Ascension of the immortal Asura

John didn't know if his Asura Reaping Scythe or the Sacred Sword Scripture had severed that arm, but it didn't matter either. Despite their best surprise attack, using their strongest attacks possible, they had only managed to sever an arm of the Yang-Sovereign.

Such an injury, while debilitating, was hardly battle-changing. It was a disappointing sight, as John had hoped their attack would have grievously wounded the Yang-Sovereign at the very least, but it was better than nothing.

The Yang-Sovereign was looking at his severed arm, then the stump at his left shoulder. Blood and pure Yang flames burst from the open wound, as if the Yang-Sovereign himself was a hybrid of human and Yang.

His gaze snapped up, instantly locking onto John as he burst out of the explosion. His teeth gnashed, his expression as if it could kill alone, the Yang-Sovereign turned towards John, only feeling rage and fury instead of shock and disbelief.

Then, without uttering a single word of anger or mockery, the Yang- Sovereign swung his right arm out, the Pure Yang chain of his flail elongated as the lotus-shaped striking head shot out towards John, its power like that of an exploding sun.

John dashed to the side with his fastest speed at the last possible moment as the striking head shot past him, its remnant power alone nearly overwhelming him. The heat of the striking head charred the right side of his body, turning it black. His skin cracked and turned to ash, then fell off, revealing his muscles and bones beneath once more before being healed over by his healing ability.

John shot towards the Yang-Sovereign with renewed speed, his scythe raised, prepared to unleash a decisive blow.

"Naive child," the Yang-Sovereign sneered, his right hand snapping the flail shaft downwards. A cracking sound as loud as an exploding battle art rang out behind John as the Yang chain snapped tight, the striking head changing course directly towards John's unguarded back.

With the distance between the two, the striking head would no doubt land on John first, its power far too great for him to withstand through his body durability alone. With the level of battle he found himself in, only his Asura Reaping Scythe and Kirin-God Extinction could stand up to an attack from the Yang-Sovereign. His Heavenly Lightning Domain or Twenty-Fold Lightning Ruin were far too weak to contest the Yang-Sovereign's attack, making a quick counter- attack impossible. Only his full strength could deal with such an attack.

However, if he turned to defend against it, that opening would be all the Yang-Sovereign would be able to attack him directly, landing a killing blow while his back was turned to the Sovereign. It was the first counterattack of the life and death battle, and John had already lost.

Yet, he pressed onwards, his gaze unwavering, his speed increasing through the hellish inferno he found himself in. With things as they were, he had no choice but to trust in the one who he had despised more than anyone else on the Nine-Dao World.

A sneering smile appeared on the Yang-Sovereign's face as he watched John fly towards him, his striking head catching up with ease, about to smash into John's back with the weight of mountains and the power of stars.

Che!

A blinding white light suddenly shot through the explosion a moment after John, shooting towards the flail's striking head with a speed even greater than the Yang-Sovereign.s weapon. Before the Yang-Sovereign could react, the Sword-Saint appeared like a ghost next to the striking head, his sword slashing outwards with the power of a Saint.

Bang!

The Sword-Saint's sword slammed against the striking head, his power weaker but still strong enough to knock the attack to the side. The striking blasted to the side, narrowly missing John at the last possible moment.

Asura Reaping Scythe!

Arriving near the Yang-Sovereign, John slashed forward with his full might, unleashing a point blank Asura Reaping Scythe; the strongest version of the attack there was. His scythe exploded with the power of space and lightning, power and destruction, blasting apart the Yang inferno around him.

Che!

Despite being locked down by the spatial repression formation, space itself was sliced into as John's scythe cleaved down on the Yang-Sovereign with lethal purpose.

BOOM!

An explosion of Yang so intense that it nearly knocked him unconscious blasted out before John, erupting from within the Yang-Sovereign himself. John was blasted backwards by the sudden release of power, his skin turning to ash, his muscles burning from the heat, his bones melting and reforging anew.

John tumbled head over heels through the infernal air of the Yang- Lotus realm, feeling as though he had been bathed in the center of a star. He regained his momentum a moment later, pressing down the blood rising in his throat, its heat making it feel as though pure magma was coursing through his veins.

Che!

A sword-image cleaved through the air as the Yang-Sovereign exploded from his location towards John, space shattering beneath his every step. The Yang-Sovereign turned and swung his flail towards the Sword-Image, an explosion erupting as the two collided in mid-air.

The Sword-Image shattered like glass, then the very Qi it was made of seemed to melt from the heat of the Yang-Sovereign's attack, dissipating into nothingness. The Sword-Saint was flung back in a similar manner, righting himself only a moment later.

"You Sword cultivators think yourself the pinnacle of the cultivation world," the Yang-Sovereign roared as he ignored John and shot towards the Sword-Saint, his flail cracking towards the still recovering Sword-Saint like a meteor of death and destruction. "You look down on everyone as lesser creatures, considering yourself gods amongst men. Yet, before the power of True Yang, even the Sword Dao shall melt, and even True God's shall burn!"

Boom!

A cataclysmic beam of ruins lightning blasted towards the Yang- Sovereign's side, drawing his attention at the last possible moment before his attack connected with the Sword-Saint. The Yang- Sovereign diverted his attack at the last moment, his flail slamming into the beam of the Kirin-God Destruction, shattering it and drowning the Yang Lotus realm in another apocalyptic explosion.

Che!

A sword-image pierced towards the Yang-Sovereign's side a split second later, piercing directly towards his heart. The Yang- Sovereign gnashed his teeth in anger and fntstration, unable to deal with it directly as his off-hand had been severed earlier.

Bang!

An explosion of pure yang blasted out from the Yang-Sovereign.s injured shoulder as a new arm made of pure Yang Qi appeared with a flash of light, appearing more like a yang-petal than an arm.

Bang!

A blast of pure Yang-Qi exploded towards the Sword-Image, shattering it before it could reach his body. Then, with a roar of pure anger and fury, the Yang-Sovereign's aura exploded to heights yet unseen, his power seeming to reach the level of the surrounding Yang-Lotus itself.

Like a being of pure Yang come to life, the Yang-Sovereign's body began to glow with the power of essence runes, while tendrils of Yang Qi emerged from his body. The Yang-Qi expanded a short distance around him, eventually stopping several yards in each direction as a translucent lotus of pure Yang enveloped the Yang- Sovereign, its nine-petals moving about like nine arms of pure Yang.

Then, with his eyes glued to John, eyes containing murderous malevolence, the Yang-Sovereign growled softly.

"Nine-Petal Lotus Transformation!"