Consuming Earths, Devouring Skies

Yan Zaizen's body wreathed in the Unyielding Flame of Life's aura! The lifeforce emissions were so staggering that the world went ablaze with light! For once, the darkness was pushed back as if Yan Zaizen's body acted like a miniature sun. This miniature sun suffused with immense lifeforce started burning the deathly vital energy in the surroundings!

As if in defiance, the deathly vital energy violently roared! Transforming into a massive wave, it rushed towards Yan Zaizen's body with the intent of finally winning the never-ending battle with the white flame! However, how could it win?

The white flame ignited the deathly vital energy it came into contact with, growing ever stronger and brighter than ever before!

ROAR!!

The roar contained a trace of unyielding ferocity, to the point it started to siphon off the collapsed sub-dimensional space itself and everything else to supply its power! How could it give up so easily? It was now in a much stronger position than before. It had to win!!

The surrounding space started to distort as the Siphoning Shadow of Death started to violently siphon off the spatial energies within. This shadow could even siphon off chaotic space amongst its ripping force, how could it not devour sub-dimensional space?!

"What?!" The old phantasm was shocked, his eyes widening in immense horror. The shadow that seemed to have gone insane started siphoning the very space, and not just that, it started siphoning the remnant essence hidden within the realm, it started siphoning everything the sub-dimensional space was! Before long, the concealment energy that once shielded him and the spatial platform within the collapsed sub-dimensional realm was siphoned as well.

Indeed!

How could the phantasm actually arrive here? How could Yan Zaizen arrive here? The only logical conclusion was that there was a spatial platform here! In fact, Yan Zaizen and Pinaka landed right on it when they arrived. Unfortunately, it was concealed in a similar aura that concealed the white-bone altar. One must know, even the Xiantu Emperor couldn't sense the altar!

How could Yan Zaizen? How could a weakened Pinaka?!

Sensing the spatial fluctuation, Yan Zaizen's gaze shifted towards the platform. "This is!" His eyes lit up with shock, but then with realization. A confident smirk emerged on his lips, and with the last remnant of his vital energy, he sent it towards the Unyielding White Flame.

The deathly vital energy, in close to a few seconds, was completely burned away. As its replacement, a brilliant white flame that was tens of li in distance surged outwards with vibrant lifeforce.

"Come to me!" Yan Zaizen roared, the white flame heeded to his command. It surged into his body refueling him with the vital energy he once lost, not only that, he had far more than before! Before long, this sun of lifeforce was completely absorbed into his body. A white flame surrounded him that illuminated hundreds of li of distance! The spatial platform and phantasm's body was mercilessly revealed under its brilliance.

ROAR!!!

Feeling exceptional, Yan Zaizen thunderously roared. With this thunderous roar, the sub-dimensional realm quaked as if it was in fear. He removed himself from his curled up state and looked at the spatial platform. Ma Xiuren was beyond shocked. Before, she was surrounded by an aura filled with endless death, but now, Yan Zaizen who was right beside her exuded boundless lifeforce! How could she not be shocked?

"We're leaving!" With that, he grabbed Ma Xiuren's hand once more, but this time, it was filled with warmth. Shocked, he looked at Ma Xiuren. She didn't have an ounce of fear in her gaze. For several hours, he protected her with his own body. How could she be afraid when someone was willing to do such a thing for her?

However, she only truly realized the danger she was in when she saw a black beam of light penetrating Yan Zaizen's projected brilliance. If this struck her, it would, without question, end her life.

As for Yan Zaizen? He smirked at this. With the enemy revealed, what should he be afraid of?

Herculean Avatar Art!

Once more, he executed the art, but unlike all previous times, the golden aura and colors were now pure white. His body exuded a boundless lifeforce as his eyes contained a color of pure white!

Herculean Avatar Art: Life Form!!!

He had entered an entirely new form as his vital energy was no longer vital energy, but lifeforce energy! Normal lifeforce is normal lifeforce, but lifeforce energy was fundamentally different. This was energy that one could execute arts with! A variant of vital energy! Similar to how phantasm energy is a variant form of soul energy, this was similar.

"This!" Yan Zaizen looked at the white inscriptions on his hands. It exuded a profound lifeforce that exceeded any type of lifeforce he'd seen before. With a clench of his fist, he could feel his strength had been amplified by several-fold! He could also feel his regeneration ability increase by a hundredfold in this form.

In the records, it says no two Herculean's are alike! Was this why?

This was why!

With a gaze filled with lifeforce energy, he took a step forward. His body and Ma Xiuren's form was still there. A beam of black energy penetrated their forms. However, only afterimages were left behind! This was an impossible phenomenon! This was an actual afterimage!

Normally, afterimages are produced by a lack of perceptual abilities in regards to those who view it, but this afterimage seemed to be space itself lagging behind! It felt like their actual bodies were still there!

"What?!" The old phantasm was shocked, but before he could even think of anything else. A large fist covered in white inscriptions barreled towards him with infinite momentum. This fist was Yan Zaizen's! He pushed forward with an indomitable momentum so fierce that his intent on smashing this phantasm to nothingness could be felt by the quivering of space itself!

If it was before, Yan Zaizen would find it impossible to harm a phantasm due to their lack of physical body. A normal fist would simply zoom through it like a shadow. It was this very reason that led to the old phantasm remaining unmoved, instead, he was filled with a boundless confidence at Yan Zaizen's actions. However, this fist was infused with the heavenly law of life. How could it not touch the heavenly law of soul?

After the punch failed, he intended to invade Yan Zaizen's soul and destroy it from the inside. Now that he no longer had that black shroud of protection, killing him would be a simple matter.

Unfortunately for him, the fist smashed heavily into his form with crushing force.

Before he could react, he dissipated into nothing. There was no grand explosion or cry out of regret and fear, but the purest eradication of its existence upon the slightest touch.

A phantasm could theoretically live forever, but if they're killed, they will die.

"He's dead." Yan Zaizen said confidently. The moment his fist came into contact with the phantasm, he could feel his lifeforce energy smash it like a hammer towards a shell. He was thoroughly cracked into nothingness. The lifeforce signature that soul forms had, like Pinaka's, was no more.

The lifeforce energy converted back into his vital energy, but the leftover energy, they seeped into his cells, bones, muscles, and blood. In almost an instant, his body felt thoroughly refined by the lifeforce energy. This feeling felt remarkably similar to when he first discovered the Unyielding Flame of Life. When he was situated in Han Genji's cavern, he would inject his lifeforce infused qi into his body. It would enhance his body slightly and help heal any wounds sustained.

It truly felt good.

The Herculean Avatar Art ended.

"This platform was thoroughly hidden. Even I couldn't sense it!" Pinaka commented, her mind feeling odd at the situation.

"It's possible this was the sixth obstacle." Yan Zaizen added his own suspicion, but he felt like that wasn't correct. He didn't know why, but he truly felt it wasn't true. He had the faint suspicions that this was the sixth floor. Perhaps it was a sub-dimension that was collapsed and connected to the fifth. With that, you could only enter the seventh floor from here, but with the concealed platform and guardian, you wouldn't be able to do so.

"..." Ma Xiuren didn't say anything, but she was also having such thoughts.

"I want you to understand that there's likely an even greater danger lying ahead. It's possible...your Xiantu Emperor made a mistake. There could be something incredibly dangerous here." Pinaka warned.

"..." He didn't immediately respond. Earlier, he had to protect Ma Xiuren with his life essentially. If there's even greater danger ahead, it's likely she could lose her life even with his help. However, his inner curiosity was piqued! If this was the sixth obstacle or not, whatever beyond this spatial platform must've been worthy to protect. He had to venture onwards.

The only reason he decided to do so was the spatial compass! He had a way out. How could he be scared?!

Looking at Ma Xiuren, "Will you go back?" His question was only to make sure she understood that going forward could lead to death and no benefits. If she decided to continue, she must understand the consequences. If there was a point of certain death, he would choose to survive - even if it was by himself. However, he had an idea that may work if the situation allows it. Storing her in his Meteor Ring may expose some of his secrets, but at least she'll be safe.

"..." She didn't say a word but glanced briefly at Yan Zaizen. Softly shaking her head in response, she took a step towards the spatial platform.

Yan Zaizen saw this and chuckled. This girl was as adventurous as he was! "Fine then! Let's go!" With that, he stepped into the spatial platform with Ma Xiuren. A silver flash of light later…

They vanished!