Queen's Domain
Everyone was surprised to hear Queen's invitation to Gu Ding to enter his domain. They hadn't expected that Gu Ding could push Queen to such an extent. They could see more clearly that black flames were still burning on Queen's body, flames that even Queen, a powerful Five-Star Low-rank God, seemed unable to extinguish.
What surprised them even more was that Gu Ding agreed very readily.
The instant after Gu Ding agreed, both Queen and Gu Ding vanished from their spots.
Many onlookers felt it was a pity that they wouldn't be able to see the continuation of the fight between Gu Ding and Queen.
Even Bigge and the others frowned. Bigge and Robert could clearly see that while Gu Ding seemed to have the upper hand, none of his attacks had actually caused any real damage to Queen. Even the Black Flame that had tainted Queen's divine body couldn't significantly affect Queen in the short term. But Queen attacked, even just once, Gu Ding would be severely injured. Gu Ding was being suppressed only because she stubbornly wanted to break Gu Ding's techniques, but now that Queen had pulled Gu Ding into her domain, it was very likely Gu Ding her mind had changed.
"Why did that big idiot Gu Ding agree? That woman is clearly bullying people!" Elsa, standing to the side, didn't quite understand and clenched her fists, somewhat indignant.
"Even if he doesn't agree, Queen will still pull him into the domain; it makes no difference," Liliath explained with a wry smile. "In this situation, we can only wait for the outcome."
Meanwhile, Gu Ding stood within Queen's domain, looking around and familiarizing himself with the surroundings. What struck him as odd was that Queen's domain wasn't particularly special, except that the entire ground was as smooth as a mirror.
"No signs of life were found, nor were any other items discovered," the Sea Emperor informed Gu Ding of the search results.
Queen then spoke up, "My domain ability is very special. Within my domain, my attacks are invisible. Like this..."
As she spoke, her right hand, holding the sword, suddenly swept across the air. A whoosh of wind came from Gu Ding's side, and just as he was wondering what was happening, a flash of sword light appeared abruptly. A bloody gash appeared on his waist.
Queen's attack was too strange. She had just casually swept across the void, without even heading in the direction of Gu Ding, but the sword light appeared next to Gu Ding without any warning.
"In this domain, my attacks can completely ignore spatial distance. Of course, there is a drawback: if you react quickly enough, there is still a certain chance of intercepting the attack." Queen was so open about her domain ability because she was certain that Gu Ding could not turn the tables under these circumstances.
"Gu Ding, her domain ability is spatial, extremely rare. It's quite disadvantageous for you. Originally, she was stronger than you, and you could predict her attack trajectory and dodge accordingly. But now her attacks completely eliminate the trajectory process, making it very difficult for you to dodge. And most importantly, her Combat Strength is much stronger than yours. If you are hit, the consequences will be severe." The Sea Emperor gave his assessment. "Under these circumstances, you can only use Burning Heaven to have a chance of fighting."
"After using the Heaven-Burning Technique, I can no longer be considered my true self. I want to see just how big the gap is between the real me and her." Gu Ding did not accept the Sea Emperor's suggestion. His gaze was fixed on Queen, and his fighting spirit grew even stronger.
Seeing Gu Ding's expression, Queen's lips curled into a slight smile. She thrust her longsword forward again, the white light from its tip flashing briefly before it appeared at Gu Ding's throat in the next instant. Clearly, she had no intention of holding back.
Gu Ding's pupils suddenly contracted, and a Black Flame ignited from the point of attack, causing the sword light to freeze slightly. At the same time, Gu Ding turned his body to the side, barely avoiding the attack of the sword light.
The white sword light grazed Gu Ding's neck, leaving a bloody gash before shooting into the ground in the distance. The ground within a radius of hundreds of kilometers collapsed, accompanied by deafening roars. One can only imagine the consequences if this attack had struck Gu Ding directly.
"Your reaction is quite good. You can withstand one sword strike, so what about more?" Queen's lips curled slightly. She admitted that Gu Ding's combat ability was indeed amazing. To be able to dodge that kind of attack was already quite remarkable. The longsword thrust out again, this time with three strikes in succession.
The three white sword lights flashed by in an instant, and then suddenly appeared at three different angles, pointing at Gu Ding's heart, spine, and right side of his head.
This time, Gu Ding was enveloped in Black Flame. The three sword attacks paused, and Gu Ding took Shadow Step, his figure disappearing from the spot. Queen's sword light wasn't harmless without a strike; the air vibrations it created had a cutting effect, enough to damage Gu Ding. This was why there was a bloody gash on Gu Ding's neck earlier. This time, Gu Ding only managed to dodge the head strike at the first moment; he wasn't able to avoid the other two in time, and the air vibrations created by the sword light still left him with two wounds.
The advanced regenerative ability allowed the wounds to heal quickly, so that the two wounds had no effect on Gu Ding.
Queen also noticed Gu Ding's regenerative abilities. "I didn't expect that you, a mere Tier 1 genetic being, would possess so many abilities. However, you managed to dodge three attacks; I wonder if you'll have the same luck with ten?"
As Queen finished speaking, he swung his longsword again, ten sword beams pointing at ten vital points around Gu Ding's body, all of which were places that had to be guarded against.
Black Flame surged around Gu Ding, and the ten sword lights were almost instantly resisted by the flames, freezing in place. Gu Ding had finally found a way to counter Queen's sword light. Although Queen's sword light was sharp, the black flames could be used as a temporary shield. It took time for the sword light to force the flames away, and this opening was the chance Gu Ding had bought for himself. But that was all; Gu Ding had only broken the advantageous effect of her domain. Defeating Queen was still impossible.
With Shadow Step, Gu Ding appeared directly outside the range covered by the sword light. This time, Gu Ding was not harmed at all.
Queen's eyes flashed with a sharp light as she witnessed this. The fact that Gu Ding had broken her domain ability in such a clever way enraged her. She had no intention of giving Gu Ding any chance to turn the tables. Her longsword was once again held upright in her hand, and in an instant, countless sword shadows shot out wildly. Countless white sword lights appeared and disappeared in a flash, completely engulfing Gu Ding's figure in a 360-degree arc, sealing off every possible escape route.
"The game is over, you should just die!" With a roar, the spot where Gu Ding had been standing was suddenly filled with white light, and a deafening roar followed.
Surrounded by the white light, Gu Ding shook his head helplessly. "It seems that without using that move, I might very well die here..."
He stretched out both hands, and a blue and a black flame rose from each palm. His palms seemed to slowly come together, but a strange energy flowed instantly from between them to every corner of his body, and Gu Ding's body instantly burst into flames. It wasn't an externally ignited fire, but a flame that erupted from within.
The flames were bluish-black, spreading from his palms and instantly dyeing Gu Ding's entire body the same color. Gu Ding's entire body had completely transformed from physical form into pure flame energy, an energy level no less than that of a god's divine source.
This is the effect of the "Burning Heaven" technique, which transforms the user's body into a fire elemental form. This is also why Gu Ding said before, "After using Burning Heaven, I can no longer be considered my true self."
In that instant, Gu Ding was no different from a god, except that he had not yet condensed a divine position within his body. Dark blue flames emanated from within his body, and all the white sword lights exploded upon contact with Fu Yi. However, the resulting flames were instantly engulfed by the flames surrounding Gu Ding, without causing the slightest ripple; instead, the flames intensified.
A moment later, the white light vanished completely.
Queen peered into the distance in the direction of Gu Ding. She could sense that her attack had struck Gu Ding. Logically, given Gu Ding's physical strength, even a single blow would have severely injured him; after so many attacks, he would likely have been obliterated.
However, the area was shrouded in smoke and dust, so she only gazed at it from afar, not daring to approach. Knowing that Gu Ding possessed sealing abilities, she was also worried that Gu Ding might not have a real method, but was merely tricking her into coming so he could seal her away. Therefore, she chose to wait patiently.
Gu Ding stood motionless, not feigning ignorance, but experiencing the terrifying power this body possessed. The "Burning Heaven" technique was indeed a terrifying art that defied the laws of nature, allowing one to find energy balance between two extreme flames and instantly transform the body through the flames, forming a unique and terrifying energy body. But this was only the First Level of the transformation effect of the two flames, yet it had already brought his body to the peak strength of Low-rank God, comparable to the divine body of a peak seven-star Low-rank God. Even if Queen's true form were here, its divine body strength would definitely not match his.
Nearly half a minute passed, and the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, revealing Gu Ding's figure.
Although Queen couldn't see the changes in Gu Ding's body, a vague sense of unease rose in his heart when he saw Gu Ding still standing proudly...