Seeing Zhang Lingyu and Xia He gazing at each other so tenderly, the three souls' resentment soared to the heavens as they charged at him like madmen.
Zhang Lingyu immediately realized he was still in battle and instinctively used his ability. "Northern Abyss!"
Black lightning fluid, like petroleum, gushed wildly from his palms. In an instant, it covered half the arena, and the three soul forms let out mournful screams!
The situation reversed in an instant, but the sounds from all around were not praise and acclaim, but doubt and rejection.
"What is that disgusting stuff? It's sticky and oppressive!"
"Is that really Thunder Technique?"
"I heard the Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain's Thunder Technique is bright and pure. It definitely shouldn't look so dark and murky!"
"That's too bizarre!"
Listening to those voices, Zhang Lingyu was surprised to find that he felt little resistance. Only after losing something do you know how to cherish it. Is this the state of neither delighting in external things nor grieving over oneself?
Clap! Clap! Clap!
The sudden applause startled Zhang Lingyu from his thoughts. He saw Shen Ye clapping with a smile. "It seems the Daoist Priest's inner demon has been removed. Congratulations!"
Zhang Lingyu's heart skipped a beat as he asked in disbelief, "Could it be that you already knew about my situation?"
Shen Ye nodded. "Only by understanding the Five Elements and yin and yang, knowing the future and the past, can one become the Ziwei High Priest. Although I still have some way to go before reaching that realm, there is already very little in this world that can escape my eyes!"
Zhang Lingyu did not quite understand, though it sounded impressive. He blinked, then asked, "Then why did you still..."
If my opponent is too weak, how can I show how strong I am? How can I build momentum? Shen Ye thought, but said aloud, "If you win, you should win openly and honorably. There's no meaning in an unfair victory!"
Zhang Lingyu could not help but be deeply convinced. He sighed. "Whether in ability or breadth of heart, I am far inferior to you, sir!"
Shen Ye smiled. "Don't dwell on it, Daoist Priest. Let us continue this match!"
Zhang Lingyu's expression turned solemn. "I should have conceded this battle and withdrawn, but it concerns the honor of my sect. I can only offend you!"
As his words fell, the lightning fluid that had been slowly flowing across the ground suddenly erupted, crashing toward Shen Ye like ocean waves.
The sea of lightning surged, corroding everything in its path!
The people onstage recoiled again and again in fright, afraid of getting even a trace of the lightning fluid on themselves.
Though they disliked this gloomy Yin Lightning, its power was plain for all to see. It could even corrode and erase souls!
Yet Shen Ye neither dodged nor retreated. With a sweep of his right hand, it was as though a spiritual rain had fallen. The weeds across the field grew wildly, then mutated into thick, powerful vines that blocked the surging sea of lightning on the other side.
Bind - Bathe Spirit!
What he excelled at was not supreme laws such as space-time, light and darkness, or life and death, but the relatively ordinary Five Elements Law, which was nonetheless nearly the foundation of all worlds.
As the inheritor of Shennong's Essence Blood, he was particularly proficient in the paths of fire and wood.
At the boundary between the two "oceans," the vines were continuously destroyed and reborn. The sea of wood contained incomparably powerful life force, causing the vines to regenerate faster than they were destroyed. In just a few seconds, it instead began to suppress the sea of lightning.
"What an incredible wood-element technique!" Seeing his sea of lightning actually being suppressed by the sea of wood, Zhang Lingyu could not help but marvel inwardly. Just as I thought, I knew he was far more than just spirit summoning and swordsmanship!
Wandering Earthworm Thunder! Knowing that the sea of lightning could not break through the obstruction, Zhang Lingyu decisively changed strategies, splitting it into countless wriggling earthworms that passed through the gaps between the vines.
Form - Flowing Light!
Golden light flashed, forming a shield that blocked all the lightning. No matter how tricky the lightning earthworms were, they could never break through the barrier.
"So it was blocked again. As expected, I'll still need close combat!" Zhang Lingyu exhaled a breath of turbid air, transformed into lightning, and raced through the gaps in the sea of wood. In the blink of an eye, he arrived before the golden shield and drove his arm down like a spear.
With a boom, the shield trembled, and a gap appeared on its surface.
"It worked!" Zhang Lingyu rejoiced inwardly and was about to continue when a ground spike suddenly thrust out from the formerly level ground, stabbing toward his rear.
A chill ran down Zhang Lingyu's back. He hurriedly dodged and leaped to the side.
Shen Ye pressed his advantage. Countless ground spikes formed in the surrounding earth, interlocking like fangs as they lunged at Zhang Lingyu together with the vast sea of vines.
Not only that, while Zhang Lingyu dodged and evaded, the gap broken into the shield gradually fused back together and returned to normal.
Noticing this, Zhang Lingyu thought, Do I have to break through the shield in one go? But the problem is, I need at least three consecutive attacks to reach the limit. No one will stand there foolishly and let me attack them. It seems I can only trade injury for injury!
Just as he was considering how to trade injuries at the lowest possible cost, his body suddenly went limp, and he nearly fell to the ground.
Several more ground spikes rose from the level earth, stabbing toward where he nearly fell.
Sensing the danger within them, Zhang Lingyu gritted his teeth and forcibly lifted himself, finally managing to barely avoid the vital area of his rear.
"No, the dust released after those vines are devoured by the sea of lightning is poisonous!" Zhang Lingyu said with a grave expression, pressing a hand against his waist to stop the bleeding.
"Heh, it seems True Person Lingyu has discovered the problem." Shen Ye chuckled. "In that case, this battle ends here!"
Burn - Annihilation!
Several clusters of fire fell into the sea of wood and, in the blink of an eye, transformed into a towering inferno. It surged violently, swallowing the entire arena, along with that heavy, gloomy lightning!
Even though the spectators had already retreated to the edge of the stands, they could still feel the incomparably scorching flames, as though they would melt space itself. Even the air they breathed into their lungs felt dry and searing!
"What blazing flames!" Hong Bin, known as the Little Fire God, stared at Shen Ye with blazing eyes. "I never expected this Grand Heavenly Offering Ritual to have such an expert in fire!"
Zhuge Qing turned toward him. "Little Fire God, whose flames are stronger, yours or his?"
The Little Fire God answered without hesitation, "Of course his are stronger. Didn't you notice? True Person Lingyu's Yin Lightning nearly collapsed at the first touch of his flames. Those flames have almost reached the ultimate meaning of 'burning.' It could be said that nothing cannot be burned!"
Zhuge Qing nodded. "Fire that can even burn lightning truly is terrifying!"
The sea of fire gradually receded, revealing Zhang Lingyu lying on the ground like a piece of charcoal, his life or death unknown.
Seeing this, True Person Rongshan, acting as referee, quickly announced the result and rushed over. "Lingyu! Lingyu!"
At that moment, a stream of water encircled Zhang Lingyu, washing away the ash. The aura that had been continuously weakening around him finally stabilized.
Rongshan let out a sigh of relief and thanked Shen Ye, who had acted. "Thank you, sir!"
Shen Ye gently shook his head. "After all, I was the one who injured him."
In the stands, seeing Shen Ye stabilize Zhang Lingyu's injuries with a single water-element technique, Zhang Chulan's heart grew increasingly heavy. He is proficient in every Five Elements Art, nearly connecting to the divine. Is this his true strength?
Thanks to the reader Tragically Fragile Glass Heart for the 3,000 tip.
Before you continue