The blade was inches away when the spear spun, the two weapons colliding with a shockwave that sent everyone flying. The numbers were staggering. This guy’s combat power had increased significantly compared to before. This couldn't continue; the longer the fight dragged on, the weaker the opponent would become. They had to find a way to deal with this ability.
Xie Kong’s indifferent voice seemed to acknowledge the numbers. "Very well. To have lasted this long, I admit your strength. You are worthy of my attention."
"If you want to fight, fight. Stop with the nonsense."
Shu Zi was plain-spoken, his mind constantly searching for a way to end the battle. Continuing to fight was not in his favor. He desperately needed a solution, and he needed it fast.
A scene suddenly flashed through his mind, and a smile touched his lips. He finally understood. Of course! He could do it this way. How could he have forgotten?
With a solution in hand, he no longer worried about being outmatched. His figure flickered, his speed exploding as he thrust his spear directly towards a small opening. To Xie Kong, this was suicide, a voluntary surrender. He wouldn’t be polite.
He gripped his saber, energy flowing through it, demonic energy engulfing him and forming a towering blade pillar. This blade pillar descended, sealing off all escape routes. There was no room to retreat; he could only face it head-on. Seeing his opponent use this move, Shu Zi rejoiced inwardly.
When the blade pillar engulfed him and his spear, a few seconds passed, and then the pillar vanished. Shu Zi had vanished with it. It seemed he had perished in the attack. Xie Kong was not surprised; the power of that move was sufficient for a kill. His power had increased by nearly ten thousand times. How could a difference of ten thousand times in strength allow survival against such an attack?
He observed carefully. There was no sign of life; he was thoroughly dead. His imposing aura gradually subsided as he left the combat range, his ability instantly returning him to his original power state.
"I thought I could have a satisfying fight, but it seems I was expecting too much."
He sighed, having expected a vigorous battle, but his expectations were misguided. No one could contend against his abilities.
Just as he was about to leave, a spear suddenly pierced his chest with a *phut*, from behind him. Seeing the familiar spear, he uttered in shock, "Impossible! How could you survive that move? Furthermore, your aura had indeed vanished."
Shu Zi stood behind him, a mocking smile on his face. "Did you forget I have the power of the Heavenly Dao? If I transform myself into the Heavenly Dao and merge with space, do you think you could have detected me?"
"Damn it! If you do this, will the Heavenly Dao of this world permit your existence?"
Xie Kong could not fathom that he would be so reckless as to temporarily become the Heavenly Dao. How could this world's Heavenly Dao permit such a decision? It seemed he had not yet faced any punishment.
"You were too careless. However, it’s thanks to being out of combat that I understood how to kill you."
He pulled out the spear and with a swift slash, Xie Kong’s body turned to dust and scattered.
The space returned to normal. Shu Zi collapsed on the ground, his body weak, panting heavily. The strain of becoming the Heavenly Dao had been immense. Fortunately, the Heavenly Dao hadn’t held it against him. Anyone else would have already been erased by the Heavenly Dao.
Shu Zi sat cross-legged to recover. He currently lacked the strength even to move. After a day and a night of recuperation, he had finally regained some strength and headed towards the fortress.
"I'm the slowest. Even a pigeon is faster than me."
Shu Zi grumbled. He was supposed to be the strongest of the three, yet Pigeon had finished his battle days ago, and his own had only concluded yesterday. Thinking about Xie Kong’s monstrous abilities, a longer battle seemed reasonable.
Upon returning to the fortress, Shu Zi found no sign of Pigeon, nor Chen Tian’s clone. He saw a message left behind. After reading it, he decided to rest and focus on recovering his internal strength first.
The Divine Realm, Earth, and the Cultivation Realm had all been freed from crisis. Only the final battlefield remained. On this day, the human population of the entire world began to dwindle. Only a hundred million humans remained on Earth; the rest had vanished inexplicably.
This phenomenon became an unsolvable mystery.
Where had the missing people gone? Why had the old men and children not disappeared, while the young men, women, and adolescents had?
After his recovery, Shu Zi heard the message. He surmised that the front lines were struggling, necessitating the transfer of personnel from here. However, the number of people taken was far too great.
The game "Epoch of Time" had billions of players worldwide. Now, less than a hundred million remained.
"It seems they've encountered a major problem. Without any information coming in by now, I should go and help."
He ascended into the sky, transforming into a beam of light that shot towards the heavens. This phenomenon occurred in various parts of the world, yet no one noticed.
On the cosmic front, before a vast expanse of the universe, stood a colossal fortress. Behind the fortress lay the stars, the worlds. Within the fortress was a city that far surpassed any on Earth.
Above the fortress, people were attacking the demonic creatures below. The battle had raged for seven days. Over these seven days, the demonic creatures had not decreased; instead, they continued to multiply, along with some unfamiliar species.
"Chen Tian, this won't do. Their numbers will only grow. We must close the portal."
Pigeon was exhausted, having not rested for seven days, his internal energy depleted. Fighting and defending the front line was becoming impossible.
"No, we can't go out in our current state. We can only hold our ground."
"But those monsters… how were they created? We must close the portal."
Sen Sha spoke up beside him, recalling the monsters he had encountered a few days prior. They were too terrifying. They bred demonic creatures and even opened a portal, allowing them into this universe.
This situation was unsustainable. With numbers against them, the demonic creatures would not rest; they only followed orders. Humans, on the other hand, needed rest and sleep. Otherwise, their weakened state would lead to a crisis.
Chen Tian’s clone was at a loss. Such monsters were not even present in his main body’s memories.
What kind of monsters were they? He needed to understand their origin before he could effectively combat them.
"Chen Tian, Pigeon, I'm here."
A voice rang out. Seeing them all troubled, he slowly fell silent.
It seemed the situation was dire.
The assault horn sounded, and the demonic creatures attacked once more. The same scenario had repeated too many times over the past seven days, indicating that the enemy’s forces had replenished and were preparing to attack the fortress again.
"Sand Barrier, activate!"
Sen Sha’s body split into countless fine grains of sand, forming a barrier that covered the fortress walls, making them even more robust.
A massive army arrived, and behind them was a monster. Upon seeing this monster again, the voice inquired, "Chen Tian, what kind of monster is that? Something’s not right, not right at all."
"Fight! Defend first. Don’t worry about the battle above."
"Alright!"
With the leader absent, Chen Tian’s clone was the highest commander. He hoped his main body would awaken soon. Too many variables had emerged in this battle.
On the fortress, the fight continued with fiery explosions and colorful beams of light unleashed without regard for cost or life, determined to defend the fortress.
This was the shared thought of all human players: they absolutely would not let their homeland be destroyed.