Chapter 438: The Reappearance of Heavenly Thunder
A devil, a mythical being of significant importance in Western folklore, was something that Lu Heng had never encountered before. (Translator: there are many creatures translated as demons in the previous chapters, but they are different from this "devil" here… hmmm, it would take too many words to explain it in detail. Nah.)
Although freakish beasts roamed the Celestial Desolation Realm, many of them were so extraordinary that they had never been mentioned in the classic text "Classic of Mountains and Seas".
The mythical creatures beyond the Nine Provinces, whether they are from the West, the Henghe River Basin, or the jungles of the Americas, have never appeared at all.
Even the deities of the mythological tales themselves have never left a trace.
However, the ferocious and malevolent creature that appeared before him was indeed a devil.
Even the name that the opponent shouted angrily was definitely not the name of any inhabitant of the Celestial Desolation Realm.
Asmodeus…
How could a name with such distinctive characteristics appear within the Celestial Desolation Realm?
Lu Heng was momentarily bewildered.
Amidst the resplendent galaxy, the colossal silver dragon and the ferocious devil engaged in a war that reached its peak.
The scarlet-robed demon wielded a colossal sword, tens of thousands of meters in length, with each strike unleashing a cataclysmic spectacle akin to the shattering of heavens and earth.
Within the surging maelstrom of malevolent energy, the silver dragon's scales shattered and blood flowed freely across its body.
However, the devil's injuries were even more severe.
Its horn on the top of its head was already broken, half of its wing was completely severed, and even its majestic crimson divine robe was riddled with holes.
The devil's furious roar reverberated through the galaxy.
"You think! You can kill me!"
"I am the destined destroyer! The harbinger of the world's demise!"
"The ants of the Celestial Desolation Realm! You shall wail, lament, and perish beneath my blade!"
From a distance, witnessing this mythical and terrifying battle, Lu Heng, in comparison, appeared diminutive and insignificant like an ant, despite his human stature.
If these two monsters were placed on Earth, their colossal stature would easily dwarf Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world.
However, the moment Lu Heng appeared, both the enormous silver dragon and the terrifying devil became acutely aware of the existence of this seemingly inconspicuous human.
As the battle grew intense, Lu Heng, without holding back, summoned the heavenly punishment calamitous clouds.
The heavenly thunder, specifically designed to target evil entities, has not been employed for a considerable period of time.
In the resplendent galaxy, the pitch-black calamitous clouds swiftly spun, contracted, materialized out of thin air, and ultimately hovered above the colossal devil's head.
Compared to the towering colossal devil, this silently rotating pitch-black calamitous cloud appears minuscule, akin to this devil's fingernail.
However, at the moment when the calamitous cloud emerged, the pervasive aura of punitive retribution permeating the space caused the devil's countenance to undergo a remarkable change.
"Damn it! Divine punishment!"
It glared angrily at Lu Heng in the distance and roared, "How dare you control divine punishment? This is impossible! The Celestial Desolation Realm should not harbor such an entity like you!"
Within the galaxy, the devil seethed with rage and roared, unable to accept this fact.
However, as lightning surged and divine punishment was unleashed, behold, a wretchedly radiant beam of light cleaved through the heavens and the earth.
Within the calamitous cloud, which appeared infinitely minuscule in comparison to the devil, a colossal bolt of lightning directly cleaved through.
In an instant, the galaxy resonated with the devil's piercing roar.
"No!"
Amidst the thunderous roar of divine punishment, the devil's aura grew ferociously wicked as it attempted to wield the mighty sword in its hand for defense.
However, the heavenly thunder resounded in waves, descending one after another, with each subsequent strike possessing far greater power than the sum of its predecessors.
Ultimately, as the ninth heavenly thunder struck, the colossal devil within this galaxy stood motionless, its form charred, rigid, and withered, resembling solidified charcoal.
It was killed.
Lu Heng stood on the clouds, gazing in astonishment at the immense charred corpse before him, remarking, "This devil is formidable indeed… enduring nine heavenly thunders and yet maintaining the integrity of its body…"
Beside him, the enormous silver dragon had long flown to Lu Heng's side, although it had not yet transformed into human form.
She began to explain, "The creatures in this place are not true beings, but rather puppets spawned from the Qi of formidable enemies captured by the ancient dragon race in the World of Eight Desolations. As long as the secret realm remains intact, they will not perish. They will be reborn during the next opening of the secret realm. Therefore, one cannot speculate according to the common logic of living beings."
The immense silver dragon, measuring tens of thousands of meters in length, let out a resounding roar that reverberated through the surroundings as it flew beside her. Just from the sound of her voice, one could tell that if it weren't for Lu Heng's considerable cultivation, the soundwaves alone would be capable of launching a person into flight.
Lu Heng, on the other hand, gazed at the silver dragon before him and sighed, "Your Majesty, you seem completely unsurprised by my presence…"
Amidst the starry expanse, the colossal silver dragon blinked its eyes and, astonishingly, revealed a smile.
"Ah? Is that so?" the silver dragon's voice exclaimed in surprise. "Xiu Ya was incredibly amazed to encounter Brother Lu Heng within the secret realm. However, Xiu Ya is not in human form, and because Brother Lu Heng cannot see my expression, there may have been a misunderstanding."
The voice of the Dragon Emperor, tinged with a hint of amusement, was filled with playfulness.
Unable to help himself, Lu Heng let out a sigh and said, "In any case, Your Majesty, do you have a way to send me out? This place is the secret realm of the Dragon Clan, and as an outsider, it is truly inconvenient for me to linger… Your Majesty, please don't say that you have no means of getting me out."
Amidst the starry expanse, the colossal silver dragon blinked its eyes once again and innocently stated, "However, the secret realm of the Dragon Clan is truly not easily accessible… If we were to send Brother Lu Heng out, it would take several centuries before it can be reopened again."
"Perhaps Brother Lu can accompany Xiu Ya to complete the remaining journey? Once Xiu Ya unravels the final obstacle and comprehends the true essence of the Dragon Emperor's secret realm, I will return to Dragon Island together with Brother Lu," suggested Xiu Ya.
"With the assistance of Brother Lu, Xiu Ya will undoubtedly be able to overcome the obstacles more swiftly," Xiu Ya affirmed.
The eyes of the silver dragon were filled with sincerity and innocence.
Lu Heng, however, didn't fall for this scheme.
He shook his head and said, "The secrets of the Dragon Clan should not be shared with outsiders. Your Majesty jests, but I will wait here. The rest of the journey, Your Majesty must venture alone."
After speaking, Lu Heng soared through the clouds, leaving behind the enormous silver dragon, intending to explore alternative methods of escape.
This Dragon Emperor Xiu Ya speaks so convincingly, promising freedom upon accompanying her to the very end… However, if I were to truly accompany her until the end and witness the secrets of the dragon clan, it would be difficult for me to leave Dragon Island.
This girl has deep schemes, but I am not foolish either! Lu Heng thought.
How can a proud and upright man easily give himself away?
In the vast stellar world behind him, the colossal silver dragon incessantly tried to detain him, but Lu Heng, without so much as a glance back, bolted away,
Isn't it just a matter of spending a few years, or perhaps a few decades, in this mysterious world?
No worries! I can wait!
After all, Lu Heng's cultivation differs from that of ordinary cultivators. As long as he can summon the Heavenly Tribulation Cloud, he will be able to continue his cultivation.
And just now, when he used the Heavenly Thunder to strike down the devil, it proved that Lu Heng's cultivation in this secret realm remains unaffected.
Returning to the initial area where he entered, Lu Heng wasted no time and immediately summoned a pitch-black calamity cloud, concealed himself within it, absorbing the power of heavenly retribution, refining his soul.
As for the enormous silver dragon, after unsuccessful attempts to persuade it to stay, it ceased any further entanglement and continued towards the deeper regions of the secret realm.
It appears that the entanglement with Lu Heng has been temporarily abandoned.
This indeed relieved Lu Heng.
He was indeed somewhat afraid that this silver dragon would catch up and persistently engage in physical combat. Given his kind nature, if the Dragon Emperor were to truly plead incessantly, he might truly find it difficult to resist…