The six massive hammers worked together in an exquisitely coordinated fashion, like a finely tuned machine, overwhelming the sky and earth. As the saying goes, even the mightiest fists cannot match numerous hands. Only Chen Jiu, with his eight arms, could handle such a frenzied assault with ease.
Even Dongbo Xueying could not possibly counter those six hammers, moving at an astonishing speed, with just a single spear.
“Boom!”
Dongbo Xueying did not dodge or evade—he thrust his spear straight forward.
As the spear lunged forth, the surrounding air shimmered with a strange vision: stars expanding, bursting into radiant flames, then collapsing rapidly into a tiny, infinitesimal point. Though the scene was somewhat hazy, it was clearly visible to the naked eye! The speed of that spear strike was so great that every bystander showed expressions of shock.
It was simply too fast!
Now, the “Starfall Annihilation Strike” had left masters like Mei Shan, Chen Jiu, and the Sword Sovereign awestruck! Such a spear strike was incomparably swift, its motion tracing a spiraling arc, accompanied by an overwhelming vortex force.
“Crash!”
The nearest hammer desperately tried to block.
Yet, under the influence of the vortex’s sudden gravitational shift and the spiraling trajectory of the spear, it ultimately failed. The spear grazed the hammer’s edge and pierced straight into one of the child-like figures, instantly reducing it to nothingness in a flash.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
The remaining four hammers surged forward.
Dongbo Xueying’s body abruptly dissolved into nothingness, entering the Void Realm.
“That spear technique is just too fast,” the Sword Sovereign marveled. “Not only is it fast, but it carries an overwhelming momentum—the momentum of collapsing stars! Its trajectory is so mysteriously intricate that it’s nearly impossible to block. The child-like figures, formed from the array’s arcane principles, were instantly defeated upon being struck! Just a single move! The destructive power of this spear technique is terrifying.”
“This is a near-perfect strike, impressive in speed, power, and mastery of arcane principles,” added the Mei Shan Master. “I never imagined Dongbo Xueying’s strength would surpass ours so quickly.”
“He’s even stronger than when he defeated You Lan last time,” remarked Chen Jiu in admiration.
Eighteen years had passed.
And Dongbo Xueying had not wasted a moment!
The remaining two child-like figures did not follow him into the Void Realm because their power would be weakened there. They preferred to remain in the real world.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Yet, the terrifying spear technique emerged from the Void Realm, piercing into the real world. Around it flickered phantom images—visions of stars expanding, collapsing, and vanishing into oblivion. This terrifying might made it even harder for the remaining two child-like figures to resist. Despite their desperate defense, Dongbo Xueying shattered their coordination with a single strike, killed one with the second, and the last with the third.
He had won the arena battle.
Dongbo Xueying stepped out of the Void Realm and descended from the arena.
At that moment, the arcane principles of the formation on the arena reformed the three child-like figures, who resumed their seated, meditative positions. As long as challengers appeared, they would rise to fight again.
…
“Incredible! Absolutely incredible!” the Sword Sovereign exclaimed. “Back at the Black and White Divine Mountains, when I saw you unleash your secret technique, I already knew your talent surpassed us all! After all, you had no powerful mentors to guide you, nor did you train in a place like the Temple of Time and Space to squeeze out your potential. Yet, in less than two centuries of cultivation, you created your own secret technique. Still, I never expected that so soon after our battle at the Black and White Mountains, your strength would surge again, truly surpassing us.”
“Mm,” the Mei Shan Master nodded in agreement.
Though one was a current Reincarnated One within the Temple of Time and Space, and the other a former Reincarnated One who had escaped it, they had seen many prodigies.
Dongbo Xueying was undoubtedly among the very top.
Of course, there were legendary beings said to possess “First-Rank True Intentions,” but neither of them had ever encountered such beings. Among those they had seen, Dongbo Xueying was unquestionably the strongest.
“I told you so,” Chen Jiu added. “Dongbo’s strength is indeed formidable, and he’s grown even stronger since defeating You Lan.”
“I refined my spear techniques a bit while meditating in the Grand Canyon,” Dongbo Xueying replied.
He showed no arrogance.
The “Starfall Annihilation Strike” was indeed powerful, but it had many flaws. For one, it was purely offensive. Also, while its speed had improved significantly over the past eighteen years—his three fundamental True Intentions had deepened—it had reached a point where Dongbo Xueying could no longer refine it further. Its speed even surpassed the “Piercing Zenith” technique. However, it lacked continuity!
The “Piercing Zenith” allowed for a continuous series of strikes—one after another—instantly unleashing a thousand spear attacks.
The “Starfall Annihilation Strike” might be faster in a single strike than the “Piercing Zenith,” but after each attack, it required a moment to gather momentum again, making it impossible to maintain a continuous assault. Naturally, when pushing the limits of offensive power, some aspects—like the technique’s continuity—would suffer.
After all, no single spear technique could be absolutely perfect—offensive, defensive, mysterious, soft, and fierce all at once. That defied logic!
Thus, spear techniques, sword techniques, and others were developed into “sets,” each excelling in different areas.
Still, creating the “Starfall Annihilation Strike” was already a tremendous feat. Creating another secret technique would not be easy.
“With your talent, Dongbo Xueying,” the Mei Shan Master mused, “if you had guidance from elders and underwent life-and-death trials, you might have a chance to reach the legendary First-Rank True Intention. If you succeeded, you’d ascend to the heavens in a single step. The First-Rank True Intention…”
Dongbo Xueying smiled: “The First-Rank? How impossibly difficult.”
Back when the Temple of Time and Space had invited him, they had said he had the potential to reach the First-Rank True Intention. But potential needed to be cultivated, and the Temple was skilled at drawing it out. Unfortunately, it was also merciless. If it had been willing to watch over the Xia Clan for Dongbo Xueying, returning immediately when war broke out, he would have joined the Temple long ago.
Alas, it was merely a vessel spirit, bound strictly to the rules set by its master.
Moreover, to the vessel spirit, it was merely a seeker of talents across countless mortal worlds, the Divine Realm, and the Abyss. Whether one more or less existed meant nothing.
“The First-Rank is extremely difficult,” the Sword Sovereign sighed. “Talent alone isn’t enough. One must undergo countless trials and hardships before finally transforming.”
“A being with a First-Rank True Intention is nearly as valuable as this entire Hongshi Mountain,” Chen Jiu added. “A being of such caliber, the master of Hongshi Mountain wouldn’t even test them—they would be taken in as a direct disciple, not just as a guardian disciple, but as a favored one.”
“Snap out of it,” Dongbo Xueying joked. “Don’t dream too much. Let’s take it step by step. Right now, we need to defeat the opponents on these two arenas.”
“Mm.”
The Sword Sovereign, Mei Shan Master, and Chen Jiu all turned their gazes to the arena.
Indeed… this Third Vineleaf World had blocked their path.
“I’ll try this last arena,” Dongbo Xueying declared, stepping forward. In a flash, he darted onto the arena like a phantom.
He did not rush into battle but stood there, spear in hand, gazing at the distant, snoring, obese giant.
The giant slowly rose from his slumber.
Clad in close-fitting armor, his massive, mountainous frame loomed as he looked at Dongbo Xueying and spoke: “You’re actually one of the better ones among the countless Transcendents I’ve met. You even managed to easily defeat the Three Kids.”
“He actually spoke,” the Sword Sovereign exclaimed in surprise. “He never said a word when facing us before—only grunted things like ‘get lost’ or ‘kill.'”
“He never considered us worthy,” the Mei Shan Master shook his head.
Chen Jiu sighed.
Indeed.
They had all been utterly crushed, their power levels clearly inferior.
“Here I come!” Dongbo Xueying shouted coldly, raising his spear and slicing through the air in a spiraling arc, unleashing terrifying power. Around the spear flickered visions of collapsing stars, the very essence of annihilation.
“Boom!”
The obese giant thrust out a palm strike.
Actually, it was more like a push. His palm shot forward like a towering mountain crashing head-on.
Dongbo Xueying’s spear was fast and mysterious, hard to block.
But the giant’s palm was enormous—like a giant fan or a shield—and managed to block Dongbo Xueying’s strike.
Boom!!!
The spear’s tip collided with the giant’s massive palm.
Dongbo Xueying staggered backward, taking over ten steps, each one shaking the ground. The giant, however, merely had his fat jiggling slightly.
“Terrifying strength,” Dongbo Xueying muttered, stepping back once more and vanishing into the Void Realm.
“Hmph,” the obese giant snorted, his massive hand suddenly slicing into the Void, reaching into the Void Realm itself.
Boom~~~
A thunderous roar echoed within the Void Realm.
Dongbo Xueying reappeared in the real world, his brows furrowed. The giant’s palm had reached into the Void Realm without any loss of power. Clearly, entering the Void Realm would not help him.
“Hiding in the Void Realm is useless against me,” the giant said. “You’ve reached the Third Layer of the Void Realm—you should be able to shift between real and illusory forms at will! That’s a powerful ability in close combat. Come, let me see your true strength. Since retiring from the Black Iron Cannons, I haven’t fought a Void Realm adept in a long time. Don’t worry—I’m using a body formed by this array, and my power is restricted, not exceeding the limits set by the Sovereign. You still have a chance to defeat me.”
“The Black Iron Cannons?” Chen Jiu on the arena below wore an expression of shock. “He was once a member of the Blood Blade Divine Court’s Black Iron Cannons?”
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