Chen Tian's dual sabers moved left and right, deflecting Xie Lingzi's attacks instantly. Xie Lingzi silently appeared behind Chen Tian, thrusting his sword. A black phantom descended. Chen Tian remained unhurried. His dual sabers slowly moved behind him. Though the movements seemed slow, their speed was incredible. Before the phantom could touch Chen Tian's back, his sabers were already raised in defense. Xie Lingzi was not surprised by this scene; it would have been an anomaly if Chen Tian couldn't block this move.
Chen Tian spun around, unleashing his blade energy with extreme speed. His dual sabers slashed out, their edges forming a blade light that swept towards Xie Lingzi. Xie Lingzi's sword met it with a horizontal defense, slashing down. The collision of blade and sword created an explosion, the sound of black blasts echoing. From the center of the explosion, Chen Tian and Xie Lingzi stared at each other. Chen Tian moved first, launching a dual-saber assault. His left saber struck down, followed closely by his right. Xie Lingzi, facing Chen Tian's onslaught, remained unfazed, still struggling to comprehend Chen Tian's attack patterns.
Xie Lingzi's familiarity with Chen Tian was limited to his swordsmanship. Both were familiar with each other, but with Chen Tian switching to dual sabers, Xie Lingzi had to rediscover Chen Tian's fighting habits. Chen Tian, on the other hand, understood Xie Lingzi well. If Xie Lingzi continued with swordplay, Chen Tian would eventually find his weaknesses. Fortunately, Xie Lingzi had abandoned his own sword techniques for those of the Xie Ling tribe, temporarily preventing Chen Tian from finding his vulnerabilities. Xie Lingzi was unaware that even with his adopted techniques, Chen Tian would not be intimidated. After all, Chen Tian was the creator of the Xie Ling tribe and was intimately familiar with their moves. Xie Lingzi was merely a laughingstock.
Chen Tian had not yet defeated Xie Lingzi because he wanted to see if the entity within Xie Lingzi would intervene. If Chen Tian's assumptions were correct, Xie Lingzi, like them before, would use a body for resurrection. Chen Tian and Xie Lingzi exchanged a glance. As Xie Lingzi was about to move, he suddenly stepped forward as if sensing Chen Tian's next action, appearing before him and launching a barrage of sword thrusts. Chen Tian was slightly surprised; Xie Lingzi had apparently deciphered his habits, which was no simple feat.
Chen Tian had a habit when he attacked, one that was difficult to detect if not observed carefully. It seemed Xie Lingzi had indeed found it. As Xie Lingzi thrust his sword repeatedly, Chen Tian moved his dual sabers in a continuous motion, his left and right hands weaving. Blade light and sword shadows appeared as Chen Tian and Xie Lingzi engaged in a battle of speed. Their movements became increasingly rapid, their hands a blur, fighting beyond the speed of light. With a piercing sound, both Chen Tian and Xie Lingzi retreated.
A deep sword gash marked Chen Tian's left arm, appearing as if it could cleave his limb in two. Xie Lingzi, meanwhile, bore numerous large and small wounds on both his arms, over a hundred in total. A peculiar power on these wounds prevented them from healing. Chen Tian faced a similar affliction. This battle had resulted in mutual injury. However, the extent of Xie Lingzi's wounds seemed more severe. Chen Tian had only one deep gash on his arm, far less critical than Xie Lingzi's numerous wounds, which had also stimulated his nerves.
Xie Lingzi now required immense concentration to move his arms; otherwise, they would not keep up with his intentions. Xie Lingzi understood this, his body informing him of the truth. Chen Tian and Xie Lingzi ceased their fight and began to recover. Continuing to fight would be disadvantageous for both, especially Xie Lingzi. This was a race to see who could recover first. Chen Tian's recovery speed was comparable to Xie Lingzi's; both waited silently.
After several minutes of waiting, Chen Tian and Xie Lingzi seemed to have recovered in a difference of merely 0.1 seconds. Xie Lingzi could not believe Chen Tian's recovery speed rivaled that of the Xie Ling tribe, being almost identical. With such a small time difference, he couldn't even make a move. Chen Tian and Xie Lingzi entered the second round of their battle. They stood opposite each other. As Xie Lingzi began to raise his arm, Chen Tian moved first, his reaction speed even faster than before.
Xie Lingzi's reaction was noticeably slower. Chen Tian and Xie Lingzi attacked simultaneously, their sword and dual sabers unleashing sword energy and blade light, creating a wave of energy that enveloped both their bodies. Chen Tian and Xie Lingzi ignored this wave of energy, as it posed no threat to either of them. Chen Tian swung his dual sabers continuously, their blades converging to form a peculiar shape around him. Xie Lingzi, meanwhile, wielded his sword as if dancing, conjuring a black lotus of sword energy. At the center of the lotus was a black silver needle. Chen Tian's sphere of blade light collided with the black lotus, creating an explosion. A silver needle shot out from the blast, aimed at Chen Tian's brow.
Chen Tian remained unperturbed, his dual sabers moving left and right, forming a blade barrier. The black silver needle struck the barrier, which held for dozens of seconds. Chen Tian noticed the barrier's energy waning; the needle was absorbing its energy. Chen Tian shifted his arms, transforming the barrier into a vortex. The vortex drew the silver needle in. Chen Tian then flung his arms outwards, sending the needle flying into the distance, where it vanished as a streak of light.
No one knew where it had gone. Xie Lingzi seized this opportunity, transforming into countless afterimages and closing in on Chen Tian. Chen Tian's eyes scanned, trying to locate Xie Lingzi's true form. To Chen Tian, the afterimages were utterly useless. His sharp gaze quickly found Xie Lingzi.
Xie Lingzi's sword was mere inches from Chen Tian's eyes. Chen Tian shifted slightly to the left. The sword grazed past him, passing by his hair. It was an extreme dodge, a maneuver Chen Tian found quite effective.
Seeing his surprise attack fail, Xie Lingzi retreated, hesitant to continue. Chen Tian immediately attacked. Xie Lingzi attempted to create distance, but Chen Tian would not allow it. His dual sabers crossed, unleashing a rotating storm of blades. The blade storm clung to Xie Lingzi like a magnet, preventing him from escaping. Xie Lingzi knew he could only withstand this attack head-on, with no possibility of evasion. As Chen Tian's storm was about to engulf him, Xie Lingzi raised his sword high, channeling immense power into it. A world-shattering sword strike surged towards the heavens. This strike severed Chen Tian's storm into two halves, and the sword continued its descent towards Chen Tian.
It was like giving an opponent a ninety-meter head start in a hundred-meter dash. Chen Tian crossed his dual sabers, locking onto the sword's body. His footing felt heavy; this move possessed considerable power, indicating Xie Lingzi was using his full strength.
Seeing Chen Tian easily resisting his attack, Xie Lingzi grew wary of Chen Tian's strength. He had only recently resumed his cultivation after reincarnation, yet he was already comparable to his past self. He absolutely could not let Chen Tian live. Chen Tian was his inner demon, a foe he had to vanquish. Xie Lingzi increased his strength, shouting, "Die!"
Chen Tian's body descended slightly. Witnessing this, Chen Tian had no choice but to increase his power. Defeating Xie Lingzi with only the power of the Divine Spirit Realm was a futile dream. Chen Tian employed a touch of other energies, infusing his dual sabers with the elemental forces of divine fire, stellar energy, and yin and yang. These multiple energies transformed his sabers into a great blade. Chen Tian swung his dual sabers, their ends connecting. With the Qiankun Blade in hand, he executed a sudden maneuver, slashing left and right. The projected sword image before him shattered.
Xie Lingzi stared at Chen Tian's weapon, wondering if its form could truly change. He had never heard of such a transformation in the Divine Spirit Realm. Chen Tian had indeed grown significantly.
"Not bad, you've become much stronger compared to thousands of years ago. But I've also grown. People always look forward. It's just a shame about your talent."
"I don't need your praise, nor your approval. Where were you all those years ago?"
"If you had treated me the same way thousands of years ago, would that incident have happened?"
"It's all your fault. You made me change."
"Heh, it was merely your inner desires. Why blame others?"
Chen Tian sighed. Xie Lingzi faltered, his expression shifting. Chen Tian had spoken of his pain. Yes, it was his own greed, unchecked, that had led to his downfall. Chen Tian was not to blame. He could only blame himself for ruining his own future. This was why Xie Lingzi hated Chen Tian. Why then, why...
"Only one of us will walk out of here alive today. Why sentimentalize? You are no longer my disciple, and I am no longer your master. We are enemies now."
Chen Tian's statement was concise and clear. Chen Tian viewed all things from a fundamental perspective. They were merely enemies now; their past relationships were irrelevant.
"Hahaha, you are right, you are right."
Xie Lingzi cackled like a madman, enveloped in black mist. His body underwent a transformation. His arms became scythes, his legs fused to form a tail, and black, sharp horns grew from his head. His face morphed into that of a bull, with an eye opening on his forehead. His colossal body, three hundred meters tall and six hundred meters wide, became a monstrous entity.
Chen Tian took a step back. This creature did not belong to this world; it was a cosmic being. Had Xie Lingzi transformed himself into a cosmic entity? Was he not afraid of becoming a pure beast in his madness?
Chen Tian was slightly troubled by the colossal being before him. He had no choice but to use cosmic power to kill cosmic beings. Chen Tian possessed cosmic power within him, but his concern was that using it would overwhelm his body and cause him harm.
"Chen Tian, I'd like to see how you fare against me in this state."
Xie Lingzi maintained his composure, eight pairs of wings unfurling from his back, composed of black liquid. His body was covered in black scales, exuding an aura of formidable defense. Chen Tian’s dual sabers slashed out, producing whistling sounds as they struck Xie Lingzi's scales, leaving no marks. The creature's defense was indeed exceptional.
Cosmic beings were formidable entities in the universe. Ordinary cultivators would have no chance of escape if they encountered one. It could be said that in the cosmic realm, humanity's enemy was the cosmic being. Cosmic beings had always believed humans were unworthy of ruling the universe and the worlds. The cosmic realm was the world of Chen Tian and the Xie Ling tribe, the pinnacle world of the Sacred God Realm. Being there meant standing at the apex of the universe.
Chen Tian sheathed his dual sabers, not out of surrender. Most energies were ineffective against this creature; only cosmic power could be used. Just as Chen Tian was about to activate his cosmic power, he found he couldn't. What was happening?
"Ding! It was this system. This system forbids the host from using cosmic power at this time."
"System, tell me, is there a solution now?"
Chen Tian was aware of the consequences of using cosmic power, but he had no other choice.
"This system has a solution. The host has a World Tree seedling within. As long as the host activates the seedling's power, they can temporarily gain the strength to contend with cosmic beings. The World Tree originates from the depths of the universe, and it is also a form of cosmic power. Furthermore, the World Tree is integrated with the host, forming its own world within their body. The host can activate it without harm."
Chen Tian finally heard good news. He immediately communicated with the World Tree seedling within him. The seedling emanated a brilliant light, and immense, pure power erupted from it, seeping into Chen Tian's body bit by bit. Chen Tian felt this power, its intensity not inferior to his own chaotic primordial energy. Chen Tian's figure turned into a streak of light. Xie Lingzi, transformed into a cosmic being, opened his mouth, and a beam of light shot out. Chen Tian charged directly into the beam, resisting it.
Chen Tian now possessed the strength to do so. Xie Lingzi believed Chen Tian was courting death. In Xie Lingzi's eyes, he was invincible, and Chen Tian, no matter how powerful, would perish. Chen Tian was engulfed by the light beam, but the anticipated outcome did not occur. Chen Tian's figure sliced the light beam in half. The beam split to the sides, and Chen Tian continued to advance.
This scene rendered Xie Lingzi speechless. How could a human body be so strong? Chen Tian's strength was simply too formidable.
As the light beam dissipated, Chen Tian appeared before Xie Lingzi, his fist clenched and striking rapidly. Xie Lingzi, confident in his defense, looked at Chen Tian with disdain. "You cannot harm me."
The next second was a moment of reckoning. Chen Tian's fist slammed into Xie Lingzi's body with a thunderous boom that echoed through the void. Xie Lingzi cried out in pain, utterly bewildered. How could Chen Tian inflict damage? His body was immune to cosmic energy. How could this be happening? It wasn't an illusion; he genuinely felt pain.
With newfound exhilaration, Chen Tian saw the effect of his punch. Attacking this way was proving very effective for him.
Chen Tian unleashed a flurry of punches, a tempest of fierce blows. Xie Lingzi's massive body was unable to evade and could only endure the onslaught. The defense of a cosmic being was not to be underestimated. After enduring tens of thousands of Chen Tian's punches, Xie Lingzi only felt pain. To inflict substantial damage, Chen Tian needed to employ specific techniques.
It wasn't that Chen Tian wasn't using techniques; it was that he had no techniques that utilized cosmic energy, only brute force.
Xie Lingzi noticed this. However, the pain was not significant. He spread his wings and flapped them, creating a gale that sent Chen Tian flying.
Xie Lingzi wouldn't allow Chen Tian another chance to get close, immediately unleashing his abilities. His wings flapped, firing blade energy, and his mouth spewed a beam of light.
Although Chen Tian was supported by cosmic energy, his body was not made of it; it was merely a protective shield formed by cosmic energy.