The setting sun, like blood, stretched the three figures on the wasteland into long shadows. As the fierce battle reached this point, none of the three retained their initial composure. Yu Yuanchen breathed heavily; his level 54 soul power was being consumed at an immense rate in such a high-intensity melee. Had it not been for the efficient utilization of Thunder God Power and the extra stamina provided by his Bloodline Power, he would have collapsed long ago. Tang Chen had gained several more scorch marks and sword wounds. While his Clear Sky Hammer remained fierce as he swung it, the sense of Effortless had faded significantly, revealing his fatigue. The light of Qian Daoliu's six wings had also dimmed noticeably, his sacred white robes stained with dust and specks of blood; maintaining the Angel Domain was an equally massive burden for him.
However, the eyes of the three were brighter and sharper than ever! They all knew that this melee was nearing its end, and the outcome would be decided in the next few moves!
The one to break the stalemate first was Yu Yuanchen, who appeared to be at the greatest disadvantage!
Purple lightning flashed violently in his eyes, as if he had made a certain resolution. Facing Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu, who were closing in together again (the two had finally formed a brief tacit understanding after failing to break through for so long), he did not dodge or evade, but instead took the initiative to meet them head-on!
"Domain, extreme contraction!"
He let out a low shout, and the purple lightning domain that had been covering a ten-meter radius around him, flickering intermittently, suddenly collapsed inward frantically! All the Thunder Power was forcibly compressed onto his dragon-transformed right arm! The entire arm expanded instantly, scales bristling, and the purple-gold lightning became so dense it almost took on Substance, emitting a heart-palpitating "crackling" explosion, as if he were holding a thunderstorm on the verge of erupting! A fluctuation far exceeding his own level, carrying an aura of Destruction, surged forth violently!
"He wants to risk his life?!" Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu felt a chill in their hearts simultaneously, their forward momentum stalling slightly. Both had sensed a fatal threat from this move of Yu Yuanchen's!
However, Yu Yuanchen's target was not either of them! In the very moment they were alert and guarding, his right arm, which had condensed the power of the entire domain, smashed fiercely into the ground beneath his feet!
"Fifth Soul Skill, Purple Lightning Domain—Lightning Pool Burial Annihilation!"
Rumble—!!!
Centered on the point where his fist landed, countless purple electric snakes as thick as a child's arm instantly burrowed into the ground like living creatures. Immediately following, the ground within a thirty-meter radius trembled violently, bulged, and then exploded with a roar! It was not soil and stone flying, but endless purple lightning erupting from beneath the earth, as if a briefly existing, boiling swamp of lightning had been created on the surface!
This was another deep development of Yu Yuanchen's Purple Lightning Domain! He did not use the power of the domain to control space, but instead converted it into an extreme, instantaneous burst, forming an indiscriminate, area-of-effect strike! Although the consumption was massive and could not be sustained, at this crucial moment of deciding the outcome, it was enough to change the course of the battle!
Caught off guard, Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu were instantly swallowed by the tidal wave of lightning erupting from beneath their feet!
"Damn it!" Tang Chen roared, pushing his Second Soul Skill, Clear Sky Body Protection, to the limit. The thick, dark light protected him firmly, resisting the biting and impact of countless electric snakes. His figure stumbled unsteadily in the lightning pool, feeling his whole body go numb and sting, his soul power depleting rapidly.
Qian Daoliu's Complexion also changed. He flapped his six wings urgently, trying to ascend and escape, but the eruption of the lightning pool carried a powerful suction and paralyzing force, making his ascent exceptionally difficult. He was forced to contract his Angel Domain to cling to his body, the Holy Light and purple lightning clashing intensely and emitting continuous explosions. His speed was greatly reduced, and he could only rely on Angel's Guard to resist.
This sudden area-of-effect burst successfully dragged both of them down, causing effective interference and consumption!
After releasing this desperate strike, Yu Yuanchen's Complexion instantly turned as pale as paper, his aura plummeting; clearly, his soul power was nearly bottomed out. But he forced himself not to fall, his gaze locked firmly on the two, searching for the final opportunity.
The eruption of the lightning pool lasted only three breaths before rapidly fading, but the effect had already been achieved.
The light of Tang Chen's Clear Sky Body Protection had dimmed by more than half, and he was panting like an ox, his movements clearly sluggish. Although Qian Daoliu had suffered less damage due to his Angel Domain and flight advantage, his soul power consumption was equally significant, and his face was pale.
Just as the lightning pool dissipated, and the two were in the moment where their old strength had just been spent, New Strength Not Yet Arisen, and their minds were momentarily relaxed due to the previous explosion—
Yu Yuanchen moved! He squeezed out the last bit of soul power in his body, fusing it with that faint wisp of Thunder God Power and his surging Bloodline Power. His figure became like a streak of purple lightning skimming the ground, aiming directly at Tang Chen, who was in a relatively worse state and had not yet found his footing!
He knew this was the only chance! He had to take one of them out before Qian Daoliu could react!
"Thunder Dragon Shatters Void!"
It was still that highly penetrative Self-Created Soul Skill, but this time, its power was greatly reduced due to his state. However, the Timing was grasped to perfection! The purple-gold dragon claw aimed straight at Tang Chen's chest, where his defense had a gap from resisting the lightning pool!
Tang Chen's pupils constricted, and in his haste, he could only hold his Clear Sky Hammer horizontally across his chest to block!
"Bang!"
Thunder Dragon Shatters Void slammed into the hammer, the penetrative lightning energy passing through the hammer body and drilling fiercely into Tang Chen's body! Tang Chen's whole body shook violently, a mouthful of blood finally unable to be held back, and he was sent flying backward by this force, crashing heavily to the ground. He struggled twice, but for a moment, he was unable to rise! Although he had not been directly defeated, he had clearly lost the ability to continue fighting.
Having succeeded with his strike, Yu Yuanchen himself fell to one knee due to exhaustion, breathing heavily; even maintaining his dragon-transformed state seemed difficult.
On the battlefield, only Yu Yuanchen and Qian Daoliu remained standing, but both were at the end of their rope.
Qian Daoliu looked at the fallen Tang Chen and the clearly exhausted Yu Yuanchen, a trace of complexity flashing in his golden eyes. He had not expected Yu Yuanchen to use such a Resolute tactic, forcibly dragging the situation to this point.
"Brother Yuanchen, good methods." Qian Daoliu's voice carried a hint of fatigue, yet remained calm. "It is a pity that you no longer have the strength to fight."
Yu Yuanchen raised his head, wiped the blood from the Corner of Mouth, and revealed a wry smile: "Isn't Brother Qian also suffering from massive consumption?" Although he was unable to launch another strong attack, his gaze remained unyielding.
Qian Daoliu gave a slight Nod: "True. But, in the end, I have a slight advantage." He slowly raised the Angel Sacred Sword in his hand; although the light was dim, the sacred aura remained condensed. "Let the final strike decide the outcome."
The remaining light wings behind his back flapped gently, and his body slowly ascended. Although not as agile as before, it carried a final solemnity and resolution. He poured the remaining soul power in his body into the sacred sword without reservation, the tip of the sword pointing toward Yu Yuanchen below. He did not use any soul skills; this was simply a sword strike condensing his final power and will.
Yu Yuanchen took a deep breath and forced himself to stand straight. He knew he could no longer avoid this sword, and his soul power was insufficient to support another powerful soul skill for defense. All he could rely on was this tempered Physical Strength and the trace of dragon pride hidden deep within his bloodline!
He abandoned all defensive postures, his dragon-transformed right arm hanging low, but his Fingertip quietly condensed the last, imperceptible wisp of purple-gold lightning—the final afterglow of the Thunder God Power. He prepared to take the hit head-on and, at the moment of contact, detonate this final power to launch the most tragic counterattack!
The Atmosphere solidified to the extreme.
However, just as Qian Daoliu was about to dive down and Yu Yuanchen was prepared for a desperate fight—
A change occurred!
Tang Chen, who had been lying on the ground, had somehow quietly grasped a hard stone the size of a fist! Just as Qian Daoliu's entire focus was locked on Yu Yuanchen, he suddenly used his last bit of strength to throw the stone fiercely toward the root of one of the light wings on Qian Daoliu's back!
This throw had no soul power fluctuation; it was purely a matter of Physical Strength and the grasp of angles—silent, yet extremely vicious and precise!
"Whoosh—thud!"
The stone accurately hit the connection point at the root of the light wing where Qian Daoliu's defense had dropped to its lowest due to excessive consumption! Although it failed to cause serious damage, the sudden stinging pain and interference caused Qian Daoliu's condensed momentum to suddenly fall into chaos, and his diving motion suffered a fatal deviation and lag!
It was this split-second difference!
A Gleam shot from the eyes of Yu Yuanchen below! This was the opportunity he had been waiting for! The last wisp of Thunder God Power he had intended to use for mutual destruction instantly changed its trajectory; it did not attack Qian Daoliu, but instead was violently injected into his legs!
"Boom!"
Two shallow pits exploded in the ground, and Yu Yuanchen, relying on this final burst, moved his figure laterally like a ghost, narrowly avoiding Qian Daoliu's diving strike, which had lost its aim and power due to the disturbance!
The Angel Sacred Sword grazed the Hem of Clothes of Yu Yuanchen, carving a deep trench into the ground.
As for Qian Daoliu, because his Determined to Win strike had missed and his wing had been disturbed, his figure stumbled, nearly losing his balance and falling to the ground.
And it was in this absolute moment of emptiness, as he adjusted his posture, his old strength spent and New Strength Not Yet Arisen—
A weak yet incredibly firm figure lunged from the side like a hunting leopard! It was Yu Yuanchen! In the instant he dodged, he actually used the momentum of his sidestep to slam his entire body into the embrace of Qian Daoliu! Although his dragon-transformed right arm was too weak to unleash the Thunder Dragon Claw again, his hardened elbow, containing the last of his Bloodline Power, slammed fiercely into the Danzhong Acupoint on Qian Daoliu's chest, which had been left wide open by his own attack!
"Ugh!"
Qian Daoliu let out a muffled groan, feeling a savage force penetrate his body. While not fatal, it instantly disrupted the circulation of his Soul Power, which was already on the verge of exhaustion, throwing his aura into complete chaos! He could no longer maintain his flight, his figure swayed, and he plummeted from the low altitude. He managed to stay upright by propping himself up with his sword, but it was clear he had lost the ability to continue the fight.
The battlefield finally fell completely silent.
After delivering that elbow strike, Yu Yuanchen was also utterly drained, collapsing to the ground, unable to even move his fingers.
After throwing the stone, Tang Chen also seemed to have exhausted his last ounce of strength, lying on the ground gasping for air. Looking at the scene before him, he couldn't help but let out a hoarse laugh: "Heh... hehe... I never expected... in the end... it would turn out like this..."
Leaning on his sword, Qian Daoliu looked at the slumped Yu Yuanchen and the prone Tang Chen. Feeling the emptiness of his own Soul Power and the dull ache in his chest, a helpless, bitter smile couldn't help but appear on his usually elegant and composed face.
The setting sun sank completely below the horizon, its final rays illuminating the wasteland that looked as if it had been plowed, and in the center of the wasteland, three peerless geniuses lay exhausted, each in different postures, yet all wearing smiles.
There was no True winner, or perhaps, all three were winners, and all three were losers.
This heart-stopping Three Ultimates Melee finally drew to a close in a way that was almost farcical, yet reasonable—a way where all three parties were completely Exhausted.
After a long while, Yu Yuanchen was the first to catch his breath, laughing with a hoarse voice: "It seems... the three of us... have tied..."
Tang Chen chimed in weakly: "Tied... a tie is good... no one lost... haha..."
Qian Daoliu also slowly straightened up. Although disheveled, he still maintained his grace, smiling: "To have such a hearty battle with you two is my fortune. This battle has no winner or loser, only pure satisfaction."
The three looked at each other. Despite being utterly exhausted and covered in wounds, they all saw genuine appreciation, recognition, and a hint of mutual sympathy in each other's eyes.
In this battle, they had given their all, pitting their wits and courage against one another, pushing their own strength, will, and even their hidden Trump Card to the limit. They had not only verified each other's strength but also seen the highlights of their opponents and their own shortcomings during the fight.
Resilience of the Hidden Dragon, Power of Clear Sky, and Wisdom of the Angel intertwined and collided in this melee, leaving an indelible mark.
Night slowly descended, and the stars began to twinkle in the sky. The three struggled to their feet, supporting each other, carrying their exhaustion and their gains, and walked under the starlight, stumbling back toward Stone Spring Town.
Their story was still long. And this day's Three Ultimates Melee would surely become a vibrant and significant chapter in the legends that would echo across the continent in the future.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan