Chapter 781: Chapter 781

Divine Martial Emperor chuckled, his tone mild and tactful. "The Light of Origin.... His personality is rather... straightforward, isn't it?"

Mo Xuan responded somewhat awkwardly, "That's just the way he is. After all, he's only been cultivating for a little over two hundred years. Even among the prodigies of his time, he's still very much a youngster."

"Youth should be bold," Divine Martial Emperor agreed with a nod. "I'm optimistic about him. I look forward to seeing what he'll do next."

The moment Li Pin spoke the words "beat me," even Emperor Ara, who had been calmly sipping his tea, paused for a moment.

Then, as if struck by a memory, a faint, nostalgic smile crossed his face.

In that young man, he saw a reflection of his former self—racing beneath the sunset in his younger years. That was the youth he had long since left behind.

But with time, as his power and position grew, Emperor Ara no longer needed to prove his worth with words or futile displays. His name alone was enough to speak for his identity and status.

Zi Zaitian slowly rose into the air. "How outrageously arrogant..."

The Divine Martial Emperor responded with a casual wave of his hand. Ripples spread through the air, activating an ancient formation within the Divine Martial Emperor Palace. Rays of radiant light surged into the heavens, and their shockwaves rippled far into the distance.

Any Astral God who had spent years in the Myriad Astral God Hall would recognize the nature of this pulse. It was more than a simple defense mechanism, it was a warning.

A message to all who passed through: A great battle is about to unfold here. Do not enter lightly.

"The Divine Martial Battlefield has already been activated," the Divine Martial Emperor said. "Considering that the Ten Thousand Tribes Dominion War typically occurs in foreign battlefields filled with Eternal Oblivion Force, I've placed the battlefield a hundred thousand li above the Divine Martial Emperor Palace.

"The space there simulates the Eternal Oblivion Force and even draws in traces of the real thing. But thanks to the formation's concealment, the contamination you'll experience will be minimal."

The Divine Martial Emperor smiled. "Let's see which of you truly has what it takes to be the ace and represent us in the Ten Thousand Tribes Dominion War."

As Zi Zaitian soared into the sky, Li Pin followed close behind, rising steadily into the air.

In the Astral World, for any Astral God, taking flight or releasing energy would easily draw the Eternal Oblivion Force. After all, any action that affected the surroundings was essentially seen as a use of power beyond the limits of one's own body.

In such conditions, it was nearly impossible for anyone to exercise precise control. Cosmic Radiances were no exceptions.

But that applied only to ordinary cultivators of the realm.

There were rare individuals who had refined their Cosmic Radiance to such an extreme that they could manipulate the world with surgical precision. By reflecting their True Spirit, they could control every current of air, every fluctuation of energy, like enabling an ordinary mortal to fly in a world devoid of supernatural power.

Zi Zaitian was clearly one of those rare few.

Even after taking flight, not a trace of Eternal Oblivion Force was stirred. That alone revealed the extent of his meticulous control and mastery over power.

In a way, this was also a test for Li Pin, from Zi Zaitian, Divine Martial Emperor, and everyone else present.

If he couldn't even do that, he might as well not waste anyone's time in the Ten Thousand Tribes Dominion War.

The Li Pin from decades ago wouldn't have been able to manage this kind of control.

But over these years, with the help of the Pinnacle Cosmic Radiance Divine Weapon, Illusion Pagoda, he had fully mastered the Grand Oblivion Art. Using that movement technique and his understanding of space, he, too, could now take flight without triggering the Eternal Oblivion Force.

That scene made quite a few observers glance his way.

For all his arrogance, Li Pin did have real strength.

Which made sense. After all, no one could reach the Cosmic Radiance level without a clear sense of reality. No matter how extreme or self-absorbed one's mindset was, it wouldn't be so distorted that they lose their rational judgment.

Without true power, how could someone cultivate such an unrestrained, domineering, and imperious presence?

"Eighty-fifth step on the Supreme Ladder?" Zi Zaitian glanced at him. "Then let me teach you something today—to show you why the Supreme Ladder might measure potential, but it can never represent real combat power."

"Alright." Li Pin lifted his hand. "Come."

These two casual words, spoken with no ill intent, had somehow hit a nerve in Zi Zaitian. He had originally intended to hold back a little. Li Pin was, after all, another contender in the Prodigy Competition. He had planned to go a few dozen rounds, win decisively but not crush the guy, keeping just enough to prevent his confidence from collapsing before the real battles began.

Forget it. With the Divine Martial Emperor watching, it didn't matter. As long as I don't kill him, it's fine. I can beat him within an inch of his life.

Zi Zaitian's figure stretched tall. With a single step, he seemed to stride across the void. As he lunged toward Li Pin, his entire being transformed. He didn't just resemble a peerless demonic blade. He became one.

At this moment, in the eyes of everyone present, including Li Pin, Zi Zaitian had transformed into a peerless demonic blade, descending with such force that it seemed capable of splitting the heavens apart.

The blade surged with overwhelming might, carrying an endless murderous intent as if it sought to slaughter the entire world. It crashed violently into Li Pin's inner spirit world, and the blade's intent struck his mind and consciousness with frenzied force.

It's as though they were trying to drag him into a sea of carnage, into Avīci Hell itself, to be buried forever in slaughter and death.

"Endless Frost Art of the Northern Emperor: Hundred-Blade Execution!"

Xuan Chengming immediately sensed the terrifying power behind this strike. His inner spirit fluctuated as he couldn't help but think, This blade merges an inner spirit secret art with a battle art to perfection, creating a force far beyond any single Supreme Technique or Blade Art.

For an average Cosmic Radiance Realm cultivator, this strike would have been fatal. Zi Zaitian using this move means he's truly enraged now—Li Pin's arrogance has completely provoked him...

The thought barely had time to spread through the battlefield before the consciousness of this top-tier contender—ranked among the top three of the overlord-class competitors—suddenly froze mid-transmission.

Before their eyes, Li Pin appeared completely unaffected by the sea-of-slaughter blade intent and hellish pressure of that demonic sword. His figure blurred for a moment and, like a phantom, he weaved past the edge of the falling blade.

Then, he formed his fingers into a sword shape and pointed it directly at Zi Zaitian.

At first glance, it looked like a simple gesture. But as his fingertip descended, Zi Zaitian felt the collapse of energy and the shattering of space around him.

He instantly recognized the origin of this sword intent. "Quantum Sword Intent!"

Without the slightest hesitation, he twisted around, sweeping his descending blade to block the sword that threatened to tear apart the void. A thunderous crack followed, quick and sharp like a lightning strike.

In that instant, Li Pin clearly "saw" that Zi Zaitian's blade moved with impossible speed, faster than light itself. Even his thoughts couldn't keep up.

But in the Astral World, especially under the influence of the Eternal Oblivion Force, how could anyone possibly strike faster than light?

It wasn't that Zi Zaitian's blade was fast, but rather that Li Pin's thoughts had slowed down.

This was another inner spirit secret art.

Deep within Li Pin's inner spirit, the Great Dao Radiance flickered.

The strand of Dao power had been reserved for spatial comprehension. Yet now, this power, which had been unused till now due to his lack of understanding of spatial fluctuations, was redirected to empower his inner spirit.

As waves of clarity washed over him, every speck of dust clouding his inner spirit was wiped clean, leaving his mind crystal clear.

His perception of the world sharpened beyond anything he had ever known before. The inner spirit-distorting technique Zi Zaitian used dissolved without a sound.

But by then, Zi Zaitian's blade had already clashed with Li Pin's Quantum Sword Intent.

The impact sent ripples through the air. Though not overwhelmingly powerful, Zi Zaitian's blade split into dozens, no, hundreds, of fine slashes, swiftly tearing apart the Quantum Sword Intent.

Once fragmented, the sword intent lost its cohesion and shattered into hundreds of broken sword qi. Instead of tearing through Zi Zaitian's blade, the sword qi lost control the moment they multiplied.

In the next instant, the chaotic sword qi would disturb the ever-present Eternal Oblivion Force. When that happened, Li Pin would inevitably bear the weight of a massive backlash from the force.

Thankfully, this was just a mock battle on the Divine Martial Battlefield, where the Eternal Oblivion Force was simulated rather than real. If it had been a true life-or-death fight, once that burden hit him, the balance of victory would tip in Zi Zaitian's favor. All he would need to do was maintain steady pressure, and it would only be a matter of time before Li Pin was defeated.

Several proud elites watching the battlefield had the same thought at once.

The gap in technique is just too wide.

This is the difference between a professional and an amateur.

Even Li Pin couldn't help but murmur in quiet admiration, The perfect fusion of secret art and battle skill. They're almost seamless.

Though he had mastered several Supreme-level techniques, they remained isolated, lacking coordination and unable to support each other in battle.

Take the Quantum Sword Intent, for example. it was scattered and lost control under the flawless synergy of Zi Zaitian's blade technique and inner spirit secret art.

"Impressive," Li Pin remarked.

His thoughts stirred, and the Endless Reincarnation Secret Art activated.

Light shimmered, and the world seemed to freeze in place.

His eyes scanned the hundreds of shattered sword qis, then shifted to the equally fragmented slashes of Zi Zaitian's Hundred-Blade Execution.

He meticulously calculated the rate at which each energy fragment would dissipate.

More than that, he calculated the optimal trajectory for his counterattack.

A moment later, time resumed.

Among the scattered sword qi, most subtly changed direction—just enough to collide perfectly with the remnants of Zi Zaitian's technique, neutralizing them completely.

In the wake of this silent burst of energy, one sword qi remained, condensed and still.

Li Pin struck like lightning.

It seemed as though he grasped the invisible sword qi in his hand. Chaotic force surged through his palm, sweeping away the shattered blade light and remnants of sword qi.

Then, holding the invisible sword, he thrust forward. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel[f]ire.net

In an instant, the sword qi tore through the void.

Under Zi Zaitian's shocked, disbelieving gaze, it pierced straight through his skull.