The greatest feature of the Nine Heavens Star River technique was its aerial assault, launching fierce attacks from an advantageous altitude. If one strike failed, the user would immediately retreat to a distance, leaving the opponent with no chance to counterattack. Tianmu had not only never witnessed such swordsmanship, but he hadn't even conceived of it. Despite Tianmu's cultivation being a full tier above Xingchen’s, he couldn't immediately devise a method to break it!
He could only settle his mind and guard his position firmly! He also knew clearly that Xingchen's aerial assault was far from over; he must have backups prepared! Furthermore, the subsequent moves would be even more terrifying!
"Old man! Take this next move! Moonfall, Star-Sinking!" A muffled roar exploded from the sky like crashing thunder!
As expected, the brown figure that had shot high into the air once again unfurled the pair of massive Phoenix Heaven Wings. His straight ascent abruptly halted, and then he plummeted like a meteor!
The sheer, astonishing surge of Dou Qi radiated a light that dyed the entire great hall a single hue of fire, transforming it into a misty, blood-red world reminiscent of the hues of a sunset. Within this haze of blood-red, there was a single, brilliantly dazzling, blinding sphere of crimson light! Like a comet, it smashed down from the heavens! Under the gloomy and strange sky, it dragged a blazing, scarlet light trail, carrying with it the terrifying might of world-shattering destruction as it hurtled toward the ground!
This was the third move of the Nine Heavens Star River: Moonfall, Star-Sinking!
It was known that each successive move in the Nine Heavens Star River was more potent than the last, with the power of every subsequent strike accumulating upon the foundation of the previous one. The power of this blood-red comet crashing down from the sky was now more than double that of the preceding attacks! Its aura was completely different from before!
From the first move to the third, the opponent's momentum had escalated almost in a straight, soaring line, increasing limitlessly!
Although Tianmu didn't grasp the mystery behind it, he was nonetheless stunned by the terrifying momentum before his eyes!
No matter how arrogant he was, Tianmu now felt that the situation was turning unfavorable! It told him plainly that his opponent's combat strength had not yet reached its limit; it could still climb higher. If this continued, the sheer formidable momentum alone would be enough to crush him completely!
Yet, the more this happened, the more Tianmu felt an inexplicable surge of exhilaration and madness. He was too powerful; this opponent was truly too strong. Tianmu even felt his body tremble uncontrollably—not from fear or terror, but from an irrepressible excitement and restlessness. He had never imagined that after fully mastering the Demon Eye of Heaven technique, he would actually encounter an opponent who could force him to exert his absolute utmost!
His present adversary was like a phoenix spreading its tail fan against the sun, every single feather emanating a dreamlike brilliance, displaying astonishing beauty. And even now, he was not at his peak. Tianmu instinctively sensed that as the sword techniques progressed, the opponent's momentum could grow even stronger, his power capable of further ascent. What was being shown now was merely the tip of the iceberg! That future moment would be the most magnificent transformation and dazzling dance of his life, and Tianmu eagerly awaited its arrival!
True masters never feared a challenge; for them, combat was the very meaning of existence. They only grew stronger in duels fought on the razor's edge between life and death.
The stronger the opponent, the more Tianmu became excited and anticipatory! His battle intent soared wildly, yet Tianmu’s cold pupils appeared even deeper and more composed!
He began to wait patiently, waiting for his opponent to unleash the final, ultimate sword strike. What power would that single sword possess, what momentum would it carry? Tianmu was intensely curious. Only by slaying his opponent precisely when he delivered his strongest, most cherished move would Tianmu derive greater pleasure and satisfaction! Perhaps such fervor was incredibly reckless, possibly demanding the price of his life. Yes, Tianmu instinctively felt that his present opponent could not be measured by common standards. If there was anyone in this world who could kill him besides that terrifying Demon Dragon Cult Master, it was this human before him!
However, the yearning for a stronger confrontation, for a superior opponent, for breakthrough and transcendence through a death match—even at the cost of his life—was worth it!
Moreover, Tianmu had no means of stopping his opponent's momentum from climbing! Therefore, Tianmu was currently calm and collected! In that brief moment, the Dou Qi within his body was propelled to its absolute limit!
"Come!" Tianmu roared like thunder. "Blood Dragon Soars!"
The massive blood-red axe in his hands spun with astonishing speed, sweeping out a graceful and magnificent dragon of Dou Qi. It then shot upward like a giant dragon ascending to the heavens, violently smashing toward the blood-red comet plummeting from the sky!
Blood Axe Battle Style: Blood Dragon Soars! This move was a devastating offensive killing strike within the Blood Axe Battle Style, possessing unimaginable power! Amidst the dazzling light, the blood-red giant dragon soared and danced fiercely, colliding with the descending blood-red comet!
With a world-shaking boom, the sound nearly shattered the entire subterranean palace!
The hall, which had appeared bright and clear due to the agitation of the Dou Qi, exploded outward in a gigantic circle of light! Astonishing shockwaves radiated outward in all directions!
Blood Dragon Soars versus Moonfall, Star-Sinking! The two supreme offensive skills finally clashed with unstoppable force!
The terrifying impact and the surge of Dou Qi far exceeded the imagination of everyone present! Suiyun and Langren Tuli, already severely injured, were convulsed by the terrifying Dou Qi shockwave and the deafening roar until they spat blood violently! They were physically thrown back several steps before collapsing onto the ground!
Everyone else fared little better, as if an invisible sledgehammer had smashed into their chests. Faces changed drastically, and they rapidly retreated far away!
The battle had escalated infinitely, its intensity far surpassing their wildest expectations!
And Feng Xiao and You Quan could only sorrowfully realize that they were currently incapable of interfering in the battle between the two, let alone supporting Xingchen; even getting close to them was extremely difficult!
The muffled rumbling continued incessantly. Within the radiant circle of light, a purple afterimage shot out like shrapnel, instantly soaring high into the sky! The head-on collision of two supreme techniques! The terrifying explosive impact was far beyond what a mortal could imagine. \
Almost at the instant of impact, Tianmu was sent reeling by the horrific explosive force, his Qi Sea churning, causing him to vomit a mouthful of blood! However, at the moment of collision, Xingchen utilized his astonishing movement technique once again, flinging himself away. Not only did he neutralize the terrifying impact force, but he also took the opportunity to fly back to a high altitude!
In this round of the contest, Xingchen actually gained the upper hand! It was necessary to acknowledge the mystery and wonder of this aerial swordsmanship!
In all the combat so far, Tianmu had fallen into a defensive position for the first time—this was truly unexpected! However, Tianmu’s cultivation was astonishingly profound; relying on his deep foundation of Dou Qi, he forcefully withstood the violent collision and rapidly stabilized the chaotic energy within his body!
Instinct told him that the next attack would be even stronger and more frenzied!
"Blood Sun, Crimson Sky..." The thunderous roar sounded again from mid-air! Shaking the hearts and minds of everyone present!
As expected, the purple figure that had shot upward like lightning burst forth with dazzling radiance once more! Terrifying fluctuations of Dou Qi and astonishing killing intent instantly saturated the entire hall, followed by a scarlet glow so bright it blinded the eyes!
Ah! What is that!
The sun?!
Everyone was utterly stunned by the bizarre sight before them!
Even Tianmu, witnessing it with his own eyes, dared not believe it! This astonishing phenomenon!
Directly above the gloomy hall, a dazzling, searing blood-red sun had appeared! And now, this sun, which seemed to burn with fierce flames, plummeted straight down, its tremendous momentum and terrifying killing aura pressing down on Tianmu until he could barely breathe!
My heavens! What kind of momentum is this! Slaughter, destruction, tyranny, madness, shattering everything! Like a ferocious Asura demon from hell, this aura was absolutely not something a human could possess!
It was almost identical to that terrifying Demon Dragon Cult Master!
This move was the fourth strike of the Nine Heavens Star River: Blood Sun, Crimson Sky! Building upon the momentum accumulated from the first three moves, the aura of this Blood Sun, Crimson Sky had skyrocketed to an unbelievable, terrifying peak!
Finally, it has arrived! Could this be his strongest strike!
Tianmu’s shadowed eyes flared with excitement and a burning madness and glee! Forcing down his almost paralyzed body, he urged the Dou Qi energy within him forward without reservation!
"Roar! Blood Axe God-Slayer!" Tianmu responded with a muffled, furious roar, unleashing his ultimate trump card!
The blood-red axe, infused with accumulated, astonishing Dou Qi energy, shone intensely, transforming into a massive battle-axe the size of a small mountain. Now, this great axe ascended in a strange, profound arc, sweeping upward from below!
A simple axe swing, yet it carried an imposing force capable of piercing the sun and shattering the clouds!
Blood Axe God-Slayer, as the name implied—slaying demons when encountering them, slaying gods when confronting them—was one of the three most terrifying killing moves in the Blood Axe Battle Style! It had finally been forced out by Xingchen’s all-destroying Blood Sun, Crimson Sky!
Crash! Boom-boom-boom! The descending blood-red sun finally slammed head-on into the heaven-piercing, god-slaying great axe! The blood-red, misty hall exploded in a massive, dazzling sphere of multicolored light amidst the shattering roar, and then surged outward in all directions like a nuclear explosion!
Ah! Get back! You Quan roared madly!
Facing the surging tide of energy, everyone’s face contorted in alarm. They charged desperately toward the passage! However, the confined space of the narrow subterranean palace seemed utterly incapable of dissipating the shocking explosive impact. The scorching air currents instantly filled every corner of the hall before surging toward the long, narrow passage!
This was simply the end of the world! Facing the terrifying airflow erupting like a volcanic lava flow, You Quan and the others had no way to evade and could only desperately channel their protective Dou Qi!
Thud, thud, thud! Rumble!
A series of concussions and impacts!
You Quan, Feng Xiao, and Dalong were thrown airborne by the aftershock of the two masters’ decisive battle, then slammed heavily onto the ground!
Blood trickled from the corners of their mouths, their expressions filled with horror!
"My god! What kind of moves are those!"
"That human actually forced Elder Tianmu to use the Blood Axe God-Slayer!" Dalong was so frightened his cold sweat poured down. He was utterly changed from just a short while ago, managing to fight the Orcs' strongest, Tianmu, to a standstill!
Yet, the mere aftershock of the explosion injured everyone present, and Suiyun and Tuli were shaken so severely they vomited blood repeatedly, looking utterly wretched!
Both factions even forgot their previous enmity and simultaneously huddled within the narrow passage, watching the great hall with trembling fear!
Within the blinding burst of light!
A purple afterimage darted out and soared into the sky once more! It was Xingchen, blown away by the explosion’s shockwave! Four consecutive moves, and the momentum of the Nine Heavens Star River had accumulated to a terrifying degree—but this was still not the absolute peak! This was the monstrous nature of the Nine Heavens Star River: even if one’s inherent strength is less than the opponent's, one can accumulate momentum through continuous fighting to drastically boost one's own power, exceeding natural limits several times over. Just like Xingchen now: although his Dou Qi power and speed were far inferior to Tianmu’s, after continuously executing the four moves—Star Fall Nine Heavens, Chaotic Stone Nebula, Moonfall Star-Sinking, and Blood Sun, Crimson Sky—his momentum had soared to a terrifying level!
If it weren't for Tianmu’s cultivation far surpassing Xingchen’s, coupled with his extraordinarily resilient mental fortitude, this sheer momentum alone would have been enough to completely crush Tianmu’s will to fight!
Likewise, after unleashing four consecutive ultimate moves from the Blood Axe Battle Style, Tianmu’s momentum had also reached a terrifying peak at this very moment!
It could be said that at this juncture, what the two were battling was no longer simply martial skills, Dou Qi, movement techniques, or raw power; it was a deeper contest of will, spirit, and overwhelming momentum!
The battle escalated infinitely; who would ultimately claim victory!