112: Stalemate

The Universe was deep and cold.

Xiang Yan stood alone within it, black mist roiling around his body like a baring-fanged, claw-wielding demon.

His face was expressionless, but his eyes betrayed a hint of impatience.

"A boring war of attrition."

Xiang Yan whispered, his voice echoing in the Void Realm.

Opposite him was not a physical entity, but a mass of light and shadow that constantly shifted shape.

Within the light and shadow, countless figures were vaguely visible, dense and innumerable.

These figures were either brandishing weapons, pinching fingers to cast spells, or roaring at the sky... Each one radiated a faint yet resilient light.

The light and shadow was precisely the Incarnation of a certain special will of the stars.

And those figures were the projections of all the living beings on this planet.

Unlike ordinary will of the stars, the Cultivate system of this planet followed the path of "One is All, All is One."

Every living being was a part of the will of the stars.

The will of the stars was also formed by the gathering of every living being's will.

This system gave the living beings of this planet a cohesion far exceeding the ordinary.

It also made this planet's will of the stars exceptionally difficult to deal with, and it even possessed a mature mode of thinking ahead of time.

Although Xiang Yan had already devoured the Origin of five will of the stars, the one opposite him was exceptionally tricky.

Those seemingly insignificant figures were each closely connected to the will of the stars.

No matter how Xiang Yan attacked, he could not completely annihilate them.

Xiang Yan had even tried sneaking into their lair, but he had misjudged the intelligence of the will of the stars at the time, which caused him to suffer a significant loss.

After being discovered, he could only fight them head-on.

The black mist roiled, transforming into countless sharp blades that slashed toward the light and shadow.

The figures flickered, brandishing weapons to meet the sharp blades.

The sharp blades and weapons collided, emitting a clanging sound.

The black mist was scattered, only to quickly condense again.

The figures were slashed to extinction, only to instantly regenerate.

Both sides traded blows, falling into a stalemate.

Xiang Yan's brow furrowed tighter and tighter.

He could feel that this will of the stars was constantly growing stronger.

"If this continues, I might really capsize."

Xiang Yan pondered inwardly.

Although he was confident, he was not arrogant.

This will of the stars had already touched the threshold of a "Forbidden Zone Walker."

If it were given more time, it might truly achieve a Breakthrough.

By then, the positions of both sides would likely be reversed.

"I cannot drag this out any longer."

Xiang Yan's eyes flickered, his mind made up.

Continuing to wear it down like this would not benefit him at all.

Advancing did not guarantee a win.

Retreating, however, could preserve his strength.

Although he was somewhat unwilling, Xiang Yan still decided...

"Withdraw first!"

Xiang Yan let out a low shout, the black mist around his body abruptly contracting, transforming into a streak of black light that escaped toward the depths of the Universe.

Want to run?

That mass of light and shadow fluctuated violently, seemingly having sensed Xiang Yan's intention.

Countless figures roared in unison.

"Want to leave? It's not that easy!"

"Stay!"

"For our world!"

Countless beams of light flew out from within the light and shadow, weaving into a giant net that swooped down toward Xiang Yan.

Attached to the giant net was the will of countless living beings; it was incredibly resilient and difficult to destroy.

Seeing this, Xiang Yan frowned slightly.

He had not expected this will of the stars to be so troublesome.

"Hmph!"

Xiang Yan snorted coldly, the black light flickering as his speed increased instead of decreasing.

Like a swimming fish, he wove through the gaps in the giant net, attempting to find a Breakthrough point.

However, the giant net seemed to have a life of its own, constantly contracting and changing, compressing Xiang Yan's range of motion smaller and smaller.

"Damn it!"

Xiang Yan cursed inwardly, feeling agitated.

He could feel that the giant net was continuously absorbing the surrounding energy, becoming increasingly sturdy.

If this continued, he might really be trapped here.

"In that case..."

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Xiang Yan's eyes.

"Then let's see who gets the last laugh!"

He abruptly stopped his movement, the black mist around his body erupting once more.

The black mist roiled and condensed, transforming into a massive black longblade.

The longblade was entwined with the wails of countless vengeful spirits, emitting a heart-palpitating chill.

"Slash!"

Xiang Yan let out a low roar, swinging the longblade toward the giant net.

The longblade collided with the giant net, emitting a cracking sound.

A crack appeared on the giant net.

The crack quickly expanded and spread.

However, those figures rushed toward the crack like moths to a flame, using their own bodies to fill the gap.

"It's useless."

Xiang Yan sneered.

He swung the longblade, striking continuously.

Each strike left a deep mark on the giant net.

The figures were constantly slashed to extinction, only to constantly regenerate.

The giant net was constantly being destroyed, only to be constantly repaired.

Both sides once again fell into a stalemate.

But this time, Xiang Yan had no intention of retreating at all.

"Take a gamble and turn a bicycle into a motorcycle!"

Xiang Yan muttered to himself.

"As long as I devour you, I will only be one step away from advancing and constructing my own system of rules!"

His movements in swinging the longblade became faster and more ferocious.

The black mist roiled, and vengeful spirits wailed.

Accompanied by a "tearing" sound, the giant net was ripped apart.

The light and shadow side was not a pushover either.

Countless figures surged forward one after another, stubbornly using their "bodies" to block the blade's edge.

Although figures were constantly being slashed to extinction, more immediately filled the gaps, dense and endless.

They forcibly shattered the longblade, causing it to turn back into black mist.

The Universe, as if a solidified canvas, was torn by the thick ink-black color and the shifting light and shadow.

The black mist around Xiang Yan was no longer merely roiling; it had evolved into various forms.

At times it was like raging waves, carrying the momentum to devour everything; at times it was like thousands of tentacles, weird and twisted, probing every inch of the Void Realm; at times it was like a netherworld of ghosts, with countless hideous faces floating within, emitting silent roars.

Opposite him, that mass of light and shadow of the will of the stars also displayed astonishing changes.

The figures were no longer blurry outlines but became clear, to the point where one could even distinguish their expressions.

Joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, fear, despair, hope... various emotions flashed alternately on those faces, as dazzling as a kaleidoscope.

The light and shadow flowed, evolving into various scenes.

There were bustling cities with heavy traffic and weaving pedestrians; tranquil villages with curling smoke and the sounds of chickens and dogs; vast grasslands with herds of cattle and sheep and melodious pastoral songs; deep forests with towering ancient trees and birds and beasts darting through...

These scenes were not illusory, but real sights existing on this planet.

Each scene represented life, represented civilization, and represented hope.

The black mist and the light and shadow constantly collided, merged, annihilated, and regenerated.

Each collision was accompanied by an explosion of energy and a distortion of space.

Both sides traded blows, fighting in a way that was hard to distinguish a winner.

There were no tricks, no probing, only the purest confrontation of strength and the most primitive collision of will.

Time seemed to have lost its meaning.

It was unknown how much time had passed; perhaps it was an instant, perhaps it was an eternity.

During the slaughter, Xiang Yan gradually figured out part of the essence of the opponent's system.

"I am all living beings, and all living beings are me."

The Cultivate direction of the opponent's system surprisingly had the same effect as his own.

The difference was that the will of the stars was "I am all living beings, and all living beings are me."

While for Xiang Yan, it was "I am all living beings, but all living beings are not me."

The will of the stars was the collective of all living beings.

Every living being was a part of it.

It had no independent consciousness, only a collective will.

And Xiang Yan had devoured the consciousness of countless living beings.

Those consciousnesses had all become his nourishment, his tools.

He possessed an independent consciousness, towering above all living beings.

"In that case..." A flash of determination crossed Xiang Yan's eyes.

"Then let's test whose consciousness is stronger!"

He no longer attempted to destroy the will of the stars, but instead chose to merge into it.

The black mist retracted, transforming into a human shape, and walked toward that mass of light and shadow.

"What are you trying to do?" A questioning voice, filled with vigilance, came from within the light and shadow.

Xiang Yan did not answer, merely continuing forward.

His body gradually dematerialized, merging into one with the light and shadow.

"Madman!" A roar came from within the light and shadow.

Countless figures rushed toward Xiang Yan, attempting to stop him.

But their attacks had no effect on Xiang Yan.

Xiang Yan's consciousness, like a raging flood, surged into the interior of the will of the stars.

This was a war without smoke, a contest on the level of consciousness.

The winner would gain everything.

The loser would lose everything.