Chapter 17: Ten Seconds

A crystal-clear black magic core rested in Su Ziye's hand.

Xing Xi, with her silver hair and white robes, stood behind the young man, calmly recounting the events: "That is how it happened."

"His Highness the Prince has managed to grow into someone capable of defeating a Heavenly Realm magical beast head-on after only ten days of combat practice and twenty days of travel, and has even secured the allegiance of said beast." The silver-haired elder, dressed in hempen robes, let his cold gaze drift between Su Ziye and Xing Xi.

"Xing Xi, can you swear that every word you have spoken is the truth?" the elder asked.

Xing Xi nodded silently.

"Then, let us conduct a brief verification." The elder gave a cold, thin smile.

"Xing Xi, manifest your domain." The elder issued the command.

Xing Xi nodded, and in the next instant, she unfurled her domain.

Her domain was a realm of pure white moonlight.

Xing Xi rarely deployed her domain, as in most circumstances, her combat did not require it. Out of a predator’s inherent caution, she avoided using it unless absolutely necessary; preserving her trump cards was an instinct. The less familiar others were with her domain, the greater the advantage she would hold when a real fight demanded it.

And this moonlight was her domain.

It was called the Moonlight Domain.

As a full moon rose within the space, the silver-white light it radiated flooded the area like cascading mercury. Almost instinctively, Su Ziye drew his Blade of Illusory Annihilation, and his own Domain of Destruction unfolded in response.

Xing Xi’s Moonlight Domain enveloped his Domain of Destruction almost instantly. Even though she had not yet launched a true attack, Su Ziye felt the immense pressure bearing down on him.

Xing Xi’s Moonlight Domain was far too powerful. Even though both were currently at the Heavenly Market Realm, Su Ziye felt as though his own domain was fragile, almost pathetic in comparison.

"You have ten seconds. Do your utmost to kill the Prince."

Xing Xi nodded quietly.

The silver-haired elder stepped back, retreating a hundred meters away in the blink of an eye.

Su Ziye could only sigh in his heart.

A moment later, Xing Xi’s attack descended.

It began with the crushing force of the Moonlight Domain. In battles between Heavenly Realm powerhouses, the clash of domains was paramount; the side with the superior domain could resolve the conflict in an instant.

Su Ziye’s Domain of Destruction began to visibly compress, tremble, and even flicker toward dissolution.

Su Ziye took a step back, then turned and fled.

The elder’s intent was clear: if he could survive ten seconds under Xing Xi’s full-strength assault, his strength would be acknowledged.

But it was immensely difficult.

In the next heartbeat, Su Ziye’s domain shattered into fragments, and the young man was forced to his knees as he spat out a mouthful of blood.

For a Heavenly Realm expert, having one's domain shattered was a nearly fatal blow. Su Ziye had fought many Heavenly Realm magical beasts before, but none possessed a domain as powerful or as despair-inducing as Xing Xi’s.

Yet, in the very next second, a secondary red light ignited, centered once more upon Su Ziye.

He had re-manifested his domain.

Even the Dark Star elder, watching from afar, revealed a look of surprise.

The elder had expected the boy's domain to be shattered—it was not truly his own, and it was his greatest weakness. A killer like Xing Xi would naturally target the weakest point first, and with her power, crushing it should have left the boy with no room to counter.

But he never imagined that Su Ziye could re-manifest his domain the very moment it was broken.

That was a feat even the elder himself could not replicate.

He immediately grasped the reason.

Because Su Ziye’s domain was granted by the Blade of Illusory Annihilation, it was his greatest disadvantage, yet also his greatest strength. As long as he could withstand the trauma of the shattering, he could focus his mind and will to instantly reshape it.

It sounded difficult, and it was indeed grueling—akin to writing delicate calligraphy while undergoing surgery without anesthesia.

Yet, Su Ziye could do it.

The moment he re-condensed his domain, the young man dashed hundreds of meters forward, his momentum showing no signs of waning. He had no intention of clashing head-on with Xing Xi.

Surviving ten seconds was victory enough.

Ten measly seconds.

In the next instant, Xing Xi was upon him.

Her speed was, of course, far superior.

A droplet as clear as a crystal bead flew from the girl's fingertip. Like an arrow loosed from a bow, it streaked toward Su Ziye’s back with unimaginable speed.

At this critical juncture, Su Ziye twisted his body mid-air, gripping the Blade of Illusory Annihilation with all his might to slash at the droplet.

The droplet was cleaved in two by the edge of the blade.

But simultaneously, countless laws and forces erupted from the shattered liquid. Su Ziye took the full impact of this surge at close range and was sent flying backward, unable to resist.

Xing Xi followed relentlessly.

Her hands manifested two blades—one gold, one silver—and she closed the distance with terrifying speed, raining down ruthless blows upon Su Ziye’s body.

The young man barely managed to block with his blade.

He was slammed into the ground, creating a crater dozens of meters wide upon impact.

Xing Xi descended without hesitation, her silver blade pointed directly at Su Ziye’s chest. But before the strike landed, the girl looked back toward the distant Dark Star elder.

"Ten seconds have passed."

Su Ziye gasped for air beneath Xing Xi’s blade.

He did not know how many of his bones were broken.

Although their realms were technically equal, the disparity in actual combat power was like heaven and earth. The elder had ordered Xing Xi to use her full strength, and she had truly held nothing back.

Xing Xi waited for the elder’s response. If he had ordered her to finish the job, she would have killed Su Ziye without a second thought.

The young man had no doubts about that.

The elder smiled. "Truly worthy of being a Prince," he said.

He arrived at Su Ziye’s side.

Xing Xi retracted her light blades, stepped back, and knelt before the elder.

The elder looked down at Su Ziye. "You see, Your Highness? If you ever harbor any ulterior motives, this is what will happen. No matter how much you try to win Xing Xi over or invest in her, once the order is given, you will be crushed like an ant."

"So, work hard for Dark Star. We hope to see you reach the day you can command weapons, just as you desire."