Within the domain of the Divine Tree, Yan Qianjun's expression grew serious. Despite being cautious, unforeseen issues had still occurred. He said, "So, the real orchestrator behind the changes in the Chaos Forest is the elven race, and the Demon Kings are just a smokescreen."
Nancilia furrowed her brow, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Still playing coy, huh? While this Demon King was undeniably formidable, it was implausible that he could swiftly take control and govern the entire Chaos Forest. Moreover, there's a monarch-level presence in this forest. The only plausible explanation is that the Elven King is the true mastermind, hidden in the shadows, pulling all the strings. Everyone had been deceived by her while they were distracted by the Demon King. When people were focused on the Demon King, the Elven King could seize the opportunity to elevate the elves' status.
Nancilia raised her scepter and cast a dispel magic spell, instantly unraveling the sealing chains that bound the mighty dragon. She then buffed herself with a protective enchantment. "While I'm unsure about your ramblings, the Chaos Forest does not welcome individuals like you. Anyone attempting to disrupt the peace and order of the federation will be an enemy of mine, Nancilia!"
Yan Qianjun bursted into laughter. "Very well, I've never faced a monarch-level entity before. Today, I'll witness firsthand what makes a monarch so extraordinary"
Qi erupted like a fierce storm, shattering the surrounding tree roots. Yan Qianjun seemed to conjure a dark sword out of thin air, and a potent sword Qi lanced toward Nancilia.
"What?"
"He's not a mage!"
The young Elven King hastily conjured a defensive shield. The daring adventurer possessed both formidable combat Qi and seemingly adept magical prowess. Could he be a dual practitioner like Marilyn?
Meanwhile, the eight Guardian Knights continued their coordinated assault. Among Level 5 overlords, Long Yi was undoubtedly a ceiling-tier existence. While a single Guardian Knight had little to no chance of victory facing Long Yi, but when eight of them joined forces, the dynamics shifted entirely. The Guardian Knights were already exceptionally potent individually, and their high synchronization had made even defeating a Level 6 overlord a feasible feat. Thus, they had the capability to counter or even suppress a powerful Abyssal Dragon.
However, due to the monarch's domain's suppression, the eight knights were visibly weakened. The massive dragon had been blessed by the potent magic of the Elven King, causing its stats to surge momentarily. As a result of this give-and-take, the gap in strength widened.
The eight Guardian Knights rapidly found themselves at a disadvantage. Defeat seemed to be only a matter of time. One of the knights spoke up, "There's no need to be reckless. We'll hold off the Dragon King and buy time for Lord Hubert, the Undying Phoenix, to intervene." The other knights nodded in agreement. With the constraining influence of the monarch's domain and their own limitations, winning against this dragon under such circumstances was an exceedingly daunting task. Rather than taking unnecessary risks, a more conservative approach was favored.
Although the Elven King possessed tremendous power, the Undying Phoenix, Hubert, was a legendary adventurer of the empire's southern borders. His strength should be sufficient to contend with the Elven King. Maintaining the monarch's domain demanded a considerable amount of MP, and the Elven King's MP would be drained rapidly. With the Bloody Fortress held in check by countless gargoyle soldiers, both the Elven King and the Abyssal Dragon were isolated and without reinforcements. The longer the battle dragged on, the more advantageous it would be for the Royal Knights.
Nancilia and Yan Qianjun engaged in a series of combat exchanges. Nancilia realized that this human possessed the combat prowess of a Level 6 overlord, excelling in both combat Qi and martial techniques. To make matters worse, he also demonstrated an adept control of spatial abilities.
Were it not for the enhanced magic within the Domain of the Divine Tree, her protective shield alone might not have been sufficient to withstand his relentless assaults. Not underestimating her adversary, Nancilia concentrated her focus and unleashed one of her most potent techniques: the Elemental Covenant. "Ariseth! Earth elemental!"
Energies converged and summoned into being was an immense earth elemental, standing tall at over ten meters, radiating an intimidating aura. "Summoning magic?" Yan Qianjun remained unfazed, attempting to bypass the earth elemental to continue his assault on the Elven King. However, he suddenly felt an overpowering gravitational force that rendered him almost immobile.
[You're under the effect of "Domain of Gravity." All stats have decreased by 5%. Movement speed decreased by 30%!]
A domain? Another domain skill?
This was not an ordinary elemental creature. It was an exceedingly rare Elemental King---a Level 5 elemental monarch. The earth elemental Nancilia had summoned had activated its domain power. Though this Gravity Domain remained too weak to manifest within the Divine Tree's Domain, it merged and harmonized seamlessly with it, amplifying its might. Within the enhanced Domain of the Divine Tree, its power surged. Although Nancilia had yet to grasp the intricacies of the Dominion of Law, she managed to enhance her monarch's domain through fusing it with another. This ability was undoubtedly remarkable.
The Earth Elemental King lunged with a powerful fist. Yan Qianjun swiftly teleported to evade, countering with a slash to decapitate the Earth Elemental King. Yet, his attack barely scratched the Elemental King.
Before Yan Qianjun could engage the Earth Elemental King further , an abrupt onslaught of ferocious winds swept in from all directions. Nancilia promptly invoked the Elemental Covenant once more: "Cometh forth! Wind elemental!". A being resembling a half-human, half-tornado entity, exuding a majestic aura, materialized within the Domain of the Divine Tree---a Wind Elemental King.
[You're under the effect of "Domain of Windblade." All stats have decreased by 5%. You will suffer 120 wind elemental damage from the domain's onslaught every second!]
"Another Elemental King?"
"For fuck's sake, another one!"
Yan Qianjun stood on the brink of exhaustion. The air seemed rife with blades, each moment akin to enduring a dissection. This was the Windblade Domain's effect---an ongoing damage that sapped a dozen or more HP each second from him.
The culmination of the Divine Tree's Domain, the Gravity Domain, and the Windblade Domain was overpowering. Their triple-layered effects had long surpassed the scope of a typical King-tier domain, leaving Yan Qianjun struggling to keep pace. However, Nancilia's own burden was far from light. She had to simultaneously sustain two Elemental Kings and maintain equilibrium amid the convergence of three domains. This continuous expenditure of MP swiftly depleted her reserves.
Time was of the essence. She needed to end this now.
Nancilia raised her scepter once more, calling out, "Lightning elemental! I summon thee!". A plethora of blue and white electrical lights manifested around her, coalescing into a towering electrical giant. In an instant, the entire domain space crackled with flashing arcs.
[You're under the effect of "Domain of Paralysis." All stats have decreased by 5%. You will suffer 100 lightning elemental damage from the domain's onslaught every second with a chance of paralysis!]
Yan Qianjun sank into complete despair. Was this the power of the Elven King? It was utterly terrifying. Victory was impossible. The Elven King's personal offensive and defensive capabilities were mediocre, and most of her adept skills were supportive in nature. However, this summoning ability was utterly outrageous. Battle a single monarch, and three more appeared. Who could withstand such a barrage?
Yan Qianjun's HP plummeted rapidly. He immediately pleaded, "Stop, let's talk!"
Though Nancilia was innocent by nature, she was far from naive. Under the current circumstances, which could only be maintained for a few minutes at most, she could not afford to let him stall.
"Elemental Fusion!"
Nancilia held up her scepter. The three Elemental Kings unleashed their elemental powers simultaneously, channeling three different attributed energies that swiftly converged around the Elven King's scepter. They finally fused into a dense energy sphere through the gemstone at its apex.
"Shit!" Yan Qianjun's eyes widened in horror. The attack formed by merging the powers of three Elemental Lords and the Elven King struck like a laser cannon, piercing through his heart in an instant.
-4952!
His HP was drained to zero immediately. Yan Qianjun's face displayed a mixture of terror and regret. Trapped within the domain, he had no chance to employ his spatial abilities to escape. He could only watch helplessly as his body was penetrated, and his HP evaporated in an instant. A miserable scream echoed, and Yan Qianjun plummeted downward.
Nancilia, the Elven King, heaved a sigh of relief. "We've won!"
He was the strongest opponent she had ever faced, so she had taken no chances. She had expended every ounce of her power to secure this hard-fought victory.
Now, the most desperate and despaired ones were none other than the Guardian Knights. The legendary adventurer, the super mercenary, with the title "Undying Phoenix," had been overwhelmed and defeated in a single strike. The power of the Elven King was beyond imagination.
Under the tremendous suppression of the triple domains, they were no match for Long Yi. Waves of dragon flames and lightning, as well as dragon fear, interwoven with dark magic and necromantic curses, forced them back step by step, each retreat a struggle to maintain their ground. Then, the three Elemental Kings closed in as well, surrounding them with their overwhelming might. Nancilia gritted her teeth, struggling to maintain her composure and powers. When the eight knights were eventually vanquished, she released a pent-up breath, finally letting go of the immense strain.
Though Nancilia's face had turned pallid, a sense of triumph shone through. "We've succeeded. We've defeated them!" Even Long Yi, at this moment, exhibited a deep respect for the Elven King. This seemingly unassuming elf wielded a power that was utterly staggering. Without her intervention today, the consequences would have been too dire to fathom.
However, before a single word could escape Long Yi's lips, his pupils abruptly contracted as if he had glimpsed the inexplicable. "Watch out!" He urgently warned. Nancilia had not yet grasped the situation when an overwhelming sense of dread materialized behind her, an omen of imminent danger.
"That was close," a voice exclaimed.
"You almost got me killed."
Enveloped in a torrent of golden flames, Yan Qianjun materialized right behind Nancilia. His chest, formerly pierced, had now miraculously healed, his HP restored from naught to its peak. Even the negative afflictions that had burdened him were wiped clean.
"How can this be?!" The Elven King's countenance paled, disbelief etched across it. She had undoubtedly slain this foe. And yet, not only had he somehow resurrected, but he had also regained his full power.
Detecting the aura radiating from the golden blaze, the Elven King seemed to piece things together. "This is... the Fire of Undying Phoenix!"
Yan Qianjun's expression turned fierce. "You actually recognize it. My title 'Phoenix' isn't mere bluster. Ages ago, during an expedition, I obtained a peerless epic artifact, the 'Heart of Space,' and inherited the legacy of an ancient divine creature, the Undying Phoenix. This bequeathed me not just an array of spatial spells but also the gift of rebirth through fire."
"That's why I bear the name 'Undying Phoenix'---it signifies more than just a title," he continued. "It's a reality. This is why I've managed to cheat death time and time again. Even in situations graver than this, I've been through them, I've conquered them, and I've always came out alive."
"Do you really think you can vanquish me ? Laughable!"
Yan Qianjun erupted in laughter. "You've drained your MP reserves, can't even wield your domain now, can you? Meanwhile, I stand at the peak of my strength. It seems today, not only shall I obliterate a Demon King, but I might as well catch myself an Elven King along the way!"
An Elven King was already an extremely rare sight, let alone a living, breathing one. The potential worth of resources such a prize could bring him if he took her back to the empire would be immeasurable. Today truly was a stroke of extraordinary luck! A decisive course was set. The first step was to incapacitate her, leaving her powerless to resist. The Elven King was far too perilous to be left unchecked.
However, before action could be taken, a hand materialized before them, grasping the sword aimed at Nancilia. She recognized the newcomer with delight.
"Your Majesty!"
The Demon King had personally arrived! Yet, a wave of vexation washed over Nancilia. She had thought to handle this formidable foe herself, but now it seemed she had to trouble the Demon King to intervene personally."