Chapter 343: The Duel with Xiang Yutian (End of Volume)

Xiang Yutian lingered in this world precisely for the sake of the ethereal "God of War Record".

And he had already come to view this world as his own backyard; how could he allow others to sleep soundly beside his bed?

What's more, he also needed someone to verify the "Dao Heart Demon Seed Great Art," which had no predecessor and would have no successor; Yu Liancheng was naturally the most suitable candidate.

In the blink of an eye, Xiang Yutian had already pressed a palm down toward Yu Liancheng, as if piercing through layers of space, descending from above the nine heavens; the palm contained wind and thunder, seemingly capable of returning this world to chaos.

Yu Liancheng showed no fear, raising his palm to meet the attack; this palm possessed the great power to harmonize yin and yang and converge heaven and earth, revealing without reservation the fruits of his insights over these forty-nine days.

The airflow that had originally been sweeping downward was incredibly rolled back by his palm, surging toward Xiang Yutian.

Boom!!

The palms collided; after a huge muffled sound, a massive shockwave centered on the two combatants rippled outward in all directions, as if creating raging waves within the Divine Palace.

Were it not for the Divine Palace being enveloped by a primordial power, without beginning or end.

This single strike would likely have caused it to collapse like dry wood.

And after this strike, the figures of the two seemed to disappear, as if merging into the void, or as if entering another mysterious space.

Yet within the entire Divine Palace, the airflow roared wildly, and in an instant, hundreds or thousands of thunder-like collisions rang out.

At the speed at which the two were fighting, I fear only a Grandmaster or a First-class Expert could barely keep track.

As these two unprecedented peerless experts battled, the void fluctuated, ripples constantly emerging, and the Divine Palace, which had seemed to stand since ancient times, actually began to hum and tremble.

In reality, if this were the Imperial Palace of Daxing, it would have long since collapsed and overturned, as fragile as bean curd dregs.

Boom!!

The two struck at each other again, the biting gale whistling.

"What a good Evil Emperor Xiang Yutian, what a good Dao Heart Demon Seed Great Art."

As their figures crossed and passed, Yu Liancheng slowly descended from mid-air, his gaze burning as he looked directly at this peerless expert who had transcended everything throughout history: "So you have already surpassed the realm of the Demon Immortal; no wonder you can have such confidence."

The Dao Heart Demon Seed Great Art is divided into two volumes and twelve chapters; the upper volume consists of Entering the Demon (1), Seeding the Demon (2), Establishing the Demon (3), Concluding the Demon (4), Demon Tribulation (5), and Seeding Others (6).

The lower volume includes Nurturing the Demon (7), Urging the Demon (8), Becoming the Demon (9), Demon Extremity (10), the Realm of Demon Transformation, and the final "Demon Immortal".

And once one reaches the "Demon Immortal" realm, one can Shatter the Void, completing the transformation from human to immortal demon.

And now, after observing the forty-nine reliefs, Xiang Yutian has not only reached the Demon Immortal realm but has even pushed toward a higher level. He has entered a brand-new world and begun another stage of exploration.

For the current Xiang Yutian, this world has already thrown open the "Heavenly Gate" for him. As long as he is willing, he can cast himself into the "Heavenly Gate" at any time and enter a more vast world.

Xiang Yutian's gaze met Yu Liancheng's, his pair of dark pupils flashing with profound wisdom that understood all mysteries: "The Imperial Tutor's opportunities and talent are the only ones Xiang has seen in his life. If you were to cultivate for another dozen years or so, Xiang would only be able to Shatter the Void and leave in defeat. It is a pity, however, that you are still lacking quite a bit right now..."

"Heh, I praise you a couple of times, and you really start climbing up my nose!"

Yu Liancheng gave a chuckle, his brows raised, and suddenly his whole body was surrounded by strange, sharp sword light, diffusing in all directions. Wherever the sword light reached, everything suddenly became quiet, and even the flowing air in the sky stopped abruptly.

The next moment, he pointed his fingers like a sword and thrust a "sword" toward Xiang Yutian; Sword Qi filled the entire Divine Palace.

If an expert were in the Divine Palace at this moment, they would feel as if they were being sliced by a thousand knives.

The sword broke through the void, pointing straight at Xiang Yutian's chest.

Xiang Yutian's face, which seemed as though it would not have the slightest ripple even if the sky fell, actually revealed a look of astonishment.

When Yu Liancheng's sword light enveloped him, his entire body seemed to freeze, as if dead, and he could not even move a single finger.

The sword seemed to carry power from hell, harboring incomparably fierce and sorrowful baleful energy. In heaven or on earth, once locked on by the sword light, one could only be slaughtered at will.

If Xiang Yutian had only reached the Demon Immortal realm, facing such a terrifying sword, he might have been killed or severely injured.

But he had already surpassed the Demon Immortal realm. He had entered a deeper level of the realm.

Suddenly, Xiang Yutian's figure seemed to be split into two parts; the left side of his body turned into Supreme Yang Demon Qi, and the right side turned into Supreme Yin Demon Qi.

These were two types of power carrying extreme intent of destruction; if an ordinary expert cultivated either one, a slight carelessness could lead to becoming possessed by the devil and dying. Yet Xiang Yutian had already grasped these two types of power and could integrate them, blending them into one.

The two strands of Demon Qi suddenly twisted, yin and yang blending, and a strange ripple emerged, overflowing and scattering, barely dodging this finger-sword of Yu Liancheng.

Yet even so, when Xiang Yutian's figure condensed again, there was an extra wound on his right rib.

The wound was not deep, and with Xiang Yutian's physique, it would normally heal in less than the blink of an eye. But this wound contained a "death intent," and it bled incessantly.

"So a Demon Immortal can also be injured."

The corners of Yu Liancheng's mouth lifted, carrying an indescribable sense of sarcasm and mockery.

Xiang Yutian wiped his finger across the wound, then placed his finger by his mouth, sticking out his tongue to lick it, as if tasting the flavor of that blood.

After a long while, he said slowly: "Xiang is, after all, not a true God, so how could he not be injured? But the person who can injure Xiang must also pay the price they deserve."

His figure had disappeared, seeming to merge with the void, launching a full-scale strike against Yu Liancheng from the physical to the spiritual level. This was the result of him using his full strength, without the slightest hint of mercy.

Yu Liancheng waved his arms, meeting Xiang Yutian without retreating in the slightest.

Both sides exerted everything they had learned in their lives, intending to kill the other here to achieve their own Dao.

As the two fought, they moved out of the Divine Palace.

This was because as they fought, the Divine Palace began to feel a sense of repulsion toward them; it seemed the Divine Palace did not wish to endure the aftermath of their battle, and if they did not choose to leave, they would be banished by the Divine Palace to an unknown place that could not be predicted.

Yu Liancheng and Xiang Yutian had already fought their way out of the secret realm of the Divine Palace, appearing in a forest.

Boom!

Boom, boom!!

Outside, without the protection of the Divine Palace's mysterious power, a gale instantly rose within a hundred zhang, a hurricane sweeping across, blasting and shattering every mountain stone and tree in sight, as if turning it into a chaos.

As the two fought, their acupoints opened wide, continuously absorbing the essence of heaven and earth, instantly refining it into their own True Qi, blending it into their dantian and circulating it within their meridians and acupoints. This gave them infinite combat power, as if they would never grow tired.

"Heh, worthy of being above the Demon Immortal, truly strong enough!!"

Yu Liancheng's figure appeared in the void, his expression suddenly solemn, flipping his palm to strike downward.

Boom!!

Behind him, the aura churned, and a majestic, supreme, and grand aura permeated the space between heaven and earth.

In an instant, Xiang Yutian seemed to see a great Buddha rising from the ground, growing from small to large, and in the blink of an eye, it was already a hundred zhang tall.

The great Buddha's body was brilliant with golden light, his brows lowered, his face showing a compassionate expression. Accompanying the appearance of this great Buddha, there were even Heavenly Flowers Falling in Disorder, golden lotuses springing from the ground, and waves of Sanskrit sounds. It was as if the dust-filled battlefield had been transformed into the Western Paradise.

The Great Buddha raised a hand, flipping its palm to strike downward; its expression and movements were similar to Yu Liancheng's.

Even that enormous face, shrouded in golden radiance, seemed to have brows and eyes exactly like Yu Liancheng's.

The Buddha's palm covered the sky and earth; in the blink of an eye, Xiang Yutian felt the space in all directions locked and sealed, while the massive Buddha palm pressed down upon him, growing ever larger as it descended, filling his entire field of vision, intending to ferry him to the Western Heaven.

Xiang Yutian let out a long roar toward the sky, his hair flying upward, standing proudly between heaven and earth like a God or Demon, standing firm and Buju.

The Supreme Yang Demon Qi and Supreme Yin Demon Qi surged and blended within his body, squeezing every bit of potential from his shell, seeking to erupt with the most shocking, most world-astonishing strike.

The next moment, Xiang Yutian swung his palm to meet it.

Beneath this massive Buddha palm, he was as small and insignificant as an ant. Yet his palm force was as vast and long-lasting as the Heavenly River, continuous and unending.

Boom—!

The two palms roared, yet they collided with power beyond a mortal's imagination; the entire heaven and earth suddenly shook, and a massive mushroom cloud rose up, rolling and surging in all directions, destroying everything it touched.

Fortunately, the two were fighting in a desolate, uninhabited deep forest; otherwise, the mere shockwaves of the battle would have been enough to destroy heaven and earth, leveling half a city.

"Haha, come, Brother Xiang, let us fight to our heart's content." Yu Liancheng's figure rose from the smoke, a hint of excitement appearing in his expression.

His arms reached upward, and the True Qi within his body transformed into two black and white fish, chasing and playing with each other. His entire body's True Qi sprayed forth, his energy soaring, his battle intent piercing the sky, causing the layered clouds to churn.

The next moment, Yu Liancheng unleashed his movement technique to the fullest; suddenly, forty-nine figures manifested within the void, each with a different posture, yet all brimming with battle intent and seemingly in harmony with some ultimate principle of heaven and earth.

The forty-nine figures, some using weapons and others using fists and kicks, killed toward Xiang Yutian.

This was the combination of Meiying Shenggong and the God of War Record; each figure transformed into a living relief carving, revealing the most essential, most terrifying ultimate arts of this world.

Xiang Yutian shook his arms, and invisible Gang Qi erupted from his body; his whole person exploded with a terrifying, world-destroying power, and the ground beneath his feet collapsed with a boom, cracking inch by inch.

His figure turned into lightning, shooting out, killing toward those forty-nine figures without a shred of fear.

Bang, bang, bang!

The force of the energy exploded continuously like thunder, whipping up a violent gale, and for a time, heaven and earth were dark and lightless.

Aside from the sounds of the two fighting, there was not the slightest sound within a ten-mile radius; it seemed all the snakes, insects, rats, and ants sensed the two's massive energy and dared not make a sound, as if the end of the world had arrived.

One after another, the illusory figures were torn apart by Xiang Yutian, but each figure contained exquisite moves and thick Innate True Qi, making even this Evil Emperor, who had surpassed the Demon Immortal realm, feel uncomfortable.

And when he defeated the forty-ninth illusory figure, a trace of blood actually spilled from the corner of Xiang Yutian's mouth, and the wound previously pierced by the "Fifteenth Sword" began to bleed again.

The forty-ninth figure corresponded to the final scroll of the God of War Record, the most exquisite move, pointing directly to the essence of Shattering the Void; its power was naturally not to be underestimated.

And the moment the forty-nine figures were defeated, the airflow in mid-air converged into one, once again transforming into the figure of Yu Liancheng.

The next moment, his left hand became a bird and his right hand a fish, unleashing the essence of the Eight Strikes of Scattered Hands.

He combined this in mid-air, transforming into a mythical giant bird flapping its wings and flying straight up to the clouds of the nine heavens. Those fluttering, billowing wide sleeves were even more like clouds hanging down from the high sky.

——The Ninth Strike, Carefree Wandering.

Regardless of what this Xiang Evil Emperor, who had transcended the Demon Immortal realm, was thinking now, Yu Liancheng was fighting heartily, revealing the essence of his lifelong learning one by one.

This battle was extremely important to him.

Through this battle, he fused his martial arts into one furnace and exhausted himself in proving and mythologizing them.

A Glance of Shock, Dragon-Shattering Chant, Three Flawless Styles, Energy-Absorbing Great Art, Yuluo Light Smoke Palm, Divine Blade Shadowless Legs, Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm... one ultimate art after another was unleashed by Yu Liancheng; though their exquisiteness was far inferior to the God of War Record, Carefree Wandering, and other divine arts, when unleashed by Yu Liancheng, they were still world-shocking and heaven-weeping.

Boom—!

This battle continued.

It had already exceeded half an hour.

Fortunately, both Yu Liancheng and Xiang Yutian had realized the mystery of the human body as a Taiji and heaven and earth as a Taiji, and could continuously absorb the essence of heaven and earth; otherwise, their True Qi would have long since been exhausted, making it impossible to continue fighting.

But even so, both of them felt a sense of fatigue. They were not only fighting physically, but also constantly engaging in mental warfare, attacking in every aspect.

Suddenly.

The wind and rain both stopped.

The two transformed from extreme movement to extreme stillness.

Two figures stood in mid-air, the surroundings still filled with smoke. Yu Liancheng looked directly at Xiang Yutian, frowning as he said, "Brother Xiang, why are you leaving in such a hurry? This battle has not yet been fully enjoyed. Why not stay and fight to your heart's content?"

Xiang Yutian stood in the void, his tone carrying a sense of desolation: "There is no need to continue fighting; I admit defeat."

His body emitted a glowing jade light, as if he were about to be stripped away from this world at any moment.

This was the precursor to "Shattering the Void."

Yu Liancheng frowned and said, "But I do not have absolute certainty."

Xiang Yutian looked at Yu Liancheng with those eyes that seemed to be able to perceive all mysteries, sighing lightly: "Although I can currently remain undefeated against you, you have split your soul into two; if you summon the other soul back, I will surely be defeated. Since that is the case, why bring trouble upon myself?"

Yu Liancheng looked at Xiang Yutian with an astonished expression: "Brother Xiang's eyes are like torches."

A small portion of his soul had used the Rebirth and Source-Cultivation Method to enter another world. But if he faced a life-threatening danger, he would open the Stone Gate and, regardless of the cost, fuse his soul into one.

By that time, his strength would inevitably increase once again.

Xiang Yutian looked up at the sky leisurely: "I wonder what kind of scenery lies in the Heaven beyond Heaven, and I wonder if those old friends from back then have reached a higher level; I should be leaving now."

After speaking, his figure transformed into a rainbow light, rushing toward the firmament, and in an instant, he vanished, shattering away.

"This guy, he got this seat's battle intent boiling, yet he left first; what a bastard. If we can meet again in the future, I must give him a good beating."

Yu Liancheng looked at the direction where Xiang Yutian had disappeared and suddenly sighed leisurely: "This seat, it seems, should also leave."