Chapter 168: The Nineteenth Universe World Diagram
Boom!
The Daoist's eyes maintained their calm. Even though Zhou Yi's figure suddenly vanished right before him, he felt no panic. Through their previous exchanges, he had roughly gauged Zhou Yi's strength. While it was indeed acceptable, that was only true relative to the third trial; before him, it was of no consequence. Though he showed nothing on the surface, he felt utter disdain in his heart. Therefore, when Zhou Yi landed this slash upon him, he remained completely oblivious, maintaining a subtle and aloof arrogance!
What of it even if I let you strike me? With your strength, could you possibly breach my skin?
This was the true thought within the Daoist's heart. Unexpressed on the outside, his profound arrogance was nonetheless glaringly evident!
Thus, the moment Zhou Yi's blade struck his body, a sudden, mountain-like heaviness descended—so crushing that he could scarcely endure it. Electric currents rippled across his body like water. If not for the augmentation of the True Luo Fiery Cloud Formation, he might have been split cleanly in half by this single blow and completely obliterated. The shock and terror welling up in the Daoist's eyes threatened to overflow!
"Ho... How is this possible?" The Daoist stammered, his eyes fixed on the flickering electricity around his body. That was the True Luo Fiery Cloud Formation continuously diverting the immense force bearing down upon him. The lingering terror in his eyes was so heavy it bordered on dread: "Are... are you kidding me? How could a person's strength undergo such a drastic change in such a short span of time?!"
Initially, Zhou Yi's first strike had been easily pierced and shattered by a single finger using the Daoist's own strength. The second strike, landing on his body, could not even breach his natural defense.
However, this third strike......
"..." The Daoist choked inwardly, at a loss for how to describe his sensation. The first two strikes had been fine—decent, perhaps, but nothing more. Yet this third strike completely defied all conventional logic. Never before had he imagined that a person's offensive power could grow to such an extent.
"What is this supposed to be? This is an absolute monster!" the Daoist cursed furiously in his heart. The near-death sensation thoroughly shattered his composure, and a chaotic storm of emotions flooded his previously tranquil eyes.
"If we quantify it numerically, if this monster's first strike had a power of one, then his second strike was at most ten. But this third strike? It wasn't twenty, thirty, or even fifty—damn it, it skyrocketed straight to a hundred!" The Daoist's thoughts were in utter turmoil. His mind kept replaying Zhou Yi's astonishing three strikes; he could neither forget nor let go of them.
He knew nothing of Zhou Yi's self-comprehended World Diagram of Heaven and Earth, nor did he know its properties. The greater the number of World Diagrams, the more formidable their power grew. Furthermore, the further along one went, the more difficult it became, but the corresponding increase in power was directly proportional!
"Hmm?" Zhou Yi's third strike had thoroughly frightened the Daoist, but it also recaptured the attention of Liu Dan, who had previously grown utterly disappointed. Liu Dan casually raised a hand to suppress the fluctuating electrical currents, completely absorbing the diverted force of the third strike, and gazed at Zhou Yi with a trace of astonishment.
"This strike?" As the controller of the True Luo Fiery Cloud Formation, Liu Dan had one hundred percent mastery over the array. He might not experience everything firsthand, but if he wished, he could sense roughly seventy to eighty percent of what everyone connected to the array experienced. At that moment, Liu Dan was following those sensations to comprehend Zhou Yi's previous slash.
"Quite interesting, it seems." Before long, Liu Dan roughly grasped the might of Zhou Yi's third strike. Calculating it mentally, a flash of light quietly ignited within his pupils, only to vanish instantly. He then looked at Zhou Yi, scanning him up and down before his gaze finally rested on the long blade in Zhou Yi's hand.
"Is it because of these patterns?"
Liu Dan possessed a piercing insight. Although he knew nothing of the World Diagram of Heaven and Earth, he could sense the profound power contained within those seemingly ordinary patterns etched upon the blade!
Zhou Yi stood motionless. When his previous strike had succeeded and shaken the Daoist's composure, he had intended to press his advantage with another strike to take his life. Who could have expected that the sheer power of that blow would draw Liu Dan's attention instead?
The moment Liu Dan's gaze locked onto him, Zhou Yi became utterly immobilized. A majestic, overwhelming momentum instantly enveloped his entire body, making the surrounding space as hard as iron and rendering even breathing difficult, let alone moving!
Consequently, his original plan was aborted on the spot.
"What kind of strength is this?" Feeling the sudden pressure crushing down upon him, Zhou Yi's heart sank. "How could a monster of this caliber appear here?"
"Leng Feng?" Soon, as the question arose in his mind, the answer followed. A familiar face floated across his consciousness like a painting, etched with profound clarity.
"It can only be him!" Zhou Yi sighed inwardly. He had suspected that Leng Feng held a lofty status on Peerless Island and that his strength might far exceed his imagination.
Yet he had never anticipated that even before Leng Feng showed his face, a mere subordinate summoned at random would possess a disparity in strength that reached such an absurd degree!
Had he not retained a few hidden trump cards, he might already have lost the will to resist and surrendered unconditionally at this very moment.
While Liu Dan inspected him with amused interest, Zhou Yi silently accumulated his strength. Although the pressure bearing down on him was unimaginably massive, it was not entirely insurmountable!
Within the dantian space, the heavy mountain spun abruptly, carrying a momentum as dull and oppressive as the earth itself. Countless strands of arcane power converged before him, and following that, a diagram resembling heaven and earth abruptly took shape.
"Still not enough!" Feeling the formation of yet another World Diagram of Heaven and Earth within his body, Zhou Yi shook his head inwardly. Perhaps after superimposing this additional World Diagram, he could break free from his current restraint, but attempting to contend with Liu Dan would still prove far too weak!
With furrowed brows, his arcane power flowing without pause and the heavy mountain unmoving, another World Diagram of Heaven and Earth slowly emerged within the dantian space, right beside the one previously formed!
Clang! Clang!
"The time has come!" The moment the second World Diagram of Heaven and Earth took shape, a brilliant flash ignited in Zhou Yi's eyes. His left hand moved swift as lightning, instantly piercing through the oppressive momentum sealing his surroundings. The space that had been as solid as iron moments before became as fragile as paper, easily breached by him as he tapped rapidly along the spine of the blade in his right hand.
Boom!
As his fingers tapped against the blade, the two World Diagrams of Heaven and Earth poured in like water. Under the control of Zhou Yi's formidable willpower and the suppression of the heavy mountain's arcane energy within his body, they rapidly merged with the seventeen World Diagrams already carved upon the blade, causing its momentum to surge dramatically!
Boom!
The nineteen World Diagrams of Heaven and Earth resonated with one another, their presence swelling immensely. The sheer momentum they carried on their own was enough to completely shatter and sweep away the oppressive spiritual seal that had previously locked down the space!
"Hmm?" The moment the momentum seal was broken, Liu Dan perceived it instantly. Letting out a soft note of surprise, the light within his eyes—which had just begun to fade—blazed forth once more as he stared at Zhou Yi.