Domain Showdown: "Mind Control" Li Hu

A domain is a peculiar ability.

It transitions from formlessness to substance, embodying a lifeform's mastery over the momentum of heaven and earth.

Domains are divided into nine layers. With each layer ascended, one's own strength increases tenfold, while the suppression of an enemy's combat power grows by one level.

For example, possessing a one-layer domain enhances one's own combat power tenfold while reducing the opponent's by ten percent. A three-layer domain boosts one's own power thirtyfold and cuts the opponent's by thirty percent... up to the nine-layer domain, which amplifies one's own power ninetyfold and diminishes the enemy's by ninety percent.

The higher the domain, the stronger the grasp over heaven and earth's momentum, and the easier it becomes to condense a Life Core when breaking through from Cosmic Level to Domain Lord.

At the same time, one who possesses a domain can further integrate the energy within their body, reduce the impact of others' domains on themselves, and even burn their soul to unleash their peak strength.

Thus, the only thing that can counter a domain is another domain.

At this moment, on one side was a sky full of snowflakes, on the other countless purple bolts of lightning, splitting the space for several kilometers around into two starkly divided worlds.

Only at the center of both did energy churn as their domains clashed against each other, neither able to overpower the other for the time being.

"Li Long, how did you get here? Were Cang Ge and Kadi just eating their fill?"

The Cyan Giant's heart gave a jolt at Li Long's arrival, sensing that some things had exceeded expectations.

"Them? Sorry, I put a spear through each of them and left them badly wounded. My men are hunting them down right now. Even if they manage to escape, this lesson should be enough to haunt them for a lifetime."

Li Long smiled faintly. Under the protection of his ice-and-snow domain, Di Fei, Taylor, and even Wu Sheng were no longer suppressed by the "Thunder Domain," their strength instantly recovering by more than half, and their confidence was restored.

"Sky Grade, third tier! Domain, second layer! No wonder even Cang Ge and Kadi lost to you when they joined forces! Excellent, your speed of progress and insight truly impress me!"

The Cyan Giant's massive purple eyes observed carefully and finally caught something, then he spoke: "For the Li Ling Clan's main branch to produce a super genius like you, you can rest easy for the next ten million years."

"You flatter me. Actually, I envy you more—your innate conditions are not something we ordinary Prison Clan Members can match!"

Li Long replied with a smile.

But Leo let out a heavy "Hmph." Li Long's meaning was clear—he was implying that Leo's acquired insight was mediocre, that he was merely coasting on his racial advantages.

"Di Fei, Taylor, go deal with Yu Yan. Everyone else, continue killing the trial-takers here as planned. I'll hold off this big fellow."

Li Long gave a casual order, then, blue spear in hand, charged straight at the Cyan Giant.

After all, in every Blood Trial, the major powers avoided truly tearing apart their relationships, so they wouldn't hunt down core disciples or key elites to the death—but severely wounding them was still permitted.

"Haha, kill! Kill these scum!"

Li Hu shouted excitedly. His big brother was too formidable—able to single-handedly take on three Special Elites in succession. A genius like that would surely receive careful nurturing from the clan elders in the future. And his own status would rise along with it.

On one side was a hell of despair, on the other a heaven of hope. The stark contrast completely reversed the roles of both sides.

"You want to kill me? Xuan Tong, Xuan Ming, both of you come out! Let's see who's killing who!"

Yu Yan sneered, then summoned another squad from behind. These men had been stationed at the outermost perimeter specifically to prevent the Blood River Squad from escaping.

Now they had to join the fight early, striving to wipe out the rest of the Blood River Squad.

"Yu Yan, we're here! Li Long may be strong, but he's only one man—barely holding off Leo. Once we free up our hands, he'll have to taste defeat too. This ambush was carefully prepared by us—how could we let them turn it around so easily?"

"Exactly. If he were truly omnipotent, he wouldn't be stuck fighting on two fronts. Haha, kill!"

The two Prison Clan Members leading the newly arrived squad looked like a pair of brown storm bears. Standing upright, they were over three meters tall, their muscles bulging so fiercely that even their armor was stretched taut.

The Blood River Squad's morale had certainly surged after Li Long's arrival.

But Leo and Yu Yan's side was even better prepared. Besides, they didn't believe that Cang Ge and Kadi, two Special Elites on the other front, had completely lost their combat ability.

Once Li Long's suppression was gone, as soon as Cang Ge and Kadi recovered, they could coordinate with their own squads for a counterattack, and that front would be a sure win. So even if they had to stall for time, they would drag it out until that side won, then join forces against Li Long.

"Kill!"

"Let's kill!"

Both sides had great confidence in their own strength, and the battle grew increasingly ferocious.

Soldiers fought soldiers, generals fought generals.

Di Fei and Taylor were completely tied up by the brothers Xuan Tong and Xuan Ming. The remaining Yu Yan became the most dazzling presence on the battlefield.

He had no domain, but his strength also reached Sky Grade. Though he didn't have the same overwhelming impact as Leo—like a tiger among sheep—he was still a standout.

"Quick, quick! Send a few more over there! Trap Yu Yan in place—don't let him break out of the encirclement!" Li Hu shouted commands loudly.

"Wu Sheng, get over there fast! Even if you have to die, hold him back!"

"What the hell!"

Wu Sheng's eyes flashed with red light. He had tried to keep a low profile, hoping not to catch the enemy's attention, but Li Hu's big mouth had exposed him completely.

"Oh ho, so you've been hiding here, you little runt. I've been looking for you for a year and a half, and finally I've found you."

Yu Yan, alerted by Li Hu, realized that Wu Sheng was the culprit who had wiped out his squad. He immediately swung his massive pincer-like claws, forcing back the crowd surrounding him, and bellowed, "All of you, get out of my way! I'm going over there to tear him apart!"

With that, Yu Yan charged straight over, using his right pincer like a pair of scissors, snapping it viciously toward Wu Sheng.

"Tear apart your grandpa!"

Wu Sheng finally lost his patience, blurting out a soul-deep curse, whether this Prison Clan Member understood it or not.

Then he flung out a blue light, furiously driving his mental power. The blue light transformed into a half-meter-long giant steel needle, stabbing fiercely toward Yu Yan's pincer.

Bam!

The blue steel needle was knocked back slightly, while Yu Yan flew back several meters.

"How is that possible?"

"Whoa!"

"An Earth Grade ninth-stage spiritual mind master actually forced back a Sky Grade first-stage Yu Yan? This..."

Many who witnessed this scene were deeply shocked. But Wu Sheng himself knew clearly—if not for his will holding a certain advantage, he would never have repelled Yu Yan so easily.

"Flowing Cloud Needle? Strong will, but that's all you've got. Looks like I'll have to teach you for free how to show respect to a Sky Grade senior." Yu Yan sneered dismissively.

He had participated in the Blood Trial three times and walked out successfully. In this fourth Blood Trial, he had already broken through smoothly in the first year, becoming a Sky Grade first-stage martial artist.

Afterward, he experienced the incident where his squad was slaughtered by the Wolf Beast Pack. In the following year and a half, even his spiritual mind power had successfully broken through to Sky Grade first-stage.

Thus, his attacks were exceptionally fierce, with long-range and close-combat moves flowing together like drifting clouds and running water, relentless and unending.

On Wu Sheng's side, he relied solely on his powerful will to compensate for his insufficient mind power rank. But this kind of long-range assault was destined to be unsustainable, and he would only grow more passive.

"Haha, a genius? This world never lacks geniuses, and you don't even deserve that title!"

Yu Yan laughed loudly, bombarding Wu Sheng without pause.

Wu Sheng, his face dark, fought while retreating. If not for his strong will barely holding off Yu Sheng's onslaught, he would already be dead.

"Damn it, Wu Sheng, don't retreat toward me!" Li Hu noticed Wu Sheng backing up to his side and felt a surge of frustration.

"A few more of you, hold Yu Yan off!"

Though Li Hu wished Wu Sheng would be killed by Yu Yan, his own life was at stake, so he had no choice but to send more people to help Wu Sheng resist Yu Yan's attacks, lest the battle truly spread to him.

Bam!

Before those few could arrive, Wu Sheng's Flowing Cloud Needle seemed to suddenly lose some of its power. Yu Yan's strike not only knocked away the blue light formed by the needle but also had enough force left to charge in front of Wu Sheng and land a kick.

Wu Sheng did his best to counter with the Wind Wheel under his foot against Yu Yan's residual force, but he was still sent flying backward.

"Damn it, you lot, hurry up and help him hold off Yu Yan!"

Li Hu barked at the Elite Trial Takers and their retainers, while he himself chose to catch the flying Wu Sheng.

It wasn't out of kindness—he planned to steady Wu Sheng, let him recover quickly, and send him back to deal with Yu Yan.

"Huh? Your eyes—why are they blood red?"

Just as he caught Wu Sheng, Li Hu noticed something wrong.

Wu Sheng stared at him expressionlessly. The massive cyan wind pillar formed by Primal Force in his Inner World instantly turned blood red.

A strange energy surged from its eye, passed through the nine slowly rotating miniature planets above the eye, shot through Wu Sheng's blood-red eyes, and pierced into Li Hu's gaze.

Heavenly talent secret art... "Soul Control."