In the blink of an eye, Long Zhantian's body became covered in black dragon scales, two horns sprouted from his forehead, and his head transformed into that of a dragon; overall, he resembled a bipedal dragon.

Yet, strangely, a pair of enormous wings burst from his back—wings unique to the Demon Dragon lineage. Long Zhantian was, after all, the Demon Dragon King, and he was a descendant of Yinglong. One could only wonder if Ye Jingyu and the others would be utterly dumbfounded upon learning this secret.

At this moment, however, Ashura showed no sign of astonishment. He merely watched Long Zhantian quietly, seemingly unconcerned that his opponent had elevated his power to its absolute peak.

Soon, the strength displayed by Long Zhantian reached the pinnacle of the Demon King realm. Even then, Ashura made no move to intervene. It was only when Long Zhantian’s body pierced through the barrier into the Demon Emperor realm that a subtle change flickered across Ashura’s face.

“I never imagined it; after all these years, you’ve finally broken through this level. But, what a pity, what a pity!” Seeing that Long Zhantian had indeed achieved the Demon Emperor realm, Ashura’s expression held no surprise or fear, but rather an abundance of regret, as if lamenting that Long Zhantian should never have reached this stage.

“Pity? Pity for what? Do you truly believe that, in your current state, you can still kill me? You should know: once one attains this level, unless instantly annihilated, you can never truly slay me. Even if I cannot defeat you, I am certainly strong enough to hold you back until Hei Mingba arrives!” Observing the regret in Ashura’s eyes, Long Zhantian spoke with measured calmness.

“I only meant it’s a shame you entered the Demon Emperor realm now. If you had reached it sooner, with your strength combined with Hei Mingba’s, you would have been enough to obliterate me. But now?” With that, Ashura suddenly stepped forward, closing the distance in an instant, and drove a single punch directly toward Long Zhantian’s sternum.

Long Zhantian felt as if he weren't being struck by a fist, but that the entire heaven and earth were collapsing upon him. Beneath this single blow, he felt like a tiny skiff adrift on a vast ocean, moments from annihilation. Had his power escalated once more?

Though these thoughts raced through his mind, Long Zhantian instinctively guarded his chest with both arms. The immense power of the Demon Dragon coalesced before him, forming a colossal black shield, an attempt to withstand Ashura’s strike.

With a sharp crack, the black shield before Long Zhantian shattered instantly. Next, Ashura’s fist slammed savagely into Long Zhantian’s arm. The sheer force propelled Long Zhantian backward as if he were a cannonball, rocketing hundreds of zhang before crashing heavily into a structure known as Qinshan.

The impact of such colossal power failed to cause the slightest tremor in Qinshan; not even a single stone dislodged. Instead, Long Zhantian’s body was violently jolted, his blood churning fiercely. Yet, he quickly stabilized, shaking out his arm, which appeared utterly unmarked.

Witnessing this result, a flicker of surprise crossed Ashura’s face. He clearly hadn't expected Long Zhantian’s physical body to be so rugged as to absorb his full-force attack without so much as a scratch. And he was merely a nascent Demon Emperor?

This first exchange with Ashura—this first sensation of an aura exponentially mightier than his own—yet the result was merely a slight numbness in his arm. A fierce confidence immediately ignited within Long Zhantian’s heart.

So what if you, Ashura, are powerful? So what if you’ve reached the peak of the Demon Emperor realm? Can you possibly ascend to the Demon Sovereign realm? The physical cultivation technique he practiced was handed down personally by the Ancestor Yinglong. Could Ashura truly shatter that foundation?

However, Long Zhantian showed no inclination to attack first. His physical body was formidable, and perhaps enduring a blow or two meant little, but he understood the significant gulf still separating him from Ashura. Holding him back was possible, but outright victory seemed nearly unattainable.

Having regained his confidence, he was not foolishly arrogant. He shifted his stance, channeling his inner demonic energy relentlessly, preparing for a purely defensive stand.

Seeing that Long Zhantian harbored no intention of initiating an assault, a cruel smile curled Ashura’s lips. If you refuse to attack, then do not blame me for my ruthlessness.

His immense aura exploded outward, his once passable features contorting into a savage mask. His body dissolved into a torrent of bloody light, hurtling toward Long Zhantian in continuous surges.

Swish, swish, swish, swish...

Suddenly, Ashura’s form fragmented into thousands of duplicates, each striking at Long Zhantian simultaneously. His speed had reached a level incomprehensible to ordinary beings.

In the span of a breath, Ashura unleashed tens of thousands of punches, the ferocious intent of which battered Long Zhantian from every angle. Given his current strength and speed, evasion was impossible; he could only rely on the demonic power coursing within him to resist.

Long Zhantian’s flesh was tough, but he had no avenue for escape; he could only absorb the onslaught passively. There was an ancient adage: 'Dripping water pierces stone.' If water can wear down stone, how much more potent was Ashura, whose strength surpassed his own?

When Ashura finally retreated, the solid scales covering Long Zhantian’s body were now riddled with fissures, many completely smashed away. Dark purple blood seeped out in rivulets.

Even one of his hardest dragon horns had been shattered by Ashura’s assault, and dark purple blood poured thickly from his forehead.

Yet, despite suffering such grievous wounds, Long Zhantian did not utter a single sound. His expression was resolute. Though he held no explicit duty to guard this precise location, as a descendant of the great god Yinglong—who was part of the Wu Clan—and possessing the bloodline of the Wu, he absolutely could not allow the demons who had inflicted such heavy casualties upon his ancestors to re-emerge in this realm. This was a consensus he had long ago forged with Hei Mingba, a covenant for which he was prepared to sacrifice his own life.

For years, Long Zhantian had remained here precisely to prevent anyone from approaching this area, while Hei Mingba remained within the Leize Circle, monitoring Ashura’s every move from a vantage point nearby.

They both understood that Ashura represented the purest lineage of the Demon race, the only true successor remaining. If anyone else in the entire Demon Realm were capable of breaking the seal, it would only be them.