Chapter 2104 : Clash of Supreme Treasures

"Is that so?"

Worthy Path Chen let out a cold laugh, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

In that instant, Worthy Path Chen stepped through the void, his Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear tearing through space as he descended to suppress Savage Bone Great Emperor.

"Perfect timing."

Savage Bone Great Emperor sneered, instantly propelling his heavy sword into the air to smash towards Worthy Path Chen with overwhelming force.

Yet, after their initial clash, Savage Bone Great Emperor remained utterly unmoved, while Worthy Path Chen was sent flying backward by the sheer impact.

"Trouble."

Many of the observing Great Encompassing Golden Immortal and even Primordial One Imperial Lord cultivators paled, their faces etched with profound concern.

Even several of the Human Race's Great Emperor grew anxious. Purple Tenuity Great Emperor quickly turned to Eldrin Chen and asked, "Path Ancestor, do you require our intervention?"

"It is of no consequence."

Eldrin Chen, however, remained composed, his expression unchanged as he spoke calmly, "This Savage Bone possesses immense brute strength, but it is only by relying on the might of his Innate Supreme Treasure that he gains the upper hand in raw power."

With Eldrin Chen's discerning eye, he naturally perceived the crux of the matter.

The True Spirit Divine Form [a supreme physical manifestation cultivated by powerful beings] achieved by this Savage Bone Great Emperor was primarily of a physique and strength-oriented type. Furthermore, the heavy sword in his hand was forged from Abyssal Depths Divine Iron [a legendary, immensely heavy and durable metal from the deepest abysses]; the amount of material consumed could have been used to craft several Innate Supreme Treasure.

Such savage force, combined with the devastating power of the Abyssal Heavy Sword, indeed made him a foe few could match in sheer strength, allowing him to exert tremendous dominance in frontal combat.

Yet, in a one-on-one duel, raw power is not always the deciding factor.

With Worthy Path Chen's speed and array of techniques, augmented by the profound mysteries of his Insightful Heavenly Eye [a divine ability granting unparalleled perception and insight], he could easily evade the brunt of the assault, seek out openings and weaknesses, and ultimately secure victory.

The reason for engaging head-on was that Worthy Path Chen wished to test firsthand whether the strength and constitution of this Savage Bone Great Emperor were truly formidable enough.

"Not weak in strength and defense."

Worthy Path Chen spoke slowly, a glimmer of understanding flashing in his eyes.

Had it been one hundred Kalpa Tribulation [a cosmic cycle of immense duration, often billions of years] ago, given his foundational cultivation and reserves at that time, he might truly have been unable to defeat this Savage Bone Great Emperor.

But now, empowered by the Space-Time Divine Form and having cultivated for over ten thousand Kalpa Tribulation cycles with Eldrin Chen's aid, his foundational strength and reserves had long since reached the absolute pinnacle of the Great Emperor realm.

Bolstered by the Chaos Divine Rune, even in a direct confrontation, he was not necessarily much weaker than the Savage Bone Great Emperor, let alone the fact that his speed, reaction time, and Insight far surpassed those of the Savage Bone Great Emperor.

Having gauged the Savage Bone's strength, Worthy Path Chen abandoned the strategy of direct clashes. Instead, he leveraged his superior speed and the profound mysteries of his Insightful Heavenly Eye to engage in a continuous, evasive dance of combat.

Thus, the battle raged on, unknowingly surpassing a hundred thousand exchanges, and the conflict between the two descended into a prolonged stalemate.

Overall, however, Worthy Pursuit Chen, relying on his speed and Insight, managed to completely suppress the brute-force-reliant Savage Bone Great Emperor, securing a definite upper hand.

Yet, the Savage Bone Great Emperor possessed terrifying power; a single counterattack held the potential to grievously wound Worthy Pursuit Chen. This made it exceedingly difficult for Worthy Pursuit Chen to find the precise opening needed to decisively defeat his foe.

Even so, after being forced into a prolonged defensive battle, the Savage Bone Great Emperor's patience finally wore thin.

With a sudden, earth-shaking roar, he soared into the air, pushing his combat prowess to its absolute limit. Then, raising his colossal sword high, he brought it crashing down towards Worthy Pursuit Chen with devastating force.

"You grow impatient, sir,"

Worthy Path Chen remarked with a light chuckle. He retreated several swift steps, effortlessly evading the Savage Bone Great Emperor's furious Slaughter.

The Savage Bone Great Emperor wore an expression of profound gloom, yet he used the momentum to pivot and charge, soaring into the air with boundless battle intent to deliver a cleaving blow, continuing his assault towards Worthy Path Chen.

"The weapon borrows the wielder's strength, the wielder borrows the weapon's momentum."

Worthy Path Chen dodged once more, unable to suppress a nod of approval. "Your mastery over this heavy sword has reached the level of wielding it as an extension of your own limb," he remarked.

"Seven Extremities of the Barbaric Wilds Slash!"

With a sudden roar, the Savage Bone Great Emperor soared skyward, then channeled his power into the heavy sword to unleash seven consecutive strikes.

In that instant, the Savage Bone Great Emperor surged upwards, locking onto Worthy Path Chen with his boundless battle intent and unleashing his ultimate, trump-card technique.

Each of these seven successive sword strikes erupted with supreme, devastating power, with each subsequent blow's force increasing by roughly thirty percent over the last.

Faced with such an unrelenting cascade of seven strikes, even a Sage Ascendant Patriarch would likely suffer grievous harm if they tried to block them head-on.

Yet, Worthy Path Chen remained utterly unperturbed. Activating his Chaos Divine Rune, he forcibly shattered the lock of the boundless battle intent, continuously evading the Savage Bone Great Emperor's Slaughter technique.

After successfully dodging all seven strikes, Worthy Path Chen abruptly reversed his course. He summoned his Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear and charged back into the fray.

"Now is the moment."

"Savage Wilderness, Eighth Severing!"

Simultaneously, Savage Bone Great Emperor revealed a triumphant smile, then fiercely drove his heavy sword in a cleaving upward arc, unleashing an unprecedented, supremely powerful strike.

The force of this blow from Savage Bone Great Emperor could be described as the full exertion of his power, its might far surpassing his previous limits, potent enough to make many of the Sage Ascendant present change countenance.

"Trouble! This strike from him is likely powerful enough to severely injure a peak-level Sage Ascendant."

In that instant, the expressions of many Sage Ascendant atop the Heavenly Vault shifted dramatically. Primordial Era Spirit Emperor, standing beside Eldrin Chen, nearly couldn't restrain himself from intervening.

However, Eldrin Chen held him back, speaking calmly, "Fear not. Second Son is more than capable of handling this."

And in that very moment, the ultimate strike from Savage Bone Great Emperor crashed upon Worthy Path Chen's form.

Yet, contrary to all expectations, Savage Bone Great Emperor, who had delivered the blow, did not show a face of wild exultation. Instead, his expression shifted to one of utter horror.

For the figure of Worthy Path Chen suddenly dissipated like mist. Then, Worthy Path Chen's form materialized once more—directly behind Savage Bone Great Emperor.

In that fleeting instant, Worthy Path Chen raised his Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear high and brought it cleaving down with immense force, aiming directly for the back of Savage Bone Great Emperor.

Caught completely off guard, Savage Bone Great Emperor barely managed to raise his heavy sword in a desperate block. Yet, in that same moment, he was sent flying, blood spraying from his mouth.

Seizing the advantage, Worthy Path Chen pressed his attack like a relentless tide, raining down blow after blow. Savage Bone Great Emperor was utterly overwhelmed, unable to mount any defense, and half of his body was pulverized under the savage onslaught.

"Aaaargh—!"

Savage Bone Great Emperor let out a wretched cry. Having suffered such grievous wounds in succession, his combat prowess had been reduced to a mere fraction of its former self.

Seeing that defeat and death were now inescapable, he stared at Worthy Path Chen with disbelief, his face a mask of bitter resentment. "You... you saw through my scheme?" he spat out, his voice thick with unwillingness.

"The Seven Extremities of the Barbaric Wilds Slash indeed possesses an eighth form, one you have never before revealed in combat," Worthy Path Chen stated calmly.

"You sought to ensnare me with it—a stratagem truly worthy of praise."

His expression remained serene as he continued, his voice steady. "However, the Insightful Heavenly Eye [a divine ability that grants profound perception, revealing the true nature of all things] perceives all. How could your feints and hidden depths possibly remain concealed from me?"

For the Insightful Heavenly Eye was profoundly mystical. Worthy Path Chen had long discerned that behind the seventh form of Savage Bone Great Emperor's technique lay concealed an even more terrifying, fatal strike.

Under such circumstances, all of Savage Bone Great Emperor's schemes turned to dust. Instead, he was lured into making his move by Worthy Path Chen, who seized the opportunity to deliver the final, fatal blow.

"Pfft—"

Savage Bone Great Emperor wore an expression of utter unwillingness, yet in the end, he managed a bitter smile and said, "I am defeated. My loss is not unjust."

"I send you to your final rest."

Worthy Path Chen spoke, and with a flick of his sleeve, he stepped forward to deliver the final, crushing blow upon Savage Bone Great Emperor.

Yet, in that very instant, a certain powerful figure among the Ten Heroes of the Outer Realm [a legendary group of ten supreme powerhouses from beyond the known realms] suddenly turned grim. In a flash, he summoned a War Halberd [a powerful polearm weapon] and sent it crashing down, its lethal point aimed directly at Worthy Path Chen.

"Clang—!"

But in that same fleeting moment, a blade-light from beyond the heavens interwove and descended, transforming into a spinning disc of blades that clashed against the war halberd, blocking the powerhouse's full-force strike.

That momentary delay was all it took. Savage Bone Great Emperor's head was severed by Worthy Path Chen, leaving behind only a corpse of Indestructibility [a state of being nearly impossible to destroy] that lay sprawled across the Chaos [the primordial, formless void from which all things emerged].

"Damnation!"

Witnessing this scene, the foreign Great Emperor [a supreme cultivator who has attained the peak of the Great Emperor realm] paled, his expression shifting to one of furious indignation. "Which Sage Ascendant [a cultivator who has transcended the Great Emperor realm and touched the threshold of Sagehood] elder dares to bully the weak with their strength?" he thundered. "Do you truly believe my Northern Abyss [a vast and perilous region in the outer realms] has no one capable of answering this affront?"

Upon hearing his words, the other foreign Emperors all wore expressions of icy disdain.

The members of the Ten Heroes of the Outer Realm [a legendary group of ten peerless prodigies from the outer realms] in particular revealed looks of profound anger. In their eyes, it was clear that a Sage Ascendant from the Southern Abyss [the counterpart region to the Northern Abyss] had intervened.

Yet, at that very moment, a tall, slender figure emerged, strolling leisurely from within the Vast and Boundless Chaos [the primordial, formless void that exists beyond the ordered realms].

The man possessed strikingly handsome, youthful features. He moved with a calm, unhurried grace, yet an aura of invincible majesty radiated from him, one that seemed to look down upon the Eight Desolations [the eight most ancient and desolate corners of the cosmos] with utter disdain.

As he walked, the countless Heavenly Blade [divine blades of celestial origin] that filled the sky slowly ceased their chaotic flight. They began to swirl and converge behind him, coalescing into a single, blindingly brilliant wheel of radiant blades.

"A Great Emperor!"

In an instant, the expressions of the assembled heroes from the Northern Abyss Foreign Realm [the collective territories and factions aligned with the Northern Abyss] changed dramatically.

The Demonic Dragon Great Emperor [a Great Emperor whose power and lineage are tied to a primordial demonic dragon] narrowed his eyes sharply. "Merely a Great Emperor," he uttered, voice laced with disbelief, "yet possessing such profound cultivation?"

The newcomer did not deign to answer them. Instead, his gaze turned towards Worthy Path Chen. "Senior Brother, your reserves are significantly depleted," he said, his tone respectful. "Please, allow this junior brother to handle what comes next."

Worthy Path Chen gave a slight nod, casually stowed away the remains of Savage Bone Great Emperor, and then vanished into the Chaos [the primordial, formless state before creation].

Only after he had departed did the tall, slender man turn his gaze to the group from Northern Abyss. He then spoke, "This humble Daoist is Tianheng Child. Greetings to all fellow Daoists from the Northern Abyss."

"Tianheng Child?"

The Northern Abyss cultivators exchanged glances. Finally, the figure gripping the War Halberd spoke, "We have not heard of you. We did not expect the Southern Abyss to harbor a powerhouse of your caliber."

"After today, you will surely remember this one's name," he declared.

Tianheng Child stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze sweeping indifferently over the assembled figures before him. "Who among you will face me first?" he asked, his voice calm.

"Arrogant fool! This lord will claim your head!"

The one holding the Heavenly Halberd [a divine polearm of immense power] spoke, then suddenly raised his weapon and charged forward with a thunderous roar. "Remember well," he bellowed, his tone dripping with arrogance, "the one who slays you is named Heaven-Bender Tuoba!"

As his words faded, Heaven-Bender Tuoba had already closed the distance, arriving before Tianheng Child with devastating speed.

Faced with the opponent's ultimate Slaughter [a divine art focused on pure, annihilating destruction], Tianheng Child remained utterly unperturbed, his composure unshaken.

With a flick of his sleeve, the blade wheel behind him slowly divided, transforming into ten crescent moon blades that interwove and soared into the air, slashing towards Tuoba the Heaven-Bender.

In an instant, countless blade radiances crisscrossed and intertwined, forcing Heaven-Bender Tuoba to devote his full effort to parrying them.

Simultaneously, Tianheng Child instantly shot into the sky, seizing the opportunity to break free from Heaven-Bender Tuoba's relentless pursuit.

"A detestable fellow."

Seeing that Tianheng Child refused to engage him in close combat, Heaven-Bender Tuoba was driven nearly mad with fury. His battle intent surged violently in an instant, shaking the very foundations of the Six Harmonies and the Eight Desolations.

In that fleeting moment, Heaven-Bender Tuoba continuously wielded the Heavenly Halberd to confront his formidable foe. He even revealed his true Demon God form, manifesting a pair of Sunder Heaven wings upon his back.

"A Chaos Demon God, from the lineage of the Cosmos-Sundering Heavenly Roc."

Tianheng Child's eyes glinted subtly as he continued to channel his blade wheel, engaging in a fierce and relentless battle.

As the direct disciple of Eldrin Chen, Tianheng Child had received meticulous guidance from his master over the years.

Now, he had not only cultivated to the pinnacle of the Great Emperor realm but had also forged a formidable Great Path Divine Form.

Compared to ordinary Path of Path Mastery [a conventional cultivation method focused on comprehending and mastering the fundamental principles of existence], the advantages of the Sacrificial Self Path [a supreme cultivation art where the practitioner sacrifices their own being to forge an unparalleled inner world] are simply too immense.

Even at the same pinnacle of the Great Emperor [the supreme realm of cultivation, representing the peak of mortal power before ascending to divinity] realm, a practitioner of the Sacrificial Self Path harbors a complete Primordial One Immortal Domain [the foundational and most perfect form of an inner world, a miniature cosmos born within the cultivator] within. With the support of this domain's complete origin essence and its inherent Path Principles [the fundamental laws and truths that govern reality and cultivation], the magical power [the refined energy used to cast spells and techniques] of a Sacrificial Self Path cultivator exceeds that of a peer Great Emperor by more than tenfold.

Even more terrifying is that, beyond the empowerment of the Inner Immortal Domain [the cultivator's personal miniature cosmos], the Sacrificial Self Path is further bolstered by the Ten Great Immortal Treasuries [ten supreme divine abilities that grant near-limitless reserves of power], rendering its strength virtually inexhaustible.

It can be said that a Great Emperor powerhouse of the Sacrificial Self Path is, in essence, a fusion of a Great Emperor and a Great EmperorPath-Field [a field of power generated by a cultivator's comprehension of the Dao, which can suppress enemies and amplify their own abilities], capable of unleashing power that transcends the ultimate limits of a typical Great Emperor.

A Great Emperor expert of the Sacrificial Self Path, upon successfully cultivating the Primordial One Limitless Immortal Domain [the ultimate evolution of the inner world, boundless and infinite in potential], will possess combat prowess that rivals, at the very least, that of a Sage Ascendant [a realm transcending Great Emperor, where one begins to touch the mysteries of sagehood].

And the present Tianheng Child, not only has he stepped onto the pinnacle of the Great Emperor realm, empowered by his Limitless Primordial One Immortal Domain, but he has also repeatedly broken through the Limit-Breaker [a state of pushing one's cultivation foundation beyond its theoretical limits] to cultivate three of the great True Spirit Immortal Treasury [one of the Ten Great Immortal Treasuries, focusing on the refinement and empowerment of the cultivator's Primordial Spirit].

The confluence of such profound foundational strengths has long since rendered Tianheng Child's power incomparable to his past self, firmly placing him within the ranks of the Sage Ascendant Realm.

With this immense depth of power at his command, Tianheng Child faced the Heaven-Bender Tuoba before him with effortless ease, completely suppressing his opponent.

"Damnation! He should be following the Path of Path Mastery. If I can just close the distance, I can surely cut him down," Heaven-Bender Tuoba raged inwardly.

Unable to land a blow on Tianheng Child, Heaven-Bender Tuoba was forced into a passive defense, enduring strike after strike. As the situation grew increasingly dire, he could endure no longer. With no other choice, he resolved to unveil his final, hidden trump card.

In the blink of an eye, Heaven-Bender Tuoba roared and soared into the sky. The Eight True Spirit Divine Forms behind him merged together, transforming into a pair of Great Path Wings that instantly fused with the wings on his back.

Then, in that same instant, he violently beat his wings, tearing through the void, and in a flash, he was upon Tianheng Child.

"Where can you run now, you brat?"

Gazing at the now within-reach Tianheng Child, Heaven-Bender Tuoba let out a sinister laugh before lunging forward to strike him down.

Yet, at that precise moment, Tianheng Child finally moved. With a flick of his sleeve, he struck out with a palm, catching the lethally sharp Heavenly Halberd. Astonishingly, he halted Heaven-Bender Tuoba's most powerful attack.

"Ah, I forgot to tell you."

Tianheng Child murmured softly, then spoke clearly, "We practitioners of the Sacrificial Self Path [a profound cultivation method that focuses on refining the self through sacrifice], our greatest strength lies in our physical bodies, and our most potent weapon is our fist."

"*Hummm*... *BOOM!*"

Instantly, the surrounding Chaos [the primordial, formless state before creation] first imploded violently, then erupted with an overwhelming, cataclysmic wave of force.

Heaven-Bender Tuoba was sent flying sideways by a single, devastating punch. Without a moment's pause, Tianheng Child gave chase, closing the distance with lethal intent.

Behold, the Ten Great Immortal Treasuries manifested behind him, radiating a world-illuminating light of eternal Indestructibility. A force capable of shaking the heavens and moving the earth trembled throughout the entire Sea of Chaos [the primordial, formless expanse from which all realms are born].

The clash of these two supreme powers swept across the Eight Desolations [the eight primordial wastelands at the edge of creation], stirring up terrifying Sea of Chaos Tidal Waves. Chaos, storms, and annihilation—all manner of dreadful phenomena manifested in their wake.

At the very Central heart of the battlefield, the two combatants fought with a ferocity bordering on utter madness.

No one could tell how much time had passed when, suddenly, a piercing shriek erupted from the battlefield's Central core. A shockwave violently parted the Vast and Boundless Chaos Sea, finally allowing the onlookers to witness the scene at the heart of the conflict.

There, at the very Central point of the maelstrom, stood Tianheng Child, the Ten Great Immortal Treasuries whirling behind him. In his hands, he clutched a pair of crimson wings, torn and dripping with essence.

Kneeling defeated within the Chaos [the primordial, undifferentiated state of existence] was Heaven-Bender Tuoba. The wings that had once adorned his back had been brutally ripped from his flesh.

"Impossible."

Silence reigned over the void for a long moment, broken only by a chorus of disbelieving murmurs that finally drifted through the ether.

The myriad heroes from the outer realms who filled the sky wore expressions of stark horror and utter incredulity.

"Heaven-Bender Tuoba, the master of Fleshly Body Sanctification [an art that forges the physical body into an indestructible vessel], has been defeated in a contest of pure physical might... by a practitioner of the Sacrificial Self Path."

Countless individuals found it hard to believe, their faces etched with expressions of utter astonishment.

Even when Heaven-Bender Tuoba was previously defeated by Worthy Path Chen, they had not found it so difficult to accept. This was because Worthy Path Chen himself was also a practitioner of the Fleshly Body Sanctification [a cultivation path focused on forging an indestructible physical body], and had even cultivated the power of the Chaos Divine Rune [a supreme divine ability born from primordial chaos].

Being defeated by Worthy Path Chen only served to further prove the might of the Fleshly Body Sanctification path.

But to be defeated by Tianheng Child, and in close-quarters combat no less, was something that left nearly everyone present utterly incredulous.

It must be understood that practitioners of Fleshly Body Sanctification had, since time immemorial, been the very symbol of invincibility in melee combat.

Whether it was the Primordial Spirit Path Attainment [a cultivation path focused on refining the soul and spirit] or the mainstream Path of Path Mastery [the orthodox path of comprehending and mastering the fundamental laws of existence], once forced into close-quarters combat with a practitioner of Fleshly Body Sanctification of the same realm, the only outcome was defeat and death.

Yet, Tianheng Child had defeated Heaven-Bender Tuoba in melee combat. Did this not signify that the Sacrificial Self Path [a revolutionary cultivation path that sacrifices the self to forge a new, supreme existence] could now stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Fleshly Body Sanctification, or perhaps even surpass it?

Contemplating this, everyone present found it hard to believe, their faces one by one revealing looks of profound disbelief.

Only Eldrin Chen and the other powerful cultivators who practiced the Sacrificial Self Path were not surprised by this outcome.

Eldrin Chen understood clearly. The Sacrificial Self Path was founded upon the mortal Martial Path [the path of physical combat and technique mastery], and then synthesized the strengths of the Path of Path Mastery, Fleshly Body Sanctification, and Primordial Spirit Path Attainment. It was, by its very nature, a creation built upon the shoulders of its predecessors.

The Sacrificial Self Physique [a supreme constitution forged by sacrificing one's own foundation], was originally born from the convergence of one's Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator], mana, physical body, and all other foundational elements. Further bolstered by the Inner Immortal Domain [an internal world cultivated within oneself] and the Ten Great Immortal Treasuries [a supreme divine ability manifesting ten immortal realms], it was never meant to be inferior to those who had achieved Fleshly Body Sanctification [the pinnacle of physical body refinement].

Thus, defeating Heaven-Bender Tuoba in a direct confrontation was well within expectations.

However, the denizens of the outer realm did not share this view. One by one, those formidable adversaries revealed expressions of profound apprehension.

Demonic Dragon Great Emperor was the first to soar into the air. Leading the remaining six champions of the outer realm, they silently encircled Tianheng Child.

In that fleeting moment, one of the outer realm Great Emperor [a supreme title for a cultivator of immense power] spoke, "Tianheng Child, you are surrounded by us."

Tianheng Child gave a slight nod, then asked with a faint smile, "Ganging up on a single opponent—do you not feel any shame?"

The outer realm Great Emperor chuckled coldly. "When dealing with hypocrites of the so-called righteous path like you, there is no need for notions of fairness or righteousness. Naturally, we shall join forces."

"I see."

Tianheng Child let out a derisive laugh. "Did you all hear that, my fellow senior and junior brothers?"

"When facing these vile scum of the Demonic Path [the cultivation path that embraces darkness and unorthodox methods], we need not adhere to fair play either."

"Not good."

The Demonic Dragon Great Emperor [a supreme ruler among demonic dragons] felt his heart lurch. He immediately turned, his gaze sweeping across the vast expanse.

To his shock, he saw that the skies around him had, without his notice, been encircled by nine peerless Great Emperor [a supreme sovereign-level cultivator].

These nine figures were none other than the nine direct disciples of Eldrin Chen: Ye Verdant Peak, Literature Abyss Lu, Lofty Peak Lu, Fate Extinction, Serene Child, Lingering Ye, Goose Startles Cold, Lofty Pavilion Lin, and Pavilion Stop Zhang.

"The Ten Direct Disciples [the ten primary disciples of a great master] of the Returning Abyss Path Ancestor [the progenitor of the Returning Abyss cultivation path] have all arrived," a voice murmured from the void, tinged with awe.

"Could it be," the voice continued, a note of disbelief creeping in, "that each of these Ten Direct Disciples possesses the power to rival a Sage Ascendant [a cultivator who has ascended to the threshold of sagehood]?"