In the dark space, Pigeon and Lin Fei collided. As Lin Fei's evil spirit power grew stronger, the initial advantage shifted to a stalemate. It was hard to imagine the strength he would possess once fully corrupted by evil spirits.
Trying to end the fight quickly was impossible. The Divine Sword resisted the assault of the evil spirit claws. Each strike from the claws carried a sharp force that made Pigeon's body tremble slightly when it hit the Divine Sword.
Even with the protection of the Divine Armor and Divine Shield, some impact was unavoidable. However, the fight was far from over. The evil spirit claws in Lin Fei's hands merged, transforming into long swords. These black, dual arm swords swung continuously. At this point, Lin Fei lost his consciousness, gradually turning into a beast.
His eyes became pitch black, black wings sprouted from his back, and his entire body was covered in armor made of black liquid. The armor was studded with dense, small thorns all over its back. When the wings were retracted, they looked like a normal back, but when they spread, the sight was terrifying.
The evil spirit swords formed and swung, sweeping left and right. Pigeon remained unfazed by the dual sword assault. If it were any other weapon, it would be manageable, but the creature had condensed it into swords.
The Divine Sword parried horizontally, its wielder spinning along with the movement. The rotation deflected the attacks, and the dual swords were drawn in, aiming for the opponent's head. A hit here would end the battle.
Could it really end so soon? The wings on Lin Fei's back spread and crossed, acting as a guard. The swords scraped against them, leaving shallow marks. As the wings retracted, the dual arm swords attacked from both sides.
Pigeon moved, the Divine Shield appearing in his hand. The clang of the shield blocking the sword strikes echoed. He swept his own sword horizontally, then retreated, creating distance.
Pigeon found something strange. He sensed that Lin Fei still retained some combat awareness. Was he conscious or unconscious?
From the fight so far, Pigeon noticed that Lin Fei still possessed combat instinct, knowing when to defend and attack, and even judging the timing of his strikes accurately. Anyone else would have been dead by now.
Weren't beings assimilated by the evil spirit race supposed to lose their consciousness? There was no trace of awareness in Lin Fei's eyes; they were hollow and vacant. Was it an illusion?
This thought made some sense, yet something still felt off.
The long swords swung, three of them making sounds in the space. The battle was fierce, and the resulting shockwaves almost overwhelmed Wang Fei.
Fortunately, he was still within his limits of endurance.
"Sigh, when will I ever gain such power to avenge my clansmen?"
Wang Fei thought of his clan's annihilation. The hatred still burned, preventing him from finding peace. The mere thought ignited his fury, his fists clenched.
One day, they would have their revenge. They refused to believe that the three patriarchs had not made any contingency plans. Such a thought was impossible.
There was still hope. Once they protected this world, it would be time to return and seek vengeance.
Pigeon was locked in combat with Lin Fei. The evil spirit transformation had significantly boosted his strength, shifting the fight from a fifty-fifty split to a sixty-forty advantage for Lin Fei, who was now pressing Pigeon hard.
"Pigeon, bring your people over. I need him. The vortex can only be closed if they come."
Chen Tian's voice echoed in Pigeon's mind. Startled, he was momentarily distracted and was knocked back by a sword strike.
Forcing himself to regain his balance, he communicated mentally, 'Chen Tian, I wish I could, but we're in a special space. We can't get out. I need to deal with this guy first.'
"So that's how it is. Then I won't rush you. No wonder the vortex is opening slower."
"Alright."
After ending the communication, Pigeon's eyes flickered. He couldn't afford to prolong this. Others were waiting for them.
His body erupted with a terrifying aura, which surged like a raging tide, a powerful tsunami. Under this pressure, Lin Fei's body trembled.
A hint of clarity appeared in Lin Fei's eyes: 'It's... you... Impossible, the Third Prince is already dead.'
"Impossible, he couldn't have survived. You yourself do not exist."
Before he could finish, his consciousness vanished again. A roar echoed as his body was enveloped by the evil spirit energy, fully transforming. Wang Fei, watching from the side, recognized the familiar aura from earlier.
A sense of worship, originating from somewhere deep within him, stirred. He had encountered this aura before, heard of it.
"The Third Prince of the Zhou Dynasty?"
He murmured, unable to believe it. The Third Prince was alive, when the Zhou Dynasty had perished an era ago.
If the Third Prince was alive, wouldn't that mean the Zhou Dynasty could rise again?
The thought filled him with excitement. Everything in their world originated from the Zhou Dynasty.
Seeing Lin Fei's completely evil-spirited form, Pigeon no longer held back. He was no longer human, but an evil spirit, a creature of evil, devoid of any consciousness.
He was a beast. Such a creature could not be allowed to escape; it had to be slain here, or the world would descend into chaos.
Pigeon sheathed the Divine Sword within the Divine Shield. The Divine Wings spread, and a phantom figure slowly rose behind him. Even Pigeon himself didn't know who this figure was, only that it was connected to him and wouldn't harm him.
The phantom performed the same actions, transferring energy within the Divine Shield. The shield instantly became multicolored. The Divine Sword was drawn, its entire blade radiating colorful light that illuminated the dark space.
A new light appeared in the dark space. As the radiance bloomed, the dark space gradually shattered and dissolved. A sword strike descended, a colorful blade engulfing the opponent. Under this attack, Lin Fei had no ability to resist.
"Kid, just you wait. This is only a half-source clone. I remember you. With your strength, you'll eventually come here, and I will personally deal with you."
A furious roar echoed from the void. The sound faded, and everything returned to calm.
Pigeon swayed slightly, his young face etched with solemnity. As he had suspected, there was a contingency plan. A reincarnation, a half-source. Now that the source was completely eradicated, he must be severely injured. This increased Pigeon's chances of revenge.
"Let's go," he said, clearly exerting himself. The previous attack was a full-powered strike, fueled by the burning of his life force. He had sacrificed three hundred years of his lifespan to gain that power.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to defeat the opponent. For cultivators, three hundred years was insignificant; a single realm advancement could add centuries.
"Don't you want to rest?"
"There's no time. They're waiting for you. Let's go."
Two beams of light flew in one direction. If not for Chen Tian's message, the fight wouldn't have ended this way. He could have resolved it over several days.
They knew the consequences of the vortex and dared not delay, even if they were confined to this space. Who knew when things would end on the other side.
The Universe Consciousness stood beneath the vortex, observing the other party's calm demeanor. It felt a slight sense of relief, its anxiety fading.
Since he was confident enough to speak those words, they would wait.
If all else failed, they would have to accept their fate: the shattering of this world.