"Clang!"
Logically, a spear is significantly longer than a saber; in a direct clash, the spear should hold the advantage of range.
Yet, Lin was forced back repeatedly by the man's treacherous attacks. The man moved with such ease it was as if he were a child playfully swinging a long blade, but every strike was incredibly lethal. Whenever Lin attempted to widen the gap, the man would keenly perceive his intent and close in—the advantage of a weapon's length ceased to exist in the midst of close-quarters grappling.
"Swoosh—"
Chains lunged from a blind spot, aiming to bind the man's limbs with deceptive precision. Hearing the sound from behind, the man leaped into the air, evading the chains.
Cold light flickered in his eyes as Lin took a heavy stride, raising his spear with both hands to parry the saber in the man's grip!
"Cling!"
Caught off guard by the sudden maneuver, the man's weapon was knocked from his hand. Lin immediately manipulated the chains to seize the saber, locking it away.
The man flipped in mid-air and landed on the ground. He looked at the tightly bound saber with genuine interest.
Lin placed his hand at the center of the cross; the spear within was poised to strike, ready to transform into a ferocious lance of light to transfix the man at any moment.
Even though he had disarmed the cloaked man, he could not afford to be careless. The man had more than one sword.
"The Herrscher Core grants Herrschers control over rules. Each of them corresponds to the ultimate form of a specific rule. Their authorities are essentially the manifestation, shaping, and extension of Houkai energy within those rules."
The cloaked man suddenly spoke in a leisurely, didactic tone. A smile that seemed permanent hung on his lips beneath the hood. He spread his hands, his indifferent pupils fixed on Lin.
"Manifestation and shaping—turning formless Houkai energy into something tangible. In this regard, the Herrscher of Reason is a standout, but other Herrschers can also craft Houkai energy into objects, such as spears, swords, guns, or even keys."
Lin gripped his spear tighter. He didn't understand what the cloaked man was trying to say; more accurately, it was impossible to tell what the man intended to do at all.
The cloaked man let out a short laugh. "However, the Herrscher of Void cannot use the abilities of the Herrscher of Flame, nor can the Herrscher of Flame use the abilities of the Herrscher of Wind—unless a special case like the Herrscher of Reason occurs, or if one simply possesses multiple Herrscher Cores."
"They can only extend in one direction. But those who can freely manipulate Houkai energy have no such limitations."
"Though the end of time is already beyond reach, I can still learn many things from them."
He brushed his sleeves, empty-handed, dressed in his black robe, and beckoned Lin with a finger.
Lin frowned, then took a step forward with his spear.
The man took a step forward as well.
"Boom!"
What...
Though it was merely a casual step onto the ground, it sounded like a thunderclap exploding in Lin ears. Lin felt as if he saw an invisible ripple spread from the point of impact the moment the man's toe touched the floor.
"Inshun: Ranrai (Inch Force: Chaotic Thunder)."
Substantial "Qi" gathered between his wrists, and then a "sun" condensed between his palms.
Is that... Houkai energy? He condensed Houkai energy directly like a Herrscher?
Pushing his palms forward, the spherical energy mass containing pure destructiveness instantly expanded into a scorching fireball with a radius of two meters!
"Boom!"
Lin instinctively crossed his chains in front of him. Upon colliding with the chains, the Houkai energy within the fireball was swiftly suppressed, but the light, heat, and impact were not things the chains could block.
Everything before him was swallowed by scorching light. Lin stumbled back, hitting the Oath of Judah. Once his scorched eyes regained a sliver of sight, he saw a blurred image of his own hands, the skin torn and the flesh raw.
"Don't get distracted."
Before he could react, the ghostly figure had already stepped in front of him. His right hand, wrapped in "Qi," was drawn back like a bent bow. The cold eyes, shimmering beneath the hood, were devoid of any emotion.
"Inshun: Kaiten (Inch Force: Opening the Heavens)."
"Bang!"
Lin was sent flying.
His chest was pierced by the fist as easily as if it were breaking tofu. He was uprooted along with the cross nailed into the ground behind him, blasted into the sky at a terrifying speed!
Without a weapon... he can achieve this much?
"Sword techniques are born from the form of the sword, yet find their essence in the soul. One who understands the Way of the Sword is not bound by form; this body is the blade, this body is the sword."
"Someone else taught me this, but I think you should learn it well, too."
"Thud!"
Crashing heavily onto the ground, Lin clutched the gaping hole in his chest and coughed up several clotted chunks of blood. His eyes bulged instinctively; his spear and chains lay scattered on the ground, making him look exceptionally pathetic.
Something's wrong...
Lin had suffered injuries far worse than this before, but for the first time, he felt unable to control his body. Even standing up was incredibly difficult.
That Houkai energy... had been driven into his body!
"What... is this?" His teeth chattered as he struggled to prop himself up on his arms, looking at the cloaked man whose right arm was coated in blood as he slowly approached.
As the man drew closer, the feeling of many things being jumbled together within him grew stronger. Whatever this man was, he could not be human!
"You finally asked a good question." The man's foot stopped in front of Lin. "This is called 'Taixuan Sword Qi.' What I have demonstrated are the Sword Forms, Sword Intent, and Sword Soul within it."
"However, the so-called Form, Intent, and Soul, and even the Sword Heart, are merely refined and improved versions under different names. Hmm... it's roughly like changing a scientific name to something with Shenzhou characteristics. The true value of Taixuan Sword Qi does not lie within those four."
"I said that a Herrscher's authority is the ultimate form of a rule, but they lack the extension into other domains of rules."
"I do not have a Herrscher of Flame core in my body, nor do I have the genes of a Houkai Beast that can utilize thermal energy."
Then, why did "Inch Force: Chaotic Thunder" possess thermal energy beyond the destructive power of Houkai energy itself?
"I will not come looking for you again. But for countless days and nights, until the end of your life, you will experience this move."
Space turned virtual; the distinction between reality and consciousness seemed erased. The dying Lin felt the most terrifying pressure he had ever experienced.
Even Uranus's beam of light, which split the continent, sea, and sky in two, had not made him feel this way.
Even if he used a phase-shift device to hide in the gaps of space, he could not escape this strike.
He couldn't hide.
He couldn't hide.
He couldn't hide!
"Spirit is the ultimate of transformation. There is no sword, yet a sword exists. Relying on the Spirit to manifest the sword, the Sword Qi forms itself; this is the mastery of Spirit Essence. Spirit is the ultimate of transformation, the wondrous expression of all things, that which cannot be questioned by form. Having no physical body, it requires none; this sword fills space, this sword is space. Thus, it is omnipresent and invincible."
Lin face was swallowed by light. He looked up, and what he saw was...
A giant sword that spanned heaven and earth!
...
"Hah—"
Lin bolted upright, sitting on his bed. In the dark of the night, he clutched his head, gasping for air.
He wouldn't feel pain.
But under that single sword strike, he had been pulverized by the glint of the blade. The agony of every inch of skin and muscle being annihilated tore his consciousness apart, cutting him until...
Both his body and soul were extinguished.