Chapter 343: Chapter 343: [The Realm of Emptiness]
...
"Cough cough cough..."
Supporting his body with the hilt of his sword, Zeng Yi managed to barely stand, but coughed up blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Can you tell me why you want to kill me and let me die with some understanding?" he asked.
"Hehe, someone wanted to buy your life and offered a high price that I couldn't refuse."Shu Nian responded with a cold laugh, slowly approaching Zeng Yi as if toying with a defenseless prey trapped in a desperate situation.
He enjoyed this feeling.
After understanding the restrictive effects of Shu Nian's spirit skill on himself, Zeng Yi began pondering how to break the deadlock. Taking this opportunity with Shu Nian talking to him instead of immediately killing him, Zeng Yi quickly recovered and adjusted his body.
He loved to toy with his opponents, slowly eroding their spirits step by step. Because it gave him a chance to turn the tables.
His Spirit Bone skill quietly activated, and a massive surge of spirit power flowed into Zeng Yi's body, condensing and burning.
"Someone wants to kill me? Who?" Zeng Yi continued to buy time.
Shu Nian smirked and said, "That's something you don't need to know. With this doubt, go to hell!"
"Don't you know that I am a disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? Given my talent, my position within the sect is crucial. I don't need to say more, right?" Zeng Yi closed his eyes, sensing any slight movement around him, talking with Shu Nian in a weak voice that showed no concern for the slowly approaching enemy.
Even in the face of impending death, Zeng Yi remained fearless and unwavering.
"Killing me won't let you live. You will face the relentless pursuit of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, no matter what it takes." Zeng Yi threatened. Even though he didn't know when he would die, the life of being hunted down would surely be unpleasant, especially for a talented spirit master like himself.
Facing Zeng Yi's threat, Shu Nian's eyes narrowed. He had naturally considered these consequences before making his move. But since he had already made his move, there was no turning back. He had to get rid of his opponent.
As for what would come next, it depended on whether the forces behind his client who hired him were reliable or not.
"Do you really think the me you see now is the real me?" Zeng Yi asked, still with closed eyes. "Whether I am or not, does it really matter? Indeed, your strength is formidable to me. But to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, you are just a Spirit Saint at best. I don't know when you will die, but a life of being hunted down won't be enjoyable, right?" Zeng Yi's pale lips curled up slightly.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, my master is Sword Douluo. I wonder how long you can live under the pursuit of a Titled Douluo." he added.
Titled Douluo!
After hearing this, Shu Nian's footsteps involuntarily paused, his pupils shrinking.
This guy turned out to be a disciple of a Titled Douluo? And one who is extremely powerful among the Titled Douluos, Sword Douluo!
Shu Nian's heart trembled, but even if he didn't kill Zeng Yi now, he would still be hunted down. Since it had already come to this, there was no turning back, and he didn't mind feeling that he had not lost much by killing such a talented spirit master.
To kill Zeng Yi, Shu Nian had already paid a high price and there was no retreat.
"You think that closing your eyes will protect you from the influence of my spirit skill? You underestimate my abilities."
Seeing Zeng Yi closing his eyes and getting ready to defend against an attack, Shu Nian ridiculed him.
In order to kill Zeng Yi, Shu Nian had even used all his strength, including his seventh spirit skill and his Martial Spirit True Body, along with his Spirit Bone skill.
Yes, Shu Nian possessed a Spirit Bone, and its skill was to manipulate the target's five senses: Shape, Sound, Smell, Taste and Touch.
Once a person lost their five senses, they would become like a headless fly, running aimlessly.
Zeng Yi had relied too much on his hearing and his sense of touch, and Shu Nian disrupted them, turning him into a miserable state.
To be honest, Zeng Yi's performance already surprised Shu Nian. The gap between a Spirit Saint and a Spirit Ancestor, to be honest, even without using spirit skills, a Spirit Saint could kill a Spirit Ancestor easily with the strength of their spirit power alone.
Not to mention the fact that Shu Nian had not only used his spirit power but also his powerful Spirit Bone skill. It could be said that Shu Nian was fully prepared and had made it nearly impossible for Zeng Yi to escape.
Terrifying spirit power that belonged to a Spirit Saint surged out, condensing into a giant palm in the air, slapping down toward Zeng Yi from above.
Shu Nian's mouth revealed a cruel smile. He seemed to have seen the scene of Zeng Yi being turned into minced meat.
Instantly, in the moment Shu Nian launched his attack, Zeng Yi's figure disappeared from its original position.
After using his Spirit Bone skill [Spirit Accumulation], under the nourishment of surging spirit power, Zeng Yi's body also felt much better. At least, he could move.
This was also thanks to the time Shu Nian gave him to talk. Zeng Yi took the opportunity to catch his breath and recover.
At the moment when Shu Nian launched his attack, Zeng Yi used his first spirit skill, [Forward Steps Slash], to dodge and move.
To be honest, Zeng Yi himself wasn't very certain about where he would appear. Because he couldn't trust what he was currently seeing, including the sounds and sense of touch.
It was as if he was locked in a dark space where he couldn't perceive anything beyond his own existence.
However, Zeng Yi knew he couldn't stop. If he stopped, he could be hit by Shu Nian's attack. With the attack of a Spirit Saint level, if it landed on Zeng Yi with his current physical condition, he would die for sure.
Zeng Yi continued to flicker in the forest, never stopping. He used [Forward Steps Slash] continuously, with the landing positions being random and chaotic, without any pattern.
Shu Nian was bewildered as Zeng Yi moved at an incredibly fast speed. Even his sight had difficulty capturing his movements, as if he were a nimble phantom or an erratic wind.
This situation left Shu Nian unable to aim and attack.
Shu Nian grew angry. He didn't expect that even after taking a heavy blow from him, Zeng Yi would still be able to move and dart around like a monkey.
"Do you think that with this method, I won't be able to do anything to you anymore?" Shu Nian snorted, his terrifying spirit power shaking, his steps forward, chasing after Zeng Yi's moving figure.
Zeng Yi's speed was too fast with each move, but Shu Nian discovered that Zeng Yi's movements were without any pattern. Sometimes, he would suddenly appear far away from himself, but the next moment, he could return.
Shu Nian couldn't understand this operation.
Soon, Shu Nian realized that Zeng Yi was still affected by his spirit skill. At this moment, Zeng Yi's behavior was just random movement, only slightly prolonging the time.
Zeng Yi had lost his sense of direction, so no matter how he moved, he couldn't escape Shu Nian's pursuit.
Shu Nian knew that as long as Zeng Yi's spirit power was depleted, killing him would be a piece of cake. This rapid displacement spirit skill couldn't be used continuously. This continuous use of spirit skills consumed a great amount of spirit power and couldn't be sustained for long.
Shu Nian knew that Zeng Yi's fate was sealed. However, he was currently in a state of urgency, as each passing second could increase the chances of an accident.
In order to eliminate Zeng Yi, he had already wasted a lot of time, and the commotion caused was also significant, which could attract the attention of others.
For the sake of safety, Shu Nian couldn't wait for Zeng Yi's spirit power to be depleted; he had to get rid of him as soon as possible.
Shu Nian tried to predict the location where Zeng Yi would land and launched spirit power attacks, but they were all narrowly evaded by Zeng Yi.
While Zeng Yi moved, his brain kept thinking about how to break the impasse. Continuous use of spirit skills was not a feasible method; it consumed a lot of spirit power.
Shu Nian's spirit skill disrupted his five senses, leaving Zeng Yi without perception. So, how could he find Shu Nian's real position?
Even in this situation, Zeng Yi didn't intend to run away; instead, he aimed to find Shu Nian's position and kill him.
In the dense forest, the two figures chased after each other—sometimes in a straight line, sometimes in circles—without any pattern.
Under Shu Nian's spirit power bombardment, the ground became a mess. Trees were occasionally blasted apart, crashing down with a loud noise, stirring up clouds of dust and withered leaves.
Mental Realm, Comprehension of Sword!
Zeng Yi suddenly remembered this.
He still remembered when he was on the Divine Sword Peak in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, where he had experienced this mysterious realm.
Standing on the edge of a cliff, it seemed as if his spirit had merged with nature, with the heavens and earth. It was as if he himself no longer existed or that he was the heavens and earth themselves.
He felt like a piece of rock, feeling the strong wind on the cliff, like a towering pine tree, standing at the summit of a mountain.
Even the birds couldn't sense Zeng Yi's presence. They seemed to mistake Zeng Yi for a pine tree and rested on his shoulders.
Zeng Yi had stood in that state for a whole day and night before recovering. When he woke up, his spirit power had already advanced by one level.
Zeng Yi could never forget that moment of comprehension; it was like entering another world.
But after that, Zeng Yi had never entered that state of meditation again.
Perhaps, he could give it a try now.
"Huh?" Shu Nian looked at Zeng Yi in surprise, also stopping his footsteps.
"What? Is your spirit power not enough? Can't run anymore?" Shu Nian mocked, his face showing the look of someone who had already won, his palm forming a claw, condensing spirit power that emitted a terrifying aura.
He didn't say much and directly planned to send Zeng Yi to his death!
Zeng Yi remained silent. With his right hand gripping his Ronin Sword and another blade appearing in his left hand, it was the Bamboo Sword.
Zeng Yi closed his eyes, his body straddling, assuming a dual-wielding stance. Invisible vigor spread out, sharp and cold intentions pervading the surroundings, lowering the temperature by several degrees.
The wind rose, carrying the withered leaves on the ground, spinning and dancing.
In an instant, countless leaves appeared in the air, swirling and dancing.
A leaf silently landed in front of Shu Nian, who couldn't help but reach out and grab it.
In Shu Nian's astonished gaze, the leaf dissipated into specks of light, and on his hand, there was a trace of blood.
[Sword of Selflessness]
[Striving for Life from Death]
All the spirit power within Zeng Yi's body ignited at that moment, turning into boundless power and condensing onto this single sword.
"Pretending, huh?" Shu Nian snorted as he remarked, momentarily disappearing from his original position.
When he appeared again, he was already five meters in front of Zeng Yi.
A cruel smile appeared on Shu Nian's face as he formed a claw with his right hand, condensing a blood-red claw that was about two meters wide, attacking Zeng Yi's body.
In the blink of an eye, the countless rotating and floating leaves were disturbed by some force, freezing in place.
During that brief pause, Shu Nian felt that the howling wind had also disappeared.
In that moment, it was as if time had stood still.
Despite closing his eyes, Zeng Yi saw a grayish white world with his other senses, a silent stretch of time.
The falling leaves danced, and a figure charged toward him. In a leap, it appeared in the air, the hand gathering spirit power into claws, carrying a brutal and sinister momentum, aiming to kill him.
Even with his right eye tightly closed and the corners of his eyes swollen, a drop of deep-red blood overflowed from Zeng Yi's face, tracing his cheek and falling from his chin.
Zeng Yi couldn't see the world, yet he feel the entire world.
In this space, he merged himself, as if he were a broken stone, a handful of soil, a weed, a tree, or even a falling leaf.
[The Realm of Emptiness]
In an instant, the two intersecting flashes of sword light vanished, accompanied by a splash of blood, and the world fell silent.
Countless falling leaves fluttered down from above, some blurring the view. The figures of Shu Nian and Zeng Yi crossed paths in that moment.
Snap!
A severed arm fell onto the leaf-covered ground, sprinkling blood all around.
Shu Nian froze, his feet weakened, his eyes widened. Mechanically, he turned his head to look at the gaping wound in his right arm, blood flowing profusely.
"Why?" Shu Nian mumbled with pale lips.
The pain of his severed arm surged up to his brain, and he let out a tragic scream that echoed through the dense forest.
"My hand... Ahhh!"
On the other side, Zeng Yi knelt on one knee, supporting his body with one hand holding Ronin Sword stabbed into the ground. However, his entire body trembled, and a claw mark with blood pouring out appeared on his chest, revealing the pale ribs.
"Ha-ha-ha..."
Shu Nian's cries of agony gradually turned into laughter. He laughed like a madman, as if he had been possessed.
He stood up, turned around with unsteady steps, his disheveled hair tainted with crimson blood, and a manic smile on his face.
"In the end, I won~"
Shu Nian burst into laughter and then his crazy gaze turned cold. His eyes were filled with intense hatred.
"Die for me!"
A surging spirit power erupted from Shu Nian's body, and a powerful gust of wind spread in all directions, violently colliding with everything in its path, slamming Zeng Yi's back. Already weakened, Zeng Yi's face turned pale, and a mouthful of blood sprayed out as his body was sent flying.
Having gone mad, Shu Nian didn't care about the pain in his right hand. His left hand transformed into a claw and charged toward Zeng Yi's body like a deathly specter.
Suddenly, an immensely powerful pressure, like the depths of the sky, pressed down on Shu Nian's body.
Boom!
The terrifying pressure directly suppressed Shu Nian onto the ground. He couldn't move at all, and even the surrounding ground sank half a meter deep.
A mouthful of old blood spurted out of Shu Nian's mouth, his appearance becoming even more miserable.
"Is it a Titled Douluo?"
This immense pressure, like the depths of the sky, suppressed Shu Nian's body. All his bones creaked, his skin cracked, blood flowing out. His whole body almost twisted and deformed in the face of this intense fear.
In his panic, Shu Nian instantly thought of something and exclaimed in horror.
"A mere Spirit Saint dares to hurt a disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect! Hmph!"
In the void, a desolate voice echoed in the dense forest, carrying boundless anger.
Suddenly, the countless leaves that had been stirred up fell apart into dust.
"Die!"
Amidst Shu Nian's eyes filled with bloodshot veins and fear, a phantom giant palm appeared in the sky, emitting immense power, falling upon his body like divine punishment.
Under this terrifying pressure, Shu Nian couldn't even move a finger, let alone evade the attack of the heavenly palm.
"No!!!"
Accompanying this terrified but unwilling voice, the heavenly palm came crashing down.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone