Sparring with Hong

Lin Qingyu and Hong finished discussing how the inheritance within the Ruins should be divided.

Then, just as Lin Qingyu had expected, Hong proposed a sparring match.

"On Earth, I've been exploring alone, and my progress has been limited. So I hope to spar and improve together with someone like you who also possesses a Domain," Hong said.

Although Lin Qingyu was only fifteen, Hong understood that ambition was not bound by age.

After all, when he was fifteen, he had already been a full-fledged assassin who had carried out missions! Therefore, he would never underestimate Lin Qingyu simply because of his young age.

"No problem." Lin Qingyu nodded directly.

Hong was Planetary level 6th stage, with Domain 2nd layer, and his force exertion was around five times.

Although Lin Qingyu was only Planetary level 1st stage, his fiftyfold Gene Level allowed him to directly rival a Planetary level 7th stage warrior. His force exertion was tenfold, and his Domain had even reached the third layer.

Though he was inferior to Hong in technique and moves, his fundamentals were considerably stronger than Hong's.

Now, he also wanted to find out just how strong Hong, Earth's number one expert, truly was!

A plane from the Limitless Martial Arts School flew to a Wilderness Zone on the Eurasian continent. There were far too many monsters in Australia, making it unsuitable for a direct sparring match.

Hong and Lin Qingyu stepped off the plane together and stood facing each other.

Then they exchanged smiles—and unleashed their Domains at the same time!

Hong's Domain was a patch of darkness. When it spread out, all the surrounding light seemed to be swallowed by that black hemispherical Domain.

Lin Qingyu's Domain, meanwhile, was a lush emerald green. One glance at it evoked vigorous life, as if all things were sprouting and Myriad Phenomena Renew.

The black and green intertwined and influenced each other, forming an even larger region of mingled dual colors.

Lin Qingyu's Domain occupied seventy percent of the area, while Hong's took up thirty percent.

Falling behind in the battle of Domains did not disappoint Hong. On the contrary, seeing that Lin Qingyu's comprehension of Domains surpassed his own, Hong felt heartfelt delight.

"Very good. Take this spear!" Holding his spear, Hong flicked its tip and thrust straight into the area under Lin Qingyu's control.

As Hong swung his spear, his Domain changed in an instant. The originally pitch-black region suddenly filled with rippling white waves, like an unending tsunami. Beneath that tsunami lay an entirely different artistic conception, like an unfathomable ocean abyss!

The spear carried layer after layer of force as it struck again and again at the area Lin Qingyu controlled. The Domain shifting along with the spear seemed to transform into a deep ocean, intent on swallowing Lin Qingyu whole.

The instant Hong unleashed his move, the proportions between their Domains reversed. The green Domain that had occupied a full seventy percent of the area was immediately suppressed to only fifty percent. If Lin Qingyu's fundamentals had not surpassed Hong's, he would have been the one at a disadvantage now.

Lin Qingyu did not possess moves as refined as Hong's, nor was he as skilled in using his Domain.

But his fundamentals were superior!

Lin Qingyu let out a shout, Origin Force erupting from him. Countless streams of Origin Force transformed into pillars of light and entered the suppressed Domain, extending countless branches like a towering tree that blotted out the sky and sun.

If Hong's attack was like a blazing sun hanging high in the sky, scorching the earth, then Lin Qingyu's counterattack was Single Tree Becomes Forest, shielding the sky and blocking out the sun.

Immediately afterward, Lin Qingyu also swung his spear and thrust at Hong.

Unlike Hong, who fused his spear with his Domain, Lin Qingyu's spear was like a battle horn.

The horn sounded, and ten thousand troops charged!

The countless flowers, grass, and trees around them seemed to have been fast-forwarded, skipping through decades of growth in an instant. Like animals, they followed Lin Qingyu's spear and charged toward Hong's attack.

This was Lin Qingyu's special ability, Life Blood!

Hong's moves remained incomparably exquisite and suited his Light Domain perfectly. With the support of his Domain, Hong's attacks came in an endless stream, as though they had no end.

Although the countless plants Lin Qingyu had stimulated into growth carried his immense wood attribute Origin Force, they still could not block a single one of Hong's attacks. After all, those plants were merely ordinary vegetation.

They could not stop him, but they could disrupt the trajectory of Hong's spear.

With Hong's skill, he quickly followed the fluctuations of his Domain and eliminated the interference of those newly grown plants. Yet in terms of "control," he had ultimately fallen behind.

Lin Qingyu had also cultivated the World Ending Spear Art. He understood just how important "control" was in Hong's combat.

That was why he had chosen to use his Domain and special ability to contend with Hong for control of their surroundings.

Relying on his Domain being one layer higher, as well as his special ability and overwhelming fundamentals, he had indeed successfully suppressed Hong's Domain and gained deeper control over the surrounding environment.

"So that's how it is!" Hong was clearly enjoying the battle. "There are still many flaws in my control over the Domain! My use of myself and the environment has yet to reach its peak!"

Although Thor had also fought Hong using superior fundamentals and strength, the gains from fighting Thor truly could not compare to fighting another powerful expert who possessed a Domain.

What was more, Lin Qingyu's Domain had been stronger than Hong's from the start. The collision between Domains was also Hong's best opportunity to learn.

Although Hong had not won this struggle for control over the surroundings, he had discovered his own shortcomings, deepening his understanding of Domains by another layer.

"Third layer! This is Domain 3rd layer!"

Genetic Force rippled around Hong's body, resonating with the Domain under his control.

In an instant, the black region that had been suppressed by Lin Qingyu's outburst expanded once more, reaching the point where it could stand evenly against Lin Qingyu's green Wood Domain.

Hong's spear also shifted to a different style of attack.

Just now, Hong's spear had been ocean waves, while his Domain had been an ocean abyss. The waves and abyss had been separate.

But now, every thrust of Hong's spear carried the fluctuations and might of more than half his Domain. The ferocious tsunami and the profound ocean abyss seemed to merge together, becoming the complete ocean itself, capable of embracing everything.

But Lin Qingyu was no pushover either. If Hong became the ocean and drowned all things, then Lin Qingyu was a giant tree holding up the sky, immovable and unshakable.

As the two fought, the ground within several kilometers was forcibly flattened, and the distant Lord level monsters scattered in panic. Even the Monster King that originally ruled this region avoided them outright, for it knew exactly how strong Hong was.

Their spears crossed once more. Hong and Lin Qingyu each retreated more than ten meters, and this time, neither continued forward.

The sparring had gone far enough. Neither Hong nor Lin Qingyu increased their strength any further, since their purpose in fighting was to improve together, not to determine victory or defeat.

For Hong, being able to comprehend Domain 3rd layer through this battle was already an immense surprise.

"Lin Qingyu, you're also a Mental Master, aren't you?" Hong looked at Lin Qingyu in amazement.

"Yes." Lin Qingyu nodded. He had not used his abilities as a Mental Master during his sparring match with Hong.

"You're fifteen years old, yet your martial cultivation can already fight me to a draw, and you're also a Mental Master. Your future will definitely not be confined to Earth!" Hong said. "You've received an inheritance from an ancient civilization, or rather... an extraterrestrial civilization. You should understand that humanity is not the only civilization in the universe, right?"

"I do know something about extraterrestrial civilizations." Lin Qingyu nodded. "The universe is vast."

"That's right. The universe is vast, but... it is also terrifying! Many times, the things intelligent lifeforms do are even crueler than what mindless monsters do. Although we already stand at Earth's very peak, we absolutely cannot relax." Hong looked at Lin Qingyu seriously. "I do not want Earth's civilization to one day be directly conquered, or even enslaved, by some extraterrestrial civilization descending from the sky!"

"I understand," Lin Qingyu said. "I'll cultivate diligently and strive to reach the Star level above the Planetary level as soon as possible, so that Earth can truly gain a foothold in the universe!"

"Good, you've got ambition!" Hong praised. "You are already a true powerhouse, and you possess the responsibility and conviction of one. I think it is time for the War God Palace Council to add another Speaker."