Child of Destiny

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Shin continued to press Ashura with a barrage of attacks, forcing the latter to be in a passive state. He even switched the form of the [Yamato] into twin katana to increase the efficiency of his attacks and have a faster attack speed.

He also separated the 'Primordial Lightning' to each of the swords to further increase the variety of attacks that he could use.

Switching between the basic and intermediate movements of the Jade Kirin Scripture, he was able to throw a barrage of attacks that gave him the upper hand in the battle.

He was also able to throw a few techniques from the Perfected Four Symbol Scripture in the mix, catching Ashura off guard. He primarily used the sword techniques from the Sacred White Tiger and Celestial Vermillion Bird Methods, which majored in offensive attacks.

But Ashura was unsurprisingly able to hold his ground despite being in a disadvantageous position. He was able to respond to Shin's moves and even used his swordsmanship calmly and steadily.

If Shin could execute extremely fast swordsmanship and possess an unpredictable and complex style, then Ashura had a steady swordsmanship that focused on raw power and unbreakable defense.

Even if his movements were quite slow compared to his opponent, Ashura was still able to always block the attacks of the opposing side with either a simple swing of his sword or using its surface as some sort of shield or simple guard.

His limited actions seemed to be calculated movements that would always meet the attacks of his opponent regardless of the situation. In a sense, his sword movements seemed to be a simplified version of complex sword techniques to match his style and personality.

Even if Ashura could not take advantage of his improved speed and mobility and could not use his usual explosive attacks, he was still able to steadily hold his ground as Shin continued with his assault.

From time to time, Ashura would try to distance himself from Shin to gain enough space for his huge swings. But Shin stuck to him like a gum, not willing to give up his advantage.

However, Shin suddenly noticed a small change that made him put his guard up without any hint of hesitation. Despite how minimal that change was, he would never overlook it and let his guard down, especially when he was facing an equally powerful opponent.

His danger senses sharply intensified as he sensed the sudden arrival of an unknown threat.

Bang!

Without bothering to look at what it was, Shin quickly spun in the air while swinging his swords at the same time.

That was when a barrage of energy beams flew at him from every direction.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Shin used his signature technique, the 'Infinity Edge,' to ward off the beams of light that were directed at him either blocking, cutting, or deflecting them.

He might have survived the barrage of attacks in the end, but Ashura was able to break from his restraints and create a huge distance between them.

Having enough space for an advanced attack, Ashura quickly raised his sword ruler and slashed it down with all his might.

'Mystic Cosmic Method: Heavenly Sword Boundary'

Swoosh!

The Sword Ruler came slashing down in a plain, efficient stroke. It wasn't as fancy as those flashy sword techniques, but Shin could feel the area around him suddenly dimming. It was as if he was suddenly isolated from the rest of the world.

Not only that but there was also a dangerous and underlying threat that had been accumulating throughout the environment. Layer by layer, turning into shapeless shackles that limited his movements.

He felt pressured and overwhelmed as the huge sword ruler came slashing his own.

Shin saw the sword ruler coming out of the darkness carrying the blurry and dark silhouette, as though it covered the entire sky and loomed over the land. Apart from this strike, there was nothing else in there.

Swoosh!

At this moment, Shin felt a mental pressure that he could not explain, making him intimidated. He felt that he was tied by heavenly ropes and couldn't move.

That was when he realized that each attack of his opponent affected the environment. Or to be more precise, each of his sword techniques was always accompanied by environmental pressure as if the world was supporting him.

This sense was completely different from what a Martial Artist, a Mentalist, and a Swordsman could achieve. It was as if the path that Ashura was taking was completely different from the modern disciplines, especially the three major paths.

This made him recall one of the books that he had read before when he was trying to look for clues on how to unify the paths of Martial Arts and Mentalism.

That book was one of the books that Professor Henry had written.

It said that Martial Artists used their powerful martial prowess to affect the world and conquer everything with it, also breaking through its restraints.

Mentalists, on the other hand, projected their strong wills to the physical real through their powerful mentality and willpower.

Then, there were the Swordsmen, who infused their wills into their sword. They continuously polished their swordsmanship and forged their strong mind and powerful body through repeated practice – honing their path of the sword.

Further down that book, Shin also remembered that it briefly mentioned something about the ancient teachings of the past generations, particularly in cultivation.

It was mentioned that cultivators used their strong minds to communicate with nature and tempered their bodies and spirits through its help. This was also the reason why most of their techniques affected their surrounding environment and even resonated with it.

"Don't tell me this guy is an ancient cultivator or something similar?" mumbled Shin as he watched the descending sword of his opponent that was filled with profoundness.

Adjusting his mind and trusting his instincts, Shin released the twin katana and reverted the [Yamato] to its original form.

Following the projected method inside his head, he swung his sword forward while releasing the accumulated powers at the same time.

Crackle! Crackle!

The 'Primordial Lightning' roared violently as it flew out of the sword along with the energy wave that was released from the previous strike.

Boom!

Using one of his in-game skills and fusing it with all the accumulated knowledge that he had and the sword principles that he had learned, he created yet another sword technique by following his instincts.

'Myriad Transformation Swordsmanship: Eclipse Slash'

With the Power of the Primordial Eclipse and Primordial Lightning, the might of this skill rosed by several folds as it flew toward the descending sword from the sky.

It even turned into a serpentine dragon that opened its mouth wide, biting on the huge sword silhouette that was collapsing toward the world.

Boom!

A thunderous explosion immediately erupted as the two sides clashed. There was even a series of delayed explosions that disrupted the flow of mana in the surroundings.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Amid these chaotic explosions, two figures repeatedly clashed, adding to the chaos in the air.

Shin used his extreme speed to circle Ashura while throwing a series of ambushes at the same time. The latter, on the other hand, continuously swung his sword ruler in hopes of suppressing his opponent with his overwhelming power.

But Shin was quite tricky to deal with. Even if he was lacking in raw power, he was using the accumulated momentum of his fast movements to increase the impact of his attacks, barely putting him on an equal term with his opponent.

Their figures then transformed into a stream of light that flew across the sky before repeatedly clashing, causing strong shockwaves in each collision.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Crackle! Crackle!

In these exchanges, the two showcased their respective swordsmanship and revealed the power of their unique mana manipulation.

The sword ruler in Ashura's hands revealed a heavy with latent energy. It had a stream of golden glow that flickered along with the 'stars' swimming through the dark energy enfolding his weapon.

This was his 'Cosmic Energy'.

He jerked his arms for a moment before flicking his wrists. The sword ruler recoiled back before crushing down his opponent.

Boom!

The [Yamato] flickered along with the black-and-white lightning, carrying a profound and mysterious energy. It was fast, light, heavy, and steady. The lightning danced around the sword, forming a thin yet sturdy layer of energy on its surface.

The 'Primordial Lightning' crackled violently!

Shin flipped his wrist before swinging the sword upwards, following the momentum of his flight to meet the descending sword ruler.

Swoosh!

Boom!

The collision sent violent ripples in every direction, scattering the could of smoke, flame, and chaotic mana around the two contenders.

Shin flew back due to being in a slightly disadvantageous position. But Ashura could not give chase either as his arms recoiled back from the collision along with his sword ruler.

Gritting his teeth, Ashura held the sword ruler with both of his hands, forcing himself to swing it. He strongly slashed diagonally to the left, then to the right, then downwards, then upwards – throwing a series of slashes in the air.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Sword waves came out from his sword one after another, chasing after Shin, who was still flying toward the ground.

'Mystic Cosmic Method: Heavenly Star Descent'

Ashura relatedly slashed down and continuously sent a series of sword waves with each strike faster than the previous ones. A faint burning smell lurked in the hissing wind, indicating the burning mana in the surroundings.

To Shin, this barrage of attacks was like a sudden downpour from the sky. He inhaled deeply before flipping mind air and sheathing the [Yamato] in the process.

Bang!

He landed on his feet when he hit the ground, creating spiderweb-like cracks that spread in every direction and sending rock fragments in the air.

Assuming his signature sword-drawing stance, he channeled all his energies toward his sheathed sword while visualizing one of his combined skills, which was also a Class-Fighting Style skill, before converting it into a real sword technique.

Shing!

When the downpour of energies reached a certain distance from the ground, Shin suddenly unsheathed the [Yamato], swinging it upwards, sending a powerful sword wave, before putting it back into its sheath once again.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

He repeated the process with each action being much faster and stronger than the previous ones.

'Jade Kirin Scripture: Quick Draw – Purgatory Stance'

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sword waves that came out from each of his strikes met the downpour of attacks from the sky, creating more chaos and explosions.

When the final strike arrived, all the momentum that Shin had accumulated was compressed into one while powerful energy was channeled into the sword before being released.

'Jade Kirin Scripture: Quick Draw – Purgatory Stance: Final Cresent'

Swoosh!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A giant crescent sword wave was released from the tip of his sword and flew toward the sky destroying the remaining sword waves of his opponent before continuing to soar higher and head to Ashura, who was standing on its path.

Seeing the overwhelming might of this attack, Ashura did not hesitate and used a similarly powerful technique from his arsenal.

He raised the sword ruler above his head before slashing it down with everything he had

Boom!

A heaven-deafening explosion could be heard as the slash came crashing down, releasing a mighty pillar of light that headed toward the incoming sword wave.

'Mystic Cosmic Method: Heavenly Cleave Annihilation'

Boom!

A thick cloud of blazing smoke blocked the view of Shin and Ashura as he tried catching their breaths and suppressing their exhaustion.

Releasing that he one Elemental Spirit was not enough, Ashura quickly mumbled, "Second Servant," and summoned another Elemental for a possession.

This time, Ashura's left arm transformed into a draconic arm with thick scales that resembled exquisite armor and extremely sharp claws that looked like small daggers attached to his fingers.

When the cloud was cleared, Shin immediately noticed the changes that his opponent underwent, especially after sensing the dangerous aura from the latter.

Not letting himself be outclassed by his opponent, Shin braced himself and flipped the sheath of his sword. He transformed it into a longsword that Solus instantly possessed, changing its appearance.

Wielding a dual possessed on his right hand, the Chaos Slasher, and holding an advanced possessed on the other, the Divine Constellation – it was no different from using three possessions at the same time.

It would be putting a heavy toll on Shin's mind, but he still persevered and stubbornly held his ground.

With the Chaos Slasher empowered with the Primordial Lighting and the Divine Constellation burning with the Eternal Flame, Shin kicked the ground and flew toward his opponent.

Boom!

There was an intense vibration on the ground when he flew, sending more rock fragments into the air.

With the help of the Sword Heart to improve his coordination and execution of sword techniques, Shin launched a series of attacks at Ashura.

Applying the sword principles that he had learned from Old Ryong's Training Methods; Shin used the sword movements of the Jade Kirin Scripture with the sword in his right hand while using the sword techniques of the Four Symbol Scripture with the other.

As Shin became accustomed to this style, he became bolder and added more sword transformations and a few more elemental possessions to the mix.

While the Chaos Slasher executed more of the sword movements of the Jade Kirin Scripture, the sword in his left hand transitioned between a longsword, a rapier, and a greatsword while the Solus and Astaroth took turns possessing them.

This increased the variety of attacks and combinations that he could throw at his opponent, especially when the sword techniques under the Perfected Four Symbol Scripture complimented one another.

Even if the Eternal Flame of Solus was a notch lower than the Cosmic Energy of his opponent, and the Earthen Metal and Metallic Earth of Astaroth was two levels below it, Shin was still able to cover their weaknesses with the every-changing fighting style that came in unpredictable forms.

Shin was now showcasing the real might of his Myriad Transformation Swordsmanship!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

His attacks felt like a storm; chopping, slashing, thrusting, stabbing, cutting, cleaving, and more variations of attacks came one after another, overwhelming his opponent.

But the opposing side was not to be underestimated either. Despite the complicated and unpredictable style of his opponent, Ashura was able to steadily hold his ground while calmly responding to each strike of his opponent.

With the help of his wings, he was able to get more mobility in the air while draconic arms helped him add a few more variations to his attacks.

He switched between slashing, crushing, and cleaving with a sword ruler and punching, scratching, and stabbing with his draconic arm.

His attacks might not be as complex as his opponent's attacks, but each of them was packed with powerful strength that disrupted the flow of his opponent.

His raw power was more than enough to compensate for the difference between him and his opponent. Shin was always forced to either dodge or adjust his form whenever Ashura found an opening, no matter how small it was.

Their exchanges were so intense that the live audience and online viewers almost forgot to breathe. If it was them fighting there instead of these two gods, then they would most likely be killed in a matter of seconds.

Everyone, who was watching this scene, already had their butts at the edge of their seat and refused to blink, afraid that they would miss a single detail of this battle.

Each collision between Shin and Ashura sent ripples in their hearts and made their hearts boil, awakening the burning passion that they had.

Even the top elites and apex experts, who were paying close attention to this duel, could not help but feel a sudden urge to fight someone. They all wanted to find someone to release this burning fighting spirit that they had.

They clenched their fists as they felt that the upcoming United Cup would be an interesting one.

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