As the radiant light faded, two human shadows appeared in everyone’s sight. On the right was Ye Xuan, and on the left was Zhao Wuji. He was still standing, but his body was burning with a raging fire.
"Is he still alive?" The crowd held their breath. Logically speaking, if a person caught on fire like that, it should be a dead end. But the affairs of Cultivators could not be judged by common sense. No one was sure if Zhao Wuji was dead or alive.
At that moment, Zhao Wuji moved. His hands gently patted the flames on his body. With every pat, the flames weakened significantly. In the end, they vanished without a trace.
The crowd erupted.
"He’s fine! Zhao Wuji is fine, he can still move!"
"My God, his body was on fire, yet he’s fine. Just what kind of physique is this? What a freak!"
"To take such a powerful attack without suffering much injury... is he even human?"
Just as the crowd was marveling, Zhao Wuji dropped to one knee and violently coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"No, he still suffered internal injuries!"
Kneeling on the ground and panting heavily, Zhao Wuji took a long while before he finally spoke. "Your Spiritual Energy Bullets carry the Fire Attribute. An ordinary person really wouldn’t be able to withstand your attack. But I’m sorry, I, Zhao Wuji, am no ordinary person."
As his voice fell, Zhao Wuji stubbornly stood up. Even though many parts of his body were burned, the wounds seared and melting, he still stood up. His eyes were as firm as iron.
"I am definitely getting into the top ten!"
With a low roar, Zhao Wuji charged at Ye Xuan. Though his body wasn’t large, he resembled a humanoid Wild Beast.
Ye Xuan frowned. The fact that his previous attack hadn’t defeated Zhao Wuji truly exceeded his expectations. However, it was impossible for Zhao Wuji to defeat him. Although a Body Refiner’s physique was strong, they had a fatal flaw: they could only engage in close-quarters combat. Ye Xuan wouldn’t give him that chance at all.
The Divine Demon Statue raised its hands once again.
"Divine-Demonic Slaying."
Before Zhao Wuji could get close, the Divine-Demonic Slaying was unleashed again.
"It’s useless! If I can block it once, I can block it a second time, a third time..." Zhao Wuji halted his steps, shielded his head with his arms, and once again braced his body to take the hit head-on.
"Is that so?" Ye Xuan smiled coldly. As soon as one strike landed, another was launched.
"Divine-Demonic Slaying."
"Divine-Demonic Slaying."
"Divine-Demonic Slaying."
The gold-and-black Spiritual Energy Bullets appeared once more. One after another, there were four in total. There was no way to hide, no way to dodge.
RUMBLE.
Terrifying explosions erupted in quick succession. The gold-and-black energy on Zhao Wuji’s body gathered more and more thickly. Those who didn’t know better would have thought Zhao Wuji was unleashing his inner cosmos.
CRACK CRACK.
The terrifying power caused the ground to shatter inch by inch. This oppressive might was so immense that even the Elder overseeing the battle nearby felt a sense of dread.
When all the radiant light dissipated, Zhao Wuji’s shadow finally appeared. He was kneeling on the ground, his head hung low. The area around him was completely scorched black. His body looked like a roasted sweet potato—red tinged with black, and black tinged with red. His hair and eyebrows had completely vanished. Most of his clothes were burned away; only his boxers remained intact. Without clothes to cover it, his body looked like chiseled rock, with clearly defined layers of rippling muscle.
"He’s covered in wounds from head to toe."
"My God, even if he is a Body Refiner, he can’t withstand this anymore, right?"
The surrounding spectators secretly gulped. For a Body Refiner to encounter Ye Xuan’s ultimate move, it was like meeting their natural predator. There wasn’t even a chance to get close.
"HUFF... HUFF..."
Zhao Wuji seemed incredibly exhausted. His heavy panting echoed loudly as he knelt on the ground, failing to stand up for a long time.
"Just yield..." Ye Xuan’s voice rang out.
Zhao Wuji didn’t speak. His eyes were filled with intense unwillingness. He let out a long breath and slowly stood up. Even though his body swayed unsteadily, he still stood up. He puffed out his chest and held his head high, a fierce light shining in his eyes!
"RAAAGH!"
Suddenly, Zhao Wuji threw his head back and let out a low roar. The muscles on his body bulged fiercely. On the surface of his body, the charred and blackened skin began to peel and fall off in chunks. His body seemed to be rapidly generating fresh cells.
"I cannot lose! I absolutely must enter the top ten!" Zhao Wuji continued to roar lowly, the light in his eyes never fading.
Ye Xuan frowned slightly. He had wanted to let Zhao Wuji step down with dignity, but since the other party didn’t seem to appreciate the gesture, so be it. The Divine Demon Statue raised its hands once again.
This action drove the surrounding crowd almost crazy.
"Here it comes again! Ye Xuan is actually planning to use the Divine-Demonic Slaying again!"
"This is too crazy! He can still unleash such a powerful attack? Doesn’t he know fatigue?"
"Zhao Wuji can’t hold on anymore. He’s definitely just forcing himself to endure it now."
"RAAAGH!"
Facing Ye Xuan’s attack once more, Zhao Wuji went mad. Even knowing he would be severely injured, he still charged at Ye Xuan. But just as he took a step, the gold-and-black Spiritual Energy Bullets rained down. One strike landed, and another followed. Ye Xuan was only four meters away, but this distance seemed like an insurmountable chasm; Zhao Wuji simply couldn’t reach him.
RUMBLE.
Zhao Wuji’s body was finally sent flying. He was almost knocked out of the fighting ring. His body was covered in wounds and soaked in blood everywhere. But he still refused to collapse. He slowly stood up once more. Although his movements were incredibly slow, he still straightened his back and held his head high.
"I won’t lose... I cannot lose..." Zhao Wuji gasped. "Ye Xuan, your attacks are indeed very powerful, but you absolutely cannot keep this up for long. If I’m not mistaken, your Spiritual Qi must be nearly depleted, right? The victor can only be me. I absolutely must enter the top ten!"
As he spoke, he took a step forward.
BOOM.
The ground trembled faintly. His physical body was indeed formidable. Not only was his body strong, but his willpower also put everyone to shame. Even Ye Xuan felt a sliver of admiration for Zhao Wuji.
Unfortunately, he was determined to secure a spot in the top ten. Admiration or not, it was impossible for him to show any mercy.
The Divine Demon Statue raised its hands once again.
"Divine-Demonic Slaying."
"Divine-Demonic Slaying."
"Divine-Demonic Slaying."
Ye Xuan continuously unleashed the Divine-Demonic Slaying. He seemed to know no fatigue.
"He still has this much Spiritual Qi?! He hasn’t even taken a Spirit Revitalizing Pill."
"Damn it, Ye Xuan is the real freak here!"
Under the crowd’s astonished gazes, the attacks fell.
RUMBLE.
The Spiritual Qi struck Zhao Wuji, forming a massive mushroom cloud that rose into the sky in a magnificent display.
The spectators were dead silent. This battle was simply too spectacular. They didn’t even know what words to use to describe it. The performances of both dark horses were absolutely stunning. If they hadn’t run into each other, entering the top ten would have been practically set in stone for both of them. They might have even made it into the top three.
"What’s the situation?"
"Zhao Wuji probably can’t hold on anymore, right?"