Chapter 2140: Ice Heart Nine Mysteries (Part 2)
Shen Wuyi's figure, drifting backward from the recoil, abruptly halted in midair. Her waist twisted like a snapping willow, and the Jueqing Sword, wrapped in a dark red profound light resembling congealed blood, stabbed straight toward the back of Dian Jiuzhi's neck like a ghostly stream of light.
Dian Jiuzhi instinctively spun around, his hand flipping upward. A silver destruction domain instantly spread out, like an overturned sky, tightly sealing the space where Shen Wuyi was located.
In the instant the muffled explosion rang out, he watched helplessly as that figure and aura were swallowed by the destruction force... yet in the same moment, a piercing chill touched the left side of his neck.
Clang!
Although Dian Jiuzhi had not struck at full power, he was still in the midst of an attack with no follow-up power yet. This sword, impeded by his protective profound force, still lightly grazed his skin, sending a spray of blood droplets arcing through the air in fine, scattered lines.
In the brief moment when Dian Jiuzhi's vision hastily shifted, he saw a drop of crimson blood and the dark red longsword piercing into the left side of his neck.
After all, Dian Jiuzhi possessed fifty-two jiazi of experience. His body was already equipped with sufficient profound way instincts. The moment his spiritual perception locked onto Shen Wuyi again, his body and power reacted almost before his thoughts. His left arm reached back to grab the sword, while his right arm drove his body to twist, and he struck a palm upward.
Boom!
Senluo Force—undoubtedly overbearing to the extreme. With almost no buildup, his palm strike produced a thunderous roar, instantly blasting Shen Wuyi and the Jueqing Sword away before they could retreat... shattering them into countless afterimages scattered across the sky.
"...!?" Dian Jiuzhi's pupils visibly constricted.
A familiar icy sensation suddenly appeared behind him, less than a foot from his back. His body, which had just twisted, could not even make an instinctive dodge or defense in time.
Chi!
A tearing sound rang out. Dian Jiuzhi's snow-white divine son robe was cut open, revealing a red mark nearly a foot long on his back, almost drawing blood.
Dian Jiuzhi's mind went blank for a brief moment, as if he had encountered a ghost that should not exist in this world.
His experience was vast, with countless battles fought. He had even visited the Mist Sea dozens of times and witnessed all kinds of swift or bizarre movement techniques from the Abyss World.
But no matter how powerful a movement technique, it always required profound force to drive it and always left traces to follow.
Similarly, no matter how exquisite a movement technique, after a teleportation, there would always be a brief or prolonged moment of stiffness. If not handled well, or if the opponent saw through it in advance, it could even present a significant opening.
But these several teleportations by Shen Wuyi... had no aura at all, and no pause!
While his mind was blank, Shen Wuyi had already pierced his forehead with a sword.
He staggered back, a faint trail of blood sliding down from his forehead.
The sharp pain brought him back to his senses. When his vision refocused, Shen Wuyi's eyes, like ice crystals, were again close at hand.
Slap!
Dian Jiuzhi's palm grabbed empty air. The sword shadow that had been to his left front had once again bizarrely appeared to his right rear, whipping like a lash and striking his cheek hard.
This sword still could not inflict a serious wound, but it was extremely loud, like a heavy slap. Under the gaze of the crowd, it landed on the face of the First Divine Son, which was clearly overflowing with shock and bewilderment.
During the ten breaths he had courteously yielded earlier, he had calmly received all of Shen Wuyi's storm-like attacks without a scratch, appearing powerful, majestic, elegant, and composed.
But after those ten breaths, Shen Wuyi struck seven times... and all seven hit.
Amid the pain, he clearly realized that in those ten breaths, he had only defended and not attacked, while Shen Wuyi had been casually swinging her sword, completely disdainful of his courtesy.
It wasn't just Dian Jiuzhi who was shocked beyond words. Outside the barrier, there was a startling silence. The crowd of powerhouses stood frozen, dazed as if their souls had been lost.
"No more luck," Meng Kongchan said in a relatively calm voice. "So it truly is... the Exquisite Mystic Realm."
He finally understood why Shen Wuyanye had hidden Shen Wuyi so thoroughly—for a full twenty years, even her appearance had never been seen by outsiders. It turned out... that once this girl revealed her true form, it would shock the world, even surpassing Pan Buwang, the "Son of Darkness" who had drawn the attention of even the Abyss Emperor.
By now, Meng Jianxi had begun to grasp a bit. He asked in astonishment, "Her bodily shifts are not a movement technique at all, but... spatial refolding achieved through the Exquisite Mystic Realm?"
Meng Kongchan said, "Touching one of the Exquisite Mystic Realms allows seamless teleportation to one of the other six. Seven layers of Exquisite Mystic Realm are equivalent to... seven portable spaces that can be instantly teleported to at any time!"
In the common understanding, the only function of a portable space was to store items.
Even those as strong as Divine Venerables had never imagined it could be used for spatial folding.
"Spatial force is the hardest to control. Yet she handles it with such ease, like stretching one of her own seven fingers," Meng Kongchan continued. "The most astonishing thing is that once these seven Exquisite Mystic Realms are hidden, only she can know their existence. Even I, during her repeated spatial refolds, could not perceive even a trace of the Exquisite Mystic Realms."
Meng Kongchan sighed softly and said with admiration, "I never thought that among the younger generation, besides Yuan'er, there could be someone who opens my eyes so wide."
Meng Jianxi murmured, "Then can it be understood that although Dian Jiuzhi is facing only one Shen Wuyi, it's equivalent to dealing with seven Shen Wuyis at the same time?"
"No," Yun Che said, his gaze following Shen Wuyi without a moment's break. "When facing seven opponents, the auras and positions of all seven are within perception. But with her... all actions are unpredictable. No matter how rich one's combat experience and insights are, they are utterly useless."
Even the Dreamless Divine Venerable was so astonished—let alone others.
Everyone could see Dian Jiuzhi's discomfiture, but no one mocked him.
Dian Luohou's brows were tightly furrowed, his eyes filled with shock, but his aura remained calm.
Shen Wuyi's bizarre spatial refolding completely defied intuition and common sense. Not to mention Dian Jiuzhi—even if he, the Jueluo Divine Venerable, faced it for the first time, he would definitely be dumbfounded for a while.
But he also believed that after returning to calm from the initial shock and confusion, Dian Jiuzhi would immediately find the most suitable countermeasure... and that countermeasure happened to be in his most skilled domain.
"Exquisite Mystic Realm, spatial... refold?"
Hua Caili softly murmured the completely unfamiliar concept, her jade-like face showing lingering astonishment.
Hua Fuchen sighed, "Not to mention you—even I have never seen such a thing in my life."
"Then... in that case, could this Shen Wuyi really defeat the Senluo Divine Son?"
Hua Caili said this without hiding her anticipation.
Hua Fuchen naturally knew her thoughts, but he slowly shook his head. "If they were of the same realm, even with Dian Jiuzhi's absolute advantage in profound meridians, body, and profound way knowledge, he would almost certainly be no match for Shen Wuyi."
He said "almost certainly" rather than "absolutely not," because he also knew the power of the Barren God Meridian.
"But the chasm in realm cannot be crossed, and on top of that, this battlefield has a spatial limit of only ten thousand zhang." Hua Fuchen gave a conclusion that was unquestionable in his Divine Venerable understanding. "Dian Jiuzhi only needs one method, and Shen Wuyi will surely lose."
"And that is to disregard all of Shen Wuyi's actions and use sheer force to overcome all techniques!"
Hua Caili seemed to understand, and the anticipation in her eyes immediately faded.
Her gaze involuntarily and quietly shifted to Yun Che again...
Before, Yun Che could always instantly sense the touch of her gaze, either returning her look in a flash or slightly curling the corner of his lips. Each time, it made her smile with delight, and her heart would leap with joy for a long time.
But this time, the Yun Che in her sight was staring intently at the Eternal Night Divine Maiden on the battlefield—her beauty captivating the world, her bearing like a demon. His gaze was so focused and closely following every movement of her figure, as if afraid to miss even a single moment of her grace...
His eyes were still as clear as ever, but for some reason, Hua Caili seemed to see an invisible mist hidden within them, making his gaze become infatuated and hazy, unable to accommodate any other scenery... and for a long time, he no longer sensed her lingering gaze.
"..." Hua Caili stood there stunned, no longer focused on the battle on the field. Inside, a very unfamiliar sense of unease and emptiness rapidly rose.
"Moreover, although Shen Wuyi seems to control the Exquisite Mystic Realm at will, it does not appear to be that effortless." Hua Fuchen watched the battlefield, his sword-like eyes clearly discerning everything. "After several consecutive spatial refolds, Shen Wuyi's aura has weakened relatively noticeably. After all, it is spatial force. Maintaining the existence of the Exquisite Mystic Realm naturally comes with tremendous consumption."
"But regardless of the outcome, this battle—especially the appearance of the Exquisite Mystic Realm—will surely be recorded in the annals of the Abyss."
Clang!!
Just as Hua Fuchen finished speaking, a deafening heavy ring came from within the barrier.
After being hit seventeen times in a row, Dian Jiuzhi finally completely awakened from his dazed confusion. The thick profound light on his body swelled three feet, condensed like crystal. The Jueqing Sword had just approached within two feet of him when it was heavily shaken off, sending Shen Wuyi's figure flying backward. She then stopped in midair and did not continue her attack.
Dian Jiuzhi's white robe was torn in many places, and his exposed skin bore wounds of varying depths. Even his face had several gash marks crisscrossing it.
But at this moment, his eyes were exceptionally calm and cold. He had forcefully shaken off the panic caused by the Exquisite Mystic Realm that surpassed his understanding, as well as all traces of contempt and warmth. And now, the Dahuang Force, released without reservation and with full power, made the space tremble faintly.
Dian Luohou's expression did not change, but his slightly tensed body completely relaxed.
"Such a movement technique—unseen, unheard of, truly eye-opening," he said. Even his voice was markedly different from usual, carrying a terrifying might. "If we were of the same realm, I might easily lose. But this time... I can only say I win through unfair means!"
His current posture and spiritual pressure, even with bloodstains and blood beads on his face, did not diminish the prestige of the First Divine Son in the slightest.
With those words, he struck out fiercely, disregarding the enormous consumption of profound energy. The Dahuang Force surged like a giant wave suddenly caught in a storm, instantly blotting out the sky and covering the entire ten-thousand-zhang space ahead.
Without a doubt... using sheer force to overcome all techniques!
Shen Wuyi braced her sword against her body, switching from offense to defense. But the Dahuang Force was too overbearing. Her figure, like a lone boat in a raging wave, was instantly swept thousands of zhang away. She barely managed to stabilize herself, but she was still being rapidly forced back.
Only when she was forced to within less than a hundred zhang of the barrier’s edge did she have the leeway to strike. The Duanqing Thorn in her left hand suddenly flew out, shooting against the Dahuang Force toward Dian Jiuzhi's forehead. Wherever it passed, it produced a piercing screech that set hearts on edge.
The Dahuang Force could not completely block the Duanqing Thorn, but it did sap its speed and power layer by layer. Dian Jiuzhi did not withdraw his force to defend. Instead, he lightly stepped and casually sidestepped ten body lengths, his peripheral vision watching the Duanqing Thorn follow its original trajectory to stab at where he had been a moment ago.
But just as it was about to "touch," it suddenly vanished from his peripheral vision.
Dian Jiuzhi's pupils contracted slightly, and the dangerous screech was already close to his ear.
Bang!
Blood splattered, even carrying large chunks of shredded flesh.
The bizarrely "vanished" Duanqing Thorn had viciously stabbed into Dian Jiuzhi's unguarded back, embedding itself in his spine.
"Wh...!?" Dian Luohou, who had just relaxed for half a breath, blurted out, his eyes instantly bulging almost to bursting.
That was the Duanqing Thorn, a divine son’s weapon. Could it also be spatially refolded through Shen Wuyi's Exquisite Mystic Realm!?
This scene shocked not only the various Divine Venerables, but even the brows of the Great Divine Official twitched visibly.
The shock he had forcibly suppressed came crashing back. In this moment of distraction, a blur appeared before his eyes—the Shen Wuyi who had been forced back thousands of zhang was suddenly right in front of him, thrusting a sword at his heart.
Clang!
Dian Jiuzhi's back was unguarded, but the front was brimming with power. Shen Wuyi's sword struck home, but produced a piercing ring. The Jueqing Sword bent like a crescent moon under the immense rebounding force.
Sharp pain stung his soul, allowing Dian Jiuzhi to return to cold clarity extremely quickly this time. He gritted his teeth slightly and muttered under his breath:
"Senlo Myriad Phenomena... Mastery of All Martial Arts... Heh!"
A dense silver radiance flared on his body, blazing like burning silver flame. With the movement of his arm, the silver radiance transformed into a thousand-foot longsword, sweeping horizontally through the space ahead.
Boom—
The thousand-foot longsword unleashed ten-thousand-zhang sword aura, completely engulfing the space within the barrier. If not for the Great Divine Official's barrier, it might have been enough to cleave half of Eden's Cloud Summit.
Shen Wuyi's figure vanished, instantly reappearing a thousand zhang above. The Duanqing Thorn had also returned to her hand and shot out again.
One thorn and one person, one before the other, attacked Dian Jiuzhi simultaneously along unpredictable trajectories.
But Dian Jiuzhi simply closed his eyes. Even his spiritual perception gathered upon himself, no longer sensing Shen Wuyi's aura.
Only his hand gesture changed slightly. The silver radiance shifted from a longsword to a giant halberd, crashing down from the sky.
The Dahuang Force about to erupt would completely overwhelm the entire battlefield, leaving not even the slightest blind spot... including himself.
Fighting force with force, exchanging wounds for wounds... With absolute realm advantage, absolute physical advantage, and a closed space of only ten thousand zhang, he had no possibility of losing.
"..." Yun Che's fingers clenched tightly.
"Indeed, it is an unfair victory," Meng Kongchan sighed softly. "But it is indeed the best method."
Shen Wuyi's momentum suddenly halted.
In an instant, she realized that this was a power burst covering the entire barrier. No matter how many Exquisite Mystic Realms she had, she could not find a safe space within this battlefield limited to ten thousand zhang.
Boom!!!!
Silver radiance lit up the sky, and space trembled violently. This was the power of the First Divine Son of the Abyss, and moreover, the most overbearing and unrivaled Dahuang Force in the Abyss.
The world knew the names of Dian Jiuzhi and the Barren God Meridian, but few had truly witnessed or experienced his unreserved Dahuang Force.
All the profound practitioners were horrified. Even the divine realm powerhouses who were also at the eighth level of Divine Annihilation Realm were stunned, unable to believe that this was power from the same realm.
"This... isn't it a bit too rough?" Xian Yue couldn't help but mutter. "After all, Shen Wuyi is two realms weaker. An eruption of this magnitude might directly heavily injure... Huh?"
Xian Yue's voice suddenly stopped. He stared at the sky above, frozen for a long time.
The silver radiance gradually subsided. Dian Jiuzhi's arm, raised toward the sky, slowly withdrew... but only halfway, it suddenly stiffened. Then his closed eyes snapped open, and he looked up toward the sky.
That black figure floated high in the sky, robes fluttering. Her beautiful eyes looked down from above, like ice crystals condensed, as cold and indifferent as before.
Completely unharmed.
No matter how much Dian Jiuzhi had fortified his mental defenses, he was again dumbfounded on the spot.
Outside the barrier, there was also a collective state of daze and bewilderment.
Anyone could see that, facing the Exquisite Mystic Realm that defied common sense, Dian Jiuzhi had held almost nothing back in this strike... The Dahuang Force, how fierce, how terrifying.
Under such power, even if Shen Wuyi had used all her strength to defend at the first moment, she would certainly have been injured... possibly even severely.
But under no circumstances could she have come out completely unscathed like this.
Yun Che looked up at the immortal figure high above, his vision blurring for a moment. When his focus returned to clarity, he caught a strange glimmer of refracted light about half a zhang in front of Shen Wuyi.
That was... an ice gleam?
"..." The Great Divine Official's body stiffened for a moment.
Though only for an instant, it caused Donghuang behind him to tremble violently and abruptly raise his head.
"Master, what is the matter?"
A terrible silence... After several breaths, the Great Divine Official slowly uttered four words:
"Glazed Ice."
"..." Donghuang was puzzled.
The Great Divine Official, who never looked up at any living being in the world except the Abyss Emperor, actually raised his head on his own, staring fixedly at the woman’s figure high above.
"Exquisite Mystic Realm... Glazed Ice..."
"This woman actually possesses... Ice Heart Nine Mysteries!"
"Ice Heart... Nine Mysteries?" Donghuang was even more puzzled.
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