The colossal sphere of crimson light, like a blood-red comet falling from a mournful, eerie sky, trailed a glaring scarlet ribbon as it hurtled toward Old Bull and Wei Peng on the ground, carrying the terrifying might of world destruction!
"Bring it on," Old Bull roared!
Flame Burn Level Three activated! Dou Qi intensity surged to one hundred and sixty thousand!
At this moment, Old Bull finally had the chance to activate his system in time! Compared to Xing Chen's almost instantaneous spike in Dou Qi control, Old Bull and Wei Peng were decidedly slow starters. This disparity allowed Xing Chen to seize the initiative from the very beginning. However, their resilience was astonishing; though somewhat battered, they managed to weather Xing Chen's initial, ferocious assault!
They had finally caught up! One could say that only now were Old Bull and Wei Peng barely managing to stabilize their footing!
Feeling the madly surging Dou Qi energy within him, Old Bull’s mind settled, and a surge of heroic confidence arose! He swung his great golden broadsword in a sharp semicircle! The massive golden crescent, condensed with astonishingly powerful Dou Qi, shot toward the sky to meet the blood-red comet descending from above!
Old Bull's intention was simple: use the sheer volume of his Dou Qi energy in a crescent interception to forcibly withstand Xing Chen’s frantic rush, buying Wei Peng time!
Therefore, this engagement was a pure clash of strength against strength, allowing no room for cunning tricks!
Under the bright sky, the crimson and golden lights violently collided! Boom-rumble! Amidst the deep impact, the already dazzling sky instantly burst open with another, even larger and brighter halo of light! The blinding brilliance made it impossible to open one’s eyes, leaving only a world of dazzling, snow-white light!
The fierce surge of Dou Qi lashed out, causing the surrounding space to nearly collapse, shattering half of it and revealing strange, blurred distortions mixed with the sparks of Dou Qi scattering everywhere—an indescribably vibrant and splendid spectacle! It was breathtaking!
This pure contest of overwhelming force left the onlookers, including Crescent Moon and the guardians of the various sectors watching from their screens, utterly dumbfounded!
None of them had anticipated that Xing Chen could be so brutally powerful.
Within the blinding explosion, the blood-red afterimage pierced through like a bullet, its speed undiminished, still heading straight for Old Bull! Even the crescent moon interception, condensed with the same intensity of Dou Qi energy, had failed to stop Xing Chen’s forced impact!
What the crescent moon shattered was merely the protective Dou Qi enveloping Xing Chen. As that protective layer broke, Xing Chen’s physical attack was already upon them!
Though it lacked the robust Dou Qi energy of the preceding Moon Destruction Star Fall, it was sharp and swift, arriving precisely at the moment Old Bull's old force was spent and his new strength was yet to manifest!
Under normal circumstances, Old Bull could have deflected this relatively mediocre sword strike with ease. But now, he helplessly realized that despite possessing immense strength, he couldn't bring it to bear!
Fortunately, Old Bull’s reaction wasn't slow! He forcibly suppressed the foul air clogging his chest and desperately swung the Golden Heaven-Cleaver! A horizontal beam of gold swept upward!
Clang! The parried broadsword perfectly met the tip of Xing Chen's descending blade! The astonishing force actually sent Xing Chen, sword and all, flying a great distance!
Flame Burn Level Four activated! Dou Qi intensity escalated to two hundred thousand!
On the other side, Wei Peng, under Old Bull's cover, had finally completed his Dou Qi enhancement and accumulation!
However, before he could press the advantage with an attack, Xing Chen, having been batted away by Old Bull's sword, used that powerful impact force to instantly rocket high into the sky!
Trying the same old trick again!
Just as Wei Peng predicted! Almost simultaneously with being repelled skyward, the figure who soared aloft detonated with brilliant light once more! Following this was an even more vigorous and explosive Dou Qi fluctuation!
Even though he was mentally prepared for it!
Wei Peng was still stunned speechless by the bizarre sight before him!
In the desert, beneath the azure sky, two suns suddenly hung high in the center!
One blazed a fiery red, radiating immense light; the other was an eerie blood-red that inspired chilling dread! The already stifling desert was suddenly shrouded in a hazy, strange crimson due to the sudden appearance of the blood-red sun!
The Blood Sun, Crimson Sky!
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. As the blood-red sun flashed into existence, it plummeted downward at an astonishing speed, carrying the tyranny and killing intent meant to destroy everything! Slaughter, consumption, and obliteration stormed toward Old Bull and Wei Peng!
Danger! Target Dou Qi energy surged again, intensity reaching two hundred thousand points!
Wei Peng could hardly believe it! After finally managing to boost his Dou Qi strength under Old Bull's cover, he was ready for an all-out fight!
But unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, Xing Chen had boosted his energy level once more!
The speed at which this fellow increased his Dou Qi energy was simply terrifying!
From the first move to this point, barely twenty seconds had passed! Yet, Xing Chen's Dou Qi intensity had soared from an initial forty thousand directly to two hundred thousand!
And this was happening while he was engaged in continuous, high-speed combat! This was unbelievable!
In truth, this was the manifestation of Shi (momentum/presence)—the aura accumulated through continuous fighting. The Nine Heavens Star River technique placed the utmost importance on the application of Shi, whether it was the impact potential generated by precise distance control, or the symbiotic resonance of energy triggered by continuously rising mental states during battle, which maximized the momentum of swordsmanship.
This momentum was not only reflected in the power of the sword techniques but also exerted immense mental pressure on the opponent!
This differed significantly from Old Bull and Wei Peng, who relied on physical augmentation combined with implanted combat protocols. Xing Chen’s strength was built upon countless life-and-death trials!
The stronger the opponent, the more vigorous his fighting spirit became!
This made him seem bottomless, as if his limits were nonexistent!
Although Wei Peng had now matched the Dou Qi intensity, this was only achieved through Old Bull's desperate covering fire! Furthermore, to complete this enhancement process, Wei Peng had to resort to methods bordering on self-mutilation and exhaustion!
The advantages and disadvantages of the two cultivation methods were instantly clear!
Compared to the methodical progression of the Flame Burn system, Xing Chen's Nine Heavens Star River was more like a car engine with an infinitely variable transmission, allowing him to control Dou Qi intensity at will!
This was a significant blow to the proud Old Bull and Wei Peng!
"This is ghost-level nonsense!" Old Bull cursed in frustration!
Having deflected Xing Chen with a single sword strike, Old Bull didn't even have a moment to catch his breath. Before he could adjust the energy within his body, Xing Chen's follow-up attack was already launched!
"I’ll hold him," Wei Peng's Wings of Phoenix suddenly flapped, and he shot like lightning to the airspace above Old Bull's head!
He knew perfectly well that Old Bull, in his current state, lacked the ability to even dodge or block. If Xing Chen connected, death would be certain! He had to intercept Xing Chen’s fourth wave of attack!
Almost as soon as Wei Peng shot upward!
The imposing blood-red sun slammed down from above!
"Stop!" Wei Peng roared! The Dou Qi he had forcibly pushed to its absolute limit was poured into the Golden Heaven-Cleaver! Then, this golden arc, condensing his entire strength, erupted with dazzling light, sweeping out a massive crescent!
A straightforward crescent interception!
Identical to the crescent Old Bull used earlier to block Moon Destruction Star Fall! However, compared to Old Bull's earlier crescent, this one was faster and stronger, as the increased Dou Qi intensity naturally enhanced speed and power!
Boom-rumble! Beneath the bright sky, a glaring sphere of light violently erupted! The blood-red sun and the golden crescent smashed together like two colliding meteors, sending terrifying shockwaves blasting outward in all directions!
The blood-red sun was finally shattered. Then, amidst the dazzling mixture of gold and crimson fragments, Xing Chen’s purple afterimage sprang out again like shrapnel from an explosion!
Another head-on confrontation between power and power! In the face of absolute might, all techniques and maneuvers were superfluous; the stronger force prevailed, the weaker one lost! Yet, in this clash, Xing Chen's Dou Qi energy was evenly matched!
In this direct collision, Xing Chen gained no advantage whatsoever! Not only that, but the shockwaves from both explosions sent Xing Chen coughing blood, his body uncontrollably flung toward the horizon!
His blurry, dazzling afterimage, stained by the splashing Dou Qi, trailed a bizarre, scarlet ribbon as he shot away at an astonishing speed!
But Wei Peng on the other side was no better off! The terrifying impact force slammed him uncontrollably into the ground! If not for his extremely robust physique, he would have been knocked senseless on the spot!
Yet, in the instant he was thrown back, he finally witnessed Xing Chen spitting blood in agony!
And only at this moment was Xing Chen's innate disadvantage exposed. After all, Wei Peng and Old Bull's bodies had undergone genetic reinforcement modifications. Their resistance to damage far surpassed Xing Chen's, not to mention they held the advantage in equipment—the reinforced Wings of Phoenix offered significantly greater defense than standard Phoenix Demon Armor!
Consequently, in this head-on clash, Xing Chen took the brunt of the damage!
And this scene did not escape Old Bull's notice!
A golden opportunity! Now!
Flame Burn Level Five activated! Dou Qi energy increased to two hundred and forty thousand points!
With Wei Peng’s desperate cover, Old Bull finally succeeded in raising his Dou Qi energy level.
At this moment, Old Bull and Wei Peng had finally weathered the most difficult phase!
Moreover, Xing Chen was already injured! Facing this once-in-a-lifetime chance, Old Bull would certainly not let it pass!
"Die!" With simultaneous roars, Old Bull and Wei Peng flapped their Wings of Phoenix, and the two shot toward the falling Xing Chen like cannonballs fired from their barrels!
Xing Chen, in his retreat, struggled to twist his body around!
At this moment, his vision was engulfed by two beams of golden light!
These were two swords, shimmering with an arcane gold, yet burning with an undying soul-fire, filled with endless killing intent, seeming intent on burning all things in existence to ash!
He then watched these two strange, fiery greatswords collide impossibly in mid-air.
"Soul-Shattering Slash!" In the sky, the roar of Wei Peng and Old Bull crashed down like thunder!
Xing Chen’s mind was instantly shaken to the verge of collapse, losing his sense of self! Even though he could barely make out the scene now, it was already too late!
The two fiery greatswords strangely fused together, exploding into a single, vastly larger, more dazzling, and brilliantly luminous golden dragon, which lunged forward!
Soul-Shattering Sword Qi! Intensity 600,000!
In his mind, Lan Ye reported a number capable of driving Xing Chen to despair!
Of course, even without Lan Ye’s report, Xing Chen intuitively felt the terrifying might of that energy—enough to tear all things in the world to shreds!
Not only was the intensity horrifying, but the speed was also shockingly fast! Xing Chen hadn't even finished adjusting his Dou Qi; his ultimate move, the Cold Star Point, hadn't even fully materialized!
No!
At this moment, Xing Chen couldn't even adjust his posture, much less mobilize his Dou Qi! He could only watch helplessly as the golden fire dragon cleaved down upon him!
This time! It was truly over!
However, just then!
A strange fluctuation suddenly flashed through his mind!
It was filled with a vitality and liveliness of spirit, as if a living being resided within his head!
What was happening!
The sudden, massive change left Xing Chen momentarily confused!
Then, he felt his entire body burst into flames almost instantly! The catalyst for everything was the Dragon Shadow Sword in his hand!
Under its influence, the blue pearl in his mind and even his Phoenix Demon Armor were seemingly ignited by a strange, arcane power, erupting with an odd heat! His body moved uncontrollably! Yet, his consciousness became clearer than ever before! Before him unfolded a strange vision!
The sky remained a clear blue!
But his sword-wielding hands began to move without his command, as if another thought and soul occupied his body! The inexplicable extra power burned like a raging flame, surging and torrenting madly toward the Dragon Shadow Sword!
This was followed by an eruption of potent killing intent! His severely wounded body, which had been throbbing with unbearable pain, seemed to instantly lose all sensation!
All that remained was fire, a scorching, searing flame! All that unparalleled vitality and power flowed toward his arms, then into his hands, and was channeled into the Dragon Shadow Sword! It then cycled back into his body, forming a perfect loop!
Though he could not see it, Xing Chen distinctly perceived this bizarre transformation, even feeling his own chilling gaze! At this moment, Xing Chen seemed to be a mere, insignificant bystander!
Then, that cold gaze took in everything before him!
The wind flowed! The clouds drifted!
He could even see individual golden particles slowly moving within the sunlight! Most clearly visible was the Soul-Shattering Sword Qi approaching like a fire dragon! Yet, he was astonished to find that this brilliant Soul-Shattering Sword Qi now moved with surprising slowness!
It seemed almost suspended in mid-air!
This left Xing Chen stunned! This situation felt somewhat familiar, reminiscent of the astonishing scene when the Dragon Shadow Sword suddenly exerted its power during his duel with Luo Wushuang in the Demon Sealing Imperial Palace!
That’s right! It was the Dragon Shadow Sword! At this instant, the Crimson Blood Sword Spirit, which had long been dormant, inexplicably manifested once more! Xing Chen didn't know why things had shifted this way!
Although he had possessed the Dragon Shadow Sword for many years, in his eyes, this strange demon blade remained filled with countless mysteries, impossible for him to fully fathom!
All of this transpired in mere moments! The passage of time in the entire world seemed to stop! He could even clearly see the ferocious, killing intent etched on Old Bull and Wei Peng's faces!
And the two overlapping golden broadswords were now laboriously, slowly approaching him!
It was like an old ox pulling a rickety cart. A strike that should have been unavoidable now revealed a minute flaw!
Then, the Dragon Shadow Sword, imbued with his entire gathered strength and all his Dou Qi energy, finally began its slow, deliberate dance!
He couldn't possibly imagine this strange sword strike! Even seeing it firsthand, it was so clear and vivid, like a small dragon brought to life, filled with a joyous vigor and spirit!
And its trajectory was so bizarre and profound, seemingly containing countless truths of the universe! Yet, the speed of this strike, like Old Bull and Wei Peng’s Soul-Shattering Sword Qi, had become inexplicably slow! Although Xing Chen’s body and spirit were completely drained at this moment, he couldn't make the sword move any faster!
This strike seemed to have reached the absolute limit of speed, an unbreakable barrier.
But fortunately, this strike landed exactly on the loosest and most vulnerable point of the Soul-Shattering Sword Qi—like the thinnest crack in a wooden plank!
That was the only flaw Xing Chen perceived!
"Boom..."
A dull roar followed! Xing Chen felt a wave of relief, an indescribable sense of release. The raging flames that threatened to consume him finally found an outlet to vent: the other sword qi, the Soul-Shattering Sword Qi simultaneously struck by Wei Peng and Old Bull!
How is this possible!
Wei Peng and Old Bull watched in astonishment as, in that brief instant, Xing Chen’s longsword struck the one vulnerability in their combined Soul-Shattering attack—precisely the point where the two swords merged! It was like two pieces of a shattered mirror pieced back together; though seemingly whole, that minute crack still existed!
This was the sole flaw of the Soul-Shattering Slash!
At the moment of impact, both men felt a staggering wave of heat pierce through that tiny gap, slamming brutally into their bodies!
Whoosh! The terrifying impact force made them howl in pain as they were thrown backward!
And on the other side, Xing Chen was also flung uncontrollably toward the distance like shrapnel from an explosion!