Under the siege of the combined battle array, it took only a few breaths for Gu Shen to be reduced to a state of mangled limbs and a body drenched in blood.
Even though he had summoned his greatest trump card and artifact, the Ancient Immortal Crucible, it was hammered into pieces under the collective assault. Even pushing his Ancient Immortal Physique to its absolute limit proved futile.
However, at the speed of Void Refinement cultivators, a few breaths were enough for them to exchange over a hundred blows. The fact that Gu Shen had lasted this long was a testament to his extraordinary combat prowess.
After all, among those besieging him was a cultivator who was in no way inferior to him—the Demon Blade, Bai Liyun!
This man was known for his "World-Severing Strike," having comprehended Saber Intent to the absolute peak. Ten thousand years ago, he had once split the Boundary Sea outside the Star-Sea Continent with a single strike, slaying a world-chaos beast of the Void Refinement rank and leaving an endless, terrifying trench on the seabed.
To this day, that saber scar still radiated an incredibly sharp and piercing aura.
Faced with such a heaven-sent genius, Gu Shen had sparred with him privately several times and had never managed to gain the upper hand. However, Gu Shen had relied on his Ancient Immortal Physique, which was comparable to a divine weapon, and his Ancient Immortal Crucible to avoid losing face.
But today, with the enhancement of the formation and the assistance of others, Bai Liyun had swiftly shattered the defense of the Ancient Immortal Physique and the Crucible that Gu Shen was so proud of!
"I never imagined that I, Gu Shen, who has dominated for a lifetime, would actually die in this place!"
"I only regret that my path of invincibility—of melting ten thousand laws and pushing forward with the physical body—could not be walked to its end. If I had sufficient resources, I would not necessarily be inferior to those of the Unity or Mahayana stages!"
In this desperate situation where death was certain, Gu Shen's heart was filled with unwillingness. But the gap between his strength and the enemy's was vast; regardless of his desires, he had to face this inevitable end.
Yet, at this moment, the one he hated most was not Bai Liyun who was cutting him down, nor the culprit, the Bee Daoist. Although he used unscrupulous means, everything he did was to ensure his path of immortality would not be severed. He accepted the reality that the winner takes all!
Since they were already enemies in a life-and-death struggle, who could laugh last would depend on their own divine abilities. Having inferior skills left him with nothing to say. However, he still did not regret his decision. In his view, even though the Bee Daoist had displayed such strength, the Star-Sea Continent was still doomed. Only by entering the Heavenly Dragon Continent and setting down roots could they fight for a slim chance of survival for the Star-Sea Continent's legacy!
No, the one he hated most was Huang Daoxing!
If not for that damned bastard, he might have successfully escaped!
Instead, his natal treasure, the Ancient Immortal Crucible, was in pieces, and even the defense of his proudest Ancient Immortal Physique had been broken. It was a dead end with no solution!
In this moment, he finally understood profoundly just how dangerous it was to be friends with someone who, like himself, would choose any means necessary for the sake of the Immortal Path.
The scene of Huang Daoxing using the formation to restrict his movements and leaving behind the words "Better a fellow Daoist die than I" before vanishing had ascended to become one of the most painful memories of his life.
However, when the collision of stellar power and spatial power erupted on the horizon, accompanied by Huang Daoxing's shocked and furious roars, the resentment in Gu Shen's heart turned into gloating. Even the pain of his injuries and the fear of death seemed to dissipate by half!
"Hahaha! Huang, you old dog, you have your day too! Retribution is swift!" Gu Shen mocked wildly.
Faced with this voice, Bai Liyun and the other seventeen did not stop him. They allowed the voice to carry over, causing the distant Huang Daoxing to turn livid with rage!
"Fellow Daoist Gu, you've vented your anger. It is time to go!" Bai Liyun's eyes narrowed as an even more massive Saber Intent soared into the sky!
Immediately after, a terrifying giant blade that spanned the horizon condensed into shape, appearing as if it would split the entire world in two!
The Great Dao of the world resonated at this moment, and a vast phenomenon of laws appeared!
The strike shook the heavens! It similarly shocked Gu Shen!
"Your Saber Path broke through?" Gu Shen said in shock.
He was certain that Bai Liyun had never reached this realm before! He finally understood why he had been defeated so easily just now; it turned out Bai Liyun had actually made a breakthrough!
"A few days ago, I shattered the mental barriers and fears in my heart. After my Dao-heart reached a higher level of comprehension, my saber realm naturally followed... I truly have to thank Senior Bee for the inspiration," Bai Liyun said calmly, yet his movements did not stop. The power of this strike continued to escalate.
"Brother Bai, do you need assistance?" Meng Tianqi's voice rang out at this moment. He had just finished shattering the protective formation of Huang Daoxing's sect.
"Thank you for the kind offer, Brother Meng, but this battlefield is mine!"
After saying this, Meng Tianqi did not insist. He gave Bai Liyun a look of appreciation and then, surrounded by the Laws of Life and Death, vanished instantly, heading straight for the battle between Qi Ping and Huang Daoxing.
"This strike shall bring a conclusion to the many inconclusive battles between you and me in the past!" Bai Liyun looked at Gu Shen, his eyes clearer than ever before!
However, he did not withdraw the power of the battle array. He knew this battle concerned more than just himself. Even if he had absolute confidence, what if there was a mishap? He could not be that selfish.
"Fine! You are indeed the opponent I respect most!"
Gu Shen quickly recovered from his shock. Knowing he was doomed, his heart became exceptionally calm. In this moment, all distracting desires were cast aside—something that would have been impossible in the past, yet he achieved it now!
Gu Shen's only thought now was to seek a breakthrough for his Ancient Immortal Physique and complete this final, fated battle with the Demon Blade, Bai Liyun!
In an instant, countless past insights surged wildly into his mind. A path of physical cultivation he had never dared to attempt before appeared in his brain.
That was the cultivation method with the highest mortality rate in his lineage: using extreme decay to catalyze the most extreme rebirth. Reassembling amidst a "disassembly"—every time it succeeded, the physical body would erupt with ultimate power!
Now, for the first time since Gu Shen had become famous, his Ancient Immortal Physique had been hammered to such a tattered state. But this happened to perfectly match the intent of decay.
"To be born anew in decay... I understand now! Hahaha! Come... Ancient Immortal... Disassemble!"
In a flash, Gu Shen's physical body and soul shattered violently! A terrifying wave of energy shook the firmament!
The battle array formed by the seventeen people vibrated madly. Several cracks appeared, and many of them coughed up blood. Their bodies cracked with numerous fissures under the immense pressure.
However, this lasted only for a moment. In the next second, the array was swiftly restored, and the injuries on everyone were healed at extreme speed.
Even so, it was enough to shock everyone. Each of them was the strongest leader of their respective factions; even if they hadn't reached the Void Refinement stage, they could use secret treasures and techniques to briefly erupt with power of that level. Simultaneously, the formation researched by Qi Ping had raised them to an unprecedented level.
Under such circumstances, the fact that Gu Shen could still erupt with this grade of power was truly astounding!
Yet, it was not over. Gu Shen's shattered body actually reassembled in an instant, afterward radiating endless golden light. Blood as dazzling as the sun boiled madly within him!
All of Gu Shen's energy then converged into his right fist. A ball of energy resembling a sun gathered there, and a powerful sense of suppression immediately permeated the entire world!
Or rather, this punch of Gu Shen's contained a formidable power and will capable of pulverizing the sky and earth!
The punch shook the world! Its appearance formed an extreme contrast with Bai Liyun's horizon-cleaving saber shadow!
At this moment, countless figures sensed these two ultimate powers between heaven and earth—even Huang Daoxing and Qi Ping, who were fighting in the distance, felt it.
Without a doubt, this was a duel destined to be recorded in history!
"Ancient Immortal... Ultimate Fist!"
The moment the punch was formed, a voice filled with immense satisfaction echoed through the world.
"Bai Liyun, let us fight!" Gu Shen roared.
Then, carrying the punch of extreme destruction, Gu Shen soared into the sky, appearing as if he would shatter the entire firmament!
"As you wish!"
Bai Liyun's eyes remained clear, but his voice contained a hint of irrepressible excitement!
Immediately, the soaring Saber Intent of Bai Liyun exploded. The giant saber that covered the sky slashed down. The massive blade of laws immediately condensed!
In an incredibly mysterious manner, it shrunk to the size of an ordinary saber blade, but its power, through extreme condensation, had actually increased rather than decreased!
That terrifying power seemed capable of crushing the entire world; its mere aftershocks caused countless cracks to appear in the earth!
In the next moment, the two ultimate powers collided!
For a second, the entire world fell into a strange state of silence, as if the terrifying power had bypassed the influence of the Laws of Time in that instant!
But after the silence came a surge of power more violent than a mountain collapse or a tsunami!
The incredibly terrifying shockwave swept in all directions!
Every cultivator, tree, and even the mountains and rivers in its path were sent flying, shattered, or reduced to ash!
The sixteen cultivators besides Bai Liyun were tossed back like ragdolls!
Fortunately, they had already deployed defensive measures and were protected by the array, so they did not suffer heavy injuries—merely internal trauma, coughing up some blood and having their bodies torn with several large gashes.
As long as no residual power remained, this was not a major issue for Soul Transformation cultivators; their injuries were basically fully recovered in a short while.
But when they looked at the center of the battlefield where the outcome was still unclear, their eyes were filled with shock.
Although Bai Liyun was enhanced by their power, they had not expected the fight to reach this level. With the move they just displayed, these two were qualified to compete for the title of the top powerhouses of the Star-Sea Continent!
It was too shocking! Especially Gu Shen's final breakthrough in the face of death—"brilliant" was not enough to describe it. Such a performance definitely did not dishonor the title of the Number One Body Cultivator of the Star-Sea Continent.
"Did he win?"
They actually felt a bit uncertain now. Gu Shen's performance in fighting everyone with a decaying body was truly too awe-inspiring.
After this ultimate clash, the commotion in the center of the battlefield also vanished...
A long time passed. Once the aftershocks had gradually dissipated, everyone finally saw the scene at the heart of the battlefield.
A black figure holding a Demon Saber was half-kneeling at the center. His body was covered in countless cracks resembling shattered porcelain, and dense golden Law power remained upon them... Even the Demon Saber had cracked in several places, and several drops of golden blood that had lost all life were still on the blade...
Before this black figure lay a mangled corpse that had lost all life. Under the ravages of the sharp Saber Intent, this body, which was split into several pieces, no longer resembled its original form. Only a few faint traces remained that allowed one to identify this person as the former Number One Body Cultivator of the Star-Sea Continent, Gu Shen!
This respected man, who believed the winner takes all and was willing to pay any price for his goals, had finally fallen completely. He had become an absolute loser, leaving behind only the still-burning Fist Intent in the world to prove that he had once existed in this cultivation world.
Bai Liyun looked at the lifeless remains of Gu Shen with a complex gaze. A trace of regret surfaced in his heart. Although they had determined life and death in this final battle, it was true that he had the enhancement of the battle array and Gu Shen had made a rushed breakthrough. If they had fought fairly, the outcome would have been uncertain.
But regret was just regret; Bai Liyun did not feel a shred of remorse.
For Bai Liyun, his Demon Saber was not just a blade; it was more "Demon"—it carried many things: the loved ones he had lost along the way, his home, and the things he cherished and insisted upon most in his heart. This layer of "Demon" was his essence. He would never throw away his life just for a satisfying battle; the things he pursued were never limited to the battle itself.
At this moment, that trace of regret transformed into another kind of power, causing the demonic aura on him to soar once more, and his eyes became even clearer.
Then, Bai Liyun shook off the blood on the blade and slowly stood up.
The moment he rose, the Saber Intent and demonic qi surged again. The cracks on his body began to heal slowly under the surging demonic qi, and the same was true for the cracked Demon Saber.
This blade had accompanied him since he stepped onto the path of cultivation. It had already shattered countless times in the process, but without exception, after every battle, the Demon Saber would be repaired under his influence and emerge even stronger!
A while after the battle ended, Qi Ping and Meng Tianqi, who was carrying the body of Huang Daoxing, stepped out from a spatial tunnel.
Compared to Gu Shen, Huang Daoxing had died much more pathetically. The expression on his corpse was filled with terror and unwillingness.
"Sigh..."
Seeing Gu Shen's body, Qi Ping couldn't help but let out a sigh. He had seen the entire battle clearly. Without a doubt, this Number One Body Cultivator was a figure brilliant enough to define an era. It was just a pity he had stood on the opposite side; otherwise, he might have become a powerful guardian of the Star-Sea Continent.
Their paths were different, so they could not plot together. Such a life-and-death situation was destined and could not be altered.
However, Qi Ping looked at Bai Liyun, whose aura was surging after slaying Gu Shen. He felt that using Gu Shen's death to forge an even more powerful Demon Saber might not be a bad thing for the Star-Sea Continent...