"Dragon-Slaying, Void-Shattering, Three-Life condenses to return with the spring.
Entropy departs, youth fades, withered wood encounters spring once more."
"Dragon-Slaying, Void-Extermination!"
The Ancient Demon God let out a wild roar, and the Dragon-Slaying Blade in his hand began to tremble violently. The massive dragon coiled around the hilt seemed to come to life. Its pitch-black phantom head drifted slowly, and its blood-red eyes suddenly opened wide, erupting with wave after wave of draconic might.
The Ancient Demon God struck out with his blade. The colossal black dragon body soared into the sky, surging toward the radiant sun with majestic momentum. With a mere thought from the Ancient Demon God, the dragon’s dancing form left behind streaks of shadows in the void.
"BOOM!"
The first dragon phantom slammed into the sun, shattering it instantly. A piercing, cold white light illuminated the entire area, leaving one unable to open their eyes.
"BOOM!"
Before the terrifying shockwave could even disperse, the second dragon phantom followed in its wake, erupting once again in a dazzling golden glow. The resulting shockwave rippled outward, the violent chaotic energy currents constantly crushing and tearing at the surrounding spatial Barrier.
In a daze, a swirling vortex appeared at the point of collision, emitting an inexplicable devouring force that sucked everything nearby into its depths. The surrounding scenery began to shatter, much like a painting being torn to pieces.
"HUM—"
With a low hum, everything around them vanished into thin air. As space trembled, they returned to the site of the decisive battle.
A smug smile played on the Ancient Demon God's lips. When he shattered the first sun, he had noticed another celestial body of equal size hiding behind it—the core of this Illusion Realm. Had it not been for his formidable divine sense, an ordinary cultivator would never have sensed it.
A white-robed figure sat cross-legged in the sky. Though the figure remained strikingly handsome, he looked incredibly disheveled. This was, of course, Daoyi.
No one is born fearless, but if one’s heart of invincibility is eroded away, they might as well go home and sleep. Of course, had he not lured the Ancient Demon God into the illusion array at the last moment, he would surely have perished by now. But if he were to submit now, he would no longer be the Daoyi he once was.
The Ancient Demon God—even as a mere divine projection—was truly terrifying. Though they appeared to be separated by only one realm, it was like a chasm that could not be crossed.
Seemingly sensing the Ancient Demon God’s surging battle intent, the youth slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air. He rose to his feet and reached out, gripping the Three-Life Sword in his hand.
"As expected of the Ancient Demon God. The Three-Thousand Bewildering Array I deployed could trap even a True Immortal for decades. Without exceptional insight, being trapped for over a century would not be impossible."
For the Ancient Demon God, who was also in the True Immortal Realm, to break out in less than half a day spoke volumes of his heaven-defying perception and insight.
"Boy, your 'Stealing Heaven and Changing Sun' technique might fool others, but to me, it is ultimately a minor trick," the Ancient Demon God sneered mockingly, a triumphant smirk on his sinister face.
Daoyi remained silent. Though he hated to admit it, his bewildering array was indeed child's play against this Ancient Demon. However, Daoyi's original intent had only been to buy himself time to recover, so he felt no disappointment.
"Enough, boy. My time is limited, and I am in no mood to play with you anymore! Let’s end this quickly!"
As he finished speaking, the Ancient Demon God’s right hand shook violently, his wide sleeves flapping in the wind.
"BOOM!"
Under this hidden force, the Dragon-Slaying Blade disintegrated into black dust, vanishing into the air.
Daoyi was stunned, feeling completely bewildered. It was over? He had just declared he wanted to fight, only to shatter his own weapon at the start? What kind of move was this?
Daoyi was flabbergasted, and just as he was about to retort, a sudden, chilling sense of danger gripped his heart, making his hair stand on end.
The surroundings suddenly grew eerily quiet. The faint sounds of wind and water vanished; it was so silent one could hear a pin drop. Daoyi prepared to unleash an attack, but suddenly, a feeling of powerlessness swept through his entire body. As he raised his hand, he froze...
It was a hand of skin and bone, covered in dense wrinkles, the cracked skin like dry bark clinging to his arm. It was the arm of a man on the verge of death!
If an outsider were present, they would have been shocked. Where was the handsome, dashing young man? Daoyi was now withered and aged, his aura flickering weakly. His once thick, black hair now resembled white threads growing from cracked bark; it seemed as if a light tug would cause it to fall out in handfuls.
*The Law of Time!* A possibility flashed through Daoyi's mind! The Dragon-Slaying Blade had been condensed from shards of laws he had realized, and what he had been struck with was "Entropy Departure," one of the laws of the Great Dao of Time!
This was one of the Ancient Demon God's primary techniques. If struck by this law, one’s vitality would rapidly fade. The life trajectory would be continuously gnawed away and diminished until all life was severed. This method could be used not only on living beings but on all tangible objects. Under the erosion of the Law of Time, everything would eventually weather away, turning into the dust of ages and vanishing from the world forever.
Feeling his life force draining away at an alarming rate, Daoyi steadied his mind and chanted: "Three thousand Great Daos, Time as the Law; the Law shatters the heart’s intent, breaking through the eons. One grain in the eons, the Law bridges the three lives—Three-Life Sword Array, RISE!"
As the incantation fell, the Three-Life Sword in his hand turned into a streak of light, dancing and circling before him. Suddenly, a glow of dawn rose from the ground. The Three-Life Sword split into three—one black, one white, and one grey—rotating in perfect harmony to shield Daoyi within the sword array.
The black sword represented destruction and the end of life; the white sword represented creation and vitality; the grey sword represented Chaos and reincarnation. The three swords rotated around Daoyi.
"HUM—"
With a shimmer of light, a complex array disc emerged beneath Daoyi’s feet, radiating the power of time. As the disc spun, intricate runes flew out, condensing into a Taiji diagram above his head. The three flying swords merged continuously with the Taiji diagram. The black sword entered the Yin, the white sword entered the Yang, and the grey sword slipped into the boundary between the two Yin-Yang fish.
The Taiji rotated, with a dot of Yang in the Yin and a dot of Yin in the Yang. A profound, mysterious aura spread out. As the Taiji diagram turned, streams of vital energy flowed into Daoyi's withered body. His twilight-stricken frame began to regain its vitality. His dry white hair, supplemented by this life force, turned black halfway down. His body slowly began to fill out, and his flickering aura gradually stabilized.
Everything seemed to take a long time, but it happened in a mere instant.
"The Law of Time? Good thing I know some as well!"
The Ancient Demon God watched the irrepressible smile on Daoyi’s lips, and his own mouth twitched involuntarily. It seemed he had not expected the person before him to have a way to reverse his life force.
"However... that alone is not enough!"
The Ancient Demon God’s face darkened, his blood-red eyes flashing with murderous light as he revealed a cruel grin! He thrust out his palm, and the blood-colored hand expanded instantly in the air. In the blink of an eye, it became as vast as a mountain blocking the sky, locking onto Daoyi.
"Damn it! Only a little more!" Daoyi cursed inwardly.
Although the Taiji diagram evolved from the Three-Life Sword possessed the power to reverse causality, he could only unleash fifty or sixty percent of its might in his current state. Normally, this would be more than enough to reverse his vitality, but now, it seemed that if he didn't retaliate, the Taiji diagram he had gathered with such difficulty would surely be shattered. If the array broke and his life force continued to be stripped away, he would undoubtedly end up with his vitality severed and his body destroyed.
"Forget it! I'll fight him to the death!" Daoyi gritted his teeth, hardening his resolve.
Nine divine rings appeared behind him, and as they rotated, a terrifying pressure erupted.
"Ten Thousand Transformations Star Technique—Nine-Nine Returns to One!"
Suddenly, the nine divine rings shattered, transforming into a brilliant galactic ring that floated silently behind Daoyi. His aura surged instantly. He stood proudly before the galaxy, wisps of immortal energy drifting around him, as if he were an Immortal Emperor looking down upon the heavens!
At this moment, Daoyi briefly possessed the combat power of a True Immortal!
Watching the blood-colored hand closing in, Daoyi did not panic. With a wave of his hand, he struck out with a bolt of immortal energy, slamming it into the massive red hand.
"BOOM!"
The blood-colored hand instantly extinguished and dissolved into nothingness!
"How... how is this possible!"
Even with the Ancient Demon God’s calm and indifferent nature, he was shaken to see Daoyi shatter his attack with a single strike! Yet, that was all it was! The True Immortal Realm was not so easily surpassed, no matter how briefly one held that power!
"Human boy, the more monstrous you are, the less I can let you live!"
"Why waste words! If you want to fight, then let’s fight!"
Daoyi stepped through the air. The brilliant galaxy behind him shimmered, forming a vast expanse of stars.
"Boy, you have some tricks! But I will make you understand that the gap in strength cannot be bridged by these mere trifles!"
Daoyi did not dwell on it. As he moved, he extended his right arm, flicking his wrist to turn the Three-Life Sword into a streak of light in his hand. A seven-colored flame ignited around his body and quickly spread to the Three-Life Sword. Daoyi looked like a brilliant man of fire; every step he took burned a hole in the void.
"HUM—"
The Three-Life Sword gave a light hum, brewing an incredibly terrifying sword energy. The Ancient Demon God sensed this aura; the sharpness of the sword energy made even an old monster like him, who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years, secretly alarmed.
He no longer hesitated. With a wave of his dark red palm, a streak of black light quickly condensed in the center of his hand.
"Boy! Take another strike from me!"
Neither intended to test the other any longer. Both were preparing their strongest attacks, clearly planning to settle things quickly.
"A trace of drifting rain condenses hatred, the moon accompanies the three lives—Three-Life Sword Art: Falling Rain Technique!"
"Dragon-Slaying Blade: Divine Demon Massacre of the Heavens!"
Daoyi flashed, turning into countless afterimages as he danced through the air with his sword. As the Three-Life Sword moved, a power of creation that could transform all things swirled around the tip of his blade like a hundred converging rivers.
The Ancient Demon God also formed hand seals, and an ancient demon figure slowly appeared in the void. This figure blotted out the sky, and the Dragon-Slaying Blade in its hand unleashed a murderous intent that made one’s heart shudder as it slashed toward Daoyi.
As the Dragon-Slaying Blade descended, its edge, radiating monstrous demonic energy, emitted chilling gleams. As it fell, the very heavens trembled violently under the weight of its murderous intent.
"HUM—"
The Three-Life Sword erupted with a brilliant light, and a transparent sword energy surged to meet the Dragon-Slaying Blade.
Watching that transparent sword energy, the Ancient Demon God’s expression turned solemn. Others might think this sword energy was ordinary, lacking any unusual aura. Yet, even he could sense the destructive energy emanating from it. The Great Dao is simplicity itself; often, the more plain and unremarkable something is, the more it possesses the ability to kill unseen and destroy in an instant.
"BOOM!"
A deafening roar erupted in the sky as the transparent sword energy slammed into the descending Dragon-Slaying Blade. At this moment, everything seemed to stand still, and the only things left in the sky were those two radiant suns, blossoming with brilliant, blinding light!