Superhumans of the Dome City-Chapter 1427 - 27: The Heavenly Barrier (Part 2)

A long time ago, it seemed that the sparring was the same, Liu Zhongwu would voluntarily concede defeat each time he lost a move. Under the cypress trees in the Inner Hall of the Imperial Academy, the four of them didn’t know how many times they fought, but he was always the first to sit in the shade, waiting to see who would win this time... Then Yan Qi would smile arrogantly, Situ Yi would sing in a cryptic tone, Qin Ming squatting nearby, munching on snacks, saying Zhongwu, you can try harder, the outcome next time is unclear... 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Liu Zhongwu blinked hard, cutting off the train of memory. His official robe was soaked by the rain, he wiped his face, and salty raindrops slid across his round, plump face.

"You really are a fool, known for over ten years yet still don’t understand." Liu Zhongwu said under his breath, "I’m different from you... I’ve not been on the same level as you from the very beginning!!"

The last Star Lord was shattered by the Ming Blade, Qin Ming silently gazed at the sky. A deep shadow cast over his head, making the daylight feel oppressively like both day and night.

That was a mountain range, the Empire-famous Immortal Mountain "East Mountain." The towering peaks were held up by a mysterious immortal web, spanning across most of the Empire to reach this sky. There are five such mountain ranges, the Five Mountains Immortal Mountains within the Empire were literally driven to the battlefield by Liu Zhongwu. With his hands forming seals and his eyes burning with anger, the Five Mountains Immortal Mountains plummeted towards Qin Ming!

"I summon the Five Mountains Sacred Emperor, to suppress the five elements of heaven and earth. The Forbidden God Formation of the Five Old Sacred Mountains!"

Qin Ming suddenly thought of the Vaulted Sky Disaster ten years ago, when they stood on the ground gazing at the giant dragon in the sky, feeling as if another piece of land was pressing down from above. Today’s spell of moving mountains and draining seas, in terms of mass and volume, exceeds the Dragon of the Vaulted Sky back then. This spell bears the characteristics of Liu Zhongwu, he excels at utilizing heaven’s phenomena and earth’s terrain to set up arrays, so he directly "moved" the terrain here, unleashing maximum power in the shortest time.

"You too have worked hard for ten years." Qin Ming said, "This move isn’t bad."

He sheathed his double blades, forming a seal with one hand, a light sparkle at his chest, then transformed into an ever-changing great world. In that splendid world were golden fields and a clear sky, dark birds and strange mechanical shapes. The Five Mountains fell into it unimpeded, various changes linked by gold and gray lines were reproduced by Xu Ying. For a moment, numerous mountains floated in midair, allowing Ming Guest to depict each change an array should have.

"Strange Phase · Creation Realm. Non-Heaven Pure Land."

The calculation of possibilities completed instantaneously, Qin Ming swung his blade, slicing through the virtual images of all the Divine Mountains. The Five Mountains thunderously fell, he easily passed through the rain of dust, the Ming Blade flashed and shattered the Divine Mountains into rubble. The slaughter of possibilities granted him tenfold strength over before, at this moment Liu Zhongwu had no means left to threaten him.

Qin Ming felt a bit regretful as he turned to look at the dust, wanting to see the expression on his friend’s face.

From the flying dust, five gray lights shot out, five air-rending stone-carved swords chained beside Qin Ming!

"Huh?" Qin Ming raised his eyebrows.

"Your stubborn nature is what I know best. Born to battlecuriously, needing to see through the enemy’s methods to be satisfied. So I must present you with something fresh and unknown, something new, complex, beyond your immediate discernment, only then will you deploy the Non-Heaven Pure Land..."

Liu Zhongwu staggered out of the dust, a gash on his head bleeding down half his face. He covered the wound with one hand, while pointing towards Qin Ming’s feet with the other.

"Then calculate this time... see if you can predict this round!" Liu Zhongwu roared, "Fate holds certainty, calamity is inescapable. Immortal Extinguishing Array · Fate-Slaying Malignant Calamity!"

The five gray swords quivered, their bodies resonating in a piercing cry, slicing through the dirt towards Qin Ming inch by inch. Qin Ming leaped first, traversing a thousand miles in a single step. The five gray swords swiftly reappeared beside him, without diverging in the slightest. He immediately swung his double blades, attempting to slice them with the Ming Blade, yet as the blade descended upon the gray swords, it seemed to pass through shadows, the unstoppable Ming Blade surprisingly missed.

"Can’t be cut?" Qin Ming’s thought flickered, Non-Heaven Pure Land began re-evaluation, golden fields evolving phantoms. Each was Qin Ming within the sword circle, five sharp swords closing in, but those phantoms appearing to evade or counteract abruptly vanished, like wiped away by unseen hands.

In a moment, the field stood empty, only a phantom remained in the center, Qin Ming unable to escape the sword circle, ensnared by the five sharp swords, blood spraying at the scene!

The speed of the five gray swords quickened, yet Qin Ming still saw no escape method. He looked up, seeing the dense clouds enveloping above him, a blood-red cloud-shadow emanating ruthless killing intent. Even the sky of Non-Heaven Pure Land was stained with blood, Liu Zhongwu’s decisive skill twisting his Creation Realm.

Within those blood clouds, sinister dark lights emerged, a blood-red lightning struck down from the clouds, Qin Ming sliced it with his blade, yet the scattered thunder power merged into the stone swords, surrounding him with greater speed!

"Killing intent... Heaven Thunder..." he pondered a moment, then comprehended, "So that’s it! The ’Killing Calamity’ destined in fate!"

Liu Zhongwu clutched both hands tightly, exerting full power to maintain this eerie sword array. He had no strength left to speak, this was his final strongest blow, merging and surpassing powers of doom, randomness, and destiny, produced at the sacrifice of the Five Mountains Immortal Mountains’ collapse, locking in the future’s kill calamity. All possibilities lead to dead ends, lacking future variety, naturally no phantoms to slay. This was specifically targeted against the Non-Heaven Pure Land, a death trap designed for Qin Ming!

Liu Zhongwu’s anxious heart suddenly sank, he saw his friend’s look, still carefree, still pure, as lively as birds in the sky.

"Thank you for showing me this." Qin Ming smiled, "And I’ll respond with my strongest strike."

Five gray swords pierced through Qin Ming’s clothes, he smiled with open arms. His long and short dual blades traced ethereal trajectories, like eagles stretching wings.

"——Clearing World Sword · Heavenly Person Floating Tomb."

Then, Qin Ming struck with his blades.

Liu Zhongwu saw nothing.

Didn’t see how he drew his blades. Didn’t see how he countered the strike. Didn’t see when the Non-Heaven Pure Land vanished. Didn’t see how he got hit.

When Liu Zhongwu reacted, the Immortal Extinguishing Array shattered like powder, bloodstains trickling across the ground. He instinctively lowered his head, seeing the long and short blade marks on his chest.

"..."

Wanted to say something, but couldn’t. Wanted to gather intelligence for future battles, but even forcing out moves reached no understanding. Useless. Meaningless. This entire battle merely fulfilled the opponent’s momentary satisfaction.

Liu Zhongwu’s body swayed once, collapsing into the blood puddle. Before his consciousness faded into darkness, he saw his friend sheathing the dual blades, a smile with an indefinable taste.

"So good, Zhongwu." Qin Ming said, "You’ve grown much stronger than before."

He reached for Qin Ming’s hem, grasping only a ripped piece of blue cloth. His hand dropped powerlessly, raising a cloud of dust.