This was a clash between hellfire and the heavens, and all of the netherdark was their battlefield.
Lu Yun stood in front of the torch dragon, deploying the nascent spirit observation method and borrowing the might of the hellfire giant to contend against heaven’s frenzied wrath.
The nascent spirit observation method was a creation under the immortal dao. Though it didn’t currently exist in the great wilderness, Lu Yun had been able to forcefully deploy it after he reclaimed his Xing Chen replica and combined the world with it.
A titanic inferno of hellfire transformed into a torso and unfurled an arm to furiously smash against the thick crimson pillar. The entire sea of flames had become Lu Yun’s replica and stood before him as an enormous protective barrier.
“The Sal Tree of Life and Death! It really does grow beneath the Sea of Hellfire!” His expression shifted slightly when he suddenly felt a consciousness float up through the fiery ocean—it was the Sal Tree’s consciousness.
“The Sal Tree of Life and Death is a unique treasure of the world that outranks peerless-grade connate treasures and the great spirit roots, but it’s subordinate to the Tome of Life and Death!” Lu Yun quickly understood what was going on here.
If it hadn’t been for the tree taking the initiative to contact him, he wouldn’t have discovered its presence beneath all the fire. In addition, the strength displayed by the tree exceeded what Lu Yun had experienced from Luo Houluo and Darkriver. It was on another level entirely!
“…the Sal Tree of Life and Death is a creator?” Lu Yun’s mind hummed from the unexpected. “That’s… right. The tree lacks sentience and has only a wisp of instinct. It’s very strong, but it doesn’t have the will to match it. However, it almost gets destroyed in the future… Just what is it that will destroy the hell of human dao and human dao itself?”
The Sal Tree’s sudden appearance and support from the Sea of Hellfire made things very easy for Lu Yun. In fact, he even had room to spare for some contemplation. Sensing how strong the tree was threw certain things into uncertainty and confusion.
“Human dao is only a transition and immortal dao is the true fundamentality. No wonder Fuxi and the others put their hopes into the immortal dao.” Lu Yun turned around and looked at the shores of the Sea of Hellfire.
Leize had departed the premises. Since Lie Shan was raising mountainous waves in the fiery ocean and could withstand the heavens, there was no need for him to remain any longer.
Darkriver, however, was still there. His eyes glinted coldly as he looked out upon the Sea of Hellfire, killing intent suffusing his glare.
“I was wrong!” A murderous look flashed through Lu Yun’s eyes when he saw Darkriver. “In the future, the key figure who follows me back to the great wilderness isn’t Ji Du’s master Luo Houluo, but Darkriver!”
Imbued with the power of hellfire, Lu Yun instantly saw through the patriarch’s core. He too was born of the Blood Sea, and his true form was that of a blood demon! This shared kinship was why he’d been able to create the blood dragon, phoenix, qilin, and turtle in the future and send them out to plague the world.
“In that case…” Lu Yun suddenly split off half of the hellfire and formed it into an enormous palm that blotted out the sky. He sent it slamming down on Darkriver.
“Lie Shan, what do you want?!” Darkriver shrieked with panic when he saw the human entertain a distraction whilst facing off against a heavenly tribulation. Though he was the ruler of the netherdark, he was still afraid of hellfire. Not to mention, what Lie Shan stirred up was simply too savage!
He crossed both arms in front of his chest and flared with crimson light, summoning the Blood Sea to him to defend himself from hellfire.
Everything in the Blood Sea immediately perished from hellfire, including Bashe. With how strongly the flames were blazing and reinforced by the Sal Tree of Life and Death, even regular demon gods weren’t able to survive for a single breath in the Sea of Hellfire.
When all life in the crimson depths had been annihilated, the fire continued to eat away at the water, evaporating the Blood Sea itself. Crimson clouds formed in the skies above the netherdark and cast out crimson precipitation.
“Lie Shan, if you force my hand any further, I’ll destroy Eternal’s egg!!” Darkriver raged and roared, frantic over the destruction of his forces.
“Oh yeah? Go ahead and try it.” Under Lu Yun’s nascent spirit observation method, a second Lu Yun walked out of the void and faced Darkriver.
Though the patriarch wielded two peerless-grade connate treasures in his hand, his face was as white as a sheet. Lie Shan’s double was too terrifying! Everywhere he walked turned into an ocean of hellfire, and he seemed invincible in it!
“I don’t know what will happen in the future or how things will be, but I know that I’m not leaving you alive today!”
Booooom!
Lu Yun punched out with all of his strength, fortified by leaping and exploding hellfire.
With the Blood Sea as his shield and twin sword as his weapons, Darkriver snarled and screamed in his counter attack. There was no point in trying to flee now. If he tried to run, then Lie Shan would fill all of the netherdark with hellfire. No matter where he headed to, he wouldn’t be able to escape the onslaught of hellfire.
Run to the outside world?
Leize would throw him back in here with a single punch!
Unfortunately for him, Darkriver had no idea that Leize was all bark and no bite from his grave injuries.
Up in the air, the crimson pillar continued drilling into the sea of flames, but its dreadful power was parried by the Sal Tree of Life and Death. Meanwhile, all of Lu Yun’s attention was on battling Darkriver.
Though the patriarch hadn’t commanded the Blood Sea to become his replica, he was still its master and could maneuver its strength at will to protect himself.
However, as more of the Blood Sea evaporated, it became purer and more viscous.
“What? What’s going on here?” Darkriver suddenly looked around him. It was becoming steadily harder to deploy the Blood Sea as it decreased in volume.
In the end, the boundless waters disobeyed his orders and flowed back to where they’d stood. He was left standing blankly in midair, alone and at a loss of what to do.
“You can go die now, Darkriver.” Lu Yun’s projection threw his head back in a long peal of laughter. He stepped forward to smash Darkriver’s face in.
“Lie Shan, I’ve been waiting for you!” An overwhelming consciousness suddenly descended from the skies as a hand of white bone pulverized Lu Yun’s projection with one swift move. “Let’s see who can save you this time without Tushan’s Bell of Chaos!”
The voice blared piercingly, making Lu Yun’s ears ring. Stark-white flames flared up on the large hand, which then made for the depths of the Sea of Hellfire where Lu Yun’s true form was.
“Luo Houluo?!” Lu Yun jerked backward. That was Hadal Bonefire burning on the bony hand!
“Hadal Bonefire belongs to Luo Houluo?!” He looked up and ignited the nascent spirit observation method, forming hellfire into three thousand, six hundred and fifty layers of protection that stood in front of him.
The white bony hand simultaneously broke through three thousand, six hundred and forty-nine layers. Only at the last layer did hellfire reduce the hand to ashes.
Hadal Bonefire was less than hellfire, but Luo Houluo’s strength was far superior to Lu Yun’s. In addition to the bonefire, there was Luo Houluo’s own power added to the flame. The two combined proved too much for hellfire to resist.
Luo Houluo’s second punch followed swiftly on the heels of his first—another bony hand blazing with Hadal Bonefire.
However, Lu Yun was ready this time.
Humm.
A black haze blossomed from his body and the image of the Tome of Life and Death flashed through the air. Utilizing fire for his sword, Lu Yun fashioned hellfire into a black sword and slashed at the hand.
“He’s still fighting against the heavens, we need to act together!” Luo Houluo yelled. “We’re following heavens’ will if we attack him now, so we’ll reap bountiful benefits for our deeds!”
“Alright!” Darkriver trembled and sent his twin swords to redeploy the Blood Sea. He howled a challenge as he swept toward Lu Yun.
With the destruction of his nascent spirit projection, Lu Yun huddled in the center of the fiery ocean and fended off the three forces simultaneously bearing down on him. He was up against the awe of the heavens and the two most terrifying demons in the great wilderness!
Full power from the Sal Tree of Life and Death streamed out to bolster the Sea of Hellfire. If it wasn’t for Lu Yun standing in the fiery ocean, he would’ve been blown to pieces already.
“Lu Yun, are you alright?” The little fox poked out of his robes to ask with worry.
She’d discovered that though Lu Yun wasn’t concerned about Luo Houluo or Darkriver as long as he remained surrounded by hellfire, the pressure from the heavens was too great. With Luo Houluo and Darkriver following heavens’ wishes, they could bring more strength to bear when they attacked him.
Even Leize and Wahuang didn’t dare help Lu Yun at this moment. To help him was to defy the heavens and go against the natural order. Leize wouldn’t be able to endure one blow from the heavens in his current state.
“I’ll do it myself, you don’t need to do anything.” Lu Yun stuffed the little fox back in.
Pressure from above grew increasingly stronger, and the two demons’ attacks fired with growing madness. However, Lu Yun remained unmoving in the blazing inferno of hellfire. Things were a little rough, but he could still hold his ground against the combined assault.
As time went on, he grasped hellfire ever more skillfully and he even built a tenuous connection with the Sal Tree.
Numerous eyes opened in the skies of the netherdark, mutely observing the great battle here.
“Lie Shan, again!” some exclaimed with surprise to see the figure in the flames. “He’s battling connate demon gods again? Does he want to kill Darkriver and Luo Houluo this time?”
