The battle on the desolate wasteland had entered its most brutal stage.
Lam Minh, in his Dragon God Battle Armor, and Eleventh, in his Holy Body form, had completely abandoned all defensive techniques. The fight was now a confrontation of power, of brutality, to see who would fall first.
Eleventh's six tentacles danced like frenzied pythons, continuously lashing, stabbing, and constricting towards Lam Minh. Each tentacle carried the power of a Peak Golden Core cultivator, forming a dense net of attacks.
Lam Minh did not back down. The dragon wings on his back were no longer used for flight but folded to form two sturdy shields, protecting his flanks. The God-Slayer sword in his hand became a blur of turquoise light, constantly hacking at the incoming tentacles.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The sound of metal and dragon scales clashing was incessant.
A tentacle was nearly severed by the God-Slayer, black blood spraying out. But immediately, dark energy from the ground surged up, healing the wound in the blink of an eye.
Conversely, Lam Minh used a dragon wing to block a devastating blow. Though he wasn't injured, he was staggered by the immense force.
"Haha! Do you see now, human?" Eleventh laughed, his voice filled with madness. "Within my Dark Formation, I am immortal! You will be worn down until you die!"
He wasn't bluffing. Lam Minh realized that the ground around them had turned completely jet-black. Dark energy endlessly poured from the earth, not only supplying Eleventh with power but also creating a suppressive environment that weakened his Dragon Qi.
This was a battle of attrition. And clearly, his opponent had the home-field advantage.
"Immortal?" Lam Minh sneered. "In this world, nothing is immortal. Only fools think themselves so."
He knew he couldn't continue fighting so passively. He had to break his opponent's "formation."
He abruptly changed his tactics.
He no longer defended. He ignored the tentacles attacking him. He gathered all his strength and charged straight towards Eleventh's main body.
His goal was a life-for-a-life trade.
Eleventh was stunned by Lam Minh's recklessness. He never expected this human to be so crazed.
SWISH!
Two tentacles lashed viciously at Lam Minh's back, tearing away a large patch of his Dragon God Battle Armor, leaving two deep, gaping wounds from which golden dragon blood flowed.
But Lam Minh paid it no mind. The pain only made him more excited. He had reached Eleventh.
"DIE!"
The God-Slayer in his hand, imbued with his full Golden Core power and a will of fury, slashed out with the roar of a dragon.
Panicked, Eleventh hastily used his two Ya Ying short swords and the four remaining tentacles to form a thick layer of defense in front of his chest.
BOOM!!!
An explosion even greater than their first clash erupted.
Eleventh's entire defense was shattered. The four tentacles were severed. The two Ya Ying short swords were sent flying.
And the remaining sword qi carved a diagonal gash from his right shoulder down to his left hip.
A horrific wound appeared on Eleventh's chest. Black blood gushed out like a spring. He staggered back, looking at Lam Minh with eyes full of disbelief.
But before he could regain his composure, Lam Minh charged again.
He had paid a heavy price. The wound on his back was severe. But he had successfully broken the stalemate.
He gave Eleventh no chance to recover. He attacked relentlessly, his sword and fists unleashed simultaneously.
The fight once again became a bloody, back-and-forth struggle.
Both were severely injured. Both were fighting with their last vestiges of willpower.
Lam Minh landed a punch, breaking one of Eleventh's ribs.
Eleventh, while being sent flying, used a remaining tentacle to pierce through Lam Minh's calf.
The blood of both splattered everywhere, dyeing a large patch of land red.
Audiences all over the world, watching this, held their breath. They had never seen a battle so fierce and primal. They no longer saw it as a fight, but as a struggle for survival between two beasts.
Finally, after another collision, both were thrown far apart.
They stood there, panting, glaring at each other.
Lam Minh, with one leg injured, had to use his sword for support. The wound on his back was still bleeding, and his Dragon God Battle Armor had grown faint.
Eleventh was in an even more miserable state. He had lost six tentacles, both arms, and had a massive gash across his chest, so deep that one could see his internal organs contracting within.
The Dark Formation at his feet had also weakened, no longer providing much energy.
Both had reached their limit.
"You... you've won..." Eleventh whispered, his voice full of bitterness. He knew he had lost.
"Yes," Lam Minh said, his voice hoarse. "But you won't be dying alone."
He looked towards Hung Ba and the "Saint Children," who had been blasted away earlier and were now trying to crawl up.
"I'll send all of you on your way together."
He raised the God-Slayer, preparing to deliver the final blow.
But just then, something unexpected happened.
From the massive wound on Eleventh's chest, where his heart should have been, a ghostly green light suddenly erupted.
And another voice, not Eleventh's, an ancient, sycophantic, and malevolent voice, echoed from his very body.
"Hehehe... what a wonderful body... what a powerful soul... Thank you, human... for bringing me such a perfect vessel."
Lam Minh was stunned.
He could feel an aura even more terrifying than Eleventh's, slowly awakening from within his body.
...
The ghostly green aura poured out from Eleventh's chest, enveloping his entire body. The horrific wounds on his body began to heal at an unbelievable rate. His severed arms and tentacles were slowly growing back, but not in their old forms. They were transforming into blackish-green, writhing vines, covered in sharp thorns and bizarre flowers.
Eleventh's expression also changed. The madness and hatred vanished, replaced by a grotesque smile, the delight of someone who had just acquired a new toy. His blood-red eyes also shifted to a deep, verdant green.
"Wh-what is this?" Lam Minh was stunned, taking a cautious step back.
This was no longer Eleventh. The soul and aura had completely changed. The being standing before him was an entirely different entity, occupying Eleventh's body.
"Are you surprised, young man of the Dragon race?" the ancient, sycophantic voice echoed again from "Eleventh's" body. "I should introduce myself. I am one of the 'Seeds' that the Holy Master planted in his most elite Holy Messengers. We slumber within their bodies, waiting for an opportune moment to awaken. And you, you have given me that moment."
"'Seeds'?" Lam Minh frowned. Another secret of the "Saintly Way."
"Yes," "Eleventh" laughed loudly. "Every Holy Messenger is a vessel. When they are strong enough, or when they face life-threatening danger, we awaken, take over this body, and unleash our true power. I must thank you, for 'breaking the shell' for me."
"Eleventh's" body had completely transformed. He was no longer a warrior, but more like a plant monster, a humanoid Demon Tree. His aura was no longer Peak Golden Core, but had vaguely touched the threshold of the Nascent Soul realm.
Lam Minh felt a pressure even greater than before. He had reached his limit, and his Dragon God Battle Armor had faded. Yet his enemy had just been "reborn" and become stronger.
The tables had turned once again.
"Let's see," "Eleventh" said, stretching out his vine-like arms. "A new body, new power. I should test it out a bit, don't you think? And you, young man of the Dragon race, are the most perfect test subject."
Dozens of vines shot out from his body, as fast as venomous snakes, lunging at Lam Minh.
Lam Minh gritted his teeth, raising his God-Slayer sword to defend.
THWACK! THWACK!
His sword struck the vines, but he couldn't sever them as easily as before. They were incredibly flexible and durable.
While he was being harassed by the vines, "Eleventh's" main body closed in again. He no longer used swords, but attacked with his vine-like arms.
Lam Minh was pushed into an even more difficult situation than before. He had to dodge and defend simultaneously, with absolutely no opportunity to counterattack.
"Damn it! I'm going to lose if this keeps up!" he thought. His Dragon God Battle Armor state was about to run out, and his spiritual energy was depleted.
"You are very strong," "Eleventh" laughed. "But you're out of strength. It's time to end the game."
The largest vine, like a giant python, suddenly erupted from the ground, wrapping tightly around Lam Minh.
He tried to struggle, but the vine's strength was too great. It squeezed him, causing the Dragon God Battle Armor on his body to emit cracking sounds, as if it were about to shatter.
"Got you," "Eleventh" slowly approached, a triumphant smile on his face. "Now, be a good boy and become a part of me."
He raised a vine-arm, its tip splitting open to reveal a man-eating flower, full of sharp teeth, intending to devour Lam Minh's head.
Everyone watching the livestream, from To Quyen and Quynh Nhu to General Khang and even Lac Long Quan, held their breath. Their hearts seemed to stop beating.
This was a desperate situation. There was no escape.
But, even in that moment on the brink of death, there was not a trace of fear on Lam Minh's face.
He looked at the monster before him, and smiled again.
A very bright smile.
"You're right," he whispered, his voice weak but full of defiance. "My game... is over."
He closed his eyes.
"But... the system's game has only just begun."
He gave up all resistance.
"Eleventh's" man-eating flower snapped down, completely swallowing his head.
[Host has died.]