Chapter 1670 - Ascension Realm
Chapter 1670 – Ascension Realm
As the seconds ticked by, and Forbidden Domain neared the end of its duration, Aqua Rose and the other Zero Wing members couldn’t help their growing nerves as they watched from outside of the magic array.
They had never thought that even the test to enter Primordial City would be so difficult.
Aside from all else, once Shi Feng and one of the Shadows of Trial’s Forbidden Domains ended, the other two Shadows could still use the Skill.
At that time, Shi Feng would have to face three Shadows that could use Skills while he could not. With the huge disparity in combat power, he would doubtlessly meet his end.
Not only did the Shadows of Trial have higher Basic Attributes, but their combat standards were also at the Refinement Realm; they executed every slash without any excess movement. When the three Shadows cooperated, they could even make up for the weaknesses in each other’s defenses and elevate their combat power further.
I have no choice but to gamble everything on one attack!
Shi Feng also knew what outcome awaited him once his Forbidden Domain ended. With no other choice, he gritted his teeth and force his way through the countless, incoming attacks, swinging his blades at the Shadow that had already taken five hits.
Sword’s Orbit!
If he could eliminate one Shadow before Forbidden Domain ran out, he’d still have a chance at victory, albeit a small one. If he didn’t do so, he would die the moment his Skill’s duration ended.
However, as if they had predicted Shi Feng’s desperation, the three Shadows smirked as they launched attacks, aiming for Shi Feng’s blindspots.
Despite noticing the incoming attacks, Shi Feng did not bother dodging. Instead, he continued to swing his swords at the Shadow before him.
One slash… Two slashes…
At this point, Shi Feng traded blow for blow with the Shadows. As a result, he was hit, again and again.
Two hits… Four hits… Six hits…
Faster! I need to be faster!
As Shi Feng frantically brandished his weapons, he gained unprecedented focus. The only thing on his mind was landing a hit on the Shadow of Trial before him.
However, despite Shi Feng’s flurry of attacks, his target could still endure two more attacks. Shi Feng was only two hits away from elimination, himself.
Just as Shi Feng’s two swords were about to bite into the targeted Shadow, the other two Shadows, one behind and one to the left, simultaneously swung towards Shi Feng’s blind spots.
“It’s over.” Tyrol sighed faintly.
The young man before him had just barely missed the mark. If Shi Feng could have killed the Shadow of Trial before Forbidden Domain ran out, he would have had a chance of passing the Asura ranked test.
Is it over? Shi Feng could sense the two Shadows’ longswords nearing his body, but he was powerless to do anything about the weapons. At most, he could take one of the Shadows of Trial down with him.
As the two longswords soared closer to Shi Feng’s back and abdomen…
Something about the situation felt incredibly familiar.
Shi Feng felt like this test was similar to the test Rhinebeck, one of the Sea God’s Temple’s Vice Knight Commanders, had given him. Before the breakthrough he had achieved during that trial, he hadn’t been able to withstand Rhinebeck’s attacks no matter what he had done. He had only been able to watch as he had repeatedly been defeated.
Rhinebeck? Shi Feng’s eyes shone with realization when he recalled his battle with Rhinebeck. Right! Combat method! My combat method!
Suddenly, Shi Feng put strength into his legs and made a spinning jump. Utilizing the rotational momentum, he swung Killing Ray at the Shadow attacking his abdomen, the Sacred Sword moving with remarkable speed.
Dang!
A crisp clang echoed throughout the forest.
In that critical moment, Shi Feng had used Killing Ray to block the attack from the side while he used Abyssal Blade to slice at the targeted Shadow’s shoulder. He then utilized the force generated from blocking the attack at his side to push himself over eight yards away from the nearest Shadow. When his feet touched the ground again, he used a hand to stabilize himself, only coming to a halt after two more spins.
“He survived?!” Aqua Rose and the other Zero Wing experts stared with wide eyes, utterly shocked.
Shi Feng had actually executed an incredible maneuver at the last second, narrowly avoiding mutual destruction.
This is… Tyrol revealed an odd look as he watched Shi Feng. How is that possible?! He has already reached the Ascension Realm in the Realms of Truth?!
Existences that could set foot in the Realms of Truth’s Truth Realm were exceedingly rare, with only a few throughout the kingdom. Meanwhile, experts who had reached the Ascension Realm were even rare in Primordial City.
One could not simply reach the Ascension Realm by understanding the realm’s philosophy. They would also need to temper themselves and gain the experience of countless life-or-death battles to execute the proper physical response.
During Tyrol’s brief moment of surprise, the three Shadows of Trial resumed their assault on Shi Feng.
Like before, the three Shadows surrounded Shi Feng and attacked him from different angles.
Although Shi Feng had avoided certain death, he was still at a disadvantage. He had little more than a second before his Forbidden Domain ran out, and he had only blocked the attack aimed for his abdomen. The attack from behind had still found its mark. Now, he could only afford to receive one more hit before he was eliminated from the test.
“Come,” Shi Feng said with a hint of excitement as he watched the three Shadows.
Suddenly, over twenty sword lights surrounded Shi Feng, sealing off all escape paths.
However, instead of using Sword’s Orbit to repel the attacks, Shi Feng simply adjusted his footwork, turning as he executed eight slashes, which wasn’t much compared to his earlier efforts.
Yet, something surprising happened again.
Despite reaching his maximum Attack Speed, these slashes continued to accelerate. The three Shadows of Trial interlocked with their target before passing by Shi Feng. The Swordsman blocked every one of the incoming attacks.
“Die!”
As the Shadows passed, Shi Feng swung Killing Ray, slicing the neck of the Shadow that had already received nine hits. The Shadow then vanished, leaving two remaining in the magic array.
“What just happened?” Aqua Rose, Fire Dance, Shadow Sword, and the other Tier 2 experts from Zero Wing were stupefied.
Not only had Shi Feng blocked every incoming attack without using Sword’s Orbit, but he had also created a gap in the Shadows’ defenses and eliminated one of them. None of them could figure out how he had pulled it off.
So, this is the realm above the Truth Realm that Rhinebeck had mentioned? Shi Feng felt incredible as he turned towards the remaining Shadows of Trial.
Rhinebeck had only informed Shi Feng that he had just entered the Truth Realm. After undergoing Rhinebeck’s test, he had learned that one shouldn’t just focus on adapting to the changing battle physically. One could also adjust their perspective of the battle. In other words, aside from using his environment to his advantage, he could use his opponent’s attacks as well.
Unlike the Realms of Refinement, which focused on sharpening one’s senses, the Realms of Truth focused on improving one’s utilization of their body and the environment.
Only, Shi Feng had never realized that the Realms of Truth’s principles could help increase his combat power by such a large margin, allowing him to overcome his enemies’ Attributes and overwhelm the three Shadows of Trial.
However, Shi Feng’s Forbidden Domain had ended after he had killed the one Shadow.
Without hesitation, the two remaining Shadows activated Blade Liberation before one activated Forbidden Domain.
Twofold berserk? Shi Feng could not help but grin as he noticed the Shadows’ auras strengthen. Before the enemy’s Forbidden Domain reached him, he activated Blade Liberation as well. Fortunately, his Skills’ Cooldowns had reset when he had first entered the magic array. So, the Berserk Skills he had exhausted during his battle with the fourth floor’s Earth Dragon were ready for him.
After activating Blade Liberation, Shi Feng executed Void Steps and disappeared.
Seeing this, one of the two Shadows activated Skywheel Sword, while the other activated Lightning Edge, both of which were AOEs.
However, neither of the Shadows’ attacks had forced Shi Feng out of his concealment. For a time, the Shadows attacked their surroundings randomly in confusion, yet even after dozens of seconds, Shi Feng remained hidden. He only revealed himself after both Shadows had used up their Forbidden Domains, and when he did, he already stood beside them.
Illusory Shadow!
Suddenly, five crisscrossed slashes bombarded one of the Shadows. Although the targeted Shadow responded quickly and tried to dodge, it still received three hits.
Realizing the danger they were in, the two Shadows decided to end the fight quickly, both activating Chilling Field. The Domain Skill covered a 50-yard radius and was capable of both offense and defense. The Skill’s Movement Speed reduction effect also prevented Shi Feng from moving about freely.
Seeing this, Shi Feng responded in kind, activating his own Chilling Field.
Suddenly, 27 icicles covered the battlefield, nine belonging to Shi Feng and 18 from the Shadows of Trial. Following which, the 27 icicles danced and clashed repeatedly and rapidly.
Yet, despite outnumbering their target, the two Shadows failed to land a single hit on Shi Feng. In fact, Shi Feng only needed six of his icicles to defend himself, attacking with the remaining three.
Two hits… Three hits… Five hits…
The two Shadows rapidly accumulated hits, and eventually, Shi Feng landed the tenth strike on both Shadows of Trial, killing them.