Yuan’s Ascension

Three hundred li separated the two sides, but for peerless geniuses of their caliber, a single flicker of movement could bring them face-to-face.

And with them heading straight for each other, it didn’t take longer than an instant for Wu Yuan and Ao Qi to clash, their domains being the first to collide.

A thunderous rumble echoed as a hazy, earthy light clashed with an ethereal green one, the latter subtly gaining the upper hand. However, the earthy-yellow light still protected Wu Yuan without faltering.

As body refiners, neither Wu Yuan nor Ao Qi excelled in domains. Hence, superiority was determined by who had a deeper Dao comprehension.

It was obvious that Ao Qi, who had comprehended an Intermediate Law within the Wind Dao to the ninth-level Domain stage, had a more terrifying domain.

However, the Celestial Body Dao’s greatest strength lay in defense, and there was no fundamental difference between the seventh-level Domain stage and the ninth-level Domain stage. Thus when the two clashed, Wu Yuan’s defenses held.

Furthermore, for those who fought in close combat like war gods, domains were just an auxiliary measure and rarely determined the outcome of a battle.

Swish! Swish! Ao Qi, assuming the Three-Headed Eight-Armed Form, wielded six sabers and two shields in his eight arms.

The six sabers whistled as they slashed towards Wu Yuan.

In the vast heavens and earth, special profundities mysteriously coalesced with the sword and the cauldron, making them incredibly powerful and hence, popular. For instance, the flying sword was the most common attack-type artifact wielded by qi refiners and sword cultivation was a major class.

However, body refiners often preferred weapons such as sabers, axes, and spears, which allowed them to unleash their power in more a more straightforward manner.

The six sabers, applying the profundities of the Wind Dao, were swift and unpredictable.

Swish! Swish!

“Scorching Sun.” Wu Yuan who wielded four sabers did not choose to defend. Instead, he immediately responded with an aggressive move from the Starsunder Saber Codex.

The support of four ether arts elevated Wu Yuan's power to an extremely terrifying level. He chose to fight saber with saber, going head-to-head with his opponent!

Clang! Clang! Clang! Blade rays flooded the air like a raging torrent, engulfing heaven and earth. The terrifying aftermath of the battle caused the colors of the world around them to shift.

How terrifying was a close-quarters fight? In a single face-off, both sides clashed dozens of times.

Soon, Wu Yuan was sent flying by a dazzling blade ray, his body slamming into the earth like a meteor, causing the ground to shake and stirring up a cloud of dust.

Ao Qi hovered in mid-air, his power overwhelming.

Such a fast and strange saber technique! Wu Yuan was shocked. He was uninjured, but his vital qi churned within him.

This head-to-head collision quickly made Wu Yuan realize something: I can only invoke the Celestial Body Dao when attacking, putting me at an absolute disadvantage. I'm no match for him.

In terms of Dao comprehension, his opponent was significantly stronger, not to mention the Wind Dao leaned more toward offense, and his saber technique was also more formidable.

In terms of ether art, his opponent's advanced ether art: Three-Headed Eight-Armed Form, was an offensive-type secret art. Once unleashed, it was far more powerful than his own Four-Armed Form.

Fortunately, Wu Yuan won in terms of ether capacity, so the gap wasn't too outrageous.

This Ao Qi could compete with Gao Yun for the title of participant with the strongest attack power in the Bloodforge Battlefield. Wu Yuan thought to himself. However, what I excel at is not offense.

Body refiners with second or third-degree immortal roots could only cultivate one advanced ether art at the Spiritual Body phase. Hence, their choice of ether art was of utmost importance.

The Three-Headed Eight-Armed Form excelled in attacks. The True Celestial Body, however, excelled in defense.

Wu Yuan decided to clash head-on Ao Qi simply to measure how wide the gap in their attack power was.

Now that that’s confirmed, it's time to use the combat methods I excel at. Wu Yuan flapped his wings, his movements elusive.

Roaring, he charged toward Ao Qi once more.

Even though Little Black's comprehension of the Wind Dao wasn't deep, its mastery over the advanced ether art: Realm Crossing was not to be underestimated.

As expected of Wu Yuan. With a second-degree immortal root and comprehension of the Celestial Body Dao, he sure can take a hit. Ao Qi was equally astonished.

With his power, a single slash would either kill or severely injure a typical Spiritual Body cultivator. But Wu Yuan seemed unscathed.

Since he comprehends the Celestial Body Dao, he must have cultivated a true body type advanced ether art. Ao Qi deduced.

There were few all-rounders on the path of cultivation. Cultivators mainly strove to focus on their strengths, maximizing their advantages.

Defense? Constant defense consumes a great deal of ether. I refuse to believe you can withstand my attacks forever. Ao Qi was filled with determination. Even if you're a tortoise shell, I'll break you open.

He lunged at Wu Yuan, unleashing the saber technique with greater ferocity.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Seemingly endless blade rays lit up the passage as the two peerless geniuses clashed once again.

Both were body refiners employing saber techniques. Yet, their methods and the auras they evoked were completely different.

Ao Qi's saber technique was frighteningly fast, each slash following the last. His blade rays were either as ghostly as shadows, swift as the wind, or fluid as water. His strikes were relentless, as though he was showing the world how terrifying saber techniques could be.

On the contrary, Wu Yuan's saber technique was summed up by one word—steady! The four sabers rotated, not attacking, but weaving a web of blade rays that gave a sense of solidity, like an unbreakable towering wall.

No flashy moves, just a touch of ingenious simplicity.

His solid defense blocked Ao Qi's eerie blade rays. Even when the blade rays occasionally broke through Wu Yuan's defense and landed on his body, he remained unperturbed.

Immovable as a Mountain! Body Of A Star!

I refuse to believe you can block me. Ao Qi didn’t slow his attacks in the slightest, convinced he held the upper hand.

In a life-or-death fight between body refiners, the aggressor often held the upper hand, the odds more often than not in their favor. Being on the offensive often indicated greater strength.

I refuse to believe you can keep this up. Take your time, we’re just getting started. Wu Yuan remained as calm and unshakeable as a mountain.

Even in the previous battles, he had relied on bouts of attrition to defeat and kill several peerless geniuses who were not adept at concealment techniques.

He had the blood mist to replenish his ether, the Longevity Dao to improve his recovery rate, and the True Celestial Body for protection. Furthermore, his immortal root was stronger, his ether more abundant!

With all these factors combined, Wu Yuan estimated that his ether replenishment rate should be at least ten times that of Ao Qi. A battle of attrition? He hardly feared it.

He who wins at defense, wins the battle. Wu Yuan's heart was like the saber technique he employed – Immovable as a Mountain.

…

In the observation space of the Bloodforge Immortal Voidrealm, thousands of Archimortals and Astral Lords watched the climactic showdown between Wu Yuan and Ao Qi. Neither side disappointed them.

"Both are doing very well. Ao Qi, recognized as the top contender from the Bloodforge Devil Hall even before the Bloodforge Battle, is the favorite to become the Bloodforge King."

"He fought fiercely all the way, sweeping all opposition, truly deserving the title of genius."

"Wu Yuan is equally formidable. He's not even half Ao Qi's age, but has made rapid progress and is now ranked first in Blood Devil Token count."

"One excels at offense."

"The other excels at defense!" The Astral Lords and Archimortals watching the battle were all impressed.

"This battle is indeed the climactic showdown of the Bloodforge Battle. Both of them are doing very well."

"Battle of the kings!"

"The attacker has reached the pinnacle of strength within the Spiritual Body phase, a level of near-perfection that can't be exceeded unless he breaks through to the True Intent stage. Ao Qi's saber skills are already immaculate."

"Wu Yuan's saber defense is not flawless, but his foundation is too profound and unshakeable, utterly terrifying." These Archimmortals and Astral Lords could not help but give genuine praises. Even with their high standards, it was rare to witness such a clash of geniuses.

Indeed! To them, Spiritual Body cultivators were all just naive youngsters. Yet even in their naivety, they were capable of unleashing such power, signifying that both contenders had enormous potential.

"Who will win?"

"Meng Jie, Yin He, these two youngsters are from your territories, don't you have any thoughts?" The other Astral Lords watching the battle broke into discussion. As for the outcome of this battle, they each had their predictions.

"The one most likely to win is Ao Qi," Astral Lord Yin He took the initiative to speak. "Wu Yuan indeed has a stronger immortal root, but in such an intense battle, a prolonged defense will eventually collapse. Moreover, he is constantly under attack, his ether consumption is much greater."

"Indeed! Ao Qi has the absolute upper hand, the probability of him winning is indeed higher." The other Astral Lords couldn't help but voice their opinions.

It was quite clear that they were expecting Ao Qi to come on top. In their view, no matter how tough Wu Yuan's defense was, his immortal root was only one degree stronger, yet his ether consumption was twice as fast. How could he win?

Astral Lord Meng Jie just smiled, not uttering a word.

A quarter of an hour later, Astral Lord Meng Jie's smile vanished. The expressions of the other Astral Lords and Archimmortals also underwent considerable changes.

"He's still holding on?"

"Despite the drain on his ether, Wu Yuan can still hold on? Without showing any signs of fatigue?" These Astral Lords and Archimmortals were all stunned.

They prided themselves on their discernment, yet now, they found themselves unable to gauge Wu Yuan's condition.

They knew Wu Yuan’s forte lay in defense, but never imagined that he could keep it up to such an extent, it was simply heaven-defying.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, half an hour had passed.

"He's going to lose."

"Ao Qi probably can't hold on any longer. In such an extended battle, the depletion of his ether must be immense."

"But Wu Yuan still hasn’t shown any signs of fatigue?" These Astral Lords and Archimmortals were all somewhat dumbfounded as they watched the scene projected on the light screen.

The tenacity Wu Yuan displayed exceeded their understanding.

"Could it be that Wu Yuan used some special treasure?"

"Impossible!"

"That's the Bloodforge Battlefield, what sort of treasure could allow Wu Yuan to cheat while evading detection? No such thing has happened in endless years." An Astral Lord quickly refuted this idea.

However, Wu Yuan’s heaven-defying performance also convinced these Astral Lords and Archimmortals that he likely acquired some special ability from a fortuitous encounter that allowed him to fight prolonged battles.

…

On the Bloodforge Battlefield, the battle between Wu Yuan and Ao Qi had reached its climax.

The more Ao Qi fought, the more frightened and uncomfortable he felt.

Wu Yuan gave him an unsettling feeling. The power behind Wu Yuan’s saber technique was limited. Yet, despite facing his six sabers and occasionally making mistakes, Wu Yuan managed to withstand the relentless barrage of attacks.

As they fought, Ao Qi stowed his two shields, opting to wield sabers with all eight arms, and escalating the pressure. Yet, despite this intensified assault, Wu Yuan continued to hold his ground.

They fought on, bathed in blood.

Wu Yuan's True Celestial Body was sturdy, but it took a battering over and over again, and he consumed a colossal amount of ether to heal his injuries.

Yet by employing numerous ether arts, Ao Qi was draining his ether at a rapid pace too.

Why? Why isn’t Wu Yuan's ether depleted yet? Ao Qi was engulfed by a howling tempest, a hint of mania in his reddened eyes.

Wu Yuan had truly frightened him.

In the beginning, he was full of confidence. His attacks were far stronger than Wu Yuan's. Even with less ether, he should theoretically have the upper hand.

But as the battle continued, Wu Yuan remained calm and unyielding, his four sabers alternating to shield his body. His defense was as sturdy as a tortoise shell.

Ao Qi couldn't break this shell. And now, he had less than thirty percent of ether left!

As for Wu Yuan?

Life-and-death combat is indeed thrilling! How exhilarating! Wu Yuan was fully engaged in this battle, his fighting spirit growing stronger with each passing moment.

Despite being at a disadvantage, he seemed to have the upper hand.

Wu Yuan still shows no sign of running out of ether. What a monster. Ao Qi was truly beginning to despair.

My battle with Wu Yuan has been going on for quite some time. The effects of our clash have spread over tens of thousands of li, causing a massive disturbance. Undoubtedly, many powerful participants are now watching us. I can't afford to expend all my ether on Wu Yuan. A thought flashed across Ao Qi's mind.

Having only thirty percent of one's ether remaining was an exceedingly perilous state to be in on the Bloodforge Battlefield. Realizing that the situation was bleak, he made a decision.

Retreat! Ao Qi instantly retreated at high speed, increasing the distance between him and Wu Yuan.

His voice was full of reluctance, "Wu Yuan, how much ether do you have left?"

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