Chapter 2803: This Wanes, That Waxes

The battle between He Lingchuan and Bai Zhantian was, in the final analysis, a contest of "power." All divine abilities, arts, divine authorities, and cultivation bases combined — when probed to their essence — amounted to nothing but those two words: "power."

Bai Zhantian said "one power breaks ten thousand methods," and he wasn't wrong.

The essence of Yuanli was likewise "power."

Apart from the might of mountains and rivers, whether it was individual power or the power of a nation, all had their time of exhaustion!

The longer the battle with Bai Zhantian dragged on, the more Panlong's Yuanli was consumed. Meanwhile, the more energy Bai Zhantian obtained through the divine authority mark, the stronger he grew instead.

If this situation of one waxing while the other waned continued, he would lose for sure, and Panlong would lose for sure.

Therefore, He Lingchuan had to break the deadlock.

Regarding how to deal with Bai Zhantian, back when he was gathering intelligence on the Great Heavenly Gods, he had asked the Red General. Because before the Ancient Era, Bai Zhantian had once attempted to challenge Miti, ending in failure.

After searching Miti's memories, the Red General told him that Bai Zhantian had indeed lost, but he lost unconvinced. Only because not long after the fight began, Miti had already knocked him down, and didn't give him the chance to draw out the duration;

After the Ancient Great War ended, the Lingxu masses swarmed Miti, and Bai Zhantian finally got another chance to challenge.

He lost again.

But there were many Heavenly Demons participating in the battle on both sides, the difficulty of Miti knocking down Bai Zhantian increased greatly, and the time stretched to over a quarter-hour. As far as Miti's experience went, the lesson for dealing with Bai Zhantian was to finish quickly, don't let him accumulate power and store up a big move, otherwise he would become harder and harder to beat.

So, how to deal with Bai Zhantian right now? He Lingchuan and Zhong Shengguang actually had a contingency plan long ago. It was just...

After about ten-odd breaths, Zhong Shengguang said to He Lingchuan again: "Deployment complete. You just go all out!"

These words were decisive, taking all responsibility for victory or defeat entirely onto himself.

Things having come to this, there was no turning back.

If it succeeded, it was General Huyi's merit;

If it failed, it was Zhong Shengguang's fault.

Hearing this, He Lingchuan's eyes flashed. In truth, his actions had already begun, ahead of the plan.

The battle having reached this point, Bai Zhantian could clearly feel his opponent growing weaker.

From the very start, when General Huyi dared clash with him head-on, to later defending more than attacking, to now retreating more than advancing, the drop in combat strength was not just by a little.

Why was this? Bai Zhantian understood in a blink:

This kid Huyi, did he really have the qualifications to contend on the same stage as him?

A mere human commander, on what grounds could he stand on equal footing with a Great Heavenly God ranked among the forefront of the Lingxu masses?

This fellow merely mobilized Panlong's Yuanli, then borrowed some secret arts to make his combat power surge short-term, barely managing to block Bai Zhantian's offense.

But, the "but" was, all forced, unnatural combat power surges had violent side effects, precisely the so-called "tiger-wolf medicine has deadly poison," and the duration wasn't long either.

No matter what method General Huyi used, his combat ability was like a tsunami — coming ferociously, going ferociously, unable to last long. The current weakening was either because Panlong's Yuanli was bottoming out, or his secret art's time limit was approaching.

This borrowed power, in the end, could not last.

At this moment, Gao Huaiyuan behind him also reported that the Dragon Binding Array had been lifted early and the Giant Elephant Legion had broken free. Bai Zhantian knew at once that Panlong's Yuanli reserves were insufficient, forced to prioritize supply to the central route.

As expected, consistent with his judgment. Bai Zhantian sneered: "Heterodox evil."

He fought faster and faster, fiercer and fiercer. He Lingchuan, however, was already hard-pressed on all sides, unable to conceal his fatigue any longer.

In a clash between masters, a hair's breadth difference leads to a thousand-mile error. He barely managed to parry Bai Zhantian's battle-axe, but his return strike was half a beat slow, exposing a flaw at his ribs.

Bai Zhantian naturally wouldn't let it pass. Before the blood-blade axe arrived, the axe wind came first. The gangqi on his axe far surpassed divine weapons — it didn't need to hit the opponent to inflict severe injury.

Fortunately at this moment, the crouching-shoulder beast on He Lingchuan's battle armor pounced first, going for his wrist guard.

This crouching-shoulder beast was shaped like a fierce lion, its combat prowess fierce, and it had always coordinated seamlessly with its master — very troublesome to deal with. The Qianglong Battle Armor was one of the few supreme treasures He Lingchuan could bring in from reality, and the crouching-shoulder beast was a fitting on the armor, having grown alongside its master for many years.

Even a True Immortal's body would have its wrist bones shattered if bitten, let alone the crouching-shoulder beast likewise carrying karma power that would wear away a Great Heavenly Demon's divine body. Bai Zhantian had no choice; with a *pa* sound he flipped the axe head and fiercely cleaved the crouching-shoulder beast to pieces.

This was already the third time he had smashed the crouching-shoulder beast. Bai Zhantian actually didn't like doing this, because after being smashed it would soon restore to its original state, then pounce down again to harass him.

Hitting this thing was purely a waste of effort.

But this time, the situation was different. The crouching-shoulder beast shattered all over the ground, and after several breaths, it still had not regenerated on He Lingchuan's battle armor.

On his shoulder armor, it was bare and bald.

The fragments on the ground remained, motionless.

This thing won't regenerate anymore?

Bai Zhantian caught this key signal at once. This showed that General Huyi's power was indeed declining rapidly, even unable to repair the crouching-shoulder beast to rejoin the battle.

Good. Then let's end this farce as soon as possible.

Bai Zhantian had not forgotten his original purpose for stepping onto the battlefield:

Take Mingsha Forest as fast as possible, destroy Panlong as fast as possible, reclaim the Great Fanghu!

Otherwise, the Lingxu Saint Venerable's Gods' Descent plan could not proceed.

Bai Zhantian focused completely, and orange light suddenly bloomed on the blade of his blood-blade flying axe, more dazzling than the noonday sun in this pitch-black night.

Then, he once again chopped out a simple, unadorned axe strike.

The axe blade actually split space, like tearing a curtain in the air, revealing the dark, heavy true nature beneath. He Lingchuan stood opposite him, which meant facing the black hole, about to be swallowed in an instant.

In a blink, the black hole swept across He Lingchuan's position, then flew diagonally upward, striking the ramparts of Mingsha Forest's stockade wall.

The sturdy city wall protected by layers of arrays, divine abilities, and guardian beasts was silently corroded into a large hole. At this moment, it was like a piece of cake, having a huge chunk scooped out by a spoon.

Not only was the corner tower gone, not only was one of the gate-guarding giant apes taken away, but even the hundred-odd soldiers standing on this section of the wall, along with the heavy equipment behind them, turned into nothingness in an instant!

This was the first axe of Bai Zhantian's three-axe combo, and also his full-power first strike.

The power of the black hole, also called Void power.

Not only was the Panlong army in Mingsha Forest in an uproar, the Panlong high-ups on Chen'en Cliff also rushed forward several steps, horrified and pale.

Bai Zhantian's single strike actually reached such a level!

The Beijia army, on the other hand, cheered thunderously, advancing forcibly under the lead of their generals.

With this strike of Bai Zhantian's, even if Mingsha Forest's stockade wall had self-protection ability, repair would be exceptionally slow — the power of annihilation actually worked on buildings too, able to continuously erode the city wall.