The Solar Vine Mother!
Muria's face grew serious as he looked at the legendary plant being before him. This was a unique and special plant life form that was completely immune to fire damage. Any flame would only serve as nourishment for her. However, she was not impervious to Muria's sword.
The arena, nearly thirty square kilometers in size, was entirely occupied by this plant creature burning with solar flames. Thick vines as large as pythons writhed everywhere, sporting sharp-edged circular leaves and sunflowers capable of shooting scorching beams. Muria had not even a single foothold.
"What did the Seraphim pay to bring you here?" Muria asked somewhat gloomily, looking at the emperor-level entity among plant life forms. This super plant being hadn't come here on its own; it had been transported by a Seraphim descendant in their city in the clouds.
"A complete Solar Core." In response to Muria's question, over ten vines rose into the air, intertwining into the shape of a tall woman with a voluptuous figure. Vines formed her long hair, and her face was extraordinarily beautiful, fitting the aesthetic of most humanoid species... if one only took a quick glance. A closer look would reveal that she was entirely composed of vines and leaves, with countless wriggling pollen filling the gaps between the vines, an unforgettable sight.
"I see," Muria realized, glancing up at the sky. The cost was indeed extravagant; a Solar Core is the core of a sun after it has extinguished, a treasure of unimaginable value.
Many legendary beings, especially those from the celestial realm, were particularly laid-back compared to the beings of the Abyss and Hell, who were extreme opposites. They mostly disliked conflict and had little desire for fame. The thirty-eight-winged feathered dragon, for instance, had come purely out of curiosity and had only fought Muria due to the temptation of treasure and the arena's constraints.
The Solar Vine Mother was the same. She had heard about Muria but had no intention of competing with him. To her, traveling so far to fight a powerful being who posed no threat was nonsensical. If she had free time, she'd rather stretch her branches and bask in the sun. Yet, she appeared here because the Seraphim descendants promised her a Solar Core just for participating, regardless of winning or losing, and two if she won.
"This is my first time fighting a plant life form like you. I hope you can make it worth my while," Muria said, his body enveloped in blazing dragon fire. The air was filled with pollen secreted by the Solar Vine, and Muria didn't want to experience the effects of these particles on his body.
"Shush!" "Shush!"... Endless platinum vines whipped and coiled towards Muria, while sunflowers on the vines shot beams of light at him, leaving marks on his Sacred Radiance Abyss. These were the power of the sun.
But Muria wasn't just passively taking hits. The edge of his exclusive weapon cut through the Solar Vine Mother's vines, which couldn't resist his blades. However, the vines would be reabsorbed and regrown, making it seem as if Muria's efforts were futile.
"Such vigorous life force!" Muria praised sincerely, stopping his probing attacks. Since the Vine Mother couldn't defend against his blades, the outcome was clear: he just needed to destroy her faster than she could regenerate.
"Don't hold back, strong young one!" The Vine Mother seemed to sense Muria's hesitation. A smile appeared on the face formed by her lush vines. "This is just one of my offshoots. If you have the ability, feel free to destroy it completely. The Seraphim descendants will compensate me for any loss."
"Got it." Muria nodded, wrapped in endless vines with only his head exposed. After all, this was just a sparring match, not a life-and-death battle. Muria wouldn't casually kill someone. But since the Vine Mother gave her permission, Muria wouldn't hold back anymore.
Endless golden lightning erupted from Muria, the destructive power of the Titans born from the world in ancient times. This power was not immune to the Solar Vine Mother. In an instant, Muria destroyed all the vines entangling him, then channeled the lightning into his sword and blade.
Boom! Accompanied by a torrent of sword energy and blade light, the terrifying thunderstorm covered every inch of the arena, crashing down on the Vine Mother with no place to hide.
When the storm subsided after a full quarter hour, the vines covering the arena had vanished, leaving only carbonized remnants. The thunder controlled by Muria had obliterated all life force within them.
"The power of destruction truly inspires awe," the charred Vine Mother looked up at Muria, clearly exhausted. "But it seems you haven't mastered the creative power of lightning yet."
"I will master it someday. Compared to destruction, I prefer creation," Muria replied, watching the Vine Mother gradually weather and decay. Despite defeating this formidable plant life form, Muria felt no pride. This was just one of her offshoots, and he sensed she had many abilities left unused.
"I look forward to your growth, young one," the Vine Mother said as she turned to ash under the wind Muria stirred up.
...
A towering beast with ancient bloodlines capable of close combat with Muria, with no need for restraint, could fight Muria in any form, giving him immense satisfaction;
A metal life form that could change shapes at will, a master of all weapon combat, honed through a long life and self-learning, giving Muria a tough and rewarding fight;
Elemental spirits capable of merging into one or splitting into thousands, with high-level legendary strength, but splitting into twenty-eight bodies to bypass arena suppression rules, making Muria experience being ganged up on;
And true god descendants, whose essence of life was on par with Titans and six-winged Seraphim descendants... All these powerful celestial beings were invited by the Seraphim descendants from various parts of the celestial realm to fight Muria, allowing him to thoroughly enjoy the battles.
While Muria couldn't maintain a constant burning battle spirit like Mikaela, he loved fighting, especially against opponents of similar strength. He didn't enjoy crushing the weak or being overwhelmed.
These battles broadened Muria's horizons and brought great rewards. He felt his power boiling, sensing an imminent breakthrough. The hidden risks from his premature advancement were completely eradicated through these continuous battles, allowing him to master his power perfectly.
As expected, Muria's name would spread across the boundless celestial realm, though not quickly because celestial beings were too laid-back and rarely sought fights, mostly defending passively.
Celestial beings were also very pleasing to the eye, at least visually. Even the Vine Mother, who formed a humanoid shape that could be unsettling up close, was quite beautiful at first glance.
...
"Who else wants to fight me?" Muria asked loudly from the arena, having fought for three months straight without rest. By now, the spectators were not only Seraphim descendants and their angelic retinues but also angels from heaven and intelligent beings from all parts of the celestial realm, including birds, insects, fish, and mechanical elements.
No one responded. The continuous battles had proven Muria's strength. Those Seraphim descendants with unrealistic expectations had long given up.
At his current level, Muria could be considered invincible among his peers. Although some battles, like the one with the feathered dragon, weren't clear victories—since the dragon had chosen to stop fighting—he hadn't lost either.
"That's enough. Up to now, Muria has defeated seventeen of your 'carefully selected' opponents. Aren't you satisfied yet, Arudiba?" Osvaldo, watching from a temporary plane he had created, questioned the Seraphim next to him.
"It's enough," Arudiba said, with a trace of admiration in his eyes. "However, I have a proposal." The Seraphim looked towards the Ten Dominators.
"Speak." The Ten Dominators glanced at the dragon king and the Seraphim before pondering if their decision was correct. If the Titan race, Seraphim race, and metal dragon race could unite, they would form the strongest epic coalition in this world cluster. Now there was an opportunity, or rather, a catalyst.
"Since we have decided to use primal force to allow Muria and my granddaughter to produce offspring, let's set it for when Muria reaches the peak of the legendary stage. That will be his strongest life peak before heading into the void!" Arudiba proposed reasonably. "At that time, I will also contribute some primal force."
"Let's see what the youngsters decide for themselves," the Ten Dominators replied with a smile, shaking his head. He would guide his race but not interfere with their choices.
"Alright, with the interference of primal force, the offspring will inherit all their combined strengths."
...
"The challenge is over, Muria." A commanding voice echoed. "I will no longer interfere with your pursuit of Mikaela. But whether you can convince her to become your official partner is up to you."
"Great." As the arena beneath his feet disintegrated into its primal elements, Muria excitedly raised his hand. His situation with Mikaela was essentially resolved.
"Mikaela!" After the fight, Muria flew towards the Seraphim girl, who was still battling. All the celestial beings at the soul level who wanted to challenge Muria had been intercepted by her. To fight Muria, they had to get past her first.
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