Han Xuanji did not answer, merely watching him quietly.
"I am getting serious."
Centurion Zhou Lie took a deep breath, and his Aura suddenly surged.
On the viewing stand, someone exclaimed.
"His Aura... is getting stronger!"
"Is he going to have a Breakthrough? No, that's not it... He is mobilizing a deeper level of power from the Dao of Creation!"
Before Centurion Zhou Lie had even finished speaking, the Aura around him changed abruptly. If the power of Creation from before was like a spring breeze bringing life, then the other power surging from within him now was like an autumn wind sweeping away leaves, causing all things to wither.
Two diametrically opposed Auras intertwined around him, one of life and one of death, like two interlocking gears grinding against each other, emitting a heart-stopping pressure.
Law of Destruction.
Han Xuanji's pupils constricted slightly.
He recognized the essence of this power.
Opposed to Creation, the Dao of Destruction is a top-tier Law where all things end and return to nothingness.
Creation and Destruction are two sides of the same coin, much like Life and Death or Yin and Yang; if they can be fused into one, they can indeed unleash power far exceeding that of a single Law.
Centurion Zhou Lie slowly raised his hands; his left hand held the pale golden light of Creation, while his right hand held the dark gray flame of Destruction.
The two lights danced in his palms, repelling and attracting each other, emitting a shrill humming sound.
Centurion Zhou Lie stared at Han Xuanji, his eyes filled with Battle Intent:
"It took me hundreds of years to master both of these Laws simultaneously. Although my attainment in the Law of Destruction is not as deep as that of Creation, the power of their Fusion is far from simple addition."
On the viewing stand, the soldiers of the Huben Legion were in an uproar.
"Centurion Zhou Lie actually had this hidden up his sleeve!"
"That looks truly extraordinary."
The crowd discussed it fervently, though not many could discern the intricacies of it.
After all, there are few who cultivate the Way of Laws, and those involving these two specific Laws are even rarer.
At this moment, even Commander He Guanshan locked his gaze tightly on the two people in the arena. He naturally knew that Centurion Zhou Lie had not achieved a Breakthrough for so many years precisely to comprehend the Law of Destruction, and this was also what he had hoped for.
But he had not expected Centurion Zhou Lie to reveal this incomplete trump card so quickly.
It seemed the pressure Han Xuanji was putting on him was much greater than anticipated.
Beside Commander He Guanshan, a general spoke softly:
"Should we stop it here? Centurion Zhou Lie's technique has not been fully perfected yet; I fear it might result in mutual destruction."
Commander He Guanshan frowned and said slowly:
"Wait a little longer; I will be able to intervene in time."
Hearing this, the general said no more, knowing that the Legion Commander wanted to see the limits of the two men.
On the other side, Hun Qianxue, who was intently watching the two in the center of the martial arts arena, frowned.
He had not expected Centurion Zhou Lie to have such a trump card hidden, no wonder he was confident enough to battle Han Xuanji.
One truly cannot underestimate the heroes of the world. He looked at Han Xuanji in the arena, feeling secretly worried.
He did not know if he could win, but if it really came to it, he hoped Han Xuanji would not force himself. As for Han Xuanji, facing the two intertwined powers on Centurion Zhou Lie, his expression remained calm.
"Creation and Destruction..."
He repeated it softly, not at all surprised.
After all, intelligence on Centurion Zhou Lie had already been presented to him before; he had simply been waiting to see when the opponent would use it.
Han Xuanji did not answer; in an instant, his own Aura also changed.
It was not an explosion, but a progressive, layered ascent, like waves rising one after another. Centurion Zhou Lie's pupils contracted sharply; he could see that Han Xuanji was also getting serious.
"Make your move."
Han Xuanji said calmly:
"Let me see how far your Dao of Creation and Destruction can go."
Centurion Zhou Lie took a deep breath, suppressing the distracting thoughts in his mind. His gaze became firm once more, and his Aura climbed again.
Creation and Destruction danced in his palms, the two powers intertwined and transformed into a massive pillar of light that crashed down towards Han Xuanji.
"Divine Fist of Creation!"
It was the same fist technique, but this time, the contained power of Destruction seemed ready to destroy everything, arriving with irresistible force.
"Oh?"
Han Xuanji did not dodge because the surrounding space seemed to have been isolated, and the terrifying speed made it difficult even for him to move his arms.
"This power is not weak; after adding the Law of Destruction, the attack power has risen to a new level, comparable to a full-force strike from an Eternal True Lord."
When the opponent's fist reached him, a cold light flashed in Han Xuanji's eyes:
"Great Five Elements Capture Hand!"
He raised his right hand, spreading his five fingers.
Facing this punch, Han Xuanji still used the Great Five Elements Capture Hand.
But this time, there were more variations within it. The powers of the four great Laws—Five Elements, Yin and Yang, Life and Death, and Reincarnation—condensed in his palm, forming a miniature vortex.
The vortex rotated slowly, growing larger and faster as it moved to meet Centurion Zhou Lie.
"Boom—"
A deafening roar resounded through the sky.
The barrier of the martial arts arena trembled violently.
The light dissipated.
The scene in the arena made everyone hold their breath.
Han Xuanji stood where he was, his robes fluttering slightly, his expression as usual.
Before him, a massive crater spanned the center of the martial arts arena.
As for Centurion Zhou Lie, he was half-kneeling ten zhang away, supporting himself with his hands, panting heavily.
His face was deathly pale, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and most of his battle armor was shattered, revealing the flesh beneath.
"I... lost?"
He muttered to himself, his voice as soft as sleep-talking, his eyes filled with bewilderment.
On the viewing stand, no one spoke.
Everyone was watching this scene, looking at Centurion Zhou Lie half-kneeling on the ground and the youth in green robes standing with his hands behind his back, his expression calm.
No one thought Centurion Zhou Lie was weak.
On the contrary, among those who came to observe this match, there was no lack of Prodigies from other regions.
At this moment, everyone had to admire Centurion Zhou Lie. Being able to fight Han Xuanji to this extent already showed that Centurion Zhou Lie's strength was not bad.
Many of them had seen exactly what Han Xuanji had done at the end.
"Impressive."
Xiao Yan could not help but exclaim in admiration.
He also walked the Way of Laws and had dabbled in the Five Elements, Yin and Yang, and the Way of Life and Death; he could see how profound Han Xuanji's final response had been. This was something only an unparalleled Prodigy could achieve.
"Brother Han has likely already surpassed me."
Xiao Yan thought to himself.
Han Xuanji surely had the same plan as him: to condense as many top-tier Laws as possible, laying a supreme Foundation to advance to the Eternal True Lord Realm.
It seemed his progress was gratifying; if he could master another Law of Creation, it would be formidable.
"The outcome is decided, so I naturally need not say more."
Commander He Guanshan slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping over the two in the arena, finally landing on Han Xuanji.
"The second trial..."
His voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears.
"Han Xuanji, pass."
Centurion Zhou Lie suddenly raised his head, looking at Commander He Guanshan. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he lowered his head.
He had no right to say anything.
A loss was a loss.
The Dao of Creation and Destruction he prided himself on seemed like nothing before Han Xuanji.
Han Xuanji did not mock him, nor did he ridicule him; he merely watched Centurion Zhou Lie quietly and said indifferently:
"Your Dao is indeed very strong, but your problem lies in being too eager for success. The Fusion of Creation and Destruction requires the accumulation of a process; you only pursued the result while neglecting the process in between, leading to a less than ideal performance in the end."
Centurion Zhou Lie's body trembled, and he looked up at Han Xuanji's calm face.
"I have been taught."
Centurion Zhou Lie stood up with difficulty, cupped his hands toward Han Xuanji, his voice hoarse.
Seeing this, Commander He Guanshan also nodded secretly. It was both an acknowledgement of Centurion Zhou Lie's attitude and gratitude towards Han Xuanji.
Thinking of this, Commander He Guanshan slowly spoke:
"The third trial..."