transformed into tangible ecstasy and astonishment.
He made the right bet.
This Toji didn't bring trouble, but rather an unprecedented monster capable of completely upending the Divine Realm.
Having just ascended to the Divine Realm, with his foundation as a god not yet solidified, how could he possibly defeat First-Level God?
Once he's fully stabilized, he'll definitely have God King level combat power!
The smoke and dust slowly dissipated.
Toji carried the dripping Soul Liberation Blade, his left hand casually twirling the dark, heavy Playful Cloud. The Chain of a Thousand Miles Entanglement around the massive body of the Hell White Tiger shimmered with a cold, dark golden luster, like a giant python constricting its prey.
He tilted his head slightly, looking at Tang San, whose face was ashen in the distance, and the Shrek Six Monsters behind Tang San, who were filled with shock and anger, but also with obvious fear. The sinister smile on his lips became more pronounced, and his deep voice echoed clearly in the deathly silent God Realm:
"Now, are you qualified?"
"Roar--"
With a final, unwilling, and painful cry, the enormous phantom of the Hell White Tiger flickered violently, and the vast white light scattered and flew in all directions like shattered glass.
The backlash from the forced breaking of the fusion technique surged forth.
"Puff!"
"Ugh!"
Two figures flew backward from the collapsing white light like kites with broken strings, crashing heavily to the ground.
It was none other than the God of War Dai Mubai, and the God of Speed, Zhu Zhuqing.
Dai Mubai's majestic golden God of War armor was now covered in cracks, and there was a terrifying knife wound on his chest that revealed the bone, from which golden divine blood was gushing out. His aura was extremely weak, and he fell into a deep coma.
Although Zhu Zhuqing had no external injuries, her face was ashen, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, clearly indicating that her soul had suffered a severe shock. She too collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness.
Two of the Shrek Seven Devils were instantly killed.
The divine realm was deathly silent, save for the echoes of the collapsing floating islands in the distance and the hissing of turbulent energy currents.
All the gods' gazes were focused on the center of that ravaged battlefield—on the figure carrying a massive, blood-dripping sword, his body Entanglement in a fierce, dark golden Qi and Blood.
The Destruction God King stood with his hands behind his back, his deep purple eyes gleaming with undisguised admiration and amazement.
Tang San's handsome face was now so gloomy it was almost as if water could be wrung out of it. His long, light blue hair moved without wind, and the icy divine power emanating from him made the space around him seem to freeze.
He slowly raised his eyelids, his gaze like poisoned ice needles, fixed on Toji, his voice icy cold, devoid of any warmth, yet forcibly suppressing a raging fire:
"Not bad, he certainly has the ability. It seems that Destruction has brought along a promising newcomer."
The word "potential" was squeezed out between his teeth, filled with deep-seated fear and murderous intent.
The power that Toji displayed had completely exceeded his expectations, and even threatened his plans and authority in the Divine Realm.
This child must not be allowed to live!
"Let me do it."
In this extremely oppressive atmosphere, a voice suppressing some complex emotion rang out.
A figure suddenly stepped out from behind Tang San.
The surrounding scenery changed dramatically in an instant.
The shattered divine realm vanished, replaced by an endless, scorching hell filled with churning dark red magma.
The scorching heat distorted the space, the smell of sulfur was extremely pungent, the rocks underfoot were heated to a bright red, and the air crackled under the high temperature.
In this God Level lava lake, powerful enough to instantly incinerate ordinary iron, a figure moved as if walking on flat ground.
He was tall and muscular, with short, fiery red hair like burning flames, a resolute face, and a golden-red light dancing deep in his eyes.
He was clad in crimson divine armor, and behind him, five halos of light, each shimmering with fiery runes, converged into a massive halo burning with golden-red divine flames, illuminating this magma hell with brilliance.
Second-Level Deity, Phoenix God, Ma Hongjun.
He stepped onto the churning lava, and with each step he took, the lava beneath his feet seemed to cheer and leap for joy.
He looked at Shen'er, who was also in the lava lake but seemed to feel no heat at all, his Bloodline Power shielding him from the high temperature, Toji his voice was deep and solemn:
" Phoenix God, Ma Hongjun, please enlighten me."
Toji casually flicked the remaining golden divine blood off the Soul Liberation Blade, its blade gleaming with an eerie, cold light under the red glow of the lava.
He glanced at the menacing Ma Hongjun, then at Tang San's sinister eyes, a cold smile curving his lips, his voice indifferent:
"A war of attrition? Whatever, bring it on!"
Although the battle with the Hell White Tiger had taken a toll on him, it had also allowed him to fully adapt to the environment and rules of the Divine Realm, making his God Level Bloodline Power operate more smoothly and freely. This amount of consumption was far from pushing him to his limit.
"Hmph." Ma Hongjun let out a muffled groan, and the golden-red light in his eyes suddenly intensified.
"Hey!"
A fierce shout echoed through the magma hell. Ma Hongjun suddenly spread his arms wide to his sides. Above his head, the golden-red fire phoenix formed from pure Phoenix Divine Fire let out a loud cry that pierced through gold and shattered stone, and its light instantly became ten times more intense.
Immediately afterwards, Ma Hongjun transformed into a dazzling golden light and, as if returning to his nest, plunged into the body of the enormous fire phoenix.
The entire boundless lava lake went completely berserk at that moment.
All the magma, as if summoned by a supreme being, surged into the sky like a raging crimson dragon, converging and merging with the enormous golden-red fire phoenix.
The fire phoenix's body expanded and solidified at a visible speed, emitting terrifyingly high temperatures capable of incinerating stars.
The dark red background reflected in the sky was instantly dispersed and evaporated like a fragile curtain under the extreme heat.
A powerful, domineering divine force, seemingly capable of incinerating all the heavens, surged straight into the Divine Realm like a volcanic eruption.
Its power even faintly surpassed that of the Hell White Tiger in its previous fused state.
At this moment, under the absolute domain of the blazing Phoenix Divine Fire, all the prying eyes of the outside gods were isolated.
The enormous fire phoenix slowly lowered its head, which was burning with divine flames. Its phoenix eyes, made entirely of flames, gazed deeply at Toji, who was small yet as steady as a mountain below.
In those eyes, there was no longer the timidity he showed in front of Tang San, nor the usual cynicism; only an indescribable weariness, relief, and... profound sorrow remained.