Over seventy percent of the vital ether within Mu Long’s body had been depleted. In his view, Wu Yuan, who had been at a disadvantage throughout, should have consumed far more ether than himself.

"The greater one’s mastery of a supreme secret art, the stronger the burst power, but the greater the vital ether consumption. You should have exhausted yours long ago," High Deity Mu Long said in a low voice.

"Stop asking. You've already lost!" Wu Yuan replied coldly, gripping his saber, his aura still as magnificent as ever.

Indeed! If Wu Yuan's body refiner self still had a first-degree immortal root, such frenzied bursts of power would have depleted his vital ether long ago.

Unfortunately for Mu Long, Wu Yuan possessed an Apotheosis root, with vital ether far surpassing a first-degree immortal root.

Moreover, Wu Yuan had comprehended the Great Dao of Creation, and his recovery ability was astonishing, over ten times that of powerhouses at the same level.

Just like Sovereign Kua Chi, known as the Undying Sovereign in the Greenridge Macrocosm, Wu Yuan could likewise be called undying among geniuses of the same phase.

Even now, the vital ether within Wu Yuan's internal shambhala still exceeded eighty percent, and was continually being replenished.

"I don't believe that I'll be defeated by you." High Deity Mu Long roared in fury, endless killing intent surging in his eyes as he lunged at Wu Yuan once more, his blade rays turning even more violent!

One saber strike followed another, crashing towards Wu Yuan in waves. High Deity Mu Long's eyes were filled with madness. At this moment, he resolved to stake everything.

A battle of attrition? He clearly couldn't outlast Wu Yuan. His only choice was to go all in, abandoning defense and desperately trying to break through Wu Yuan's defenses, to slay Wu Yuan before his own vital ether was exhausted.

How could he be willing to retreat when he had held the upper hand throughout their exchange?

Kill! Kill!

High Deity Mu Long’s movements grew reckless.

He ignored everything apart from Wu Yuan. His heart yearned only for victory! To win this battle!

Instantly, the pressure on Wu Yuan heightened dramatically. His ceaseless, defense-oriented saber techniques began to show signs of disorder.

High Deity Mu Long's attacks had grown too desperate, the power and speed of his saber techniques subtly increasing, making it increasingly difficult for Wu Yuan to resist.

Slash!

One of the blade rays finally broke through Wu Yuan's defense, striking his body and sending him flying backwards, his internal vital qi churning violently. Vital ether was rapidly consumed to heal his injuries.

This won't do! A prolonged defense is bound to fail. My saber techniques were already inferior, and now the gap has widened further.

Wu Yuan realized the danger.

If my vital ether is only spent on saber techniques, the consumption is relatively slow, but if my body is struck again and again, the ether consumption will skyrocket.

Though he seemed to have over eighty percent of his vital ether remaining, it wouldn't last long in reality.

Mu Long's weakness is that he only attacks without defending. If I focus solely on defense, I can't exploit his weakness.

Wu Yuan realized this point.

He immediately altered his saber techniques. Previously flowing and continuous, they grew strange and unpredictable.

Some saber strikes were ceaseless, guiding the opponent's attacks in different directions.

Others burst forth with killing intent, fierce and unyielding in their assault.

Attack!

Wu Yuan also cast aside all distracting thoughts, his mind focused on a single task—attack!

Match attack with attack! Find the flaw in High Deity Mu Long's saber techniques and slay him in one decisive strike.

"You dare to attack me head-on? You'll die even sooner." High Deity Mu Long's body crackled with lightning, attempting to affect Wu Yuan.

"The one who'll die is you!" Wu Yuan's gaze turned icy cold as he simultaneously attempted to launch soul attacks, hoping to influence High Deity Mu Long. 𝘳ἁƝỘΒЁ𝙎

Unfortunately, both were body refiners, and both were peerless geniuses among High Deities. Neither excelled in qi refining techniques, rendering such attempts nearly useless. In the end, they could only rely on the sabers in their hands to determine victory.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The two fought desperately in the void, blade rays shooting in all directions as neither was willing to retreat a single step.

At this moment, it was no longer a simple contest of saber techniques, but a collision of will and spirit. It could be said that whichever side lost this battle would likely suffer an indelible scar on their spirit. Neither could afford to lose.

This cruel and frenzied bloodbath also captivated the attention of the observing Sovereigns and Astral Monarchs.

Clang!

Suddenly, one of Wu Yuan's sabers was violently knocked from his hand, his entire body sent reeling backwards from the strike.

Immediately after, one of his arms was directly severed!

It seemed Wu Yuan finally couldn’t hold on any longer.

"Die!" High Deity Mu Long roared, his entire body transforming into a ball of lightning as he charged at Wu Yuan, intending to obliterate him in one fell swoop.

Less than five percent of vital ether remained within his body. But he had glimpsed the dawn of victory.

Having lost an arm and a saber, Wu Yuan's strength would be greatly diminished. The Nine-Armed Eldritch Progenitor was a grand ether art. Compared to the Eight-Armed version, it wasn’t merely superior by a single limb, but a profound and unfathomably perfect combat method. It was a flawless ether art refined countless times across the samsara cycles of heaven and earth.

"I'll die? The one who'll die is you!" Wu Yuan's eyes blazed with light. Having lost an arm, he showed not the slightest panic or worry. Instead, his fighting spirit and determination reached unprecedented heights.

Fight! Fight! Fight! Battle intent suffused every corner of his soul, every inch of flesh and blood in his body.

To battle heaven and earth—this was the innate desire and passion of the eldritch race.

"Kill!" Wu Yuan roared, his voice emanating from his spirit, his soul, and the battle intent that had persisted for eons.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Wu Yuan swung his eight sabers simultaneously, unleashing eight dazzling, endless blade rays. These blade rays were no longer vibrant and colorful, no longer full of vitality.

Instead, they were infused with the resolve to face death! With the courage to charge forward without hesitation.

A surging, vast aura of death suddenly spread out, enveloping the blade rays, shrouding Wu Yuan's body, and encompassing High Deity Mu Long.

For tens of thousands of years, Wu Yuan hid in the eldritch world to evade assassination from the Immortal Court. All this time, he harbored a deep-seated resentment. He longed to release this pent-up fury.

The Immortal Court's assassination attempts had further fueled his rage, but what good was anger alone? He still couldn't exact revenge, couldn't affect the Voltari Temple in the slightest, let alone the Immortal Court.

He arrived on the battlefield filled with overwhelming killing intent. Even when facing the number one peerless genius of the Immortal Court's Ling Jiang Saintdom, and knowing the opponent's strength, he didn't feel the slightest fear, vowing to strike him down.

In this moment of life or death, Wu Yuan could choose to retreat, perhaps escaping for a while and waiting for another arm to grow before fighting again. But Wu Yuan refused to hide like a fugitive any longer.

I've hidden for ten thousand years! This battle shall shock the entire river of the universe. I shall no longer cower.

It's either victory or death!

Wu Yuan's battle intent and resolve, accumulated over tens of thousands of years, solidified.

Moreover, after comprehending the ninth-level True Intent stage of the Great Dao of Creation, he had been fully focused on mastering the fourth step of the ‘Will of Life and Death’.

All these factors, combined with a touch of providence's blessing, finally allowed Wu Yuan to unleash the fourth step of the ‘Will of Life and Death’.

Will of Life and Death, fourth step — Autumn's Sorrow!

After the vibrant life of summer, what followed was the twilight of autumn, the desolation of countless lives.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Eight unrivaled blade rays surged forth, their power exploding as they clashed with Mu Long's lightning sabers.

Wu Yuan was once again forced back.

But Mu Long's onslaught suddenly faltered, his expression changing. He sensed that Wu Yuan's saber technique had transformed, growing obscure and unpredictable. A thick aura of death seemed to envelope his heart.

"A Sovereign-level technique? You've reached this level too?" Mu Long asked in disbelief.

He couldn't fathom how someone with merely ten thousand years of cultivation could advance so rapidly to this stage.

"Kill!" Mu Long growled, his prodigious talent evident. Despite sensing Wu Yuan's transformation, his spirit remained unshaken, and he charged forward without hesitation.

At this point, there was no room for retreat—it was either life or death!

"Kill!" Wu Yuan's killing intent soared to the heavens as he swung his eight arms to attack once more. His ninth arm was rapidly regenerating.

Clang! Clang!

In a brief moment, the two had clashed and fought over ten rounds.

Wu Yuan, relying on his eight arms, managed to withstand Mu Long's full-power assault. He even seemed to gain a slight upper hand.

Finally, as Wu Yuan's ninth arm fully regenerated, grasping another high-grade celestial artifact saber…

Nine sabers struck as one! The power of each blade ray surged, slashing towards Mu Long.

Boom!

Mu Long was violently sent flying backward, blood spewing from his mouth.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Surging azure blade rays, imbued with a thick deathly aura, swept forth once more.

This time, Mu Long, his vital ether nearly depleted, could no longer withstand the assault.

Boom~

His body exploded, completely annihilated by Wu Yuan's renewed blade rays.

Mu Long was dead!

Wu Yuan emerged victorious.

In a sense, this also represented the Eldritch Court's Ling Jiang Saintdom winning this clash between top geniuses!