With but a flicker of movement, Zong Shou was instantly above Dao Xuan. Zong Shou subtly adjusted the Boundless Beginning and End Divine Ability; the spatial void above, two thousand zhang high, was a deep, dark abyss, the materialized black hole having swallowed all starlight and spiritual energy.
Below the two thousand zhang mark, there was only the Boundless Light. The scorching, blazing radiance illuminated every direction with virtually no blind spots. Within this hundred-li radius, every minute detail was visible, continuously evaporating and purifying the surrounding miasma of death. Within ten li, cultivators lacking sufficient practice could not open their eyes at all. Even if they did, they would only see a blinding field of white light.
The Spirit Refining Sword in Zong Shou’s hand now writhed with immeasurable radiance, his entire figure enveloped in that glow.
He brought the sword down in a single strike, forcing Dao Xuan to defend. Bone structure spread out, instantly forming a colossal shield of white bone.
Yet, the moment of contact shattered it instantly. The sword light continued its descent; before it even grazed his skin, Dao Xuan let out a wretched shriek.
Flesh ulcerated and decayed; wounds that had barely healed revealed their original state—riddled with a thousand sores.
The death energy he had greedily absorbed and seized was pierced by the searing white light, collapsing across vast swathes.
Zong Shou was only employing the Boundless Light Sword Strike, a sword technique secret art equivalent to, at most, an Eleventh Tier Divine Ability. However, at this moment, Dao Xuan was not only unable to steal further but was utterly helpless. His entire momentum was completely suppressed by Zong Shou!
Yuan Wushang watched from a distance and could not help but sneer.
“It seems this death energy, though potent, is not suited to this Demon Lord. It can temporarily extend his life, but ultimately, death is unavoidable—”
A hundred li away, the spectators were gripped by a dead silence.
With Dao Xuan’s reappearance, everyone had assumed the Cloud Realm was facing another great catastrophe. The former Demon Lord Dao Xuan was surely set to wreak havoc upon the world once more!
But before Zong Shou’s sword, he was reduced to such a wretched state. In their first exchange, the virtually invincible figure of six thousand years prior now faced utter despair.
The scene unfolding before them left everyone disoriented and unsure what to do.
Dao Xuan, having merged with a massive influx of death energy, now possessed a complex and chaotic aura. Though he still retained the profound mysterious arts of Dao Xuan, for the moment, there was nothing left for him to steal or seize from Zong Shou. Though his external display of power was overwhelming, this was clearly his weakest point.
This was precisely why Zong Shou relentlessly pursued him, unwilling to let him go or give him a chance to recover.
Dao Xuan could steal divine abilities, seize myriad Dao formulas and divine arts, and plunder the sanity of countless Immortal Cultivators.
Such a dangerous individual required Zong Shou to use every trump card and every method at his disposal!
There could be no allowing this person to escape with his life, to have any chance of retaliation later.
Dao Xuan, caught completely off guard, had already been gravely wounded by his repeated uses of the Immortal Slaying Flying Dagger and the Styx River’s Death Sword—this might be the only opportunity to eradicate the Demon Lord Dao Xuan!
He violently severed one of Dao Xuan’s hands once more! The searing, bright white flame burned, causing the chunks of flesh to rot and combust, rising as wisps of black smoke.
Dao Xuan screamed miserably, and amidst his roar, more death energy coiled and surged toward him, attempting to mend his body.
However, those ashen-gray mists were mostly incinerated before they could even approach.
Less than one-tenth of the energy could be absorbed by Dao Xuan.
On the western side of the Celestial Altar, a bizarre scene was unfolding. The Vicious Corpses scrambled to flee, desperate to escape the two figures locked in fierce combat.
It was not just the corpse soldiers; the Corpse Generals were doing the same.
Dao Xuan, meanwhile, was desperately fleeing toward the areas where the death energy was densest, intent on absorbing more of the killing aura and power.
Zong Shou’s true form dharma body was pure light from head to toe. Utterly pristine—light without kindness or malice, boundless and infinite!
No matter how much death energy gathered, no matter how many resentful fiends condensed, it could all be purified! It could all be eliminated!
The observing cultivators nearby held their breath and fled as far away as possible, seeking maximum distance.
They were utterly incapable of participating in a battle of this magnitude.
Those who wished to aid Zong Shou knew that not causing trouble was the best possible help they could offer. As for those who desired mutual destruction, they knew Dao Xuan was likely utterly mad now, resorting to any means.
Any cultivator who came within his senses would only have their life essence and true energy stolen, their sanity forcefully seized, turning them into mere cannon fodder for the battle between the two—innocent sacrifices. Intervening now would be profoundly unwise, so even those most regretful were forced to retreat as far from the battlefield as possible.
Dao Xuan’s body continuously regenerated, only to be violently wounded again by the Boundless Light Sword.
In a mere half-moment, Dao Xuan had endured nearly three hundred strikes from Zong Shou’s sword. Every blow pierced the flesh; his arms and legs must have been severed countless times.
The death energy and killing aura he absorbed were gradually failing to keep pace with the expenditure required to repair his physical form—
“Zong Shou! You dare? I will surely kill you! I will exterminate your entire family, slaughter your elders and the young, and defile your wife and daughters!”
His voice was filled with endless hatred and towering resentment.
Zong Shou remained completely unmoved, his eyes reflecting only ice-cold indifference.
“Since you are already dead, why not rest in peace! Though I am not a Buddhist, this Boundless Light shall grant passage to your soul!”
He struck again, still cloaked in vast brilliance. At this moment, within a thirty-li radius of their location, all death energy and all killing force had been temporarily purified.
The pure, searing, yet cold light appeared supremely holy.
With a muffled thump, dozens more layers of bone shields were shattered by this single strike.
The magnificent sword light pierced through; this time, it burrowed into Dao Xuan’s chest!
It burned a massive hole right there, and the damage rapidly spread—
Demon Lord Dao Xuan let out another wretched scream, grabbing the Spirit Refining Sword with his hands, forcibly ‘pulling’ his body free from the blade.
Zong Shou shook his head slightly. With a swift withdrawal and a clean slash, the Spirit Refining Sword severed Dao Xuan’s hands yet again.
Truthfully, he had been troubled before. Dao Xuan’s resurrection via death energy temporarily stripped him of the capital needed to resist Zong Shou.
However, Dao Xuan’s Divine Ability to Steal Souls and Bodies was the most troublesome and terrifying technique. As long as the death energy here persisted, he could recover limitlessly, no matter what damage Zong Shou inflicted upon him, it could ultimately be restored.
Furthermore, some of the distant Corpse Generals were clearly exhibiting strange behavior, showing intense hostility and stirring restlessly.
Dao Xuan’s ability to Steal Souls and Bodies allowed him to steal not only physical forms but also spirits. It was entirely possible he could already be manipulating those Corpse Generals.
It was only because he was suppressed by the Boundless Light that his divine ability was at its lowest ebb.
Therefore, this battle had to be concluded quickly—
As his hands fell, pale flesh and sinew regenerated within a breath.
Zong Shou’s Spirit Refining Sword was already pointing toward Dao Xuan’s head again. After over three hundred strikes, Zong Shou had essentially pinpointed Dao Xuan’s Nascent Soul essence and Golden Core location.
—Since destroying the physical body was useless, he would target the core directly.
But this fellow was cunning; his Nascent Soul and Golden Core were constantly shifting position. Zong Shou only managed to map their location at this precise moment and lock onto them with his sword intent.
The pupils of Demon Lord Dao Xuan suddenly shrank to pinpricks, finally showing a flicker of apprehension in his eyes.
“Zong Shou, do not force me! Though this Lord is gravely wounded today, I can still drag you to the grave with me!”
Within his body, boundless demonic true power surged and compressed under Dao Xuan’s guidance. In an instant, this triggered a turbulent surge in the surrounding spiritual energy, pushing it to the brink of uncontrolled collapse.
Dao Xuan’s technique of Stealing Souls and Bodies activated frantically, sucking in more power of death and fiends. It condensed without dispersing, fighting against the Boundless Light. Zong Shou gave a cold ‘Hmph,’ without a word, without the slightest hesitation, and the searing white sword light plunged in once more!
Bone shields of death energy shattered into pieces, like snow meeting fierce flames. The pale arms striking out were severed from the main body by the sharp blade.
Demon Lord Dao Xuan’s eyes were filled with resentment and unwillingness—
This Zong Shou was even more insane than he was! Knowing he was at the Saint Rank, knowing he had prepared to self-detonate his Nascent Soul and body, Zong Shou still dared to press the attack?
Was he truly fearless of death?
The sword shadows hung in the air, and Dao Xuan could no longer suppress the madness in his eyes.
His entire body suddenly exploded. Immense primal energy erupted outward like rows of steel walls, impacting in ripples.
Most of the force was guided by Dao Xuan toward Zong Shou.
Zong Shou gave a cold sneer, advancing rather than retreating. His sword momentum sharpened severalfold! Moving forward relentlessly, he pierced, smashed, and charged directly into the exploding primal energy!
He allowed himself no retreat, nor did he grant the opponent any chance of survival.
Even if it meant mutual destruction, he would still have profited!
His Second Nascent Soul remained within his body; even if this true form dharma body was annihilated, he could still revive.
It would just mean a more troublesome recovery later. If not handled perfectly, his Nascent Soul might not be fully repaired, jeopardizing his future ascent to the Supreme Realm.
But today, no matter what, he needed Dao Xuan dead!
He needed to witness the demise of Dao Xuan beneath his sword; no other outcome would be accepted!
So he could only advance! Retreat was impossible!
Sword lights scattered, momentarily seeming to multiply into billions. Zong Shou now cast aside all extraneous thoughts, focusing solely on thrusting his sword, strike after strike. He allowed the formidable gale forces to batter his Nascent Soul repeatedly. The body of the Spirit Refining Sword was now close to collapse, vibrating violently, almost bending over several times.
But at the very moment he was nearly utterly exhausted, when Zong Shou almost believed his true form dharma body would truly be destroyed by the primal energy impact, the chaotic power was finally ground away by his sword light.
And across the void, about three thousand zhang away, Dao Xuan’s soul form stared back in stunned disbelief. His expression was filled with utter incomprehension.
It seemed he was surprised that Zong Shou had not retreated or fled at that critical juncture.
Zong Shou was momentarily stunned himself, then burst into loud, mocking laughter! Filled with scorn.
This Demon Lord Dao Xuan, in the final moment, ultimately lacked the will for certain death, the resolve for mutual destruction.
Though he styled himself the Demon Lord Dao Xuan, though he caused the great calamity six thousand years ago, he was, in the end, merely a creature greedy for life and fearful of death!
If he hadn’t pushed himself to the absolute brink, how could he have been forced into such a desperate situation by Zong Shou?
“What a disappointment. I truly thought you were something more formidable than that old fool Song Zheng! But it turns out you are just another greedy coward. You are afraid to die, and thus, you are weak. Look at yourself now!”