The Abyssal in Shi Feng's hand gleamed with a jet-black luster like a jewel in the dead of night, while also flickering with an unusual crimson glow that gave off an indescribably eerie feeling.
The instant Shi Feng drew the Abyssal, a figure appeared beside him — no one knew when it had materialized. Its aura and the imposing pressure it exuded were identical to Shi Feng's in every way.
"So this is his trump card clone?"
"I thought it would be something more impressive. Does he really think summoning a clone weaker than himself can defeat Vice Commander Thunder?"
At the sudden appearance of the clone, the Heart of Demons members present couldn't help but laugh.
In the Divine Realm, clones were indeed an excellent means of survival and an ultra-rare skill for drastically boosting combat power. However, that sort of thing only worked against monsters and ordinary experts. Against a powerhouse like Vice Commander Thunder, it was utterly meaningless.
The Dark Ruin Blade was a weapon that drew its power by absorbing the darkness within a player. Not only did it drastically increase in destructive power, but its attack range also underwent a qualitative transformation, reaching about twenty yards — effectively turning a melee class into a ranged one.
An inch of reach meant an inch of strength. For Vice Commander Thunder, whose power and technique were already monstrous, having nearly twenty yards of attack range made no essential difference between facing one melee opponent or three or four — he simply wouldn't give them any chance to close in.
Unable to close the distance, melee classes naturally couldn't land a single hit on Vice Commander Thunder. This was precisely why he had once fought three monster-level experts single-handedly without losing an inch of ground.
Now, adding one more clone to the field was nothing more than a mild nuisance to Vice Commander Thunder.
"I don't know what you're scheming, but feel free to use every trick in your arsenal." Rebellious Thunder looked at the clone Shi Feng had summoned without rushing to attack, instead watching him calmly. "I'll show you just how foolish it is to oppose the Heart of Demons!"
As he spoke, the dark energy surging within Rebellious Thunder erupted once more, condensing into a faint shroud of black mist that completely enveloped him.
In that moment, the Dark Ruin Blade in his hand seemed to undergo a further awakening. The entire blade erupted in azure-blue flames, yet these blazing flames did not raise the surrounding temperature — instead, it plummeted, the chill spreading outward until the flowers, grass, and trees nearby began to freeze over.
"Can he still get even stronger?"
"Incredible! Truly incredible! No wonder the three great adventure parties don't dare defy the Heart of Demons. Rebellious Thunder alone could probably make all three of them pay dearly."
As Rebellious Thunder's power climbed to new heights, the demon players on the city walls gained a fresh understanding of the Heart of Demons. Many expert players even began to entertain thoughts of joining the guild.
Becoming a dark player was, after all, about rejecting the constraints of guilds while still advancing effectively — but in the face of the terrifying power Rebellious Thunder had just displayed, those constraints suddenly seemed far less important.
At that moment, let alone the demon players on the city walls, even Feng Zhihui and the others watching from the high-end bar were completely stunned.
"Was he not even at full power before?"
Feng Zhihui stared at Rebellious Thunder, shrouded in black mist like the very embodiment of darkness itself, his jaw nearly hitting the floor.
Compared to ordinary demon players, Feng Zhihui — who had already reached the rank of Demon Viscount — understood all too well just how terrifying the darkness within Rebellious Thunder had become.
This was no longer a matter of concentration — it was a qualitative transformation.
Even if the darkness within his own body were amplified three or four times over, he still wouldn't reach this level. Such dense dark energy was the very wellspring of a demon player's power — it not only drastically accelerated the recovery of one's mental state but also dramatically boosted the potency of magical skills. This kind of enhancement far surpassed what mere mana could provide.
"A Demon Baron can actually be this powerful? That Black Flame is truly done for — he probably won't even survive a few hits before he's taken out…" Huoyu Piaoluo watched in utter disbelief.