The power emanating from a Demon Emperor was truly vast, akin to a boundless ocean.
Boom!
Ling Fan's Nirvana Tribulation Body suddenly reached a critical point. Wisps of tribulation fire descended from the void, and this time, terrifying tribulation lightning also appeared, aiming to reduce Ling Fan's body to ashes.
Ling Fan let out a cold snort, clenched his fist, and gathered the power of heaven and earth. He unleashed a punch, extinguishing all the tribulation fire and scattering the tribulation lightning. He then opened his mouth and swallowed them, absorbing the dispersed energy of the tribulation fire and lightning into his body. His physical aura surged further. With any casual movement, he could now trigger spatial storms and terrifying earthquakes.
Currently, with a mere flick of his finger, he could kill a Saint King with his physical strength alone, bringing him infinitely close to the Emperor realm.
Moreover, after surpassing the perfect level, Ling Fan's Nirvana Tribulation Body did not stop there; it continued to push towards even higher echelons.
...
Sensing Ling Fan's rapidly increasing power, the Demon Emperor trembled in fear. It wasn't just physical pain, but a deeper psychological terror.
Towards this former number one figure across all the myriad worlds.
The Demon Emperor couldn't muster even a shred of resistance.
Even though Ling Fan's current strength was weaker than his own!
"Spare me, Lord Qingyun Emperor! I am willing to be your dog. You have not yet fully recovered your strength, and you need my power. I can protect your path, I can be your dog. Whatever you want me to do, I will do it for you! As long as you spare my life and let me follow you!"
The Demon Emperor lost all semblance of an Emperor realm expert's demeanor, begging desperately.
Ling Fan remained deafeningly silent.
His physical strength continued to climb.
And his inner world soon broke through the one hundred zhang mark.
It was still growing rapidly.
Two hundred zhang.
Three hundred zhang.
Four hundred zhang!
Finally,
Ling Fan's inner world reached a critical point at four hundred and ninety zhang, unable to grow any further.
To continue expanding,
He would need to absorb even more powerful Emperor Dao origin, or other Emperor Dao origins of the same level but different types.
"To have reached four hundred and ninety zhang, it exceeded my expectations somewhat."
Ling Fan was very satisfied with the growth of his inner world.
Compared to before, it had expanded dozens of times!
And as the master and owner of this inner world, his cultivation base had soared to an unimaginable level.
If classified by conventional standards,
It was roughly equivalent to a Saint King among Saints.
Of course,
Realm level was one thing.
Combat power was another.
Ling Fan's current cultivation was such that a single breath might be enough to blow away a top-tier Saint King like Tian Ao Saint King.
He was already infinitely close to the Emperor realm.
Coupled with his formidable physique and the power of his inner world, he might not be without the capital to contend head-on with Emperor realm experts.
Furthermore, with the ability of the third formation of the Samsara Divine Cauldron, the Yama Palace, if he were to face this one-tribulation Great Emperor of the Halberd King Demon Race again, Ling Fan would have a seventy to eighty percent chance of directly suppressing him into the Yama Palace and making him his slave!
Ling Fan let out a long breath.
He had now,
Truly recovered a sliver of his past life's strength.
He stood up.
By this time, the Demon Emperor was a withered husk, shriveled and dried up like a deflated ball, exuding a thick aura of death.
"You can die now."
Ling Fan sneered.
He unleashed a punch, empowered by the force of heaven and earth. The Demon Emperor's body shattered like porcelain, and a three-zhang demonic halberd fell out from within.
This was the true form of the Demon Emperor.
Ling Fan emerged from the Samsara Divine Cauldron. The artifact spirit was startled to see him.
It discovered that Ling Fan's strength had surged to a level that even it found somewhat terrifying. Although it was severely injured, it still possessed Emperor-level strength, yet it felt fear towards Ling Fan, which indicated just how terrifying the latter's current strength had become.
"Emperor... Senior, have you become an Emperor?"
It asked, disbelief evident in its voice.
Ling Fan smiled faintly and said, "I'm still far from becoming an Emperor."
"This is for you!"
Ling Fan produced a three-zhang demonic halberd. The force of heaven and earth pressed down, and the halberd emitted creaking sounds of unbearable strain. Finally, it exploded inch by inch, transforming into a vast essence of power. With a flick of Ling Fan's hand, it merged into the Emperor Sword Yunlongyin.
"That is the Demon Emperor's life-bound great halberd!"
The artifact spirit exclaimed with joy.
At its level, natural recovery was impossible to reach its peak. Even ten thousand or thirty thousand years would be futile.
It could only devour powerful weapons to recover quickly.
After it digested the power of this demonic halberd,
Its aura significantly improved, almost recovering to the level of a second-tier Great Emperor.
"Thank you, Senior!"
The artifact spirit was overjoyed, like a child, bowing repeatedly to Ling Fan.
Ling Fan waved his hand and said, "Let's go. Come down with me and see the situation of the battle in the Nine Flowers Realm. Have all the remnants of the Heavenly Demon Realm been cleared out."
"Yes!"
The artifact spirit returned to the Emperor Sword.
Ling Fan put away the Emperor Sword and took a step, leaving the Origin Sacred River of the Nine Flowers Realm.
Ling Fan appeared in the sky above the Nine Flowers Realm.
His vast divine sense extended boundlessly, covering the entire Nine Flowers Realm's hundreds of millions of territories.
Every minute corner escaped his perception.
"Xueyi did a good job."
Ling Fan retracted his divine sense and smiled faintly.
"Let's go, we're heading to the Zhou family ancestral land."
...
In the Zhou family ancestral land.
Teams of powerful warriors entered and exited.
Over this period, the strength of the Zhou family ancestral land's experts had seen a leap in progress, clearly benefiting immensely from the war against the Heavenly Demon Realm invaders.
Ling Fan's figure appeared within the Zhou family ancestral land.
But not a single person could detect him.
Deep within the Zhou family ancestral land.
In the council hall.
Xueyi sat at the head, like a powerful empress, issuing commands with ever-increasing authority.
Various experts departed upon receiving orders.
The three ancestors of the Zhou family, the newly promoted Saint King Zhou Fusheng, and the Grand Elder of the Demon Suppressing Clan were all present.
The battle-crazed duo, Yaoma and Wang Meng, were still outside leading teams to clear out the remaining Heavenly Demon Realm remnants.
The moment Ling Fan appeared,
Xueyi suddenly stood up and leaped into Ling Fan's arms.
"You've finally returned!"
"Mm."
Ling Fan patted Xueyi's head.
The latter then remembered she was in public, her face flushing slightly as she broke free from Ling Fan's embrace.
"Saint Ling, where is that Demon Emperor?" everyone asked.
"I have refined him,"
Ling Fan said calmly.
"What!"
Everyone was shocked, and it was no small shock.
After all, that was a true Demon Emperor.
Possessing the supreme power to destroy the entire Nine Flowers Realm.
Yet now Ling Fan told them.
That he had dealt with the Demon Emperor!
Everyone was so stunned they didn't know what to say.
The stone that had long been weighing on their hearts finally fell, and they all let out a long sigh of relief.
"This Emperor Sword should be returned to its rightful owner."
Ling Fan smiled and took out the Emperor Sword.
Upon seeing the Emperor Sword, the three ancestors of the Zhou family and the patriarch Zhou Fusheng's eyes widened.
"This is... this is the Emperor Sword of our ancestor, the Great Emperor, Yunlongyin!"
"Mm."
Ling Fan tossed the Emperor Sword to the three ancestors of the Zhou family.
"You all handle the remaining matters. We're leaving now."
"Yes!"
The assembled experts dared not delay.
When they looked up,
Ling Fan and Xueyi had already vanished.
...