Even as Yi Tianxing successively slew three or four troll warriors, nothing changed. The giant demon only watched silently, observing every detail of Yi Tianxing's movements—his strength, his killing methods. Quietly, he was probing Yi Tianxing's hidden strength, waiting for the perfect moment to launch a fatal strike.
He was trading the lives of his own people for initial intelligence.
In any battle, the more one understands the enemy, the higher the chance of victory.
For Yi Tianxing to appear in the heart of the tribe, boldly snatching away the sacrificial altar—either he was born reckless or had the strength to back it up. Clearly, it was the latter.
And that brief skirmish just now only confirmed it.
The chief knew the strength of his warriors. Each one was a natural hunter of the jungle, most at the Life Aperture realm, their physical power formidable. They were already terrifying combatants within the same realm. In the jungle, their strength increased further. After consuming Tiger-Wolf Pills, their physical prowess improved yet again.
Even so, in direct confrontation, whether one-on-one or many against one, they were defeated almost instantly—wounded fatally or killed outright. The trolls now lying dead had already lost all signs of life.
Yi Tianxing's attacks were clean, ruthless, and overwhelming.
Though brief, that clash revealed more than enough.
"Since you sealed the void, I'll cut through your entire tribe and walk out through the front. If you've got the guts, come and stop me yourself. If you can kill me, I, Yi Tianxing, will accept it without complaint. But if you can't—then today I'll turn your entire tribe into a river of blood. Let's see how strong your Troll race really is."
Yi Tianxing's voice rang out cold and firm, his gaze locking onto the troll chieftain.
"I am Moro , the chieftain. Yi Tianxing, I'll remember your name. When I kill you, your head will sit beside my bed as a trophy."
Morrow sneered, a hideous glint flashing across his cold face.
"Kill!"
At his command, Moro's massive frame surged with power. With a flicker of light, a short black shadow spear appeared in his hand. It was strange—pitch-black, exuding an eerie darkness, and interwoven with mysterious Daoist patterns. A sharp Spear Intent gathered at the tip.
A cold gleam pulsed along its point.
Heaven and earth energy condensed around it, pouring into the weapon.
Whoosh!
The moment the spear appeared, it shot from his hand like a shadow. It made no sound. There was no visible trajectory, no air-ripping noise. Only a flicker of ghostly light in the dark. All surrounding light seemed absorbed by it. If one didn't witness it, they wouldn't know they'd been pierced until death arrived.
In the dark of night, it was even more impossible to track.
Just a flash of ghostly light—
Then, searing pain in the chest.
The Black Armor Life Aperture activated instantly, forming a layer of black armor over Yi Tianxing's body. But the armor was torn apart—pierced through. The spear dug into his chest, tearing through both armor and flesh, nearly penetrating through entirely.
Even the resilient Dragon Scale membrane, a defensive ability from the Dragon Scale Life Aperture, was ripped open.
This spear was simply too terrifying—so strange, so deadly. It had piercing power capable of bypassing Yi Tianxing's strongest defenses. Fortunately, the armor and scales absorbed most of the spear's power, and his steel-like flesh clamped down on it tightly, preventing further intrusion.
From his body surged a vast torrent of vital blood energy, forcing the spear out.
Yet within the spear, a dark, sinister Spear Intent exploded.
Spear Intent.
"It's not just Spear Intent—this is a Life Aperture Divine Ability. A fusion of divine ability and intent. Their power multiplied beyond just addition."
Yi Tianxing's heart tightened.
The shadowy Spear Intent was cold, parasitic, like bone-gnawing maggots from hell. Once inside the body, it sought to ravage his flesh from within.
But his body reacted instantly. In his Divine Sea, the Spear Dao True Rune burst forth with a tyrannical Spear Intent, clashing against the shadowy invader. The fierce intent shredded the enemy spear will. Then, a sharp Heaven-Smiting Sword Intent cleaved through, slicing the foreign Spear Intent in half.
Next came a burst of Arrow Intent, blasting it to pieces.
In mere moments, the shadowy Spear Intent was annihilated—erased without a trace.
To Yi Tianxing's many battle intents and true meanings, the invading spear was a foreign threat. All of them attacked instinctively. Under their pressure, the dark Spear Intent stood no chance.
"Such strength... That physical body is likely no weaker than a second-stage Body Refinement expert at the White Cauldron realm, with power surpassing a hundred thousand jin. Fearsome indeed. And the spear—it contains not just divine ability and intent, but a strange form of Dou Qi."
Dou Qi and true qi weren't that different. But Dou Qi had more explosive power and destructive force. True Qi nourished the body and was versatile. Both could unleash devastating might, but Dou Qi was more brute and direct—Western-style martial arts.
Their martial skills were rougher than Eastern ones. But at the highest levels, they converged. However, the Eastern cultivation path often had clearer routes to ascension.
Bang! Bang!
Though slow to describe, all of this happened in an instant.
As the first spear shattered, another black spear appeared in Moro's hand and flew forth like lightning.
Bang!
It struck Yi Tianxing's chest again, tearing another wound.
"You blocked one. Can you block two? Let's see if you can take three. Or four."
Moro's voice was chilling.
As he spoke, a third spear was hurled.
The spears traveled stealthily through the darkness.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
One after another, they struck Yi Tianxing.
Each spear moved with a strange, unpredictable arc.
And though they pierced skin, none could completely penetrate his body. Even their intent was blocked and destroyed.
Suddenly, a fierce gleam flashed in Morrow's eyes.
A black divine light erupted from his body.
His form expanded to over seven to eight meters, resembling a dreadful demon god.
Another black shadow spear appeared in his hand and flew out with blinding speed.
Life Aperture – Berserk!Life Aperture – Shadow!
Berserk could double one's strength instantly. As its source evolved or its divine ability advanced, the multiplier could rise to 2x, 3x, or more—with no backlash. It was among the most terrifying divine abilities.
Moro's power surged, and the new spear now had enough strength to pierce through Yi Tianxing's flesh entirely.
A sudden, shadowy burst—it was a deadly ambush from darkness.
Whoosh!
As the spear appeared in front of him, Yi Tianxing suddenly shifted his stance. His body twisted, neck tilting slightly to the side.
The spear whistled by, grazing his throat, and shot toward a distant mountain.
Boom!
It smashed into the mountain, blasting open a gaping hole. Stones disintegrated into nothing.
"You think I was just letting you hit me for free? That I couldn't block them? Your spears are no longer hidden from my eyes."
Yi Tianxing's voice was cold.
His eyes had unknowingly turned into a mix of black and white.
Everything in his vision was now monochrome—black or white. In this world, nothing could remain hidden. Even the shadow spears moving through darkness were now fully visible. No matter how fast, Yi Tianxing could react in time with his supreme bodily control.
Clang!
As he dodged the shadow spear, Yi Tianxing finally struck back.
Left hand gripping the sheath, right hand the sword hilt.
With a crisp draw, the cold war sword unsheathed, imbued with Sword Intent, and slashed out.
Fast!
A speed no less than the Shadow Spears.
A single, decisive strike.
Brilliant sword light cut through the air and the dark night—
The icy Heaven-Smiting Sword Intent slashed directly at Morrow!