Chapter 731: A Prolonged Burn

"[Shadow and Light]!" Zhang Lie's sword, imbued with the power of time, slashed forward faster than his body could react.

The attack arrived in front of Duan Zisuan even before he could release his own attack. Duan Zisuan was beyond shocked that Zhang Lie was able to marshal the power of time, the most abstruse of all natural laws.

Even a king of the realm of a large world wouldn't necessarily be able to control that world's time, but Zhang Lie, who possessed no external authority of his own, was able to modify the flow of time with just his own power. He could control gravity, space, and even time—just who between the two of them was the true king of the realm?!

As the tip of the sword landed against Duan Zisuan's lightning armor, it burst apart. Duan Zisuan stumbled back.

"[The Boundless Blade: the River Lethe]!" Zhang Lie lifted the blade in his hand high above his head as pitch-black energy exploded from him. He looked like a demon descending on the world.

Li Qianlin's eyes widened, and she remarked again, "This fellow is truly a demon king..."

As pitch-black genetic energy covered the skies, the aliens of the Milky Way all began to panic. Even they had never seen such frightening, boundless energy, which portended disaster even before his technique landed.

The superior- and peak-grade lifeforms knelt in obeisance to the ruler of such might; the weakest among them were forced to succumb by the very might of the force alone.

The rocks that flew into the sky shattered into pebbles before they could approach Zhang Lie.

The genetic energy's sheer presence alone was wreaking all sorts of havoc on the world.

𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

From the surface of the sea of genetic energy, waves charged forward, sounding like peals of thunder, like stampeding hooves. They roared through the skies like galloping steeds, like thundering dragons. The surface of the sea frothed, as though dragons were emerging with the tide.

The pressure made everyone feel as though there were mountains weighing down their heads, making them unable to breathe. Countless deepsea lifeforms took shape in the raging sea, rushing out of its surface and soaring through the skies.

An apocalypse drew near.

The waves grew more and more agitated, as though they were competing with the wind for attention. As Zhang Lie swung his sword, the roaring waves all morphed into black dragons. The sea had morphed into a boundless battlefield. The sea breeze was as a horn to action, and the waves, thousands of courageous soldiers heeding its call.

Duan Zisuan fled into the clouds and used his authority to summon countless strikes of lightning.

He chose not to use his authority as the king of the realm to control gravity and space in hopes of constraining Zhang Lie. He knew very well from experience that, on fights of this level, the debilitating impact such control over natural law could have on the rest of his power. Better for him to summon lightning and play to his strengths.

The lightning formed a waterfall that poured over his body.

Duan Zisuan clasped his hands together, then drew his fingers apart. Lightning crackled between them, and the full force of the lightning he had summoned with his authority as king danced in his palms.

In an extravagant, blinding flash, a bolt of lightning in the form of a dragon shot toward Zhang Lie.

Zhang Lie's sea of genetic energy exploded. The scorching white flash struck the sea and annihilated the apparitions within, but that lightning grew progressively weaker as it passed through the sea's manifold defenses. By the time it reached Zhang Lie, there was only a pitiful bit of light left, which easily dissipated with a swing of Zhang Lie's sword.

.

The dragon of lightning was unable to destroy Zhang Lie's sea, and now, it was time for Zhang Lie's counterattack.

Against the overwhelming pitch-black sea, the darkness that threatened to engulf the skies, even the most stubborn enemy might be tempted to retreat.

"I've almost forgotten how to fight," Duan Zisuan marveled to himself. His blood-red body began to glow with light like a furnace, and steam poured out of his pores. He seemed to have truly become engrossed in the fight.

"Ever since becoming the king of the realm, my life has grown far more relaxed. In my world, no one dares to disobey my command, and I've not had to participate in battles of life and death. And with decades, centuries of such stagnation, I've grown paralyzed. I began to incorporate the authority of the king into my fundamental fighting style, using the lightning I control to crush any opponents I encounter.

"It's been far too long since I fought against a strong foe, and even my battles with the king of the east only go so far. Using my strength and authority as the king wasn't a bad choice, but I've almost forgotten my original style—to burn, burn with my blood and body on the line!"

Duan Zisuan morphed into a bundle of flames. His strength seemed to grow tremendously, and the pressure he exuded became more acute. His eyes flashed like those of an apex predator. "It's been far too long since I felt my blood boil."

Flames sparked from Duan Zisuan's claws, but the light it gave off seemed paltry compared to the expanse of the sea. He didn't believe that those flames would be able to damage the sea, but he did want to test his original techniques to see how they fared.

Duan Zisuan swiped forward with his claws, forming a hurricane of flame, so hot it melted the boulders that studded the ground. The hurricane clashed against the sea directly in a splash of red on black.

The two combatants faced off once more, and the fiery hurricane blocked the advance of the pitch-black sea like a shield.

The hurricane burst apart into a cordon of flame. Half the sky turned black, and the other half was red. Neither combatant allowed their genetic energy to dissipate.

The surface of the sea frothed with angry waves, like dragons emerging with the tide. Just above the horizon was a luminous, glowing sun, whose rays shone red as they pierced through the clouds, making the sky look as though it were burning up.

The sea turned turbulent. Under the red light, gigantic waves crashed down beneath the sun. At peak strength, the sea would have been able to absorb the entirety of Duan Zisuan's attack, but it had been weakened by the lightning dragon that Duan Zisuan shot its way...