The vast expanse of space above the fortress, a celestial battleground, hummed with the clash of human cultivators and evil generals. Explosions and sparks lit up the darkness, testament to the ferocity of the engagements.
Across the dozen or so designated combat zones, the closest to the fortress was Pigeon's arena. Pigeon, operating at full capacity, faced Xie Tianlong, an ancient evil general. Unlike ordinary evil spirits, Xie Tianlong possessed black dragon claws for hands, dragon horns on his cheeks, a dragon tail that swayed behind him, and his entire body was covered in scales. These scales, imbued with evil spirit energy, were hardened by a formidable, almost impenetrable, dragon scale armor. Pigeon had been fighting relentlessly but had yet to inflict any substantial damage. Wielding the Divine Spirit Sword and Shield, neither combatant could gain a decisive advantage.
Xie Tianlong’s ferocity was no match for the Divine Spirit Shield's defense. Pigeon took a deep breath, resolving to continue the fight. No matter how powerful an evil general, they would be slain here. Letting them descend to the lower battlefields would result in an unimaginable massacre. They had to be held back at all costs.
Xie Tianlong and Pigeon locked eyes, their figures closing in. They struck simultaneously, dragon claws meeting the Divine Spirit Sword. The sword was grappled, energy surging, attempting to shatter its blade. Pigeon, seeing through the maneuver, unleashed the Divine Spirit Shield with a powerful shove, forcing Xie Tianlong back.
As Xie Tianlong retreated, his dragon tail coiled and extended, transforming into a drill-like shield of black liquid. Even with this defensive measure, Pigeon’s subsequent attack forced him back a few steps.
“Not bad, that shield's defense is quite strong.”
Pigeon had to admit, the shield’s prowess was instrumental in his survival thus far. Without it, he would have been killed long ago, sparing him this protracted struggle. It seemed he had picked the wrong opponent. Any other adversary would have yielded victory by now, but both possessed astonishing defensive capabilities.
“Is this all you’ve got to call yourself an evil general?”
Pigeon wasn’t being condescending; he genuinely felt that an evil general should possess more than this meager display. Xie Tianlong merely chuckled, “Don’t rush. The real fight hasn’t even begun yet.”
Both were clearly testing each other, perhaps still warming up. They both knew this, so why provoke each other? The outcome would speak for itself soon enough.
On an adjacent battlefield, the combat was far from serene. From the outset, it was an explosive confrontation. A youth, facing an evil general, fought on par. Their long swords and scythe-hook clashed with a continuous metallic ring, sparks flying as light met light. Their speeds were remarkably similar.
Xie San backflipped, evading the sword. The scythe’s chain was then unleashed, aiming to ensnare Qing Yun. But would he allow it?
His long sword swept out, deflecting the chains. However, the deflected chains, under Xie San’s control, changed trajectory and flew back. Qing Yun was accustomed to this tactic; dealing with such a weapon was proving troublesome.
The scythe and hook, with their different attack patterns and fighting styles, posed a unique challenge. As the hook was once again knocked aside, the scythe loomed before Qing Yun. It swung with deadly speed, a harbinger of death.
A slight parry of his long sword met the scythe. The collision of the two weapons sent sparks flying. The scythe’s swift arc forced Qing Yun back a few steps, but he regained his footing.
Xie San, despite his youthful appearance, was an evil general, a rare feat for his age. His power had frozen him at this visage, preventing any further aging.
One could not underestimate him based on his looks. Qing Yun had made that mistake. Who knew this young evil general would be so formidable? He had fought with all his might and still the battle raged on.
It was proving difficult. The scythe and chain combination, coupled with two distinct fighting styles, meant he couldn’t adapt quickly. To put it simply, his opponent held the upper hand, leaving him in a constant state of defensive reaction.
Nearby, a figure wielded a long spear, its shadow filling the air. A dazzling display of spear flowers bloomed. Facing this onslaught was an evil general who crossed his dual blades, their combined power unleashing a barrage of flying blades, hundreds per second.
This was Xie Hui’s ability: Blade Speed. When he unleashed his blade power, his speed doubled, allowing him to launch hundreds of blades per second. These blades met the spear flowers head-on, piercing through them relentlessly. The blades continued their onward trajectory.
The long spear was infused with Heavenly Dao power. A single thrust dissolved all the blades into nothingness. The spear-wielder stood opposite his foe, their eyes meeting. Xie San’s face broke into an excited grin. “It’s been a while since I’ve met an opponent like you. I’m getting a little excited.”
“I hope you’ll go all out and satisfy me.”
“That’s exactly what I intend to do.”
Neither concealed their killing intent. Intent against intent, battle spirit against battle spirit, they clashed. A worthy opponent, was the mutual evaluation. They charged, their spear and blades clashing in a thunderous exchange.
Even on the adjacent battlefields, admiration was evident. While others fought fiercely, one battlefield was eerily calm. A young woman’s attacks, though seemingly soft, rendered all assaults ineffective.
Xie Chi, impatient, exclaimed, “Do you want to fight or not? What’s the point of this?” He had never witnessed such combat. Every move he made was neutralized. And that wasn’t all; the woman remained purely defensive, never attacking. He was always the aggressor, yet his attacks were rendered useless. What kind of battle was this?
“Hehehe, this young lady has no fighting ability, of course, I won’t go head-to-head with you,” the girl giggled. This was her style. It wasn’t time yet. Xie Chi was beside himself with frustration. He wished he could switch opponents, that he didn’t have to fight this woman.
It was utterly humiliating, but the battlefields were set. He couldn’t switch opponents midway, and no one else would agree to it. Their battlefield was so quiet, it barely registered any fluctuations. One might even think the fight was over.
Despite his helplessness, Xie Chi knew he had to fight. He had to find a way to defeat her. His evil spirit claws coalesced into a sphere of light, which then split into hundreds. He refused to believe this woman could neutralize all of them simultaneously.
The energy spheres were fired in unison, encircling the girl. Seeing this attack, Qing Xue remarked, “Oh dear, you’ve figured out my weakness. But this won’t do, will it? Attacking a girl, how can you?”
She slightly opened her palm. A transparent beam of light appeared, then vanished. And then, there was nothing else.
No one understood what had happened. The spheres of light were on the verge of reaching the girl. At the moment of impact, all the spheres simply disappeared.
“What did you do?”
Xie Chi experienced this bizarre ability for the first time. He could feel his attacks hadn’t vanished; they were simply invisible to the naked eye, beyond his control, completely severed.
“Hehehe, guess.”
The girl grinned playfully, a smile that was both infuriating and triumphant. *You’re happy, but I’m miserable.* *Laugh, why are you laughing?*
He couldn’t stand it anymore. He had initially intended to hold back and test the waters, but he was now enraged.
“Laugh, you like to laugh? Let’s see if you can keep laughing.”
The air exploded with his full power, and Qing Xue’s smile vanished, replaced by a solemn expression. Internally, however, she was overjoyed.
Finally, she had forced him to reveal his full strength. This aura allowed her to make a crucial assessment.