The Blazing Flame Celestial Kingdom had gathered an army of a million soldiers, ready for battle. Emilia herself was prepared to lead them in support of Isaac. However, before the army could fully assemble, a piece of devastating news struck like a bolt from the blue.
"Emilia! Terrible news!"
"Isaac's name has been erased from the Hero leaderboard!"
Dozens of Heroes from the Blazing Flame Kingdom rushed to find Emilia, and all of them realized a terrifying truth. The battle between the rank 1 Demon King, Zhang Nu, and the rank 1 Hero, Isaac, had already reached its conclusion. Isaac's might had failed to destroy Zhang Nu and Darkness City!
How could it have ended so quickly? Emilia was stunned.
One of the Heroes asked, "What should we do?"
Another shouted, "We should fight Darkness City with everything we've got!"
But Emilia remained silent. She understood there was no hope left. If Isaac, with his divine power, couldn't defeat Zhang Nu, then the chances for the other Heroes to resist were even more slim, perhaps nonexistent.
"It's over! The moment Isaac was defeated, this game between Heroes and the Demon King ended. Any action we take from here on will be futile!"
Emilia had lost her fighting spirit. She knew there was no chance left. The advantage that Heroes held was primarily in the early stages. Once a Demon King's growth surpassed a certain threshold, they would completely dominate the Heroes. For the Heroes to reverse the situation would be nearly impossible.
The reason was simple: the Demon King's potential for growth was almost limitless, while the growth rate of Heroes paled in comparison. Who could have predicted that Zhang Nu's rise and growth would be so rapid?
Now, after defeating Isaac, Zhang Nu would inevitably absorb Isaac's power. The rank 1 Demon King was already overwhelmingly powerful, and with the added strength of the rank 1 Hero, how could anyone hope to fight against him? Such overwhelming power was enough to make anyone despair at the mere thought of it.
The rank 1 Demon King, Zhang Nu, had seen his power skyrocket, and his influence and subordinates would inevitably grow at an astonishing rate. Conquering other empires would become effortless. With each empire he vanquished and each region he occupied, the Demon King would amass vast resources, leading to a significant surge in his power.
The Demon King's strength would continue to grow endlessly, to the point where even if all the world's Heroes united against him, they wouldn't be able to halt this overwhelming momentum. Instead, they would be crushed into oblivion.
Emilia made a decision---the only viable choice left. She resolved to lead the other Heroes of the Blazing Flame Celestial Kingdom, along with the emperor and the leaders of the empire, to personally travel to Darkness City and pledge their allegiance to the Demon King. If they couldn't defeat him, they would join him. Even if it meant losing this game, at least they could preserve their lives and positions.
Zhang Nu, the Great Demon King, could no longer be judged by the standards of mere mortals. He had become a supreme deity walking among men. Bowing down and pledging loyalty to such a divine being was no disgrace.
......
Meanwhile, within the Chaos Forest and Darkness City, Zhang Nu remained in his human form, dressed in pristine white robes, with black hair and black eyes. He appeared unremarkable as he sat on the grand and imposing Demon King's throne. Before him, his subordinates stood in a line.
Thanks to the victories at the Thunder Highlands, the conquest of the Sunset Empire and the Radiant Church, and the defeat of the Hero Isaac, the resources acquired had led to the rapid development of the Chaos Federation's power. Now, the entire upper echelon of Darkness City's forces had advanced significantly.
Zhang Nu had acquired the Demon King's Sword, the Demon King's Tome, and absorbed the power of the Nightmare Evil God. His own strength continued to grow, reaching a level that could rival even the ancient gods.
As for his subordinates, Han Kexin had already become a quasi-god. She was on the verge of reaching Level 7 and, with the power of the Ruler of Eternal Night, possessed enough strength to contend with ordinary divine beings.
Zhang Nu's other subordinates, including Long Yi, Zhang San, Li Si, and Wang Er, the ten dragon leaders, had all ascended to Level 7 and become demi-gods. Additionally, Nancilia, Shui Lan, Jin Kui, Bai Jie, and Gru had also reached Level 7, awakening their divinity and becoming demi-gods.
Moreover, the number of dragons in the Chaos Forest had now surpassed eight million, with over 500,000 abyssal dragons among them. This level of power was beyond what any nation or force in the world could imagine or withstand.
From this moment on, Zhang Nu had truly become a Supreme Demon King, towering over all of history. There was no longer any force in this world that could escape his shadow or resist his rule.
"Your Majesty! Our army has successfully conquered the Chaos Sea!" Shui Lan reported with excitement. "The various forces of the Chaos Sea, including the Deep Sea Hermit Association, have crumbled under the might of Darkness City. We are on the brink of unifying the entire Chaos Sea!"
Shui Lan, the Azure Water Empress, felt a surge of exhilaration as she briefed the situation. Not only had she regained her peak strength of Level 6, but she had also advanced further, reaching the level of a Level 7 demigod.
It could be said that Shui Lan was now ten times stronger than she had been in the past. Moreover, with the backing of Darkness City, she had successfully conquered the Chaos Sea. Unlike six thousand years ago, when she had forcibly united various factions through the Azure Water Covenant to maintain a fragile balance, this time, the entire Chaos Sea had been fully integrated into the Chaos Federation, directly governed by Darkness City. Shui Lan would serve as the Chaos Federation's proxy ruler in the Chaos Sea.
This centralization of power, combined with the overwhelming strength of Shui Lan and Darkness City, would bring about a true and unprecedented peace to the Chaos Sea.
Zhang Nu was very pleased with this news. With the Thunder Empire, the Sunset Empire, and the Chaos Sea all under his control, the three major forces surrounding the Chaos Forest were now firmly in his grasp. After integrating these three empire-level forces, along with the Radiant Church, which surpassed even empires in influence, the surface world no longer had any obstacles in his way.Han Kexinthen also reported, "Recently, over a hundred factions, each at least at the kingdom level, have been attempting to make contact with Darkness City. They hope to secure peace by expressing their submission and promising tributes."
Hearing this, Zhang Nu smiled. He asked, "What do you think?"
Han Kexin replied, "Simply offering tribute and submission in exchange for peace is not enough. Only complete surrender and acceptance of occupation will suffice. Darkness City will not allow any independent factions to exist!"
Zhang Nu nodded in agreement. "Exactly. They must join the Chaos Federation and accept direct rule from Darkness City. Any force that dares to resist the new order has no right to exist!"
He paused for a moment before continuing, "I'll leave this matter in your hands."
Han Kexin immediately accepted the command. "Rest assured, I'll take care of it!"
She felt a surge of excitement. Among the factions attempting to negotiate with Darkness City were not only those from the surface world but also from the outer world, the oceans, and even the underworld. There were about ten empire-level entities among them.
If Darkness City could successfully occupy and assimilate these factions, the rewards and treasure chests obtained from these conquests would surely make Darkness City ten times more prosperous than it is now!
......
At that moment, an aura appeared above Darkness City. Inside the Demon King's hall, where nearly twenty demigod-class powerhouses were gathered, everyone felt its presence as soon as it appeared.
"Who dares trespass into the Chaos Capital?"
The Demon King's officers were all furious.
Nancilia remarked, "I don't sense any hostility. It seems they're not here to attack. Let's go and meet them."
The group left the castle and looked up at the sky, where they saw tens of thousands of eighteen-winged seraphim. In the midst of these top-tier seraphim were the Emperor of the Blazing Flame Celestial Kingdom and the highly ranked Hero, Emilia Ray, the Lord of Blazing Flame.
"The Blazing Flame Celestial Kingdom seeks to join the Chaos Federation!"
"We will accept the rule of His Majesty, the Demon King!"
"We voluntarily offer our entire nation in service to His Majesty!"
Emilia knew this was her only chance at survival. If the Demon King did not accept their surrender, no matter where she fled, she would be doomed. So, they had come to surrender.
The seraphim were known for their pride. A race that dwelled in the heavens, they rarely deigned to interact with mortals on the surface. Yet now, they had brought their leaders to surrender, which astonished the onlookers.
However, Zhang Nu remained indifferent. There was no force left in this world that could stand against him.
Although the Blazing Flame Celestial Kingdom was one of the most powerful empire-level forces, Zhang Nu could easily obliterate them if he desired. Whether they surrendered or not was of little consequence to him.
Of course, their voluntary surrender spared him some trouble, and given the Blazing Flame Celestial Kingdom's significant influence in the outer world, their submission would likely prompt other factions to follow suit. The world was vast, and each region needed a proxy to govern it.
Zhang Nu calmly declared, "I accept your surrender. Darkness City will reward those who are loyal, but if I discover any disloyalty, do not blame me for being ruthless."[You've conquered the Blazing Flame Celestial Kingdom!]
[You've gained "Blazing Flame Celestial Kingdom Treasure Chest" x1!]
[You've activated the title: Eternal Ruler of the Outer Worlds!]
[You've gained...]
Zhang Nu quickly assimilated the Blazing Flame Celestial Kingdom, and soon after, he received the corresponding rewards for this conquest. Before he even had time to sort through these rewards, news of his success spread. After a few troublemakers were swiftly dealt with by Han Kexin, the rest of the world's factions finally saw the writing on the wall.
Hundreds of factions came forward to pledge their allegiance.
[You've conquered the Savage Beast Empire!]
[......]
[You've conquered the Izumo Empire!]
[......]
[You've conquered the Holy Sword Empire!]
[......]
[You've conquered Dragon Island!]
[......]
[You've conquered the Shadow Empire!]
One after another, factions were quickly brought under his control. Heroes and Demon Kings alike submitted to his rule. The number of Zhang Nu's subjects soared, and Darkness City's wealth in blueprints, materials, and resources grew exponentially. With these assets, the Demon King could create resources, armies, and expand in every way possible.
This not only made his kingdom more prosperous, but it also paved the way for the complete transformation of this world, establishing an unprecedented unified order. By the time his power had reached this level, the game was already over.
The Great Demon King Zhang Nu had thoroughly conquered the world, and it was only a matter of time before he ruled every being and dominated every corner of the land.
As the supreme ruler, there was no longer anything in this world that could threaten Zhang Nu. Without any challenges left, he made a decision: once he had conquered everything, he would embark on a new journey.
If he wished, countless other worlds awaited his arrival and conquest.
But that, of course, is another story.