Soul Land: I Am the True Grandmaster

Chapter 199: The Duel of the Two Emperors

"Di Tian, you...!" Snow Empress began, but Di Tian was the first to strike.

Without any flourish or technique, he simply slashed with a claw, sending a beam of black energy that shredded hundreds of meters of forest in front of him. Snow Empress's gaze turned icy. If not for her battle hardened instincts, that attack might have left her seriously wounded.

Di Tian continued his relentless assault, showing no sign of restraint, as if Snow Empress were his mortal enemy.

In this era, the belief that spirit beasts could not ascend to godhood was an ironclad truth a curse cast upon the spirit beast race by the gods. Di Tian firmly believed in this; only the return of the Dragon God, the former leader of spirit beasts, could restore the race's lost glory. Thus, in his eyes, Snow Empress, who had ascended, was nothing more than a pawn of the gods. She had to be destroyed.

Divine Skill: Dragon God Claw

As the Dragon God's most trusted general, Di Tian had been granted this technique during his time as Captain of the Dragon God's Guard. Even though he had fallen from godhood, this move was still beyond the ability of an ordinary god to withstand. Despite the era's advancements, this ancient skill remained incredibly powerful. But Snow Empress was not to be underestimated.

Snow Empress whispered softly, "Armor Unleashed Heavenly Ice Snow Dance!"

A surge of pure, unmatched cold erupted from her, far beyond anything Douluo Star's strongest Ultimate Ice could muster. Di Tian, in the midst of his furious offensive, felt an overwhelming, paralyzing chill and paused, his face turning grim.

"Impossible! How could your mere Ultimate Ice have reached divine frost in just a handful of years?"

Snow Empress stood silently, her presence a mixture of chilling majesty and beauty that commanded respect. Her armor, Heaven's Frozen Snow Dance, was a five word suit crafted by Ye Wen using divine power. While it could allow a Title Douluo to reach the power of a third level god, for Snow Empress, who was already at the peak of God Officer status, it granted her a boost equivalent to ten levels.

"Surprised, Di Tian?" she said coldly. "Your time has passed. And if you won't listen to reason, I'll make sure you submit first."

With that, Snow Empress formed an ice sword in her hand.

"Emperor's Sword!"

Snow Empress made a simple motion, an effortless swing of her blade, but it forced Di Tian into full defense. Although Di Tian had once been at the level of a God King, his fall at the hands of the God of Asura had shattered his godly position and left him at the level of an 800,000 year quasi god. Still, even with his power diminished, Di Tian retained his status as the strongest spirit beast on Douluo Star, outmatching even the million year Deep Sea Demon Whale King. His strength came not only from his former mastery of the Dragon God's techniques but from his deep comprehension of natural laws.

He conjured a Dark Dragon Sword from his pure dark energy a weapon capable of eroding other elements. At the same time, he unleashed his own field of fire and dark energy to counter Snow Empress's Ultimate Ice. Although his abilities were diminished, his mastery over these dark and fire elements was at a godly level, and their forces met as equals, for the moment.

But Di Tian roared in anger as he attacked again.

"Snow Empress! Why have you betrayed the spirit beast race?! Are you willing to abandon the Extreme North?"

The Extreme North was indeed a sensitive subject for Snow Empress, but now, with her understanding of divine rules, she scoffed at Di Tian's threats. However, she had no intention of enduring his accusations in silence.

"Foolish and arrogant, as always, Di Tian," she replied icily. "Let me show you the full extent of my power!"

Emperor Sword Emperor Palm Emperor's Winter Heaven!

Snow Empress unleashed her ultimate trio of skills, a culmination of her lifetime of training, known as the Three Absolutes of Snow Empress. Born with an unparalleled affinity for ice and snow, Snow Empress had only been held back by the natural limits of her world; without these, she now ascended to heights beyond anything she'd achieved before.

In an instant, the entire forest was covered in snow, half of the Star Dou Forest buried in ice. Snow Empress's Three Absolutes were not just techniques they represented her unique understanding of the world's natural laws. Her command over these forces channeled them into an attack capable of slaying gods.

Di Tian, his eyes wide with rage, pushed his Yin Yang dual spirit cores to their limit and unleashed his most powerful attack, the Dragon God Claw, against her icy strike.

Moments seemed to stretch into an eternity. Then, as quickly as it began, it was over. Di Tian's massive dragon body lay pinned to the ground by a colossal ice pillar. His spirit energy was frozen solid, and he lacked the strength even to assume a human form.

Snow Empress stood beside him, silent, proud, her presence radiating an intense cold. Di Tian looked up at her with his dignified golden dragon eyes and asked, slowly,

"Who is the god backing you?"

"It is not yet time for my god to reveal himself."

"Is that so…?" Di Tian closed his eyes, resolute. "Then do what you will. I am a dragon and will face death without fear. I won't reveal a single thing, no matter how you try."

Believing Snow Empress's god to be after the hidden sanctuary of the Silver Dragon King, Di Tian prepared to die, even if it meant going down in flames to protect the secret. As a former god, he knew that if she tried to imprison his spirit, he could self destruct, taking her with him or at least inflicting grave injury.

"Forgive me, Lord Dragon God," Di Tian thought to himself, "but it seems I may be joining you soon."

Time passed, yet he did not feel the end coming. Growing impatient, Di Tian opened his eyes, expecting death.

"What are you waiting for, Snow Empress?" he sneered. "You wish to humiliate me further?"

The silence lingered as he waited, enduring the growing discomfort of this half dead state. Finally, he snapped at her, "What do you want from me? End it already. I told you, I'll reveal nothing."

Snow Empress tilted her head slightly, her tone as frigid as ever. "Nothing much. I simply wanted to see just how foolish the Black Dragon King is. It seems my god was right; you really are a simpleton."

Fury ignited within Di Tian, his draconic pride bruised.

"Insulting me even in death have you no shame?!"

He struggled, yearning to break free and challenge her again, if only to preserve his dignity.

(Author's note: Di Tian's power level has been re evaluated. It didn't make sense in the original story for him to struggle against mere God Officers. After all, a fallen God King would still possess a formidable understanding of the laws of the universe.)

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