This clash left Yang Jian deeply shocked.
Deng Jiugong's swordsmanship was far more profound than he had imagined.
And although Deng Jiugong was only at the early stage of the Mystic Immortal Realm, the magic power within him was astonishingly abundant—almost comparable to that of a Golden Immortal.
On top of that, his swordsmanship was so profound that he could actually hold his own against Yang Jian.
The two continued fighting, locked in an evenly matched battle!
In moments, those with weaker cultivation could only hear explosions ringing across the battlefield. They could barely make out the figures of Deng Jiugong and Yang Jian anymore.
In truth, Deng Jiugong was struggling slightly against Yang Jian. Only by using the Five Elements Great Escape to greatly increase his speed could he keep up with him.
"Eight-Nine Arcane Art!"
At that moment, Yang Jian's aura surged once more.
It turned out that he hadn't yet activated his cultivation art while fighting Deng Jiugong; he had been relying on instinct alone.
Now that he had activated it, Yang Jian's combat power began climbing rapidly, leaving Deng Jiugong inwardly astonished.
Boom!
This time, the collision sent Deng Jiugong flying.
"Grand Unity Golden Immortal!"
Deng Jiugong's expression turned solemn.
Like Deng Jiugong, Yang Jian cultivated both magic and the body.
But Yang Jian's soul cultivation had reached the perfection of the Golden Immortal Realm, while his physical cultivation had already reached the early stage of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm.
Moreover, Yang Jian cultivated the Eight-Nine Arcane Art. Its transformations were unpredictable, giving him limitless ways to maneuver and an endless array of wondrous techniques!
That meant Yang Jian's combat strength couldn't be compared to that of other cultivators at the same realm!
Yang Jian's power had suddenly surged, greatly increasing his combat strength. Clearly, he was getting serious.
Deng Jiugong didn't dare be careless. He pushed the Pangu Divine Art to its limit.
Yang Jian was powerful, and the Eight-Nine Arcane Art was extraordinarily profound. But to Deng Jiugong, Yang Jian's cultivation was no better than a pile of rotten tofu.
Yang Jian's cultivation was simply higher than his.
The Eight-Nine Arcane Art was powerful, but it was only a derivative of the Nine Revolutions Profound Art.
As Deng Jiugong activated the Pangu Divine Art, magic power surged through him and his physical strength rapidly increased.
Then he activated the Vast Void Divine Blade Art and swung both blades fiercely at Yang Jian.
Clang! Clang!
Wielding both blades together, he unleashed immense power. This strike met Yang Jian's on equal terms.
Yang Jian was deeply shocked!
Deng Jiugong's combat strength was astonishing. Even Yang Jian's all-out strike had only matched him.
Clearly, Deng Jiugong's strength far surpassed that of others at the same realm. Yang Jian could hardly believe it.
Yang Jian had always been the one who fought above his realm. Today, at last, he had met a worthy opponent.
But he still had other tricks up his sleeve.
"Heaven-Howling Dog!"
In the midst of the battle, Yang Jian used his Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear to block Deng Jiugong's twin blades. Seizing an opening, he summoned the Heaven-Howling Dog and sent it lunging at Deng Jiugong.
Caught off guard, Deng Jiugong was bitten hard on the arm.
But things didn't go as Yang Jian had expected. The Heaven-Howling Dog's bite nearly broke its teeth.
Deng Jiugong, by contrast, looked completely unfazed. He swung a blade at the dog.
Yang Jian was alarmed and hurriedly blocked Deng Jiugong's strike, then had no choice but to call the Heaven-Howling Dog back.
"Your body is incredibly tough!"
Yang Jian stared at him in disbelief.
"Didn't see that coming, did you?"
Deng Jiugong replied calmly.
If that bite had landed on another cultivator, it would surely have wounded them.
But Deng Jiugong had refined the Ancestral Witch's blood essence and advanced his profound art to the second revolution. His body was as tough as a magic treasure. He had also activated his profound art to reinforce his arm's defenses, so the Heaven-Howling Dog couldn't pierce his skin at all.
Still, the dog's cultivation was too low. Otherwise, Deng Jiugong would have suffered a serious setback.
Even so, getting bitten by a dog had naturally left Deng Jiugong fuming.
If his body hadn't been so tough, he would have needed to figure out how to treat rabies after the battle!
Then Deng Jiugong moved, his speed suddenly skyrocketing.
He used the Five Elements Great Escape and pushed the divine ability to its limit. His speed became unimaginably fast.
Yang Jian's expression tightened. By the time he could make out Deng Jiugong's figure, the twin blades in Deng Jiugong's hands were already sweeping toward him, their movements filled with boundless mystery.
Yang Jian didn't dare be careless and raised his Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear to block.
Though he stopped Deng Jiugong's attack, Yang Jian could feel his body struggling to bear the force.
Deng Jiugong's strength was simply too great, and the twin blades in his hands were devastatingly powerful. Fortunately, Deng Jiugong's soul cultivation was low, so he couldn't unleash the blades' full power. Otherwise, Yang Jian would surely have been no match for him.
"Dragon Subduing Tiger Subduing!"
At that moment, Deng Jiugong suddenly unleashed a divine ability, and his strength surged once more.
Then, as Yang Jian stared in shock, the roar of a dragon and the growl of a tiger rang out. Their terrifying power burst from Deng Jiugong's twin blades and rushed toward Yang Jian.
"Heavenly Eye!"
Sensing the immense danger, Yang Jian opened the third eye between his brows. A beam of golden light shot out and collided with Deng Jiugong's attack, unleashing a thunderous explosion.
In an instant, sand and stones filled the air, blocking everyone's view.
Everyone stared tensely, mouths agape, unable to tell how the battle was going!
In this final exchange, both Deng Jiugong and Yang Jian had unleashed their ultimate techniques.
As the smoke cleared, the two figures emerged, each looking solemnly at the other.
Neither could overcome the other!
Hubbub!
Everyone in the Shang and Zhou camps stared wide-eyed, their eyes filled with shock.
This was a clash between the two sides' strongest fighters—the fiercest battle yet.
"The Marshal is that powerful!"
All the soldiers in Tang Camp were stunned.
Aside from Kong Xuan and Lu Yue, everyone felt utterly insignificant.
"Deng Jiugong is quite impressive. He's exceeded my expectations," Kong Xuan thought.
To fight Yang Jian on equal terms despite being at a lower realm—there might not be another person like him in the entire Primordial World.
Kong Xuan had been ready to intervene at any moment. If Deng Jiugong proved no match for Yang Jian, he would step in immediately.
Deng Jiugong was Great Shang's hope. He would never let anything happen to him.
Before, Kong Xuan had served under Deng Jiugong only as an ally, joining forces with him to oppose Western Zhou.
Now, however, Kong Xuan was determined to protect him.
Only by protecting Deng Jiugong could he safeguard Great Shang's fortune.
Deng Jiugong was not only Great Shang's final line of defense but also its strongest bulwark.
If Great Shang's fortune had begun to wane after Wen Zhong's death, then if anything happened to Deng Jiugong, Great Shang would be beyond saving!
They said heroes emerged in troubled times. Kong Xuan could already see the shadow of a mighty figure rising in Deng Jiugong.
On Xiqi's side, Jiang Ziya was shocked to see Deng Jiugong fight Yang Jian to a standstill.
"Deng Jiugong is that formidable!"
With strength like that, Deng Jiugong could have killed Tu Xingsun with ease.
"Deng Jiugong is using the Five Elements Great Escape!"
Manjushri and Samantabhadra had already recognized Deng Jiugong's divine ability.
The Five Elements Great Escape was incredibly difficult to master. They hadn't expected Deng Jiugong to cultivate it to such a high level.
It was one of the great divine abilities among the Thirty-Six Heavenly Dipper Arts. Even they, Grand Unity Golden Immortals, found it difficult to cultivate.
Before you continue