"Boom!"
A streak of flaming saber qi dozens of meters long howled forth, carrying billowing waves of heat as it tore through the sky straight toward Twin Blade Demon's face.
Twin Blade Demon's pupils contracted. Lightning erupted from his body, and he turned into a streak of lightning as he darted sideways to evade.
The flaming saber qi slammed into the ground, shattering rock and carving an enormous trench hundreds of meters long.
"Good, you really do have some skill!"
Having dodged the strike, Twin Blade Demon's eyes burned with even greater fighting spirit.
He grinned savagely and turned into a streak of lightning again, charging at Chu Yuan. His twin blades swung in alternation, their light forming a dense net, every slash aimed straight at a vital point on Chu Yuan's body.
Chu Yuan showed no fear. He wielded the Fire Prison Blade in an impenetrable defense, tangling with Twin Blade Demon at close quarters.
Both moved at tremendous speed, two streaks of light-one blue, one red-weaving across the isolated island.
At times, they clashed on the ground, shattering earth and rock and snapping trees.
At times, they soared high into the sky, where the shock waves from their clashing saber qi exploded amid the clouds.
The clouds were torn apart, revealing the azure sky.
At times, they plunged into the lake, throwing up splashes dozens of meters high as the flames scorched its waters into a rolling boil.
In less than a minute, they fought more than a hundred exchanges.
The tall mountain at the island's center was severed at its waist, more than half the lake's water was churned away, and the entire island was riddled with devastation, shattered and broken.
After another violent clash, they separated on contact, each flying backward.
Twin Blade Demon shook out his numb arms and burst into laughter. "What a Long Yuan! You really do have some ability. I underestimated you!"
He tightened his grip on his twin blades. His aura suddenly surged, and the lightning around him grew even more violent.
"Next comes my strongest move. If you can withstand it, I'll count it as my loss!"
Chu Yuan's gaze was icy as he said evenly, "Come on."
As his words fell, Chu Yuan stopped holding back.
The flames around him surged wildly, gathering endlessly on the Fire Prison Blade.
The flames intertwined and coiled, gradually forming a lifelike fire dragon that roared with fangs bared and claws outstretched.
A trace of gravity flashed through Twin Blade Demon's eyes. Then he roared and charged in front of Chu Yuan like lightning.
"Twin Moons Split the Sky!"
Holding both blades in reverse grips, he swung them at blinding speed, unleashing a hundred and eight slashes in an instant.
Each of those hundred and eight slashes was stronger than the last, their power stacking layer upon layer like ocean waves, unending and unbroken.
Chu Yuan's gaze sharpened. He brought the Fire Prison Blade crashing down with the fire dragon, and a dazzling streak of flaming saber qi soared skyward like a blazing sun overhead, instantly colliding with Twin Blade Demon.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
An unbroken series of thunderous blasts resounded throughout the isolated island. Red flaming saber qi collided violently with blue lightning blade light, sending wave after wave of shock waves spreading in every direction.
The entire island shook violently, teetering on the brink of collapse.
Chu Yuan's blade light formed an impenetrable defense, forcibly blocking all hundred and eight of Twin Blade Demon's slashes.
With his move exhausted and his offensive spent, Twin Blade Demon staggered several steps, instantly exposing a fatal opening.
Chu Yuan seized that opportunity, darting before Twin Blade Demon like a phantom and sweeping his blade horizontally.
"Ash Annihilation Saber: Blazing Sun."
The flames surrounding Chu Yuan seemed to come alive all at once, becoming more fluid as they flowed along the blade and swept across Twin Blade Demon's neck.
"Squelch!"
A massive head shot skyward. Twin Blade Demon's body collapsed limply, dissolving into motes of light on the isolated island.
Chu Yuan's record rose again, reaching 786 wins and 0 losses, while his rating jumped straight to nine stars.
"Yes!!!"
In the hall, many of the martial artists watching the battle burst into cheers and roars.
"What incredible saber technique! Even Twin Blade Demon couldn't beat him!"
"Twin Blade Demon's Twin Moons Split the Sky is an unending assault. As long as you fail to block the first slash, the next hundred and seven keep growing stronger until they kill you. Who knows how many experts have died to that move? Yet Long Yuan actually blocked it."
"Did any of you see Long Yuan's final slash clearly? Those flames seemed to come alive."
"That wasn't Artistic Conception Level saber technique. That was a domain!"
A deep voice suddenly rang out. Everyone turned toward it, and awe instantly appeared in their eyes.
It belonged to a burly middle-aged man seated on a sofa, with the insignia of a Cosmic Two-Star Mercenary on his shoulder.
Being a Cosmic Two-Star Mercenary meant that he was a Domain Lord Level expert in reality.
Domain Lords were all beings who had mastered domains, so of course he could not have been mistaken.
"A domain! Long Yuan actually comprehended a domain!"
The hall instantly erupted.
"A domain is a power only Domain Lords can master! Many Universe Level experts haven't even comprehended one, yet Long Yuan comprehended one at the Star Level!"
"A genius! He's a true genius!"
"Does anyone know Long Yuan's real identity? Whose disciple is he?"
Everyone began speculating. Many factions were tempted and wanted to recruit Long Yuan.
Someone who comprehended a domain at the Star Level would at least become a Domain Lord expert in the future, provided he did not die along the way. He was worth recruiting.
There were quite a few Universe Level experts in the hall, and they could not help feeling jealous as they watched Long Yuan in the video.
That was a domain-the power they had dreamed of obtaining.
To break through to Domain Lord, they had to comprehend a domain. Otherwise, even an E-grade Nutrient Pod could not help them break through.
A junior had now mastered a power they had failed to master despite tens of thousands of years of arduous cultivation.
"Investigate! Hurry up and find out Long Yuan's real identity."
"How are we supposed to investigate? He's a newcomer. Hardly anyone has had contact with Long Yuan. There aren't any leads at all."
"I don't care. I must find out who Long Yuan is."
"..."
All the major factions sent people to investigate Long Yuan, but identity information in the Virtual Universe was kept absolutely confidential. Only the higher-ups knew it.
Unless Chu Yuan revealed it himself, there was no way to find out.
Inside a luxurious palace in Dragon Abyss City on Water Dragon Planet, Chu Yuan removed his consciousness-sensing helmet and let out a deep breath.
After a long while, he laughed heartily. "Exhilarating! That battle was truly exhilarating. Compared to that fight, the previous 785 battles were nothing but children playing house."
Feiluan and Xiong Ba flew over at the same time, sitting on his shoulders, one on each side.
Feiluan smiled and said, "Congratulations on comprehending a domain and greatly improving your strength, Master."
Xiong Ba folded his arms across his chest and curled his lip. "Comprehending a domain is indeed a great improvement, but don't get too carried away. You still can't slack off in your cultivation."
Despite his words, the corners of Xiong Ba's mouth still lifted slightly. He was clearly happy too.
Comprehending a domain at the Star Level meant that Chu Yuan had transformed from an ordinary genius into a galaxy-level genius.
Although he still could not compare to Xiong Ba's master during his Star Level days, this was undoubtedly a good start.
As long as Chu Yuan continued steadfastly down this path, he would one day catch up to Xiong Ba's master and might even avenge him.
"Master revealed his domain today, which should attract the attention of quite a few powerful factions. I imagine it won't be long before someone comes to recruit you, Master."
Feiluan spoke from beside him.
Xiong Ba nodded. "There are plenty of benefits to joining a powerful faction. Not only can you obtain many treasures available internally, but most importantly, you'll have someone backing you."
A trace of sadness appeared on his furry face. "If Master had joined a faction with an Immortal Expert presiding over it back then, perhaps he wouldn't have fallen."
Chu Yuan naturally knew the benefits of having a powerful faction at his back, and he was not opposed to it in the slightest.
In particular, joining any one of humanity's five major factions would bring an enormous rise in status.