Myth Beyond Heaven

Weakened and battered, Yun Lintian could only muster a feeble defense. He raised his arms, summoning a meager shield of dark energy to protect himself.

BOOOOM—

The lightning bolts slammed into the shield, shattering it instantly. The raw power coursed through Yun Lintian's body, searing his flesh and cracking his bones.

"Argh!" He screamed in agony, his body convulsing on the cavern floor.

Dian Lei stopped the barrage, his face emotionless.

Yun Lintian lay motionless, a broken heap of flesh and bone. The emerald glow from the Dragon God's Soul flickered faintly, the only sign of life remaining within him.

Dian Lei sighed. He had hoped to capture Yun Lintian alive, but the young man's defiance had left him with no choice. He approached Yun Lintian cautiously, preparing to restrain him.

However, just as Dian Lei reached down, Yun Lintian's eyelids fluttered open. A faint emerald light shone within them, replacing the despair with an unyielding determination.

Boom!

A surge of power erupted from Yun Lintian's body, a wave of dark energy infused with the essence of the Dragon God's Soul. The power was far stronger than before, fueled by a desperate will to survive.

Dian Lei's eyes widened in surprise. Before he could react, the wave of dark energy slammed into him, sending the True God flying back several feet. He struck the cavern wall, a deep crater forming around him.

Dian Lei coughed, a trickle of blood running down his chin. This unexpected counterattack had caught him off guard, injuring him for the first time in the fight. His arrogant belief in his overwhelming power had been shaken.

Yun Lintian, however, was far from finished. Though barely able to stand, he used the last vestiges of his strength to raise the corrupted Heaven Piercing Sword. The emerald light from the Dragon God's Soul pulsed within him, a beacon of defiance against the overwhelming power of the True God.

At that moment, a change came over Yun Lintian. As the emerald light pulsed, a crown materialized above his head. It was the Beyond Heaven King's Crown, radiating an ethereal aura that resonated with the Dragon God's Soul.

The air crackled with unseen energy, filling the cavern with a power that defied the oppressive lightning aura.

"Oh?" Dian Lei rose, his surprise morphing into curiosity. He had heard about the crown before but had never witnessed it by himself.

"Hah!!"

With a battle cry that echoed through the cavern, Yun Lintian unleashed a torrent of power. It wasn't just dark energy fueled by the Dragon God's Soul anymore.

The Crown channeled the Ten Elemental Laws – Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, Lightning, Wind, Earth, Light, Darkness, and Space – weaving them into a magnificent tapestry of power. Ten different colored lights erupted from the crown, swirling around Yun Lintian like a celestial vortex.

Rumble—

The cavern trembled under the weight of this newfound power. Even Dian Lei, the True God, felt a sense of unease.

Yun Lintian, empowered by the Crown, raised his hand. A ball of fire, hotter than the sun's core, materialized in his palm. He flicked his wrist, and the fiery projectile shot towards Dian Lei.

"Let's see." Dian Lei, ever so slightly arrogant still, raised a single hand, a shield of pure lightning energy forming before him.

Bang!

The fireball crashed into the shield, creating a deafening explosion that rattled the cavern walls. Smoke and dust filled the air, momentarily obscuring the battlefield.

But before the smoke could clear, Yun Lintian attacked again. A spear of water, sharp and precise, pierced through the smoke, aimed at Dian Lei's heart.

With a flick of his wrist, Dian Lei dispelled the lightning shield, his reflexes honed from millennia of experience. He dodged the water spear with ease, the weapon leaving a deep gouge in the cavern wall behind him.

Swoosh!!

The battle raged on. Yun Lintian unleashed a whirlwind of wind, sharp enough to shred metal, followed by a barrage of razor-

sharp earth spikes.

Dian Lei countered each attack with lightning blasts, the air crackling and popping with every collision.

The cavern became a battlefield of elemental fury. Flames danced with water, earth clashed with lightning, wind swirled around the combatants, a chaotic symphony of power.

Yun Lintian, fueled by the Dragon God's Soul and empowered by the Crown, fought with a ferocity that belied his injuries. He weaved the elements together into complex attacks, pushing Dian Lei on the defensive.

"Hmph!" Dian Lei, initially surprised by the sheer power unleashed by Yun Lintian, started to get frustrated.

His lightning attacks, usually devastating, were nullified by the wind element, while the fire and water constantly threatened to overwhelm him. This young cultivator, defying all odds, was proving to be a formidable opponent.

"This should be your limit." Seeing Yun Lintian's desperation, Dian Lei decided to end the fight. With a deep breath, he channeled the full power of his True God cultivation base.

Crackle—

The cavern walls shuddered, the air crackling with raw energy. A bolt of lightning, thicker than Yun Lintian himself, formed in his hand, crackling with terrifying power.

"This ends now, Yun Lintian!" he roared, launching the lightning bolt at the young cultivator.

Yun Lintian, sensing the raw power of the attack, knew he couldn't dodge it. He closed his eyes, focusing all his remaining energy on the Beyond Heaven King's Crown.

The ten elemental lights pulsed, converging into a blinding white light that engulfed him entirely.

BOOOOM—

Just as the lightning bolt slammed into the point of impact, the white light exploded outwards, forming a barrier that absorbed the brunt of the attack. The energy surged and crackled, the cavern floor shaking once more.

When the light faded, Yun Lintian was still standing, albeit barely. The Crown, once gleaming, was now dulled, its energy seemingly depleted. But he was alive.

Dian Lei stared at Yun Lintian, a mixture of shock and begrudging respect in his eyes. This young man had managed to withstand an attack from a True God. It was an achievement that defied logic.

"Seems like I still have underestimated you, Yun Lintian. As expected from someone that Yun Tian chose." Dian Lei said, his voice low. "But even with this heaven-defying artifact, you cannot hope to defeat me."

Yun Lintian, however, didn't seem to hear him. He stared at the Crown, his resolve flickering. He knew he was on the verge of collapse, his body pushed to its absolute limit.

The Beyond Heaven King's Crown was one of his reliable trump cards but it could not make up for the huge gap of power… What could he do now?