Prime Originator

The battered tomb could no longer support itself after the ground shattered under Mother Hellbiter's immense weight and strength. 

But rather than getting buried by the collapsing tomb, Leon and the Mother Hellbiter fell into an even larger open space hidden beneath the tomb. 

The entire space was filled with a murky green light, and countless cords of runic linings ran across the ground, walls, and ceiling. 

As Leon twisted his body, controlling his center of gravity to regain his balance, his eyes immediately locked onto the brightest concentration of light at the center of the open space, where a glowing black-green pearl could be seen.

'The Abyssal Wood Demon King's Demon Core!' Leon determined. 

It only took a single glance. 

The unfathomable concentration of demonic and wood energy and natural gathering of law centered around the black-green pearl. 

He could not be wrong.

Leon's expression abruptly changed before he kicked off from a large piece of falling debris and evaded the Mother Hellbiter's attack as it came crashing down on his original position. 

Boom!

The Mother Hellbiter crashed into the ground before debris from collapsed tomb fell on top, burying the Mother Hellbiter and the Abyssal Wood Demon King's Demon Core under it. 

However, light did not shine inside from the surface. 

Evidently, the surface did not collapse along with the tomb—most likely due to the strong roots of the trees in the forest holding what's left of the surface ground together.

Leon frowned at the big mountain of debris.

But after a short moment, his brows relaxed after quickly discovering the wood creatures' production did not stop. 

The Abyssal Wood Demon King's Demon Core continued to fuel the life creation process, and countless wood creatures began pouring down from the second trial ground above.

Screech!

A few moments later, the mountain of debris exploded as the Mother Hellbiter suddenly burst out of the earth with a furious high-pitch shriek. 

Hundreds of wood creatures were punctured and crushed by the flying debris that flew like rock bullets before the rest of the army locked onto the Mother Hellbiter. 

Leon silently observed them fight from a distance, but it wasn't long before he gripped the divine sword tightly and joined the fray. 

The wood creatures were simply too weak. 

Shinggg!

Leon sliced off another piece of the Mother Hellbiter's leg with a brilliant silver flash of his divine sword, causing the Mother Hellbiter to cry with pain and anguish before it immediately retaliated. 

5x Gravity Field!

The Mother Hellbiter's attack was quickly slowly before Leon leaped back with spatial displacement, increasing the gap between them by 50 yards in the blink of an eye. 

His battle tactic had not changed much. It was still a hit-and-run tactic.

The only difference was his switch from range attack to direct attack to deal greater damage.

'Although it was only slightly, the Mother Hellbiter's attack was definitely slower than the last one,' Leon narrowed his eyes. 

Losing its legs affected its speed and movement. 

'I can win this!' Leon's eyes glinted.

With the wood creature's blood essence as Leon's unlimited supply of stamina, he continued to fight in peak physical shape while the Mother Hellbiter's speed dwindled every leg it lost in their exchanges. 

It was long before the Mother Hellbiter's strength was also affected.

After cutting all the legs, the Mother Hellbiter's movement was limited to the extreme but not exactly non-existent. 

Nevertheless, it was more than enough for Leon to start going after the Mother Hellbiter's main body, raining countless dozens of slashes on it, even sweeping away the wood creatures that got in his way. 

However, the Mother Hellbiter's life was tenacious. 

Even after suffering multiple dozen life-threatening wounds and having many parts of its body missing, it was unwilling to go down. 

Leon began to notice a strange change in the Mother Hellbiter's behavior. 

Although it had become defensive after losing its ability to attack aggressively, it wasn't defending itself but rather something else. 

'It's protecting the Demon Core!' Leon furrowed his brows with doubt. 

If the Mother Hellbiter swallowed the Abyssal Wood Demon King's Demon Core and absorbed its power, it would become terrifyingly powerful. 

However, it did not do that.

'How strange.'

Although Leon had his doubts, he did delay the important matters and finally slew the Mother Hellbiter after six hours of intense battle. 

Shortly after Leon removed the Abyssal Wood Demon King's Demon Core from the eye of the formation, he spent a few more hours cleaning up the remnant wood creatures. 

"Haiz, it's finally over." Leon sighed and muttered, "It took me much longer than expected to kill the Mother Hellbiter and much quicker to clean up wood creatures…"

"Never mind. What's important is that it's over. Time to check on the spoils," Leon's eyes flickered. 

He took out the demon core and thoroughly inspected it without the slightest interest in absorbing its power. 

Drawing out some of its power was fine, but refining the whole thing was suicide, not to mention it was giving him an ominous feeling. 

"I don't get it," Leon furrowed his brows deeply in thought, "Why did the Mother Hellbiter try so hard to defend this demon core with its life. What possible reasons could have compelled it to—"

Suddenly, the Abyssal Wood Demon King's Demon Core lit up and glued to his hands, sapping out all his strength and energy. 

"What!"

Leon was shocked. 

He immediately tried to get rid of the demon core, but it wouldn't budge from his hand even with his best effort. 

"It's trying to swallow me…!" 

Leon strongly resisted the demon core's powerful suction as it tried to wrench his soul out of his body.

No, more precisely, the demon core was trying to rob his consciousness!

"A puny human like you dares to intrude upon this King's sanctuary and disturb his slumber? Give up your soul and offer your body to me, vermin! It's futile to resist me!" 

The voice was transmitted into Leon's mind directly.

"Goddammit!" Leon gritted his teeth. 

He finally knew what that ominous feeling was! 

All this time, the Abyssal Wood Demon King's soul was still alive, hidden inside its demon core.

It had been looking for a way to revive itself!