Against the Gods

Luo Changsheng’s words made Yun Che’s brows crease.

Even though the small wounds on his body were all insignificant, they were still scars that covered his entire body. On the other hand, Luo Changsheng did not have a single scratch on his body. Due to the intense battle, Yun Che’s arms were somewhat aching and numb, his breathing slightly chaotic. Yet Luo Changsheng was incomparably calm. Yun Che could not sense any disorder that would usually come from a fierce battle from Luo Changsheng’s aura and breathing.

The most frightening part was that he had calmly said the words “warm up.”

Yun Che could only wield the Heaven Smiting Sword under the “Rumbling Heaven” state and he was not able to sustain it for too long. How could he possibly use that sort of power for just a warm up? Every strike he executed previously contained his peak power, yet Luo Changsheng had actually been just “warming up”... and he still hadn’t even used his whole strength!

“As you wish.”

Yun Che raised his left arm and released his profound handle that fused with the Golden Crow Divine Soul. As it transformed into a huge Golden Crow image overhead amidst a clear cry, a strong fiery aura instantly filled the sky.

“Very good.” Luo Changsheng smiled. His gaze that carelessly swept along Yun Che’s chest momentarily stopped.

Strange, he had obviously been hit by my lightning. Why did it only make such minor wounds? Why are there no vestiges of being struck by lightning?

Could it be that he was also proficient in the laws of lightning?

The activation of Profound Handle: God Manifestation would unquestionably take up a substantial toll on Yun Che, but he didn’t stop there. The Heaven Smiting Sword fiercely ignited with flames right after and sought Luo Changsheng with the Golden Crow Manifest God also striking down like a meteor… At this time, a peculiar light suddenly flashed in Luo Changsheng’s eyes.

“Haaah!!”

Following that impassioned shout, the strong profound energy on his body sharply increased yet again. This abrupt wave of outbursting energy, which was so strong that it seemed to have materialized, caused Yun Che’s chest to feel stifled and forcibly hindered the momentum of his charge.

The sound of this energy explosion seemed to resound in the souls of everyone present, giving them a violent shock.

“Luo Changsheng’s aura… Ah!?”

“The Luo Changsheng just now was that scary, yet… his power instantly increased by this much again!”

“He actually wasn’t even using his full power. This aura is the one that’s truly frightening! Is this Luo Changsheng’s true strength!? It has already thoroughly suppressed Yun Che!”

“How can the name ‘Young Master Changsheng’ be said in vain!? In the previous Eastern Region’s Four God Children, he was publicly acknowledged to be standing alone at the very top. Even though Yun Che is strong, he has yet to even enter Young Master Changsheng’s domain. Those delusional enough to wish to see Yun Che defeat Luo Changsheng are ignorant and living a dream.”

“Luo Changsheng actually… actually… what do we do now?” Huo Poyun’s face grew taut as he clenched his teeth.

Even those at the scene with the lowest profound strength could distinctly sense that this profound energy eruption from Luo Changsheng had steadily surpassed the pressure of Yun Che’s profound energy… and far surpassed him too.

“...We can only see if Yun Che is able to use his special ‘Manifest God’ to leave a mark.” Huo Rulie furrowed his brows. From Yun Che’s offense and appearance, he was able to tell that Yun Che had really went all out previously without holding back anything.

But Luo Changsheng...

He barely managed to go even with Luo Changsheng then. Could the Manifest God he released cross the steep disparity in profound strength?

Luo Changsheng spread his arms. The crackling of lightning and the howling of the storm had calmed greatly but atmosphere was then filled with a heavy pressure close to double it was before. He gazed at Yun Che, his face still as calm as water. “This is the limits of my ‘normal’ state. You are the only one in this Conferred God Battle qualified to make me release my profound strength to its limit. You can consider this my acknowledgement...”

Raising his Holy Lightning Sword, he spoke with a voice as gentle as a breeze, “Go ahead and try to defeat me with your full strength.”

Luo Changsheng’s stance and words clearly exhibited the strong looking down below him. This, however, was not him deliberately being arrogant but rather… to him, Yun Che was fundamentally not on the same level if he were to use his full strength.

Even if he was able to release an unusual “Manifest God”.

Hsss!

After his statement, the Holy Lightning Sword slashed out a purple arc. The wild lightning in the sky instantly exploded and the image of a deep purple wolf appeared in the air, instantly pouncing downward. It transformed into a vast lightning domain that enveloped Yun Che and his Golden Crow image.

“Watch out!” Huo Poyun subconsciously shouted. Although this lightning domain was formed casually, his first reaction was that Yun Che was fundamentally unable to receive it because Luo Changsheng’s profound aura after releasing his full strength was just too frightening.

Without a shift in expression, Yun Che actually charged straight at the lightning domain. The flames on his body which burned ever more intensely and the Golden Crow image made him resemble two differently sized suns as he entered the lightning region.

“Ah!?” The spectator stands broke out in a wave of startled cries upon seeing Yun Che dash into the lightning domain but in the next instant, their shouts immediately pitched severalfold.

Booom!!!!

Alongside the sound of an explosion, a scarlet gold flame vestige was drawn on the gigantic lightning domain. Beneath this flame mark, the vast lightning domain seemed like frail cloth as it was torn apart. Yun Che and the Golden Crow Manifest God then shot out. With a sword might roiling in raging flames, he slamed down from above Luo Changsheng.

The edges of Luo Changsheng’s brows slanted slightly. The purple radiance of the Holy Lightning Sword dissipated, replaced by a dense layer of yellow light. Sword and axe intersected and a gust of wind swept up the yellow. A different kind of forcefield was spread out and lightly met Yun Che.

An incomparably heavy pressure suddenly descended, immediately slowly down Yun Che’s pace. This pressure multiplied as Yun Che closed in on Luo Changsheng, gradually making him feel as though a huge mountain was pressing down. The might of his sword and flames were also being greatly suppressed with him, and the moment he reached a distance of almost thirty meters near Luo Changsheng, they had been completely obstructed. Regardless of whether it was his power or the power of his Golden Crow Manifest God, neither was able inch forward.

Both man and Manifest God had been blocked this easily by Luo Changsheng!

This scene heartlessly destroyed the barely existing hope within the hearts of Huo Rulie and the others.

When the combatants gazes clashed from a distance, Yun Che’s brows were rigidly tense and his arms faintly trembled while Luo Changsheng was still as calm as before. A meaningful smile graced Luo Changsheng’s face. “So you really are proficient in the laws of lightning.”

Yun Che, “...”

Not only was Luo Changsheng’s constitution heavens apart and his profound strength high to the point of being terrifying, even his mind was extremely astute.

Luo Changsheng waved his hand and the heavy defensive force field suddenly changed into a violent offensive one, jolting Yun Che and his Golden Crow Manifest God far into the distance. Luo Changsheng somersaulted and simultaneously waved both his sword and axe, creating a screeching gale on the Conferred God Stage. As though a god had descended, a fifty kilometer wide giant hawk raised an apocalyptic tempest… Instead of going for Yun Che, it dashed straight at the Golden Crow Manifest God.

The Golden Crow Manifest God only contained sixty percent of Yun Che’s power, so how could it bear an attack created with Luo Changsheng’s full power? As the giant hawk dove down, exceptionally terrifying wind blades sliced several hundred fine cuts onto the Conferred God Stage. The moment the Golden Crow image was struck, it lasted two breaths before its flames and apparition twisted into fiery sparks that covered the sky and completely faded in the next instant.

“Your Manifest God is indeed powerful but it also has a huge weakpoint.” Luo Changsheng’s aura locked into Yun Che as he slowly pointed it out, “It is too frail!”

Once his voice fell, he conjured a storm and instantly attacked Yun Che’s front.

Boom!!

The loud sound resembled heavenly thunder exploding in the sky as the power of the opposing parties ruthlessly collided once more. This time, however, Yun Che’s body severely shook. The veins and muscles in his arms ruptured at the same time as he was shot down.

In front of Luo Changsheng who was using his full power, Yun Che was at a completely disadvantage when it came to profound strength.

Yun Che’s body fell down but the moment he came into contact with the ground, he immediately sprang back up. The Heaven Smiting Sword quickly condensed a tremendous sword might yet again and struck over once more.

Bang!!

Facing Yun Che’s sudden counter attack, Luo Changsheng’s left hand swiped horizontally. With a dull grunt, he firmly blocked the Heaven Smiting Sword… and he had done so merely using the Divine Wind Battleaxe. He had completely blocked the Heaven Smiting Sword with just one hand!

When his right hand descended, a strike of yellow light mercilessly exploded on Yun Che’s chest.

Yun Che groaned. He spat out a bloody arrow and was fiercely smashed down faster than before… Luo Changsheng lightly chuckled. Just as he was about to execute a follow up attack, a sense of crisis that should not have appeared suddenly came from behind him.

Luo Changsheng felt a sense of forboding but he wasn’t able to react in time as a scarlet color flame violently exploded on his right arm.

“Ooooh!!”

Yun Che’s body heavily fell onto the ground, dragging the Heaven Smiting Sword several steps back before he stopped. His arms oozed with blood and his face went pale for a moment.

Luo Changsheng groaned painfully. The sleeve of his right arm had been completely disintegrated while his arm was imprinted with a long burn mark. What kind of scorching pain was inducted by the Golden Crow flames? Even if it was Luo Changsheng, an distorted expression would still appear on his face for several breaths.

The Golden Crow Manifest God he clearly annihilated earlier had now flown back to Yun Che’s side.

“It seems like my ‘Manifest God’ is different from the one you know about.”

In terms of the severity of injuries, Yun Che’s were far more serious than Luo Changsheng’s. However, he wiped the bloodstain at the corner of his mouth and revealed an odd smile.

Luo Changsheng’s face slightly changed as amazement filled his eyes. He had clearly destroyed Yun Che’s Manifest God and completely suppressed him right after so there was no way he had the chance to release the Manifest God again… yet it had suddenly appeared from behind him and burned him.

The only possibility was that… Could it be that he was able to release the Manifest God when suppressed?

Luo Changsheng’s understanding of a Manifest God naturally came from the God Manifestation Art that only Divine Masters could execute. Not only did the God Manifestation Art require a ton of profound energy, its activation required a comparably long period of time to fuse one’s profound energy and mind together. If it was destroyed, it would even bring about a degree of backlash to the user.

This was also the common census the entire God Realm had about the “God Manifestation Art”.

But how could Yun Che’s “Profound Handle: God Manifestation” be the “God Manifestation Art” they knew?

Although its power came from Yun Che, its activation was a fusion of one’s mind and the profound handle. It had nothing to do with profound strength.

Luo Changsheng’s eyes narrowed. This was his first injury he got in his battle against Yun Che.

The pain brought about by the burning of the Golden Crow flames had finally slightly evoked his rage.

“You have wounded me… well done.” Luo Changsheng raised his head. Letting out a light breath, he praised, “Back when I held back too much against Jun Xilei and was thus injured, I thought that I wouldn’t receive another one. As expected, you have not disappoint me.”

Luo Changsheng’s words were clearly extremely arrogant yet he was not being arrogant at all. This was because to him, it was an honest declaration, a fact that couldn’t be even more simple and clear.

“However, there won’t be a second one… if that was your entire strength!”