Chapter 315: Battle of the Two Shis, Shi Jian VS Shi Hao
"It seems I will prevail!"
The arena shook, and the endless, blinding Divine Light finally dissipated. Shi Jian stood amidst the ruins of the stage, his breathing ragged, but his stance firm.
He looked at Yang Qi, who was struggling to stay upright, and laughed.
Both of them were in very poor condition. Their virtual bodies were cracked and flickering, bloodstains covering their robes.
However, Shi Jian's condition was clearly, visibly much better than Yang Qi's.
"It's not over yet!" Yang Qi also laughed, a defiant roar tearing from his throat. His whole body's essence and qi began to burn fiercely, sacrificing his remaining stamina for one last burst of power.
He charged at Shi Jian again!
A giant, divine elephant phantom, burning with golden flames, rose with ten thousand feet of light, tearing open the sky as it swooped down!
[Inorin's Note: This is a manifestation of Yang Qi's core technique from Sheng Wang (Sage Monarch), the 'God-Suppressing Hell-Crushing Force' (Gong Shen Xiang Zhen Li), which uses the power of a divine elephant.]
Yang Qi's long hair fluttered as he rapidly attacked. Even though he was heavily injured, he still maintained an indomitable battle intent.
Shi Jian also swooped towards him. He didn't retreat, instead manifesting the Kunpeng Law. His form blurred, becoming a boundless and immense golden-winged roc, its wings tearing the sky, radiating golden light and surging waves.
Boom!
A world-shaking collision reverberated through the virtual space.
After the intense exchange just now, both of them remained unparalleled, possessing a terrifying, unyielding battle intent.
They fought fiercely, blood splattering, Divine Light shining in all directions, and endless waves of raw power rippling outwards.
Strong! Strong! Too strong!
All those watching—the millions of geniuses, the high-ranking Immortals—were astonished.
Despite appearing heavily injured, the battle intent they unleashed was still so terrifying. Their power soared to the heavens, suppressing the Nine Heavens. Truly terrifying.
Both of them cast aside all caution, all technique, and were fighting with true, primal fury.
Shi Jian struck forward with his palm, carrying immense power as if it could shatter stars, and overwhelming light swept across the sky.
Yang Qi wielded the Paradise Divine Fist, clashing with him directly. The Law of pure power surged between them like an ocean, violently rippling.
This was an unimaginably terrifying life-and-death battle.
At this moment, the two of them fought to a fever pitch. They grew stronger the more they fought, their fist power becoming more and more terrifying. Both reached a state of forgetting life and death, driven only by the instinct to win.
After the intense clash just now, both were injured, yet they continued to fight fiercely for what felt like another two thousand moves.
The Geniuses from the various Universe Nations had their perceptions completely refreshed.
These two were like unkillable cockroaches.
They looked as if a gust of wind could blow them over. Extremely weak.
But their attacks were still terrifyingly powerful.
They were in the same realm. Both of them had already fought to the point of utter exhaustion.
However, if anyone dared to step onto that stage right now... if anyone wanted to take advantage of their weakened state to defeat them and gain fame...
The outcome was unquestionable.
They would be instantly defeated upon entering the stage.
This was the dominance of peerless prodigies. Even at their weakest, they were untouchable!
After several more clashes, the two exchanged a final, brutal blow, sending each other staggering back. They stood opposite each other, their battle intent, impossibly, growing even stronger.
"Let's decide the victor here and now!"
Shi Jian let out a soft cry. His entire body erupted with Divine Light, radiating holy auspiciousness as he transformed into a Celestial Dragon and charged forward!
Yang Qi's body was originally dim, but at this moment, his eyes turned icy cold. He fought with all his might, his aura gradually fluctuating from weak to powerful.
An earth-shattering power erupted: "Hand of God!"
[Inorin's Note: The 'Hand of God' (Shang Di Zhi Shou) is another of Yang Qi's ultimate techniques, a divine art that judges and eradicates all things.]
All his remaining law power, his will, and his divine elephant force merged into the Hand of God.
Yang Qi pressed out with a single, divine finger.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The entire arena trembled, and the reinforced space began to crack.
This was another clash of ultimate techniques.
"They can still unleash such a terrifying attack?"
Upon seeing this, those Immortal powerhouses instantly erupted from their seats!
Another ultimate strike!
Both were almost completely exhausted, their energy reserves flashing red, yet they could still unleash such terrifying destructive power?
Prodigies! These were true, monstrous prodigies!
Before they could even finish their thought... another, even more powerful fluctuation emerged.
"Hand of God!" Yang Qi roared again, pushing his spirit to its limit.
"Eternal Immortal Qi!" Shi Jian countered, his own power surging.
Another clash of law, within just a few breaths, the two who were almost exhausted... unleashed two consecutive attacks, fusing all their laws!
Clearly, this final strike... both could be considered... an extreme sublimation, burning the last of their fuel.
Terrifying waves spread out, and golden light so dazzling it blinded everyone. After all the aura finally dissipated, only one figure remained, barely standing, on the arena.
Shi Jian.
Shi Jian, wins! One point gained.
...
In the final battle of extreme sublimation, ultimately, Shi Jian had won.
His base stats, augmented by his own Golden Finger, were far superior to Yang Qi's. For Yang Qi to fight him to this extent, to this state of mutual exhaustion, it could only be said that he was indeed Yang Qi.
...
"I lost."
Reforming his body, Yang Qi appeared off the stage, sighing as he spoke.
"I'm afraid it will be difficult for any of us to defeat this guy in a one-on-one."
The others looked at Shi Jian on the stage, who was taking a moment to recover. They weren't too surprised.
"Well, he does have an extra Golden Finger than us, so it would be unreasonable if he wasn't strong," Xiao Yan said with a chuckle, rubbing his chin.
"This is just the arena match. There will be a big free-for-all later... During that free-for-all, I suggest we take him out together."
Yang Qi and the others exchanged strange glances upon hearing this, then nodded.
"You have a point," Lin Dong smirked. "Let's do that."
Xiao Yan broke into a wide, devious smile.
...
The remaining two. Li Changshou and Shi Hao.
They looked at each other, and Shi Hao spoke first, cracking his knuckles. "Brother Changshou, why don't I go first? I've long wanted to really fight with big brother."
Li Changshou smiled upon hearing this, then displayed the noble quality of "respecting the old and cherishing the young"—though in this case, it was more like "letting the young and reckless go first."
"Please!"
...
Under everyone's gaze, Shi Hao slowly ascended the stage.
The "Two Shis" stood opposite each other, their battle intent surging, creating an invisible pressure that made the air crackle.
"Brother, I've long wanted to truly fight you!" Shi Hao looked at Shi Jian, his eyes filled with an intense, pure battle intent.
Fighting alongside Shi Jian was something he had always hoped for.
And fighting against Shi Jian... was also what he anticipated.
Shi Jian's gaze was brilliant, Divine Light flowing in his eyes as he looked at Shi Hao.
When he first transmigrated to the Perfect World, Shi Hao had put a lot of pressure on him.
After all, the future "Arrogant Heaven Emperor" (Huang Tian Di) was too terrifying. Shi Jian was afraid he would commit some taboo and then be suddenly killed by this child.
At that time, even with a Golden Finger and a chat group cheat, he didn't dare to think too much. He just thought about "touching porcelain" (piggybacking on) the Arrogant Heaven Emperor.
But after so much time, his "filter" for Huang was long gone.
So what if he's the Arrogant Heaven Emperor?
Didn't I flick his little bird when he was a baby? Isn't he just my little brother?
Shi Jian's gaze seemed to see through everything, and he said slowly: "You've grown very fast, Hao. You haven't disappointed my expectations for you."
"Now, let me see... your progress."
"I won't disappoint you, Brother!" Shi Hao said with a confident smile.
Chii!
Shi Hao's right palm struck forward. The Kunpeng Law manifested behind him, a golden roc with the momentum of soaring ninety thousand miles, its attack power unparalleled.
Shi Jian responded with the Kunpeng Law as well. He punched through the sky, surrounded by sacred light burning like fireworks, dazzling and brilliant.
This strike was incomparably domineering.
The two collided, erupting with a dazzling light that forced the spectators to shield their eyes.
Shi Hao was blasted backward, skidding to a stop. He exhaled deeply, a little surprised.
Shi Jian's power was simply inhuman! That last clash, which looked equal, had caused him no small amount of damage.
Just that one blow, and Shi Hao knew he was no match for Shi Jian.
The gap between them was still very large.
However... Shi Hao never admitted defeat!
In an instant, an even more terrifying power erupted from him, and with him as the center, his entire body burned like a giant fireball.
In the blink of an eye, a bursting fist roared out again. This punch was like a tsunami, its sound tearing through the air, like crashing waves on the shore.
Before the fist even arrived, the intense heat made one feel as if they were in the scorching sun.
Shi Jian was not to be outdone, unleashing a punch with the same method.
The great battle between the two erupted once more.
In their life-and-death struggle, Dao petals appeared above their heads. Chaos light shot out in all directions, like Sword Qi that reached the heavens.
The void shattered, and thunder rumbled continuously.
True Dragons and Blood Phoenixes flew. Qilins roared.
This was the blossoming of precious techniques. This was the manifestation of their heavenly merit.
Directly using precious techniques from Perfect World in the world of Swallowed Star would naturally not unleash much power.
However, Shi Jian and Shi Hao could both unleash these precious techniques using Origin Law.
This was not difficult for them.
In the Perfect World, they used bone inscriptions as the medium.
And in the world of Swallowed Star, it was with Origin Law as the medium, and their Domain as the medium.
The result of this was... extreme light pollution.
The entire area was enveloped in Chaos Qi. Various precious techniques flew. The sky displayed supreme might, thrilling and soul-stirring, as the Law of power twisted.
This scene was terrifying.
The Laws of the Universe and their Domain unfolded, earth-shattering. Heaven and earth seemed to tremble.
Immortal Light soared into the sky, splitting the universe.
One collision after another, Law burning, Domain blossoming, incredibly dazzling.
The two first exchanged blows with their fists and feet, then they began to fight with weapons.
Shi Hao raised his hand, and dazzling light appeared. A golden war halberd condensed from pure lightning, with unparalleled sharpness.
Shi Jian, on the other hand, summoned the Nether God's Spear. The golden war halberd and the dark spear collided in the void, lightning and shadows shooting everywhere.
The golden war halberd poured out Divine Light like a waterfall, incredibly dazzling.
The Nether God's Spear flew, stirring up strong winds, carrying the aura of the Netherworld's Hell and the mournful songs of gods.
Rumble rumble rumble!
The sun and moon lost their light, and heaven and earth lost their color. With each exchange between the two, a fierce explosion occurred.
The sky shattered.
The Qi of the heavenly and earthly Law raged throughout the entire world.
Such a scene... had one not witnessed it with their own eyes, who would have thought this was a battle of Stellar-level cultivators?
Shi Jian swung his long spear, and space trembled, as if a True Dragon roared. Immense power, like all the stars in the heavens, crashed down.
Shi Hao was not to be outdone, one light-speed surge after another, colliding with the myriad stars, splattering shimmering starlight.
The loudest roar shattered people's Divine Souls.
Various colored beams intertwined, symbolizing the most fundamental Law of this world, striking back wave after wave, each strike stronger than the last.
The Law of power within became increasingly dazzling.
After the weapon battle, the two once again engaged in close combat.
Shi Hao's body was like a great roc, his arms spread wide, the sky winds fierce, his protective aura vast, as he pounced forward.
Shi Jian also countered him, his own Kunpeng wings spread open.
Although the two were in close combat, they were not exchanging blows with fists and feet.
Instead, they were competing in terms of speed.
Their bodies were as swift as lightning, and in the blink of an eye, they had already exchanged tens of thousands of blows.
Extreme speed. Extreme speed. Still extreme speed.
Even Universe-level powerhouses would probably not be able to clearly see the trajectory of their exchanges. They could only see the dazzling starlight flowing across the sky.
Their speed was at its peak, and the Divine Light on their bodies was at its brightest.
The two clashed in the sky.
Those Stellar-level geniuses from various Universe nations could not see their traces at all. They could only see the dazzling light pollution.
What the two were competing in was not just precious techniques.
It was also their comprehension of the Laws of this world.
Their precious techniques were all unleashed by borrowing the Law Domain of this world.
How terrifying would the power unleashed be when the Law of Wind was combined with the Kunpeng Law, an extreme speed technique?
How terrifying would the power unleashed be when the Law of Metal was combined with the Grass-Word Sword Art?
[Inorin's Note: The 'Grass-Word Sword Art' (Cao Zi Jian Jue) is one of the Ten Great Precious Techniques from Perfect World, a supreme offensive art that embodies the concept of 'sharpness'.]
...
The two were competing in their mastery of the Kunpeng Law, and also in their comprehension of the Law of Wind.
Two Kunpengs continuously collided in the void. Golden wings instantly scattered to the ground, and blood flew everywhere.
Shi Jian did not use his Dominator Domain, but simply competed with Shi Hao in the Law of Wind and the Kunpeng Law.
After several rounds of fighting, both of them sustained some injuries.
They then began to compete in the Law of Metal.
A single blade of grass blossomed between heaven and earth, then erupted with a blinding golden light.
Countless strands of Sword Qi raged.
The Law of Metal. The Law of Wood. The Law of Fire. The Law of Earth. The Law of Water.
The two used one corresponding precious technique for each Law to compete.
All kinds of light filled the space between heaven and earth.
The powerhouses from various Universe nations, as well as the high-ranking officials of the Virtual Universe Company, were once again extremely bewildered.
They were a little confused.
Were these two practicing or sparring? Or... were they just showing off?
Anyway, their eyes were almost blinded.
...
The battle between Shi Jian and Shi Hao, the two brothers, continued.
From competing with precious techniques of a single Law, they gradually escalated.
Precious techniques that fused two Law powers.
Precious techniques that fused three Law powers.
...
The two became more and in more excited as they fought, and the intensity grew higher and higher.
As the intensity continuously increased, the situation gradually became clear.
Although Shi Jian did not use his Dominator Domain, his base stats were far ahead.
After several clashes, Shi Hao had already suffered a great impact, coughing up large mouthfuls of blood.
Although Shi Jian also looked a bit disheveled, his injuries were not very serious.
Finally, when they escalated to using precious techniques with eight Law powers...
Shi Hao lost. He couldn't sustain the fusion and was blasted off the stage by Shi Jian's technique.
...
"Brother is indeed formidable!" Shi Hao, who had reformed his body, said with a sigh, but his eyes were bright with excitement, not disappointment.
Everyone looked at the last person.
Li Changshou.
So far, only Li Changshou had not yet entered the arena.
Under everyone's gaze, Li Changshou slowly walked onto the stage, a wry smile on his face.
"Brother Shi Jian, please be gentle!"
Li Changshou had considered it repeatedly and finally decided to throw the match.
This kind of open, arena-style competition was a huge disadvantage for him.
Because he couldn't "set up in advance."
His combat style was based on planning, traps, poison, and paper talismans. Without gaining the initiative, he had already lost half of his winning chances before even fighting.
Plus... that was the terrifying strength that Shi Jian had just displayed.
His less than half winning chance would be reduced by ninety percent.
Rounding it up... his winning chance was less than ten percent.
With a ninety percent winning chance, Li Changshou would still consider whether to attack.
Let alone a winning chance of less than ten percent.
Li Changshou was very experienced in throwing matches. The last time he messed up was when he met that little cub from the Dragon Clan. It was a case of an actor meeting an actor.
And this time, clearly... Shi Jian was not an actor.
Shi Jian also saw through this kid's thoughts; he knew that this kid was indeed not interested in "PK" type things.
So he played along and put on a show, "defeating" him with a single, impressive-looking palm strike that Li Changshou "failed" to dodge.
Shi Jian, three consecutive wins, three points!
As of now, all group members have entered the arena.
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