The two figures in the arena were locked in a fierce exchange, each fully deserving of their Saint Sovereign-level mastery! Their profound techniques and martial forms were executed with utter control; onlookers could only perceive their rapid interplay, yet they heard not even the slightest whistle of displaced air, as if the pair were merely engaging in a stylized huā drill, employing none of their true power...
But as they moved, wherever their fists struck or feet kicked, streaks of vacuum darkness would manifest like miniature black holes, flickering into existence before vanishing instantly...
Everyone’s eyes widened! These phenomena utterly surpassed the comprehension of those present.
Only a select few understood: these two were absolutely giving their all!
Moreover, they were fully unleashing the pinnacle of their comprehension and strength!
Those fleeting traces of vacuum darkness must surely be the terrifying remnants left by the legendary "Heaven and Earth Force"!
Though the battle appeared placid, it was in reality intensely ferocious. Because of their exquisite control over their internal energies, not a single wisp of vital force leaked outward. Crucially, their power levels were nearly identical, locked in a stalemate. They neutralized at least ninety percent of the incoming force with every exchange, the remainder being absorbed by their protective vital energy screens. Consequently, this deadly conflict, which could easily have ended in death, looked more like a silent, harmless play—all unpredictable danger and lethal intent remained unspoken...
"You advance, I retreat," "You strike, I block." Fists flew, robes billowed, every movement was executed at blistering speed, yet not a single speck of dust was disturbed from the ground...
They would exchange several moves in one spot, then shift their positions with lightning speed to another location... The spot they had just vacated would momentarily collapse inward, creating a massive, empty black hole in the air!
This void would vanish immediately... and in the process of its brief appearance and disappearance, several, perhaps even a dozen, such spatial anomalies would flicker into being... The audience in the hall held their breath, unable to utter a sound!
This level of combat was beyond the understanding of the vast majority present! Yet they all grasped one critical point: even the two combatants could not survive an attack of this magnitude!
That was why they instinctively and continuously shifted their positions around their original loci.
Because if trapped within the shroud of one of those spatial black holes, even with their Saint Sovereign cultivation, they would be permanently annihilated the instant the void dissolved... Both fighters understood this clearly: the other was fighting to the death!
Huyan Aobo watched intently, suddenly knitting his brows. "That shouldn't be..."
Simultaneously, Miao Zhan, Miao Dao, and the others slowly shook their heads. How could this situation have arisen? It was truly baffling!
They could all see that the Saint Sovereign from the Evil Lord’s Mansion was undoubtedly immensely powerful, yet his actual age was not great—perhaps not even reaching the age of Divine Providence. The immense power he wielded was clearly cultivated through some extraordinary, unique method! Such a technique could certainly be called 'peerless,' something any super-faction would covet!
However, strength cultivated through external acceleration always carried a common flaw: no matter how deep or pure the artificially amplified power, it would inevitably lack genuine combat experience and mastery of varied techniques. While sheer power could be attained quickly, martial skill and experience required time to accumulate. Those whose power was forced experienced opponents usually relied on overwhelming force to win, or, in moments of crisis, depended on their deep power reserves to forcibly break free.
Therefore, such masters whose power was externally catalyzed, even possessing extremely high cultivation, might theoretically struggle against a peer of equal rank whose skill level was only slightly lower—to put it figuratively, even if Zhang Da Niu possessed the mid-stage rank of Saint Sovereign Three, theoretically he might not defeat an early-stage Saint Sovereign Three.
It was similar to Qiao Ying; although her cultivation was high, a significant portion derived from the Exquisite Lotus and the Seven-Colored Sacred Fruit. Without her 'Insightful Eye' innate talent, her actual combat strength would surely lag far behind peers of the same level!
But Duan Chongfeng, representing the Sacred Land, was a veritable thousand-year-old monster, possessing extraordinarily rich practical combat experience! Having fought countless masters throughout his life, he should, by all logic, hold the advantage in terms of skill, martial technique, and experience!
Yet, the reality was the complete opposite, completely inverted...
Because the one employing countless strange and unorthodox techniques to assault his opponent was Zhang Da Niu, while Duan Chongfeng, the veteran who had weathered innumerable battles, was forced to rely on his deep reservoir of profound energy simply to break the incoming moves and defend himself...
This... is too bizarre?
Every move Zhang Da Niu deployed was executed with supreme refinement, and every technique was utterly unfamiliar to the onlookers. Often, with a single strike launched, Duan Chongfeng had to cycle through half a dozen different movement techniques and alter his stances five or six times just to barely withstand it...
The exchange had lasted barely the time it takes to steep half a cup of tea, yet sweat already drenched Duan Chongfeng's brow! This was a genuine Saint Sovereign level expert; with their robust stamina and vital energy reserves, in a normal engagement, they might fight for several days and nights without shedding a single drop of sweat...
Conversely, Zhang Da Niu maintained steady breathing and long, measured exhalations.
Suddenly, a long cry echoed through the arena. Zhang Da Niu laughed heartily, "I told you you weren't a match for this Captain, yet you insisted on struggling. The moment is here—receive my Four Seasons Cycle Palm!"
A horizontal slice followed! Duan Chongfeng’s pupils contracted: What wind is rising before me!
A diagonal chop into the void! Duan Chongfeng’s vision darkened: The sky is filled with ominous clouds!
This was merely Duan Chongfeng’s personal perception from within the deadly sequence, but although the surrounding crowd could not feel his sensation, they equally grasped the overwhelmingly powerful aura emanating from those two palms—an aura that commanded mountains and rivers, that governed wind and cloud!
The next palm strike: spring breezes turn to nurturing rain, sunlight shines brightly, birds sing and flowers bloom, rivers break free from ice!
The following palm: summer thunder crashes, winds rage, the firmament is enraged, and the land seems poised to shatter!
Then, autumn’s chilling gusts—frost spreads across the horizon, fallen leaves drift down, signaling the twilight of life!
The final palm! Winter’s cold freezes everything still, white snow drifts down, the vast expanse of heaven and earth has reached its end!
The end of life!
From the first palm, Duan Chongfeng’s spirit shuddered!
The second palm, his mind felt hazy!
By the third, he was struggling desperately.
The fourth, his senses were already somewhat scattered!
The fifth, he was simply drifting with the current. The sixth, he was thoroughly submerged...
There was no road back!
Peng, peng...
Like striking cured leather!
In an instant, on Duan Chongfeng’s body, his chest and back erupted as if from firecrackers. In the blink of an eye, exactly three hundred and sixty-five palm strikes landed, not one missing its mark, completely battering his frame!
The moment blood sprayed from his mouth, it simultaneously erupted from all seven facial orifices!
Duan Chongfeng didn't even manage a sound before he began tumbling downward from mid-air, his body tracing a graceful arc through the sky. On the ground below, a semi-circle formed, marked entirely by pools of dripping blood!
When he landed, there was no sound at all!
If one considered Duan Chongfeng's nearly thousand-year cultivation, such a swift defeat seemed unwarranted. However, the moment his opponent, Jun Mo Xie, had dismissively waved his hand to summon his men, dissatisfaction had already taken root in Duan Chongfeng's heart.
When Ying Bokong feigned contemplation and casually issued commands, his anger had deepened. The words spoken by the young captain when he first appeared had driven him to the brink of fury, shattering his calm state of mind completely!
Thus, with his mind already agitated, he sought a swift victory to end the opponent; yet he was simultaneously confronted by peerless martial arts he had never witnessed before! Gradually suppressed, his confidence completely vanished! Having lost the hope of victory, he still remembered the grave responsibility resting on his shoulders, making failure impossible—the internal pressure naturally intensified; and the humiliation felt before the heroes of the world was even greater!