The sky above the battlefield rippled with the shockwaves of power as Shen Yuan and Elder Tian Xu clashed again and again. Their strikes lit up the heavens like falling stars, shaking the ground below and causing weaker cultivators to stumble and fall. Yet, despite Shen Yuan's determination, the cracks in his stamina were beginning to show. Each punch lacked a fraction of the force it once carried.

Elder Tian Xu’s sharp eyes noticed immediately. A thin, knowing smile spread across his face. “So, even you have limits,” he muttered, his voice carried only by the Qi-infused wind.

Shen Yuan swung another fist, but it barely grazed Tian Xu’s chest before the elder vanished like smoke. Reappearing several meters away, Tian Xu raised a hand and wiped a speck of blood from his lip. Unlike Shen Yuan, he bore only minor injuries—small cuts that healed almost instantly.

“Your strength is commendable,” Tian Xu said with a mocking bow, his voice dripping with condescension. “But this game has dragged on long enough.”

Before Shen Yuan could react, Tian Xu’s presence disappeared entirely. It was as if he had ceased to exist, the air itself silent in his absence. Then, without warning, he reappeared directly in front of Shen Yuan, so close that his breath was warm against Shen Yuan's face.

A blade of pure, condensed Qi formed in Tian Xu’s hand, its edge humming with destructive energy. With a ruthless thrust, he stabbed it into Shen Yuan’s abdomen.

The world seemed to freeze. Shen Yuan’s eyes widened as the Qi blade buried itself deep, sending waves of searing pain through his body. Blood dripped from his mouth as he reached for the hilt, but before he could pull it out, the blade exploded.

A shockwave of fiery Qi burned through his insides, shredding his organs. His vision blurred, and he fell from the sky like a broken doll, crashing into the ground with a sickening thud. Dust rose in a choking cloud around him.

Elder Tian Xu descended gracefully, his expression cold and unmoved. He landed a few paces away from Shen Yuan, who lay motionless, his blood pooling beneath him.

“You fought well,” Tian Xu said, his tone laced with mockery. “But this is where your story ends. You should have known—those who defy their superiors are destined to be crushed.”

Shen Yuan’s fingers twitched.

Tian Xu raised a brow. “Still alive? You’re more stubborn than I thought.”

Shen Yuan’s thoughts swirled in chaos, his body numb from pain. He could feel the damage—most of his organs were burned beyond recognition. Yet, deep within his chest, a faint warmth pulsed, his heart.

“I cannot die here…”

The Nether Dragon Scripture surged to life within him, its ancient power flooding his meridians. The first level’s special effect activated, knitting together the shattered remains of his body, albeit slowly. Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, forcing himself to focus.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

The special effect allows him to fight even with serious injuries, as long as his heart and brain is intact and not damaged.

“I’m not... done yet,” he muttered, his voice a broken whisper.

With agonizing slowness, he pushed himself to his knees, then to his feet. Blood poured from his wounds, but his eyes burned with an unyielding light.

Feng Yanqing appeared then, her figure darting toward him like a flame in the dark. Her eyes widened in horror at the sight of him. “Shen Yuan!” she cried, rushing to his side.

“Are you insane? You can barely stand!” She tried to steady him, her hands trembling. “Please, stop! You’re going to get yourself killed!”

Shen Yuan coughed, blood staining his lips. He managed a faint smirk. “Relax... Even if I’m not fine, giving up isn’t an option at this moment, it’s too late to give up.”

“Don’t be stupid!” Feng Yanqing’s voice cracked with emotion.

Shen Yuan turned to her, his smirk fading into a cold, determined expression. “Enough. I don’t have time for your lectures.”

Before she could respond, he pushed her aside gently but firmly and shot into the air once more, his aura flaring violently.

Elder Tian Xu watched him approach with a mixture of amusement and disdain. “Still standing? How pitifully stubborn. It’s admirable, in a way.”

Shen Yuan didn’t answer. Instead, he stopped mid-air, his expression unreadable. He inhaled deeply, and the air around him began to distort.

Then, he opened his mouth.

A sound unlike anything the world had ever heard erupted from Shen Yuan’s throat—a deep, guttural roar that carried the weight of pure destruction. The Demonic Roar Technique was unleashed.

The battlefield trembled as the sound waves tore through the air, hollowing the atmosphere of oxygen and sending spatial rifts cracking in all directions. The weaker cultivators on both sides dropped like flies, their hearts bursting from the sheer pressure.

Elder Tian Xu winced, his ears bleeding as the sound ripped through his senses. He stumbled slightly, a rare flicker of surprise crossing his face. “What... what is this power?”

The absence of oxygen had no effect on him as he was a Nirvana Realm master, those who reach it are no longer in need of oxygen, food or sleep in order to live.

Below, Feng Yanqing covered her ears, her eyes wide with both awe and terror. The roar was not just a sound—it was a force, a manifestation of Shen Yuan’s sheer willpower and darkness.

When the roar finally subsided, the battlefield was eerily silent. The bodies of weaker cultivators lay scattered, and even the air itself seemed to shudder.

Elder Tian Xu steadied himself, his expression dark. “You’re full of surprises, boy. But this ends now.”

From within his spatial ring, he drew a weapon unlike any other—a High-grade Earth Tier sword, which is a tier, two ranks above the black tier. Its blade shimmered with a light that seemed to draw the stars themselves closer, and the space around it warped and twisted.

“This blade was forged in the heart of a dying star,” Tian Xu said, his voice low. “Its power is absolute. Prepare yourself for annihilation. And since you are knowledgeable enough, you must know a High Grade-Earth Tier weapon at its full potential can destroy even a whole star system!”

Shen Yuan, bloodied and battered, wiped the corner of his mouth and smirked. “You talk too much for an old man.”

Taking his stance, he locked eyes with Tian Xu. The tension between them was palpable, the air thick with the promise of destruction.

For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. Then, as one, they surged toward each other, the final clash imminent.