The situation for the three Heroes was incredibly precarious. The entire space within several dozen miles was enveloped by the Demon King's power, turning it into a domain where space was almost infinitely stretched and time was almost infinitely slowed.
In this environment, what used to be just a few centimeters now stretched for hundreds of miles. The normal passage of a few seconds was slowed by a million times, effectively freezing them in both time and space. This was an extremely advanced form of temporal and spatial manipulation. Even beings as powerful as demigods would find it nearly impossible to break free, unless they could harness the power of a true deity.
Without the divine artifact, Lucas and his companions would undoubtedly face certain death. They wouldn't even qualify to engage the Great Demon King, who could crush them as easily as ants. However, with the power of the Heart of Holy Light, Lucas managed to create a makeshift sanctuary. The artifact's power barely countered the spatial-temporal lockdown, preventing them from being completely immobilized.
Despite this, it was not easy. Lucas could feel the Heart of Holy Light's power being rapidly depleted. The artifact alone was not sufficient to contend with their opponent. The only reason they could barely hold their ground was the accumulated faith energy of tens of thousands of years.
"How can it be this strong?" Lucas muttered in disbelief.
There was no doubt---the Great Demon King had successfully broken through. But even at Level 7, they should still be on the same level. Yet, the current situation felt nothing like an equal battle; it was a one-sided crushing defeat.
Just then, the bubble of light that Lucas had created in the endless void began to shake violently. Something was invading.
First, a massive dragon's head appeared, followed by a body extending over a thousand meters, covered in dark scales with a golden sheen, and nine imposing claws. This was not a typical western dragon. It was an eastern divine dragon, a majestic nine-clawed dragon. The dragon fear was thousands of times stronger than even the top-tier Dragon Emperor like Wang Badao. Mortals couldn't hope to look upon it directly. Not just mortals---even Level 7 beings felt unprecedented pressure.
Suddenly, their player interface were flashing with warnings:
[You have gazed directly at a god. Life Force -500, MP -5 permanently!]
[You have gazed directly at a god. Life Force -500, MP -5 permanently!]
[You have gazed directly at a god. Life Force -500, MP -5 permanently!]
[.....]
It became clear that this dragon before them was no longer an ordinary dragon. It had long surpassed Dragon Kings and Dragon Emperors; it was a genuine Dragon God. Whether virtuous or evil, gods are not to be looked upon directly. Mortal mental strength cannot withstand the influence of a deity, and thus, mortals who gaze upon a deity would suffer severe mental damage or be driven mad by the influence of an evil god.
Despite reaching the demigod level, the three Heroes had only attained a semblance of divinity. They had not truly become gods, and the leap from demigod to true godhood was far greater than the combined progression from Level 1 to 7.
When Zhang Nu forcibly entered the sanctuary of the Heart of Holy Light, he felt a scorching energy radiating from all directions. This was the Heart of Holy Light exerting its suppressive force. Undeniably, the Heart of Holy Light was a genuinely powerful artifact, especially after absorbing such an immense amount of faith energy, making its power truly terrifying. However, no matter how powerful the Heart of Holy Light was, it remained an equipment. It was nearly invincible against any target below the divine-class, but it couldn't threaten a true god.
In a flash of light, the nine-clawed divine dragon's form shrank and ultimately transformed into a human figure. Zhang Nu didn't become a draconian; instead, he morphed into a young man with a handsome and dignified appearance. He wore a black dragon robe and, aside from his regal aura, looked much like an ordinary man.
Since becoming the Chaos Dragon God, Zhang Nu had undergone an earth-shattering transformation, no longer bound by his previous race or form. As a result, Zhang Nu could appear in his divine dragon form and transform into a human with near-perfect ease.
After transforming into his human form, Zhang Nu floated in mid-air with his hands behind his back, continuing to confront the three Heroes. Although his reduced size lessened the sense of oppression, the sense of danger and his imposing presence remained undiminished.
"Damn it!"
"Strike him as one! I refuse to believe there's anyone in this world who can withstand the three of us combined!"
Wang Badao and Mandell spoke, then simultaneously flew toward Zhang Nu. At this point, hesitating or retreating was meaningless. They could only fight desperately to create an opportunity for Lucas to use the immense power within the Heart of Holy Light to defeat the Great Demon King.
Wang Badao spewed a stream of golden dragon flames, while Mandell summoned a giant black python. The golden and black forces struck Zhang Nu simultaneously. Zhang Nu merely waved his hand as if swatting away flies, instantly absorbing both attacks. The full-force strikes of two demigod Heroes were insignificant to the Great Demon King, not even causing an inconvenience.
"Too weak!" Zhang Nu said, unleashing his dragon fear. It was less a dragon fear and more a divine presence.
[You are affected by the Dragon God's Presence. HP -3000 permanently, MP -500 permanently, stunned for 5 seconds!]
[You are affected by the Dragon God's Presence. HP -3000 permanently, MP -500 permanently, stunned for 5 seconds!]
The two demigod Heroes lost their ability to act almost simultaneously. With a mere thought, Zhang Nu filled the surrounding space with fire and lightning, which instantly engulfed the two and launched a barrage of attacks.
[You are struck by Dragon God's Lightning. HP -4000 permanently, Constitution -50 permanently, Agility -50 permanently!]
[You are struck by Dragon God's Flame. HP -4000 permanently, Constitution -50 permanently, Will -50 permanently!]
[You are struck by Dragon God's Lightning. HP -4000 permanently, Constitution -50 permanently, Agility -50 permanently!]
The two Heroes were utterly shocked. The Great Demon King's attacks were not only immensely powerful, but each strike also caused permanent damage and stat loss. In mere moments, they lost tens of thousands of maximum HP and thousands of stat points, which could not be restored by any healing or medication. Even if they survived this battle, their strength would be immensely diminished.
Seeing this, Lucas hurriedly activated the Heart of Holy Light, knowing that now was not the time to be stingy with its power. If Wang Badao and Mandelll were killed, how could he possibly withstand this newly ascended Demon King alone?
At that moment, Zhang Nu combined lightning and fire, creating a nearly colorless chaotic thunder flame. He then split it into two massive flying swords that flew towards the two Heroes.
[You are struck by Chaotic Thunder Flame. HP -20,000 permanently, MP -10,000 permanently, all four stats -1000 permanently!]
How were they supposed to fight against this? It wasn't something any mortal could withstand! The two Heroes were utterly panicked, feeling their bodies weaken to the extreme. Even if they survived, they would never regain their former strength.
"Stop!!"
But Zhang Nu showed no mercy. He created hundreds of chaotic thunder flames out of thin air, instantly teleporting them onto the two Heroes, forming unavoidable attacks. In their agonizing and unwilling screams, the two demigod-level Heroes were incinerated into nothingness. Zhang Nu hadn't moved an inch, nor had he expended any effort. The attacks he casually created with his thoughts were enough to make any Hero despair.
Lucas's face turned ashen. He had known the two were no match, but he hadn't expected the battle to end so quickly.
The Great Demon King teleported in front of him and said, "Your turn."
Lucas's expression fluctuated. "You are indeed powerful, but with the Heart of Holy Light, I might not lose to you. I even have the confidence to take you down with me."
Zhang Nu laughed. "Really?"
Gritting his teeth, Lucas said, "I demand peace talks with Darkness City. Otherwise, I will unleash the full power of the Heart of Holy Light. Even if it means mutual destruction, I will erase you and your city from this world."
At this point, this imbecile still dared to make threats.
Zhang Nu sneered, "Is that so? Then I would like to see if the Heart of Holy Light is truly as powerful as you claim."