"From the One, all duty!"
Silver Wolf Marshal Shanyin Guan unleashed the very first, most fundamental, technique of his 'Virtues of the Bound General', 'One Root to Hold the World'. As his mantra echoed throughout the battlefield, he simply stabbed forward with his double-ended spear, 'Marshal's Vanguard'. As he performed the movement, even Cao Yun had a hard time seeing it considering how fast it was. There was almost no useless movement or energy within it. Almost all of Shanyin Guan's being was used for this sole attack. He had reached a level of perfection that even Cao Yun's Spear Heart had not. To be fair, Cao Yun was close, but he wasn't quite there yet. Most likely, Shanyin Guan was closer to developing his Spear Spirit.
The moment the spear reached for Cao Yun's heart, he felt as though the heavens themselves were punishing him. The spear looked like thunder. All the other polearms in the sky took the shape of a celestial court judging him for daring to oppose morality itself. He was an enemy of the just and had to be eradicated. Surely, this attack would not merely destroy his heart, it would extinguish his dark soul as well. For a split second, Cao Yun did feel like a terrible criminal who had to expiate his sins. But his mind was stronger than that.
At the very last moment, the young man was able to move. He found his will and wielded it. Pushing his Spear Heart as much as he could, the golden hymns echoed around him and diminished the effects of Shanyin Guan's own Spear Heart. Then, Cao Yun's 'Tainted Heavenly Pillar' turned into a dark pillar that was taunting the heavens and could allow any mortal to climb into the heavenly court and violate their laws. There was no celestial emperor who could dictate their morals on mortals. And if there were, mortals could also pass judgment on such a tyrant.
'Cracking the World'!
Using the butt of his spear, Cao Yun literally struck the tip of Shanyin Guan's 'Marshal's Vanguard'. The shock was spectacular. Several trees below the two men were simply blown away. This cataclysmic shock could also be felt within the bones of the two fighters. Both of their spears shrieked in pain as they shook. Despite the incredible force behind the two blows, no weapon was destroyed. Instead, they were both pushed back. Before the two cultivators could recover and use their weapons again, Cao Yun attacked his enemy bare-handed.
Using 'Axiu Qian's Blood Wrath', the martial art he had developed himself, Cao Yun stabbed the Silver Wolf Marshal directly into the chest. Now that he had fully reformed Axiu Qian's Drop of Wrath, Cao Yun's technique was even more intense. Simply being in front of this stab with Cao Yun's fingers, the Silver Wolf Marshal felt like he was standing before a demonic tyrant who had bathed in the blood of billions on countless battlefields. Every move of that absolute demon would cover the world with blood and desolation. Taking advantage of his own weapon being blown away, Marshal Shanyin shifted his body and tried to gain some distance. Cao Yun's fingers merely grazed his armor but it was enough for his chest plate to explode.
It was the strongest armor the demons could produce. But in a fight between two such powerhouses, armor was almost meaningless. No armor could be as resistant as either Cao Yun's or Shanyin Guan's very flesh. At the very least, no armor on the Piaolu planet could reach such sturdiness. Armors were symbols of power and status above all. But they were also useful in very long battles against weaker opponents. A good armor could indeed help a cultivator to survive a war of attrition. Even slightly reducing the damage a bit longer could help in the long run. Indeed, without his chest plate, Marshal Shanyin Guan would have already been injured.
Of course, Cao Yun didn't intend to let his enemy escape him. He wanted to press his advantage before he could recover his double-ended spear. After all, Shanyin Guan had a better understanding of the spearmanship. But he wouldn't be so easily suppressed. As he was moving away from Cao Yun to gain more distance, he swirled around. First, his body moved using the involuntary movement of his spear. But then, he applied his own movement to his spear. He and his weapon were making each other move in a strange and beautiful dance.
'Two Forms, One Principle'!
"Two move as One."
His double-ended spear rotated and slashed toward Cao Yun's throat. Immediately, Cao Yun put his forearm in defense of his own neck. Suddenly, the spear changed course and went to slash downward to cut off Cao Yun's attacking hand. The young man was forced to halt his attack and tried to move out of the way. The spear didn't reach him, but the sheer force of the wind pressure broke a few small bones in his hand.
Of course, healing from such injury wasn't a problem. But it would still take Cao Yun a few minutes. Besides, he was losing a bit of mobility in his hand, nothing much or worrisome. However, Cao Yun had clearly been the first one to be injured. And his own momentum had been broken as well. Now, the two of them were back to a safe distance with their weapons completely under control.
While this physical fight was going on, their souls were always clashing. Indeed, their spiritual senses were always pushing against one another. Although they were invisible to the naked eye, anyone within this battlefield would have clearly felt their powerful killing intent. In fact, any mortal would have died on the spot. Down below, a few small animals and demonic beasts had been caught in the 'Maw of Absolute Bond'. They were all dead by now. Even though they had not been targeted, they simply couldn't survive long under this constant spiritual pressure and killing intent.
In this battle of the souls, Cao Yun had clearly the advantage. But even then, he wasn't completely obliterating Marshal Shanyin. However, his Demon Soul was complete and was modeled after Axiu Qian's Po. In other words, he had the most powerful Demon Soul on the Piaolu planet, apart from Demon God Da Mo himself. His 'Weeping Asura' was still in full effect. Each time Cao Yun looked at Shanyin Guan directly, or each time the Marshal saw those two blood-injected eyes, he felt tremors in his soul. Something was telling him that he was inferior and he should just wash his neck and hold it out for his opponent to cut it.
That being said, Marshal Shanyin Guan wasn't powerless when it came to soul battles. Within Cao Yun's sea of consciousness, eight bamboo slips had appeared. With ink made of blood, they were keeping the laws of the Heavens.
"If your mouth insults Heavens' Laws, break!
If your body defies Heavens' Laws, destroy!
If you violate Heavens' Laws, die!
If your parent transgresses Heavens' Laws, kill!
If your nation abandons Heavens' Laws, eradicate!
If the world corrupts Heavens' Laws, burn!
If the gods forsake Heavens' Laws, repudiate!
If the Heavens forget Heavens' Laws, sunder!"
The words on those bamboo slips were written in Antique Sixian. Cao Yun recognized them immediately, then he heard those words echo all at the same time within his own soul. Suddenly, he felt a powerful desire to destroy himself, to purge the world of his own evil. He was going against Heaven's Mandate, the law of nature itself. He was an aberration who was just corrupting everything. For the greater good of all, he had to die and be completely destroyed, body and soul alike.
Cao Yun's Soul Embryo let out a powerful wave of spiritual energy. Then, Axiu Qian's screams echoed throughout the infinite sea. They also echoed within Silver Wolf Marshal Shanyin Guan. His own screams of anger and hatred were covering the divine voices of Heaven's Mandate. From Axiu Qian, the seven Turbid Demons leapt forward and all pounced toward the eight bamboo slips while Axiu Qian was trying to rip apart the eighth and last one.
The bamboo slips were extremely strong. But the mere touch of Cao Yun's Turbid Demons corrupted them and made them more and more brittle. Silver Wolf Marshal Shanyin Guan could feel it in his very soul. His own resolve was being slowly gnawed at by those Turbid Demons. However, he would endure. His own principles would remain undisturbed. Nothing could alter his rectitude!
'Three Dual Bonds'!
Marshal Shanyin struck toward Cao Yun with more circular techniques. Although each one was circular, they all seemed to reach him like a straight stab. But they were getting to him from different directions.
"First, mind."
With his first attack, Shanyin Guan unleashed several polearms that flew toward Cao Yun's throat from the side. The young man could feel a powerful aura, the aura of an emperor asking him to bow to his authority and let his head be cut off for his crimes.
"Second, heart."
His second strike sent more polearms toward Cao Yun's heart, from behind. Then, the young man heard the voices of his parents, his mentors, his teachers. They were all exhorting him to take responsibility and to accept his just punishment.
"Third... all."
Finally, many polearms flew from every direction, ready to stab Cao Yun in all of his major organs and joints. He would be cut apart in dozens of pieces. This time, he felt the touch of a woman. Love was dictating him to die so he could find peace in a better life. In his next incarnation, he might follow the rightful path and be an honorable man under Heaven's Mandate.
All around Cao Yun's body, the Black Heart Flame appeared. It suddenly exploded outward, burning away all those feelings from Shanyin Guan's attack. Within those flames, Cao Yun's spear turned into a black flame itself under the effects of his Spear Heart. For the very first time, Cao Yun also used 'Living Death' in battle. A large part of his Po of Death, his Devouring Robber, turned into Death Energy.
The Black Heart Flame consumed many, if not all, of Shanyin Guan's polearms that had been thrown toward Cao Yun. It was a variation of 'Imperial Throne' really. But it didn't stop here. Cao Yun's spear aimed for the culprit himself. The young man stabbed directly toward the Silver Wolf Marshal.
'Son of Heaven's Chariot Tramples the Nine Skies'!
His 'Tainted Heavenly Pillar' was now a pillar of pure dark flames. As Cao Yun stabbed forward, it turned into a chariot pulled by nine dragon-like horses. Their neighing was so loud that it made everyone deaf. All sound seemed to disappear for an instant. The next moment, the chariot was trampling down Heaven's Mandate. Whoever was in that chariot was looking down on the Heavens themselves. If the Heavens rejected them, then, they would destroy the Heavens and impose their own rules.
'Four Obedient Sprouts'!
Without faltering, Shanyin Guan responded to Cao Yun's counter-attack.
"Know love! Know shame! Know right! Know All!"
He swirled his spear around and flew forward, directly into the chariot of black flames. The whole technique was surrounded by Cao Yun's Black Heart Flame, full of resentment and hatred. Even now, Shanyin Guan could feel the pain of those sacrificed to form this Black Heart Flame. Mixed within it was some of Cao Yun's own Death Energy. There was a deep desire of death as well as resentment against all living beings. But beneath it all, one could also feel a desire for peace through total obliteration. Non-being would be preferable to the pain of existence.
Shanyin Guan's spear was spinning so fast that it almost formed a shield in his hand. As he flew forward, the mantra of his technique was echoing in all directions. His spear struck the nine dragon-like horses one by one. Each time, it exploded outward. Finally, Shanyin Guan reached the chariot itself. Using the entire momentum of his spinning spear, he struck it from the side. In a single strike, the chariot was toppled, allowing Shanyin Guan to keep flying forward. This time, he was aiming for Cao Yun directly.
'Dragon Swimming Against the Storm'!
Cao Yun's spear completely changed on the spot. It became a black lightning bolt in his hand. There was still some of his own Death Energy within so each direct strike would assault the soul as well, not just the flesh. Cao Yun's movements also changed and he became much more agile. It became a fight between Shanyin Guan's speed against Cao Yun's agility. The attacks of Shanyin Guan were raining down on the young man, but his spear was changing direction out of nowhere, allowing him to block most hits. Still, a few strikes did pierce through Cao Yun's defenses.
The young man suffered a few broken bones. In a matter of seconds, Cao Yun was covered in bruises with some shattered ribs. In fact, a few bone fragments had also pierced his organs but there was nothing absolutely lethal. By controlling his flow of blood, he had even been able to protect his organs by creating layers of Wei Qi around them.
On the other hand, Cao Yun had only been able to land two hits on Shanyin Guan. But those hits were much more precise. That being said, the Silver Wolf Marshal was fast enough to avoid any lethal attack as well. Cao Yun had aimed for his throat and his heart. The first strike pierced his shoulder instead while the second one shattered his sternum, acting like another chest plate.
Silver Wolf Marshal Shanyin Guan was now the first one to bleed as his shoulder had been pierced. His Golden Blood was as dense and rich as Cao Yun's. As such, it barely flowed, but it slowly began to cover his skin.
Looking at the fight, the Six Fangs Generals were completely flabbergasted. A duel of that magnitude was extremely rare. And they knew that neither of them had unleashed their strongest techniques yet.