There was not much verbal exchange; the battle began directly.
With truly influential figures backing both sides, the man in red did not utter any more threats. Instead, his eyes narrowed, and he entered his battle state.
His first engagement with the puppet Xiao Feng made his heart sink. How had their strength increased so much?
Initially, he had been brimming with confidence, expecting to easily subdue his opponent. He believed that even after absorbing a portion of immortal divinity, Xiao Feng should only be at the level of a novice immortal. Not only would their divinity not have accumulated sufficiently, but they would also be unable to fully utilize the abilities gained from their recent absorption. As a seasoned immortal expert, his own raw power and combat experience would allow him to easily control the situation.
However, to his surprise, after launching his full assault, he found himself fighting to a draw. To outsiders, his movements appeared more agile, and his combat techniques more diverse. But in reality, he had already felt his body subtly vibrating from several of Xiao Feng's lethal strikes, seemingly pushing the limits of his immortal divine shield. Meanwhile, Xiao Feng absorbed his continuous, escalating attacks with a calm expression.
A hint of shock flickered in the man in red's eyes. Could it be that the immortal divinity Xiao Feng had absorbed was so much more potent than his own? He found it hard to believe. Taking a deep breath, he launched another killing blow!
*Bang!*
The two bodies slammed into each other with force. It was the man in red who was forced back. His expression was grim. Being at a disadvantage in ordinary exchanges might be attributed to not fighting seriously, but this was a full-power strike, usable only once a day, and it had failed to break through the opponent's shield?
His mind reeled. Could it be that he was going to lose this fight? This was a situation he had absolutely not anticipated before the battle commenced.
Just then, he heard Tai Hao's voice in his ear. "Do not hold back. Burn your divinity. You must secure victory!"
Burn divinity? The man in red looked around, bewildered, as if searching to see if the voice belonged to an enemy impersonating Tai Hao. While immortals were nearly immortal and indestructible unless subjected to damage beyond their limit, the burning of immortal divinity was precisely that kind of fatal damage. Each use would weaken them, and the possibility of complete annihilation would increase. No immortal would resort to such a measure unless absolutely necessary.
But now, for a mere contest of pride between subordinates, would Lord Tai Hao truly order him to burn his divinity? He doubted his own hearing. Had the wager he overheard not been for the core of ten small planets, but for the ownership of ten large galaxies? Otherwise, why would it be worth such a desperate act?
"Do not worry!" Tai Hao transmitted again, his voice galvanizing the man in red. "As long as you win, I will compensate you tenfold for the divinity you expend!"
If that were the case, then... let the burning begin!
As specks of golden light dissipated, the man in red appeared as if gilded, radiating a brilliant golden hue.
"Whoa, can't win, so switching to a 'blinged-out' golden skin?" Zhu Yan's sarcastic remark had barely left his lips when he saw the man in red's figure blur. The dazzling golden light flashed as he collided with Xiao Feng.
The momentum of this strike was extraordinary. The mere residual energy from the impact caused the team members watching from nearby to collapse, seriously injured and spitting blood. Guo Aimin and Old Master Tan, who had weaker cultivation, were almost killed on the spot. Yang Jun was horrified and quickly ordered everyone to retreat into the base. This battle had clearly surpassed their understanding. Even spectating from a safe distance, they could not withstand being caught in the crossfire.
The combatants retreated simultaneously. Xiao Feng stumbled back three steps, while the man in red only retreated one. Hong Jun's face showed a trace of joy, but the man in red felt no happiness. He had initially intended to burn only five percent of his divinity. This was enough to increase the power of his desperate move by five times, capable of unleashing an immortal's maximum combat power multiplied by five hundred. He believed this would be sufficient to shatter the shield of a newly ascended immortal and finish them off instantly.
But before he could launch his attack, Tai Hao transmitted, instructing him to increase the power. Reluctantly, he burned one-tenth of his divinity, increasing the power of this strike to a thousand times his maximum attack capability. He had felt a pang of regret, thinking that his superior had overestimated his opponent and that the extra five percent divinity he burned would be wasted.
Yet, to his utter astonishment, after such an attack, the opponent only staggered back three steps and appeared only slightly injured, not even in a critical state. This was deeply disheartening. His pale face and dazed eyes made him look utterly pathetic. Yang Jun was perplexed. It seemed that in this exchange, the opponent had clearly gained the upper hand. The opponent's sudden burst of power also startled him. Although Xiao Feng's next move clearly showed signs of injury, if the opponent continued with attacks of this magnitude, the outcome was truly uncertain.
As Yang Jun's gaze focused again, he saw it. An even more dazzling golden light.
The man in red bit his lip fiercely. A trickle of blood slowly flowed down the corner of his mouth. As beings of the immortal realm, who were indestructible and eternal, they should not suffer such a superficial injury. This was because he had already made up his mind to unleash himself completely. The blood flowing was not from damage sustained, but from the courage of his desperate gamble!
Since one-tenth of his divinity had already been burned, a considerable loss, then this battle *must* be won. Otherwise, the loser would have no face to ask their master to restore their immortal divinity. This time, he would go all out.
Under Tai Hao's suggestion, he directly burned half of his remaining divinity. Although the attributes of divinity only increased by a few times compared to before, immortal divinity was no ordinary energy. Burning it directly meant it could not be recovered over time. Each additional portion burned resulted in an exponential increase in power. This burning was enough to increase his attack power to thirty-six thousand times his base combat strength!
Let alone a newly ascended immortal opponent, he was confident he could defeat even the most peak immortal at this moment. And this attack, infused with his heart's blood, did not disappoint. The blinding golden light caused the air to momentarily stagnate. The concentrated, searing energy avoided everyone else, compressing its power to the extreme and unleashing it all upon the puppet Xiao Feng.
Although Xiao Feng's body tried to resist, and countless protective lights flickered, repelling the golden light for a few seconds, it was only for a few seconds. In the end, the man in red's attack, like a destructive force, completely annihilated the puppet Xiao Feng's body. It slowly turned to nothingness within the golden light.
The man in red, a sense of lingering fear in his eyes. His opponent, facing such an attack, could still resist a little. If he had burned even slightly less divinity, the opponent might have survived. He felt fortunate. It was a good thing that Lord Tai Hao's insight was so keen, recognizing the opponent's true strength. Otherwise, he would have suffered a double loss. Fortunately, the opponent was finally defeated. His burned divinity would eventually be restored.
Dragging his exhausted body, he slowly stood up, wanting to see the despair on his opponent's face. But as he took a step forward and saw the scene before him, his expression froze.
Hope that Shun Long of Pipa Fruit sent a reminder to update the chapter. It's good to see your support still coming at this stage!