As soon as the tentacle emerged, the massive lava pool that had been glowing just moments before visibly darkened and thickened, transforming into what looked like flowing mud.
The Demon Axe, who had been gloating just seconds earlier, let out a miserable wail at the sight. "No!!! My beloved lava pool!!!"
Though Hysilens couldn't fathom what had been "beloved" about the molten pit, she could clearly see that the Demon Axe was genuinely distressed.
While the Demon Axe was cursing vehemently, the tip of the tentacle before them began to swell, slowly unfurling like a blooming flower. From this grotesque blossom poured a swarm of countless creatures, resembling a massive swarm of locusts from a distance.
"Everyone, be careful! Prepare to fight!" Hysilens drew her weapon.
"No need for such fuss," the Demon Axe scoffed. "This place hasn't fallen completely yet. Just watch and learn!"
Without any visible action from the Demon Axe, Hysilens soon noticed streaks of light appearing on the horizon, hurtling toward the tentacle.
But upon closer inspection, she realized these weren't meteors at all, but demons engulfed in raging flames!
The demons charged relentlessly at the tentacle, colliding with the monstrous creatures swarming from within. Violent explosions erupted amidst the dark mass, the booming echoes reverberating across the battlefield.
Demons are inherently evil beings, yet here they were fighting another group of monsters under the command of an Outer God to the death. Watching these two groups of villains tear each other apart was... surprisingly satisfying?
Just then, the massive tentacle below twitched violently. Strange patterns began to emerge on its main trunk's surface, accompanied by an unsettling, ear-grating sound. Hysilens wondered where on the tentacle's anatomy such sounds could possibly originate.
The moment Hysilens heard the sound, she frowned. When battling an Outer God, one had to be wary not only of its combat prowess but also its corrupting influence.
Normally, the Mother of Flesh's derivatives—whether Children of Flesh or these lesser minions—lacked corrupting abilities. But this massive tentacle was clearly no ordinary specimen; it likely originated from the Mother of Flesh's True Body, hence its unique power.
Upon reflection, this wasn't surprising. After all, wasn't the Mother of Flesh's invasion of the Abyss ultimately aimed at corrupting it?
Hysilens herself certainly wasn't particularly afraid of this corruption. Her mental fortitude, fortified by ten Identities and ten gods' divine power, had long since become utterly unyielding. To her, this corruption was akin to a mosquito buzzing around her ear—annoying, perhaps, but utterly negligible.
As for Pan Ming, he had long grown accustomed to this level of corruption, having endured and persevered under its burden for countless years. Unless the Mother of Flesh herself directly corrupted him, this level of corruption would have no effect whatsoever on him.
Hysilens cast one last look at Arthur, the only Barbarian without any protective measures. However, he was currently engulfed in roaring flames. The Demon Axe declared, "Don't worry, I'll absorb this level of corruption for him! It's nothing!"
With the three of them safe, Hysilens looked up at the demons battling the monsters in the sky. Black spots were slowly spreading across their crimson hides. Some demons had even begun sprouting third arms or second heads, their appearances becoming increasingly grotesque.
"At this rate," Hysilens warned, "these demons will be corrupted and turn against us."
"No need to worry about that either," the Demon Axe retorted. "Remember my title? Rage Lord! Under my influence, the demons of the Eightieth Layer of the Abyss excel at one thing above all else..."
Before the Demon Axe could finish, Hysilens saw a demon covered in black spots and sprouting two extra arms begin to swell rapidly. Its face showed no trace of pain, only boundless fury.
"Aaaaargh!"
Hysilens even heard the creature's furious roar. Then, after its body had swollen to a certain point, an ear-splitting explosion erupted.
BOOM!!!
The demon had actually self-destructed on the spot!
The Demon Axe explained, "Yes, that's right! Self-destruct! The more they fight, the angrier they get. The angrier they get, the harder they strike. Eventually, their rage reaches critical mass, and they explode!"
Since demons can't truly die, the ones summoned by the Demon Axe usually detonate in anger before they can be completely corrupted. And the force of these explosions is astonishing, instantly clearing a massive "vacuum zone" through the dense swarm of monsters overhead.
However, this tactic has its drawbacks. The demons often cluster closely together, so a single explosion can inadvertently obliterate nearby allies as well.
BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!
Explosions echoed across the sky in relentless succession. Arthur glanced down at the Demon Axe in his hand and asked, "Can you self-destruct too?"
"Uh..." The Demon Axe clearly hesitated for a moment before answering, "It depends."
The meaning of that statement was clear: the Demon Axe could self-destruct as well.
Hysilens continued observing the battlefield. Monsters poured endlessly from the tip of the massive tentacle, far outnumbering the demons summoned by the Demon Axe. Yet these demons, through their self-destructive tactics, had managed to create a temporary stalemate. "We need to do something," she said. "We can't just stand here and watch."
Her gaze shifted slightly downward, focusing on the main trunk of the colossal tentacle. Now that she had a clearer view, she realized just how immense it truly was: at least 500 meters in diameter, its towering height pierced the clouds.
Arthur declared, "Then there's nothing more to discuss! Let's just chop it down!"
Pan Ming pressed his palms together in prayer. "This humble monk isn't particularly adept at dealing with opponents of this scale. I can only do my best."
As he spoke, both men lunged forward almost simultaneously. Arthur's approach was far more dramatic, relying entirely on brute force to stomp the ground and propel himself forward with the massive recoil. Pan Ming, by contrast, moved with near-silent grace, transforming into a blur of motion.