Chapter 2139: On the Brink

"Who do you think will win?" Master Ceeran watched with palpable tension, drawn in by the heat of the battle.

"It is difficult to predict, I'm afraid." Headmaster Aronian heaved a sigh of admiration. "Master Zentra is as formidable as ever, but the young Master has grown tremendously stronger upon his entry to the Master Realm."

"I am leaning slightly to Master Zentra," Master Vericita calmly stated. "Rui has grown a lot, indeed, but he has yet to consolidate and refine his gains with experience. He has grown too fast for his own good. Master Zentra, on the other hand, has not only grown since I last saw him, but has refined every inch of his Martial Art over decades and centuries."

It was a powerful argument that even the most ardent Rui fan couldn't help but deeply consider her words.

"You underestimate the arrogant brat."

Their attention was drawn by Master Gurren who stood stoically, watching the battle. "He has grown far stronger than I could ever imagine."

Master Gurren, in particular, had been deeply impressed by Rui's Niflheim domain, and by the fact that he had also developed passive mastery. Rui had never had a particularly strong affinity for domain bending, but he had a deep understanding of what made heaven and earth bend.

It was why he had been able to develop a telescopic technique that Master Gurren had needed to be educated on how to use, despite not being able to use it as well as Master Gurren himself could.

The same was true for the Niflheim technique that he was witnessing. Its functionality was beyond his understanding. "Yet, its purpose in this battle is simply to root out his opponent." Master Gurren narrowed his eyes. "It's an extremely energy-consuming technique that's being used for a very minute but necessary reason."

That, in addition to the fact that Rui was using other energy-consuming and stamina-draining techniques, the Yin-Yang Spear and Weaving Blood, meant that his energy reserve was plummeting by the second. If not for the Sandflower Nectar Potion, he would not have been able to sustain such massive energy expenditure.

Yet, it didn't mean he could keep up such massive energy expenditure for too long.

Something would eventually have to give.

Master Zentra knew that and had already begun adjusting his energy to ensure that he would last much longer than Rui while still pressuring with his Martial Art to keep up his high expenditure of energy.

BOOM BOOM BOOM!

Master Zentra bombarded him with even more attacks, waiting for the moment when Rui either compromised or ran out of energy.

Unfortunately, it never came.

Precisely three minutes had passed since Rui could sense him once more after the Niflheim domain rooted him out.

It was more than enough for Rui's second system of thought to have finally been completed.

Master Zentra's fist surged towards Rui, threatening to tear another wound in his body.

WHOOSH

His eyes widened as the attack crashed into an empty image.

A feint. BOOOOOM!!!

CRACK!

"Rgh!" He grimaced as a powerful attack crashed into his back before he could even react, cracking several bones in his opponent's back.

Yet, he didn't let up, throwing blow after blow at Master Zentra, each empowered by the lethal Yin-Yang Spear, ravaging his external and internal body.

BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM!!!

CRACK CRACK CRACK!

Master Zentra grimaced, evading them to the best of his ability.

Yet, he couldn't.

Wherever he stepped, he found a powerful attack waiting for him before he could even react.

As though Rui knew exactly what he would do even before he himself did.

And that was exactly what was happening.

With the predictive model of the VOID algorithm and the SOUL model of the SOUL System, the amount of insight Rui had on his opponent far exceeded anything any other Martial Master could even begin to imagine.

That, in combination with the powerful Temporal Disharmony that shackled his perception of time and negated his speed advantage, and Master Zentra knew that evading Rui was a lost cause.

The change was swift.

In seconds, his body had already shifted from speed and offense to pure defense. His flesh grew thicker and insulant to vibrations, trying to minimize the damage that Rui's attacks inflicted on his body.

BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM!!!

Master Zentra balled up as he dedicated all his resources to guarding against his opponent's attacks.

Rui, on the other hand, continued blasting his opponent with attack after attack, trying to get through the shockingly thick defenses that Master Zentra was able to conjure.

He made progress.

Each blow left massive bruises, cuts, broken bones, and internal bleeding despite the heavy focus on defense. The sheer concussive power of the Yin-Yang Spear was so great that Master Zentra knew that if he let the technique get a clean hit on his head, the fight was over.

Yet, even then, the fight drew close to an end as Rui battered Master's Zentra's body beyond repair without potions. As powerful as his inherent healing was, it could not cope with the sheer amount of damage that Rui's technique inflicted on him.

BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!

"Heh, it's over." Master Ceeran grinned. "Rui has managed to overcome everything that Zentra threw at him."

Master Vericita smiled knowingly.

"Not yet."

Inches away from victory, Rui froze.

Not of his own will.

"Finally, it appears that the poison has kicked in after all those wounds I injected it through." Master Zentra's calm voice rang in his ears as he met Rui's shocked gaze with a knowing look. "Spontaneous Poison Synthesis. My final technique and system of thought that I have to offer."

"Argh!" Rui coughed blood.

Black blood.

He felt his muscles leaving his control, growing more paralyzed by the moment.

It was the prime opportunity for Master Zentra to seize victory, yet he had been so badly wounded that he couldn't even move.

Rui, on the other hand, strained to break from the powerful paralytic effect of the poison.

The two Martial Masters struggled on the precipice of victory and defeat.