Chapter 513: The Bearded Man's Terror |
After Advancing to Morning Star, Su Chen's perception of the outside world had improved by an unknown number of times. Arriving at this so-called desolate region again, what he felt was no longer just a piece of Space.
Hidden beneath this Space were extremely complex energy pathways. Upon closer inspection, each one contained patterns as vast as a sea of smoke, and they were constantly changing.
The stability and strength of its Space were the greatest he had seen so far.
Just sensing it slightly and wanting to look deeper, the feeling transmitted made Su Chen's heart faintly feel numb, not daring to delve deeper.
"Trialist Number Six, the second Trial is about to begin, please be prepared."
A prompt sounded by his ear. Su Chen looked up and could already see a figure appearing in the distance. Sure enough, it was still that Bearded Man.
"Actually Advancing to Morning Star already... How long has it been?"
The Bearded Man's figure appeared, the air currents whistling, shaking half the void.
He looked at the person in front of him Doubtful and Uncertain, naturally remembering this guy who could crush him at the 8th-Tier while merely at the True Radiance level.
Su Chen had already taken a stance, preparing to respond quite vigilantly. After all, last time this Bearded Man came up and gave him a big slap. He didn't expect the other party to actually speak first this time.
"How old are you?" Su Chen thought for a moment and asked back.
"Little brat..." The Bearded Man's face showed annoyance, his body trembling slightly, and terrifying energy ripples To Dominate and surged.
"Wait..." Seeing the other party was about to attack, Su Chen hurriedly said: "Right now, I should be twenty-seven or twenty-eight."
"How much?" The Bearded Man's eyes widened, "Are you playing with me? A twenty-seven or twenty-eight-year-old Morning Star?"
According to his estimation, the other party's age should be around a hundred years old. Asking was only to verify, but the result was the other party came up with twenty-seven or twenty-eight.
"Telling the truth." Su Chen shook his head, and couldn't help but ask: "Are there no Morning Stars of this age in the Abyss?"
According to his estimation, it wasn't impossible for the Abyss to not have more methods to accelerate Development Progress.
"Haha..." The Bearded Man suddenly laughed loudly, glaring coldly, "What an arrogant kid. You have a total of three chances for this Trial. Coming to challenge it at the 8th-Tier for your first time is already unheard of."
"I didn't expect that after Advancing to Morning Star, you still dare to set foot here, and even dare to play with me in your words. Nowadays, divine bloodlines are truly unbridled!"
"No..." Su Chen was truly helpless. The communication between the two wasn't on the same wavelength at all. He said sincerely: "I absolutely have no intention of playing with Your Excellency. I'm just ignorant of many things, so I just wanted to ask."
Perhaps seeing that Su Chen's expression was still somewhat earnest, the Bearded Man's emotions seemed to calm down a bit, and he said coldly: "What do you want to ask."
"What exactly is this Trial?" Su Chen considered his words carefully.
He had already fought to the second stage. Although the Reward was good, he didn't even know what this Trial was for.
"Still dare to play with me? You don't know what Trial it is, so what are you here for!" The Bearded Man glared angrily, light and shadow intertwining behind him, his Aura boiling.
"I tm..." Su Chen rarely felt a kind of depression. Last time he already said the Abyss was destroyed, and as a result, this guy was also furious.
He didn't even know exactly how to explain it to the other party.
Simply, Su Chen asked: "Exactly what do you want to be willing to answer my questions normally."
"Defeat me first." The Bearded Man said coldly.
Su Chen didn't believe it: "You said the same thing last time. As a result, after I defeated you, you ran away."
The Bearded Man remained silent for a moment, his face somewhat unnatural, and then glared, seemingly flying into a rage out of humiliation.
Following closely, Streaking Light woven with various energies enveloped him. As he shifted and moved, like a falling star tearing through the void, he came crashing headlong.
Su Chen only felt the surrounding void solidify, seemingly restricted, but after advancing to Morning Star, the Flash-Shadow Body naturally gained corresponding enhancements.
As that Bearded Man approached, he had already turned into a Phantom Image and disappeared, leaving only a figure constructed of black flames.
The Bearded Man had experience and knew this Elemental Body could attack, but he didn't dodge, crashing into it forcefully. Like a star bursting, energy ripples Visible to the Naked Eye blasted outwards.
"What the hell is this force?!" The Bearded Man's anger turned into a Surprised Expression. Although the strike from that Elemental Body didn't cause him any harm, the force transmitted made him have no choice but to be shocked.
Could this be the power one possesses when having tempered out one stream of Morning Fire?
Let alone True Radiance, even Azure God couldn't do this. It could even be said that when he just tempered out one stream of Morning Fire, he didn't have this kind of might.
"So perverted? With sixteen Sky-Scars blessing me, there isn't even a single scratch on him?" Su Chen revealed his figure on the side, quite amazed.
"What exactly is the situation with this kid? Which divine bloodline could cultivate such a talent?" The Bearded Man was puzzled in his heart.
Twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old?
The Suspicion in his heart flashed past, and then he denied it. How could it be possible.
The entire Abyss had never seen a twenty-seven or twenty-eight-year-old Morning Star. Even if one didn't take on other Holy Classes and only focused on the Main Profession, it was impossible to be this fast.
His thoughts turned, but his movements weren't slow. He tore through the void directly, Golden Light seemingly circulating in his eyes, "This kid's movement isn't purely speed. But he could still show off at the 8th-Tier; arriving at Morning Star... Heh..."
Su Chen hadn't yet figured out this guy's various Methods, so naturally, he wouldn't clash head-on with him, using the Flash-Shadow Body to dodge again.
However, the very first instant he appeared, what greeted him was a pair of bucket-sized deep purple fists, wrapped in unimaginable, abundant Great Strength, with stars faintly appearing and swirling around them.
The Bearded Man shouted violently: "You've used the same move too many times in front of me!"
Su Chen's pupils contracted, alarm bells ringing loudly in his heart. As if facing a cluster of falling stars from the Starry Expanse, he didn't dare to have any hesitation. Blood-gold light patterns faintly surfaced beneath his skin; it was impressively the Immovable Vajra.
"Dong!"
Muffled like striking a bell, the surging energy light blasted open like a small sun. Su Chen flew backward directly, feeling hot currents constantly surging up within his body, and then constantly being consumed.
A crack faintly appeared on his chest, but quickly healed.
"Too tm perverted." The corner of Su Chen's eyes twitched. Even the Immovable Vajra almost couldn't hold on, indicating that the opponent's attack just now was already bordering on his upper limit of endurance.
However, almost not holding on ultimately meant he held on, and he had already placed all the professional blessings from the Seven-Branch Wondrous Tree onto the Inexhaustible Titan.
Because the Mystic Tools were almost all elevated to the Morning Star level, he only needed to bear the basic consumption of the World-Slaying Manifestation and God-Ascension, which he could completely endure.
There was absolutely no need to erase the consumption of the World-Slaying Manifestation. The effect of blessing the Inexhaustible Titan in battle was even greater.
【Profound Water Unceasing: The Inexhaustible Titan can convert 70% of the attacks received into Physical Stamina, and with the help of the Verdant Wood Guest's ability, repair injuries.】
The terrifying conversion of 70% made Su Chen completely turn into a perpetual motion machine.
The Bearded Man's heart leaped, his mind not as calm as his surface: "This Falling Star Divine Fist of mine is not only a Top-Tier Holy Class but also has a Weak Characteristic. Even if a True Radiance who tempered out three streams of divine fire was in front of me, unless they focused on defense, I could beat them to death with one punch."
"This kind of defensive intensity... indeed has some reliance. Perhaps he really didn't come to play around. Let's see to what extent he can hold on."
A bit of consideration arose in the Bearded Man's heart. His figure suddenly shrank, and a purple star appeared behind him, seemingly boundless. Its surface was pitted and hollowed, yet it emitted terrifying coercion.
Su Chen's gaze focused slightly, only to see that star explode. Streaking Light fell like meteorites, merging into the Bearded Man's body. His already burly body expanded once more.
In the blink of an eye, it had expanded by more than dozens of times. His Vitality rolled and boiled, dense to the extreme, and Golden Light soared in his eyes.
At the same time, the falling meteorite Streaking Light gradually turned into a set of deep purple armor on the surface of his body, just as pitted and hollowed as that star just now, with Golden Light faintly appearing at the Rifts.
"This seems to be Ascension Refining..." Su Chen's expression was solemn, not daring to underestimate. Even before fighting, he felt the opponent's Aura was as profound and heavy as a star.
He didn't know what level of Ascension Refining this was, but it definitely wasn't weak.
"Hah ah!"
The shout seemed corporeal, echoing through the void. Wherever the sound waves spread, large and small stars and meteorites appeared. The entire heaven and earth seemed to turn into a scene of starry Wonders. Su Chen only felt his body grow heavy, faintly seemingly subjected to some sort of shackles.
"Strength, speed... All-around decay. Is this some kind of force field?" Su Chen felt it.
"Boom!"
Almost at the same time, the Bearded Man leaped up, all the stars contracting into his own body.
Then, under Su Chen's gaze, with an extremely fierce and Violent posture, he forcefully crashed over!
A suffocating feeling rose in his heart. Given the Bearded Man's current figure and mass, Su Chen estimated that facing a falling star would be nothing more than this.
His thoughts turning like lightning, Su Chen's movements were even faster, not daring to hesitate either. Wisps of flame and thunder radiance had already risen on the surface of his body, intertwining and coiling around him.
He had already activated the Flame-Thunder Sovereign ability, his figure also rising quite a bit. A pair of eyes appeared molten gold, and a golden-crimson Streaking Light trailed behind his back, shaped like a cape, stretching out extremely far.
The strength of his body erupted once again. Due to some of the Characteristics of the Flame-Thunder Sovereign, the weakening he suffered was also largely erased.
Su Chen originally valued its all-around amplification, but now executing it in actual combat, he realized that that kind of resistance against foreign powers seemed even more important.
At least it brought back the intensity of the Heavenly Mark Blessing.
"Boom!"
The Bearded Man, carrying the momentum of a starburst, arrived with a boom.
Under this unknown force field, Su Chen's use of the Flash-Shadow Body was also quite sluggish, but he similarly pressed forward, not dodging or evading.
"Dong!"
In the next instant, terrifying energy ripples capable of shattering the void crisscrossed and surged. Golden thunder exploded with crackles, and glaring energy light flames illuminated this Space.
"Bang!"
An instant later, Su Chen flew backward horizontally again, but this time he resisted much easier. Rolling hot currents surged, even bringing a sense of fullness.
Under the blessing of the Inexhaustible Titan, successively receiving two blows, not only was his Physical Stamina not consumed, but it became even more abundant.
"The more he fights, the more abundant his Vitality gets. Where exactly did this pervert come from?" The Bearded Man's pupils shone with Golden Light, able to estimate Su Chen's physical condition, his eyes full of incredulity.
This strike of his not only triggered his Ascension Refining "Star Fall" but also utilized the vast majority of his Holy Classes in coordination to suppress, weaken, and erupt with power.
Although this kid found it hard to contend with him head-on, he could withstand the attack and showed no signs of consumption. It was as if he were an extremely hard block of iron; no matter how much he was struck, in the end, it would only consume his own power.
"I really just don't believe it. How strong can a guy who just advanced to Morning Star be?" The Bearded Man originally thought the other party was playing with him.
But after fighting, he found that this kid truly had the capital to be arrogant.
Now he discovered that this was no longer a question of testing. If he didn't attack, and the other party kept fighting on without any consumption, it would be him who was at a disadvantage.
Discovering that there really was a probability of failure, even if only a slight trace, shook his heart.
He leaped up, his five fingers clenching abruptly and drawing back to accumulate power. The void collapsed, and Purple Light gathered at his fist, condensing into a giant meteorite ball, smashing down fiercely.
Su Chen raised his eyebrows, not timid either, still meeting it head-on. Only hearing a muffled "Bang", he flew backward horizontally once again.
The Bearded Man almost didn't pause. His figure was already massive, and when his fists fell, it was like a meteor shower, seemingly not wanting to give Su Chen reaction time.
Clanging sounds like striking iron rang out constantly. The dazzling light connected into a single sheet, making almost nothing visible.
At first, Su Chen thought about resisting a few times, but later found he couldn't keep up with the opponent's rhythm, so he simply gave up and let him beat him.
Whenever a fist fell, a hot current surged within his body. The consumption of the Immovable Vajra bearing the damage was completely smoothed out by the Inexhaustible Titan's recovery ability.
"This kid is too hard to deal with." The Bearded Man suddenly stopped, his face gloomy.
"Your Excellency... can we have a good talk now?" Su Chen finally managed to say a word.
"I said, defeat me, and then we can talk!"
The Bearded Man shouted fiercely, his body suddenly showing movement again. The pitted armor on the surface of his body gradually trembled and fell off.
His body rapidly condensed, actually gradually shrinking to nothing. Then, dense Purple Light gradually overflowed, and an Aura that made even him palpitate instantly permeated outwards.
"This——"
A Slight Shock in One's Heart for Su Chen, but without too much surprise. He knew this guy still had a Talent ability he hadn't used, a Talent ability that surpassed Azure God.
Looking closely, that Purple Light surged. Inside, a towering palace could faintly be seen. Just catching a glimpse of a corner, an ancient and desolate Aura rose in his heart, with three streams of Morning Fire gathered within it.
In the deepest part, the Bearded Man's gaze was silent, "For this child to hold on until now has already exceeded my expectations. Logically speaking, he already has the qualifications to pass exceptionally."
"But his Temper is truly arrogant, showing no respect to me at all. He still needs to be ground down. Defeating him this time, he will only have one last chance left, and should reflect properly."
"Not good..." Su Chen's vision blurred, and a chill suddenly rose. Before he even knew what happened, he immediately triggered the Golden Ape accumulated in his body.
In an instant, energy boiled, terrifying power blessing his body, surging out continuously. The only tempered Morning Fire was naturally used on the Golden Ape's blessing.
In an instant, a pair of golden arms spread from his shoulder blades, smashing out loudly like holding up the sky.
Bang!
Only hearing a muffled sound, Su Chen finally had time to look. Before his eyes was an illusory purple figure, its entire body seemingly cast from a star river, flowing incessantly.
The Bearded Man's silhouette could faintly be seen on his face. At this moment, there was only shock, astonishment, disbelief, and a bit of humiliation.
"You... exactly what is this..." He found it truly hard to believe. He had almost used his final Trump Card, an amplification enough to bring Earth-Shattering changes to his strength, and the other party could actually still withstand it.
Moreover, completely unlike before where he would still be knocked away, he was even faintly forming a stalemate with him, and his Vital Aura had an evolutionary change.
But he was clearly only True Radiance, where did this change come from?
He used his Trump Card, yet the gap between the two became smaller and smaller?
The surrounding energy boiled. Although it formed a stalemate, both had their own thoughts in their hearts. The Bearded Man withstood Su Chen, but saw Surprised Expression in the other party's eyes as well.
Su Chen sighed secretly, "Perverted, truly perverted. Only by using the blessing of the Golden Ape's power could I at most form a stalemate with him. If I want to truly defeat him, I'm afraid I really have to wait until I temper out three streams of Morning Fire."
"What are you surprised about again?" Seeing this scene, the Bearded Man suddenly reacted.
The Bearded Man was extremely furious. In his eyes, the other party having this kind of Method but not using it earlier was obviously intentional, and now he was actually acting surprised at him.
Surprise represented the unexpected. This kid was actually surprised because he withstood it?
"You... really were playing with me! What audacity!"
With an angry roar, the Bearded Man, having turned into an unknown form, attacked with all his strength, seemingly truly enraged. The power of this punch was even three parts stronger than just now.
But the problem was, he couldn't reach the Immovable Vajra's upper limit of endurance at all now. And Su Chen, now using the Golden Ape's power, could not only resist but also counterattack.
Clanging sounds rang out continuously. In a split second, the two collided countless times.
This time it wasn't Su Chen taking a one-sided beating. The two clashed constantly, going head-to-head. The Bearded Man was even knocked away a few times.
Abruptly, Su Chen's fist hit empty air. He saw the Bearded Man retreat an extremely far distance, his body gradually disengaging from that strange state, his expression cold.
"Not fighting anymore?" Su Chen was slightly stunned. This Bearded Man had a very Violent Temper, and he couldn't figure out exactly what the other party was thinking, but seeing this, he also withdrew the Golden Ape's blessing.
"Exactly how old are you!" The Bearded Man asked with a cold face.
"I..." Su Chen paused. This time he didn't dare to tell the truth again. After considering carefully, he then said: "One hundred and twenty years old."
"Sure enough..." The Bearded Man showed a look of understanding and snorted coldly: "Then why did you lie to me just now?"
"I..." Su Chen took a deep breath and said helplessly: "I was just joking around just now. I didn't expect to anger Your Excellency. I'm sorry."
The Bearded Man Remain Noncommittal, and asked again: "Your Talent is only at the True Radiance level, why is your strength so high."
"This..." Su Chen showed a hesitant expression, "This one is lucky, having some fortuitous encounters."
These words already involved secrets, and the Bearded Man didn't pursue it further. After a moment of silence, he said: "Although you and I are in a stalemate, you only extracted one stream of Morning Fire. Strictly speaking, I lost."
Actually admitted defeat?
Su Chen was also quite astonished. Although according to the situation, he had various blessings on him and could form a stalemate with the other party.
And with the Inexhaustible Titan present, he could continuously recover. Theoretically, as long as the dogfight continued, the opponent's consumption would inevitably be higher than his, and it seemed inevitable he would be defeated.
However, the opponent wasn't a fool either and wouldn't necessarily keep clashing head-on with him. If they didn't fight, the Inexhaustible Titan's ability wouldn't come into play, and the other various blessings would continuously consume him.
At most, it would be a tie. Since the other party proactively admitted defeat, nothing could be better.
"Your Excellency is indeed a straightforward person." He praised at the right time.
The Bearded Man's expression softened, and he glanced at him, "You guy were incomparably arrogant before, but now you've become humble."
"Could I ask Your Excellency to inform me exactly where I was arrogant?" Su Chen was truly helpless.
The Bearded Man stared at him. Strength was the greatest proof. For this kid to have this kind of strength having only tempered out one stream of Morning Fire, perhaps he wasn't being arrogant just now, but truly thought that way.
But the Bearded Man couldn't hold it back again and said grumpily: "Did your elders really not tell you exactly what this Trial is, and who I am?"