Chapter 530 - 513: Lofty and Refined
Although Longyue was confident, Huan Yu was in a passive position. However, a Talisman Cultivator’s greatest strengths were defense and resilience. As the strongest disciple of the Ten Thousand Talisman Sect, if Huan Yu decided to commit to a full defense, Longyue would likely have to pull out more tricks.
And Princess Longyue clearly didn’t want to expend too much energy here; this was only the first round of the finals.
Going on the offensive was undoubtedly the best way to decide the match.
The Elemental Power coursing through Longyue’s body seemed to merge with the Holy Light Zither. Her fingers gently pressed down on the strings, which seemed to tremble. With the slightest movement, space itself threatened to ripple in response.
Huan Yu also unleashed his full power. His Elemental Power erupted, and one Talisman after another flew out, not to his side, but soaring into the sky.
Each Talisman bloomed in the air like a flower, bathing the sky in a crimson glow. Huan Yu was clearly skilled with all types of Talismans, but among them, the Five Elements Flame was undoubtedly his specialty. When a Talisman Cultivator was proficient with all kinds of Talismans, their Fire Talismans were sure to be unparalleled.
And at this point, Huan Yu clearly no longer needed to hold back.
His strongest Fire Talismans!
The sky was cast in a crimson hue, and for a moment, the entire Other Shore seemed ready to burst into flames.
Hundreds of Fire Talismans now filled the air, but the crucial part was that they were continuously absorbing the Elemental Power from the surrounding space, constantly condensing it as they burned.
A confident expression appeared on Huan Yu’s face. "I’ve only learned how to unleash this move; there’s no turning back. Miss Longyue, please be ready!"
In an instant, the entire Magic Arena had transformed into a domain of the Five Elements Flame.
Huan Yu had actually used a Talisman Array to completely convert the Five Elements Attribute of the space. ’What is he trying to do?’
The sound of Longyue’s zither rang out, but it was clear that her music was being suppressed by the Fire Space. It lacked its earlier magnificence; the once-indomitable notes seemed to be sinking into a mire. Everything slowed down. Even Cultivators with low Cultivation could see the musical notes shooting out one after another like flying daggers, only to be blocked by the swamp-like Flame Power and vanish before they could even reach Huan Yu.
Apparently, Longyue had been a little too arrogant, underestimating the power of this genius from the Ten Thousand Talisman Sect.
Defense has its limits, but offense does not.
A Talisman Cultivator’s attacks are either weak or, once they become powerful, have no upper limit. This is because they excel at borrowing the power of heaven and earth.
Unquestionably, as a representative figure among Talisman Cultivators, Huan Yu was a master of his craft. For someone so adept at controlling even complex Talismans, how could he not have a trump card?
The only problem was, this trump card was something even he couldn’t stop. It was devastatingly destructive.
Vast Sea and the others all stood up. It wasn’t because of Huan Yu’s strength, but because the technique he had unleashed had reached the level of a forbidden art. This kind of technique was beyond a Cultivator’s control, its sole purpose being annihilation.
Even they had probably never expected such a technique to appear from a Cultivator who had yet to reach the Great Perfection stage.
What kind of heaven-defying prodigy did it take to accomplish this?
Huan Yu bathed in the Five Elements Flame, while Longyue’s zither music grew increasingly shrill, but unfortunately, it had reached its limit.
Silent Extinction of the Five Elements Fire Venerable!
BOOM...
All the Power of Fire abruptly contracted, condensing all its heat within the Dueling Platform.
Such incredible Control Power! Vast Sea and the others were astonished. They had assumed it was a completely uncontrollable Forbidden Talisman Array, yet who would have thought that Huan Yu could still control it.
His body was also glowing a fiery red, as if he were the very center of the entire array.
The entire Dueling Platform was plunged into a sea of white flames.
This was Samadhi True Flame!
A complete incineration. Longyue’s zither music was an indiscriminate area-of-effect attack, but Huan Yu’s Samadhi True Flame was even more absolute.
Who could have guessed that this was the kind of flame he intended to summon???
All the Sect Leaders present couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration. Even the four great experts had thought it was some advanced Magic, but they never imagined that he had created such a grand spectacle for the sole purpose of summoning the Essence of Fire.
Samadhi True Flame.
He had talent, intelligence, and... rationality!
Throughout the history of Cultivation, there have been countless geniuses who created breathtakingly brilliant techniques, pursuing the limits of power without any sense of control, only to end up destroying themselves. This Huan Yu possessed astonishing talent for manipulating the Five Elements. But what was truly rare was that he understood control and could break free from the constraints of convention.
Samadhi True Flame didn’t just incinerate the physical body; it also burned the soul. Against it, one could say that all Magic was useless.
For a Cultivator, it was equivalent to a dual, indiscriminate incineration of both the Sea of Fate and the Sea of Heart.
The tables had turned once again. A moment ago, suppressed by the zither’s music, Huan Yu had struggled to even use his Fire Talismans. Now, it was Longyue’s music that was being suppressed, leaving her no room to maneuver.
By now, the Samadhi True Flame had already enveloped Longyue. Her zither notes failed to reach Huan Yu.
Protected within his Five Elements Array, Huan Yu couldn’t help but pump his fist in a rare display of passion.
Having come this far, neither of them wanted to be the one to leave the stage!
The Samadhi True Flame was the invincible trump card Huan Yu had prepared. No matter how powerful an opponent’s Life Artifact, Holy Statue, or Magic might be, nothing could survive within the Samadhi True Flame!
Defeating Longyue of the Holy Light Sect would undoubtedly be an immense honor. At this thought, the disciples of the Ten Thousand Talisman Sect all pumped their fists fiercely.
But...
Within the pure white flames, the zither’s music had not stopped. It continued to flow, and the flames across the Dueling Platform began to dance along with the melody.
Huan Yu’s excited expression froze. ’This is impossible!’
No one could withstand Samadhi True Flame. The only reason he himself could was due to his absolute control over the Five Elements. His Five Elements Defense Array created a Five Elements Deficiency, causing the Samadhi True Flame to automatically bypass him.
This was something no one else could possibly achieve!
And yet, the zither music was undeniably still there. ’Is her soul playing the zither?!’
A faint smile touched the corners of Jii Wanli’s mouth. ’This Huan Yu is truly unfortunate,’ he thought.
What was the Lofty and Refined Body?
The very essence of that all-incinerating light was Samadhi True Flame!
BOOM...
The Samadhi True Flame surged into the air. This time, Longyue, standing within the flames, truly stunned the entire Cultivation Realm as she played with abandon amidst the fiery waves.
The zither’s music grew faster and more resonant, and the Samadhi True Flame, which had at first been a hindrance, now became obedient to her will.
The Sea of Fire that Huan Yu could not control had been seized by Longyue.
BOOM...
Monstrous waves of fire, accompanied by the zither’s melody, surged toward Huan Yu.
With a bitter smile, Huan Yu could only concede defeat. He just didn’t know if it was too late to do so.
Suddenly, a figure appeared on the Dueling Platform, facing the monstrous wall of flames. It was Vast Sea.
A slight smile appeared on the Star Lord’s aged face. With a casual flick of his wide sleeve, the sky-filling flames were instantly swept away into it. In the blink of an eye, everything returned to normal.
"Longyue of the Holy Light Sect wins!"
Under these circumstances, likely no one aside from the four great experts could have accomplished such a feat.
The power to unleash a Mountain-Overturning Sea-Sweeping might with a simple gesture.
Extreme Dao Immortal Venerable let out a cold snort. ’This is the difference between Vast Sea and me. That meddling old fossil.’
Huan Yu broke out in a cold sweat. He had only conceded out of pure instinct, never actually expecting to survive.
A wave of gratitude washed over him.
To Vast Sea, rules were meant to be enforced. This was the very principle upon which he had founded the Star Alliance. If Huan Yu had not conceded, only death would have awaited him.
Longyue, for her part, rose and bowed. "Brother Huan Yu, your Talisman Technique has truly been an eye-opener for me."
Huan Yu gave a bitter smile. "You’re too kind, Miss Longyue. I am thoroughly convinced of my defeat."
He hadn’t lost because of his Talisman Technique, but because of her talent.
That was something he couldn’t compete with.
"On behalf of the Holy Light Sect, I welcome all Saint Cultivators from the various Small Thousand Realms!"
Even the number one Sect of Saint Cultivators had begun openly recruiting. The various Sect Leaders couldn’t help but curse inwardly. ’Damn it, who would have thought the Saint Cultivators, who care so much about saving face, would be the most shameless of all!’
’But that’s fine, there will be more opportunities later!’
For the Sects, what better opportunity was there than the battle on the Other Shore to attract outstanding talent?
Everyone was well aware of this intention; it was just that no one had said it out loud until now.
Everyone had assumed the Demon Cultivators would be the first to speak up, but unexpectedly, it was the Holy Light Sect.
The first to make an offer always seems the most sincere.
And it had to be said, Longyue’s graceful bearing within the Sea of Fire had captivated many, and the Holy Light Sect was, after all, the Holy Land that all Saint Cultivators in the world yearned to join.
The Sect Leader of the Holy Light Sect was smiling gleefully. Among the four great experts, even Extreme Dao Immortal Venerable inadvertently revealed a hint of approval in his eyes. It seemed he too was quite satisfied with this battle.
The fifth match was, without a doubt, one that everyone was keenly interested in. The Dragon Race was finally making its appearance: Purple Dragon of the Dragon Race versus Lei Zuo from the No Illusion Demon Sect.
In this battle on the Other Shore, aside from the Holy Hall which had advanced with a super-strong five-person lineup, the next most prominent was the No Illusion Demon Sect. Similarly, the No Illusion Demon Sect also possessed powerful Holy Statues.
As the number one Sect among Human Cultivators, in an era where Demon Cultivators held sway, the momentum of the No Illusion Demon Sect was plain to see.
Aside from Lin Jinghao and his world-renowned Nine Luminaries Cyan Dragon Body, the combatant for this match, Lei Zuo, possessed the Blood Sea Holy Statue, while another member, Song Ma, had the Eye Obliteration Flame Holy Statue. Both were powerful offensive Holy Statues for Demon Cultivators.
Under the current circumstances, although the Demon Race was also very strong and had displayed extraordinary power, in everyone’s eyes, the strongest faction was still the Dragon Race. Throughout the tournament, the Dragon Race had won every match with ease, regardless of their opponent.
They were so powerful it was terrifying, a fact that no other Sect could hope to match.
Facing the handsome Purple Dragon, Lei Zuo’s eyes were filled with interest, showing not the slightest hint of stage fright. For the No Illusion Demon Sect, even a power as great as the Dragon Race could not intimidate them.
The battle began in an instant. Lei Zuo’s Sword Qi pressed forward, a clear sign of his considerable confidence.
Purple Dragon and Celestial Dragon had different personalities. Celestial Dragon was more flamboyant, while Purple Dragon was calmer. Facing his opponent’s attempt at suppression, a slight smile touched the corners of Purple Dragon’s lips.
Ordinarily, he wouldn’t have cared, but in the presence of the Dragon Emperor, on an occasion like this, there was absolutely no room for error.
This battle on the Other Shore was of great significance. If the Dragon Race wanted to establish its unique status within the Star Alliance for the future, it had to display sufficient strength.
SHING...
Amidst the wave of Sword Qi, Purple Dragon’s figure vanished. A warning blared in Lei Zuo’s mind as a faint purple shadow appeared right beside him. He hastily dodged, and Purple Dragon simply stood with his hands clasped behind his back, not giving chase.
Clearly, the Dragon Race was also aiming to establish its dominance.
The expression on the face of Demon Ba, the Sect Leader of the No Illusion Demon Sect, was not nearly so relaxed. He was well aware of the Dragon Race’s intentions; they were simply using his disciple as a target to make an example of. No one would be happy about that, but even the Dragon Race wouldn’t have such an easy time.
Lei Zuo, however, was unaffected. He immediately launched an attack. The Sword Cultivators of the No Illusion Demon Sect were top-tier in both their fundamentals and the ferocity of their attacks, but because his opponent was Purple Dragon, he was unable to display his full capabilities.
Perhaps because the previous few matches had all been so spectacular, Purple Dragon seemed content to not fight back. The more he held back, the more Lei Zuo felt he couldn’t stop. If he couldn’t even gain control of the fight under these circumstances, it would be far too humiliating.
Lei Zuo’s sword was different from most; it wasn’t straight, but curved. This was clearly not for decoration.
"The Dragon Race’s Body Technique is certainly something else, but you’re underestimating me, Lei Zuo!"
With that, his Elemental Power condensed, the tip of his sword began to tremble, and he unleashed his Sword Qi.