Apocalyptic Wasteland Simulator

After the leader of the men in black roared, its eight arms simultaneously gathered powerful black energy, forming a massive black sphere. The sphere contained a terrifying, destructive force, causing the surrounding space to twist and collapse.

Seeing this, Chen Pingchuan was not to be outdone. He clasped his hands together and then slowly pulled them apart, forming an even larger, more incandescent fireball between them. The fireball radiated immense heat, instantly melting the surrounding ruins into magma.

With a simultaneous shout, they hurled the sphere and the fireball at each other. The black sphere and the fireball collided in midair, instantly unleashing a world-destroying wave of energy. The entire city shook violently under the impact. Numerous large cracks split the ground, spewing uncontrollable energy from the fissures. The thick smoke in the sky was blown away, replaced by a dazzling light where black and red energies intertwined and clashed.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Both Chen Pingchuan and the Eight-armed Demon Monster were thrown back by the blast, but they quickly regained their footing and charged at each other once more. This time, their attacks were even more ferocious. Each clash was accompanied by massive explosions and shockwaves of energy. The Fire God's Flame Sword and the Eight-armed Demon Monster's arms continuously crisscrossed, sending sparks and blood flying.

The Eight-armed Demon Monster's black blood dripped to the ground, corroding large holes into the earth. Though it was clearly being carved up with no ability to retaliate effectively, it relentlessly continued to attack, driven by its tenacious life force.

Meanwhile, unnoticed by the combatants, the once-silent black roots slithered like giant snakes, constantly traversing the earth beneath them.

After a fierce exchange, Chen Pingchuan discovered a flaw in the Eight-armed Demon Monster. Its attacks had a significant wind-up, and its numerous arms created momentary blind spots. Chen Pingchuan was waiting for an opportune moment to deliver a fatal strike, and that moment soon arrived.

As the Eight-armed Demon Monster raised its arms to attack again, Chen Pingchuan suddenly sidestepped at light speed, dodging the blow and instantly flashing behind it.

"Ant, the game is over!"

The moment the cold, mechanical voice faded, Chen Pingchuan's Flame Sword plunged deep into the Eight-armed Demon Monster's back. The monster let out a pained roar as black blood gushed out like a fountain. Chen Pingchuan seized the opportunity to increase the Flame Sword's energy output, and the flames rapidly spread across the Eight-armed Demon Monster's body.

The Eight-armed Demon Monster struggled in agony, but it couldn't escape the fire's embrace. Finally, in a burst of radiant light, the creature's body was completely overwhelmed by the flames, and it collapsed to its knees. It soon reverted to the human form of the leader of the men in black. But now he was a wreck, charred black from head to toe.

Chen Pingchuan slowly descended to the ground, reverting from the Fire God to his original form. He gazed at the surrounding wreckage, a feeling of deep satisfaction washing over him.

This is the power I should be mastering. That naive brat, the original owner, was completely unworthy of controlling this body.

Just then, the leader of the men in black, still kneeling on the ground, abruptly raised his head. His face was filled with shock as he stared at Chen Pingchuan in disbelief.

"Only a god can defeat a god, yet you defeated a Divine Servant," he questioned. "So, who exactly are you?"

Chen Pingchuan heard the leader's question and his lips curled into a mocking smile. Just as he was about to respond, the ground beneath them began to shake violently without any warning. Immediately, thick, python-like black roots burst from the earth, whipping towards them like lightning. The roots flickered with a strange, dark light, exuding a heart-stoppingly evil aura.

Chen Pingchuan's expression changed drastically. He quickly sidestepped to dodge, but the roots were incredibly fast. One of them grazed his arm, leaving a bloody gash. He ignored the pain and instantly ignited a fierce flame in his hand, slashing at the encroaching roots.

The leader of the men in black was also caught off guard by the sudden assault, but he wasn't so lucky. Already in terrible condition after being brutalized by Chen Pingchuan, he was completely vulnerable. He tried to struggle to his feet to defend himself, but he was a beat too slow. A thick root covered in sharp barbs and bizarre runes, glistening with an ominous black light, pierced straight through his body. It then lifted him into the air, leaving him utterly powerless.

At the same time, the sky began to change. The once-clear heavens were instantly shrouded in dark clouds that raged with thunder. Sword-like bolts of purple lightning slashed down, all aimed directly at Chen Pingchuan.

Chen Pingchuan looked up, his expression grim. Sometime during the fight, a crowd of people in strange clothes with vacant, hollow eyes had emerged from the ground. They were clearly the cause of the storm. A faint black mist swirled around each of these people. Their behavior and expressions were bizarre, just like the monstrous villagers he had encountered before.

"Hmm?" he muttered. "The strange tree... puppets!"

The Chen Pingchuan of now was different from before. He instantly understood that the Tree of Destruction he was searching for possessed more than a single ability.

The Tree can turn people into monster guards or puppets. It can attack with giant roots. It has an unknown number of avatars, which can fire energy waves. The purpose of the mysterious runes is unknown…

Time was short, so Chen Pingchuan dared not dwell on it any longer. The humans controlled by the Divine Tree were already swarming toward him. He had just finished a huge battle with the Eight-armed Demon Monster, and now he had to face a dense horde of human puppets. This crisis was escalating beyond his control.

"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath. "The path to godhood is truly fraught with challenges."

"Miracle—Fire God's Descent!"

Flames surged around Chen Pingchuan's body once again, and he instantly transformed back into the imposing figure of the Fire God.

The moment they saw the Fire God, the controlled humans showed no fear. Instead, they launched the first wave of attacks. A significant number of them were elemental power-wielders. A Water Dragon and a Wind Dragon intertwined as they roared through the air, followed by lumbering Earth Giants, crackling Thunder Energy Blades, and a myriad of other elemental attacks, all rushing toward Chen Pingchuan. In an instant, the scene became one of grand chaos, as if doomsday itself had arrived. Everything in their path was shattered to pieces by the onslaught.

Chen Pingchuan swung his Flame Sword, and a scorching flame barrier instantly erupted around him. It blocked all the incoming abilities. The clashing elements sizzled against the barrier, throwing up a great cloud of steam.

However, the Puppet Legion's assault had only just begun.