The twinhead darkvoid taotie cried out in pain as its body shook, dragging Tianming away by the chain and just so happening to help him avoid Yama's attack as it had already lost all sense. It was preparing to bite Tianming with its other head.
"Want to eat me, eh?" Tianming used the Soulshaker Eye on it, causing it to blank out.
"Die!"
He unleashed all of the tribulation sword ki in his sword, slashing it right before the taotie’s mouth closed. Its throat was torn into a bloody mush!
Lan Huang then came in and swung its tail at the taotie's neck, tearing out a bloody gash. However, Tianming was unable to follow it up as Yama was now behind him, aiming a fatal blow toward the back of his heart. Yama was just as fast as him!
"Ling'er!" Tianming cried without turning back. From within his body, she used Temporal Field, making it seem like his enemies had stepped into a quagmire and slowed down. That sudden change caused them to miss the opportunity to apply more pressure on Tianming. However, that wasn't all her field did after so long. Nobody could see it apart from herself and Tianming, and she could even control it.
She moved the field and focused it on Yama. Tianming saw the vortex turning into a lock, slowing down Yama by half; now, he had more than enough time to react. "Is this a new form of Temporal Field, Temporal Lock?"
"Yeah," Feiling replied. The field was still present, but a new lock had formed that seemed to bind Yama's arms and legs. Yama wasn't able to feel himself slowing down, either. Instead, from his perspective, the world around him had doubled in speed! As he couldn't even feel the lock on him, there was no way he would know how to break out of it, not that he could even if he did, since he had no reason to work with. All he knew to do was roar and lash out wildly. Even while slowed down, he was still terrifying to behold.
"Did Spatial Wall also get an upgrade?"
"Of course! Watch! Millennium Fort!" Suddenly, thousands of Spatial Walls appeared at her beck and call, forming together into a fortress. Not only did they stop Yama, they even split his four beasts up, yet Tianming and his own beasts were completely unhindered.
No matter how the beasts tried to ram the walls, all they did was hurt themselves. The walls were much stronger than they used to be. Now, Feiling seemed to be the undisputed ruler of both time and space with both her abilities deployed, and as far as the stronger ones in the audience were concerned, all they could see were formless walls seemingly blocking the beasts' way. They didn't even notice the dilation of time.
It was finally Tianming's chance for a comeback. "Ling'er's abilities aren’t unlimited, so it won't hold for long! Quick, attack!"
"I'll deal with that hairless turkey first!" Ying Huo flashed brightly, as it was running away from the beast before. It had a few close calls and had almost been eaten by the ghostfowl, having been humiliated too often by the mindless brute. But now the ghostfowl was trapped, ramming against the walls so hard that it bled all over. Then its nine heads cried loudly as it used its ability, Naraka's Ghostfire. The green flames that spouted from its beaks spread throughout Millennium Fort, making the outlines of the walls visible. Then they turned into claws that homed in on Ying Huo. Even though Infernal Haze had made quite a number of clones, there were enough flaming claws to match it.
"What's wrong with that green fire of yours? Don't tell me your wife is the loose and easy kind?" Ying Huo quipped. [1]
Ying Huo swerved through the countless flames and shook its rear, angering the ghostfowl even more. As its nine heads were fast, and it had an arsenal of abilities that could greatly harm the Radix World Tree, there was a limit to Xian Xian's ability to help Ying Huo so it had to face this enemy alone. It didn't feel like it had a good chance against it in close range, given how the ghostfowl had traded its mind for insane strength. Instead, Ying Huo skirted around its sides, causing it to set itself on fire.
Meow Meow turned into a Regal Chaosfiend and managed to gain an edge against the qiongqi with help from Xian Xian's Bloodrain Swords. After turning into its giant form, Meow Meow was an amazing fighter at both close range, with its physical capabilities, and long range with its abilities. Chaotic blasts of thunder covered the entire battlefield while Soulchasing Hellthunder homed in on Yama.
On the heels of the Soulchasing Hellthunder came countless sword-shaped petals launched from the branches of the Radix World Tree, many of them embedding themselves in the qiongqi's fur. Once the petals absorbed enough blood, they would explode and cause a second round of damage. So far, the qiongqi was only barely holding on, but its berserk form allowed it to hold its ground against Meow Meow for a time. However, thanks to Xian Xian's aid and the Millennium Fortress, Meow Meow wasn't entangled with it.
The qiongqi used Galaxy Ghosteyes, causing its vortex-like eyes to spin rapidly, increasing the size of the dark void that resembled star-devouring black holes. All of a sudden, tens of thousands of black stars started falling from the sky, shattering Millennium Fortress and even breaking through Meow Meow's Ninefold Chaos Thunderscape. Xian Xian was also under threat from that powerful ability, so it had no choice but to retract its Radiant Vines to block the attack. But that way, Lan Huang's pressure began mounting as it started struggling to hold back two foes. Thankfully, Millennium Fortress and Temporal Field had greatly decreased the enemies' mobility, allowing it to hold on for a little longer.
The fight was really intense, both on the beastmasters' side as well as the beasts'. Abilities shook the battlefield again and again with no end in sight. Even though Tianming was obviously slightly weaker, he did have an advantage with the types of lifebound beasts he had. Their unique coordination and teamwork, coupled with the Millennium Fortress and Imperealm Sword Formation, allowed them to hold on against Yama and his beasts' onslaught.
"Isn't he a little too strong?"
"Why do I feel like he wasn't nearly as strong an hour ago when he fought Hei An?"
"He definitely wasn't. His beasts seem the same, but Tianming himself got much stronger. He probably used some kind of unique method."
"He went to see Xuanyuan Xi, right?"
The elites from all over the Flameyellow Continent began talking about it. They hadn't expected this battle would reach this level of intensity.
"These two young folks are truly amazing. When we were in our thirties, we didn't even come close."
"Even when Li Caiwei got first place in the Number One Summit held decades ago, she was only a fifth-level life phase samsaran on the level of Bai Rao."
"This disciple of the goddess really isn't simple. I heard he joined the Deepstar Battle as well, so he's only twenty."
"His talent for cultivation and combat really is impressive. This might be Yama's only chance to kill him."
"And it looks like he won't be able to do that either."
"Huh, not just that. Yama seems to be the one being pressured on the battlefield right now."
"What?"
No matter how much those elites overestimated Tianming's abilities, they wouldn't be able to expect how much Feiling's Spiritual Attachment could do for him. Xuanyuan Yucheng and the rest had told Tianming to surrender the match to keep himself safe, but now it seemed that their worries were unnecessary.
"I knew I shouldn't have asked him to surrender. Now it looks like we don't trust him at all! He really is a banger," Xuanyuan Yucheng said.
"It's not over yet! Let's hope he wins and kills Yama!" Beigong Qianyu began praying.
If even the ones qualified to watch from the Heaven Branch's Dimensional Battlefield were impressed, the others watching through the Skyeye Formations were absolutely floored.
"Is this really a fight between disciples?"
"Many seniors above the age of a hundred aren't even that powerful."
"You're mistaken. Most people won't be able to achieve that level of power throughout their entire lives."
The fight kept them constantly on the edge of their seats. The slightest change could result in one of their deaths. As they watched, Tianming pulled the taotie along the ground with Archfiend while he fended off Yama's pursuit. He had to create an opening for Ying Huo and the other three to gain an advantage before letting go of the taotie and engaging Yama properly.
By now, Temporal Lock and Millennium Fortress had reached their peak usefulness. Yama was slowed down so much and blocked by the Millennium Fortress, giving Tianming the chance he was looking for.
With a fierce swing, he sent the nearly hundred-meters-long taotie smashing against the wall of the Dimensional Battlefield.
"Xian Xian!"
When he called out, it responded by sending countless black roots piercing into the injured taotie's mouths to shred its innards. The beast shrieked and wildly flailed, but Tianming had it completely tied up with Archfiend. More and more of Xian Xian's roots poured into it.
"Now it's nothing more than a wildbeast! Xian Xian, I permit you to eat its innards when you find them! Let's see who's the hunter and who's the prey!"
Tianming had heard that they often ate their opponents after defeating them, so he wanted to see whether they had the appetite to compete with the Radix World Tree.
1. Wearing a green hat is Chinese slang for being cheated on, and the author is drawing an association with the green flames.