Chapter Fifty-Seven: Awakening

“An old steed remains in the stable, but ambition burns on. Though I am aged and frail, I am not someone you can compare yourselves to. Begone!” The Elder of Withered Bones thrust his cane forward, a piercing sound splitting the air as the void trembled, nearly collapsing. His power had reached a hundred elephant’s strength—a full Jun.

Legends say that the ancient Thunder God possessed ten thousand Jun of might, hence the saying ‘thunderous force of ten thousand Jun.’ A single bolt from such a god could shatter even a titled realm powerhouse—utterly terrifying.

“Humans are arrogant. In the end, you’ll succumb to your lifespan. If I were you, I’d have found a grave to bury myself in long ago, rather than wait to have my tomb desecrated and my flesh devoured, losing all dignity in old age.”

The Flame Demon clan’s warrior was domineering, launching relentless attacks. He stood at the summit, and with his blood energy, these feats were not difficult for him. Yet he remained cautious, only assaulting from a distance.

“At our age, hatred has long since faded; survival alone is the hard truth. Elder of Withered Bones, I admit that when you were at your peak, I could only flee before you. But times have changed. You are destined to be left behind.”

A streak of purple-red metal spanned the sky, as radiant as the Milky Way, drawing out a long, gleaming trail. The Devouring Heaven Beast’s body barreled forward, crushing everything in its path.

*Cough, cough* “I truly am old. Who would have thought the ant of yesteryear would dare challenge me now?”

With resignation, the Elder of Withered Bones faced the two powerful outsiders. Though his spirit soared, he understood the predicament he faced—his lifespan now the only shackle binding him.

His cultivation was profound, standing at the ninth heaven of the Vein-Consolidating Realm, just a step from unity with heaven and man, the path to becoming a true overlord. Yet his blood and vitality had withered; he could not make that final leap—he was in the twilight of his life.

A cataclysm erupted as the three titans clashed. The void finally split open; their combined force approached three hundred Jun, reaching the threshold to tear the void itself.

Brilliant light burst forth as the Flame Demon warrior howled, summoning earth fires. In the environment of Black Demon Heaven, his advantage was clear. This explained why, though his cultivation was the lowest, he could contend with the other two masters.

“This is my domain. You are fated to fall.”

A giant of flame appeared, striking with overwhelming power. The Flame Demon warrior strode like a dragon, like a tiger, heading straight for Lin Fan, his vast hand reaching out to seize him.

“Don’t you dare!”

The Elder of Withered Bones shouted coldly, invoking his arts to intercept the Flame Demon warrior. But at that moment, the Devouring Heaven Beast charged, its massive form radiating a terrifying glow, its enormous claws slamming down.

“You are too dangerous. We must join forces, and then compete over the blood feast.”

The Devouring Heaven Beast roared, purple-red metallic light streaking through the sky like a meteor, its brilliance overwhelming.

The Elder of Withered Bones’s expression was grim, yet he had no choice but to act. The Devouring Heaven Beast, though not of the highest realm, possessed boundless vitality and an unimaginably formidable body, making it especially fearsome now.

The two great powers clashed, their terrifying might spreading chaos. The place was left in utter ruin, as though the apocalypse had come.

“Haha! Devourer, hold off the Elder of Withered Bones. When it’s over, we’ll split the blood feast.”

The Flame Demon warrior’s body moved, spirit ablaze. His hand swept through the air, closing to within a few yards of Lin Fan.

“The blood feast is mine! Haha, I can live another hundred years, use this chance to enter the second zone and seek sanctuary. When Black Demon Heaven falls, I’ll escape and run wild!”

His frenzied laughter was like thunder, his brilliance dazzling. Clearly, the Flame Demon warrior saw before him a radiant future—even a faint smile played at his lips.

“You have no such chance.”

Just then, a cold voice sounded. Two beams of light shot forth like heavenly lamps, piercing the firmament.

“Ahh—!”

The Flame Demon warrior howled in agony. His hand was pierced through, blood streaming down endlessly.

Lin Fan had awakened. His gaze was as sharp as a blade, flashing with a terrible brilliance. The wild energy he exuded swept all before it like autumn leaves, suffocating all around.

“You want to kill me?”

Lin Fan strode forward, like a god descending, his presence overpowering.

“An ant dares injure me? Die!”

The Flame Demon warrior’s face darkened, fierce as a tiger unleashed. His entire body was engulfed in divine light. With a single stride, eighty mammoth elephants floated in the air—an awe-inspiring sight.

“You see me as an ant, but now, in my eyes, you are no more than an insect. If your glory is spent, then vanish forever into the river of time.”

Lin Fan’s expression was calm as he stepped from his enlightenment, a subtle aura clinging to him.

“So arrogant! In my prime, even your Vein-Consolidating Realm would have prostrated before me. Even now, with my blood dried up, you—a mere Body-Refining Realm—are no match. Perhaps you do not yet understand my greatness, but in a moment you will know despair.”

The Flame Demon warrior sneered, unleashing a torrent like a great river, crushing all before him.

“It is you who should despair.”

Lin Fan let out a long howl, primordial mist surging like a tidal wave as he pressed forward—this was his blood energy, vibrant and vigorous.

“You…”

The Flame Demon warrior was shocked, sensing the approach of a dreadful power.

The primordial mist swept forth, a single fist threatening to shatter the void. Before the Flame Demon warrior could even see Lin Fan’s figure, he was struck by this overwhelming assault.

A massive stone stele descended from above—Lin Fan’s own hard-won Dao. In this moment, he was at his absolute peak, his Creation Divine Fist doubling his combat strength.

Bang!

A muffled impact sounded, followed by the Flame Demon warrior’s agonized scream. His body reeled backward; one arm had been snapped off, torn away.

“You… how can you be so strong? You’re only in the Body-Refining Realm!”

The Flame Demon warrior cried out in disbelief, but the only answer was a fist—containing an invincible force, suppressing heaven and earth, shattering all things.

Lin Fan remained unruffled, unfazed by the outcome. His body now possessed the strength of fifty elephants, and with the amplification of the Creation Divine Fist, his power soared to one Jun. Moreover, his blood was abundant; he had no fear of lifespan, so it was no wonder he could achieve such results.

“Devourer, Withered Bones, let’s attack together! This man is too fearsome—he must have great fortune and a powerful background. If we fight alone, we are doomed—”

The Flame Demon warrior’s words were cut short. The colossal stone stele crashed down, striking him directly. Blood sprayed in torrents, shooting dozens of yards into the air.

A single fist obliterated everything. The Flame Demon warrior’s head was sent flying, and a figure burst forth, shifting like the stars, moving at an unimaginable speed. In the next instant, his fleshly body ruptured, falling to the ground as scattered remains.