"Don't you dare underestimate a Demon God, you wretch!"
The two Demon Gods had long since lost their former arrogance.
Roaring furiously, they unleashed their strongest attacks.
"Beyond the Shores of Dreams!"
"Azure Waters Without End!"
A boundless ocean surged forth, its waves thick with corrosive power. Within the torrent, blood-red higanbana flowers bloomed, each petal carrying lethal intent.
Countless wooden fists were shattered—
but more rose to take their place.
In the blink of an eye, the combined might of two Demon Gods' ultimate attacks was crushed beneath the endless barrage of divine fists.
The remainder of the punches continued forward, surging toward the two gods like an unstoppable tide.
In an instant, both Demon Gods were swallowed by the storm of blows.
The air shook with a deafening cacophony that tore through all of Dihua Prefecture.
Even in distant Guili Plains, immortals and mortals alike could feel the trembling of the earth.
"Such intensity… can this truly be a battle between gods?"
Mountain Shaper murmured, gazing toward the horizon.
"Ah Yan…"
Ganyu's violet eyes shimmered with worry.
"Don't fret, little Ganyu," Guizhong said softly, patting the young qilin's horns. "Morax is there, isn't he?"
But despite her calm tone, worry also flickered behind Guizhong's eyes.
Within Dihua Prefecture—
After a quarter of an hour, the thunderous echoes finally ceased.
The once-flourishing land of reeds was now unrecognizable—
the mountains shattered, the ground littered with massive craters from the impact of countless fists.
The God of Dreams knelt upon the broken earth, gasping raggedly.
Her once-alluring, ethereal face was now twisted and disfigured with terror; her body, battered beyond recognition.
Around her came the pitiful wails of the dying.
At the last moment, she had forced her Yaksha clan to shield her with their own bodies—sacrificing themselves to block wave after wave of wooden fists.
Even so, she had been gravely wounded.
Of her once-vast army, only five Yaksha remained alive—three men and two women, all barely clinging to life.
Their faces were pale, their eyes filled with pure horror as they stared up at the colossal Buddha that blotted out the sky.
As for the Chi Dragon, it was nowhere to be seen.
Only shards of multicolored scales lay scattered across the battlefield—
the very reverse scales that adorned its throat.
When the divine blows had fallen, the dragon had burned its own blood and life force, sacrificing its reverse scales to escape in grievous injury.
Silence fell upon the field.
Only the faint moans of the dying Yaksha broke the stillness.
The watching Demon Gods could only stare, wide-eyed, at the towering Buddha.
Terror.
Utter, overwhelming terror.
This one strike—
made them realize that the era was changing.
Guili Plains was no longer a rising faction—
it had ascended to the ranks of the supreme powers.
The name Wood Spirit Adeptus was now etched deep into the hearts of every god present.
Given a choice, they would rather face Morax himself than this terrifying immortal.
"One escaped, huh…"
Jiang Yan's breath came heavy and uneven.
The celestial markings on his face began to fade.
The immense depletion of energy left him pale and unsteady.
Even so, he didn't lower his hands—they remained clasped before his chest.
"One who runs is beyond my reach… but this one—this one stays."
"Evil must be uprooted."
A deep cracking sound echoed through the desolate plain.
The thousand-armed halo detached from the great Buddha's back as it began to rise, step by step, toward the God of Dreams.
"No… No!"
"Spare me… please!"
The God of Dreams's voice trembled with panic.
Crippled and broken, she could no longer move.
"You— you wretches!" she shrieked, her tone turning hysterical.
"Move! Protect me! Hurry!!"
She screamed at the remaining five Yaksha.
But none of them obeyed.
Not because they refused—
but because the terror radiating from the Buddha had completely crushed their will.
Before this being, they could not even think of resisting.
"I don't want to die!!"
"Please! I can serve you! I'll join your ranks!"
"I can control others! I can make them obey you—I'm useful, I swear—"
The God of Dreams's pleas were cut short—
as the Buddha brought down its foot, crushing her into the earth.
"Noisy."
The word left Jiang Yan's lips, cold and merciless.
A deafening boom followed.
The death of a Demon God unleashed a torrent of chaotic energy that shattered the Buddha's lower body, sending shockwaves rippling across the battlefield.
The great figure toppled, and Jiang Yan fell with it.
The moment the God of Dreams perished, her vengeful essence erupted—an ocean of black resentment that surged toward Jiang Yan in one final act of spite.
"Steady as stone."
A calm, reassuring voice rang out behind him.
A massive stone hand rose from the earth, gently lifting Jiang Yan into its palm.
The torrent of wrath crashed against a shimmering barrier of golden rock, where Morax's power held firm.
"Well done," said the Geo God's steady voice. "Now rest."
The white-gold-clad figure appeared at Jiang Yan's side, his gaze steady and proud.
"Mm."
Jiang Yan nodded faintly, his body relaxing at last. His knees nearly buckled, but Morax caught him, easing him down upon a stone platform.
Then Morax straightened, his golden eyes narrowing, the faintest trace of killing intent flashing within them.
"So," he said evenly, his voice echoing across the silent battlefield,
"Have you all not seen enough?"
"Or perhaps…"
"Would you like to test me next?"
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