Chapter 131 – Dark World's Third Phase

Volume 3: Rising Winds and Clouds

The grotesque Dark Beasts were slow and lacked explosive speed. The Ancient Demon Seed easily evaded the first one.

Then came the second, and the third.

At last, one Dark Beast sank its mouth into the Ancient Demon Seed.

Under the Ancient Demon Seed's stunned gaze, the Dark Beast tore away the flesh it had bitten. At the same time, an eerie mental attack crashed into the Ancient Demon Seed's mind.

Soul Strike.

The black hole inside the Dark Beast's mouth devoured the Ancient Demon Seed's flesh. Then the creature lunged again.

"The power inside a Dark Beast's mouth resembles Annihilation. It isn't as strong as true Annihilation, of course, but a Dark Beast inside a Level 5 Dark World can still inflict terrifying damage on any living creature below Level 6… What will you do now?"

Wen Yu knew the Dark Beasts could not kill the Ancient Demon Seed. Dark World's First and Second Phases were not intended to kill supreme powerhouses. As long as the Ancient Demon Seed was forced to use a Skill, however, the Second Phase would have fulfilled its purpose.

Dark World's Second Phase was designed to weaken enemies and slaughter Cannon Fodder.

As expected, the Ancient Demon Seed took action.

…

The Ancient Demon Seed had revealed four Abilities: Dimensional Sanctuary (SS Rank, Active Ability), Teleportation (S-Rank, Active Ability), Spatial Stasis (SSS-Rank, Active Ability), and Dimensionality Reduction Strike (SSS-Rank, Active Ability).

Together, those four Abilities covered the three essential aspects of combat: movement, defense, and offense.

With such a terrifying Skill configuration, the Ancient Demon Seed had been virtually unstoppable in battle.

Its individual combat power rivaled that of a Divine Beast Species with the same Physical Attribute.

Unfortunately for it, Wen Yu's Skills were even more terrifying and bizarre.

Attack? Impossible. The Ancient Demon Seed could not locate Wen Yu and therefore could not attack him.

Escape? Difficult. Dark World drastically compressed the Ancient Demon Seed's perception, leaving it unable to distinguish direction. It might escape through sheer luck, but how many attacks would it endure in the process? How long would it take? More importantly, how much stamina would it consume?

Once its stamina was exhausted, only death awaited it.

More seriously, the Ancient Demon Seed had no Ability capable of tearing Dark World open from within.

Defense became its only choice-and also the correct one.

…

When the Ancient Demon Seed activated Dimensional Sanctuary (SS Rank, Active Ability), Wen Yu frowned in midair.

The steady replenishment of his stamina stopped instantly.

Dimensional Sanctuary placed the Ancient Demon Seed inside another space. The current Dark World had no Ability capable of breaking through space. The curses on the Ancient Demon Seed certainly could not penetrate the Dimensional Sanctuary and deliver "nourishment" to Wen Yu.

Endless Dark Beasts passed in and out of the Ancient Demon Seed's visible body without causing any damage.

The Ancient Demon Seed sat down and shouted into the boundless darkness.

"Hey! Hey! It's your turn now…"

The moment it finished, Dark World contracted until it measured less than ten meters in diameter. Wen Yu's voice came from within.

"That Ability of yours is interesting. What's it called?"

"Dimensional Sanctuary. If you have an Ability capable of breaking a spatial barrier, I'll concede. If you don't, why don't we call this a draw?"

"No."

This was Dark World's first battle, and Wen Yu refused to walk away with nothing to show for it.

Countless black arrows shot toward the Ancient Demon Seed, then passed through and vanished into the distance.

"It's useless. Without a way to replenish your stamina, your Dark World can't last much longer. You can't kill me."

The Ancient Demon Seed was telling the truth. Wen Yu had shrunk Dark World because he was worried his stamina would not hold. A composite Skill of Dark World's level consumed a terrifying amount of energy.

Wen Yu tested it for a long time and proved one thing: the Ancient Demon Seed had not lied.

He sensed his remaining stamina and thought deeply. Then he expanded Dark World once more.

Mockery filled the Ancient Demon Seed's eyes.

"Still unwilling to give up? Or simply stubborn? Let me offer some advice. Without a Foundation Rank attack Skill, you have no hope of breaking Dimensional Sanctuary."

The only answer was Dark World churning before it.

…

Strictly speaking, the claim that only a Foundation Rank Skill could break Dimensional Sanctuary was incorrect.

A Dimensional Sanctuary released by a Level 5 Ancient Demon Seed did indeed require a Level 5 Foundation Rank Ability to destroy completely.

But if the Ancient Demon Seed faced a Level 10 Class Holder, that Class Holder could probably shatter the Dimensional Sanctuary with nothing more than punches and kicks.

The defensive limit of Dimensional Sanctuary was not determined by Skill rank. It was determined by energy intensity.

Wen Yu now intended to use Dark World's Third Phase-the Dark Demon Monarch form-to produce the striking force of a Level 5 Foundation Rank attack Skill.

…

Boundless darkness spread rapidly. In the blink of an eye, Dark World covered the earth once more.

Wen Yu's and Faceless's bodies exploded inside it. Using Phasing, they merged directly into Dark World.

Then Dark World slowly began to contract.

One thousand meters. Eight hundred meters. Five hundred meters…

It did not stop until the hemispherical Dark World had shrunk to a diameter of ten meters.

Then…

Before the Ancient Demon Seed's stunned eyes, the entirety of Dark World rapidly transformed into a ten-meter-tall black phantom holding an enormous War Blade.

The phantom's body was extremely indistinct. Faint Black Light occasionally leaked from it before rapidly dissipating into the surrounding air.

That alone showed Wen Yu's current level was insufficient to manifest the Dark Demon Monarch's complete form.

Even incomplete, however, the Dark Demon Monarch could produce the offensive force of a Level 5 Foundation Rank Skill.

Countless streams of Black Light flashed within the Dark Demon Monarch's body, which had been constructed from Dark World. Every kind of Dark Attribute enhancement and empowering Ability was applied to it without pause. The War Blade in the Dark Demon Monarch's hand also radiated an eerie light.

The War Blade had been condensed from Faceless's Dark World. Faceless's Dragon Might Domain remained concentrated upon it, coating the blade in silver light.

In the next instant…

The Dark Demon Monarch stepped forward and brought the War Blade down upon the Dimensional Sanctuary.