Lord of the Earth

"You ungrateful animal!"

Upon hearing this, the Demon Prince's hypocritical smile vanished instantly, replaced by a furious rage at being slighted!
"Since that's the case, then you humans, along with this useless illegitimate son, will become the final sacrifices on my path to becoming a 'True God'!"

Then, it suddenly opened its mouth.

The nascent form of the quasi-god-level Dao Fruit, which hovered atop the tree, constantly changing and exuding a terrifying allure, seemed to be summoned and transformed into a dark red stream of light, which he swallowed whole!
"Boom - boom -!"

It was as if the gateway to the deepest abyss had been blown open.

An indescribable, viscous, almost tangible dark demonic energy surged from his body, causing the stars within a radius of tens of thousands of miles to flicker!

Hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss...

The Demon Prince's body emitted a teeth-grinding cracking sound as bones popped and flesh writhed, violently expanding and twisting, with jet-black scales and eerie demonic patterns appearing on his skin.

Behind them, boundless demonic energy condensed into a towering phantom of the eight-headed serpent, its eight heads coiled with abyssal flames that seemed capable of burning the soul, and in unison let out a violent roar that shattered the void!

The roar was mixed with the arrogant laughter of the Demon Prince.

His aura was like an erupting volcano, instantly breaking through the shackles of supreme deities and boldly stepping into the domain of the "quasi-gods" currently standing at the top of the pyramid!

Furthermore, because this "prototype of Dao Fruit" was forcibly fused together with the blood and qi of billions of living beings, vengeful spirits, and even the essence of the Yamata no Orochi, it was filled with evil.

This made his power at this moment appear exceptionally violent and chaotic, filled with a desire to destroy everything.

"Now it's harvest time!"

The immense pressure, like a black tsunami, covered the entire Devil Sea, and the huge shadow, carrying suffocating pressure, slammed down on the Qianxia Allied Forces!
At this moment, Xia Tian and Lü Dongbin are joining forces to fight against the Emperor, who has stepped into the level of "pseudo-true god"!

Qi Jiguang and Huang Rong were greatly exhausted from fighting the True God Mark summoned by the Emperor and were in a weakened state of healing. Moreover, due to the Emperor of the Sakura Kingdom's "eternal borders," it was difficult for any other Qianxia "quasi-True Gods" to come to their aid in this area...

Moreover, Qianxia is already facing internal and external troubles due to the civil war among humans and the invasion of alien races. Facing this newly emerged quasi-true god... the situation seems to be extremely critical.

However, at this moment when "the demon's power is overwhelming and it reigns supreme"—

“Brother, you have gone astray.”

A calm yet exceptionally clear voice rang out.

The Demon Prince, who had always been scornfully called a "useless illegitimate son" by the Demon Prince, slowly took a step forward.

hum!
Above his head, the void trembled, and a strange ball of light, with a warm color and a harmonious aura, as if containing a nascent universe, slowly condensed and emerged.

Although its size was far smaller than the enormous and dazzling one that the Demon Prince had swallowed, the Daoist aura it emitted was purer, more stable, and more inexhaustible!
It was none other than a nascent Dao Fruit!

"What?! You...you actually managed to condense a 'prototype of the Dao Fruit' on your own?!"

The phantom of the Demon Prince, "Orochi Demon Emperor," suddenly froze, and the ferocious expressions on the eight snake-shaped heads simultaneously stiffened, filled with disbelief and astonishment.

Even for a supreme race like the Demon Clan, a "quasi-true god" is a huge insurmountable barrier.

Otherwise, why would he go to such lengths to instigate this war that affects billions, using endless blood sacrifices and even plotting to seize the essence of the quasi-true god Yamata no Orochi in order to forge a shortcut?
And his half-brother, whom he had always looked down upon and whose bloodline was "inferior," was actually superior to him in terms of cultivation level and the purity of his path.
How could someone as proud and arrogant as him accept this?!

"It's the inherited method of the human race?! You actually stole the true method of the human race from the true god of the human race?"

A pair of purple demonic eyes stared intently at the nascent Dao Fruit.

Immediately, the Demon Prince seemed to understand something, his eyes filled with jealousy... You must know that in the past, among all the heavens and myriad realms, the human race was famous for its expertise in "learning and teaching"!
"Stealing knowledge?"

The Demon Prince shook his head slightly, his purple eyes gleaming.

"It is exchange, it is verification, and it is also the same path leading to the same goal. Brother, you only see plunder and control, so naturally you will not understand."

It should be noted that the core areas of the Qianxia Dynasty, such as "Baiyujing" and the "Yaochi Palace and Guanghan Palace" in the "Heavenly Court Ruins", have always strictly prohibited outsiders from entering.

However, there were two exceptions.

First, there's the dragon clan's female prodigy who married Zhao Yun, possesses the bloodline of the Azure Dragon, and has become the commander of the Qianxia Legion; second, there's the Demon Prince who has repeatedly assisted Qianxia at crucial moments, demonstrating his unwavering allegiance!
Humans are never stingy with reciprocation when it comes to true friends.

"Hmph! They've only acquired some unorthodox methods from the human race. Even the true gods of humanity were slaughtered by the combined forces of the gods... You've obtained these inferior inheritances from them, so you're nothing more than a larger ant!"

The Demon Prince's eyes darkened. Suppressing his shock and anger, he shouted sharply.

"So what if you've condensed the rudimentary form of a Dao Fruit? With your own strength, plus this group of weak humans, can you withstand the might of my Abyss Demon Tree? Let me show you what true 'demon' power is!"

With a thought, the pitch-black demon mother tree beneath his feet, which had devoured the Yamata no Orochi and was nine thousand miles tall, trembled violently. Countless painful faces wailed on the trunk, and the branches danced wildly like demons.

Those Devil Fruit users who were affected by the power of the Mother Tree and went berserk and controlled had their red light intensify and their madness increased by three points. Among them were many powerful beings who roared and rushed towards Qian Xia's lines, making the scene even more chaotic!

However, it wasn't only the Demon Prince and Qianxia's army that responded to him.

"Rubber rubber... Giant's Axe!"

A clear yet resolute roar rang out.

A boy wearing a straw hat swelled to a height of a hundred miles, his entire body covered in black and red lightning-like divine power. His huge feet were wrapped in boiling, scorching energy, and he slashed down from the sky like a god's battle axe.

Instead of attacking Qianxia, ​​they ruthlessly trampled on a group of ferocious sea beasts and pirate fleets that were charging the fiercest and completely controlled by demonic energy!

With a deafening roar, the sea was cleaved open into a deep valley, and the violent impact even caused the red control lights on the ability users within range to sway!
hum!
Just as another torrent of demonic energy was about to breach a section of the Qianxia defense line, the sky was suddenly illuminated by a patch of cool, blue flames.

A figure streaked across the sky at incredible speed, unfurling a pair of magnificent wings made entirely of this strange flame.

Like a legendary immortal bird, it plunged straight into the most densely populated area of ​​the pirate group.

"Azure Flame Goose Feather!"

With a clear shout, he flapped his wings violently, and countless sharp feathers formed from azure flames shot out like a torrential rain. These fiery feathers easily pierced and burned the attacking demonic snakes and pirates.

When it touches the wounded soldiers of the Qianxia Army, it transforms into a warm healing light, rapidly healing their wounds.

"It's 'Straw Hat' Luffy and 'Phoenix' Marco!"

Pirates from the "Devil's Sea" recognized the two men's signature abilities and exclaimed in surprise.

Not just two—

"ROOM·Baton!"

A hemispherical transparent space opened up instantly, freezing and redirecting a dense barrage of venom, projectiles, and fire attacks.

Trafalgar Law, the "Surgeon of Death," was pale but his eyes were calm. With a flick of his finger, he summoned a group of pirates.

"Arrows of Captives!" The Pirate Empress Boa Hancock moved with the grace of a dancer, her slender fingers lightly touching her red lips, drawing out countless pink heart-shaped beams of light that transformed into a rain of arrows across the sky.

Some of the less resolute pirates under her control instantly stiffened, petrifying from the inside out, clearing a path behind her. "Thunderstorm!" "Shadow Assemble!" "Diamond Impact!" "Magma Hell!"...

One by one, names that once dominated the world of "One Piece" and various strange and powerful Devil Fruit abilities erupted on the battlefield.

Nami summoned a thundercloud storm that enveloped a vast sea area, Moria controlled shadow bats that tore apart demonic figures, Jozu transformed into a diamond giant and rampaged through the monster horde, and Akainu's lava fist boiled and evaporated large swathes of the sea...

Indeed, those "pirates" who were previously captured by Qianxia's side.

At this moment, they actually stepped in to help!
"How can it be?!"

The Demon Prince was both shocked and furious to see that a considerable number of the "Fruit" ability users who were supposed to become his puppets were turning against him!
"A bunch of ants from the lower world dare to defy the will of the Mother Tree?!"

"Don't you understand yet?"

The Demon Prince's voice grew colder, and the void behind him began to ripple.

"You're not the only one here who possesses the 'Demon Mother Tree'..."

He raised his hand and gestured, and a phantom image of a giant tree appeared, equally majestic in appearance, but with a faint purple aura flowing throughout its body. Among its branches and leaves, stars seemed to rise and fall, and its aura was more balanced and peaceful, yet also profound and unfathomable.

It slowly rose up behind him, facing the dark mother tree from afar!
"This is a newly born demonic mother tree that has been reforged by the human race's true god using the Way of Creation and integrated into the rules of the Eternal Land. It can also nurture power, but it places more emphasis on contracts, growth, and resonance, rather than forced domination!"

Generally speaking, only the direct descendants of the Demon Emperor are qualified to cultivate and control the Demon Mother Tree.

However, when the gods and humans were at war in the past, the demons made an earth-shattering deal with a powerful human, which involved a core branch of the "Primordial Mother Tree".

This branch eventually merged with the rules of the "Illusory Sea" and the "One Piece" world, evolving into that world's unique Devil Fruit system!

And this branch, refined by the rules of the human race, is now in the hands of the Demon Prince!

At this moment, the two demon mother trees, which originated from the same source but have taken completely different paths, confront each other from a distance. The duel between the demon prince and the demon king has become another key battlefield in the battle between Xia Tian and the emperor!
“Very good…very good!”

The Demon Emperor, who was transformed from the Demon Prince, roared in fury, and his eight snake heads danced wildly.

"I never expected that you, a piece of trash, would not only steal the branch of the mother tree that should have belonged to the direct lineage, but also transform it into this state! Perfect, I will devour you, this 'rebellious tree,' along with your Dao fruit, and my demonic mother tree will surely become even more powerful..."

At the same time, his eyes were filled with greed.

This is because, having reached the level of "quasi-true god," he was able to see the power of rules on the "demon tree" behind the Demon Prince... It was a Daoist charm that had completely merged with the rules of the Eternal Land!
If he could seize the other party's "mother tree" and merge it with his own, he would not only enhance the power of the "innate spiritual root" in his possession.

Furthermore, it can further complete its own "prototype of Dao Fruit" and have the opportunity to truly glimpse the threshold of the supreme "True God"!
"Demonize the world!"

The Demon Prince drove the pitch-black mother tree behind him.

Suddenly, countless branches transformed into all-consuming demonic serpents, carrying the filth of the abyss and the resentment of Orochi, tearing and biting across the sky.

The Demon Prince's newborn mother tree swayed gently, scattering countless starlight rays. When the starlight touched the demon serpent, it emitted a purifying "sizzling" sound, the filth on the serpent's surface was eroded, and its movements became sluggish.

At the same time, the roots of the newborn mother tree shimmered, as if drawing even more vast and pure support from Qianxia's "luck," enabling the Demon Prince to advance steadily.

That ferocious attack was actually neutralized and pushed back layer by layer by what seemed to be a gentle force.

"What? How is this possible!"

The Demon Prince's face darkened. How could he be at a disadvantage in the duel when his "mother tree" was clearly the more authentic one?

"Your power is nothing more than an accumulation forcibly bestowed by the 'Demon Tree.' Rather than saying you control the mother tree, it's more accurate to say you are a tool for the mother tree to absorb nutrients and release its own power."

The Demon Prince's purple eyes shone brightly, and the newly born "Human Race Demon Mother Tree" behind him shone brightly. Countless vines and root phantoms carrying starlight spread out, actively meeting the dark and twisted branches of the other tree.

"From beginning to end, you have never truly stepped out of your own 'path'. You couldn't even condense the 'prototype of the Dao Fruit' through your own enlightenment. What right do you have to talk about the 'True God's Great Dao'?"

"Bastard! A fake tree that has been altered beyond recognition, and a mere illegitimate son of a lowly god, dare to lecture me, the prince!"

The Demon Prince roared, his true form merging with the phantom of the eight-headed demonic serpent behind him, transforming into a terrifying eight-headed being, half-human and half-demon. Its claws tore through the air, carrying abyssal flames and corrupt laws, as it personally pounced on the Demon Prince. The pitch-black mother tree also launched its attack simultaneously, with countless demonic serpents blotting out the sky.

The Demon Prince's eyes narrowed, and his figure also changed.

With his purple hair flying, his noble demonic horns shone brightly, and mysterious demonic patterns appeared on his skin. His aura was ethereal yet powerful. He had not completely "demonized" but maintained a near-human fighting posture, using human martial arts to fight back!

"boom--!!!"

The first direct collision between the two was a clash of pure power and magic, unleashing a continuous ring-shaped shockwave that evaporated the Devil Sea below, creating a bowl-shaped depression spanning thousands of miles!

The Demon Prince's eight heads shrieked, his claws flailing wildly, each strike carrying a deadly poison that eroded the soul and a tremendous force that tore through space.

The Demon Prince moved with ethereal grace, weaving through the frenzied attacks. His purplish-black magic flowed at will, coalescing into sharp blades, sturdy shields, and entwined chains, allowing him to precisely parry, deflect, and counterattack.

His attacks were not as frightening as the Demon Prince's, but they were more efficient.

Each strike hits the core of the opponent's magical energy, producing a deafening clang like metal clashing, and sending up bursts of destructive magical light that shatters the very fabric of space...

"Your close-combat skills... have reached such a level?!"

The Demon Prince grew increasingly alarmed as the battle progressed.

His half-brother not only mastered the "prototype of the Dao Fruit," but also possessed a level of skill in physical combat and the application of magical power that was the most basic and talent-testing skill among demons, which was no less than that of his direct descendant, the prince!

"During the summer, I learned a great deal from exchanging ideas with the generals of the human race."

The Demon Prince responded calmly, seizing an opening in his opponent's defenses. He delivered a palm strike, wreathed in starlight, to the Demon Prince's snake-like neck, sending him flying with a painful roar!

"Damn it! Demon Abyss Devourer!"

The Demon Prince was enraged.

The "Orochi Demon Emperor" incarnates with eight heads raised, spewing out eight abyssal breaths of different natures, mixed with the original negative forces such as decay, chaos, curse, and despair, which converge into a torrent powerful enough to annihilate everything.

The Demon Prince's expression was solemn as he rapidly formed hand seals. Behind him, the phantom of the newborn Mother Tree cast down rays of clear light, which combined with his own magical power to transform into a rotating purple halo in front of him, imprinted with the stars of the heavens and ancient demonic runes!
"Myriad Laws Star Rotation!"

The torrent of demonic serpent breath from the "Abyss" slammed violently into the "Starry Wheel," the turbulent force affecting a radius of tens of thousands of miles...

The halo vibrated violently, and the stars flickered, yet it stubbornly resisted, deflecting some of the corrupting power, and the two were locked in a battle of pure magic and law.

The space around them kept collapsing and repairing itself, in an endless cycle...

Meanwhile, the battle between the two mother trees intensified. The dark mother tree serpent frantically tore at the branches of the newborn mother tree, but the starlight falling from the branches and leaves of the newborn mother tree transformed into purple dragons that devoured the black serpents one by one...

Its roots draw continuous support from the abundant energy and clouds of summer, giving it a long-lasting and powerful effect.

As the tide receded, the dark mother tree's offensive began to show signs of fatigue... (End of Chapter)