Gu Jinlai pushed his speed to an unprecedented peak.
He almost executed the Thunder Light Dragon Transformation with the speed of a Great Divine Ability User’s movement technique, covering over a dozen miles in just two flashes.
Behind him, one could faintly hear the Dragon Tears Demon Emperor’s screams of terror and unwillingness.
Then, the screaming stopped.
A blaze of glory that filled the heavens and earth instantly shattered the Dragon Tears Demon Emperor’s body and turned a great many Demon Kings, Demon Marshals, and even three Demon Emperors into charred remains, before almost instantly reaching him.
The horrific heat caused his surroundings to spontaneously ignite, and even the Thunder Light Domain could not resist it.
But by this time, he had already transformed.
He not only possessed the Dao Artifact, the Cloud Flame Robe, but his nearly Perfect Chaotic Star Light Body itself had great resistance to high temperatures.
Even if the brilliant, fiery light had completely engulfed him, the actual damage it caused was negligible.
Radiation couldn’t touch him.
As for the shockwave...
The shockwave formed by the release of nuclear fusion energy might initially have reached hundreds of times the speed of sound, but its force diminished rapidly every second.
Gu Jinlai was already five miles away from the center of the nuclear explosion, and in one second, he had dashed another dozen miles away. By the time the shockwave truly enveloped him, its impact was minimal.
At this moment, he was much stronger than when he had plowed through the Chi Long Territory.
An all-around enhancement.
Likewise charging his power and then releasing it through the Thunder Light Domain and the transmission characteristic, if the previous yield was equivalent to a hundred-thousand ton-level blast, then by now, he had reached five hundred-thousand ton-level.
This was on par with the level of his attack in Mu State where he had slain three Demon Emperors in one strike.
However, unlike that time where he had to rely on the Cheng Ying Mecha and also sacrifice a Dao Artifact as a medium, this time, he did not expend any Dao Artifacts and evaded the central release of the nuclear fusion energy with his exceptional strength, retreating with ease.
Gu Jinlai rapidly blinked to dozens of miles away and finally had a moment to turn and appreciate the attack he had just released.
"The destructive power of a Great Divine Ability User!"
At this moment, his upper limit in attack had truly reached the level of the Great Divine Ability User, that is, the level of the Heavenly Dragon Wood.
In other words, in terms of attack, he was now capable of contending head-on with the Heavenly Dragon Wood.
"But! I can be even stronger!"
Gu Jinlai felt the operation of the Chaotic Star Light Body.
This Cultivation Technique that was transforming him into an Innate Divine Beast was just a bit away from reaching Perfection.
At that moment, he could, like a Saint using Divine Skills, continuously release attacks at the Great Divine Ability User level.
And when he reached that step...
He would be no different from those True Immortals who stood at the peak of cultivators’ path a thousand years ago.
"Nine hundred units of Thunder Magnetic Elemental Gold, I just need to gather some Contribution Value to exchange."
Gu Jinlai looked towards the fleeing Demon Emperors.
These Demon Emperors...
Weren’t they the best source of Contribution Value?
With that thought, the power of the Eternal Furnace began to operate again.
More than a hundred miles away, at the far rear of Gu Jinlai.
Qi Sheng, Liu Feiyun, Ji Lie, Han Qing, Su Shian, Huang Risheng, Xuanzhen, Zhen Hai, Yun Qiong, and other strong individuals were leading the elite of Wind and Rain City, flying high in the sky, following in the distance.
Even though the strongest among them were merely at the Peak Heavenly Beings level—not a match for a single Demon Emperor—thanks to the fact that the elite devils had been summoned by the Dragon Tears Demon Emperor to his side, not many Demon Kings were intercepting them.
Still, as they looked down at the roiling earth below them, where untold millions of devils surged like a tide, these top-notch fighters couldn’t help but sweat coldly.
This was an army of over a million devils.
If they were to be dragged to the ground and swarmed by these creatures, no matter their status as Martial King Heavenly Devas, they would be devoured to the last bone.
"Are we really going to combat this devil tide with just the strength of a few dozen people? Face off against a devil tide with a central Demon Emperor comparable to a Void Immortal, as well as a great host of Demon Emperors and Demon Kings!?"
Han Qing, now promoted to Deputy City Guard Army Commander by Gu Jinlai, said with a tremulous voice.
"Indeed! According to our reconnaissance, emerging from Dragon Tears Valley this time aside from the Dragon Tears Demon Emperor, there are over twenty Demon Emperors and more than four hundred Demon Kings. Such a lineup, even if the entire Wind and Rain City joined forces, we could only turtle up within the City Protection Array, with no chance of victory in a head-on confrontation,"
He was deeply puzzled about Gu Jinlai venturing out to meet the enemy.
It wasn’t just him—others like Su Shian, Huang Risheng, Xuanzhen, Zhen Hai, Yun Qiong, equally had faces filled with worry.
But Qi Sheng and Liu Feiyun wore expressions full of confidence.
"Don’t worry, don’t be afraid."
Qi Sheng glanced at Ji Lie and Han Qing, his voice filled with an almost blind reverence, "When you see the dazzling light shining across the sky like a Great Sun, that is the majestic Truth descending upon the world. Please believe me, believe in our Venerable Daoist Gu, the light of the Righteous Sect will dispel all darkness, and sweep away all the demons and ghosts in the world,"
Ji Lie, Han Qing, and the others looked at each other in dismay.
A Demon Emperor, dozens of Demon Kings, and hundreds of Demon Marquises—how could one not worry or fear?
However, Su Shian became somewhat calmer, "We must have faith in the Ancient City Lord. Do not forget, not long ago the Ancient City Lord single-handedly faced off against over a dozen experts from Wind and Rain City, including several of the Peak Saints... From this, it’s not too far-fetched to say that the Ancient City Lord’s power is not much less than that of the Demon Emperor and Void Immortals..."
Ji Lie heard this and fell silent.
At this time, all they could do was believe.
Han Qing seemed to want to say something else, but just then...
The horizon suddenly became incredibly bright.
A dazzling brilliance, like a true Great Sun descending from the heavens, outshone the sunlight in an instant as it burst forth with light.
Everything between heaven and Earth was bathed in an intense white by this burst of light.
In front of such a vast and splendid force, the words Han Qing was about to say came to a sudden halt.
Even Su Shian, Ji Lie, Xuanzhen, Zhen Hai, Yun Qiong, Liu Feiyun, Qi Sheng, and others lost their voices at the same time, looking towards the source of the brilliant light with fervor and disbelief.
Even as the intense light seared their eyes and caused pain, they were unwilling to close them, for fear of missing even half a second of this soul-stirring, mighty miracle.
Time seemed to stand still at this moment.
Utter silence prevailed.
Only when the extreme brilliance of the light gradually dimmed did a giant fireball, which covered and filled the horizon, appear, awakening Ji Lie—who was already proficient in Fire-Based Divine Power—from the stupor of this shocking scene, trembling all over.
He watched the ground covered by the fireball, the surrounding white shockwaves formed by the rapid tearing of the atmosphere forming rings upon rings, and the mushroom cloud rising at the center of the white atmospheric rings...
His eyes were filled with an indescribable sense of shock and fervor.
"This is... this is..."
Ji Lie felt that no language he knew could adequately describe the vastness and greatness of this power.
The Fire-Based Divine Power, of which he was so proud, seemed so feeble and insignificant in front of a truly Great Divine Power.
The sky was full of strange lights and splendor, as if the Holy Spirit was showing off!
Only a thousand suns could compete with such radiance!
"Is this... the descent of a True Immortal, purifying the filth of the world!?"
"This is the true power of Venerable Daoist Gu! See, this is the confidence Venerable Daoist Gu had when he stepped out of Wind and Rain City to meet the Devil army head-on!"
Everyone at this moment was deeply immersed in the shock of this terrifying energy eruption, unable to control themselves.
Qi Sheng couldn’t help but step forward and shout loudly, "This is greatness! This is splendor! This is truth! This is justice! And this is destruction! A thorough destruction of all Devils!"
But no one felt that his expression was exaggerated.
Because at this moment, they, too, wanted to use ornate language and exaggerated gestures to vent the emotions stirring their souls, to depict the scene of the great power bringing destruction that they witnessed.
They simply hadn’t yet figured out what words to use to express it.
"Be careful, the shockwave is coming!"
At this time, Su Shian suddenly gave a warning.
Firstly, they were hundreds of miles away from where the destructive power had erupted, so by the time the force reached them, it had significantly weakened.
Although it still posed a great threat to ordinary people, the weakest among them were Martial Kings, and they were not afraid.
Having witnessed such a grand display of power, everyone involuntarily wanted to experience it themselves...
Even if it was just the impact of the residual energy waves, it would still give them an indescribable sense of achievement.
As the shockwave, sweeping up the dust in the air like a black wall, rolled in, everyone was enveloped by this wall of sand.
Clearly, they did not need to worry too much about missing the chance to experience this energy.
Just a few breaths after that ultimate brilliance of energy had exploded, similar flashes of light burst forth again from the end of the Void, piercing through the dust and gloom, brightening the entire sky.
Though these subsequent flashes of brilliance were slightly weaker than the first round of energy explosion...
They were not just one time!
But twice, three times, six times, ten times...
This terrifying method, which for any Void Immortal would take a great deal of time to recharge, seemed to have no cooldown, no drain at all, shining madly at the edge of their vision!
With each flash, an unrivaled release of energy would occur!
With each flash, it was like a small sun illuminating the world!
The visually shocking impact so overwhelmed those who had been concerned about Gu Jinlai’s safety that their breathing became severe, and they gradually became numb.
Their surging emotions rapidly subsided.
Dozens of breaths later, their concern for Gu Jinlai’s safety was no longer; they only felt that the mere million-plus Devils were simply not enough for the Ancient City Lord to kill alone.