The Great Oni
Volume (1) Benoni Chapter (41)
In the air, the space was filled with sword energies so overwhelming and intense that even the very atmosphere began to tremble.
"Wooneeee!"
Whenever Artha and Li Fan clashed face-to-face, Li Fan was forced to fall back, never able to seize the initiative. When Li Fan observed with his Demon Energy Master insight, he noted that Artha's inherent physical strength was nearly on par with his own. However, when swords met in battle, Artha's force proved about three times greater, leaving Li Fan momentarily stunned. Still, with no time for worry amid the fray, Li Fan set aside that thought and focused solely on the fight with Artha.
"Wooneee!"
With one swift dive toward the ground, Artha surged forward and slashed with his sword. Li Fan, using his mental energy, did his best to restrain Artha's power while parrying the blow—but even so, he could not match Artha. Had only ordinary Martial Empire-level forces been subject to his mental energy, he would have been rendered completely immobile, left suspended in the air. Even within his mental energy domain, once those at the Martial Emperor level have exhausted their strength, they can only move with great difficulty. Yet Artha effortlessly shattered Li Fan's mental control and engaged him in ferocious combat.
After two continuous hours of brutal fighting, the once-unknown battleground was transformed into a scene of devastation—ruined structures, deep fissures, and massive craters scarred the land. Suddenly, as Li Fan reached a gap in the chaos, Artha gave him no respite and immediately swung his sword.
"Sheeeee!"
At that moment, Li Fan's martial spirit roared with a sound that spoke of near depletion, and his crimson warplate along with his ancient Xian Tian sword vanished. Stunned, Li Fan called forth his Flame Sword Martial Spirit. Instantly, a radiant red warplate materialized on his body while a red sword appeared in his hand. Artha then slashed at Li Fan's neck. Unable to dodge any longer, Li Fan was forced to rely solely on his Flame Sword Martial Spirit to counter the blow.
"Sheeeee!"
In an instant, the Flame Sword Martial Spirit split in two and then dissipated—and his warplate disappeared along with it. As a consequence, Li Fan's head began to spin. However, since this was not his only martial spirit, he only became mildly dazed and remained alert, so it was not a severe issue. The true problem was that a sword, far superior even to Artha's own, was now advancing toward his neck.
"Briii!"
With no alternative, Li Fan had no choice but to accept the blow. Unable to withstand the impact any longer, his arm was severed. Immediately afterward, his head was forced backward. "Briii—kyii!" The blow cut through half of his head; only when the blade reached his skull did Artha's sword halt. With his major blood vessels severed, blood gushed out in torrents. However, because he retained the protection of another Divine Immortal's power, he did not die. In truth, even if one's head were completely severed, death would not be inevitable so long as one's life force remained, for it would naturally regenerate.
"Hing…" Artha murmured as his eyes softened. He studied Li Fan's eyes intently for a long moment, then withdrew his sword and stood erect.
After a pause, Artha said, "You… are truly Li Fan."
Li Fan, too, became momentarily stunned before replying, "Like I said, I am truly Li Fan."
After a brief hesitation, Artha turned away and said, "Very well—follow me. Let's talk."
___
Later, in the dining hall of a ruined office, Li Fan sat at a table in the manner of a venerable master—his legs crossed and his hand resting on the sofa. Artha, too, sat in front of him in a similar dignified style. Although turmoil churned within Li Fan's heart, his outward appearance remained calm as he maintained a gentle smile. To put it plainly, it had only been about twenty days since she had served as the wife of a previous man—so many things could be said, yet none were uttered. Likewise, Artha continued to watch Li Fan's eyes with unwavering attention.
Artha possessed two martial spirits; the first was the Dragon King Sword, and the second was a gem-type martial spirit, which—after reaching a certain stage of cultivation—granted him additional power. It was said that if one were to gaze deeply into someone's eyes, one could discern that person's true essence.
___
He had assumed that the young man's appearance was merely an impersonation and attacked him, but that young man turned out to be the real Li Fan.
Because of this, Artha was stunned.
Although the vast universe contains many exalted bodies, even the one hailed as number one in combat power—the so‑called "Stars body"—cannot contend with the strength of one at the Martial Deity level at the Martial King stage.
Even if the full potential of the Stars body were unleashed, its power would only be comparable to level of a Martial King.
At that moment, the young man became extraordinarily remarkable; suddenly, brilliant beams of intellectual light appeared, and it was revealed before their eyes that he possessed a domain.
In other words, Li Fan possesses an exalted body—and that exalted body is exceedingly mighty.
Artha estimated that, though the difference was not vast, Li Fan did not possess an exalted body per se but instead carried the bloodline of celestial deities.
Not only did he have that bloodline, but he also possessed the mature body of a celestial being, which enabled him to engage in head‑to‑head combat with a Great Martial Deity despite his relatively lower cultivation level.
Were it merely an ordinary Great Martial Deity, Li Fan's tremendous physical resilience alone would be enough to secure victory.
Both Li Fan and Artha sat silently in the office, each lost in their own thoughts.
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