Curtain Domain

At the same time, Barn gained a clear understanding of Joanna's fighting style. The darkness blanketing the entire arena wasn't simply the effect of the Night Veil Profound Mystery. Joanna had clearly fused other profound mysteries with it and developed this terrifying domain through unique means.

As a Lowgod, such an achievement was something to be proud of.

As for that frenzied attack just now, its extreme explosive force clearly came from the Profound Mystery of Explosion in the Laws of Fire. But judging by the fluctuations in Joanna's divine power, her understanding of the Laws of Fire wasn't particularly deep. She hadn't fully comprehended this profound mystery, so while her attacks were powerful, they lacked staying power. If the fight dragged on, she would inevitably be the first to reveal an opening.

She probably became a god after comprehending the Fire Body Technique, and has only half-comprehended the Profound Mystery of Explosion without fusing it with anything else. As for the Laws of Darkness, she mainly cultivates the Night Veil Profound Mystery, which she's likely fused with another profound mystery. I can't tell which one yet.

Concealing herself before unleashing a sudden attack—this style is certainly dangerous against someone of equal rank. Unfortunately for her, as a Soul Mutator, my perception is far superior to that of an ordinary Lowgod.

Once Barn had figured it out, a glint flashed in his eyes. The ice-blue divine power of the Water Element around him began gathering furiously in his palm, fine ripples of water flowing over his fingertips. In the past, his reserves of divine power had been too limited for him to fully exploit the Water Element Profound Mystery's enhancement to ranged spells. Now that his divine power was abundant, he finally dared to use magic attacks proactively in battle.

At that moment, an almost imperceptible ripple of divine power came from his side. Joanna's figure had just emerged from the darkness, but before she could swing her sword, three Ice Javelins condensed from ice-blue divine power shot toward her like bolts of lightning, carrying a bone-chilling cold and cutting off every angle of escape.

Joanna's expression tightened. In her haste, her Long Sword flared with blazing divine power of the Fire Element, wreathed in explosive flames. She swung it fiercely, sending out a crimson blade of light. With several sharp cracks, she smashed all three Ice Javelins to pieces, scattering ice shards and sparks. Before Barn could cast another spell, she vanished into the Night Veil once more, disappearing without a trace.

The three Ice Javelins Barn had just launched looked ordinary, but they actually contained the combined profound mysteries of the Water Element and the Water Body Technique. Their power was quite impressive among the ranged attacks of Lowgods. If Joanna hadn't reacted so quickly, she would likely have been hit.

Her failed attack clearly enraged Joanna. The dark domain covering the arena began to churn violently, black divine power roiling furiously. Then dozens of black whips, each as thick as an arm, coalesced from the shadows. Sharp barbs covered them, and they radiated a murderous chill. Like countless claws reaching out from the demons of Hell, they lashed toward Barn at the center of the domain in a dense barrage.

"The Profound Mystery of the Darkness Element? Bring it on!"

Barn gave a low shout and spun the Mist Hidden spear in his hand. Pale blue divine power of the Water Element flowed along its shaft, and the blur of its movements formed an impenetrable curtain of pale blue light that blocked every one of the dozens of black whips.

Crack after crack rang out as the black whips struck the curtain, only to be severed instantly and dissipate into a rain of black divine power. But Joanna's divine power seemed endless. As the fight dragged on, more black whips formed in the shadows and swept toward Barn in wave after wave, without pause.

The aftershocks of the battle spread constantly. Razor-sharp blade flashes, piercing cold, and dense darkness intertwined, while the continuous clashes and explosions echoed throughout the Colosseum. The spectators in the stands watched without blinking, holding their breath.

Everyone knew that in Gobada, even Lowgods tried to comprehend profound mysteries as quickly as possible and advance to Midgod in order to protect themselves. Those who could fuse two profound mysteries at the Lowgod stage either had powerful backers providing them with resources or were exceptionally gifted—one in ten thousand.

Yet now, both Lowgods in the Colosseum had begun fusing profound mysteries. Joanna had fused the Night Veil Profound Mystery with the Darkness Element, while Barn had fused the Water Element with the Water Body Technique. How could the gods and Sanctuaries in the stands not be green with envy? Everyone kept their eyes fixed on the two figures at the center of the arena, eager to see how the fierce battle would unfold.

As Barn wielded his spear to fend off the black whips, he secretly used his divine consciousness to lock onto Joanna's position in the darkness. He knew that such a terrifying domain had to consume a great deal of energy. If he held out a little longer, her divine power would run too low, giving him the perfect chance to counterattack.

The clashes between spear and whip rang out one after another. Barn's spear grew more fluid with every swing. Infused with divine power, the straight shaft seemed to soften like a whip, sweeping through the air like flowing water as it deflected every savage lash.

In the darkness, Joanna's eyes grew colder and colder. She hadn't expected Barn's defense to be so solid. Her repeated ambushes had failed to wound him and had instead consumed a great deal of her divine power.

Joanna was now like a leopard lurking in the shadows, her presence completely melded with the darkness as she waited for the chance to strike a fatal blow.

She had devised Curtain Domain herself after observing a battle fought by a truly top-tier expert. She had completely fused the Night Veil Profound Mystery with the Profound Mystery of the Darkness Element, then incorporated part of the Profound Mystery of Devouring from the Laws of Darkness to create this domain in a unique way.

Once deployed, the domain's suppressive power and range reached the level of a Midgod. And because it incorporated part of the Profound Mystery of Devouring, it could absorb the divine power released by her enemies and turn it into strength for the domain itself. As a result, its energy consumption was far lower than that of ordinary large-scale techniques.

Most Lowgods could comprehend only one or two profound mysteries at most, leaving them with very limited fighting styles.

With this technique, Joanna could stand undefeated among Lowgods. Even if she faced a Midgod, she had the power to fight back.

In her ambition, once she fully fused the three profound mysteries of the Darkness Element, the Night Veil, and Devouring and became a Midgod, she would be able to refine this domain further and turn it into a trump card capable of contending with Highgods.

The opportunity came in an instant.

As Barn blocked the black whips, his body dipped slightly, leaving an almost imperceptible opening behind his lower back.

Joanna's gaze sharpened. She didn't hesitate for a moment.

Like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, she shot out of the darkness!

Fierce crimson flames blazed along her Long Sword as she drove the Profound Mystery of Explosion to its limit, like an erupting volcano. Her short sword was wrapped in darkness as thick as ink, its edge aimed straight at Barn's vitals.

Her years of enslavement and narrow escape from death had taught her one thing: in battle, holding back meant dying.

Barn sensed the deadly threat at almost the same moment.

A thick shield of ice, its surface covered in frost flowers, formed instantly in Joanna's path.

But the next moment—

"Crack!"

The volcanic sword came crashing down. The ice shield couldn't withstand it for even an instant before shattering into a storm of icy fragments.

Just as the sword was about to pierce Barn's body,

a faint golden light silently spread from within him.

Fate Law—Trajectory Distortion!

Joanna felt her wrist suddenly veer aside. Her sword seemed to be wrenched off course by an invisible hand, missing its mark and scraping past Barn before plunging into the ground.

"Fate Law..." Joanna's voice was cold, but she wasn't surprised.

Barn had already revealed his Fate Divine Power during their earlier exchanges, but she hadn't figured out how it worked at the time. Only now did she truly experience how bizarre and troublesome the law was.

Her first strike had missed, but the short sword followed right behind, its dark power aimed straight at Barn's heart.

Barn had already recovered. The Mist Hidden spear swung around in an instant.

The spearhead met the short sword. There was no metallic clang. Instead, it slid and flicked like a loach, the Round Soft Profound Mystery activating as it lightly diverted the short sword's force and knocked it upward.

Both strikes had missed!

Joanna made a snap decision and leaped backward, trying to disappear into Curtain Domain again.

But it was too late.

Golden Fate Power abruptly expanded like an invisible net, enveloping her whole body.

Space seemed to twist. Her feet suddenly felt light, and her body shot uncontrollably upward.

After a brief moment of confusion, Joanna immediately understood—it was Barn's Fate Law again!

She roared and channeled power into her Long Sword once more, driving its flames to their utmost fury as she prepared a desperate strike that would take them both down.

Barn's spear was already hurtling toward her.

"Clang—!!"

The spear and sword crashed together.

Water and fire, fate and darkness—two forces at their extremes exploded with a thunderous boom, and a terrifying shock wave swept across the arena.

The dozen or so god-level guards stationed around the edge of the Colosseum turned pale and immediately joined forces. Layer upon layer of Water Element barriers took shape, confining the blast's power to the center of the arena to keep it from reaching the stands.

The aftershock gradually faded.

Joanna's Curtain Domain had completely collapsed. The darkness dispersed, revealing her once more, her breathing clearly ragged.

Barn was in even worse shape, standing blood-soaked at the opposite end of the arena.

They stared at each other for a moment as the killing intent in the air gradually subsided.

"I concede," Barn said first.

Joanna fell silent for a moment, then put away her twin swords. Her tone was less vicious now, with a hint of respect. "Very well."

She looked up at Barn. Her voice beneath the mask was still cool. "What's your name?"

"Barn Boley."