Chapter 412: The Strong and The Weak

Amidst the chaos, Li Pin faintly heard Fan Xiu's panicked shout. "Step back!"

Rumble, rumble!

In the next instant, a blinding explosion, like a small-scale nuclear detonation, was unleashed. Flames and light surged recklessly through the relatively enclosed cavern, causing a deafening roar.

It seemed as though everything within a hundred meters—both life and matter—was about to be destroyed.

Yet, standing in the heart of this destructive surge, Li Pin didn't even flinch. He stood resolute at the forefront of this torrent of annihilation, welcoming a force powerful enough to melt steel and turn skyscrapers to dust.

The intense radiance, searing heat, and shockwaves lashed against him.

Having donned the Heavenly Demon Divine Armor and merged with the Celestial Magnetic Field, the blast couldn't harm him.

Buzz, buzz!

The cavern shook as rocks fell from the ceiling, only to be scorched black or transformed into molten glass by the flames.

Shockwaves, capable of shaking the subterranean depths, radiated outward from the epicenter, spreading in all directions.

Within seconds, before the dust and flames had even begun to dissipate, a figure emerged. Cutting through the fiery chaos and shockwaves, Fan Xiu leaped into the heart of the blast zone, his face filled with concern for Li Pin.

What Fan Xiu saw next would be so unforgettable it would remain etched in his memory forever.

In the center of the crater, several dozen meters wide and more than ten meters deep, a figure hovered in mid-air. He was wreathed in flames, with arcs of electricity crackling around him. The earth beneath his feet had turned to magma, and the rocks around him had turned to glass.

Everywhere Fan Xiu looked, destruction reigned.

Li Pin stood above this completely devastated area, surrounded by flames that not only failed to harm him but seemed to adorn him like bright battle medals. Wrapped in arcs of electricity, he appeared even more powerful and imposing than ever—like a deity born of flames and destruction.

Fan Xiu stared at the scene for several seconds, unable to process what he was seeing. "How is this possible...?"

The attack had been a desperate counterstrike from a supreme demonic creature, unleashing its most powerful move in the face of death. When it had raised its arm, the energy gathered within it was like a rising sun.

The released power was proof. It was akin to a nuclear explosion. Li Pin's Celestial Magnetic Field managed to momentarily contain the initial outburst, but the subsequent waves of energy surged toward him, engulfing his body in their fury.

Theoretically, even Legends clad in the strongest natal spirit armor would have been obliterated by such a force, reduced to ashes by the scorching flames and intense heat. The only way to survive would have been to shift into their starlight form and evade the blast. Yet, Li Pin..

However... not only had Li Pin withstood the explosion head-on, but he also emerged completely unharmed.

"Impossible..." Fan Xiu mumbled in disbelief.

Li Pin glanced down at the Heavenly Demon Divine Armor. "My defense almost broke."

Li Pin could clearly sense the severe depletion of the dark magic and astral energy within the armor.

If that creature's attack had been thirty percent stronger, the armor would have been completely destroyed. His Celestial Magnetic Field had already depleted the power of the explosion a bit before it was breached. But even so, the power that hit the Heavenly Demon Divine Armor was still terrifying.

"But... this was just a test," Li Pin muttered. "In a normal situation, no Legend would willingly take a supreme demonic creature's final strike head-on."

Li Pin hovered in the air, drifting to the side before landing on a stone. Most of this stone had turned into glass. The glass was still hot enough to instantly cook an egg.

Li Pin looked at Fan Xiu, who seemed a bit dazed. He said, "I remember the Blood Demon Bishop is known for its speed and agility. While its offensive abilities are impressive, it's not top-tier, correct?"

Fan Xiu shook himself out of his daze, realizing Li Pin was speaking to him. He glanced at Li Pin, then at the nearly hundred-meter massive crater.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

After a long pause, Fan Xiu responded, "The Blood Demon Bishop wields the Flame of Destruction. It's among the strongest demonic creatures we know. Its destructive power is among the highest. Only the Dark Evil Dragon and the Blood Moon Demon King surpass it."

The Blood Moon Demon King and the Dark Evil Dragon were the most powerful creatures known to mankind, standing in a class of their own. Then, the various bishop-level creatures followed.

This wasn't necessarily because the Blood Moon Demon King and the Dark Evil Dragon were stronger than Supreme Experts. Rather, it was because their attacks were focused on large-scale devastation.

The Dark Evil Dragon's attacks could engulf a thousand-meter radius with corrosive demonic mist. If Legendary Experts wanted to kill it, they would have to endure the mist's effects while fighting it.

The Blood Moon Demon King commanded the power of the earth. Its attacks were pervasive and inescapable.

"I see," Li Pin said.

By now, Fan Xiu seemed to have regained his composure. He stared at Li Pin with a complicated look. Then, he faltered, "How... how did you do that just now?"

Li Pin knew what he was referring to. He answered, "I combined the magnetic force of my Natal Planet with the defensive power of the Heavenly Demon Divine Armor."

He glanced at Fan Xiu. "Martial Gods can't transform into starlight as Astral Cultivators can, so they can't avoid fatal damage. The only option we have is to strengthen our defenses by merging with the Celestial Magnetic Field."

"Merging with the Celestial Magnetic Field..." Fan Xiu took a deep breath. "To think that the Martial God path... can be this powerful."

To withstand a fatal strike from a supreme demonic creature....

He knew the Heavenly Demon Armor had played a crucial role. However, this still showed that the defense of Martial Gods at Li Pin's level was enough to brush off most attacks at the legendary level.

In addition to that, Li Pin had been able to severely disrupt the Blood Demon Bishop's agility with his magnetic field.

"Supreme Expert combat prowess, truly worthy of the title," Fan Xiu said sincerely.

There had only ever been two individuals who could kill a supreme demonic creature in a head-on battle. One was Ge Lin. The other was the Solar Radiance Sovereign.

As for the others, like Zhao Kunwu and Fu Qingtian, they had only managed to eliminate supreme demonic creatures through the combined efforts of multiple people.

"Let's move on to the next target," Li Pin said.

Fan Xiu nodded.

With that, the two left the fiery, flame-enveloped area.

With the death of the Blood Demon Bishop and Qiao Baishi's effort to clear the area, the demonic creatures outside had nearly scattered.

When the two emerged, Qiao Baishi couldn't help but cast a thoughtful gaze at Li Pin.

Though he had been focused on clearing the demonic creatures, he had also been paying attention to the battle between Li Pin and the Blood Demon Bishop.

That battle revealed Li Pin's strength.... It was far beyond what he had expected. He used to believe that Li Pin was about as powerful as Xiao Qianyuan. He couldn't imagine how Li Pin had single-handedly taken down a supreme demonic creature with a mere flick of his hand.

He couldn't understand, and Li Pin didn't offer any explanation. Therefore, his questions could only remain buried in his heart.

As an elite figure, who wouldn't have a few secrets?

Thought Qiao Baishi.

***

Li Pin, Fan Xiu, and Qiao Baishi quickly made their way to join Yuan Zhenchuan.

Yuan Zhenchuan and his team were fighting two legendary demonic creatures, both evolved from Skeleton Demons. By the time Li Pin and the others arrived, one of the legendary demonic creatures had already been severely injured and was attempting to flee, right into their path.

Fan Xiu was about to act when Li Pin shot forward first.

With a burst of lightning, he harnessed the power of thunder again, sending out visible white shockwaves that struck the Skeleton Demon at the legendary tier.

As the two collided, the Sword of Destiny pierced through the demonic creature. The blade tore through its defense field, instantly piercing its chest, where a dark blue flame burned fiercely.

In the face of imminent death, the demon's bone spikes suddenly sprang to life, aiming straight for Li Pin's head. However, the moment they hit his forehead, a surge of lightning sent them flying.

The sword aura within the Sword of Destiny exploded, followed by Li Pin slamming into the Skeleton Demon.

Bang!

The legendary demonic creature shattered like a fragile skeleton, torn apart by Li Pin's violent Aura Force. Bone fragments, mixed with dark blue flames, scattered in all directions.

Meanwhile, propelled by his momentum, Li Pin slid for several meters, his feet carving two deep grooves into the ground before he finally came to a stop.

He shook the Sword of Destiny in his hand and turned around.

Seeing that the dark blue flames around the bone fragments had extinguished, Li Pin withdrew his gaze from the remains. He looked ahead, only to meet the approaching Tu Tan, Ao Fei, and Bai Ying.

Bai Ying used to believe that Li Pin was vastly overrated. However, as he looked at Li Pin holding his sword in one hand, he couldn't help but gulp nervously. He stammered, "This... this legendary demonic creature—"

"Is dead," Li Pin replied briefly.

Li Pin turned his attention toward the depths of the battlefield, where Yuan Zhenchuan and Zuo Xiangfeng were closing in on another legendary demonic creature.

With a thought, the magnetic field erupted again. Li Pin transformed into a bolt of lightning and crashed upon the creature with a burst of speed, breaking the sound barrier.

The hair and clothes of the three Legendary figures fluttered as a gust of wind blew past them.

"Isn't Martial God Li..." Tu Tan looked at the approaching Fan Xiu and Qiao Baishi, astonished, " a bit too strong?"

Fan Xiu smiled helplessly. "If you knew that he single-handedly killed that supreme Blood Demon Bishop in direct combat, you might not find it so unbelievable."

The three Legendary figures exclaimed upon hearing that.

"He killed the Supreme Blood Demon on his own!?"

"In direct combat!?"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! We've studied his battle footage with Xiao Qianyuan more than once. His strength lies in stealth and unpredictability. His actual combat power... is at best standard Legendary level!"

But Fan Xiu didn't offer further explanation. Instead, he glanced at the Skeleton Demon that Li Pin had slain in one strike.

Though the demon had been worn down by the Legends and was fleeing when Li Pin intercepted and killed it, the strength he had shown at that moment...

The three Legends fell silent, slowly coming to terms with reality.

"So...?" Bai Ying's voice was dry. "He really did kill a Supreme Blood Demon in direct combat, all by himself?"