Lion Sha

The day was almost over. Bai Yuan was about to leave when another challenge invitation suddenly arrived.

Bai Yuan looked at his opponent's profile, and his eyes lit up.

"He's actually mastered a domain. Interesting!"

Although his allotted time for the day was nearly up and he would have to pay seven hundred Ganwu Coins to stay longer, Bai Yuan accepted without hesitation.

On the arena, the two men sized each other up.

Lion Sha came from the Lion-man Race. He was built like a mountain, standing over two meters tall, with muscles that seemed to hold explosive power. He gripped a broad, dark-gold greatsword in both hands.

The blade rose almost to his shoulder. Even standing motionless, he radiated a heavy, oppressive presence.

A flicker of surprise crossed Lion Sha's bell-like eyes.

He looked Bai Yuan up and down, lingering on his youthful face and still-growing frame. His brows rose.

"Kid, how old are you?"

"Twelve. Why?"

"Only twelve?" Lion Sha stared, then looked incredulous.

"Good grief. When I was twelve, I hadn't even found the threshold to the Planet Realm!"

He shook his head and raised his greatsword slightly, its tip tapping the ground with a low hum.

"A twelve-year-old at the third tier of the Planet Realm, with a seven-star rating to boot. Looks like this fight won't be boring."

Boom!

A muffled roar erupted as a dense, earthy-yellow domain burst outward from Lion Sha.

The air grew heavy and viscous. Every inch of space seemed packed with mud and sand, and immense pressure pressed in from all sides, seeking to bind Bai Yuan's movements and slow him down.

The instant the domain spread, Lion Sha moved!

With the domain bolstering him, his already imposing frame seemed to swell further. He gripped the dark-gold greatsword in both hands, his muscular arms unleashing terrifying force.

There were no elaborate feints, just the simplest, most direct move: a vertical slash.

"Mountain Shaker!"

The slash carried the full weight and momentum of the earthy-yellow domain. It was truly like a mountain collapsing, bearing down on Bai Yuan with the force to crush all in its path!

Facing this all-out strike, backed by the domain, a sharp glint flashed in Bai Yuan's eyes.

He held nothing back, driving his Sharp Metal Concept to its limit!

"Sharp Metal Sixteen-Fold Slash!"

In an instant, a brilliant Golden Flowing Light burst from his blade!

The light was concentrated and peerlessly sharp, like dawn tearing through darkness. It forcibly "pierced" a rift through the swamp-heavy earthy-yellow domain!

The golden light did not slow. It left sixteen nearly overlapping afterimages in its wake, each containing layer upon layer of explosive force, as it met the Mountain Shaker head-on.

BOOM!!!

Golden light and yellow radiance crashed together. A violent shockwave blasted in every direction, and even the domain shuddered.

The instant their blades met, both men's expressions changed.

Bai Yuan felt an immense, weighty force travel up his blade, as if he were truly clashing against a mountain. His arm went numb.

Lion Sha, meanwhile, felt a violent, high-frequency vibration from Bai Yuan's blade, along with an intensely penetrating, razor-sharp force that seemed ready to pass through his greatsword and invade his body.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The recoil drove them both back three steps. Each step landed with a dull clang on the metal arena. Only then did they shed the force and steady themselves.

"His Force Amplitude is only around seven times. Looks like he doesn't come from a major power."

Bai Yuan judged in an instant.

His opponent had mastered a domain, but neither his basic Force Amplitude nor his swordsmanship was top-tier. That was why he had only managed to match Bai Yuan evenly.

Across from him, Lion Sha's expression had grown grave.

The hand gripping his greatsword still tingled, and turmoil surged through his mind.

"His Force Amplitude is almost twice mine! His speed is incredible, and his burst strength is terrifying! And that Concept he used just now—there was definitely more than one!"

The strength Bai Yuan had displayed—in power, speed, explosive force, and his use of Concepts—was already no less than that of the nine-star powerhouses Lion Sha had fought before!

Lion Sha took a deep breath and suppressed his surging blood and qi. His earthy-yellow domain slowly contracted, gathering around him and growing denser.

The real battle had only just begun.

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!

The two figures darted back and forth across the arena at high speed, neither able to get the better of the other.

Bai Yuan's combat skills were exquisite, but Lion Sha had his domain protecting him. Its earthy-yellow glow formed a solid wall, neutralizing most ordinary slashes.

Unless Bai Yuan used a killing move like Sharp Metal Sixteen-Fold Slash, he could hardly threaten his opponent's defenses.

Against the greatsword's powerful, heavy blows, Bai Yuan held his shield in his left hand. With a graceful pivot and angled block, he redirected the immense force like flowing water diverting a boulder, leaving Lion Sha's center exposed.

The next moment, a Golden Flowing Light slashed out again.

Lion Sha looked slightly shocked, marveling at how formidable Bai Yuan was. His command of his body's strength was so profound that he could effortlessly neutralize even Lion Sha's mighty, thousand-jin strikes.

"Giant Rock Body!"

At the critical moment, Lion Sha gave a low growl and activated the special ability he had gained upon reaching the Planet Realm.

Gray, rock-like patterns spread across his skin, and his presence grew as heavy as a mountain.

Unlike Diamond Body, Giant Rock Body did not improve every aspect of his physical abilities. Instead, it pushed his defensive strength to the limit.

Thud!

With the combined protection of the Earth Domain, Giant Rock Body, and the Force Battle Armor he wore, he managed to block the strike.

But the force that penetrated his defenses struck like a heavy hammer, slamming into his body and sending his blood and qi surging. It felt as if his internal organs had all shifted out of place.

The battle continued, and the situation gradually became clear.

Lion Sha's attacks were fierce, but he could never truly threaten Bai Yuan, whose footwork was nimble and defenses were precise.

By contrast, Bai Yuan's unpredictable slashes forced Lion Sha to defend with all his might every time. The slightest mistake could leave him badly wounded or defeated.

Aside from his domain, Lion Sha had no advantage in strength, speed, technique, or any other area.

Yet despite being at a disadvantage, Lion Sha showed no dejection. Instead, his eyes burned with fierce determination.

As he fought a powerful opponent like Bai Yuan, he could clearly feel his swordsmanship being steadily honed and his combat instincts improving by the second!

Every block, every counterattack, even every mistake became valuable nourishment for his growth.

He was certain that once he fully absorbed what he had gained from this battle, his strength would undergo a complete transformation and surge.

Neither of them knew that their duel had already drawn the attention of countless powerhouses in the Battle Space.

"Yuan's strength is definitely at a nine-star level!"

"Probably more than that. I'd say he's above average even among the nine-star powerhouses."

"Lion Sha's no pushover either. He lost to me before mainly because his combat skills were too crude. But look at him now—his technique has improved by more than just a little since he fought me! If I faced him again, I wouldn't be confident I could win."

"That's no surprise. Anyone who can comprehend a domain while still in the Planet Realm can't have poor comprehension. Give him time, and it's only a matter of time before he surpasses us."