"Heh, you'll know soon enough! You think you're worthy to seize my body? Let me show you just how fierce I am today!" Evan Chu stared at Venerable Solus and, with a flash, appeared in midair.
He gripped the Frostbane Sword tightly, signaling Jade Chu and Tom Chu to shield him. Venerable Solus was far too powerful—he couldn't afford to give him any chance to strike. If Solus really managed to seize his body, the consequences would be disastrous.
Inside, his Chaos Dragon Force surged wildly. This time, he didn't use Unicorn Arm; he wanted to see just how strong Star-Cleave had become after his breakthrough.
But as Evan Chu drew the Frostbane Sword, Venerable Solus also summoned a pitch-black longsword, its eerie glow flickering under the blazing sun. Evan Chu shouted, "Taste the power of this strike!"
Star-Cleave burst forth, unleashing a massive arc of sword-qi from the Frostbane Sword that instantly condensed into a giant blade dozens of meters long. Back in the Mystic Ice Sea, Evan Chu hadn't shown his full strength—there was no need against a mere First-Layer Venerable Martial expert.
The moment Evan Chu unleashed Star-Cleave, the entire space trembled. Venerable Solus was slightly surprised—he hadn't expected this kid's strength to skyrocket so much in just two years. This sword strike could actually injure him.
Solus retaliated with a swift slash. His black sword erupted with a burst of black sword-qi, which split into countless smaller black blades that shot toward Evan Chu's giant sword.
Boom! Boom! A series of deafening explosions rang out as their attacks collided in midair. The shockwave spread in all directions, flattening everything within thousands of li—mountains, rivers, all erased. Massive, tangled fissures ripped open the earth, some exposing blazing magma deep below.
If such a world-shaking clash happened in the Azure Tide Ruins, half the region would be destroyed. Both fighters were struck by the other's attack. Thanks to the energy barrier set up by Jade Chu and Tom Chu, Evan Chu was unharmed—though he was blasted hundreds of meters away before regaining his balance.
Venerable Solus's black robe was left with several small tears, and he too was sent flying hundreds of meters. This exchange was evenly matched, but Evan Chu knew that without Jade Chu and Tom Chu's protection, he might have been severely wounded. Solus's strength was truly terrifying.
"Not bad, not bad! You haven't disappointed me. If you could fully awaken your bloodline power, I might not be your match. But right now, it's impossible for you to awaken it—so you still can't beat me." Venerable Solus said.
"Why is it impossible to awaken my bloodline power? Even without awakening, I can still defeat you. Solus, you've schemed for tens of thousands of years—did you really think I didn't know your true aim? Breaking open the void is just a pretext. You want to seize my body, don't you? What I don't get is why you chose me." Evan Chu demanded.
"Frostbane, you're clever as expected. Honestly, it doesn't hurt to tell you. Originally, I planned to let you return to the Dragon Shrine and receive the bloodline baptism before possessing you—then I'd have the power to break open the void. But seeing your current attack strength, I'm very satisfied, so I've changed my mind. Even without the bloodline baptism, with your present strength, I only need three more years to succeed.
I've waited tens of thousands of years—three more means nothing. Since you've chosen death today, don't blame me for being ruthless!" Venerable Solus declared.
Evan Chu was confused—he didn't know what this bloodline baptism was. But it was clearly a way to awaken bloodline power, and beating Solus wouldn't be easy. Still, Solus didn't know Evan could use spatial element power; while Solus spoke, Evan was already communicating with the lightning element in the space.
"Why did you choose me? I really want to know. If you seize my body today, I guess that's just bad luck for me. But if I manage to escape, then your death won't be far off." Evan Chu said.
"Kid, your bloodline is terrifying. You really think you're just a Divine Dragon descendant? Actually, you have an even more frightening bloodline—the Godblood Lineage. But it's sealed. If it ever awakens, I believe no one could rival you. Not that this knowledge will help you now." Solus replied.
Evan Chu was shaken. He'd never heard of such a secret— not even his sword spirit had mentioned this so-called Godblood Lineage. If the seal broke or it awakened, he'd be invincible? That was almost unbelievable. The thought was terrifying.
"How do you know I have the Godblood Lineage? Aren't you afraid that if you seize my body, my bloodline power might suddenly awaken and destroy you completely?" Evan Chu asked, mainly to buy time for the lightning element to gather.
"You don't need to worry about that. Once I break open the space and return to the Immortal Realm, I won't need your body anymore. There are far stronger bodies in the Immortal Realm—why would I stick with one that could turn on me at any time? I've said enough. Now let me claim your body once and for all.
Don't worry, I'll take good care of your women—my strength won't be much weaker than yours. And I'll help rescue your mother too. Isn't that considerate enough? Hahahaha!"
By now, Evan Chu had gathered all the lightning element he could. He slowed down, channeling all his Chaos Dragon Force into his arm. This time, he had to use Unicorn Arm. He was confident that with this strike, even if Solus survived, he'd be blasted to death by lightning.
"Just try me and see!" Evan Chu said coldly. The Frostbane Sword dipped slightly in his hand as he shot backward, putting distance between himself and Solus—only then could he unleash his most powerful attack.
Solus saw Evan Chu retreat and thought he was trying to escape. With a flash, he rushed after him. "Trying to run? Not that easy!" But at that exact moment, Evan Chu unleashed the Unicorn Arm and Star-Cleave he'd prepared...