Chapter 161: Hyperion Defeated! Devouring the Scarlet Lotus World Tree!

As everything returned to calm, Hyperion knelt on one knee in the vast starry sky of the astral realm. He was covered in blood, and his aura had weakened to the extreme. Anyone with even a modicum of sense could see that Hyperion had reached his limit.

In contrast, Hades appeared much better off. He seemed uninjured, but those with some understanding could tell that Hades was also very weak, nearly at his limit as well.

"It was still too difficult," Hades thought to himself.

The Sword of the Underworld! This divine weapon, as the three original Cyclops brothers had said when they forged it, was not something easily mastered. Even though Hades was its owner, it was still very difficult to fully wield its power due to his own lack of strength. The sword's divine power was simply too overwhelming.

Forced use of the sword would result in a single outcome—draining Hades dry, possibly even to death. Even with the dark crest elevating him to the level of an Ancient God, Hades could not forcefully use it. There's a difference between entering the Ancient God tier with a dark crest and truly stepping into that tier oneself. Anyone with basic understanding would recognize this.

Hades had used the Sword of the Underworld only once during the battle, yet he had nearly reached his limit. The good news was that Hyperion was defeated, having truly reached his limit and lost.

"Ugh, ugh, ugh..." Hyperion coughed violently, his face pale. He struggled to lift his head, his expression grim and weak. "Hades, you..."

"It's over," Hades said calmly. "Hyperion, everything ends here."

Hades's voice was so calm it was almost unsettling. But it was the truth: the battle for Hyperion had ended. Hades raised his hand indifferently, and the chains formed from the Dark Star enveloped Hyperion, binding him.

At this moment, Hyperion realized that his last desperate attempt was completely meaningless.

"It's over," Hades said, turning back to the Underworld. Bound by the chains of the Dark Star, Hyperion was also dragged into the Underworld.

The battle between Hades and Hyperion was over. This divine war had reached its conclusion. What the future held, no one could say, but attempting to besiege Hades seemed unlikely now. Hades had returned to the Underworld, and entering the Underworld, even for Ancient Gods, was impossible.

The speed at which this battle unfolded, from start to finish, was stunningly quick. There was no probing, no unnecessary words; both sides revealed their hands immediately. However, from the outcome, it was evident that Hyperion had exhausted his trump cards and was ultimately defeated by Hades in a direct confrontation. What exactly was that enveloping darkness in the end? No one knew, except perhaps the Ancient Gods and Kronos, the only deity who had reached the level of an Ancient God. 

This battle had injected a surge of confidence into the new gods of this Titan War. Hades's display of nearly invincible power gave them hope, reassuring them that they would not lose this war.

While the battle between Hades and Hyperion had ended, the repercussions of the Titan War were far from over. In fact, they were only beginning, as the new gods launched a frenzied attack, buoyed by the morale boost from Hades's victory.

In the Underworld, Hades stood quietly at the river's edge, his losses being rapidly restored thanks to the World Tree's energy. However, even the World Tree's resources were significantly depleted, and without intervention, it could take tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of years to recover.

But Hades had the perfect solution at hand. "Ugh, ugh, ugh..." Hyperion, bound by the chains of the Dark Star, coughed violently as he surveyed the Underworld with difficulty. In a weak voice, he said, "Hades, you built the Underworld around the World Tree, controlling the powers of life and death without any responsibilities. You profit without oversight, and yet..."

As a top-tier deity, Hyperion easily saw through Hades's arrangements. But then, he suddenly realized something was wrong. As someone who had ascended to the level of a God-King through the World Tree, he instantly recognized the signs.

"Sky and Earth, Pillars of Heaven, Water, Fire, Wind, Earth. How is this possible?" Hyperion muttered in disbelief. "How could Hades have achieved this? It's impossible!"

Hyperion couldn't believe it. Hades's World Tree had not only traversed the creation of sky and earth but had also found the Pillars of Heaven and reached the level of water, fire, wind, and earth? This was unthinkable!

The creation of sky and earth, the Pillars of Heaven, and the elements of water, fire, wind, and earth were the three steps of the World Tree's evolution. Unless cultivated by a Creator God or naturally evolving, it was impossible to leap over the first step!

Hyperion had spent countless years and effort without finding the necessary divine items or beasts for the first step. How had Hades succeeded?

"Hyperion," Hades said calmly, "it no longer matters. Use your Scarlet Lotus World Tree to further enhance my World Tree."

With Hades's command, the devouring laws of the Dark Star chains activated, and Hyperion let out a scream of agony!

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