Battles erupted across a dozen fronts in the cosmos, each raging for nearly seven days without a decisive victor, locked in a stalemate. On Gezi's side of the fray, the Divine Spirit Sword clashed with the Evil Heaven Dragon's claws. The fused might of the evil spirit claws and dragon claws proved immeasurable, capable of contending with the Divine Spirit Sword. However, with the Divine Spirit Shield bolstering Gezi, neither could break the other's defense for the moment.
The Evil Spirit Claws swept down, a long talon descending as if to tear the sky asunder.
As the claw neared, the Divine Spirit Shield blocked it. The strike landed on the shield, causing it to merely wobble a few times.
This formidable defense vexed the assailant, who found it difficult to breach and inflict damage. This pace was unsustainable. If only his dragon bloodline were pure; then he would have inherited the dragon's innate armor-piercing ability, rendering any defense useless against his claws.
Alas, his impure bloodline offered no such power, only an enhancement to combat strength. Behind the Divine Spirit Shield, sword light flared. The Divine Spirit Sword, drawn from nowhere, unleashed a beam of moonlight, a crescent blade of energy. This crescent energy shot forth, but the figure swiftly dodged.
The sword strike missed entirely. The Divine Spirit Shield was held firm, the Divine Spirit Sword grasped. Both combatants regarded each other. This battle was drawing to a close. Their next engagement would be a fight to the death, a contest that had to be decided. After days of probing exchanges, their strengths were clear, and further indecisive combat was unnecessary.
"Come, what you seek is what I desire," Gezi stated coolly.
Xie Tianlong’s body flickered, unleashing a surge of energy and aura that rippled through the cosmic space above, causing it to distort and crack. Responding with an equal level of power, a black void formed, drawing them both in. The clash of their auras had become too immense for the cosmic space to bear, requiring a separate dimension to contain their battle.
This mysterious realm was formed by the universe’s consciousness. As the conflict threatened to engulf the cosmos, the universal consciousness had to intervene. This time, it would not favor either side, serving merely as an observer to this battle.
Within the void, both figures stepped forward. The Divine Spirit Sword swung horizontally with broad, powerful strokes. The Evil Spirit Claws extended. On one side, a phantom of the Divine Spirit Sword; on the other, a phantom of a black Azure Dragon, charging towards the opposition. With a thunderous roar, a colossal explosion erupted. As the shockwave subsided, both Gezi and Xie Tianlong retreated, Gezi appearing to have the slight edge.
Firmly regaining his balance, the Divine Spirit Shield and the Divine Spirit Sword were brought together, the sword sheathed within the shield's surface, its hilt pointing upward. Energy flowed within the shield, converging within the sword's blade. This was a charging move. Witnessing this, Xie Tianlong unleashed his evil spirit energy and bloodline, integrating them with his dragon power, a fusion of three elements.
Behind him, an Azure Dragon phantom materialized, becoming more lifelike, as if it were a true dragon, imbued with life. The Azure Dragon phantom’s energy surged with increasing intensity.
Both were charging their ultimate moves; this clash would determine who was truly stronger. Gezi grasped the sword hilt. It seemed he was faster. He drew the sword from within the shield, sparks flying from the friction between sword and shield. As it was fully drawn, a terrifying power emanated.
The pressure was so immense it made breathing difficult, but fortunately, this was a special dimension, and only Gezi and Xie Tianlong were present.
As the sword was completely drawn, its form transformed. On either side of the blade, wings clashed, forming wing-blades. Pure white light, dazzling and sacred, radiated from within the sword.
With a sweep of his arm, the sword swung forward. A phantom of an armored angel, along with the Divine Spirit Sword, shot out. The Azure Dragon roared and surged relentlessly, while the angel’s divinity illuminated the heavens and earth.
The angel and the Azure Dragon collided. Initially, the battle was even. Gradually, the Azure Dragon began to struggle, its wielder bewildered as to how the tide had turned against him.
Injecting energy to match, a cold voice declared, "It's futile. This move is not about raw power. No matter how much energy you pour in, you will still be at a disadvantage."
"Your fate is sealed."
Filled with absolute confidence, his gaze fixed on Xie Tianlong as if he were already a corpse, sealing his doom.
"I don't believe it."
Disregarding the words, energy was injected, and the Azure Dragon roared, soaring into the sky and descending from above. The angel phantom spread its wings, shielding itself. The impact sent shockwaves that engulfed the entire battlefield.
When the reverberations dissipated, both stood in place, seemingly unharmed. However, this was not the case. The next moment, black blood erupted from Xie Tianlong's body, leaving him grievously wounded.
"I told you, yet you still didn't believe. You brought this upon yourself."
"You... what exactly are you?"
He was utterly bewildered. It seemed his own power was greater, so why had he lost?
"Because this was not just a clash of power. My conviction is to protect. Therefore, my desire to protect others transforms into strength. I have never sensed your conviction. In terms of conviction, you have already lost to me by a vast margin."
"My ability is: conviction is power."
"Hahaha, I understand. So I lost to your so-called human conviction. But don't think this means you can save this universe. Once that one breaks free from their seal, you will all perish."
As his words faded, his form dissolved into dust. He wouldn't have chosen this path, but the opponent had chosen his own demise. For a warrior, especially a general, defeat was tantamount to death. To live on in shame was unacceptable in the evil spirit race.
The dimension returned to normal. Gezi turned to survey the other battlefields. His internal energy was depleted, making it impossible to offer assistance. He needed time to recover, hoping the other fronts would conclude swiftly.
He flew towards the fortress below, oblivious to a black light that shot out from the void where Xie Tianlong had vanished, piercing into the upper reaches of the cosmos.
None noticed this.
The other three battlefields had only just begun to enter a tense phase. Compared to this, their combat tempo was significantly slower.
Without absolute certainty, these battles would not end quickly, unless a flaw was exposed. Of course, such a thought was impossible.
At their level of combat, they had already weathered countless battles and perfected their shortcomings. If they all possessed flaws, why would it take seven days and nights to conclude?
The Qingyun Longsword was agile, fierce, and ethereal, styles interchanging as it was wielded with both hands. Sword light formed a net as the swords moved in continuous arcs, enshrouding and pressing towards Xie San.
Facing the approaching sword net, Xie San executed a fierce, sliding maneuver with his scythe, cleaving the net in two. The scythe’s sharpness was clearly terrifying, easily slicing through a net composed of sword energy.
Xie San began to feel the strain. His opponent's constantly shifting styles and unpredictable offensive maneuvers made it difficult to counter. He couldn't anticipate the next sword technique. Furthermore, as the battle wore on, the opponent's style changes became more frequent. This was unsustainable; he needed to find a way to end it quickly.
He had initially hoped to exploit any perceived weaknesses before his opponent fully mastered these new styles, but it seemed his plan had been too simplistic.