Chapter 993: The Battle of Destiny

This was a vast plain, stretching endlessly in all directions.

Upon closer inspection, a section of space twisted slightly, forming a colorful vortex from which a white-haired woman emerged, gripping the Zhuxian Jian in her hand.

The colorful divine glow surrounding her had dimmed somewhat, and as she landed, her graceful steps faltered slightly—likely due to the toll of summoning that otherworldly space. Yet, escaping from such a formidable encirclement was an achievement worthy of pride.

Suddenly, she lifted her face, her cold and beautiful eyes gazing silently at the hazy void ahead.

There, a blurred figure approached slowly, clad in black robes and wearing a black mask, with black hair billowing and an icy aura that swept across the sky and earth, like a god of death emerging from the night.

It was Hongchen, appearing as if from afar, holding a crimson killing sword in his hand. The sword's resonant hum carried the essence of the Dao.

Hongchen came to a stop, facing the white-haired woman from a distance. His hollow eyes were dull and emotionless, sometimes clouded, sometimes lost in confusion.

"You, who exactly are you?"

The white-haired woman's lips parted slightly as she stared straight at Hongchen, surprisingly initiating the conversation. Her tone was cold, yet her voice was as enchanting as heavenly music, each note wonderfully melodious.

This question was one she had asked more than once.

The affairs of the world were truly wondrous. Whenever she appeared, Hongchen would follow suit, like a ghost materializing out of nowhere, elusive and impossible to shake off.

Perhaps others were unaware, but she and Hongchen had clashed in battle over a hundred times.

She knew nothing of Hongchen's origins, only that he possessed unparalleled power, matching her own in every way, making him the only person on this land she truly feared.

In response to the white-haired woman's question, Hongchen remained silent, but a flicker of confusion passed through his dull eyes.

Who am I?

This question had tormented him for over a thousand years.

He desperately wanted to know his own identity, but every attempt to recall led to a haze of confusion, pulling him into an endless cycle of bewilderment.

He didn't know who he was, nor the purpose of his existence in this world.

It wasn't until many years ago that he detected a scent he loathed intensely, emanating from the white-haired woman before him—or more precisely, from the Zhuxian Jian she held. He yearned to crush it to pieces.

From that day on, he seemed to grasp his reason for being: to eradicate that hateful aura.

Thus, wherever the Zhuxian Jian appeared, he would follow.

No matter the distance, he could sense it clearly, as he had this time, breaking through the seals placed on him by Taixu Gulong and Zixuan to pinpoint the sword's location.

The world fell silent as the two stood facing each other, their eyes locked.

The anticipated earth-shattering battle did not erupt. They stood as still as statues, and if a supreme expert were present, they would realize that these two transcendent beings were engaged in a fierce mental duel.

Boom! Rumble!

Soon, thunderous roars echoed through the hazy void, shaking the entire world.

Though they fought with their minds, the immense pressure and aura of battle caused the land to fracture inch by inch. Dark clouds gathered, lightning rampaged, evoking a scene as terrifying as the dawn of chaos.

To the northeast!

Countless miles away, Zixuan and Taixu Gulong streaked through the ethereal sky like divine lights.

To the northeast!

Dao Huang and Ouyang Wang also soared as radiant divine rainbows, with the vast Heavenly Court army following behind, spreading across the sky like a dazzling array of stars.

Ye Chen, flying through the void, sensed it too and sped toward them as a golden beam.

They had emerged from the illusory otherworldly space but had scattered to different locations—Ouyang Wang and Dao Huang together, Zixuan and Taixu Gulong together, while Ye Chen was alone. Fortunately, he was unharmed.

Boom! Rumble!

On the battered vast plain, the thunder gradually faded.

In that instant, as the thunder dissipated, the world plunged into a deathly silence.

Pfft! Pfft!

The next second, both the white-haired woman and Hongchen spat out mouthfuls of fresh blood.

Just like in the battle at Yunruo Valley, blood overflowed from the immortal wheel eye in Hongchen's right eye, and blood also seeped from the Zhuxian Jian.

Both staggered, their divine light dimming, clearly sustaining severe injuries in their mental clash. In this, their latest destiny duel, they were evenly matched once again, leaving both wounded.

Zing!

Hongchen steadied himself, his divine sword trembling with thunder swirling around it and ancient seal scripts flowing across its surface—a manifestation of the Dao principles. A devastating force rapidly converged on the sword, aimed at obliterating the white-haired woman with this ultimate strike.

Zing!

Opposite him, the Zhuxian Jian in the white-haired woman's hand also hummed, its dim colorful divine light flaring anew. A world-ending power gathered within it, intent on slaying her formidable foe with this peak attack.

From afar, the two resembled brilliant stars, outshining any in the vast cosmos. The space around them collapsed, unable to withstand such destructive might.

Zing! Zing!

As the swords resonated, they moved simultaneously, charging from east and west toward each other, thrusting their fatal strikes.

Boom! Bang!

The heavens roared, as if unable to bear the weight of their swords' power. Each carried the force to destroy worlds, poised to decide superiority—and life and death—in this final blow.

Crack!

The sword's energy was too intense; the mask on the white-haired woman's face shattered with a boom, revealing Chuxuan's stunningly beautiful features.

Suddenly, Hongchen's body trembled.

For some reason, seeing Chuxuan's face, a pang of painful confusion flashed in his eyes. It felt both strangely familiar and foreign, causing his thrust to hesitate momentarily. The sword's world-ending power waned by half in that instant.

Pfft! Pfft!

Colorful blood and black blood sprayed across the sky.

Chuxuan's sword pierced Hongchen's chest, while his sword impaled her body.

In that moment, the world froze. The two stood like statues, swords still gripped, bodies run through, their eyes closer than ever before.

Crack!

Hongchen's black mask also shattered, exposing his weathered, exhausted face, etched with the marks of time.

In this instant, a flicker of painful confusion crossed Chuxuan's beautiful eyes. Even under the Zhuxian Jian's control, devoid of her true consciousness, the sight of that aged face made her body shudder violently.

A gentle breeze blew as Hongchen's blood-stained hand rose stiffly, trembling as it reached toward her exquisite face. His voice was hoarse and worn with age.

"Once I gazed upon the Naihe Bridge and saw your shadow, yet found no trace of your name on the Sansheng Stone."

"Chuxuan, do you still remember Ye Chen?"

His bloodied hand finally touched her cheek, tears blurring his eyes, yet his memories had never been clearer than in this moment.