After equipping his planar weapon, Garon's combat strength rose again, tipping the scales from evenly matched to overwhelming superiority over the Heart-Devouring War God. Before the war god could react, Garon swiftly and decisively defeated him.
"Your fate is eternal death."
The silver dragon spoke calmly, with indifferent eyes.
In the dragon's claws, the Heart-Devouring War God struggled incessantly, but now he was extremely weak, bound by various seals from Garon, rendering him incapable of posing any threat. His struggles were futile.
Garon gazed at the Heart-Devouring War God, using the Time Amber Sealing Technique.
Crackling sounds accompanied the sealing of the war god's blood-red crystal-like heart in his right claw, which stopped beating. In his left claw, layers of time amber spread from the war god's head, gradually enveloping him down to his ankles, fully encasing him.
Thus, the evil god who had caused considerable trouble for the Pantheon during the Dawn War was completely subdued.
Zar'thek, the Heart-Devouring War God, and the Spider Queen Lolth had mistakenly believed that joining the Abyssal camp and collaborating with the demon princes would counter the Pantheon's threat. They were gravely mistaken. The Abyss was a target the Pantheon was determined to eradicate, and their alliance with the Abyssal demons did not alter the Pantheon's plans.
"Demon Tree Heart. The vessel prepared by the Abyssal Will."
Putting away the now sealed Heart-Devouring War God, the silver dragon surveyed the devastated, nearly shattered abyssal space.
"Is this the Abyssal Will's attempt to cultivate a king for itself?"
"Perhaps that was the plan, but the success rate is low."
As a planar king of both the Astral Plane and the Heroic Realm, Garon was an expert in such matters.
Given the Abyssal Will's strength, any vessel capable of bearing it would not be an ordinary existence.
Even Garon himself lacked the confidence to contain the Abyssal Will.
The Abyssal Will, being the most mature and powerful of all planar wills, struggled to find a suitable vessel due to its overwhelming power.
In Garon's view, the so-called Demon King was likely a ruse by the Abyssal Will to select a planar king, making it a tool for the Abyss.
As for how the Abyssal Will planned to fully control the planar king and turn it into a puppet, it surely had a plan.
"The Abyss. The most unstable factor in the Great Multiverse."
Garon's gaze seemed to penetrate through the twelve tree layers, scanning the various levels of the Abyss.
After a moment of silence, Garon's gaze locked onto a certain point in the twelve tree layers.
The Demon Tree Heart had hidden itself, cleverly transforming into a boulder, embedded in a nondescript low hill within the twelve tree layers.
Unfortunately, this was futile.
Garon's gaze pierced through all obstacles, seeing through the disguise.
From the moment Garon arrived in the twelve tree layers, he had been multitasking.
On one hand, he maintained a time-space seal to prevent the Demon Tree Heart from escaping, while continuously observing its movements and silently planting a time mark.
On another hand, he wielded the time-space crystal ring to temporarily stall the Heart-Devouring War God.
Lastly, he dealt with the Spider Queen Lolth.
Thus, he emerged as the final victor.
"Without the planar weapon, I might not have been able to seal the Heart-Devouring War God."
"But since the planar weapon is in my possession, it counts as my strength."
The light of the Hero's Crown dimmed, and the Astral Scepter re-merged with the silver dragon's scales, lying quietly.
Under the silver dragon's unmasked gaze, the tangible stare made the Demon Tree Heart tremble slightly.
The Demon Tree Heart realized it had been exposed.
In a flash, like a purple comet, it increased its frequency of strikes against the space barrier, desperately trying to break Garon's time-space seal and escape the twelve tree layers.
"No matter what you are, since you are a creation of the Abyss, you surely benefit the Abyss."
The silver dragon smiled faintly, extending his dragon claw, which expanded to cover the sky, blocking all escape routes, enveloping the Demon Tree Heart.
At this moment.
A flower of black and blood-red flames suddenly bloomed, silently burning through Garon's time-space seal, descending upon the twelve tree layers.
Whoosh!
The flame flower closed, transforming into a long cloak.
Boom!
Soundlessly, the burning hot and icy flames surged, forming a chasm, intercepting the silver dragon's claw and the Demon Tree Heart.
Garon's gaze tightened, reflecting the silent flames in his pupils, sensing a bad omen.
The cloak's owner, who also crossed planes, appeared in Garon's sight.
With skin of crimson, adorned with glowing lava-like patterns, horns curving towards the sky, and deep eyes burning with ghostly flames.
He wore a long crimson robe, as red as blood and fire, with fiery eyes that were calm and profound, containing endless wisdom and countless brewing evil schemes.
In his hand was a nine-section staff, embedded with numerous tiny rubies, with a large ruby at the top resembling a hammerhead.
In appearance, he looked like a slender Hellfire Demon.
Unlike the majority of terrifying Hellfire Demons, he exuded a serene and rational aura, resembling an extraordinarily wise spellcaster. He did not incite fear but rather a sense of tranquility, making one subconsciously want to listen to his voice.
By human standards, his face could be described as handsome, like a storm of strange beauty.
The abyssal aura pressed from all directions, burned away by the flames around him, with his black and red cloak silently fluttering.
"Cruel devil, Lord of Hell."
"Lord of the Nine Hells, Asmodeus."
Garon faced this formidable adversary with a solemn expression, whispering to himself.
The Lord of the Nine Hells, the undisputed ruler of the Nine Hells, and a planar king who had mastered the Hell's Will—not a puppet, but one who made the Hell's Will his tool.
Garon's gaze swept over the ruby staff in the Lord of the Nine Hells' hand, sensing a strong hellish aura.
"This ruby staff should be the Hell's planar weapon."
"This guy led the devil army into the Abyss but made no other moves. Now, he shows up before me."
"Luckily, he's clearly under a lot of pressure from the Abyss' rules, so he can't exert his full strength."
The Abyss and Hell were long-standing enemies, constantly at war.
In the Abyss, the Lord of the Nine Hells faced immense pressure, visibly contending with the abyssal aura. Garon sensed a threat from him, slightly stronger than the Heart-Devouring War God, but not significantly more so, not enough to cause extreme danger.
At this moment, the mysterious Lord of the Nine Hells spoke.
"Eternal and Time Dragon, Lord Garon Aurelian."
"The Demon Tree Heart is inconsequential to you, merely a collectible. But I need it to create items that can shield against the Abyss' suppression, aiding in our fight against the Abyss."
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I believe we have similar goals."
"Would you leave it be and abandon the Demon Tree Heart?"
His tone was calm and gentle, without malice, very sincere, with a unique charm that made one subconsciously want to obey, carrying a passive mental influence.
This Hell Lord seemed easy to negotiate with, giving up the Demon Tree Heart and gaining his favor might not be a bad choice.
Buzz.
The Astral Scepter glowed.
As if a cool stream washed over him, Garon's pupils shrank, becoming wary.
Even with his honed and naturally strong mental will, Garon was still affected by the Lord of the Nine Hells' words.
"This is the devil, no, the devil king's allure."
The silver dragon resolutely shook his head, speaking firmly, "You chose not to come early but to arrive after my hard-fought battle, hoping to take the spoils easily?"
"It's not that simple. It's my prize; I won't give it to you."
"If you want to seize it, try your luck."
Even in the face of the Lord of the Nine Hells, Garon was unwilling to yield what rightfully belonged to him, even if it was just for collection.
Moreover, the Lord of the Nine Hells' timing made it clear he wanted to take the Demon Tree Heart without effort.
"Your resolve is firm."
The Lord of the Nine Hells' smile faded, speaking calmly.
"I appreciate your determination, but I do not like it."
After a pause, he said, "Though it is beneath a king's dignity, since you refuse to yield, I must seize it."
Boom!
The ruby staff tapped the void lightly.
A ripple spread instantly, covering the entire twelve tree layers.
The sky darkened, and the world shook.
In an instant, the twelve tree layers were engulfed in endless hellfire, coating the sky and earth, transforming the place into a hellish furnace. The ground melted into flowing lava, birthing countless devils that climbed out, roaring their existence.
Though this was the Abyss, it now seemed like a part of the Nine Hells.
Simultaneously, the entire twelve tree layers trembled violently, and after a moment of silence, the abyssal aura erupted like never before, turning into a howling storm, crushing the newly born devils and making the hellfire flicker.
The ground collapsed, the sky tore, and space disintegrated.
Garon's
pupils constricted.
With his endless years of ruling Hell, the Lord of the Nine Hells wielded the planar weapon with far more finesse than Garon. By comparison, Garon was still inexperienced as a planar king.
Also, due to the previous battle, the twelve tree layers had become fragile and were now on the brink of collapse due to the Lord of the Nine Hells' actions.
After shaping the hellfire domain, temporarily resisting the abyssal suppression, the Lord of the Nine Hells' aura skyrocketed, reaching a level that made Garon's heart race.
This devil king's power level was akin to a level nineteen divine rank, with one foot almost stepping into level twenty. In the Hell Plane, he could directly exert the power of a level twenty divine rank, not inferior to any existence in the Great Multiverse.
Now, within the Abyss, in the hellfire domain created by the ruby staff, he neither gained an increase nor suffered suppression, displaying his true strength.
"So, do you think I have the power to take the Demon Tree Heart from you?"
Amidst the furious abyssal aura, with the twelve tree layers gradually shattering, the Lord of the Nine Hells gazed at the silver dragon, quietly asking.
Meanwhile, the Abyss grew more agitated than ever. Not just the twelve tree layers, but many abyssal layers experienced hellish disturbances. Amid the frenzied abyssal aura, Garon sensed the wrath of the Abyssal Will.
In other abyssal layers.
As demon princes and archdukes fought.
Devil lords and dark infernal generals, loyal only to the Lord of the Nine Hells, intervened, concentrating attacks on demon princes and archdukes, further igniting the chaotic battlefield.
The devil lords and dark infernal generals also suffered abyssal suppression and lacked the Lord of the Nine Hells' might.
But, catching the demons off guard, they still had an impact.
Garon observed the changing situation within the Abyss.
The devil faction could no longer hold back. Despite abyssal suppression, with a unified leader and the demons divided and infighting, the devils remained a formidable force.
"If you want the Demon Tree Heart, trading with me might achieve your goal."
"But if you wish to seize it."
The silver dragon's gaze turned icy, facing the Lord of the Nine Hells, speaking firmly, "I won't let you have it easily."
As he spoke, the Hero's Crown glowed white, and the Astral Scepter floated up.
Buzz!
The Astral Scepter unleashed a silver tidal wave, a torrent of mental power condensed into substance, scattering many hellfires, sweeping towards the Lord of the Nine Hells.
With his body amplified by life energy, the silver dragon turned into a stream of light, charging directly at the Demon Tree Heart, extending his claws to grasp it.
The Lord of the Nine Hells' gaze remained unchanged, his ruby staff slicing upward.
Boom!
Black and blood-red intertwined hellfire transformed into a giant palm, extinguishing the mental wave from the Astral Scepter.
At the same time, the Lord of the Nine Hells' dark red eyes fixed on the silver dragon.
Hellfire burns!
Without warning, flames erupted, covering every inch of the silver dragon's body, turning him into a blazing fireball.
The terrifying heat and unimaginable evil cold struck simultaneously.
The time barrier melted quickly, and Garon felt intense physical and mental agony.
This hellfire clung like a parasite, hard to extinguish in a short time.
Time Reversal!
Time flowed backward, healing his injuries. The silver dragon, ablaze with hellfire, charged at the Demon Tree Heart, seemingly unaffected by the flames.
The Lord of the Nine Hells frowned.
Ordinary powerful gods hit by his hellfire wouldn't have fared as well as Garon did.
With a flash of red light, he approached the Demon Tree Heart, reaching out to grab it.
On one side was the Lord of the Nine Hells, on the other the burning silver dragon. The Demon Tree Heart trembled in panic, spinning in place.
Boom!
Facing the Lord of the Nine Hells, the silver dragon unleashed a breath of Time Annihilation.
Simultaneously, the Lord of the Nine Hells wielded his ruby staff, creating a crimson curtain to meet the dragon's breath head-on.
Boom!
A fierce shockwave erupted near the Demon Tree Heart.
The collision of hellfire and dragon breath tore apart Garon's time-space seal and broke the Lord of the Nine Hells' temporary domain.
The Demon Tree Heart hesitated for a moment, then shot towards the gap like a purple comet.
The Lord of the Nine Hells' eyes narrowed, his cloak billowing, reaching out to cover the Demon Tree Heart before it could escape.
"If I can't have it, neither can you!"
The silver dragon roared.
Time Slow!
The cloak's speed slowed.
Time Acceleration!
The Demon Tree Heart's speed increased.
Whoosh!
The cloak only grazed the Demon Tree Heart's trailing light as it escaped through the gap, fleeing deeper into the Abyss.
"You!"
The Lord of the Nine Hells' eyes flashed with anger.
Garon remained unfazed, grinning at him.
After a deep look at the silver dragon, the Lord of the Nine Hells wasted no time, leaving the crumbling twelve tree layers to pursue the Demon Tree Heart, dispelling the hellfire domain.
Boom!
Repressed abyssal energy surged, forming a colossal abyssal eye in the sky.
An unprecedented sense of crisis emerged.
Garon met the eye's gaze briefly, then his body blurred, merging into the river of time, leaving the Abyss.
Immediately, the rampaging abyssal energy calmed, the eye dissipated, leaving the nearly destroyed twelve tree layers.
But the Abyss' anger persisted, now more focused.
Traversing the Abyss, the Lord of the Nine Hells faced more obstacles, while the Demon Tree Heart maneuvered freely, ultimately forcing him to retreat to the Abyssal Plain—a heavily modified area, eroded by hellish influence, gradually slipping from the Abyss' control, safer for devils.
After the devils' assault, the demon princes and archdukes, initially caught off guard, recovered. Although still fighting among themselves, they unleashed more firepower on the devils.
With abyssal suppression and the princes and archdukes' might, the devils paid with the lives of a dark infernal general and a devil lord, then retreated to the Abyssal Plain.
After the devils' retreat, the demon princes and archdukes continued their conflict for a while before a brief truce.
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