A storm of countless spatial particles instantly formed above his arms, sweeping directly toward the youth in white. The entire sky was devoid of any other color, replaced only by an intense brilliance.
The sheer power of the Great Serpent's skill was once again displayed before the world.
“It’s the Sun Blazing Down!” Ling Feng exclaimed from a distance, her eyes lighting up.
Chen Feng had explained the intricacies of this technique to Ling Feng in detail, and she had witnessed him unleash it during the Natural Realm. Yet, seeing it now still left her profoundly shaken by its might. Bathed in that white light, opponents would likely shatter like fragments of ice, breaking down into countless spatial particles to assault their foe in a torrential downpour—such an overwhelmingly potent move felt utterly defiant of natural law.
“Ah…” Jin Ling and Leidi, witnessing this technique for the first time, were simultaneously struck dumb with awe, their eyes betraying a flicker of terror.
“If he used this directly on me, even one hundred of me stacked together wouldn't stand a chance; we’d be pulverized into dust. All that talk about his strongest attacks when we were competing in defense was just to save my face…” Leidi trembled ceaselessly, thinking that to decompose space into mere particles required an impossible depth of understanding. And if space itself was shattered, what could possibly remain? The more Leidi pondered, the more terrifying Chen Feng seemed. He had harbored thoughts of turning the tables, but now it seemed his servitude was fated to be perpetual!
In truth, Leidi was overthinking it. While the Sun Blazing Down was immensely powerful, it wasn't quite as devastating as he imagined. Otherwise, if Chen Feng simply deployed it, space would instantly collapse, making the eradication of Divine-level beings trivial. In reality, those with formidable strength could subtly manipulate the distribution and orientation of spatial particles, rendering the attack largely harmless upon impact!
Jin Ling was also analyzing the situation internally. After considerable thought, she reached a single conclusion: even if she saw the technique unleashed, escape would be impossible. The spatial particles generated by the Sun Blazing Down moved with terrifying velocity—perhaps faster than instantaneous movement itself! Moreover, instantaneous movement relied on freezing temporal power, making its use clearly unviable in this state.
There was no earth-shattering tremor in the distance, no deafening roar. A flash of white light swept by, and space seemed to momentarily dissolve in undulating waves. From afar, it resembled a silent, voiceless drama, yet no one with even modest cultivation would mistake it for mere pantomime; those watching felt chills crawl up their spines.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of muffled explosions erupted on the body of the youth in white as the spatial particles collided with him, sounding no louder than popping beans. Yet, under the relentless impact, his entire frame convulsed as if jolted by electricity.
The Sun Blazing Down persisted for perhaps five seconds. Chen Feng slowly retracted his arm, gazing at the somewhat dark, perforated space before him, and finally let out a breath. Surely he’s dead this time?
Vwoom...
Just as his tension eased, a faint vibration emanated from ahead, the sound growing rapidly louder. Suddenly, with a concussive blast, turbulent air currents surged outward, and a figure slowly walked forth from the haze once more.
The youth in white was somehow still alive!
Surviving the Sun Blazing Down, powered by 85 percent fusion energy—his defense was preposterously monstrous!
“Attacking me using spatial particles, the power is indeed considerable, but against me, it’s useless!” The white-robed youth’s hair streamed in the wind as he fixed Chen Feng with a cold gaze.
Though he appeared more disheveled this time than the last, there was no accompanying rage.
“I must concede that you are stronger than I initially estimated. However, defeating me won’t be so simple!” The youth in white began to walk forward slowly.
This was the first time Chen Feng had encountered such a relentless monstrosity. Even the divine clones he encountered in the Natural Realm had been utterly obliterated by him. But this youth, regardless of the sheer force thrown at him, reappeared as if untouched, an outcome that beggared belief.
“Soul Extraction to scatter the soul, which can instantly recover. If even the Sun Blazing Down can’t penetrate his defense, what kind of monster is he?” Chen Feng sucked in a sharp breath, a wave of powerlessness rising in his heart.
A being that fears neither physical nor spiritual assault possesses absolute, invincible defense. Even a Divine-level expert would likely dread facing such an intractable opponent.
“Hoo…” Chen Feng gasped, catching his breath. “You are indeed powerful, but you slaughtered so many of my brothers; I will not let you off lightly!” With a fierce roar, Chen Feng’s aura surged once more.
Chen Feng was the archetypal challenger who only grew stronger when faced with superior might; he had never learned the meaning of fear. Knowing the opponent surpassed him, he still dared to fight. The white-robed youth, while formidable, might still fall slightly short of the Golden Profound Tiger he once faced. He had managed to injure the Tiger using the Formless Style; surely, this youth wasn't beyond that possibility! Wait—why had he forgotten that? The Formless Style? The Eight Sacrificial Cups?
A sudden spark ignited in Chen Feng’s mind, bringing forth a daring plan.
The formidable nature of the Formless Style was undeniable. While its raw destructive power might not match the Sun Blazing Down, its specific spatial lock could completely seal an opponent!
Eighteen centuries ago, the ancestor of the Kusanagi Clan sealed the Great Serpent using the Formless Style! If the spatial lockdown of the Formless Style could be coupled with the temporal freezing effect of the Eight Sacrificial Cups to seal the youth in white, the result would be spectacularly unexpected.
However, he still couldn't command the Formless Style at will. He had only managed to deploy it once during his battle with the Golden Profound Tiger, and that instance was achieved subconsciously—unconscious? Without intent?
Calming his breath, Chen Feng narrowed his eyes slightly, hovering motionlessly in the air.
“Does he possess a technique even stronger than that last one?” the youth in white sneered. “I am genuinely eager to witness it!”
With that, he took a single step forward, appearing instantly before Chen Feng. His arms swept upward, both hands clenching into fists, a massive, hammer-like sphere of light coalescing between them.
Golden Crystal Fist!
“YAAAH!” he roared, slamming his fist directly forward!
Chen Feng felt the rushing wind past his face and could hold back no longer, forced to summon the Ghost Fire to intercept the incoming assault.
“In this situation, realizing the Formless Style is impossible!” Chen Feng fretted internally. Deploying the Formless Style required specific conditions. In the history of the King of Fighters, Kyo only succeeded after Orochi’s Soul Extraction attack had stripped him of his conscious mind. During his fight with the Golden Profound Tiger, he too had fallen into unconsciousness, only managing the technique by borrowing the power of the Flame Dragon burning his remnant soul. To successfully execute it during this current battle was an absolute impossibility!
The Ghost Fire deflected the attack, sending Chen Feng reeling backward for several hundred meters before he felt a throbbing soreness in his entire right arm.
“His power has increased again!” Chen Feng sighed, then his heart lurched sickeningly.
How could the opponent’s cultivation level jump noticeably after being ‘killed’ once? Could it be… that he was intentionally sparing Chen Feng, waiting for his power to grow, simply for the purpose of this sustained combat? Thinking this, cold sweat traced a path down his spine. Looking back at the youth in white, his eyes were now filled with sheer horror.
The first time he knocked the youth unconscious was with a seven-hit combo, leveraging the element of surprise. Following that, the opponent’s strength suddenly soared. The second time, using Soul Extraction, Chen Feng had expected instant death, yet the enemy achieved yet another qualitative leap, forcing Chen Feng to unleash the Great Serpent’s Sun Blazing Down. After that move, the opponent’s strength increased again, and after just one exchange, Chen Feng’s arm felt numb. Calculating rapidly, Chen Feng arrived at a terrifying conclusion: every time the youth in white suffered a setback, his strength doubled. After three such instances, his power was eight times what it was at the start of the fight! (2 to the power of 3! 8!)
His strength had multiplied by a factor of eight! If this continued, and if he couldn’t deliver a finishing blow, the multiplier would jump to sixteen. At that point, not only would Chen Feng be hopelessly outmatched, but even combining the entire forces of the Underworld Saint Camp and the Archer Camp would result in nothing but annihilation!
It was too dreadful! Deep-seated fear surfaced in Chen Feng’s mind.
He must execute the Formless Style to seal him; otherwise, everyone would perish.
He forced his mind to calm again, instantly entering a state devoid of sorrow or joy. Yet, the more he tried to summon the technique, the more elusive it became. The Formless Style differed completely from other moves; it demanded surrender to the natural flow, and deliberate, forced summoning was counterproductive.
“Although I suffer a massive power surge after being heavily injured, the strain on my body each time is enormous. Therefore, this time, I won't allow you to wound me again!” The youth in white sneered, flashing forward to instantly appear before Chen Feng. He swept his right leg out like an iron rod, delivering a direct strike across Chen Feng’s body!
BOOM!
Chen Feng was sent flying backward, crashing into a mountain peak and punching a hole straight through it! Had his body not already reached a Divine-level physical state, he would have been ripped open. Even so, several ribs snapped instantly, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
“Here it comes!” The youth in white’s voice echoed from behind him, delivering a kick directly to his spine!
These two kicks arrived too quickly to evade; Chen Feng didn't even have time to react before being knocked into several somersaults before slamming back onto the ground.
Dust billowed, revealing a meteor crater spanning several kilometers where the ground had been. The youth in white stared into the impact zone, a cold smirk on his lips. “My strength has increased so much; it won’t be easy to defeat me… Hm? That move again?”
As his gaze followed, he saw Chen Feng rising from the pit, his back slightly arched, perfectly mimicking the preparatory stance for the Great Serpent’s technique.
“Aaaah…”
Chen Feng roared, his left fist driving forward as a pure white radiance abruptly shot upward!
Great Serpent Skill: Soul Extraction!
“That move is useless against me; it only increases my power… Wait a moment…” The youth in white’s statement died in his throat as he watched Chen Feng violently reverse the trajectory of his fist, driving the incredibly domineering Soul Extraction skill directly toward his own chest!