Purple Lightning Ambush, Demonic Flame Counterattack

After destroying the Violet Lightning outpost, black stone did not linger, nor did it make any effort to conceal its tracks, continuing to advance into the hinterland of the Purple Lightning Domain.

The dark golden Reverse Path patterns on the hull carved a conspicuous trajectory through the Void Realm, carrying an undisguised declaration: I am here.

Nightmare returned to the command bridge and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

Killing that Violet Lightning Protector had seemed easy, but in truth, that single finger had condensed highly compressed Reverse Path Power and the pressure of a Middle Sovereign Realm, which also consumed his mental energy.

He needed to maintain his peak state to deal with the more intense battles that might come.

Stone Firm and the others did not dare to relax in the slightest.

While the initial victory boosted morale, it had also completely exposed their whereabouts.

They were now deep within enemy territory and could encounter fiercer interception at any moment.

The elite Nidao Guards seized the time to treat minor injuries, adjust their Qi, and check their equipment; the ship was filled with a heavy atmosphere before a great battle.

After sailing for about an hour, the scene in the Void Realm ahead began to change.

The thin Violet Lightning that was originally just in the background now became increasingly dense and active, gradually converging into a vast, magnificent, yet dangerous area.

Countless tiny streaks of Violet Lightning darted and intertwined in the Void Realm like swimming snakes, forming clusters of thunderstorm clouds that constantly formed and dissipated.

Deeper inside, one could occasionally see thick Violet Lightning tearing through space like giant pythons, illuminating a large area.

Most of the dust and meteorite fragments floating in the Void Realm bore charred marks from long-term bombardment by lightning, and some were even ionized, flashing with dangerous purple light.

“My Lord, ahead is one of the famous dangerous zones of the Purple Lightning Domain, the ‘Magnetic Storm Universe Belt’.” Sand Shadow stared at the violently fluctuating energy readings on the detector, its voice filled with vigilance.

“The natural magnetic field here is chaotic and filled with violent Violet Lightning energy.

It not only interferes with Divine Sense and detectors but also easily triggers malfunctions in ship equipment, or even directly attacks objects containing energy.

This is usually a no-fly zone, but it is also one of the few shortcuts to the Core Zone of the Purple Lightning Main City... Should we detour?”

Nightmare opened his eyes and looked at the bizarre, lightning-flashing scene outside the viewport.

The chaotic magnetic field and violent lightning energy indeed caused significant interference with Divine Sense, even compressing his perception range several times over.

“How long would a detour take?” he asked.

“At least half a day’s journey, and it would pass through two other checkpoints that may be heavily defended.” Stone Firm replied after quickly calculating on the star chart.

Nightmare’s gaze narrowed as he looked at the magnetic storm belt again.

The churning lightning and twisted magnetic field were indeed like a natural ambush site.

But... so what?

“No need to detour.” Nightmare made his decision.

“Stay alert, highest level of protection, proceed at a steady speed.”

“Yes!” Although Stone Firm and the others felt a chill in their hearts, they executed the order without hesitation.

All the defensive runes on the surface of black stone lit up, forming a thick, dark blue energy shield.

The ship also slightly adjusted its posture, facing the magnetic storm belt with its most stable defensive side, and slowly sailed into it.

As soon as they entered the magnetic storm belt, slight tremors and “zizzing” electrical interference sounds came from the ship.

The scene outside the viewport became bizarre; Violet Lightning exploded into tiny sparks on the shield.

Divine Sense detection range was severely compressed, and they could barely perceive the situation within a few hundred zhang of the ship; beyond that was a blur of energy turbulence.

black stone was like a lone boat sailing in a storm, cautiously traveling between the gaps of the thunderstorm clouds and twisted magnetic fields.

Just as the ship reached the relatively central area of the magnetic storm belt, where the lightning was most dense and the magnetic field interference reached its peak—

A sudden change occurred!

Without warning, blindingly bright Violet Lightning erupted simultaneously from dozens of locations all around the ship!

These lightning bolts were not naturally formed but were precisely guided and instantly detonated!

They resonated violently with the already raging lightning energy in the surroundings, instantly forming a massive spherical cage with a diameter of over ten thousand li, composed entirely of destructive Violet Lightning, trapping black stone tightly in the center!

“Violet Lightning Heavenly Prison! It’s a trap!” Sand Shadow exclaimed.

Almost at the same moment the cage formed, on the inner wall of the cage, lights flickered at hundreds of points.

Metal spheres the size of a human head, with dangerous purple light flowing on their surfaces, were thrown out of thin air and shot towards black stone like a swarm of bees—Magnetic Storm Bombs!

A great killer weapon specifically targeting energy shields and precision equipment!

That was not all.

Outside the cage, more than fifty figures wearing armor with Violet Lightning patterns appeared.

Their Auras were connected, forming a battle Formation.

They continuously injected their Violet Lightning Origin into the cage, reinforcing its power while blocking all possible escape routes.

The two leaders, with majestic Auras, were clearly both at the Early Stage of the Middle Sovereign Realm.

They were the other two Protectors under Thunder Command, the master of the Purple Lightning Domain!

“Hahaha! Scum of the Black Rock Domain, you really took this shortcut!” A tall Protector with a purplish-red face laughed wildly, his voice sounding like thunder, coming through the cage.

“The Domain Master is wise and far-sighted; he guessed that you arrogant people would covet a shortcut!

Today, this magnetic storm belt will be your burial ground!

Bombard them for this Protector!

Turn them and the ship into powder!”

The other Protector had a cold expression.

He formed seals with his hands, controlling the trajectory of the Magnetic Storm Bombs: “Leave no survivors!

The Domain Master wants the head of that Nightmare to sacrifice to the souls of the dead in the Purple Lightning Domain!”

Facing this well-laid, near-fatal situation, the atmosphere inside the bridge of black stone instantly tightened to the extreme.

The violent Violet Lightning cage was crazily squeezing the ship’s shield, which emitted groans of being unable to bear the weight, and the Magnetic Storm Bombs were about to hit!

“My Lord!” Stone Firm, Iron Edge, and Sand Shadow all looked at Nightmare, waiting for orders.

They gripped their weapons tightly, ready to fight to the death.

Nightmare’s face, however, showed no trace of panic; his mouth even curled into a faint, cold arc.

“Finally... it looks a bit like an ambush.” He said to himself, then gave the order, his voice clear and calm.

“Stone Firm, take the order: You lead the Nidao Guards, hold black stone, use the combined attack Formation to resist the Magnetic Storm Bombs, and be sure to protect the core of the ship.

Hold on for thirty breaths.”

“Iron Edge, Sand Shadow, follow me out of the ship to kill the leaders.”

The order was concise and clear, leaving no room for doubt.

“Yes!” The three responded without hesitation.

Stone Firm immediately turned and roared at the communication Formation: “Nidao Guards! Form the ‘Reverse Origin Three Talents Formation’, target—Magnetic Storm Bombs! Protect the ship!”

The twenty elite Nidao Guards were startled but not chaotic.

The quality honed by long-term training and high-intensity missions manifested at this moment.

They quickly formed a Formation in the ship’s corridors and key nodes, connecting their Origins to form an introverted but tough defensive light shield, facing the incoming bomb swarm.

And Nightmare had already stepped out of the bridge onto the outer deck.

Iron Edge and Sand Shadow followed closely behind.

Being in the center of the Violet Lightning cage, surrounded by endless destructive lightning, with dense Magnetic Storm Bombs overhead, Nightmare ignored it all.

“Dao Reversal Ultimate Kill Domain—Break!”

He gave a low shout, and his deep, dark Domain expanded instantly.

But it was not to resist the entire cage; instead, it highly condensed, turning into an extremely sharp cone-shaped shockwave, rushing fiercely towards the direction of the tall, wildly laughing Protector directly ahead!

“Chi—Boom!!”

The tip of the Domain cone collided violently with the inner wall of the Violet Lightning cage!

This time, it was no longer silent erosion, but a head-on energy explosion!

That seemingly indestructible inner wall of the cage was forcibly torn open by a gap several zhang wide under the extremely condensed impact of the Dao Reversal Domain!

The violent Violet Lightning energy and the dark power of Reverse Path annihilated each other insanely, forming a brief energy vacuum!

“What?! You can forcibly break the Heavenly Prison?!” The tall Protector’s laughter stopped abruptly, and astonishment appeared in his eyes.

And at the moment the gap appeared, Nightmare’s figure had already turned into a dark golden stream of light, rushing out through the break!

Iron Edge and Sand Shadow gritted their teeth and followed closely, narrowly making it out.

“Stop him!” The cold Protector reacted very quickly and shouted sternly.

At the same time, he waved his hands, and at least ten Magnetic Storm Bombs changed their trajectories, shooting towards Nightmare and the others who had just rushed out of the cage.

He himself turned into a bolt of purple lightning and lunged directly at Nightmare!

A long sword wrapped in Violet Lightning in his hand, carrying a shrill thunderous roar, stabbed directly at Nightmare’s back!

The tall Protector also reacted, roaring and waving a giant lightning hammer, smashing towards Nightmare from the side with great force, blocking his evasion space.

The two coordinated seamlessly, one fast and one fierce, attempting to intercept Nightmare and prevent him from approaching the outer Formation of the Violet Lightning Guards.

Facing the pincer attack from front and back, as well as the whistling magnetic storm bombs, Nightmare’s expression did not change in the slightest.

He did not even turn his head to look at the longsword thrusting from behind or the giant hammer smashing in from the side.

His goal had been extremely clear from the very beginning.

Just as the tip of the cold Protector's sword was about to touch the clothes on his back, and the giant hammer of the tall Protector, carrying the weight of ten thousand jun of thunder, was about to strike his body—

Nightmare's figure blurred eerily.

It was not teleportation, but a supreme speed that transcended conventional movement techniques, nearly merging with the rhythm of space! With the slight resonance of Reverse Dao Power, his control over space had reached a new level.

The cold Protector's longsword pierced through an afterimage.

The tall Protector's giant hammer smashed through the air.

Nightmare's true body had already appeared like a ghost beside the tall Protector, less than three feet away! This position was precisely the power vacuum left after the giant hammer's swing, and also the relatively weak flank of the tall Protector's defense!

"What?!" The tall Protector was terrified, wanting to retreat to defend, but his old force was spent and his new force had not yet been generated.

Nightmare's right fist had already silently imprinted onto his flank.

On the tip of his fist, there were no explosive Demonic Flames, only a point of dark golden black light condensed to the extreme, containing the terrifying will of chaos, armor-breaking, and destruction.

"Shatter."

Puchi! A dull sound, like thick leather being pierced.

The solid Violet Lightning armor on the tall Protector's body was pierced through like paper! The dark golden black light broke through like bamboo, pouring into his body and accurately hitting his Violet Lightning Origin core!

"Urgh ah—!" The tall Protector let out a short, shrill scream, his eyes bulging as his entire body felt as if all its strength had been drained, and the violent thunder instantly collapsed. He could feel his core being crazily eroded and disintegrated by an irresistible force of destruction!

Nightmare's palm followed through and pressed against his back.

"Devour."

A terrifying suction force erupted. The tall Protector's battle-hardened and incredibly refined Middle-level Sovereign Realm Violet Lightning Origin, along with his not-yet-completely dissipated life force and Divine Soul, surged crazily into Nightmare's body like a breached flood!

All of this happened too quickly; from Nightmare breaking out of the cage, dodging, closing in, throwing a punch, to devouring, it took no more than two or three breaths!

"Second Brother!" The cold Protector's eyes were splitting with rage. Having just missed his strike, he turned around to see the horrifying scene of his companion being severely wounded by Nightmare's punch and immediately being devoured, feeling shocked, angry, and fearful all at once.

He let out a wild roar, no longer holding back, as his entire Violet Lightning Origin ignited. His Aura instantly surged, and the longsword in his hand erupted with blinding purple lightning, transforming into a thunderous sword energy that tore through the Void Realm and slashed down towards Nightmare! This was a desperate, life-risking strike!

At the same time, he secretly crushed a Jade Talisman, and a subtle fluctuation was about to escape.

Nightmare had just devoured most of the tall Protector's Origin. Feeling the fierce, unparalleled thunderous sword energy behind him that carried the momentum of mutual destruction, as well as the communication fluctuation about to escape, a cold gleam flashed in his eyes.

His left hand remained pressed on the tall Protector's back, continuing to devour, while his right hand reached out and grasped the air towards the sword energy attacking from behind!

"Reverse Path—Restrict!"

An invisible yet incredibly powerful force of chaotic restriction instantly enveloped the cold Protector and the thunderous sword energy he had slashed out! The speed of the sword energy slowed visibly, and its power began to drain and become chaotic under the interference of the invisible force!

Nightmare's right hand did not stop; his five fingers opened, and he made a grasping motion through the air towards the communication fluctuation that was about to escape into the Void Realm!

"Annihilate."

Pop! The subtle fluctuation was as if gripped by an invisible hand, emitting a faint popping sound before being completely annihilated in the Void Realm.

The cold Protector was horrified; how could the opponent devour a companion while multitasking, simultaneously restricting his own desperate strike and the communication? What kind of terrifying control was this?!

In the split second that he was shaken and his desperate sword energy was blocked, Nightmare had already completed the devouring of the tall Protector, casually shattering his shriveled husk into ashes, and turned his body to face the cold Protector directly.

His gaze was like ancient ice.

"It's your turn."

Before the words fell, Nightmare's figure had already disappeared from the spot.

The cold Protector only felt a blur before his eyes, and a palm burning with silent black Demonic Flames had already pierced through his defense, which was slightly unstable due to burning his Origin, and pressed onto his Dantian Qi Sea.

"No—!" The desperate scream had just left his lips.

"Star Devouring Dao!"

A suction force even more violent than before formed in his palm like a black hole in the Universe! The cold Protector felt like a snowball thrown into a raging fire; his entire life's hard-earned pure Violet Lightning Origin, along with the temporary power brought by burning his Origin, uncontrollably and crazily surged towards the opponent's palm! The speed was even faster than when he devoured the tall Protector!

He tried to struggle, tried to self-destruct, but that chaotic force that had invaded his body firmly suppressed all his will to resist, and even his Divine Soul was restricted and dragged!

A few breaths later, Nightmare withdrew his palm.

The cold Protector, filled with endless unwillingness and fear, turned into ashes, following in his companion's footsteps.

The two Early Stage Middle-level Sovereign Realm Violet Lightning Protectors, the initiators and core of the ambush, had fallen one after another in less than ten breaths, their Divine Souls destroyed and their Origins all returned to Nightmare.

All of this happened in a flash of lightning; only now were most of the dozens of magnetic storm bombs detonated under the joint defense of the Nidao Guards on the black stone, with the remainder being interfered with and diverted. Meanwhile, the fifty Violet Lightning Guards forming the outer battle Formation had just fallen into huge panic and chaos due to the instant fall of the two Protectors, and the battle Formation collapsed on its own.

Nightmare stood in the air. Having devoured the Origins of the two Middle Sovereigns, his Aura became increasingly deep and restrained, yet it contained a terrifying power that made one's heart palpitate. His gaze swept over the panicked Violet Lightning Guards who had begun to scatter and flee, like a god of death looking down upon ants.

"Leave none alive."

The cold voice reached the ears of Iron Edge, Sand Shadow, and some Nidao Guards who had just rushed out of the Violet Lightning cage (after losing its conductor, the cage's power was greatly reduced and was broken open by Stone Firm and the others).

"Kill!"

The Nidao Guards, who had been bottling up a bellyful of anger and Battle Intent, led by Iron Edge and Sand Shadow, were like unsheathed sharp blades, fiercely slaughtering the group of Violet Lightning Guards who had lost their leaders and whose morale had collapsed!

The subsequent battle had no suspense. Having lost their battle Formation coordination and command, the Violet Lightning Guards, whose individual strength was not much stronger than the Nidao Guard elites, were like harvested wheat, falling one after another under the tacit strangulation of the Nidao Guards. Occasionally, a few who tried to burn their Origins to escape were also killed in the air by Demonic Flame rays flicked out by Nightmare.

In less than half an incense stick of time, the central area of the magnetic storm belt returned to "tranquility," with only the not-yet-completely subsided lightning and turbulent energy, as well as some fragments of battle armor and ashes floating in the Void Realm, proving that a short and cruel ambush and counter-kill had just taken place.

Nightmare returned to the black stone, which was slightly damaged but whose core was intact. The Nidao Guards were quickly cleaning up the battlefield, collecting loot, and repairing the slight damage to the ship's hull.

"My Lord, this battle resulted in a total of fifty-two enemies annihilated, including two Middle-level Sovereign Protectors. We captured forty-seven sets of standard-issue Violet Lightning Guard equipment, a number of Magic Treasures for storage, and about eight hundred units of Violet Lightning origin crystal. We had nine lightly injured, no casualties, and the black stone's defensive shield has lost about thirty percent, which is currently being repaired." Stone Firm reported quickly, his tone filled with the excitement of victory.

Nightmare nodded slightly, his gaze once again cast towards the depths of the Purple Lightning Domain. Having lost two great generals and an elite ambush force in succession, that Purple Lightning Domain Lord, Thunder Command, must be furious right now, right?

"Continue forward." He ordered, "Accelerate, take Purple Lightning Main City directly."

The black stone repaired its shield, adjusted its posture, and its tail spewed out even more intense flames, like a black arrow of vengeance, tearing through the not-yet-completely subsided aftermath of the magnetic storm, and sped firmly towards the core of the Purple Lightning Domain.

On the road to Purple Lightning Main City, there was one less obstacle. And the duel between Nightmare and Thunder Command, these two Middle Sovereign Domain Lords, was already approaching step by step.