Battles raged on, and eventually, the two victors that would move to the semi-finals were decided. Between Drakar and Aerthion, Drakar ended up being the winner. The Demon fought tooth and nail, his fire attacks eventually overpowering the coldness of his enemy.
The difference was not so much in their skills, but in Drakar's innately powerful body. That gave him the edge necessary to snatch the victory after fighting for almost 10 hours straight.
Meanwhile, a surprising result emerged in the battle between Lan Ruyu and Yan Bai.
After a nearly 12-hour battle, Yan Bai gained the upper hand and beat Lan Ruyu. Moreover, while the battle stretched for so long, Yan Bai didn't look tired in the slightest.
The battle was close, but due to the super-defensive nature of Yan Bai's fighting style, he was an expert in long-lasting battles.
This left platforms 6, 9, 32, and 55. Following the rules, Platform 6 would fight against Platform 55, while Platform 9 would face Platform 32.
The four gigantic platforms began moving, mixing into ginormous ones. After all, the size had been continuously increasing since the beginning. Now, each platform was a mix of 32 other platforms, spanning several thousand kilometers. The sheer magnitude of the arena nearly matched the size of the platforms.
Yasenia stared with curiosity as Yan Bai's platform approached. She knew not to underestimate this person, even when the white-haired man had been fighting continuously.
Lan Ruyu's defeat told her most of the man's tricks, and now she was more than ready. 'To fight defensive cultivators, you need to avoid falling into their pace.'
Yasenia extended her hand and summoned the [Everlasting War Calamity Battle Flag] and gripped it tightly, entering a perfect battle stance. Her body was relaxed yet taut, her muscles ready to explode with endless strength and close the distance.
Yan Bai looked over with a cold face. Even if there were signs of tiredness after fighting a monster like Lan Ruyu, he didn't feel like he could lose. 'I've seen her attacks, and they are indeed powerful. However, the amount of energy they need is similarly ridiculous. I can probably tire her before she breaks through my defense.'
Yan Bai spoke faintly. "I will stop you now. Not even Lan Ruyu's sabre could cut through my defense, so I can say for sure that there is no one who can stop me now."
Yasenia's eyebrow arched faintly. The platform had yet to merge, so she couldn't attack. "I didn't take you for the arrogant kind."
"It's not arrogance, it's confidence. The attack power of pure weapon cultivators is top-notch, and few things are able to surpass their sheer destructive abilities. I could defend against such a monster for 12 hours and snatch the win. Doesn't this mean that I am the strongest? Yasenia Dravory, you can do nothing; surrender before you are shamed."
Yasenia's face didn't change, but strangely, everyone could feel a strange shift in the aura of the dragoness. "You know, Yan Bai. I was not really expecting to use all my strength. Not after my breakthrough inside the flame area."
The spectators felt a chill. 'She has not shown all her strength yet?'
Yasenia relaxed her stance and smiled at him. The smile was alluring, seductive, and… dangerous. "I doubt you can force me to bring out all my strength as well. However, for those words, I think I can use one of my trump cards on you."
Yan Bai shook his head. "It doesn't matter what trump card you have. My defense is absolute against those in the same realm. You should know already, but I have the [Stillness Intent Domain] and [Fortitude Intent Domain]. Both are at Level 4 as well. My cultivation realm is at the Fifth Level as well. Even if your Intent Domains are strong, can you pierce through those two absolute defensive concepts?"
Yasenia laughed softly and let go of the flag, leaving it floating by her side. "Yan Bai…" Yasenia's lips arched. "I really hope for your sake and your sect's sake, that your words can make justice to your boasts."
When the platforms finally merged, Yan Bai didn't hesitate. He was slightly tired from the previous battle, so he couldn't afford the luxury of giving Yasenia the first blow.
However, to everyone's surprise, Yasenia stood still and smiled.
Yan Bai summoned both his domains, and Yasenia did the same. The Celestial Intent Domain's innate control and the Tyrant Warlord Intent Domain's absolute control over the battlefield fought against [Stillness], suppressing the concept enough not to affect Yasenia.
In turn, Yasenia's Intent Domains also fell short of affecting Yan Bai.
Even then, Yasenia felt that she was more than able to summon the celestial bodies of her domain to attack.
"[Moon Fortress], [Perfected Glass Structure Enhancement], [Mirrors Of The Moon]."
Yan Bai's surroundings changed, a massive defensive and transparent fortress covering his figure. Then, around the fortress, a thousand mirrors appeared, gleaming with the chilling aura of the Moon.
Yan Bai, now secure inside his defensive skills, allowed himself to give a small sigh of relief. Still, something felt off. 'It was too easy.'
Usually, opponents would try to stop his skills, attacking relentlessly as he slowly developed them. Once formed, their defense was truly overbearing, so he would win by chipping away with his comparatively weaker attacks.
Yan Bai, who was too focused on himself, finally looked over at what Yasenia was doing. 'She is… dancing?'
Yasenia's body had already been covered by her enhancing skills. Her empyrean crystalline gown trailed with her alluring movements, her body dancing like a leaf at the mercy of the wind, yet carrying the elegance of a swan spreading its wings.
Step.
A star manifested below her gorgeous foot, and Yasenia twirled away, landing on another location.
Step. Step. Step…
Once after another, Yasenia manifested stars in the cosmos; she manifested with her Celestial Intent Domain.
"[Heavenly Constellation Steps…"
When she spoke, the world shook, Yan Bai's face changing as his heart squeezed. 'What is she doing?'
Yasenia had clearly prepared for as long as he had, and he had no chance to attack now. After all, the other side was finishing her skill.
"...Sixth Sky…"
In the stands, when Tatyana heard those two words echo, her lips uncontrollably arched. The others noticed Tatyana's expression, and their curiosity soared.
In the Divine side of the stands, Lataria and Astarea, the two Divines Yasenia encountered in the Secret Realm, also felt their hearts tense up.
Others murmured, unaware that there was such a thing. After all, Yasenia had only used the first two skies in the competition. Now, she was jumping straight to the sixth!
In the cosmos-enveloped platform, Yasenia jumped one last time, her figure soaring from the tail tip of the being she painted with her steps to the head. Her leg bent elegantly as she landed, her extremely long empyrean gown fluttering behind her as a nebula entangled in her divine figure.
And so, she completed her skill.
"...Draco's Descent]."
At that very instant, the cosmos Yasenia manifested, and everything within it came to a standstill.
The mirrors that circled Yan Bai's fortress froze, the man's breath hitching. The twinkling stars, worlds, and galaxies also stopped.
Yasenia's calm golden slit eyes glittered with starlight, and behind her, two gargantuan dragon eyes fluttered open. They were like two dark voids, carrying one spiral galaxy inside each.
When people looked into these two eyes, they felt as if an ancient myth had come to life. Within these eyes, which carried the pressure of the universe, there was a sense of timelessness, as if they had experienced the birth and death of the cosmos itself.
At that instant, it felt as if Yasenia's Intent Domain had come to life and taken form. The form was that of a winged eastern dragon, its figure so vast that even Yasenia's dragon form would be dwarfed in front of it.
This time, all ancestors present widened their eyes. Ao Xianlan stood up, her wine-red eyes looking at that figure with a stunned expression. "Impossible… Is that… [Primordial Constellation Dragon Draco]?"
Yasenia looked at Yan Bai with her star-lit eyes and moved her long sleeve like a goddess commanding the cosmos. "Draco, destroy him."
ROAAARR!!!
The Primordial Dragon roared, the very fabric of reality trembling under its rumbling dragon cry.
Yan Bai was frozen, not knowing what was happening but understanding that he might have spoken too arrogantly before.
Seeing the terrifyingly large dragon flap his sky-shrouding wings, Yan Bai knew that he had to reinforce his defenses.
Draco didn't care about what he did. Instead, the stars, planets, and galaxies inside Yasenia's Celestial Intent Domain shifted under his will, forming the figures of other constellations. These constellations came to life and rushed down to attack the fortified structure.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Each time Draco flapped his wings, countless stars rained down, as if it were the apocalypse.
Yasenia didn't move, her face cold and indifferent as she looked at Yan Bai's defenses crumble in real time. Even if they were strong, a stationary defense that couldn't counterattack was nothing more than a sitting duck.
She didn't need to move; she didn't need to speak anymore. Yasenia only looked down as if the super genius in front of her was filth unworthy of her making a move.
Draco, seeing that the opponent was standing after his attacks, was far from pleased. How could an ant resist the cosmos?
The Primordial Constellation Dragon flew forward, moving past Yasenia and striking down Yan Bai's fortress with its claw.
BOOOM!!!!!
The fortress was immediately engulfed in cracks, Yan Bai spitting a mouthful of blood. 'How can it be so strong!? What in Heaven's name is that Dragon!?'
His heart was drumming in his chest, his thoughts confused. He didn't understand what kind of entity Yasenia summoned!
Draco struck together with the falling constellations, the attacks creating incredibly powerful shockwaves. Seeing that the fortress was breaking down, Draco opened his mouth.
Yasenia was somewhat surprised and looked at him. Behind his terrifying maw, there was a black hole. While it wasn't the real deal, Yasenia couldn't help but feel chills. After all, he was a phantom of what he once was.
A dragon that had a black hole in its throat was nothing but a terrifying concept.
When Draco gathered energy, clearly ready to release a Dragon Breath, Yan Bai's senior manifested and stomped strongly on the ground.
BANG!
Everything shattered, Yasenia stepped back a few steps from the backlash, and coughed up some blood. Her eyes looked furiously for a second at the senior, but she didn't need to say anything as a far more terrifying aura of death descended from the heavens.
"You dare strike my daughter, shameless old creature!?"
Tatyana descended from the stands, her face terrifyingly cold as she punched at the senior who descended to protect Yan Bai.
BOOM!!!
The world shattered as the senior and Tatyana collided, the result being the senior being pushed back. He barely protected Yan Bai before he disappeared with him.