This was a clash between two kings of their respective worlds, each possessing absolute self-confidence.
One possessed the Royal King-rank bloodline of the demon race. The Thousand-Eyed Trolls had carved a bloody reputation across the myriad realms, having laid waste to countless worlds and slaughtered more cultivators than could be counted. Facing an enemy of the same realm, it felt no fear, only disdain for the other's perceived stupidity.
But the Demon Blade, Bai Liyun, was no simple character. His innate talent was not exceptionally high; he had reached his current height through extraordinary comprehension and an indomitable will. Even in the historically glorious Star-Sea Continent, he had made a name for himself.
In a recent battle, he had reached a state of sublime transcendence to slay the continent's former number one body cultivator with a single, ultimate strike. Since then, he had followed his Dao-heart through various battles, and his path of the blade had reached new heights.
He had further benefited from the Seven-Colored Ancestral Vein, the Star-Sea Providence, and the Star-Sea Dragon Vein. His cultivation had soared, and after reading every blade-related technique in the continent's archives, his progress was staggering.
This was one of Qi Ping's most significant contributions to the continent. Without Qi Ping's deliberate push for unity, Bai Liyun would never have gained access to such a concentrated pool of knowledge and resources. The unity allowed for a concentration of power that produced experts far superior to those born in the era of chaotic civil wars.
Consequently, the current Bai Liyun was far more terrifying than the man who had slain the top body cultivator! This was precisely why Qi Ping had chosen him to execute the Thousand-Eyed Troll.
Who was better suited to kill a monster specialized in mental and bizarre attacks than the 'Number One Demon' and 'Number One Blade' of the Star-Sea?
As the two kings met, the people of the Star-Sea Continent, led by Qi Ping, watched without blinking. The significance of this first king-level battle was immense!
Even the demons who followed chose to stand by and watch after seeing Life-Death Dao-Lord Meng Tianqi and the Void-Grade Life, Little Stone, waiting in reserve.
Meanwhile, on a distant continent, a Heavenly Secrets Treasure was projecting the entire battle outside the Immortal-Slaying City. Before this treasure stood two figures at the Mahayana stage, watching intently.
"The battle has begun. Demon Blade versus the Thousand-Eyed Troll. Who do you think will win?" a young, feminine-looking Mahayana cultivator asked with interest.
"That Demon Blade has reached a decent level. If he were in our world, he would be excellent material for refining a Blade Puppet. It's a pity the residual Immortal Dao Edict of the Silent Mahayana still lingers there, otherwise I really wouldn't mind going in to take a look..."
"Hmph, I asked who would win. Can you stop thinking about your puppets for one day? You pet them over and over once they're finished—you're a pervert!" The feminine Mahayana expert looked at the unkempt old man beside him with disdain.
"Does it matter? Regardless of whether those stupid demons or the Star-Sea Continent win, they will all eventually become materials for my puppets once I enter. I just hope they leave me some decent scraps!"
"You really have no sense of romance. You just worry about those broken puppets all day—I could destroy them with a single palm strike! But you're right, the outcome makes no difference."
The feminine expert agreed with that conclusion. This battle was crucial to them because it related to the pivotal secret hidden within the Star-Sea Continent.
Originally, they planned to wait for the Star-Sea Continent to decline naturally so the secret would reveal itself. But now, a Land Druid had appeared—a particularly cautious one at that. In this situation, the Druid could not be killed without a Mahayana expert personally intervening. Otherwise, they would have to send countless Unity and Void Refinement cultivators to grind him down while enduring the suppression of the world's will.
That was one thing, but more importantly, the Star-Sea Continent was special. If the karma of the slaughter-tribulation became too deep, it would not only cause their future breakthroughs to face more terrifying tribulations but also affect their final plans.
Thus, they had no choice but to use the demons as their 'borrowed knife' to cripple the continent completely.
"Romance? Have you forgotten that demon we tricked once? Their remnants have devoured many other demon tribes and even a hidden high-energy world. Once they accumulate enough power, you'll realize how important these puppets are. They know the world-coordinates of our Sky-Dragon Continent!"
"That's just an unverified rumor. Even if it's true, we are a hegemon-level power in the cultivation world. Since ancient times, which force from the myriad realms has ever posed a threat to us? Not even the demons can do it!"
"Is that so? The cultivation world is a hegemon, but our Sky-Dragon Continent is just one part of it. The Star-Sea Continent was once more powerful than we are now. Look at it today."
"That was because the Star-Sea Continent was 'guilty of possessing a jade'—it had something everyone wanted."
"Then how do you know the 'jade' in Star-Sea is definitely real? Could we not also be 'guilty of possessing a jade'? How do you know for sure we don't have something like that? All we can do is follow the trend and accumulate power!"
The words of the disheveled puppet-master caused the feminine Mahayana expert to fall silent. The depths of the cultivation world and the myriad realms were unfathomable. Even standing at the peak of a world, they still could not see through it all.
But for the sake of becoming an Immortal, they had to act. What else could they do? At their level, they had experienced everything—fame, beauty, delicacies. All that remained was the fear of their lifespans ending and the obsession with immortality.
On the other side, before the Immortal-Slaying City, the battle between the two kings fully unfolded.
The Thousand-Eyed Troll struck first. Its bizarre attack caused Bai Liyun's magical power, physical body, blade-energy, soul, and will—nearly everything—to begin dissipating. In the blink of an eye, he became a 'bloody man.' This wasn't just physical; everything Bai Liyun possessed was suffering.
As the number one demon cultivator and blade expert, he was heavily wounded in an instant! Any ordinary Void Refinement cultivator would have had their body and Dao destroyed immediately.
The terror of the Thousand-Eyed Troll was fully displayed. Whether in area-of-effect attacks or facing peers, it was the ultimate horror.
"The Thousand-Eyed Troll is indeed extraordinary. If my foundation were not deep enough, I wouldn't even have the right to resist!"
However, the voice coming from the heavily wounded Bai Liyun did not lose its arrogance. Instead, his demonic intent became even more overwhelming!
"But unfortunately, your foundation is not strong enough!"
"As a true demon, even a single drop of blood is enough to unleash earth-shaking power. This level of 'dissipation' is merely trivial!"
"An attack like this... only stimulates my demonic nature even more!"