Chapter 309: Xiao Yan vs. Lin Dong, Potato People Civil War
Xiao Yan ascended the stage.
His black robes were still, but the air around him began to warp and shimmer with intense heat. His Fire Domain unfurled, and a suffocating, arid aura instantly swept over the entire arena.
"Is that him? Is that Xiao Yan? The ruthless one who slaughtered an entire world at the start of the preliminaries?"
"I saw the recording! He just... burned everything. A sea of black fire!"
The prodigies from the various Universe Nations were slightly startled upon seeing Xiao Yan take the stage. His reputation preceded him.
Among Shi Jian and the others, Luo Feng and Xiao Yan were currently the most famous.
Luo Feng traveled more frequently, and coupled with being the Lord of Earth, his name was widely known as the leader of this monstrous group.
Then, there was Xiao Yan.
During the preliminaries, he single-handedly tore through an entire world zone. He hadn't just fought; he had committed arson on a planetary scale, setting an unprecedented points record that left everyone else in the dust.
Seeing this infamous prodigy ascend the stage first, the eyes of the crowd below grew fervent.
No matter who he fought, this would likely be a battle between a dragon and a phoenix.
Everyone below wanted to see just how big the gap was between them and these true, top-tier individuals.
"Who will face Xiao Yan?"
Countless people wondered, scanning the other geniuses.
Amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd, Lin Dong was seen slowly ascending the stage, his every step seeming to make the arena tremble.
"It's him! Hiss!"
A different section of the crowd gasped. Those who had fought Lin Dong in the preliminaries felt their scalps tingle, vaguely hearing the sound of a few terrifying words echo in their ears...
Great Desolation Imprisoning Heavenly Finger!
...
"You're challenging me first?" Xiao Yan's expression calmed, a faint smile touching his lips. "Looks like this will be fun."
"It's me." Lin Dong's aura was ferocious as he directly stepped onto the stage, the ground cracking beneath his feet. "I've wanted to beat you up for a long time!"
"Coincidentally," Xiao Yan replied, his smile widening, "I was thinking the same thing."
He raised his hand, gesturing to Lin Dong. "Please!"
Lin Dong didn't stand on ceremony. He roared, and immediately unleashed the Great Desolation Imprisoning Heavenly Finger!
His five fingers shot out. His Five Elements Domain circulated, and a colossal, ancient finger spanned the sky, instantly sweeping across the entire arena, blotting out the light.
"What a terrifying move! He actually used five laws simultaneously: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth!"
"The five laws are mutually generating and overcoming, cycling endlessly. This person's mastery of law is astonishingly profound!"
The onlookers sighed in amazement.
When they themselves had faced the Great Desolation Imprisoning Heavenly Finger, they were instantly killed before they could even discern what was happening.
Now, observing from the sidelines, they finally saw a bit of its terrible intricacy.
Within that single finger, the Five Elements Domain cycled. A single move carried the power of Metal's sharpness, Wood's vitality, Water's pervasiveness, Fire's destruction, and Earth's weight.
No wonder they were instantly killed.
"Not a single bit of novelty!"
Facing this world-ending move, Xiao Yan's robes fluttered as if he were dancing. His surroundings blazed with a vibrant, two-toned fire.
His Fire Domain unfolded!
The Yin Fire and Yang Fire within him instantly ignited. Under the augmentation of the Fire Domain, the two Yin and Yang fires twisted, merged, and transformed into a Heavenly Phoenix that soared into the sky, its cry shaking their very souls.
"Explode!"
Xiao Yan softly snapped his fingers.
The two-toned Heavenly Phoenix and the Great Desolation Imprisoning Heavenly Finger instantly collided. There was a terrible, silent flash, and the law power of both was annihilated simultaneously.
"You're still not without any novelty yourself!"
Seeing this, Lin Dong also scoffed.
Yin Yang Buddha's Angry Fire Lotus, isn't it still Buddha's Angry Fire Lotus? Just shaped like a bird?
It was the pot calling the kettle black. How dare he mock his Great Desolation Imprisoning Heavenly Finger for lacking novelty?
Lin Dong instantly closed the distance. A dragon roar emanated from his body as an Azure Dragon phantom appeared behind him. Azure light covered his entire body, and an Azure Dragon coiled around his fists, emanating unparalleled Divine Might!
He unleashed the Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art.
But this was no longer the original Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art.
The original art used Yuan Power to activate the acupoints within the physical body, then transformed into a dragon to ascend to the heavens.
But now, Lin Dong's current physical body cultivated the system of the Swallowed Star world.
The cultivation system of the Swallowed Star world, besides "Martial Artist" (genetic energy)... also included... "Spirit Masters" (spiritual force)!
[Inorin's Note: 'Spirit Master' is the Swallowed Star term for a cultivator who uses 'Spiritual Force' (Shen Nian) or 'Divine Thought' for telekinesis and other psychic abilities.]
The Azure Dragon on Lin Dong's physical body was now a manifestation of his Divine Thought (Spiritual Force). This was an alternative, hybrid application!
It wasn't a simple application of Divine Thought.
Instead, he had combined his spiritual force with his own flesh and blood, achieving a perfect, terrifying fusion of spirit and physical body, thereby unleashing even more terrifying power!
Lin Dong casually threw a punch. His own Qi and blood surged like an immortal Dao furnace releasing its essence!
His Divine Thought combined with his Qi and blood, transforming his entire Domain into a sea of roiling, crimson blood qi!
In the Swallowed Star world, there was no concept of "Qi and blood soaring into the sky." No matter how strong a Martial Artist's physical body was, there would be no "external release of Qi and blood" as a phenomenon.
However, now that Lin Dong had combined his Divine Thought with his physical body... his Divine Thought was his Qi and blood, and his Qi and blood was his Divine Thought!
Therefore, the external release of his Divine Thought created the classic scene that would only appear in Xuanhuan novels!
Qi and blood surging into the sky!
Xiao Yan's posture was agile, soaring through the air like a leaf. He traversed through Lin Dong's overwhelming, crimson blood qi.
His Fire Domain unfurled, and fierce, intelligent flames burned, consuming the endless blood qi, the Yin Fire corrupting it while the Yang Fire purified it.
The two were diametrically opposed, neither showing weakness.
Those native prodigies were dumbfounded after witnessing this duel.
"Is this... is this really a Stellar Level?"
Such combat intensity. Such bizarre phenomena.
Let alone a Stellar Level, even a Universe Level expert might not withstand a single move from them!
Even those powerhouses at the Immortal realm, watching from their high seats, were now solemn.
"Genius. These two are absolute, peerless prodigies!"
One Immortal powerhouse after another, their eyes gleaming!
The combat power displayed by Xiao Yan and Lin Dong was extraordinary. More importantly, their methods of utilizing law power and strength were very... peculiar.
It gave them a feeling of constant revelation, of seeing something entirely new.
"Xiao Yan, die for me!"
Lin Dong roared, his entire body now crimson, like a blood-colored War God. He charged forward, law power circulating around him, and behind him, ten thousand beams of light appeared.
With the augmentation of his Divine Thought, his entire being was like an Imperial Star from the deep universe smashing down from beyond the heavens, guarded by countless stars, dazzling to the extreme!
At this moment, he clenched his fist. His Qi and blood permeated the air. His aura surged forward, determined to give Xiao Yan a loving beating!
Such a punch was unstoppable!
Thousands, even tens of thousands of Stellar Levels gathered here would not be able to block this single punch.
"If you want to defeat me, you'll have to see if you have the strength!"
Xiao Yan's black hair instantly turned fiery red, his entire being exuding a terrifying aura. Behind him, a massive, ethereal Fire Lotus bloomed, its aura overwhelming.
Fighting in this sci-fi world, there were no "heaven and earth phenomena."
However, if Lin Dong was able to play with Divine Thought in such fancy ways, Xiao Yan naturally also developed some tricks.
His Sea of Consciousness had undergone some changes. Below the "planet" representing his Stellar-level, ninth-order Divine Thought, there was a Fire Lotus formed by the convergence of his Fire Domain!
[Inorin's Note: In Swallowed Star, a Spirit Master's 'Sea of Consciousness' is visualized as a dark space. Xiao Yan has adapted his Xuanhuan 'Dao' concept, manifesting his Fire Lotus within this scientific framework.]
The Fire Lotus accentuated his Divine Thought star, making it very unique.
Now, Xiao Yan had summoned the Fire Lotus that accentuated his star, manifesting it in the real world with his Divine Thought!
The entire trial ground was instantly enveloped by the pressure of the Fire Lotus.
The two dueled.
This strike caused the heavens to collapse and the earth to crack, ghosts to wail and gods to howl, lightning to flash and thunder to roar, and blood rain to pour down.
Such a sight made everyone around them stand on end.
The astonishing duel between the two had clearly surpassed the so-called Stellar Level.
Those contestants watched this scene, their mouths agape, unable to recover for a long time.
This was completely different from their fighting style!
Their battles: Divine Thought confusion, followed by a martial force beheading. Or, it was fist-to-flesh, beating the opponent to a pulp. Simple and unadorned.
But when it came to Xiao Yan and the others... damn it, Qi and blood soared into the sky, and a Fire Lotus descended upon the world!
Fighting with special effects? Are you telling me this is Stellar Level?
...
The higher-ups of the Virtual Universe Company were also bewildered at this moment.
Because their Virtual Universe system... its CPU was about to burn out.
No information could be collected.
"Report!" a technician monitoring the data feeds yelled. "We can't get a lock on their energy signatures! The system is outputting gibberish!"
"What do you mean?" an Immortal barked. "It's Law of Fire! It's Law of Wood! Analyze it!"
"Sir, it's not! The system is trying to process... 'Dao.' It's reporting a 'Yin-Yang conceptual fusion' and a 'Blood-Spirit-Body Tri-Origin Art.' The analyzers are crashing. We can't collect data!"
The two continuously dueled on the arena, both like supreme warriors, their Qi devouring mountains and rivers, every move containing unprecedented Divine Might!
Blood rain poured, lightning roared, and the Fire Lotus descended!
The two almost played Divine Thought to its absolute extreme, combining spiritual force, physical body strength, and law domains into something new.
The strength they displayed was unimaginable.
Amidst the blood rain and lightning, the two continuously bombarded each other, their Divine Might terrifying.
Every strike from Lin Dong carried the power of his Law Domain, augmented by his surging Divine Thought. A casual punch was like a great star falling.
His entire being was like a humanoid Tyrannosaurus Rex, his Qi and blood surging, tearing apart the universe. His Great Desolation Imprisoning Heavenly Finger and his fists were indestructible, vast and unrestrained, reaching the extreme!
Xiao Yan, on the other hand, was exceptionally graceful, untainted by dust, a true mage.
The Five Elements Domain of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth...
The Lightning Domain...
The Space Domain...
The Wind Domain...
A total of eight Domains were used with ease.
Earlier, while waiting for the other contestants to finish the three-year Reincarnation Battle, Xiao Yan had already comprehended the Lightning Domain and the Wind Domain.
After all, he had made a small fortune before, and his Heavenly Dao power was quite abundant. With the augmentation of Heavenly Dao power and existing pathways, it was quite normal for him to comprehend these two great Domains.
Against Lin Dong's incredibly violent, head-on attacks, Xiao Yan remained calm.
Lin Dong punched, but the space in front of him twisted (Space Domain), and his fist hit empty air. The backlash was redirected by a gale (Wind Domain). Xiao Yan used Water Domain to quench the blood qi, and Metal Domain to shatter the force.
He was arrogant offstage, wishing he could defecate on the heads of the people in the chat group. But when it came to an actual fight, Xiao Yan was incredibly stable.
He was focusing on attrition.
Lin Dong fought with great difficulty. He wanted to pin Xiao Yan down and pummel him, but he simply didn't have the opportunity. Xiao Yan was too slippery!
In the duel between the two, there would be thousands of clashes in a single instant, each collision like lightning striking, reflecting dazzling divine light.
This was a battle of Divine Beings.
Compared to these two, the other prodigies, like Bolan, felt bitter and frustrated.
[Inorin's Note: 'Bolan' is the number one genius in the Swallowed Star original story's Genius Battle, a peerless talent in his own right.]
Bolan watched, his hands clenched so tightly his nails dug into his palms. He was clearly in the same realm. Yet the gap between them was like heaven and earth.
They too were called Heaven-Blessed Prodigies. A casual strike from them could also kill a peerless talent of their generation.
But in front of Xiao Yan and his group, they were like ants. This kind of gap... it was so great it led to despair.
So great that even if they broke through to the Universe Level, they still wouldn't be their opponents.
Too strong. Too outrageous.
And even more outrageous is... there were ten such strong heroes, all from the same place!
"Xiao Yan! To take me down, these methods alone are not enough!"
Lin Dong roared, then fiercely charged forward. His forehead glowed, and the Dragon-shaped phantom on his physical body became even more solidified.
Outside his physical body, ten thousand rays of lightning flashed—this was also his Lightning Domain!
"Great Desolation Imprisoning Heavenly Finger!"
The Five Elements Domain was endless, transforming into five fingers descending from the sky. Beside the five fingers, one thunder-transformed star after another materialized, densely spread around the fingers!
The Great Desolation Imprisoning Heavenly Finger descended, as if an ancient Star Domain had been intercepted and was now being used to suppress this void.
Five fingers spanned the sky, surrounded by countless lightning stars.
Xiao Yan's heart skipped a beat upon seeing this. The Yuan Power—no, the Genetic Origin Force—within him surged. His physical body also expanded instantly, his fists appearing as if cast from gold.
"Don't think…"
"...Mages…"
"...Can't fight in close combat!"
Between heaven and earth, a Fire Lotus bloomed. Special, intricate Fire Lotus patterns appeared on Xiao Yan's entire physical body. He abandoned his previous cautious, kiting fighting style and became ferocious!
Domain, Divine Thought, flames, Physical Body... all were completely and utterly insane!
The two's fists and feet collided, erupting with boundless divine light. The surroundings were vast, and the entire arena seemed to sway and tremble.
The other numerous prodigies were all terrified.
They finally understood why Xiao Yan and his group cleared the trial stages so quickly.
Damn, with this kind of power, the trial tower would despair in front of them. Let alone a virtual Zerg hive! Even a real Zerg swarm would explode in front of them!
The strength of these people meant that quantity no longer held any meaning against them.
...
The two were exchanging punches, flesh hitting flesh.
Each punch was stronger than the last, as if to break the heaven and earth furnace, to achieve immortality. Various powers were unleashed to their utmost.
As the two continued to bombard each other, in the void, the Fire Lotus manifested by Xiao Yan's Divine Thought quietly bloomed.
This one was different. It was pure black, silent.
The Fire Lotus bloomed silently, but wherever its petals passed, a massive black spatial rift appeared, swallowing light.
"Shit!"
Lin Dong felt a strong, primal sense of death, like the scythe of the Grim Reaper, emanating from that silent, blooming Fire Lotus.
In an instant, he unleashed even more terrifying Qi and blood. His Qi and blood almost condensed into solid, crimson armor, covering him. Layer upon layer of Divine Thought surrounded his entire physical body, forming a spiritual shield.
Soon, the silent Fire Lotus and his Divine Thought armor collided.
At this moment, heaven and earth were silent.
Even the sound of the wind seemed to disappear in an instant.
This silence lasted only for a moment.
Then, an earth-shattering explosion, making heaven and earth tremble, spread out.
A fiery storm, thousands of feet in size, suddenly swept outwards from the center of the arena!
Terrifying strong winds poured down, sending sand and stones flying.
The faces of the Virtual Universe Company's higher-ups changed slightly.
"Reinforce the arena! NOW! The spatial stability is dropping!" one of the Immortals roared.
...
The destructive fiery storm permeated. After the flames dissipated, Xiao Yan's figure stood far away in the sky.
His face was pale, and there was hardly a good piece of flesh left on his entire physical body. He was trembling from the exertion.
However, he still held on.
And on the arena, Lin Dong's figure had long since vanished.
Xiao Yan, wins! Gains one point!
"It's... over?"
The onlookers were in a trance, still reeling from the shock. Then, they let out a collective sigh of relief.
Watching Xiao Yan and the others fight was simply too oppressive. It was too exciting! It made everyone feel as if they had cultivated a "fake Stellar Level."
The gap between them was not just generally large.
"This Xiao Yan won… As expected of the first place in the preliminaries!"
People exclaimed, and they looked forward to the next battles even more. This is what a competition should be!
...
Lin Dong's figure reappeared in the viewing area. He had just been "exploded" (killed), but his current state had already been refreshed by the virtual system.
On his face, there was a hint of regret.
He sighed to the rest of the group: "Brothers, I lost. It seems the task of teaching Xiao Yan a lesson... can only be handed over to you!"
Everyone smiled upon hearing this. Meng Qi stepped forward and patted Lin Dong's shoulder: "Don't worry, let me teach him a lesson!"
"Your Potato People civil war is over, now it's our Earthling civil war's turn!"
[Inorin's Note: "Potato People" (Tudou) is a fan nickname for characters created by the author Tian Can Tu Dou (Heavenly Silkworm Potato), who wrote both Battle Through the Heavens (Xiao Yan) and Wu Dong Qian Kun (Lin Dong).]
Just now, while waiting, everyone had rolled the dice again. Meng Qi had gained the second opportunity to ascend the stage and challenge.
"Don't hold back," Lin Dong said fiercely, "beat him hard!"
He and Lin Dong were from the same "worldview," created by the same author. They belonged to the "Potato People." Just now, it could be said to be their internal conflict.
And now, Meng Qi was on stage.
Between Meng Qi (an Earthling who transmigrated) and Xiao Yan (also technically an Earthling who transmigrated), it was still a civil war.
The Earthlings' civil war!
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