2297 2297. Stalemate

Marcella couldn't lie in that situation. Divine Demon had already seen her grin, and her feelings were evident. She was enjoying that struggle against an opponent capable of matching her boundless energy.

Still, Marcella wasn't Divine Demon. She didn't share his merciless mindset, and part of her even despised it. She was willing to kill anyone to reach her goals, but she didn't enjoy adding pointless deaths to her experience.

"I am a monster," Marcella eventually admitted. "I was a monster even before your birth. That doesn't make us equals."

"You are right," Divine Demon stated. "This exchange is making us equals."

"You have yet to win," Marcella pointed out. "You have yet to win a single exchange."

"I have already won," Divine Demon laughed. "I forced one of Heaven and Earth's best pawns to forget her higher purpose. How does it feel to fight to prove yourself superior to your opponent?"

"You are speaking nonsense," Marcella scoffed.

"It feels good, right?" Divine Demon continued. "Going all-out without caring about your surroundings or situation, using your power to its fullest to achieve a single victory. That's what we live for! That's why we forced our existence to reach these peaks!"

"Speak for yourself," Marcella sighed. "Not everyone shares your maniacal urges."

"Everyone at this level does," Divine Demon shouted. "The peak is achievable only to those willing to push their urges to the limit."

"Heaven and Earth created a different path," Marcella corrected.

"And how many of their leaders walk on it?" Divine Demon asked. "How many of you abandoned your urges for the sake of the peak?"

"An entire army is proving you wrong," Marcella stated.

"Is it?" Divine Demon laughed as he spread his arms. "I only see ants running away in front of a superior power."

Marcella was getting tired of that topic. Divine Demon twisted it to benefit his vision with every answer, and Marcella couldn't correct him properly. Part of her also knew that he was right, especially when she inspected the battlefield.

Heaven and Earth had really offered an alternative path to the peak. Their safe environment had allowed many experts to reach the solid stage without encountering hindrances or challenges.

However, those experts couldn't find a proper footing in the final battle. They were valuable assets who had slowed down their opponents' advance, but none had managed to be relevant in the major fights.

Even the numerical advantage didn't help. Emperor, Queen, and Vesuvia could keep many privileged cultivators at bay because they had achieved the peak through normal methods. They were maniacs, and that made them superior to anyone who had become able to match their power through a journey devoid of challenges.

Divine Architect was the only vague exception among the leaders since Heaven and Earth had recruited her relatively early. Still, her achievements and sheer drive compensated for the lack of challenges in her journey. Even without hindrances, she remained a proper maniac.

<br/>"I don't get what you are trying to achieve," Marcella sighed. "There is nothing wrong in enjoying a worthy battle as long as I continue to serve Heaven and Earth."

"That's the issue," Divine Demon declared. "Why even serve them when you can summon so much power?"

"Are you praising me now?" Marcella teased.

"Why wouldn't I?" Divine Demon questioned. "You can match my blows. That alone proves your value."

"Simple-minded experts like you sure have it easy," Marcella commented. "You'll keep moving forward without caring about the consequences of your action. You'll advance even with defeat as the only possible outcome."

"We can't change what we are," Divine Demon announced. "That's the secret behind our power. We are the best expression of ourselves, even with superior beings trying to crush us."

"Your approach carries some beauty," Marcella admitted, "But it also makes you a fool. You fail to see the big picture. You can't win, and defeat carries no beauty."

"We have already proven many predictions wrong," Divine Demon exclaimed. "What makes you so sure that we won't succeed again?"

"Because I've seen the big picture," Marcella explained. "I might suit your standards, but I'm not an idiot."

"What a waste," Divine Demon sighed. "You already have what it takes to be a demon, but you lack resolve."

"I have the resolve to fight for what I believe in," Marcella corrected. "It simply happens to go against you."

"Which makes it wrong," Divine Demon snorted.

"Such arrogance," Marcella giggled. "Do you think that's enough to beat me?"

Divine Demon didn't speak anymore. He emptied his cup and refilled it while keeping his eyes fixed on his opponent. Marcella also remained in her position, and the two focused on each other while their techniques fought.

Plants and waves of blood-red energy spread everywhere. Destruction filled the area occupied by vegetation, but no significant victories happened.

Some of Divine Demon's techniques lost against their opponents, but they transformed instead of dispersing. Part of their energy flowed toward the earthquakes to enhance their violence, while the rest of it morphed to generate new abilities.

The magical plants didn't remain still either. Many techniques managed to pierce and destroy them, but Marcella's energy reserves were genuinely boundless. They always found the fuel to regrow and flourish while the assault continued.

Marcella and Divine Demon seemed stuck in a stalemate, even if their techniques never stood still. Yet, the exchange was slowly moving toward its final phases, and neither did anything to interrupt the process.

Soon, the entirety of Divine Demon's offensive fused with the earthquakes around the vegetation. Even the copy of the space dragon shattered willingly to join that massive technique.

Marcella found herself against a single attack carrying enough energy to fill the higher plane, but she didn't back away. Her plants retreated to generate stronger trunks and flowers that could resist the violent tremors landing on them.

The earthquakes didn't stay completely still. Figures came out of the shaking spherical cage and assaulted the various magical plants on their path. Dragons, giants, weapons, and much more fought Marcella's creations, but the latter held strong.

Marcella and Divine Demon appeared evenly matched on every field, and they slowly understood that. Still, they kept powering their techniques while staring at each other. Neither wanted to back down, but they had to wait for the exchange to end to find which approach was correct.

The tremors eventually became so violent that no plant in Marcella's arsenal could stop them. The earthquakes spread through the vegetation and reached the two experts, who spat mouthfuls of blood almost at the same time.

The process was hurting Divine Demon, but he didn't move. He had something to prove there, and the same went for Marcella. Their struggle wasn't something that words could solve, and both were too proud to abandon their position.

It was clear that only one of them would survive that exchange, but Divine Demon and Marcella were fine with it. They were both holding their ground to defend their opposite beliefs, so moving wasn't an option.

Nevertheless, something unexpected affected the exchange before Divine Demon and Marcella could find a winner. Patches of pink energy suddenly spread through the entire vegetation and destabilized its structure for an instant.

That moment was enough for the earthquakes. All the plants crumbled at the same time due to the tremors flowing through the vegetation.

Marcella and Divine Demon remained exposed, and they both turned toward the source of that unexpected power while violent energy flew toward them.

Sepunia had revealed her presence. Pink patches of energy covered her body and forced her cultivation level to reach the solid stage. She kept her eyes closed and her legs crossed while Maribel and the odd dragon burned their existence to protect her from the tremors.