Chen Tian and Xie Ming unleashed their auras, which clashed head-on. To Xie Ming's surprise, Chen Tian's strength was equal to his own, on the same level. Indeed, he had become more powerful after reincarnation. Although his current realm appeared much lower than Xie Ming's, the energy and strength within him were undeniably present. Xie Ming and Chen Tian moved simultaneously, charging at each other. Chen Tian unleashed his book with a sense of security, his fists striking with immense power. Even a seemingly ordinary punch from him could shatter a small planet. Facing Chen Tian's fist, Xie Ming's action was simple: he met force with force. Xie Ming clenched his claws into fists and met Chen Tian's fist. The moment they collided, waves of energy erupted, and the void itself began to crack.
The void could not withstand the power of Chen Tian and Xie Ming. The entire void began to collapse. Suddenly, the heavens and earth darkened, and Chen Tian and Xie Ming found themselves in an unknown space, the perfect arena for their battle. Chen Tian threw a punch, a left hook that Xie Ming dodged by tilting his neck to the left. Xie Ming then lunged with his claws towards Chen Tian's arm. Chen Tian, aware of Xie Ming's intention, reacted swiftly, rotating his arms inward and transforming his fist into a palm strike. Xie Ming nonchalantly extended his claws, and his palm and claws met with a fierce clash of sparks. Both Chen Tian and Xie Ming appeared relaxed, reveling in the intensity of such a high-level battle.
Chen Tian channeled his internal energy, concentrating it in his palm. Xie Ming, sensing something was amiss, retreated. The moment Xie Ming retreated, a beam of light shot out from Chen Tian's palm. Fortunately, Xie Ming's reaction speed was quick enough; otherwise, he would have been caught off guard. Xie Ming dodged, and because he had sensed it beforehand, Chen Tian's attack had no effect on him. Xie Ming simply swung his arm, and the beam of light dissipated upon impact with his arm.
Xie Ming taunted, "Is this all the strength you possess now? You can only defeat me with trickery. Today, you are destined to be buried here."
"You can try," Chen Tian replied calmly.
Chen Tian's demeanor was as placid as still water. Xie Ming couldn't comprehend Chen Tian's confidence. Did Chen Tian not consider the gap in their realms and the disparity in their energy?
While reincarnation could indeed make a person more powerful, it required them to grow. Without growth, even the greatest talent was futile. Geniuses were those who lived; the dead were merely corpses. Xie Ming flickered, a shadow appearing behind Chen Tian. Chen Tian, without turning, struck back. Xie Ming's claws aimed for Chen Tian's neck. Chen Tian had already calculated this scenario, having prepared his defenses the moment Xie Ming vanished. A thunderous roar echoed as the residual energy spread, pushing both Chen Tian and Xie Ming back three steps.
Chen Tian's eyes fixed on Xie Ming. Xie Ming had not yet unleashed his full abilities. Chen Tian dared not reveal too many of his own techniques, as he was well aware of Xie Ming's capabilities. Once he was restrained, this battle would be endless. Chen Tian regretted creating these nine pure disciples of the Evil Spirit Race. Now, it was a complex situation. Chen Tian and Xie Ming assumed their fighting stances; their battle was far from over. One of them had to die today.
Chen Tian shook his head. If these individuals were still considering the Evil Spirit Race, Chen Tian might have been able to mend things. Unfortunately, they were blinded by hatred. He should have eradicated them completely, along with their origins, back then. Chen Tian felt a tinge of regret that his first incarnation's actions were not thorough enough. Thinking about it, they were his creations, and in a sense, he was their father. His reluctance was perhaps understandable.
Chen Tian and Xie Ming transformed into streaks of light, colliding in the boundless space. The intense sounds indicated the ferocity and excitement of their battle. Meanwhile, on Pigeon's side, Pigeon was recuperating, his injuries gradually healing. Suddenly, Pigeon's eyes snapped open. A white light flashed across his cheek. Pigeon swiftly dodged, narrowly avoiding having his head severed. Pigeon surveyed his surroundings, extending his senses. Were there still assassins?
The moment his senses expanded, he located the assailant. Pigeon held his Divine Spirit Shield and Divine Spirit Sword. Pigeon stared at the forest before him and said, "Come out. I know where you are. There's no need to hide."
"Hahaha, brat, you managed to dodge my attack even with such serious injuries. Not bad, truly an outsider."
A young man emerged from the forest. Pigeon looked at the young man before him, his face and aura eerily familiar. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Are you from the Shadow Pavilion?"
"Indeed. Your existence, brat, is greatly impacting our plans. The Heavenly Dao is truly troublesome for finding an outsider like you to complete this task."
An Ran, with a fierce gaze, stared at Pigeon. An Ran's mission was to complete the task assigned by that esteemed individual. As expected, the variable that esteemed individual had spoken of had appeared. According to that esteemed individual, Pigeon should have died here, absolutely not surviving. Both sides had their variables. Pigeon looked at An Ran before him. The opponent's strength was greater than Pigeon's, and pure Evil Spirit energy flowed through his body, indicating a formidable fighter. Pigeon was still injured and immediately turned to flee, knowing this was not the time to fight.
Pigeon turned to escape, but how could An Ran allow him to get away? Two streaks of light engaged in a chase, with Pigeon needing to recover from his injuries before he could fight. Even then, his recovery was only superficial, and his internal energy was not fully restored. He could not fight, or he would be instantly annihilated.
Chen Tian was unaware of the commotion on Pigeon's side, as he was still locked in a fierce battle with Xie Ming. Chen Tian unleashed a push-like palm strike. The seemingly soft palm attack made Xie Ming dismiss it entirely. What use was such a gentle attack? Had Chen Tian's brain been damaged by reincarnation? A soft palm strike against his claws? Xie Ming snarled, "Watch as I pierce your palm!"
Xie Ming's claws extended, a black light shooting directly towards Chen Tian's palm. Just as it was about to reach Chen Tian's palm, Chen Tian's hand style changed. He wrapped his arms around Xie Ming's arm and then executed a shoulder throw, sending Xie Ming flying. Xie Ming, caught off guard, was completely surprised by Chen Tian's maneuver. Chen Tian stepped forward, accelerating his movement and appearing behind Xie Ming. He threw a punch. Xie Ming, a veteran Evil Spirit Race warrior, and having sparred with Chen Tian frequently, was somewhat familiar with Chen Tian's fighting style. He steadied himself and unleashed a spinning kick with both legs, deflecting Chen Tian's punch aside.
Chen Tian flickered away as Xie Ming closed in. Xie Ming's claws faced Chen Tian. Fortunately, Chen Tian had dodged in advance, and the claws passed through Chen Tian's afterimage. Chen Tian reappeared behind Xie Ming and struck with a hand knife, energy-covered and sharp enough to cleave through anything. Xie Ming, however, was not about to let Chen Tian succeed. The moment Chen Tian appeared behind him, Xie Ming was prepared to defend. Black armor materialized on his back. Chen Tian's hand knife struck the armor, producing only a dull clang.
A terrifying defense. Chen Tian knew the strength of the Evil Spirit Armor; it was equipment he had created, and no one understood it better than him. His hand knife was blocked by the armor, and not even a scratch appeared. As Xie Ming began to turn, Chen Tian's hand knife transformed back into a fist. He slammed it down, forcing Xie Ming to retreat. Chen Tian and Xie Ming locked eyes. Xie Ming couldn't resist taunting, "Well, how does it feel to be rendered helpless by your own creation? Pretty unpleasant, isn't it?"
"Heh, you think that means I can't fight you? How laughable."
Chen Tian's body trembled, and the armor covering him gradually transformed, becoming identical to Xie Ming's Evil Spirit Armor. Chen Tian stated indifferently, "The Evil Spirit Armor is a creation of mine. Of course, I can create it anytime, anywhere. Now that our defenses are equal, this battle will be decided by pure strength."
"Precisely."
Chen Tian's words gave Xie Ming pause. Chen Tian was correct; the Evil Spirit Armor was his creation, and he could replicate it anywhere. The Evil Spirit Armor on Chen Tian's body was an upgraded version. Because it was composed of energy, it shimmered with various colors, unlike Xie Ming's black armor. At first glance, Chen Tian and Xie Ming looked at each other. Now both wore Evil Spirit Armor, their defenses equal, meaning neither could break through the other's guard.
To win, they would have to rely on skill and pure power. Their eyes flared, and with a series of thuds, the space between them vibrated with sound. Their gazes met, and then Chen Tian and Xie Ming moved. Almost simultaneously, Chen Tian's fists swept out, a barrage of blows directed at Xie Ming. Xie Ming's claws transformed into hand blades, moving up, down, left, and right like a butcher's knife, systematically dismantling Chen Tian's fist shadows.
After a few seconds of intense exchange, Chen Tian's fist targeted Xie Ming's cheek, while Xie Ming's hand blade aimed for Chen Tian's neck. Just as they were about to connect, Chen Tian changed his move, and so did Xie Ming. Their intentions were aligned, but Chen Tian had anticipated this possibility. As he shifted his stance, he raised his left leg and aimed a swift kick at Xie Ming's chin. Xie Ming had no choice but to abandon his change of tactic and execute a backflip to dodge, creating distance between himself and Chen Tian. Xie Ming knew that after this evasion, he would be on the defensive.
Just as Xie Ming had predicted, Chen Tian seized the initiative during Xie Ming's backflip, gaining control of the fight and pressing Xie Ming with a relentless assault. Chen Tian's attacks were like a storm, a blizzard, and a scorching flame, imbued with various elemental energies. Each punch was delivered with maximum force. If Xie Ming abandoned his defense, he would be at a significant disadvantage.
Their strength was already nearly equal, and now with identical defenses, breaking through would depend on the purity of their energy. Rushing attacks would lead to energy depletion. Xie Ming could not yet fully control his energy. The higher the level of a being, the more difficult it was to master energy. Chen Tian's complete mastery of energy was due to his ability.
Chen Tian possessed absolute control over any energy, a truly heaven-defying ability, especially a Tier Two ability. Chen Tian's fists, intertwined with various elemental energies, reacted subtly, amplifying their power. Xie Ming found himself struggling to defend. This stalemate had to be broken; continuing to defend was not a viable option.