Eternal Villain: I can enslave Reality!

Xu Shan intensified his relentless consumption, driven by an unwavering will to shatter the barrier to ultimate power.

His once-sharp vision became a haze, and his senses dulled under the relentless assault of the Lightning Dragon.

On the precipice of physical and mental collapse, surrender was not an option. Every sacrifice, the city turned into a battlefield, and the lives lost had all led to this moment.

The second Lightning Dragon poised itself for another devastating attack. Its immense maw crackled with the condensed, searing energy of pure power.

With unyielding resolve, Xu Shan bellowed, his devouring pace accelerating even as his body began to fracture under the immense strain.

A beam of condensed heavenly lightning shot out towards him. A loud boom resounded. No one saw what happened in the sky, but the Empress was certain that this was the end of Xu Shan.

No matter how strong he was, even he couldn't survive being hit by two straight attacks, especially after he was exhausted.

However, to the astonishment of everyone watching, Xu Shan emerged from the smoke and rubble, his body emanating an even more intense aura of power.

His skin already used to be flawless, but at the moment, it looked even better. The scars and wounds that marred his body were completely gone, replaced by an ethereal glow that shimmered with every step he took.

The Empress could hardly believe her eyes as she witnessed this seemingly divine transformation in Xu Shan.

Not only had he survived being hit by the second divine punishment, but he was better than before, akin to being reborn.

Xu Shan stood amidst the chaos, his newfound power radiating like a blazing sun. His eyes, once clouded, now shone with an otherworldly intensity, reflecting the very essence of the universe.

The second Lightning Dragon, having expended much of its energy, hesitated for a moment, as if uncertain how to proceed.

But Xu Shan wasted no time. With a single graceful movement, he ascended into the air, defying gravity itself. The Empress and the spectators below could only watch in awe as he confronted the colossal beast.

With a flick of his wrist, Xu Shan summoned an ethereal blade of lightning, its edge sharp enough to cut through the very fabric of reality. With unparalleled precision, he sliced through the Lightning Dragon's searing breath, dispersing it harmlessly.

The dispersed energy was also absorbed directly in his body. The once-terrifying beasts trembled, their roars reduced to feeble cries.

Xu Shan looked at the Heaven above. His voice now resonating with divine authority, echoed across the battlefield

A smile spread across his lips. "Thank you for the gift."

The Heavenly Punishment fell down because he had broken the Heavenly Taboo by trying to devour the Heavenly Energy, but that had proven to be a heaven sent for him.

Not only had he broken through, but he did so with the Heavenly Energy, the purest form of Celestial Energy that was impossible to gather through normal means.

The people of the city, who had witnessed so much destruction and loss watched in astonishment. The Empress herself was shocked to the point that she remained in daze.

She didn't even think that this was possible to break through by devouring Heavenly Punishment.

Even with her book of Devouring, she was certain she couldn't do it! Perhaps Xu Shan was the only one who could achieve a feat like this, which made her even more confused about his origin. Just who was that guy? Who was the person that even Heavens failed to kill despite sending three Heavenly Punishments in the span of an hour.

The battle raged on, an epic clash of titanic forces. Lightning and thunder clashed with Xu Shan's newfound might, creating a cataclysmic spectacle that illuminated the darkened sky. But with each passing moment, it became evident that Xu Shan had transcended his previous limitations.

The Lightning Dragons couldn't harm him. On the contrary, they were devoured even faster, as if they were being toyed with.

Xu Shan summoned storms and channeled the fury of nature itself. His attacks were swift and precise, his defense impenetrable. The second Lightning Dragon, once fearsome, found itself outmatched. .

Within a few minutes, it was completely devoured and became a part of Xu Shan.

As the battle neared its climax, Xu Shan unleashed a final, devastating strike, a surge of energy so potent that it made the very heaven crack.

The Third Lightning Dragon disintegrated into a cascade of brilliant sparks, its power vanquished and absorbed by Xu Shan.

Constant cracking of lightning could be heard in the sky, but no other Lightning Dragon came down. There was a limit to this world and it seemed that the limit had been crossed. This was the end of the Heavenly Punishment.

Although Xu Shan wanted to devour more, he could only control his urges. He wasn't certain what he could face if those limits didn't exist. He didn't want to taste his luck at this moment.

He hadn't even consolidated his newfound power, which was going to take a long time in itself. 𝑏𝑒𝘥𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑒𝘭.𝘯𝑒𝑡

He had just broken through the threshold of the Heavenly Celestial that was a dream for the Divine Empress. He had become the strongest person in the Divine Realm, to the point that his Celestial Spirit of Control could not even control the Divine Empress if he wanted.

Xu Shan descended gracefully to the ground, his aura still blazing with divine energy. The city that had borne witness to their struggle was completely silent.

Normally, they would've been celebrating that someone had saved this city from a calamity, but none of them were a fool. They knew that Xu Shan was the reason behind this calamity. Moreover, he had used the people of this city like his paws against their will, only to buy himself some time.

Deep in their heart, no one considered him their hero. Some were even praying for him to fail and die in this calamity. He was the true Calamity instead.