Chapter 453: Overconfidence Is Death

Thus they played a game of chase in the skies. Both the Huilu King and the Azure Dragon Queen swung their swords in unison, producing techniques that Ling Xue could only evade. 

"Stop running! Nothing good will come of getting in our way!" they shouted at her. 

From one point of the battlefield to another, the sounds of shrieking echoed as rivers of flame and water, charged through the skies. 

"Sea of Flames, Serpent Dragon's Wrath!" 

As they both shouted out, they placed their hands on their blades, imbuing it with the elements. Twisting their swords and thrusting them towards Ling Xue, two serpents flew out, one of water and one of fire, opening their jaws to engulf the Yao Demon. 

As she continued to back away from them, Ling Xue put the flute to her mouth and blew one long note. A horrifying howl resonated with the air, causing it to tremble as what seemed to be a mirage of a banshee came out of the flute. 

Wielding a scythe with its bony arms, it was a terrifying apparition, a hooded skeleton who shrieked at them as it flew forward. 

"Banshee's Cry."

It swung out, cutting at the twin serpents. The scythe was swift, slashing through them and causing the serpents to roar out in pain. However, it was not enough for they wrapped around the banshee, crushing it and destroying the apparition along with themselves. 

Between her and them, it would be a close fight. 

And as their fight continued within the skies, the battles below were even more fierce. Kong Zhi and Du Xiu were dead center in the fields, fighting each other with unbridled power. No one could come close to them and those that tried to were be slammed back by the sheer shockwaves of their clashes. 

"Is this it? I can still go further, human!" 

The Vajra Demon's six arms were a blur as he gave Du Xiu an unending barrage of strikes. Armored with gauntlets, his fists were swift and fierce, giving even the commander a hard time. But that wasn't the end of it. 

Their fight had gone differently this time, Kong Zhi had taken the offensive and that bolstered him to go even further. His fists flew quicker and fiercer with each second.

"Come on, Commander Du Xiu! What happened to all that talk from before?! Do you dare mock the power of my ancestors? The power that I rightfully own now?!" he taunted. 

The commander was silent, parrying each strike with his halberd axe as he slowly took one step back. He was focused on this fight, avoiding all of his attacks. 

Every now and then he would strike back but only caused superficial wounds which healed in seconds. 

Kong Zhi then stopped his fists and pulled them back, building up power as he did so. 

"I will repay you for the humiliation you've given me in those past fights. I will repay them tenfold!" he spoke to Du Xiu in a hateful voice, sharp and unrestrained malice. 

It wasn't difficult to sense the spite coming with each word. 

With another moment, the demon punched out with all six fists. 

"Take this! Asura's Wrath!" 

They glowed like stars as he punched out, gathering enough power that even space seemed to bend. His fists were more than just quick, they were unavoidable as if the weight of this oncoming attack had forced Du Xiu to one spot. 

Even if he wanted to, he could not move his feet, the commander had to face this strike head-on.

And so, he did. 

As Kong Zhi's fists came to meet him, Du Xiu brought his weapon forward. Looking to block the strike as he held his halberd with both hands and his power seemed to erupt the moment they clashed. 

Just the impact alone was enough to spread throughout the entire battlefield. The air shook and the ground cracked as dust blew up. At the center of it, Kong Zhi panted heavily as he tried to look through the dust clouds, trying to see if Du Xiu was still there. 

"I am surprised that you pushed me this far but I'm afraid that this is the end."

Du Xiu spoke out, his voice rang out clear, full of wisdom and experience. At the same time, there was an iciness to it. 

A blast of hot air blew past Kong Zhi as the dust and debris had blown away, revealing Du Xiu in a much different state. All six fists of the demon had been stopped by his halberd axe which didn't even show any sign of damage or bend. Unlike before, it had become pure white in color, glowing with a fearsome heat. 

And the commander? His appearance was unlike anything anyone had seen. 

The warmth emanating from his body had intensified nearly tenfold. The fiery aura of his body had been restrained to just the edge of his body, a glowing white different from that of Kong Zhi. The demon's aura was of an ethereal nature, somewhat transparent. But for Du Xiu, it was a solid white light that seemed to fluctuate every now and then. He was glowing, to say the least. 

And under such heat, his armor had changed as well, as if awakened by this fierce flame. The thick plate armor transformed, condensing into a thin scale mail that clung tightly to his body. his bottom half was different, becoming a bit thinner but still stayed as plate armor. Instead, small slits formed around his waist armor from which flames came out of. Those very flames then merged together into faulds, trailing down his legs. 

"I had my armor and halberd custom made for me. I sought grandmasters of the Six Kingdoms as well as the Forgelord, providing them with any material they needed so long as they could complete my request. Something I can use at my strongest."

As he calmly revealed this, Du Xiu pushed off the fists and spun his halberd casually. 

"These are things that I earned myself. It was not given to me nor did I seek it from some tomb unlike you." 

He then stopped and stabbed the butt of his halberd to the ground. The moment it touched, the stone began to glow and melt in seconds. Pulling it up, Du Xiu pointed it at Kong Zhi. 

"Confidence can spell doom for some people. Your confidence had led you to underestimate me, ending with your defeat battle. My confidence has led me to underestimate you and I could not finish you off before. This time, however, it will be the last time." 

Finishing these few words, Du Xiu sucked in deeply as he wielded his glowing white halberd axe with both hands. A chill came down Kong Zhi's neck, spreading to the rest of his body. Without even thinking, he crossed his arms, fear and dread rose up from his heart. 

"How can this be? How can I be afraid of this man?! What kind of monster is he?!"

Thoughts swirled around his mind wildly before rage began to well up. 

"Me? Afraid?!" He shouted, "Why should I fear you!? You're just an old man!"

Uncrossing his arms, Kong Zhi smashed his fists together slowly pulling them apart while forming a sphere of power that began to feed into each fist. 

"True Vajra Strike, Destruction!"

The demon roared as his fists turned to a deep violet, a vibrant color that seemed even more dangerous than the last attack.

"Sunlight Ascension."

The commander took one step forward, attacking with an upwards slash. 

His body flashed for a moment as the power transferred to the blade, releasing a beam of fiery white light. 

Kong Zhi charged straight into the attack, forcing himself through. His body slowly burned away while his fists were at the forefront. 

"Raaghhhh! I will defeat you! No matter what it takes!"