The formidable might of Battle Qi roared within Qian Jin, the power of Myriad Shadows reaching an unprecedented zenith at this moment. The battle saber in Qian Jin’s hand cleaved down through the air, the blade intent resembling a torrent of stars descending like a river!
Qian Jin’s Zhanmadao appeared simultaneously from the front, the flanks on both sides, and behind Falak!
Myriad Shadows, Myriad Shadows! This movement technique, hailed by Uncle Black as capable of manifesting ten thousand shadows, was something Qian Jin executed for the first time, producing three genuine afterimages besides his true body!
Four rolling torrents of starlight-river blade intent poured down, surging and killing from all four directions, making it impossible to discern illusion from reality! Falak’s silver fur bristled, his eyes darting frantically, trying to distinguish which was real and which was false!
Duanfeng Bu’er’s Myriad Solution Eyes flickered wildly; he sucked in a deep, cold breath. This… all of this was real! How could this be?
Thousand Armies! Within each of the Myriad Shadows, there was contained a strand of Thousand Armies! Illusion nested within truth, yet truth was not entirely truth!
Raging Sand Soul Domain!
A breath away from life or death! Falak could spare no thought analyzing true from false. The nascent form of the Raging Slaughter Soul Domain within his body violently unfurled; sand materialized out of thin air around his body! Golden sand swirled and rose, and grains from the earth below also ascended.
They merged, forming colossal hands made entirely of sand. These hands snatched toward Qian Jin’s ankles, while countless grains of sand formed shields in the sky around his body, encircling him, blocking the battle saber’s chop that descended like a river of stars.
The Thousand Armies looked real, but only one battle saber was genuine! The other three were sabers composed purely of Battle Qi, not truly existing weapons!
The immense sand hands were fast, but they activated a fraction too late, grasping empty air and turning into sand fists. The massive shields, however, blocked the attacks of three sabers. Battle Qi crashed against the sand shields, and the power of the Soul Domain finally bloomed. Qian Jin’s Battle Qi saber, capable of piercing steel plates, struck these thick sand shields only to send sand scattering everywhere, failing completely to pierce through them.
It only collapsed substantially, just substantially—this was the might of the Soul Domain! Merely a nascent form, yet aided by the Sacred Artifact, this nascent Soul Domain unleashed terrifying power, actually enduring Qian Jin’s blade-form Battle Qi.
Clang! The real battle saber still broke through the sand shield’s defense. Endless blade energy slashed into the ground, emitting a piercing sword cry. Falak shifted his body dozens of meters sideways, shattering the incoming blade energy with one punch. Yet, the tingling sensation on his scalp did not lessen in the slightest; cold sweat continuously beaded on his back.
Close! So close! It was incredibly perilous!
Falak’s scalp tingled, cold sweat drenched his back, and the veins on his forehead twitched uncontrollably. He swallowed once, then again. Since his debut, he had experienced countless great battles and suffered severe injuries, but never before had he been this close to death as he was today.
Falak could even smell it—that chilling, eerie scent belonging uniquely to death.
If, if it weren’t for this special Sacred Artifact! Falak seriously doubted whether he would have just died under Qian Jin’s strike, a blow capable of shaking the very soul of mankind.
Soul Domain power amplification! If it weren't for this Sacred Artifact’s unique ability to further enhance the Soul Domain’s might, the sand shields wouldn't have been so solid just now; perhaps he would have been slain by the converging blades from all four sides with a single strike.
The sheer terrifying power of this single strike was astounding!
Falak gasped great gulps of air, the silver hair on his forehead completely soaked with sweat. Forcibly utilizing the Sacred Artifact to vitalize the nascent Soul Domain left his mind feeling momentarily weightless. The sand surrounding his body coalesced in the air, instantly transforming into hundreds of giant fists, blasting toward Qian Jin’s body from hundreds of different positions—half retaliation, half obstruction.
The sand fists, dense as raindrops, completely enveloped Qian Jin.
Qian Jin watched the incoming giant sand fists, his footwork never ceasing. He strode forward to meet the sand fists. Fists capable of denting steel plates and even piercing them exploded into puffs of sand flowers upon impact with Qian Jin, the war-drum sounds rumbling incessantly, yet unable to halt Qian Jin’s advance even slightly.
On the contrary, Qian Jin’s pace grew faster! Faster and faster! In the blink of an eye, he shattered countless sand fists.
What kind of protective Battle Skill was this? Did he also possess a defensive Sacred Artifact? Falak was shocked by Qian Jin’s formidable physique. He did not pause his movements; beside his body, a sand figure rapidly gathered, quickly growing to his own size and infused with vast amounts of Battle Qi.
Second Battle Body! Falak let out a long breath. Even experts who had entered the Saint realm might not possess a Second Battle Body. Due to his Raging Sand Soul Domain, he had refined his own Second Battle Body, which was the source of his confidence in being the strongest below the Saint realm.
The Second Battle Body was different from Thousand Armies! It could be strong or weak! Moreover, when the power of the Second Battle Body reached its peak, it could match that of the main body! Furthermore, this Second Battle Body could merge with the main body to unleash even greater might.
Falak’s Second Battle Body was forged from the exceedingly rare Star Eternal Sand, combined with his Raging Sand Soul Domain, making it an unexpectedly powerful construct.
The Second Battle Body activated instantly. The figure made of sand transformed to look exactly like Falak, making it difficult for outsiders to distinguish which was the true Falak.
In that instant, Falak’s anxiety vanished, and his confident ambition surged again. Facing Qian Jin’s assault, he did not retreat but advanced, his domineering fist charging toward Qian Jin’s battle saber once more.
The Sacred Artifact! Its hardness far surpassed the Super Battle Weapon in Qian Jin’s hand. With one move, illusions were reborn, layers of yellow sand danced wildly in the air, and the desolate aura of the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea was drawn forth in his punch, expanding with eons of desolate energy.
In this punch, Falak’s spirit was clear, as if he intended to pour the soul of the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea overhead into his fist.
At this moment, Falak felt merged with the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea, as if he were a part of that all-consuming expanse. Portions of the Sand Sea’s power flowed into his fist—all the insights gained from living in the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea these past days were fused into this single strike.
A phenomenon arose with the raised fist! Falak moved with the powerful gait of a dragon and tiger, his fist shaking the surroundings, escalating his aura to the point that his own subordinates retreated repeatedly, fearing being caught in the aftershock of the blow. With this punch, he seemed truly on the verge of ascending to the Saint realm; a door even appeared in his mind!
Push open that door! And he would enter sainthood!
Saint realm! Saint realm! Falak was certain he had grasped how to push open the gate to sainthood. If he could defeat Qian Jin, he could easily unlock the gate to the Saint realm.
In that instant, Falak even had the urge to shatter the Sacred Artifact in his hand, directly triggering its power to violently resonate with his bloodline energy, akin to how ordinary warriors used Soul Weapons to achieve sainthood—forcing ascension right on the battlefield.
Almost there! Almost there! Falak struggled to restrain his impulse. Only after obtaining the treasure in this mountain, if it were also a Sacred Artifact! Then he would use that Sacred Artifact to become the first Bloodline Warrior to ascend through a Sacred Artifact!
When that time came… Falak believed that ascending via a Sacred Artifact might allow him to achieve the Ultimate Awakening, becoming the first Ultimate Awakened Behemoth Bloodline Warrior. Then, he could contend against the Demon Race and the True Strategy Imperial Dynasty, firmly securing his position as the next leader of the Barbarian Tribe.
Confidence shook his power, and power fed back into his confidence. Falak’s strength miraculously elevated once more, his fist locking onto Qian Jin’s body.
Truly worthy of being one of the three great geniuses of the Barbarian Tribe, this Bloodline Warrior! This punch actually contained the vastness of the desert, instilling a battle intent that naturally commanded submission.
Qian Jin’s thoughts flashed rapidly, yet his steps showed no intention of stopping. Each step seemed unhurried, yet possessed profound stability, as if even a killing forbidden spell unleashed by a team of mages from the heavens could not impede his confidence or halt his advance.
If there were a great mountain before him, he would break it with his body. If there were a vast river, he would cross it. Even a history yet unwritten would be trodden underfoot to create his own unique path!
Countless life-and-death battles, cycles of rebirth—Qian Jin’s fighting spirit and confidence had reached a level of steadfastness unimaginable to ordinary men. The Zhanmadao in his hand, at this moment, no longer sought to evade the charging fist, but instead chose one of the two incoming fists to cleave down upon.
Real? Illusion? In Qian Jin’s eyes, there was only reality!
Qian Jin unleashed his strike, and the momentum swelled majestically, like the surging Yangtze River tumbling down from the Nine Heavens. Regardless of sand seas, forests, fortresses, or anything else!
Under the might of the stars, whether millions or tens of millions of years old, all were childish, fragile, and minuscule! Even the desolate aura of the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea would be submerged, turning the endless yellow sands into mere beach under the ocean!
Although the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea was fearsome, before the stars, it was no longer so ferocious.
Qian Jin’s transformation in this instant, his comprehension of Battle Skills, and his insight into battle intent seemed to advance immensely. The Battle Qi of his three Great Battle Souls erupted wildly, surging into the Life and Death Star Seal. The massive Battle Seal spun at high speed, releasing wave after wave of Battle Qi.
Qian Jin’s accumulation over these past days was too great; it wasn't merely an accumulation of Battle Qi, but also a deep reservoir of accumulated combat experience. At this moment, it all erupted, initiating a new cycle of integration and comprehension.
Burn, Soul Domain, let me boil! Violent Soul Domain! Open, open, open, open!
Qian Jin strode forward, drawing his long saber. The Thousand Armies split into four avatars to meet Falak’s Second Battle Body, and in silence, he slashed out a sweeping blow toward Falak’s fist.
The Zhanmadao descended, cleaving through the pressure of Falak’s fist. The Raging Sand Battle Qi surrounding him shattered explosively, and the desolate aura of the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea was utterly stopped.
This is? Stars?
He watched Qian Jin stride forward, delivering a strike shimmering with starlight, as if the River of Stars itself had been poured into the battle saber. An inexplicable pressure seemed poised to crush this world; all things appeared so naive before this aura. Endless Battle Qi flooded into the opponent’s body, his presence, strength, and might growing ever more ferocious and surging, causing Falak’s own fighting will to show signs of collapse.
“Even if you truly pulled the stars to yourself, you cannot withstand the might of my Sacred Artifact, Prince!”
Falak gritted his teeth, his fist not receding an inch, smashing toward Qian Jin’s battle saber. The power of the Sacred Artifact was his greatest reliance!
Clang! The battle saber landed on the fist, igniting countless metallic sparks. Countless spiderweb cracks appeared on the body of the incomparably hard Zhanmadao, and a string of snapping sounds echoed from within the blade.
Bang! The Zhanmadao could no longer withstand the impact of the ferocious power and exploded into countless fragments on the spot. Falak’s fist tore through the debris, smashing directly toward Qian Jin’s chest. He forcibly suppressed the surging Battle Qi in his chest, barely maintaining his Battle Soul that threatened to shatter at any moment.
The realm of the Star Saber strike had completely surpassed what was expected below the Saint realm. Even Falak, armed with a Sacred Artifact, was injured, as only truly established Saint realm experts could wield the full power of a Sacred Artifact. He was only infinitely close to sainthood.
Lacking a weapon, what arrogance remains? Falak’s fist pierced through the inch-by-inch fragments of the blade, heading straight for Qian Jin’s brain.
You wish to kill me? Life and Death Star Seal! Live for me!
The shattered Zhanmadao instantly reformed in the air! The blade edge, which had broken into countless shards, reassembled in a flash. Although its quality had completely dropped below that of a Super Battle Weapon, yet…
It was reborn! The Life Skill of the Life and Death Star Seal wasn't solely targeted at Battle Skills; it also applied to the person and even the weapon in hand.
How could the strongest Battle Skill of the Undying Monarch Bloodline be an ordinary technique? With the Life and Death Star Seal brought to perfection, although its power couldn't be exerted to its maximum due to Battle Qi constraints, the actual might unleashed made others tremble!
Life and Death Star Seal! Die for me!
Qian Jin forced the battle saber down. The reassembled blade edge reappeared almost grazing Falak’s face, the formidable death energy instantly shattering his protective Battle Qi, and cutting into his body without any pause.
“Ahhh! Sacred Artifact, grant me…”
Die! Qian Jin’s saber pierced through Falak’s head. The strike was faster than Falak’s very thought. The massive Behemoth body immediately split in two, and a tide of crimson blood erupted from within.
Qian Jin’s battle saber shattered again. He raised a hand, grabbed Falak’s arm, and violently yanked, ripping the Sacred Artifact gauntlet off and fitting it onto his own hand…
Bang!
Falak’s Second Battle Body’s fist broke through the siege of the Thousand Armies. The blow, capable of crushing an iron man flat, slammed heavily into Qian Jin’s back. The last thought in Falak’s mind before death was: “I die! You won’t live either! Die with me!”
Falak was already dead, but his Second Battle Body retained the pride of the Behemoth Prince. This punch was executed as his finest effort.
Crack… crack…
The sound of fracturing came from the fist of Falak’s Second Battle Body. Immediately after, his entire body completely shattered and exploded. The residual will in his eyes was filled with shocked disbelief. His punch, launched almost as a sneak attack during the opponent's moment of lapse, had still failed to pierce his protective Battle Skill. Not only had it failed to harm his opponent, but his own body was actually shattered by the counter-force!
Qian Jin turned back with a cold smile. A few days ago, he wouldn't have dared to withstand that punch with his body. But now, he was unsure just how ferocious his protective Battle Skill had become! Perhaps only by clashing with a Saint realm expert could he truly understand the extent of his own strength?
Violent Soul Domain! Under the impetus of the Violent Soul Domain, Qian Jin appeared before Falak’s subordinates. His colossal fist, grasping the power of the stars, smashed viciously onto the head of one of them.
Boom! There was no evasion, no resistance.
Or perhaps, there simply wasn't time to evade, nor was it conceivable to resist.
With one blow that killed Falak, Qian Jin’s entire aura soared continuously, like a Star God descending. Moving with the powerful gait of a dragon and tiger, he appeared before the remaining men, instilling in these Barbarian warriors an impulse to kneel and worship.
However, they could not truly kneel.
They were warriors of the Barbarian Tribe! Not every barbarian fighter possessing combat strength could be called a Warrior. Warrior was a title of honor, a designation requiring great courage.