"Ignorant!"
Rockwell Nine-Gifts saw Quinn Shepherd charging straight at him and burst out laughing: "Netherworld Divine Son, you really are ignorant, daring to go head-to-head with me. Looks like you haven't suffered enough last time! You have no idea how powerful the bloodline of Earth Mother Primordial Lady is!"
Fenix Greenwood Keane hurriedly said, "Brother, this shorty is tough—his divine arts are strange, and he wields two great swords, both ridiculously heavy. He hacked me up pretty badly."
Primordial Magnetism divine light surged around Rockwell Nine-Gifts, and as its power erupted, Quinn Shepherd suddenly felt as if countless planets were pressing down on him, making his flesh unbearably heavy.
The Primordial Magnetism divine light around Rockwell Nine-Gifts instantly transformed into two divine swords. He grabbed them, sword-lights flying as he slashed at Quinn Shepherd's three heads and six arms, laughing: "Out of tricks, are you? Earth Mother Primordial Lady is my mother, and I inherit her bloodline. In my prime, who would dare challenge me?"
"Primordial Magnetism divine art?"
Quinn Shepherd struggled to lift a palm—his arm felt so heavy it was nearly impossible to raise.
Rockwell Nine-Gifts' sword-light was already upon him. Quinn roared, unleashing a burst of palm force—countless crystalline Heavenly Fire erupted, splitting outward with a metallic clang. In an instant, thousands of miles all around were filled with crystal-shaped Heavenly Fire!
Rockwell Nine-Gifts' Primordial Magnetism divine swords stabbed through one Heavenly Fire crystal after another. Just then, Great Sun Star Lord's voice rang out: "Prince Nine-Gifts, don't touch those crystals! Retreat—now!"
But it was already too late.
When Rockwell Nine-Gifts' Primordial Magnetism divine sword pierced the first Heavenly Fire crystal, its power erupted at once—blazing flames melted the sword, and the terrifying shockwave detonated eight more Heavenly Fire crystals nearby. Those eight crystals exploded, instantly setting off even more Heavenly Fire.
Boom! Boom! Boom—
Almost all the Heavenly Fire crystals detonated in a chain reaction at the same instant. The explosions centered on Rockwell Nine-Gifts, shattering space itself. The terrifying Heavenly Fire invaded the depths of space—sky and earth melted, exposing burning cross-sections of space.
Amid the earth-shaking chaos, a colossal fireball rose, burning everything in its path. Even the Netherworld miasma and the continent beneath Tu Bo's feet were incinerated!
The fireball expanded, vaporizing everything in its path and leaving behind a string of voids—around each void, the cross-sections of space burned fiercely.
That was the power of Heaven Duke.
Heaven Duke, Earth Mother, and Tu Bo each command different powers—they are the most ancient beings of all.
Quinn Shepherd used Heavenly Fire Dao to break Rockwell Nine-Gifts' Primordial Magnetism Dao. But Rockwell's reputation was well-earned—even amid the terrifying surge of Heavenly Fire, this demigod shielded himself with layer upon layer of Primordial Magnetism divine light. The explosions shattered his divine light countless times, but could not threaten his core.
Surging Heavenly Fire surrounded him, and even Primordial Magnetism divine light kept dissolving in the flames, unable to pose a threat.
In the flames, Quinn Shepherd gripped his sword—a greatsword thrust forward, its sword-light buzzing as it pierced Primordial Magnetism divine light and nailed into Rockwell Nine-Gifts' brow with a metallic ring.
Countless runes whirled madly at Rockwell Nine-Gifts' brow, blocking the sword. His Primordial Magnetism runes shattered under the force of the sword-light, which slowly pierced into his brow, advancing with tremendous difficulty.
Rockwell Nine-Gifts retreated as Heavenly Fire surged in, igniting his Primordial Spirit.
Rockwell Nine-Gifts roared—his Primordial Spirit was scorched, sending up streams of blue smoke. Suddenly, a shrill cry echoed from the Heavenly Fire; Great Sun Star Lord burst through the flames, three sharp claws reaching for Quinn Shepherd.
Quinn Shepherd's body shrank rapidly, returning to normal size. Great Sun Star Lord grabbed at empty air, then hastily shook his wings, transforming into a god with a bird's head and human body—three bird legs, wings spinning like divine blades. He rolled and swooped, attacking Quinn with wings, claws, and beak in a frenzy!
He had witnessed the power of Heavenly Fire and knew he could not surpass Quinn Shepherd in fire arts, so he abandoned divine techniques and fought at close range instead.
Though his body was dead, his Primordial Spirit was still immensely powerful—after all, he was a famed ancient god of the Dragon-Han Era, and rarely feared anyone in close combat!
Feathers like swords, divine wings like blades, claws like hooks, beak like a spear—every part of his body was a weapon, enough to kill Quinn Shepherd outright!
"Netherworld Divine Son, I've never lost a close-quarters fight!"
Great Sun Star Lord's aura soared. He shouted, "Great Sun Thousand-Feather Slash of Hidden Mysteries!"
Countless feathers whirled on his wings—divine feathers like swords, a thousand blades weaving through the air, slicing into Quinn Shepherd and leaving him riddled with bloody holes.
Great Sun Star Lord's wings beat—the thousand feathers returned, merging back into two wings. Like two rapidly spinning divine blades, they slashed at Quinn Shepherd again and again.
Quinn Shepherd's wounds quickly healed. His arms moved in a blur, blocking the attacks, and he laughed, "You're just bragging."
Great Sun Star Lord was startled—at the word 'brag,' an image of a towering ox-headed god-demon flashed through his mind.
He had been defeated before—but that was ages ago, in the early Dragon-Han Era at the Jade Pool, when Ben Oxley beat him bare-handed.
It was a bitter humiliation!
Later, his mastery of Solar Divine Fire grew ever deeper—he was sure he had long since surpassed Ben Oxley, and longed for revenge, but could never find him again.
Quinn Shepherd freed up a hand to deal with him, but the sword at Rockwell Nine-Gifts' brow remained. All around, Heavenly Fire blazed on Rockwell's body as he retreated in a frenzy, but Quinn stuck to him like a shadow.
Great Sun Star Lord's attacks came faster and fiercer, but he could never break through Quinn Shepherd's defenses.
Just then, Yan Qianzhong charged through the Heavenly Fire and joined the battle.
"Grand Derivation Myriad-Dragon Dance!"