Chapter Fifty-Eight: Slaying

The battlefield was silent. The Devouring Sky Beast and the Elder of Withered Bones ceased their attacks, standing at a distance and gazing solemnly, their hearts heavy.

The powerful member of the Flame Demon Clan had been formidable. Back in the day, when he was suppressed here, he had already reached the seventh layer of the Condensed Meridian Realm. Coupled with the abundant vitality of the demon clan, even as his blood began to wither, he still possessed the strength of the fourth layer. Yet now he was dead, his body shattered to pieces.

“Who are you? How do you possess such terrifying power?” The Devouring Sky Beast spoke, its massive form beginning to shrink, yet its aura grew even more intense. This was its most powerful combat state, for Lin Fan’s presence was overwhelming.

He and the Flame Demon Clan strongman had been evenly matched, unable to best each other. Yet such a master had been slain on the spot; how could the Devouring Sky Beast not be wary?

The Elder of Withered Bones remained silent, his expression dark.

“You wish to kill me?” Lin Fan glanced at the two mighty figures, surprised to encounter a human elder in this place, though their hostility toward him was clear. The Devouring Sky Beast belonged to the royal line among ferocious beasts; their ancestor, the Devouring Star, had earned legendary renown in ancient times, thus the name Devouring Sky.

With a thunderous crash, the earth split. Lin Fan moved, radiance bursting forth; boundless intent surged from his fists. He seemed a deity, wild and fierce, his terrifying strength gathered, charging straight toward the Devouring Sky Beast, launching a dominant attack.

“Bold!” roared the Devouring Sky Beast. Its blood surged as it struck, purple-red metal shattering the void, dazzling. Its body collided directly, a massive claw sweeping across the sky, crashing down.

“Kill!” Lin Fan shouted, traversing the heavens. A stone tablet manifested, suppressing the four extremes and eight wilds.

The divine form appeared. Lin Fan was unstoppable, exuding an aura of invincibility. He shone brilliantly, dazzling like a god-king striding through the skies, overlooking all creation.

“Boom!” The Devouring Sky Beast was blasted away, terrible wounds appearing all over its body. It was proud, unwilling to be defeated in the Mortal Flesh Realm. With another roar, it charged again.

But the outcome was brutal. After activating the Divine Creation Fist, Lin Fan’s strength far surpassed its own. Youthful and unrestrained, Lin Fan’s fists pounded relentlessly, intent on crushing everything.

The purple-red metal was sent flying, smashing a distant hill. Lin Fan’s momentum soared, advancing with the confidence of a dragon or tiger, unstoppable.

“Ah!” After dozens of exchanges, the Devouring Sky Beast howled in agony. Its claw was torn off, blood pouring out. Lin Fan struck again, his entire being ablaze, a dreadful aura sweeping all directions.

A fist emerged, containing immense power. The Devouring Sky Beast’s body trembled, torn apart, until a divine radiance flashed by, sending its colossal head flying, blood and brain matter splattering in a scene of utter carnage.

“Roar…” The Devouring Sky Beast was unwilling, but powerless. It fell, and none would remember its former glory; now only a pile of remains remained.

“You are confident, never making a move,” Lin Fan said, hands behind his back, facing the Elder of Withered Bones. His aura had reached its peak, carrying a faith that nothing could stop him, certain he could sweep his opponent aside.

“I am not confident; I am afraid,” the Elder of Withered Bones replied, his back bent further, coughing blood, his hands trembling as if he could barely hold his staff.

“I was young and proud, not yet thirty when I reached the ninth layer of the Condensed Meridian Realm. My prospects seemed limitless, and I believed I would soon become a sovereign. But I offended someone I should not have, and was imprisoned here.”

The Elder of Withered Bones reminisced. Lin Fan did not interrupt, simply listened.

“After arriving at Dark Demon Heaven, my temperament changed. I began slaying demons wherever I found them, believing they were unworthy of my company. Yet a hundred years passed, and I could no longer wield my spear, so I disguised it as a staff.”

He gazed at the staff in his hand, his eyes filled with emotion.

“Now I finally see my only chance. Do you think I will hold back? No matter what, I must fight. My blood feud is unpaid; how can I resign myself to dying here? I fear that if I slay you, I will be greatly weakened, so I waited for you to kill the Devouring Sky Beast. Now only the two of us remain. Let us fight—one of us must die!”

A terrifying brilliance shot into the sky. The Elder of Withered Bones straightened his back, the wrinkles on his face seeming to smooth out. It was a final burst of energy, his last stand against Lin Fan. A humming sound rang out; the staff trembled, shedding layers of disguise, revealing a dark red spear in his hand, razor-sharp.

“Pitiful people are pitiful for a reason. Perhaps your past was glorious, but now you are contemptible.”

Lin Fan shook his head, astonished by the Elder’s talent. To reach the threshold of the Celestial Realm at thirty was remarkable, rivaling even the famed Duanmu Ci of the Heavenly Gate.

“I am indeed contemptible, but what of it? If you fall, I will step into the Celestial Realm, gaining five hundred more years of life. Once I become a sovereign, who will care about my past?”

The Elder unleashed everything; his blood surged, and though aged, his power was terrifying—far exceeding both the Flame Demon Clan strongman and the Devouring Sky Beast.

He approached step by step, his robes billowing, his whole body engulfed in divine radiance, formidable beyond compare.

“Boom!” The Elder struck; the world trembled, an overwhelming force sweeping forth. The dark red spear sliced through the air, trailing mysterious light, descending like a mountain range, the immense power suffocating.

“Clang!” Lin Fan punched skyward, striking fiercely.

A great hand opened, blocking out the sun, as he sought to counter the treasured weapon with his bare palm, utterly fearless.

Spear and palm collided, igniting the brightest sparks, endless radiance erupting like a volcanic explosion.

“This treasure is not to be underestimated; the spirit within has awakened and may soon advance.”

A voice came from Prison Heaven—it was his secret art that enabled Lin Fan to face the weapon head-on. A gray light manifested as he secretly consumed the treasure’s power.

“Good, since you have this ability, I am at ease. I will slay the Elder of Withered Bones, then you refine their flesh and blood, so my power can advance further, reaching the very peak of the Mortal Flesh Realm.”

Lin Fan replied inwardly, his aura soaring. He strode forward, wearing the stars and moon, a vast sea of stars appearing, the Milky Way hanging upside down. Lin Fan was unstoppable, charging straight toward the Elder of Withered Bones.