Chapter 901: A Battle Like a God

No one expected the Lord of Red Gold Mountain, Da Yi, to appear in this form; in their understanding, this Da Yi should have been just another Lord of the Hundred Mountains, someone who, for some reason, had taken that step and was merely about to undergo the ancestral gods’ trial.

In terms of strength, the Lord of Divine Wood felt confident he could defeat him.

But now.

A figure over thirty zhang tall appeared before them—this overwhelming pressure stripped even the Lords of the Hundred Mountains of their courage to fight, and even the Grand Priest Mu Wu urged his own clan chief to surrender.

If they surrendered now, they could avoid a great battle; perhaps the Divine Wood clan’s blood warriors wouldn’t perish here.

Of course, the cost would be severe: they would have to surrender Divine Wood City and hand over the ancestral tree guarded by generations to this Lord of Red Gold Mountain, forcing the Divine Wood clan to flee far away and rebuild their home elsewhere.

“Surrender? How could the clan chief of the Divine Wood lineage possibly surrender?” Yet upon hearing this from Grand Priest Mu Wu, the Lord of Divine Wood immediately flew into rage.

But his anger was not directed at Mu Wu—it was aimed at the Lord of Red Gold Mountain, Da Yi, before him.

Even if Da Yi was in transformation, he was not yet a god; as a Lord of the Hundred Mountains, how could he surrender without even fighting? Would that not make the warriors of the Divine Wood lineage a laughingstock across the land?

Upon hearing his clan chief’s words, Grand Priest Mu Wu’s expression grew complex, but he knew it was indeed cruel to force a Lord of the Hundred Mountains to surrender so easily.

“If the clan chief refuses to surrender, then invite the Lord of the Great Wasteland to join you in challenging this Da Yi—this is the only chance to defeat him.”

Upon hearing this, the Lord of Divine Wood’s expression changed: “That would mean breaking the ancient rules passed down through generations on this land.”

“Breaking the rules is better than the annihilation of the Divine Wood lineage,” said Grand Priest Mu Wu. “Besides, wasn’t Da Yi himself once allied with others to defeat Huohuo and seize Red Gold Mountain?”

“That’s different,” said the Lord of Divine Wood. “At that time, Da Yi was not yet a mountain lord—he had not yet entered a mountain lord-level battle. He merely united a group of powerful warriors to surround and kill Huohuo, which was permitted on this ancient land.”

The Grand Priest wanted to urge further.

But Li Yi gave them no more time to think—he spoke, his voice rolling like thunder across heaven and earth: “Lord of Divine Wood, since you’ve accepted the challenge, what are you waiting for? Are you afraid you cannot defeat me? Are you considering retreat? As Lord of Red Gold Mountain, I permit you to surrender—but from this day forward, Divine Wood City shall be mine, and your warriors must leave this land forever, settling at least three thousand li away.”

“Da Yi, are you mocking me? If you want to fight, then fight! Divine Wood City will never be handed to you—I will take your head today and sever your path to godhood!” roared the Lord of Divine Wood.

The moment he finished speaking—

That thirty-zhang-tall giant raised his fist like a silver meteor crashing down, radiating countless beams of light as lightning split the sky, and the roar of dragons and tigers echoed through heaven and earth.

Li Yi did not hesitate—he struck.

Just a simple punch, yet the power unleashed by this new body was terrifying; even though his transformation was not yet complete, he still had full confidence in crushing a Lord of the Hundred Mountains.

Seeing this, the Lord of Divine Wood’s pupils shrank sharply, his roar cut off—but as a warrior, instinct snapped him back to awareness. With a thunderous bellow, golden patterns like leaves of gold blazed across his mighty frame.

The golden light was dazzling, brilliant, illuminating all of heaven and earth.

Within that golden radiance, the Lord of Divine Wood himself transformed into a giant—a giant with golden hair flowing like flames, as ancient wills slumbering in his blood awakened within the fabric of heaven and earth.

At that moment, the Lord of Divine Wood seemed to have become a god himself, wielding incomparable divine power.

But his divine body was illusory, unreal.

This meant he was now using a divine technique—briefly unleashing immense power; once the technique ended, he would revert to his original form, even weaker than before.

“Fall back! A battle between mountain lords can destroy this land—do not get caught in it!” cried Grand Priest Mu Wu of the Divine Wood lineage, swiftly leading the warriors present to retreat.

Otherwise, the residual power unleashed could kill warriors standing too close.

Xiang Xiangzi and Xuan Yuezi, seeing this, also had to retreat temporarily, instructing the cultivation masters to unite and protect Red Gold Mountain—do not let it be damaged, for their foundation lay here, and they would live here for a long time to come.

The giant formed by the Lord of Divine Wood now swung his fist, like a blazing sun crashing forward—ruthless, ferocious; where it passed, the earth melted, the sky turned crimson, as if ready to burn all things to ash.

BOOM!

The fists of the two giants collided—lightning and fire intertwined, divine power clashed with divine technique, boundless might erupted in that instant, and the residual force surged outward like an ocean.

This power could kill warriors below the level of Twenty Mountains; even cultivators of the Three Flowers Realm turned pale, dared not face its edge, and retreated far away, uniting to resist the residual force.

But before this residual force had fully subsided, the dazzling sun rose again.

“Da Yi, again!” roared the Lord of Divine Wood; he still maintained his divine technique, still dominant and invincible. As a blood warrior of the Lord of the Hundred Mountains level, extending the technique’s duration was possible.

After all, he was on the verge of undergoing the trial to become a god himself.

Li Yi’s expression remained calm; he had not yet used his full strength—he was merely adapting to the power of this new body. After all, his primordial spirit form was not yet fully in sync with his newly transformed body; having a sparring partner was ideal.

“Did my restraint make you believe you could defeat me? Today, I shatter your illusions.” He strode forward, stepping upon auspicious clouds, draped in five-colored qi, silver radiance flowing over his body coiling like thunder and lightning around his arms.

At this moment, he resembled a thunder god emerging from ancient times—every gesture exuded supreme divine authority.

At this moment, Li Yi raised the Divine Jade Spear of the Demon King; though his body had grown larger, the Divine Jade Spear had grown larger too—such a divine weapon’s size-shifting was its most basic ability, nothing extraordinary.

As inner acupoints surged with magic power, divine power and magic power intertwined, the Demon King Weapon unleashed astonishing might.

Without any flashy techniques, the giant formed by Li Yi simply raised his spear and thrust forward.

This strike could not be dodged—it was faster than lightning.

Nor could it be blocked—the very space had been torn open by a jagged, monstrous rift.

The instant the attack landed—

Heaven and earth darkened abruptly; the divine phantom, radiant as the sun, was pierced straight through the chest—the might of the Demon King Weapon exploded, shattering half of the divine phantom’s body.

Lightning crashed, the earth trembled.

Only in the second exchange, the Lord of Divine Wood spat a gout of golden blood, his entire body flying backward like a mountain collapsing.

“Defeated so quickly?” The Lord of the Great Wasteland, watching from afar, was stunned.

Was this Lord of Red Gold Mountain, Da Yi, truly so powerful? Even with ancestral power and sustained divine technique, the Lord of Divine Wood had been outright repelled.

Other warriors of the Divine Wood lineage, seeing the sun extinguished and their chief flung away, felt as if heaven had collapsed; panic and chaos erupted.

“Stay calm! The clan chief has not lost!” roared Grand Priest Mu Wu, steadying their morale.

The Lord of Divine Wood, flung far away, had not yet fallen—he endured the follow-up assault with his formidable physique, roared again, and his body erupted once more in blinding golden light; at this moment, his golden blood seemed to ignite.

His sturdy, muscular frame visibly withered away.

“He’s burning his divine blood—he’s going all out,” Li Yi observed, recognizing the sight.

When he had defeated the Lord of the Northern Wasteland, the man had done the same—burning divine blood to unleash power far beyond his normal limits, though at a terrible cost.

By doing this, the Lord of Divine Wood had severed his own hope of becoming a god.

And the effect of such a blood warrior burning himself was terrifying.

The dazzling golden light coalesced again—this time, the Lord of Divine Wood seemed to shatter some invisible boundary; in an instant, he transformed into a thirty-zhang-tall giant, no longer illusory, but utterly real—golden patterns on his skin wove together into the silhouette of a blazing sun.

And unimaginably, above his head, the sky itself seemed to burn—golden flames blanketed the heavens, as if the divine omen of godhood had descended once more.

An ancient, primordial force and will subtly strengthened the Lord of Divine Wood.

At this moment, he seemed as if his ancestral gods had fully awakened, determined to defeat this mighty foe for their descendants.

“Is this even possible?” Li Yi’s gaze sharpened.

The depth of this barbaric world was terrifying.

Dead gods were not truly dead—their power and will lingered within heaven and earth, often secretly aiding their descendants, enabling their blood warriors to burst forth with immense strength.

But forcibly borrowing ancestral power came at a terrible cost.

Once time ran out, the Lord of Divine Wood would burn himself completely, welcoming death.

“Da Yi, give me your life!” roared the Lord of Divine Wood, his eyes blazing golden, thick with murderous intent.

His body could not withstand this power—he had to crush Da Yi in the shortest time possible, or he would be defeated.

The divine phantom, like a sun, marched across the ancient land—each step crushed the earth beneath it into molten lava.

Endless flames coiled around him like a fire serpent.

Though he had no weapon, his swinging fists unleashed the power of the sun, capable of obliterating everything before him.

The Lord of Divine Wood leapt into the air, both fists slamming toward Da Yi.

The attack was simple, unadorned, saturated with primal savagery.

This was the way of battle in the barbaric world.

Spells? They were unnecessary.

Li Yi raised his Divine Jade Spear to block.

Ten-thousand-zhang golden light, laced with golden flame, erupted outward—this stray power could pierce through mountain ranges; the Demon King Weapon, stolen from the Golden Feather Demon King, bent under the blow, visible cracks forming across its surface.

Even Li Yi’s thirty-zhang-tall body was driven deep into the earth by the force.

(End of Chapter)