Combat Can Be Addictive

"Haha! Exhilarating!"

Jiang Yao finally understood why so many non-slave Stellar Level, Domain Lord, and even Sector Lord powerhouses would wager their long lifespans to participate in the death matches of the Giant Axe Coliseum.

Combat is truly addictive.

The secret techniques he had observed on Yuluo Island seemed to manifest clearly before his eyes during the battle, as if he were looking at the lines on his own palm, and then he would unleash them with reckless abandon.

From clumsy to proficient, from crude to refined.

It allowed him to once again experience that clear-headed, soul-cleansing sensation he felt when he first opened the Xu Yuan Space and practiced the Seven Turns of Heaven's End and the Boat of Guidance—a feeling of unbridled joy where no obstacle could hinder him.

As expected, no matter how much one talks on paper, practice is essential.

At the same time, his combat consciousness and his control over his domain and spirit weapons were improving at an astonishing rate. In just a few matches, his mastery of the fourth-tier spirit weapon, the Red Shadow Blade, had reached the point of perfect fluidity, as if the weapon were an extension of his own body.

And this wasn't even a real battle; it was merely a fight within the Virtual Universe.

This sensation, as if years of accumulation were erupting all at once, left him completely immersed in the enjoyment of the fight.

Fifth round, cleared!

Inside the Senate, the hundreds of Domain Lord and Sector Lord elders sitting on the tiered semicircular steps had set aside their reserve, whispering and discussing the dozen or so geniuses who had yet to be eliminated.

Naturally, the center of attention was undoubtedly Jiang Yao.

Meng Yi and Beiqiong exchanged glances, both seeing shock and joy in each other's eyes.

Seventeen years to raise a domain to the fourth level was already enough to be astonishing, but to have not fallen behind in the practice of secret techniques during that process?

What kind of concept was this? What kind of comprehension?

Was practicing secret techniques as easy as drinking water?

Even though the people present were elders with long lives and vast experience, seeing a young Stellar Level genius wantonly wielding various secret techniques—including those practiced by Martial Artists—left them all stunned.

Meng Yi couldn't even describe his feelings upon seeing a Spirit Reader Controller, who had only become a Planetary Level twenty years ago, unleash a high-level secret technique practiced by the Lingtong Race Martial Artists.

It was not rare for one to be both a Controller and a Martial Artist, but for it to appear in a genius who had crossed from Planetary Level to Stellar Level in just twenty years and possessed a fourth-level domain was simply incredible.

Where did he find the time?

Dual-cultivating as a Controller and Martial Artist would severely drag down one's progress, not to mention training a high-level physical secret technique like Sufeng to such a degree. A Stellar Level Martial Artist who could use Sufeng would already be considered a genius within their own race.

He did not know that after Jiang Yao first incarnated as Bizhang, his gene level had increased to 2x. Through more than a decade of resisting Bizhang's will, his body's genes had been continuously improving, and his artistic conception was now nearly 3x that of the ordinary human race.

This meant his physical foundation was nearly three times that of humans at the same rank and level!

Jiang Yao's physical talent was also absolutely unmatched by anyone in the Lingtong Race; he was a natural-born Martial Artist.

Even the aged clan leader sitting beside Jiuyuan set aside his frustration over his prized disciple Bancha being eliminated: "To use the Flowing Flame Storm move with the Red Shadow Blade, one would need at least a seventh-level domain, right? How did he manage to use it?"

Kasa, the Sector Lord presiding over the competition, was just about to speak when he suddenly widened his eyes again.

"Soul-Killing Arrow?"

When the sixth-round opponent, an illusionist, appeared, Jiang Yao did not wait for the other party to make a move. He was already impatient to meet his seventh-round opponent and did not want to waste time on an illusionist who posed no threat to him and could not stir his desire for battle.

Therefore, he used the soul-attack secret technique he had seen on Yuluo Island: the Soul-Killing Arrow.

Three black feathered arrows shot out in an instant, merging into one before reaching the opponent.

The illusionist struggled for a moment before turning into a stream of light and dissipating.

Sixth round, cleared!

The Domain Lord and Sector Lord powerhouses in the Senate were left dumbfounded.

It was perfectly normal for a Spirit Reader to practice soul-attack secret techniques, but the amount of power one could unleash was another matter entirely.

Jiang Yao's opponent was a ninth-rank Stellar Level illusionist in the sixth round.

An illusionist who reached this stage was an expert in soul attacks themselves, and it was impossible for them to lack means of soul defense.

Yet, they still had almost no power to resist and were killed by the Soul-Killing Arrow secret technique unleashed by Jiang Yao.

"It's actually the technique of three arrows returning to one. To execute it to this degree, both will and soul must be extremely powerful. Most Universe Level powerhouses couldn't even pull it off."

"I wonder if the seventh-round opponent will be able to stop him."

Jiuyuan, with his rugged features, asked with a hint of a smile: "Who is the seventh-round opponent Jiang Yao will face?"

Kasa, the Sector Lord in black battle robes, respectfully replied: "It is Nuowei, a genius of the Leixi Race who ranked in the top 1,000 of the Xuanshang Universe Country in the previous peak genius competition. However, his domain will be lowered from the ninth level to the fourth level, matching Jiang Yao's, and of course, he will not have his comprehension of the laws."

The other Sector Lord elders sitting on the highest tier were somewhat surprised.

"Whoa, Kasa, you really are ruthless. You don't want him to pass the seventh round at all, do you?"

"That's not necessarily true. If he can unleash some of the powerful combat techniques he saw on Yuluo Island, he might actually have the ability to fight him. After all, the difference between a ninth-level and a fourth-level domain is huge, and Nuowei won't be able to use many of his usual methods."

"Tsk tsk, although I don't really believe he can defeat Nuowei—clearing six rounds with a fourth-level domain is already a miracle—but... who knows? I wouldn't be surprised if he really created another miracle."

By this point, all participants other than Jiang Yao had been eliminated. Including Jiang Yao, only five people had cleared the sixth round, but the other four only had first-level domains, while only Jiang Yao had a fourth-level domain.

As they spoke, Jiang Yao's opponent appeared on the screen.

He had a normal human appearance, though he was only about 1.5 meters tall, but Jiang Yao's expression became extremely solemn.

"Good grief, what kind of monster is this?!"

Countless flashes of bright lightning rose and fell in succession, merging into one and illuminating the asteroid's originally dark and silent night sky as if it were broad daylight, yet it was far more heart-stopping and terrifying than the gloomy darkness.

Jiang Yao gasped in astonishment: "Such a powerful aura, is this truly a fourth-level domain?"

On one side was a raging tide of flames, and on the other was rolling thunder; as the lightning crackled, the two domains began to collide, shifting from their distinct boundaries.

The result of the collision was that Jiang Yao's domain collapsed at the first touch.

"Not good!"

After several battles, Jiang Yao's combat intuition, now honed to the extreme, issued a strong warning as a bolt of lightning shot toward him.

He instinctively executed the Sufeng movement technique, dodging the lightning strike by a hair's breadth.

No, it wasn't just lightning; or rather, the figure of his enemy was encased within the lightning.

The opponent's speed was unimaginably fast, reminding Jiang Yao instantly of the Yinhu Island Domain Lord who had once tried to intercept and kill him.

In the face of a Martial Artist with such speed, a Controller would also fall into an extremely passive situation.

Jiang Yao did not hesitate in the slightest, stepping onto the Red Shadow Blade and transforming into a streak of light, dodging the opponent's attacks at an astonishing speed.

The two streaks of light chased and fled across the asteroid like meteors.

This left the crowd watching the battle in the plaza dumbfounded.

However, the speed at which Jiang Yao flew while controlling his spirit weapon still could not match his opponent, who seemed to have become the incarnation of lightning; with a loud bang, Jiang Yao was smashed into the ground.

"Phew, is it finally over?"

"This freak is going to stop at the seventh round."

"His opponent in this seventh round is just too exaggerated. With such speed, he can only fly and dodge using his spirit weapon, but that means he can't use the spirit weapon to attack; he can only keep running without being able to fight back."

"Indeed, he is much stronger than those seventh-round opponents with first-level domains."

"I looked it up; it seems to be Nuowei, a genius of the Leixi Race who made it into the peak finals of the previous genius competition."

"Even if such an opponent's domain is lowered to the fourth level, it's too exaggerated. It's like they don't intend for anyone to pass this stage at all."

Jiang Yao flew out of the crater, looking at the lightning domain surrounding his opponent, and said with a look of exhilaration: "Haha, satisfying! Satisfying! It is impolite not to reciprocate! It's my turn now, right?"

Having said that, he stepped on the Tier 4 spirit weapon Red Shadow Blade and, turning into a streak of light, charged toward the short figure!