The underground cave was a chaotic and bloody battlefield. The group of warriors, exhausted and wounded, fought tirelessly against the endless horde of demons. The air was thick with the metallic scent of spilled black blood and the deafening sound of screams and roars.
The walls were splattered with dark stains, silent witnesses to lives lost. The fighters, with their battered and dirtied bodies, found hidden strength to continue the fight, their swords and techniques cutting through the air in a frenzy of desperation and determination. The battle had been raging for endless hours, but neither side was willing to give in.
On the ground of an extensive area within this battle, thousands of sacred roots were destroyed and regenerated incessantly. They rooted themselves and wrapped around a nearby demon while spikes harder than steel sprouted and ruthlessly pierced through. Every moment, a lethal dance of punishment and destruction unfolded.
In the midst of the endless sea of demons, a three-meter-tall violet flame rose and surged forward like a wave of destruction. Wherever this flame passed, chains formed by runes enveloped the demons while a spear pierced and obliterated everything in its path, following an unwavering trajectory.
At intervals of a few breaths, endless waves of wind swept through a vast area. Dozens and dozens of demons were crushed, releasing cries of agony and regret. Each blade of wind carried an indescribable fury and sharpness. At this stage of the battle, the blades had already acquired a crimson hue, their Qi completely transformed, seeking only endless slaughter.
Among the hundreds and hundreds of demons, there were a smaller number of elites leading the immense groups toward death. These demons possessed much greater power, but intelligence was nonexistent in their being. Their instinct was equally powerful, and they quickly directed their attacks to eliminate the weaker ones first, in a relentless quest for destruction.
Each demon leader possessed combat power equivalent to 500 ordinary individuals. However, as they approached the group, their gazes quickly turned to the skies, their heads and cores being instantly severed. They perished without being able to comprehend what had happened, defeated ruthlessly.
In the heat of battle against the hundreds of demons, fatigue made itself present in every muscle, in every gasping breath. The fighters felt the weight of their exhausted bodies, every movement becoming a struggle against the throbbing pain of their wounds. Each step was a herculean effort, and blurred vision made it difficult to distinguish allies from enemies.
Every strike dealt with caused intense agony, but determination persisted, fueled by the adrenaline permeating the battlefield. Even with trembling knees and bloodied hands, they persisted, aware that survival depended on the remaining strength of will and courage.
When their minds faltered or their bodies didn't respond to commands, a warm and comforting Qi infiltrated their beings. Their spirits and wills were reborn, invigorated with a newfound determination. They felt the hands of a young person releasing their shoulders and stepping away, allowing them to move forward.
Lian closely felt all the instability of the battlefield. He couldn't fully utilize his earth power since they were in an underground cave, and the risk of collapse was imminent, posing a deadly threat to everyone present.
Thousands of small runes shimmered around him, revealing that they had been extracted from hundreds of demon beasts or common demons. If someone could perceive their Qi, they would know that these runes originated from a large number of powerful creatures. Initially, Lian had planned to take the cores of all these beasts back to the clan, but this divine opportunity had fallen from the heavens, altering his plans.
Using the bloodline and elemental power of everything they had hunted, Lian created those runes that glowed vividly but extinguished within moments. However, he wasn't actively participating in the extermination of demons. His top priority was preserving his energy to face the imminent danger lurking in the depths of that cave.
Determined, Lian burned through all his resources to protect the group from a threat as great as, or even greater than, the one lurking in the depths.
From a distant location, there was a black mist emanating, enveloping the surroundings in its sinister presence. Its power was so malevolent that it could infect the meridians of any living being and corrupt it completely.
The mist tried to spread slowly, like dark tentacles reaching through the air, diffusing its venom, wanting to poison everything it touched. Its appearance was grotesque, with sinuous spirals and a gloomy glow that inspired fear and revulsion.
Lian was familiar with the danger he now faced, as he had experienced a similar ordeal in the past. The memory of that day remained vivid in his mind as if it had happened just yesterday.
Zeke had explored and trained in realms permeated by the Qi of death, where, by a twist of fate, he crossed paths with the Devil Dragon Emperor. By coincidence, Lian managed to save his acquaintance. This being was one of the most powerful of all time and the strongest among dragon clans. It was in this encounter that Lian received valuable hints and learned the divine technique of the Infernal Heart Demon Diagram, taught by the dragon itself.
During his training, the dragon had him absorb that diabolical mist. It was thanks to this technique that even when he was still on the surface, Lian had already felt the threatening presence of that danger.
Time seemed to drag slowly. The group no longer had a sense of whether hours or days had passed in this bloody battle. Of course, at their level, there is no way they could have fought for several days in a row. Even Lian wouldn't have managed it at his level. Only a little bit more than two hours passed in fact. It's just that the situation was so frenetic that they truly couldn't tell the time anymore. Riria forged ahead, even shrouded in her own blood. Shiho unleashed desperate bursts of red wind in her cries. Wei continued tirelessly slashing with a broken blade in her hands. Rumi illuminated the darkness of their minds even as he vomited blood.
The group annihilated all the demons without them even realizing it. However, there was no happiness, satisfaction, or exhilaration. They simply sat in the small lake of black blood surrounding them, immersed in a somber silence.
Looking at their battle companions, they noticed a visible change in themselves and others. Through this battle, the group found a greater purpose and a deeper understanding of themselves and each other. They had become courageous warriors endowed with unwavering resilience and unbreakable determination.
Lian noticed that Riria, Wei, and Edea were awakening their dao hearts. Their auras and hearts were perfectly attuned during the battle, allowing the group to instantly grasp the intentions of their comrades and fight as one.
With a gesture, the few dozen runes around Lian moved around the group, expanding into a protective barrier. Under the fixed and fearful gazes of everyone, Lian advanced determinedly toward the ultimate goal, facing the supreme terror.
Until that moment, all the demons behaved like irrational beasts. Only a few possessed a strong primal instinct to make decisions in battle, but that was all. Lian concluded that they were all simple common beasts whose lineages had been corrupted.
In a mortal world, creatures with fragile cultivation and minds had no ability to control the powerful and sinister black Qi. Therefore, their intelligence was completely annihilated. Faced with this fact, Lian nurtured complete confidence in confronting the nefarious demon before him.
Standing over ten meters tall, its bulky and muscular structure was covered in glistening black scales as if made of obsidian. Its vast and powerful demon wings stretched out majestically, standing out in contrast to the dark veil it emanated.
The demon's head was an infernal sight: incandescent eyes red like burning embers, with dilated pupils revealing its predatory nature. Its sharp fangs dripped with a dark liquid. A bony crest rose along its head, giving it an even more sinister and intimidating appearance. Every step the demon took made the earth tremble, demonstrating its unmatched strength and power. It was a Demonic Basilisk!
As the demonic Basilisk prepared to attack, Lian summoned his connection with the energy of the earth. A protective aura of earth laws emerged around him, forming an impenetrable defense armor. This protection, fueled by the strength of nature itself, emanated a sense of stability.
Lian clenched his fists while determination filled his eyes as he bravely advanced toward the Basilisk. Each firm step was accompanied by a subtle vibration of earth energy, demonstrating the harmony between him and the environment.
As the Basilisk attacked with sharp claws and fangs, Lian swiftly dodged with surprising agility, defying the speed and ferocity of the creature. His strikes were precise and powerful, driven by raw strength and technique honed through arduous training.
With each precise strike, the earth energy armor around Lian shone intensely, absorbing and dissipating the destructive force of the Basilisk. The protection was like an unbreakable wall, resisting the fierce attacks of the demon.
The group watched in awe at the formidable exchange of blows. At first, Lian's punches seemed to be just ordinary strikes. However, now, as battle-hardened warriors, they instinctively felt the terrifying strength contained in each blow.
The reason the punch seemed so ordinary at first was due to Lian's immaculate mastery. All the power was contained within his fist, not a single strand leaked. He only allowed the eruption after a successful strike.
Therefore, while it appeared only fast at the beginning, it also possessed incredible destruction power. It encompassed several extremes - extreme speed, extreme power, and extreme control. They all wondered how Lian trained to deliver punches like that.
After two hours, the earth Qi emanated by Lian dissipated, fading like the dying flame of a candle. The battle wasn't over, though. In an instant, the Basilisk, which seemed to be on the brink of defeat, erupted with even more intense black power. The demonic duke personified embodied horror, a primordial force that represented the very essence of darkness and destruction. Only one of the two would leave this place alive.