Chapter 367: Spirit Array Body Refinement Technique The True Ancient Battle Emperor Avatar
"Xiao Tiance, you dare toy with this emperor? Very well. You've truly angered me now!"
In the Void West of Luoshui City
The Western Heaven Battle Emperor's rage was palpable. For countless years, no one had dared humiliate him like this. Yet today, Xiao Tiance had made a mockery of him, shattering his dignity.
Initially, the Battle Emperor had hoped to subdue Xiao Tiance, using him to restore the Western Heaven Battle Palace's reputation while bolstering its power. But now, there was only one thing he wanted: to tear Xiao Tiance apart and teach him that the strong must never be insulted.
Xiao Tiance's Calm Response
Despite the Battle Emperor's fury, Xiao Tiance remained unbothered, even smiling as he replied, "Heh, is that all the patience you have? Seems the rumors about you were a bit exaggerated.
"Well then, I was planning to test a few more spirit arrays, but seeing how eager you are to kill me, I'll oblige you."
Xiao Tiance then communicated telepathically with Ling'er, "Ling'er, dismantle this array. I'll go on the offensive next. Wait for the right moment to hit him this is our first time teaming up, so we can't afford to mess this up."
Ling'er giggled and replied, "Don't worry, Little Sir. I've got it!"
As Ling'er deactivated the array, the Battle Emperor wasted no time. With a wave of his hand, he unleashed a devastating palm strike, as if heaven itself were descending upon Xiao Tiance.
A Clash of Titans
As the palm strike roared toward him, Xiao Tiance's eyes gleamed with fighting spirit. The Battle Emperor was undoubtedly the strongest opponent he had ever faced, and this was precisely the kind of challenge he sought.
"Heaven Flipping Seal!"
Xiao Tiance countered with a palm strike of his own. Though the Heaven Flipping Seal was only a high tier Earth grade Dou Technique, in the hands of a Heavenly Supreme like Xiao Tiance, its power was anything but ordinary.
Boom!
The two strikes collided, triggering an explosion that tore the surrounding void apart.
"Overestimating yourself!"
The Battle Emperor was initially surprised that Xiao Tiance had blocked his attack so effortlessly, but he quickly brushed it off. After all, as a late stage Celestial Grade Heavenly Supreme, he had faced far stronger foes. Fueled by his earlier humiliation, his strikes became increasingly ruthless.
Close Combat Duel
The Battle Emperor closed the distance in an instant, unleashing another devastating palm strike. But Xiao Tiance, his spiritual senses expanded, detected the attack the moment it began. He tilted his head slightly, dodging the strike, before countering with a powerful punch aimed directly at the Battle Emperor.
Instead of dodging, the Battle Emperor sneered and met Xiao Tiance's punch head on.
Boom!
The collision of their fists generated shockwaves that rippled outward, further tearing apart the void.
The sheer force of their clash was enough to obliterate any ordinary Supreme caught in the vicinity. The power of Heavenly Supremes was truly terrifying.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The two exchanged a flurry of blows at lightning speed, each punch carrying enough force to level a mountain. Neither showed any signs of backing down, their strikes growing faster and more intense with every passing moment.
Both Fighters Draw Blood
After trading over thirty punches, the Battle Emperor capitalized on an opening and landed a heavy blow on Xiao Tiance's chest, tearing his upper garments apart.
But as Xiao Tiance was knocked backward, he retaliated with a well timed punch to the Battle Emperor's face, sending both of them flying in opposite directions.
Evaluating the Damage
Xiao Tiance steadied himself, glancing down at the deep fist imprint on his chest. His expression grew serious.
"As expected of a Celestial Grade Heavenly Supreme. My body is already incredibly resilient, yet he managed to dent it with a single punch."
On the other side, the Battle Emperor's face darkened. He hadn't expected a mere Ling Grade Heavenly Supreme to match his physical strength. To make matters worse, Xiao Tiance's punch had knocked out one of his teeth.
Embarrassed by the blow to his image, the Battle Emperor quickly used spiritual energy to regenerate his tooth. He then smirked upon seeing the fist imprint he'd left on Xiao Tiance's chest.
But before his smile could fully form, it froze.
The Spirit Array Body Refinement Technique
To his disbelief, glowing runes appeared across Xiao Tiance's chest. In moments, the fist imprint vanished, and his chest returned to its unblemished state.
"Impossible! Spirit Array Body Refinement Technique? That's the secret art of the Heavenly Dao Sect's Sect Master from tens of thousands of years ago!"
The Battle Emperor's eyes widened in shock. As someone born and raised on the Western Heaven Continent, he was familiar with the legends surrounding the Heavenly Dao Sect.
Although he had never seen the Sect Master himself, he had heard tales of the Sect Master's unparalleled technique the Spirit Array Body Refinement Technique. It was said to make one's body as indestructible as a divine weapon.
The most famous tale involved the Sect Master defeating a True Dragon expert in a pure physical duel, a testament to the technique's might.
After the fall of the Heavenly Dao Sect, the Spirit Array Body Refinement Technique had been presumed lost for millennia. Yet here it was, displayed before his very eyes.
"Tell me where did you learn the Spirit Array Body Refinement Technique?" the Battle Emperor demanded coldly.
Xiao Tiance's Defiance
Xiao Tiance sneered. "And why should I tell you?"
The Battle Emperor's expression turned even colder. While it was true that Xiao Tiance had been at a disadvantage in their clash, he hadn't gained the upper hand either.
"Xiao Tiance," the Battle Emperor growled, "do you truly think you can stand against me?
"I'll admit, your body refinement technique is impressive. But even with it, you're still leagues beneath me."
Xiao Tiance's smile remained. "Keep telling yourself that, Battle Emperor. Maybe one day you'll actually believe it."
In the Void West of Luoshui City
The Western Heaven Battle Emperor's fury was palpable. He glared at Xiao Tiance, his mind swirling with disbelief and irritation. No one had dared humiliate him like this in centuries, and now Xiao Tiance had made him look like a fool.
Yet, despite the Battle Emperor's threats and demands, Xiao Tiance remained calm, his expression even carrying a hint of mockery.
"Xiao Tiance, I admit that I underestimated you. Your mastery of spirit arrays and the Spirit Array Body Refinement Technique truly qualifies you to look down on the Western Heaven Battle Palace.
"However, the Spirit Array Body Refinement Technique is no small matter. If I spread the word that you possess it, no less than five superpowers would come looking for you.
"At that point, no matter how talented you are, you'd face two choices: surrender the technique or die.
"But I value talent, so I can protect this secret for you. I can even let go of the humiliation you've brought to the Western Heaven Battle Palace. In return, you will hand over the Spirit Array Body Refinement Technique, and we will form an alliance. What do you say?"
The Battle Emperor's Calculations
The Battle Emperor knew he could no longer simply kill Xiao Tiance. Though he had initially believed it possible to recruit him, their brief skirmish had shattered that illusion.
Even if he wanted to kill Xiao Tiance, the Great Thousand Palace's laws explicitly forbade infighting that resulted in the death of a Heavenly Supreme. With the looming threat of the extraterrestrial demon race, every Heavenly Supreme was a crucial part of their resistance.
Thus, outright killing Xiao Tiance was out of the question. Recruiting him had proven impossible. The Battle Emperor sought a middle ground if he couldn't eliminate Xiao Tiance, he could at least gain the Spirit Array Body Refinement Technique.
Xiao Tiance's Response
Hearing the Battle Emperor's proposition, Xiao Tiance's smile deepened.
"Spirit Array Body Refinement Technique? Funny, this is the first time I've heard it called that." Xiao Tiance thought of what Fatty had mentioned about ancient techniques and how the Heavenly Dao Sect Master had inscribed arrays inside and outside his body.
"Battle Emperor, do you really think that's possible?" Xiao Tiance replied with a rhetorical question, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
The Battle Emperor's Growing Frustration
The Battle Emperor's expression darkened further. Xiao Tiance's dismissive attitude was pushing him to the edge.
"Xiao Tiance," the Battle Emperor said coldly, "a wise man knows when to yield. You don't have many options here.
"Judging by your mastery of the Spirit Array Body Refinement Technique, it's clear you didn't obtain it in the Ancient Secret Realm. Did you inherit the Heavenly Dao Sect's legacy?
"Ah, the Heavenly Dao Sect. For ten thousand years, it stood unmatched, only to fall to the extraterrestrial demon race. Admirable, indeed.
"But perhaps you're unaware many of the Heavenly Dao Sect's old enemies still exist in the Great Thousand World. For instance, the current clan leader of the Black Heaven Ancient Clan and Maha the Patriarch of the Maha Ancient Clan both suffered significant losses to the Heavenly Dao Sect Master.
"If you don't care about provoking two Saint Grade Heavenly Supremes, then pretend I didn't mention this."
Xiao Tiance's Unshaken Confidence
Xiao Tiance chuckled, unimpressed by the veiled threats.
"Battle Emperor, I must say, I'm disappointed. If you want the Spirit Array Body Refinement Technique, just say so. Or better yet, defeat me and take it. Winner takes all. Heck, even my life could be yours.
"But dragging in the names of others to scare me? That's pathetic.
"Besides, those two may be strong, but if you're not afraid of them, why should I be? Are you implying that I'm weaker than you?"
Xiao Tiance's laughter rang out, his eyes flashing with disdain.
The Battle Emperor's Boiling Anger
The Battle Emperor's face darkened further. If not for the Great Thousand Palace's restrictions, he would have already risked serious injury to kill Xiao Tiance.
"Weaker than me? Of course you are!" he thought angrily. I'm a late stage Celestial Grade Heavenly Supreme! You've just stepped into the Heavenly Supreme realm. Even if you're a Grandmaster Spirit Array Master, your strength pales in comparison to mine!
While the Spirit Array Body Refinement Technique had boosted Xiao Tiance's physical strength significantly, the Battle Emperor wasn't limited to just physical combat.
"Xiao Tiance, I'll ask you one last time. Will you hand over the Spirit Array Body Refinement Technique?"
Xiao Tiance's grin only widened. "I've already told you beat me, and it's yours. Until then, you're wasting your breath."
"Fine," the Battle Emperor growled. "You leave me no choice.
"While the Great Thousand Palace forbids us from killing Heavenly Supremes, crippling your arms and legs is well within my rights!"
Unleashing the Ancient Battle Emperor Avatar
The Battle Emperor's aura surged as he activated his full power. Behind him, a massive shadow materialized a towering figure over ten thousand meters tall.
Suspended behind the shadow's head were three radiant orbs, each spinning faster and faster. With every rotation, the shadow emitted an overwhelming pressure that distorted the surrounding space, making it appear as though the void itself was collapsing.
"This is the Ancient Battle Emperor Avatar in its full glory!"
Even Xiao Tiance, who had seen Ling Zhanzi's version of the Ancient Battle Emperor Avatar, was momentarily shaken by its power. Compared to Ling Zhanzi's, the Battle Emperor's version was leagues stronger.
Simply standing near the avatar made Xiao Tiance feel as though he were a lone leaf adrift in a stormy sea, constantly at risk of being swallowed whole.
"Xiao Tiance," the Battle Emperor's voice boomed from the glowing orb in the center of the avatar's head. "This is your last chance. Hand over the Spirit Array Body Refinement Technique yes or no?"
Xiao Tiance's Defiance
Xiao Tiance steadied himself and smirked.
"As expected of the Ancient Battle Emperor Avatar, ranked 24th among the 99 Supreme Avatars. Its power is truly remarkable.
"But if you think this alone is enough to make me yield, you're sorely mistaken."
(End of Chapter)
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