Chapter 1009: Nourishing the Sword Saint Statue

On the other side, Tang San held the Sword Saint Demon Emperor's statue in his right hand, while behind him, it was as if a whole realm of nature had descended. A massive Blue Gold Tree projection appeared, far larger than in the previous match. Its sheer aura even caused the platform to turn into a grassy field, teeming with various plants. In an instant, it seemed as though he had brought nature itself to the battleground of the Battle for the Throne. The aura of life was so dense that one would unconsciously let their whole body relax in comfort.

Such a rich life energy...

. The Soul Capturer Nymph Emperor could clearly feel the intense vitality radiating from Tang San's tree projection. This level of life energy far surpassed any natural treasure of any other race on the Daemon Continent.

Although the battle hadn't yet begun, both sides had already unleashed domains!

Just from appearance alone, the majority of spectators would surely prefer Tang San's life-attribute domain. With its verdant greens, tranquil blues, and dense vitality, it was simply pleasing to behold.

But everyone could also sense that Tang Mohuang's powerful fire-attribute domain naturally countered Tang San's. Fire, after all, was among the most destructive of all elements, and it inherently suppressed wood. Without the Sword Saint Demon Emperor's statue in hand, most people would have firmly believed Tang San was a goner.

The Soul Capturer Nymph Emperor gave Tang San a deep look, then suddenly waved a hand, soaring into the sky and announcing the start of the battle.

"Begin!"

Tang San instantly raised his right hand, still holding the Sword Saint Demon Emperor's statue, as blue-gold light burst from his eyes.

On the other side, with the Soul Capturer Nymph Emperor no longer acting as a buffer between them, Tang Mohuang's Lava Domain exploded almost instantly, sweeping forth to invade Tang San's domain like a tidal wave. Yet Tang Mohuang did not charge forward immediately.

The stronger the combatant, the more reverent they were of Emperors; they knew best just how terrifying an Emperor's power could be. Tang Mohuang was no exception. He had no intention of letting his own body be the first to collide with a blow thrown by the Sword Saint Demon Emperor.

His long spear swept outward, and behind him, a colossal fire dragon projection roared toward Tang San's domain. Meanwhile, Tang Mohuang rapidly retreated, trying to widen the distance.

But to Tang Mohuang's surprise, Tang San made the exact same move. The eight blue spikes on his back stabbed into the ground, launching him backward like lightning; he instantly retreated deeper into the heart of his domain. The massive Blue Gold Tree projection burst with intense radiance, its many branches sweeping outward to intercept the invading lava with pure life energy.

The power of life was nurturing, not combative. In the moment the two domains collided, the difference was stark. The lava swept through Tang San's Life Domain like a razor blade through paper, searing everything around it and erupting with spurts of fire energy as it advanced.

Tang San had no choice but to stop in front of the Blue Gold Tree. Any further retreat, and his tree projection would be consumed by flame.

At last, the Sword Saint Demon Emperor's statue in his hand exploded with radiant light. A titanic beam of sword light burst forth.

This sword light, towering like a pillar between heaven and earth, carried an imposing presence: the presence of a ruler bestowing divine punishment. It seemed poised to annihilate everything, and yet it felt different from Qiu Zixuan's World-Sundering Sword. That sword's aura was nothingness; there was no self, and there was no target. Wherever it passed, it would render matter and energy alike inexistent. Meanwhile, this sword radiated the overwhelming dominance of a supreme monarch, crushing all beneath it.

Behind Tang San, before the Blue Gold Tree, a massive figure appeared; it was the projection of the Sword Saint Demon Emperor himself. At the same time, in the resting area of the Emperors, the Sword Saint Demon Emperor began to emit a faint glow. After all, the power invoked originated from him, so it was natural that he'd resonate with it.

Yet at that moment, a strange light flashed across the Sword Saint Demon Emperor's face—a truly rare look of surprise.

For one so focused on the sword that his every thought was consumed by it, it was truly rare for something to surprise him.

What was happening? Around his true body, a faint blue-golden glow had appeared, brimming with life energy, so soothing and nourishing that even someone of his cultivation felt utterly relaxed and restored. His life essence ever-so-minutely increased.

Below, as the heaven-piercing sword beam began its descent, Fire Dragon King Tang Mohuang acted. He pointed his long spear skyward, the three flame orbs behind his head burst with dazzling light. From each of the three orbs, a differently colored flame erupted, merging with the giant fire dragon projection.

The fire dragon burst into brilliance, absorbing even the surrounding lava into itself. The intense heat caused the very light within the arena to twist, and Tang San's Life Domain became increasingly unstable, as if on the verge of collapse.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

However, the sword intent unleashed from the Sword Saint Demon Emperor's statue was simply too overwhelming. Such was the might of a peak-level being that focused solely on offense, with no thought spared to anything else. The searing heat could not stand against it. As the sword beam descended, it cleanly parted the flames to either side. Thus, while part of Tang San's domain was seared by the flames, the part where he stood, centered on the Blue Gold Tree, was intact.

A trace of panic flashed Tang San's face. He suddenly swung the statue, and the sky-splitting sword beam crashed down upon the giant fire dragon.

Around the stage, every defensive array pillar flared with intense brilliance, instantly reinforcing the arena's protections.

Though the fire dragon was impressive, in the face of that divine sword light, its power clearly dimmed. Its flames and lava field began to unravel. It had been clawing its way to the sky, yet now it was immediately forced back to the ground.

The fire dragon reared up and belched out dense tricolor fire, but even that was altogether meaningless before the sword. The flames could only part to either side, and the massive sword beam continued downward without pause.

Was the Sword Saint Demon Emperor's strike truly this powerful? The entire audience held their breath, watching this moment unfold.

Everyone knew the Sword Saint Demon Emperor was ranked rather low. Yet even a blow from his statue, a mere remnant of his power with nothing to support it, was terrifying enough to shake the heavens. Neither the spectators nor the competing powerhouses had expected this.

All now realized that the Blue Gold Tree clan had absolutely made a worthy purchase with the few thousand amethystine coins spent on this statue.

Someone with the title of Fire Dragon King was naturally the leader of the Fire Dragon clan, and as such, Tang Mohuang was by no means poorly-equipped. Besides the Everblaze Sunflower, which fit him like a glove, the three orbs behind his head were clearly divine artifacts of the highest tier. Some of the more knowledgeable spectators even recognized them: these were the Heavenly Fire Pearls, left behind by the three strongest Fire Dragon Kings in the clan's history. Even among divine items, they were extremely powerful.

And yet, even with the might of the three heavenly flames, Tang Mohuang's dragon projection still could not withstand the descending sword beam. This stunned everyone. Even though it was just a projection, it was the manifestation of his own bloodline power and divine consciousness. If it was destroyed, Tang Mohuang would unquestionably suffer severe backlash and be heavily injured.

In that critical moment, Tang Mohuang didn't hesitate. He did not lack combat experience by any means, and he could tell when the time came to take decisive action. If he didn't go all out now, he might not get another chance.

He had thought he held the statue in high enough regard, but as it turned out, he had still underestimated it.