Chapter 692: No One is Normal Around Here
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
Zhu Yi fully understood what Xu Yunsheng and Ying Luozha were thinking.
Zhou Yuncong's strength not only affected the confidence of other cultivators but his fellow disciples as well.
For Xu Yunsheng and Ying Luozha, this was a challenge. If they could steady their minds and calm themselves and respond properly to the pressure, it would help them improve and further realize their potential. This could help them soar further in the future.
Hence, both Lin Feng and Zhu Yi viewed this extremely positively.
Zhou Yuncong, as the source of all these, felt nothing. He had the ability to control his powers and hence, they did not run amok. Fortunately, Shi Tianhao, who was by his side, helped him too.
Lin Tong was devastated. She went dejectedly to the quiet chamber where Xiao Zhener was. The moment she opened the door, she said softly, "Mom! I lost..."
Xiao Zhener smiled slightly and pulled her into her arms. "It's an intra-sect battle. Don't think too much about it."
Lin Tong's mouth twitched as she said, "I wanted to advance into the top four so I could win glory for Dad."
Xiao Zhener lightly tapped her nose and smiled, "Regardless of your results, Xiao Yan and I are both very proud of you. We won't give you any pressure. All we want is for you live a carefree life."
"OK!" Lin Tong was still in Xiao Zhener's embrace. She squirmed slightly and then, she thought of something, "Right, I still want to challenge others. Mom, who do you think I should challenge?"
Xiao Zhener said with a smile, "That's up to you."
Lin Tong's eyes rolled as ideas flashed in her mind.
At the same time, Shi Tianhao also instructed the second round of battle to begin. The two combatants were Chen Xingyu of the Great Void Sect, who came in third, and Lei Jie from the Lei Family, who came in sixth.
Lin Feng, who was in the Grand Heavens Pavilion, looked at the scene before him with interestedly. "This is the only battle where I cannot determine the winner before they fight. Chen Xingyu appears to have a better chance, but Lei Jie isn't too bad too."
In the Dharma Hall, the various cultivators discussed intensely. Lei Jie's strength could be seen from his solo ascent up the Starry Treasure Pagoda and the brutal way he slew the Qiong Qi in the small world. Then, he was able to defeat Kang Hai of the Heavenly Master Sword Sect. These were all impressive results.
However, Chen Xingyu was more low-key and mysterious. Till now, no one knew what was his specialty.
However, thinking about Chen Xingyu's progress till now, one could not help but to fear him.
In the first round, he was left behind in the group comprising Xu Yunsheng and Ying Luozha. However, he was the first to reach the top of the Starry Pagoda Tower. If not for the fact that his groupmates came into an accident with the Starlight Rotationary Mechanism which hindered their progress, they would have gotten first.
In the second round, he did not come into conflict with anyone. All he did was to hunt Qiong Qi. He accumulated ten golden rings and was ranked third, right behind Xu Yunsheng and Dao Yuting, preventing the Celestial Sect of Wonders from dominating the top 3.
From a certain perspective, Chen Xingyu's performance in the second round was the most outstanding one.
The rules of the spiritual conference allowed cultivators to snatch golden rings from one another. This increased the chance of unforeseen events.
Kang Hai's experience demonstrated that with only a tiny bit of effort, he was able to increase his golden rings from three to ten. Then, it fell back to five. His rise and fall were more exciting than a roller-coaster.
Zhou Yuncong entered the small world as part of the last group but he was still able to obtain fifth. The crux of it was that he obtained the golden rings from Li Xingfei and Yang Likun. This allowed him to increase his golden ring count from one to eight, which helped to make up for his lost time.
Let's not talk about Chu Yang, who managed to obtain nine golden rings at once. Together with the one that he had hidden, he was able to get ten.
Chen Xingyu was the only one in the top eight that did not steal anyone's golden rings or had his golden rings snatched away. He obtained his golden rings with the most primitive and simple method and that was to hunt Qiong Qi.
While he did not encounter any unforeseen events, his progress to third placing, from a certain perspective, was well-deserved.
However, his powers were a secret because he had never actually fought with anyone. Even the Qiong Qi that he hunted were those that got separated from the pack. Hence, everyone was curious about the true abilities of this talent from the Great Void Sect.
Similarly, Lei Jie, the young master of the Lei Family, believed he was able to force Chen Xingyu to show his hand.
Chen Xingyu, clad entirely in white and looking extremely handsome, stared at Lei Jie, who was opposite him, calmly. Then, with a smile, he clasped his hands together and said, "Daoist Lei, please."
He was ranked third in the second round and hence, he had the right to choose the battleground. However, he did not make any special request. Instead, he chose to battle with Lei Jie on a normal battleground, demonstrating an extraordinary confidence.
Lei Jie did not pass up on this chance. He slammed his palms together and green lightning appeared on his body. They turned into snake-light lightning bolts that enveloped the entire sky as they came down on Chen Xingyu's head.
From Chen Xingyu's body, one black and one white stream of Qi emerged. They twisted together and turned into a whirlpool. As they turned non-stop, they created a powerful absorption force that sucked the green lightning in.
Lei Jie's eyebrows arched and he re-directed the spells with his hand. The green lightning flying into the black and white whirlpool congregated together. Instead of being destroyed by the whirlpool on contact, they turned into a big ball of thunder.
The ball of thunder no longer looked as if it were made out of crackling lightning. Instead, it resembled a ball of green gas that vibrated non-stop.
In the next instant, the green ball of gas exploded, shattering the black-and-white whirlpool.
In the Grand Heavens Pavilion, the Thunderclouds Holy Man's face was serious as he nodded his had. "The Chaos Cave Saint-Slaying Thunderbolt, it's descended from the Great Chaos True Thunder Manual of Emperor Tai."
Legend had it that when Emperor Tai ruled the Divine Lands, he was feared by all. Even Immortal Soul stage cultivators submitted themselves to him, for all who went against him would be killed by green thunder!
Lin Feng smiled slightly. Earlier on, when he first saw the Imperial Palace in the Cloud Forest World, it released the Chaos Cave Saint-Slaying Thunderbolt.
Lei Jie was only an Aurous Core stage cultivator. Naturally, his powers were not even a ten-thousandth of Emperor Tai's. However, the thunder spells he cultivated were indeed directly descended from Emperor Tai's.
The Chaos Cave Saint-Slaying Thunderbolt revealed itself to be extremely powerful. Even against Lei Jie of the Great Void Sect, it did not appear weak.
Chen Xingyu looked at the Chaos Cave Saint-Slaying Thunderbolt and smiled slightly. He pointed in the air with his index finger as streams after streams of black and white air re-appeared and reformed into a black-and-white whirlpool.
Lei Jie once again released another green gas ball that clashed with the black-and-white whirlpool.
Chen Xingyu suddenly sliced with his hand in mid-air and the black-and-white whirlpool disintegrated. It then reformed to form two long gas streams that seemed as long and as wide as the Yangtze River. It resembled two ferocious dragons as it destroyed Lei Jie's Chaos Cave Saint-Slaying Thunderbolt like a predator slaying its prey. Then, it charged towards Lei Jie himself.
Lei Jie himself became covered in green thunder. He resembled a thunder god as thunderbolts after thunderbolts shot out from his body. The area around him turned into a thundery hell, blocking the black and white streams of gas.
Both of them were in the Aurous Core stage. In a one-on-one battle, the Dharma Hall would not suppress their powers and the two were free to demonstrate all their skills. Their abilities dazzled the other cultivators who were watching their fight.
The two of them were both testing water but yet, they had both revealed extraordinary powers. Even Nascent Soul stage cultivators would tread carefully around them.
As the battle reached its crescendo, Lei Jie bellowed, his voice like the roar of thunder. His entire body brimmed with light as nine streams of gas circled around his body faster and faster.
The nine streams of swept the thunder and lightning around Lei Jie and began form shapes. Slowly, they solidified and turned into the shape of a giant. It truly seemed like a thunder god that had descended upon the mortal realm.
It was no mere shadow or illusion but rather, the physical manifestation of Lei Jie's mana. It was slightly similar to the cosmic forms of Nascent Soul stage cultivators.
Looking at the scene before them, the many Immortal Soul stage elders in the Grand Heavens Pavilion were slightly shocked.
The Qin Emperor, Shi Yu, nodded his head and said, "The Nine Qi True Thunder Form is truly extraordinary."
The Advanced Nascent Soul stage cultivators and Intermediate Nascent Soul stage cultivators would experience a massive increase in their powers because their cosmic forms managed to cultivate the true essence of their mantras.
While Lei Jie's cultivation was only in the Aurous Core stage, he was able to use this slightly similar method. While it was still different compared to the cosmic form, it undoubtedly increased his battling abilities.
Chen Xingyu's face did not change. The two Yin-Yang aura around him formed a whirlpool of an unprecedented size.
As more and more Yin-Yang mana was directed into the whirlpool, it slowly began to split itself into two discs, like the moment in Creation where Heaven and Earth split apart. Then, the two halves of the whirlpool enveloped Lei Jie's giant in its center.
The two discs spun in opposite directions and resembled a huge grindstone. It sought to grind everything in its center into a fine powder.
With Yin and Yang as its driving force and with the heaven and earth as its whetstones, it sought to erase the existence of everything in its path.
This was the most powerful move of the Great Void Sect's Yin Yang Mantra of the Void, the Yin Yang Heaven Crushing Earth Grinding Spell!
Those who recognized this spell could not sit still. The power of this spell way exceeded most normal spells. It should not even exist at the Aurous Core stage.
Three years ago in Xiling City, Bai Xiqian, a direct disciple of the Great Void Sect, used this spell to the amazement of all present. However, she was still defeated by Yue Hongyan, a disciple of the Celestial Sect of Wonders. It was not because the Yin Yang Heaven Crushing Earth Grinding Spell was weak. Instead, Bai Xiqian simply lacked battling abilities compared to Yue Hongyan.
Even members of the Celestial Sect of Wonders dared not underestimate this spell.
"They are both in the Aurous Core stage. However, Chen Xingyu's spell was much stronger than Bai Xiqian's." Yue Hongyan, as the person with the most right to speak, said as she stared intently at Chen Xingyu for a while. Then, she said slowly, "Bai Xiqian wielded this spell like a tiny child wielding a 500-kilogram hammer. However, he is able to use it to near-perfection. It's like an extension of his arms."
Xiao Yan and Zhu Yi, who was by her side, nodded their heads. Xiao Yan smiled and said, "For this conference, the other sects truly decided to send their better disciples."
Lei Jie too could feel the power of Chen Xingyu. However, he showed no sign of backing down. The thunder god he summoned roared loudly in defiance of the Yin Yang Heaven Crushing Earth Grinding Spell.
The two sides were trapped in a situation neither side could maintain for long. Everyone admired Lei Jie's powers, as he seemed able of resisting a direct disciple of the Great Void Sect without showing any sign of weakness.
However, at this point in time, rage crossed Lei Jie's usually cool and collected face.
"Im...Impossible! I... I am cut out of success!"