“Boom!”
Suddenly, the nine heavens shook without cease. The vault of the sky seemed on the verge of shattering.
Immediately afterwards, eight colossal pillars that held up the heavens abruptly materialised from the void.
The eight pillars were arranged in eight directions, forming a circle that enclosed Elder Niu and Blood Slave.
Each pillar was densely covered in divine light, immensely thick and sturdy, their tops piercing into the firmament.
“The Great Emperor Battle Array!”
The Long-Browed Daoist declared in shock. “Brother Mighty has actually summoned the Great Emperor Battle Array. Does that mean his combat power has now…”
Ye Qiu continued for him. “Exactly. He has sublimated in the extreme realm. His combat power has reached great saint level.”
In his lifetime, the Eternal Blue Heaven Great Emperor, to prevent great saint-level powerhouses from fighting and destroying heaven and earth, harming innocent lives, personally inscribed a battle array.
Whenever great saint powerhouses clashed, this battle array would automatically manifest.
When great saints battled within the array, the outside world would not witness scenes of heaven and earth being annihilated.
“I did not expect this bull demon to have some ability after all,” Blood Slave said, somewhat surprised.
He had assumed that after using the Mighty Divine Fist, Elder Niu would have no strength left to continue fighting, yet now Elder Niu had erupted with great saint-level combat power.
“So what if you possess great saint combat power? You are not truly a great saint. Against me, you have only death.”
Blood Slave twisted his body, and his shattered form instantly recovered.
Then, his entire being became like a divine sword, sharp aura astonishing, edge fully exposed.
At the same time, his eyes held bone-deep killing intent.
Clearly, as a great saint, having been wounded multiple times by Elder Niu, he too was enraged.
“Thud!”
After Elder Niu’s combat power climbed to its peak, he stepped through the void, walking toward Blood Slave.
At this moment, Elder Niu no longer cared about life or death. His battle intent boiled, killing intent surged, as if nothing could halt his advance.
Slay gods in his path, butcher demons in his way.
Forward without retreat.
Whether divine spirits or great saints, all would be pulverised by his fists.
This was Elder Niu’s state now.
“Even if you now possess great saint-level combat power, soon I will turn you into a dead ox.”
Blood Slave’s face was cold, his voice devoid of any emotion. “I wonder what roasted five-coloured divine ox tastes like? I truly look forward to it.”
Yet Elder Niu did not grow angry.
“In a way, I must thank you. If not for your earlier words, I would never have had the strength to fight again.”
As Elder Niu spoke, he gradually closed the distance to Blood Slave.
At this point, Blood Slave moved too, stepping toward Elder Niu.
His pace was not fast, yet each step carried immense weight and momentum, resounding with a hum, as though mountains were shaking.
Fortunately, they were within the Great Emperor Battle Array. Otherwise, the killing intent from their bodies alone would have turned Bright City into a wasteland of ruin.
The distance grew ever shorter.
The killing intent from both intensified.
“Boom!”
Finally, Elder Niu struck first. His fist advanced without hesitation, simple and direct.
In an instant, terrifying force surged like ocean waves, vast and overwhelming, sweeping forth.
“Smack!”
On the other side, Blood Slave attacked too, equally domineering. His palm descended like a dark cloud.
The two rapidly engaged.
This time, their duel was even fiercer than before.
Blood Slave’s palms blotted out the sky and sun. Elder Niu punched madly. They exchanged blows ceaselessly, swift as lightning.
“Boom, boom, boom!”
Within the Great Emperor Battle Array, myriad phenomena appeared, divine lights danced chaotically, resembling a realm of primal chaos.
“Clang!” Suddenly, a shrill sword cry rang out. A pitch-black longsword abruptly appeared in Blood Slave’s hand, thrusting forward.
Sword qi crisscrossed, as if cleaving heaven and splitting earth.
Facing such a powerful assault, Elder Niu did not retreat. He once again unleashed his ultimate technique.
The Mighty Divine Fist!
“Bang!”
Elder Niu threw a punch, erupting in brilliant radiance that collided directly with the longsword in Blood Slave’s hand.
“Crack!”
The longsword in Blood Slave’s hand shattered. He immediately spat out a mouthful of blood. Yet, as a great saint after all, his other hand swiftly struck Elder Niu’s chest with a ferocious palm.
“Smack!”
Elder Niu was sent flying horizontally. His body split down the middle, becoming two halves, blood spraying several zhang high.
The killing intent in Blood Slave’s eyes thickened. He strode forward. Employing some secret art, countless sword qi burst from his hands, blanketing Elder Niu like a storm.
“Boom!”
Elder Niu punched again.
Mighty Divine Fist, second strike: a drop in the ocean.
Fist imprints, each like a star, rapidly smashed into the incoming sword qi.
“Clang, clang, clang…”
Sparks flew everywhere.
“Whoosh!”
Blood Slave’s body turned into an afterimage, flashing like lightning to appear before Elder Niu. Another longsword materialised in his hand, piercing straight through Elder Niu’s body.
“Your fist art is decent, but it consumes too much stamina. After two strikes, you have no strength left to fight. Die!”
As Blood Slave spoke, he twisted his wrist, stirring the longsword within Elder Niu’s body.
In an instant, Elder Niu’s abdomen became a mangled mess of flesh and blood, dripping gore.
Yet at that moment, Elder Niu grinned coldly. “You have underestimated me.”
Boom!
Mighty Divine Fist, third strike: bullish fury soaring to the heavens.
This punch from Elder Niu brimmed with invincible dominance. Boundless force swept forth destructively, as if it could sink all realms.
“What?”
Blood Slave was greatly shocked. He tried to retreat, but it was too late. His body was instantly blasted into blood mist.
“Ah…”
Only Blood Slave’s primordial spirit remained, roaring in fury. Since his birth, he had never been so gravely wounded.
Moreover, Elder Niu’s third strike carried overwhelming power. It not only destroyed Blood Slave’s physical body but also cracked his primordial spirit, which now seemed on the verge of shattering.
“You will have no chance for a full ox feast. Go join those Yin-Yang Sect scum in the underworld instead!”
Elder Niu raised his fist once more, killing intent blazing in his eyes. Yet before he could swing it, he suddenly plummeted from the sky.
His strength was utterly spent.
“Bang!” Elder Niu’s body crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Seeing this, Blood Slave disdained to repair his wounds. His primordial spirit drifted to Elder Niu and raised a palm, intending to finish him.
“Stop!”
Ye Qiu flashed forward, swiftly positioning himself in front of Elder Niu. He said to Blood Slave, “I will go with you to the Yin-Yang Sect. Spare him.”
“No. I must kill him today,” Blood Slave replied. “Ye Changsheng, step aside.”
“If you want to kill him, you will have to kill me first.” As Ye Qiu spoke, he advanced several steps.
Now, less than half a metre separated him from Blood Slave.
“Hmph. You think you can stop me?” Blood Slave reached out with one hand, grasping for Ye Qiu’s throat.
Unexpectedly, Ye Qiu did not dodge. Instead, he lunged forward and wrapped his arms tightly around Blood Slave.
“What is he doing?”
Blood Slave froze. Immediately afterwards, a surge of intense unease flooded his heart.
At that instant, towering flames erupted from Ye Qiu’s body.
