At this moment, the Demon Lord Chi Mei, empowered by surging demonic energy, descended from the highest heavens like Mount Tai crushing down.
His scale was immense, as he bore an entire demonic realm upon his back, an unknown number of worlds collapsing within it. All this power was thrust upon Yun Fan.
Yun Fan had no desire to face this head-on, but Chi Xiao Demon Lord had already locked onto him, and Chi Mei Demon Lord was simply too fast. Yun Fan had no chance to evade and could only meet the challenge directly.
"I refuse to believe that no matter how powerful you are, you can bear the might of all worlds!" Chi Mei Demon Lord sneered.
"Then let the battle be even more spectacular!" Yun Fan's mighty frame trembled as he pushed his Heaven-Fighting power to its absolute limit, simultaneously igniting his Boiling Blood attribute to amplify his own being. He had reached an unprecedented level of strength, standing at the pinnacle, and now, he would transcend it.
*Boom!*
As the two forces collided, Yun Fan's internal organs churned. This was undoubtedly the most formidable frontal assault he had ever faced. Chi Mei Demon Lord unleashed the essence of countless worlds, ceaselessly pressuring Yun Fan. Yun Fan's entire body creaked and groaned, his form collapsing inward. It seemed he wouldn't hold on much longer.
"You're not that impressive either!" Chi Mei Demon Lord sneered. "I gave you a chance, and you didn't cherish it. Now you face the consequence of being shattered!"
"Is that so?" At this moment, Yun Fan burned his Boiling Blood attribute to its extreme, his very body on the verge of cracking, as he shattered these forces.
Chi Mei Demon Lord was utterly shocked. He never imagined Yun Fan could single-handedly resist the power of all worlds. It was a truly desperate sight. If he hadn't witnessed it himself, he would never have believed it. Yun Fan was no different from a monster now.
Finally, Yun Fan shattered the might of all worlds and struck Chi Mei Demon Lord with a palm.
"Ah!" Chi Mei Demon Lord's body began to disintegrate as Yun Fan's palm, imbued with the terrifying power of Boiling Blood, struck. If Chi Xiao Demon Lord hadn't intervened, this blow would have surely been fatal. One could imagine how overbearing that palm strike was, reaching an irresistible level of power.
The two combatants separated.
"Pfft!" Yun Fan spat out a mouthful of blood, his condition dire. This was the first time he had been injured since invading the Demon Realm. Chi Mei Demon Lord fared even worse. Despite channeling an entire demonic realm to try and crush Yun Fan, he was now left with only half his life, and even that was a miraculous survival.
"Little thief, I will kill you!" Chi Mei Demon Lord rasped, his voice barely audible.
"Don't be rash, leave it to me!" Chi Xiao Demon Lord quickly interjected. After that exchange, Chi Mei Demon Lord no longer had the strength to fight. Thus, Chi Xiao Demon Lord stepped forward.
"Hmph!" Though unwilling, Chi Mei Demon Lord could only comply. He could faintly hear the wails of his people, the demons of his realms whom he had sacrificed. Before his sacrifice, they were his subjects, bowing and worshipping him. Chi Mei Demon Lord shook his head. As a supreme being, emotions were a weakness. They were but insignificant ants. As long as victory could be achieved, he could create entire realms anew.
Chi Xiao Demon Lord then addressed Yun Fan, "Kid, I must admit, you are indeed the strongest I've seen at this level. But as long as I'm here, you won't turn the tables!"
"Are you planning to use the same method against me?" Yun Fan asked with a cold laugh.
Chi Xiao Demon Lord said grimly, "Of course not. The same trick used twice won't work again!" In truth, he wished he could employ the same tactic, but the conditions were no longer present. Chi Mei Demon Lord's successful attack was only possible because he had been tying Yun Fan down. Now, with no one to distract Yun Fan, such an opportunity would not arise again. He declared to Yun Fan, "I will fight you using a different method. Either way, you will not leave this world alive!" This was his resolute stance.
Yun Fan replied, "If I wish to leave, no one can stop me. As for now, I have no intention of going anywhere!" With that, Yun Fan launched a decisive attack. However, as he approached Chi Xiao Demon Lord, he was repelled by a surge of power. He realized Chi Xiao Demon Lord was channeling immense demonic energy into himself, transforming into an even more monstrous entity. As the myriad worlds of his realm were channeled into him, his very essence began to crack. Regardless of whether he defeated Yun Fan, his fate and outcome would be far more tragic than Chi Mei Demon Lord's, for this was an inevitable consequence.
"I never thought you'd be even more reckless than him!" Yun Fan sneered.
Chi Xiao Demon Lord declared, "As long as I can kill you, any price is worth it!"
"Is that so?" As soon as the words left his lips, Yun Fan ignited his Boiling Blood attribute once more and charged forward. Chi Xiao Demon Lord, unwilling to be outdone, met him head-on. A punch from Yun Fan, a palm from Chi Xiao Demon Lord. Each of their blows possessed the power to annihilate countless worlds. It seemed like a simple clash of brute force, but this was no mere duel. It was the ultimate confrontation between the Demon Realm and the Eight Directions Dao States.
Huo Hai Wu Bian and Tian Xia Wu Di could only lament their inability to aid Yun Fan. At this level of combat, even standing at the same tier, they were mere novices. Furthermore, they had to expend all their energy maintaining the rear, ensuring the Eight Directions Dao States remained unaffected. Otherwise, a battle of this magnitude could have devastating consequences even for the Eight Directions Dao States. While they couldn't assist Yun Fan directly, the pressure they faced was immense. Both men coughed up blood, their spirits weary, bearing the brunt of the power surge used to isolate Yun Fan and Chi Xiao Demon Lord.
Yun Fan and Chi Xiao Demon Lord fought for an indeterminate amount of time. They were evenly matched, with no clear victor in sight. Yun Fan's weakening was due to his prior engagement with Chi Mei Demon Lord; he couldn't unleash his full power in his current state. Every precisely aimed blow struck Chi Xiao Demon Lord's core, yet failed to destroy it.
"Give up! Do you think you can still wreak havoc as you did before? After all the sacrifices we've made, we will absolutely not let you succeed again!"
"That remains to be seen!" Yun Fan declared. "As long as I possess the will to win, even you cannot defeat me!"
At this point, Yun Fan's Boiling Blood attribute was nearly extinguished, having pushed his power to its absolute limit. Chi Xiao Demon Lord faced the same predicament, having depleted his own strength considerably.
"The final strike will decide the victor!" Chi Xiao Demon Lord channeled all his remaining power into his fist. It was clear he was making his last stand. And this punch, Yun Fan had to endure.
"Do you think I'm afraid of you?" Yun Fan wiped the blood from his lips. Though his wounds were uncontrollable, he charged forward resolutely. As Chi Xiao Demon Lord's punch descended, Yun Fan's hand instantly shattered, and even his brow was pierced. However, with his other hand, Yun Fan clenched his fist and pierced Chi Xiao Demon Lord's core.
"No wonder your defenses are so weak, you were prepared!" Chi Xiao Demon Lord grumbled, unconvinced. Witnessing Yun Fan's body gradually heal while he himself had lost the capacity to fight Yun Fan, Yun Fan kicked him away. Chi Xiao Demon Lord's condition seemed far more severe than Chi Mei Demon Lord's. He staggered precariously. Seeing Yun Fan, both men displayed expressions of despair. They had sacrificed so much, only to meet this end. Their unwillingness was understandable. Although Yun Fan was also left with only half his life, he still possessed the will to fight. They, however, did not. This was the disparity.
Yun Fan then declared, "Gentlemen, it's time for you to depart!" With that, he prepared to strike them down. The allied forces of the Eight Directions Dao States saw a glimmer of hope. After this battle, if these two were slain, the Demon Realm would no longer possess the strength to contend with the Eight Directions Dao States. Yun Fan had blazed a trail, unstoppable, slaying gods and buddhas alike. No one could halt him, not even these two legendary powerhouses. Their fate was sealed: death at Yun Fan's hands.
However, at that very moment, the earth trembled as several streams of demonic energy, like colossal pythons, descended from the heavens and erupted from the ground, positioning themselves between Yun Fan and the two demon lords.
"Ancestor! It's the Ancestor!" The two demon lords cried out with excitement. They had believed this was a certain death, but unexpectedly, their Ancestor had intervened. Moreover, this Ancestor appeared far more ancient. Indeed, incredibly ancient, to a degree even they couldn't comprehend. They had only heard whispers of an Ancestor, never seen one. Now, at this crucial juncture, the Ancestor had appeared to save them.
Though the apparitions resembled colossal pythons and withered vines, Yun Fan perceived their true form. Or rather, he saw a mere sliver of their true form, infinitely vast, so immense that it would require all the myriad worlds to contain it. Even Yun Fan gasped in awe. He was certain that this so-called Ancestor was the creator of the Demon Realm. These colossal, serpentine entities were, in fact, roots. This was undeniably a tree, though its true location remained a mystery, as these roots extended from realms beyond.
"Kill them first!" Yun Fan's sole thought was to eliminate the two before this terrifyingly absolute being could act. Otherwise, he might not get another chance. The two demon lords clearly understood Yun Fan's intent and were instantly terrified.
"Ancestor, save us!" they cried for help. As if understanding their plea, the entity extended a root and repelled Yun Fan.
"Hiss!" Yun Fan gasped. Though it was just a brief encounter, barely even a frontal clash, he knew with certainty that he was no match for it. A single root was so powerful; he couldn't imagine the strength of its true form. It was a truly despairing situation.
At that moment, a voice resonated, "Failures have no right to beg for salvation. Rest assured, you will become my nourishment!"
"What?" The two demon lords froze, utterly astonished by this outcome. As if on cue, two roots shot out, entwining the demon lords, who couldn't even resist. Indeed, resistance was now a futile hope. They never imagined their Ancestor would treat them this way.
"Ancestor, no!" they cried out in despair, pleading for mercy. But their Ancestor clearly had no intention of sparing them. As the roots tightened, the two met their demise, their very souls shattered. The sheer destructive power gave even Yun Fan pause.
The roots then advanced towards Yun Fan, dozens of them surrounding him, forming an inescapable encirclement. A phantom image then appeared. This phantom was indistinct, and even at close range, Yun Fan couldn't discern its true nature, as it manifested from a root.
"You are astonishing and outstanding, but some things are beyond your control. And you, like the others, are destined to become part of my nourishment!" it stated calmly to Yun Fan. This was the kind of statement only absolute power could produce, and indeed, it had the qualification to do so. Yun Fan's head throbbed. If he were at his peak, facing these roots, he might have had a chance. After all, it wasn't the true form, and he refused to believe he couldn't defeat mere roots. Unfortunately, in his current state, he was powerless.
Yun Fan then asked, "Who are you?" Clearly, he was buying time.
"A very, very long time ago, I had a name: World Tree!" it told Yun Fan. "My existence sustains these countless myriad worlds. These myriad worlds operate stably precisely because they are built upon me as their vessel!"
"World Tree?" Yun Fan gasped.
"And then?" Yun Fan continued to inquire.
"Then one day, a seed drifted from beyond these myriad worlds and landed upon me. It parasitized my body, and I became like this!" it explained. Yun Fan gasped. To infect something as powerful as the World Tree, he wondered what kind of seed it was.
"So, you are now infected?" Yun Fan asked again.
"Correct!" it replied to Yun Fan. "I was infected, and what I am now is no longer what I once was!"
"Do you wish to return to your former self?" Yun Fan pressed further.
It shook its head. "Not at all. While this seed infected me, I cannot deny that the power gained is several times greater than before. Therefore, I quite like who I am now!" Yun Fan finally understood the reason. Of course, he wasn't merely stalling; he had at least learned that the World Tree became this way because of that seed. To restore the World Tree to its former state, the seed had to be eliminated. Sadly, the World Tree was too vast, and Yun Fan had no idea where its true form was located.
"Then why did you create the Demon Realm?"
"You call this power 'demonic'? That is indeed a fitting appellation!" The World Tree said to Yun Fan. "I did not create the Demon Realm; I merely transformed the former world into its current state. Don't you agree that the transformed world is incomparable to the untransformed one?" The world it referred to as transformed was the Demon Realm, and the untransformed world was the Eight Directions Dao States. Honestly, the Eight Directions Dao States were not as strong as the Demon Realm. If not for Yun Fan's rise, the Eight Directions Dao States would have eventually been swallowed by the Demon Realm.
"Then why didn't you transform all the worlds? Including the world behind me?" Yun Fan sidestepped his question and posed two entirely new ones, which he genuinely wanted to know.
The World Tree replied, "That was merely a branch I severed before I was completely infected. The world borne by this branch is your world. But rest assured, once you die, they too will be unable to escape their fate!" It revealed the situation to Yun Fan. At this moment, Yun Fan finally understood the gravity of the situation. It was indeed quite serious.
Yun Fan then asked, "Why do you want me dead?"
"Because I see the same potential in you as in that seed. Therefore, you must die!" it told Yun Fan.
Yun Fan responded, "It is an honor to be regarded so highly by you, but to wish me dead is impossible!"
"Killing you is far too simple!" With that, the World Tree's phantom re-transformed into roots, and dozens of them surged towards Yun Fan. Yun Fan faced a formidable enemy. But at this moment, all he could do was fight with all his might. As these roots relentlessly pressed down, Yun Fan felt an unprecedented pressure. He blocked one root, evaded several others, but was pierced through the body by a hidden root.
"Ah!" Yun Fan let out a pained scream. With only half his life remaining, he was in an extremely passive situation.
"It's useless. You can indeed change the tide, but unfortunately, you are not qualified to do so yet!" With that, countless roots spread towards Yun Fan. What awaited Yun Fan next seemed to be a dead end. Yun Fan was unwilling, but like the two demon lords, his unwillingness was matched by his powerlessness. At this moment, four more roots shattered the void and pinned Yun Fan's limbs, hoisting him into the air. His strength seemed to be continuously drained by the dark World Tree. If this continued, Yun Fan's death was inevitable, merely a matter of how long he could hold on. Yun Fan grunted several times. Although he desperately wanted to resist, his strength was completely locked down at this moment, rendering even resistance a luxury. The World Tree, seemingly aware of the trope that villains die from talking too much, wasted no time with Yun Fan. It showed no desire to toy with him; its sole intention was to kill Yun Fan, and that was all.
At this critical juncture, Huo Hai Wu Bian and Tian Xia Wu Di breached the void. Though battered and bruised amidst the intertwined roots, they were determined to save Yun Fan.
"It's over!" The World Tree's dozens of roots merged into one, aiming for a fatal blow against Yun Fan. This time, Yun Fan had nowhere to escape. His end seemed sealed; if his essence shattered, even he, who had surpassed the heavens, would be helpless. At this moment, Tian Xia Wu Di exchanged a glance with Huo Hai Wu Bian, understanding each other's intentions.
"Old friend, if there's a next life, I hope we can fight side by side again!" Tian Xia Wu Di smiled.
Huo Hai Wu Bian shook his head with a wry smile. "If there's a next life, I'd rather not be your friend anymore!"
"Then what do you want to be?" Tian Xia Wu Di asked, bewildered.
"If there's a next life, I want to be your father!"
"Get lost!" The two exchanged a playful insult, but their eyes held a profound sense of release. Then, they ignited their very essence and charged towards the merged root.
"No!" Yun Fan cried out weakly from his daze, trying to stop them. But the two showed no sign of halting.
"Yun Fan, this is the only thing we can do for you. Promise us, live on!" With that, Huo Hai Wu Bian and Tian Xia Wu Di selflessly sacrificed their lives.
*Boom!* A blinding explosion followed. Both of them, along with that single root, vanished from the scene, allowing Yun Fan to narrowly escape the most lethal blow.
"Two fathers-in-law!" Yun Fan rasped, his voice hoarse with pain and rage, a testament to his extreme fury. But he had no choice. Even he couldn't change everything. The two had exchanged their lives for his final hope. As a root snapped in the explosion, Yun Fan, disregarding his grief, quickly channeled the unlocked power to sever another root. Immediately after, three more roots disintegrated, allowing Yun Fan to narrowly escape.
"You cannot escape!" The World Tree told Yun Fan. "Even if you break free, you are still destined to die!" These words were incredibly arrogant, yet they were the truth. But at this very moment, the remaining remnant of Tian Xia Wu Di agitated Huo Hai Wu Bian's Fire Spirit Pearl. The Fire Spirit Pearl instantly shattered, and Tian Xia Wu Di's remnant dissipated. The world, previously dominated by the World Tree's roots, was instantly engulfed in an endless sea of fire. Amidst this inferno, the World Tree desperately tried to extinguish the flames. Seizing this opportunity, Yun Fan turned and fled without hesitation.
"I will avenge you!" Yun Fan roared. "Even if I die, I will take him with me!" At this moment, Yun Fan knew that in his current state, even self-detonation would be futile. He could only wait until he regained his peak strength before striking. To that end, he gathered the remaining allied warriors and fled the Demon Realm, soaring towards the Eight Directions Dao States. During their escape, the World Tree's roots crossed dimensions to pursue them. Helplessly, Yun Fan poured all his strength into severing the connection between the Eight Directions Dao States and the Demon Realm, thus evading the killing blow.