Zhou Yan's physical strength was incredibly potent; a casual punch could unleash world-destroying power. Yet, his opponent was no different. They exchanged blow after blow.
Zhou Yan unleashed his formidable strength, manifesting as a colossal palm. The power of Yin and Yang, combined with lightning, formed a massive hand that swept towards the inner demon.
"Taiji Thunderstorm Palm!"
This was a skill Zhou Yan hadn't used in a long time, as few enemies warranted such an expenditure of effort. Usually, mere magic would suffice to deal with them.
But this inner demon was truly troublesome and terrifyingly powerful, as difficult to contend with as himself.
Thunder rumbled, and the energies of Yin and Yang flowed through the heavens and earth. Within a chaotic void, a divine palm crackling with lightning emerged, hurtling towards the giant hand formed by Zhou Yan.
"Rumble!"
The same Taiji Thunderstorm Palm, an equally fearsome skill!
The two colossal palms collided, as if the primal chaos of creation had erupted, forming a cosmic explosion. Streams of Yin and Yang energy rendered the entire void incredibly fragile, causing it to shatter. Terrifying spatial abilities surged towards Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan employed the Great Space Art, utilizing the energy of the spatial explosion to forge a fearsome spatial blade, which he then directed at the inner demon.
This was Zhou Yan's first time employing such a maneuver. The inner demon began to use Lingbo Weibu to evade, simultaneously deploying shadow magic. The entire sky filled with illusions of the inner demon.
Zhou Yan couldn't discern the true inner demon, so he used the spatial blade to cleave through all the illusory afterimages.
The real inner demon, having utilized spatial magic, had concealed itself above Zhou Yan. The moment Zhou Yan finished his attack, the inner demon unleashed Spatial Collapse upon him.
The surrounding space shattered, and destructive energies compressed towards Zhou Yan. If struck, Zhou Yan would cease to exist.
Facing this onslaught, Zhou Yan remained unperturbed. He employed Spatial Restoration, mending and reorganizing the entire space, returning it to its original state, utterly undamaged.
The inner demon gathered a heaven-shattering divine power, drawing upon the cosmos. A terrifying pressure emerged throughout the void, as if something dreadful was about to emerge from beyond.
"Damn it! Isn't this 'Primordial Divine Fist'? How can this inner demon know it too?" Zhou Yan was speechless. He also unleashed this move. All the skills he possessed were top-tier.
Furthermore, each technique was immensely powerful and destructive, capable of shattering anything. Zhou Yan had never imagined he would personally test all his moves.
Only by fighting his "self" did Zhou Yan begin to understand his true strength. This was a good thing, after all, he was so powerful he had no rivals.
But in battling himself, he discovered he couldn't even defeat himself.
This was, frankly, embarrassing.
Even more embarrassing was the realization that if he couldn't defeat himself, he couldn't even pass the first trial, let alone the subsequent eight ordeals.
However, from another perspective, this was also an extremely rare opportunity.
Zhou Yan could observe himself here, identify any weaknesses, and then refine himself, becoming even stronger.
Unfortunately, Zhou Yan still hadn't discovered any weaknesses in himself. In both close combat and ranged attacks, he was essentially an invincible figure, with no exploitable flaws.
Zhou Yan and the inner demon simultaneously employed "Primordial Divine Fist," a terrifying martial art with earth-shattering power. A mighty fist manifested in the void, like an ancient sage reaching out from primeval space.
The heavens roared and transformed. However, the "Primordial Divine Fist" used by the inner demon lacked any such resounding aura; it was a "Primordial Demonic Fist," as if an ancient demon was attacking Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan's "Primordial Divine Fist" was imbued with true saintly might, awe-inspiring divine power. With a single punch that shattered heaven and earth, he struck down upon the demonic fist.
The saintly fist and the demonic fist clashed, akin to a confrontation between an ancient "saint" and "demon," erupting in a cataclysmic surge of energy.
This world was indeed incredibly robust; even such a violent collision couldn't inflict the slightest damage upon the space.
Zhou Yan still couldn't subdue this inner demon, continuing his efforts to attack and defeat it.
Zhou Yan moved with extreme speed across the heavens and earth, unfurling his Yin-Yang Wings and employing Lingbo Weibu, making his movements incredibly swift, leaving afterimages throughout the void.
A pseudo-divine artifact-grade spear was drawn by Zhou Yan. The domineering and illusory "Heaven-Shattering Phantom Spear Art" was employed once more by Zhou Yan, an attack capable of igniting a vast expanse of the void.
The inner demon also conjured a spear, engaging Zhou Yan in a spear battle. Powerful spear techniques erupted from both of them, weaving intricate and peculiar patterns.
Zhou Yan began to use more common techniques, engaging in close combat and simultaneously sketching formations within the space. This was a method he had never employed before, nor had he ever needed to.
But to defeat himself, Zhou Yan had to try every conceivable tactic, a new beginning.
Zhou Yan intended to set up a devastating formation to annihilate his inner demon.
The inner demon showed no inclination to learn. Zhou Yan also noticed that the inner demon was confined to its previous combat methods and possessed no ability to learn new techniques that emerged afterward.
This was Zhou Yan's chance to defeat the inner demon. However, the inner demon was too strong, and perfectly inscribing such a formation was incredibly difficult. It required not only immense control but also constant vigilance against the inner demon's attacks.
Zhou Yan's pressure intensified. He hadn't been pushed to such limits by anyone else, only by himself.
The great battle between Zhou Yan and the inner demon had raged for an immeasurably long time. Because Zhou Yan possessed so many life-saving techniques, neither could definitively kill the other.
What Zhou Yan knew, the inner demon also knew. Even sealed spaces were useless; the opponent could restore them and escape. It was simply insurmountable.
Zhou Yan had no idea how long he had spent setting up the grand formation, nor how long he had been battling the inner demon. Regardless, Zhou Yan and the inner demon had exchanged countless weapons – sabers, spears, swords, halberds... and engaged in countless duels, clashing with myriad magical techniques.
Finally, they even resorted to spiritual attacks. Zhou Yan, naturally, knew soul attacks.
Because he could master any professional skill and fuse any technique, Zhou Yan possessed an unfathomable repertoire.
Soul impact, soul defense. Utilizing soul power to form various types of attacks.
Yet, in the end, he still couldn't overcome the opponent. Zhou Yan realized he had considered every possibility in the past, leading him to the verge of spitting blood and dying from sheer frustration.
This was himself.
This was the perverted self!
This was an unconquerable self.