Chapter 1948: Combined Strength

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The Celestial Walls kept spawning endlessly, but Maria, the Heavenly Demon, Susanoo, and Shiva unleashed their strongest and most devastating attacks. They split through dimensions as they carved their way forward.

The wormhole leading to the next floor continued to contract the longer they remained in this void. To Maria, it was clear that the Jade Emperor was trying to trap them inside this dimensional storm and kill them here.

"Don’t lose hope! Keep going! We are getting closer. I can already see the gate over there!" Maria screamed.

In the far distance, amidst countless spiraling lights, Maria spotted a large gate covered in white chains. It was the gate to the next floor.

Floor 90. The final floor before reaching Heaven, the Domain of the Tower Master.

"I am doing all I can!!!" Shiva roared. His fists bled as he imitated the Heavenly Demon’s technique. "Damn it, this technique is powerful, but it is destroying me! It is not compatible with my body!"

"Are you not the God of Destruction, Shiva?!" Susanoo laughed heartily, swinging his blade with the same majesty as Maria. "Then put real effort into those fists! Make the technique you are copying your own!"

"...!" Shiva’s eyes widened as flames erupted around his body. "You are damn right, you bastard!"

Shiva’s entire form blazed with cosmic chaotic flames. His fists warped space and time as he modified the technique on the spot, transforming it into giant cosmic fists that punched the walls apart.

"Hah, as expected of the great ancient god!" the Heavenly Demon laughed. His long black hair whipped wildly in the intense shockwaves. "Then I will also pour my full strength into every attack!"

Fists and swords smashed and sliced through Celestial Chains and Celestial Walls. They were now only a few dozen walls away from their destination.

The people behind Maria unleashed their auras and struck at the empty void trying to crush them, struggling to protect the rest of the group.

Maria’s Void Aura held them all together, but they had to give everything they had just to survive.

"Almost...! Almost there...! We are almost—Ugh?!"

Suddenly, Maria felt something grip her heart. She vomited blood.

Her Soul Realm trembled violently. The immense Celestial Energy she had absorbed began shaking inside her, attempting to tear her soul and body apart from within.

"Damn it! I am sure I destroyed the Will inside the Celestial Energy! But... is someone else controlling it?! From this distance?!"

Maria was still in the middle of refining the energy and making it her own. Someone with enough authority could still manipulate it and use it to destroy her from the inside.

"Maria! Over there!"

Susanoo quickly alerted her. Maria looked up into the black void above and saw six large figures descending toward them.

Six powerful beings overflowed with the highest level of Heaven and Earth Essence, their Ki refined with the power of Fate and Soul.

"Those are True Immortals!"

The Heavenly Demon felt a chill run down his spine as the deities descended rapidly. They looked different, with white or blonde hair, glowing eyes, and small white feathered wings sprouting from their bodies.

"The Great Jade Emperor has ordered us to stop you at all costs!"

"You will not pass here, mortals!"

"The Gates of Heaven are not for mortals to step on!"

"Especially not a despicable Void Spawn like you!"

The Immortals began combining their power, making intricate hand signs. They manipulated the Essence of Space, Time, Heaven, and Earth, forming a massive formation within the storm of void and chaos.

"{Celestial Immortal Heaven Formation}: {Seven Layered Dimensional Tomb}!"

RUMBLE!

Seven layers of celestial and dimensional energy erupted everywhere. From within Maria, all the Celestial Energy she had devoured surged out, piercing her body like sharp white blades and flying in every direction.

"Gaaaahhh! AAAAAAAGH!"

"Maria?!" Susanoo panicked as Maria screamed in agony. He quickly spread his Sword Aura over her and began slicing through the celestial energy. "Hang in there, Maria! Don’t die!"

"They are using the celestial energy she absorbed against her?!" the Heavenly Demon asked.

"Damn it, why did that idiot eat it all?!" Shiva shouted angrily. "Is she stupid?!"

As they complained, the dimensional energies warped space, halting their advance completely.

Everything turned into a blinding white space as the black void beneath them began sucking everyone downward.

"This damn formation...! Are you kidding me?!" Susanoo screamed in rage. "It stopped us from moving forward and is using all the dimensional energy to intensify the cosmic storm, trying to drag us into nothingness!"

"We will either die or get lost in space forever!" Shiva roared. "Fuck!!!"

"Hm..." The Heavenly Demon’s eyes darted everywhere, analyzing the situation.

"Nnngh...!"

Meanwhile, Maria continued struggling against the cosmic storm. She pushed back with everything she had, even as thousands of celestial swords pierced her body from within her soul.

"This is nothing! NOTHING!"

Her eyes turned pure white, blazing with celestial flames. Countless void jaws emerged around her body as she began devouring the celestial energy once again.

"You think you can stop me?! Guys, charge behind me!!!"

With a furious roar, Maria poured all her strength into a single sword swing.

The Path of Nihility.

The Path of Genesis.

The Path of Oblivion.

All three manifested behind her like powerful halos, their essences combining.

Those with her roared as well, unleashing their strongest techniques to prevent the formation from fully establishing itself.

"{Radiant Chaos: Ultimate Destruction}!!!"

Shiva gathered all his Chaos Power into his palms and released it, elevating the attack toward the Plane of Souls and beyond.

"{Heavenly Demonic Dragon Arts}: {Heavenly Ascension}!!!"

The Heavenly Demon swung both palms upward. His aura exploded into a roaring crimson and black dragon that rushed skyward and ascended into the Plane of Souls.

"{Heaven Sword of Ten Hand-Breadths: Totsuka-no-Tsurugi}!"

Susanoo summoned his legendary sword, embodying it as his own Dream Weapon. The formless blade glowed with radiant white light as storm clouds and thunder surged around his body.

"UUUOOOHHHH!"

The four strongest fighters pushed with all their might, howling against the heavens. They condensed their madness and fused it together to defy fate and those who sought to decide their destiny.

In that moment, their swords and techniques spiraled through Maria’s three paths. All three paths merged into a beautiful golden crown as her Mandala fused with them.

A blade of red, gold, purple, and white surged forth, splitting the celestial pressure before them.

"{Four-Colored Heaven Collapsing Sword}!!!"

RUMBLE!

"Ngh?!"

"Impossible!"

"W-What is this?!"

"Aaaagh!"

The True Immortals screamed in disbelief and agony as the sword pierced their Heavenly Consciousness, crushed their Heaven and Earth Essence, and split their Celestial Energy apart.

BOOOMMM!!!

The formation they had worked so hard to create shattered instantly, exploding into pieces and triggering a massive chain reaction.

The walls before Maria and the others began detonating one after another.

The force of the explosions propelled Maria and everyone protected by her Void Aura through space and time.

"Damn it!"

"NOOO!"

"After them!"

"Don’t let them cross the gate!!!"

The six True Immortals roared, tearing through space and time with their bodies as they chased the group. They targeted Maria’s friends and family, causing her Void Aura to tremble violently under their relentless attacks.

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