The aura of the ten Niu Changs oscillated briefly before finally converging into a single aura.
Two of them enlarged their bodies, reaching dozens of meters before coming to a stop. The other eight also increased in size, but only by around three meters.
In a fight, size wasn't everything, but a slightly larger size should provide an advantage when coupled with great mobility.
As for the last one, the eighth Niu Chang blurred its existence before ultimately disappearing from the rest.
Without any delay, the seven three-meter-tall Niu Changs launched themselves at the enemies accordingly, and the two giants also followed suit, although their role wasn't that of the main attackers.
They existed to harness materials from the outside world with their large surface area and to shoulder the damage suffered by other Niu Chang through their formation.
It didn't take too long before the entire battle escalated into a full-blown conflict. Each saint faced a three-meter-tall Niu Chang and was occupied throughout the entire battle.
The old monk was content as he faced Niu Chang head-on, but the battle did not unfold as he had expected, devoid of mere physical violence.
It was a one-sided attack, with Niu Chang, powered by his penultimate Massacre skill, moving perfectly to launch attacks and evade incoming assaults.
He was so sick to the point that he no longer cared. In his first life, when reading texts or viewing images depicting various action stories and battles, he only found orderly fights with characters exchanging blows and whatnot.
This wasn't what he desired; he craved the pinnacle of action. A scenario where the character utilized the most efficient methods to eliminate enemies, even if they were no longer living beings but mere killing machines.
This concept was behind the Massacre skill: to discard all those futile attacks and defensive maneuvers and to truly exhibit the perfection of violence.
Armed with a powerful physique and various enhancements, the seven Niu Changs effortlessly overwhelmed the seven saints whose perspective on combat revolved around using one skill to attack, another to evade, and yet another to defend.
When confronted with a true killing machine like Niu Chang, their impressive ability to cleave mountains and part the sea amounted to nothing, as they couldn't land a blow on the target.
Niu Chang's form was no longer confined to that of a humanoid; he utilized everything at his disposal to eliminate the target with the most perfect actions.
If some mortals were to witness this fight, they would only perceive fleeting shadows besieging the saints from various angles and sides.
"What is this? I came here to witness spectacular fireworks and explosions, but all I see are these fleeting shadow flashes. Where are the breathtaking battle scenes I expected?"
In essence, a battle born from conflict always signifies one thing: the defeat of the opponent.
Mortal martial artists toil relentlessly, endeavoring to unearth their potential by training both body and mind. Their aim is to act efficiently in self-defense while also inflicting harm upon their adversaries.
However, in the realm of fantasy, martial artists often fixate on whose sword is larger or whose spear is swifter.
Such a method of training proves utterly futile.
As time went on, the seven saints noticed that Niu Chang, whom they confronted, was becoming increasingly unorthodox in his approach, relentlessly bypassing their defenses.
How potent is a saint's strength?
Niu Chang remained uncertain, as he had never engaged them in a proper battle. The notion of engaging them properly held no significance; instead, he simply ambushed them to ensure their demise.
In his encounters with Da Jiu, he had failed to perceive the grandeur of a saint's prowess.
Even now, confronting the seven saints, he remained unable to truly fathom their might.
Numerous attempts were made to disrupt the saints' actions: mental intervention, energy disturbance, and physical interference rendered the saints passive at times.
Yet, this hardly posed a true challenge for them, as they could unleash powerful attacks in their vicinity to gain a moment's respite, right?
Not quite. From the void, the eighth Niu Chang would unexpectedly emerge, launching potent energy explosions, mental assaults, soul techniques, or straightforward physical onslaughts.
It was a pitiable sight; occasionally, the two giants seized an opportunity, attacking with their formidable fists and kicks.
The ten Niu Changs operated in perfect harmony, guided by the mightiest mortal skill.
Continuously suppressed, the saint ultimately decided to cast aside all restraint and unleash their full power, withholding nothing. They summoned forth their inner world, enveloping a small area around them, thereby establishing their domain.
Facing Dao Jin Dan, Niu Chang experienced the space around him shifting, leading him to find himself in an entirely different realm.
This place emanated a hue of golden yellow. The sky, not towering, was adorned with yellow clouds that danced upon the wind. Beneath, the earth gleamed with a golden hue, featuring mountains wrought from pure gold.
Yet, just before being sealed within Dao Jin Dan's domain, the eighth Niu Chang materialized beside Niu Chang, initiating their most iconic maneuvers.
One Niu Chang radiated a white glow, while the other emitted a black radiance, employing contrasting energies that culminated in a devastating explosion.
Dao Jin Dan exerted his will to suppress all within his domain, only to realize that the vexing attack was nothing more than a ruse. The genuine method lay in the intangible aura that Niu Chang emanated from his body.
Niu Chang, bored in the underground cave, had resorted to concocting a variety of poisons. Among them was a world-altering concoction designed to induce decay, rendering a place desolate.
However, this approach wouldn't prove effective against a saint, as they could effortlessly neutralize it with their holy power—a chasm between life levels that proved challenging to bridge.
The world poison employed by Niu Chang was, in truth, another feint, as he was fully immersed in the state of a flawless killing machine at that moment. He meticulously collected diverse data to anticipate future actions.
In reality, Niu Chang was comfortably seated within the recesses of his space of mind, observing the unfolding events in real time, all the while leisurely savoring a variety of victuals and beverages.
"See, even battle fails to stir my enthusiasm any longer. What is the purpose of fighting at this point? If the wielder of that starry sky is no longer capable of sustaining it, I shall simply obliterate everything."
Even Niu Chang himself concurred that this battle lacked luster and excitement. The adversaries proved inadequate against his clones wielding the Massacre skill.
It was akin to witnessing an amateur contend against a bot in a game of chess.
For the saints in the outside world, however, they were overwhelmed, their worldview shattered with each blow and strike they endured.
"Relying solely on physical attacks without utilizing energy-based strikes makes it indeed difficult to eliminate these saints." Niu Chang said.
Had it not been for the energy level suppression from the influence of holy power, Niu Changs could have more easily dispatched these saints. Presently, however, his clones' capabilities were constrained only to physical means.
Consequently, the clones needed to overcome three challenges: narrowing the gap between them, circumventing the saints' defensive techniques, and ultimately inflicting harm upon the saints.
The remaining saints followed suit, invoking their domains to ensnare Niu Chang. This precautionary measure aimed to prevent another Niu Chang from inadvertently drawing their ongoing skirmish into their vicinity, exacerbating an already complex situation.
Despite the limitation of suppressed energy levels, Niu Chang's resourcefulness and his second brain allowed him to discern a strategy for breaching the saints' domains.
As for the inevitable injuries sustained by his clones, they were mitigated by his innate power.
This inherent power had resided within him since the initial stages of the Impossible Idea, though its true function only now manifested.
Just as qi cultivators underwent a qualitative transformation in their energy levels—the holy power—body cultivators, too, experienced a similar evolution in the form of innate power.
Thus, when Dao Jin Dan's Heavenly Supreme Slash cleaved Niu Chang's form into disparate fragments, his innate power intervened, facilitating reassembly.
Just as Niu Chang was unable to sense and manipulate holy power, control over the innate power within him remained beyond his grasp. Yet, it was not dormant but rather engaged in some manner.
However, its utilization exacted a substantial toll on his vitality.
Were it not for the two massive Niu Changs drawing upon external materials to aid his recovery, the considerable energy drain required to mend his form could eventually tip his energy equilibrium into a deficit.
"These saints are not to be underestimated, though that concludes my assessment."
"It seems the time for the second round has come," Niu Chang mused, deeming this a suitable point to probe further.
Thus, he issued commands for his clones to proceed with the subsequent phases.
Atop the clones' head, a vortex materialized at a rapid pace before stabilizing. It commenced a process of absorption, drawing in everything within its vicinity, akin to a voracious black hole.
Material, energy, and even holy power fell prey to its inexorable pull.
While assimilating holy power did engender slight disruption within the vortex, such concerns were to be addressed by another skill to resolve.