Chen Tian’s legs were entwined with wind elements, boosting his speed by a full seventy percent. His speed now surpassed that of Mie Kongyun, who was forced into a passive state. In Mie Kongyun's eyes, Chen Tian's figure flickered everywhere, brushing past him without inflicting any damage. This place was beyond Mie Kongyun's comprehension. Increasing his speed had no ill effect, and Chen Tian’s plan was unclear. His body was constantly brushed past by Chen Tian's figure, moving up, down, left, and right, yet Mie Kongyun felt nothing.
Suddenly, Chen Tian stopped and stood before Mie Kongyun. Mie Kongyun cautiously assumed a defensive stance, wondering if Chen Tian’s strange movements were some kind of peculiar technique. However, after a long while, Chen Tian made no move, and nothing happened. Mie Kongyun laughed heartily, "Kid, were you toying with me just now? You didn't attack at all. You won't get another chance."
Seeing that he was unharmed, Mie Kongyun roared with laughter. Knowing that Chen Tian was faster than him, Mie Kongyun attacked without hesitation. This time, he would control the initiative. Chen Tian smiled as the charging Mie Kongyun approached. It was only a fleeting smile. Were Chen Tian's previous actions all for naught? The answer was no. Only Chen Tian knew the hidden intricacies, but it wasn't the time to reveal them. Mie Kongyun thrust out his fists. In an instant, his fists transformed into black claws, their sharpness seemingly capable of tearing Chen Tian apart. Chen Tian moved. As Mie Kongyun neared, Chen Tian slowly raised his palm, his palm colliding with the claws.
Chen Tian’s palm and Mie Kongyun’s claws clashed, both sides enduring the impact. Mie Kongyun's claws split apart the next second. Chen Tian's fist shot through the countless fragments, heading straight for Mie Kongyun. Mie Kongyun instantly transformed into a shield, his dual claws becoming a shield. Chen Tian struck the shield, the recoil forcing Chen Tian back. Chen Tian stabilized himself, wondering if this fellow Mie Kongyun's abilities allowed him to alter just his fists, or his entire body. Chen Tian pondered.
At this moment, Mie Kongyun paid no mind to Chen Tian's thoughts. This was a battle, and thinking in battle was a grave mistake. Mie Kongyun suddenly appeared behind Chen Tian, his hands transforming into black longswords. The swords pierced out, aiming for Chen Tian's heart. Chen Tian turned, energy enveloping his hand to form a protective film. Chen Tian thrust out his palm. An explosion erupted. Chen Tian stepped back, while Mie Kongyun retreated half a step. Chen Tian found himself at a disadvantage. Mie Kongyun sneered, "Show me your true strength, or this is just boring."
"You asked for it, don't regret it."
Chen Tian scoffed, but Mie Kongyun paid him no mind. In Mie Kongyun's mind, he was the victor of this battle. Chen Tian had no chance of winning and no substance. Chen Tian summoned both divine ice and divine fire into his palm. The divine ice and divine fire fused together, forming an ice and fire sword of a purplish-blue hue. Chen Tian gripped the sword tightly. In the Divine Spirit Realm, Chen Tian's greatest strength lay in his swordsmanship and sword techniques, capable of cleaving heaven and earth. He had not used his treasured sword in a long time.
This elemental sword was condensed by Chen Tian based on his treasured sword. When he wielded it, he could unleash over three hundred percent of his strength. With the longsword in hand, Chen Tian stepped forward, his figure becoming afterimages. Over a dozen afterimages unleashed sword light, surrounding Mie Kongyun. Mie Kongyun was unfazed, shaking his body. His arms transformed into circular shields, covering himself. The sword light struck the shields, leaving only shallow scratches. Chen Tian’s sword light could not break through the defense.
Chen Tian's figure coalesced. He raised his arm high, his longsword merging with itself. Ice and fire energy surged from the longsword, red and blue light intertwined, and descended directly. This time, Chen Tian's longsword struck Mie Kongyun's circular barrier. Cracking sounds echoed. Mie Kongyun, within the barrier, was startled. This attack from Chen Tian could actually break his defense, which was his third-ranked defensive technique.
Cracks were clearly visible. Mie Kongyun, inside the barrier, could only gather his strength. His arms transformed into scythes. The scythes gathered power and swung out. Black light shot out from within the barrier, impacting it. Energy collided with energy, creating an explosion that pushed Chen Tian's sword back. Mie Kongyun emerged from the explosion unharmed. The blast had no effect on him; his body was resistant to the aftermath, and even the epicenter of the explosion would not harm him.
Chen Tian's eyes changed, and he murmured, "It's time."
A smile touched Chen Tian's lips. Mie Kongyun saw this smile and felt an eerie sense of crisis, though he couldn't explain why. After all, all of Chen Tian's previous attacks had been perfectly defended against. Where did this feeling originate?
Chen Tian sheathed his longsword and began forming hand seals, his fingers colliding in peculiar movements. Suddenly, symbols appeared on Mie Kongyun's body. Mie Kongyun found himself unable to move.
"What is this?"
Mie Kongyun didn't recognize the symbols appearing on his body. As Chen Tian's hands moved, the symbols multiplied. Soon, Mie Kongyun's entire body was covered in symbols. It was strange. Mie Kongyun was immobilized, having lost control of his body.
Chen Tian said calmly, "Did you think I accelerated my speed and brushed past you for nothing? Of course, it was to plant this seal. As long as this seal is on you, you won't be able to move. Furthermore, this seal has another function: connection. Once the seal is activated, your main body and even another individual will suffer the same fate as you. The three of you will share damage."
"You... impossible. How can such a technique exist?"
Mie Kongyun understood what Chen Tian was planning. Once the connection was successful, any damage he received would be transferred to his main body. If the battle continued, his main body would be no match for Chen Tian, that was certain. As long as the opponent didn't kill this individual, the damage would be continuously transmitted.
"You're thinking too much. However, this seal requires time to activate, so you might as well stay put."
Chen Tian was casting this seal, aiming for a swift victory. Chen Tian was searching for the location of Mie Kongyun's individual's heart. The seal needed time to connect, and Chen Tian didn't know where Mie Kongyun's heart was. He subtly scanned Mie Kongyun's body with his eyes.
The battle between Chen Tian's main body and Mie Kongyun's main body was one-sided, with Chen Tian holding the advantage. This was unexpected, primarily because Mie Kongyun's strength had not fully recovered, and splitting off an individual had further weakened him.
If not for the troublesome patterns all over his body, Chen Tian would have severely wounded Mie Kongyun long ago. As for killing Mie Kongyun, Chen Tian had no such intention. This task could only be handled by the other two individuals. According to the previous scenes from the system, individuals of the Wen Clan, unless they consumed their own life force until death, would not die. Even if they were torn into fragments, the patterns within their bodies contained the ability to revive from death.
Without destroying the core patterns, meaning the heart, it was impossible to kill the opponent.
Chen Tian was acutely aware of this. He was meticulously executing his plan, and the battle was nearing its end.