Chapter 568 - 561: Explosion
"Since you’re already here..."
Zhou Yuanjue’s telepathic voice, transmitted via his magnetic field, echoed in Yukun’s mind. He swore that in all his long life, he had never heard a voice so detestable and haunting.
A frontal assault couldn’t break his opponent’s defense. When trying to retreat, he couldn’t match the extreme speed his opponent gained after transforming. If he continued this struggle, the moment his stamina flagged and he revealed an opening, his opponent would instantly switch from a defensive to a terrifyingly offensive form, one that specialized in overwhelming Power. Even if Yukun used his most proficient and bizarre abilities—his magnetic field and Divine Soul Power—they were ineffective against a True Self Powerhouse who could manipulate his body’s Energy with such meticulous and perfect control.
What was most infuriating was that among this man’s Life Evolution attributes, his Recovery Ability had been enhanced to an appalling degree...
He couldn’t outlast him, couldn’t overpower him, and couldn’t outrun him.
It was like fighting an old turtle; there was simply no way to get a bite in.
An intense feeling of frustration welled up inside Yukun. As an Ancient True King, not even the Ancient Heroes of old had ever made him feel this way.
Then again, this man’s personal achievements had indeed surpassed those of all the Ancient Heroes.
He glanced around, trying to find Bi Qiu for support, but that coward had received the retreat signal from Doctor Nightmare and had long since vanished without a trace.
’Damn it,’ he thought. ’I should have known relying on him was a mistake.’
Yukun took a deep breath. Looking at Zhou Yuanjue, who was now stuck to him like glue, he understood his situation clearly.
It seemed there was no escape this time.
However, he felt no fear.
As a King Level expert who broke through using the True Spirit System, his Spirit could exist independently of his body. His most prominent traits were his bizarre abilities and incredible survivability. This was especially true for him, an Ancient True King, who had far too many trump cards up his sleeve.
After all, back then, even the Ancient Heroes could only Seal them, not destroy them completely.
It would be the same today. Besides, the Primordial Ancestor had already been revived and the mission was complete, giving him even less reason to be afraid.
The plan could be considered a great success. Even if it came at a heavy price, it was acceptable.
’It’s just... I don’t know how long it will take to recover next time.’
’If I had known, I wouldn’t have been so overconfident and stepped forward.’
’I still underestimated humanity...’
SWOOSH!!
Suddenly, Yukun screeched to a halt. He turned to face the rapidly approaching Zhou Yuanjue, a savage grin spreading across his face as the profound patterns all over his body began to flash with a dazzling light.
SCREECH!!
Zhou Yuanjue’s pupils shrank. He dug his heels in, stopping instantly, then turned and fled without hesitation.
"You dare chase me!!"
Yukun let out a savage roar, one that seemed to release all his pent-up pressure.
The next moment, he lunged violently toward Zhou Yuanjue.
Under the control of his Divine Soul Power, countless motes of concentrated Power of the Primordial Core suddenly expanded outward.
A searing white light flashed and was gone.
BOOM!!
It was followed by a terrifying, world-ending explosion.
The power of this explosion seemed even more terrifying than the nuclear blast Zhou Yuanjue had endured before.
"Shields!! Shields!!"
In the distance, the members of the Forest Race roared, swiftly unleashing all their abilities to rapidly grow the surrounding plants and block the terrifying shockwave.
And at the heart of the explosion, Zhou Yuanjue had instantly switched forms, shielding his body to bear the full brunt of the devastating force.
Nearly a minute later, the aftershocks of the explosion finally faded, revealing the surrounding scene.
Nearly a third of the vast Forest Race Ancestral Land had been reduced to scorched earth by the blast. The once-lush green had turned into a charred yellow, with smoke rising everywhere.
If not for the members of the Forest Race working together to grow various plants and activate the Green God’s protection, the damage would have been far worse.
WHOOSH!!
At the epicenter of the blast, Zhou Yuanjue slowly lowered the arms he had used to block the explosion. The damaged areas of his body were already repairing themselves at a visible rate.
Although the power of this explosion was even greater than the nuclear blast from before, the man he was now was worlds apart from who he had been then.
He looked around. The surrounding area was now a barren wasteland, and Yukun was nowhere to be seen.
He knew his opponent hadn’t escaped. Instead, he had detonated all the power in his body, turning to ash in the explosion.
’Scorched earth... a fitting display for someone whose name is synonymous with Desolate. His abilities all seem to follow a similar theme...’
’I didn’t expect him to have a self-destruct ability. For a Celestial Demon to be so decisive, he must have a contingency plan. He probably isn’t truly and completely dead. Given that the ancient Celestial Demons could only be sealed and not completely destroyed, they must have special methods that allow them to be continuously reborn.’
’This kind of rebirth must come at a great cost. Reconstructing a consciousness is much harder than rebuilding a body. It will probably take several years, perhaps even decades. This means that, for a long time, they have truly lost a King Level combatant...’
’Still, I need to find a way to completely destroy them as soon as possible. Otherwise, they will always remain a hidden threat...’
Zhou Yuanjue looked down, lost in thought. Then, he gazed at the empty surroundings, feeling that something was not quite right.
Logically, it wasn’t as if his opponent had no strength left to fight. For him to retreat in such a panicked manner was simply too unusual.
...
...
「Meanwhile, in a secret underground chamber in the Forest Race Ancestral Land.」
This was the bitter Cultivation grounds of the Forest Race’s Great Clan Elder, located deep underground and shrouded in darkness.
In reality, the chamber was woven from the underground root system of a giant plant, which could draw in and absorb vast amounts of the surrounding Life Energy, providing the best possible environment for a Cultivator.
At this moment, an ancient figure with a white beard and hair sat cross-legged in the center of the chamber. The elder was so completely focused that he hadn’t even perceived the intense tremors from the outside world.
DRIP! DRIP!!
From above his head, viscous, crystalline drops of green liquid slowly dripped down, transforming into a mist that swirled around him, nourishing his body and allowing it to gradually undergo a metamorphosis.
This was the Source Liquid from the Prime Seed Pool, capable of providing him with an immense amount of Energy.
Right now, by using the Ancestral Power, he had reached the critical moment of his breakthrough.
Both his body and his will were gradually ascending, driven by the force of the Ancestral Power.
In the vast expanse of his mind, his consciousness gradually rose, as if it were touching a gateway at the apex of the world.
That gateway represented the power of the King Level.
A King Level Spirit Guardian wields Ancestral Power, allowing their will to connect to the infinite heights of the world and, in turn, command the incredibly formidable power of the surrounding nature.
The Great Clan Elder of the Forest Race took a deep breath. His will slowly touched the gateway, and then he pushed with all his might.