A stalemate!
At the center of the arena, blue and cyan light clashed wildly, erupting in thunderous booms.
Sword qi scattered in every direction, carving the already battered arena into a maze of holes.
Li Xiaoyu and Lu Xueqi had both driven their spiritual energy to the utmost.
Li Xiaoyu's face was pale, beads of sweat gathering on his forehead.
Using Geng Metal Sword Qi drained his mind tremendously. On top of that, he had to meet the full force of the Tianya Divine Sword head-on. The spiritual energy within him poured away like floodwaters released from a dam.
Yet he gritted his teeth and held on, the battle intent in his eyes burning like flames.
On the other side, Lu Xueqi was in no better shape.
Controlling a sword with her mind already consumed a great deal of mental energy. Now that her Tianya Divine Sword was being held back firmly, the sharpness coming from her opponent's sword kept hammering at the connection between her and Tianya, making her mind ache.
She, too, was struggling to hold on.
This was no longer a simple contest of Daoist techniques. It was a clash of will and foundations.
The first to falter would lose.
The spectators below had long since been stunned into holding their breath by the heart-stopping scene.
They hardly dared even breathe too loudly, afraid they might disturb the two on the arena.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly.
One breath, two breaths, three...
At last, Lu Xueqi swayed slightly, blood spilling from the corner of her mouth.
She was nearing her limit!
If this continued, she would not only lose; her mind and the Tianya Divine Sword itself could both be damaged.
I can't lose!
An unyielding resolve rose from the depths of her heart.
She was the once-in-a-century genius of Small Bamboo Peak, her master Master Shuiyue's greatest hope, and the goal all her junior sisters looked up to.
How could she lose here?
She could be defeated, but she absolutely could not lose this way!
Determination flashed in Lu Xueqi's eyes.
She bit down on the tip of her tongue. A mouthful of vital blood surged up her throat, and she forced it down, turning it into pure energy that flooded her limbs and bones.
She was going to use that forbidden technique!
The sword art that could turn the tide—and could just as easily make her pay a terrible price!
"Nine Heavens Profound Fiend, transform into divine thunder!"
Lu Xueqi's cool, resolute voice rang out, each word spoken distinctly.
As she recited the incantation, heaven and earth changed color!
The sky, which had been clear moments before, instantly filled with dark clouds. They gathered from all directions, shrouding the sky above Heaven-Reaching Peak.
Within the clouds, bolts of lightning danced wildly, and thunder boomed.
A majestic heavenly might descended from the ninth heaven!
Across the entire Green Cloud Mountain Range, every bird and beast prostrated itself on the ground, trembling in fear.
"Divine Sword Thunder Control Technique!"
On the viewing platform, Daoist Daoxuan sprang to his feet, his face full of shock.
"Has she gone mad? With her Cultivation at the seventh layer of the Jade Purity Realm, how can she control such overwhelming might of heaven and earth?"
Shang Zhengliang's face had gone deathly pale as well. "Stop her at once! She'll be struck by the backlash!"
Master Shuiyue's body trembled violently.
She murmured to herself, "Silly child..."
On the arena, Li Xiaoyu felt the pressure that could destroy everything and was horrified.
He knew Lu Xueqi had wagered everything.
"By heaven's majestic might, I summon it with my sword!"
Lu Xueqi spoke the final line of the incantation.
She poured all her spiritual energy and mental strength into the Tianya Divine Sword.
"Buzz!"
The Tianya Divine Sword burst into a blue radiance brighter than ever before. Breaking free of its stalemate with the Autumn Water Sword, it shot into the sky.
It became a conduit, linking heaven and earth and summoning divine retribution!
"Rumble!"
A thunderclap boomed, as if it would shatter everyone's eardrums.
A purple bolt of lightning as thick as a barrel tore through the heavy clouds, carrying the force to destroy heaven and earth as it struck the Tianya Divine Sword with pinpoint accuracy!
In an instant, the entire world seemed to lose its color.
In everyone's eyes, nothing remained but that dazzling purple lightning.
Within its radiance, the Tianya Divine Sword seemed to have become a divine executioner's blade forged from lightning.
Countless tiny bolts leaped wildly across the blade, crackling and popping.
Lu Xueqi's pretty face had turned as pale as paper, without a trace of color.
Her body trembled violently. Clearly, controlling this power had exceeded the limits of what her body and spirit could bear.
But her gaze remained unwavering.
Using the last of her strength, Lu Xueqi joined her fingers like a sword and pointed down at Li Xiaoyu.
"Go!"
The Tianya Divine Sword, bearing the might of the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder, transformed into a streak of purple light and hurtled down at Li Xiaoyu!
This strike locked onto every trace of Li Xiaoyu's aura.
There was nowhere to dodge!
Nowhere to retreat!
Faced with this blow, like the judgment of a heavenly god, Li Xiaoyu's pupils contracted sharply.
Down below, Chu Yuhong had already collapsed to the ground in fright.
Shang Zhengliang's heart sank to the bottom.
He clenched his fists, ready to leap in and save him at any moment.
Yet in the instant when everyone thought Li Xiaoyu had no chance of winning, a look of madness and resolve flashed across his face.
He watched the purple lightning streak closer, then glanced at the white-robed figure in the sky, swaying as if she could be struck by the thunder's backlash at any moment.
Li Xiaoyu suddenly laughed.
His laugh was bright and unrestrained.
He let out a roar and did something no one could have imagined.
He did not choose to defend himself, nor did he run.
Li Xiaoyu charged straight toward the devastating lightning!
Had he gone mad?!
That was the only thought in everyone's minds.
Had Li Xiaoyu gone mad?
No. He hadn't.
He was clearer-headed than ever.
His mind raced.
Could he withstand it head-on? No.
Could he run? The heavenly might had locked onto him; there was nowhere to flee.
His only chance lay at the heart of the lightning, with the girl who had lost control—and with the Immortal-Slaying Gourd at his waist!
Devour it!
As he charged toward the lightning, Li Xiaoyu roared inwardly.
He yanked the Immortal-Slaying Gourd from his waist and raised its mouth toward the thunder dragon descending from the sky!
Buzz!
The dusty Wine Gourd seemed to sense the allure of the thunder's utterly yang, utterly firm power.
The ancient patterns on its surface suddenly lit up, bursting with golden light!
A powerful force of absorption erupted from the mouth of the gourd, forming a golden vortex!
The thunder dragon, capable of destroying heaven and earth, suddenly halted the moment it touched the golden vortex!
It seemed like a giant dragon strangled by the throat, letting out an unwilling roar.
Visible to the naked eye, streak after streak of purple lightning was forcibly torn from the thunder dragon and drawn into the Immortal-Slaying Gourd!
The Immortal-Slaying Gourd was actually devouring the heavenly thunder!
But the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder summoned by the Divine Sword Thunder Control Technique was terrifying beyond measure!
Though the Immortal-Slaying Gourd was mysterious, completely devouring that power was still impossible.
It could only swallow a portion of it.
The main force of the remaining thunder still surged toward Li Xiaoyu and Lu Xueqi in the sky, bearing its destructive might!
That was right—the thunder had already gone out of control and was no longer under Lu Xueqi's command.
After forcibly using the Divine Sword Thunder Control Technique, Lu Xueqi was utterly spent.
She could no longer control the Tianya Divine Sword or resist the rampaging thunder.
Uncontrolled bolts had already wrapped around her body. She let out a muffled cry of pain as her white-robed form tumbled helplessly from the sky.
Despair flashed in her eyes.
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