Chen Tian and the Shadow Evil Spirit attacked simultaneously, their forms colliding. Dragon claws met fists. The Shadow Evil Spirit attacked with dragon claws, unleashing over a dozen strikes in rapid succession, their phantom images appearing continuously. Chen Tian clenched his fists, suppressing his power to only ten percent.
As his fists met the dragon claws, Chen Tian's uncontrolled strength burst forth, exceeding that of the Shadow Evil Spirit. However, this was precisely what the Shadow Evil Spirit had anticipated. If this continued, Chen Tian's strength would grow with each exchange.
The greater the power unleashed, the faster it would be consumed. Eventually, without the Shadow Evil Spirit needing to lift a finger, Chen Tian would collapse from exhaustion.
"What is not yours will never be yours," the Shadow Evil Spirit mused.
"Boy, this power is not something you can control yet. Kneel and pledge allegiance to me, and I will spare your life. What do you say?"
A hint of admiration for Chen Tian's talent flickered within the Shadow Evil Spirit. If it could take him as a subordinate, its plan would be significantly accelerated. As merely a clone, it risked annihilation if it failed its master's mission.
The Shadow Evil Spirit needed a physical form to act within this world, as its true body was subject to numerous restrictions. This was why it had chosen to assimilate Xing Feng Tian Long, only to discover the latter had sealed itself away.
Now, with claws and fists clashing, the Shadow Evil Spirit's grasp of power was precise. Every punch, every attack from Chen Tian was easily defended and blocked.
Sweat beaded on Chen Tian's forehead. He was exerting all his effort to control this immense power, yet some aspects still eluded his command.
"This is only ten percent power!"
Chen Tian dared not imagine what would happen to this world if he unleashed his full might.
This power surpassed that of the Saint God Realm; it was an entirely new force. Chen Tian suspected it originated from the same place as the Shadow Evil Spirit.
Chen Tian and the Shadow Evil Spirit retreated. The Shadow Evil Spirit's left arm transformed from a scythe into a dragon claw; its arm could shapeshift into any weapon at will.
The scythe was merely the Shadow Evil Spirit's innate weapon.
Gripping the dragon claws with both hands, it unleashed a punch, and a black dragon soared into the sky. A celestial dragon emerged.
The dragon's roar echoed through the heavens. Chen Tian crossed his arms, gathering a grayish-white power that extended to his forearms, manifesting as wrist blades. He swung them repeatedly, still diligently maintaining his power at ten percent.
"I must gradually familiarize myself with this power, otherwise, I will lose it too quickly."
"Eventually, I will exhaust my strength first, and then I will die."
Chen Tian would rather slowly master the power than risk a single all-out attack. What if the Shadow Evil Spirit had trump cards? If he were to unleash his full power without proper control, it could drain him completely. If the attack failed, Chen Tian would be a lamb to the slaughter. He dared not gamble.
Although he calculated a sixty percent chance of victory, this was contingent on how he executed his moves.
The grayish-white streams of energy from Chen Tian's wrist blades clashed with the celestial dragon. The dragon opened its maw as if it possessed its own consciousness.
The entire form of the celestial dragon twisted and dodged, easily evading Chen Tian's energy blades.
As the celestial dragon lunged towards him, Chen Tian tapped the sky with his foot, leaping instantly to stomp on the dragon's head. He soared into the high heavens.
Two swords materialized in his hands. He threw them, controlling them with his mind: "Imperial Sword Technique!"
"A spell from the cultivation world: Imperial Sword Technique!"
The celestial dragon watched the two approaching sword energies, twisting to evade. The beams of light passed through its form and shot towards the ground.
Suddenly, the two beams of light turned back, piercing the celestial dragon.
"What use is intelligence if it is not fully developed? Its actions are ultimately too rigid," Chen Tian stated calmly.
The Shadow Evil Spirit observed all this and nodded, seemingly agreeing with Chen Tian.
Then, with a hint of praise, three parts admiration, and six parts fury, it declared, "Impressive, very impressive. Even the most exceptional talents across the myriad realms would struggle to resist this move. I never expected you to possess such a technique."
"A pity, a true pity. If you would pledge allegiance to me, I could guide you to higher heavens." The Shadow Evil Spirit spoke with feigned sorrow.
A smirk played on Chen Tian's lips. "I have no interest. Your Evil Spirit race invaded our homeland. I haven't even settled the score yet."
"Hahaha! Boy, are you referring to the Evil Spirit Qi's Evil Spirit race? Preposterous! We are the Shadow Evil Spirits, the primal Evil Spirit race. How can those mere branches compare?"
"Let me tell you, boy, it was the Evil Spirit Qi that invaded your world, not the Evil Spirit race. The true Evil Spirit race already has its own homeland."
"As the foremost race, those branches are nothing more than the scum we expelled."
The Shadow Evil Spirit spoke as if discussing a mundane matter, but Chen Tian found its words profoundly shocking.
The Evil Spirit race was expelled, a splinter group. What kind of terrifying existence was the true Evil Spirit race?
"So what? You are still the Evil Spirit race. Our world was invaded, and we must seek revenge, mustn't we?"
"You cannot be unaware of the damage caused by the Evil Spirit race, can you?"
Chen Tian's anger flared. The Shadow Evil Spirit replied indifferently, "The true Evil Spirit race would not create such a situation. It can only be said that these branches have strayed from the path."
"Never mind that, boy. If you can defeat me, I will tell you about the Evil Spirit race and explain our true intentions."
With that, the Shadow Evil Spirit's aura surged. Its arms transformed into scythes, dual scythes on both sides.
"Death demands your life at the third watch; who dares let you live another second?"
Chen Tian gripped dual blades formed from chaotic energy, a layer of colored armor encasing his body as he engaged in combat.
He stepped forward, sparks flying, the sound echoing through the clouds.
Chen Tian's dual blades clashed with the opponent's dual scythes. Chen Tian's left blade swept horizontally, facing the Shadow Evil Spirit's scythe attacks. His dual blades continuously shifted, creating a cacophony of clangs, the sound of steel against steel.
Both Chen Tian and the Shadow Evil Spirit weaved through offense and defense.
Chen Tian's dual blades found an opening. They slashed out, the blades shooting forward with explosive speed. The Shadow Evil Spirit reacted a beat too late, raising its dual scythes to block Chen Tian's move.
Chen Tian's figure suddenly appeared behind the Shadow Evil Spirit, his dual blades transforming into longswords and thrusting forward, an pincer attack.
Chen Tian seized the initiative. He had simulated this very scenario and movement hundreds of times in his mind.
The Shadow Evil Spirit had no choice but to block the blades, its body deflecting defensively, leaving its back exposed. Chen Tian's blade attack was not fatal; what posed a threat to the Shadow Evil Spirit was the longsword.
That longsword seemed to hold a hidden danger. While damage from the blades could be quickly healed, the longsword must not be allowed to pierce its body.
It spun around, swinging its scythe. Chen Tian grinned. Just as the longsword was about to reach the Shadow Evil Spirit, and the scythe was about to intercept the longsword, Chen Tian's figure vanished.
The Shadow Evil Spirit realized it had been tricked. As it turned back, a brilliant sword light streaked towards it. The Shadow Evil Spirit rapidly dodged to the left, but the strike had already locked onto its position with inescapable aura.
The Shadow Evil Spirit instantly erupted with even greater power, breaking free from the confinement and darting to the side.
"Tch!"
Chen Tian scoffed. He had simulated this scene thousands of times. The probability of the opponent dodging was only three percent, yet the Shadow Evil Spirit had managed to evade it.
However, the Shadow Evil Spirit was not unscathed. Chen Tian's attack had dealt a significant blow, leaving a deep sword gash on its right arm.
The Shadow Evil Spirit's left arm returned to its dragon claw form, covering the wound. The injury began to heal.
Its aura, however, had diminished considerably.
This was merely a clone, its power finite. Healing the wound had consumed a portion of its remaining strength.
Chen Tian understood the Shadow Evil Spirit's weakness, which was why he chose to fight a battle of attrition. It was a gamble as to who would run out of power first.
Chen Tian had calculated this scenario trillions of times, giving him a sixty to seventy percent chance of victory. Essentially, the Shadow Evil Spirit was just a clone with limited internal power, whereas Chen Tian could absorb and circulate external energy.
This world was different; the low energy levels prevented the Shadow Evil Spirit from absorbing it.
Chen Tian, as a normal cultivator, would not have been able to do this. But he had the system.
"With the system in hand, the world is mine. Carefree and without worry."
"Converting energy is a trivial matter for the system. Piece of cake, easily done."
The conversion speed was a bit slow, but time was abundant. They were now in a race against time, each trying to outlast the other.
"Boy, don't think I don't know your intentions. Your power consumption is far greater than mine. You will be the first to perish."
"Is that so? Then watch and see who falls first!"
Chen Tian and the Shadow Evil Spirit transformed into streaks of light, soaring and colliding in the sky, their forms weaving a peculiar pattern.
When Chen Tian and the Shadow Evil Spirit reappeared, Chen Tian's face was pale, and the Shadow Evil Spirit was not much better, its body flickering in and out of visibility.
Both had nearly depleted their internal power.
Chen Tian no longer wished to prolong the fight. The previous collision had lasted over ten minutes. Continuing any longer would be unsustainable for both.
A single decisive blow!
This thought arose simultaneously in both their minds.
The Shadow Evil Spirit gathered its remaining power into its dual scythes. It spread the scythes apart: one, two, three, four. The number of scythes increased continuously.
Chen Tian's dual blades transformed into longswords, which he then threw into the sky. He controlled them with his mind; the swords circled above his head, countless sword shadows appearing. These sword shadows merged with the eight pairs of wings on his back, forming sword wings.
The sword wings flapped, unleashing sword energy that swept across the land for hundreds of miles.
The black scythes, sharp and tearing, fractured space.
Chen Tian and the Shadow Evil Spirit attacked together. Sword feathers shot from the sword wings, a rain of swords, vast as the sea!
As the Shadow Evil Spirit's scythes were unleashed, they continuously shifted positions. The sword rain and scythes collided, erupting in explosions.
The scythes suddenly converged into a single colossal scythe. The Shadow Evil Spirit appeared in the sky, laughing. "Boy, you have lost. The terrifying aspect of this move is its aftermath."
"With this strike, even the heavens and earth can be split. Let's see how you withstand it!"
The giant scythe descended. Chen Tian remained unhurried, his wings behind him converging, instantly enveloping him into a sphere.