Chapter 315: Decisive Battle (2)
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Translated by Frog in the Well
Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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The moment he unleashed Annihilation Slash.
Myriad things lost their color.
Both the Avici Dao Sovereign glaring with murderous eyes and the fist that was right before crushing his glabella stopped as if they were stuffed.
While looking blankly at a situation where it would not be strange to die right away.
He turned his head to the side.
‘Keugh.’
However, with that single tiny movement, he almost fainted.
It was painful.
Joints all over his body screamed.
Was it because he forcibly escaped a situation where death was completely unavoidable, a pressure as if sandwiched between great mountains weighed down his mind and body.
Pain as if his soul was being shaved made his vision blurry, but he gritted his teeth and endured it.
His mind and body cried out their limits, but he took one more step forward.
Creak…
He forcibly turned his wrist, which was hardened like stone and difficult to even twitch.
Using the obstinacy forged in the struggle where life and death crossed as a sword, he drew a horizontal line targeting the neck precisely.
At this very moment, with the determination to end it in a single strike.
Right before the blade that leisurely advanced through the color-lost world cut the skin.
Bzzzzz…………!
Simultaneously with a ringing in his ears, the Annihilation Slash state was forcibly ended, and the Avici Dao Sovereign’s fist brushed past his earlobe.
A situation where the strike that was absolutely impossible to avoid went wide,
“…!”
He swung the sword toward the neck of the Avici Dao Sovereign, whose pupils rapidly dilated.
The moment each other’s single move crossed.
A starlight-like brilliance dwelled in the Avici Dao Sovereign’s pupils, and his physical speed rapidly increased.
He bent his upper body backward, even ignoring inertia,
Slash…!
The blade that swept past his face split half of his cheek and the bridge of his nose, and blood droplets poured down.
Although his decisive strike went wide, he was neither disappointed nor did he hesitate.
Boom!
As if stamping his foot, he kicked the empty air and rushed in reverse, continuing the offensive.
Clang, clang, clang!
The sword that could cleave the sea in a single strike,
was continued more than hundreds of times in an instant where one could not even blink.
A short, brief moment. Sparks flew between the sword and the fist that collided numerously.
Just when he was pouring a fierce assault by holding onto the opportunity obtained with difficulty.
During the fierce offense and defense, the slashes that went wide and bounced off gathered in the empty air by themselves and became the shape of lightning swords.
Clang!
A single streak of sword Qi emitted from the lightning sword cleft the empty air, and was reflected by another lightning sword to divide into two.
The sharp energy generated during the battle gathered to form the Limitless Sword Heaven.
Although the sword array was completed in the fierce battle where there was no time to take out array tools, neither the Avici Dao Sovereign nor Jin So-myeong cared.
They focused only on one thing, targeting each other’s life.
An instant.
The trajectory of the sword thrust to pierce the glabella bent minutely.
The moment the sword that was going straight bounced off as if colliding with an obstacle. He realized what went wrong.
‘It is the power of the Unity stage.’
Instead of a mighty destructive phenomenon rushing like a tsunami, he twisted reality in a localized range.
Precisely one point.
The point that the blade must pass through in order to pierce the glabella was twisted.
It was a discrepancy as small as a speck of dust, but as a result, the sword that intended to pierce the glabella brushed past the forehead.
The gap created like that.
The fist that flew in without mercy tried to lodge in his solar plexus, and he unleashed Annihilation Slash.
In the world that came to a halt, he tilted his upper body diagonally to protect his vital point, and bent the sword that went wide to target the head.
He tried to split the head with the blade that brushed past the forehead, but…
No matter how much he struck down the blade, it did not touch the skin.
It was as if an infinitely unfolded space became a barrier and blocked the sword.
Boom!
As the Annihilation Slash state was forcibly released, the shoulder struck by the fist was shattered.
While retreating as if bouncing to disperse the shock, he reflexively aimed his sword, and the Avici Dao Sovereign frowned.
“…An annoying divine ability.”
Was it because the situation turned around again right before death, his eyes narrowed.
At the appearance of him staring as if trying to find a way to break Annihilation Slash, he also pushed the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye to its utmost limit.
‘Did he compress space and wrap it around his body?’
Since he wore a space as wide as to establish a country like armor, no matter how much he swung the sword, it did not touch.
It seemed he thought of a countermeasure just by seeing Annihilation Slash once, and it was a considerably effective method.
“…”
For a very short moment, silence flowed.
While they were contemplating each other’s solution.
The Avici Dao Sovereign moved first. He took a step forward while pouring a murderous intent so vivid that the spine went cold, and
Rumble…!
The entire earth sloshed as if completely melted, and then surged frantically, turning upside down.
Starting with the sky and earth being flipped,
an offensive that purely pressed down with physical weight continued.
Crunch!
Due to the intangible pressure weighing down on his shoulders, it became difficult to even twitch a finger, and as gravity was exponentially amplified, his joints creaked.
It was a simple attack that pressed down by pouring vast energy, but that was why it was more fatal.
It felt like his weakness of having a low realm was properly pierced.
Seeing the pile of earth pouring from all directions, his mouth went dry.
It was not ordinary earth just by looking at it.
A realm where all things of heaven and earth responded according to one’s will.
Since it was a strike added with the unique power of the Unity stage, if he was buried under the pile of earth, he would perish without even being able to resist.
An instant when there was no leisure to contemplate.
He reflexively unleashed the Law-Breaking divine ability.
Lightning dwelled in his eyes, and the pile of earth that was rushing like a tsunami vanished as if washed away.
It was an amazing sight, but the effect did not last long.
The earth still sloshed violently like a sea that met a storm, and surged high into the sky to rush.
Not ceasing for a single moment, it was like waves rushing onto a sandy beach.
‘Ha.’
Although it was a troublesome situation in many ways, his fighting spirit did not extinguish.
Regaining composure with a single short breath, he expanded his Law Domain.
If he wanted a mindless power struggle, fine.
It was fine to just do it. The moment the Law Domain that swelled like a balloon collided with the pile of earth.
……………!
An intense shock shook his soul.
Would it feel like this if a large iron nail was placed on the glabella and struck with a hammer.
It felt like his soul was being split.
The Law Domain pressed down by overwhelming power collapsed from the outskirts, but there was a way to respond.
He unleashed the Myriad Flows Restoration divine ability to revive the crumbling Law Domain.
Was it because the Law Domain, which should normally collapse in a single breath, constantly regenerated?
The Avici Dao Sovereign frowned as if he could not understand, and seeing that, laughter burst out.
Could there be anything as joyful as the perplexity felt by the enemy.
“Heh.”
He laughed in pain. Brightly enough to show his teeth.
There was also a harvest.
As the Law Domain repeated recovering and breaking, it became rapidly stronger, and as time passed, the pressure weighing down on his soul became lighter.
And simultaneously.
Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!
The sharp metallic sound that was faintly heard grew rapidly louder.
The sword array that dominated the surroundings, Limitless Sword Heaven, finally began to exert its proper power.
“Tsk.”
Watching that sight, the Avici Dao Sovereign clicked his tongue.
He shook his hand as if chasing an annoying fly, and an intangible shockwave flew and struck the lightning sword.
Boom!
With a light gesture, the lightning sword that formed the sword array was completely shattered and scattered in all directions.
Destroying the lightning sword, which was the core of the sword array. It was an extremely common-sense response, but…
it was lacking.
The fragments of the lightning sword that were shattered and scattered in all directions stood still in the empty air, then completely melted and became lightning Qi.
Crackle!
The moment the lightning Qi gathered into one point again, it became a lightning sword as small as a dagger and formed the sword array.
Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!
Every time the sword Qi cleaving the empty air collided with the small dagger, it divided into two.
Even though the lightning sword, which was an array tool, was shattered, the sword array was still maintained.
Only after seeing that bizarre sight did the Avici Dao Sovereign’s expression stiffen hard.
“It is no ordinary sword array. It is more than what I heard.”
Of course.
The Limitless Sword Heaven, which invested trillions of the Supreme Great Ability and repeated improvements, could not be easily broken now.
Rumble!
The earth shook violently, and the pile of earth that was continuously covering him began to collapse.
The sword Qi storm that rapidly grew in scale had already become strong enough to push back the power of the Unity stage Dao Sovereign.
Right at that time.
The Avici Dao Sovereign, who narrowed his glabella tightly, threw a golden iron token into the empty air.
‘That is…’
Before even guessing the identity of the golden iron token.
The token melted into the empty air, and the momentum of the sword Qi storm that was raging like a natural disaster rapidly weakened.
Not only that, seeing even the lightning Qi contained in the lightning sword shake unstable, he realized the ability of the golden token.
‘A dharma treasure that suppresses lightning Qi and sword Qi.’
The brief gap created as the Avici Dao Sovereign threw the golden token.
Jin So-myeong also did not stay still.
Utilizing the gap created with difficulty, he opened the sub-space.
And,
he took out all one hundred and eighty lightning swords that he made in preparation for emergencies and flew them in all directions.
Now that he reached the late Void Refinement stage, the maximum number of lightning swords he could control was thirty-nine, but…
what did that matter.
He did not care.
All the lightning swords he possessed, he just poured them as they were.
He committed it first. Since it was fine to think about the aftermath later.
Hummmmm!
The moment the one hundred and eighty lightning swords poured out from the sub-space resonated.
‘Ah.’
The countlessly many sword Qis that filled the sky.
When counting that as one, the one became two, and became four again.
Exactly like the name Limitless Sword Heaven.
An absurd scale of sword Qi swept in all directions.
Clang, clang, clang, clang……………!
There was no end. The sword Qi storm that blew without rest ran wild like crazy and cut and cleaved the surroundings, and Jin So-myeong was no exception to that target.
‘Keugh.’
While expanding his Law Domain to block the sword Qi that threatened his life moment by moment, he checked the enemy.
If he, the master of the sword Qi, was this endangered, what about the opponent?
At least, he would not be comfortable.
‘Haha.’
And that expectation was correct.
In the world filled with silver light, the blood-stained Avici Dao Sovereign was frowning.
Looking at it, the other side was also at his limit.
If he just endured a little more…
Just as he was repeating that.
The Avici Dao Sovereign, who was suppressed by the sword Qi storm and could not move, stared intently at Jin So-myeong.
And,
after letting out a very short breath, something that could be called determination crossed deep in his eyes.
‘Danger.’
The warning of instinct. Simultaneously with the feeling of his hair standing on end,
the chest of the blood-stained Avici Dao Sovereign burst, and a fountain of blood surged.
The blood droplets pouring into the empty air covered the skin and drew a bizarre pattern.
He divisionally perceived.
The Asura race has two hearts. Therefore, he would be able to display the Heart-Shattering Blood Glyph twice as well.
‘It is really not easy…’
The Gongya Dao Sovereign suffered a four-thousand-year injury with a single Heart-Shattering Blood Glyph.
Then, what kind of price must he pay for the second Heart-Shattering Blood Glyph?
Whatever it was, it would not be that easy.
‘Ha.’
To try to kill him even while paying a massive price.
Should he say he was recognized? Simultaneously with being absurd, a faint chuckle came out.
In the slowly flowing world.
The massive energy emitted by the Avici Dao Sovereign encroached the surroundings, and even the sword Qi of the Limitless Sword Heaven lost its strength.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The appearance of him walking with giant strides was wondrous.
Even under the pressure where even he, the master of the sword Qi, could not twitch a single finger, he approached step by step.
His life was in jeopardy, but he could neither avoid it nor block it.
However, why was it.
The emotion filling his chest now was not fear but something else.
What should he call this feeling that made his mouth go dry…
Ah, right.
Thirst would do.
A thirst he felt since quite a long time ago. Something that tickled his soul from some moment.
He felt that something which hovered around, seemingly within reach yet distant, had approached right before his nose.
Did they call it taking a step forward from the top of a hundred-foot pole.
His concentration reached its peak at the death approaching moment by moment.
He reached the realm he perceived long ago but could not awaken.
He felt like he knew.
The divine ability engraved deep in his soul. What the potential remaining in the Secret Realm of the Mind was.
And simultaneously. He also felt that it was still lacking.
What?
‘Propulsion.’
The propulsion to draw out the true power contained in the Secret Realm of the Mind was lacking.
However, fortunately, he possessed the power that could roll all the wheels existing in the world.
The Supreme Great Ability.
The moment he poured the fragments of omnipotence in trillions.
Swish…!
A streak of wind brushed past his ear,
and the Avici Dao Sovereign’s fist, which was right before crushing his face, was cut off along with the forearm.
“…!”
Simultaneously with the startled Avici Dao Sovereign widening his eyes.
The surrounding scenery changed completely.
It felt like coming to a flower field in full bloom on a very clear spring day.
The entire world was swords.
The sky and earth. There were swords in every place his sight touched.
More than the grass growing on the meadow.
More than all the grains of sand on the beach combined.
More than all the raindrops pouring from dark clouds combined.
There were more swords here now.
‘Are these swords… Thousand-Fold Dark Rock Swords?’
Seeing the sword stuck right next to him, half-melted by being struck by lightning, a sense of déjà vu was felt.
A very long time ago. The sword he used as his main weapon during his Golden Core days was the Thousand-Fold Dark Rock Sword.
Since his realm rose and it became unnecessary, it was the sword he gave to Mugeuk, so why was it stuck here…
Besides the Thousand-Fold Dark Rock Sword, there were many familiar swords. There were even weapons like scythes or axes instead of swords.
If there was a common feature, they all contained sharp energy, and their appearances were faintly familiar.
‘Where did I see these…’
His contemplation was also brief. The answer came out without difficulty.
It was certain they were the blades he occasionally saw every time he went to Mugeuk’s nest in the Secret Realm of the Mind.
Suddenly, this thought came.
If Mugeuk’s nest continues to develop.
If a very long time passes and the scale becomes thousands or tens of thousands of times larger than now, wouldn’t it be exactly like this…
Just when he was staring as if possessed at the swords that densely filled every place from the horizon end to end.
Hummmmm!
The Mugeuk held in his hand made a sword cry,
and hundreds of millions of swords stuck in all directions vibrated simultaneously.
‘Ah.’
And he saw.
Reaching an astronomical level that was absolutely impossible to count,
the wave of sword Qi that was impossible to measure splitting, splitting, and splitting the world again.
……………!
In the instant that was like eternity,
an intense light that could blind his two eyes dyed heaven and earth.
A moment that was very long in perception but actually extremely short passed, and the swords that filled his vision vanished without a trace before he knew it.
And,
for some reason, the Avici Dao Sovereign, who was standing blankly, muttered with a hollow expression.
“What on earth is this divine ability?”
“…”
“No matter how I look, it is not a power permitted to the Void Refinement stage.”
Lamentation and disbelief.
Ending with those words deeply laid with emptiness,
starting from the Avici Dao Sovereign’s forehead, his shoulder, neck, arm, waist, thigh, calf, and ankle.
Large and small cuts bloomed all over his body.
What was faint at first became gradually clearer, and
Thud!
Without even leaving a handful of blood, the Avici Dao Sovereign was decomposed into units smaller than dust and scattered.
Vainly and simple enough to be hollow.