The Conqueror of Zones

by Shadows Finger

  Immediately after a massive explosion, a shocking series of booms erupted as a legendary battle unfolded...

  Chapter 141

  The Battle Against One’s Self? Sudden Breakthrough!

  It was a familiar realm, a place that Feng Yu could easily remember with his eyes closed. A large mountain that stood at the center of land that was far away from civilization, the spiritual energies that surrounded this mountain was in full abundance as any individual who practiced here could easily advance at a rate double or even triple the usual rate of cultivation.

  There were a few ancient structures on this mountain which seemed to be overlooking the world, although old and a bit tattered carrying a rich air of ancientness, these buildings remained strong as they were trying to replicate the manner of the vastly more ancient mountain that housed them.

  Carefully looking, one would see that these buildings were arranged apart by a fair amount of distance, the mountain grounds neatly tiled by a strange type of spiritual marble that reflected the warm tones from the sun which was beginning to set in the east, as the lakes of clear crystal water also took on a similar hue.

  Snifff! As Feng Yu stood within these quiet and still grounds, he couldn’t help but take a deep whiff of the fresh mountain air. The familiar scent of the ancient trees and environment making him feel as if he was finally home after spending a long time on a journey.

  “Mountain Tianlon, it’s been ages since I’ve last seen her... this dream is quite vivid to be capable of replicating a place of my memories to this scale. It seems that breaking it won't be an easy feat...” Feng Yu said to himself as he looked around at the mountain which was replicated in exact detail.

  However, he soon cleared his mind and focused at the task at hand as he spoke, “Now then, shall we test it...” His body’s aura changed as a series of ancient voices filled the world, his eyes briefly changing color as it took on a transparent hue as if it could see through all things.

  “Void Sigh!” Feng Yu yelled, however, the scene before him remained the same within the slightest bit of fluctuation. Feng Yu seeing this result didn’t frown, he smiled embarrassedly as she thought, “Indeed as I thought, this will not be that easy... I will most likely have to beat him at his own game...”

  After saying this, Feng Yu continued to walk forward on the straight pathway. After passing a few of the buildings and old constructs, he eventually arrived before a wide platform no smaller than a few hundred meters, seated on top of this platform was a handsome red-haired youth who had two unique looking swords on his laps. His eyes closed as his hair gently swayed with the evening wind.

  As Feng Yu approached the arena platform, the youth’s eyes suddenly opened as the corners of his lips rose into that of a smile. He slowly picked himself up from the ground while his two arms firmly gripped his sheathed swords which he then placed on his back, after doing this he turned around to face Feng Yu’s direction before speaking with a smile still visible on his face, “You’ve come...”

  Upon seeing the face of the person before him Feng Yu was stunned for a moment, but he soon quickly recovered as he looked at the individual and responded, “So, it seems that you are my test or rather, my obstacle...”

  The person smiled as he spoke, “It seems that you're quite smart, right I am your obstacle. If you can defeat me, you will leave this dream realm, however, if you are not able to defeat me you will die a horrible death. Oh, and not to add more pressure but there is also the possibility of you dying by the master’s hands on the outside in which case you will have also failed...”

  Feng Yu remained silent after hearing these words; he looked at the person before him with a deep gaze for a moment as he thought to himself, “Dying in here would be no different from dying in the outside. Interesting, so it’s a battle against one’s self, fine then, it is time to see how I truly stand in combat against myself...”

  He moved his hand towards his back firmly gripping the hilts of both Black Lightning and Crimson Ember, the Feng Yu replica on top the arena platform upon seeing this smiled as it spoke, “It seems that you are ready, good! Let us prove who among us is superior...”

  As it said this, it also mimicked Feng Yu holding both swords on its back in a similar manner.

  Swoooosh! A stifling silence ensued as the evening wind blew across the arena rustling robes and hairs of both Feng Yu and his Dream replica, the light from the fading sunlight lighting up the edges of their robes and face, as a sharp gleam became visible in both of their eyes.

  Soon, a group of fallen leaves drifted across the arena due to the surrounding gale, as they glided between the duo that stood on the platform, their eyes remained locked on to each other as if in a single moment everything would change.

  Suddenly, without prior warning, they both moved.

  Flash! Flash! Like two streaks of red lightning, they vanished promptly appearing before each other, Feng Yu having closed in on the Dream replica then continued his assault by unsheathing Black Lightning and Crimson Ember at the same time.

  Shiing! ~ The instant they were revealed, he launched a series of blindingly fast swords attacks, slashes which only left behind a few lines of thunderous lights.

  “Dual Extremity Sword Style - Thunder Flash Dual Swords!” Feng Yu yelled as he pressed his assault with no signs of holding back.

  As the Dream replica saw this, it smiled as it casually swung its two swords parrying each of Feng Yu’s attacks with exact precision.

  Shing! Shing! Shing! Clink! Clink! Clink!

  The cry of the swords along with the sound of their edges striking against each other resounded throughout the silent mountain, as the two blurry shades fought back and forth on top of the arena.

  Swish! Swish! They maneuvered around the arena in a manner that seemed no different from dancers rather than fighters as their elusive thunder-like movements made it somewhat graceful but untraceable to the undiscerning eyes, leaving behind trails of red lights with each change of their blinding fast bodies, along with flashes of lights with each swing of their swords.

  Their eyes gleaming in a sharp light as their irises reflected the sparks emitted from the swords that collided now and then, these sparks then scattered across the stage lighting up the darkening area with their fiery hues.

  The time passed quickly as it was now completely dark, the night had fully set leaving only the luminant lights of the stars and the round moon to illuminate these dark surroundings. Currently, the two red-haired figures were still battling back and forth in the arena as the sparks from their swords added vibrant tones to the monotonous blackness of the night.

  Suddenly, one of them transformed into a golden-haired deity with wisps of flames swirling around his figure. His body was now giving off a strange aura as he vanished like a streak of blazing lightning brightening the region around the arena with his trailing lights.

  As the Dream replica saw this, it too also became the same as Feng Yu assuming his bloodline battleform. It vanished entering a realm of superior speed as it clashed once more with Feng Yu's sword, blow for blow, and technique for technique...

  Feng Yu seeing this frowned, as he started to sweat slightly, he couldn’t help but think as he was struggling to grind his opponent’s weakness, “Damn! If it continues like this, I may end up dying of boredom... I need to find its, or rather, my weakness, how does one defeat one's self?”

  As he thought to himself, he couldn’t help but recall an old memory from a distant time. The figure of his former master standing before him with his back turned as she spoke to the world, “A true practitioner will not only face his enemies in battle but will also fight a battle against themselves. Therefore, before one learns how to fight another, they must first learn how to fight themselves, and the only way one can achieve this is if they are capable of transcending beyond the limits of what defines what one’s self...”

  As if he could sense Feng Yu behind him, the Old Master then smiled mysteriously as he spoke, “It�
�s just like a sword, graceful and elegant, but a dangerous and most times destructive weapon in its use. Some people will use the sword for their own wrongdoings, while others will use it to protect only their own from those very same kinds of practitioners. When people fight with weapons, they tend to place themselves first and consider the weapon as nothing more than a tool, but in actual truth, the weapon wielded is no different from the wielder, and like the wielder, it too must also suffer a battle against itself. Will it be used to kill, or will it be used to protect, that sword’s perspective determines its path...”

  After Feng Yu recalled this, his mind became a bit dazed as he entered a semi-state of enlightenment, as this happened, his body naturally adopted a defense posture as both of his swords guarded his front in a cross-blade stance.

  The dream replica seeing this sneered as it spoke, "Falling into a daze in battle, it seems that this is where our duel ends, death!”

  Ping! The Dream replica quickly proceeded to use his swords in a skillful manner placing them between the crossed-swords of Feng Yu, before it spread his arms wide causing both swords to separate as Feng Yu's arms were now stretched outwards.

  After breaking Feng Yu’s guard, the Dream replica pulled its arms backward as both blades of its two swords pointed towards Feng Yu’s chest, his body now positioned in a crouching stance looking like a mantis ready to strike.

  “Thunder Flash Blazing Swords!” It then yelled as his thunder blaze energies completely enveloped his form, it quickly took a step forward soon after vanishing, leaving behind only its two swords clad in thunderblaze energies which shot towards Feng Yu’s chest like rays of light.

  Shiiinnnnng! The cry of the swords once more resounded as the rays of light instantly arrived before Feng Yu’s chest ready to cut him into many pieces, but before they could do anything time seemed to have come to pause.

  A stillness of an unusual kind, as the world seemed to have seized motion as only the eyes of a single person seemed to have clarity.

  “Transcending beyond the limits of oneself or one’s own perspective. If the sword kills, it kills, if the sword protects, it protects, if the sword dances, it dances. There is no defined path of the sword, only that which I set my swords upon at any given moment is my sword’s way. This is what it means to have ‘Intention,’ the Intent of a Sword with limitless change as each path can be walked to an extreme... this is my way, this, is my Extremity Sword Intent...” Feng Yu muttered in a soft voice, as the world before him started to change.

  The atmosphere became different carrying an infinitely sharp presence hidden within, even the robes and hairs of both Feng Yu and the Dream replica started moving in an upward motion as if a strange kind of sharpness saturated them.

  Feng Yu looked at the swords that were now approaching his chest in slow motion with an unusually sharper look in his eyes as he spoke, “Your sword is good, but without intent, it is simply meaningless. It is time to end our battle; allow me to show you true intention...”

  After saying this, his right arm started to move at an unusual speed as it swung Black Lightning from the right leaving behind a trailing streak of back thunder before it slashed both of the Dream replica’s swords upwards parrying its finisher attack.

  Clank! The sound of metals colliding once more resounded, as the flow of time sped up once again, a look of shock now visible on the face of the Dream replica whose arms were currently held above its head with both of its swords held up by the edge of black lightning.

  “You! How can--?” The Dream replica asked in confusion, but before it could even finish his words, the voice of Feng Yu could once again be heard.

  “Death!” As soon as his voice sounded, an overwhelming murderous intention rose within the area as will never before seen and filled Feng Yu’s entire being. He seemed no different from a godly devil who ended many lives as the surroundings became filled with a sharp chilliness that rustled even the tiniest of hairs on the skin.

  The pebbles and grasses, leaves and broken pieces of twigs rising into the air as each of these objects also became saturated by this odd intention. Quickly, a region of no more than 100 meters became shrouded by this entire mood as a strange reddish hue began to saturate the air.

  The Dream replica seeing this was once again stunned, it spoke while stuttering, “This… this is Intention! Such a powerful Sword Intention!!! What kind of Sword Intent did you comprehend?!!”

  However, the moment he finished his words Feng Yu had reacted, he swiftly changed his sword stance.

  Ping! He swung black lightning once more causing the upheld arms of the Dream replica to be pushed further behind his head as he swiftly jumped backward by a few meters.

  Quickly, Feng Yu landed on the ground soon after positioning himself in a new sword stance, with his knees and body bent forwards looking like a runner ready to dash at towards his goal, while his two swords were held out wide behind him.

  Swoosh! After pressing his front foot on the ground, he launched himself forwards towards the still unguarded Dream replica which was now trying to recover its stance as its arms were still positioned above its head, his body moving at incredible speeds leaving behind only a flash of light.

  His hand that held his two swords slashed fiercely towards the neck of Dream replica as he yelled, “Die! Blazing Thunder Swords!”

  Shiiiiinnnnng! The cry of the sword echoed within this world immersed by his intent of deep red, the objects that floated off the ground seems to have heard his will as they too also swept towards the Dream replica, each turning into sparks of thunderblaze energies that followed alongside his swords.

  Puff! Within moments the swords, the world had diced the body of the Dream replica into multiple pieces of flesh which quickly started to burn and disintegrate due to the thunderblaze energy that ignited their pieces.

  The head of the Dream replica was now silent as it used the last of its consciousness to gaze deeply into Feng Yu’s eyes before it faded forever becoming a pile of ash that disappeared into the night winds.

  Swoooosh! A gentle wind now sweeping across the silent battle arena rusting the robes of Feng Yu as he calmly stood and watched the ashes faded away into the night's darkness while pondering, “So, this is Sword Intent, it seems I have truly taken one step further on this path that is filled with endless possibilities...”

  His voice fading into the wind as he looked around at the fading redness of the world, as the floating object fell to the ground leaving behind a dreary silence...

  Chapter 142

  The Death of Andromaus!

  Ka-boom! A massive explosion rumbled the world as a scene much like the apocalypse immediately ensued. Quickly, a humanoid creature who wore strange clothing filled with an air of ruthlessness charged out of a mushroom cloud with its body filled with countless minor injuries, he then skillfully brandished an illusory fork using it to parry the overwhelming attacks of a beautiful young girl clad in white robes, blow for blow.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  Her attacks were mighty as each of her fists that collided with this creature left shockwaves upon shockwaves of remnant energies that scattered towards a vast distance, as he blocked this beautiful girl’s assault with his illusory fork, the look on the face of the humanoid creature as he glanced towards his side.

  Swish! Instantly, a beam of aquatic light shot towards him at speeds no different from light itself. As he saw this beam, he couldn’t help but snort as he removed one of his arms from the illusory fork leaving only a single hand to wield it as he then proceeded to point the finger of his free arm towards the nearing beam of light.

  “Illusory Shield!” Andronamus said in a low voice.

  Buzz! After a strange sound, an illusory shield formed before his finger instantly grew to a size no small than his body. The aquatic ray of light which shot from a distance came about soon after colliding with its form.

  BANG! The colors of the gloomy raining sky once more changed as the explosive light from the a
quatic beam painted the heavens with its hue, this light lingered for a moment before clearing revealing the scene underneath once more.

  Crumple! Crack! The illusory shield that formed and blocked the beam attack was now crumbling into pieces as it was only powerful enough to resist one hit, as he saw this, Andronamus couldn’t help but frown as he glanced towards the distant Demetria whose face was slightly exhausted.

  He sneered, “Using all of your power for a sneak attack! Naïve!” After saying this, he focused his attention towards Jing Mingyun once more who continued to parry her raging assaults.

  Jing Mingyun frowned as beads of sweat trickled down her face, she thought to herself while attacking, “If only I could use my dragon form, or even call upon a fraction of my dragonic state, this battle would have long since ended, his soul disruption is also preventing me from using the full power of my ‘Transcendent Soul...’ so troublesome...”

  As she thought this, she then twirled her body in the air as she quickly pulled herself away from the range of his illusory fork. Upon successfully retreating, she then changed her combat stance, crouching her legs before placing one arm before her with her palms fully stretched open while her remaining arm was pulled behind her back with her fists resting by her waist.

  “Since I can’t beat you with normal means, I will have to rely on the super-normal...” Jing Mingyun muttered as the space before her palm rippled forming a large pure white wheel that glowed with divine energies and strings of intricate runes on its surface flicking about as if trying to calculate all things.

  Her sparkling silver eyes soon after glowed strangely as she started to define Andronamus’s end, as this happened her arm that was placed by her side also began to shine in a different light as if all of her overwhelming dragonic force energies were being pulled towards her fist, causing it glowing in a yellowish-white light.

  Andronamus looked towards Jing Mingyun with confusion as he muttered, “What are you up to dragon?! Um, Fate Energy... how odd?” He was about to rush towards her with his spear once more, but before he could react there was a change.