Chapter 1097: Heaven-Defying Defense, The Flower Of Sin Blooms (2)

"A domain? Shatter!" Wu Yuan roared, his aura also erupting to its peak. He swung the saber in his hand, slashing with unparalleled ferocity. In an instant, dazzling blade rays appeared, tearing through layers of spacetime.

The two super powerhouses collided.

Rumble~

For a moment, heaven and earth shook, layers of spacetime annihilated.

Fortunately, this confrontation was in the Sector River. If it had taken place elsewhere, countless Abyssal worlds would have immediately been destroyed.

They fought with extreme brutality. Whether it was Saint Hong Yun's sword or Wu Yuan's saber, it was essentially a great collision of Daos and Laws. Each of their strikes nearly reached the limit of what the Abyss could bear. Both were immensely formidable.

Spacetime was destroyed, and all things evolved, transforming into countless Xiantian qi streams, as if numerous great worlds were being recreated.

At this moment, Wu Yuan actually managed to block Saint Hong Yun's killing moves even without the array’s empowerment.

This scene shocked Devil Emperor Jian Long, who was watching from afar in the void. That was an eternal lifeform! Even though she had returned to the Abyss, she was still an Eternal. Yet she couldn't suppress a Devil Emperor? How astonishing.

Eternal lifeforms rarely returned to the Abyss. But once they did, most Devil Emperors would flee at the mere sight of them.

Slaying an Eternal was a mythical feat, but how many throughout history had accomplished it? Yet, Devil Emperor Xia had at least managed to contend with one today.

Could it be that Devil Emperor Xia's strength surpasses even the other two peak fourth-stage Overlords?

Devil Emperor Jian Long marveled inwardly, speculating.

He continued to observe the great battle.

...

Boom!

There was another terrifying clash, shockwaves rippling out for hundreds of billions of li. While the distant array remained intact, the surrounding void kept shattering and reforming, only to shatter again.

"Hong Yun, if this is the extent of your power, there's no need to continue fighting," Wu Yuan's voice was cold. "Just so you know, I haven't even harnessed the array's power yet."

Saint Hong Yun's pupils contracted slightly. Indeed, Wu Yuan's strength far exceeded her expectations. He could contend with her even without the array enhancing his power; once it did, his power would surely rise to another level.

"Very well.” Saint Hong Yun's voice was frigid, as if echoing from the endless depths of winter: "Devil Emperor Xia, you are worthy of me using my full strength. I hope you can withstand it.

"Radiant! Blood!" Saint Hong Yun's voice suddenly changed, seeming to echo from the endless wilderness, filled with a sense of vastness.

In an instant, a majestic and overwhelming eternal aura fully erupted, causing Saint Hong Yun's power to surge dramatically. The entire Sector River seemed to tremble faintly.

She's unleashed it! Eternal Dao! Eternal Dao Intent!

Devil Emperor Jian Long looked on excitedly.

With his level of perspective, he knew that Saint Hong Yun had truly begun to fight with all her might, definitely unleashing her ultimate technique.

Her self-created ultimate technique?

Wu Yuan focused his gaze. He was very confident, but also clearly understood the terror of a Dao Pioneer Eternal.

Dao Pioneer Eternals had truly pioneered their own Daos. The ultimate techniques they created were perfectly suited to themselves. Once unleashed, their power was bound to be earth-shattering.

Boom!

Saint Hong Yun moved, her aura climbing to its peak. In the void, chains of order appeared, attempting to restrain her.

Within the River of Universes, the radiance of a self-created Dao was not allowed to appear.

"Die!" Saint Hong Yun's voice was filled with endless killing intent and imbued with an eternal will. Those beautiful eyes were so cold and resolute, as if able to pierce through samsara.

She swung the divine sword in her hand once again.

This time, the sword lights were like an ocean, a sea of worlds. It was as if each sword strike could cleave open a world, containing unfathomable fluctuations. Waves of soul fluctuations invaded.

Beautiful, sharp, cold! This was the full outburst of Saint Hong Yun's strength.

Unparalleled sword lights howled, completely engulfing Wu Yuan and forcing him to retreat step by step. He could only fall back.

Nine swords as one, interpreting the sharpness of a Dao Pioneer Eternal’s Dao, represented the pinnacle of her strength. It was shocking and even mesmerizing.

From those strands of sword lights, countless worlds seemed to be born and then perish, finally leaving only dazzling blood-colored sword radiance.

However, Wu Yuan was also resisting with all his might. Blade rays bloomed like tides. Even though they were constantly annihilated, they were unleashed again and again. It was clear he never considered giving up.

This scene left Devil Emperor Jian Long dumbfounded, and even secretly terrified.

This was an Eternal! Even though bound by many restrictions, once fully unleashed, their power still surpassed the limits of heaven and earth, touching another level.

Whoosh!

As swords and sabers clashed, Wu Yuan ultimately failed to block the attacks completely. His body was sent flying backward, the spacetime along his path shattering layer by layer.

But Wu Yuan quickly recovered, his footing stabilizing. His face was filled with excitement as he grinned: "What formidable swordsmanship. You truly live up to your reputation, Saint Hong Yun."

Wu Yuan's voice resounded through the sky, shocking Devil Emperor Jian Long.

It also astonished Saint Hong Yun. She stared intently at Wu Yuan, almost unable to believe her own senses: "Your vital aura?"

She could sense that Wu Yuan's vital aura hadn't changed much despite taking her attack at full power.

What did this mean? Her attack hadn't caused much damage to Wu Yuan at all. What kind of freakish defense was this?

"Haha, it's been a long time since I've met an opponent worthy of a fight. Come, let's battle again!" Wu Yuan suddenly darted over, howling as he attacked once more.

"Kill!" Saint Hong Yun gritted her teeth, divine sword dancing in her hand: "Radiant! Blood!"

She once again unleashed her strongest killing move. The sword lights were brilliant and beautiful, shocking to the core.

But the outcome was the same as the previous clash—after hundreds of collisions, Wu Yuan was blasted away again, yet his vital aura didn’t diminish by much.

"Saint Hong Yun, when you unleash your eternal ultimate technique, your combat power is close to the fifth-stage Overlord level, right?" Wu Yuan's voice thundered. "But you were unwilling to use it at first. I’m guessing that employing such an ultimate technique consumes a great amount of your ether."

Saint Hong Yun said nothing.

Indeed, without using her strongest ultimate technique, she was only at the peak of fourth-stage Overlord strength. Once used, her attack power would surge to nearly that of a fifth-stage Overlord, but such techniques couldn't be used lightly. The ether consumption was simply too great.

Boom!

Wu Yuan charged forward like a wild bull, his footsteps shattering the void. It was as if heaven and earth were trampled beneath his feet as he rushed towards Saint Hong Yun again.

Whoosh!

Saint Hong Yun gritted her teeth, instantly transforming into a streak of red light and retreating to the distant void, far away from the grand arrays.

“Devil Emperor Xia, this isn't over. The Flower of Sin will only bloom after millions of years. You won't be able to guard it," Saint Hong Yun's voice was ice-cold. "Hand it over while you still can."

Then, she retreated.

There was no choice. She had already unleashed her full power. Though she was able to suppress Wu Yuan in battle, she was utterly unable to kill him.

What could she do? Wu Yuan’s physical defense was simply too heaven-defying.

"Unable to guard it? You couldn't even force me into the array, yet you still want to snatch the treasure? Hmph!" Wu Yuan sneered, but didn't continue to chase.

If any danger arose at the edge of the array, his mana body could rescue him by controlling the array. Any further? He would be completely beyond the array's range of influence.

If Saint Hong Yun had some special treasure, she might be able to trap his body refiner self.

Wu Yuan was naturally very cautious when dealing with an eternal lifeform.

Wu Yuan turned and returned into the array.

...

Devil Emperor Xia actually forced this eternal lifeform to retreat?

Devil Emperor Jian Long watched dumbfounded, his jaw slack.

This! This!

He never imagined the situation playing out like this.

Although Devil Emperor Xia seemed to be at an absolute disadvantage during the battle, it was Saint Hong Yun who retreated in the end. This was a fact.

How powerful is Devil Emperor Xia really?

Devil Emperor Jian Long's heart trembled.

I actually provoked such a being, threatening to kill him?

He felt truly lucky that his mana body had survived.

...

Sector 10, atop the Yue Luo Divine Mountain.

Saint Hong Yun retreated?

True Saint Yue Luo’s incarnation sat upon his towering throne, observing the battle on the light screen.

The conflict between the two sides was brutal, yet Devil Emperor Xia had managed to withstand all of Saint Hong Yun's assaults.

Such formidable physical defense. This level of defense is likely unheard of even among ordinary Perennial Eternals.

A rare flicker of surprise crossed True Saint Yue Luo's face.

The path of matter, an eternal body? But how could a sempiternal lifeform master two paths to eternity? Or does he possess some special protective artifact?

True Saint Yue Luo pondered silently.

While the power Devil Emperor Xia displayed was impressive, it hadn't exceeded his expectations—save for his terrifying physical defense.

No matter. No wonder this Devil Emperor Xia is so confident.

True Saint Yue Luo smiled.

It seems Ji Guang is in for some trouble.

...

In the vast cosmic sea, within the Ji Guang Saint Realm, in that enormous world shrouded in clouds and mist.

"What? He completely withstood your ultimate move?" True Saint Ji Guang was also shocked.

"Yes." Saint Hong Yun smiled bitterly. Though reluctant to admit it, it was the truth. "This is the battle footage, please observe, True Saint. I truly cannot overcome him."

Whoosh~

The projection coalesced.

True Saint Ji Guang watched, as did the incarnations of Saint Yan He and Saint Da Yang beside him.

Soon, a brief silence fell over the entire world.

Powerful! Saint Hong Yun's efforts were undeniable, unleashing attacks of extreme might, yet Devil Emperor Xia had endured them all. Such physical defense was truly inconceivable.

"With such strong defense, it would indeed be difficult to kill him outright, though his attacks aren't particularly powerful," True Saint Ji Guang's voice was soft.

"Hong Yun, keep watch over that Devil Emperor Xia. Don't let him escape. Wait for Da Yang and Yan He to arrive. Then, join forces to subdue him and capture him directly."

"Understood." Saint Hong Yun replied respectfully, understanding what the True Saint was implying.

Killing him would be difficult. But if the three Saints joined forces, their power would overwhelm Devil Emperor Xia. They would have a real chance of capturing and subduing him. Once he was restrained and brought into the cosmic sea, there would be numerous ways to end his life.

"Yan He, how long until you arrive?" True Saint Ji Guang inquired.

"I still require nine hundred years," Saint Da Yang replied.

"I need one thousand three hundred years," Saint Yan He answered.

"Hmm." True Saint Ji Guang nodded slightly. "There's no rush. The Flower of Sin is far from blooming."

In truth, True Saint Ji Guang, Saint Yan He, and the others were all puzzled as to how Devil Emperor Xia's physical defense was so extraordinarily powerful. It honestly defied common sense.

...

Deep within Sector 11, at the core of the great array.

Exhilarating! Truly exhilarating!

Wu Yuan walked towards the Flower of Sin, his lips curling into a smile.

He lay down directly beneath it. The waves of sacred aura from the Flower of Sin enveloped him, suffusing his entire being with comfort.

Dao Pioneer Eternals are indeed powerful.

Wu Yuan lay on the ground, contemplating.

Even now, within the River of Universes, I'm not a match for a Dao Pioneer Eternal.

Those who pioneered their own Dao were beings whose names echoed throughout the endless megaverse.

For Wu Yuan who had only cultivated for just over two hundred thousand years, being able to fight toe-to-toe with them was already astounding.

Yet, it wasn't enough.

The path of matter allows me to reconstruct my physical body, granting me flesh that rivals a ninth-stage Sovereign. Coupled with the Azure Origin Armor, my physical defense far surpasses that of many Perennial Eternals.

Wu Yuan mused.

Moreover, in his clash with Saint Hong Yun, Wu Yuan had deflected most of her attacks with his saber techniques. Only a fraction of her power had actually impacted him—how could she hope to overcome Wu Yuan's defenses? This battle had allowed Wu Yuan to verify his strength, giving him a clearer understanding of his capabilities.

That Saint Hong Yun hasn't left yet.

Wu Yuan's gaze flicked towards the distance, sensing Saint Hong Yun's presence through the arrays and spacetime.

Is she keeping watch here? Is she keeping an eye on me, waiting for other Saints under True Saint Ji Guang to arrive?

Wu Yuan felt a sense of impending crisis.

Without realizing it, his own strength had reached such a level.

But it wasn't enough. Far from enough.

The power to slay eternal lifeforms, I, too, yearn for it.

Wu Yuan thought to himself.

Then, pushing those thoughts aside, Wu Yuan rose and resumed cultivation. The battle with Saint Hong Yun had impacted Wu Yuan profoundly, yielding numerous insights.

The years passed.

Saint Hong Yun no longer attacked, and Wu Yuan didn't emerge to provoke her. The two sides settled into a period of calm.

In the blink of an eye, more than seventy years had passed.

"Master, Master!" Yun Yi's excited voice rang out. "The Flower of Sin is about to bloom!"