The atmosphere on the semifinal stage was heavy as lead.
Zhang Tianyuan stood with his hands behind his back. His bright yellow Daoist robe fluttered without wind, spiritual power surging around him as faint dragon roars and tiger howls echoed. This was the phenomenon produced when Dragon Tiger Mountain's direct-line Dragon Tiger Golden Core Great Dao was cultivated to a profound realm.
The pressure of the peak ninth level of Qi Refinement erupted without restraint, crushing toward Mo Yuan like a mountain.
The spectators below held their breath. The Dragon Tiger Mountain disciples wore proud expressions, convinced that their senior brother Zhang Tianyuan would win.
The Maoshan disciples, however, looked tense. They hoped Mo Yuan could create another miracle, yet worried that the gap in cultivation was simply too great.
"Junior Brother Mo, be careful!" Zhang Tianyuan said no more and struck first.
He held two fingers together like a brush and drew through the air. As spiritual power surged, a complex, gleaming golden talisman instantly formed—the Dragon Tiger Spirit Suppression Talisman!
This talisman was not for attack, but a powerful suppression and binding talisman.
The instant it formed, golden light blazed forth, transforming into a massive phantom of entwined dragon and tiger. Carrying majestic heavenly might, it descended upon Mo Yuan's head.
Wherever the golden light passed, even the formation light screen covering the arena rippled slightly. The air seemed to turn viscous, seeking to completely imprison Mo Yuan!
"One of Dragon Tiger Mountain's mountain-defending spirit talismans right from the start! Senior Brother Zhang is trying to end this quickly!"
"Once this talisman is unleashed, cultivators of the same realm can scarcely break free. Mo Yuan is in danger!"
Facing that overwhelming suppressive force, Mo Yuan felt the circulation of spiritual power throughout his body slow considerably.
His gaze sharpened. He dared not be careless, pushing the Ghost Shadow Footwork to its limit as his body turned smoke-like, attempting to escape the golden light's range.
However, the dragon-tiger phantom seemed to have locked onto his aura. It followed him like a shadow, not slowing in the slightest.
Can't dodge it? Mo Yuan's thoughts raced. Then so be it...
He abruptly stopped. The spiritual power within him, fused with Geng Metal Thunderous Evil, burst forth. His hands rapidly formed seals as he shouted in a low voice:
"By the decree of the Nine Heavens, lightning gather upon my body! Break!"
Rather than drawing a talisman, he used himself as the conduit to perform the lightning-attraction technique from the Nine Heavens Thunder Talisman Scripture.
In an instant, purple-gold lightning flashed wildly around him. Countless fine platinum arcs covered his entire body like armor, making him seem like a thunder god.
Especially the two fingers he held together, where lightning condensed until it seemed tangible!
"Geng Metal Thunder Finger, shatter delusion!"
With his two fingers together, he became a platinum bolt that tore through the golden light. Rather than retreating, he advanced, fiercely striking at the forehead of the descending dragon-tiger phantom.
Sizzle—!
Like a red-hot iron driven into ice and snow, the finger-sword, containing ultimate sharpness and evil-destroying thunder power, forcibly pierced straight through the solid dragon-tiger phantom.
The golden talisman shook violently, letting out a mournful cry before instantly collapsing and disintegrating!
"What?! He broke the talisman with his fingers? And it was the Dragon Tiger Spirit Suppression Talisman?!" Cries of shock erupted below the stage.
Zhang Tianyuan's pupils contracted sharply as well. He had not expected his opponent to break his talisman in such an overbearing manner!
"Good! You truly have some skill!"
Zhang Tianyuan's fighting spirit surged even higher. He brought his hands together, and the spiritual power around him shifted again. A scorching aura spread outward. "Take another one of my Samadhi True Fire Talismans!"
Three streams of flame in different colors, each radiating terrifying heat, shot from his fingertips. Like three nimble fire wyrms, they twisted together as they devoured Mo Yuan.
This Samadhi True Fire was no ordinary flame. It could melt gold and iron, and could burn the soul itself!
Before the flames even arrived, their blazing heat had already caused Mo Yuan's hair to curl slightly.
He sensed the power of the Samadhi True Fire and knew that meeting it head-on with only his thunder fingers would likely put him at a disadvantage.
With a thought, the Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear on his back gave a low dragon roar and leaped into his hand on its own.
With the spear in hand, Mo Yuan's aura abruptly changed. His former nimble sharpness became steady and domineering.
"Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying, sweep demons and burn evil!"
He flicked his wrist, and the Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear transformed into a purple lightning dragon, thrusting out with a shrill sound of tearing air.
At the spear tip, platinum thunderous evil power condensed to an extreme degree, even drawing in the lightning spiritual energy of heaven and earth around it!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The spear shadows moved like dragons, striking the three streams of Samadhi True Fire with flawless precision.
Thunder and true fire collided violently, producing deafening explosions. Lightning and sparks scattered in every direction, while the violent energy impact caused the arena's light screen to shake fiercely!
This time, it was no longer an easy dispelling, but a head-on clash of power.
Mo Yuan's body swayed slightly, his palm numb from the impact. Zhang Tianyuan also retreated half a step, his face turning faintly pale.
"Excellent!"
Zhang Tianyuan shouted loudly. He had not expected Mo Yuan to possess not only astonishing thunder finger techniques, but also such domineering spearwork, capable of withstanding his Samadhi True Fire head-on. "It seems I won't be able to defeat you without getting serious!"
He took a deep breath. The Golden Core Great Dao within him began circulating frantically as his hands formed a profound seal before his chest.
An aura far more majestic and imposing than before began to gather.
Vaguely, enormous phantoms of a dragon and tiger appeared behind him, roaring toward the heavens!
"It's Dragon Tiger Mountain's secret killing move—the Dragon Tiger Convergence, Grand Seizing Hand!" a well-informed disciple cried out in shock.
On the high platform, Celestial Master Zhang nodded slightly, seemingly quite satisfied with his grandson's performance.
Uncle Nine's expression turned solemn, and he clenched his fists.
Mo Yuan sensed the terrifying power capable of seizing mountains and suppressing fiends taking shape. He knew he could not allow his opponent to continue gathering momentum.
A fierce glint flashed in his eyes as he poured all his spiritual power, along with that strand of Innate Spiritual Energy, Dragon Essence, and Geng Metal Thunderous Evil power, into the Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear.
The thunder dragon patterns on the spear shaft shone brilliantly. The tiny phantom of the Thunder Dragon Soul Essence seemed to come alive, moving along the spear while roaring.
A trace of the Chaotic Thunder Source Dao Rhythm he had obtained by checking in at the Small Thunder Sound Pool was also drawn forth and fused into this strike.
At this moment, he cast aside every flourish, leaving behind only the purest, most ultimate attack.
Man and spear became one, intent united with thunder!
"Thunder Dragon... Heavenbreaker!"
He stomped down hard, cracking the arena's blue-gang stone inch by inch. He and the Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear became a shocking purple-gold rainbow that cut across the arena, charging directly at the Dragon Tiger Grand Seizing Hand that was about to take shape with an unstoppable will to destroy all things.
It was Mo Yuan's strongest strike, gathering all his foundations—faster than lightning, fiercer than rushing thunder.
Zhang Tianyuan's Dragon Tiger Grand Seizing Hand had only formed halfway. Before the dragon-tiger phantom could fully solidify, he saw a destructive bolt of lightning already stabbing toward him, far faster than he could react!
Not good! Warning bells rang wildly in his mind, and he could only hastily thrust out the incomplete Grand Seizing Hand!
Rumble—!!!
It was as if thunder from the Ninth Heaven had exploded over the plaza! Blinding lightning collided fiercely with the golden-red dragon-tiger energy, forming an enormous sphere of energy that instantly swallowed the entire arena.
The violent shockwave slammed viciously against the protective light screen around the arena. The screen let out a piercing hum under unbearable strain, flickering erratically as though it might shatter at any moment!
The disciples below were forced back again and again by the terrifying blast. Those with weaker cultivation turned pale.
The radiance persisted for several breaths before gradually fading.
The arena was left in utter ruin.
Zhang Tianyuan knelt on one knee. His bright yellow Daoist robe was scorched black and torn in many places, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His face was pale, and his eyes were filled with disbelief.
Before him, the incomplete dragon-tiger phantom had long since dispersed.
Mo Yuan stood several yards opposite him, using the Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear to support his body. His face was equally pale, his chest heaving violently. The web of his hand gripping the spear had split open, blood flowing down the spear shaft.
Yet his back remained straight, and his gaze as sharp as ever.
In that exchange, he had exhausted all his strength and nearly drained his spiritual power dry. But he had ultimately broken Zhang Tianyuan's unfinished killing move and inflicted serious internal injuries upon him.
The referee quickly stepped forward to inspect him and confirmed that Zhang Tianyuan no longer had the strength to fight.
"Semifinal match, Mo Yuan wins!"
Silence! Deathly silence.
Then, earth-shaking uproar erupted.
At the eighth level of Qi Refinement, he had defeated Zhang Tianyuan, a peak ninth-level Qi Refinement cultivator who carried Dragon Tiger Mountain's true inheritance.
And he had done so through such a direct, head-on clash, without a trace of trickery!
Mo Yuan's name, like that stunning spear strike of his, thoroughly resounded throughout the three sects.
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