Chapter 24: Qian Daoliu Wins, A Melee Approaches
The sudden Binding force of the Clear Sky Formation, like countless invisible chains wrapping around his body, brought Qian Daoliu's forward charge to an abrupt halt, his speed plummeting!
Facing Tang Chen's Heaven-Striking Blow, which had broken free from the Bindings and came crashing down in a rage, a hint of gravity flashed in his golden eyes, yet he showed no panic.
"Hah!"
Qian Daoliu let out a sharp cry, and the Sixth Spirit Ability behind him—that deep black ring—suddenly lit up!
He did not choose to clash head-on against this long-prepared hammer blow, but instead instantly constrained and condensed the power of his Angelic Domain!
"Sixth Spirit Ability, Angelic Roar!"
It was not a sonic attack, but an invisible shockwave purely fused from Holy Spiritual Power and the pressure of his Domain, erupting explosively with him at the center!
This impact was not aimed at the Physical Body, but struck directly at the Soul, carrying the power of deterrence, purification, and dispersion!
"Hum—!"
The invisible ripples swept across, and the Clear Sky Formation on the ground bore the brunt of it!
Under this pure Spiritual and Holy impact, the black runes formed by Soul Power flickered and twisted violently, like a calm lake surface into which a boulder had been thrown; the operation of the Formation instantly became sluggish and chaotic!
The heavy Binding force applied to Qian Daoliu also decreased significantly as a result.
At the same time, Tang Chen also felt a scorching, majestic Spiritual Power pierce into his mind like a sharp awl, causing his gathered Soul Power and Battle Intent to falter for an instant!
Although his will was tenacious and he was not truly deterred, this sudden Spiritual interference still caused his sure-hit hammer blow to suffer an imperceptible hesitation and deviation!
This was the fleeting opportunity!
Holy Light exploded around Qian Daoliu, forcibly breaking free from the remaining Formation Bindings. His six wings flapped violently, and his figure retreated rapidly to the side and rear like Gui Mei!
At the same time, he did not retract the Holy Sword in his hand, but instead used the momentum of his retreat to draw a profound arc.
The power of his Fourth Soul skills, Holy Sword, had not completely dissipated, and it now transformed into a condensed golden arc.
It was not a block, but a skillful side-strike against the side of the Clear Sky Hammer's head, where its force was most fierce but also where it had the least variation!
"Clang—!"
A piercing sound of metal clashing rang out!
The golden arc shattered, but Qian Daoliu successfully used the force to accelerate his retreat, narrowly avoiding the core area of the Heaven-Striking Blow.
The violent hammer wind grazed his clothes, plowing a deep trench into the ground behind him.
Tang Chen's sure-hit blow ultimately fell short, thanks to the combination of Qian Daoliu's calm Spiritual shock and exquisite footwork.
The two pulled away again, each panting and staring intently at the other.
Tang Chen's face was flushed; he had not expected his move to be countered in such a way.
Although Qian Daoliu's breathing remained steady, the gravity in his eyes deepened; he knew that if he hadn't reacted in time just now, he would have likely suffered a major loss.
After the thrilling exchange of offense and defense just now, both understood that conventional probing and techniques were no longer enough to decide the winner; it was time to go all out.
Tang Chen took the initiative to explode, no longer holding back, and drove his Clear Sky Hammer technique to the extreme.
His second, third, and fifth Soul Rings flashed alternately; the tenacity of Clear Sky Body Guard, the fury of the Whirlwind Dance, and the fierce might of Mountain Quake were perfectly fused together.
He no longer sought a one-hit victory, but transformed into an unceasing black storm, hammer blow after hammer blow, faster and stronger, pouring down towards Qian Daoliu like a violent tempest!
Each hammer blow contained the power to split mountains and cleave rocks, forcing Qian Daoliu into the most direct and draining clash of strength with him!
This was Tang Chen's fighting style: breaking ingenuity with strength, and suppressing people with Aura!
Facing this torrent of pure strength and will, Qian Daoliu also became completely serious.
His Angelic Domain was fully opened, and Holy Light shone everywhere, constantly weakening and purifying Tang Chen's offensive and Aura.
The Angelic Sacred Sword in his hand turned into streaks of golden lightning, and he used Martial Soul Abilities like Holy Sword and Holy Martial Soul Slash with ease, sometimes blocking head-on, sometimes skillfully guiding and deflecting force, and sometimes using Holy Light Judgment for long-range containment and interference.
His fighting style was elegant and efficient, like a Divinity controlling the battlefield, always able to resolve Tang Chen's most violent attacks at the minimum cost.
"Boom, boom, boom! Clang, clang, clang!"
On the wasteland, golden and black lights flashed, collided, and annihilated madly!
Deafening roars continued endlessly, and the violent energy shockwaves devastated the ground, leaving it in a mess, filled with smoke and dust.
The two fought from the ground to mid-air, and then back from mid-air to the ground.
Tang Chen's offensive was like raging waves, never ceasing; Qian Daoliu's defense and counterattacks were like a pillar in the middle of a flowing river, as steady as a mountain.
Over thirty rounds passed in the blink of an eye!
In the heat of battle, Tang Chen seized the brief gap in Qian Daoliu's breathing after a Holy Light Judgment and once again erupted with his strongest combination attack!
The Whirlwind Dance paved the way, disrupting the Holy Light, and then he gathered all his strength into one point; the Heaven-Striking Blow, bolstered by Clear Sky Body Guard, fell like a falling star, striking straight at Qian Daoliu!
This hammer blow condensed all his essence, energy, and Martial Soul at that moment, its power even surpassing any previous attempt!
Qian Daoliu's eyes sharpened; he knew the moment to decide the outcome had arrived.
The fifth and sixth Soul Rings behind him lit up with dazzling light simultaneously!
Holy Light Judgment was activated again, but it was not aimed at Tang Chen; instead, it blasted the ground in front of him, exploding into a blinding burst of Holy Light, while he used the recoil force to ascend rapidly!
Immediately after, Angelic Roar was activated again, and the invisible Spiritual shock struck at Tang Chen once more!
Tang Chen had been prepared; he concentrated his will, resisted the Spiritual shock, and his offensive increased rather than decreased!
The giant hammer tore through the Holy Light, and it looked like it was about to strike Qian Daoliu!
However, just a moment before the giant hammer reached his body, Qian Daoliu's ascent reached its peak.
He gripped his sword with both hands and poured the power of his Angelic Domain and his own Soul Power into the Angelic Sacred Sword without reservation!
The sword instantly expanded, transforming into a massive light sword ten meters long, composed purely of Holy energy!
He did not use the name of any Soul skills; this was simply his strongest strike, combining his own power with his Domain—Man and Sword as One, Angel's Descent!
"Slash!"
Accompanied by a clear, sharp shout, the massive Holy Light sword, carrying the supreme will to judge all things and purify the world, struck down fiercely against the black giant hammer that was rising into the sky!
This was the ultimate collision of pure strength! It was a clash of conviction and will!
"Rumble—!!!"
An explosion ten times more violent than any before resounded across the wilderness!
The blinding light forced even Yu Yuanchen in the distance to squint slightly.
A terrifying energy storm swept outwards like a tsunami, the ground was forcibly scraped down by three feet, and smoke and dust rose into the sky, resembling a small mushroom cloud!
After a long while, the smoke and dust slowly dissipated.
At the center of the battlefield, a huge deep crater was clearly visible.
At the edge of the crater, Qian Daoliu hovered in the low air, the light of his six wings slightly dim, his breathing somewhat rapid, his hand holding the Angelic Sacred Sword trembling slightly, and his face bearing a trace of unnatural flushing; he was clearly exhausted.
But his posture remained upright, and although the Holy Light was weak, it had not been extinguished.
At the bottom of the crater, Tang Chen knelt on one knee, the Clear Sky Hammer deeply inserted into the ground to support his body.
Blood hung from the corner of his mouth, his robes were tattered, and there were many burn marks from the Holy Light on his body; his Aura was withered, clearly having fallen into a disadvantage in the previous ultimate collision.
He tried to stand up, but stumbled, and ultimately had to rely on the Clear Sky Hammer to steady himself.
He looked up at Qian Daoliu in the air, his eyes devoid of unwillingness, filled only with burning Battle Intent and a trace of admiration, and grinned: "Good! That was intense! You won this time!"
Qian Daoliu slowly descended to the ground, dissipated his Martial Soul, and after adjusting his breathing slightly, his expression returned to calm.
He walked to the edge of the crater and extended his hand to Tang Chen, his tone sincere: "Brother Tang, you have conceded. If not for the advantage of my Martial Soul and Domain, the outcome would have been uncertain. Your strength and will, I admire."
Tang Chen grabbed his hand, used the force to leap out of the deep crater, and slapped his shoulder heartily: "Lost is lost; you, Qian Daoliu, are truly formidable! But next time, I will definitely win it back!"
At this moment, Yu Yuanchen also walked over. Looking at the two who, despite being disheveled, had not lost their Aura, he praised sincerely: "Absolutely brilliant! Watching this battle today, I have benefited a lot."
At the same time, he thought to himself, it seems Tang Chen will only be able to surpass Qian Daoliu by a margin after achieving Major Achievement in his cultivation in the future and completing the transformation of his hammer technique after consolidating what he has learned.
But that makes sense; the power of a Divine Rank Martial Soul and the foundation of Spirit Hall are not comparable to the Clear Sky Hammer and the Clear Sky Sect before Tang Chen's rise.
Then, Yu Yuanchen smiled and looked at Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen: "Next, since you have just finished fighting, you should rest for a while before fighting again."
Tang Chen also looked at Yu Yuanchen with burning eyes, full of anticipation, and did not refuse.
Although he had lost to Qian Daoliu, his Battle Intent had not faded; he really wanted to see what kind of strength this Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Genius, who also possessed a Domain and a monster-like Soul Ring configuration, could display.
Qian Daoliu felt the Soul Power he had consumed significantly due to the battle within his body, and nodded, "Very well, we shall fight again in half an hour."
Afterwards, the two sat cross-legged and began to rest.
There was no time to mourn the conclusion of the battle between Clear Sky and Angel; what was about to unfold next was a grand melee between the three top Prodigies of the current age!