"Is it perhaps because you're too heavy?" I asked.
"Perhaps..." Vixi replied. "However, having an opponent like you brings me comfort. Being at the pinnacle alone is a rather lonely affair..."
"I think perhaps there won't be another chance," I said.
"Hahaha..." Vixi burst into laughter. "If you were to leave this place, I truly believe you could become a comedian..."
"I think you'd be more suited for the circus," I said calmly, looking at Vixi.
"Then come," Vixi continued. "Let me see just how strong you really are!"
As he spoke, Vixi lightly clenched his fist, plucked a strand of hair, and the next instant, an immense power surged into it.
"Come!" Vixi declared.
That single strand of hair shot towards me. I could feel the terrifying power contained within it, so without hesitation, I retreated.
"Boom!"
With a thunderous roar, the spot where the hair landed exploded, creating a deep crater.
I looked down; the crater seemed bottomless.
It was easy to imagine that if I had been hit, my body would have been instantly pierced.
"Is this the power of the Tree of Life?" I asked.
"You could say that," Vixi replied. "We're almost there..."
As he spoke, his body erupted forward, charging at me.
I gripped my short sword and met his attack head-on. The moment our two powers collided, the surrounding earth began to tremble.
The next instant, the soil transformed into sharp blades, glinting with a dangerous luminescence, and they shot towards me.
At this moment, I seemed to enter a profound state.
It was the same state I experienced while dodging attacks in the trial grounds.
I could clearly perceive the trajectories of those blades, and as I retreated, my body weaved and dodged.
I managed to pass through the barrage of swords unscathed.
Just then, the blades suddenly changed direction and pursued me again!
"It's no use," I said, and the power of lightning surged forth, spreading around me.
The blades were instantly disrupted.
"Go!" Vixi commanded.
The blades shot towards my position.
"Stop!" I declared. The blades halted about five meters away from me.
"Explode!" Vixi roared.
"Boom!"
A massive explosion erupted, sending a giant mushroom cloud billowing into the sky from my location.
I was at the epicenter, naturally enduring the full force of the blast.
Fortunately, at the critical moment, I enveloped myself with the Shepherd's Power, but even so, I sustained significant injuries.
As the smoke cleared, I was still standing. Vixi showed no surprise; instead, a grim smile played on his lips.
"Not bad," Vixi said. "I detonated a branch of the Tree of Life, and it only managed to injure you this much..."
I remained silent, desperately trying to regulate my breathing. I could feel my blood churning.
"These things are too precious, each use diminishes them. But there's no choice. Without enough power, I have no confidence I can defeat you," Vixi said casually.
But I knew perfectly well that this level of expenditure was not significant for him.
He possessed the upper half of the Tree of Life, and with this method of detonation, who knew how many times he could use it.
But one thing I understood was that once he detonated the Tree of Life in this manner, a part of it would vanish.
Along with it, the power of the Tree of Life would also disappear!
I realized I had to end this fight much faster. Otherwise, even if I defeated him, there wouldn't be much of the Tree of Life left to obtain.
"Don't worry, we can take our time... Now I'm suddenly not in a hurry," Vixi said, producing a segment of a Tree of Life branch on his finger, which glowed with a verdant light.
"But I don't have that much time to keep wasting with you," I replied. Wind, water, fire, lightning...
The four elemental abilities swirled around my short sword, extending outwards, transforming it into a colossal longsword.
The four-colored light flowed continuously, appearing exceptionally brilliant.
The surrounding air seemed to be affected by the radiance, its flow changing speed.
"Is this your ultimate move?" Vixi asked. "Come!"
As he spoke, he flicked a segment of the tree branch towards me.
The moment he unleashed it, a terrifying power surged madly within the branch.
I hesitated no longer and thrust my longsword straight forward.
At this instant, my speed reached its zenith, closing in on Vixi almost immediately.
Vixi's expression shifted slightly, and the branch of the Tree of Life exploded!
The unleashed power was enough to send me flying, but as the blast neared me, it seemed to be absorbed by another force.
Then, my longsword plunged directly towards Vixi's chest.
Vixi's face changed. He forcefully twisted his body, but it was still too slow.
The longsword pierced Vixi's shoulder, leaving a gruesome bloody gash.
"Ah!" Vixi roared, and his long saber slashed towards me.
I retreated: "Explode!"
At the site of the wound, a ball of four-colored energy instantly formed.
"Boom!"
An explosion sounded, and Vixi's wound erupted!
In an instant, Vixi's shoulder detached, leaving only a sliver of flesh connecting it, and bone was exposed.
His face bore numerous wounds from the previous blast.
If Vixi hadn't instinctively shielded his heart and head at the last moment, the explosion would have been fatal.
"Lu Zi Ye! Lu Zi Ye!" Vixi screamed, his face contorted with pain. "You're forcing me... You're forcing me!" kuAiδugg
I suddenly felt something was wrong.
The next instant, Vixi bit down on his other arm, and blood instantly flowed.
Vixi began to drink his own blood!
Seeing this, I was stunned.
Had this guy resorted to self-mutilation because he couldn't win?
But what was the use of that?