Sanctuary Paradise

Chapter 930 The Game Between Grandmasters [5.1k words]

Abyss Thunder.

As a manifestation of the destructive nature of abyssal energy, due to the current environment of the astral plane being biased towards the elemental side, and influenced by the astral plane and the rules of justice, in the astral plane... and even in those former astral plane regions and worlds that have fallen into the abyss, the abyssal lightning, which is also an extreme manifestation, is often restrained by the boundary lightning of the same level.

However, just like the restraining relationship between water and fire, the relationship between Boundary Thunder and Abyss Thunder is never one-sided suppression, but rather a mutual restraining relationship where each side's size determines which side overwhelms the other.

Although in most cases, the former has the upper hand in the clash between Boundary Lightning and Abyss Lightning, just as water of the same volume can often suppress flames, if the one that has been suppressed for a long time suddenly gains a larger volume, the backlash it unleashes will be thousands of times more intense than under normal circumstances.

For example now——

boom! ! !
A dark purple thunderstorm, as if the end of the world had arrived, crashed down from the sky, engulfing Xin Lailai and the Nameless King, and turning the entire sea of ​​clouds into a purplish-black expanse.

Amidst the lightning, one could see that as thousands of winding bolts of lightning fell, the bolts of abyssal lightning that should have struck them, the ones who summoned the lightning, seemed to be drawn by some immense force, and instead, amidst the deafening roar, they frantically bombarded the Nameless King wielding the golden lightning spear.

Normally, the soul aura of those who summon the abyss lightning should be the primary target of the lightning. However, if there is an unnamed king... or the presence of boundary lightning power on the other party, the situation is completely different.

For Yuan Lei, the Boundary Lightning, which symbolizes the ultimate elemental power, is like the opposite pole of a magnet. As long as the Boundary Lightning exists, Yuan Lei will be spontaneously attracted to it and try to extinguish the alien object that is completely opposite to itself at all costs.

Of course, even so, as the ones who trigger the lightning, they will definitely be affected to some extent, but fortunately—

[I have consumed the "Element Bottle - Extreme (Red)" and all negative effects have been purified!]

[I have already consumed "the element..."]

Rumble!
On the battlefield, deafening thunder echoed continuously, and bolts of dark purple lightning struck down from mid-air, like a vast divine punishment, relentlessly bombarding Xin Lailai and the Nameless King.

As the abyssal lightning bombarded her, Xin Lailai, who was being baptized by the lightning tribulation, was like a thirsty ghost who hadn't drunk anything for eight lifetimes. She endured the intense pain brought by the abyssal lightning's erosion, frantically casting the Profound Divine Prayer Technique on herself while desperately drinking from the Elemental Bottle in her hand. The health bar on her blessing interface was jumping wildly up and down like bungee jumping.

Boom——! !

Seconds later, with the final bolt of purplish-black lightning striking down, the dark, thick clouds in the sky finally dissipated with a whoosh. Seeing this, Xin Lailai, who had just consumed her seventh Elemental Bottle, did not hesitate and looked coldly at the Nameless King who was also looking up at them.

King's Sword - Instant Strike!

Zheng——! !

The sword light swept across a distance of tens of meters, heading straight for the head of the Nameless King. Faced with Xin Lailai's sudden attack, the Nameless King, whose battle armor was riddled with holes by the Abyss Lightning and whose aura had been severely weakened, grunted and, despite the corrosive effect of the Abyss Lightning within him, forcefully swung his spear blade to intercept the path of Xin Lailai's sword.

Clang!
The dark golden spear blade, whose upper-realm lightning had almost completely dissipated, fell and collided with the silver-white greatsword in Xin Lailai's hand, sparking a series of eye-catching sparks. It was actually forced to stop by Xin Lailai.

It works!!!

Sensing the force on the gun blade, which was more than half weaker than before, Xin Lailai's eyes flickered, realizing that their tactics had worked.

They knew all too well how terrifying the corrosive power of the Abyss Thunder was, and in the lightning strike just now, the opponent had endured at least 90% of the Abyss Thunder's bombardment.

In this situation, unless the opponent intends to die directly from the erosion of the Abyss Lightning, they will inevitably have to use most of the power of the Boundary Lightning and the aura of a Grandmaster to resist the erosion of the Abyss Lightning.

And this... is their best chance to defeat their opponent!
King's Sword - Madness.

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang—!!

A burst of pitch-black sword light erupted, raining down on the Nameless King and shattering the spear in his hand. Just as the blade was about to strike the Nameless King's torso, the tall, disheveled figure suddenly abandoned his defense and reached out with his bare hands to grab Xin Lailai.

In an instant, an incredibly terrifying sense of compression erupted from all directions. Just as the nameless man's hand was about to touch her body, Ling Yuzi appeared, kicked the immobilized Xin Lailai away, and then vanished from the spot in an instant.

boom!
Space shattered, and a pitch-black void swallowed the area where Xin Lailai was standing. Xin Lailai groaned, and the broken bones in her body repaired themselves at lightning speed under the blessing of the Ash World's rules. Meanwhile, the Nameless King, who had failed in his attack, suddenly stepped forward, and the huge spear blade in his hand dragged a visible wave of air across the cloud sea ground before slashing diagonally at Xin Lailai.

"Adnc, captiv!!"

Several jet-black ribbons shot out, binding the Nameless King's body and pulling him backward. In that instant of vulnerability, Xin Lailai decisively raised her hand, and a black and white light burst forth from her left palm, which was adorned with the Hand of Endless Darkness.

Destroyer Bullet.

The black and white energy blast, optimized to almost the instant the head is raised, was unleashed. The violent destructive power struck the Nameless King's body, causing him to stagger.

Just as Xin Lailai was about to close in and seize this opening, she saw that the Nameless King, who had been devoured to the point of exposing his bare white bones, had actually bitten the gun handle and used the impact of the Devouring Bullet to swing his head violently. In a miraculous way, he forcefully swung the gun blade, and amidst the purple-black lightning arcs that erupted from his body and the brief surge of oppressive feeling, he suddenly unleashed a slash.

Boom!
Intense sparks flew as a heavy slash, briefly amplified by the power of a Grandmaster, erupted, blasting Xin Lailai and her sword back several meters, signifying a shift in the balance of power in this clash once again.

This is the battle between masters of technique. In each round, the balance of power can change several times or even dozens of times. Especially without detection capabilities, it is impossible to guess how many counter-attacks and backup plans the opponent has hidden.

Crash——!!

A fierce wind swept across, stirring the tattered banners planted upside down on the outskirts of the battlefield. Then came the thick fog that had been blasted away by the battle, the sea of ​​clouds that replaced the ground, and the disheveled black-haired youth and the nameless king with his hair disheveled.

Boom!

The next second, a thunderous roar swept in from afar, accompanied by lightning that briefly illuminated the entire battlefield. As the light from the lightning faded and the battlefield returned to darkness, the two moved.

clang! ! !
The spear blade, crackling with faint arcs of lightning, grazed the sea of ​​clouds as it swept upwards, slashing towards Xin Lailai in an extremely wide and sweeping manner. It collided with Xin Lailai's defensive stance, producing a muffled boom.

Wang Jian: Against the Trend

A flash of golden light disappeared in an instant. The counterattack sword, having absorbed the power, erupted and slashed at the weakest point in the Nameless King's defense. The Nameless King, however, grabbed the hilt of his spear with his backhand, exerted force from his waist, and thrust his spear directly at Xin Lailai's head.

Boom—!

The next instant, two bursts of blood bloomed on the battlefield. The heavy sword, imbued with devouring energy, and the spear blade, wrapped with boundary lightning, pierced through the chests of the two men, causing them to groan and stiffen briefly.

Trade injury for injury!

The exact same decisions, the exact same methods, and even the targets were remarkably similar.

This is why it is difficult for masters of the same skill level in the park to spar with each other without any protective mechanisms.

Both aim to determine a winner, but if a mage faces a magic-based attack style that trades damage for victory, they almost always choose to retreat and temporarily avoid direct confrontation. However, if two magic masters come in, then there can only be one outcome—

Whoever retreats will die!
Sizzle—!

Golden arcs of lightning leaped across the blood-stained spear blade. The Nameless King, who had regained his mobility first thanks to his superior physical strength, suddenly moved, ignoring the heavy sword piercing his chest. He pulled the spear blade with all his might, attempting to cut Xin Lailai in half at the waist. Xin Lailai, who had recovered a step slower, released the heavy sword from the Nameless King's chest and gripped the spear handle tightly with both hands.

"Spare leftovers!!"

The girl's figure appeared, taking the place of the black-haired youth. Her two small hands grasped the heavy sword stuck in the Nameless King's chest, and she made the exact same move as the Nameless King—Slash!
In an instant, the clanging of the blade erupted as the silver-white heavy sword slashed down heavily. From the gushing golden-red blood, the Nameless King groaned, his hand loosened, and then without hesitation, he raised his right leg and stomped forward.

boom--! !

A terrifying force erupted, sending cascading clouds and gales soaring into the sky. The entire sea of ​​clouds seemed to be shaken up by this kick, creating a nearly tangible storm. Xin Lailai and her companion, who had intended to pursue, were forced to groan as they were blasted back by the impact of the Nameless King's trampling.

Boom!

The Nameless King, who had forced the two back with a single blow, planted his spear blade into the ground. The next instant, a golden lightning bolt several meters thick crashed down from the sky, striking the spear shaft and spreading outwards from the spear blade throughout the sea of ​​clouds.

Upon seeing this, Xin Lailai's pupils contracted slightly. Without hesitation, she stepped on the magic chip and leaped into the air, narrowly avoiding the golden lightning arcs spreading to her feet. Before she could catch her breath, she saw the Nameless King raise his spear blade, creating a fan-shaped golden lightning curtain that rapidly spread out amidst a thunderous explosion.

This attack... is unavoidable!

Golden lightning rapidly expanded in her vision. Realizing it was too late to dodge, Xin Lailai gritted her teeth, unleashing her inner magic power. From the rising golden light, she raised her shield to block, and the next second—

boom!
The protective energy barrier, which had reached its limit, shattered without a doubt. The sensation, as if struck by millions of volts of high voltage, instantly spread outwards, numbing Xin Lailai to the spot with a piercing buzzing sound.

The rules of the Ash World do not include a system for directly calling upon protective energy. Their previous ability to call upon protective energy was actually just the effect of the shield-raising state. Because of this, their upper limit for using protective energy has always been extremely low and limited. This is why they have always used the "Reverse Trend" sword technique to defend, rather than directly raising their shields to block.

The Nameless King's previous exchange of injury for injury was precisely because he saw through this point. If Xin Lailai's choice to exchange injury for injury was to create an opportunity to use the advantage of one body and two souls to severely injure the opponent, then the Nameless King's exchange of injury for injury was from the very beginning in order to seize this opportunity at this moment!

Pong!
A powerful, oppressive whooshing sound rang out as the Nameless King, having landed a successful blow, lunged forward. His spear, crackling with lightning, pierced through layers of air currents, slashing towards Xin Lailai, who had barely managed to create any distance before being pinned in mid-air.

Just as it was about to hit her, a metal bottle with an openwork pendant suddenly appeared near Xin Lailai's mouth, and the liquid inside was forcefully poured into Xin Lailai's mouth by the small, semi-transparent soul's hand.

[I have consumed the "Element Bottle - Extreme (Red)" and all negative effects have been purified!]

The elemental droplets with a strong purifying effect entered her mouth, instantly restoring Xin Lailai from her paralyzed state. She resumed her interrupted movements amidst the oncoming gusts of wind, desperately using the shield strapped to her left arm to block the Nameless King.

Boom!

As the spearhead struck, the golden lightning wrapped around it erupted, transforming into several diagonally slashing lightning bolts that slammed Xin Lailai and her shield back to the ground with a deafening boom. Her bones creaked wildly under the immense pressure, and the sea of ​​clouds behind her was also parted in the middle by the oppressive force of the spear.

If you look closely at the Nameless King, you will find that on his tall body, which is covered by tattered dark gold armor, strands of golden lightning are eroding his body in the opposite direction. With each movement, they collide with the dark purple lightning on his body surface, creating a small explosion and tearing bloody marks from his body.

The lightning strike just now wasn't just to launch an attack on Xin Lailai, but also to bombard the Abyss Lightning within her body with Boundary Lightning, forcibly accelerating the consumption of the Abyss Lightning in a way that could be described as self-harm.

Boom—!

With a whooshing sound, the spear wrapped in golden lightning crashed down again with immense pressure. Facing this powerful blow, Xin Lailai suddenly stepped forward, staring intently at the Nameless King before her, and thrust her shield at him.

Wang Jian – Against the Trend!

The sword strike unleashed from the shield unleashed a burst of power, channeling all the force of the previous attack. It collided heavily with the still-falling spear blade, much to the surprise of the Nameless King. The Nameless King paused involuntarily, then let out a muffled groan as he was knocked back by this somewhat uniquely executed shield strike.

No one has ever stipulated that sword moves must be performed with a sword. In the outside world, people do it that way because if they don't, they can't trigger the most crucial attack power bonus of the Grandmaster's passive skill. But in the Ash World, due to the restrictions of the Blessing rules, there is no need to worry about so many rules and regulations.

Tick-tock...tick-tock...!
Crimson blood dripped down Xin Lailai's arm. On the battlefield, Xin Lailai, who had forced back the Nameless King, took a deep breath, grasped the silver-white greatsword, and gazed at the Nameless King, whose health was only about 20%, silently raising the sword in front of her.

Now that the battle has reached this point, both sides have exhausted all their skills, trump cards, and surprise tactics, yet they still cannot defeat each other. In that case, there is only one option left to choose.

Discard all unnecessary games and thinking, and pour everything into a single strike.

one move.

No further words are needed; the outcome will be decided in the next move.

buzzing!
Golden bolts of lightning struck down, scattering the thick fog on the battlefield and illuminating the expressions and movements of the two. Under the lightning, the Nameless King's aura continued to rise, while the black light on Xin Lailai's body grew ever deeper.

Boom——! !

With a heavy stomp, the Nameless King, located on the sea of ​​clouds, suddenly stepped forward, swinging his spear in a huge arc, and leaped high off the battlefield, raising the spear above his head.

Boom!

Thousands of golden lightning bolts fell, and in an instant, all the golden lightning in the world seemed to converge on the weapon in the Nameless King's hand, causing the golden lightning wrapped around his spear blade to reach its peak. Even the weapon itself began to show signs of disintegrating from the boundary lightning.

Faced with this scene, Xin Lailai silently assumed a fighting stance. The black light surrounding her body rapidly converged into her body, and her originally outward-emitting spiritual power also contracted wildly. Amidst the deafening roar, she suddenly took a step forward.

King's Sword - Annihilation!

Thunderous Punishment - Heaven-Shattering!

A burst of black and white sword light erupted, colliding with the golden lightning that also represented ultimate destruction.

In an instant, the whole world seemed to freeze, like a painting that had suddenly frozen in time. But in the next instant, the painting shattered from the raging golden lightning and was swallowed up by the vast lightning!
boom--! ! !
The lightning struck, destroying everything in its path with unparalleled force, reducing the black-haired youth and his sword to ashes.

The outcome has been decided.

With only a drop in the ocean of annihilation energy, it could at most gain a momentary advantage against the boundary lightning, which also symbolized ultimate destruction. It was simply not enough to extinguish the attack that gathered boundary lightning from the entire battlefield.

That's right, there was no suspense whatsoever. For them, stepping onto the opponent's home turf, this final blow was never going to be a chance of victory from the start. Therefore…

—From the very beginning, they were betting on the next instant!
[Hint: The resurrection item "Aria of Light, Part III" has been used]

Om-! !

A soft, sacred light, accompanied by a surge of frantically billowing gray mist, erupted from the Nameless King's vision, causing his expression to flash with intense astonishment for the first time. He stared in disbelief at Xin Lailai, who had been resurrected from the light, and in the next instant—

[Hint: "Oath Set +13" is already equipped]

[Hint: "Abyss Ink" is already equipped]

Entangling Blade - Annihilation!

The black and white sword light, which should have been extinguished by the boundary lightning, bloomed again and collided with the Nameless King, who only had time to raise his hand to block. From the surging gray mist, the entire world was instantly rendered into a black and white expanse.

In this game... they won.

……

(End of this chapter)