As the vermilion light on Di Hong intensified, Yun Ming not only felt Di Hong's aura surging rapidly, but also sensed the trembling of the several major Soul Spirits within the Atlas Divine Spear.
"Di Hong, that madman, he actually dares to use the Blood Refinement Art; he's throwing his life away!"
Tian Ling exclaimed aloud.
Yun Ming's soul form manifested within his mental sea and asked aloud.
"Blood Refinement Art?"
Based on Di Hong's current performance, Yun Ming could roughly understand that this was an explosive secret technique with a heavy price, but he was unclear about its specific effects or the extent of its negative impact.
Past Life Ao Tian also surfaced at this moment, his dragon face solemn as he explained.
"The Blood Refinement Art is a desperate explosive secret technique that can only be used by the direct offspring of God-Ranked Divine Beasts. It is a power that even hybrids of top-tier divine beasts like myself and Tian Ling cannot unleash. Its side effects are severe, and survival is uncertain, but conversely, aside from immediately gaining explosive power far beyond what mortals can imagine, the subsequent gains are equally astonishing."
Yun Ming was somewhat puzzled; he understood the first half of the gain, but he didn't quite grasp the meaning of the latter half.
Ao Tian continued.
"So-called blood refinement is the burning of the Origin Divine Blood left behind by one's forebears, allowing the power belonging to the ancestors to bolster one's own body!"
"Divine power is mighty, and for a mortal beast that has not undergone the trials, even with such a close bloodline connection, it is very difficult to endure. This is why using it makes life and death uncertain."
"But the rewards are exceptionally generous. Beyond the temporary surge in power, this also unlocks the influence that the overly formidable bloodline of the forebears has on their descendants."
"The cultivation of the divine beast lineage values bloodlines, but the overly powerful bloodlines of predecessors are sometimes the greatest shackles on their descendants. This method gives those descendants of beast lords—whose innate talent is not quite as peerless—the possibility to break through the shackles of their predecessors and achieve the same accomplishments as their fathers."
Upon hearing this, Yun Ming could only marvel. The world truly contained all sorts of wonders; such a secret technique actually existed.
Ao Tian added at the end.
"Of course, the prerequisite for opening the bloodline shackles is surviving after using the Blood Refinement Art."
"Caw—"
A clear, piercing bird cry brought Yun Ming's thoughts back to Di Hong. He saw that above Di Hong's head, a massive phantom of a Chaos Emperor River Bird—one that looked very similar to Di Hong but possessed an aura and spirit far more fierce and overbearing—had emerged.
"Ha—"
With a roar from Di Hong, the massive Chaos Emperor River Bird phantom above his head began to burn and finally, slowly descended, merging into Di Hong's body.
With the two as one, Di Hong's already surging aura grew to a new peak in an extremely short time. After a dazzling flash of crimson-gold divine light, Di Hong appeared before Yun Ming in a brand-new form.
Compared to his original massive body that stood ten meters tall, the current Di Hong was much smaller, appearing to be about three meters in height. The wounds previously inflicted by the Atlas Spear shadows had vanished, and his once slightly chubby physique had been replaced by visibly solid muscles; his build was clearly much better adapted for combat. Furthermore, the surface of his originally crimson skin was now covered in large patches of mysterious golden patterns. Although the mass of chaos energy remained on his head, it was significantly more violent than before.
Sensing the intoxicating, peerless power within his body, Di Hong looked up and laughed wildly.
"Human, tremble before the Power of the Gods of this Emperor!"
Yun Ming sensed that the power on his opponent was approaching the peak of his own past life, and he felt it was quite difficult to handle. However, now that he wanted to retreat, the opponent would not let him go, so he would fight to the end!
In response to Di Hong's provocation, Yun Ming's first, third, fourth, and seventh Spirit Rings lit up one by one. The Atlas Divine Spear was recalled, and Yun Ming's entire body was enveloped in light. When the light feathered and shattered, the pure white Atlas Yun Ming appeared before Di Hong's eyes.
Yun Ming did not stop his movements; three rays of light flashed from his body, and Tian Ling and the two Ao Tians appeared in the outside world. Having seen parts of Yun Ming's memories, Di Hong was not surprised—wasn't his future self destined to become this thing called a Soul Spirit? Sensing that Yun Ming's aura strength was currently only touching the limit, Di Hong mocked him arrogantly.
"Human, everything is vanity before the power of a god. Are you still unwilling to admit your fate of impending defeat?!"
Yun Ming ignored Di Hong, simply forming a seal with his hands. The three major Soul Spirits transformed into three-colored soul light, reforming into a new long spear. The spear was shaped like the Atlas, twelve feet long, pitch black, with gold and silver patterns on its surface forming a Dragon-Peng Combat Pattern.
During the previous battle, Yun Ming had not used this move against the Fallen God, who had a peculiar influence on Soul Beasts. Only with this Soul Spirit spear could he now be considered to be at the absolute limit of his power.
Facing Di Hong's renewed arrogance, Yun Ming raised the spear in his hand, pointing it directly at Di Hong.
"The fight isn't over yet; who knows who will win and who will lose in the end!"
Seeing that Yun Ming was not in the least bit flustered or desperate due to his mockery, Di Hong sighed inwardly at the pity of it. If Yun Ming had been affected by his words and become slightly more aggressive during the battle, it might have allowed him—who was bearing the Power of the Gods in a mortal body—to end the fight sooner. But since it was useless now, he should just strike quickly!
With that thought, Di Hong acted immediately. He flapped the four wings on his back, and the void behind him shattered instantly. His main body appeared before Yun Ming in a flash, striking out with a claw.
Yun Ming reacted with lightning speed, also thrusting his spear forward.
Bang—
The spear and the claw did not collide; the two men's tangible space-based power began a formal confrontation in the middle, and the space shattered in response.
Yun Ming felt the world-shaking power transmitted along the spear shaft, his mind and soul shaken violently. But before he could even dissipate the force, he was struck, shattering the space and falling into the Great Void. Fortunately, in his current state, Yun Ming could survive briefly in the void; otherwise, he would have been finished by that single blow.
While being forced to crash through the void, Yun Ming judged the strength of Di Hong's power in his heart. Although Di Hong's power had been great before, it hadn't reached such an exaggerated level! Comparing the two, there was likely a difference of more than twenty times. Was this the change brought by the possession of a father's power? Good grief, he couldn't clash head-on at all!
'Bang, bang, bang'
The Great Void was silent, but the meteorites that were shattered made a concrete contribution to Yun Ming's braking.
After judging the gap in physical strength between himself and Di Hong, Yun Ming's backward flying speed slowed down significantly due to the obstacles. Seeing that his speed had returned to a level he could control, circles of Space Prohibition fire began to flow on his spear, forming a high-friction deceleration belt beneath his feet, and he hurriedly braked in advance.
After sliding another hundred meters, with sparks almost flying from the white fire path, Yun Ming finally stopped. But just as one wave subsided, another rose. Having just stabilized his figure, Yun Ming had not yet had time to catch his breath when the increasingly powerful space energy ahead signaled the arrival of a formidable enemy.
Di Hong transformed into a crimson-silver meteor and also escaped into the void, rushing toward Yun Ming's direction. At the same time, a mental fluctuation echoed in Yun Ming's mind.
"Human, you have no chance. Just die obediently at the hands of this Emperor!"
Yun Ming did not reply to Di Hong's repeated clamoring; did he really think he couldn't see through Di Hong's intentions? The two Ukiyo-e cores on his body shifted rapidly, and the surrounding power of the Great Void began to be devoured quickly. The Red Sun Purple Moon appeared, hanging above Yun Ming, and the light it shed rapidly accumulated Soul Power and healed the injuries within his body. Only when Di Hong was within arm's reach did Yun Ming stop accumulating power.
His silver pupils reflected Di Hong's crimson-silver figure, and the Sun Moon Phantom above his head transformed into a pair of exceptionally sharp spear wings. As the wings took shape, they flapped violently, and Yun Ming also turned into a multi-colored meteor, charging toward Di Hong.
Watching Yun Ming dare to charge him head-on, Di Hong felt that Yun Ming was foolish while also feeling a bit of joy; he had only been like this for a short while, and he was already almost unable to bear the torture of the pain.
The two meteors approached rapidly. Di Hong raised his two claws again, sweeping horizontally and slashing fiercely in a crisscross pattern. The space energy compressed and condensed rapidly between his claws, finally turning into two ten-meter-long, tangible 'ten'-shaped claw waves that assaulted Yun Ming.
Chaos of Ten
Even while situated in the Great Void, where Di Hong could not utilize the space fractures capable of severing all things, the Chaos Claw Wave he condensed could still easily cleave mountains and split stones.
Facing the claw wave that tore through everything in its path as it flew toward him at high speed, Yun Ming continued to accelerate to meet it. However, just as he was about to be struck, the Sun Moon Wings behind him twitched, slightly altering his flight angle. Yun Ming then abruptly folded his wings, and his body, following its momentum, brushed past the Cross Claw Wave through the gap.
Since he knew the opponent's raw strength currently surpassed his own, how could Yun Ming possibly engage in a head-on collision? Di Hong's expression froze. Yun Ming had approached with such determination and resolve, so why did he dodge at the critical moment? Was he playing games with the noble Lord Di Hong?
Yet, just as this thought flashed through his mind, the two, who were already closing the distance, entered close quarters once more. Yun Ming's Sun Moon Wings spread open again, and the Fifth Soul Ring beneath his feet appeared and lit up.
The three-colored Barrier representing the world's boundary appeared and expanded once more. As a World Repulsion Force pressed down, Di Hong felt his shoulders grow heavy. While a powerful force of resistance bore down on him, he also felt his connection to this endless void being severed by more than half.
Another formidable ability I haven't seen before, Di Hong thought to himself. But before he could break through the shackles of the World Domain, Yun Ming's follow-up attack had already arrived.
The long spear in Yun Ming's hand turned into a blur, and thousands of Glazed Spear Light strikes suddenly descended upon Di Hong from all directions. Once he made his move, Yun Ming went straight for a saturation attack, not bothering with vital points or otherwise; he simply covered everything.
Facing the countless incoming spear shadows, Di Hong naturally could not afford to break the domain; defending against the spear light was the priority. Di Hong's four wings were covered in tangible spatial energy, then quickly folded inward, wrapping him into a ball. A simple and plain defense was generated instantly.
Do not underestimate this simple maneuver; its effect was quite good. Yun Ming's spear strikes were fast, which meant the power was dispersed, and this defense of Di Hong's was sufficient. The spear light fell, striking the Wing Shield, and though it sent him drifting about in the void, it failed to produce any substantial results.
Yun Ming was not discouraged upon seeing this; it was merely a feint, and the true killing blow was yet to come. After taking a long breath, he raised the spear in his hand once more. Glazed Flame ignited upon the spear again, rapidly condensing toward the tip until it finally transformed into a Glazed Orb.
Atlas 'Annihilation', World Force version!
As the orb took shape, Yun Ming rapidly lunged toward Di Hong and thrust his spear down with a roar.
The spear tip tapped against the wings, and ripples of energy immediately washed outward in circles. The defense, which had been like an iron wall against the overwhelming spear light, immediately began to tremble violently.
With the attack landing, Di Hong's senses, which had been shielded by Yun Ming's domain, returned. Sensing the spatial energy on the outer layer of his wings rapidly fracturing, he hurriedly channeled his power to begin a counterattack.
A circle of silver ripples began to expand once more, and the Chaos Domain reappeared, overlapping with Yun Ming's World Domain. Chaos altered the order, completely shattering the suppression rules previously set by Yun Ming. Furthermore, he attempted to use the Chaos Domain to invert the heavens and earth, turning the tables to bind Yun Ming instead.
Order Seal
A vast expanse of silver light transformed into chains, heading toward Yun Ming. A flash of glazed color appeared in Yun Ming's eyes as well, and chains of equal World Force provided point-defense.
'Crack—'
A silent shattering sound occurred; Di Hong's outer defense was officially broken, and the long spear thrust directly toward his main body. Taking advantage of this momentary obstruction, Di Hong spread his wings and swiped a claw back at Yun Ming, attempting to trade injury for injury. Given the comparison in size, destructive power, and physical condition between Di Hong and Yun Ming, such a trade would certainly not be a loss for him.
Yun Ming clearly realized this as well. He retracted his spear, and his Sun Moon Wings vibrated in unison. Like a nimble dragon, he dodged Di Hong's claw path at close range, then immediately switched positions to thrust again.
Yun Ming's raw strength currently had a gap compared to Di Hong's, but he possessed his own advantages: agility. If he could maintain enough attack power to break defenses and engage in close-quarters guerrilla warfare, Di Hong could not outplay him. Even if a long spear was not the type of weapon suited for close combat, in Yun Ming's hands, it could be used exactly that way.
With one spear strike drawing blood, Di Hong let out a silent roar. He swiped a claw toward Yun Ming again, but before he could land the hit, Yun Ming had already appeared on his other side. Another spear strike followed. This time, Di Hong used his domain to mobilize spatial energy to block for an instant, but the very next moment, Yun Ming had changed positions again.
Afterward, Yun Ming circled rapidly around Di Hong, launching spear strikes from various angles. In just a dozen breaths of time, several more bloody holes had appeared on Di Hong's body. Even though Yun Ming retreated the moment he made contact, the damage under the enhancement of Annihilation was not insignificant.
After several failed attempts to intercept him, Di Hong was incensed by his injuries. He unleashed his power directly to blast Yun Ming away. Sensing the increasingly intense pain in his body, he swung a claw out violently; since Yun Ming wanted to play this way, he would not be blamed for flipping the table.
Di Hong waved his claws rapidly, and countless Void Astral Winds were stirred by his power, beginning to run wild.
Yun Ming sensed the turbulent void around him and understood his intent: he wanted to trigger a Void Storm and gamble with his own life as well! Yun Ming hurriedly transmitted his voice to Di Hong.
"Stop! If we get lost in the storm, no matter who wins in the end, we will both die within the endless void!"
Hearing this, Di Hong replied via telepathy.
"Then try using your Anti-air Power to stop me!"
Yun Ming understood Di Hong's meaning, but he had no choice. He raised the long spear in his hand, and endless Space Restriction White Flame erupted, transforming into a massive white flame hand that pushed horizontally against the astral winds. Wherever the Anti-air Power passed, the Void Astral Winds were completely quelled.
Seeing that his goal was achieved, Di Hong continued to churn the void while raising his claws to lock onto Yun Ming.
Endless spatial might began to condense within his claws, resembling a silver moon. When the radiance of the silver moon could no longer be suppressed, he looked at Yun Ming, who was restricted by the Void Astral Winds, a cold glint shining in his eyes.
"Human, it is over. Silver Moon Impact!"
Veins bulged on Di Hong's forehead as he pushed out with a claw, and a giant, heaven-shaking shockwave sped toward Yun Ming.
By the time Yun Ming wanted to escape, it was already too late. In response, all he could do was:
"Atlas 'Sun Shooting'!!"
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader