Chapter 1010: Human Effort Has Its Limits

The news of Jiyuan’s duel at Changjian Mountain never reached the outside world. The disciples of Changjian Mountain kept silent, and Jiyuan was not one to gossip, nor did he wish to cause embarrassment for Changjian Mountain.

Based on Fiend's understanding of Jiyuan, while Jiyuan was highly skilled in swordsmanship, close-quarters combat would significantly neutralize his advantage over powerful spells. Moreover, Fiend's vital energy was recovering at an astonishing rate, having absorbed the essence of ancient bloodlines through demonic cultivation. Thus, although Fiend was apprehensive of Jiyuan, he felt confident enough to engage him if they crossed paths.

Unlike Yue Cang and others, Fiend wasn't just a wisp of true spirit that escaped the desolate realm; he was a surviving remnant of an ancient demon. Acquiring the blood of an ancient demon was tantamount to reviving his fragmented soul, making him relatively "complete." As a result, his recovery was the quickest.

Fiend was formless and ethereal, his emotions volatile and unpredictable. Although he couldn't ascertain Jiyuan's exact location, while Yue Cang and Xiangliu had steered clear of Yunzhou, Fiend had specifically come here. Now that he had indeed encountered Jiyuan, a maelstrom of emotions—apprehension, panic, excitement, and disdain—churned within him. It was a profoundly chaotic state, yet simultaneously unified and complete.

At such close quarters, Jiyuan showed no hesitation. He directly confronted Fiend, engaging him with sword-fingers and hand seals. The surroundings were engulfed in Samadhi True Fire, and while the flames couldn't harm Jiyuan's physical body, Fiend, even in the closest combat, couldn't entirely evade their effects.

In a blazing inferno above the nine heavens, the sounds of their battle were like continuous muffled thunder or the rending of the sky itself. Anyone looking up from the ground would witness the sky aflame, with startling thunderclaps exploding at the fiery zenith.

Jiyuan's left hand formed the Three-Finger Mountain-Shaking Seal. To Jiyuan's astonishment, Fiend also transformed into his likeness, replicating the exact same hand seal to confront him.

The sky seemed to suddenly rumble with thunder, and even the surrounding Samadhi True Fire was violently agitated, creating a wide empty space around them.

Jiyuan's gaze sharpened, and he thrust out his right hand in a sword-finger. Astonishingly, Fiend neither dodged nor retreated, meeting him with an identical sword-finger.

Fiend meticulously mimicked Jiyuan's hand seals, sword techniques, and fist and palm strikes, often achieving over ninety percent similarity. After having battled Jiyuan for an extended period, Fiend now appeared almost indistinguishable, like a second Jiyuan.

"You want to play the game of the True and False Monkey King with me here!"

Jiyuan's left hand rapidly exchanged blows with Fiend, causing spiritual energy to surge like turbulence in a hurricane. His right hand reached back, grabbing the hilt of the Green Vine Sword, and the immortal sword, long eager for battle, promptly sprang from its sheath.

"Zheng—"

Right before Jiyuan, Fiend's hand astonishingly conjured an identical blood-red Green Vine Sword. As Jiyuan swung his blade in attack, Fiend met him with the same technique.

"Clang..." "Clang..." "Ding..."

"Clang—"

The two swords clashed, even producing sparks. Yet, Jiyuan's expression remained serene, a faint curve gracing the corner of his impassive lips. He rotated his body, and the Green Vine Sword in his hand subtly twisted and flowed with his movements. In the shifting light of the surrounding Samadhi True Fire, it was hard to tell if the immortal sword was truly deflecting on its own or if it was an illusion.

Fiend's eyes narrowed. Unable to replicate Jiyuan's intricate sword variations, he could only thrust his own blade directly, aiming to meet the tip of Jiyuan's sword head-on.

"Clang—"

The two swords clashed once more, but Jiyuan's sword light continued its trajectory unimpeded, astonishingly severing the blade in Fiend's hand and instantly pressing against his neck.

With a single swift strike, Fiend's head was severed from his body by the Green Vine Sword. The instant the head detached, a golden whip shadow materialized from the sea of fire, arriving in a flash.

"Crack!"

With a crack of the Immortal Binding Rope, Fiend's head, before it could react, plunged into the inferno of Samadhi True Fire. The fearsome true fire, acting like water, formed a vortex where the head landed, pulling it into the depths, while intense flames raged ceaselessly.

"Superb swordsmanship!"

The praise emanated from Fiend's body as a new head "grew" forth, causing Jiyuan to narrow his eyes. He had distinctly felt the opponent's primordial demonic essence being severed moments before, yet now it had re-manifested from his body, seemingly with little damage.

"You haven't yet experienced the full extent of my swordsmanship!"

Jiyuan retorted lightly and continued his onslaught. With the immortal sword in hand, his swift strikes became indefensible for Fiend. Fiend was not the Sect Master of Changjian Mountain, nor had he ever absorbed a sword cultivator capable of matching Jiyuan. Relying on swordsmanship to fend off Jiyuan's offense was utterly impossible, so he transformed once more into a viscous pool of foul blood and "clung" to Jiyuan's body.

But at that moment, Jiyuan brandished his immortal sword, and the Green Vine Sword seemed to blur in his hand. Jiyuan's body remained motionless, yet his arm and the immortal sword moved like a halo of light, encircling him within a ten-foot radius.

"Sizzle... Splatter..." "Gurgle..."

In that instant, Fiend's sanguine aura was torn into countless fragments. Simultaneously, Jiyuan opened his mouth and exhaled.

"Whoosh—"

The surrounding sea of Samadhi True Fire seemed to momentarily dissipate, while from Jiyuan's mouth, a "furious tide" of true fire erupted, instantly sweeping forward in a fan-like blast.

"Sizzz... Crackle..."

Continuous sizzling and crackling sounds, like oil frying food, echoed through the inferno. Simultaneously, endless black smoke billowed forth, accompanied by an odor that, while not exactly foul, was deeply nauseating and ominous.

"Whoosh—"

An endless surge of black mist suddenly shot out from the sea of Samadhi True Fire, spinning and condensing into a hand that formed Jiyuan's Three-Finger Mountain-Shaking Seal. The instant Jiyuan saw it, the Mountain-Shaking Seal had already struck him.

"Thud..."

The seal struck Jiyuan squarely in the chest, causing some of his Samadhi True Fire to disperse. He coughed out a puff of white mist mixed with blood, flying backward a hundred zhang.

Jiyuan pressed his left hand to his chest, his gaze fixed on the sea of fire, which now seemed eerily still.

A few breaths later, Jiyuan frowned. With a sweep of his large sleeve, the sea of fire dissipated instantly. Wafts of black smoke, remnants from the Samadhi True Fire's burning, gathered in the sky without dispersing, continuously swirling and shifting, with various eerie expressions manifesting in the clouds. They were also steadily expanding and fading, and within moments, nearly half had vanished.

This was no longer a part of Fiend but an ominous aura belonging to the inverse of the Heavenly Dao, so insubstantial that it could barely be called a physical entity. This was why it could persist even under the intense heat of Samadhi True Fire.

Upon this realization, Jiyuan was suddenly alarmed.

"Hmph!"

With a cold snort, Jiyuan flung out his wide sleeve, employing the "Sleeve of the Universe" technique. His raised sleeve appeared to expand explosively towards the heavens.

"Whoosh... Whoosh..."

A fierce wind surged backward, and the celestial power contracted. It was unclear whether Jiyuan's sleeve had transformed into a universe or if the dark clouds in the sky had shrunk into motes. Just a few breaths later,

With a swish, the ominous lingering clouds in the sky vanished into Jiyuan's sleeve.

From the moment Fiend was discovered, through the chase, their battle, and finally Jiyuan's victory, less than half an hour had passed. Yet, if any cultivators with sufficient insight to perceive the inherent dangers had witnessed it, they would surely have been utterly terrified.

After the wind and thunder subsided and the sky cleared for thousands of miles, Jiyuan remained standing in the sky for a while longer before slowly sheathing the Green Vine Sword.

"Hum..."

The Green Vine Sword emitted a gentle hum, bringing a faint smile to Jiyuan's usually impassive face.

"I'm fine!"

"Hum..."

"Indeed, you are formidable. How could an impostor possibly compare to you?"

As Jiyuan offered the praise, another sound emerged from his sleeve—or rather, a series of coughs.

"Cough, cough, cough... cough... Oh, for heaven's sake—"

The Xiezhi painting let out a series of exclamations and flew out from Jiyuan's sleeve. Instead of immediately transforming into its human form, it unfurled itself before Jiyuan.

The Xiezhi depicted in the painting now had eyes wide with disbelief, pointing at the mass of black mist gathered to one side.

"Jiyuan, why do you just throw everything into me? This stuff nearly suffocated me! After all the trust I placed in you, you... you're simply heartless!"

Jiyuan looked a bit surprised.

"Aren't you going to eat it?"

The Xiezhi's expression on the painting froze for a moment, then the painting retracted and transformed into the appearance of a heroic figure.

"Eat? Do you take me for a trash can, just shoving anything into my mouth? That foul cloud is utterly disgusting!"

Xiezhi approached Jiyuan, walking on the wind, but Jiyuan subconsciously took a few steps back. This made a vein throb on Xiezhi's forehead, as he clearly saw Jiyuan's nose twitch.

But upon reaching Jiyuan, Xiezhi managed to restrain his irritation and sighed helplessly.

"Sigh, why didn't you completely stop him? Though his current power is still slightly less than Zhu Yan's was back then, he's ten times more repulsive. If I had joined the fight, or if you had unleashed your sword array..."

Xiezhi didn't finish his sentence, as Jiyuan was already shaking his head.

"Against Fiend, your participation wouldn't make much difference. As for the sword array, it hasn't been used since its perfection; its power transcends mere might. Once unleashed, it would shake heaven and earth. Fiend would certainly not escape, but the others would likely never appear before me again."

"So you let him go?"

Upon hearing Xiezhi's question, Jiyuan glanced at him, then looked towards the sun, which was uncharacteristically visible in the southern sky.

"I did not hold back. It can only be said that this Fiend is truly dangerous and incredibly perceptive!"

Xiezhi frowned, gazing at Jiyuan's chest. This was the first time he had seen Jiyuan injured, and a flicker of concern crossed his mind.

"How are your injuries?"

Jiyuan gently brushed his chest with his hand and smiled faintly.

"Defilement cannot invade my body, so it's merely a flesh wound, nothing serious. I just hope this blow wasn't taken in vain!"

As Jiyuan himself stated, he possessed a pure and undefiled body, making it impossible for Fiend's corrupting aura to invade him. While taking that blow at the opportune moment carried considerable risk, it would have no significant lasting impact.

"Just don't be reckless."

Xiezhi pursed his lips. Jiyuan looked at him and suddenly realized that this fellow also possessed a sentimental side. He had to suppress a strong urge to tease him, turning his gaze instead towards the distant horizon behind them.

"Stop looking. We have our own concerns. Today, you and I should understand that a tribulation is a tribulation. If they cannot survive without your intervention, then ultimately, it will all amount to nothing."

Just moments ago, when Fiend was injured, he had instead transformed into an ominous emanation originating from the ancient Heavenly Dao. Xiezhi had naturally witnessed this. After offering a reminder, he reverted to his painting form and flew back into Jiyuan's sleeve.

Xiezhi was right; excess is as bad as deficiency. Jiyuan had long been swept up by the grand currents of fate. While not entirely overwhelmed, attempting to manage everything was an absolute delusion. With a self-deprecating smile, Jiyuan rubbed his chest, took a step, and flew towards the southern sky.

At almost the same moment, the distant Fiend, who had already fled, continuously shifted between various extreme emotions. A blood-red cloud revealed a human face, at times laughing maniacally, at others gnashing his teeth, sometimes trembling incessantly, and then becoming utterly hysterical.

This was a manifestation of Fiend's extremely agitated emotional state. He was indeed significantly wounded, but he was no ordinary demon; he was nearly a Heavenly Demon. These injuries, though seemingly severe, were ultimately minor. Even if he sustained ten times the damage to inflict just a tenth on Jiyuan, it would be a gain as long as he could escape.

Jiyuan must have held back, but as expected, while he was strong, he was not invulnerable!

'Hehehehe... Jiyuan, though you damaged my vital essence, harming me comes with a price!'

Fiend was originally born from the inverse aspect of the ancient Heavenly Dao. Although his demonic nature later materialized due to the desires of living beings, granting him self-awareness, he naturally cherished his demonic body and was well aware of its power.

However, now injured by Jiyuan, his demonic body was even susceptible to Samadhi True Fire, leading to an unexpected outcome for both Jiyuan and Fiend: the lost demonic form reverted to its ominous essence and returned to the natural world.

Throughout the world, muffled rumblings echoed, spreading at a speed far exceeding any escape velocity, as if instantly transmitting from Yunzhou to all corners of the land. Amidst these sounds, Fiend, still fleeing, continuously emitted frenzied noises, indistinguishable as cries or laughter.

P.S. Last time I recommended a book but forgot to include the title ￣□￣｜｜. Here it is again: "The Game of the World Tree." It's a "Fourth Calamity" (players as a force of nature), "behind-the-scenes" story about a protagonist who transmigrates as a true god to another world, leading players to create a better life in a fantasy setting (for real).