Mastering the Complete Shikai (2)

This battle was more intense than any before. Liu Ziyun was able to maintain his Complete Shikai state for a long time without losing control, but correspondingly, the Life-Taker Tulu also unleashed more power. Every collision between the two stirred up Reishi storm in the void of their Inner Worlds.

Liu Ziyun's swordsmanship improved continuously under pressure. He began to understand the fighting style of Life-Taker Tulu —it wasn't about imitating Life-Taker's precision or Tulu's ferocity, but rather a higher level of combat wisdom. Every strike contained multiple variations, and every movement concealed a counter-attack. It was an understanding of the essence of combat, the most fundamental application of power.

However, even so, he was still at a disadvantage.

The Life-Taker Tulu onslaught was like a relentless tide, wave after wave, never ceasing. Liu Ziyun could only barely defend himself; each parry left his hands numb, and each dodge was a close call. Wounds began to appear on his body; although they weren't his real body, the pain they caused felt incredibly real.

As he was repeatedly repelled, a thought flashed through Liu Ziyun's mind:

Should I give up suppressing it?

This idea is like a seed; once it takes root, it begins to grow wildly.

Even when I enter that mindless, berserk state, the Life-Taker Tulu can bring me back to reality... No, they seem to have the same problem. That's why they always say, "Don't die."

[I feel like I've mastered the Shikai of Life-Taker Tulu. But why can't I use it for long each time? It's not because of insufficient Reiatsu... but the more I use Life-Taker Tulu, the more I want to enter that state. Is it because I haven't truly entered that state before, that's why I haven't fully mastered it?]

Just then, the Life-Taker Tulu slashed down with a blade as fast as lightning.

Distracted, Liu Ziyun was a beat too slow; the blade grazed his shoulder, spraying a cloud of blood formed from Reishi. He groaned and staggered backward.

"This isn't the first time you've been distracted while fighting me." The voice of the Life-Taker Tulu was icy cold. "Didn't I tell you? Distraction will kill you. It will kill you—"

The last few words were almost screamed out, carrying an uncontrollable madness.

Then, the Life-Taker Tulu suddenly raised his foot and stomped hard on the fallen Liu Ziyun. The power contained in that stomp was enough to shatter mountains.

Liu Ziyun rolled away at the last second, then used a few Shunpo to create distance. He panted heavily, carefully observing the state of the Life-Taker Tulu.

He discovered that with each battle, Life-Taker Tulu was gradually entering that state of frenzy and madness. However, his opponent controlled himself better, so every time he was about to lose control, Life-Taker Tulu was able to knock him unconscious in time, ending the fight.

But this time, things seem different.

The bloodshot veins in Life-Taker Tulu's eyes became more pronounced, and his breathing grew heavy. His calm, deep-pool-like demeanor was dissipating, replaced by a dangerous restlessness.

What Liu Ziyun didn't realize was that while he was observing the Life-Taker Tulu, his own state was also changing. Although he was making various analyses in his mind, the expression on his face gradually became distorted, and the bloodshot in his eyes increased, like spreading vines, gradually staining his pupils red.

An even bolder idea took shape in his mind:

[Yes, the Life-Taker Tulu is like that, and so am I. So I'll just go crazy for once. Perhaps finding reason in madness is the only real way out.]

This thought was like the last straw, breaking down his rational defenses.

Liu Ziyun a deep breath and shouted at the Life-Taker Tulu, "Come on! This time, let's fight to our hearts' content!"

The moment he finished speaking, he lost the last shred of control over his reason.

An unprecedented feeling welled up inside me—not anger, not madness, but a pure, primal impulse. An impulse to fight, an impulse to destroy, an impulse to unleash everything.

A crimson glow appeared around him, and his Reiatsu surged. Liu Ziyun could feel his power surging, but at the same time, his rationality was rapidly fading. A strange smile appeared on his lips, a smile that did not belong to his usual self, but to some ancient, primal being.

Looking at Liu Ziyun like this, a complex expression flashed in the eyes of the Life-Taker Tulu. There was relief, worry, and determination in his eyes.

"It's begun..." Life-Taker Tulu murmured softly, a flicker of emotion appearing in his voice for the first time. "A battle that decides life and death. So let it begin, a true battle of life and death. I hope we can all regain our sanity... that's the heart we've lost."

Then, the Life-Taker Tulu loosened its final control.

Unlike Liu Ziyun, whose body was enveloped in blood, the changes in the Life-Taker Tulu were more restrained and more dangerous. The Reiatsu around him suddenly increased, so much so that his entire Inner World began to tremble. And those eyes—the whites of his eyes were stained red with blood, and his black pupils began to emit a brocade-like light, like gems embedded in a sea of blood.

The battle has entered a completely new phase.

Two berserkers, driven mad by rage, engage in a primal and violent battle in the void of their Inner World. There is no skill, no strategy, only the purest clash of power, a direct fight to the death.

Blades clashed, unleashing blinding sparks. Each collision tore open cracks in the void, from which flowed Reiatsu interwoven with crimson and saffron, like blood seeping from a wound.

In the Real World, in the Underground Training Grounds, Liu Ziyun's body began to undergo terrifying changes.

His body, which had been sitting calmly cross-legged, suddenly trembled violently, and wounds began to appear on his skin. These wounds were not physical, but illusory wounds formed by Reiatsu, yet they emanated a real pain. Crimson and crimson Reiatsu seeped from the wounds, intertwining to form an eerie halo that flickered in the dimly lit Training Ground.

Even more terrifying, as the battle within his Inner World intensified, Liu Ziyun's physical body began to develop real wounds—his skin cracked, and blood seeped out. The location and shape of those wounds were exactly the same as the attacks he suffered in his Inner World.

This is damage at the soul level, which directly affects the physical body.

In their Inner World, the battle has reached its climax.

Liu Ziyun's reason sank into the deepest part of his consciousness, into an endless darkness. He walked aimlessly in the darkness, not knowing direction or purpose, only a vague perception guiding him—somewhere in this darkness, a center was calling to him.

As they walked, a light appeared ahead.

It was a strange light, interwoven with gold, red, and black. The three colors were not clearly distinct, but rather intertwined and flowed like living things, forming a dynamic balance. The light flickered in the darkness, flashing rhythmically like a heartbeat.

Liu Ziyun could clearly feel that the light was excited, thrilled, and jubilant. It was as if his arrival here was the moment that the light had been waiting for.

He reached out and grasped the ball of light.

In an instant, it shone with dazzling light.