Schemes in the Shadows

"Why don't we wait until he earns the title of Giant Axe Warrior, then find an opportunity to deal with him?" Seren hesitated before suggesting.

"Once he earns the title of Giant Axe Warrior, he will likely return to Mulan Planet, and the Giant Axe Arena's supervision over him will be lifted. That is when we will send people to find a chance to kill him." As he said this, Seren's eyes were filled with killing intent.

"We must not give him the chance to return to Wunuo Star."

As long as he doesn't return to Wunuo Star, the secret on Wunuo Star will never be discovered!

The wealth brought by a D6-grade metal mine is simply too vast; it is worth them taking such a risk.

"Let's do that." Aodeyu nodded with satisfaction, lowered his head to squeeze the shapely buttocks of the bunny girl in his arms, and kneaded them, his feminine voice echoing in the private box.

"After all, only the dead can keep secrets!"

No one knew about the conversation in the private box; the audience outside was still discussing the match heatedly.

"Both of them have reached the ninth level of domain comprehension. Li Yilin has already won 999 matches; if he wins this one, he will secure the title of Giant Axe Warrior. At this stage, he will definitely be very cautious and won't give Vida a chance to counterattack."

"Hahaha, I also bet on Li Yilin to win, five million universe coins! I've already made at least ten million universe coins off Li Yilin. This is the crucial moment for him to win the title of Giant Axe Warrior, and I'm going to make a killing!" A young man wearing gorgeous robes laughed heartily.

"Luckily, although I bet on Vida, I didn't bet much—only one hundred thousand universe coins. Even if I lose, I can afford it!" A tall, thin man with scales on his face said, looking relieved.

"I've watched Vida fight his way up from his first hundred matches to his current 927 wins. I believe in him!" Some people didn't take their eyes off the battlefield, praying that the person they bet on would win.

"Vida, go! Don't be a coward; that makes me look down on you!"

"Boom!"

"Wow..."

Just then, everyone cheered in unison; the two on the stage had finally made their move.

In the real world.

On the pitch-black Desolate Planet, violent cosmic hurricanes constantly ravaged the surface, sand and gravel dancing wildly, making it impossible to keep one's eyes open.

Li Yilin stood on a meteorite, his resolute face showing not a hint of the tension one would expect from a life-or-death battle, only fearlessness.

He leaped into the air, arms spread wide, and violent purple lightning instantly covered his body. Then, it expanded at a speed visible to the naked eye, shrouding a large area of open ground in the blink of an eye.

The violent purple lightning danced wildly within the domain, leaving the light nowhere to hide.

Li Yilin's eyes narrowed as he gripped his broadsword and slashed diagonally into the air at the one o'clock position to his right.

The violent purple lightning instantly transformed into a lightning snake, roaring forward and leaving a trail of incandescent white in its wake.

Vida, who had been hiding in the void looking for an opportunity, saw his expression change drastically. He dodged to the side without hesitation while swinging his force weapon to block. But the moment he moved, he was instantly caught by the surrounding lightning.

Li Yilin did not hesitate; he stomped hard on the ground and shot forward like a bolt of lightning. His speed was incredible. From expanding his domain to slashing his blade and forcing his opponent out of hiding, to launching himself forward, it took less than a second. The entire process was fluid, decisive, and absolute!

The audience watching this scene in the Virtual Universe couldn't help but cheer.

"Cool, too cool!"

"Li Yilin, kill him!"

Some were sweating profusely, their eyes locked on the screen, and they couldn't help but exclaim the moment Li Yilin shot forward!

"A lightning domain, such a violent lightning domain—it's simply rare!" In a private box upstairs, someone knelt on the ground, cupping their face, watching the magnificent scene of Li Yilin descending like a god of thunder in the virtual display with obsession.

The mysterious Virtual Universe Company had replicated even the domain into the Virtual Universe without reservation. He could sense that every thread of lightning in the domain contained the domain owner's comprehension of lightning.

It was too profound!

A domain!! When will I ever possess one!

"Li Yilin's depth of domain comprehension is definitely extremely deep; he has likely already sensed the laws!" Someone looked at the domain Li Yilin released, their expression grave.

"Easier said than done. Laws are not so easily comprehended. Even if you sense them, wanting to cross the threshold... who knows how many years of toil that takes."

"Vida is dead for sure. His footwork and physical reactions are completely inferior to Li Yilin's. Li Yilin has already found him."

"Why isn't he using his light domain? Instead, he's retracting it. Trash, what a piece of trash!" Seeing Vida shrink his domain to a range of less than ten meters on the screen, many gamblers who bet on him broke down and cursed.

"It's over, it's all gone!"

"Ahhh, my money!"

Some knelt on the ground, wailing, already able to imagine the terrifying scene of silver disappearing from their pockets at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Vida, my Vida, pick up your spear, kill him, kill him!!!" Others roared in despair, their voices hoarse.

"Oh, my money!"

"Damn you, Vida, you should just die! Ahhh, my poor, poor money!"

Seeing this, no one thought Vida could turn the tables. One had to know that while accidents could happen in such life-or-death battles, they were the minority! These battles relied on the strength of both parties. Vida did indeed have an edge over Li Yilin in terms of strength; whether it was shield techniques or blade techniques, one for defense and one for attack, he was already approaching perfection.

But compared to Vida, who was one rank higher in strength, Li Yilin was the truly terrifying one.

With the strength of a Domain Lord level 5, his willpower was incredibly formidable, already comparable to the most ordinary World Lords, and his soul defense was also extremely strong. Others' soul attacks and illusion attacks could not affect him at all.

Therefore, even the odds given by the Giant Axe Arena had Li Yilin as the favorite, clearly determining that Li Yilin's strength was significantly higher than Vida's.

In the private box, watching as Li Yilin was about to defeat Vida, Aodeyu's expression grew increasingly ugly.

D6-grade metal is far too precious; a single ton is worth nearly 40 cosmic coins. An entire mine is worth at least hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of mixed element units. If it also yields E6-grade Wunuo Essence or even F6-grade Wunuo Mother, the value would be even greater.

Li Yilin must die!

In the real world.

On the Desolate Planet.

Vida, also wearing black battle robes, took a step forward. Like a bolt of black lightning, he crossed several kilometers in an instant.

In a flash, the two phantoms collided, and an invisible shockwave instantly exploded outward, sending countless grains of sand flying.

Vida let out a low grunt, his feet pushing off with explosive force. With a boom, he left a trail of afterimages, his spear transforming into a series of black, interlocking strikes that enveloped Li Yilin, who was hovering in mid-air.

Li Yilin drew the other black blade hanging at his waist. Wielding two black blades, he immediately turned into two streaks of purple lightning and met the assault head-on.

Clang! Clang-clang!

As Domain Lord level powerhouses clashed, the impact of their weapons generated an incredibly intense shockwave. The ground was instantly shorn away, sinking hundreds of meters deep, while the surrounding area for tens or even hundreds of kilometers was reduced to ruins, the shockwaves rippling out in all directions.

Layer upon layer of shockwaves formed an incredibly violent blast of air, sweeping across the landscape.

"Block it!"

"Block it!" Vida muttered through his lips. His spear struck out again and again—slashing, thrusting, or sweeping at Li Yilin—transforming into a dreamlike array of black spear shadows. These shadows were like faint rays of light piercing through thick clouds to reach the earth; though the light was dim, it was dazzling.

Beads of sweat seeped from Vida's forehead. He possessed a 2x gene level and a special secret technique that tripled his combat power. No one knew that his force exertion amplitude had actually reached 100. With perfect force exertion limits, secret techniques, and genetic enhancement, even so, he could only barely keep up with Li Yilin's attack speed.

Why was his attack speed so fast?

He pressed his lips together, dodging continuously. While attacking with his spear, he also utilized a soul-attack secret technique...

Alas...

Li Yilin's soul and willpower were simply too powerful. The moment his mental attack entered Li Yilin's body, it was like a drop of water falling into the ocean, yielding no feedback at all.

Even with his own mental power amplitude reaching 38, his full-force attacks could not affect the other's soul in the slightest.

He's just a rabbit with a turtle shell, Vida gritted his teeth.

Li Yilin not only failed to stop his mental attacks, but actually seemed to welcome them.

His soul, having been nurtured for tens of thousands of years across two worlds, was nearly impossible for an ordinary Domain Lord to shake.

Clang! Clang-clang! Clang-clang-clang!

The dense, rapid-fire sound of metal clashing was almost continuous, a testament to how fast the attacks were.

"Yes, that's it!"

"Kill him, just keep killing, Vida!" The gamblers, who had seen Vida unable to block a single frontal assault earlier, suddenly perked up, roaring and cheering! Those who had bet on Li Yilin to win couldn't help but feel anxious, terrified that the money about to land in their pockets would fly away.

No one cared why Vida could suddenly resist Li Yilin's attacks head-on!

They were only focused on whether the person they bet on would win, or why the person they didn't bet on hadn't died yet!

"A frontal clash between Domain Lord level powerhouses is truly intense!"

"Vida can't block Li Yilin's attacks at all; his hands are trembling!"

"Vida, counterattack! Don't just dodge, you coward!"

"Damn it, kill him!"

"Vida, my entire fortune depends on you, you must win!"

In the real world.

Watching Vida grow more courageous with every strike, Li Yilin felt a bad premonition. Just as he feared a change in the situation and decided to risk a heavy injury to kill Vida in one blow—

"Hum—"

A mysterious ripple suddenly appeared on the spear Vida thrust forward, causing a heart-palpitating sensation. With the enhancement of this ripple, Vida's attack speed increased by more than double in an instant.

"Light, this is the true light!"

Unbound by the void, ultimate speed!

Ultimate light!!

Vida's eyes grew brighter and brighter. In his hands, the spear almost transformed into a beam of black light. Wherever it passed, the void cracked, and tiny hurricanes erupted from the fissures, throwing the surrounding space into chaos.

Li Yilin failed to react in time; he was struck in the shoulder by the spear and sent flying.

"Ugh—"

He spat out a mouthful of blood in mid-air, flipped twice, and finally slammed heavily into a stone mountain in the distance. Under the massive impact, the stone mountain exploded, sending sand and rocks flying and dust billowing into the air!

If it weren't for the fact that he had obtained the Thunder Dragon Art and the Thunder Dragon Bloodline from the sign-in system thirty thousand years ago, giving him a physique far beyond that of a normal Domain Lord, that strike alone would have killed him on the spot!

Even so, he felt that his left arm had lost all sensation!

Energy that did not belong to him rampaged through his body, his blood and qi surging. He spat out another mouthful of blood, and purple lightning even flickered within the blood mist.

That was a sign that his injuries were too severe, to the point where he could no longer fully control his body's energy.

Vida's force exertion multiplier had definitely reached 100; at this moment, only this thought flashed through Li Yilin's mind.

His own force exertion multiplier was 36, and with his five-fold genetic level, his combat power was boosted five times to reach 150. While that seemed far superior to Vida, it was clear that Vida also possessed a secret technique capable of increasing his body's exertion, and the multiplier was certainly not low.

The Thunder Dragon Art secret technique he practiced for body exertion was only at the first level, which could only triple his combat power.

Calculated together, his total combat power was only 450 times his base.

As long as the exertion secret technique Vida practiced increased his power by more than 4.5 times, it would be enough to crush him.

As expected, anyone the Giant Axe Arena decided to make his opponent for his 1,000th life-or-death battle could not be simple.

Li Yilin gave a bitter smile in his heart.

"Swish—" Amidst the rising dust, a streak of black light shot straight into the churning smoke. Li Yilin retreated hundreds of meters, with Vida following closely behind. His expression was icy, and his moves were becoming increasingly ruthless and decisive.

Clang! Clang-clang! Clang!

Powerful shockwaves kicked up even more dust. The two were locked in a fierce battle, but unfortunately, the scene was blocked by the smoke and dust, making it impossible to see anything.

Virtual Universe Company.

"Heaven-defying!" The gamblers watching this scene were in an uproar.

"This Vida actually comprehended an Origin Law at such a life-or-death moment?"

"It is indeed an Origin Law, likely the Origin Law of Light. Although he has only just comprehended it, he has stepped through that door nonetheless."

"Haha, to be able to see this in a life-or-death battle, it was worth it."

"Li Yilin is dead for sure. Three million Universe Coins, hahahaha!"

"Vida! Vida!" Everyone cheered, celebrating Vida for crossing that threshold. Those who had bet on him to win immediately hugged the people next to them and began to celebrate.

"Damn it, this dust is blocking the view!"

"I need to see their fight."

On the ground, where shockwaves made the earth tremble and generated terrifying air currents.

Two figures moved like lightning.

"Chi!" "Chi!" "Chi!"

Sharp light shot from Vida's eyes. A light domain enveloped the surrounding heaven and earth, and the six black light rays seemed to come alive, like slippery little snakes, crazily surrounding and attacking Li Yilin.

Li Yilin swung his black blade continuously. Although he was still defending, he no longer had that relaxed rhythm and was becoming strained.

The power of laws and the domain power he used were already two different levels of existence. That he could still resist was entirely due to his body's five-fold genetic level and the 1% Thunder Dragon Bloodline enhancement.

"Clang!" "Clang!" The black threads continuously struck his blade. Massive counter-shocks traveled up the length of the weapon, shaking his web between his thumb and forefinger until it tore, spraying blood outward.

"No."

"No!" Sweat beaded on Li Yilin's forehead. The wound on his shoulder was slowly seeping blood due to his violent movements, and the defense of his Tier 4 force weapon had reached its limit, with cracks even appearing on its surface.

He was worthy of being a Domain Lord who had survived over nine hundred life-or-death battles; almost every strike landed in the exact same spot, showing a clear intent not to stop until he had crippled Li Yilin's hands.

"How can I fall here? No, absolutely not!"

"I, Li Yilin... cannot die yet!" Li Yilin whispered. The battle blade in his hand swung faster and faster. He no longer focused on the black light rays, but instead swung his blade based on instinct.

Vida, hovering not far away, had a flash of ferocity in his eyes. The law fluctuations on his body became increasingly intense. Under his all-out effort, the attack speed of the black threads surged by another fraction, and he also raised his spear to close in.

Suddenly, it became even harder for Li Yilin to defend. He swung his battle blade continuously, even though every time he blocked, his torn wrists suffered another jolt.

"Clang!" A black thread streaked through the void at a bizarre angle. At the same time, a faint wisp of lightning flashed almost simultaneously. The void vibrated, and Li Yilin felt as if his consciousness had been pulled into an unusual place.

Inside, countless purple lightning bolts jumped and flickered at various strange angles—some violent, some gentle, others like a breeze passing by...

Li Yilin's eyes became extremely bright. His consciousness seemed to shatter into countless pieces, jumping and cheering along with those lightning bolts, feeling their every change.