Chen Tian, clad in armor forged from a fusion of divine ice and divine fire, struck first. His fists, empowered by the armor, struck with even greater force. The fusion of divine ice and fire unleashed a more potent energy, a technique that shocked Xie Ru. No one had ever conceived of fusing divine ice and divine fire; even if they had, they would have been incapable, as ice and fire were diametrically opposed elements. Yet, Chen Tian had achieved it. This fueled Xie Ru's killing intent, for the stronger Chen Tian became, the more dire the fate of the Evil Spirit race would be. Chen Tian had to pay the price here.
Aware that Chen Tian was unleashing his full power, Xie Ru dared not hold back. Markings across his entire body erupted with light, suffusing his form. Not a single patch of his skin was visible, only the glowing markings. Facing Chen Tian’s punch, Xie Ru slowly raised and opened his palm. With effortless ease, he caught Chen Tian’s attack. Chen Tian was taken aback. Was Xie Ru still hiding his strength? This was truly not good. He had thought his current state could crush his opponent, but now the outcome was uncertain.
A terrifying power emanated from Xie Ru's palm. Chen Tian dared not be careless, forcefully pulling his fist back and retreating. Chen Tian’s arm trembled faintly. What Xie Ru had unleashed was pure force. Had Chen Tian not retreated, his arms would have collapsed and turned into scattered flesh and blood within seconds. Fortunately, Chen Tian had created distance in time. A sinister smile played on Xie Ru’s lips as he transformed into a streak of light, his speed significantly increased. Now, Xie Ru activated all the imprints on his body, solely aiming to annihilate Chen Tian, even if it came at a cost.
Chen Tian naturally harbored no fear of Xie Ru. Their forms collided with a thunderous boom, and the void reverberated. Waves of energy spread out, sending Chen Tian reeling back a hundred meters. Chen Tian was no match for Xie Ru. This was not good. Chen Tian's expression grew grave. He concealed the panic in his heart, unwilling to let his opponent perceive his inner turmoil. Chen Tian appeared nonchalant, but in truth, Xie Ru was also finding it difficult. Activating all his imprints and enhancing all his abilities simultaneously placed an immense strain on Xie Ru’s body; the longer he sustained it, the greater the damage.
Xie Ru desperately wished he could end Chen Tian's life swiftly, thereby minimizing his own risk. Unfortunately, Chen Tian was not an ordinary individual. The armor on Chen Tian's body was once again covered in power. This time, Chen Tian utilized his primal essence. While this method didn't significantly harm Chen Tian's core being, and he couldn't afford to fall here as he had to protect the entire world, he had no means to further augment his strength.
Even if it meant sacrificing his life and his very existence, Chen Tian resolved to kill Xie Ru here. His primal essence erupted, making the armor more vivid, almost indistinguishable from genuine armor. As his energy manifested, Chen Tian's power surged. Xie Ru did not dare to underestimate Chen Tian. At their level of combat, any hint of disdain could lead to a disastrous outcome.
Chen Tian's energy and aura escalated. Both Xie Ru and Chen Tian became blurs of light, colliding hundreds of times per second. This time, Chen Tian and Xie Ru met head-on. Xie Ru was perplexed by Chen Tian's sudden increase in power. How tenacious was Chen Tian?
It would have been so much better if he had been killed earlier, saving all this wasted time. With their next collision, both raised their legs and crossed them. Chen Tian stepped back one pace, while Xie Ru retreated three. Before Xie Ru could stabilize himself, a sharp sting coursed through his legs, and he knew the cause.
Time was running out. Xie Ru’s body shuddered as he slowly raised his hands, energy gathering in his palms. The potent energy of the Evil Spirits, as vast as a galaxy, converged into a single point in his palm. Xie Ru extended and opened his hand, and the small black point began to bloom. A black rose unfolded, and as it did, the entire void was enshrouded in darkness. In the next moment, the darkness coalesced at the flower's center, forming a sinister, grinning face.
Chen Tian recognized this technique as Xie Ru's ultimate move, a desperate, deadly strike. Did Xie Ru wish to end the battle so quickly? As Xie Ru desired, Chen Tian began to charge his own power. Behind Chen Tian, six great suns represented six elements, their energies converging within him. Chen Tian’s body swelled like a balloon. This act was akin to suicide; if Chen Tian lost control of the energy flow, he would explode, rendering Xie Ru's efforts unnecessary.
Yet, Chen Tian’s mastery over energy was such that he had no fear of such a scenario. The energy flowed from his legs to his upper body, then into his mouth. Chen Tian’s mouth slowly opened, holding a nine-colored light. This technique required charging, and the longer the charge, the greater its power. Both Chen Tian and Xie Ru charged their abilities. After a full half-hour, Chen Tian reached his limit; any longer and his body would be unable to withstand the elemental energy.
He opened his mouth and unleashed a multicolored beam of light that shot directly towards Xie Ru. Xie Ru’s black rose grew larger. As the multicolored beam approached, Xie Ru opened his hand, and the black rose detached itself, flying from his palm. The black rose and the multicolored beam collided. Initially, the beam advanced, pushing the rose back. Then, the black rose began to move, its central grinning face lifting as if alive.
A sinister sight unfolded before Chen Tian. The rose petals gradually enveloped Chen Tian's beam, absorbing its energy and converting it into Xie Ru's own power. Chen Tian's attack became nourishment for Xie Ru's technique.
Xie Ru roared with laughter, "Haha, die!"
Both unleashed their ultimate moves, expending all their remaining energy. Chen Tian's technique was being swallowed by Xie Ru's black rose. It was on the verge of complete assimilation when, at the moment of its final consumption, the black flower opened its maw, revealing sharp, black teeth like a Venus flytrap, intending to devour Chen Tian. Chen Tian closed his eyes, resigned to his fate. He had no more primal essence to expend.
The gaping maw swallowed Chen Tian, and in this battle, Chen Tian was defeated. The moment he was engulfed, Chen Tian's form dissolved into starlight, and Xie Ru’s body returned to normal.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
He coughed up mouthfuls of blood. Xie Ru had been affected, but he had won. Just as Xie Ru was reveling in his victory, the void began to tremble, and a black hand emerged, reaching for Xie Ru and seizing him.
Xie Ru looked at the hand in shock, "Sir, what are you doing? What are you—!"
"Crack!"
A sound rang out as Xie Ru's body shattered into fragments. At the center of the black hand, a black orb of light was grasped. The hand slowly vanished into the void.
Xie Ru never imagined he would die at the hands of his own kind, that his superior would attack a fellow tribesman.
In another part of the void, Chen Tian's clone was battling Xie Xie, their fight reaching a fever pitch.