Nothing was more important than Lu Yin’s own breakthroughs.
Even so, the Immortal realm seemed infinitely out of reach. It was not even in view, and Lu Yin had cultivated for much too short a time.
But being unable to break into the Immortal realm did not mean that he could not further improve his combat power.
He was already able to face off against the most powerful one-law Immortals, and he could even trade blows with two-law Immortals. Sooner or later, he would be able to defeat two-law Immortals.
Ultimately, the Immortal realm was just another cultivation realm, and combat power was not necessarily constrained by realms.
"Deal with Ni Bai as quickly as possible. Stop overthinking things. If what you want was possible, I would also want to comprehend thousands of cosmic laws, but that is fundamentally impossible. For an Immortal, being able to live long enough to comprehend a second cosmic law is already a remarkable achievement. Each successive law is enough to represent an Immortal’s entire existence. How much time do you think you’ll need to comprehend such things?" After that, the gate disappeared.
Lu Yin looked back at the vigilant Ni Bai in the distance. Furball was correct, but Lu Yin still wanted to try.
It was much like reading books. Reading could provide a person with understanding and knowledge of the world, while studying the power of Immortals might similarly offer understanding and knowledge of that Immortal’s power.
Lu Yin put his scythe away and took a step forward. Extremes Must Be Reversed caused his body to wither right before he vanished. When he reappeared, he was already in front of Ni Bai, his arm rising to throw a punch.
Ni Bai had not expected Lu Yin to put his weapon away. No matter what this Obscura member intended to do, he would not be able to withstand Ni Bai’s power.
Movement and Stillness overlapped as the Lockforce Domain reappeared, as did the civilizational weapons.
Boom!
With a thunderous roar, Lu Yin was forced back multiple steps. He had been overwhelmed by not only Ni Bai’s power, but more so by his own strength.
The Lockforce Domain had added Lu Yin’s power on top of Ni Bai’s own.
Again.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Blow after blow landed, each one forcing Lu Yin back. However, with Extremes Must Be Reversed absorbing the damage, he suffered no injuries.
Ni Bai had indeed been injured in its earlier fight; Lu Yin could feel it. If not, it would possess even greater power. At the very least, the way that it was overlapping Movement and Stillness was not smooth. The damage that Furball had dealt was not light, or else Lu Yin would be able to continue using brute strength to test the creature.
Lu Yin continued to test Ni Bai’s power for a full month. The cosmos continued to shatter beneath the repeated impacts.
Some of the civilizations that Obscura had sent to participate in the war had been dragged into the fray, but at this moment, any civilization that passed through a gate immediately fled back. Those that were unable to escape simply destroyed the gate outright, abandoning even their own kind. An exchange at this level of power was simply too terrifying.
There were even civilizations lured through gates with Immortals, though their strength varied wildly. Still, the battle being fought was clearly beyond what ordinary Immortals could handle.
The longer the fight dragged on, the more helpless Ni Bai became. Its injuries had not healed, and it continued to be dragged along by Lu Yin. It was unable to overpower him, and it was also incapable of escaping. It knew that this Obscura member was using it to delve into the mysteries of power, but there was nothing that Ni Bai could do to shake him off.
The most infuriating part was that this Obscura member was an Aberrant, not an Immortal. That meant that he did not have to worry about a karmic chain when dealing with civilizational weapons. That left Ni Bai completely frustrated.
If its opponent were an Immortal, it would have the means to break free, even if it meant mutual destruction.
Unfortunately, its opponent was not even an Immortal.
Its mounting unease caused Ni Bai’s attacks to grow weaker and weaker. Although it still overpowered Lu Yin, it no longer demonstrated its initial dominance.
Lu Yin irritatedly said, "Is this all the strength of one of the Mudwater Dominion’s eight elders?"
"What species are you, that you possess the speed to move unseen as well as such powerful physical strength?" Ni Bai snarled.
"I gave you a month, but you didn’t cherish it. Since that’s the case, I’ll stop being polite." After speaking, Lu Yin vanished.
It was as Ni Bai’s wariness rose to the peak that Lu Yin suddenly disappeared, and it nearly spat out blood in frustration. Despicable! Utterly despicable!
Far away, Lu Yin frowned. He could not understand what he was seeing at all. Ni Bai’s application of power had already surpassed the level where its traces could be sensed. It was impossible for him to gain any more insight into the Lockforce Domain or Movement and Stillness. Every creature used their physical strength differently.
What was true of karma was also true of physical strength.
There might be ten thousand ways to apply brute force. Lu Yin’s own understanding was one method, while Ni Bai’s comprehension was another. For him to comprehend Ni Bai’s method of power application while maintaining his own would be no easier than for Lu Yin to develop an entirely new method of power application from scratch.
The month of testing had allowed him to realize that clearly. Since that was the case, it was time to end things.
He slowly closed his eyes, emptying his mind of all thoughts. He raised his arm, and the scythe reappeared in his hand. His withered body abruptly recovered as all the damage that he had absorbed was released. His eyes snapped open, and he vanished.