Wan Lei stomped his right foot hard against the barrier of the Myriad Fires Plane, his figure erupting forward as he raised his sword once more to attack the Illusion Heart Demon Emperor.
At this moment, the Illusion Heart Demon Emperor was almost as devoid of reason as Wan Lei. Her face was contorted, her demeanor frenzied, as she threw punches forward, desperately wishing to smash Wan Lei into a bloody pulp.
Fortunately, Wan Lei was bolstered by his armor and the Demonic Ring, granting him formidable defense, and his God-Slaying Sword was indestructible. Each time he clashed with her, Wan Lei held the God-Slaying Sword defensively. Before long, the Illusion Heart Demon Emperor's fists were covered in wounds, grievous Dao injuries that could not be reversed.
The Illusion Heart Demon Emperor's hands were now crippled, her combat power greatly diminished. Every punch she threw was accompanied by a pain that could tear apart the soul, leaving her immensely frustrated.
She was desperately trying to kill Wan Lei, her surging hatred having stripped her of all sanity. As long as she could eliminate this ant before her, she was willing to pay any price.
Even the price of detonating her final Imperial Sun!
"Explode!!!"
As the Illusion Heart Demon Emperor shrieked madly, the last black Imperial Sun shattered, transforming into streaks of light that flowed into the Illusion Heart Demon Emperor's brow.
The time limit from the explosion of the previous Imperial Sun, which had briefly boosted her power, had not yet passed, and now this one had exploded.
At this moment, the Illusion Heart Demon Emperor's power was unprecedentedly strong, comparable to a Three-Sun Demon Emperor!
"You little thief, you are destined to die today!!!"
The Illusion Heart Demon Emperor roared hysterically, throwing another punch forward.
The previous injuries to her hands had not healed, even after she detonated another Imperial Sun. The terrifyingly extreme power merely numbed the pain for the moment.
She knew that if she continued fighting, her hands would surely be ruined, but what of it? This price was nothing compared to the cost of detonating an Imperial Sun.
Moreover, if she could kill Wan Lei this time and return with that ring to the Negative Plane, perhaps the Demon Lord, in his delight, would help her recover her Imperial Sun.
As for the Dao injuries on her hands, she was a Demon Emperor skilled in illusions; she wouldn't always fight crudely with her fists like she did against Wan Lei.
They had been fighting for a long, long time, neither showing signs of fatigue, colliding fiercely like perpetual motion machines.
Wan Qingyi and Ruo Shui Qiu, while fighting their own opponents, kept a close watch on Wan Lei. After all, Wan Lei was the weakest link on their side, and they had to remain vigilant.
However, the scene before them truly stunned them.
The Illusion Heart Demon Emperor had been forced to detonate two Imperial Suns, pushing her power to the absolute peak, equivalent to the strength of a Three-Sun Saint. Whether in the Positive Plane or the Negative Plane, such combat power was considered top-tier, unmatched by anyone except Immortal Venerables and Demon Lords.
Yet, Wan Lei consistently grew stronger against stronger opponents. Even when facing the strength of three Suns, he was like an unkillable cockroach, being sent flying repeatedly only to bounce back, sword in hand, hacking away.
Time passed, another day gone.
The Illusion Heart Demon Emperor, locked in fierce battle with Wan Lei, suddenly felt her aura weaken considerably, though she could still exert power exceeding that of two Suns.
But this power was significantly less than before.
The time limit from the detonation of her first Imperial Sun had arrived.
Wan Lei, lacking much rationality, did not consider this. However, the Illusion Heart Demon Emperor clearly felt her strength diminishing greatly.
She panicked.
The time between detonating her second Imperial Sun and the first was not significant. This meant the time limit for her second Imperial Sun's detonation was also fast approaching.
By then, she wouldn't even be able to exert Demon Emperor power. With Wan Lei's terrifying combat prowess, a single sword strike would easily kill her.
No, she had to deal with Wan Lei quickly. No, she had to do it immediately.
The Illusion Heart Demon Emperor's eyes turned blood red. She gathered all the power within her body and the explosive force of her Imperial Sun, concentrating it into her bloodied and shattered fists. She launched her strongest strike at the approaching Wan Lei.
At this moment, Wan Lei was raising his sword to cleave at her.
"Die!!!"
The Illusion Heart Demon Emperor roared, unleashing this ultimate punch.
Boom!!!
A world-shattering roar echoed as the Illusion Heart Demon Emperor's fist exploded.
"Hahahahaha..."
The Illusion Heart Demon Emperor laughed wildly, an indescribable sense of catharsis washing over her.
At this point, she was completely devoid of any strength. She possessed the body of a Demon Emperor but no longer the power of one.
But fortunately, she had witnessed with her own eyes her punch shattering that little thief.
She was ruined, but the little thief was dead. Next, she should find that ring and take it back to the Negative Plane.
Suddenly, behind the Illusion Heart Demon Emperor, a thunderous explosion sounded.
This sound sent chills down the Illusion Heart Demon Emperor's spine. She couldn't comprehend it. Wan Lei was dead, and Wan Qingyi was so far away. Who could control lightning?
Unfortunately, she didn't have time to get an answer. Her eyes saw a sword light emerge from her neck, slashing towards the distance.
To be precise, a sword light had severed her neck from behind.
The Illusion Heart Demon Emperor's head flew off. She watched as her head drifted further and further away from her headless body.
Then, she saw Wan Lei, clad in armor and wielding the God-Slaying Sword, thrusting his sword towards her brow.
"No!!!"
The Illusion Heart Demon Emperor's head, with its last ounce of strength, managed to utter a single word.
"Did you really think I had no reason left?"
Wan Lei's voice reached the Illusion Heart Demon Emperor's ears. The voice seemed to carry immense pain, suppressed madness, and savagery as it was spoken.
Wan Lei still retained some reason. Previously, he had followed his instincts, fighting to the death without retreat, like a killing machine, all to numb the Illusion Heart Demon Emperor.
In the final moment, he had unleashed a divine ability he hadn't used in years—the假身 (Jia Shen), or False Body.
The False Body took the fatal blow, while his true body had already used Lightning Escape to reach the Illusion Heart Demon Emperor's back.
Wan Lei's sword cleaved down, and the Illusion Heart Demon Emperor's head exploded.
She died in the Positive Plane. Even if the Demon Lord wished to resurrect her, it would be impossible.
"Well done, Wan Lei, hahahaha."
Seeing Wan Lei kill the Illusion Heart Demon Emperor, Wan Qingyi roared with laughter, while the Respectful Virtuous Demon Emperor and Luo Fei Demon Emperor were struck with chills, as if plunged into an ice cave.
A Demon Emperor had died.
For over fifty thousand years of war between the Positive and Negative Planes, apart from the initial battle in the Ghost Realm where many Demon Emperors and Saints perished, there had been very few instances of such powerful beings dying.
Back then, when the Positive and Negative Planes briefly ceased hostilities, the Immortal Venerable and Demon Lord had reached an agreement to resurrect their fallen Saints and Demon Emperors.
Subsequently, on the Battlefield of the Bitter Sea, even if occasional Saints and Demon Emperors fell, the Venerables on both sides would immediately resurrect them, as nurturing a Saint or Demon Emperor was truly not easy.
But this time was different. A Demon Emperor had died in the Positive Plane. The Immortal Venerable would certainly not allow the Demon Lord to resurrect her; she was truly gone.