A domain was a strange ability.
It went from formless to tangible, embodying a life-form's mastery over the forces of heaven and earth.
Domains were divided into nine layers. Each time one advanced a layer, one's own strength increased tenfold, while the suppression of an enemy's combat power grew stronger.
With a first-layer domain, one's own combat power increased tenfold while the opponent's fell by a tenth. With a third-layer domain, one's own combat power increased thirtyfold while the opponent's fell by three-tenths... and with a Ninefold Domain, one's own combat power increased ninetyfold while the enemy's fell by nine-tenths.
The higher the domain, the greater its owner's mastery over the forces of heaven and earth. When breaking through from Cosmic Level to Domain Lord, this made it easier to condense a Life Core.
At the same time, those who possessed a domain could further consolidate the energy within their bodies, reducing the effects of other people's domains on them. They could even burn their souls to unleash their full strength.
Thus, the only way to counter a domain was with another domain.
At that moment, one side was blanketed in snowflakes, while the other crackled with countless bolts of violet lightning. Together, they divided the space for several thousand meters around them into two sharply distinct worlds.
Only at the center, where their domains clashed, did energy churn. Neither side could overpower the other, at least not for the moment.
"Li Long, how did you get here? Cang Ge, Kadi, and the others were completely useless?"
The Azure Wind Pillar's heart lurched when he saw Li Long arrive. Things had clearly gone beyond what he had expected.
"They? Sorry, I skewered each of them with a single thrust and left them gravely wounded. My men are hunting them down now. Even if they escape, this should be a lesson they remember for the rest of their lives."
Li Long smiled calmly. With his Ice Snow Domain shielding them, Di Fei, Taylor, and even Wu Sheng were no longer suppressed by the "Thunder Domain." Their strength had instantly recovered by more than half, and their confidence had finally returned.
"Sky Grade, third rank! Domain Second Layer! No wonder Cang Ge and Kadi lost to you even when they joined forces! Excellent. Your rate of progress and your comprehension are truly impressive!"
The Azure Wind Pillar's pair of violet eyes scrutinized Li Long closely. At last, he seemed to realize something, then said, "For the Li Ling Clan to produce a supreme genius like you... your people can rest easy for the next ten million years."
"You flatter me. In truth, I envy you more. Our ordinary Prison Clan Members could never match your innate advantages!"
Li Long answered with a smile.
Leo gave a heavy snort. Li Long's words clearly implied that Leo lacked the comprehension to make it on his own and was merely coasting on his species' natural advantages.
"Di Fei, Taylor, go deal with Yu Yan. Everyone else, stick to the plan and keep killing the trial takers here. I'll hold this giant back."
Li Long issued a casual order, then charged straight at the Azure Wind Pillar with the Blue Spear in hand.
During each Blood Trial, the major factions avoided pursuing one another's core disciples and prized elites to the death, so as not to cause a complete falling-out. But they were still allowed to leave them gravely wounded.
"Hahaha! Kill them! Kill these pieces of trash!"
Li Hu shouted excitedly. His big brother was incredible—he could take on three Special Elites one after another all by himself. A genius like that would surely receive the elders' full support in the future. And Li Hu's own standing would rise along with him.
One side had been trapped in a hell of despair; the other had been looking toward a heaven of hope. The stark contrast had completely reversed the two sides' fortunes.
"You want to kill me? Xuan Tong, Xuan Ming, come out! Let's see who's killing whom!"
Yu Yan sneered, then called over another squad from behind. They had been stationed on the outer perimeter specifically to prevent the Blood River Squad from escaping.
Now they had no choice but to join the battle early and help wipe out the rest of the Blood River Squad.
"Yu Yan, we're here! Li Long may be powerful, but there's only one of him. He'll have his hands full dealing with Leo. By the time we're free to join in, he'll be dead too. We prepared this ambush so carefully—how could we let them turn the tables so easily?"
"Exactly! If he could do everything, he wouldn't be caught fighting on two fronts. Hahaha! Kill!"
The two Prison Clan Members leading the squad that had just arrived looked like a pair of brown bears standing upright. They were over three meters tall, and their bulging muscles strained against their armor.
The Blood River Squad's confidence had soared with Li Long's arrival.
But Leo and Yu Yan's side had made even more thorough preparations. Besides, they refused to believe that Cang Ge and Kadi, both Special Elites, had been rendered completely incapable of fighting.
With Li Long no longer holding them back, Cang Ge and Kadi only had to recover before they and their squads could counterattack. Their side would then be sure to win. So even if they had to stall, they would hold out until the other side won, then join forces to deal with Li Long.
"Kill!"
"Kill them!"
Both sides were confident in their strength, and the fighting grew more and more frenzied.
Soldiers fought soldiers; generals fought generals.
Di Fei and Taylor were completely tied down by the brothers Xuan Tong and Xuan Ming. That left Yu Yan as the brightest presence on the battlefield.
He had no domain, but his strength had still reached Sky Grade. He didn't have the overwhelming impact of a tiger charging into a flock of sheep like Leo, but he still stood out from the crowd.
"Quick, send more people over there! Keep Yu Yan pinned down. Don't let him break out of the encirclement!" Li Hu shouted orders. "Wu Sheng, get over there! Even if you die, you have to hold him back!"
"Damn it!"
Red light flashed in Wu Sheng's eyes. He had tried to keep a low profile and avoid drawing the enemy's attention, but Li Hu's big mouth had exposed him completely.
"Oh, there you are! I've been looking for you for a year and a half. I've finally found you, you little runt!"
Li Hu's shout had alerted Yu Yan to the fact that Wu Sheng was the culprit who had wiped out his squad. Yu Yan immediately swung his enormous pincers, forcing back those surrounding him, then roared, "Get out of my way! I'm going to tear him apart!"
With that, Yu Yan charged straight at Wu Sheng. He used the pincer on his right hand like a pair of scissors and snapped it down at him.
"Tear apart your own ass!"
Wu Sheng finally lost his patience and let loose a profanity from the depths of his soul, not caring whether the Prison Clan Member understood him.
He flung out a streak of blue light and urged his Spiritual Force to its limit. The blue light transformed into a half-meter-long steel needle, which shot toward Yu Yan's pincer.
Boom!
The blue steel needle jolted slightly from the impact, while Yu Yan was knocked several meters backward.
"How is that possible?"
"Whoa!"
"A Ninth Order Spirit Reader actually forced back a first-rank Sky Grade Yu Yan? How?"
Many people were shocked by the scene. But Wu Sheng knew full well that without his superior willpower, he could never have forced Yu Yan back so easily.
"The Flowing Cloud Needle? Impressive willpower, but that's all you have. I suppose I'll do you the favor of teaching you how to show respect to your elders in Sky Grade." Yu Yan sneered disdainfully.
He had taken part in three Blood Trials and made it out alive each time. During his fourth Blood Trial, he had already advanced and become a first-rank Sky Grade warrior in the first year.
Then, after his squad had been slaughtered by a Wolf Beast Pack, his Spiritual Force had also successfully advanced to first-rank Sky Grade within the past year and a half.
His attacks were therefore incredibly fierce. He chained together ranged and close-combat moves with effortless, flowing grace, his assault relentless.
Wu Sheng, meanwhile, could only make up for the gap in his Spiritual Force level with his powerful will. But his ranged attacks could not last forever, and he was bound to fall further and further onto the defensive.
"Hahaha! A genius? This world will never run short of geniuses. Besides, you don't even deserve to be called one!"
Yu Yan laughed as he unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks against Wu Sheng.
Wu Sheng retreated as he fought, his expression grim. If not for his strong will, which had barely held back Yu Yan's assault, he would already be dead.
"Damn it, Wu Sheng! Don't retreat this way!" Li Hu felt a pang of frustration when Wu Sheng fought his way back to him.
"Get a few more people over here and hold Yu Yan back!"
Although Li Hu would have been more than happy to see Yu Yan kill Wu Sheng, his own life was at stake. He had no choice but to send more people to help Wu Sheng fend off Yu Yan, before the fighting reached him.
Boom!
Before they could arrive, the Flowing Cloud Needle suddenly seemed to lose some of its strength. Yu Yan's attack knocked its blue light flying, then carried on to strike Wu Sheng with a kick.
Wu Sheng did his best to meet Yu Yan's remaining force with the Wind Wheel beneath his feet, but the impact still sent him flying backward.
"Damn it! You lot, get over here and help him hold Yu Yan back!"
Li Hu shouted at the Elite Trial Takers and their followers. He also moved to catch Wu Sheng as he flew toward him.
It wasn't because he was feeling kind. He planned to catch Wu Sheng, give him a moment to recover, and send him right back to fight Yu Yan.
"Huh? Why have your eyes turned bloodred?"
Li Hu had just caught Wu Sheng when he noticed something was wrong.
Wu Sheng stared at him expressionlessly. The enormous Azure Wind Pillar formed from the origin within his Inner World instantly turned bloodred as well.
A strange energy surged out from the eye of the pillar, passed through the nine slowly rotating Miniature Planets above it, then flowed through Wu Sheng's bloodred eyes and into Li Hu's.
Innate Secret Art... "Soul Control"!