The Art of Chaotic Divinity

Chapter 653: Element-Devouring Blood Array

On the stage, Mu Liufeng's attacks became increasingly aggressive. His sword strikes were as fierce as falling comets and as consuming as wildfires, each blow more powerful than the last. Li Xue, aware of the danger, relied solely on movement arts to evade and dodge continuously.

The young elites from the imperial capital who were watching from below assumed that Mu Liufeng had overwhelmed Li Xue, forcing him to do nothing but flee. With clenched fists, they cheered loudly, convinced Mu Liufeng had control over the battle and was crushing Li Xue.

From the surface, it indeed looked as if Mu Liufeng had completely dominated the fight, pushing Li Xue to a helpless state.

"Let's see how long you can dodge!"

Growing frustrated with Li Xue's evasive movement, Mu Liufeng lost his patience. With a low growl, he raised his sword above his head, channeled terrifying Flaming Sun energy, and unleashed a powerful strike.

"Flaming Sun Imperial Slash!"

With nowhere to hide, Li Xue remained calm. Instead of panicking, a strange smile crept onto his lips. His blood sword trembled as he infused it with true qi, meeting Mu Liufeng's attack head-on.

"Foolish!"

Mu Liufeng sneered coldly. He was born with the Flaming Sun Body, which not only amplified his fire-attributed true qi but also rivaled the strength of certain battle body.

<ref>(A battle body refers to a physique cultivated through body refinement techniques. For instance, Ling Feng's practice of the Eight Desolations Body Refinement Art allowed him to achieve the Four Transformations of Eight Desolations, a type of Eight Desolations battle body.)</ref>

Clang!

A fierce clash echoed as their swords collided. Both Mu Liufeng and Li Xue were pushed back a few steps. Li Xue remained composed, but Mu Liufeng's expression drastically changed.

"The power of devouring?"

Mu Liufeng looked at Li Xue in disbelief. His opponent's sword carried an evil force that was actually devouring his true qi!

From the elevated platform, the emperor of Tianbai, who had been calm up until now, felt his heart tighten. In truth, his greatest trump card had always been Mu Liufeng.

In an empire where martial strength was highly valued, the emperor of Tianbai naturally had detailed knowledge about the nation's talents and experts. For instance, the title of empire’s legend, given to Yan Jinghong, was bestowed by the emperor himself, not something Yan Jinghong had claimed on his own.

Mu Liufeng's Flaming Sun Physique, though not as powerful as Yan Jinghong's innate Sacred Body, still put him among the empire's top-tier talents. Below the Spiritual Element Realm, Mu Liufeng's strength was considered unrivaled.

But now, with Mu Liufeng being plotted against by Li Xue, the situation had become dire.

If Mu Liufeng were to lose, the consequences would be grim. The empire would have to cede territory and marry off a princess.

Not only would the geniuses of the Tianbai Empire be utterly humiliated by those of the Tianyang Empire, but they might also lose half of their land!

"To think the Tianyang Empire was hiding such a figure. I completely miscalculated, a grave miscalculation!"

The devouring power was an evil and terrifying force.

The battle between Mu Liufeng and Li Xue was now uncertain!

In the emperor of Tianbai's heart, a wave of regret surged. Is the empire's centuries-old foundation about to crumble at my hands?

On the stage.

"You think mastering a little of some devouring power means you can challenge my Flaming Sun Body?"

Sweat began to bead on Mu Liufeng's forehead, but he remained resolute as he gritted his teeth and charged forward once more. "The outcome remains the same! Roll off the stage!"

"Hehehe..."

Li Xue laughed sinisterly. "Mu Liufeng, do you really think I was just dodging your attacks earlier?"

"What!?"

Mu Liufeng's eyes twitched wildly, and a chill ran down his spine. Despite his transformation into a fiery overlord, cold sweat was now trickling down his back.

"I admit, in terms of raw strength, I can't match you. But unfortunately, you're too foolish!"

Li Xue threw his head back and laughed maniacally. At that moment, strange blood-red symbols began to glow around the stage. The symbols linked together, unleashing an eerie crimson light that pressed down toward Mu Liufeng.

"This is the Element-Devouring Blood Array I placed just now! Mu Liufeng, if you don't want to be humiliated, you can surrender now." Li Xue's smile turned wicked.

"In your dreams!"

Mu Liufeng's eyes flashed with determination. The flaming spiritual artifact in his hand swept across the air as he tried to burn away the evil devouring power of the Element-Devouring Blood Array with his Flaming Sun energy.

"In that case, I won't hold back."

Li Xue grinned, revealing his sharp teeth, and with a strange hand gesture, the Element-Devouring Blood Array suddenly shrank. Dark red light flashed ominously, and in an instant, the scorching atmosphere on the stage turned cold and eerie, causing the spectators below to shiver in discomfort.

Though practitioners of evil dao weren't necessarily stronger than regular martial artists, their sinister techniques were hard to predict. A single misstep could lead to death at their hands.

Mu Liufeng felt the terrifying power of devouring surging toward him. His usually invincible Flaming Sun Body was rendered useless by this evil force. His true qi was rapidly being consumed, and it seemed as though even his cultivation realm was beginning to falter.

As time passed, Mu Liufeng's face grew paler, while Li Xue's vitality surged, and his complexion became rosier. The Element-Devouring Blood Array even had the power to feed back, replenishing Li Xue's energy!

The devouring power was truly terrifying!

"Ling Feng, did you already notice that Li Xue was setting up a formation?"

Gu Tengfeng, watching the battle on stage, swallowed nervously. Remembering how Ling Feng had predicted Mu Liufeng's defeat, he couldn't help but be shocked.

"Heh." Ling Feng sighed softly. "It was obvious. Captain, didn't you see it too?"

Gu Tengfeng felt a black line forming across his forehead as he shot a grievous look at Ling Feng, thinking to himself: You think I'm also abnormal like you? Even someone as strong as Mu Liufeng fell into the trap!

Hearing this, even Li Bufan's lips twitched slightly. He hadn't noticed anything either!

Only Mu Qianxue and Tuoba Yan had a vague sense of what was happening. After all, their skills were not ordinary martial arts. Tuoba Yan's Tianheng Technique aside, Mu Qianxue's abilities seemed to grow stronger as she awakened more memories.

In simpler words, both of them weren't ordinary people!

On the stage, Mu Liufeng struggled to hold on. He continuously channeled his true qi to resist the devouring power, but it was a futile effort, like drinking poison to quench thirst. As his physical and mental strength waned, his eyelids grew heavy, and he felt as though he might collapse at any moment. Yet, he relied on sheer willpower to remain standing.

To stay conscious, he dug his nails deeply into his palms, enduring the intense pain to keep himself awake.

"Brother Mu, if you don't surrender soon, your cultivation will drop below the sixty-fourth meridian gate. Crossing that heavenly barrier was no easy feat!"

"You... you wish!"

Mu Liufeng gritted his teeth, stubbornly holding on. But trapped in this situation, no matter how strong he was, he couldn't fully utilize his power.

Li Xue sneered, his face twisted with cruelty. He taunted Mu Liufeng into continuing, knowing it would drive him to exhaust himself further. Li Xue's goal was clear: he wanted to devour all of Mu Liufeng's strength.

Such cunning and deviousness!