Just as everyone was speculating about when the battle would take place, the Azure City Lord's Residence announced that it would be held one year later in the Eternal True God War Zone. The date and venue had been confirmed with the human Galaxy.
Luo Feng had not chosen to fight outside the city, and he had good reason for it. If it came to a fight to the death, he should be able to kill Evil Eye. Without a Soul-type Supreme Treasure, Evil Eye could be slain easily by the Lie Yuan Technique. Even if he had one, Luo Feng feared no contest of attrition. His divine body was a hundred, a thousand, perhaps even more than ten thousand times larger than Evil Eye's.
Even the records of the Duandong River Lineage mentioned no one on the Origin Continent who had broken through to True God with a perfect Hundred Thousand Times Gene. Such perfection existed only in theory.
Besides, Luo Feng had Morosa. With Formless and Faceless, Morosa could take Luo Feng's form, matching his divine power and everything else exactly. Even a Saint Realm expert would likely struggle to tell them apart, let alone an Eternal True God like Evil Eye.
Morosa was powerful—considerably stronger than Luo Feng himself. His realm was only comparable to the Eternal True God Pinnacle, but his strength far exceeded others at that level. By Luo Feng's estimate, he was probably somewhat stronger than a Second Source Saint-level expert.
"Second Source" was one of the divisions within the Saint-level rank.
After reaching the Saint Realm as a Chaos Master, one began to comprehend Origin Mysteries. Only then could the Chaos Space within one's body connect to the World Origin. Once that connection was made, the power of the World Origin could drive the Chaos Space's evolution into an Internal World, allowing one to enter the God King Realm.
Comprehending one of the ten fundamental Origin Mysteries made one a First Source Saint Realm expert. Comprehending two made one a Second Source Saint Realm expert.
Of course, even First Source experts differed from one another.
Each Origin Mystery had four stages: initial comprehension, minor mastery, major mastery, and perfection. Someone who had only just comprehended one was at the initial stage of First Source, the weakest level of the Saint Realm. Reaching minor mastery put one at the middle stage; reaching major mastery put one at the advanced stage.
Perfection beyond major mastery was another matter. Reaching it below the God King Realm was extraordinarily difficult, perhaps impossible even after a trillion Eras of Reincarnation. So once Saint Realm experts achieved major mastery of one Origin Mystery, they turned to others rather than pursuing that one relentlessly.
Only God King Level beings, drawing on the mysteries of their Miniature Universe's evolution, had some chance of comprehending an Origin to perfection.
The first Origin Mystery Luo Feng had comprehended was not one of the ten fundamental ones. Once he underwent Saint Transformation, he would still be considered First Source, but the Destruction Origin possessed far greater destructive power. Even at First Source, he would likely be stronger than Saint Realm experts of the same level.
One could connect to the World Origin only after reaching major mastery in each of the ten Origins. That connection would allow the Chaos Space within one's body to evolve into a Miniature Universe and one to break through to God King.
The Saint-level expert Evil Eye had killed was likely only at First Source.
Morosa, meanwhile, had the strength of a Second Source Saint Realm expert, and his will had reached the Saint Realm Limit. Dealing with Evil Eye would be easy for him.
Luo Feng was confident in his own strength, and Morosa was a trump card besides. Fighting in the Eternal True God War Zone gave him an advantage.
"Galaxy chose the Eternal True God War Zone? Is he really that confident?" Zhan Tianxing frowned when he heard the news, then shook his head. "Still, it's his decision. If he kills Evil Eye, he'll be even more worth winning over. If he dies, it won't affect me. It seems I'm the one who's wavering."
Zhan Tianxing knew that influence ultimately came from one's own strength. Connections were only part of it.
As the date of the battle was confirmed, more and more powerful figures began arriving in Azure City.
Challenging the lord of an entire domain was a momentous affair. Even setting aside what the challenge meant, the spectacle alone was enough to drive the domain's experts into a frenzy. An encounter at this level was nothing like an ordinary wagered battle.
The greater the level of a battle, the greater its impact.
The city's excitement kept mounting as the battle drew near. At last, the appointed day arrived, and anticipation reached a fever pitch.
To beings with endless lifespans, a year was little more than a nap.
Inside the Inheritance Space.
Luo Feng frowned in deep thought. The Third-Generation Patriarch's single strike still played through his mind.
The blade had been strange and impossibly fast. Luo Feng had sensed no obvious fluctuation of time, yet the strike contained the Third-Generation Patriarch's boundless insight into the Time Origin Mystery.
"What exactly is time?" Luo Feng murmured. Was it Time Acceleration? Time Deceleration? Time flowing backward? Or Time Stop?
It was all of those things, yet none of them was the essence of the Origin.
For almost ten thousand years, Luo Feng had tried to comprehend the Time Origin Mystery, but he still had not grasped the first thing about it. Origin Mysteries were vastly harder than Laws. Having refined the Time Heart, he was exceptionally sensitive to the Time Law, yet from the Third-Generation Patriarch's strike, he could only faintly sense time fluctuating. It was almost absurd.
"Hard. Far too hard." Luo Feng shook his head. He had hoped to make a breakthrough before the battle, but the reality was much harder than he had imagined.
He had the Primordial Boundary Tablet to contemplate and generations of Duandong River successors to train with, yet the Time Origin Mystery still eluded him.
For now, he could only set it aside.
The appointed time had arrived.
"Evil Eye, I hope you don't disappoint me." In his residence, Luo Feng opened his eyes after his long meditation and rose to his feet.
"Master." Morosa, who had been standing guard nearby, looked excited.
"Don't be impatient. I'll let you fight if I need you," Luo Feng said with a smile. "Evil Eye is merely the first opponent I'll test myself against on the Origin Continent. Let's go."
Evil Eye should not be enough to force Morosa into action. If Luo Feng needed his help, the situation would be dire indeed.
The Eternal True God War Zone was already packed.
Every one of the ten million spectator seats had long since been filled. Interest in this battle was unprecedented.
Outside the arena entrance.
"It's the human Galaxy. He's here first." Almost every gaze turned toward Luo Feng when he appeared.
Luo Feng looked different from his usual casual self. He had short black hair, wore the Silver Battle Armor, and bore six pairs of Silver Wings. His aura was restrained to the utmost, yet to everyone present, he seemed like a black hole—unfathomable.
"The human Galaxy is terrifyingly strong." Though Luo Feng kept his aura contained, the stronger those present were, the more keenly they felt the faint pressure coming from him.
"Galaxy really is frightening. No wonder he dared challenge the City Lord."
Even the Eternal True Gods who had lost money because of him were convinced.
"Evil Eye does like to make an entrance." Luo Feng smiled. He had not arrived especially early, but Evil Eye still had not appeared. He was probably waiting until Luo Feng had shown himself.
Luo Feng walked into the arena.
"It's Galaxy! Galaxy's here!"
"The human Galaxy!"
Every spectator's gaze converged on the silver figure who had just entered the arena.
"So that's Galaxy?" Seated among the spectators, City Lord Jing narrowed his eyes at Luo Feng as though trying to see through him. "So calm and confident. He must have come prepared. This should be worth watching. I hope you force Evil Eye to reveal some of his trump cards. Then, even if you die, I'll avenge you."
City Lord Jing acknowledged Luo Feng's strength, but between the two, he still favored Evil Eye.
Galaxy, I hope you survive, Zhan Tianxing thought as he watched Luo Feng.
"What a pack of cowards. They're letting an outsider—a human—make the first move."
Several old experts present had strength approaching City Lord Jing's. They had long coveted the lordship of the Azure Domain, but Evil Eye's illusions were too powerful for any of them to feel confident. That did not stop them from looking down on one another.
An hour after Luo Feng entered the arena, Evil Eye finally appeared.
He made no attempt to conceal his aura. As his tall figure emerged, wreathed in endless streams of sinister black energy, a mighty pressure descended. Some of the staff outside the arena suddenly felt an immense evil force bearing down on them, and thoughts of despair rose unbidden in their hearts.
Evil Eye nurtured his mind on the endless evil and greed of living beings. His aura naturally carried a sinister quality that filled others with despair.
In his home universe, there was ultimate good and ultimate evil. The greed, fear, and other dark thoughts of countless beings had nourished his growth. Evil Eye himself was that world's ultimate evil. Absurdly, he was also the god in the hearts of its people—a deity who shone upon them and cleansed them.
By absorbing their greed, fear, and other dark thoughts, Evil Eye had elevated them and himself alike.
"Evil Eye."
"It's Evil Eye. He's here too."
All eyes turned toward the tall figure. He wore blood-gold armor, while black energy swirled around his body and head, obscuring his face.
Under that invisible pressure, the weaker spectators could scarcely breathe.
"As expected of the City Lord. He's so strong."
Evil Eye's sheer presence made him seem far stronger than Luo Feng.
"Evil Eye seems stronger than he was before." City Lord Jing had always regarded Evil Eye as his strongest rival in the Azure Domain. Even though his will had since broken through, the sight of Evil Eye stirred a thought that he could not be beaten. City Lord Jing quickly suppressed it.
The old experts who likewise coveted the domain lordship were shaken to their cores when they saw Evil Eye in person.
The gap between them felt wider than ever.
As long as Evil Eye stood, none of them had a chance.
"Galaxy arrived rather early." Evil Eye spotted Luo Feng inside the arena and smiled calmly.
With one step, he reached the entrance.
"City Lord." The True Gods and Void True Gods stationed there greeted him with utmost reverence.
Only after Evil Eye entered the arena did the invisible pressure on those outside lift. They breathed sighs of relief.
"So you're Galaxy?" Evil Eye's voice rang out as he looked at the silver figure inside the arena.
"Evil Eye. You finally made it." Luo Feng turned toward him.
"You seem confident. Good. You're already better than those cowardly old fools. I like the sight of you more than them. If I can, I'll try to let you live—or at least give you a quick death." Evil Eye's laugh was deep and raspy, his voice openly domineering.
I've realized I really can drag things out. I'll try to rein it in. I've been busy these past few days, so my update schedule may be irregular.