After Jin Kui had finished off the Soul Guards, two enormous magma pools came into view.
Boiling lava churned within them, surrounding the charred remains of two dragon skeletons. The Demon King had long since dealt with his adversaries.
"This..." Jin Kui's face contorted in terror.
The strength of the two undead skeletal dragons was horrifying, and he doubted his ability to handle even one of them. The best-case scenario would be a mutual annihilation with one of the creatures.
However, in the presence of the Demon King, they appeared utterly feeble.
The Demon King reverted to his draconian form and declared, "Prepare yourselves." As he spoke, he flapped his wings, soaring into the air and delivering a mighty kick that sent the giant bronze gates flying open.
In the next moment, an even more potent and sinister aura of death and evil surged forth like a raging flood.
[You are being corroded by negative energy. HP +32! MP +21!]
[You are being corroded by negative energy. HP +31! MP +16!]
[...]
Zhang Nu remained unaffected, completely unbothered. The dark energy was nullified, the necrotic energy absorbed, and as for the power of the Evil God? All the sinister energy in the ancient tomb originated from the Heart of the Ancient God, which Zhang Nu had already assimilated entirely.
Long Yi and Jin Kui followed suit.
The grand hall was shrouded in dense darkness, rendering visibility virtually nonexistent. Thankfully, the three of them possessed powerful dark vision, enabling them to see their surroundings even in pitch blackness.
The hall had been severely corroded and laid in ruins due to the overwhelming dark energy. The facilities within were indistinguishable.
However, they could make out rows of massive alcoves along the four walls. Each alcove held a twenty-meter tall bronze sarcophagus.
Even the bronze crafted coffins had suffered severe corrosion, revealing skeletal giants standing within. These skeletons had undergone a horrific mutation, with irregular tumors filling their bodies. They appeared as monstrous abominations, grotesque beings with innate deformities.
Jin Kui exclaimed in surprise, "Are these the ancient monarchs? How come there's so many of them?"
Zhang Nu shook his head and replied, "None of these are the ancient monarchs." He directed his gaze towards the towering figures before them.
[Deformed Evil Giant] Level 5 lord unit.
...
Description: In their past lives, they were loyal attendants and subordinates of the Kings, having achieved remarkable feats while serving under their reign. As a result, they were honored with the privilege of being interred in the royal mausoleum upon their deaths.
However, over the course of millennia, the relentless corruption of the Evil God's power and influence had daemonized them into terrifying and malevolent daemons.
...
Upon learning the details, Zhang Nu came to understand the distinction between these giants and the headless knights as well as the soul guards.
Unlike the ones being sacrificed and buried alongside the monarchs, these giants were not originally part of the burial rites.
They had been laid to rest in the tomb through an honorable process after their natural demise, as they were esteemed leaders or generals who had accomplished great deeds during their lifetimes.
Under normal circumstances, the bodies of these revered individuals would not have undergone any mutation. Their flesh had long decayed and withered, leaving behind only skeletal remains as a testament to their legacy.
However, over the span of countless years, the once hallowed royal tomb had transformed into a twisted daemonic lair, infiltrated by the persistent influence of the Evil God's power.
As a result, these skeletal giants underwent a daemonic metamorphosis, their flesh regenerated, and they acquired formidable power once again, becoming true abominations.
The flesh within these evil giants was no longer ordinary flesh but a grotesque manifestation of their daemonic transformation, akin to how altars could mutate into malignant tumors.
They had become a hybrid of undead and daemonic creatures.
As soon as the trio entered, the giants were alerted.
One of them extended its arm directly from its alcove, the limb instantly stretching like rubber, flesh swelling up to over ten meters, reaching out to grab the three intruders.
"Piss off!"
Jin Kui wielded his thunder spear and shattered the arm.
In response, the deformed giants began breaking free from their bronze coffins, roaring as they crawled out from the alcoves on both sides, menacingly approaching the invaders. The scene was truly horrifying.
"What in the world are these things?"
"Doesn't matter what they are. Anyone who dares to obstruct my master shall perish!"
Jin Kui and Long Yi immediately sprang into action, engaging in battle with the creatures.
Dealing with the numerous deformed giants proved to be time-consuming. Zhang Nu entrusted them to his subordinates and activated his spatial manipulation ability, swiftly teleporting multiple times until he arrived at the deepest part of the grand hall, where their ultimate objective awaited.
"What is this...?"
At the deepest recesses of the ancient monarchs' tomb, the entire wall had transformed into writhing flesh.
Dozens of massive tentacles, each hundreds of meters long, emerged from it.
At first glance, Zhang Nu perceived this grotesque entity as an immense, crimson soft-bodied creature, akin to a colossal mutated octopus. It was covered in numerous organs such as ribs, fangs, sharp beaks, and eyes, creating a nightmarish sight.
This area was meant to hold the coffins of the thirteen ancient monarchs.
However, instead of the monarchs' coffins, all that was present was this contorted monster, embedded within the wall, constantly emitting a potent psychic contamination that could induce a lifetime of nightmares with a single glimpse.
Relevant information promptly surfaced before Zhang Nu, allowing him to comprehend the true identity of the entity before him.
[Evil God Monstrosity: The Thirteen Malevolent King] Level 5 monarch unit.
...
Skill: Corrupted Monarch's Domain (Talent), Might of the Ancient Monarchs (Talent), Undying Flesh (Talent), Erosion of All-Things (A rank), Soul Control (A rank), Undeath Storm (A rank), Super Devouring (A rank), etc.
...
Introduction: The thirteen ancient monarchs, once illustrious ancient rulers, have resurrected after absorbing immense dark energies and undergone a monstrous transformation with the power of the Evil God, merging together to form this rare abomination.
Initially, it was assumed that the target to be dealt with this time would be one or several ancient monarchs turned into monstrosities, with the most powerful among them already possessing Level 5 monarch strength.
However, it was unexpected that thirteen ancient monarchs would fuse together and become such a creature. This grotesque octopus-like creature was the Thirteen Malevolent King, the amalgamation of their transformed and corrupted corpses.
Zhang Nu had never encountered or confronted a creature of this magnitude before. Even for him, it presented a substantial challenge.
Firstly, as per the prompt information, the Thirteen Malevolent King possessed an undying physical form.
Merely destroying their corporeal bodies would not suffice to kill them. To truly vanquish this monster, one must directly assault its mind and soul, annihilating it psychically or spiritually.
Aside from that, there is no alternative approach. Reducing it to mere ashes would not suffice either. The innate ability of an undying flesh rendered it overwhelmingly formidable, making it nearly invincible and leaving most formidable individuals incapable of striking it down.
Perhaps due to absorbing an excessive amount of Evil God's power, the Thirteen Malevolent King had acquired certain traits associated with the Evil Gods.
"Insolent creature!"
"How dare you disturb my slumber!"
A commanding voice echoed in Zhang Nu's mind, it was not a fusion of multiple voices but a singular voice carried an immense psychic assault.
"You may enjoy your slumber, but your resting place is within my territory."
"One does not simply tolerate another's snores by their bedside. I absolutely cannot overlook it!"
The Thirteen Malevolent King sneered, "What a laughable notion! Do you think you are worthy of ruling this place? Once I emerge, all shall return beneath my rule!"
"It appears you possess some capabilities. If you are willing to pledge your allegiance to me and offer your soul, I can spare your life for now."
In an instant, Zhang Nu was dragged into a different realm.
The surroundings were dark and damp, with a shallow black lake beneath his feet. As ripples spread across the lake, thirteen enormous golden coffins emerged. Within each stone coffin stood a towering figure wearing a crown, their faces emanating both dignity and fury as they glared at the Demon King before them.
In unison, they spoke:
"We are undying!"
"We are thirteen!"
"You have no hope of victory against us!"
"Surrender and submit, offer your soul, and become our servant. It is your only chance of survival!"
Was this the domain of the Malevolent King? The suppressive effect of this domain was not particularly potent.
However, within the domain, the Malevolent King had the ability to summon thirteen avatars of the ancient monarchs, each one a king from a bygone era.
This was truly terrifying as the strength of the ancient monarchs was comparable to their prime, capable of unleashing the majority of their former abilities.
Thirteen pseudo monarch-level entities, if they united and launched an attack, even ordinary monarchs would be utterly overwhelmed.
However, that was not the most fearsome aspect. The most dreadful and challenging part was that among the thirteen ancient monarchs, twelve were mere puppets.
Only one of them was the true Malevolent King as it was serving as a host for the Malevolent King's spirit and soul.
If the wrong target was struck down, eliminating a puppet, the Malevolent King could instantly resurrect it without any loss. If the one hosting the Malevolent King was destroyed, he would suffer a loss in spirit and soul.
However, it could swiftly revive within another ancient monarch avatar.
As long as their soul and mental power remained intact, it was invincible!
In essence, within its domain, the Thirteen Malevolent King was virtually unbeatable. This was the source of their unwavering confidence.
Zhang Nu could not help but laugh, "A mere display of petty tricks. Show me what you're truly capable of. I'm curious to see the extent of your abilities."
"Insolent!"
"Since you insist..."
"Then prepare to meet your demise!"
"Behold the power of the kings!"
Simultaneously, the thirteen ancient monarchs unleashed their tremendous power.
Terrifying magic brewed, and volatile Qi gathered, various secret arts and seals were on the brink of activation. The impending onslaught loomed large. Even for the Demon King himself, it posed a daunting and troublesome challenge.
Zhang Nu took control of the surrounding time flow, causing the world to slow down. In doing so, he gained ample time to react.
His eyes swiftly scanned the area.
[Ancient Monarch 1] A puppet clone, attacks will be rendered ineffective...
[Ancient Monarch 2] A puppet clone, attacks will be rendered ineffective...
[Ancient Monarch 3] A puppet clone, attacks will be rendered ineffective...
[...]
[Ancient Monarch 9] The true Malevolent King, this avatar embodies the Malevolent King's spirit and soul. Only by attacking this particular avatar of the ancient monarchs could effective damage be inflicted upon the Thirteen Malevolent King.
Zhang Nu erupted with power.
In an instant, thunder and flames converged into a blazing thunderbolt. It struck the body of the target ancient monarch.
With a cry of agony, the ancient monarch avatar was shattered into pieces, causing the other twelve avatars to freeze in their tracks. The impending onslaught, which had been gathering momentum, was abruptly disrupted. Suddenly, all the ancient monarchs shattered into fragments.
"How is this possible?"
"This is utterly impossible!"
"You managed to pinpoint me!"
The Malevolent King was bound to possess one of the thirteen ancient monarchs to harness the combined might of their powers. Only then could he unleash their collective strength.
As long as the hosting vessel of the Malevolent King remained intact, the avatars of the ancient monarchs would be indestructible.
Even an A ranked detection magic would fall short of distinguishing between them.
The chances of accurately discerning the true vessel among the thirteen were minuscule. The Malevolent King could effortlessly switch hosts, shrouding himself in unpredictability and making it near impossible to track him down. It was the pinnacle of the Malevolent King's cunning!
Never could it have fathomed that the avatar possessed by the Malevolent King would be obliterated in an instant. Its spirit and soul were both dealt a devastating blow.
Impossible!
There's no way this insect could see through me!
The previous strike must have been a fluke.
The first group of ancient monarchs was defeated. Now, the second group emerged, still numbering thirteen.
"Let's see how you deal with this!"
As it spoke, the thirteen ancient monarchs launched another ferocious assault.
Zhang Nu activated the Abyssal Devouring to nullify their attack, then formed thunder and flames in his hand, swiftly closed the distance, and once again shattered the hosting avatar of the Malevolent King with a resounding palm strike.
The remaining twelve ancient monarchs were reduced to mere ashes once more.
Were the two hits really merely coincidences?
The Malevolent King could no longer contain its frustration. "It seems you do possess some extraordinary means, but do you really believe you can confront all thirteen of us at once? It's utterly impossible for you to contend with all of us!"
As it spoke, another thirteen ancient monarchs materialized. This time, the Malevolent King's possessed avatar was not concealed. The twelve remaining ancient monarchs formed a protective circle around the Malevolent King in the center. The thirteen pseudo monarch-level beings moved in unison, attacking and defending.
"Death Stare!" Zhang Nu opened the vertical eye on his forehead. This attack disregarded barriers and defenses.
Once again, they obliterated the true vessel of the Malevolent King!
"Damn it!"
"You wretched creature!"
"You have thoroughly provoked my wrath!"
"A mere ant like you dares to exhibit such arrogance. Allow me to show you the true extent of my power!"
Within the domain of the Malevolent King, the black lake surged violently and countless tendrils were summoned forth. These were attacks unleashed by the physical body of the Malevolent King, empowered by his domain.
Each strike possessed formidable psychic attack capabilities. Coupled with the combined assault of the thirteen ancient monarchs, it could effortlessly suppress other monarchs of the same level.
Zhang Nu smirked coldly. "So, this is the extent of your abilities?"
In the next instant, the domain of the Malevolent King was torn asunder. The thirteen ancient monarchs vanished before their eyes like drifting dandelion fluff.
The immense and grotesque form of the Malevolent King was pulled into a void, resembling a cosmic aberration floating at the edge of the universe.
"My domain has been shattered!"
"This can't be... it's impossible!"
The Malevolent King let out a desperate roar.
The Demon King hovered within the chaotic void, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked down upon the monstrous entity before him and taunted, "Nothing is beyond the realm of possibility. Even domains have disparities in power."
"When a lesser domain encounters a superior one, the only outcome is being eclipsed and suppressed!"
"Your domain is insignificant!"
"Now, here is my domain!"