Chapter 643: Fighting the Astral Phantom (2/2)

How could someone who’d just become a Paragon be so strong? He couldn’t come up with an answer, but that wasn’t important. In a flash, Lan Qing appeared behind the Phantom.

Countless edged gusts gathered around the general. They were so thick in the air they left his enemy no way out. The wind-weapons were condensed cosmic turbulence and as such were heavy with pure wind element. Not even a Paragon would dare test how sharp they were.

The Astral Phantom was taken by surprise, but he didn’t hesitate. He steadied his heart as the truth of his unfathomable foe was revealed. His retreat stopped, and as the Astral Phantom turned he lashed out with the Soulblight daggers, quick as lightning. He cut at the wind daggers, and when they collided Lan Qing’s weapons dissolved into their elemental essence. Little by little the Phantom danced among the cosmic flows, carving out a safe circle.

As for the other three copies, they seemed to have simply vanished into the vacuum of space.

Wind daggers continued to sail toward the assassin, birthed from Lan Qing as he remained suspended in place. The Astral Phantom was in the center of a deadly tempest, and each gust was a piercing dagger at his weakest points. No dodge to the left or dash to the right freed him from the prison of air. They were locked in a battle of stamina.

The Terminator swung his eyes toward the Keeper. “Congratulations! The East produces another Paragon. Why is it we Northerner’s don’t have such luck?”

The Keeper answered with a knowing smile. “Because you’ve chosen the wrong path. The mysteries of the human body can’t be answered by installing technology. To truly understand ourselves we must reduce, not add to. It only happens through hard work, step by step, day by day. While manufactured and altered Adepts rise quicker and are stronger in the early stages, everything’s different after ninth level. You were looking for numbers. We have only ever pursued perfection. Our results speak to the righteousness of our path.”

The Terminator grinned. “Maybe. Though I contend our technology just hasn’t caught up, yet. If one day technology could reveal the potential we contain, everything would be different. When that day comes we can make Paragons. That is when humanity will be the true masters of the universe.”

The Keeper didn’t engage him further. This was an ideological rift that went beyond the two of them, and both knew the other wouldn’t be swayed. Each had their own truth.

In the depths of their pocket universe, the rivals continued their battle. In a short span the clash had reached a fever pitch. The Astral Phantom was gone beneath the constant purple flashes of his defenses. All he needed was a break in this never-ending flood of cyan, then he could get through. But he couldn’t, the daggers never stopped. Both of them continued to throw everything they had at one another.

Cosmic secrets had been revealed to Paragons, and they were capable of bending the rules of reality to their whim. However, they weren’t gods. Their powers had limits, as did their stamina.

From outside, spectators might assume the more practiced Paragon had the advantage here. After all, he had years of cultivation under his belt. However to those with more combat training, they saw that the fight was just getting under way. Everything up to this point was feeling each other out.

The Astral Phantom had already guessed that the cyan power was not Lan Qing’s Domain. The vortex was. Lan Qing deserved the praise, he thought. He was strong for a newly arisen Paragon. But at the same time the Phantom was starting to read the situation. Perhaps it was because Lan Qing was new to his powers, but his attacks were uniform.

Unerring, time was needed for a Paragon to learn how to integrate their protogenia into their fighting tactics. The Astral Phantom had tread this road, he knew how things were. As far as he was concerned Lan Qing was too tender. He’d been holding back since the start of the fight.

Meanwhile the Phantom’s preferred style was more like a viper; wait for just the right moment, then strike. One blow to shake the pillars of heaven. Both Lan Qing and Lan Jue had been instructed in how lethal that style could be. Lan Jue had nearly met his demise because of it.

Enough! Time to show him a little muscle. A cold light flashed in the Phantom’s eyes. His Soulblight daggers were surrounded by a caustic purple light, then leapt from his hands in either direction. The started small but the farther they flew the larger they became. Eventually they were enormous, big enough that they threatened to slice apart the universe containing them. Both slashed their way toward Lan Qing.