Chapter Thirty-Two: Moving Forward

This region spanned a vast area; even its core alone was the size of several counties in his previous life. It brimmed with danger, and without a clear destination, wandering through it with his three companions would consume unimaginable amounts of time.

Fortunately, with the Wolf King ahead leading the way, Chen Ming’s group was able to advance, guided by the resonance of its aura.

Throughout the journey, a strange phenomenon occurred—the density of demonic energy around them steadily increased, yet the demonic beasts seemed to have vanished entirely.

Seeing this, Chen Ming frowned, lifting his gaze to peer ahead.

“The aura is growing fainter. It seems we’re nearing the core,” he thought to himself, but then a sense of unease crept in.

Suddenly, he looked down at the ground.

At that moment, the earth trembled fiercely. Colossal tentacles erupted from below, shrouded in black mist, reaching for the four of them.

With a thought, Chen Ming drew Largos and the others into the divine space, then glanced at the tentacles enveloping his surroundings. He activated his divine power, forming a barrier around him.

Instantly, the tentacles were blocked by divine force. When they collided, a ceaseless surge of power clashed, emitting a hissing sound as they dissolved against the barrier.

Yet the tentacles pressed on, relentless, seemingly intent on wrapping Chen Ming completely.

He was taken aback, but then the divine aura about him exploded, sending a tremendous wave outward.

Rising higher, Chen Ming looked down. The ground below was covered with countless tentacles, densely intertwined. Upon closer inspection, he recognized them as thick vines, stretching upwards.

Beside the vines, as they surged from the earth, depressions appeared, each harboring skeletal remains.

Chen Ming sensed the aura lingering on those bones—many were first rank, and quite a few were second rank.

At that moment, he realized that his connection to the Wolf King had abruptly vanished. Clearly, the aura had been obliterated.

“I underestimated that Wolf King,” he mused, then focused on a spot below.

Through his natural senses, he perceived a creature of immense vitality struggling to break free from the earth.

As the ground shook, a massive trunk emerged—a root, colossal in form.

“Is this an ancient tree corrupted by demonic power?” Chen Ming murmured, astonished.

The tree demon beneath quaked violently, demonic energy billowing from its form. It spread its roots wide, unleashing countless sharp roots that shot skyward.

Chen Ming moved again, fully activating the divine barrier to shield himself.

The sharp roots collided with his barrier. Sensing the rapid depletion of his divine power, Chen Ming’s expression shifted. His divine core spun swiftly, and he unleashed a divine spell.

Suddenly, a blazing sun flashed across the sky, radiating tremendous divine might and fury, dissolving everything around it. Gathering the elemental forces nearby, it fell with immense force, detonating upon the tree demon below.

As the sun struck, the vines beneath melted away. Somewhere in the shadows, a creature seemed to scream in terror, sending chills down his spine.

Divine power, supreme and overwhelming, infused with the forces of nature and the elements, was the nemesis of such beings. The tree demon’s aura weakened instantly, and the vines diminished by half, leaving only a few lifeless stalks swaying.

Chen Ming gazed down, somewhat surprised.

That strike was the strongest he could muster at present. With his current reserves, he could not repeat it many times, and yet the creature had not perished.

Still, if one blow was not enough, another must follow.

With a thought, a spear formed in the sky, imbued with divinity and authority, plunging downward.

Another dying scream echoed. A gaping hole appeared in the tree demon’s core, and its body was purified by the escaping divine power, ending its existence utterly.

Seeing this, Chen Ming prepared to leave.

But suddenly, a strange sensation seized him. He turned sharply to the tree demon’s massive corpse and gestured. A pristine green crystal emerged.

He examined it closely—a large crystal, the size of several heads, radiating pale green light. Pure vitality and elemental power were condensed within.

“Unfortunately, its essence is far too weak compared to divine power. Even if I absorbed it all, it would scarcely bolster my strength.”

He pondered this, gazing at the crystal in his hand.

“Still, since it was formed from the pure force within a demonic beast, it’s not tainted by the demonic energy.”

After a thorough inspection, he concluded as such, then sent the crystal into the divine space.

Turning toward where the Wolf King’s aura had vanished, he followed the previous resonance.

Whether it sought to lure him into a trap or had some other scheme, being able to erase the aura meant it had entered the true core. Thus, Chen Ming did not hesitate, proceeding along the indicated path.

Sure enough, the journey ahead was like stirring a hornet’s nest. Demonic beasts surged forth, including many of second rank.

Chen Ming suppressed them all, slaying countless foes along the way.

With each new follower, his power grew ever stronger. Though he had just entered the second rank, as a deity, even third-rank demonic beasts were not beyond his reach. Second-rank foes fell before him, crushed with ease.

Yet, with so much fighting, his divine power was rapidly depleted. By the time he reached the end, nearly half his reserves were gone.

“But the gains are substantial,” he thought, sensing the rapid growth of a blood-red strand of slaughter divinity within him.

The divinity of slaughter was unlike that of nature. Though it could be slowly enhanced through worldly insights, the fastest way was direct killing.

“To think that after slaying only a few hundred demonic beasts, I’ve made such progress. If I keep this up, this aspect of divinity will soon be perfected.”

He murmured to himself.

Slaughter was indeed a powerful divine office. Compared to nature, which required much contemplation and accumulation, slaughter divinity advanced swiftly—only requiring continual killing.

If one killed enough, divinity would be continually comprehended. If he could exterminate an entire world, perhaps he could truly solidify the divine office of slaughter and even ignite the divine flame.

Considering this, he gave a wry smile. “It seems this path advances much faster.”

He lifted his gaze to the front.

Ahead, demonic energy surged, and a mysterious power enveloped the land, transforming it utterly, making it wholly alien to the outside world.

If one were to compare, the previous area was a world tainted by pollution, but here, a powerful force had claimed the land, turning it into a veritable hell within the mortal realm. Though physically present, it was as if he had entered another world.

Chen Ming stepped forward, and immediately a potent domain pressed upon him, accompanied by a powerful law seeking to erode him, as if to make him one of its own.

He frowned. Within, his domain of nature unfolded entirely, barely keeping the invasion at bay from his soul. He advanced, step by step.

By now, there was no need to search for the path.

Around him, the world’s power roiled, guiding him inexorably toward a single destination—the true core.

“At last, the answer will be revealed,” he said, gazing ahead.

Since his rebirth in this world, he had always harbored a doubt.

Everything that perishes must do so for a reason.

A man may die of age, or be slain, but never without cause. The decline and death of a whole world must also have its reason.

This world was suffused with decay and catastrophe, the cause of which, he now realized, lay in these abyssal depths that ceaselessly spread life-corrupting demonic energy.

“And the source of it all is surely ahead.”

He pressed forward in silence, voicing this thought in his heart.