Chapter 178: Utmost Darkness!
Facing a powerhouse like Di Tian, Du Qianjue dared not hold anything back. Unlike Xuanzi, who lacked any real offensive capabilities and could only passively take hits, Di Tian was a different caliber altogether. Di Tian's true form was the Golden-eyed Black Dragon King, a direct descendant of the Dark Holy Dragon King! Without the restrictions of Douluo Continent's rules, Di Tian would have ascended to godhood long ago; at present, he is at least a Level One God. Comparing Xuanzi to Di Tian would be an insult to Di Tian.
"Beast God, please enlighten me!" Du Qianjue's eyes flickered sharply, and his aura surged dramatically. With a shrug of his shoulders, his Ice-Fire Dragon Wings and Dark Demon Evil God Tiger wings appeared on his back instantly.
Fighting by the Lake of Life was definitely unrealistic. Du Qianjue possessed the combat power of level 98. A real battle could probably drain the lake dry, and that would be difficult to manage afterwards.
Di Tian nodded slightly and with one step, he appeared 5000 meters in the air, looking down at the rising Du Qianjue. Although Du Qianjue could also utilize the power of space, he couldn't do it like Di Tian, who could step into any location he desired. Du Qianjue's mastery over spatial power was still far behind that of seasoned powerhouses like Xue ling long, Di Tian, and Du Busi.
Once Du Qianjue reached an altitude of 5000 meters, Di Tian was already there waiting with his hands behind his back. "Should we go higher? I'm concerned this altitude might affect the Lake of Life," said Du Qianjue.
"Is 5000 meters not enough?" Di Tian frowned slightly, curiously asking, "What level can your power reach?" He was aware of Du Qianjue's formation of the Yin-Yang Complementary Soul Core, as he had observed it himself. Thus, Di Tian didn't simply categorize Du Qianjue's combat effectiveness at the Soul Saint level but estimated it to be on par with a level 95 Titled Douluo.
This was already astonishing enough; a 14-year-old Soul Saint possessing the power of a level 95 was comparable to the Hell Demon Dragon King Zi Ji. "It's hard to say, but I've fought a match against Slake's Gluttonous Beast and neither of us lost," Du Qianjue shrugged, speaking calmly.
Di Tian's pupils shrank with surprise. He was well aware of who Slake's Gluttonous Beast was, as Xuanzi often visited Star Dou Forest. And as the Beast God, it was necessary for Di Tian to be informed about each era's human powerhouses, and Xuanzi certainly met Di Tian's criteria for attention.
Though the Gluttonous Godly Cow wasn't the Gluttonous Beast itself, Xuanzi's dragon lineage was still significant, with a good chance of breaking limits. The only reason Xuanzi hadn't was simply because he was too incompetent. But Di Tian didn't know that! Any human capable of breaking limits deserved some attention from him, as it concerned the balance between humans and soul beasts.
"Your power reached the level of the Gluttonous Beast? Living as long as I have, you are the only human who has ever surprised me," Di Tian expressed some admiration. "Had you not been a friend to our soul beast kind, I would have gone to great lengths to kill you for your potential."
Du Qianjue just smiled slightly, not saying much. This was a racial war, steeped in deep-seated enmity, and not something Du Qianjue could change alone. Di Tian's hostility towards humans was understandable, and Du Qianjue had no intention of making excuses for the soul masters of Douluo Continent. After all, he owed them nothing.
"Enough talk, let's begin," said Di Tian, as they rose to an altitude of 8000 meters. He extended his hand, and profound black soul power covered his palm. Du Qianjue narrowed his eyes and similarly formed a claw with his right hand, gathering black soul power in his palm just like Di Tian.
"You truly are blessed!" Di Tian couldn't help but praise again upon seeing the soul power in Du Qianjue's hand. Utmost Darkness! "But your mastery of it is still lacking!" he laughed heartily, and his hand swiftly transformed into a fist. Instantly, within a ten-kilometer radius centered on Di Tian, all light was stripped away.
Black Dragon Domain! "Darkness is erosion, it is stripping away, and it is devouring!" Di Tian's indifferent voice echoed around Du Qianjue. The pitch darkness in front of Du Qianjue prompted him to close his eyes, tuning into Di Tian's domain.
He had thought Di Tian would thrash him, but instead, he truly was there to guide him. "Your use of darkness merely stays at the level of using it to attack, which is too superficial," Di Tian's voice continued, as the pressure within the domain suddenly increased.
A pervasive sense of erosion, driven by the oppressive force of the domain, continuously bombarded Du Qianjue. Darkness encompasses all! An epiphany arose in Du Qianjue's heart. If light brings warmth to the earth, giving color to everything, then darkness is the profound abyss that can erode and devour all, yet it can also embrace everything.
His second soul core whirred madly, the colorful core turning completely black, resembling a black hole that devoured anything that came close. Di Tian nodded in satisfaction, and the domain dissipated.
"Having felt my soul power, you now have a preliminary understanding of darkness. Everyone has their own insights; my path is not suitable for you. You must find your own," Di Tian said with a smile. "Now, let's start the sparring!"
Di Tian's lips slightly curved up, and his right hand instantly transformed into a pitch-black dragon claw. This wasn't the Dragon God Claw but just the claw of Di Tian's original form.
Du Qianjue's pupils abruptly narrowed, and he instinctively activated his Chaos Dragon King martial soul. Grey-white dragon scales grew over his hands, which transformed into the shape of dragon claws, crossed in front of him for protection.
Bang!— Di Tian's fist struck Du Qianjue's arms, blasting him backward. "Cough, cough…" Du Qianjue felt like he had been hit by a heavy truck, his vision darkening slightly and his chest throbbing with pain. The physical prowess of a Dragon King was no joke! Seeing the cracked dragon scales on his hands, Du Qianjue chuckled bitterly, his expression growing solemn.
"Again!" Du Qianjue grinned, invigorated by the thrill of battle, and charged towards Di Tian. "Good!" Di Tian didn't use any soul skills but simply relied on his formidable physical strength to clash closely with Du Qianjue. The flesh-to-flesh impact delighted both Du Qianjue and Di Tian.
Although there was a significant gap between Du Qianjue and Emperor Tian, Di Tian didn't exert his full strength, and Du Qianjue was healed by the immense life force of the Life-giving Gold. The battle between the two seemed evenly matched for the moment.
(End of Chapter)