Chapter 25: Three-Way Battle
Half an hour passed quickly in silent meditation. The setting sun had almost completely set, leaving only a dark red twilight on the horizon, casting long shadows of three upright figures and the chaos of the barren land.
Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen opened their eyes almost simultaneously. After resting, although their Aura had not fully returned to its Peak , their Soul Strength had stabilized, and their Fighting Intentions had rekindled. The Holy Light around Qian Daoliu was controlled, but seemed more concentrated; Tang Chen shrugged his shoulders and grinned, his eyes filled with burning fighting spirit.
Yu Yuanchen was also prepared. His Level 54 Soul Power surged within his body, hidden but not released, but the purple lightning dancing in his eyes betrayed his inner turmoil. Engaging in close combat with two of the top geniuses of the current era brought immense pressure, but it also made his Bloodline boil.
The three of them stood in a triangular formation, about thirty meters apart. There was no referee and no rules; the only principle was—fight to the end!
The air felt frozen, and even the sound of the wind had stopped quietly. The barren land was filled with clinging dust and the smell of burning, adding to the gloom.
"Early!"
It was unclear who shouted the command, or perhaps the Auras of the three had reached the Peak of mutual attraction, but the battle erupted in an instant!
The first person to make a move was actually Yu Yuanchen , who had the lowest Soul Power Rank ! He knew very well that in the face of two Soul Emperors , his Soul Power was a weakness, so he had to take the initiative and create chaos!
With a flash of electricity under his feet, he did not rush towards the two people, but instead quickly retreated, pressing both his hands on the ground!
" Purple Lightning Domain , opened!"
Boom! The Purple Lightning Domain , twenty meters in diameter, suddenly expanded with him as its center! Electric arcs danced wildly and thunder rumbled, instantly enveloping a small portion of Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen ! Although its range was not as wide as Qian Daoliu's Angel Domain , the thunder's powerful force and energy interference effects were felt instantly!
Tang Chen felt his body go numb and his Soul Power circulation slow down slightly. He couldn't help but curse, "Damn it! Again!" He was deeply impressed by the numbing effect of this Domain .
Qian Daoliu frowned slightly as his Angel Domain automatically activated. Holy light and purple lightning collided and violently destroyed each other at the edge of the Domain , producing a "sizzling" sound. Although his Divine Aura could purify some of the lightning, the energy disturbance caused by the Domain still made him feel uncomfortable.
While both of them were affected by the Domain , Yu Yuanchen made his move! His target was clear— Tang Chen !
Moving as fast as lightning, his right arm that had transformed into a dragon was enveloped in purple lightning as the condensed " Lightning Dragon Claw " struck directly at Tang Chen's side ! He chose to attack Tang Chen first, not because he considered Tang Chen weaker, but because he judged that Tang Chen , who had just fought fiercely with Qian Daoliu and had consumed more energy, was an easier target to open a Breakthrough ! If he could first work together with Qian Daoliu to force Tang Chen out, then face Qian Daoliu alone, the pressure would be much less.
"Smart kid! You targeted me first?!" Tang Chen reacted extremely quickly; despite being affected by the Domain , his fighting instincts remained intact. Facing the incoming dragon claw, he didn't dodge or evade. His Fifth Spirit Ability flashed, and the Clear Sky Shield was instantly deployed. Simultaneously, the Clear Sky Hammer struck out with a strong wind. It wasn't a direct collision, but a clever attack on the side of the lightning claw, attempting to deflect it!
However, Yu Yuanchen's attack was a mix of feint and reality! Seeing that the lightning claw was about to be blocked, he flicked his wrist, and the dragon claw suddenly changed shape. His five fingers fused together, transforming into an extremely dense purple lightning finger sword. His speed increased by another thirty percent as he passed through the hammer wind and stabbed straight at the area below Tang Chen's ribs , where the light of the Clear Sky Guard was relatively thin!
Hiss!
Lightning flashed as the finger sword struck the protective light, producing a piercing sound. The Clear Sky Body Protector trembled violently; although it didn't break, the penetrating lightning force still caused a sharp numbness in Tang Chen's ribs ! He groaned and was forced to take half a step back.
As Yu Yuanchen attacked Tang Chen , Qian Daoliu on the other side also made his move! His choice was unexpected! He didn't join in to attack Tang Chen as Yu Yuanchen had expected ; instead, with a flap of his six wings, his figure transformed into golden lightning and charged straight towards Yu Yuanchen ! The Angelic Sacred Sword , emitting divine light, slashed towards Yu Yuanchen's left hand , which was maintaining the Domain ! Attacking the enemy's vital point to force a rescue!
Qian Daoliu was extremely meticulous; how could he be so easily tricked by Yu Yuanchen ? He saw that Yu Yuanchen wanted to work together to deal with Tang Chen first, so he did the opposite, intending to destroy this annoying Domain first and weaken Yu Yuanchen's greatest advantage !
"Come!" Yu Yuanchen seemed to have anticipated this. Facing Qian Daoliu's sudden attack , he didn't panic at all. His left hand's movement that maintained the Domain remained unchanged, but his right arm suddenly retracted. Purple-gold lightning exploded on his dragon claw as the " Lightning Dragon Claw " reappeared, brazenly facing Qian Daoliu 's Angelic Sacred Sword ! He actually intended to face the attacks of two great masters simultaneously with his own strength!
Dentang!!!
The Lightning Dragon Claw and the Angelic Sacred Sword collided fiercely! Purple-gold lightning and divine light clashed violently! Yu Yuanchen's body trembled violently, the ground beneath his feet cracked bit by bit, and he felt a sweet taste in his throat, but he persisted and did not take a single step back! Qian Daoliu was also shaken by this claw filled with the " Power of the Thunder God ", his arms numb and his forward momentum hampered.
In this moment of stalemate, Tang Chen , who had just been pushed back half a step, seized the opportunity!
"Hahaha! Don't you dare run!" He laughed out loud, a glimmer of cunning flashing across his eyes. He didn't care at all why Qian Daoliu attacked Yu Yuanchen ; to him, the two were opponents! His third spirit ring lit up, and Whirlwind Dance activated once again! But this time, his target wasn't Yu Yuanchen or Qian Daoliu , but rather—the center area where the two were fighting!
The black tornado was like a giant drill, carrying an Aura capable of suffocating everything as it boldly slammed into the energy turbulence where the Lightning Dragon Claw and the Angelic Holy Sword met!
Explosion-!
The forces of the three forces collided violently! The already unstable energy instantly lost control, erupting into a shockwave that was even more chaotic and violent than before!
Yu Yuanchen bore the brunt of the impact, groaning as a trace of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth. He staggered back, and the light of his Domain dimmed significantly. Qian Daoliu was also forced back by the sudden explosion, the light on his divine sword becoming disorganized. As for Tang Chen himself, although he had timely activated the Clear Sky Guard state to significantly increase his defense, he was also shaken by the chaotic shockwave, causing his blood and Qi to churn, and the momentum of his whirlwind slowed.
Just moments after it began, the first three-way clash ended in a chaotic, violent, and mutually detrimental manner! There were no allies, only collective calculation and self-control!
The chaos doesn't subside; it just gets more intense!
Just as Yu Yuanchen stabilized himself, Qian Daoliu's Holy Light Judgment had already struck him! He had to give up control of his Domain and fully utilize the Perplexing Ghost Shadow Trail , his figure transforming into multiple afterimages to dodge the golden light pillar's attack just in time. A scorched hole exploded where he had been standing.
Meanwhile, Tang Chen seized the opportunity to swing the Clear Sky Hammer , unleashing a devastating Sky-Piercing Strike towards Qian Daoliu , whose Aura had slightly decreased after unleashing the Holy Light Judgment !
Qian Daoliu snorted coldly as the Angel Guardian light shield appeared, blocking the hammer attack head-on. At the same time, he swung the Holy Spirit Slash , sending several golden sword lights towards Tang Chen's lower body , forcing him to defend.
Seeing an opportunity, Yu Yuanchen expanded his Domain again , though this time its range was smaller, covering only ten meters around him for self-protection and intervention. He was like a slippery lightning eel, wandering around the edge of the battlefield, occasionally harassing the two with purple lightning finger swords or condensed lightning palm prints. He specifically targeted moments when their old strength was exhausted and new strength had yet to emerge, or critical moments when the two were about to clash, forcibly interfering to further disrupt the situation.
Tang Chen's fighting style was extremely ferocious, often abandoning his own defenses to attack with full force, seeking to break the deadlock with absolute power. His Clear Sky Hammer sometimes smashed down on Qian Daoliu like Mount Tai pressing down, and at other times, it attacked Yu Yuanchen stealthily like a viper emerging from its hole, forcing both of them to divert their energy to deal with him.
Qian Daoliu maintained his elegant and efficient fighting style. His Angel Domain opened and closed with precision to weaken his opponents and enhance his own strength. His attacks often came at the most unexpected moments, with intricate angles and concentrated power. He sometimes exchanged heavy blows with Tang Chen to test his limits, and at other times, he launched lightning-fast surprise attacks on Yu Yuanchen , forcing him to use his Soul Power for defense and evasion.
In that three-way dispute, the situation changed in the blink of an eye!
Yu Yuanchen tried to "secretly" pincer Tang Chen with Qian Daoliu again. He activated his Domain to disrupt Tang Chen while aiming a Void-Shattering Thunder Dragon Strike at his back. Qian Daoliu indeed understood his intentions, thrusting his Angelic Sacred Sword into Tang Chen's chest . However, at the critical moment, Tang Chen used Whirlwind Dance to forcibly change direction. Instead of parrying, the Clear Sky Hammer struck the ground— Fifth Spirit Ability , Mountain Quake ! The terrifying seismic wave not only neutralized the pincer attack but also shook Yu Yuanchen and Qian Daoliu to the point of losing their balance!
Qian Daoliu also "accidentally" formed an encirclement with Tang Chen , encircling Yu Yuanchen . Tang Chen attacked powerfully from the front while Qian Daoliu parried from the air. Seeing that Yu Yuanchen had nowhere to hide, he suddenly narrowed his Domain to its maximum, transforming into a purple lightning ball to protect himself. He blocked Tang Chen's hammer attack while using that force to knock Qian Daoliu back ! Qian Daoliu was unwilling to take the lightning ball filled with counter-shock force head-on and had to dodge, instantly breaking the encirclement.
The battle reached its climax, and all three were injured. Yu Yuanchen's clothes were torn in many places, revealing his skin beneath, which glowed with a faint golden purple glow—a manifestation of his bloodline power automatically protecting his body. Tang Chen had several lightning strikes and Holy Light burns on his body, and his breathing had become labored. Qian Daoliu's wings were no longer as clean as they were at the beginning, stained with dust and scorch marks.
The consumption of Soul Power was even greater. Yu Yuanchen's Domain couldn't be maintained for long and began to flicker; Tang Chen's movements when swinging the Clear Sky Hammer were noticeably slower; and the light of Qian Daoliu's Angel Domain had also dimmed significantly.
However, the three of them's gazes were getting sharper, and their battle intent was getting higher! They all knew that the critical moment that would determine the outcome was approaching. In this chaotic battlefield, whoever could seize this fleeting opportunity would have the last laugh!
In the wasteland, lightning, Holy Light , and the shadow of the hammer intertwined into a terrifying and majestic tapestry.