Chen Tian and Xie Tianyi's collision saw Chen Tian unleash a barrage of punches, while Xie Tianyi retaliated with equally fierce claw strikes. The impact of their blows reverberated through the entire space.
Chen Tian's fists instantly transformed into claws, and with a swift spin, he hooked Xie Tianyi's arm, then proceeded to pull it outwards with both hands.
Sensing this, Xie Tianyi launched a spinning upward kick with his left leg. Chen Tian was forced to release his grip and, crossing his arms, blocked Xie Tianyi's leg before executing a powerful throw that sent Xie Tianyi flying.
Xie Tianyi landed and steadied himself, observing Chen Tian. Suddenly, he appeared behind Chen Tian, his claws slashing towards his back. However, Chen Tian spun around and met the attack with his fists, resulting in both fighters being pushed back.
Chen Tian looked at Xie Tianyi and sneered, "It seems your strength has been weakened this much without your clones? In your prime, I might not have been your match, but now that I've slain several of your clones, your power has significantly diminished."
"Shut up! Even with my weakened state, killing you is more than enough. Moreover, you are also not fully awakened in this state. It's yet to be decided who wins or loses."
The thought of Chen Tian killing his clones enraged Xie Tianyi. If he hadn't been bound to this world, he would have personally annihilated Chen Tian long ago. Why would he have waited until now?
A silver light began to emanate from Chen Tian's fists. The silver glow enveloped his punches, and with a single step, he covered hundreds of meters in an instant, appearing before Xie Tianyi.
Simultaneously, his silver-clad fists struck out. Xie Tianyi's claws glowed with dark demonic energy that coiled around his arms and claws. He then unleashed a claw strike, and the massive gash collided with Chen Tian's fists. Chen Tian surged towards Xie Tianyi. Seeing this, Xie Tianyi clenched his claws into fists, and his black fists, as if clad in black armor, swung out. Chen Tian's figure retreated.
Xie Tianyi remained in his position. Chen Tian had been at a disadvantage in this exchange, but Chen Tian's previous strike was merely a probing attack, neither having used their full strength. Xie Tianyi, however, had exerted slightly more power.
This demonstrated battle awareness, where one could discern the percentage of strength their opponent was using to test them. This allowed them to conserve their own power while repelling the opponent, creating a false impression of full commitment.
The tactic of feigning weakness to trap a stronger foe was understood by all. As long as the opponent hadn't revealed their full strength and trump cards, one should not expose theirs. This was the nature of combat.
Chen Tian gazed at Xie Tianyi, his entire being slowly transforming. From Chen Tian's back, silvery-white wings unfurled, and silvery-white armor enveloped his body.
The pauldrons of the silvery-white armor were adorned with swirling starlight, shaped like tiles. The breastplate was etched with the image of a figure. The leg and arm guards featured patterns of starlight forming longswords. Silver-white patterns continuously connected across the entire armor.
Chen Tian's aura intensified. Facing Chen Tian's transformation, Xie Tianyi's cape behind him dissolved into countless black liquid tendrils. Then, four pairs of black feathered wings appeared behind Xie Tianyi. His claws became sharper and gleamed menacingly, appearing slightly larger.
The two locked eyes, and after a mere glance at each other, countless explosions and spatial rifts erupted around them. They appeared to be standing still, but their true forms were already clashing.
Within the temporal rift, at speeds imperceptible to the naked eye, they moved beyond the concepts of time and space.
Then, a colossal sonic boom ripped through the space. Chen Tian and Xie Tianyi stood in place, blood trickling from Chen Tian's lips, and two pairs of Xie Tianyi's black wings had vanished from his back.
In their previous collision, both had suffered injuries, but it was not a significant issue for them.
Chen Tian's body was enveloped in silvery-white light, and he instantly regained his vibrant appearance.
Xie Tianyi's wings slowly extended, regenerating the black feathered wings. Though smaller than before, their growth rate was impressive, and soon they were fully restored, indistinguishable from their previous state.
Meanwhile, on the side of the Digital Pigeon, Qingling, and Red Devil, they each faced their fated adversaries. The Digital Pigeon, recognizing a familiar face, spoke, "Xie Yuan, you still intend to show me no mercy?"
"I must prove that my sword is the strongest. Beyond that, I can only kill you to avenge the shame of the past."
Xie Yuan was a delicate-looking youth, but as a member of the Xie Ling tribe, his refined appearance carried an unsettling aura.
The Digital Pigeon replied, "Then let it end! The fated battle of millennia ago. Body of God and Demon, Sword of God and Demon!"
Black and white energy swirled around the Digital Pigeon's body, manifesting into illusory figures of a deity and a demon behind him. These figures then merged and entered the Digital Pigeon's body, causing his aura to surge. The Sword of God and Demon appeared in his hand, and he drew it forth.
Seeing the Digital Pigeon advance, Xie Yuan gripped his right hand, and a black longsword materialized. He then stepped forward to meet the Digital Pigeon.
Instantly, the two longswords collided, sparks flying. They exchanged glances and then retreated, each with a sweeping motion. The Digital Pigeon unleashed a barrage of black and white sword energy towards Xie Yuan, who turned and parried with his own black sword energy.
The clashing sword energies exploded. The Digital Pigeon and Xie Yuan charged at each other. The Digital Pigeon raised his Sword of God and Demon. Xie Yuan, seeing the Digital Pigeon gain the initiative, adopted a defensive stance. The Digital Pigeon's downward slash was blocked by Xie Yuan's horizontally held longsword. Xie Yuan then swung his right arm, using his longsword to deflect the Digital Pigeon's sword aside and thrusting forward. The Digital Pigeon had anticipated this move; with a twist of his wrist, he reversed his grip, and the sword's body blocked the tip of Xie Yuan's blade.
Back with Chen Tian, his fists, imbued with world-destroying power, swung out. However, Xie Tianyi evaded, seizing an opportunity to probe for an opening with his claws. Chen Tian shifted his body, narrowly dodging the claw attacks, and his eyes glowed with silvery-white light. His fists transformed into palms, which he struck outwards.
Xie Tianyi decisively created distance. At this range, he could not engage in a head-on confrontation without suffering. He quickly retreated, and Chen Tian's palm strike missed.
Seeing Xie Tianyi create distance, Chen Tian extended his fingers, unleashing a silvery-white beam of light. Simultaneously, silvery-white lightning crackled in Chen Tian's palm, gathering to form a boomerang, which he then threw. The beam and the boomerang collided and merged.
Xie Tianyi, facing the lightning-charged wheel, gathered demonic energy in his claws, and the wings on his back glowed with black radiance. He then swept his claws, condensing all his black energy into a dark sphere that shot forward.
The Demonic Spirit Orb collided with the lightning wheel, only to be cleanly bisected and explode. Chen Tian's lightning wheel continued towards Xie Tianyi, but Xie Tianyi swept his wings, unleashing a blade of black feathers to intercept it.
An explosion erupted. Digital Pigeon and Xie Yuan continuously exchanged sword strikes, their power evenly matched. Seeing this, the Digital Pigeon's Sword of God and Demon pulsed with black and white energy, and he raised it high. Behind the Digital Pigeon, a massive vortex appeared, and a giant sword materialized, then shot towards Xie Yuan.
Xie Yuan, noticing the change in the Digital Pigeon's attack, decisively ceased his sword energy release. He wildly swung his black longsword, unleashing countless sword blades. However, these blades converged, fused, and collided, forming a sphere of sword energy. He then struck this sphere with his longsword, sending it flying like a meteor hammer towards the Digital Pigeon's giant sword.
At the moment of impact, Chen Tian and Xie Tianyi both recoiled. Chen Tian assessed Xie Tianyi's condition, their respective strengths now understood by both.