Liu Naiweng's soul remained stunned where it was, staring in disbelief at his destroyed physical body.
He had clearly saved a move to deal with Wan Lei, but he never expected that Wan Lei had also saved a move.
In the end, Wan Lei had won.
"How could this happen, how could this happen, I am not convinced!! I toiled for ten thousand years, I slaughtered my own family, all for the sake of becoming an immortal. Why kill me after I achieved immortality? Heaven is unjust!!"
Liu Naiweng roared to the sky in anguish, then turned and fled.
He was left with only a weakened soul, completely incapable of contending with Wan Lei. His only recourse now was to escape.
As long as he could survive the final wave of the divine soul tribulation, he would be able to pass through the divine light of ascension from the Immortal Realm and leave this place.
Once he reached the Immortal Realm, he would have boundless freedom. He could seize any body he pleased and cultivate anew.
Liu Naiweng fled desperately. Glancing back, his heart filled with joy.
The final wave of the divine soul tribulation had arrived.
But then, Liu Naiweng's joy was replaced by extreme terror.
Behind him, there were not two hundred and fifty-six sword lights; it was an endless ocean of sword lights stretching as far as the eye could see.
Yes, the final wave of the divine soul tribulation had come, but Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu had also seized this opportunity, using all their divine consciousness and unleashing the "Swords Flowing Like a River."
These sky-filling sword lights dispelled the dark clouds, dissolved the bloody mist, and restored light to the heavens and earth, with sunlight once again bathing the land.
Liu Naiweng, body and soul, annihilated!!!
This battle was finally over.
This war was finally won.
From the first demonic invasion, when Liu Naiweng resisted the foreign enemies, to his being misled by Qiong Shen, it was destined for the Lei Feng Realm to suffer a tragic war that would spill rivers of blood.
Liu Naiweng's plan had not gone awry; he and Qiong Shen, two ancient monsters, had kept it hidden from everyone.
The only unforeseen variable was that the demon's arrival coincided with a mere Core Formation stage youth.
Without Wan Lei, the demon race would have long since conquered the Lei Feng Realm.
Without Wan Lei, Liu Naiweng would have successfully ascended to immortality.
Alas, there are no "ifs."
Wan Lei's rapid growth and extraordinary talent surprised everyone.
After a mere decade, when the demon race descended again, this young man possessed the ability to save the world.
Without Wan Lei, there would be no Thunder Emperor Hall, no Thunder Emperor Alliance. Then, the lands ravaged by war would not have been limited to the small southern half of the Central Region, and the lives slaughtered would not have been limited to everyone in the Liu family and the Wu, Zhou, and Dun families.
Looking back at the entire war, from the demons descending in the desert, Wan Lei protecting the teleportation array, receiving his own army, and finally destroying the teleportation channel in a desperate struggle.
Then to Wan Lei establishing the Thunder Emperor Hall and ambushing hundreds of thousands of demon troops.
He personally entered the Liu family alone, fighting desperately through encirclements.
He and Fang Xiaoyu, disguised, entered a secret realm, were intercepted by the demon race, and could only leave behind last words.
Then to Qi Manyao's desperate rescue, leaving only the words, "I love you, you must forget me."
Then to the urgent rescue by the Yin Yang Sect, then to the counter-attack on the Liu family, then to the annihilation of the demon race, and Liu Naiweng's ascension.
And now, the immortal had fallen by their hands.
Along this arduous journey, countless people had died. So many friends and relatives had left the mortal world, so many infants had lost their parents, and so many families had become withered bones in mass graves.
The people went from hope to despair, and then from renewed hope back to despair. They had endured too much, sacrificed too much, only to finally earn the victory they now held.
Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu stood in mid-air. The enemy was dead, so dead that there was no possibility of survival.
Relaxing from the intense state of combat, the soul's weakness and the body's pain made them both feel an unprecedented weariness, but also an unprecedented sense of relief.
"The war is over."
"Yes, we can finally rest."
"There are still many things to do, such as cleaning the mass graves of the Liu family to prevent epidemics, and rewarding the army."
"Don't talk about it, don't talk about it. Just thinking about it gives me a headache. Let's be lazy and leave these matters to them."
Wan Lei smiled and pointed forward.
Ahead, millions of troops were charging forward.
"We won! We are victorious!"
"Long live the Hall Master, long live the Hall Master's wife!"
"All enemies are dead, our victory has arrived."
"There will be no more war in this world, only eternal peace."
"The Alliance Leader's merit is as vast as the heavens, saving the common people!!!"
"The Alliance Leader is an eternal emperor, an eternal emperor!"
The cheers of millions of people resounded through the sky.
The Tribulation Crossing experts of the Thunder Emperor Alliance surrounded Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu. Wan Hongxin and Wan Yangfan also squeezed in, along with Sui Xiaohang, Tian Suanzi, Wan Liuchuan, and other friends, all looking at Wan Lei with great excitement.
At this moment, Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu's prestige in the Lei Feng Realm reached its zenith.
Even Thunder Emperor Wan Qingyi could not compare to their merits.
The war was won, and everyone was exhilarated.
The crowd surrounded Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu, chattering excitedly. Some asked about the divine abilities of the final few lashes, some asked if the immortal tribulation was terrifying, and some asked how Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu were doing physically and if they needed healing.
Wan Lei's gaze swept over the joyful faces of the crowd, finally settling on the worried Chi Niao.
Wan Lei greatly respected Chi Niao as a friend; without his repeated assistance, he would not have survived until now.
He understood Chi Niao's somber expression – his comrades were all dead, and he was left alone in this foreign world, undoubtedly feeling grief and loneliness.
Recalling what Chi Niao had said before, that he would commit suicide if the demons were defeated, Wan Lei immediately went to comfort him.
"Chi Niao, don't look so glum. Everyone is so happy, so don't worry too much. When the time comes, I will find a way to send you back to the demon race.
Furthermore, I am truly happy to have met you. You are my..."
"You're celebrating too soon."
Chi Niao retorted impolitely.
At these words, everyone frowned. At this moment of universal celebration, Demon Marshal Chi Niao was so out of place. What did he mean?
Could it be that this demon harbored some other intentions?
If Wan Lei had not explicitly stated earlier that Chi Niao was a friend, and given that Chi Niao had unequivocally stood with them when facing Liu Naiweng, the crowd would have likely erupted in scolding.
After all, Wan Lei's prestige was exceptionally high now, and Chi Niao's direct confrontation with Wan Lei in front of millions made them feel embarrassed.
Wan Lei frowned slightly upon hearing this. Chi Niao would not say such things without reason.
"What's wrong, Chi Niao? Is something the matter?"
"Do you think the war is really over?"