The blade of Zhang Bailun's Stiletto appeared to be composed of countless tiny fragments, almost imperceptible to the naked eye. Each fragment seemed profoundly deep. Among the young vampires, it elicited gasps of astonishment, yet no one understood its intricacies. However, among the elders of the vampire clan, nearly everyone knew what it signified.
The expression on Azure Sky Ancestor's face was somewhat grim as he glanced toward Prince Oshir. His complexion was already quite poor. In his mind, he thought, "Zhang Bailun hails from the Secret Faction's family; these vampire elders must surely be aware of Zhang Bailun's hidden strength."
The abilities displayed by this vampire count were common techniques known across nearly every monster race. The method of cultivation was not a secret. This technique was called Dimensional Slash. Although the name and specific cultivation methods were not standardized internationally, the underlying principle remained the same: using immense power to create minuscule spatial rifts, a millionth of a hair's breadth in size. These rifts could cut through any material without fail. When an object's spatial integrity is disrupted, no matter how strong its energy protection or how hard its material, it would tear apart like thin paper.
Zhang Bailun's Stiletto blade was composed of billions of these tiny spatial fragments. No matter what defensive shield Fang Lin Kong employed, he could not withstand even a light cut from this slender Stiletto. However, the energy required to support such a spatial cutting blade was also formidable. Not to mention a vampire count; even among the elders like Prince and Grand Dukes, few could easily wield such combat techniques.
Dimensional Slash was indeed one of the techniques closest to Divine Extremity.
When Zhang Bailun executed Dimensional Slash, Arlen Xuding Si's eyes suddenly brightened. A faint platinum holy light appeared in his pupils, and after a moment, he spoke slowly and deliberately: "I didn't expect there to be such a candidate for divinity here. The vampire clan truly deserves its reputation as the foremost among monsters; indeed, talents abound."
Liexiezi gently placed a hand on Azure Sky Ancestor's shoulder and communicated through Spell: "What does that candidate for divinity mentioned by Arlen Xuding Si mean? This Blood Count's power may be beyond Fang Lin Kong's capabilities. Should I step in?"
Upon hearing the term "candidate for divinity," Azure Sky Ancestor paused slightly. With a long sigh, he withdrew his gaze from Prince Oshir. He refrained from casting blame because the expressions on the faces of the vampire elders were equally grim. Clearly, Zhang Bailun's hidden strength was something they were also unaware of. The elders from the Demon Faction wore expressions that unmistakably conveyed anger. If someone from the Secret Faction stepped into the Divine Realm, no matter how hard the Demon Faction tried, they could not escape being subdued by the Secret Faction.
The term Divine Extremity signified ultimate power.
Once Azure Sky Ancestor regained his composure, he said to Liexiezi: "The International Demon Alliance proposed establishing a Candidate God List in 1865. This plan is quite simple: to list all those who might ascend to Divine Extremity. Among the first batch of candidates were Camberto and Arlen Xuding Si. Of course, your senior brother and I are also part of this Candidate God List."
Upon hearing Azure Sky Ancestor's explanation, Liexiezi's expression turned serious. The complex emotions in Arlen Xuding Si's voice gradually reached Liexiezi's ears.
"This list has undergone seven changes since its establishment until today. The most recent addition is your Kunlun Celestial Path's Wen Zhongda!"
Fang Lin Kong confronted Zhang Bailun's strange magic sword with renewed spirit, pushing his speed to its limits. No matter how Zhang Bailun altered his swordplay, Fang Lin Kong managed to evade with his superior agility. Meanwhile, the Black Flame coiling around Fang Lin Kong’s palm transformed into a fierce curved blade at times and coalesced into rockets of black flame at others... Combining this with his seemingly endless array of techniques allowed him to seek out every possible opening for counterattack against Zhang Bailun.
Although Zhang Bailun had an advantage in power due to mastering Dimensional Slash and seemed firmly entrenched in an undefeated position, Fang Lin Kong always found glimmers of opportunity for counterattacks that were almost masterful in timing and execution. In their battle, Fang Lin Kong showed no signs of falling behind.
Liexiezi slightly turned his head, locking eyes with Arlen Xuding Si. Suddenly, a confident smile spread across his face. He said to Arlen Xuding Si, "If I’m not mistaken, the Candidate God List will change more than three times in the near future."
Arlen Xuding Si was somewhat puzzled by Liexiezi's words. He glanced over at the battlefield of Fang Lin Kong and Zhang Bailun, saying, "If I’m correct, this Count Zhang Bailun has likely already made it onto the list of candidates for godhood. Although Fang Lin Kong has decent abilities, he may not yet catch the eye of the judges on this list. As for you, Mr. Liexiezi, I fear you might miss your chance to enter the candidate list for godhood. However, the Ninth Divine Extremity will surely give you a position in the future."
Liexiezi's smile grew even brighter as he extended a finger and gently shook it, saying, "Arlen Xuding Si! You’ve completely misunderstood my point. First, I meant that my Fourth Senior Brother, Azure Sky Ancestor, will ascend to Divine Extremity within a year. That will leave one less spot on the Candidate God List. Second, I’m saying that in a few months, during the Alpine Battle, you will be knocked down from Divine Extremity! Thirdly, regarding Fang Lin Kong, he still has some way to go; let’s make a bet—after this battle, you will change your view!"
As soon as Liexiezi finished speaking, the entire venue erupted in an uproar. The elders of the Blood Clan looked at this audacious man with expressions of disbelief. Whether one could enter the Divine Realm was something even deities could not predict. Although Azure Sky Ancestor had cultivated for a millennium and was one of the few super-strong beings in this world, no one would believe someone could guarantee his ascension to Divine Extremity. The difference between possibility and absolute certainty was akin to the distance from Earth to Mars.
As for Liexiezi’s claim that he would battle Arlen Xuding Si, its sensational nature paled in comparison to his bold assertions. While battles among Divine Extremities were inscrutable to outsiders, Liexiezi claiming he could knock Arlen Xuding Si down from Divine Extremity was far more unbelievable than simply saying he could obliterate him.
Arlen Xuding Si closed his eyes and felt an unusual restlessness within him; it made him sense an overwhelming confidence in Liexiezi's words. Since ascending to Divine Extremity, he had never felt such a void of emotional fluctuation even when confronting Yuan Qian Kun.
Suppressing his feelings of discomfort, Arlen Xuding Si knew that although their decisive battle was set for months later, Liexiezi had already made his move!
He firmly believed that Azure Sky Ancestor could ascend to Divine Extremity. The cultivation along the Eastern Immortal Path accumulated experiences of Ascend that were difficult to estimate compared to Western systems. The Twelve Celestial Immortals of Kunlun Celestial Path had seen many ascend; this was a strong guarantee. Although a year seemed surprising, the possibility was still very high.
Liexiezi's first assertion directly influenced Arlen Xuding Si's confidence in his second assertion.
His third assertion completely overturned Arlen Xuding Si's view of Fang Lin Kong. If he lost this bet, then there would be no need for their decisive battle months later. With his confidence shaken, Arlen Xuding Si would become an excellent target for Liexiezi's onslaught.
Without answering Liexiezi’s question, Arlen Xuding Si focused on the clash between Fang Lin Kong and Zhang Bailun. Suddenly, a gentle smile brighter than sunlight blossomed on his face as he extended five fingers toward Liexiezi and shook them suddenly, saying, "There’s no need for this bet; I admit I misjudged things. My evaluation of Fang Lin Kong was too low. In a year’s time, it’s possible this young man could ascend to the Tenth Divine Extremity as well. Don’t you agree, Mr. Liexiezi?"
At that moment, the mood of the Blood Clan Elder Council fluctuated wildly—more violently than a roller coaster ride. Kyo Kusanagi was certainly not a deity; what he said was far from prophetic revelations about the future. However, if someone from Divine Extremity made such claims, their words carried significant weight.
Arlen Xuding Si stating that Fang Lin Kong might become part of Divine Extremity within a year was even more astonishing than admitting he might be defeated by Liexiezi. The elders of the Blood Clan—though aged between eight thousand and three thousand years—were robust enough to rival Apollo. Yet this exchange between Liexiezi and Arlen Xuding Si left them feeling as if they were having heart attacks; their expressions changed rapidly as their internal blood energy surged and plummeted dramatically. The intensity of their emotions surpassed even that of Fang Lin Kong and Zhang Bailun engaged in fierce combat.
Arlen Xuding Si's counterattack rendered all of Liexiezi's carefully crafted strategies null and void. When you use the most venomous words to insult someone from their ancestors down to their descendants and they not only remain unperturbed but instead laugh while echoing your insults back at you—it is truly an incredible display of insolence.
At the same time, Arlen Xuding Si preemptively voiced something that even Liexiezi had not confirmed yet—effectively delivering a subtle counterattack.
Whether Fang Lin Kong could ascend to Divine Extremity within a year was a question that neither Liexiezi nor Arlen Xuding Si could confidently predict.
After a setback, Liexiezi's smile only grew wider. If Arlen Xuding Si were easily defeated by him, that would indeed be astonishing. A formidable opponent made him even more eager for the upcoming Alpine Battle in a few months. He raised his index finger and gently shook it, saying, "Regarding this matter, I believe a year will pass quickly. Let us wait and see. This child, Fang Lin Kong, possesses potential that even I, as Master Uncle, cannot fully fathom!"
The battle on the Eternal Tree had strayed far from the initial agreement between the two combatants. The way they fought was no longer limited to martial techniques. All the young blood kin watching were left in awe of this once-in-a-millennium battle. The blood kin were not a warlike race. Though vampires might possess some wickedness, they absolutely did not relish slaughter or bloodshed. They might respect an artist but would never give a warrior high praise.
The discussions among the young blood kin mostly focused on the character of the two fighters, while their ever-changing combat techniques were inadvertently overlooked.
"Look! They just said they would engage in a knightly duel, and now it's turned into a mage's brawl."
"Oh! You can't expect some rough individuals who view battle as life to understand what grace means! They haven't summoned any disgusting beasts yet—wait, what the hell! That human boy actually summoned a beast to fight..."
Fang Lin Kong was experimenting with different fighting styles, trying to break through Zhang Bailun's integrated Dimensional Slash defense. As he summoned a low-level beast that was quickly reduced to ashes, Fang Lin Kong realized he seemed to have underestimated one of his opponent's capabilities.
Seeing Fang Lin Kong's unmasked expression, Zhang Bailun understood that hiding his strength was no longer meaningful. A hint of anger replaced his cold demeanor. He spoke softly, "I initially thought you would retreat upon realizing the difficulty. It seems I was mistaken. In that case, muster your courage! Accept the consequences that are due!"
In the eyes of the crowd, Zhang Bailun's speed suddenly surged. Fang Lin Kong's tactic of avoiding direct confrontation became ineffective. The slender Stiletto, accompanied by an eerie sword wail, pursued the rapidly dodging Fang Lin Kong.
The moment of victory or defeat was at hand...
(To be continued)
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