Chen Ping gritted his teeth, unleashing over a dozen strikes in succession, his clothes now drenched with sweat.
He knew the gap in their strength was like an insurmountable chasm. Lingxi was clearly toying with him.
In a moment of desperation, he suddenly recalled the hidden sources of space and time within him, his most secretive trump cards.
“Space Fold!”
Chen Ping let out a low shout, the space around him subtly warping. Lingxi’s figure blurred for an instant in his eyes.
Seizing this fleeting opportunity, he swung the Dragon-Slaying Sword, carving a golden arc straight toward Lingxi’s heart.
But Lingxi merely flicked her twig, a cyan spiritual light shooting out, instantly dispersing the warped space. “Not bad with the source of space, but your control is too shallow.”
Immediately after, Chen Ping activated the source of time, attempting to slow Lingxi’s movements.
The surrounding airflow noticeably thickened, yet Lingxi’s figure remained nimble. Her twig, as if alive, precisely blocked the Dragon-Slaying Sword. “The power of time relies on the flow of the Heavenly Dao. Forcing it will only backfire on you.”
Continuously using his source powers caused Chen Ping’s qi and blood to churn. He understood that conventional methods had no chance of touching Lingxi.
Seeing her composed demeanor, a reckless idea sparked in his mind. He would take a gamble.
Chen Ping abruptly retreated, channeling his dragon clan bloodline, spiritual energy, and the sliver of source power he could control into the Dragon-Slaying Sword. The blade let out a piercing hum, its golden sword aura condensing into a refined dragon shape, surging toward Lingxi with world-shattering might.
This strike nearly drained all his strength. If it failed, he would likely collapse from exhaustion, perhaps even damaging his source.
A trace of surprise flashed in Lingxi’s eyes, followed by a slight shake of her head. She swung her twig, and cyan spiritual light poured down like a waterfall, instantly shattering the dragon-shaped sword aura.
In the moment the sword aura dissipated, Chen Ping used the recoil to propel himself toward Lingxi like a kite with a broken string. A wisp of remaining sword aura on the Dragon-Slaying Sword slashed toward her robe.
The move was utterly unorthodox, a desperate, all-or-nothing gamble.
Lingxi clearly hadn’t expected such recklessness. She froze for a split second, and by the time she reacted, the golden sword aura had grazed her sleeve.
A soft “rip” sounded. A faint mark appeared on her light cyan robe, threads fluttering in the breeze.
Lingxi glanced at the mark on her sleeve, then looked at Chen Ping, who lay exhausted on the ground, gasping for breath. The playfulness in her eyes faded, replaced by a measure of approval. “You’ve got some guts. Consider this your win.”
Chen Ping, sprawled on the ground, looked at the mark on Lingxi’s sleeve and gave a weak but satisfied smile.
He had gambled and won.
“Yunxiu, summon three hundred Golden Armored Guards and prepare the flying warship.”
Lingxi instructed Yunxiu behind her, then walked to Chen Ping, injecting a stream of cyan spiritual light into his body with a flick of her finger. “Recover your strength first. We’re heading to the Sixth Heaven.”
Half an hour later, on the Divine King Palace square, three hundred Golden Armored Guards, clad in armor and holding long spears, stood in neat formation before a massive golden warship.
Lingxi, dressed in a cyan robe, stood at the ship’s bow. Chen Ping stood beside her, his heart surging as he took in the scene.
Lingxi raised her hand and waved at the void. Cyan spiritual energy surged like a tide, tearing open the space ahead as easily as ripping paper. A wide, radiant passage appeared before them, faintly revealing the scenery of the Sixth Heaven at its far end.
There were no purple lightning bolts of law, no terrifying backlash. Everything seemed effortless and serene.
“Let’s go.”
Lingxi spoke softly and stepped into the passage.
Chen Ping followed closely. As he entered the passage, he glanced back toward the Eighth Heaven, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
When he had come, he had fought with all his might, barely surviving the domain barrier and enduring agonizing backlash from the Heavenly Dao. Now, with a casual wave of Lingxi’s hand, a stable passage had been opened.
