The two floated in the air, their auras imposing, and their figures nearly divine. One seemed to embody the essence of the elements, the origin of the physical world; the other embodied the endless carnage of the battlefield. For those below, it was as if two Demi-Gods were clashing in the sky, their will and powers boundless and ever-present.
The both of them had already exchanged hundreds of near-lethal and absolutely vicious blows while simultaneously trying to subjugate the others Spirit, but it led them to a frightful realization: their fighting power were extremely similar. Be it their foundation of their Astral Cores, Intent, or Soul Idol, they were extremely similar.
Furthermore, they had each unlocked the aspect of Permanence. But due to their extremely similar power levels, the act of eliminating the others Astral Force into oblivion was an arduous task. Due to their formidable foundations, they might end up fighting for weeks to months without a victor.
While 'normal' cultivators had exceedingly swift battles, two cultivators of similar strength and the aspect of permanence could be considered at the greatest opposite of that battle spectrum.
The only remaining difference that could ultimately and swiftly decide a victor amongst them was high-level techniques, be it Martial Arts, Astral Arts, or Spiritual Spells. Not the ordinary techniques that could be utilized instantly, those that allowed one's power to be exerted swiftly, easily, and efficiently, but those techniques that required an immense amount of their required forces. They required time, opportunity, and energy.
In their clashes that were extremely rapid, they were unable to bring out these extremely powerful trump cards of theirs. A slight attempt at charging enough energies to unleash these arts would leave an unforgivable opening that the other could capitalize on.
To decide a victor, to defeat the other at their strongest, the two would allow the unleashing of the other's greatest art. This thrilling decision was especially life-threatening to the loser. But they still unanimously agreed to it without hesitation.
Lin Ming's grey eyes had been coated in a white mist that seemed to contain the endless variations of elemental spiritual nature. His surging aura had calmed and the world seemed to grow still. He was clearly reserving his powers, building up for an exceedingly powerful attack.
Zuhei's scarlet eyes emanated bloody light that seemed to contain the feral essence of all canines and savagery of all warriors. The veins on his arms, legs, neck, and forehead were starting to protrude, thrumming of pulsating blood started to sound. Within his body, his heart was beating at nine beats a second. A faint image of mystical runes started to surface on his veins, flowing through them like fishes. It was an exquisite yet odd sight.
These were the Bloodforging Runes forged from the Bloodforge Mystic Method. This method had been Yaun Longshi's legacy, obtained from the Bloodforge Emperor, a friend of Grand Monarch Wu Yu and a character who entered the realm beyond the Astral Core Realm—Mystic Ascendant Realm.
These Bloodforge Runes that had been cultivated had the extraordinary effect of enhancing one's Bloodline Strength, physique, and physical energies. If used by a human, these benefits would merely be on the surface, but when used on a Beastman, its effects were extremely prominent. Their entire cultivation base was located within their hearts, with their most outstanding energy being physical energies.
The Bloodforging Mystic Method had multiple levels, with Yuan Longshi having reached the Third Level, the Bloodforge Battle Armor. Unfortunately, Zuhei had merely entered the first level. Despite that, his most powerful art originated from the Bloodforging Mystic Method! Furthermore, it was a Martial Art, an extremely powerful technique that drew upon one's physical energies, physique, and bloodline powers to the utmost.
As a Cultivation Method created by a Mystic Ascendant, even the complementary arts or spells of it were far greater than those provided by the Myriad Monarch Sect. Perhaps only the Imperial Heaven Qi Method would have arts or spells that rival or exceed it!
Zuhei's entire body started to slightly bulge, his muscles seemingly withstanding an immense amount of energy build-up within. He abruptly expanded an entire size in physical dimensions, becoming a small giant. The Bloodforge Runes were circulating even faster. His breathing was heavy and ferocious, causing even space to ripple from the sheer weight it seemed to possess.
His scarlet eyes were larger than ever, and seemed to have completely transformed into that of a wolf's irises and pupils. His canine teeth seemingly grew larger and razor-sharp as he tapped into the latent bloodline within his heart, the Bloodline of the Silver Wolf, Fenrir!
Wei Wuyin and Su Mei were observing these fierce changes. The former had a slight frown while the latter's eyes widened a little in surprise. The amount of physical pressure that Zuhei was exuding at this moment was astonishing to say the least. Despite being a human, one with barely any concentrated bloodline heritage, she could feel her heart race uncontrollably.
Wei Wuyin, on the other hand, was mostly unaffected. While his Bloodline Source had been exhausted, the inherent quality of his Bloodline belonged to a True Dragon. Furthermore, Kratos stabilized his bloodline and physical body with a strict hand at all moments. Despite that, he narrowed his eyes.
While Zuhei was undergoing drastic physical changes due to evoking the truest power of his bloodline, Lin Ming seemed silent and unchanging. But anyone who thought this would be beyond foolish. Wei Wuyin could perceive nine colors faintly circulating around Lin Ming's body. They represented the elemental essences of the world, of the planet!
'He's gathering and condensing the elemental essences of Junia towards him…' If Zuhei could be said to be drawing upon the vast and domineering potential within himself, then Lin Ming was drawing upon the vast and domineering powers of the world.
They were both making extreme preparation that would usually require an immense amount of time relative to normal battles to perform. While describing these changes might take long, the actual event was merely a few seconds of time in the perceptions of mortals.
These few seconds of preparations came to an end at the same time, as if they had previously come to some time-limit arrangement.
The two looked at each other from midair.
Then, it happened!
「Divine Elemental Way: Strike of the Nine Worlds!」
Lin Ming brandished his Origin Spear, the nine-colored dot at his forehead glowed brilliantly with resplendent radiance. With a step, he transformed into a streak of nine colors that were even more beautiful than a rainbow after a rainy day. The planet, its wind, heat, life, moisture, and essence seemed to be following this nine-colored streak.
It was exceptionally fast. In the blink of an eye, it was already before Zuhei's chest.
「Imperial Bloodforge Way: Roaring Blood, Crushing Spirit!」
AHWOO!
Zuhei hadn't even moved or flinched at the extremely fast assault. He merely opened his mouth as a bloody radiance seemed to erupt in the most explosive, the most endless fashion like a deluge of blood-colored world. In less than a blink of an eye, half of the northern hemisphere of Junia became bathed in bloody light.
Including the nine-colored streak of light that was Lin Ming. It faced the densest, darkest, and most forceful portion of the light. Within this bloody light were the ceaseless and ferocious battle cries of ancient warriors, of fallen heroes, of vicious canines, and of screams of agony and despair!!
There was no sound that was unleashed from this collision. It merely lasted a single moment before it ended, like a flash of lightning.
When the light dissipated, two figures floated in midair. Lin Ming and Zuhei, but their original positions had been reversed. Furthermore, they were no longer facing each other. With their backs to each other, they stood still for a long while.
"Gurgle!" A sound of a throat filled with blood resounded. The gushing sounds of endless blood escaped.
It was Zuhei!
He swiftly returned to his original state. Even the bloody radiance within his eyes had vanished, revealing a nearly white-colored haze. Beneath his skin, nine colors were swarming without end. But the most glaring difference of a few moments before and now was the incredibly large gaping hole the size of a basketball in the center of his chest. His spine, and many of his organs, had been completely and utterly eviscerated!
At the edges of the wound, nine colors were streaming in ceaselessly from the world, continuously causing damage to his body! The world was still attacking him somehow!
His hands were twitching without end and his aura was swiftly dissipating. Not just his physical aura or his spiritual aura, but his life aura!
Lin Ming wasn't much better. On the other side, Lin Ming's entire body had been thoroughly skinned, being a picture of flesh and muscle without a trace of skin. His strands of muscle fibers were twitching incessantly and his body dripped with blood. The damage was intensive.
But, the nine-colored dot at his forehead had a faint crack straight down the middle. It seemed to have bore the brunt of the attack, both its physical and spiritual force.
Lin Ming, eyelidless, felt conflicted in his heart. He had survived, but at the cost of one of his life-saving trump cards. While the two didn't have any life-or-death enmity between them, to hold back against an opponent was the same as killing yourself. Neither of them wished to do that. Still, he had never been so close to death before today.
He now understood that there were incredible geniuses in this world, even in a desolate starfield like this one, that could rival and threaten his life. If it wasn't for his Aegis of the Elements, he would've been destroyed in battle and spirit by that frightening attack. His legacy of the Divine King Han Xei…it wasn't invincible.
This experience had thoroughly changed his opinion of this world, and it filled him with immense expectations towards the future. Just as he was about to turn around to see Zuhei, his Aegis of the Elements that had been fractured started to glow once more. He was only able to sense Zuhei's life slipping away before his body was enshrouded in white light.
Zsoom!
He vanished.
"…"
