Chapter 2055: One Punch

"What a sharp tongue!"

"Just watch as I tear that foul mouth of yours to shreds!"

Bathed in the light of the Blood Demon, Sheng Xin charged forward with explosive steps, leaving a blur behind him in a whoosh as he suddenly appeared right in front of Xu Xiaoshou.

So fast!

Just that one step sent a shiver down Xu Xiaoshou's spine.

Under the blessing of billions of years of boosted luck, Sheng Xin's speed was so great that even Xu Xiaoshou almost couldn't react. It was conceivable that his combat awareness and similar attributes had also been amplified to a terrifying degree, no less than the Fourth Realm, and possibly even surpassing his own.

"Isolated World!"

Caught off guard, Xu Xiaoshou couldn't even dodge. To prevent the Law-Delaying Divine Court from unfolding at close range, Xu Xiaoshou immediately chose to erase his own presence.

However, "Isolated World," which had always been effective before, only made Sheng Xin frown this time; his movements did not stop at all. As if by inertia, Sheng Xin's right arm transformed into a golden longblade and slashed forward fiercely.

"Rip!"

Xu Xiaoshou narrowly leaned back to dodge, but was still almost cut in half at the waist, a huge gash opening across his chest.

The wound seemed corroded, and not only Blood Demon power poured into it. Even his flesh turned into golden, corrosive metal, dripping away.

The ability of the Corroding Gold Kui? It seemed that if First Ancestor Liuxu Sheng Xin dared to unleash it, he might have already mastered all six of his abilities!

"Devour!"

"Feast," "Boundless Quiet," and "Devouring Power" quickly swallowed the residual power of the Corroding Gold Kui. But while these could be erased, the Blood Demon power was difficult to dispel, and the wound completely refused to heal.

"Law-Delaying Divine Court, Banish Isolation!"

As expected, Sheng Xin, unable to locate his target, quickly unfurled his Divine Court. For the first time in close combat, Xu Xiaoshou had to avoid his edge—Sheng Xin was clearly determined to get close, relying on the Blood Demon power to erode Xu Xiaoshou's state with each contact.

If he truly got stuck in a stalemate, his own luck might even be reduced to a negative value by the Blood Demon power. "A large-scale Decaying Body..." "Perhaps I can fight indirectly, dragging this out until Sheng Xin's amplification wears off?"

Xu Xiaoshou ultimately managed to flash out of the Law-Delaying Divine Court's range, his "Isolated World" not being suppressed. The idea of a long-range war of attrition immediately flashed through his mind. But Sheng Xin had already activated the Blood Demon Reversal Life Art; how could he not have foreseen that if he were stalled for too long, his own power would plummet from its peak back into a trough?

"Primordial Mother Coffin, return!"

With a beckoning hand, and protected by his Divine Court, Sheng Xin recalled the Primordial Mother Coffin and held it in one hand.

Xu Xiaoshou... A strange name appeared in his mind. Immediately afterward, a flood of information about Xu Xiaoshou and the Dao Ancestor poured forth. This was a pre-sealed cognitive record of the two strongest Forgotten Path cultivators of this era, activated when the guidance of forgetting was sensed. This was enough to support the fight, preventing him from even forgetting his combat target.

Sheng Xin knew very well that once the Blood Demon Reversal Life Art was active, the only ways Xu Xiaoshou could win were through long-range attrition or by disappearing and being forgotten—both methods of delaying time. Find him? Impossible, this guy was too good at hiding. But the way to break the deadlock was also simple: force him to come back and find him.

"Open!"

Lifting his hand, Sheng Xin, within the Law-Delaying Divine Court, unceremoniously pushed open the lid of the Primordial Mother Coffin. Inside, the previously trapped Sui Yin was sealed. Now, with the Law-Delaying Divine Court externally and the Blood Demon Reversal Life Art internally, Sheng Xin could be said to be utterly unafraid of Sui Yin's various forbidden arts or variables.

"What does he want to do?"

The people of Almond World, witnessing this scene, hadn't yet reacted. However, the Xu, Dao, and Medicine Ancestors immediately guessed the general idea and quickly affirmed it was: "Seizing the Dao!"

Xu Xiaoshou's scalp tingled. Sui Yin possessed an art called "Reverse Forgetting," which happened to counter his "Isolated World." If Sheng Xin succeeded in seizing the Dao, a war of attrition would be impossible. Anyone Sheng Xin pointed at would be a clear target, unable to escape.

"Hiss—"

Grey-purple Sui Yin evil energy surged from the coffin. Sui Yin, sealed for less than two hours, was like Wen Ting, with his power and state plummeting to rock bottom. Furthermore, Sui Yin's condition was already poor before entering the coffin. This time, released, he didn't even react immediately to his current situation. His consciousness was still entirely focused on Xu Xiaoshou from their last encounter. What he was thinking was that since Xu Xiaoshou refused to cooperate, the only possibility left was to seize his Dao, taking his Divine Shedding and Dao arts to gain the power to fight Sheng Xin, Shennong Baicao, and Dao Qiongcang.

"Coalesce!"

Just as his form coalesced, before Sui Yin could even stretch, a chilling voice sounded in his ear. With a boom, his mind jolted, feeling his self constantly twisting, as the figure bathed in blood-light beside him continuously grew larger. In an instant, Sui Yin was seized into Sheng Xin's palm, utterly unable to escape.

"No—"

At that moment, seeing the blood-demon light and shadow, Sui Yin's consciousness trembled, clearly guessing the opponent's intentions. "Sheng..." But the word hadn't even left his lips. Once the Blood Demon Reversal Life Art was activated, every second counted. Why would Sheng Xin waste words on a cooked duck, giving him a chance to fly away?

"Blood Demon Dao Refinement!"

With a clench of his five fingers, surging Blood Demon power poured in. The mass of Sui Yin in his palm screamed, but only held on for a breath before being submerged by the overwhelming Blood Demon power.

"Sheng! Xin!"

A shrill wail pierced the sky. But it was useless. Sheng Xin didn't even glance at Sui Yin from beginning to end, frantically plundering Sui Yin's memories and knowledge of the Dao arts through the Blood Demon power, while simultaneously looking up into the distant sky, trying to find traces of Xu Xiaoshou's presence.

"Can't wait any longer!"

Sui Yin was being consumed bit by bit. Xu Xiaoshou felt the situation had never been so critical. If his Dao arts were truly seized, it wouldn't just be about "Reverse Forgetting" anymore. Sheng Xin plus Sui Yin's forbidden arts could truly pull off a miracle and turn the tide against him! One must know, Sui Yin had never been weak. The reason he was so miserable was that his state had never been good since his revival from the God's Ruins!

"I must break through the Divine Court!"

"Sui Yin's Dao arts also cannot fall into Sheng Xin's hands!"

A war of attrition? Impossible to prolong! Sword Worshipping Art? Couldn't even use it!

Xu Xiaoshou, however, took a deep breath. While in "Isolated World" state, he raised his right arm high, preemptively bracing himself for pain: "Passive Punch (Charge Value: 230,923.33)." This special passive skill, unlike "One Finger of Illusion Extinction," had long surpassed the 1,000 mark through "Boundless Quiet" charging, even under the destruction of the Ancestral God Extinction Tribulation. But... It's not enough! A Passive Punch with over 200,000 charge value might shatter the Law-Delaying Divine Court, but it absolutely couldn't backfire or injure Sheng Xin under the Blood Demon Reversal Life Art. He could probably reform his Divine Court by paying some price, as his power at this moment was almost inexhaustible. And if the violent effect of the Passive Punch's ultimate evolution were exposed, Sheng Xin would surely be wary; how could he get another chance to land a punch?

"Only one punch!"

"Only one chance to completely end Sheng Xin's Divine Court!"

Xu Xiaoshou, without hesitation, crushed the entire pool of life-medicine power stored within his inner world, integrating it into his Passive Punch.

Blood Demon Reversal Life Art? Want to compare numbers with me? I have numbers too; now let's see whose are higher!

Visibly, the long string of numbers on the passive system began to jump, each fluctuation a qualitative leap: "Passive Punch (Charge Value: 559,938.62)." "Passive Punch (Charge Value: 1,442,656.49)." "Passive Punch (Charge Value: 3,236,854.31)."

Under the Ancestral God Extinction Tribulation, Xu Xiaoshou had consumed three pools of medicinal liquid, but that was used bit by bit for self-repair, so the sensation wasn't very obvious. Now, he could directly feel the concentrated energy of the life-medicine liquid. Soaring! Just starting to charge, even before delivering the punch, he already felt as if his arm would burst!

"Three million..." "Five million..." "Seven million!"

His raised right arm was as heavy as ten thousand tons, its muscles already tearing, and surging power erupted from it. Around his arm, ripples of grey destructive power spread out, circle after circle. Xu Xiaoshou had to start consuming the power of the life-medicine pool to repair the damage to his own physical body, preventing it from bursting prematurely.

But... "Not enough!" "Still not enough!" "I only have one chance for a punch!" Xu Xiaoshou gritted his teeth. Once the power absorption was complete, he quickly crushed another pool of medicinal liquid. Then came the third, fourth, and fifth pools...

"What's going on?"

"Why do I have the illusion that I'm about to die?"

Outside the Law-Delaying Divine Court, Shennong Baicao and Dao Qiongcang, who had long left the Holy Divine Continent and were fighting in the fragmented flow of time, simultaneously stopped their hands. Both received spiritual warnings at the same time, inexplicably breaking out in a cold sweat from the main battlefield, their hearts pounding. They couldn't see anything superfluous. Looking into the distance, only Sheng Xin was refining Sui Yin within the Divine Court, and no one dared to stop him.

Yet, Sheng Xin in such a state suddenly gave people an absurd feeling as if the world was about to explode in the next breath, as if the combination of Sheng Xin's God-Devil Dao and Dao arts could unleash infinite power. But... "Something's not right!" "That feeling isn't coming from Sheng Xin!"

Because Sheng Xin, within the Divine Court, also suddenly changed his expression, shifting from relaxed to extremely solemn. Clearly, Sheng Xin had also detected the strangeness felt by the Medicine Ancestor and Dao Ancestor, and immediately accelerated the speed of his Dao seizure. "Sui Yin, stop struggling." "Your power was destined for a place long ago; it can only return to me, the Ancestor."

Sheng Xin squeezed hard, and the struggling will in his palm was completely crushed. "Ah—" The scream abruptly ceased. Across the entire Holy Divine Continent, various places suddenly grew dim, and faint wailing Dao sounds resonated. The omen of a god's fall! Poor Sui Yin, whose Myriad Transformation Dao had already been perfected, under the amplification of the Blood Demon Reversal Life Art wielded by Sheng Xin, despite using all his abilities, could not escape, and only death awaited him. With his will gone, digesting the remaining Sui Yin power was only a matter of time.

The Dao seizure was not yet complete, but with nearly seventy percent of Sui Yin's memories and Dao art knowledge pouring in, Sheng Xin had already obtained something in advance. "Hiding?" "Now, let's see how you'll hide!" A sneer curled Sheng Xin's lips. While refining Sui Yin's remnants with one hand, he formed a hand sign with the other and chanted: "Art: Reverse Time, Retreat Space." A faint star-light flashed. Sheng Xin's body remained in place, but his consciousness retreated into the past. Various scenes flashed through his mind. Sheng Xin's consciousness had retreated from the present time to before the Crystal Palace, when Xu Xiaoshou approached him, and before he was affected by the God Descent Art. "Hide, then!"

Sheng Xin saw Xu Xiaoshou in the past. Xu Xiaoshou also spiritually sensed it, his eyes darting to look, but before he could react, he was met with a familiar scene: "Art: Reverse Forgetting – Seal!" "Seal: Reverse Forgetting – Art!" Two overlapping low voices sounded, with no special phenomena appearing. Sheng Xin had already planted "Reverse Forgetting" on Xu Xiaoshou in the past. Immediately, his consciousness returned to the Holy Divine Continent, and the scene he saw was no longer the same as before.

"Master Shou!"

"Master Shou has appeared!"

Within Almond World, a clamor erupted simultaneously. Because on the Dao Transmission Screen, a figure suddenly appeared, locked onto from afar, outside the Law-Delaying Divine Court. "Is this Master Shou?" But that figure was different from what they remembered. He clearly had a normal human physique, yet his raised arm was abnormally exaggerated, a thousand zhang in size. From a distance, it looked as if the arm was the main body, with an insignificant human-shaped growth hanging below. "Giant transformation?" "That's not right, this is one-armed giant transformation? How bizarre!"

Across the Dao Transmission Screen of Almond World, the sensation wasn't as profound. However, Sheng Xin on the main battlefield, and the Dao Ancestor and Medicine Ancestor outside the fragmented time flow, were shocked to the core the moment Xu Xiaoshou's figure was revealed. "Woah! What in the world is that?!" Dao Qiongcang merely glanced at the swollen arm from afar, his eyeballs practically popping out. Without thinking, he immediately fled ten thousand li, escaping beyond the starry sky. Insane! Completely insane! You have such massive energy to unleash, couldn't you have notified your close friend in advance? Do you want me dead?

"Run—"

Shennong Baicao caught a glimpse, his dragon body trembled, and he let out a shrill scream. Without a doubt, this was his power. Xu Xiaoshou had absolutely used the Life Medicine Pool! The only thing he couldn't understand was how those purely compressed life-medicine energies were clearly only meant for elevating New Heaven Realm Dao arts. Even Shennong Baicao found it hard to apply all of it directly to combat power; how did Xu Xiaoshou do it? It no longer mattered! Run, just run! If he ran even a bit slower, he might get the living daylights knocked out of him!

"Xu Xiaoshou, how do you like the taste of Reverse Forgetting?"

Within the Divine Court, Sheng Xin's consciousness had just retreated from the past when he heard Shennong Baicao's pained scream as he was being beaten by Dao Qiongcang. Not important. He would deal with that good-for-nothing later. Of course, Sheng Xin didn't think the Medicine Ancestor was warning him, who was now invincible under the Blood Demon Reversal Life Art; he still had the leisure to taunt Xu Xiaoshou. After all, until he returned to the past and cast Reverse Forgetting, Xu Xiaoshou saw it, Xu Xiaoshou was hit, Xu Xiaoshou returned to reality just like him, and Xu Xiaoshou didn't even react with how to resist his Reverse Forgetting. This person was useless! His art was also useless! He raised his eyes... Searching, looking for someone... Sure enough, the target appeared...

The next taunt, already forming in Sheng Xin's throat, hadn't yet left his lips, but as his gaze focused, his expression suddenly froze, and his pupils trembled violently. Xu Xiaoshou in his human form, that arm higher than the sky, that punch that merely built up momentum yet shattered all surrounding Dao arts... What kind of punch was this? Was there a punch in this world stronger than Que Wu's? "Impossible!" The Blood Demon Sheng Xin cried out in alarm, then turned and bolted, his formidable combat awareness clearly allowing him to instantly determine the most appropriate reaction at that moment.

But... It was too late! Xu Xiaoshou didn't even dodge Reverse Forgetting. Why? Because he didn't fear it! "Accept righteous judgment, old dog Sheng Xin!" "Take this punch!" "Passive Punch (Charge Value: 53,846,233.85)."

With the blessing of five full pools of Life Medicine Pool energy, an amplification close to one-third of the power needed to elevate a New Heaven Realm Dao art, the Passive Punch's value had swelled to a terrifying, heart-stopping degree. Fifty million! What kind of concept was this? Just for self-preservation and to counter the backlash, Xu Xiaoshou had to pre-emptively unleash and swallow an entire pool of life-medicine liquid, awaiting rebirth after the backlash. No matter how strong the Law-Delaying Divine Court was, no matter how condensed its internal Dao arts were, it would be shattered head-on, ensuring that Sheng Xin's troublesome card could never be played again. This punch was a fight to the death; no one could dodge it.

"Die!!!"

With a punch, Xu Xiaoshou grimaced in pain. He felt a tearing force suddenly assault him, his entire body shattering, turning into dust, impossible to restore. Yet, even as his physical body was about to dissipate, he spared enough energy to anchor Sheng Xin and remotely fling out a "Blade of Misfortune." Compared to the Passive Punch with fifty million charge value, the "Blade of Misfortune" at this moment was utterly insignificant. But the cunning behind it was immense!

"Mad dog!"

"What a mad dog!"

At this moment, Sheng Xin's heart was practically shattering. As he turned to flee, he undoubtedly understood Xu Xiaoshou's intention: to shatter his Divine Court. So Sheng Xin, while running, began to retract his Divine Court. But as soon as the Law-Delaying Divine Court's restrictive power vanished, a chill ran down his neck. That was the familiar sensation of his self being cut open, thrown into the past, present, and future. "Blade of Misfortune!" Xu Xiaoshou's strange art! If he retracted his Divine Court, Sheng Xin's self would be cut, and he would have to take Xu Xiaoshou's mad dog punch completely unguarded. If he didn't retract his Divine Court, the "Blade of Misfortune" could be nullified, but the Law-Delaying Divine Court would then have to directly face the force of the mad dog's punch.

"Ahhh!"

"Xu Xiaoshou, may you die a terrible death—"

He still held Sui Yin in his hand, having just moments ago felt invincible with "the Dao arts are mine, I am invincible." At this moment, Sheng Xin's torment was no less than that of the refined Sui Yin; he was practically on the verge of a breakdown. Die myself? Or die the Divine Court? The answer was self-evident. Even if he shattered his Divine Court, he himself couldn't directly take Xu Xiaoshou's mad dog punch; the Blood Demon Reversal Life Art might even be interrupted! Sheng Xin turned and stood firm, reactivating his Divine Court, but his face was twitching. He didn't want to take it! But he could only take it head-on! While annihilating the "Blade of Misfortune," he dared not expand outward at all, but rather infinitely contracted. Protect me! Law-Delaying Divine Court, hold on! The compressed and concentrated power curled into layers of thick, shield-like barrier walls around him, attempting to completely block the mad dog punch's eruption. But compared to that earth-shattering punch... it was like a small boat against a vast ocean.

"No—"

The power of the Passive Punch directly slammed into the Law-Delaying Divine Court. The Dao Transmission Screen of Almond World instantly lost all sound from the center of the battlefield, as if the entire Holy Divine Continent had been swept clean into a vacuum. The image magnified. Like a meteorite striking, an invisible wave of force swept across the Central Domain's surface. Then, a rumbling sound finally erupted. The ground shattered, mountain ranges broke apart, and boulders and city fragments rolled into the sky. Rumble— Over a hundred realms in the Central Domain simultaneously sank, by more than a hundred zhang. The power collapsing downward and spreading outward then radiated to the four great oceans surrounding the Central Domain: North River, South Underworld, East Sea, and West Sea. Waves suddenly rose in the four seas, then, as if pushed outward by an invisible colossal hand, they surged up, forming thousand-zhang high tsunamis.

"Ho?"

Beneath the East Sea, Yu Lingdi, who was still diligently cultivating, waiting for the day he could kill his father and utterly defeat Xu Xiaoshou, suddenly sensed something was wrong. Wave patterns pushed out in circles from afar, reaching him in an instant. Without even needing to turn his head, Yu Lingdi felt the intent of death approaching and dared not retreat further beneath the sea. "Ancestor Shou, save me!" He finally, unwillingly, roared out that plea, and was pulled by an attracting force to Almond World.

He looked up, only to see a horrifying scene on the sky-spanning Dao Transmission image. A ten-thousand-zhang colossal fist shadow descended from the sky like a meteorite onto Sheng Xin in the Divine Court below. Its mere aftermath crushed the entire Central Domain. In an instant, the waters of the four seas also seemed to be lifted from the seabed by an invisible giant's immense power, the waves entirely presented high in the sky. The adjacent borderlands of the four domains also buzzed and trembled, countless spiderweb cracks spreading across the surface, all shattered by that one punch.

"Who?"

"Who threw that punch?!"

Yu Lingdi probably knew that at this moment, Xu Xiaoshou had returned and was battling Sheng Xin. He didn't see Xu Xiaoshou's figure. Of course, he also couldn't believe that such a punch could be delivered by Xu Xiaoshou, whom he had almost killed in the White Cave.

"Look, Sheng Xin can't hold on!"

"Master Shou... Oh my god, this is the Zeroing Ancestral God! Ancestor Shou, Ancestor Shou is invincible, unparalleled in the world!"

Ancestor Shou? Hearing the calls, Yu Lingdi was stunned. He glanced over and saw that in the center of the battlefield, the Law-Delaying Divine Court only resisted for half a breath before cracking sounds erupted.

Boom, boom, boom...

The layers of twisted, trembling barrier walls finally buckled under the overwhelming pressure and completely exploded. "No, no, no!" Sheng Xin's eyes were bloodshot; he felt as though he was being hollowed out. He poured out all his strength, desperately trying to maintain his Divine Court, but it was like trying to put out a fire with a cup of water, completely futile. He threw out treasure after treasure—shields, cauldrons, bells, pagodas—but they shattered upon impact, vanishing upon contact, as insignificant as feathers. One punch! Just one punch! That feeling of despair and helplessness swept over him once more.

"Why!"

"Why do you have such power?"

Sheng Xin exploded; his mentality completely shattered. He had been tricked by "Great Dream of a Thousand Autumns," had his body exploded by Que Wu's punch, was forced to kneel in public after possessing a Demonic Body, and after activating the Blood Demon Reversal Life Art, he was supposed to be invincible, yet he still couldn't withstand Xu Xiaoshou's punch in a direct confrontation! Who exactly was the Ancient Ancestral God? In this game, who was scheming against whom? Was Xu Xiaoshou even human? He had only cultivated for three years! Three years! He had captured and eaten the Name Ancestor, gnawed alive on Ba Zun'an in the Time Realm, and then swallowed the entire Ancestral God Extinction Tribulation—yet he still couldn't muster even a billionth of the energy stored in that mad dog's punch, could he?

"Boom!"

The interwoven Dao arts of the Divine Court were also struck, revealing their true forms, then completely shattered. With this last layer of obstruction removed, Sheng Xin's eyes rolled back as the backlash force caused him to vomit essence blood. His internal organs, muscles, and meridians were almost instantly severed, and his life force extinguished. Even his spirit and consciousness were fundamentally damaged, difficult to heal. If not for the Blood Demon Reversal Life Art's blessing, he might have directly died and had his Dao extinguished under this punch. And it was at this very moment that a sudden realization dawned in his mind. A small, previously doubtful point suddenly became clear. Why had the Medicine Ancestor been so reluctant to elevate his New Heaven Realm Dao art? Even when forced to have his Birth Seed taken by the Dao Ancestor and refined into a Memory Tree, he refused to reveal his hidden trump card, as if he was saving it to deal with Sheng Xin himself. It turned out he wasn't hiding it at all; it was gone! It wasn't with Bei Huai, nor was it secretly hidden elsewhere. His energy, which should have been used to elevate his New Heaven Realm Dao art, had long ago been completely plundered by Xu Xiaoshou, not a single drop left?

"Ah—"

The fist shadow pierced his head. Sheng Xin finally understood who the true culprit was. The "Hidden Dragon" was right beside him? "Shennong Baicao, I will kill you even if it costs me my life!"