Under the amplification of power by a hundredfold, his entire body glowed, shrouded in golden light as he viciously smashed toward the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower.
Boom!!
With an even louder explosion, the Behemoth King's body was once again severely wounded. One of his arms was blown apart on the spot. Half of his torso exploded into a mist of golden blood. Yet under that furious strike, the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower merely staggered slightly before soaring into the air by leveraging the force.
There was no pause. In the very next instant, it ruthlessly smashed down again.
That blow once more caused the Behemoth King's body to rupture. Were it not for his powerful regenerative abilities and the massive enhancement from the Power Gem, he would have long been beyond saving—utterly dead. It was brutality to the extreme.
His shattered body regenerated once again.
Yet the Behemoth King did not retreat. Over and over, he was grievously wounded, and over and over, he launched attacks against the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower.
Feeling the tremendous power contained within the Tower, he knew deep down that even with the Power Gem, he could not summon the strength to destroy it. This battle—he was bound to lose. Bound to die.
But before he ever struck, he had already accepted that he might die in battle.
Facing Yi Tianxing, facing the Great Yi Dynasty, no one could guarantee their survival. But he was the Behemoth King, ruler of the Myriad Beasts Court, a royal of the beastmen race, a born lord of land warfare. He could die—but never cower, never flee. Cowardice would be a disgrace to his royal bloodline, a stain on all beastmen.
There was no escape, and he had no desire to escape.
Even in death—he would die on the battlefield.
To die by Yi Tianxing's hand—he would have no regrets.
He ignited.
On the Behemoth King's body, endless golden Battle Flames erupted wildly.
"If you want to kill me, let's see if you truly have the strength, Yi Emperor. Burn—Battle Will Furnace!!"
The Behemoth King roared to the heavens.
His whole body radiated light. One could see that within him, a golden furnace had manifested. That furnace endlessly devoured the infinite battle will pouring from his body. As the battle will burned inside it, rings of Battle Will Auras emerged outside the furnace, one after another. His blood burned. His will burned.
Battle! Battle! Battle!!
The Behemoth race—never admits defeat!!
His overwhelming battle intent surged forth from despair—this was a desperate battle, with no escape, no retreat. Not only his will but even his blood burned—he was setting his life ablaze. Burning everything, only for battle. Only to crush any enemy that stood before him. For this battle, he cast everything aside.
"He's gone mad. He's burning his life, his blood essence—everything."
"He'll die. At this rate, the Behemoth King will die. Once his blood essence is exhausted, death is certain. Even the most powerful body, even the greatest regenerative ability, won't save him. Rebirth from a drop of blood—that's something only true divine beings can achieve."
"This is fighting with death in mind. Burning life to fight. The Behemoth race—they were born for battle, and they fall in battle. This divine battle technique is too savage. Is it really worth staking his life?"
On the battlefield, countless cultivators were shaken to their core. Their hearts nearly stopped at the terrifying spectacle.
"This is the king we've always revered."
All around, beastmen warriors gazed at their king with blazing war intent and deep, unshakable reverence. For such a king, they would fight without regret. Even to die on the battlefield would be a sweet offering.
"The Battle Will Furnace—the supreme divine power of that forbidden clan."
Yi Tianxing witnessed the sight, and even his heart was stirred.
In ancient tomes he had obtained from the Divine-Demon Battlefield, there were records of forbidden clans. One of those legacies was this very technique—Battle Will Furnace. That clan's bloodline was terrifying. Once they fought, they battled like madmen, to the point of insanity.
They cared nothing for life or death—only for the thrill of battle.
Among their techniques, the Battle Will Furnace was the ultimate essence of their unmatched martial legacy. Only those with it could be called a true warrior of the War Clan, invincible and unstoppable.
That's why he had paid attention and learned much about this clan and its techniques. He knew this divine power could burn one's battle will into Battle Will Auras, constantly amplifying power. So long as will remained, the auras would multiply, endlessly boosting one's combat strength.
It was unquestionably a heaven-defying divine ability.
The vision the Behemoth King displayed now was clearly identical to the legendary Battle Will Furnace. One could even see the golden furnace churning within his body, devouring his will.
"Did he receive the full inheritance or only a part? Legend says the War Clan's ultimate cultivation manual is the Battle Heaven Scripture. At its peak, one steps onto the Dao of Battle, unmatched in war."
A thought flashed through Yi Tianxing's mind.
If the Behemoth King truly had the full inheritance, his strength would have grown even more terrifying, and perhaps this battle wouldn't have reached this desperate point. He leaned toward the idea that it was only a partial inheritance.
"No matter how much of the forbidden legacy you received—today, you will die."
Yi Tianxing again drove the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower, crashing it down upon the Behemoth King.
"Even if I die, I'll take a chunk of flesh from you. Battle!!"
The Behemoth King let out a vicious laugh and a thunderous roar.
"Then let us battle!!"
Yi Tianxing did not retreat. The Behemoth King sought war, and how could he fear?
Boom!! Boom!!
The clash rocked the earth. Divine light filled the sky, golden light covering the battlefield. Roars and thunderous booms echoed endlessly. Even a stray thread of divine light could rupture the land. The battlefield itself was invisible, swallowed by blinding brilliance. Only two battling silhouettes could be glimpsed.
Time passed.
Gradually, the thunderous sounds died down.
The divine light blanketing the heavens and earth began to fade.
Finally, two figures stood on the battlefield.
The Behemoth King's massive body remained upright, still cloaked in golden war flames. His back never bent, standing tall and proud, his gaze locked on Yi Tianxing—his battle will, still unbroken.
High in the air, Yi Tianxing held the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower—and one could see small cracks on the tower's surface. Undoubtedly, these were the scars left by the Behemoth King's blows.
"Yi Emperor... this battle—I lost. I have no regrets. I was simply not your equal. This land now belongs to your Great Yi. But, the promise you made—does it still hold?"
The Behemoth King's voice rang out.
"It holds!"
Yi Tianxing responded solemnly:
"The Great Yi Dynasty does not reject other races, nor the beastman tribes. The immortal cities will suppress the wilderness. Within their walls, the lands belong to humanity. Beyond them—the wilderness shall remain a battlefield, where all races may live. So long as no attacks are made on the cities, and the tribes have not slaughtered our civilians—then the Great Yi army will not strike. Otherwise—there will be no mercy."
The Great Yi had long determined its policy—immortal cities to dominate the wilderness.
Both Yi Tianxing and his court knew well: the wilderness held too many secrets. Within the alien tribes were many hidden powers and formidable legacies.
The wilderness was unpredictable. In contrast, the immortal cities offered safety and a base for human survival and expansion.
They could never fully eliminate the wilderness—beasts, monsters, alien races could always hide. But in turn, it could be used as a training ground for human cultivators to grow stronger.
Eventually, the wilderness would fall under human dominion. But this would be a gradual conquest, not a reckless crusade.
The Great Yi had never sought the total extermination of the beastmen. In the future, when the dynasty grew stronger, those tribes might even be brought under its rule—so long as they abided by its laws.
"Good… It's a pity… I won't live to see my beastmen race stand atop the myriad races. Perhaps that day will come—but it won't be me."
The Behemoth King looked to the sky, as if glimpsing a distant future, a corner of time itself.
Then, his massive form began to collapse, turning into fragments of golden light, drifting in all directions.
"What a pity… the passing of a true Behemoth King."
Yi Tianxing stood silent for a long time before speaking solemnly.
Though they were enemies, the Behemoth King's resolve to fight to the death was worthy of admiration. Knowing it was death—yet still choosing to fight—was not stupidity, but necessity. There was no retreat, no other path.
The Behemoth King was dead.
But he died standing—a death worthy of respect, a death with the dignity of a king. His passing—beyond reproach.
Boom!! Boom!!
Thunder rolled in the skies. At some point, rain began to fall.
Blood rain.
As though the heavens themselves mourned the fall of the Behemoth King.