The duration of this secluded meditation session was unexpectedly brief, lasting only about four days, much to Zong Shou's surprise.

Yet, as he delved deeper into the black mist, he discovered that the fog, which had already thinned considerably following the demise of the Formless God-Demon, had not only fully returned but was even denser than before.

Whether this was due to the unique environment of the place or the machinations of Jue Yan, he couldn't be certain.

Twenty li deep, a pair of seventy-thousand-foot black thunder wings unfurled behind Zong Shou.

Immediately following these were a set of black and white wings—the Wings of Life and Death. These gathered vital Yin energy yet resonated perfectly with the thunder wings, as if they were always meant to be one.

With a single sweep, he shot forward dozens of li in an instant. He could faintly sense that familiar, deeply etched aura.

Jue Yan!

Without a moment's hesitation, Zong Shou trod upon the Void-Burning Flames beneath his feet. His Qi sharpened like a spear, piercing into the sea of crimson flame.

Unlike the cautious probing of the first encounter, Zong Shou unleashed his full might from the outset.

In his Sea of Consciousness, his True Form Avatar was still locked in opposition to the colossal wheel. However, he was clearly stronger this time, managing to hold the stalemate through sheer effort.

Completely ignoring the oppressive force, the dazzling sword light raged madly within the flames. Man and sword became one, striking forward like a thunderbolt, with the force to split bamboo, aimed directly at the figure standing at the Abyss Gate.

The sword Qi was sharp yet utterly cohesive.

Jue Yan’s eyes flickered slightly, then a satisfied smile crossed his face: "You are a clever lad, after all!"

He let the sword light push him back to a distance of a hundred zhang without reacting.

Only when the distance narrowed to ninety-nine zhang did Zong Shou suddenly feel the protective Gang Qi solidify like a wall. It took every ounce of his strength to push forward a mere half-step against the momentum of his own sword strike. Simultaneously, pressure squeezed in from all directions, constricting the very space around him, making it agonizingly difficult to breathe.

With a cold 'Hmph,' Zong Shou was unsurprised.

The sword momentum he had gathered instantly dispersed.

A tempest of fury! Each sword strike was imbued with immense power, slicing forward without any regard for depletion. Millions of strands of sword Gang Qi shot horizontally through the air.

Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!

Brutal and seemingly without pattern, this chaotic slashing nonetheless had a clear purpose in every blow—either striking directly at a vital point or meeting the opponent head-on, creating opportunities from impossibility.

In the blink of an eye, these successive walls of Gang Qi were torn apart one after another.

At this moment, the thirty-nine Imperial Dao Dragon Fang Swords, flying outside, followed in his wake. Though only two more swords were present, the sword array had gained a solid half-step in power after Zong Shou’s brief reorganization over the past few days.

They now transformed into swimming dragons, their sword energies, thin as silken threads, slashing and cutting in all directions, making the already fractured Gang Qi even more fragmented.

Zong Shou’s form finally halted abruptly when he reached within twenty zhang of Jue Yan.

Large beads of cold sweat covered his forehead. At this range, the pressure from the spiritual will doubled, and the Gang Qi before him was exponentially more ferocious and immense.

Zong Shou felt a sharp pain flare in his eyes again, and the contest within his Sea of Consciousness was nearly at the point of collapse. Every step in this area demanded tremendous exertion. Blood spots, not just sweat, oozed from his entire body.

One step, two steps, three steps—one zhang per step. By the tenth zhang, Zong Shou’s bones were audibly grinding once more. He supported himself with immense effort to avoid shattering. Facing Jue Yan across the ten zhang gap, he saw nothing but mockery dancing in the young man's eyes.

Zong Shou showed neither sorrow nor anger. The four wings behind him did not retract at this moment; instead, they shone with even greater brilliance.

Without hesitation, he unleashed a sword strike.

Three Thousand Stars Fall!

The sword light descended, seemingly carrying an entire galaxy. The barrier of ten zhang shattered instantly, the sword momentum aimed directly at Jue Yan’s brow.

The one behind him let out a soft laugh, sweeping his vast sleeve to gather the sword light—a strike that looked capable of cleaving the universe—entirely into his cuff.

But the fierce sword energy, capable of destroying everything, vanished as if swallowed by the sea.

Zong Shou’s gaze flickered; he knew that inside Jue Yan’s sleeve lay a Transmigration Wheel. The sword Gang Qi and intent from that strike could be rotated and sent back in a mere moment.

Yet, his heart held no alarm or fury. This was precisely what he had been waiting for!

The first counterattack came from the void of his Sea of Consciousness. The Nine-Layered Purple-Gold Pagoda slammed down suddenly, and the Illusory Heart Mirror also cast a blue light straight toward the wheel, causing the momentum of the great wheel to briefly stall.

Then, he retracted the momentum of his True Form Avatar sword strike and swung his sword diagonally once more!

Slash!

This strike was simultaneously beyond beautiful and utterly plain. It seemed as though the entire world had merged within it, incorporating nearly all of Zong Shou’s Daos. It was unified—a single Dao!

With a sharp Clang, Zong Shou’s sword did not lock in a stalemate with the giant wheel this time. Instead, as the wheel spun at high speed, the blade forcefully cut deep into its core!

This not only forcibly halted the wheel's rotation but also caused the power that was cycling through reincarnation to erupt and explode!

Inconceivably, Zong Shou’s physical body also shifted its sword momentum, changing from a cleave to a direct thrust. With a sharp Chira, Jue Yan's purple robe sleeve was instantly shredded, falling apart piece by piece. Even his skin and flesh were crisscrossed with gashes from the sword energy.

The power borrowed by the Wheel of Reincarnation, combined with the force of this single sword strike, was equivalent to two stacked attacks. The sword light instantly traversed the short distance, aiming once more at Jue Yan’s brow.

Jue Yan paused, then his expression cleared, his eyes flashing with divine light again. He chuckled, "Indeed skillful. Using the Dao of 'One' to break my method of 'Revolving' is a perfect counter. However—"

His intact left hand formed a hand seal, and instantly, the tattered robes, bloodied flesh, and disintegrated Qi were restored to their original state. Before Zong Shou’s sword light, a massive Gang Wheel materialized. Though condensed into a single entity, the sword could not penetrate it in the slightest.

Zong Shou’s expression shifted, his face turning instantly ashen. The wheel could turn forwards or backward; he had just forced it into reverse reincarnation. He even felt that if Jue Yan’s true body were present, he might even be able to reverse the flow of time itself!

"A pity, you were still lacking."

Jue Yan smiled, extended a finger, and aimed it once more toward Zong Shou’s brow.

A look of utter finality appeared in Zong Shou’s eyes. Was he to fail again this time?

In the wake of despair, his rage swelled. In this desperate situation, his fighting spirit only intensified rather than diminished. How could he accept being repelled just like this?

His eyes snapped open in fury, finally finding an outlet for the pent-up blood and Qi clogging them. The indestructible gate within him showed hundreds, even thousands, of cracks. Countless blood-colored runes flashed across his pupils. At this moment, Zong Shou felt his entire body transform into molten lava.

Jue Yan’s gaze narrowed. For reasons he couldn't fathom, he felt his heart stop for a moment before restarting with a thunderous beat, flooding his limbs with blood. His eyes were momentarily vacant before he witnessed Zong Shou, against all odds, thrusting his sword forward again.

He couldn't help but gasp. This strike had not only pierced the realm of sword intent and the Sea of Consciousness, but had broken through into the mid-stage!