Chapter 26: The Void’s Reckoning
The air shattered like glass, fragments of space dissolving into nothingness. The battlefield was no longer just warped—it was collapsing.
Wu Tian narrowed his eyes. The intruder was no longer holding back.
Yan Xue gritted her teeth, barely managing to stand under the immense pressure. Even with her strength, she was nothing before this level of power. Spirit Awakening Realm—High Stage. In this world, such a being should be impossible.
Yet here they were.
And yet, only Wu Tian stood tall.
The intruder watched him with growing intrigue. "You are the first in this world to challenge me." He extended his hand, and the void twisted at his command. "But let's see how long you last."
He moved.
In an instant, the space between them ceased to exist. One step, and he was already in front of Wu Tian.
A palm lashed out, carrying the weight of a thousand dimensions collapsing inwards.
Wu Tian countered.
His hand shot out, and the moment his palm met the intruder's strike—
BOOM!
A shockwave erupted, splitting the earth. The valley trembled, and distant mountains cracked from the force of their collision. Space itself was rejecting their battle.
Yet Wu Tian did not falter.
His feet dug into the ground, golden light pulsing beneath his skin as his Sixth Gate—Void Heart absorbed the impact.
Yan Xue, shielding herself from the sheer force of the clash, couldn't believe what she was seeing. Wu Tian wasn't just resisting—he was matching him.
The intruder's expression shifted slightly. Amusement.
"You…" His fingers flexed. "You really are different."
Wu Tian exhaled, his heartbeat steady. "You talk too much."
He vanished.
The Void Against Space
The moment Wu Tian reappeared, his fist was already descending.
The intruder raised his hand to counter, but this time—the void did not bend for him.
Wu Tian's punch crashed into his ribs, the force collapsing the air around them. The intruder staggered.
For the first time in this battle, he had been hit.
The spectators watching from afar—those who had dared to remain—could barely comprehend what they were seeing.
Yan Xue, though injured, muttered, "Wu Tian… is keeping up with a Spirit Awakening cultivator."
The intruder straightened, brushing dust from his robes. His expression was unreadable. "Interesting."
His fingers twitched, and space around Wu Tian collapsed inward.
A prison of fractured reality caged him, sealing him in an inescapable void.
But Wu Tian only smirked.
He walked forward.
The void that had trapped him—shattered.
The intruder's eyes narrowed. "Impossible."
Wu Tian cracked his knuckles. "You're in my world now."
The Seventh Gate—Ethereal Step
The book in Wu Tian's mind flickered once more.
The next gate had been revealed.
"The Seventh Gate—Ethereal Step."
His body felt lighter than air, the restraints of gravity fading. The very laws of movement had ceased to apply to him.
He took a step—
And vanished.
The intruder barely had time to react before Wu Tian reappeared behind him. A golden fist struck forward, but the intruder twisted at the last second, countering with his own blow.
Too slow.
Wu Tian was already gone, reappearing at his side, his knee crashing into the man's ribs. The impact sent him flying.
This was no mere speed. This was transcendence.
Yan Xue, watching in shock, could barely keep track of him. Wu Tian was moving beyond space itself.
The intruder wiped his mouth, a hint of blood appearing. His smirk returned. "Now this… this is fun."
He lifted both hands, and the sky collapsed.
A vortex of pure spatial destruction descended upon Wu Tian, intending to erase him from existence.
Wu Tian did not move.
He breathed.
The moment the attack reached him—
It vanished.
The intruder froze. "What?"
Wu Tian's gaze burned. He had stepped beyond mere resistance.
He had become the master of this battlefield.