Yu Lian gripped a weapon identical to the crystal cluster the Emperor had used earlier. He felt he understood this scene all too well.
Now he, too, could feel the power of heaven and earth at his command.
In the sea of stars formed by his psionic power, empty stellar positions began to twinkle.
The Emperor was likewise fixed on the crystal-cluster weapon in his opponent's hand, and couldn't help voicing the same admiration. "Look at that, my friend! Look what this is! You learn fast, don't you?"
He suddenly exerted his strength, and Yu Lian felt an irresistible force surge through the point where their weapons met. Continuing to resist wouldn't necessarily put him at a disadvantage, but there was no need.
Yu Lian deftly diverted the force and slid backward more than ten meters, propelled by the recoil. Yet as his soles scraped across the ground, they naturally stirred a strange, resonant note. Another layer of crystal, the same substance as his weapon, had emerged from the ground and spread over his body.
The Emperor, by contrast, didn't budge. He merely drew back the arm holding his sword, its light blade angled toward the ground, and watched as Yu Lian's upper body began to crystallize. "The Spiritforge! How dare you use my psionic power against me?"
Despite his words, there was not a trace of resentment in the Emperor's voice. He watched the young Earthling with keen interest. Beyond admiration and fascination, his eyes burned with a fervent desire for battle.
At that moment, he was as feverish as a martial arts fanatic.
Yu Lian answered frankly. "I suddenly realized that at the level of the Eighth Ring, things like 'extrasensory intuition' and 'psionic armament' shouldn't be used merely to predict and replicate an enemy's physical techniques."
"Exactly!