I am the Thunder Emperor in the fight

"Why don't you dare?"

The night falcon's calm yet resolute answer echoed in the suddenly silent Nine Nether Platform.

He took a step forward, facing the dark gold-eyed youth in hemp clothing across the distance. The two were only thirty feet apart, but for a powerhouse of this level, it was a distance that could be covered in an instant.

The young man in hemp clothing seemed to twitch at the corner of his mouth, but it wasn't a smile; rather, it was a cold excitement, like seeing prey worthy of a sword strike.

"Very good. Remember my name, Black Emperor. After this battle, regardless of victory or defeat, you will be entitled to know."

Before the words were even finished, Hei Huang moved!
Without any earth-shattering display, his figure merely swayed slightly, then seemed to merge into the gap between light and shadow, leaving only a faint, fading afterimage in place.

The real him had already appeared three feet to the left of the Night Falcon, his fingers like swords, the dark golden fingertips emitting a sharp, dark light that was condensed to the extreme and seemed capable of cutting through space, piercing straight at the Night Falcon's temple!
Shadow Instant Kill Sword!
Fast! Ruthless! Accurate!
This strike brought the "deceptiveness" and "speed" of the Shadow Force, as well as Black Emperor's own invincible sharpness, to their fullest potential!
An ordinary half-step Earthly Supreme would probably not even have time to react before their head is pierced!

However, the night falcon seemed to have anticipated this.

The instant Hei Huang's figure disappeared, a deeper, darker light flashed in his pure black eyes.

Instead of dodging, he struck the empty space to his left with his right palm at an even more bizarre angle, striking first despite being behind!

"Shadow prediction? No, it's absolute perception of dark fluctuations!" A supervisor murmured above the sky.

boom!
Their palms clashed, producing a dull thud!

A layer of flowing, deep darkness, seemingly capable of absorbing all impacts, covered the Night Falcon's palm, forcefully blocking the incomparably sharp dark gold sword finger!
Two pure dark forces clashed fiercely, creating distorted dark ripples.

A golden glint flashed in Hei Huang's eyes, seemingly surprised that the opponent could intercept so accurately, but the attack did not stop at all.

His figure flashed again, spinning rapidly around the night falcon like a ghost, and in an instant, he thrust out dozens or even hundreds of swords!

Each sword strike was cunning and ruthless, aimed directly at vital points. The dark golden sword light intertwined in the air to form a net of death, completely enveloping the Night Falcon!
The Night Falcon remained motionless, standing firmly in place, its palms flying, sometimes striking, sometimes parrying, sometimes drawing, sometimes deflecting, its movements fluid and precise, shattering and deflecting every incoming sword beam.

His defense, seemingly passive, was impenetrable and possessed a peculiar ability to absorb and dissolve, causing Hei Huang's invincible sharp sword intent to seem to pierce into a bottomless quagmire, greatly diminishing its power.

"This child's control over darkness is so masterful! Even Hei Huang is inferior!" another high-ranking official exclaimed in amazement.

In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged nearly a hundred blows, a speed that was dazzling to behold.

Black Emperor launched the main attack, unleashing a furious offensive, while Night Falcon defended with unwavering stability.

While the two sides appeared evenly matched, it was clear to anyone with discerning eyes that the Night Falcon, with its half-step Earthly Sovereign cultivation, was able to so easily withstand the full-force attack of a true Lower Earthly Sovereign. The dark skills and combat awareness it displayed were truly astonishing!
After failing to break through for a long time, a hint of impatience and seriousness finally flashed in Hei Huang's eyes.

He suddenly retreated, creating distance, and formed a complex hand seal in front of his chest.

"Warm-up complete. Now I'll show you what true Shadow Rift is all about!"

He let out a low shout, and dark golden spiritual power surged out of his body, condensing into a huge light sword ten feet long above his head, made entirely of condensed dark golden light!
Runes flowed across the lightsaber, radiating a terrifying sharpness that could cut through everything and tear apart the void. Wherever the sword's edge pointed, even the space around the Nine Nether Platform showed subtle black cracks!

The power of this strike has surpassed all the previous ones; it is a divine technique!
Night Falcon's eyes narrowed slightly, knowing that he could no longer rely solely on defense.

With a thought, the low-level sacred artifact he had obtained from the Nightmare, the Soul-Devouring Ghost Skull, which was already severely damaged, appeared before him.

The skull was dull and cracked, but it still emanated the aura of a sacred object.

"Using a broken sacred artifact to block my Sky-Splitting Sword? You're dreaming!" Hei Huang sneered, his hands forming a fist as he swung down fiercely!
A massive dark gold lightsaber tore through the sky, carrying unparalleled sharpness and an aura of destruction, and slashed down towards the Night Falcon!

Before the sword even arrived, its sharp sword intent already caused the runes on the stone platform surrounding the Night Falcon to tremble wildly.

At that moment, Night Falcon swiftly placed his hands on the Soul Eater's skull!

He did not attempt to unleash the remaining power of the ghostly path, but instead drew upon a trace of the primordial power of the dark ancestral symbol within his body, transforming it into the purest dark spiritual power, which flowed into his skull like a torrent!
"Dark Night...Resonance!"

hum!
Stimulated by this pure dark power, which far surpasses the level of the Nightmare and is of a higher essence, the broken Soul-Eating Ghost Skull actually emitted a humming sound due to the unbearable burden, and the cracks on its surface seemed to widen slightly.

But the two eerie green gems in their eye sockets suddenly burst forth with an unprecedented, not ghostly, but pure and profound dark light!
The skull trembled violently, as if it would shatter at any moment, but it was as if it had been forcibly endowed with a powerful force, transforming into a dark shield several meters in diameter, formed from dense darkness, which blocked the Night Falcon's head!
Boom!

The dark gold Sky-Splitting Greatsword slammed fiercely into the Dark Shield!
A deafening roar, like metal and glass shattering simultaneously, shook the very depths of the underworld!
The terrifying shockwave exploded in a ring, forcing the top ten half-step supreme contestants watching from two nearby stone platforms to retreat repeatedly, their faces filled with horror.

The Shield of Darkness caved in and twisted violently, with countless cracks appearing on its surface. The Soul-Eating Skull let out a mournful cry, and more cracks appeared on its skull.

But it ultimately withstood that fatal blow!
Although the shield was on the verge of breaking, it successfully blocked, dispersed, and wore down most of the indestructible Sky-Splitting Sword Force!

The remaining sword energy pierced through the dark shield, but its power was less than 30%.

The Night Falcon grunted, its dark spiritual energy erupting as it withstood the attack. A trickle of blood escaped from the corner of its mouth, but its body remained upright!

"what?!"

Hei Huang's pupils contracted sharply, and for the first time, an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.

His sky-splitting sword strike was actually blocked by the opponent using a broken low-level sacred artifact combined with some strange dark power?!

The dark essence contained within that dark shield was so pure it made his heart tremble!

"My turn." Night Falcon wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes gleaming brightly.

He no longer played defensively. With his right hand clenched, he forcibly pulled back the nearly shattered Soul-Eating Demon Skull, which hovered in his palm, trembling and wailing.

On the tip of his left finger, a point of light, darker than the abyss and seemingly capable of devouring souls, quietly emerged.

Instead of attacking immediately, he gently touched the extreme darkness at the tip of his left finger to the crack between the brows of the Soul Eater's skull.

This move aroused suspicion among all the spectators, including the higher-ups behind the scenes.

What can a broken, low-level sacred relic do?
The next moment, they understood.

The instant that ultimate darkness seeped into the skull, the trembling of the Soul-Eating Demon Skull ceased, and its mournful cries vanished. Within the skull's eye sockets, the eerie green gems extinguished completely, replaced by two pure, indifferent, dark flames that seemed capable of judging the souls of all things!
The night falcon's aura underwent a subtle change at that moment.

He is no longer merely the controller of darkness, but more like... the embodiment of darkness, the master of darkness!

A powerful pressure, originating from the soul level, lofty and indifferent to all living beings, faintly spread out. Although extremely weak, it made even someone as resolute as Hei Huang feel a strange palpitation.

"What a terrifying aura of darkness?!" Behind the canopy, a knowledgeable elder exclaimed in a low voice, his voice filled with disbelief.

"What exactly does this child possess? That primal pressure that transcends ordinary darkness is probably rare even within the clan."

“I once saw the Martial Ancestor Lin Dong, who was at the Martial Realm, use the Dark Ancestral Symbol from afar, and his aura was similar to that of this boy.”

"You mean the Dark Ancestral Symbol? How could that be? That's something unique to the Martial Ancestor, one of a kind in the entire world. Even our clan can't find many treasures that can compare to it..."

"Perhaps it's a replica, or some kind of inherited legacy... But in any case, this child's fate is earth-shattering!"

The higher-ups were shocked, and their gazes toward the Night Falcon completely changed.

The Dark Ancestral Symbol is one of the symbols of the dark origin of the world. Especially after the Martial Ancestor brought it to its full potential, its level far surpasses that of ordinary divine artifacts!
If this child is truly related to this, his value will be immeasurable!

On the Nine Nether Platform, Hei Huang also felt the source of that oppressive force that made his soul tremble.

His expression was extremely solemn, even showing a hint of horror.

Without further hesitation, he shouted and formed hand seals again. This time, he unhesitatingly used his trump card!

A dark light appeared between his brows, and then a small, exquisite, jet-black object, shaped like a short shuttle, flew out!

As soon as this object appeared, a sacred artifact pressure that was no weaker than the previous Soul-Devouring Ghost Skull, and even more refined and sharp, erupted!
Low-tier sacred artifact, the Sky-Splitting Dark Shuttle!
This is his natal artifact, perfectly suited to his cultivation technique, making him unparalleled in attack!

"Sky-Splitting Dark Shuttle, Boundary-Breaking Strike!"

Hei Huang bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the black shuttle.

The black shuttle hummed and vibrated, instantly transforming into a fine yet extremely condensed dark thread. Its speed surpassed the ability of sight to capture, seemingly ignoring spatial distance, and shot straight at the Night Falcon's brow!
This is a deadly technique that concentrates all the power of the sacred object into a single point of penetration!

Faced with this sacred artifact's ultimate attack, which was even more terrifying and focused than the previous Sky-Splitting Sword, Night Falcon finally unleashed the deeper power of the Dark Ancestral Symbol.

He cradled the Soul-Eating Demon's head, which was filled with dark flames, in his left palm, and pressed his right palm against it, uttering obscure and ancient syllables.

"Using darkness as a guide, to rule the netherworld..."

"The power of the Ancestral Symbol... swallowed by the darkness!"

He slammed his palms together!
The Soul-Eating Demon Skull, filled with dark flames, exploded with a deafening roar!

But it didn't simply shatter; instead, it transformed into a thick, ink-like, yet seemingly alive, dark wave that swept towards the incoming Sky-Splitting Dark Shuttle!

This dark wave contains a trace of the primordial power of the Dark Ancestral Symbol, as well as the enormous dark spiritual power forcibly infused by the Night Falcon, and is further fused with the last trace of sacred power released after the Soul Devouring Ghost Skull shattered!
Its nature is extremely strange, possessing both the devouring and assimilation of darkness, a trace of the destructive fluctuations of a sacred object collapsing, and a wisp of the supreme aura of the ancestral symbol's origin!

The dark gold threads transformed from the Sky-Splitting Shuttle instantly shot into the dark waves!

Chi Chi Chi!
The harsh sounds of erosion and wear filled the air!
The dark threads were incredibly sharp, attempting to pierce the waves, but the dark waves were like an endless swamp, layer upon layer, constantly wearing down their sharpness and assimilating their energy. Furthermore, a wisp of the ancestral symbol's original aura suppressed and interfered with the sacred power within them!
Hei Huang's face turned deathly pale. He could feel that the Rifting Dark Shuttle was stuck in a quagmire, making it difficult to move forward, and its spirituality was being rapidly eroded and weakened!
He frantically channeled his spiritual power, attempting to recall or strengthen the Black Shuttle.

But would the Night Falcon give him that chance?
He let out a low roar and poured all his power into the dark tide!

boom!
The dark tide suddenly collapsed and exploded inward!
It doesn't spread outwards, but rather concentrates all the destructive power into that one point inside—the location of the Sky-Splitting Dark Shuttle!
Click!

A soft, yet terrifying cracking sound rang out!
As the dark tide receded, the Sky-Splitting Shuttle floated in the air, its light dim. A fine but clear crack appeared on the shuttle's body!
Its spirituality is severely damaged, and it cries out in agony!
With the sacred artifact of the contract damaged, Hei Huang was struck as if by a heavy blow. He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, his aura instantly weakened, his face turned ashen, and he swayed precariously.

His gaze toward the night falcon was filled with resentment, horror, and a deep sense of powerlessness.

The opponent was able to severely damage his sacred artifact by sacrificing a damaged sacred artifact and combining it with the inexplicably powerful and terrifying dark power within his body!
Night Falcon's face was as pale as snow, and his body swayed slightly. The attack just now had greatly depleted his energy. He had forcibly activated the Dark Ancestral Symbol's origin and detonated the remnants of the sacred artifact, resulting in a significant backlash.

But he mustered his strength, and in a flash, he appeared in front of the dissipating Hei Huang.

Black Emperor instinctively tried to defend himself, but the backlash from the damage to the sacred artifact slowed his movements by half a beat.

The Night Falcon's palm, covered in a faint black light, gently pressed against his chest.

There was no violent power, only a pure dark spiritual energy that penetrated his body, instantly sealing several of his key acupoints and cutting off his spiritual energy circulation.

Black Emperor's body stiffened, and he completely lost the ability to resist.

"You... won." Hei Huang uttered the three words with difficulty, his eyes dimming.

The Night Falcon withdrew its hand, not using its full strength, but merely defeating the opponent.

After doing all this, he could no longer suppress the surging blood and energy and the enormous exhaustion. He knelt on one knee, panting heavily, blood constantly spilling from the corner of his mouth, his breathing extremely unsteady.

On the Nine Nether Platform, all was deathly silent.

Everyone was utterly shocked by this thrilling battle in which all the cards were laid.

The Night Falcon, a half-step Earthly Sovereign, actually managed to narrowly defeat the Black Emperor, a true Lower Earthly Sovereign, who possessed the sacred artifact, by relying on a broken sacred relic and mysterious dark power!

The outcome of this battle is enough to shake up the entire landscape of the younger generation of the Black Sky Ancient Clan!

Behind the canopy of the sky, the enormous black silhouette remained silent for a long time before finally, a majestic voice slowly rose, carrying an unprecedented solemnity.

"This challenge is over."

"The victor is the Night Falcon!" (End of Chapter)