Chapter 23: Time
At the top of the tower, the rain poured down in sheets. The two figures in the storm remained silent, or rather, there was no need for words. Having chosen to ascend to the tower's peak, they had come to settle matters of life and death.
Crackle!
The edges of the longsword and greatsword scraped against each other, sparks flying. Su Xiao was knocked back. Facing the Tower Knight Commander, whose True Strength attribute was 800 points, being forced back was only natural.
The longsword slanted toward the ground, raindrops striking the blade and shattering into spray. The downpour cooled the air, and the moonlight energy carried a fresh, grassy scent. Though life and death hung in the balance, the environment was strangely soothing, allowing his state to gradually reach its peak.
Several dozen meters away, the Tower Knight Commander drove his greatsword into the ground, placing both hands on the pommel in a gesture of respect. This was the ritual of a Moon Eclipse Knight before a deathmatch with a worthy enemy.
Hum!
The cyan moonlight on the greatsword grew more pronounced, shifting from patterned lines to irregular cyan veins. Cold air hissed from the vents in the Tower Knight Commander's visor as he gripped his sword and swung it down.
Clang!
A cyan slash flew forth, unlike any before it. This blade light split apart mid-flight, scattering into a shotgun-like barrage that blanketed the area ahead.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Su Xiao slashed three times and tilted his head to dodge the spreading sword light. A bloody gash appeared on his neck, proof that he hadn't fully evaded the attack.
The wind pressure rushing toward him flattened his hair into a style reminiscent of Kingsley. At that moment, he felt as if the world ahead was converging, then hurtling toward him in a single strike—a blow that couldn't be blocked.
The surrounding scenery shattered. Su Xiao's "Grandmaster Instinct" gave him a 0.5-second warning. He sidestepped preemptively as a terrifying slash roared past him.
Clang!
Under that greatsword strike, the rain vanished instantly. The black clouds above dispersed in an instant, revealing a sky as bright as day under a full moon.
Boom!!
The greatsword crashed onto the tower's peak, shaking the entire structure. Normally, unleashing such a powerful technique would leave a brief opening for recovery, but the Tower Knight Commander showed no such weakness. Instead, he used the momentum of the downward strike to roll forward and execute a lion-like slash.
In that instant, Su Xiao felt the breath of death upon him. But he had learned something—after a powerful sword technique, following up with a small move like this was both easy to develop and devastatingly effective.
"Perfect Block."
Clang!
The greatsword was stopped by the longsword. The shockwave from the clash rippled through the air, creating a subtle, elegant beauty.
After the block, the Tower Knight Commander didn't rely on brute force. As a Technique Grandmaster with Sword Grandmastery at Lv.EX, he released his grip on the sword's handle to negate the impact he should have absorbed. Moon-cyan crystals coated his left arm as he punched forward.
Boom!
Cyan crystal shards scattered. The Blade Demon Spirit, struck by this punch, rapidly crystallized, turning into a cyan crystal statue in an instant. This seemingly casual blow was a lethal instant-kill ability.
Such was the nature of technique-type fighters—abilities that appeared unremarkable could be terrifyingly powerful.
The blade cut through space, aiming for the back of the Tower Knight Commander's neck. His aura exploded outward, causing the surrounding space to crack and shift in multiple dislocations. The incoming blade halted abruptly.
With everything frozen, the Tower Knight Commander swung his greatsword in a reverse arc. With a sharp crack, "Su Xiao" was shattered into scattered cyan crystal fragments. Indeed, the moment he was trapped in the time-stopping field, Su Xiao had swapped places with the Demon Spirit. What was now destroyed was the crystallized Demon Spirit.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three slashes, so fast they slowed the surrounding time field, were all blocked by the greatsword. Though the Tower Knight Commander appeared to be a heavy swordsman, he kept up with Su Xiao's nearly rule-breaking ultra-high-speed combo.
Clang!!
Su Xiao delivered a heavy slash, forcing the Tower Knight Commander back several steps. He swung his greatsword, expelling the force that had penetrated his body, sending debris flying from the ground beside him.
"Blade Path: Azure Demon."
Clang!
A cyan-blue slash flew out. Enhanced, the Azure Demon's slash width exceeded ten meters, its momentum astonishing and speed incredible. In an instant, it reached the Tower Knight Commander.
The cyan moon patterns on the greatsword grew more distinct. As the blade hummed, a suction force erupted, causing the Azure Demon to deform rapidly before being absorbed by the greatsword.
This wasn't the Azure Demon's fault—it was the Moon Eclipse Greatsword's trait. When activated, it could absorb nearly all attack-type abilities.
The Moon Eclipse Greatsword plunged into the ground. Dozens of meters away, Su Xiao felt a tremor beneath his feet. He leaped while slashing downward, shattering several-meter-long crystal spikes that had erupted from the earth.
Landing, Su Xiao stared at the Tower Knight Commander dozens of meters away. But the next second—
Pfft!
Blood sprayed as crystal fragments scattered. A diagonal slash cut across Su Xiao's chest. Even though he raised his crystallized left arm to block, he couldn't stop the blow.
Half a second earlier, the Tower Knight Commander, dozens of meters away, had swung his sword in the air without releasing a blade light. It was a phantom strike that reached Su Xiao.
Facing such an ability, Su Xiao couldn't afford to keep his distance. The rocky ground beneath him cracked as he vanished, reappearing in front of the Tower Knight Commander in the next instant.
"Blade Path: Slay."
Su Xiao slashed diagonally. With a whoosh, a dark red blood-colored chain shot out, dotted with sparks.
Clang, clang, clang, clang...
A rapid series of metallic sounds reached Su Xiao, signaling trouble. He gathered protective energy in advance, preparing for a perfect block.
Aside from absorbing enemy attacks with the Moon Eclipse Greatsword, the Tower Knight Commander's counter-block was another deadly trick. Attacks like "Slay," with their ultra-high frequency, quickly maxed out his "Counter Block" stacks. The more stacks, the more powerful the counter.
Boom!
The descending greatsword was blocked by Su Xiao's longsword. The ground around him cracked in concentric rings, spreading across the entire tower peak.
Crack, crack~
The edges of the greatsword and longsword ground against each other, neither gaining the upper hand.
"Gleaming Moon: Baptism."
The greatsword bloomed with moonlight, echoing the full moon above. A cyan-white beam of moonlight descended, striking the tower peak. Liquid-like moonlight energy filled the area, spilling over the parapets and flowing down the tower.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three heavy slashes forced Su Xiao back. The moonlight beam had rattled his bones, nearly shattering them. Worse, during the greatsword's moonlight bloom, each clash with an enemy triggered another beam.
From above, beams of moonlight fell one after another until the final one surged downward for over ten seconds, finally calming the tower peak.
Drip, drip~
Blood dripped from the blade's tip. The world before Su Xiao seemed slightly doubled. Both he and the Tower Knight Commander were technique-type fighters—life and death hung on a single moment. But he had to admit, the Moon Eclipse Greatsword was incredibly oppressive.
Moonlight drifted from the greatsword as the Tower Knight Commander lowered its tip to the ground. He suddenly accelerated, his sword technique blending power and grace. It was a battlefield of heavy slashes and scattered moonlight.
Su Xiao waited for an opportunity. That opportunity came when the Demon Spirit, now crystal fragments a hundred meters away, began to re-form into black smoke. He clenched his left hand, wearing the Black King Bracer, forcibly pulling the Demon Spirit back to cling behind him.
Dark blue smoke rose from Su Xiao's body. This was an advanced ability he had developed based on "Demon Spirit: Dual Blades," called "Dual Blades Bloom."
Demon Spirit abilities seemed complex but were simple. At this stage, there were three basic abilities: Swap, Transfer, and Dual Blades.
In more straightforward terms, the Demon Spirit had 100/100 energy points per natural day. Each use of Swap, Transfer, or Dual Blades consumed 20 energy points. The Demon Spirit never recovered energy in battle, only while dormant within the Dragon-Slaying Flash.
The advanced ability "Dual Blades Bloom" consumed 10 energy points per second.
From an observer's perspective, the Blade Demon Spirit now only had an upper body. Her long, misty black hair drifted. Her once-pitch-black eyes now held blue pupils. She held a phantom-like Dragon-Slaying Flash, mirroring Su Xiao's stance.
With a boom, Su Xiao's feet shattered the ground as he charged forward, delivering a heavy slash.
Clang! Clang!
Two metallic clashes rang out. The Tower Knight Commander, who had been suppressing Su Xiao, was forced back half a step.
"Blade Path: Extreme."
Su Xiao slashed upward diagonally. The enemy, with no other choice, raised his greatsword to block.
Clang! Clang!
Two more explosive clashes. The sheer force peeled a layer of earth from the tower peak—a structure that had stood for two eras, its protective wards countless.
"Extreme Blade: World!"
After executing "Blade Path: Extreme," Su Xiao's longsword was still raised when he unfairly unleashed "Extreme Blade: World."
Clang, clang, clang...
The dense, sugar-cube-like slash domain of "Extreme Blade: World" appeared. Even technique-type fighters who had faced Su Xiao found this move outrageously cheap.
Several pieces of the Tower Knight Commander's armor shattered. His dark blue cape grew more tattered. Blood seeped from the cracks in his armor, proving he wasn't an undead but a living powerhouse. How he had survived from the First Era to now, in such a state, was hinted at by his entrance—he had likely been within the moon above.
After activating "Dual Blades Bloom," Su Xiao's slashes repeatedly suppressed the Tower Knight Commander. But the latter wasn't so easily dealt with.
"Gleaming Moon: Time Drown."
The Tower Knight Commander's aura exploded. Cyan moonlight filled the air with particles.
Almost simultaneously, Su Xiao felt the surrounding space grow viscous, as if he were submerged in thick liquid. This was the effect of time being slowed.
Trapped in the slowed time field, Su Xiao clearly sensed the sharp greatsword approaching. The two-palm-wide blade, despite its length, wasn't cumbersome. The Tower Knight Commander, over three meters tall, wielded it with a blend of power, sharpness, and speed.
With "Dual Blades" active, swapping with the Demon Spirit was pointless. As for Dragon Shadow Flash, in this slowed time field, space penetration would also be slow.
The blade neared, but Su Xiao couldn't move. His pupils gradually contracted as he locked eyes with the Tower Knight Commander. The "Malicious Gaze" ability, derived from his negative Charm attribute, activated. Through "Malicious Gaze," it triggered the enemy's breath flaw, then activated the effect of "Time: Dominator."
Thump~!
The time-slowing effect spread, perfectly countering the Tower Knight Commander's "Gleaming Moon: Time Drown."
"Extreme Blade: World!"
Clang, clang, clang...
Sharp slashes echoed through the sky. A pitch-black passage appeared in the air behind him, a sign that an "Abyss Passage" was about to be cut.
Blood sprayed from Su Xiao's body, especially his neck. Using "Extreme Blade: World" twice in a row placed an immense burden on him, causing his body to hemorrhage. The wound on his neck was the most severe.
Spirit Shadow Threads extended from Su Xiao's crystalline left hand, piercing into the neck wound. He pulled hard, forcibly stitching it closed. It had been dangerously close—he had nearly been decapitated. If not for interrupting that sword strike, he would have died.
A whoosh of wind approached. Su Xiao slashed away a flying Dark Moon Spear. The black spear, after being deflected, exploded in the high air, scattering dark embers that rustled his coat.
He vanished instantly. Above, Dark Moon Spears rained down endlessly. Looking up, the silver moon had turned blood-red.
While sprinting to dodge, Su Xiao reached into the air and grasped "Dead Silence Annihilation."
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!
Five Annihilation bullets flew out. Two missed, one struck the Tower Knight Commander's left chest, causing armor and flesh to rot like decayed wood. The last two hit the Moon Eclipse Greatsword, dispersing the dark purple light on it. Simultaneously, the blood moon above reverted to silver.
Su Xiao stopped. Looking back at his path, it was lined with Dark Moon Spears embedded in a winding trail. He commanded the Demon Spirit to pull out a spear that had pierced his shoulder, then another that had entered his side and exited from his lower back.
Clatter~
The bloodstained Dark Moon Spear, made of energy, fell to the ground with a metallic sound.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Su Xiao covered his mouth with one hand, blood spurting through his fingers. Fighting to this extent, he felt his internal organs burning. Every time he blocked a heavy greatsword strike, it felt like his organs would shatter.
A max-level Technique Grandmaster, numerous passive abilities boosting normal attacks, 800 points of True Strength, 800 points of True Agility, and 800 points of True Stamina—all these formidable elements combined into one being. That Su Xiao could fight to this point was something previously impossible.
More critically, the Tower Knight Commander was a slow-blooming powerhouse. Having been dormant for so long, his sword technique wasn't at its peak initially. But after fighting Su Xiao to the death, he had reached his zenith. His heart began to beat strongly, his eyes bright.
Boom!
Wind pressure surged. The Tower Knight Commander's aura erupted. He gripped his greatsword with both hands, raising it high.
"Gleaming Moon: Sword Slash."
The Moon Eclipse Greatsword's silver moonlight energy exploded, forming a colossal sword that stood between heaven and earth. It swung down.
Su Xiao leaped back while using Dragon Shadow Flash to penetrate space.
Boom!
The silver moon greatsword crashed onto the tower peak. From above, the sight was magnificent.
Caught in the wind pressure and silver moonlight energy, Su Xiao could only penetrate space for three seconds. But the energy eruption from this slash seemed to last longer. When he emerged from space penetration, a crystal layer coated his body. The silver moonlight energy struck it, producing cracking sounds.
Wind pressure hit him head-on. Su Xiao raised his longsword to block.
"Perfect Block."
Clang!!
The greatsword came down. Though blocked, the crystal layer on Su Xiao's body shattered instantly. Then, a large hand coated in moon-cyan crystals reached for him. This seemingly ordinary grab—Su Xiao had experienced it through the Demon Spirit. Even the Demon Spirit, with its undying nature, had been crystallized and immobilized for a long time. If he himself were caught by this "Moon Grasp," it would trigger an instant-death or execution judgment.
Su Xiao's eyes widened slightly as he locked eyes with the Tower Knight Commander. "Malicious Gaze" triggered, spreading a time-slowing effect that slowed everything around them.
The Moon Grasp slowly reached for Su Xiao's neck. He leaped back in slow motion. Though both were moving slowly, any observer would be unable to see their movements—too fast, beyond the limits of the naked eye, leaving no time for spatial fluctuations.
Su Xiao leaped back, but inexplicably, a phantom remained in his original spot. After he had retreated for several seconds, the Tower Knight Commander's left hand, enhanced by "Moon Hand," grabbed the phantom's throat.
Mid-air, Su Xiao wasn't caught, but he felt a faint choking sensation around his neck. He realized that, just before he leaped back, the Tower Knight Commander had used some ability, leaving that phantom behind.
Crack, crack, crack~
The moon-cyan crystals on the Tower Knight Commander's hand spread onto the phantom, crystallizing it. He tossed the crystallized Su Xiao into the air and thrust his greatsword upward. The thrust had a beautiful, technique-driven power.
Smack!
The crystallized Su Xiao was pierced through the back, then shattered.
Dozens of meters away, Su Xiao landed. He watched the broken crystal statue, a wave of palpitations washing over him. A battle prompt followed.
[Warning: You have been subjected to the instant-death judgment of "Moon Grasp."]
[If this judgment fails, you will suffer instant death.]
[The "Blade Heart" ability derived from Sword Grandmastery has been activated.]
[Current Blade Hearts: 2/2.]
[One Blade Heart has been consumed to successfully negate this instant-death judgment.]
...
The illusory suffocation receded like a tide. Su Xiao looked at the Tower Knight Commander across from him. Based on his experience, he could guess what had happened. The enemy had grasped the "past" version of him.
More precisely, it was the version of himself from 0.1 seconds before he leaped back. Through this "past self," the instant-death ability had been transmitted to his real body.
A faint ringing sounded in Su Xiao's ears. He knew the enemy was using time-based abilities again. In the next instant, the Tower Knight Commander appeared before him, delivering a heavy slash.
Clang!!
Though he blocked it perfectly, Su Xiao nearly broke his guard. Blood energy gathered behind him as the Blood Beast lunged. But before it could reach the Tower Knight Commander, it was absorbed by the Moon Eclipse Greatsword. The greatsword, now pressed against Su Xiao's longsword, surged in power.
Boom! The Tower Knight Commander used this to send Su Xiao flying. Landing in a crouch, Su Xiao watched the charging enemy without rising to block.
"Heaven's Wrath."
Unbeknownst to him, a massive vortex of black clouds had gathered above. As Su Xiao used his elemental affinity to summon lightning, Heavenly Lightning descended.
Crimson patterns appeared on Su Xiao's arms, a result of activating the core ability of his Eternal-grade equipment [Blood Moon Queen].
[Equipment Effect 2: Crimson Blood Moon (Core, Active): Immediately consume 95% of current soul energy, converting it into "Primordial Life Force." For the next 10 seconds, your maximum health increases by 400% as "bonus maximum health." During this time, all damage you take will only consume this "bonus maximum health" until it is depleted.]
[Note: This ability has a cooldown of five natural days.]
[Note: The maximum bonus from this "bonus maximum health" is 10,000,000 points.]
...
With Su Xiao's 1,290-point elemental affinity as a catalyst, the Heavenly Lightning descended. A golden beam over a hundred kilometers in diameter struck, instantly engulfing the ancient tower.
The tower peak was filled with Heavenly Lightning. Amid the continuous downpour, Su Xiao rose from his crouch.
"Blade Path: Flow."
A graceful wind scar cut across the Tower Knight Commander's throat. Under the baptism of Heavenly Lightning, even he could barely move. Su Xiao, enduring the high damage, charged forward and delivered a heavy slash across the enemy's chest. Blood droplets arced from the blade before being vaporized by the lightning.
Su Xiao took a deep breath and delivered a straight kick, aiming to maximize force penetration without sending the Tower Knight Commander flying.
Thump!
The kick was so powerful that the surrounding Heavenly Lightning scattered momentarily. Su Xiao could feel the temporary health from [Blood Moon Queen] nearly depleted.
"Heaven's Wrath: Torrent Slash."
All the descending Heavenly Lightning converged onto the Dragon-Slaying Flash. The surroundings fell silent, leaving only golden arcs surging along the blade.
The Torrent Slash descended like divine punishment. The Tower Knight Commander, forced to one knee by the kick, broke free from paralysis early and swung his sword upward in a counter.
Clang! With a crash, golden lightning surged. Cracks spread across the tower peak, threatening collapse. The Dragon-Slaying Flash, charged with massive Heavenly Lightning, cut into the greatsword's edge.
Crack! Crack!
One side of the Moon Eclipse Greatsword fractured. Before the Dragon-Slaying Flash could cut further, a phantom appeared behind Su Xiao. This phantom had a human body and wolf head, over five meters tall, wielding a phantom war scythe.
The surrounding time field suddenly froze. Sensing this, Su Xiao tried to lock eyes with the Tower Knight Commander, but the enemy's greatsword blocked their line of sight.
The massive phantom war scythe swung through Su Xiao. Though it dealt no physical damage, it inflicted 10% of his maximum health as soul damage—thanks to his high soul strength. Worse, the following execution prompt was terrifying.
[You have been subjected to the execution of "Dark Moon Death God."]
[If this judgment fails, you will suffer execution.]
[The "Blade Heart" ability derived from Sword Grandmastery has been activated.]
[Current Blade Hearts: 1/2.]
[One Blade Heart has been consumed to successfully negate this execution.]
...
In such a short time, one instant-death and one execution—this showed the intensity of fighting the Tower Knight Commander.
Boom!
The force from the greatsword sent Su Xiao flying, but that was what he wanted. Leaping back mid-air, he pointed his left index finger at the Tower Knight Commander.
[Blood Beast: Talent Ability - Blood Fury: Every point of health you lose accumulates as "Fury Blood Value." The cap of "Fury Blood Value" is based on your maximum health. Activating this talent consumes all stored "Fury Blood Value." Your next blood-based attack will deal 70% of the consumed "Fury Blood Value" as blood damage.]
Given the injuries Su Xiao had sustained, the 2,150,000-point Fury Blood Value cap was already maxed. In fact, without the team's ultimate skill and the powerful recovery of "Wild Hunt Night," the health he had lost would have been fatal.
Massive amounts of blood energy gathered at Su Xiao's fingertip. Compressed to the extreme, from a distance, his fingertip emitted a piercing crimson glow, forming a massive halo cross.
"Blood Smoke Cannon: Fury."
Boom!!
A blood-colored beam shot out, leaving ripples in space. Unavoidably fast, it pierced the Tower Knight Commander's chest. Given the remaining health he had after enduring the Heavenly Lightning, this strike was lethal.
The Tower Knight Commander stepped back, then the bucket-sized hole in his chest blurred and disappeared. It wasn't healing—it was time-reversal restoration. Even the erosion marks from the Annihilation bullets vanished.
Su Xiao was certain that blow had killed the Tower Knight Commander, who hadn't recovered his health after the Heavenly Lightning. But considering the enemy's strength, surpassing even divine beasts, having a powerful life-saving measure was expected.
The question was, how had he resolved this fatal situation? Given his time-based abilities, had he reversed the deadly strike?
That seemed unlikely. Reversing death to life would cause the surrounding time field to go nearly berserk. Yet the time field remained stable. Plus, the Tower Knight Commander's time abilities were integrated with his sword techniques, rarely manifesting independently.
That left one possibility: Su Xiao had truly killed the Tower Knight Commander, but the one who died was the "past" or "future" version. The "present" Tower Knight Commander had successfully avoided this death.
Su Xiao could think of this because he had a "good teammate" who also used time abilities. In fact, Zuiyasi's time abilities were purer than the Tower Knight Commander's, whose time abilities were auxiliary to his swordsmanship.
Past, present, future.
That meant he would have to kill the Tower Knight Commander at least three times to win. This was why the Tower Knight Commander was a tougher opponent than divine beasts.
With a deafening boom, Su Xiao and the Tower Knight Commander vanished simultaneously. When they reappeared, they were less than two meters apart.
"Blade Path: Extreme."
The greatsword and longsword clashed. This time, the tower peak couldn't withstand it. It shattered, causing the surrounding space to crack open. Su Xiao and the Tower Knight Commander seemed to exist in a kaleidoscopic domain.
The domain lasted only seconds before breaking. Amid the rubble, Su Xiao suddenly appeared beside the Tower Knight Commander, delivering a side kick.
Thump!
The Tower Knight Commander blocked with his greatsword but was sent flying as a diagonal phantom, crashing into the black mist to the right of the ancient tower. The Moon Eclipse Greatsword, having taken the kick, had more cracks on its blade.
Wind whistled past Su Xiao's ears as he ran straight down the tower's outer wall. Reaching maximum speed, he became a downward phantom, then used the momentum for a leaping slash.
The longsword scraped past the greatsword, plunging into the ground. The blade's force caused dozens of meters of earth around it to erupt with blade-light spikes, a spectacular sight.
The greatsword cut through the air, blade light crisscrossing. Su Xiao met the Moon Eclipse Greatsword with a clash. The powerful shock reduced his health significantly, and worse, "Blood Master" triggered.
Su Xiao ignored this. Relying on the enhanced defense during "Blood Master," he ignored the fact that his left arm was shattered by the greatsword. He delivered a full-force straight kick. Even the Tower Knight Commander's eyes grew extremely grave, but the kick was unavoidable.
Thump!!!
In that instant, the Tower Knight Commander turned into light. In less than 0.1 seconds, he vanished from Su Xiao's sight.
Su Xiao spat out a mouthful of blood. He took out a vial of high-concentration "Vitality Essence" and injected it into his neck with a syringe gun for the fastest effect. His health rapidly recovered.
Sizzle~
The Spirit Shadow Threads tightened, temporarily sealing his cracked organs. Crystals extended from his severed arm, forming a crystalline left arm with semi-energized Spirit Shadow Threads as nerves.
Su Xiao looked into the distance. Based on his extensive experience with straight kicks, he estimated how far the Tower Knight Commander would fly. A crystal layer spread beneath his feet, forming a Law-Destroying Teleportation Array.
With a dull thud, Su Xiao vanished. When the spatial fluctuations subsided, he was inside the underground city.
The central building of the underground city had collapsed. The scavenger faction that had recently occupied it now surrounded the Tower Knight Commander. Su Xiao's sudden appearance placed him within the encirclement of thousands of scavengers.
The scavenger leaders glared at him, assuming he and the Tower Knight Commander were rivals for the city. One leader was about to shout when Su Xiao and the Tower Knight Commander vanished from their sight.
When they reappeared, the greatsword and longsword clashed fiercely.
Boom!
The surrounding space shattered. The shockwave from the battle obliterated all the hostile scavengers in the area. The scavenger faction was instantly wiped out.
Su Xiao was knocked back a few steps. He pointed forward with one hand.
"Blood Smoke Cannon."
Clang~
Before the Blood Smoke Cannon could fire, a diagonal slash appeared on Su Xiao's chest. The strike was too fast. In response, the Blood Smoke Cannon hit the Tower Knight Commander's shoulder, staggering him slightly.
Su Xiao's left hand, wearing the Black King Bracer, clenched. The blood of the scavengers, shattered by the shockwave, gathered in his hand, forming blood energy.
"Super: Blood Smoke Cannon."
A ten-meter-tall blood-energy phantom upper body appeared behind Su Xiao. Its index finger pointed forward, and a bucket-thick Blood Smoke Cannon struck the Tower Knight Commander.
With ample blood energy, Su Xiao maintained the "Super: Blood Smoke Cannon" output. Simultaneously, the high-concentration blood-energy mass in his left hand rapidly depleted.
The "Super: Blood Smoke Cannon" pushed the Tower Knight Commander, plowing through the underground city's buildings, then breaking through the city wall, blasting him out of the city. The blood-energy mass in Su Xiao's hand was consumed.
Su Xiao turned into a phantom, charging toward the Tower Knight Commander. He left the underground city for several kilometers, reaching the northern "Lightless Zone" beneath the sky wall, where the Tower Knight Commander stood.
With each breath, Su Xiao felt his organs sting. He was at his limit. In a war of attrition, he was no match for the Tower Knight Commander, whose True Stamina was 800 points.
The pitch-black sky wall loomed. Below, the Tower Knight Commander's armor was covered in cracks. An invisible wave spread from him, slowing the surrounding time field. Floating debris turned slowly.
A blade light slashed through Su Xiao's position. He penetrated space, dodging it while his longsword slanted toward the ground.
"Extreme Blade: World."
Clang~
The surrounding time field was shattered. Su Xiao's guess was correct—this wasn't pure time ability but a domain ability derived from the Tower Knight Commander's peak swordsmanship.
[Extreme Blade: World (Domain-Breaking Effect): When this ability is activated, if you are within another domain, it will instantly destroy that domain (this domain-breaking trait has high priority).]
The domain-breaking effect of "Extreme Blade: World" turned Su Xiao from passive to active. However, after using it, his entire body was briefly weakened, requiring 1.2 to 1.5 seconds to recover. This short time, in such a high-level battle, was enough to lose the opportunity.
"Blade Path: Azure Demon."
The cyan-blue blade light flew out. "Azure Demon" had two traits: speed and low consumption.
It struck the Moon Eclipse Greatsword, forcing the Tower Knight Commander, who had just endured "Extreme Blade: World" and the domain-breaking backlash, back half a step.
Now was the chance!
Su Xiao advanced, locking eyes with the Tower Knight Commander. "Time: Dominator" triggered, slowing time around them. But in the next instant, the slowed time field shattered, neutralized by the enemy's ability.
That was Su Xiao's goal. He didn't aim to restrict the Tower Knight Commander with "Time: Dominator" but to force him to use a time-based sword technique to counter it. This way, the enemy couldn't avoid the next strike.
Su Xiao delivered a straight kick. This was the beauty of a basic attack being a powerful skill—no cooldown worries, and its speed was nearly unstoppable.
Thump!!
The Tower Knight Commander was kicked to one knee, his left arm instinctively raised in defense.
"Blade Path: Demon Blade."
The Dragon-Slaying Flash, coated in dark blue smoke, severed the Tower Knight Commander's left arm, with a tip of the blade cutting through the enemy's throat.
The longsword left a trail of dark blue smoke in the air. The Demon Spirit's dark blue smoke entered the Tower Knight Commander's body through the wound, causing him to shudder. The execution succeeded.
Boom!
The Tower Knight Commander's body shattered. More accurately, the shell resembling him broke apart. These shell fragments dissipated upon landing due to the Demon Blade's execution. The Tower Knight Commander, freed from the shell, staggered back a few steps but wasn't executed.
Had the Demon Blade's execution failed? Of course not. Once triggered, it was guaranteed to succeed. The Demon Blade had successfully executed the "past" Tower Knight Commander. Now, only the "present" one stood before him.
Past, present, future—Su Xiao had killed two of the three. But he was on the verge of exhaustion.
The Tower Knight Commander gripped his greatsword with both hands, raising it high.
"Gleaming Moon: King's Sword!"
The Moon Eclipse Greatsword's silver moonlight energy exploded, forming a colossal sword between heaven and earth. Silver moonlight poured down, creating a hundred-meter-long cyan moonlight greatsword. Against the backdrop of the pitch-black sky wall, the sight was magnificent.
Facing the descending cyan moonlight greatsword, Su Xiao advanced while slashing. This seemingly ordinary slash caused large cracks to appear on his right arm.
"Extreme Blade: White Night."
The slash's force dispersed the incoming cyan moonlight. Su Xiao, relying solely on the momentum of this "Powerful Slash," broke through the energy assault of the hundred-meter cyan moonlight greatsword. With the Dragon-Slaying Flash, he delivered a close-combat slash to the Moon Eclipse Greatsword.
When the blades met, there was no thunderous sound—only brief silence.
With Su Xiao and the Tower Knight Commander as the center, layers of shockwaves spread, peeling off the earth. In the violent energy field, the longsword and greatsword pressed against each other. Previously, the greatsword had the advantage in cutting power, but now, cracks spread along its edge, covering the entire blade.
The Moon Eclipse Greatsword shattered. Nothing remained to block the "Powerful Slash." The blade cut diagonally across the Tower Knight Commander's chest, then struck the pitch-black sky wall behind him.
With a deafening roar, large fragments fell from the sky wall. A ten-thousand-meter-long slash scarred the wall, which had shown no signs of weathering over three eras. This scar was a striking testament to the Law Destroyer who had come to this world, destined to leave a notable mark.
Greatsword fragments fell. The Tower Knight Commander, holding the broken sword, stepped forward. But his armor shattered piece by piece. Now, his upper body within the armor was mostly gone, the armor itself tattered, and the dark blue cape reduced to a remnant.
The Tower Knight Commander collapsed. Su Xiao, still standing, was the victor of this deathmatch. But his left arm was severed, his right arm covered in cracks extending to his right chest. Worse, his heart was riddled with cracks, stitched together by Spirit Shadow Threads. He was gravely wounded, half a step from death.
From the start of the battle to the end, neither Su Xiao nor the Tower Knight Commander had spoken a word. There was no need. Since Su Xiao had climbed the tower's peak, it was to settle life and death.
With a thud, Su Xiao also fell. Soon, Bubu Wang, Amu, and Baha rushed over at full speed.
An hour later, Su Xiao sat before a grave mound. His injuries were mostly stabilized.
After a while, Su Xiao stood with Amu's help. As he took a few steps, he noticed the black clouds in the sky parting slightly. Through the gaps, a beam of silver-cyan moonlight seemed to shine down, illuminating the grave, witnessing the final glory of the Dark Moon Kingdom.
A broken greatsword served as a tombstone. The tattered dark blue cape was tied to its hilt, fluttering in the breeze beneath the sky wall.
The Tower Knight Commander had been slain.