The black mist rolled and spread like a living thing, leaving withered vegetation and vanished beasts in its wake, filling the air with a pungent stench of decay and destruction. Loran was enveloped in a golden Divine Essence shield, protecting him from the black mist's corrosive influence, and he steadily approached the center of the mist.
As they ventured deeper, the surrounding tremors intensified, the ground cracking open with jagged fissures, and black magma gushed forth from the fissures, illuminating the night sky in a dark red hue. Loran could clearly sense that the violent aura at the center of the black mist was growing stronger, and the Destruction Divine Power within it was becoming increasingly concentrated.
"What on earth is this thing that can give birth to such powerful destructive force in this low-level plane?" Loran was filled with doubts. He had seen countless powerful beings in the Divine Realm, but he had never seen such a primitive and pure aura of destruction. This power was even more domineering than the Destruction God Envoy who ambushed him back then.
Suddenly, a black figure burst forth from the black mist, rushing straight at Loran. The figure moved with incredible speed, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound that tore through the air, its form obscured by a dense, destructive black mist. Loran's eyes sharpened, and he dodged the attack to the side, simultaneously conjuring a golden blade of light at his fingertips and slashing out with a backhand strike.
"Clang!" The deafening sound of metal clashing against metal rang out as the golden blade collided with the black figure, sparks flying everywhere. Loran felt a tingling sensation in his arm; the opponent's strength far exceeded his expectations. He looked closely and saw that the black figure was actually a massive Soul-Devouring Demonic Lion, its body covered in hard black scales, its eyes burning with eerie green flames, and highly corrosive black saliva dripping from its mouth.
"A fourth-tier magical beast? No, this aura has already touched the threshold of God King." Loran was secretly shocked. The Soul-Devouring Demonic Lion was originally a high-tier magical beast in the Vast Wilderness Realm, and an ordinary adult individual was only at the peak of the third tier. However, the one in front of him had obviously been modified by some kind of power, and contained a rich Destruction Divine Power within its body.
The Soul-Devouring Demonic Lion, having missed its first attack, roared and pounced again. Its claws, carrying an aura of destruction, tore through the air, aiming straight for Loran's vitals. Loran dared not be careless, channeling his Divine Essence energy to its fullest extent, instantly thickening the golden shield, while simultaneously forming hand seals that condensed into a massive golden spear.
" Divine Spear Dispels Malevolence!" Loran shouted, his spear flashing with golden light as he thrust it towards the Soul-Devouring Demonic Lion. The golden light collided with the black mist, producing a sizzling sound. The black mist was melted away by the golden light, and cracks appeared on the scales of the Soul-Devouring Demonic Lion under its golden glow.
A flicker of fear flashed in the eyes of the Soul-Devouring Demonic Lion, but it was quickly replaced by an even stronger ferocity. It opened its massive maw and spewed out a thick beam of black light that collided violently with the golden spear. A huge shockwave spread outwards, snapping ancient trees in the surrounding area and creating a huge crater in the ground.
Loran was thrown back by the shockwave, his blood surging within him, and a sharp pain shooting through the damaged parts of his Divine Spark. He hadn't expected this modified Soul-Devouring Demonic Lion to be so powerful; with his current divine strength reduced to less than three-tenths, defeating it would be no easy task.
Just then, a familiar voice suddenly came from within the black mist, carrying a hint of mockery and sarcasm. "Lord Loran, how have you been? I never imagined that you, a dignified Deity Level expert, would stoop to fighting a lowly magical beast."
Loran's pupils contracted sharply as she turned to look in the direction from which the sound came. From within the black mist, a tall, slender figure slowly emerged, clad in a black robe, with a handsome yet sinister face, and surrounded by Destruction Divine Power of the same origin as the Soul-Devouring Demonic Lion.
" Karen!" Loran gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with intense killing intent. Karen had once been his good friend in the Divine Realm. The two cultivated and grew together, but he never expected that Karen would betray him in the end, joining forces with the God of Destruction to ambush and shatter his Divine Spark.
Karen chuckled, walked to the Soul-Devouring Demonic Lion, and stroked its head, her tone indifferent. " Loran, you're too naive. The power struggles in the Divine Realm are a dog-eat-dog world. You've held the position of Peak Deity Level for too long; it's time to make way for the newcomers."
"So you betrayed me? You sided with the God of Destruction?" Loran's voice was icy, his Divine Essence fluctuating violently with rage.
"Switch allegiance?" Karen scoffed. "I simply chose a more powerful backer. The power to Destruction Divine Court is far beyond your imagination. Now, I have broken through to the God King Realm, while you have become a stray dog. How pathetic."
God King Realm! Loran's heart sank. He hadn't expected Karen to progress so quickly. Back in the Divine Realm, Karen was only at the Mid-stage Deity Level, but now she had broken through to the God King. Behind this, there must have been a lot of support from the resources of the Destruction Divine Court.
"You think you can keep me here with this modified magical beast and your newly broken through to the God King Realm?" Loran suppressed his shock and anger, his eyes growing colder.
"Keep you here?" Karen's lips curled into a cruel smile. " Loran, I'm not here to reminisce. I'm here to send you on your way. This Vast Wilderness Realm will be your burial ground!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Karen's eyes sharpened, and the Soul-Devouring Demonic Lion roared again, lunging at Loran. At the same time, Karen raised her hand, conjuring a black blade of destruction, and slashed towards Loran. The black blade of destruction carried terrifying power, and wherever it passed, subtle cracks appeared in space.
Loran knew that in his current state, he was no match for Karen and the Soul-Devouring Demonic Lion. Instead of taking the blow head-on, he turned and transformed into a golden streak of light, fleeing towards the edge of the forest.
"Trying to run?" Karen sneered, her figure flashing as she gave chase. The Soul-Devouring Demonic Lion followed closely behind, its massive body rampaging through the forest, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
Loran channeled his Divine Essence to its fullest extent, pushing his speed to the limit, but Karen's God King Realm was no mere decoration, and the distance between the two was constantly closing. Black blades of destruction exploded behind him time and time again, and the golden shield was shaken to the point of collapse.
"At this rate, we'll be caught sooner or later," Loran thought anxiously. He knew he had to find a way to escape Karen's pursuit, or he would surely die today.
Just then, a dense thicket of thorns appeared ahead, shimmering with a ghostly blue light and emitting a faint poisonous aura. A glint flashed in Loran's eyes, and without hesitation, he rushed into the thicket.
Karen reached the thicket of thorns, his brow furrowing slightly. He could sense that while the toxins on the thorns posed no threat to him, they would slow him down. Meanwhile, Loran had already disappeared deep into the thicket.
"Hmph, he may run away, but he can't hide." Karen sneered and said to the Soul-Devouring Demonic Lion, "Search! Even if we have to turn this entire forest upside down, we must find him!"
The Soul-Devouring Demonic Lion roared and charged into the thorn bushes, frantically searching for Loran's whereabouts. Karen, meanwhile, set up a barrier around the thorn bushes to prevent Loran from escaping.
Loran hid in a cave deep within the thorn bushes, circulating his Divine Essence to repair his damaged divine body while vigilantly observing the movements outside. He knew that Karen would not give up easily, and he had to recover his strength as soon as possible to find an opportunity to counterattack.
From the depths of the cave came a faint commotion. Loran's heart tightened, and he probed with his divine sense, only to find an injured little beast hidden deep in the cave. The little beast was pure white, with a single, tender horn on its head, and looked very much like the legendary Qilin. However, at this moment, its aura was weak, and its body was covered with wounds, clearly indicating that it had been corrupted by the black mist.
"This is... Qilin cub?" Loran was shocked. The Qilin was an ancient divine beast, symbolizing auspiciousness and vitality. How could it appear in this Vast Wilderness Realm, and be so badly injured?
He hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and transformed his Divine Essence into a soft halo, enveloping the Qilin cub. The Qilin cub seemed to sense the kindness, slightly opening its eyes to reveal a pair of clear golden eyes, and gently called out to Loran.
Just then, the roar of the Soul-Devouring Demonic Lion echoed from outside the cave, clearly indicating that it had discovered the place. Loran's heart sank; it seemed that a fierce battle was ultimately unavoidable.