Chapter 408 - The Slaughter Trial (I)
Chapter 408 - The Slaughter Trial (I)
On the shore of the Blood Rift, all kinds of natural forces and laws were going wild, giving birth to an incredible view.
Tornadoes of magma rose from the earth, lightning fell from the sky and reached the ocean floor, raging winds that could cut Rank 4 life forms in half extended for hundreds of kilometers, and tidal waves that could swallow entire mountains rose from the sea.
In the center of this explosive landscape that could end the life of Soul Forging existence in a matter of seconds, there were five giant monstrous heads made of energy.
These were incarnations made by Demon Dukes with their consciousness and a massive amount of Abyss Aura. They all looked at each other and made no effort in hiding their hatred and killing intent. If their actual bodies were here, there was no doubt in their minds that a fight to the death would start in less than a minute.
Beneath each of these incarnations, a group consisting of three Demon Marquises and ten Demon Counts was present.
Each of these groups had a leader, someone whose aura and pressure rose above the rest.
Four of the leaders were a giant whale-like demon with monstrous spikes all over his body and hundreds of blood-red eyes in his head, a mountain size gorilla with skin made of volcanic rock and lava, a gorgeous woman with dozens of poisonous spider-legs emerging from her back, and a samurai with a black sword and a mantle of flaming-like darkness.
Each of these Demon Marquises had a Law Essence in their soul dimension, and they could bring terror to any High World without a powerful Rank 6 life form protecting it. Nonetheless, these four monsters adopted a solemn expression when their eyes focused on a white demon.
He was five meters tall, with a perfectly balanced body that seemed to have no flaw. The most remarkable thing about this man was the dreadful aura that appeared to embody Abyss's essence of slaughter.
The World Strength and energies he channeled were so pure and dense that a mantle of chaotic force covered his figure.
The other leaders knew this man's name very well. It brought fear to demons' hearts, and despite appearing less than fifty years ago, he was as famous as some Demon Dukes.
The Demon Lord with the mantle of Abyss' essence was the one and only Evil.
Ezequiel's eyes were closed, and his face showed nothing, despite being the center of attention of so many monsters.
They were about to enter a secret dimension left behind by a fallen Archdemon named The Slaughter Trial.
The five Demon Dukes that ruled over most of the Blood Rift discovered this dimension hundreds of thousands of years ago. It contained many treasures and resources that could help Rank 5 Demon Lords to grow stronger, but the most valuable thing in it and that provoked intense desire in the Demon Marquises was the Blood Ponds.
The Blood Ponds were unique artifacts that could temper the body and stimulate the potential of any life form. According to the legends, they emulated Baator's Pit of Flames.
The creator was an amazing Archdemon. Unfortunately, he and many others perished when the Incarnation of Death and Destruction rose to power.
Of course, the first thought in the Demon Dukes' mind when they found this dimension was to take everything for themselves. However, only life forms beneath Rank 6 could enter The Slaughter Trial, and it was impossible to move the Blood Ponds out of it.
This Slaughter Trial's mission was a lucky chance Ezequiel made for himself, and that will allow him to push his body beyond its limits and once again enhance his destiny.
Suddenly, the density of the natural energy spiked, and space began to break in the sky above the Demon Lords.
That was what the Demon Dukes' incarnations were waiting for. The five opened their mouths and fired beams of powerful energy charged with all kinds of laws.
The cracks in space grew larger. After a second, a portal appeared in the sky, and every Demon Lord flashed through it without hesitation.
It took all the energy those incarnations had to maintain the portal open for a second, and they vanished the next instant. Until the Demon Dukes act again, the Demon Marquises and Demon Counts will not leave The Slaughter Trial.
More than fifty Demon Lords appeared in a place that seemed to be an endless desert of black sand.
Without any warning or time to adapt to the new dimension, a force field made of Abyss' viciousness, chaotic will, and slaughter principles appeared and embraced everybody.
The Demon Lords beneath the 3rd Engraving Stage feel unbearable pressure assaulting their minds and souls. Their battle power was reduced by a third, and they lost their fighting will.
Surprise appeared in the Demon Marquises' faces. They focused on the force field's origin and saw how Evil transformed into a bolt of white lighting with a black edge and flashed toward the Blood Demon Leviathan.
The Blood Demon Leviathan could not hide the shock he felt. Fights were common in The Slaughter Trial, but they always appear as they reached the dimension's core, not at the beginning.
Despite that, as part of the race with some of the best battle instincts, the Blood Demon Leviathan reacted instantly. The Demon Marquess' body grew massive as he mobilized his Soul Origin, and armor of solidified blood covered his body.
Ezequiel's speed was far from being enough to overwhelm his opponent, but that did not diminish his killing intent.
The Supreme Neo-Demon in his asura form appeared in front of the Blood Demon Leviathan, and the Law Avatar had finished its fusion with his body.
His flesh and blood transformed into solidified white lightning that carried the elemental forces of the universe and that seemed capable of unleashing more energy than what an average Rank 5 body could withstand.
Above the area where Ezequiel's Bloodline Heart resided, a whirlwind appeared that exponentially increased the Supreme Neo-Demon ability to draw natural energy and Origin Power.
Ezequiel was like a white dot in front of the Blood Demon Leviathan's gargantuan body, but the Demon Marquess' eyes showed fear as he saw those tiny fists aiming at his head.
As the Supreme Neo-Demon performed that attack, something extraordinary and that terrified every single Demon Lord happened.
Behind Ezequiel Entropy Regiis Unus Invictus, a one million meters tall humanoid made of Abyss' World Strength appeared.
Despite being considered dumb monsters, demons' battle awareness was terrific. Every Demon Marquess understood that giant was not just an incarnation made of energy.
Somehow, Evil went beyond just channeling Abyss's World Strength and made it attack along with him. In essence, he took the place of the Plane Consciousness' and manipulated the forces of the dimension.
The reason for their fear was that other than the Archdemons that had fused their souls with a layer, only one other person had been able to take control of Abyss's origin and replace the Plane Consciousness, the one whose name was the Greatest Taboo of Abyss.
Of course, Ezequiel's ability could not compare with the Incarnation of Death and Destruction, who could replace the Plane Consciousness in a region larger than a High World.
However, the Supreme Neo-Demon influence was enough to form an undying entity with a Peak Rank 5 strength!
The World Strength's Incarnation and the Supreme Neo-Demon attacks landed at the same time on the Demon Marquess.
Elemental laws and Terminus Force empowered Ezequiel's fists. They pierced the Blood Demon Leviathan's defenses, destroying everything around the impact zone and overflowing the demon's body with white lightning.
The World Strength's Incarnation attacks did not have special abilities, but the force in them was enough to fracture the Blood Demon Leviathan's skull.
"AWWW!"
The punches sent the Blood Demon Leviathan flying away, and everybody heard his screams of pain.
Ezequiel killing intent exploded as he focused on the wounded enemy.
The World Strength's Incarnation grabbed the Supreme Neo-Demon's body and threw him after the Blood Demon Leviathan with all his strength before vanishing. By using the impulse, Ezequiel's speed skyrocket.
In a fraction of a second, the Supreme Neo-Demon was next to the Blood Demon Leviathan. As he prepared to attack again, the World Strength's Incarnation manifested behind him.
Not even a second had passed since they entered The Slaughter Trial, and a fight already began.