Consuming Earths, Devouring Skies

"…" A silent, lonely figure stood on an unoccupied moon staring at the Dao Arena planet. The figure belonged to Ma Xiuren whose gaze was suffused with worry and a profound light. Zhou Xiuhei discreetly placed her separately from the others. She understood why. Many of the youths and leaders of forces were enraged by her willful acts earlier. Even she felt lost at her thoughts and actions earlier.

However, when she had been separated from Yan Zaizen, her thoughts and emotions became clear. Zhou Xiuhei had arrived and decisively isolated her from others. The main reason for this was the influence she had been subjected to unknowingly.

His words at the time were: "Your earlier actions are not your fault, do not dwell on it or let it drive you."

At the time, she hadn't understood his words, but after some time, she did. Yan Zaizen was a possessor of a Mortal Dao. This Mortal Dao was an absolutely frighteningly powerful one. When subjected to the influence of another's dao, actions and thoughts can be heavily affected.

The token was drenched in the Yan Zaizen's soul and dao aura, so when she came in contact with it, she was subtlety influenced by it. It may have been subtle, but it was nearly hypnosis. The degree of warmth and feelings she had towards Yan Zaizen was similar to a loving wife that trusted her husband completely.

The token was bathed in Yan Zaizen's Astral Soul and Mortal Dao aura for nearly two thousand years while he stayed in chaotic space. Its special properties caused it to become a pseudo-Dao Treasure. If Yan Zaizen touched it, it'll seem normal and he'll remain unaffected, but others would be immediately subjected to its influence. At that time, if Yan Zaizen had wanted her to kneel, she would've done so.

It was that powerful.

Zhou Xiuhei only noticed this after sending them away. To him, Ma Xiuren was not a figure who would publicly disgrace herself in front of a crowd of elites or peak figures. Moreover, she had a deeply reserved personality. Regrettably, the damage was mostly done.

Yan Zaizen was ignorant to all this. He didn't even know the token could become a pseudo-Dao Treasure to begin with. If he did, he would've cleansed it before handing it over to Ma Xiuren. After all, he liked Ma Xiuren for doing what she did, but that didn't mean he loved or wished to marry her. He had his own desired list of features for a wife, and being beautiful was only one.

While she stood there as a witness to this fight, the epic battle below was beginning.

-----

Yun Xuli stood upright. His back was as straight as a javelin piercing the heavens and his eyes as sharp as a blade. Inside the Heavenly Spiritless Golem, Yun Xuli's soul shone with vibrant light. Wielding a silver longsword, he emanated an aura of a peerless sword.

Yun Xuli was a top-tier talent. This was something no realm beneath the 27th heaven could refute.

He was eighteen thousand years old, developed a true Mortal Dao belonging to him, comprehended and fused two laws together to the domain-level, and possessed a mind for mastering high-level arts. His age with his accomplishments in cultivation caused even Zhou Xiuhei, Shi Yan, and Syi to feel inferior in comparison at that time.

Yun Xuli brandished his blade with a swish. The hearts of the young elites trembled from simply this movement. The profundity of the laws and perfect movement in this simple action left a trace on their hearts. Even Yan Zaizen, who stood not too far away, couldn't help but narrow his eyes slightly.

"Two laws?" Yan Zaizen's questioned as his eighth sense, his heavenly sense, radiated outwards to probe the substantialness of Yun Xuli's action. As a Non-Entity who visited the Heavenly Domain several times, this caused him to be quite familiar with laws, particularly world laws.

"Mortal Law of the Sword and World Law of Metal?" He deduced, his heart faintly trembling. He couldn't help but praise Yun Xuli inwardly. The law was most definitely in the minor or major-Domain. Despite cultivating for nearly two thousand years, his Archery of Pure Destruction had only reached the minor-Domain, but even still, he was a Non-Entity with a clear heaven-defying advantage.

A slight smile appeared on his face. In this battle, he had complete confidence, but actual battle experience amongst equals was truly difficult to obtain in the cultivation world. Although Yun Xuli may not be his equal in a battle between their real bodies, in this golem that established their strengths at the same level, this was a rare chance to really test his skills.

These two's gazes met. A formless and intense pressure erupted between them. Winds started to turbulently rumble, releasing bellows similar to a thunderstorm, and their auras were rising to its peak.

They were both developing their own momentum. This momentum was formless and difficult to truly describe, but it wasn't the initiative in combat but more so aura of the world and surging of one's personal energies.

The observers weren't impatient, their eyes intently stared at the two gather their momentum, and discussing amongst themselves using soul transmissions. To them, they were watching a very rare show of combat between two supposed elites of the younger generation. Many didn't know much about Yan Zaizen and thus placed their bets on Yun Xuli.

"BEGIN!" Shi Yan's voice erupted instigating an explosion of the surrounding air between the two. Yan Zaizen's first movements weren't to step forward, but to retreat.

Yun Xuli's blade shone with a dense silver light that seemed ready to slice apart the world. He stepped forward, the space surrounding his feet erupted in silver light as he pressured forward. An illusory longsword reminiscent of his blade manifested around his body and his body effused silver light. In a blink, he had already arrived one hundred meters away from Yan Zaizen. If it wasn't for Yan Zaizen's retreat, Yun Xuli would've already been in close-combat range.

Yan Zaizen's eyes shone. Yun Xuli's movement art was truly exquisite, it was as if all things, including space, was sliced away.

He didn't have his refined body nor his regalia refined organs, close combat against someone who fused the law of sword and metal was incredibly disadvantageous to him. He understood this simple fact. After all, Yun Xuli's offensive power was staggeringly high with these two combinations.

With a thought, an arrow was formed from the golem's unique formation and nocked onto the longbow. The arrow and longbow could be considered top-grade sky-rank armaments, allowing them to withstand the laws and accommodate many arts. Pulling the arrow back, the bow formed became like a crescent moon. The arrowhead started to effuse a purple light that radiated pure destructive energies.

Yun Xuli was calm. His forward advance transitioned into a retreat, but he didn't retreat in a single line but zig-zagged like a blade that was dazzling but difficult to perceive. He didn't strike but dodged.

Oh?!

Startled by this course of action, Yan Zaizen felt that his battle experience was too lacking. Yun Xuli's current actions left him slightly baffled, but he continued his action. He didn't bother aiming for Yun Xuli, but simply released! The arrow soared into the sky, a trail of purple light formed as it did. The air and essence that came in contact with this trail exhibited signs of collapse.

With a step, Yun Xuli put a vast distance between him and the arrow, completely leaving its trajectory.

"Hm?" He suddenly felt an intent press on his body. Looking at the arrow, his eyes widened slightly. The purple arrow veered off and redirected towards him. However, it's turning speed was rather slow, but its traveling speed was still exceptional fast! With eyes that seemed as if he understood the world, he stopped retreating and stabbed his longsword forward.

A silver ray of light surged from the tip of the blade erupted outwards. This silver ray seemed to contain the hardness of metal and the sharpness of a sword.

"Hmph!" With a cold snort, Yan Zaizen nocked a second arrow before the first one collided with the ray of light. It didn't aim for Yun Xuli, but an area elsewhere.

RELEASE!

SWOOSH!

The arrow pierced forward with a speed that exceeded the previous arrow by three times.

"Hm?!" Yun Xuli saw this arrow and then slightly smirked. He stepped towards Yan Zaizen, executing his movement art. Like a sword, he penetrated forward at staggering speeds.

The high-speed arrow intercepted the silver-ray of light. It collided with the intent to divert, but when it collided with the ray of light. It was as if it had smashed upon a metal wall, completely stalled and failed in its job. The silver-ray of light continued forward and smashed against the arrow suffused with destructive force.

BOOM!

A sizable explosion resounded that could decimate an entire mountain range. However, to Yan Zaizen and Yun Xuli, this explosion was insignificant to their momentums.

"I see, his sword is sharp and dense!" After concluding, Yan Zaizen changed his priorities. Instead, he stepped forwards towards Yun Xuli with a nocked arrow. In a split second, they entered a range of fewer than ten meters of each other. Both had eyes radiating combat intent and cold killing intent, but also an eerie calmness.

Field of Metal Heart, Sword God!

Yun Xuli executed his domain-based conceptual art, establishing a domain of sword light that encapsulated the two within. Within this domain, his laws were amplified! Within this domain, his strength was at its peak!

Grand Heavenly Zone!

Yan Zaizen let loose a low-roar, his body erupting with vibrant heavenly-infused true-essence as he established the Grand Heavenly Zone! This was a pinnacle-grade, aura-based conceptual art! This was one of the two books that were appropriate for him by Pinaka's words. The Violet Way of Spatial Shifting was a conceptual method filled with varying laws, but the Grand Heavenly Zone was a pinnacle-grade, aura-based conceptual art!!!

When he discovered this book, he realized he couldn't use it. Not fully at least. It required a heavenly cultivation base. Without that, it was essentially useless. Not to mention, because of his soul cultivation and body cultivation exceeding his essence cultivation by a decent amount, he never had a need for it. Now, in the Heavenly Spiritless Golem, his cultivation level enabled him to use true-essence infused with heavenly aura. With this, the Grand Heavenly Zone could truly make itself known!

His body was surrounded by a spherical manifestation that extended to about one meter of distance. Within this sphere was flowing strands of translucent purple strings that emanated an aura of pure destruction. It immediately collided with Yun Xuli's domain. Almost immediately, the sword light was reduced to nothing by the strands of pure destruction.

"!" Yun Xuli was shocked. It wasn't just him.

"WHAT?!!" Zhou Xiuhei, Shi Yan, Syi, and all the other peak figures rose from their seats simultaneously. Not a single one was missing, and their eyes were as wide as eggs with mouths as disbelieving as the frog outside of the well.

"Impossible!" Syi was the first to blurt out, his crimson-eyes contained a deep suspicion.

Shi Yan was calmer than the others, his expression was also more solemn, "A miniaturized heaven." When those words were spoken, the rest went silent and pondered. Their expressions ranged from an eerie calm to deep greed.

Yan Zaizen, however, didn't understand the significance of this. This was the same for him and Pinaka, after all, to develop one's own personal heaven required a Heavenly Creation cultivation base. Pinaka was just a weapon, not a cultivator. How could she know this?

With an even deeper roar, his Grand Heavenly Zone, his miniaturized heavenly domain, expanded from one meter to ten meters in a blink.

Yun Xuli's eyes constricted. Without hesitation, he backed away. Unfortunately, the zone expanded too fast covering a portion of his legs as he did. The portion of his legs, the feet, was eviscerated upon contact. It was as if they entered a world filled with destruction and therefore they were subjected to this one true law.

They must be destroyed!

With a groan, Yun Xuli executed his movement art to his fullest propelling himself away at incredible speeds.

As for Yan Zaizen, he grimaced. Just this split second of activation cost more than sixty percent of his true-essence. He immediately canceled the art. With a cultivation base and full reserves of a first-floor Heavenly Genesis cultivator, he didn't realize how low it was. Even his true-essence in terms of amount was several hundred times more than this. In truth, that was because he reached peak-Dantian Refinement and peak-Crimson Star.

"Damn!" Cursing, Yan Zaizen truly felt indignant. There was nothing detailing the art's, the true art, consumption on the reserves. His original intention was to exchange a few blows with Yun Xuli while testing out his arts, but now...if he continued doing so, he'll likely lose. With ten million heavenly drops on the line, he refused to lose.

"Fine! Let's end this." He pulled his bow and arrow into a crescent moon. The arrow gradually turned completely purple, indicating it was deeply infused with destructive true-essence. Yan Zaizen utilized his mimicry law to transform his non-attributed true-essence into destruction-attributed true-essence. In the competition, to establish fairness, the true-essence within the golems were attributeless, essentially lowering its potential to a tenth.

With his Imperial Law of Mimicry, his true-essence could be modified as well, allowing him to utilize any law with its maximum potential. As the onlookers saw this, especially the elites, they suffered a shock slightly lesser than before.

"His true-essence has developed an attribute? How?!" The Sectmaster of the Fate Fist Sect lost his composure. This should be, theoretically, impossible. After all, to have your essence develop an attribute it needed to be refined and tempered by heavenly materials or laws. Furthermore, the meridians, qi-pathways, and dantian have to be refined to handle the varying essence. Not to mention, it's nearly impossible to fully convert the energies without constant tempering.

Shi Yan turned towards Zhou Xiuhei who was just as shocked as the others. His eyes shined with an intrigued light. "This youth is not only a Herculean but can create a miniaturized heaven and instantly change the qualities of his true-essence. Not to mention...I sense the aura of the Violet Way of Spatial Shifting, my conceptual art, on his body. How many secrets does he have?" With those thoughts, he kept watching the fight.

They all anticipated what would happen next.