The Shang Ling Evil General held the weapon that had accompanied him through several epochs of battle, his very life-bound artifact: the Evil Spirit Staff!
In the hands of the Shang Ling Evil General, his unleashed power could be magnified a full twofold. For Chen Tian to shun swords, his usual armament, and instead wield the Qian Kun Saber, a weapon he had never even touched before, was utterly foolish.
"Arrogant! Today, I shall slay you here."
As soon as the Shang Ling Evil General finished speaking, his figure blurred and appeared before Chen Tian. The black Evil Spirit Staff descended. Chen Tian raised his Qian Kun Saber. The collision between the Evil Spirit Staff and the Qian Kun Saber sent both combatants staggering back a few steps. Chen Tian steadied his footing and looked at the Evil Spirit Staff in the Shang Ling Evil General's grasp. It was a black staff, with iron rings tightly wound around its head and tail, and a black ring at the staff's center. Chen Tian was certain this weapon possessed a secondary form; this was his deduction.
The design of the opponent's Evil Spirit Staff made him suspect. Chen Tian had never had the opportunity to fight a high-level Evil General before. Now, with the Shang Ling Evil General present, he could learn more, preparing himself for future battles.
The Qian Kun Saber in Chen Tian's hands had a red blade on the left and a blue blade on the right. Gripping the central hilt with both hands, Chen Tian faced the swirling onslaught of the Shang Ling Evil General's staff. Chen Tian swung his left arm, and the red blade clashed with the Evil Spirit Staff.
With a clang, Chen Tian shifted his stance. He lowered his left arm and swung his right. The red blade evaded the Evil Spirit Staff's attack, causing the Shang Ling Evil General to falter slightly, losing his balance. The blue blade then moved towards the Shang Ling Evil General's face. The Shang Ling Evil General swung his Evil Spirit Staff, using its tail to block the blade.
Chen Tian alternated between offense and defense, his blades shifting from either side. For a time, the Shang Ling Evil General found himself on the defensive. He was astonished. The Divine Lord had only recently awakened, and yet his mastery over other weapons was so profound.
He had thought that by not using his preferred longsword, the Shang Ling Evil General could easily secure victory. Now, it seemed he could not underestimate his opponent. The Evil Spirit Staff in his hands began to glow, as the Shang Ling Evil General resisted all of Chen Tian's assaults.
Sensing an opening, the Shang Ling Evil General unleashed a wide, sweeping blow with his Evil Spirit Staff. Chen Tian brought his Qian Kun Saber in front of him, then retreated several hundred meters. The Shang Ling Evil General made a small flourish with his staff and brought it down towards Chen Tian's head. Chen Tian reacted instantly; he could not say this scene was not within his calculations. He pulled his Qian Kun Saber apart into two blades. With twin blades in hand, Chen Tian vanished. The Shang Ling Evil General knew he had been tricked. He decisively swung the Evil Spirit Staff behind him. The staff and the dual blades collided. The Shang Ling Evil General's hurried defense cost him dearly, and he was forced back.
Chen Tian stood before the Shang Ling Evil General. The latter said with a hint of relief, "I never expected the reverse weapon to have a secondary form as well. It seems dual blades are your main path now. Why aren't you using a longsword this life?"
"He was him, I am me. In this life, I am devoted to dual blades!"
Chen Tian declared with bold spirit, his twin blades then merging back together, the Qian Kun Saber reappearing in his hand. The Shang Ling Evil General paused. Indeed, for the current Divine Lord, why would he tread the same path as before in a new life? To be oneself was the way.
"Well said. But you will still die here."
"So much nonsense. Don't villains always die from talking too much?"
Chen Tian’s Qian Kun Saber initiated the attack. Its heavy, sharp edge was like a mountain. As the saber descended, it seemed to cleave the very space in two. The Shang Ling Evil General gripped his Evil Spirit Staff with both hands and thrust it forward. The staff and the saber collided. Chen Tian flicked his hands upwards, and the lower blade struck the staff. The Shang Ling Evil General rotated his Evil Spirit Staff, the clangs of the staff and saber resonating like beautiful music. The Shang Ling Evil General naturally knew what Chen Tian was trying to do, and he would not fall for it.
Seeing his tactic fail, Chen Tian immediately changed his approach. The Qian Kun Saber split into dual blades, their cold gleam engulfing the Shang Ling Evil General in countless blade energies. Seeing Chen Tian transform his weapon, the Shang Ling Evil General roared, "Do you think you're the only one who can switch weapon forms?"
"Evil Spirit Flower Spear!"
From both ends of the Evil Spirit Staff in the Shang Ling Evil General's hands, three-foot-long spearheads grew, one at each end. The spearheads were black, adorned with intricate black patterns. With the spear in hand, the Shang Ling Evil General's aura changed drastically. He became like a sharp lance, pointing and piercing.
He brandished the spear with beautiful flourishes. The countless blade energies unleashed by Chen Tian were systematically dismantled by the spear's dance. The Evil Spirit Staff’s previous form emphasized power and weight, whereas the Evil Spirit Flower Spear now focused on lethality and speed.
The spear points formed by the flower spear met Chen Tian's blades. After a series of explosions, Chen Tian and the Shang Ling Evil General ceased their attacks.
"Is this your weapon's secondary form? It's nothing special!"
Chen Tian’s dismissive tone was evident. In his eyes, the flower spear posed no threat. Why? Because Chen Tian had merged with the memories of Wu Que Nan, inheriting his spear techniques. Wu Que Nan was known as the world's foremost spearman in his past life, a master of all spear-related weapons, including long spears and flower spears, reaching the pinnacle of skill.
To Chen Tian, a mere flower spear was akin to inviting death. If it were any other weapon, he might not be able to win.
Chen Tian's twin blades flashed, transforming into countless afterimages. Before the Shang Ling Evil General, seven or eight figures of Chen Tian appeared. The Shang Ling Evil General thrust his flower spear forward nine times, spear shadows rushing towards Chen Tian's face.
Chen Tian's true body effortlessly dodged one spear thrust and appeared before the Shang Ling Evil General. As the Shang Ling Evil General’s flower spear began to move, Chen Tian's right-hand dual blades clamped onto the center of the spear. His left-hand dual blades slashed out, aiming for the Shang Ling Evil General's face.
With his flower spear immobilized by Chen Tian's dual blades, the Shang Ling Evil General could not move even with his strength. Chen Tian's dual blades drew closer. With no other choice, the Shang Ling Evil General released his grip. The Evil Spirit Flower Spear reverted to the Evil Spirit Staff. The Shang Ling Evil General gripped the staff with his other hand, bringing it before him. The staff and the dual blades collided.
Both Chen Tian and the Shang Ling Evil General retreated simultaneously, having used six to seven tenths of their strength. Chen Tian spoke, "Playing with spears in front of me? You're still too green."
"Heh! Then I won't use the spear form. My weapon has more than one form."
"Die!"
A staff strike descended from the heavens, its reach extending for hundreds of meters. This Evil Spirit Staff could also elongate. Chen Tian steadied his emotions. His twin blades crossed, their surfaces colliding with the staff. A crackling sound echoed as Chen Tian's dual blades began to show fissures.
These dual blades were manifestations of Chen Tian's energy. Logically, as long as his energy was not depleted, the weapons should not be damaged. However, the weapons of the Evil Spirit race were tainted with evil spirit energy. Was Chen Tian's dual blades affected? His energy was slowly disintegrating.
Chen Tian’s figure flashed, a wave of energy swept outwards, and space shattered. In the void, the Shang Ling Evil General looked at Chen Tian, who was pale-faced, and said, "Not bad. You actually dodged that move."
The previous strike was the Shang Ling Evil General's innate martial art. Ordinary warriors could not withstand such an attack. For Chen Tian to have dodged it and held on for so long, he was indeed a formidable enemy of the Evil Spirit race!
They absolutely must not let the Divine Lord leave alive. Their people would be able to break the seal in a few months, all thanks to that esteemed individual.
If Chen Tian died here, this world would belong to them in the future, with no obstacles.
In essence, the Evil Spirit race were not inherently evil. However, their differing stances led to this war.
Chen Tian understood all this, but the Evil Spirit race never reasoned with others. If they had, they would not have been fighting for thousands of years.
Chen Tian's pale complexion soon recovered. He had been pale because the impact of resisting the Evil Spirit Staff's power had affected his vital energy, depleting his blood and qi. Now that he had recovered, his complexion turned rosy.
Chen Tian produced a longsword. There was no other choice. Ordinary weapons were ineffective against the Evil Spirit Staff. The evil spirit energy it possessed could only be countered by a tangible weapon.
A broken sword appeared in Chen Tian's hand. It was three feet long, black for the front half and white for the hilt and the latter half.
"Hahaha! Chen Tian, isn't this your life-bound weapon? How did it get so broken? Do you think this broken sword is qualified to counter my Evil Spirit Staff?"
The Shang Ling Evil General recognized the sword in Chen Tian's hand as the weapon Chen Tian had used in his past life. It was now shattered to this extent, both swords broken. This sword was even pieced together. Pathetic. What right did a mere broken sword have to contend with his Evil Spirit Staff?
If they were the complete swords from his past life, perhaps the Shang Ling Evil General would have felt a sliver of fear. However, he was merely taunting. When it was time to be serious, he would be serious. He dared not underestimate Chen Tian's sword mastery from his past life, otherwise the Evil Spirit Emperor would not have been defeated by the Divine Lord's sword.
Back then, the Evil Spirit Emperor was defeated by Chen Tian's swordsmanship. A saying spread throughout the Divine Realm: "The Divine Lord with his sword drawn and without his sword drawn are like two different people!"
Now, as Chen Tian produced his swords to confront him, the Shang Ling Evil General tensed his entire body. He was unsure how his staff techniques measured up against Chen Tian's swordsmanship.
Chen Tian looked at the sword in his hand. It was indeed a temporary assembly, two fragments pieced together. Chen Tian sighed mournfully, "When will I find the other fragments?"
The quality of Chen Tian's current weapons was inferior to the Shang Ling Evil General's Evil Spirit Staff. The only things he could wield were these two broken sword fragments, one black and one white. After all, they were weapons from his past life, and their quality was superior to the Evil Spirit Staff.
In his past life, Chen Tian possessed a black and a white longsword. The black and white swords represented life and death, yin and yang. With these two swords, Chen Tian had fought his way through all sword cultivators in the Divine Realm and, during the invasion of the Evil Spirit race, had slain countless Evil Spirit tribesmen.
Now, both longswords were battered and broken, transformed into this state. The two fragments pieced together could not even form a normal longsword.
"Alas!"
This was all Chen Tian's own doing.
Chen Tian and the Shang Ling Evil General's auras shifted. As their energies collided, both prepared to unleash their full power.