Chapter 542: Battle Against Phoenix Cry, Huge Breakthrough, I Glimpse the Third Layer of Yang God

Chapter 542: Battle with Feng Ti, a Great Breakthrough, I See the Path to the Third Layer of Yang Shen

“Danger outside?”

Hearing this, Qi Yuan grew anxious.

“In that case… I have to come out even more.”

If Shen Lingxuan was in danger, Qi Yuan naturally had to act.

After all, having finally encountered Shen Lingxuan, how could he let her vanish again this time?

What, should he imitate some dragon king son-in-law, watch his wife get captured and humiliated, then unleash his inner cosmos and save her at the last moment?

That kind of son-in-law wasn’t Qi Yuan’s style.

“Don’t… come out.” Shen Lingxuan’s face, as cold and pure as the moon, was etched with urgency. The violent gusts of wind swept over her black dress, clinging tightly to her graceful figure, outlining the curves of her smooth, jade-like thighs, like a black swan flustered in the gale.

She was tall, and what drew the most attention were her long, straight legs.

The sword strike that had shattered the protective airflow of the Divine Wood Abyss was too ferocious; even the residual waves made her, a Heavenly Grade Weapon Master, struggle to stand, as if she might be flung away by the current.

This kind of terrifying power was on an entirely different level from hers.

If Qi Yuan came out, he would surely die.

She didn’t want Qi Yuan to die for her.

“Husband and wife are like birds of the same forest; when disaster strikes, each flies alone.

But unfortunately, I’m not a bird—I’m a son-in-law,” Qi Yuan said. “I am your husband; how could I abandon you?”

Qi Yuan quickly slipped into the role.

Of course, this was also partly his true feelings.

“I…” Shen Lingxuan was moved inside. She hadn’t expected Qi Yuan to actually step out of the safe Divine Wood Abyss.

Just then, heaven and earth seemed to split apart. Feng Ti’s figure stood in the void, his long sword spanning the horizon, exuding an aura that made the very world tremble.

Feng Ti’s gaze swept over Shen Lingxuan, murder flashing in his eyes.

Before he even moved, a mighty pressure surged forth.

Shen Lingxuan instantly felt a powerful shockwave bearing down on her. As a Heavenly Grade Weapon Master, she now felt utterly insignificant; just a trace of his leaked aura sent her flying like a butterfly with broken wings.

Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, and her body slammed violently toward a nearby mountain.

At that moment, an arm wrapped around her waist, catching her. A gentle voice came: “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

“Qi… Qi Yuan?” Shen Lingxuan’s cold, snow-white face bore a complex expression—joy mixed with hidden worry, like a black rose.

“So TV really does lie. I thought with a catch like this, I’d spin in the air, and then… accidentally kiss you,” Qi Yuan said calmly, voicing his thoughts.

Held by Qi Yuan, Shen Lingxuan heard his words, her moist lips pressed together, a strange feeling stirring in her heart. But she quickly said, “Be careful—the Radiant Assembly’s people.”

At that moment, Feng Ti, suspended high in the sky, showed a smile in his eyes.

“I never expected both Fate-Bound ones to gather here. It seems I’ve saved time.”

He was like a deity, seated loftily in the heavens.

The long sword in his hand let out a ringing hum, ready at any moment to draw and cleave the sky.

Qi Yuan held Shen Lingxuan and looked up at the sky.

All he saw was a blur.

According to the son-in-law code of conduct, what should he say now?

“You dare break her wings, I must destroy your paradise?”

“The dragon’s reverse scale—touch it and die?”

No, that’s too cliché.

“You’re quite strong,” Qi Yuan commented.

The opponent was indeed stronger than most Grand Venerables.

In fact, among all the ordinary Grand Venerables Qi Yuan had seen in the Six Heavens of the Immortal Realm, none had given him as much pressure as this man.

“But with me here, you have no right to run wild or break the law!”

Qi Yuan said, gently setting Shen Lingxuan down and stepping in front of her.

Shen Lingxuan gazed at his upright back, her heart a tangle of emotions and past imaginings, all turning into affection.

She remembered back then, when he wielded the Rain Sword and slew all foes with a single strike.

At the time, she had only found him dangerous; now, she found him heroic.

“A blind man dares to judge me?” Feng Ti’s eyes held a mocking glint. “You’re not worthy!”

An ant has no right to judge an eagle.

Shen Lingxuan’s heart ached sharply: “Your eyes?”

She had just noticed Qi Yuan’s eyes; out of shyness, she had sensed something odd but dared not meet his gaze.

How… had he gone blind?

Shen Lingxuan stood up, a resolute look flashing across her cold, snow-white face: “I’ll face this with you.”

Qi Yuan shrugged. “Dealing with him… doesn’t require your help.”

Qi Yuan felt he had been tactful again.

After all, it wasn’t male chauvinism—it was simply that Shen Lingxuan’s current strength was far too weak to intervene in such a battle.

He couldn’t very well say, “Shen Lingxuan, you’re too weak.”

“Hmph, overestimating yourself.” Feng Ti’s eyes showed disdain.

Without any movement, the flying sword suspended in the air suddenly unsheathed.

Polar Light Flying Sword!

The sword moved with incredible speed—only a streak of light was visible.

This sword strike was one Feng Ti had comprehended through his mastery of the Extreme Point Rule Heart.

The Extreme Point was a first-grade Rule Heart.

It represented the fusion of all things into a single point, the ultimate attack in the world.

Space had no distance before this sword; all defenses were defenseless against it.

It could pierce through the void, even into the dark void.

This Rule Heart was especially terrifying.

In the future, if Feng Ti stepped into the Third Layer of Yang Shen, condensing nine first-grade Rule Hearts into nine first-grade cosmic rules, he could create heaven and earth, founding a world upon the Extreme Point.

One could say, having comprehended a first-grade Rule Heart, he was qualified to aspire to the Third Layer of Yang Shen.

Of course, that was his original self—he was not that; he was merely a replica.

In this sword strike, Qi Yuan sensed the embryonic form of a Heavenly Grade Ultimate Principle.

He was slightly surprised.

This opponent truly had some skill.

A powerful sword strike, swift as thunder and lightning, thrust toward Qi Yuan’s temple, concentrated into a single point, embodying an ultimate, domineering penetration.

This blow, Qi Yuan could not evade.

Or rather, even an ordinary Great Venerable could not withstand it.

But…

“So even at the Divine level, one can grasp the rudiments of ultimate truth?”

Qi Yuan seemed to gain some insight.

“No, I could comprehend supreme truth even at the Purple Mansion stage; why, having reached Divine level in this game… can I not do so?”

Feng Ti’s sword strike opened a new line of thought for Qi Yuan.

He was already at Divine level; grasping the rudiments of supreme truth… shouldn’t be a problem, right?

If Feng Ti could do it, so could he.

At that moment, Qi Yuan’s mind was suddenly enlightened.

“Absolute adaptation!”

A torrent of thoughts swept over him, and his form began to change.

As the mighty auroral sword thrust toward him, he suddenly dissolved into nothingness.

“What’s happening?” Surprise flickered in Feng Ti’s eyes.

Against a native of this world, almost no one could withstand this strike.

After all, the Radiant Light Universe was a cosmos where Dao Lords existed.

Their cultivation system had reached perfection.

At the Great Venerable stage, one could cultivate a Divine Domain and then condense a Rule Heart.

In some ordinary universes, one might not truly touch cosmic rules until the second level of the Yang God realm.

Yet this strike of his had been blocked.

For the first time, he looked seriously at this opponent.

Without hesitation, he gripped the sword hilt, his form flickering, and reappeared within the Divine Wood Abyss. With a mighty sword stroke, he slashed into the void.

Clang!

A hand clad in blood-colored armor reached out from the void and caught the blade.

A towering armored celestial figure emerged, thrusting a sinister blood-red sword forward.

Surprise showed in Feng Ti’s eyes; the markings on his forehead flickered, blood-red and eerie: “You are strange. You comprehended a Rule Heart before even taking the Three Steps to Heaven. What grade is your Rule Heart? Why have I never heard of it?”

This clash between them was a collision of raw power, devoid of any technique.

Feng Ti felt a measure of respect.

The other party clearly had not understood the Rule Heart before, yet after witnessing his auroral flying sword, seemed to have an epiphany and grasped it.

If his guess was true, it was terrifying—enough to move Feng Ti.

Qi Yuan said nothing; he was now wholly immersed in the battle.

Feng Ti’s strength was formidable; the gap between a Great Venerable and a Venerable was vast.

Had this been in the Six Heavens of the Immortal Realm, he might have already lost.

But this was the embryonic Divine Wood Universe, where the difference between Great Venerable and Venerable was not so pronounced.

Elsewhere, the insect maiden Caidie watched the battle above the Divine Wood Abyss, her face pale with shock: “They are too fast! In such a fight, ordinary Great Venerables cannot even intervene!”

She knew Feng Ti was strong, but she had not expected Shen Lingxuan’s husband to match him blow for blow.

Beyond the Sunset Cliff, the celestial spirit Junxiu narrowed his eyes: “Qi Yuan can actually hold back Feng Ti!”

This was completely beyond his expectations.

After all, if Feng Ti’s original form came to the Zhou Universe, he would be qualified to become a nominal disciple of the Void Realm Lord.

Ji Wuyun’s eyes widened: “I can’t see a thing.”

Chen Kangbao continued eating his steamed buns, his expression languid: “No need to watch. This battle, the young master will surely win.”

He had blind faith in Qi Yuan.

The celestial spirit Junxiu’s eyes held a trace of worry: “Even though Brother Qi Yuan is astonishing and can suppress Feng Ti… I’m afraid it will still be difficult to win, because…”

He knew the terror of Feng Ti.

The people of the Radiant Light Society were not truly human.

As his words fell,

Within the Divine Wood Abyss, a smile appeared in Feng Ti’s eyes.

“You are an opponent worthy of respect, worthy of my trading life for life!” Qi Yuan’s strength was far inferior to his, yet the other’s Rule Heart was too bizarre—like an unkillable cockroach.

At this moment, he held back no longer.

Eternal Coexistence with Heaven and Earth!

He unleashed his most powerful strike, tightly embracing Qi Yuan, like a burning sun exploding.

He was trading life for life!

Such a terrifying blow could wound a Myth at the Seventh Step of Heaven.

In the distance, the celestial spirit Junxiu’s gaze was complex: “The replicas of the Radiant Light Society have more than one life. Trading life for life makes it very difficult for opponents of the same level to handle.”

Boom!

A terrifying explosion resounded, the heat wave flinging the insect maiden away.

Blood trickled from the corner of Shen Lingxuan’s mouth, her snow-white face full of worry.

Even the mere aftershock had injured her; what kind of pressure was Qi Yuan facing at the center of the battle?

“The people of the Radiant Light Society have many lives. He trades life for life… it’s impossible to defeat him!” the insect maiden Caidie said anxiously.

Shen Lingxuan stared at the center of the battlefield. The explosion subsided, and another Feng Ti’s form coalesced, his body perfectly intact.

He stood in the void, his eyes sharp, gazing at the center of the blast.

At the explosion’s core, the blood-colored armor had vanished. A long-robed figure, stained with blood, still stood firm, the blood-red longsword in his hand eerily boundless.

“Truly worthy of fighting me to a standstill. One life cannot take yours, but now you are severely wounded—how can you fight me at my peak?”

Feng Ti finished speaking, gripped his longsword, vanished, and flashed behind Qi Yuan. The sword thrust toward a single point.

Clang!

This strike was again blocked by Qi Yuan.

Blood seeped heavily from his arm.

Blocking this sword, more blood spills forth.

Qi Yuan's expression was very calm.

"As long as I don't die, I am invincible."

He was confident.

He never expected that Death Radiance and Absolute Adaptation, combined, could produce such a miraculous reaction.

One was clearly a supreme truth, the other merely a major skill he had mastered during Qi Refining.

Yet the two could actually merge.

Absolute Adaptation kept him on the brink of death, while Death Radiance pushed his combat power to its peak.

The closer to death, the stronger he became.

Rip!

Blood flowed from Qi Yuan's body, but he simply would not die.

A casual sword strike, empowered by Death Radiance, carved a huge gash across Feng Ti's chest, blood gushing forth.

Feng Ti's face showed disbelief, but he stubbornly said, "Just a spent arrow, nothing more."

In the void, he multiplied into thousands, all attacking Qi Yuan at once.

Though he could revive after death, each life was precious to him, requiring a great price to obtain.

And it was not truly infinite.

The battle continued.

Feng Ti's expression shifted from its former calm composure to anxiety, then to agitation.

"Just a little more, just a little more!"

He felt Qi Yuan was like an old man with a flickering candle, his life force ready to extinguish at any moment.

Yet that little bit—he could not reap it.

It was like in a game, where the opponent's health bar was already black; he could clearly finish him with any random skill or even a normal attack, but he just couldn't land a hit.

Frustrating.

"What you lack isn't a little—you're still far off!" Qi Yuan borrowed Echizen Ryoma's line, swinging his longsword like a battle god at low health, never reckless unless near death.

Death Radiance and Absolute Adaptation unleashed a dazzling strike in that moment.

Another of Feng Ti's lives fell.

In the blink of an eye, a fully intact Feng Ti reappeared, his face twisted with anger: "How much longer can you hold out?"

From now on, he changed his strategy, shifting from offense to defense, wearing Qi Yuan down.

He refused to believe that this man, so close to death, would make no mistakes in such a high-intensity battle.

The fight raged on. Qi Yuan's tattered robe was stained with blood, his hand gripping a sinister crimson longsword. No matter how many wounds he bore, he remained standing.

As for Feng Ti, he had long lost his former arrogance and confidence.

Beneath the Divine Wood Abyss, Shen Lingxuan watched this scene, her heart stirred with immense pain and pity.

Such injuries—anyone else would have fallen long ago.

Yet her husband Qi Yuan still stood, like a giant propping up heaven and earth.

The wind howled, the mountains trembled, blood fell like rain.

The sounds of slaughter and battle continued.

Qi Yuan had never fought such a desperate battle.

But now, he was in a mysterious state.

Death Radiance and Absolute Adaptation were constantly merging.

His aura grew weaker and weaker, yet his combat power only grew stronger.

When the fusion was complete, Qi Yuan felt something unimaginable would happen to him.

"So... I'm still not low enough on health."

At that moment, Qi Yuan seemed to realize something.

Suddenly, he drew his sword and, under the gaze of all who did not expect it, stabbed himself fiercely.

Feng Ti, who had been attacking, saw this and his expression shifted: "What are you doing?"

But his attacks rained down wildly; he sensed that Qi Yuan was now at his weakest.

Such a good opportunity could not be missed.

Even if the other had a scheme, he was not afraid—he still had five lives left.

"Die."

In that instant, Qi Yuan's weak eyes blazed with brilliant light.

A sword strike of unparalleled brightness was unleashed.

Feng Ti's eyes filled with horror.

"How... is this possible!"

At that moment, he seemed to realize something, his expression shocked for the first time.

How could such a terrifying sword strike be executed by a mere Divine-level being?

A similar sword strike, his original form Feng Ti had once seen performed by a majestic existence at the third layer of Yang God.

This was... a fusion of cosmic laws!

The sword struck.

Feng Ti's form shattered.

His form reappeared.

The same sword strike materialized out of nowhere, slaying him again.

He revived, only to be slain once more.

"No!" Feng Ti's face was full of disbelief.

That sword strike transcended cosmic laws, as if it targeted his very life.

No matter how many lives he had, this sword would slay them all.

Boom!

Feng Ti's last life shattered, all memories turned to fragments.

At the same time, within the Radiant Society stronghold, in the Pool of Light, a human form suddenly coalesced—a bewildered Feng Ti.

"I carried nine lives, and I still died? What happened?"

No sooner had this thought arisen than his hair stood on end; he sensed an endless threat.

In the distant void, a terrifying sword strike was unleashed.

Facing this sword, Feng Ti's face was filled with terror, sensing boundless threat.

At that moment, a sudden flash of light shot through the pool of radiance, and the sword strike fell upon the light, vanishing at last.

Feng Ti still felt a lingering fear: "It actually forced the means left by the Realm Lord to counter... Could I have encountered a Realm Lord?

Impossible! The Divine Wood Universe has no Realm Lord!"

He was perplexed.

Pity that all nine lives were lost; he knew not what transpired in the Divine Wood Abyss.

Meanwhile, in the Divine Wood Abyss, Qi Yuan, his tattered robe stained with blood, rapidly surged in aura, then wildly plummeted.

"I have glimpsed the path to the third layer of the Yang God..."

"Cough, cough..."

Blood seeped from the corners of his mouth, his injuries were grievous, as good as dead.

When he fought Feng Ti, he was merely an ordinary Venerable.

Recklessly imitating Feng Ti's comprehension of the embryonic principle and merging it with the Death Radiance pushed him to the extreme.

Even Feng Ti, a Great Venerable, dared not sustain the Aurora Flying Sword for long.

But fortunately, when the role-playing of the cleaver reached 100% completion, the final gift Qi Yuan received—the cleaver's handle—infused him with endless vitality, or he might have drained himself to death.

"Though the injuries are severe, the gains are many. Not only did I comprehend the embryonic form of Absolute Adaptation, but I also merged it with the Death Radiance."

"Is this the path to the third layer of the Yang God?"

"Indeed, I am the kind of genius who breaks through in battle!"

In this fight, Qi Yuan challenged above his level, surpassed himself, and learned many skills.

This is much like a true prodigy, breaking through in the heat of combat.

"The more I fight, the fiercer I become!"

"From now on, I must fight often!"

"Tomorrow, I'll go duel an ant!"

This thought flashed through Qi Yuan's mind, and a profound weariness washed over him. His body, which had been standing firm, now collapsed.

"I'll nap for half an hour, then duel the ant once I have strength."

His body fell from the air, sinking into slumber before it even hit the ground.

"Husband..." A graceful figure rushed over, tightly embracing him in her arms.

Alas, there was still no fall followed by a kiss.

Otherwise, Qi Yuan would have woken at once.

(The chapter ends)