To him, living as himself meant becoming the best him.In his journey, while his clone had been thinking of ways in which he could brag, such a thought had never crossed his mind. There were one or two occasions when he had taken center stage of his own volition, but that was also in order to become the best him.
In the depths of his heart, he had always been a humble, low profile, diligent, and honest person.
As such a thought arose in his mind, he felt like his heart had suddenly opened up.
At the same time, the sword art that he had comprehended began to change.
His sword arts, be it A Heart of Intertwined Threads or Unyielding Loyalty, carried the conceptualization of binding something, but along with the change in his state of mind, they became haughtier and more refined, carrying the will to charge ahead fearlessly.
He would do anything to protect his kin and loved ones, but he would never allow himself to become their slaves.
In the same way, it was right for a person to earn money in order to support their family, but they must not allow it to become their only reason for existence. That would be merely living for the sake of living.
To charge bravely ahead and become the best him, that was the path he had chosen.
If he could become the best him and obtain the strength and capabilities he desired, he would also gain the strength to protect those who were dear to him.
These two notions were not at odds with one another.
As the contradictions in his heart cleared away, Zhang Xuan continued to observe the battle ahead of him.
The clash between the two most powerful experts in the Firmament had made the spectating experts utterly silent. None of them were able to say a word.
"He is really formidable," Little Chick murmured in disbelief. "In just forty years, he was able to reinforce his cultivation to such an extent. The Heaven Subjugation Monarch is really an incredible genius…"
The Deathless Monarch had lived for many years, and he had even resurrected once. Yet, he came nowhere close in comparison to the prowess of the Heaven Subjugation Monarch. This was more than enough to highlight the difference in terms of talent between the two of them.
It was to such an extent that one could not help but despair.
After lamenting, Little Chick turned to look at the young man beside him, and he shook his head once more.
If he thought about it, the Young Master"s talents did not pale anywhere in comparison to the Heaven Subjugation Monarch. In fact, if they really had to make a comparison, it felt like the Young Master had an edge over the latter.
The Young Master might just reach the same level as those two within the next decade or so…
Luo Ruoxin retracted her sword and took a few steps back before speaking with a cold voice. "Impressive. You were able to become this powerful within a short forty years. However, I still have one last move. If you are able to overcome it, it"ll be my loss."
"I also have one last move prepared," Kong s.h.i.+ replied with his usual composure. "If I lose, I hope that you can respect our previous agreement."
"I"m not a person who would go against my words," Luo Ruoxin replied. "I also hope that you can keep to our agreement if I lose my life."
"Of course!" Kong s.h.i.+ nodded.
"Let"s not waste any time then."
Having come to a decision, the two of them made their moves simultaneously.
An incomparably powerful Sword Intent burst into the air while a cane smashed downward with unfathomable might. The clash between the two created such blinding radiance that it outshone the glow of the moon.
For a moment, the entire Firmament was blinded by the light in the clash.
"What"s that?"
"I have no idea…"
"Is it the fight between the G.o.d Monarch of the Sky of Freedom and the Heaven Subjugation Monarch?"
"They are fighting on the moon?"
"It must be! Who else could create such a huge commotion?"
…
At the same time, countless people in the Firmament raised their heads to look at the moon, which appeared to be almost as brilliant as the sun.
Amid the blinding light, Kong s.h.i.+"s cane seemed to forge a long river of time in front of him. Countless silhouettes could be seen drifting within the river, encompa.s.sing the history of the world since tens of thousands of years ago.
Each of these snapshots of history had a Kong s.h.i.+ in them. Some of them were furious, some of them had a gentle smile, some of them were cheerful, and some of them were sorrowful…
Put together, these "Kong s.h.i.+"s seemed to drive the wheels of history, bringing the true powers of the temporal laws into life.
This was his strongest technique, Spring and Autumn!
A brush to dictate spring, and a brush to dictate autumn. It was a technique that tapped into everything from the past to the present.
The wills of these "Kong s.h.i.+"s that existed across the time continuum aligned together with one another, bestowing him with strength far beyond anyone"s imagination.
It felt like the entire moon would collapse under the sheer pressure of his strength and fall to the ground.
Under the rush of history, the gray granite on the moon flashed white before shattering into dust.
There was no one, no matter how strong, who could oppose the might of time. It was a transcendental power that formed the basis of the universe.
"Ruoxin…"
Zhang Xuan did not think that Kong s.h.i.+ would actually have such a move up his sleeves, and he could not help but place his hands together out of sheer nervousness. Looking anxiously at the young lady, for a brief moment, he saw her glancing at him yearningly. But the next moment, she was already looking at her opponent with eyes filled with regality.
"I have been waiting for this…"
She raised her sword and pierced it right toward the river of time.
The sword froze on the spot, as if it was destined to never reach its target. Yet, the Sword Intent bursting forth from it struck through the river of time and pierced through history.
Unlike the three-dimensional nature of s.p.a.ce, the flow of time was one dimensional. It was incapable of changing its flow and dodging Luo Ruoxin"s attack.
Her sword was directed right at the weakness of Spring and Autumn, piercing through the countless "Kong s.h.i.+"s at once, leaving him unable to dodge.
In the end, the past was nothing more than the past. It did not have the power to dictate the present and the future!
"It"s the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. She obtained it in the Master Teacher Continent and uncovered all of its secrets," Zhang Xuan muttered with a slightly pale face.
It was apparent that the sword art was created with the sole purpose of dealing with Kong s.h.i.+. Using her as the medium, she channeled her Sword Intent toward the temporal laws to pierce through the flow of time.
There was no way she would have been able to create such a move without comprehending the secrets of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn.
And he was the one who entered the Temple of Confucius and obtained the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn for her. If Kong s.h.i.+ was killed, he would be an accomplice.
He turned to look at Kong s.h.i.+, hoping that he would be able to avoid or overcome this attack somehow. Yet, instead of retaliating, he placed the cane in his hand down.
"Why?" Zhang Xuan shouted.
In that instant, he dashed forward, wanting to shake Kong s.h.i.+ to his senses, but Little Chick resolutely held him back.
"That technique causes his present self to overlap with his other selfs in history. If his other selfs are killed, his present self won"t be able to survive. That is the greatest flaw of this technique, so there"s nothing he could do to save himself," Little Chick explained with a shake of his head.
"But… There must be some way… Some way…" Zhang Xuan exclaimed in despair.
Deep inside, he knew that Little Chick was right.
Time worked in a straight line. If the past him was killed, the present him could not possibly survive.
Spring and Autumn was indeed a powerful technique, but it had a terribly dangerous flaw to it.
"Don"t forget what you have promised me…"
Kong s.h.i.+ shot a glance at Zhang Xuan, and his voice echoed within his ears.
Then, his body began falling to the ground.
Boom!
Under the powerful surge of Sword Intent from Luo Ruoxin, the river of time was severed, and the silhouettes in there dissipated one after another.
Before the present Kong s.h.i.+ could reach the ground, his body had already disintegrated into a mist that carried the powers of the heavens.
The mist immediately dashed into the sky, wanting to escape from the moon.
However, Luo Ruoxin swiftly reached out and grabbed the mist tightly, preventing it from escaping.
Hong long long!
All of this happened in an instant, and the brilliant light on the moon swiftly disappeared. However, the violent energies that were caused by the clash continued to linger in the surroundings. They gathered together in the sky and fell to the ground as a heavy downpour.
It was as if the sky itself was crying.
The duel between the two G.o.d Monarchs had ended.
Kong s.h.i.+ was dead!