Chapter 419: Chapter 289: Battlefield of the Gods: The Demon Lord Descends to Quell the 4 Quarters (Middle)

Everyone’s expression was grim. The battle had entered a white-hot stage, and both Secret Technique Heaven and the Illuminati had displayed terrifying power.

The state of the surrounding battlefield was virtually indistinguishable from the aftermath of a saturation bombing.

The streets and buildings were a complete wreck; some of the larger buildings even looked like they were on the verge of collapse.

"They must have been held up by the Illuminati," the middle-aged man in the lead said in a low voice. "However, this battle won’t be decided anytime soon. Secret Technique Heaven is not weak. As long as their expert who has condensed a ’Soul’ doesn’t fall behind, the fight won’t be over so quickly."

They were all well aware of where the focus and key to this battle lay.

It was the outcome of the fight between the two experts who had each condensed a "Soul."

And at this moment, the two were entangled, evenly matched.

The destructive power generated by their fight was simply unimaginable. At least half of the damaged buildings at the scene were their doing.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Rings of an Invisible Force Field spread out from Destruction Heaven. Wherever they passed, bricks and stones shattered. Even steel rebar would twist and snap under the continuous vibrations.

The Artifacts of Increase and Decrease, the Destruction Mantra!

Meanwhile, Destruction Heaven’s opponent, the Illuminati’s Duke of Destruction—a man as tall as a mountain—had skin the color of fresh blood, making him look just like Hellboy from the movies.

His body temperature seemed to have reached a terrifying level. His every move kicked up thick smoke, and even the air around him appeared distorted.

The explosive power of his attacks was horrifying. He threw a palm strike that produced a terrifying bang as the wisps of smoke lingering around him suddenly combusted. This wasn’t an illusory glow from his magnetic field, but true, burning fire. The intense burst triggered a raging inferno, making each palm strike feel like a missile exploding.

This explosive effect was caused by a combination of his scorching body temperature, the terrifying speed of his palm strikes, and the friction generated as his massive magnetic field burst forth, igniting the surrounding smoke.

Every punch and kick held the explosive power of Purgatory.

Both were masters who had condensed a "Soul," and right now, they were locked in a stalemate.

"Destruction, if you want to defeat me, you’ll have to pay a heavy price. When that time comes, what will your Illuminati have left to fight the Abyss Court’s Golden Pharaoh? Not to mention, all the other factions are just waiting to pounce. In the end, you probably won’t even be able to hold onto a single Spiritual Talisman."

"Let’s each take a step back. I only want one Spiritual Talisman. As long as you hand one over to me, I’ll take my men from Secret Technique Heaven and leave Jun City immediately. If you don’t believe me, I can swear an oath on my ’Soul’."

"Besides, one of the two Spiritual Talismans you have was originally stolen from us, Secret Technique Heaven. Now it’s just being returned to its rightful owner. You’re not losing anything!"

"Moreover, if you give me the Spiritual Talisman, it’s not impossible for us to team up. The Abyss Court still has people in the city. If we join forces, we can wipe them out in one fell swoop and eliminate them from the competition completely. This would be a mutually beneficial arrangement!"

Amidst the battle, Destruction Heaven’s voice echoed in the Duke of Destruction’s ears.

The current situation in the city had exceeded his expectations. The Illuminati had turned the tables on them, and now *they* were the ones being targeted by everyone.

And the Duke of Destruction’s power was indeed on par with his. No matter which of them wanted to overpower the other, they would have to pay an enormous price.

This was something he didn’t want to see happen. After all, this was only the first round of conflict, and he believed his opponent felt the same way. If the Illuminati was willing to hand over a Spiritual Talisman, he wouldn’t mind retreating, or even turning around and cooperating with them.

There are no permanent enemies. His relationship with the Abyss Court was one of mutual exploitation; betraying each other would cause him no psychological burden whatsoever.

He believed that once the Illuminati weighed the pros and cons, there was a high probability they would agree to his request.

"Give you a Spiritual Talisman? Cooperate with you? You think too highly of yourself. Our goal is to eliminate both you and the people from the Abyss Court, to make the world understand the power of the Illuminati."

"I was just testing your limits. Did you really think I was on par with you? How could your Secret Technique Heaven possibly comprehend the true depth of our Illuminati?"

A cold sneer curled the Duke of Destruction’s lips, making him look like an Evil Ghost from Purgatory.

The next moment, Destruction Heaven’s pupils contracted violently. He clearly saw a brilliant light flash on the Duke of Destruction’s right hand, revealing a golden ring.

The ring was inlaid with dazzling rubies that formed shimmering Spells, and it seemed to possess a profound Magic Power.

’A Spirit Treasure?!’

Before Destruction Heaven could think any further, the Duke of Destruction had already blasted a palm strike toward him.

BOOM!

A terrifying crimson light erupted from the Duke of Destruction’s body, surging skyward like bloody magma from the depths of Hell. Boosted by the Spirit Treasure, the vision of Purgatory’s molten rock outshone all other surrounding phenomena.

It seemed as if the Duke of Destruction’s Life Magnetic Field was the star of the show, the hegemon that held the power of life and death.

For a moment, even many of the Ancient Ones who were in the midst of their own battles couldn’t help but look over.

The Duke of Destruction’s own magnetic field and Physical Ability soared in an instant. As he threw the palm strike, his blazing hand created friction with the air, causing the air and water vapor to combust and instantly cover a radius of twenty to thirty meters.

Destruction Heaven immediately channeled his own Life Magnetic Field. The two fleshy Sanskrit characters in the palms of his left and right hands throbbed violently. The two terrifying waves of power merged into one, transforming into layer upon layer of destructive ripples that spread outward.