Chapter 314: Yang Qi vs. Shi Jian
The two fought fiercely, their battle tearing the virtual arena asunder.
Fang Han appeared above Yang Qi's head in a flash, his fingers spread wide, pressing down hard as if a massive, world-grinding plate was rotating to grind all of creation!
Yang Qi, undaunted, held his Nethergod Spear upright, its dark light condensing as he pierced straight towards Fang Han's descending hand.
The two had fought and battled several times now, exchanging countless blows. Each of them looked utterly miserable, their virtual bodies torn and battered.
If their true, physical bodies were fighting, perhaps it would take days and nights, or even months, to determine a victor.
However...
Now, as mere clones in a virtual world, their abilities were standardized. In terms of "blood absorption" and pure, grinding sustainability, Fang Han was still inferior to Yang Qi.
For Fang Han to absorb and refine Yang Qi's power, he would need to use his core Minor Fate Technique. This technique, when used in a true life-and-death battle, required "burning lifespan" as fuel.
Currently, everyone had virtual bodies.
They could use "Killing Moves" that overdraw the Physical Body without reservation. After all, it was just a virtual body.
But for Killing Moves that overdraw lifespan, if Fang Han used them, he would be burning his true lifespan.
He and Yang Qi were merely competing, not engaging in a true life-and-death struggle.
Naturally, he couldn't and wouldn't burn his actual lifespan to activate the Minor Fate Technique.
Unable to truly activate the power of the Minor Fate Technique, Fang Han was ultimately, in this specific scenario, inferior to Yang Qi.
The Great Poison Technique, the Great Freezing Technique, the Great Five Elements Technique...
He used various Divine Abilities, cycling through the Three Thousand Great Daos, but none could truly harm Yang Qi.
Yang Qi's Pure Land of the Gods was too abnormal. It was not just a defense. It could not only block his attacks but also directly refine them, turning Fang Han's power into his own.
[Inorin's Note: The Pure Land of the Gods is a core ability from the Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Strength, creating a domain that blesses the user and refines all incoming attacks.]
It was a perfect, self-sustaining integration of defense and offense.
On Fang Han's side, the Five Emperors' Canopy (his Domain-version) had a defense that could rival the Pure Land of the Gods, but the Five Emperors' Canopy couldn't refine Yang Qi's attacks.
Fang Han still had to actively use techniques to counter. All things considered, he just couldn't outlast Yang Qi.
After several more devastating clashes, Fang Han roared, his voice echoing, "Let's decide the victor with one final move, Yang Qi!"
"I was just thinking the same!" Yang Qi responded immediately, his golden eyes blazing.
Fang Han instantly unleashed countless Domains. The power of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—all the laws he had comprehended—stirred up the Universe. The Domains, mixed with his original power, were released, condensing into ten thousand rays of light and a hundred million Divine Lights!
This was a Domain Storm.
This was the purest Law power, unleashed in a chaotic, overwhelming torrent.
It was uncontrollable.
It was a symbol of Fang Han's extreme, multifaceted mastery over the Laws!
Under this violent power, the Pure Land of the Gods was stirred into a frenzy. Its absolute, unbreakable defense seemed to begin collapsing!
Yang Qi stood amidst the collapsing Pure Land of the Gods, his expression unchanged. At the very core of his domain, a terrifying, primal Aura permeated.
The outer layers of the Pure Land of the Gods collapsed.
But the inner Pure Land of the Gods became even more condensed, shining like a divine singularity.
Centered around Yang Qi, countless winds began to generate, growing stronger and stronger. All the airflow between heaven and earth transformed into a divine, primordial wind!
Within this wind, there were also endless rules flowing.
This was also a symbol of the ultimate power of rules.
This was the Eternal Divine Wind. It was called "eternal" because it transformed everything it touched into eternal wind, leaving not a trace of existence behind!
[Inorin's Note: The "Eternal Divine Wind" (Yǒnghéng Shén Fēng) is a catastrophic wind that Sage Monarch cultivators face during their Great Saint tribulation. Yang Qi is manifesting it here.]
This was a calamity that Peerless Experts in Yang Qi's world would face only when Breaking Through to the Great Saint Realm.
Now...
Yang Qi unleashed it.
The two engaged in a final showdown using similar, ultimate methods.
One, a Domain Storm of all laws!
One, an Eternal Divine Wind of primal calamity!
This was the ultimate of the Wind Law.
And also the ultimate of other Laws.
Wind was inclusive, encompassing all Laws!
Within Yang Qi's Pure Land of the Gods, the elements of earth, water, wind, and fire gathered, unleashing an unimaginable, terrifying power!
The Divine Winds of the two collided, and space itself seemed to be torn apart, shattering into nothingness.
"This is... the Law of Wind?"
Some Immortal Experts watching from the viewing platforms watched this terrifying scene, each one utterly shocked.
"Such an attack... can it really be unleashed by a Stellar-level cultivator?"
"This power... it has far surpassed the Stellar-level!"
"It has even surpassed the Cosmic-level! A Domain Lord-level cultivator thrown in there would be refined in minutes!"
[Inorin's Note: "Cosmic-level" and "Domain Lord-level" (Yù Zhǔ) are the ranks far above Stellar. A Domain Lord controls a Star Field.]
"Ordinary Domain Lord-level Experts would absolutely be unable to resist the power of this Divine Wind."
The two's storms collided madly, generating terrifying might. Both of them were also swept into the heart of their own creation!
Fang Han's Five Emperors' Canopy disintegrated inch by inch within the Divine Wind. He couldn't resist the power of the Eternal Divine Wind!
Yang Qi's Pure Land of the Gods was also blown apart by the Domain Storm. His Pure Land of the Gods couldn't block the chaotic, multifaceted Domain Storm either.
However!
At this moment...
The true power of the Pure Land of the Gods became apparent.
Although the Pure Land of the Gods was blown apart by the Domain Storm... the Pure Land of the Gods could refine the power of the Domain Storm!
Conversely...
It could use the power of the Domain Storm to nourish itself.
As long as the Domain Storm couldn't instantly destroy the Pure Land of the Gods in one blow, the Pure Land could turn the tide of defeat.
Therefore...
While the Pure Land of the Gods was being blown apart...
It was continuously absorbing the power of the Domain Storm.
And reorganizing.
Destruction was within it.
Rebirth was also within it!
Within the continuously destroying and reorganizing Pure Land of the Gods, Yang Qi persevered, his aura growing stronger.
Fang Han, however, could only watch his Five Emperors' Canopy disintegrate under the Eternal Wind.
He could burn his lifespan, activating the power of the true Great Fate Technique.
He could unleash even greater power. And he could also refine Yang Qi's Eternal Wind.
However...
Fang Han felt there was no need.
He smiled with relief. As the vast Eternal Wind washed over his body, his virtual body disintegrated into light.
Divine Machine Camp internal battle.
Yang Qi, wins!
…
Yang Qi's body was refreshed. He stood quietly on the stage, his golden robes immaculate, waiting for the next challenger.
"I'll go first..."
Shi Jian looked at Shi Hao and Li Changshou and spoke slowly.
Only the three of them were left.
There was no need to roll dice anymore.
This arena challenge would take several rounds to finish. But for this first round, everyone had discussed it beforehand, taking turns once.
Now...
Everyone else in the group had already been on stage.
Only Shi Hao, Shi Jian, and Li Changshou remained!
Regarding Shi Jian's desire to challenge first, Li Changshou naturally agreed a hundred times over. "You go, you go, no rush for me."
Shi Hao also had few objections. He nodded, his eyes blazing. "Go, brother. Let me see this fight."
Therefore...
Shi Jian went on stage.
…
Shi Jian and Yang Qi stood opposite each other, their eyes filled with intense, crackling Battle Intent!
The two of them had actually sparred many times in private.
After all, both cultivated the Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Strength.
[Inorin's Note: The Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Strength (Shén Xiàng Zhèn Yù Jìn) is Yang Qi's core technique from Sage Monarch. In this fanfic, other members, including Shi Jian, also cultivate it.]
But sparring, you know...
It was more about discussing cultivation. It was just touching on the subject, a controlled exchange.
Now, this kind of sparring, a public battle that could involve life-and-death combat...
It was the first time.
The two stood opposite each other. Behind them, a pair of brilliant wings, filled with bright light, unfurled, as if illuminating the entire world!
Wings of an Angel!
Wings of an Angel unleashed using the Law of Light.
The two raised their hands and grabbed, and long spears appeared in their hands.
Nethergod Spear!
Or rather—a Spear of Light!
Endless Holy Light swirled behind them, and the Pure Land of the Gods unfolded!
Identical moves. Identical auras. Identical techniques.
This scene left everyone below the stage utterly bewildered!
"Let's fight!"
"Kill!"
The two exchanged no superfluous words, clashing together in an instant. Their virtual bodies exploded with dazzling light, and the Nethergod Spear sliced through the Void Realm.
It was a clash of spear techniques.
Although the two were fighting each other, at this moment, they seemed to have a telepathic connection, their moves identical.
It was as if they were fighting their own reflections in a mirror.
On the arena, the entire space shook!
If it were a battle of their true bodies...
Shi Jian didn't know who was stronger, himself or Yang Qi.
But now, with the help of this standardized Stellar Level 9-star body, under the rule simulation of the Swallowed Star universe...
Shi Jian was confident of victory.
Not only against Yang Qi, but even against the other members of the group.
Against him...
They would inevitably lose!
Because Shi Jian's advantage was too great.
When other members of the group unleashed various Divine Abilities, they had to conduct research. They had to transform their Divine Abilities and spell techniques into the form of the Swallowed Star world.
Only then could they use the cultivation system of the Swallowed Star world to imitate their Divine Abilities.
Just like Fang Han used the Domain Canopy to replace the Five Emperors' Canopy.
What they unleashed...
Were all "imitations" of their original Divine Abilities!
Their power was diminished, filtered through an unfamiliar system.
But... Shi Jian was different.
When he broke through to the Heavenly God Realm in his own world, he integrated ten thousand Dao into himself!
The Laws of the Swallowed Star world...
Were already integrated into his cultivation, part of his very Dao.
Now...
In this world of Swallowed Star, he unleashed his numerous Divine Abilities and secret techniques with almost no restrictions!
Others had their main accounts sealed and were forced to open new alt accounts.
He was, at most, a main account scaled down to an alt account's level!
Although both were alt accounts...
Shi Jian's stats, skills, and "muscle memory" were all right there.
The two's long spears continuously collided, as if piercing through heaven and earth, their Divine Might immeasurable.
Each collision of extremely powerful force would stir up a wave of visible spatial ripples!
Shi Jian was surging with blood and Qi, terrifying to the extreme. His virtual body was like a burning sun, scorching people's eyes, making it impossible to look directly!
His vitality was too vigorous, his blood and Qi like a boundless ocean!
This scene...
Lin Dong had also displayed it before.
However, Lin Dong's blood and Qi were catalyzed by mental energy, an illusion of power.
Shi Jian's blood and Qi... were truly stats!
In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged hundreds, even thousands of blows. Each time their long spears collided, ripples would splash in space!
Yang Qi's hand felt a little numb. He was astonished to find that Shi Jian's strength was subtly, but undeniably, superior to his!
Without a doubt.
In this new body, Shi Jian's Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Strength was developed to a greater extent than his own.
This feeling of being suppressed in terms of strength...
Yang Qi didn't know how long it had been since he last experienced it.
Shi Jian, on the other hand, stated that he had never been sealed.
Like a mirror, after several clashes using identical moves, the two finally stopped limiting themselves to the Divine Abilities of the Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Strength!
Shi Jian stopped holding back. His entire Aura erupted, and endless Divine Light pervaded. His fist glowed, and he punched out, as if shaking the past, present, and future.
As he unleashed his power, light blazed, and his entire being seemed to ignite.
His fist, carrying invisible chains of order, slammed fiercely towards Yang Qi!
Yang Qi roared. A heavenly diagram rose behind him. This was the manifestation of his immense mental energy. In an instant, his mental energy transformed into the sun, moon, stars, and the Universe!
Whoosh!
A scroll unfolded, like a vast world descending to envelop another world!
The two seemed to be in a pocket universe.
Each time Shi Jian made a move, one great, golden sun after another flowed in the dark universe, and one celestial river after another cascaded down!
Great stars rumbled, one star after another, illuminating the cold universe, smashing towards Yang Qi!
The light erupting from Yang Qi grew even more dazzling. His long spear swept across the sky, shattering one star after another, then charging towards Shi Jian!
The starry sky behind him transformed into a Starry Sky Divine Sword, which also slashed towards Shi Jian.
At this moment...
Both of them went all out with their special effects.
One clash, two clashes, the two continuously collided, fighting to the death, battling to a frenzy!
"Kill!"
With a furious roar, Shi Jian swallowed mountains and rivers with his Qi. His feet glowed, and golden lotuses bloomed all around him. He stepped on one sun, moon, and star after another, charging towards Yang Qi.
Yang Qi was not to be outdone.
His entire being was like a Dragon and a Tiger emerging from their cage, grand and unrestrained, shattering one great star after another!
Watching this extremely dazzling...
Almost light-polluting battle scene...
The Immortal-level experts were once again collectively bewildered!
'Damn it!'
'At the Stellar-level, are you really fighting with reversed star rivers? Is this right?!'
"Hand of God!"
Yang Qi waved his hand, and countless stars rotated. On his palm, countless Laws transformed, then evolved into a pocket Universe held in his hand.
Hand of God!
The supreme Profound Truth, Hand of Creation.
Rumble!
He seemed to be holding a miniature universe, smashing it towards Shi Jian.
This scene was too terrifying.
As if a giant who opened up heaven and earth was holding the Universe with one hand and smashing it at a person!
"He's cheating! He's copying me..."
Meng Qi, watching from below the stage, blurted out in bewilderment.
Yang Qi's Hand of God had both the shadow of the Hand of God from the Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Strength, and the shadow of Meng Qi's own previous blade attack: "Great destruction amidst great vitality, the beginning of a new era, all phenomena renewed!"
He had only used it once.
As a result, Yang Qi had already learned and modified it.
"Kunpeng Breaking Law!"
Shi Jian transformed into a Kunpeng. He soared ninety thousand li into the sky, his golden wings shattering the pocket universe, his massive body crushing the universe into cracks!
[Inorin's Note: The Kunpeng Law is one of the Ten Vicious "Precious Arts" from Perfect World, a supreme technique of speed and power.]
"Suppress!" Yang Qi roared, and the entire universe was pressed down by him, smashing heavily onto Shi Jian's body!
After being struck, golden feathers flew everywhere, and black oceans (the 'Kun') surged around Shi Jian!
This was Yang Qi's terrifying aspect.
Even with Shi Jian's numerical advantage in stats...
It was not an easy task for Shi Jian to defeat him.
Shi Jian stabilized his figure, evolving the ultimate Profound Truth of the Kunpeng. A large black fish leaped out of the water, resonating with the golden roc in the sky!
One hand, the Sun.
One hand, the Moon.
The Kun and the Peng rose together.
After a soft cry from him, he traversed the sky, piercing through this pocket universe, and the Kunpeng Law Seal attacked Yang Qi!
Yang Qi was also struck, and the Pure Land of the Gods shook.
"Fight again!"
Yang Qi's forehead glowed, and dense patterns appeared on his body. With a roar, the phantom of a Giant Elephant emerged behind him. He clenched his fist, unleashing a decisive, world-ending blow!
Shi Jian raised his hand, similarly dazzling with light, and thousands of golden chains of order shot out with his fist.
Both were filled with Killing Intent. As they fought with increasing fervor, the mental energy manifestations around them became even more terrifying!
Golden Crows cried out, Dragons and Tigers contended, thunder rolled, bloodthirsty Nine Heavens!
Both of them had struck each other, and although both had the Pure Land of the Gods for defense, blood still flowed freely, terrifying to the extreme.
At a certain moment...
The two roared almost simultaneously, raising their Aura to the absolute pinnacle, unleashing their strongest supreme Dao!
"Eternal Divine Wind!"
"Undefeated Immortal Qi!"
The two roared, signifying they had used their ultimate techniques. These were the methods of controlling Domains, unleashed all at once.
This meant their strongest Domains had all appeared!
Yang Qi's Eternal Divine Wind needed no further explanation. It was the ultimate blow of his Domain.
Shi Jian's "Undefeated Immortal Qi," on the other hand, was true Immortal Qi he had condensed using the Laws of the Swallowed Star world!
[Inorin's Note: "Immortal Qi" (Xiān Qì) is the energy of Immortals in Perfect World. Shi Jian is manifesting this concept using Swallowed Star's laws.]
He manifested it in the world with his mental energy.
This Immortal Qi was the best container for the Domain Laws of this world!
For Yang Qi and Shi Jian, "moves" were merely a carrier for their Domains.
Yang Qi could use the Eternal Divine Wind to contain all Domains, or he could use the Hand of God to contain all Domains.
Even the Nethergod Spear.
For him, it made no difference what move he used.
For Shi Jian, he could also use other moves to contain this final blow.
However...
That Immortal Qi was the best, most fundamental carrier!
…
The two's ultimate Domains clashed, and the entire area completely boiled over.
Domains superimposed.
Unparalleled.
Rumble!
Heaven and earth were chaotic, a mix of Chaos and surging, primordial power!
After this blow, heaven and earth blurred, as if nothing could be seen.
Only after a long, long time...
Did people realize that both were staggering, their virtual bodies battered and broken... but both still maintained the power to fight!
"Hiss!"
Those Immortal Experts gasped as they saw the two still possessing fighting capability.
They had not expected...
After such a terrifying, world-ending move...
Shi Jian and Yang Qi actually still maintained their fighting power!
One must know...
Earlier, after multiple rounds of fighting!
Xiao Yan's Fire Lotus blooming, or Meng Qi's astonishing blade attack...
After similar, ultimate moves...
The victor was usually decided.
But now...
Shi Jian and Yang Qi, after such terrifying ultimate moves, were actually... still able to fight?
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