In the unfamiliar microcosm, feeling the oppressive wave of murderous intent wash over him, Ye Tian furrowed his brow, his mind awash with confusion.
"This person has long been lying in wait, indicating he is aware of my movements. It seems there is a traitor within the Divine Star Sect. I wonder if this betrayal is directed solely at me or if it extends to all disciples of the sect?" Ye Tian speculated quietly, scrutinizing the black-clad youth opposite him, his expression grave.
The young man before him possessed the cultivation of a Martial Sovereign, a level far beyond what Ye Tian could currently contend with. Even with the use of Blade Intent, victory was far from guaranteed.
"It appears I have no choice but to resort to it!" Ye Tian narrowed his eyes slightly, his right hand gently caressing the large iron box on his back. Faced with an opponent of such superior cultivation, only the Xuan Tie Battle Blade could lend him a fighting chance.
Ye Tian had complete faith in the power of the spirit artifact, and this Xuan Tie Battle Blade was indeed a formidable one. As long as the black-clad youth's cultivation was below the fourth or fifth level of Martial Sovereign, he still had a chance to fight back.
With this thought, Ye Tian focused his spirit and energy to their utmost peak, his gaze firmly fixed on the black-clad youth.
"Since you wish to know, I shall enlighten you. After all, your talent is commendable; killing you would bring me a sense of accomplishment. I relish witnessing the unwillingness of those geniuses to accept their fate before their demise. But what does it matter? Even geniuses face elimination; meeting me is the greatest misfortune of your life."
Yi Xuehan clearly regarded Ye Tian with disdain, especially within his own microcosm. He arrogantly lifted his chin, looking down at Ye Tian as he continued, "It was the Wu family who requested my intervention. As for their reasons for targeting you, I am unaware. I have heard that the young master of the Wu family has also joined the Divine Star Sect, which suggests you have crossed him."
"Wu Ding!" Ye Tian's eyes narrowed into slits, glinting with cold light and murderous intent. The memory of Wu Ding whispering in the ear of an elder in the mission hall flashed through his mind, and he suddenly grasped the entire situation.
"Enough of this idle chatter. I shall send you off now; remember not to cross paths with me in your next life!"
With a cold smile, Yi Xuehan unleashed a blinding blade of light from his long sword, akin to a bolt of lightning, tearing through the void as it raced toward Ye Tian.
Ye Tian's expression turned grave; he dared not conceal any of his strength. He raised the blood blade and unleashed the "Heaven's Burial Technique."
Boom!
A massive Taiji diagram manifested at the tip of the blood blade, swiftly spinning to deflect the incoming blade of light.
However, Ye Tian had underestimated Yi Xuehan's power; that blinding blade of light ultimately shattered the Taiji diagram, unleashing a colossal shockwave that slammed into Ye Tian.
"Nine Transformations Battle Body!"
Ye Tian roared, his eyes blazing with intensity as golden light surged around him, resembling a radiant sun, unmatched in its brilliance.
The tremendous shockwave sent Ye Tian hurtling back several hundred meters, yet miraculously, he remained unscathed, soaring into the sky to strike downward with his blade.
"Hmm? What was that martial technique just now? And you have also mastered the Nine Transformations Battle Body!"
With a casual wave of his hand, Yi Xuehan effortlessly blocked Ye Tian's blade light. He stepped into the air, coolly gazing at Ye Tian, a flicker of seriousness glimmering in his eyes for the first time.
At that moment, golden light also enveloped Yi Xuehan, transforming him into a figure reminiscent of a war god, radiating overwhelming might.
"Nine Transformations Battle Body!"
Ye Tian's pupils constricted in shock; he had not anticipated that his opponent had also mastered the first layer of the Nine Transformations Battle Body. This black-clad youth's talent was indeed superior to his own.
"It seems I underestimated you. Your talent could even rank among the top ten within our Poison Sect. Very well, I shall use my full strength to eliminate you."
Yi Xuehan launched another strike, once again raising his sword for a downward slash. However, a terrifying wave of murderous intent surged forth, causing Ye Tian to feel the blood blade in his hand tremble violently as if it threatened to slip from his grasp.
"Blade Intent!" Ye Tian was once again astonished. The talent of this black-clad youth was the most formidable he had ever encountered, bearing a striking resemblance to his own.
Both had comprehended the Intent of Slaughter!
Both had mastered the first layer of the Nine Transformations Battle Body!
Ye Tian surmised that the opponent's martial soul was at least of the azure level; otherwise, it would be impossible for someone so young to have reached the realm of Martial Sovereign.
Without the devouring of martial souls, Ye Tian felt he could not possibly compare to the black-clad youth before him. Yet, this individual was merely a genius from the Poison Sect, which, in the vast expanse of the Divine Continent, was no more than a speck of dust.
"The Divine Continent, I find myself increasingly intrigued!"
Ye Tian roared, his eyes ablaze with boundless fighting spirit as he raised the blood blade. A tremendous surge of blade intent erupted skyward, sweeping outward in all directions from his center.
In that instant, Yi Xuehan's advancing form faltered, his entire being momentarily frozen in mid-air.
Seizing the opportunity, Ye Tian swung his blade toward him.
"Blade Intent… at just one-tenth!"
"How is this possible?"
Yi Xuehan's eyes widened in disbelief, shock etched across his face for the first time. He stared incredulously at Ye Tian, his astonishment swiftly morphing into jealousy.
It was important to note that even he had only grasped the seed of blade intent thus far; transforming it into true one-tenth blade intent would require additional time.
In an instant, the look in Yi Xuehan's eyes toward Ye Tian was filled with boiling murderous intent.
Boom!
Yi Xuehan was immensely powerful and quickly broke free from the constraints of the blade intent. However, Ye Tian's blade light had already struck him fiercely, leaving him no room to evade.
Yet, Yi Xuehan was simply too formidable. With a slight snort, he shattered Ye Tian's blade light with a single punch, revealing the vast gulf in their respective strengths.
Nonetheless, this time, infused with blade intent, Yi Xuehan was also knocked back over a hundred meters.
"I truly underestimated you. Now tell me, what is your name? Out of respect for your talent, I shall personally bury you and erect a monument in your honor."
Yi Xuehan coldly regarded Ye Tian, beginning to see him as a genuine adversary. The surging murderous intent around him flowed like an unending tide.
"My name is Ye Tian. Remember it well, lest you die without knowing who brought about your demise!" Ye Tian replied coldly, setting down the large iron box on his back and slowly opening it.
At this point, he had no choice but to rely on the Xuan Tie Battle Blade; otherwise, he stood no chance against Yi Xuehan, whose cultivation far surpassed his own, placing them in entirely different realms.
"Seeking death!" Yi Xuehan retorted, his hair whipping in the wind, the murderous intent in his pitch-black eyes swelling as torrents of energy surged from all around, resembling a deluge of molten lava bearing down upon him.
Clearly, he had harnessed the power of the microcosm, enhancing his strength exponentially.
Ye Tian felt an immense sense of danger, yet he stood resolute, continuing to open the large iron box and retrieving the Xuan Tie Battle Blade within.
Boom!
The blade emerged, astonishing heaven and earth, weeping for the spirits!
The sky darkened, clouds swirling ominously, and the surrounding void trembled with unrest. A chilling aura surged upwards, shattering the heavens.
"This is...?" Yi Xuehan's eyes widened, his imposing presence immediately subdued, even the blade intent he had unleashed was crushed, and the energy surging around him was repelled.
He fixed his gaze on Ye Tian in the distance, his pupils constricting in disbelief as he exclaimed, "You actually possess a spirit artifact!"
"Unfortunately, you realized this too late!" Ye Tian's eyes blazed with intensity, his battle aura soaring as a terrifying energy continuously emanated from the Xuan Tie Battle Blade. A dreadful malevolence coalesced around him, manifesting into ghastly blood shadows that roared ferociously, exuding an endless stench of blood.
The aura of the Xuan Tie Battle Blade was overwhelming; it was undoubtedly a supreme spirit artifact, imbued with a potent killing intent that immediately merged with Ye Tian's slaughtering blade intent, amplifying its power exponentially. It was as if this weapon had been forged specifically for him.
Even Yi Xuehan, standing opposite, felt a stirring within him, his eyes glinting with greed, for he too had comprehended the killing blade intent, and this blade would suit him well.
However, at that moment, he sensed a tremendous threat emanating from Ye Tian. Clearly, with the Xuan Tie Battle Blade in hand, Ye Tian's strength had escalated to a terrifying level.
"Die!"
Ye Tian roared, swinging the Xuan Tie Battle Blade. The fearsome blade light tore through the void, akin to a raging specter, its bloody aura engulfing the sky, while the boiling intent of slaughter vaporized everything in its wake.
This breathtaking strike transcended Ye Tian's peak, incomparable and earth-shattering, unleashing his power to an extraordinary degree, showcasing his mightiest blow.
Though Yi Xuehan was a formidable Martial Sovereign, he could not help but tremble before such overwhelming force. The sheer dominance and sharpness of this strike were too much to bear. The immense killing intent sent a chill coursing through his veins, leaving him feeling utterly defenseless.
Ye Tian gripped the Xuan Tie Battle Blade tightly, eschewing any martial techniques, instead channeling a mere fraction of his blade intent along with all his true essence into the weapon.
Simultaneously, the black Xuan Tie Battle Blade seemed to come alive, quaking violently as it absorbed the surrounding spiritual energy.
The spiritual energy within Yi Xuehan's microcosm was rapidly siphoned by the Xuan Tie Battle Blade, augmenting the potency of Ye Tian's strike to unprecedented levels.
"Damn it!" Yi Xuehan lamented, regretting having drawn Ye Tian into his microcosm. He hastily retracted the microcosm, attempting to expel Ye Tian.
Yet, it was already too late. Ye Tian's terrifying blow, imbued with boundless might, descended upon him like divine retribution.
"Ah..."
In this dire moment, Yi Xuehan fought back with all his might, shouting as he pushed the Nine Transformations Battle Body to its limits. He dared not conceal his strength any longer, unleashing all his true essence, raising his long blade to meet the unmatched blade light descending from above.
Boom!
As Yi Xuehan's microcosm vanished, a torrent of killing intent surged forth, striking the heavens, shaking the earth, and darkening the skies.
Nearby humans and ferocious beasts alike trembled involuntarily, sensing an overwhelming pressure, their gazes filled with awe as they looked towards Ye Tian.
In the depths of the Falling Star Mountains, the void rippled as several elders from the Divine Star Sect emerged, their faces etched with shock as they raced towards Ye Tian.
Boom!
The blazing blade light engulfed both Ye Tian and Yi Xuehan, as if they were submerged within an ocean of fury.