Chapter 1109: Name

The very instant the Immortal Fairy reclaimed her mortal flesh, Huidoudou braced herself as if confronting her ultimate nemesis.

To think her opponent actually possessed the power to reshape a physical form!

Yet, this was for the best; there was no glory or sense of achievement in triumphing over a mere soul.

"Immortal Dao: Slain Fist!"

"Fairy Fisting Technique!"

Two silhouettes vanished simultaneously from where they stood. Swift as Huidoudou’s strike was, the Immortal Fairy’s was swifter still, burying her fist deep into Huidoudou’s abdomen and forcing a spray of immortal blood from her lips.

The immortal blood corroded the earth, hissing and smoking as it ate through the topsoil straight down into the depths, halting only when it struck the barrier erected by the Four Immortals.

In the blink of an eye, the pair exchanged thousands of blows, so swiftly that even Qinghe could not discern the trajectory of their clashes, forced to trace their chaotic path only by the fracturing lines of shattered space.

Even so, Qinghe could not keep pace, forever remaining a step behind.

If it were thus for Qinghe, the others stood no chance at all.

Huidoudou was driven backward in successive defeats, her arms numbing under the sheer impact; the Immortal Fairy possessed a terrifying strength, subtly overwhelming her in this contest of pure power!

During their previous encounters, the Immortal Fairy had rarely resorted to fistfights, well aware that her disembodied soul could not match Huidoudou’s physical might.

But now that her mortal shell was restored, such constraints ceased to exist.

"So this is the true measure of your might, Immortal!"

Since her rise to prominence, Huidoudou had never known defeat, nor had she ever been forced into a disadvantage. This was the first time she had encountered a being whose physical form eclipsed her own!

"This is exactly how it should be! Only by winning such a fight can I feel true achievement!" Facing the embodied Immortal Fairy, Huidoudou showed no fear. They were essentially born of the same essence; having forged the Invincible Dan, she had remained undefeated throughout her life and possessed absolute confidence in her own strength!

"Arhat Fruit Fist, Licorice Fist, Goji Berry Fist, Angelica Fist..." The Immortal Fairy unleashed a torrent of strikes, each punch fundamentally distinct from the last, ever-shifting and impossible to defend against.

The Fairy’s martial style used the body as medicine, transforming flesh into a myriad of herbs that pulsed with eternal vitality, causing this blasted region to bloom anew with life as it warred against the power of Extinction.

In the same manner, she could inject the potent properties of these medicinal herbs into her opponent's body, disrupting the flow of her meridians.

"Great Five Elements Evasion!"

This was a method of evasion, but equally a technique of absolute haste. Huidoudou moved like a dragon and phoenix intertwined in dance, her velocity bordering upon the speed of light, surpassing even the swiftness of Mencius when borrowing the embryonic form of the Haste Dao Fruit!

The Immortal Fairy countered the infinite variations by remaining entirely still. Standing in place, she closed her eyes, relying purely on her immortal consciousness to perceive the world while allowing Huidoudou to revolve frantically around her.

Glimpsing a fleeting opening, Huidoudou manifested, erupting with divine radiance as her lethal fist surged toward the Immortal Fairy.

"Right here!"

The moment Huidoudou struck, the Immortal Fairy seized the perfect turning point, striking second but arriving first. Their fists collided, and the resulting shockwaves rippled through the cosmos, shattering countless phantom stars!

Ancient, primordial runes even manifested briefly before vanishing into the void. Had the four ancient immortals been present, they would have recognized these archaic symbols as the original, most primal glyphs that had accompanied the very birth of the world.

The collision between the power of Immortality and the power of Extinction actually showed signs of giving birth to a brand new world!

However, the current world still endured; the environment and timing were incorrect, making this an unsuited place for such primal runes to exist.

Yet, as the two forces ground against each other, a pocket realm was indeed born, allowing the primordial runes to temporarily persist within that micro-world!

But before long, the pocket realm proved unable to withstand the power of Extinction and tore itself apart in a violent explosion.

Huidoudou spilled blood continuously. No matter how boundless her vitality, or how great her immortal body's capacity for self-healing, she could not rival the Immortal Fairy, who possessed the actual Immortal Dao Fruit!

"Detonate!"

Boom—Boom—Boom—

Unlike the previous self-detonations, this consecutive blast involved the absolute explosion of both immortal flesh and immortal soul, its devastating impact identical to that of the ancient era!

Huidoudou had intended to endure it head-on just as before, but during the very first wave of the blast, she discovered to her horror that the sheer power of this explosion was completely incomparable to anything prior. It was something she absolutely could not afford to tank!

"Destroy the concept of 'Space'!"

If the concept of space were demolished, the distance between them would either become infinitely vast or infinitely close, reducing everything to the absolute unknown. Only by this means could she obstruct the impending explosions.

"The concept of 'Space' shall remain Immortal!"

The Immortal Fairy instantly locked the concept of space in place. Huidoudou’s otherwise invincible techniques were rendered utterly useless before the power of the Immortal Dao Fruit!

In her haste, Huidoudou used the power of Extinction to construct layer upon layer of barriers to shroud herself, but the relentless chain of explosions tore through the defenses one after another!

"Is it finally over?" As the final barrier dissolved, the sound of the explosions abruptly ceased, bringing a terrifying silence. Only the billowing dust left by the detonation bore witness to what had transpired here.

Suddenly, the dust swelled outward. The Immortal Fairy cut through the haze, flashing directly before Huidoudou.

Time seemed to freeze at this exact juncture, and Huidoudou’s restless heart finally grew still. She felt as though she were gazing into a mirror, seeing a flawless version of herself within the glass, adored by all the world.

The figure in the mirror fractured, exploded, and Huidoudou was utterly swallowed by an endless detonant glare...

When Huidoudou opened her eyes once more, she found herself free-falling, with the Demon City stretched out far below.

Instinct urged her to continue the struggle, only for her to realize that both her physical form and her soul had already vanished. What sustained her now was nothing more than a fading spark of consciousness.

In the end, she had lost.

A defeat so absolute that even if she were granted another chance, the outcome would surely remain unchanged.

"You were right, Immortal. It seems I truly can never become you," Huidoudou murmured wistfully, gazing at the Immortal Fairy who fell alongside her, accompanying her through the final stretch of her journey.

The Immortal Fairy looked upon this alternate version of herself with a complex expression. "You misunderstood me. What I meant was that you can simply be yourself. I believe Xiao He meant the same."

Hearing the Immortal Fairy’s explanation, a look of profound relief washed over her features. "Is that so? So that is what you both meant all along..."

Now that things had reached this point, it no longer mattered.

The two continued their descent through the sky, falling into a silence where neither could tell what the other was thinking.

After a brief moment of quiet, Huidoudou seemed to recall something and inquired, "By the way, I have always called you the Immortal Fairy. Do you actually have a name?"

"My name is Huangdoudou."

"Hahahahaha! What kind of ridiculous name is that?" Despite the solemnity of the hour, she could not help but burst into laughter, unreservedly mocking the Immortal Fairy’s name. Had she been possessed of anything more than mere consciousness, she would have laughed until tears came.

"Your name doesn't match the grand style of Ying Tian Xian and the other three at all. I honestly thought your name would be something far more domineering."

At this very moment, she felt she was no longer the cold-faced Immortal of Extinction, but rather that carefree little girl from the days before her tribe was destroyed, who had no need to conceal any of her emotions.

"What about me then? Do I have a name?"

"You do. Your name is Huidoudou. Xiao Yangzi gave it to you."

"What terrible taste in names."

"Indeed. Is there anything else you wish to say?"

Huidoudou smiled and shook her head. Turning her gaze toward Qinghe, who was racing desperately toward her, she gathered the absolute last of her strength to shout out boastfully.

"Hey, Xiao He, you were wrong! I have a name, I am called Huidoudou..."

Qinghe reached out frantically to grasp Huidoudou, but the girl's silhouette had already dissolved into a scattering of luminous specks, dissolving into the empty air, leaving her hands clutching nothing but the wind.