Chapter 916: Sparring

"Let's have a fight."

The six Supremes and Prime Abyss Highlord exchanged glances.

They had mentally prepared themselves for Li Pin's manner of speaking after reviewing his background earlier.

Moreover, the method of verification he proposed—a fight—also aligned with what they had in mind. It was indeed the clearest and best way to verify whether his path was viable.

The Supremes nodded in agreement.

"Very well."

Prime Abyss Highlord asked, "Who will do it?"

As a Highlord who followed an eternal and unshakeable path, it would be hard for him.

Just as Supreme Primordial was about to speak, Supreme Great Heaven stepped forward and smiled. "I'll do it."

He glanced at the others. "We agreed this task would be mine. Let me offer some guidance, I mean spar with him for a bit, and see just how strong and complete Supreme Origin's path has become."

Supreme Primordial, who had intended to make a move, withdrew his step upon hearing that. "Then be careful. Origin only just attained Supreme. His capacity, as you've felt, is far from comparable to yours. Don't hurt him."

"Don't worry. It's just a duel. I'll go easy on him," Supreme Great Heaven said with a smile.

"Wait," called out Li Pin, sensing that something was off with their words. "Although this is only a sparring match, and words can't really explain everything, I still have to remind you of something, Supreme Great Heaven. After attaining Supreme, I've already taken half a step further. Mmm... I call the realm above 'Liberation."

He continued, "However, after discussing it with Supreme Dao Origin, I realized that this realm—which can create something out of nothing—can also be called the Creation Realm, as Miao Ya also happens to call it. In short, I am now at the Demi-Creation Realm, or a Quasi-Creation Realm stage."

At this point, he felt his explanation was getting messy and finally shook his head. "In any case, although I haven't been a Supreme for long and my capacity can't compare to yours, I've already stepped toward the higher Creation Realm right after becoming a Supreme. In terms of power, I am not beneath any of you. Therefore..."

He looked at Supreme Great Heaven. "Please do not hold back."

Supreme Great Heaven shook his head speechlessly at Li Pin's words. "What Demi-Creation, Quasi-Creation..."

Sensing the difference in capacity between himself and Li Pin, he said, "Fine, since you've asked me not to hold back, I'll take it a little seriously and fight you with twice your capacity."

Energy rippled about Supreme Great Heaven as he spoke.

"Since there's a cap on the power we can use, capacity just gives us the freedom to act without concern. Aside from lasting longer, it doesn't mean much. If you can only spend ten thousand a day, it doesn't matter if you have a hundred billion or even a trillion lying in the bank."

Li Pin saw that although Supreme Great Heaven seemed contemplative, he still wasn't taking it all that seriously and didn't continue speaking.

Words were useless. When everyone believed absolutely in their own understanding and considered their words as the absolute truth, verbal persuasion held no meaning. It's just like how you can never convince a diehard contrarian who's convinced they're right.

"Come," Li Pin said.

The surrounding space distorted. In the next instant, he directly left the area by manipulating the power of time and space.

"There is nothing left to destroy in this region. The repeated descents of void lifeforms have already eroded matter and energy..." Supreme Great Heaven remarked.

However, seeing that Li Pin had already left, he followed along anyway.

The two traveled rapidly, and only when they were near the Void of Chaos did Li Pin finally stop.

He chose to duel near the Void of Chaos not to exploit the terrain, but because only in that place could the Great Dao Radiance be perfectly demonstrated in its operation within chaos.

Swoosh!

As Li Pin stopped, Supreme Great Heaven immediately appeared beside him.

The other five Supremes and the Prime Abyss Highlord also arrived one after another.

Clearly, in terms of mastery over power, these Supremes were still above Li Pin. After all, even a fraction of their lifespans surpassed Li Pin's three-hundred-year life by countless times.

"Is this place good?" Supreme Great Heaven asked. "You may choose the battlefield most favorable to you."

"This will do," Li Pin answered. "Next, I'll draw my sword, and I'll go nearly at full strength. Be careful."

"Oh? Is it that the Eternal Swordlight sword art?"

Li Pin had never concealed his information, and Supreme Great Heaven naturally had gained some understanding through his access to various channels.

Supreme Great Heaven beckoned. "Come. I'll show you how Supremes manipulate time and space."

Li Pin gave a slight nod and drew his sword. "Be careful."

As the Great Dao Radiance was released, matter, energy, time, and space were simulated and transformed almost instantly, conjured from nothing, reaching a level surpassing even the peak of a Divine Emperor.

If a Tyrant's power limit was 10 billion, and a Divine Emperor could raise it to 19.9 billion when striving for Supreme, then Li Pin's current energy release was definitely over 100 billion.

Of course, even a 100-billion-level energy release was still less than a tenth of the full capacity of these ancient Supremes, who had accumulated for countless years in the universe. Not to mention, the capacity they lost could be continuously replenished from the universe through their manipulation of the laws.

Thus, facing a sword strike that seemed to illuminate the entire galaxy, Supreme Great Heaven directly responded, mobilizing energy twice that of Li Pin's strike to block it.

In that moment, it was as if he held up an even more vast starry sea in his hands.

Countless materials and energies constantly transformed within it, forming planets, stars, neutron stars, and black holes. Then, like stars, all newly generated energy was instantly released. Under accelerated time and compressed space, the entire process was contained within a small area, perfectly intercepting the sword light that Li Pin had unleashed.

Through such means, Li Pin's sword strike visibly slowed.

Time and space twisted and dissolved. All profundities and mysteries were stripped away, reduced to a direct clash of raw force.

Buzz, buzz!

In a contest of sheer power, that Eternal Swordlight, which lit up the starry sky, trembled slightly, as if it might shatter in the very next second.

"The gap in quantity is obvious. As for the use of matter, energy, time, and space... I wouldn't say it's completely lacking in finesse, but it's rather mediocre," remarked Supreme Ordainment.

There was a trace of disappointment between his brows.

Supreme Unity furrowed his brow. "What does this signify?"

"It signifies nothing," Supreme Primordial said indifferently, "Origin is a newly risen Supreme, so how could his foundation compare with Great Heaven's? It is already impressive that he can display such means. As time passes, he will grow swiftly. The gap between one and ten is tenfold, but the difference between ten and twenty is only twofold. One day, he will catch up to us."

Hearing Supreme Primordial's words, the other Supremes said nothing more.

It was just that they had placed too much hope in Li Pin beforehand, thinking he would deliver a surprise.

But thinking about it carefully, Li Pin had managed to reach their level in just over three hundred years of cultivation. That surprise was already more than enough. What more could they ask for? What other surprise did they need?

"Why hasn't Origin's Eternal Swordlight been shattered!?" At that moment, Prime Abyss Highlord's voice rang out. "Is Great Heaven holding back?"

As soon as those words were spoken, Primordial, Ordainment, Genesis, Unity, and the others all paused, their pupils dilated sharply.

Wasn't Li Pin's Eternal Swordlight already on the verge of collapse? How was it still persisting?

Immediately, all eyes focused on Li Pin's sword light.

As they concentrated fully to sense it, they discovered that Li Pin's swordlight was alive! It looked like a swordlight, but it behaved as if it had life, constantly devouring the collapsing energies of its blade to restore itself. It seemed to possess within itself a complete cycle of life and death; destruction and rebirth alike were parts of its very nature.

Therefore, even though it looked like it was about to shatter, it continuously pressed forward in a killing arc.

On the other hand, Supreme Great Heaven's nebula that blocked Li Pin's strike was clearly running out of steam, showing signs of being cleaved apart.

"Interesting!" Everyone noticed this, let alone Supreme Great Heaven. His gaze visibly lit up. "Origin, you truly did give me a surprise."

Vast energy surged endlessly from Supreme Great Heaven's body. The nebula, which had seemed on the verge of collapse, quickly reformed and resumed its clash against the Eternal Swordlight unleashed by Li Pin.

This time, Supreme Great Heaven no longer used double Li Pin's capacity. Instead, he increased his powers to threefold, then soon to fourfold. The mighty nebula raged like a tidal wave, crashing relentlessly into the Eternal Swordlight.

Yet the Eternal Swordlight, though it seemed like it might be shattered at any moment, stubbornly held firm, still radiating with brilliance.

Supreme Great Heaven, who still couldn't crush the Eternal Swordlight with overwhelming might, slowly began losing his composure.

Then, as if realizing something, Supreme Great Heaven suddenly began gathering matter, energy, time, and space from the universe to replenish the consumed nebula.

"So this is the limit of your power?" Li Pin asked.

"I'm still holding the upper hand right now," Supreme Great Heaven replied, not backing down.

"No, you're wrong," Li Pin said calmly. "The moment you failed to kill me in a single strike, you had already lost."

"If I can't kill you instantly, I lose?" Supreme Great Heaven looked slightly puzzled.

Even if you're only a fresh Supreme, one-shotting you? Aren't you underestimating what it means to be a Supreme?

"Haven't you noticed yet?" Li Pin turned his gaze toward his Eternal Swordlight. "Although it seems like my sword light is continuously collapsing and reforming, regardless of how these processes fluctuate, its total energy has remained constant. But you..."

He looked toward Supreme Great Heaven but said no more.

"Constant... energy?"

Supreme Great Heaven paused, then carefully sensed Li Pin's Eternal Swordlight, only to realize that the energy of the sword hadn't diminished at all.

On the other hand, even though he could persist in this battle for a long time with his massive capacity, his replenishment from the universe was far slower than his consumption in battle.

He could already imagine what would happen once his energy ran dry.

Supreme Great Heaven's last shred of composure finally cracked.