Ch. 1516 - Stepping Into Eternity

A deep, thunderous bellow echoed through the void.

In the blink of an eye, the Red-Blade Bull Demon transformed into his true form, a colossal Primal-Chaos Bull Demon. He raised his head and roared toward the heavens, his entire body wreathed in swirling demonic energy. Within that dark aura, his blood-red eyes blazed like twin suns of rage.

As the purple beam from the monstrous man-eating flower swept across the battlefield, the Primal-Chaos Bull Demon did not dodge. Instead, he charged directly into it.

When the two forces collided, the purple beam tore through the demonic energy, nearly blowing the massive bull’s body backward. But the Primal-Chaos Bull Demon stood his ground.

After retreating dozens of steps, he finally adapted to the beam’s destructive force. His aura surged once more, demonic energy shrouding him from head to hoof. He pawed at the ground with his rear legs, snorting heavily, his rumbling bellows growing louder and louder, rolling through the air like thunder.

Locking eyes with the monstrous flower, the Primal-Chaos Bull Demon pressed forward one step at a time. The closer he got, the heavier the pressure became. That beam of violet annihilation seared everything, its destructive light scorching even the hair on his forehead.

At less than a hundred feet away, his advance slowed to a crawl. Both sides strained against each other in a deadlock.

“Help the old bull!” Xu Zimo shouted.

He lifted Shadow Tyrant, demonic energy surging down the length of the blade like a tidal wave. The weapon grew hundreds of times larger, and Xu Zimo’s towering body radiated an infernal presence.

He brought the demonic blade crashing down upon the monstrous flower, and the other Infernal Archons followed up with their own attacks.

Explosions roared again and again, shaking the entire space.

The monstrous flower screamed in agony. At that moment, the purple beam of destruction weakened.

With a furious bellow, the Primal-Chaos Bull Demon lowered his two massive horns, now glowing with deep, black demonic light, and drove them straight into the creature’s gaping maw.

The purple radiance shattered instantly.

The monster let out a piercing shriek. The Bull Demon kept pushing forward, driving his horns through its core and flipping the enormous flower onto its side.

The other Infernal Archons seized its tentacles, pinning it down so it could no longer move.

Xu Zimo leapt into the air, demonic power gathering in both hands.

His blade roared with power, blood-red light cascading like a hellish waterfall. Thunder rolled through the void as demonic clouds churned.

Pouring all his strength into one strike, Xu Zimo raised Shadow Tyrant with both hands and brought it down in a sweeping arc, leaving a trail of black light across the heavens.

The blade fell from above like divine judgment, slamming into the monster’s body with devastating force.

This time, the blow struck true.

The monstrous flower convulsed violently, its energy collapsing as its aura rapidly faded.

“I won’t accept this…” came its hoarse, dying voice. “If I’d only had more time, I could have absorbed the Four Symbols Flame Crystals… my power would have grown beyond measure…”

“You’re dreaming,” the Iron Gate snapped. “Tell me, how did you get the Heaven-Refining Cauldron?”

The monster didn’t respond. It only thrashed weakly, letting out a final, echoing roar before its voice dissolved into silence.

Bright red blood seeped from its vast body, spreading across the ground as its life force dissipated completely. Its limbs stiffened, its monstrous form collapsing inward.

Seeing it dead, the Iron Gate became cocky again, jeering from the side.

“Weren’t you arrogant just now? Come on, show off again if you can!”

“Enough,” Xu Zimo said, waving his hand dismissively.

He stepped forward toward the Four Symbols Flame Crystals.

The crystals, still conscious and sentient, had resisted the monster earlier. Now, they turned that same wary power against Xu Zimo, releasing waves of energy to block his approach.

“Iron Gate, maybe try talking to it,” Xu Zimo said.

The Iron Gate sighed, resigned.

It floated over to the Four Symbols Flame Crystals, seemingly communicating in some unknown way. After a long while, it returned with a helpless expression.

“No use,” it said. “They refuse to acknowledge you as their master.”

“I never said I wanted them to,” Xu Zimo replied coolly. “I just want their power.”

“Without their energy, they’re nothing but dead crystals,” the Iron Gate argued. “Of course they won’t agree.”

“Then tell them this,” Xu Zimo said coldly. “If they refuse, I’ll crush them to dust.”

“I can’t do that,” the Iron Gate protested. “They won’t listen to me anyway.”

Xu Zimo could tell it had tried its best, it clearly didn’t want to see the crystals destroyed. But his resolve was already set.

He looked at the four Infernal Archons. “Hold the formation. Suppress the Four Symbols Flame Crystals. I need their power to ascend to Eternal Overlord.”

The four Infernal Archons bowed their heads. “As you command.”

They took their positions around the crystals, their demonic energy merging into a dark barrier that swallowed the entire sky.

The heavens turned black.

The Four Symbols Flame Crystals surged, trying to resist, their guardian beasts thrashing within the void. But chains of shadow descended from the demonic clouds, wrapping around the divine beasts and binding them completely.

Xu Zimo strode into the air and pressed his palm down. Immense power surged from his hand, imprisoning the crystals in an unbreakable seal.

With the Infernal Archons anchoring the formation, the crystals could no longer fight back.

Xu Zimo began extracting their energy, little by little.

He sat cross-legged in midair, preparing to break through, to step into the Eternal Overlord stage.

As he closed his eyes, the Iron Gate tried to slip away quietly.

But before it could take more than a few steps, Xu Zimo’s voice rang out.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

The Iron Gate froze midair, then forced a smile. “You misunderstand. I was just… stretching my hinges.”

“I know you want to leave,” Xu Zimo said calmly. “But can you really escape? The Ancestral Lands won’t last much longer. When this place collapses, creatures like you, remnants of the old era, will perish with it.”

He had said this before, but the Iron Gate hadn’t believed him. Hearing it again now, its tone carried a hint of unease.

“You’re telling the truth?” it asked skeptically.

Xu Zimo smirked. “You should know what kind of man I am. I don’t waste time lying about things like this.”

“So the Radiant Court no longer wants the Ancestral Lands?” the Iron Gate pressed.

“It’s not that,” Xu Zimo replied. “They’re abandoning the old, to embrace the new.”

He shook his head. “There’s no point explaining it all to you now. Believe me or not, it’s your choice. Serve me, and I’ll take you out of here when the time comes. If not, then go.”

In truth, Xu Zimo said this out of appreciation. The Iron Gate was a powerful weapon, its sealing power unlike anything he had ever seen, an artifact worth preserving.

After speaking, Xu Zimo paid it no further attention and closed his eyes again, beginning his meditation and absorption.

Unbeknownst to the Iron Gate, he had already given silent instructions.

If it truly tried to escape, the four Infernal Archons would seize it instantly.

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