The battle axe, heavy yet sharp, cleaved through the air. A blood-red silhouette, stretching across the sky, shot towards Austan.
Austan, wielding a snow-white spear, parried the blood-red silhouette with a gentle flick. He then flashed forward, charging towards Xue Jing.
Both were powerful cultivators who had forged a second-tier Golden Core. As they clashed in close combat, a mere shockwave from their exchange caused the surrounding buildings to collapse instantly, turning the Church of Light into ruins.
"The rest are yours. Don't let a single one escape!"
Zhang Fan glanced at the five Arbiters who had retreated to a distance and said to Wuchen Jianxian.
Wuchen Jianxian, knowing Zhang Fan was giving him an opportunity to hone his skills, responded with excitement and charged towards the five Arbiters with his sword.
The three Blood Race princes stood silently behind Zhang Fan, awaiting his command.
"Who is this brat, so arrogant to come here alone to die!"
The five Arbiters of the Church of Light could sense the immense power of Wuchen Jianxian, likely at the peak of the Core Condensation realm. However, the Church of Light excelled in combined attacks. With the combined strength of the five, they feared no one, not even a peak Core Condensation realm expert.
What they didn't know was that Wuchen Jianxian was no longer an ordinary peak Core Condensation realm expert. He had already etched a Golden Core Dao Rune and was in the Core Condensation realm.
After following Zhang Fan, Wuchen Jianxian's understanding of the sword path had greatly improved. These five Core Condensation realm cultivators were excellent opponents for him to practice his swordplay.
They unleashed their combined attack technique, their coordination flawless, capable of unleashing power at the peak of the Core Condensation realm. This made Wuchen Jianxian feel that the battle was not entirely dull.
Zhang Fan's gaze remained fixed on the combat arena between Xue Jing and Austan. Xue Jing, with his appearance as a fair-skinned scholar, seemed incongruous with the massive battle axe he wielded.
However, his axe techniques were grand and unrestrained, giving the impression of wielding immense weight with effortless ease. The colossal blood-red battle axe was wielded with incredible dexterity in his hands. He unleashed thirteen consecutive axe blows, forcing Austan to retreat step by step.
"Haha, exhilarating!"
Xue Jing swung his blood axe with abandon, unleashing his power. This was the most exhilarating battle he had experienced in hundreds of years.
Faintly, Xue Jing felt his meridians become unobstructed. As his Golden Core released its magnificent spiritual energy, the speed at which it absorbed the energy of heaven and earth also accelerated.
"Is this a breakthrough?"
Xue Jing could feel his aura reaching its peak. If this momentum continued, he had a high chance of breaking through his limitations and reaching the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm.
Although Austan was constantly on the defensive, his snow-white spear danced, forming an impenetrable defense. Even as he was continuously pushed back, he appeared calm and composed.
"En?"
Sensing that the Blood Race cultivator had found an opportunity for a breakthrough in this battle, Austan couldn't help but frown slightly.
"This cannot continue."
Austan gripped his snow-white spear, rotating his hands. He suddenly exerted force, his spear thrusting like a dragon, striking the body of Xue Jing's axe. The immense power actually forced Xue Jing back dozens of steps. Each step he took in the air resounded with a low boom.
In contrast, Austan stood proudly in the sky, his posture unwavering, like the white-robed God of War from China's Three Kingdoms period.
"How is this possible?" Xue Jing's face showed disbelief as he was forced back by Austan's spear.
Although Austan's snow-white spear was also a mid-grade spiritual treasure, his battle axe held an absolute advantage in terms of pure strength.
Furthermore, although Austan's realm had reached the mid-stage of the Golden Core, the Dao Runes he had condensed in his Golden Core were fewer than Xue Jing's. His strength was not superior.
Yet Austan was able to force him back dozens of steps with a single spear thrust. This indicated a gap in power that Xue Jing found hard to accept.
"I originally intended to play with Brother Xue Jing for a while, as we haven't seen each other for centuries. I didn't expect Brother Xue Jing to find an opportunity for a breakthrough during battle. In that case, I can only end this quickly."
A smile vanished from Austan's face, replaced by icy killing intent.
"Holy Radiance!"
Austan channeled the primal power of his Golden Core, releasing his domain and pushing its power to the extreme.
Endless light energy covered an area of several miles. Wuchen Jianxian was also suppressed by the domain's power. What was initially effortless for him against the combined attack of the five Core Condensation realm cultivators now became strenuous.
"Boundless Blood Sea!"
Xue Jing, unwilling to be outdone, also unleashed his domain. Blood-red clouds gathered in the sky, dyeing the entire sky a crimson hue, as if the end of days had arrived.
With the two of them at the center, half the sky was an endless crimson, and the other half was boundless light. Both were fully channeling their Golden Core power, vying for control of the domain.
Xue Jing had initially believed that with the advantage of his top-grade second-tier Golden Core, he could suppress Austan in the domain.
However, when the two truly clashed, he discovered that he was at a disadvantage in the domain!
Austan's "Holy Radiance" domain pressed back Xue Jing's blood moon, causing its range to shrink continuously. Eventually, Xue Jing's domain could barely cover a radius of a few hundred meters around himself.
"How could Ancestor's 'Boundless Blood Sea' domain be suppressed by Austan? This is simply impossible!" Prince Hill stood behind Zhang Fan, witnessing the scene in the arena and exclaiming in disbelief.
The three princes had experienced the great battle hundreds of years ago and were well aware of the power of the Blood Ancestor's domain. Austan had never held an advantage in domain battles.
Even if he had now advanced to the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, his domain power could not have increased so drastically as to completely suppress the Blood Ancestor.
"Austan is not as simple as you see him," Zhang Fan said softly, his eyes fixed on Austan, a hint of fervor within them.
The Blood Ancestor's princes could not comprehend Zhang Fan's words. They could only exchange glances, their faces filled with confusion.
However, since Zhang Fan did not elaborate, they dared not ask further. As long as Zhang Fan was present, Austan would inevitably meet his demise today, regardless of his schemes.
In the arena, Austan's domain held an absolute advantage. His spear techniques were as sharp as Xue Jing's axe techniques. The larger the domain, the stronger the heaven and earth energy he could mobilize. The immense power forced Xue Jing into a purely defensive stance, leaving him no opportunity to attack.
*Screech!*
Xue Jing was filled with confusion, his state of mind unstable. His defense gradually faltered, revealing a slight opening. Austan seized the opportunity, thrusting his spear at Xue Jing's shoulder.
Austan flicked his spear upwards. A deep, bone-revealing gash appeared on Xue Jing's shoulder, from which blood splattered.
"Today, I will bring this conflict to a complete end. The opportunity left by the Zi Wu Heavenly Immortal is only for me, Austan, to obtain!"
Austan summoned the spirit of his spiritual treasure, a colossal white jade sacred elephant. Although the sacred elephant was a mere phantom in the air, it appeared as a sky-piercing mountain, its powerful aura making it difficult to breathe.
"Sacred Elephant Sky-Rending Charge!"
Under Austan's command, the white jade sacred elephant began to run across the sky with heavy steps, charging rapidly towards Xue Jing.
As the white jade sacred elephant ran, the heavens and earth seemed to tremble. The overwhelming aura forced Xue Jing's body to tremble. He forced himself to support his already injured body, preparing to activate the spirit within his battle axe for a desperate fight against Austan. Just then, a figure flashed forward and stood before Xue Jing.