Chen Tian withdrew, his figure leaving. It seemed the evil spirit race's target was not here. Meanwhile, Shuzi and the evil spirit's long saber clashed repeatedly. The wind generated by the saber's spinning formed illusions, which shot out. Shuzi raised and lowered his spear, its tip striking out to dissipate along with the illusions. He needed to find an opening to attack, not giving them a chance to breathe. He moved rapidly, flying through the void.
A fierce battle unfolded in the void. Shuzi and Xie Kong were already fighting within it. The power they had previously unleashed had exceeded the limits of the world space. Shuzi wielded the power of the Heavenly Way, which the outer space could not withstand. This was natural, as the creation of worlds began with the power of the Heavenly Way.
The power of the Heavenly Way could destroy worlds. The void appeared to prevent their battle from collapsing the world. The spear remained wrapped in the power of the Heavenly Way. This time, it was different; his entire body was imbued with it. Xie Kong found this incomprehensible. He was not a representative of the Heavenly Way, yet he possessed such immense power. What was the Heavenly Way thinking, and how was this possible?
Shuzi and Xie Kong's battle raged within the void. The spear was readied, and with a flash, Shuzi appeared before Xie Kong, thrusting the spear directly at his face. Xie Kong dared not be careless, blocking with his long saber. The wide blade was positioned horizontally, intercepting the spear. The spear struck the saber's surface with a pleasant ringing sound. The spear thrust repeatedly, its power amplified by the Heavenly Way, carrying a forceful effect, such as repulsion. After resisting for a moment, Xie Kong's body would be pushed back slightly.
This was the spear's ability. After Shuzi had fused with those Heavenly Way artifacts, his weapon naturally gained several new functions. Currently, he could only utilize the repulsion function. Seeing that Xie Kong's weapon was no trifling matter, continuing to defend would put him in a passive position. Xie Kong was searching for an opening to break the stalemate, his eyes fixed on the trajectory of the spear's attacks. He quickly deciphered the attack pattern. Gripping the hilt of his long saber with both hands, he swiftly drew it in a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree sweep.
This decisive move saw him abandon his attack and retreat backward. Seeing Xie Kong retreat, Shuzi could not let such an opportunity pass. He moved forward, his long saber descending from above. The massive saber fell with immense weight, feeling as heavy as a mountain that had stood for a thousand years. The mere downward motion instantly put Shuzi on alert; this opponent was a troublesome character.
Even at this stage, he hadn't dealt with him yet. The saber descended, about to strike his body, intending to cleave him in two. Shuzi had a countermeasure. He threw his spear, which spun around him. The energies attracted each other, forming a barrier. A cylindrical barrier quickly sealed the area, encasing Shuzi within its confines.
The saber strike landed on the cylindrical barrier, causing it to shake. Cracks soon appeared, and the saber's power visibly weakened. Xie Kong clearly sensed something strange. He retracted his saber, resting it on his shoulder, and said heartily, "So this is your capital for resisting me? This move indeed puts me in a difficult spot, but you still cannot attack."
"This is enough. It can resist your dangerous moves. As for victory, I have my own means."
Shuzi's confidence annoyed Xie Kong. The battle had just begun, and he hadn't even warmed up properly. How could Shuzi be so sure of victory? The young man was too arrogant. Xie Kong rotated his neck, making cracking sounds, and his eyes changed as he spoke, "Since that's the case, I'll get serious. Let's see if your confidence is genuine or mere conceit."
The two figures stood facing each other. Shuzi and Xie Kong gripped their spear and saber tightly. The spear and saber shimmered with the power of evil spirits and Heavenly Way energy, respectively. Both had entered the final stage of the battle, which would decide the victor.
Almost simultaneously, their figures collided. Light flashed so rapidly that their movements were indiscernible. Sounds, sparks, and flashes filled the air. Their figures were too fast for the naked eye to follow. When they reappeared, they were both injured, with wounds of varying severity. Their previous battle had taken place within the void, where one second of their exchange felt like over ten minutes. This explained their disappearance from the outside world.
In just these few seconds of collision, both Shuzi and Xie Kong sustained severe injuries.
Meanwhile, Gezi faced Xieyun calmly. Even with Xieyun's drill having various forms, Gezi was confident he could defeat him; it was only a matter of time. The Divine Spirit Sword met the twin swords' onslaught, deflecting and blocking each attack. Xieyun's assaults were always met by Gezi's Divine Spirit Sword, which parried and then counterattacked.
This method of "seeing a move and countering it" was very steady. Xieyun was growing impatient. This kind of battle would never end. When would his mission be completed? He accelerated the speed of his twin swords to an incredible degree, making it impossible to simply counter each move. The Divine Spirit Shield appeared before Gezi, blocking all attacks. Xieyun found this shield somewhat irritating.
The shield resisted his attacks, and even his evil spirit twin swords couldn't break through its defense. This indicated that the shield was on par with his own weapon, and from its appearance, it seemed to be a broken weapon. He couldn't imagine if it were whole, whether he could even continue fighting.
Unable to break through the defense, Xieyun abandoned his offensive. Seizing this opportunity, Gezi's Divine Spirit Sword attacked, a beam of sword light like heavenly descent charging towards him. Xieyun brought his twin swords together, and a drill appeared. The drill spun, and an illusory drill appeared on his arm. He raised his arm, and the massive drill phantom descended. Just as they were about to collide, the sword light inexplicably vanished.
Xieyun realized he had been tricked and hastily turned, thrusting the drill towards his back. The drill tip and the sword tip met head-on. It was a pure power clash, and waves of energy continuously flowed from behind them. This confrontation was a prolonged one; whoever couldn't hold on would gain the advantage. Xieyun was clearly struggling. Suddenly, he thought of something and spun the drill at high speed. This move stunned Gezi.
If this rotation continued, the swirling centrifugal force would bore into his body through the sword. Continuing the clash would put him at a disadvantage. He widened the distance, ceasing the direct confrontation.
"Not bad. You've integrated your previous techniques and moves. You almost caught me off guard."
Gezi was commendable for that. The move had indeed caught him by surprise, as the real attack had come from behind, silently. He had almost succeeded.
Fortunately, his instincts had kicked in. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable. They exchanged glances, both finding the other a difficult opponent. Completing their missions and killing each other would be impossible in a short time.
The two figures continued to clash in the void. The long saber and spear met, and the spear began to falter, even retreating. This was unacceptable to Shuzi. He had gone from having the upper hand to being at a disadvantage. What was happening?
"I forgot to mention, my ability is that the longer I fight, the more terrifying my strength becomes. By now, my strength has increased by three thousand times, comparable to the Heavenly Way power you wield. From this point on, you will no longer be my opponent."
Xie Kong wore an arrogant expression. Shuzi finally understood; his opponent had such an ability, the ability to grow stronger with prolonged combat. He had seen it in Chen Tian before, but this amplification was terrifying. He needed to end the battle quickly to prevent Xie Kong from accumulating more strength.