127 The Ultimate Showdown

Leiling summoned a barrier, reaching the pinnacle of the sixth layer of fire spirit power. Flames soared into the sky, as if determined to consume everything. Such strength was enough for her to look down upon the world with pride. This time, she was resolved to defeat Nuluo; the Human Realm was hers for the taking.

Nuluo gazed at Leiling through the barrier, noting her strangely unfamiliar expression. That coldness and obsession had already led her astray from her true nature. Even the fervent flames could not warm the twisted heart buried deep within her.

Leiling had indeed never relaxed her standards over the years. Judging by her current state, once she broke through again, she would reach the seventh layer. What terrifying power the seventh layer of fire spirit energy would bring was beyond imagination.

Without hesitation, Nuluo also summoned a barrier—ice spirit power. She used ice spirit power only against fire spirit power, and then only in times of crisis.

As snowflakes filled the air, Leiling finally understood why Nuluo could venture alone into the Underworld and emerge unscathed. Her strength had reached such a level—the sixth layer of ice spirit power. Both of them had been continuously honing their powers, never once letting up.

Nuluo and Leiling, the highest-ranking goddesses between heaven and earth, were about to engage in a peak battle.

Ice spirit power versus fire spirit power.

Six-sided snowflakes against flaming swords.

The lineage of the Earth God against the legacy of the Phoenix Clan.

The main temple could no longer contain their figures; in an instant, they appeared together in the vast expanse outside the temple.

Peerless beauty, deadly killing intent.

The wind howled, tossing their long hair into disarray; tangled strands severed all bonds.

In the wilderness, a grim and deadly silence prevailed.

Nuluo and Leiling struck simultaneously.

Snowflakes swirled, sword light flickered, scorching red heat met pure white chill.

Their figures seemed to merge, moving so fast that they could no longer be distinguished; only the deafening roar of colliding barriers remained.

Leiling dared not slacken even for a moment. The fiery sword darted swiftly, tracing countless paths, weaving a vast net that tightly ensnared Nuluo.

Sword qi struck Nuluo’s barrier with a piercing screech. Should any gap appear, the fiery sword would pierce through and shred her to pieces.

Nuluo remained calm and composed. The six-sided snowflakes danced densely, intertwining to block all of Leiling’s escape routes. The snowflakes relentlessly battered Leiling’s barrier. If any damage occurred, Leiling would be defenseless against their assault, her bones shattered and fused with the snowflakes, sinking into the earth.

This was a clash of equals, a battle that would decide the future ruler of the Human Realm.

With a thunderous “boom,” both stepped back simultaneously.

Leiling panted, feeling as if she had endured a long cycle of reincarnation. Nuluo’s moves were familiar, yet the strength she displayed was strange to her.

Her ice spirit power had become purer, even far surpassing the peak of the sixth layer. Could she have reached the seventh layer already?

Moments ago, Leiling had barely maintained the situation with all her might. Could the Xiu Yi blood curse truly have no effect on her? After such devastation in the Human Realm, Nuluo had even ventured alone into Sunset Mountain and the Underworld without suffering any harm—instead, her strength kept rising. Why was this so?

Countless thoughts flashed through Leiling’s mind, each one bringing confusion. They had grown up together and should know each other’s strengths well. Yet now, Nuluo’s power felt strangely unfamiliar.

Leiling had never relaxed her demands of herself, not even for a day. She had trained her fire spirit power in secret, determined not to lose to Nuluo. Once she was proud because her fire spirit power had reached unprecedented heights. But now?

Leiling could never have imagined that the power Nuluo displayed today was born from countless brushes with life and death—a strength ignited only by the experience of confronting mortality. Without facing death, one could not truly cherish life. The more trials one endured, the more one gained.

Although Leiling had maintained her discipline, she lacked Nuluo’s experiences—those moments of near despair followed by miraculous survival.

Nuluo too was somewhat fatigued, though she showed no signs. To Leiling, any sign of weakness would mean a fatal opportunity.

A dull ache lingered in her chest; her wounds had yet to heal. Still, she pressed on.

Leiling had improved notably since before; it was clear she had never eased her standards. Without the trials of Sunset Mountain and the Underworld, she might have already fallen behind.

The two goddesses stared at each other, briefly resting while searching for flaws. As they struck again, another earth-shattering battle erupted.

Leiling strengthened her barrier, the searing heat radiating outward, scorching everything around.

Her fingertips glowed faintly red, tiny flames emitting dazzling light. Her ten fingers raised high, pointing straight at Nuluo as if to pierce her heart in an instant.

Their figures merged once more. Red and white intertwined, killing intent surging.

Leiling seized a flaw in Nuluo’s defense and rejoiced inwardly. The fiery sword instantly pierced Nuluo’s barrier, a sharp sword light aiming at her heart.

Nuluo stepped back; snowflakes rapidly condensed to block the sword’s assault.

Her wounds flared again. Nuluo barely controlled her trembling fingers. If Leiling seized this chance, the consequences would be dire.

Leiling sneered, her gaze sweeping over Nuluo. She had already sensed Nuluo’s disadvantage from the last strike. She truly was injured; though she tried to endure, her true state had shown through inadvertently.

Unless she had other aid, how could she have escaped Sunset Mountain and the Underworld without a scratch? Could the Cycle City really have been built so easily?

“Nuluo, I must admit I’m somewhat impressed—you’ve concealed your injuries for so long. Had I not come personally, I might have been fooled!” Leiling said.

She no longer hesitated, determined to seize the rare opportunity. This time, she summoned ice spirit power as well.

Fire and ice spirit powers appeared around her simultaneously. The fusion of fire and ice unleashed unparalleled might.

Leiling’s ice spirit power had also reached the sixth layer. She too had attained the sixth layer!

Nuluo let out a bitter laugh. So it wasn’t just she who had concealed her true power—Leiling had been hiding hers as well.

“Nuluo, being defeated by the Earth God lineage’s ice spirit power—does that make you feel even more hopeless?” Leiling had never revealed her ice spirit power before, but she had never abandoned it. When she discovered the combined force of the two powers surpassed their individual use, she realized its true potential.

Nuluo’s fingers trembled uncontrollably; waves of pain nearly tore her apart.

Leiling could almost see victory unfolding. She raised her hand high again, sword tip pointing at Nuluo. The swirling snowflakes also focused on her. In the next moment, with the sharpest killing intent, they pierced toward Nuluo.

Pressed back step by step, Nuluo fought to control her injuries and barely resisted Leiling’s assault.

With a cracking sound, a fissure appeared in Nuluo’s barrier. The faint noise reached Leiling’s ears—at that moment, she realized it was the most beautiful sound in the world. “Nuluo, you are doomed!” Once the barrier shattered, Nuluo could no longer withstand her attacks.

In the next instant, endless assaults surged toward Nuluo like a tide. The fierce sword qi and the vicious snowflakes relentlessly battered her barrier. Tiny snowflakes slipped through the cracks, leaving countless wounds.

With a snap of her fingers, Nuluo collapsed to the ground. Blood nearly stained her red robes, reminiscent of the flames of Sunset Mountain—seductively fierce and bone-deep.

“Nuluo, surrender!” Leiling declared.

“Is that so?” Nuluo smiled faintly instead. “Let me show you what true fusion of ice and fire really means.”

She pricked her hands, letting blood drip from her fingertips, each drop falling to the ground.

Slowly, Nuluo rose.

Leiling stared in astonishment. Though injured, she now sensed an immense power emanating from Nuluo—a pressure unlike any before. It nearly forced her to take a step back.

“What! Sixth layer of fire spirit power!” Leiling gasped in disbelief. Fire spirit power suddenly appeared around Nuluo—a scene familiar to her. Six flaming swords rose and circled Nuluo, interwoven with sparkling snowflakes, red and white spinning together. A power she had once thought belonged only to herself.

Nuluo also possessed such refined fire spirit power! She had been hiding her strength all along!

“To think you believed you could defeat me on Human Realm soil—you must be too naive!” At this moment, Nuluo seemed to return to when she first arrived in the Human Realm. Back then, she had carved a bloody path with her own power, creating a land fit for humans to live. Countless demons had fallen beneath her sword.

In the following years, she had used the power of “life” to continuously reshape the Human Realm, to the point where most gods had forgotten her true nature, her bloodthirsty side.

Coldly, Nuluo looked at Leiling. One day, her sword would point at Leiling—and at the Divine Realm.

Nuluo no longer retreated. Over the years, she had endured silently, tolerating Leiling’s increasingly excessive actions, until reaching this moment.

She spread her hands wide; fingers danced as ice and fire powers fused continuously. This was the power she had realized after numerous life-and-death trials. Only after surviving in desperate situations could one deeply grasp the essence of their fusion.

Killing intent surged from all directions toward Leiling—this was the terrifying might unleashed by the true fusion of ice and fire.

For the first time, Leiling realized that Nuluo had truly surpassed her. This was Nuluo’s real strength. She had never shown her true power before—she had been looking down on her all along!

Leiling gathered all her strength. She would not admit defeat!

－－－－－Author’s Note－－－－－

I’ve been revising previous chapters recently, so updates have been a bit late. Please forgive me!