Bankai Training Begins Again (4)

This change came so suddenly that even Liu Ziyun, in his frenzied state, was caught off guard. Arrows rained down on him, making a dense "clanging" sound—as if they had hit some invisible barrier, shattering and dissipating one by one.

[This is...] A hint of doubt flashed through Liu Ziyun's mind, [Why are these attacks ineffective against me?]

But he had no time to investigate further. At the same time as the arrows struck, Tulu launched a ranged attack from the right.

"Flying Blade!"

A dark red, crescent-shaped slash flew from the blade of the Tulu, tearing through the air and heading straight for Liu Ziyun's side.

Liu Ziyun instinctively turned around and swung his sword as well. "Flying Blade!"

The platinum crescent slash met the dark red slash. The two attacks collided in mid-air with a deafening roar, then shattered simultaneously, turning into countless tiny "Shattered Blade Slashes " that rained down on the opponent like a storm.

Without any hesitation, Liu Ziyun immediately activated his defensive skill. "Abyssal Wall!"

A pale golden wall rose again, blocking his way. The tiny Shattered Blade Slash struck the wall, producing a series of loud impacts before being absorbed and dissipated.

Tulu responded in kind, "Fate Shield!"

A transparent, vortex-like circular shield formed in front of him. The Shattered Blade Slash shot into the vortex, its direction changed by the vortex's pull, and was eventually sucked into the center of the vortex.

But this time, the tide of battle turned.

After absorbing all the attacks, Liu Ziyun's "Abyssal Wall" did not simply dissipate. Instead, just like the previous Life-Taker, it shattered and reformed, transforming into countless pale golden arrows that surged back towards the Tulu.

While the "Fate Shield" of the Tulu also drew in the attacks, it was clearly not as exquisite as Liu Ziyun's —the Shattered Blade Slash sucked into the vortex were far less dense and powerful than Liu Ziyun's counterattacks when they shot out from the other side of the vortex.

The result was that Tulu was struck by several pale golden arrows, leaving him with several deep, bone-revealing wounds.

"Cough... cough cough..." Tulu knelt on one knee, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. He could feel that the arrows contained some strange power, which not only caused physical damage but also eroded his spiritual structure.

Upon seeing that Tulu was injured, Liu Ziyun immediately wanted to press his advantage.

But Life-Taker once again stood in his way.

The two blades clashed repeatedly in the air, producing a dense metallic clang. Each collision caused the surrounding air to vibrate violently; each exchange caused the protective Runes of the Barrier to flash wildly.

While the two were locked in fierce combat, Tulu made a startling move from behind.

He gripped the sword with both hands, pouring all his Reiatsu into the blade without reservation. The dark red Tulu began to emit a low hum, and the space around the blade began to distort and collapse, as if it could not withstand the terrifying power.

Life-Taker seemed to sense the intention to Tulu. After a fierce exchange of blows, she used the recoil to retreat sharply to the left and rear, increasing the distance between herself and Liu Ziyun.

The moment she stepped back, the blade of Tulu was swung out.

"Fate Slaughter-- "

This time, the sound was completely different from before. It wasn't a simple skill release, but an almost ritualistic declaration filled with destructive intent.

A pure black slash flew out from the blade.

It wasn't dark red, nor deep purple, but the purest, deepest black. That black seemed capable of absorbing all light, devouring all sound, and even space itself distorted and shattered before that slash.

Even more terrifying is that the slash didn't emit light, but rather "darkness"—a conceptual darkness that could instill fear from the depths of one's soul.

Liu Ziyun's expression changed.

Even in his frenzied state, he could "sense" the terrifying power contained within that slash. It wasn't just physical destruction, but a deeper, more fundamental "erasure."

He dared not hold back in the slightest and immediately unleashed all his defensive measures.

"The Abyssal Wall!"

"Fate Shield!"

A pale golden wall and a transparent vortex rose simultaneously in front of him, forming a double layer of protection.

But this act of Tulu clearly went beyond the bounds of the norm.

The moment the black slash made contact with the "Abyssal Wall," the wall didn't shatter—it simply vanished. It was as if it had never existed, leaving not a trace.

Then, the slash struck the "Fate Shield".

The vortex spun wildly, attempting to pull and disperse the attack. But the black slash seemed to have its own will; it was neither pulled nor dispersed, but instead, like the sharpest blade, it sliced through the vortex and continued forward.

Liu Ziyun could only raise the knife in his hand and parry the attack.

"Clang--!"

This time, the sound of the collision was completely different from the previous ones. It wasn't the sound of metal clashing, but something deeper and more terrifying—as if two worlds were colliding, two laws were clashing.

Liu Ziyun could "feel" his sword trembling, his arm trembling, even his soul trembling. The power contained in that black slash was eroding everything about him—his body, his Reiatsu, his soul...

But he did not back down.

Because he knew that retreating would mean utter defeat.

He gritted his teeth and used all his strength to desperately resist the black slash. Cracks began to appear on the ground beneath his feet, made of Special Material. His shoes sank deep into the ground, and he slid backward for more than ten meters before barely coming to a stop.

At the same time, the pale golden arrows formed from the shattered "Abyssal Wall" rained down on the Tulu.

After unleashing "Fate Slaughter," Tulu was clearly exhausted. He knelt on one knee, panting, and didn't even have the strength to raise his sword to block.

"Pfft--"

A series of piercing sounds rang out. Dozens of pale golden arrows pierced through Tulu's body, pinning him to the ground. Blood gushed from countless wounds, quickly spreading across the ground.

The Tulu's body trembled violently, then slowly collapsed, and fell silent.

On the other side, Liu Ziyun finally managed to block the black slash.

When the black light finally dissipated, the knife in his hand was covered in cracks, as if it might shatter at any moment. He himself was pale and coughing up mouthfuls of blood.

"Cough cough... cough cough cough..." Liu Ziyun barely managed to stand, his voice filled with pain and shock, "No wonder... I was wondering why this 'Fate Slaughter' move felt different... it turns out the real killing move was hidden in the black slash..."

He could "feel" that some terrible change was taking place inside his body. Although the black slash hadn't directly hit him, the "concept" it contained had already eroded his body and was destroying everything about him from the inside out.

Life-Taker slowly walked to Tulu's side, glanced down at his unconscious companion, then looked up at Liu Ziyun with a complex expression. "Ziyun, you... failed. 'Fate Slaughter' is an attack that Fate Severing. Those struck by this attack, whether in body or soul, will gradually 'disappear,' ultimately returning to nothingness."

She paused, a hint of sadness in her voice. "But we believe in you... we believe you can overcome the problems this move has caused you. Get some rest, and look forward to the next... battle."

These words sounded like a victor's declaration, but Liu Ziyun could "sense" that there was no triumph in the Life-Taker's tone, only deep exhaustion and... some indescribable emotion.

"No..." Liu Ziyun gritted his teeth, forcing himself not to collapse, "Life-Taker, I'm about to win... Tulu has already lost, only you are left..."

He raised the knife in his hand, its blade riddled with cracks, and decisively plunged the blade into his heart. "To pay with my life."

As Liu Ziyun uttered the Spirit Speech, his body and even his clothes gradually recovered, only his Reiatsu dropped drastically.