John and Yealper were locked in fierce combat.
Boom… Boom… Explore more at empire
The sounds of explosions echoed, and terrifying energy rippled through the air. Both of them were evenly matched, and for a time, neither could gain the upper hand.
“Young man, I truly underestimated you,” Yealper said, slashing down with his sword, forcing John to retreat. His expression grew serious.
“It’s a shame. If only you were from Underground City, things would have been different!” Yealper sighed regretfully, his body radiating the powerful The power of laws, making his attacks even more ferocious.
John found himself struggling to defend, forced to step back repeatedly.
“Young man, I’ll give you a chance. Join Underground City, and I’ll plead with Lord Skybroke to spare your life,” Yealper said, effortlessly blocking a barrage of sword energy, a spark of admiration in his eyes.
John sneered, coldly replying, “I’ll give you a chance instead. Join my side, and I’ll spare your life!”
“Hmph, you’re hopeless!” Yealper’s anger flared at John’s ungratefulness. He no longer held back. His sword howled as it came down with deadly force.
The battlefield became chaotic as more and more people surged forward, joining the fight.
Boom… Boom…
The sounds of explosions rang out, and most of the Underground City members were hanging on by a thread, no match for John and his team.
However, these crazed individuals were not afraid of death. They resorted to self-detonation, unleashing terrifying energy that caused immense suffering for John and the others.
“John, think of something else! We can’t keep up with these lunatics!” Sword Demon cried anxiously, dodging frantically as more Underground City members charged in.
The continuous explosions had already left him wounded. If this kept up, they would be in serious trouble.
John’s expression darkened. He was completely entangled with Yealper and couldn’t get close to the ancient tree.
The only way to deal with these people was to bring them into World-in-Hand.
“Young man, accept your fate. You’re simply no match for us,” Yealper said, sensing that he had gained the upper hand and growing more confident.
He didn’t care about the fate of John and the others. Their plan only needed Gaka. As for John and his group, they were just fuel for the ancient tree.
Boom!
With a deafening explosion, one of the Underground City members blew himself up beside John, sending him flying.
“Damn it!” John wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his anger rising. These Underground City people were even more insane and troublesome than the Hunters they had faced before.
“Prepare to enter my World-in-Hand!” John gritted his teeth, no longer daring to waste time fighting with these madmen. He raised the United Sword high above his head, the wind howling as an immense pressure spread throughout the area.
“Creation and Destruction!” he roared, his longsword slashing down with all his might. His target wasn’t Yealper; it was the ancient tree!
“You dare, human!” Yealper sensed John’s intention, and with a furious shout, he immediately positioned himself between John and the ancient tree, unwilling to allow the attack to land.
Buzz!
The air hummed as a massive sword beam shot forward, tearing through the space. Where it passed, the fabric of reality itself seemed to collapse, and chaotic spatial currents surged wildly.
Yealper, despite his immense strength, was no Overseer and lacked any spatial talents. He was completely incapable of stopping the oncoming attack.
In an instant, he was devoured by the space turbulence and sent flying.
The sword beam continued its relentless descent.
Boom!
A deafening sound filled the air, and a massive tremor shook the ground. The ancient tree swayed but managed to block John’s Creation and Destruction attack.
However, the surrounding earth cracked open, revealing the hidden chamber beneath the tree.
Bang, bang…
The sound of heavy impacts echoed, as if striking at the very core of their souls. Blood sprayed from their mouths.
And some of the weaker Underground City members were immediately killed on the spot.
It was a powerful soul attack.
Beneath the ancient tree, the roots twisted and coiled around a pulsating heart. Slowly, it began to rise, releasing an overwhelming pressure that filled the air.
Yealper and the others quickly ceased their actions, kneeling respectfully on the ground, their faces filled with reverence. “Lord Skybroke!”
John and the others eyed the rising heart warily, sensing the immense danger.
This was the second time John had faced it, and he still felt his heart race with anxiety.
The power of this being far surpassed even the Nine-Star powerhouses.
Thankfully, it only had a heart left, its strength severely diminished.
“Very well!” A voice, ancient and full of sorrow, resonated through the air. John felt a ringing in his mind, as if the sound itself was trying to penetrate his thoughts.
It was the overwhelming Spiritual power of the ancient being.
He couldn’t help but wonder if his World-in-Hand could actually Devour this entity.
“Where is Gaka?” The heart throbbed as it pulsed. John couldn’t sense Gaka’s presence and coldly demanded, “Where is he?”
“You will see him soon enough!” John gritted his teeth, activating World-in-Hand, surrounding the ancient tree within its bounds.
In the Underground City, he was no match for Skybroke. Only by entering World-in-Hand did he stand a chance to fight back.
Buzz!
A wave of spatial power surged, and suddenly, the ancient tree and John’s group disappeared without a trace.
“Hm? World-in-Hand?” Yealper sneered coldly as he watched the others vanish into thin air.
“How foolish,” he muttered, clearly unimpressed. “Thinking you can use World-in-Hand to deal with Lord Skybroke? Hah.” He scoffed, not the slightest bit worried for Skybroke’s safety.
Skybroke had once been an Overseer who fused with World-in-Hand. Even severely injured, his command over World-in-Hand was something John could never hope to match.
Whoosh…
Inside John’s World-in-Hand, a massive ancient tree suddenly appeared, causing the entire space to tremble slightly.
“To think you’ve created a World-in-Hand with Chaos Force!” Skybroke’s aged voice rang out, both excited and astonished.
“Hmm, what is this?” he exclaimed once more, his attention drawn to the Tree of Life beside him.
He could clearly sense the immense vitality contained within the Tree of Life, its heart beating wildly, filled with greed and madness.
At that moment, John and the others appeared.
“Haha, kid, you really gave me an unexpected surprise. What, do you think you can use World-in-Hand to fight me?” Skybroke’s voice echoed, filled with disdain.
John’s gaze remained fixed on the heart, his expression grim, a sense of unease creeping in.
This Skybroke was giving off an eerie vibe.
“Hmph, playing tricks. I don’t believe your heart can be that strong!” Sword Demon shouted, suppressing the fear in his heart. He swung his long sword, aiming to strike the heart.
“Be careful!” John quickly warned.
Whoosh!
A fierce wind howled as a root shot up from the ground, moving with the flexibility of a vine. It whipped toward Sword Demon with tremendous force.
Boom!
Sword Demon had no time to react. He spat blood and was sent flying through the air.
“What kind of monster is that?” Sword Demon clutched his chest, struggling to rise from the ground. His expression was filled with wariness as he stared at the heart.
Rustling…
The branches and leaves of the ancient tree shook violently. Skybroke ignored Sword Demon and spoke excitedly, “Human, I must thank you. By Devouring your World-in-Hand and that big tree, I will be able to reshape my body!”
As he spoke, the roots beneath the ancient tree began to writhe, crazily extending outward, burrowing into the ground as they Devoured the life force of John’s World-in-Hand.
Boom… Boom…
World-in-Hand trembled violently, its life force draining away.
“What a bizarre method!” John’s expression changed. Even his divine skill, Creation and Destruction, couldn’t stop this kind of destruction.
“Senior!” He turned to look at the Tree of Life and quickly called out.
“Leave it to me!” Gaka’s voice resonated. His soul had already merged with the Tree of Life. With a thought, the Tree of Life trembled fiercely. The roots beneath the surface of the earth went wild, instantly wrapping around the ancient tree, while also Devouring its power.
“Hmph, useless. Your World-in-Hand is too weak!” Skybroke’s scornful voice came again. The ancient tree showed no sign of being affected by the Tree of Life. Instead, it sprouted new buds, and a fresh green aura spread, causing Skybroke’s presence to grow even stronger.
Gaka’s panicked voice came through: “John, this ancient tree is strange. It doesn’t have any life force; The Tree of Life can’t Devour it. You need to find a way to destroy it!”
No life force?
John was confused. He turned to look at the pulsating heart. It seemed that all of the ancient tree’s life force was contained within this heart.
There was no time to hesitate. He manipulated his longsword, and a massive sword beam sliced through the air, as if falling from the heavens, aiming straight for the ancient tree.
“Get lost!” Skybroke cursed, and the roots of the ancient tree shot up, intercepting the sword beam with sheer force.
John’s expression darkened, killing intent radiating from him. Four sharp sword beams shot into the sky, the Four Extermination Swords.
With a flick of his mind, John activated Sword Mastery, controlling the Four Extermination Swords, sending them hurtling toward the ancient tree.
“I’ll help too, John!” the others shouted, quickly joining in. They gathered their strongest power and attacked the tree.
The powers of the underworld surged, Star Dust energy rippling, and cold glints of light flickered through the air, surrounding the ancient tree.
Boom! Boom!
Thunderous explosions rang out, and World-in-Hand trembled. John had no choice but to use Creation and Destruction to stabilize World-in-Hand.
But that eerie ancient tree, its roots flying in all directions, blocked every single attack.
“What exactly is this thing?” John was stunned. Not even his World-in-Hand could withstand this overwhelming force. The ancient tree was effortlessly deflecting all their attacks.
“Big brother!” Spoorate cried out, rushing to the giant sword of The Immortals.
John understood at once. He grasped the sword’s hilt, and Spoorate jumped into his hand, caressing the longsword, his immense power surging.
Whoosh!
The two of them worked in perfect sync. John easily drew the giant sword from its resting place.
In this time, both he and Spoorate had experienced significant improvements in strength, making it much easier to wield the giant sword.
Not only that, but with a wave of his hand, the massive Sea God Trident also fell into his grasp.
“Break for me!” John roared, swinging the giant sword and the enormous trident toward the ancient tree.
“Hm?” Skybroke sensed the danger, too late to Devour World-in-Hand. Countless roots shot up from the earth, desperately trying to block John’s attacks.
Boom!
World-in-Hand shook violently. Several roots were sliced apart, wood shattering, and the ancient tree swayed fiercely as dry leaves fell incessantly.
“John, attack the heart!” Gaka’s voice sounded again.
“Understood!” John now understood the weakness of the ancient tree. This tree had long lost its vitality—Skybroke’s heart was the true source of all the power!
“United Sword Domain!” he roared, unleashing a barrage of sword beams that spread The Power of Laws across the area. It formed a rain of swords, frantically attacking the heart.
“Get away from me!” Skybroke cursed, panic in his voice. Dozens of roots surged from the ground, desperate to block John’s relentless onslaught.
Boom! Boom!
The sword beams destroyed everything in their path.
With the combined power of The Immortals’ giant sword and the Sea God Trident, John’s abilities were drastically enhanced. The roots of the ancient tree couldn’t withstand the onslaught.
However, World-in-Hand was still unable to bear this immense power, shattering repeatedly. Turbulent currents surged, Devouring everything around them with reckless abandon.