"Stand down," Zhang Nu ordered immediately after interrupting the duel between the two Evil Gods.
Han Kexin, not being a true divine entity, had already exceeded expectations by holding out for as long as she did, largely thanks to the Demon King's Tome she carried with her. However, this was her limit. In her current state, she wouldn't last three more rounds against Isaac.
"Understood!" Han Kexin responded promptly and retreated as ordered. Despite not gaining much from the battle, she felt she had learned a great deal.
After using a spatial magic spell to retreat, only Zhang Nu and Isaac remained, facing each other. Zhang Nu stayed in his human form, showing no visible signs of power, while Isaac, being a formless entity, made it clear that this would be another battle beyond the comprehension of ordinary mortals.
Isaac's crazed telepathic voice echoed, "Hahaha! If the two of you had joined forces, I might have had trouble dealing with you. But now, do you really think you can stand against me alone?"
As he spoke, the Nightmare Beast began to writhe, releasing ten powerful creatures from within its body. These ten creatures each had a different appearance but were all shrouded in a potent Evil God aura. Even sensing just a trace of it would be enough to drive someone insane or cause them to mutate horribly.
Zhang Nu's gaze swept over the creatures. Each of these Evil God monsters was at a demigod level, which surprised him. He hadn't expected the Black Nightmare's power to be so formidable, capable of spawning such demigod-class entities out of thin air. These ten monsters, any one of which could dominate a region or secure the fate of an empire in the surface world. And yet, such powerful entities were brought forth effortlessly by the Nightmare Evil God. Isaac's power was truly extraordinary.
With a single thought, Zhang Nu unleashed the power of space and time, instantly enveloping everything around him in an almost frozen space. Within this space, all activities on the temporal and spatial planes were brought to a halt. The ten demigod Evil God monstrosities, summoned just moments ago, were rendered motionless.
A simple, ancient-looking stone sword appeared in Zhang Nu's hand. Though it appeared unremarkable, it emanated an extraordinarily powerful aura.
In a flash, Zhang Nu appeared in front of one of the Evil God monsters---a creature with a hundred heads and a hundred arms. With a swift thrust, he plunged the sword into the creature's body. Powerful energy radiated from the sword, and chaotic dragon flames engulfed the monster entirely. Within the blink of an eye, the creature was reduced to ashes.
The immense power and various energies within the monster were not lost but instead absorbed entirely by the stone sword. After slaying the creature, the sword's appearance began to change, with the rough stone texture becoming slightly smoother.
Zhang Nu's form flickered as he moved rapidly, and before the remaining nine monsters could react, they too were cut down by the Demon King's sword, now wreathed in chaotic lightning flames. The power of these nightmare monsters was completely drained and absorbed into the sword. By this point, the stone texture of the sword had entirely vanished, replaced by a near-crystalline appearance.
Zhang Nu had effortlessly slain ten demigod monsters. Now, his attention shifted to the countless other Evil God creatures swirling in the sky, locked in battle with the abyssal dragons of Darkness City. However, Zhang Nu had already taken control of the entire space-time continuum, therefore these battling creatures appeared like frozen images.
With another swift movement, Zhang Nu swung his sword in arcs. The Evil God monstrosities, seemingly frozen like clay sculptures, shattered under his attacks as if they were nothing more than fragile toys. The power of the tens of thousands of Evil God creatures was all absorbed into the stone sword in Zhang Nu's hand. The weapon had now fully transformed into a crystalline object, radiating a brilliant halo of light, its immense power evident to anyone who could perceive it.
"Damn it! Space-time manipulation, is it?"
Zhang Nu had just slain ten demigod monsters and then wiped out thousands upon thousands of other nightmare creatures with an air of calm and ease. However, in reality, the entire process took only a fraction of a second---a mere thousandth of a second. Since time was nearly at a standstill, no one else could perceive or witness Zhang Nu's actions except for the Formless Black Nightmare, Isaac.
The reason was simple. On one hand, both Zhang Nu and Isaac were divine entities. On the other hand, Isaac's primary power lay in the realm of the mind. Any movement of elements or matter is subject to the constraints of time and space. However, psychic energy is a unique type of energy that can exist independently of time and space. Thus, Isaac was able to see every moment of Zhang Nu's sweeping annihilation.
But Zhang Nu was a divine being himself, and he also possessed the power of the Eight-Eyed Evil God. Isaac found himself unable to prevent any of this. All physical means were trapped within Zhang Nu's control of time and space, and even spiritual attacks had a very limited effect.
"Don't get too full of yourself!" Isaac's will grew increasingly violent. Zhang Nu could clearly feel a powerful force awakening and sweeping across, instantly enveloping his domain.
In the next moment, Zhang Nu was plunged into an endless void, surrounded by indescribable, bizarre, and fantastical scenery.
"This is... a dream realm!"
Isaac's voice echoed from all directions, "You've been drawn into my dream. Within my dream, time and space are under my control. Let's see what you're capable of now!"
As expected, Isaac couldn't keep his composure any longer. He unleashed his dreamscape, pulling Zhang Nu into it. Since this nightmare was a creation of the Black Nightmare Evil God, all the laws, time, and space within it were subject to Isaac's control and even alteration, which would significantly weaken Zhang Nu's abilities in manipulating time and space.
Simultaneously, a figure in a gray-black robe, adorned with thousands of writhing tentacles, appeared before Zhang Nu. Unlike the outside world, the Black Nightmare didn't have a physical form. Therefore, he couldn't manifest directly in the real world. But a dreamscape is not bound by the constraints of the material world, allowing even non-physical entities to take shape. The figure before Zhang Nu was the true form of the Evil God.
Isaac's purpose was straightforward: he had dragged Zhang Nu into his dreamscape to settle their battle once and for all.
However, instead of panicking, Zhang Nu responded with a knowing smile and calmly said, "To be honest, I was just wondering how I could deal with you. I didn't expect you to just hand me an opportunity."
Isaac, in his original form, was merely a mass of intangible psychic energy. Zhang Nu had no way to directly attack this energy, which meant that even if he could defeat Isaac in the physical world, he would have no means to kill or seal him.
But now, things were different.
Isaac had materialized himself. While this allowed the Black Nightmare to wield immense power and attack directly, rather than relying on his nightmare creatures to fight indirectly, it came with a significant cost. By materializing, he became tangible and vulnerable to attacks. Isaac had, in effect, exposed himself to danger. And Zhang Nu had been struggling to find a way to deal with him before this opportunity presented itself.
Isaac was undoubtedly aware of this risk, but he was supremely confident in his abilities. He believed that within his dreamscape, his powers would be magnified many times over. No matter how strong Zhang Nu's abilities were, controlling the chaotic time and space within a dreamscape would not be easy. In Isaac's mind, this meant that the Demon King's defeat was inevitable.
"Let me show you what a true nightmare is!"
From the darkness surrounding Isaac, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of phantoms began to emerge. These phantoms were not physical entities but terrifying creatures created by the Black Nightmare within his dreamscape. Each one had the potential to materialize in the real world. During the countless millennia of his imprisonment, the Nightmare Evil God had never ceased his activities within the dreamscape. The army of nightmares he had created, if fully unleashed, would not only be a disaster for individuals but could also spell doom for the entire world.
Just then, this overwhelming force, capable of bringing about a catastrophic calamity, was converging madly upon Isaac. Various forms and shapes of nightmare creations were drawn to him, gathering around their master like rivers flowing into the sea.
"Intriguing..." Zhang Nu's expression tightened as he witnessed the scene.
The Formless Black Nightmare, Isaac, was consuming his own nightmares! Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of these terrifying nightmare creatures were being absorbed into Isaac's being, merging with him. The Nightmare Evil God was already an immensely powerful deity, but now, with the addition of millions of nightmares fused into his body, his strength had transcended the limits of imaginations.
"Do you see it? This is true power!"
Isaac's manic spirit had been magnified many times over. If this power had been released into the real world, the mere force of his psychic waves could have annihilated an entire kingdom.
"You will never be able to defeat a nightmare!"As he spoke, Isaac made his move. A massive storm erupted from his body, a tempest that contained not only the power of the Evil God himself but also millions of nightmare creatures condensed within it. Even a deity would likely wither and perish in the face of such an assault.
Seeing this, Zhang Nu did not dare to be careless. He had to admit that the power of this Nightmare Evil God was indeed stronger than he had anticipated. Under normal circumstances, facing such an attack, even he would not risk confronting it head-on and would likely have to retreat, possibly paying a significant price in the process. And yet, the current Zhang Nu had no such fears.
The Demon King's Sword in his hand had already absorbed an immense amount of power, which he now unleashed in a single burst. At the same time, Zhang Nu frantically conjured chaotic lightning flames, channeling all of his power and the divine sword's energy into one concentrated strike.
With a swing of his sword, Zhang Nu aimed at the storm before him. The sword light slashed through the tempest, and the two forces locked in a fierce struggle. At first glance, it seemed that Zhang Nu's sword energy was unable to break through the nightmare storm.
But as Zhang Nu unleashed the chaotic lightning flames, tens of thousands of nightmare creatures were vaporized in an instant. Although their numbers were significant, they were not enough to turn the tide. However, the energy from the vanquished nightmares was absorbed by the Demon King's Sword, which in turn fueled more lightning flames, creating a powerful cycle.
This mighty artifact ensured that Zhang Nu's strength remained at its peak without diminishing, while the nightmare storm, no matter how formidable, would eventually reach its limits.
"What's happening?"
"No, this can't be!"
Isaac, the Formless Black Nightmare, couldn't believe his eyes. His overwhelmingly powerful assault was being held back by a mere sword, and his own strength was rapidly draining.
"Arghhh---!! What have you done?" For the first time, Isaac felt fear. He realized that the rank 1 Demon King's power was not inferior to his own, and with a powerful artifact that seemed perfectly suited to counter him, he was quickly losing ground.
"Game over!"
As the nightmare storm weakened, the light of the sword and the chaotic lightning flames grew ever stronger. Sensing that victory was near, Zhang Nu focused all his power and, in a final burst, merged with the Demon King's Sword, transforming into a dragon-like figure. In the next instant, the sword pierced through the storm, striking Isaac directly. Isaac's body was impaled, and he burst into flames as the chaotic lightning flames consumed him. The power of the flames was immense, capable of destroying any material or energy.
"Ah---!"
Isaac, the Nightmare Evil God, let out a maddened howl. His body was shattered, and the entire nightmare realm collapsed, releasing an overwhelmingly powerful energy wave that rippled through the universe. Even tens of thousands of miles away, people could sense the abnormality of this energy, with entire nations falling into nightmares, and some mortals experiencing various mental disturbances.
[You've slain the Hero Isaac, Divine Soul +1, Godhood +1, Hero Leaderboard Chest +1!]
[You've opened the Hero treasure chest. You've gained "Level 7 Soul" x500, "Fifteen Elemental Gems" x5 million each, "Nightmare Evil God Fragment" x8!]
The rank 1 Demon King, Zhang Nu, had officially defeated the rank 1 Hero, Isaac. In this divine battle, there was no doubt that the Demon King had emerged victorious once again. This victory not only earned Zhang Nu a substantial amount of souls and materials but also rewarded him with yet another complete set of Evil God fragments.
Though Isaac was dead, the Evil God was not. For deities are immortal and indestructible. When defeated, they merely revert to inanimate fragments. If these fragments are reassembled, it won't take long before they regain their vitality and resurrect. At that point, a new generation of the Nightmare Evil God would arise.
The outcome of this battle held great significance. Even Isaac had fallen to Zhang Nu, and not even divine-class combat power could conquer Darkness City. This fact underscored one undeniable truth: Darkness City was now invincible. No matter how many Heroes might unite against it, it would be to no avail.
The dominance of Demon King Zhang Nu over the world was now unstoppable.
If this game were a chess match, then at this moment, the final move had already been played.
Checkmate.