The purple lightning and the flame dragon struck the unprotected Hades simultaneously, without precedence. A sound of magical explosion immediately rang out, and Hades’ entire body was instantly engulfed in the radiance brought by the magical assault.

When all the magical attacks concluded and the lingering magical effects faded, the tall figure of Hades was revealed once more.

However, Hades appeared somewhat disheveled now. The clothes on his shoulders were riddled with countless tiny holes, still faintly smoking—the result of Bai Ling’s divine curse attack.

On Hades’ body, there were large patches of scorched marks left by the fire dragon released by Blaze, causing damage. The most severe injury, however, was a gaping wound on his forehead, inflicted by Mo Han’s World-Creating Divine Sword. Streams of strange, black blood ceaselessly trickled from this massive gash, dripping onto the ground below.

Wherever the blood fell, the surrounding earth and vegetation withered rapidly. In the blink of an eye, the ground tainted by Hades’ blood turned a dull black, and all plant life instantly lost its vitality.

What shocked Mo Han and the others the most was that the previous attacks—which they considered the pinnacle of their current strength—had only managed to injure Hades; they were completely incapable of delivering a fatal blow.

Especially after Mo Han’s World-Creating Divine Sword cleaved through Hades’ magical shield, Hades had managed to withstand the magical assault from both Bai Ling and Blaze, two God-level powerhouses, relying solely on his own flesh and blood. For anyone else, even the Dragon Clan, renowned for their magic resistance, would surely have perished under such a barrage of spells.

Yet, Hades had suffered nothing more than severe burns, no life-threatening wounds whatsoever.

This displayed an astonishing, almost monstrous level of resilience in Hades’ physique. Within the memories inherited from the Holy Angel, Mo Han knew that Hades from tens of thousands of years ago was nowhere near this powerful. The abilities Hades was currently exhibiting were completely beyond the scope of Mo Han’s comprehension.

As Hades’ figure became clear, Mo Han and his companions’ spirits instantly plummeted.

“You despicable creatures, daring to harm my vessel! After making you taste every torment the Underworld has to offer, I will forever confine you to the sunless Stygian Sea, where you will suffer for ten thousand years to vent the hatred in my heart!”

Injured, Hades could no longer maintain his former arrogance and roared uncontrollably.

After uttering these threats, Hades swiftly raised the Scythe of Death in his hand.

He lunged violently toward Mo Han. Mo Han was currently in a state of extreme weakness, having continuously depleted his life essence to fuel the power of the Sword World Divine Sword. Mo Han’s physical condition had dwindled to the absolute limit; he could barely muster half his normal strength, let alone stand against an enraged Hades.

But Mo Han was unwilling to die passively. Staring at the oncoming Scythe of Death, Mo Han mustered all his strength to raise his World-Creating Divine Sword to parry. As the two weapons met, a sharp clang echoed. Mo Han felt an incomparably powerful force instantly slam into his sword, and this force rapidly transferred into his own body. Under the impact, Mo Han let out a miserable cry and lost control of his body again, sent flying backward.

But Mo Han had no time to recover.

Hades’ figure was already pursuing Mo Han, who was suspended in mid-air. Hades swiftly caught up to Mo Han’s receding form and brought the Scythe of Death down upon him again without mercy. Mo Han had still not recovered from the previous impact.

It was then that Mo Han truly understood the horror of Hades; this, he suspected, was Hades’ true power. Even at his peak, Mo Han could never have withstood that previous attack, much less in his current weakened state.

Mo Han could only catch a glimpse in his peripheral vision of the Scythe of Death, heavy with the aura of demise, closing in on his waist. If struck, he would undoubtedly be severed in two; even his protective battle aura would likely be useless.

At this moment of life or death, Mo Han could only exert every ounce of his being to swing the World-Creating Divine Sword. Just as the Scythe of Death was about to connect with his body, he managed to intercept its trajectory. The two divine weapons collided once more with a loud crash. Mo Han’s sword finally blocked the scythe’s attack at the crucial instant, but Mo Han’s entire body was once again thrown backward uncontrollably by Hades’ immense power.

Just as Hades prepared to press his advantage, a series of crisp magical incantations quickly sounded from behind him.

“Chaotic lightning symbolizing destruction, electric fear that judges finality. Transform into the sword of wrath, forming a light of retribution. Unbind the chains of fate, shatter the seal of eternity. Lord of Creation and Destruction, hear my oath. At the cost of my life, unleash boundless power once more. Return all things to ultimate nothingness… The Prelude to Nihility.”

Upon hearing the content of Bai Ling’s chant, the expression of the Underworld King Hades instantly turned grave. Hades recognized that the spell Bai Ling was casting was the ultimate lightning magic of the Thunder elemental school—The Prelude to Nihility. Based on Bai Ling’s current strength, she should absolutely not have been able to unleash this ultimate spell, one reserved only for Arch-Mages who had reached the pinnacle of godhood.

But Hades had no time to dwell on why Bai Ling could cast magic beyond her rank. Facing ultimate spells of such earth-shattering power, even the Underworld King dared not be careless, as these ultimate spells of various elements possessed the capability to obliterate a deity. Thus, Hades had to abandon pursuing Mo Han.

Hades’ Scythe of Death instantly erupted with waves of black light, and his entire body began to swell rapidly.

Simultaneously.

Above Mo Han and the others, the sky instantly transformed into a bizarre purple hue, with countless dense, small lightning bolts dancing erratically across it—the effect of the Ultimate Divine Curse. It felt like the end of the world, chilling the bone.

At that moment, Hades’ already towering body in mid-air swelled by more than double, almost reaching the height of a mountain peak. The Scythe of Death in his hand also grew by over a hundred meters, attaining a colossal size.

Just then.

The myriad dense purple lightning bolts in the sky suddenly converged rapidly, quickly forming one massive lightning bolt shining with dazzling purple light. As the multitude of small bolts gathered, this colossal pillar of lightning grew larger and larger, reaching a thickness of several hundred meters.

At the absolute center of the lightning was the Underworld King Hades, now the size of a mountain.

Facing the sheer might of nature, the immense figure of the Underworld King suddenly seemed diminutive.

Finally, as all the lightning concluded its gathering, the enormous purple pillar instantly erupted in blinding white light, illuminating the entire sky. Then, the massive lightning bolt, hundreds of meters thick, carrying world-shattering force, hurtled down toward Hades’ position.

Hades, suspended in the air, let out a heaven-shaking roar, and the Scythe of Death in his hand pulsed with heart-stopping energy. He met the thick lightning bolt head-on without evasion. In an instant, the King’s massive form was completely swallowed by the colossal lightning strike.

The residual force of the lightning, after passing through Hades’ form, struck the valley directly below Mo Han and the others with undiminished momentum. A cataclysmic boom echoed. Mo Han felt the entire earth beneath him tremble violently.

The immediate consequence of the lightning strike was the instantaneous creation of a massive, bottomless sinkhole spanning several kilometers across the ground. Following this, the remaining magical energy continued to surge outward in all directions with astonishing force. Upon encountering the surrounding mountain peaks, it violently hammered against the nearby cliffs. The mountains surrounding the valley shook violently under this tremendous magical power. In a short time, the surrounding peaks collapsed because they could no longer withstand the might of the magical energy, causing another earth-shattering roar. As the residual lightning force carved away the surrounding rock, it expended most of its energy, traveling tens of thousands of meters outward in all directions before slowly dissipating into the air.

When the power of the lightning finally subsided, Mo Han and the others discovered that the dozen or so peaks that had surrounded the valley were now reduced to flat ground, flattened by the bombardment of the ultimate magic. Within the valley, the original open space had collapsed, forming a massive pit nearly ten kilometers wide. The land beyond the valley’s edge had been scorched black by the ravages of the lightning.

The Underworld King Hades, who had been at the direct epicenter of the lightning strike, was somehow still standing stubbornly in place, maintaining his original posture. His eyes were filled with pain—clearly, Hades had sustained significant damage. However, even this ultimate lightning magic had failed to defeat him.

Even so, Hades was far from unscathed. Even the Underworld King seemed strained against the ultimate magic imbued with the majesty of heaven and earth. Hades’ entire body was covered in countless small, terrifying wounds. Yet, these small wounds were only relative to Hades’ massive form; in truth, each cut was nearly a meter in diameter—a fatal injury to any other being, but appearing small on Hades’ gargantuan body. Streams of black blood slowly trickled from the wounds across his frame, and Hades’ entire massive body trembled violently.

At that moment, Hades began to rapidly chant an obscure and profound spell. As the incantation progressed, plumes of black smoke emerged from Hades’ hands, swiftly enveloping his body. Under the coverage of the dark mist, the wounds on Hades’ body that had been hemorrhaging black blood began to slowly cease bleeding, and the look of pain in Hades’ eyes eased considerably.

“Quickly, stop him! He is using the Underworld’s specialized healing magic…”

At this moment, Bai Ling’s weak voice echoed in Mo Han’s ear.

“Bai Ling…”

Remembering Bai Ling, who had expended herself casting the spell, Mo Han immediately flew toward the sound of her voice. He found her collapsed on the scorched earth, her face ashen.

“Bai Ling, how are you?” Mo Han flew quickly to her side with deep concern. Mo Han could detect absolutely no trace of life energy emanating from Bai Ling, and a terrible premonition surged through him. Giving up all restraint, he tightly embraced her in his arms.

Meanwhile, Blaze took advantage of Hades’ healing interval to commence a new round of magical assault.

“Fire Spirits permeating the atmosphere, answer my plea. Unleash endless fury, transform the weak into the strong. Let infinite fluctuations resonate, creating eternal power… Explosive Roar-Tone!”

A massive wave of fire rapidly materialized before Blaze. As more and more Fire Spirits gathered within the flames, the temperature soared higher and higher. The yellow flames slowly began to shift color, gradually turning blood-red. Eventually, they became purple, and a vast expanse of purple fire rushed toward Hades, who was nearly entirely shrouded in black mist, under Blaze’s command.

At this critical moment, Hades, who had been engrossed in healing, suddenly flashed a strange, dark light in his eyes.

Hades’ Scythe of Death swiftly carved an elegant arc through the air. The vast expanse of purple fire was instantly cleaved into countless fragments by the scythe, vanishing into the air.

“The Ultimate Magic of the Lightning school is indeed remarkable,” Hades remarked, sounding regretful, after repelling Blaze’s fire attack. He did not immediately press his offense but instead gazed toward the distant Bai Ling.

“It is fortunate that you did not unleash the Ultimate Divine Curse of the Light element, which is the natural bane of our Underworld. Otherwise, even I might not have withstood the assault of an ultimate light spell,” Hades slowly stated. “It is a pity. Even by exhausting your life force, you could only manage to cast the ultimate spell of the Thunder school. While it managed to severely wound me, it is not sufficient to defeat me with this illusory Prelude to Nihility lightning magic.”

At this point, Hades’ tone shifted abruptly, sounding curious. “However, for you, merely at the Early God level of magical ability, to leap three tiers and cast an ultimate spell that only a God of Magic at the peak could invoke—that truly surprises me. Even by sacrificing your life to temporarily boost your power, you should absolutely not have been able to skip three tiers. Just who are you?”

Hearing Hades’ words, Mo Han finally understood why he had been unable to sense any life force from Bai Ling earlier. She had used her own life force as the price to cast that ultimate lightning spell to save him and defeat the Underworld King. Bai Ling was now perilously close to death. Thinking of this, Mo Han’s heart ached intensely.

“Bai Ling, you foolish girl, is what he says true? You really used your life to cast that spell… you…” Mo Han looked down at the incredibly weak Bai Ling in his arms and asked with heartache.

Seeing Mo Han’s sorrowful expression, Bai Ling managed a gentle smile. “Big Brother Mo Han, don’t be sad. I dislike seeing you unhappy. In truth, I should have died thousands of years ago. Living this long, these extra millennia, I feel I have been fortunate enough, especially to have met you and felt warmth again. It’s just a pity I can’t help you deal with the Underworld King Hades anymore; the rest is up to you. Promise me, Big Brother Mo Han, you must live on. Don’t forget that Daili and Feixue are waiting for you to protect them. I know you can do it. Big Brother Mo Han, I will cheer for you in heaven.”

As she spoke, Bai Ling painfully extended her right hand and gently caressed Mo Han’s cheek. Her entire body began to emit a pure white light, and as the light grew, Bai Ling’s form slowly started to turn transparent.

“No! No, Bai Ling, don’t leave me! You endured so many hardships; you can get through this one too, Bai Ling! I don’t want you to leave me, Bai Ling…”

Watching Bai Ling slowly fade into transparency, Mo Han could no longer control his emotions and cried out uncontrollably. But his grief could not recall the life that had already departed. Bai Ling’s entire body finally dissolved into countless specks of pure white light, slowly drifting upward until they vanished completely.

“That was truly touching, Chen Mo Han. But rest assured, I will soon send you to join your lover so you can be reunited. Now it is time to eliminate the remaining obstacles you few.” The Underworld King Hades looked at the grieving Mo Han and spoke coldly.

Hearing Hades’ words, Mo Han, who had kept his head lowered, suddenly snapped it up, staring coldly at Hades. In Mo Han’s eyes, a faint, multicolored light slowly began to emanate as he fixed his gaze on the King.

“Hades, I will certainly kill you and avenge Bai Ling,” Mo Han coldly spat out these words. He slowly raised the World-Creating Divine Sword beside him, and a powerful aura immediately erupted from Mo Han’s entire being, wildly spreading outward.

Seeing the sudden transformation in Mo Han, Hades’ eyes first showed surprise, which then shifted to an eager gleam. “Not bad. Now you finally exhibit the Holy Angel state you possessed when we fought before. Fighting like this won’t be boring. Come, Chen Mo Han, unleash your full might. Let me see if you have truly reached the power of the Holy Angel at their peak.”

Hearing Hades’ words, Mo Han merely let out a cold snort. His body vanished without warning, instantly reappearing before Hades. The World-Creating Divine Sword in his hand suddenly transformed into countless dazzling beams of light, slashing toward Hades’ massive frame.

Hades showed no weakness, raising the Scythe of Death to meet the deluge of sword shadows head-on. A continuous barrage of clangs echoed incessantly. In a brief span, the World-Creating Divine Sword and the Scythe of Death clashed no fewer than a thousand times. A stream of white light and a stream of black light spun ceaselessly around Hades’ figure, but the white light could not breach the black light’s defense to harm Hades beneath.

“Impressive. Even the former Holy Angel’s strength was only comparable to yours. Among the deities, your power is astonishing. In the past, defeating you would have been quite troublesome for me. Unfortunately, tens of thousands of years have passed, and you remain at this level, whereas I have continuously improved. Therefore, you are even less likely to be my match.”

Hades spoke calmly, enduring Mo Han’s tempestuous assault. Having said this, Hades suddenly roared, his Scythe of Death accurately predicting the trajectory of Mo Han’s sword strike and intercepting it sharply. With three rapid clangs, Hades’ Scythe of Death precisely struck the exact same spot on Mo Han’s World-Creating Divine Sword three times in quick succession.

Struck three times consecutively, Mo Han’s body jerked to a halt. Simultaneously, Hades’ previously free massive left hand instantly appeared before Mo Han. The wide palm sealed off all escape routes around Mo Han. Although Mo Han struggled to dodge, the momentary pause, combined with the sheer size of Hades’ enveloping palm, meant Mo Han could not fully escape the offensive zone. He could only summon his protective battle aura to cover his entire body.

With a loud boom, Hades’ spectacular palm strike impacted Mo Han’s protective aura. Mo Han’s entire body was instantly flung away like a cannonball by the powerful energy contained within Hades’ hand.

At that very moment, a piercing dragon's roar erupted from behind Hades. Blaze had transformed into a colossal black dragon, unleashing torrents of massive magical energy orbs from his maw, weaving them into a gigantic net of destruction that slammed down toward Hades’ silhouette.

It was Blaze, seeing the situation turn dire, who acted without hesitation. In his transformed state, Blaze’s power had surged significantly, and this time, he was pouring forth every ounce of his energy. Amidst the countless orbs streaking across the sky, a faint golden radiance could be discerned—the Dragon Force, unleashed only by the blood of the Royal Dragon lineage.

“Damn it, the Dragon Force. You truly know how to surprise me,” Hades muttered, his brow furrowing as he regarded the bombardment of orbs imbued with draconic power.

Facing projectiles charged with the Dragon Force, Hades dared not be careless. He spun the Scythe of Death in his hand with blinding speed, conjuring countless spectral duplicates of the grim reaper’s tool, deftly parrying Blaze’s magical assault without a flicker of panic.

Simultaneously, Hades’ massive form surged forward again, hurtling toward Blaze. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance to the black dragon Blaze had become. Hades abruptly thrust out his left hand, seizing the black dragon form of Blaze in a powerful grip.

Then, Hades’ right hand swept the Scythe of Death in an arc, accurately cleaving into Blaze’s body.

A shrill, agonizing dragon’s cry echoed as the black dragon was struck. Despite Blaze’s formidable draconic defenses, he could offer no real resistance to the Scythe of Death’s attack.

A spray of golden blood rained down; the black dragon had been sliced clean in two by Hades’ blow, its now lifeless halves plummeting toward the ground.

But before Blaze’s severed body could reach the earth, another flash of dark light trailed from the Scythe of Death.

Innumerable streaks of black energy precisely struck the two halves of Blaze’s form. Suddenly, the entire sky was raining golden blood, and Blaze, unable to even utter a final groan, was utterly pulverized by Hades’ subsequent strikes.

“No... Blaze!”

Witnessing Blaze’s death, Mo Han let out a furious shriek, charging madly toward Hades.

However, Mo Han was already heavily wounded from Hades’ earlier attack and had not yet recovered his full strength. Hades responded with a cold snort, swiftly sweeping the Scythe of Death toward the charging Mo Han.

In his blinding rage, Mo Han disregarded the fact that his current strength was utterly insufficient to meet Hades head-on. He let out a mighty roar.

The Creation God Sword charged forward without yielding, meeting the Scythe of Death head-on.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Countless sharp sounds rang out as the Scythe of Death and the Creation God Sword clashed again in a raw contest of force.

After hundreds of exchanges between the black and white beams of light, Mo Han’s power still could not withstand Hades’ onslaught. He was flung back once more, spitting mouthfuls of blood that he could no longer control.

Worse still, what drove Mo Han to deeper despair was the Creation God Sword—the very artifact he’d relied upon as his final defense against Hades. During this frenzied exchange, upon landing, the sword let out a distinct ping and snapped in two. One broken section now lay limply at Mo Han’s feet.

Hades, seeing the Creation God Sword severed, seemed genuinely surprised by the outcome. He paused, failing to press the advantage, staring blankly, just like Mo Han, at the two pieces of the broken artifact on the ground.

“How is this possible? The Creation God Sword is broken…” Even Hades seemed unable to immediately accept the reality, murmuring softly to himself.

Mo Han’s face was ashen, his gaze fixed on the shattered pieces at his feet. Though his thoughts were unclear, the sheer hopelessness radiating from his eyes betrayed the abyss of despair within him.

“It’s over. Everything is over…” Mo Han whispered hollowly. “Bailing, I’m sorry. I did my best, but I still failed your expectations, unable to defeat Hades, the King of the Underworld.”

“Hahaha! Even the Creation God Sword is broken, Chen Mo Han. Let’s see what you have left to fight me with,” Hades boomed with triumphant laughter now that the fact of the broken sword was confirmed.

Mo Han appeared not to hear Hades. He remained standing frozen for a moment before seeming to make a final resolve. He suddenly lifted his head and spoke with firm resolution: “Even if I die, I will not let you have an easy time, Hades.”

Having said this, Mo Han raised the remaining half of the Creation God Sword and lunged at Hades. However, the fractured weapon seemed to have lost its intrinsic might. Hades casually swung the Scythe of Death, batting Mo Han away again, and the already halved Creation God Sword promptly broke into two smaller pieces.

At the moment the Creation God Sword fractured again, a dazzling light erupted from the broken edges of the blade, instantly illuminating the entire sky. The remnants of the sword in Mo Han’s hands disintegrated into fine powder. Then, this powder began to stream inward, merging into Mo Han’s body. The brilliant light that filled the heavens followed suit, pouring into Mo Han’s form until his entire body was encased in the radiance.

“What in the blazes is this? What is happening?” Staring at Mo Han enveloped in a corona of seven-colored light, a flicker of genuine terror crossed Hades’ eyes for the first time.

Just then, the last vestiges of light from the sky vanished into Mo Han. Standing there, Mo Han now projected an aura that instilled fear in Hades because the Underworld King suddenly found himself utterly unable to gauge the depth of Mo Han’s power.

Given Hades’ current might, even a peak-level deity’s presence should have been perceptible to him. Yet, Mo Han before him was like an ocean—Hades could sense immense power, but he could not fathom its boundaries. Hades knew there was only one explanation for this phenomenon: Mo Han’s current strength must have surpassed his own, making true measurement impossible. This was the result Hades found most unbelievable, the hardest to accept. In his terror, Hades roared.

For the first time, Hades took the offensive. The Scythe of Death transformed once more into countless massive blade shadows, tearing across the sky toward the distant Mo Han. Simultaneously, Mo Han’s tightly shut eyes snapped open, emitting a seven-colored radiance that sent a chill down Hades’ spine.

Facing the expanse of blade shadows, Mo Han merely extended his right hand. The Creation God Sword, which had seemingly vanished, reappeared in his grasp, its blade now radiating a pure, shimmering seven-colored light.

Mo Han then shot forward, moving rapidly toward the endless stream of shadow blades. As these phantom forms, born from the Scythe of Death, encountered the seven-colored aura emanating from the Creation God Sword, they shattered and dissolved into the air. Finally, with a sharp clang, the Creation God Sword precisely locked against the body of the Scythe of Death. Mo Han roared, and the light in his eyes intensified.

Hades found his power insufficient to repel Mo Han’s assault. The Scythe of Death began to move backward, slowly being forced toward Hades’ own body. No matter how hard Hades strained, he could not halt the surge of energy; the Scythe of Death crept closer inch by inch.

“Hades, I will avenge my fallen friends and make you disappear from this space forever,” Mo Han stated, his voice devoid of emotion.

True panic finally flooded Hades’ eyes. He instinctively tried to recall the Scythe of Death, yet he hesitated; to pull back now might mean letting the Creation God Sword strike him before he could escape, hastening his demise. Confronting the newly empowered Creation God Sword, Hades dared not rely on his body to withstand its divine majesty.

Under the crushing pressure of the Creation God Sword, the Scythe of Death began to sink into Hades’ own flesh. Streams of black blood poured from the massive wounds the weapon inflicted. While the inherent death aura of the Scythe could not destroy Hades’ body, the sheer physical damage was considerable.

In mere moments, nearly the entire Scythe of Death was embedded in Hades’ frame. Then, the sword-light trailing from the Creation God Sword began to pierce into Hades’ body as well. Upon contact with the seven-colored brilliance, Hades’ towering physique withered rapidly. wisps of black vapor constantly vented from the wounds carved by the sword, only to be instantly neutralized and dissipated by the protective seven-colored aura surrounding the blade.

The fear in Hades’ eyes twisted into utter despair. A flicker of grim determination crossed his features, and a tremendous surge of energy erupted from his body. Mo Han sensed it instantly and gave a cold laugh. “Attempting self-destruction? I’ll oblige you.”

Mo Han’s figure vanished from his spot. Simultaneously, Hades’ massive body exploded in a cataclysmic boom that shook the very foundations of the space. The force of Hades’ self-immolation swept across the entire area, a devastating wave of power washing over dozens of kilometers. The reign and ambitions of the Underworld King had finally concluded.

Nothing alive within the blast radius of Hades’ detonation could escape. The land where the explosion occurred was instantly rendered a scorched, barren wasteland, incapable of sustaining any life.

Meanwhile, far in the distant heavens, a figure composed of myriad colors slowly materialized—it was Mo Han, who had managed to evade the self-destruction's core. The unique seven-colored glow was gone from his eyes, replaced by sorrow as he gazed upward. “Bailing, did you see? Hades is avenged. I didn’t fail your hopes; I finally defeated him. I know you are watching from above, right? Rest assured, I will live well. I know you would be happy to see me happy, wouldn’t you?”

After speaking these words, Mo Han cast one last look in the direction where Hades vanished, then turned resolutely and flew toward the allied forces stationed near Weihai City.

With the demise of their king, the armies of the Underworld lost all will to fight. Lacking any singular dominating power, they were swiftly routed by the human coalition under Mo Han’s leadership, fleeing back toward the Underworld in disarray. After driving the Nether forces back into the barrier surrounding the ancient ruins of Gulan, Mo Han utilized his newfound 1/2 jump to...