With a thud, Xingchen, blasted away, slammed heavily onto the ground, his entire body feeling as if it were on fire. Worse still, his muscles and bones seemed shattered; it was a pain that ached and burned, yet he couldn't muster even a sliver of strength.

On the other side, Zhan Lang, as he was being thrown back, executed a graceful backflip and drifted lightly to the ground, looking remarkably disheveled himself.

His fiery red long hair now stood up like a bird's nest, and patches on his chest, arms, and shoulders looked half-scorched. Xingchen could even smell a strange, partially burned plastic odor, and his peculiar hairstyle lent him a somewhat comical appearance.

Yet, he couldn't manage a single laugh! Because of the blazing eyes of Zhan Lang...

Yue Ying's Lightning Technique, coupled with Xingchen's ultimate strike powered by all his condensed Dou Qi, had indeed exceeded expectations in sheer destructive force.

But Zhan Lang's 'Soul-Breaking Wave Slash' was even more astonishing; it managed to turn the tables on them even in that state, severely wounding Xingchen.

"So, it's a genetic mutation!" Zhan Lang’s grim face showed a flicker of rage mixed with shock. "No wonder you're immune to elemental lightning attacks! This means you both must be eliminated!"

The instant Zhan Lang hit the ground, he sprang up again, charging toward Xingchen.

Damn it, is this guy a monster? I’m already half-dead, and he seems completely unfazed. What kind of terrifying damage resistance does he have?

At that moment, Xingchen was completely immobilized, able only to watch as Zhan Lang’s Heaven-Opening Greatsword swung down towards his head.

Whoosh! There it was again, that familiar whistling through the air! Yue Ying's Lightning Technique flared up just in the nick of time, its speed unbelievably fast! Zhan Lang, halfway through his descent, swiftly dodged with a sideways lunge.

Whoosh! The lightning that materialized from nowhere struck nothing but a hazy phantom.

Zhan Lang’s speed was truly abnormal, but Yue Ying’s lightning was even stranger; almost immediately after missing its initial target, it abruptly curved, as if possessed by a will of its own, heading straight for the lunging Zhan Lang.

Insolent! With no way to avoid it, Zhan Lang could only roar and unleash another—

Soul-Breaking Sword Qi!

The Heaven-Opening Greatsword cleaved out another stream of golden, fierce sword energy, almost identical to the terrifying blast from moments before.

Clang! Boom! The twisted lightning and the erupting fierce fire collided violently! A dazzling burst of light exploded outward. The shockwave from the clash of potent Dou Qi and magic compressed the very space, causing it to distort halfway, presenting an eerie blur and warping effect.

Zhan Lang’s sturdy frame was once again involuntarily flung a great distance.

However, this time he had clearly learned from his previous mistake; he used his sword energy to shatter Yue Ying's lightning outright, thus avoiding electrocution. He was only knocked back by the concussive blast wave.

Even so, it startled him greatly.

Xingchen also noticed something important.

Yue Ying’s Lightning Technique was truly formidable. Its power, speed, and accuracy were all impeccably perfect! Especially that astonishing precision... it made Zhan Lang utterly unable to evade.

Admittedly, Zhan Lang’s speed was terrifying. At least, before Yue Ying could fully unleash his maximum speed advantage, Zhan Lang was clearly a step ahead. However, facing Yue Ying’s amazingly potent Lightning Technique, Zhan Lang was helpless because Yue Ying’s lightning could curve and track. This wasn't due to any special trait of Yue Ying's technique, but rather a reasonable application of natural phenomena.

Metal conducts electricity—this was the most basic principle of physics, and Zhan Lang’s Phoenix Heaven Demon Armor, the Star King set, was the perfect conductive medium.

This was precisely why Zhan Lang, despite dodging the initial trajectory of Yue Ying's lightning, was still caught by its curved path.

Of course, only Yue Ying in the entire continent could unleash such a freakish Lightning Technique.

It seemed that Yue Ying’s most suitable profession was indeed a Mage; it explained why in his default state, Yue Ying was designated as a Mage Hero.

All of this happened within mere seconds.

Zhan Lang’s assault had been successfully intercepted by Yue Ying.

Under Yue Ying’s cover, Xingchen quickly stabilized his internal energy, simultaneously circulating the Nine Dragons Body Protection technique to help his body recover. Though the pain remained agonizing, he could at least stand up and continue fighting.

Time was running out; the battle needed to conclude swiftly.

Having repelled Zhan Lang’s fierce assault, Yue Ying didn't cease his offensive.

His slender Sky-Suppressing Sword flashed repeatedly, and another massive bolt of lightning, like a flawlessly aimed projectile, shot toward Zhan Lang.

Damn it!

Faced with Yue Ying’s almost infuriating barrage of lightning combos, Zhan Lang became even more enraged, roaring out loud!

The strange Phoenix Heaven Protective Dou Qi of the Phoenix Heaven Demon Armor suddenly burst outward, enveloping Zhan Lang like a colossal golden egg.

"Ah! What an astonishing Dou Qi shield! Is this guy trying to tank it head-on?"

Clang! Boom! Another dull, heavy impact erupted! The thick bolt of lightning struck the enormous golden egg fiercely! But this time, it failed to send Zhan Lang flying again.

The thick, glaring arcs of electricity writhed like serpentine electric snakes, constantly wrapping around the Dou Qi shield encasing Zhan Lang.

Yue Ying's unending lightning combos had driven Zhan Lang to madness! He was trying to brute-force his way through this! After enduring Yue Ying's lightning, he let out a fierce roar and charged toward Yue Ying like a cannonball.

Clearly, Zhan Lang knew he couldn't get to Xingchen while Yue Ying was providing cover. The only way to break the stalemate was to eliminate Yue Ying first.

Naturally, Xingchen had no intention of allowing that.

His figure flickered slightly, and he positioned himself directly in front of Yue Ying.

At the very same instant, Yue Ying retreated swiftly.

"Get out of the way!" Facing Xingchen's interception, Zhan Lang roared in furious exasperation. His greatsword surged forward like a venomous dragon emerging from the sea, accompanied by a chilling sword aura, slashing wildly.

It was that terrifying Soul-Breaking Sword Qi again!

Cursed! This power is too immense. Xingchen had intended to evade this Soul-Breaking Sword Qi and then engage in evasive maneuvering, but if Zhan Lang broke past his defense, Yue Ying would be in grave danger.

With no other choice, he braced himself and activated—

Star Shifting!

The Dragon Shadow Longsword carved a peculiar Tai Chi Dou Qi Shield in front of him at an astonishing speed.

Clang! Boom!

The Soul-Breaking Sword Qi slammed violently into the Tai Chi Dou Qi Shield.

However, the power of the Soul-Breaking Sword Qi was frighteningly strong. Xingchen’s Star Shifting not only failed to reflect it but couldn't even fully block it.

In an instant, it shattered the Tai Chi Dou Qi Shield’s defense and lunged toward Xingchen! Although the shield was breached, the force and speed of the Soul-Breaking Sword Qi had been significantly reduced by the interception.

Yet, while the Tai Chi Dou Qi Shield was broken, it demonstrated formidable defensive resilience, sparking an idea in Xingchen’s mind! If one wasn't enough, he would add more.

Star Shifting was fundamentally based on the principle of Tai Chi—yielding to strength to overcome strength, using minimal force to counter immense power.

This tactical theory was exactly what he needed right now!

A thought flashed through his mind, and Xingchen suddenly realized! The Dragon Shadow Longsword swept out another thick sword qi, inscribing a semicircle to the left and right—the very same Star Shifting technique! Another peculiar Tai Chi Dou Qi Shield materialized out of thin air.

Clang! All of this occurred in the blink of an eye. The now significantly weakened Soul-Breaking Sword Qi was struck by this sudden Tai Chi Dou Qi Shield and rebounded! It shot back towards Zhan Lang.

Zhan Lang hadn't expected Xingchen to possess such a move capable of turning defeat into victory; he paused momentarily.

"Good boy!" The Heaven-Opening Greatsword flashed out a crescent moon of energy, slicing away the reflected Soul-Breaking Sword Qi.

"What move is that?" Although Zhan Lang was asking, his speed did not diminish in the slightest.

Xingchen had no time to answer. The two preceding interceptions using Star Shifting had already drained a significant portion of his Dou Qi. Now, after repelling Zhan Lang's attack, he quickly regulated his breathing.

Meanwhile, with Xingchen blocking him, Yue Ying had seized the opportunity to retreat far back. The Sky-Suppressing Sword once again gathered dazzling electric sparks! Clearly, he was accumulating enough magical power for the next wave of attack.

Zhan Lang paused only for a fraction of a second before surging forward again! His target remained Yue Ying! He absolutely could not allow Yue Ying to finish charging his magic, or this battle would truly become endless.

Xingchen understood perfectly: if Zhan Lang managed to close the distance or interrupt Yue Ying's magic accumulation, the situation would turn dire.

He spread his form and reappeared before Zhan Lang. Star Shifting, the Tai Chi Dou Qi Shield, combined with exquisite footwork and movement skills, allowed him to parry left and block right, desperately holding his ground under the relentless storm of Zhan Lang’s Soul-Breaking Sword Qi, ensuring Zhan Lang could not step an inch further.

For a moment, he was evenly matched with Zhan Lang, neither gaining an advantage.