Chapter 1359 – Burn
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In the moment that the spear light and sword light crossed, the world changed colors and all light seemed to disappear. A wild and violent energy erupted outwards and the earth was blown apart as if a titanic hammer struck it. The world hollowed, forming a massive crater in the ground that was dozens of miles wide. Magma sprayed into the air, and even nearby mountains were flattened like collapsing sand dunes.
This was a battle between extreme Divine Sea powerhouses, or, it was more accurate to say Divine Lord level powerhouses. This was the terrifying battlefield they created on a world of the lower realms!
Although this strength wasn’t able to destroy a planet, wiping out all life here would simply be a matter of time!
The energy shockwaves swept out for a thousand miles before fading away. The earth was sundered and bubbling magma gushed out as if the world was bleeding. This was a ghastly sight.
Strong winds howled through the air. Tian Mingzi’s clothes fluttered in the wind. There was a trace of blood on Tian Mingzi’s eight foot long sword; this blood belonged to Lin Ming.
Stretching out his finger, Tian Mingzi stroked the sword edge and wiped away that trace of blood before gently licking it. At that time, Tian Mingzi’s face, coupled with that scarlet blood, appeared increasingly monstrous.
Lin Ming grasped the Phoenix Blood Spear, his body floating dozens of miles away from Tian Mingzi. In that horrifying impact just now, his right arm had shattered and his left shoulder had also been pierced through by sword light. His collar bones were visible through his flesh, blood leaking down his arm and flowing over the Phoenix Blood Spear like a wandering red snake.
Tian Mingzi had severed his hand to form a flesh and blood avatar, and even added in a wisp of his soul to shape it. The strength of Tian Mingzi’s avatar far surpassed Lin Ming’s imagination! If it weren’t for Lin Ming practicing the body transformation technique, that strike just now would have turned him to mush!
If this battle continued then Lin Ming would undoubtedly die!
“Lin Ming!”
In Lin Ming’s mind, Mo Eversnow’s concerned and anxious voice echoed outwards. Currently, she wasn’t able to help Lin Ming in any way. This made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
Tian Mingzi was her absolute mortal enemy, someone whom she could not stand to live under the same skies with. After all sorts of strange circumstances and meandering paths, she had once again been forced into a desperate situation by him. Mo Eversnow had already died once, so she no longer cared about herself, but, how could she look on as Lin Ming died here?
Mo Eversnow took a deep shuddering breath, unable to remain calm. Even her fingers faintly shivered. She rarely lost her composure like this. This wasn’t because of fear, but because of hate!
She hated Tian Mingzi to the extreme!
“Lin Ming, do you have a plan?”
Mo Eversnow said, forcefully suppressing the rage in her voice.
“I have no good method, I can only fight!”
After being locked down by Tian Mingzi and also covered in his 10,000 Demon Domain, Lin Ming was truly forced into a dead end. A moment ago, because Tian Mingzi had attacked with his all-out strength, the 10,000 Demon Domain had weakened for a brief moment, to the point that it could have been torn apart. However, Lin Ming had no way of diverting any attention to do that.
As soon as the collision finished, that domain had vaguely floated back around Lin Ming, locking him back in a cage.
In terms of domain ranks, whether it was the grandmist space or the divine dream space, both of them blew past the 10,000 Demon Domain. But, the essential difference was the disparity in cultivation and comprehension of Laws. This caused Lin Ming to be unable to pressure Tian Mingzi.
Tian Mingzi was someone who had lived for at least 50,000 years and Lin Ming was just over 30 years old. Lin Ming was only a fraction of Tian Mingzi’s age, so how could there be any comparison between the heights in Laws that they both reached?
Separated by a distance of several dozen miles, Tian Mingzi began to casually walk through the void towards Lin Ming.
Although his steps were slow, every step he took crossed one or two miles. In another 20-30 steps, he would reach Lin Ming.
There was silence, only a terrible silence. The only sound that broke through the gloomy silence was the sound of Tian Mingzi’s steps crossing through the void, as if the god of death were slowly approaching.
In one more strike, Lin Ming would absolutely suffer a life-threatening wound.
In the third strike, he might die!
Mo Eversnow looked at Tian Mingzi slowly approaching, and her eyes flashed with a cold light. Then, she suddenly said, “Lin Ming, in these past years my soul force has been restored a great deal, and as for you, through your training in Divine Dream Heavenly Palace, your connection with the Magic Cube has become increasingly close. We can make an attempt together, to join our strength and stimulate the movement of the Magic Cube. If we can do that then it will give us the opening we need to defeat Tian Mingzi!”
Mo Eversnow suddenly suggested. She actually wanted to galvanize the power of the Magic Cube to deal with Tian Mingzi!
The Magic Cube had always been passively defending. Was it possible to activate it so that it could attack on its own?
Lin Ming’s mind stirred. At this time, he could only desperately struggle. The Magic Cube was a divine tool of soul attacks. If he could stimulate the movement of the Magic Cube and destroy the wisp of soul that Tian Mingzi left in his avatar, then his avatar would only have its spirit body remaining. Without Tian Mingzi’s comprehensions of Laws, the avatar would be nothing to fear.
Lin Ming wanted to immediately agree and bet on this final tactic.
But just as he was about to speak, he seemed to suddenly wake up.
Did Mo Eversnow really think this was possible?
In Divine Dream Heavenly Palace, Lin Ming had indeed become closer to the Magic Cube. But, he also knew that he still fell far short of being able to stir its movements to kill an enemy.
When Mo Eversnow had suggested that the two of them join their strength together to stimulate the Magic Cube, the truth was that this was only an excuse.
In the end, Mo Eversnow wanted to rely on her own strength to activate the Magic Cube.
In the past, when the Verdant Feather Holy Lands was destroyed, Mo Eversnow had stimulated the movement of the Magic Cube by using the entirety of her strength. Because of that, she had paid a deep price, even losing her body in the process. And that had been at her peak state. Now, with her current condition, there was only a single way for her to possibly arouse the Magic Cube… and that was to completely burn up her divine soul.
With the price of her death, she would trade that for one final attack!
This was absolutely not what Lin Ming wanted. He would rather fall beyond redemption and perish than allow Mo Eversnow to die like this!
“Lin Ming, what are you still thinking about? This is our only chance. If Tian Mingzi attacks one more time, your injuries will be much heavier. At that time, even if we killed Tian Mingzi, we would be nothing but lamps without oil. At that point, even Nether Limitless and the others would be able to kill us.”
Mo Eversnow’s voice was hurried.
Lin Ming solemnly said, “Miss Mo, in I, Lin Ming’s life, whether it is now or in the future, I will not have your sacrifice yourself for me. I will not use your death to exchange for my own life. To step onto the peak of martial arts is the goal that I have been chasing through in my life, but even that peak of martial arts is far inferior to Miss Mo’s life!”
As Lin Ming said these words, Mo Eversnow was stunned. She didn’t think that Lin Ming would see through her intentions. Indeed, from the very start she had never planned to rely on Lin Ming’s strength. Rather, she wanted to burn away her divine soul and stimulate the Magic Cube, perishing together with Tian Mingzi’s avatar. And now, as Lin Ming said these words, Mo Eversnow felt her heart inexplicably touched in the softest, most defenseless parts of her soul. She didn’t know why, but she felt a twisting pain as a crystal clear teardrop quietly fell down her cheek.
“Big Sister, why are you crying?”
Within the Magic Cube space, the sleeping Fishy seemed to sense something happening. She opened her eyes and saw that a tear had fallen down from the corner of Mo Eversnow’s eye.
Without knowing what happened, Fishy haplessly looked at Mo Eversnow. Then, she reached out her little hand and gently wiped away this single drop of ‘soul tears’.
Eyes could cry. This could be sadness, but it could also be a lie, deceit, an act…
But if a soul form were to cry, that would only be because they were sad to the extreme, grieving to the extreme, or perhaps… their heart was touched.
Mo Eversnow softly patted Fishy’s head. She said in a gentle voice, “Big Sister is alright. From now on, you must be a good girl and listen to your Big Brother Lin Ming’s words...”
As she spoke, Mo Eversnow’s body gradually floated upwards. In that instant, her soul form began to slowly flash. Beautiful and enchanting blue and white rays of light radiated from Mo Eversnow’s body, dazzling to the eyes…
She was burning her divine soul!
“Miss Mo, you - !”
Lin Ming urgently cried out, alarmed.
“…Lin Ming, do you know? 50,000 years ago, I had to watch with my own eyes as the Verdant Father Holy Lands was destroyed in front of me. I lacked the strength, and was unable to stop Tian Mingzi. At that time, the Verdant Feather Holy Lands was the most important thing to me! My family and my foundation, my everything was there. Now, 50,000 years later, I must watch once more as Tian Mingzi destroys you, and right now, you are the most important person in my life. I, I will not allow this cycle to repeat itself once more, I will not! I won’t!”
As Mo Eversnow spoke, her strength constantly flowed into the Magic Cube. Lin Ming could even feel the Magic Cube beating within his body, as if it were about to fly out from within him!
“You have your determination, but I have my oath. If you die, there is no reason for me to continue living on!” Mo Eversnow’s voice was incomparably firm and resolute.
The palpitations of the Magic Cube became increasingly intense! The truth was that the Magic Cube had no master. As the crystallized form of the universe’s ‘divine’, there was no mortal that was able to completely control it. And, in terms of being able to control the power of the Magic Cube, Mo Eversnow far surpassed Lin Ming.
At the moment that Mo Eversnow started to burn her own soul, Lin Ming felt an indescribably heart-rending pain tear through his body, as if there were something exploding within his inner world!
He could not allow Mo Eversnow to continue. He could not allow her to burn her divine soul. Right now, Mo Eversnow only had her divine soul remaining. Once she burnt that, she would truly perish! Not even a True Divinity would be able to save her!
In this moment, an indescribably wild and brutal strength ignited within Lin Ming’s body, exploding outwards!
The implacable black hole seed came to a grinding halt before it rapidly began to spin in reverse. From that black hole seed which originally nothing could escape, a torrential amount of energy began gushing forth!
“Tian Mingzi! I’LL KILL YOU!”
Lin Ming roared out. A gargantuan amount of energy began to swell forth from his body. If he didn’t release this energy, his body would explode!
Peng peng peng!
Lin Ming’s blood vessels ruptured and blood rained down. All of his strength was poured into the Phoenix Blood Spear. The Phoenix Blood Spear began to keen in excitement, as if a True Dragon was awakening within it!
In the past, you were the one to protect me…
And now, I should be the one to protect you…
No matter what, whether in the past, in the present, or in the future, I will not watch you burn your soul and die for me.
Even if I must overdraw my life, even if I must fall here, I will defeat Tian Mingzi!
In that moment, all sounds faded away from Lin Ming’s mind. All he could hear was the clarion cry of his own mind.
“My life’s blood essence, burn for me!”
Lin Ming roared. In that moment, he began to burn his blood essence without reservation!
A full 50% of his blood essence began to combust!
Even if Lin Ming had perfectly opened the Gates of Life and Death, he absolutely could not withstand such a consumption of blood essence!
“Lin Ming… you!”
Mo Eversnow froze. Burning 50% of his blood essence, what sort of concept was that? Did he not think of the ramifications!?!?
Lin Ming truly didn’t care about any consequences right now. If he couldn’t stop the Magic Cube from activating, then he could only defeat Tian Mingzi!
With half his blood essence as the price, this was Lin Ming’s last stand!
The sky trembled and the earth began to moan in grief. The power of thunder, the power of fire, the power of space, the power of time, all strengths gathered within Lin Ming’s spear light. At this moment, any technique had lost meaning. This was Lin Ming’s ultimate attack that came at the price of burning his own life!
“What? You actually…!”
With a superiority in all aspects and controlling the entire situation so far, Tian Mingzi had held utter confidence. But now, as he saw Lin Ming suddenly erupt with such a terrifying striking power, even his complexion paled.
“Samsara of the heavens and earth, the myriad Laws shall die out, only my demonic path shall remain immortal and forever!”
Tian Mingzi’s hands formed dao patterns in the air. In front of him, a gray wheel appeared. This wheel had tens of thousands of seal, each seal seeming to contain its own world. With tens of thousands of charms, it was like facing tens of thousands of worlds.
“Heaven Absorbing Demon Art – Counterforce!”
Tian Mingzi had used the transcendent divine might belonging to Empyrean Demondawn!
In the past, Tian Mingzi had entered Demondawn Heavenly Palace and studied the Heaven Absorbing Demon Art from Empyrean Demondawn. Although this transcendent divine might was the same one that Xiao Moxian used, it was actually far more formidable.
The Heaven Absorbing Demon Art could suck in others’ abilities and then dissolve these abilities with demonic strength before using them to strike back at the enemy.
Heaven Absorbing Demon Art Counterforce was one of the attack states of the Heaven Absorbing Demon Art.
Underneath the hands of Xiao Moxian, the energy gushing forth from the Heaven Absorbing Demon Art was able to form a vortex of energy. But in Tian Mingzi’s control, it was actually able to form a demon god disc.
In that moment, Lin Ming’s long spear smashed into the demon god disc. A terrifying divine light shot out, piercing through the heavens, sundering the earth!
In that horrifying explosion, Tian Mingzi’s 10,000 Demon Domain was completely destroyed!
Puff!
The moment that the 10,000 Demon Domain was destroyed, Tian Mingzi suffered a tremendous backlash that caused him to vomit blood.
As Tian Mingzi spat out a mouthful of blood in the air, he couldn’t believe his own eyes. Lin Ming, with his middle Divine Sea cultivation, had actually wounded his avatar, who possessed the Law comprehensions of a Great World King as well as the spirit body of a Great World King?
Ka ka ka!
Underneath Lin Ming’s attack, a final strike that cost half his blood essence, this demon god disc also began to crack!
“What!?”
Tian Mingzi was shocked. He began to withdraw but it was far too late.
The Phoenix Blood Spear rushed forth like a raging Azure Dragon, shattering that demon god disc and hurtling past its broken pieces, thrusting straight towards Tian Mingzi’s heart.
“Do you really think this strike can kill me!?”
Tian Mingzi shouted out loud as he brought his sword slashing down on Lin Ming’s spear light.
Bang!
Spear light and sword light collided. All sounds faded away. Tian Mingzi only felt a powerful force wash through him, sending his sword flying away. The meridians in his body had broken apart in countless places and blood poured out from his mouth, gushing into the skies.
In this strike, he had truly been grievously wounded by Lin Ming. A middle Divine Sea realm junior had broken his own domain and even severely wounded his avatar at the same time?
Tian Mingzi found this impossible to believe!
And several hundred miles away, this final strike had been seen by Nether Limitless and the others. All of them were incomparably shocked. They would never have dreamed that Lin Ming was powerful to such a degree that even their Honorable Master would be wounded to such an extent!
As Nether Limitless looked lost and dazed, there was a flash in front of his eyes. A figure seemed to teleport right in front of him.
This person’s body was bathed in blood. He was like an asura demon that had crawled up from the blood ponds of hell!
“Lin… Lin Ming…”
Nether Limitless’s body stiffened. At this moment, there was an excruciating pain in his chest. As he looked down, he saw Lin Ming’s right hand had penetrated into his chest and grabbed onto his beating heart.