38: Chapter 38 Fierce Battle!

In that smile surged an inhuman madness, and greenish-black Qi seeped out from between his teeth, congealing into viscous droplets on his chin.

The edge of the void-splitting blade was twisted by the soul fiend; the cyan light, which should have been clear and bright, was wrapped in black Qi. As it swept past, it left transient black cracks in the air, as if even space itself was about to be torn apart by this evil power.

The contempt on Zhang Wen's face completely vanished. Arcs of lightning suddenly exploded from his fingertips before instantly retracting; the power of the Nine Heavens Tribulation Thunder, like a dormant giant beast, slowly awakened within him.

"A soul fiend, is it? It's a bit more troublesome than I expected." He ground his toes against the ground, and the gravel turned to powder under the invisible thunder might. "However, an evil spirit is an evil spirit after all. Meeting me, you're out of luck."

Before his voice had even faded, Xue Yuan, controlled by the soul fiend, lunged forward like a mad demon. The void-splitting blade swept horizontally with a shrill whistle that could tear through eardrums; wherever the cyan-black spiral radiance passed, the vegetation within ten feet withered into ash instantly.

Zhang Wen did not dodge or evade. His right fist, wrapped in pale purple Lightning Radiance, met it head-on—the first Move of the Rushing Thunder Delusion Breaking Fist, "Startling Thunder Arises," collided with the edge of the void-splitting blade in mid-air, erupting with a deafening roar.

"Sizzle!" The Lightning Radiance and black Qi rubbed violently against each other, emitting a popping sound like hot oil splashing into cold water. Zhang Wen felt a bone-chillingly cold force creeping up his arm, as if it wanted to burrow into his bone marrow and freeze his Meridians. He immediately activated his Indestructible Thunder Body. Pale golden Lightning Radiance surged out from beneath his skin, firmly blocking that black Qi at his wrist. Amidst the sizzling burning sounds, the black Qi continuously dissipated and continuously surged out from the void-splitting blade; for a moment, it was hard to tell who had the upper hand.

"Roar!" Xue Yuan (soul fiend) roared in pain from being scorched by the Lightning Radiance. His left palm suddenly struck out, and a ball of condensed black Qi shot toward Zhang Wen's face like a cannonball.

Zhang Wen used the recoil from the collision of their fists to retreat about ten feet. While dodging the black Qi, he flicked three bolts of purple lightning from his fingertips—the embryonic form of the Thousand Mechanisms of Purple Lightning Transformation turned into three thin beams, precisely nailing toward the weakest point of the soul fiend's erosion on Xue Yuan's chest.

However, he saw Xue Yuan's body twist strangely, avoiding the vital point at an irrational angle. The purple lightning only grazed his shoulder, exploding into three small sparks of lightning.

The eroded body seemed to know no pain. He backhanded the void-splitting blade, the cyan light suddenly surging by several feet, sweeping over with even denser black Qi, forcing Zhang Wen to leap backward again. As soon as his feet landed, the ground had already been cut by the blade wind into a deep trench a zhang long.

"Interesting." A sharp glint flashed in Zhang Wen's eyes. Although this soul fiend didn't understand exquisite Moves, it had blended Xue Yuan's cultivation and evil power into a brutal destructive force. Coupled with a body that knew no fatigue or fear of pain, it had actually forced him to use his full attention.

He took a deep breath, and the Lightning Radiance around his body suddenly became dense. "Since you want to play, then I'll play along."

As his voice fell, Zhang Wen took the initiative to close in. This time he didn't meet it head-on, but instead used his Thunder Power to drive his movements, maneuvering around Xue Yuan.

Sometimes his fist struck like startling thunder, forcing the opponent to block with the blade; sometimes lightning condensed at his fingertips, specifically harassing the weak points of the black Qi. The ferocity of the Rushing Thunder Delusion Breaking Fist and the agility of the Thousand Mechanisms of Purple Lightning Transformation were used alternately. Lightning Radiance flickered like a net around Xue Yuan, yet it never truly broke through that layer of entangling black Qi.

The offensive of Xue Yuan (soul fiend) became increasingly violent. He danced the void-splitting blade so tightly that not even wind could pass through, and the cyan-black radiance wove into a net of strangulation, every slash carrying the evil power to tear apart the Divine Soul.

Once, Zhang Wen dodged a little slowly, and his shoulder was swept by the blade wind. He immediately felt a wave of numbness, and the golden light of his Indestructible Thunder Body dimmed for an instant—that black Qi could actually briefly suppress his Thunder Power.

"Looks like I need to add some ingredients." Zhang Wen's eyes turned cold, and he suddenly changed his Move. He no longer maneuvered, but instead advanced rather than retreated, taking a vertical slash from Xue Yuan head-on. Taking advantage of the moment his body was slightly numbed by the shock, he pressed his left palm toward the opponent's chest.

The Lightning Radiance in his palm exploded suddenly, not with a fierce fist force, but with countless tiny lightning threads—this was the killer Move of the Thousand Mechanisms of Purple Lightning Transformation, specifically designed to break the Foundation of evil spirits.

"Sizzle!" The moment the lightning threads drilled into the black Qi, Xue Yuan (soul fiend) let out a shriek that did not sound human. Those lightning threads scurried around inside the black Qi like living creatures, continuously scorching the evil power. Xue Yuan's body twitched violently, and his hand holding the void-splitting blade even loosened slightly.

But just at this moment, that mass of black Qi suddenly surged, actually forcing the lightning threads out of his body. Xue Yuan (soul fiend)'s eyes turned completely cyan-black, and the radiance on the void-splitting blade twisted even more strangely: "Die!"

He lunged forward fiercely, and the void-splitting blade turned into a cyan-black stream of light, its speed actually thirty percent faster than before. Zhang Wen's pupils shrank slightly; this strike was unavoidable. He immediately sank his waist and stood firm, pushing his Indestructible Thunder Body to the limit, while his right fist condensed an even more majestic Lightning Radiance—this time, he would break force with force!

"Startling Thunder Arises!"

Fist and blade collided again. This time there was no roar, only the silent contest of two forces. Zhang Wen's fist tip and the tip of the void-splitting blade were less than an inch apart. Lightning Radiance and black Qi were in a frantic tug-of-war. The ground beneath his feet cracked into spiderweb-like fissures, while Xue Yuan (soul fiend)'s arm continuously emitted black smoke under the scorching of the Lightning Radiance, yet he still held on tightly, refusing to retreat.

The stalemate lasted for a full three breaths.

After three breaths, Zhang Wen suddenly let out a low shout, and the Lightning Radiance on his fist surged another thirty percent: "Break!"

With only a soft "pop," the layer of black Qi wrapped around the void-splitting blade was actually forcibly dispersed by the Lightning Radiance for an instant. It was in this momentary gap that Zhang Wen's fist grazed the blade's body and slammed heavily into Xue Yuan's chest!

"Bang!" Amidst the dull sound of impact, Xue Yuan (soul fiend) was like being struck by a heavy hammer, flying backward and crashing against the rock wall before sliding to the ground. The void-splitting blade flew out of his hand, embedding itself into a crevice in the distance and humming. He lay on the ground, the cyan-black Qi surging, appearing to have suffered a not-insignificant injury.

Zhang Wen shook his slightly numb fist, looking at the struggling figure on the ground, his eyes showing no sign of relaxation.

Although that punch just now had gained the upper hand, it had also consumed a lot of his spiritual power—this opponent eroded by the soul fiend was much more troublesome than he had expected.

And Xue Yuan (soul fiend) on the ground was slowly raising his head, the corners of his mouth again splitting into that eerie smile, only this time, there was a bit more frenzied excitement in the smile. Cyan-black Qi surged out from his body continuously, showing signs of intensifying.

"Not over yet?" Zhang Wen clenched his fists, and the Lightning Radiance around his body lit up again. "Very well, let me show you what true Thunder Power is."

Zhang Wen's feet slowly sank half an inch into the ground, and the Lightning Radiance around his body no longer scattered and jumped, but instead gathered into his body like a swarm of bees returning to their nest.

At first, it was just fine purple electricity lingering at his fingertips, but in an instant, it turned into a rushing river of lightning, traveling and circling along his Meridians, finally condensing into a continuously shrinking thunder core at his Dantian.

That thunder core was initially the size of a fist, but as the power of the Nine Heavens Tribulation Thunder continued to pour in, it gradually shrank to the size of a walnut, yet its surface flowed with a radiance more intense than the sun, scorching the air to the point of distortion.

"Hum—" A low hum emanated from within Zhang Wen, as if it were the first peal of thunder when the world was first created.

The sky above suddenly changed color. The originally clear sky was covered by rapidly gathering dark clouds. Deep within the clouds rolled purple-gold electric light, every flash making the earth tremble, and the distant mountains sent forth roars like avalanches—this world, under the accumulation of power from the Nine Heavens Tribulation Thunder, revealed a palpitation of submission.

Zhang Wen's eyes were as calm as an ancient well, with only the radiance of that thunder core reflected in the depths of his pupils. He knew that the power of "Thunder Wrath: Instant Prison Kill" had accumulated to the Peak, waiting only for the final blow.