At the same moment, Qin Yi swung the long blade in his hand with all his might.
"West, Zanjitsu Gokui (Remnant Sun Prison Garb)!"
Boom!
Flames reaching fifteen million degrees erupted, transforming into a robe that draped itself over Qin Yi's body.
The terrifying heat instantly vaporized and incinerated everything around it.
Then, the two swords collided.
Boom!
A horrifying wave of scorching heat exploded outward. Space began to distort, and the air emitted strange hissing sounds. The invisible power of Imprisonment filled the surroundings, seeming capable of sealing away any force. Even the flames themselves appeared frozen in place.
Yet the fifteen-million-degree inferno was unbelievably fierce. It shrieked and roared, burning with all its might.
The chain-like seals of Imprisonment were continuously melted down, turning into molten iron before evaporating entirely.
High in the sky, the two men stood amid an endless sea of flames. Their eyes were cold and savage to the extreme, low growls escaping their throats like wild beasts.
"Raaaah!"
The power of Imprisonment gradually spread onto Qin Yi's body. His limbs grew numb, his movements slowed, and even his strength seemed to be sealed away.
Meanwhile, a tiny spark ignited on King Chengdui's body.
The spark rapidly became a blazing fire.
His bones began melting and breaking apart, unable to withstand the searing heat.
The battle had become a direct clash of powers, and the fighting was more intense than ever.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Waves of scorching wind swept across the battlefield.
Within the flames, a bizarre scene appeared. The fire itself moved at an extremely slow pace, as though it were struggling against another force. This was the manifestation of the conflict between their Zanpakutō abilities.
"King Chengdui!!"
Suddenly, a roar sounded from behind.
A streak of light flashed past, arriving before King Chengdui in the blink of an eye. A blade came slashing down.
Shhk!
The strike landed on the white bones exposed across his back, sending sparks flying and drawing a large spray of blood.
King Chengdui threw back his head and roared in fury, while his body began fluctuating erratically.
Space-time turbulence!
In an instant, his figure flickered repeatedly as he rapidly retreated.
Qin Yi took a deep breath and shook his body violently, forcing the power of Imprisonment to begin collapsing around him. Then, he shot forward in pursuit.
Four or five breaths later, in the northern region of Soul Society, the two faced each other once more.
Li Yuanli arrived at high speed, but the mask on his face was already beginning to crumble.
"Time's up! Damn it!"
Grinding his teeth, he realized he was gradually exiting his Hollow Transformation state. But he refused to accept it. The transformation wouldn't disappear immediately. As long as he could land one more hit before it ended, it would be worth it.
Turning into a silver streak, Li Yuanli appeared before King Chengdui in an instant.
"Time Wheel Flower, bloom! Scatter time and space, fall into the endless turbulent flow!"
With a loud roar, he swung his Zanpakutō, Time's Cry, violently downward.
Space trembled as brilliant silver light burst forth.
King Chengdui's body was still fluctuating through different points in time. Dizzy and enraged, he repeatedly roared toward the heavens. When Li Yuanli attacked again, King Chengdui let out another furious roar and swung his long blade.
"Imprisonment!"
The power of Imprisonment erupted once more. Half the space before him was engulfed by it, countless fine cracks appearing throughout the area.
Li Yuanli's entire body shook. Every bone in his body seemed to come apart at that moment. But his strike had already fallen.
It hit again.
Bzzz!
King Chengdui's entire body trembled violently. Now trapped within the uncontrollable turbulent flow, his form began fluctuating rapidly. Strangely enough, however, he was still able to maintain his power within a certain range, preventing it from dropping too far.
After that clash, Li Yuanli was blasted backward. He tumbled dozens of times before finally landing in a half-crouch on the ground, breathing heavily with a pale face.
He looked up at the sky.
There, Qin Yi stood a hundred meters in front of King Chengdui. Slowly raising his Zanpakutō, he murmured:
"South, Kaka Jūmanokushi Daisōjin (Great Burial Ranks of the Ten Trillion Fire Dead)!"
He pointed the blade downward and thrust it into the void.
In an instant, the air within dozens of kilometers trembled violently.
Armies formed from piles of ashes emerged from the void alongside a mournful funeral dirge. Then, they transformed into a vast skeleton legion and charged toward King Chengdui, who was trapped within the space-time turbulence.
The attack was practically endless.
When King Chengdui saw the army appear before him, his pupils contracted to pinpoints. Then, he let out a furious roar.
"Imprisonment Aura! All phenomena are but fleeting illusions!"
An invisible halo expanded outward around him, forming a barrier that tightly imprisoned every force that entered its range.
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
The Skeleton Army stepped into the area and shattered like bubbles the instant they entered.
The assault continued for dozens of breaths. King Chengdui was nearly unable to catch his breath, and the madness in his eyes deepened further and further.
The space-time turbulence was tormenting him without pause, constantly draining his power, while Qin Yi gave him no chance whatsoever to recover. Qin Yi was trying to kill him outright. This was the most dangerous moment yet.
"North, Tenchi Kaijin (Heaven and Earth End in Ashes)!"
After the skeleton army withdrew, Qin Yi slowly raised the King of Hell once more and then slashed at incredible speed.
Bzzz!
The temperature of the void skyrocketed. Even the air itself seemed to burn away, as though heaven and earth were about to turn to ash.
Crack!
A crisp sound echoed across the world. King Chengdui's Imprisonment Aura shattered instantly.
The slash struck his waist in the very next moment.
Shhk!
Flames exploded outward and ignited across his entire body. It was as if a bucket of gasoline had been poured over him, the fire spread with terrifying speed.
"ROOOAAAR!"
Within the flames, King Chengdui threw back his head and roared, releasing an even more terrifying aura.
Crack! Snap!
The sounds of bones breaking and grinding echoed through the air, making everyone in Soul Society's scalp go numb.
"You...!"
A chilling voice rang out. Standing within the flames, King Chengdui fixed Qin Yi with a vicious stare.
"Can't kill me!!!"
With a thunderous roar, a ring of light spread outward from his body. A vast aura surged forth and instantly imprisoned the burning flames. Then, the fire went out.
Whoosh... Whoosh...
Panting heavily, King Chengdui bent forward. Saliva dripped from his mouth. The white bony armor covering his body had been burned away, exposing blood-red flesh beneath. Smoke rose from the charred black wounds.
Qin Yi's expression remained cold. He raised his blade, preparing to attack again.
But in the next moment, he saw the scorched flesh on King Chengdui's body begin writhing rapidly, regenerating at an astonishing speed. Signs of Hollow Transformation appeared once more. In only a few breaths, more than half of his injuries had already healed.
"That slash of yours..."
"It even burned away that kid's space-time turbulence."
"You've truly surprised this king."
A smile spread across King Chengdui's lips, while his gaze grew even colder.
"Interesting. It's been a very long time since I've met an opponent like you."
Qin Yi was briefly stunned. Then, the fighting spirit in his eyes surged even higher.
He had finally met a true rival. King Chengdui made his heart pound.
For the first time in a very long while... he actually felt nervous.
(End of Chapter)
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