Joe Di replied nonchalantly, "You'll find out soon enough."
Samuel Shang nodded, "Then let me see for myself. Your blade array may be effective against a bunch of half-dead Dao Fusion cultivators, but if you want to deal with me, it's not enough..."
Before Samuel Shang could finish, a brush had already been summoned. When the brush first appeared, it was less than a foot long, but as it crashed into Joe Di's domain, it transformed into a giant Creation Brush a hundred feet in length.
Crack! In front of the hundred-foot Creation Brush, Joe Di's domain was like an eggshell, instantly shattered. The terrifying pressure made it hard for Joe Di to breathe.
So strong! Joe Di dared not be careless. He swung his Tiansuo Blade with a single stroke—Blade Dao technique: Rift.
Crack, crack, crack! The rules of the void were torn apart, and the giant brush weakened instantly. However, once it shrank to ten feet, it stopped diminishing and continued to barrel toward Joe Di's brow without hindrance.
Joe Di was shocked. His Rift Blade hadn't completely torn apart the brush's divine law, and instead, he found himself at a disadvantage.
This was the first time Joe Di had encountered such a situation. In his anxiety, he immediately summoned the Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram.
Boom! The brush struck the Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram, and a droplet of ink about a yard in diameter covered the entire diagram.
A fierce backlash of divine energy and spiritual sense hit Joe Di. He felt as if his sea of consciousness had been struck by a massive iron hammer.
It wasn't just his sea of consciousness—even his cosmic meridians were thrown into turmoil by the backlash of divine energy.
The Taiji Diagram was tainted by a drop of ink, as if it had lost part of its divine aura. Joe Di quickly swept his spiritual sense over it, kicking away the ink stain and restoring the diagram's Dao rhythm.
So powerful! Joe Di was secretly shocked. The opponent hadn't even expanded his domain—just a single stroke of the brush, and Joe Di had barely managed to block it.
On the surface, they seemed evenly matched. But Joe Di knew he was at a disadvantage. He was certain that the opponent's brush was an innate treasure—and not an ordinary one at that.
Right now, the opponent had the upper hand and would surely press the attack. Joe Di was ready—he planned to smash him with the Void Mountain, then unleash his Thunder Blade technique.
"Hmm?" Just as Joe Di thought the opponent would attack, Samuel Shang stopped instead, exclaiming in surprise, "The Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram ended up in your hands? That was Li Yun's treasure."
Joe Di chuckled, "Samuel Shang, the brush in your hand must also be Wang Ermazi's treasure, right? I remember he had a Duck Feather Ledger Brush. Yes, that's the one you're holding."
Samuel Shang smiled faintly, "My brush was the very first to split heaven and earth—there's only one in this universe, and it's called the Creation Brush. Do you know why I didn't keep attacking you? Your escape techniques are extraordinary. If you tried to flee, it would take me considerable effort to catch you. I have a proposal: your Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram would be very useful to me..."
Joe Di couldn't help but laugh. Before Samuel Shang could finish, he interrupted, "I'm interested in Wang Ermazi's Duck Feather Ledger Brush in your hand too. I always lack a tool for keeping small accounts. How about I trade a few spirit stones for it?"
Samuel Shang ignored Joe Di's words and continued, "You may think this is a joke, but do you know the cultivation method after the universe was divided? Do you know why the Dao cannot achieve immortality? You've probably heard that the Dao was killed, right? Heh, let me tell you. If it could be killed, it wouldn't be immortal. The Dao cannot die, so no one can kill it. Dao Mo understands this too; he betrayed the Dao and joined others to plot against it because he also sought immortality. But even if Dao Mo's cultivation is stronger, he cannot live forever. I know all of this, and I can tell you."
Besides, the Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram is useless to you. Even now, you haven't fully refined it, because you don't understand this treasure. Trade it to me, and I promise you won't be disappointed. Your grasp of cosmic laws is impressive—you can even use the Rift technique. If you give me the diagram, not only will I offer you valuable items, I'll also teach you how to use Rift to tear apart the opponent's divine law completely."
"Are you done?" Joe Di asked after Samuel Shang finished speaking.
Samuel Shang nodded, looking earnestly at Joe Di, waiting for his answer.
Joe Di said, "Since you're done, let me see if your face is really whiter than your backside—otherwise, why would Wang Ermazi give you his Duck Feather Ledger Brush..."
Once again, before he finished speaking, Joe Di's Tiansuo Blade turned into a bolt of lightning and slashed down.
Crack! The domain Samuel Shang had just formed was torn apart by Joe Di's lightning strike. Samuel Shang frowned and shouted angrily, "Void!"
At the same time, the Creation Brush in his hand traced the character 'Void' in the air, each stroke massive and imposing.
Joe Di's Thunder Blade swept out dozens of feet, with lightning swirling everywhere, making the blade even more imposing. The momentum was like heavenly thunder descending, transforming into thunder blades that locked Samuel Shang in place.
Boom! The 'Void' character crashed into the Thunder Blade, scattering the lightning instantly. The blade quickly weakened, as if ice had met fire.
Joe Di felt emptiness throughout his body, as if in the next moment he would dissipate like the Thunder Blade, merging with the void. The 'Void' character continued to compress the surrounding space, as if it would condense the entire universe into that single word.
Joe Di was utterly shocked—this was the first time an opponent's technique had truly stunned him. Was there really such a divine art in the world? If this continued, he wouldn't even have a chance to fight; Samuel Shang's 'Void' technique would bind him, turning him into emptiness.
Such a terrifying technique made it clear to Joe Di that Samuel Shang wasn't just trying to defeat him, but to bind him. The 'Void' character spread, and soon, he wouldn't be able to escape—ultimately imprisoned within that word.
[Irrelevant web prompt skipped]
Without hesitation, Joe Di grabbed the Void Mountain and smashed it down with all his might. At the same time, he gathered all his divine energy and spiritual sense, unleashing another blade strike.
With this strike, a mountain of blades instantly took form, followed by an even larger mountain of blades behind it...
Wave after wave, as if endless and infinite.
This was his fusion technique of blade and fist—peaks gathering, waves raging.
"Void Mountain! You even have the Void Mountain..." Samuel Shang's eyes shone with a light as intense as a billion-volt bulb, unable to suppress his astonishment.
Such a wealthy opponent—Samuel Shang was determined not to let him escape. The 'Void' character in the air was struck by the first blade mountain and instantly weakened. Before it could dissipate completely, Samuel Shang formed seals with his hands, and the brush wrote the character 'Silence' in the void. At the same time, he summoned a black tome.
Boom, boom, boom! The tome and Void Mountain collided, sending divine energy exploding everywhere. Joe Di felt his sea of consciousness being torn apart, and even though his physical body surpassed the Saint Physique, he was wracked with pain all over.
And just that single tome was enough to repel his Void Mountain, not gaining even the slightest advantage. What’s more, he felt a deathly aura within the tome pulling at his vitality, as if trying to drag him in. Fortunately, his physical body was strong enough that the effect was minimal.
Crack! The 'Silence' character in the void directly tore apart Joe Di's second blade mountain, then the third, the fourth...
Boom! When all the blade mountains in the void had turned to nothingness, the 'Silence' character also faded away.
A trace of blood appeared at the corner of Joe Di's mouth. He saw that Samuel Shang's face had turned pale, showing that his opponent was suffering too.
"What is that tome? It can block my Void Mountain?" Joe Di couldn't help but ask. Aside from his own World Book, was there really another tome this powerful?
A trace of disdain flashed in Samuel Shang's eyes. "Your Void Mountain? Joe Di, you shouldn't speak so carelessly. The Void Mountain isn't yours—you just happened to pick it up. As for my treasure, I can tell you: it's called the Book of Life and Death."
Joe Di chuckled again, "Your real name isn't Samuel Shang, is it?"
Samuel Shang frowned slightly. "I am Samuel Shang. Even now, my word still stands. You should know, you're not my match yet. The Lost Dao Domain is only so big—even if you escape, I can still find you. It would just take me a little more time."
Joe Di replied coolly, "How could someone named Samuel Shang be this formidable? Not only did you trick Wang Ermazi out of his Duck Feather Ledger Brush, you also swindled Shi Sanleng out of his comic book. You must be Sam Si Guai—the guy who specializes in conning honest folks out of their things."
(That's all for today's update. Good night, friends!)