The ancient Vermilion Bird’s Four Strikes clashed against the Qilin’s divine technique. The two combatants fought with such ferocity that the heavens darkened and the earth trembled, ghostly wails and divine howls filling the air. A dense, mournful mist enveloped the battlefield, intertwined with spectral shadows. At this stage of the battle, all manner of eerie phenomena manifested, as if ancient ghosts and demons had escaped from the underworld, their faint figures wailing and sobbing.
One could clearly see those sinister spirits materializing, entwining around the two fighters, occasionally lunging forward, sometimes even posing a threat. Witnessing this, the onlookers felt a chill in their hearts. Some shuddered, as if recalling something dreadful, their brows furrowing as they whispered in trembling voices, “Could the legends be true?”
“In divine-level arena battles, the fallen are always the mightiest heroes of past generations, hailed as undying war spirits. Even in death, their resentment and unwillingness linger. When such battles reignite, they manifest and intervene.”
This rumor spread like wildfire, sparking an uproar. Many murmured, their eyes blazing with intensity as they scrutinized the spectral figures, their scalps tingling with dread. How many prodigies like Shi Yi and Shi Hao, from distant eras, had perished in this very place? Without a doubt, unless fate intervened, one of them—Shi Yi or Shi Hao—would join their ranks today.
The mere thought sent shivers down their spines. The notion of such prodigious souls becoming vengeful spirits was terrifying—their talents were truly unparalleled in the world!
“Growl—!” A ferocious ghost with disheveled hair and scales covering its body lunged at Shi Yi, its oppressive aura piercing to the bone.
*Boom!*
Shi Yi snorted coldly. While fending off Shi Hao, he swept his leg in a devastating arc, striking the ghost’s clawed arm. A dazzling explosion of light erupted, and the spectral figure dissipated into nothingness.
“Tangible entities?!” The crowd gasped, their hairs standing on end. This confirmed the rumors—these ancient war spirits could indeed interfere in the battle.
At the same time, Shi Hao faced his own spectral assailants—two of them. One was an azure luan, its body shimmering with cold metallic luster, while the other was a fiery python, its crimson scales radiating scorching brilliance. They attacked from both sides, making him wonder if these were vengeful spirits of creatures he had slain in the past.
Unfazed, Shi Hao knew these were mere remnants of ancient failures—long-dead beings whose power had long since faded.
*Boom!*
His body erupted with Vermilion Bird flames, blazing with yang energy as he charged forward. With a deafening explosion, he incinerated the two ancient spirits, reducing them to ashes.
*Clang!*
In the next instant, Shi Yi’s palm glowed violet, an archaic symbol materializing within it. With overwhelming divine might, he surged forward, his palm radiating brilliance as dozens of violet qilins manifested around him.
This was a forbidden technique of the Qilin Art—legend had it that if executed flawlessly by the ancestral Qilin, it could crush entire legions of gods and demons!
Shi Hao, moving with the grace of a dragon and the ferocity of a tiger, did not retreat. His body shimmered with crimson runes, resembling a humanoid Vermilion Bird as he let out a battle cry and launched a fierce counterattack.
He did not defend. Instead, he unleashed the full might of the Vermilion Bird’s Four Strikes, clashing head-on with Shi Yi. The moment their attacks collided, a deafening metallic clang resounded, shaking the sky battlefield to its core.
*Clang!*
Their palms met—one shimmering with violet radiance, crystalline and translucent; the other crimson as blood, glowing with fiery intensity. The impact sent shockwaves through the battlefield, threatening to tear it apart.
“Incredible!” The spectators gasped, awed by the sheer terror of this duel.
*Clang!* *Clang!*
The two combatants clashed like divine war drums, their strikes resonating deep into the bones and souls of all who watched. The crowd was spellbound, their hearts racing with every move, stunned by the spectacle.
Such peerless geniuses—one per clan would already be a blessing. Yet, unbelievably, these two were brothers from the same family, now locked in a battle to the death.
*Boom!*
Shi Yi descended from the sky like a meteor, surrounded by dozens of qilins, unleashing his most lethal technique. His aura was overwhelming, his hands pushing forward what seemed like a wheel of life and death—the legendary Qilin Wheel.
Anyone grazed by it would be reduced to dust.
For the first time, Shi Hao’s expression changed. His body blazed crimson as he swiftly dodged, narrowly avoiding the devastating strike.
The Qilin Wheel missed him, crashing into the golden battlefield with earth-shattering force, nearly collapsing it entirely.
The crowd was horrified. Had the sky battlefield been destroyed? The power of the Dual-Pupiled One was beyond comprehension!
Shi Yi, upside-down in midair, halted his descent with astonishing flexibility. One hand braced against the ground as his body leveled out, then he swept his leg in a devastating arc.
*Boom!*
Golden debris exploded as his leg, reinforced by the qilin’s might, lashed out like an indestructible whip toward Shi Hao.
Shi Hao’s eyes gleamed coldly. With razor-sharp focus, he leaped nimbly into the air, then stomped down toward Shi Yi’s body—a masterful counter, striking at his opponent’s weak point.
*Whoosh—!*
A gale erupted, uprooting golden stones as they spiraled into the sky.
Shi Yi twisted like a spinning top, narrowly evading the stomp before propelling himself upward. Seizing the moment, he unleashed another ruthless assault—the Qilin Steps.
*Boom!* *Boom!*
Eight consecutive steps, each resonating with the heavens and earth, shook Shi Hao to his core. Blood trickled from his lips as his qi churned violently.
Worse, Shi Yi now wielded the Qilin Wheel once more, hurling it with devastating force.
Shi Hao retreated hastily, barely dodging the lethal projectile. But Shi Yi pursued relentlessly, his movements swift as a descending immortal, his hands gripping the divine wheel like a crushing force of nature.
*Boom!*
At the last moment, he hurled the wheel, narrowly missing Shi Hao but obliterating dozens of arena barriers, leaving the battlefield in ruins.
Just as the crowd thought the battle might ease, another killing intent flared.
Shi Hao’s eyes sharpened. The moment he dodged the Qilin Wheel, Shi Yi lunged forward, aiming to bisect him at the waist.
Shi Hao retaliated, reaching for Shi Yi’s head—but then, like a scorpion’s tail, Shi Yi’s leg snapped upward in a vicious kick, lightning-fast and deadly precise.
*Boom!*
Shi Hao barely avoided the qilin-infused strike, but the kick still slammed into his shoulder, infused with Shi Yi’s full might.
Even divine metal would have shattered under such force.
Shi Hao was sent flying, blood spraying from his mouth. He cursed inwardly—he had underestimated his opponent. Shi Yi was ruthless, experienced, and undoubtedly tempered through inhuman trials.
His shoulder throbbed, swollen and dislocated, runes flickering erratically.
“Disaster! Little Stone’s shoulder is broken!” The crowd gasped. Was this the end?
Even the revered elders in their chariots stood, their eyes locked onto the battlefield, visibly shaken.
“Shi Yi is truly formidable,” the Flower-Treasuring Granny remarked, standing beside the Moon Fairy, her smile approving.
“Worthy of the title ‘Peerless Marquis,’ unrivaled under heaven!” Several voices echoed near the golden spider, nodding in agreement.
“Father, is he… going to lose? Can he be saved?” On her flaming chariot, Princess Huoling turned to the Fire Emperor, her face pale with worry.
At this moment, countless eyes were fixed on the battlefield. Many believed the battle was over—how could one fight with a shattered arm?
“Little brother, be careful,” Shi Yi taunted coldly, his voice dripping with mockery.
With that, he transformed into a streak of violet lightning, charging forward to deliver the final blow.
*Boom!*
His aura surged even higher, his palms like millstones crashing down.
But Shi Hao’s eyes blazed with defiance. Instead of retreating, he advanced, his body igniting with Vermilion Bird flames, as if ready to incinerate the heavens!
“Is he insane? Sacrificing his arm for mutual destruction?” Many cried out.
Shi Hao’s injured arm swung limply, yet his other fist aimed squarely at Shi Yi’s head.
“Wait—something’s wrong!”
In the next instant, everyone’s eyes widened.
Shi Yi sensed imminent danger. The bone-cracking sound wasn’t from a fracture—it was Shi Hao’s joint resetting!
His “broken” arm snapped back into place, brimming with vitality as it hammered toward Shi Yi’s neck.
“His arm wasn’t shattered—just dislocated! What an indomitable physique!” The Fire Emperor marveled from his chariot.
The crowd was stunned. To endure such a lethal strike unscathed—what kind of monstrous body was this?
*Boom!*
Shi Hao erupted like a humanoid Vermilion Bird, seizing the initiative with thunderous fury.
*Boom!*
His fist aimed for Shi Yi’s brow, only to be blocked by crossed arms. Undeterred, he spun midair, his legs a blur of crimson as he unleashed a barrage of kicks.
Like a storm of blades, his feet rained down, pressing Shi Yi relentlessly from above.
*Boom!*
Finally, Shi Yi was sent flying, blood gushing from his mouth, his chest caved in from the impact.
“Again!” Shi Hao roared, his aura blazing like wildfire as he dove for another assault.
“Heavens! Little Stone is terrifying! After that momentary lapse, he’s gone berserk—Shi Yi is wounded!”
“The tides have turned! Big Stone is in danger!”
As the crowd buzzed, the battle escalated further. Shi Hao’s mastery of the Vermilion Bird’s Four Strikes reached divine perfection—even a true Vermilion Bird might not rival his prowess!
His strikes rained down, flames engulfing the sky. His crimson palms, like polished jade, clashed relentlessly with Shi Yi.
*Boom!*
Another hit sent Shi Yi reeling, blood spraying from his lips.
The golden spider’s expression darkened. The creatures of Demon Spirit Lake scowled, their earlier confidence shattered.
“Little Stone is too formidable!” The Flower-Treasuring Granny muttered, her face paling.
Shi Hao strode through the void like a celestial predator, his final step akin to a Vermilion Bird striking a cosmic star!
“Break!” Shi Yi roared, his right pupil unleashing a beam of abyssal darkness.
The sky battlefield quaked violently, as if the firmament itself would shatter.
“Unbelievable!” The spectators trembled.
At this critical juncture, the Dual-Pupiled One had finally unleashed his forbidden divine ability—a power gifted by the heavens, hailed as invincible since ancient times.
Could Shi Hao withstand it?
The world held its breath.
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