Chen Tian and Long Motian charged forward, their figures pausing in the space between moments as the power of time itself halted. Though they appeared still, their clash had already begun, the echoes of their engagement resounding throughout the void. After several minutes, their forms flickered, and the flow of temporal energy resumed. Chen Tian observed Long Motian, stating with certainty, "It seems killing you will require a bit of effort."
"Naturally. You are also quite formidable. I admit, you are the most powerful opponent I have ever encountered, without exception."
Both Long Motian and Chen Tian began to heal their internal injuries. Their previous collision had been an even match, a desperate exchange where neither held back. Not a single part of their bodies was unscathed. The faster one healed, the greater the advantage. Chen Tian's recovery speed matched Long Motian's. As both prepared for the next wave of attacks, Chen Tian gripped his long spear, which glowed with nine-colored light, entwined with two primal energies. Behind him, spectral images of Shenzhu Chen Tian and Shenshang Chen Tian appeared. These three primal energies fused and flowed into the spear. With a gentle flick of the spear, a vast surge of energy diffused outwards. Long Motian's expression changed drastically. He had never encountered such a monstrous display of three primal energies, and Chen Tian's move undoubtedly posed a significant threat. He gathered dark energy within his black-silver saber, concentrating all his strength.
Now, the clash of weapons and martial arts would commence. Both Chen Tian and Long Motian aimed to slay each other in this exchange, lest their energy reserves deplete in the next. The battle had dragged on too long, and every recovered injury and executed move drained their internal energy. Neither Chen Tian nor Long Motian could afford further prolonged combat. Chen Tian's fused state had a time limit; it would expire soon. Once the fusion dissolved, Chen Tian and Xie Ou would be no match for Long Motian. Long Motian, however, was in a different situation. Since this was not the Sacred Divine Realm, his energy recovery, even at a thousand times the normal rate, was slow. In the Sacred Divine Realm, energy replenished rapidly, but here, Long Motian could barely absorb the ambient energy.
Both parties sought to end the fight quickly, each harboring a weakness. Chen Tian raised his spear high, and a beam of light shot from its tip, piercing the clouds above. A vortex formed directly overhead. Chen Tian released his spear, which instantly vanished into the vortex. He then condensed a long sword in his hand. The vortex above his head converged and disappeared. Long Motian, having gathered peak power within his saber, looked at Chen Tian with confusion. Was this a feint? What was Chen Tian planning?
He couldn't comprehend it. The move was immensely powerful, but why did it vanish into the vortex with no follow-up? This was not what Long Motian was considering. He swung his saber, and a massive saber silhouette, capable of tearing through heaven and earth and shattering space, emanated destructive power, charging towards Chen Tian. Chen Tian's long sword blazed with light. The primal energy silhouettes behind him had not vanished. Two such silhouettes merged into his sword, condensing its power. Chen Tian wielded his sword, and a green sword-qi lotus bloomed before him. With a horizontal sweep of his sword, the green lotus shot forth.
Divine Skill: Nine Lotus Sword Art!
This was a technique Chen Tian had modified from the cultivation world's divine skill, Green Lotus Sword Art. At first glance, it was indistinguishable from the Green Lotus Sword Art's lotus, but at the moment of impact, the entire green sword-qi lotus transformed into a nine-colored lotus. Each color represented a type of energy. The lotus, composed of nine energies, collided with the black and blood-red saber silhouette. Both sides remained locked in a stalemate for a considerable time before an explosion resounded, leaving Chen Tian and Long Motian standing in their original positions.
Chen Tian swung his sword, and behind him, a star river materialized, dotted with starlight. The power of starlight converged into his sword. He raised the sword high, and it detached from his hand. Chen Tian brought his fingers together, controlling the sword with a mere touch. The sword ceaselessly absorbed the power of the starry sky, the star river, and the starlight vanishing into it. Chen Tian then brought his fingers together and lowered them. The sword instantly transformed into a colossal blade, a Starfall Greatsword, adorned with starlight, cleaving through the star river.
Martial Art: Star Realm Severance!
This was one of the supreme sword techniques of the God Realm. In its perfected state, a single strike could sever a star realm.
A star realm was a world composed of countless planets, and each star realm contained worlds. The universe contained star realms. Shenzhu Chen Tian had found a fragmented version of this technique in a secret realm. The incomplete version lacked its true power. Chen Tian, drawing upon cultivation world and God Realm techniques, deduced and supplemented the missing half, doubling its power manifold.
Long Motian watched the descending Starfall Greatsword, his eyes widening. His saber transformed into a colossal blade. With an unadorned swing, the massive blade and hilt collided with the Starfall Greatsword. With a crack, the saber's hilt snapped, and Long Motian coughed up a mouthful of blood.
He retreated as the Starfall Greatsword passed him, striking nothing. Long Motian stabilized himself, his weapon damaged and his origin energy wounded. He was shocked, "What kind of move was that?"
Long Motian was certain this was not a technique from this world. Even in the Sacred Divine Realm, such a move was rare. How many more secrets did this young man hold?
"You don't need to know. Die!"
"Boy, I admit you have some skill, but that's not the basis for your arrogance. You think this is all I've got to kill me?"
Long Motian looked at his weapon. The saber was cleaved in two. Black energy enveloped his entire body and the weapon. The saber pieced itself back together, his face pale. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he used his origin energy to repair his origin weapon. It was too taxing on his origin energy, and he was severely injured.
He regretted not killing those two ants when he first came out. Now? He was trapped, unable to defeat his opponent and unable to escape, facing certain death. Long Motian still had a sliver of hope, but he truly did not want to resort to it unless absolutely necessary.
"Let's settle this with one move!"
As Long Motian spoke, Chen Tian knew he was reaching his limit. Long Motian understood that with his origin energy wounded and his internal power unable to recover, he had to end the fight in one blow. Any longer, and he would undoubtedly lose, possibly even die here. He did not wish for this. He still wanted to devour this world to elevate his realm, and he sought revenge. He could not die here.
Bloodlines appeared in Long Motian's eyes, and his Evil Dragon wings unfurled. His entire body burned, his muscles swelling as if he would explode at any moment. A terrifying aura flowed into his Evil Dragon wings and black-silver saber. The wings vibrated and detached from his back, as if summoned by the saber.
The two pairs of wings combined with the black-silver saber. Chen Tian muttered, "So this is the true form of the black-silver saber? It seems he's truly willing to fight to the death."
"But it's too soon."
Chen Tian said meaningfully, looking upwards, a smile forming on his lips. He brandished his long sword, spinning it around him. Sword qi traversed three hundred miles, enveloping the entire surroundings. Behind him, the star river reappeared, accompanied by the sudden appearance of dragon and phoenix phantoms. Divine and demonic phantoms stood tall, while yin and yang energies, along with chaotic qi, evolved all things. A flood of information entered Chen Tian's mind as he attempted something.
His long sword gathered all his strength. The phantoms entered it, followed by the dragons and phoenixes, then the yin, yang, and chaotic energies. The sword seemed to transform, shifting through countless colors and emitting multicolored light.
A crackling sound erupted from Chen Tian's palm. He could barely control this power, but his mind was steady. This power was too immense for him to wield fully at his current level, yet Chen Tian was willing to take the risk. If this move succeeded, he would gain another trump card.
On Long Motian's side, his saber was tightly held by the wings. The Evil Dragon phantom stood behind him. The phantom and the black-silver saber merged into a beam of light that drilled into the weapon. Long Motian hurled the saber, which transformed into an Evil Dragon, not a phantom but its true form.
It carried terrifying power, opening its draconic maw to swallow Chen Tian. Chen Tian threw his long sword, focusing his intent. Direct control was no longer possible; he had to rely on his mental space. A beam of light pierced the Evil Dragon phantom, causing it to explode. The light hurtled directly towards Long Motian's face.
Long Motian felt the touch of death and roared, "Demonic Dragon Transformation!"
His entire body was enveloped in black energy. The light entered the energy, and an explosion echoed. Chen Tian appeared fatigued. Controlling this flying sword had consumed ninety-nine percent of his divine sense, requiring recovery. Chen Tian's mental state was now compromised.
Chen Tian looked at the black energy explosion before him and asked, "Did it succeed?"
Regardless of Chen Tian's success, he still had a backup plan. Chen Tian was not afraid.
A roar erupted from within the black mist, and an expanding shockwave pushed Chen Tian back. Long Motian's voice reverberated from the mist, "Boy, you can use this move too? I will kill you! I will kill you!"
A colossal creature appeared before Chen Tian's eyes, resembling an Evil Dragon. It had black scales, black and red markings on its body, and its wings were made of black bone. Its four claws blazed with black fire, and its eyes were filled with burning rage as it fixed its gaze on Chen Tian.
Long Motian wanted Chen Tian dead. This technique was a secret art that, upon use, would shorten his lifespan to only ten years. If he could not mend his origin and bloodline, or elevate his realm within those ten years, he would perish. To be pushed to such a state by an ant, how could he not be enraged!
Chen Tian gave a wry smile. "Do you think I don't have a trump card? Did you forget something? I was waiting for this very move."
"What did you say, boy?"
A rumbling sound emanated from above Long Motian's head. A tiny vortex appeared and began to expand, quickly becoming as large as a black hole. The tip of a gray long spear emerged from the vortex. The aura of death resonated repeatedly in Long Motian's mind. He looked at the gray spear, recalling the previous spear and vortex.
He panicked, "Chaotic energy? Boy, you were waiting for this move from the beginning, you tricked me!"
"This isn't a trick. I knew you had a secret art, so I naturally concealed my most powerful move to annihilate you."
"Die now!"
Chen Tian made a downward gesture with his palm. The colossal spear descended, piercing Long Motian's body, his life force rapidly dissipating.