Mu Zhiqiu stepped into the meteor storm, her sleeves fluttering with the movement. Shi Yanfeng and Shi Qinglan watched her. Her aura alone made those around her feel as though she was far above them. Mu Zhiqiu was a legendary figure of Xuantian City, a goddess in the eyes of many.
Mu Zhiqiu’s fame extended beyond the city. The younger attendees at the birthday celebration all came from schools within the circle of influence of the Zhaixing House. While they might not have known who were the powerful figures within the Top Three Schools, they definitely knew who Mu Zhiqiu was. To them, Mu Zhiqiu was a goddess beyond their reach, whose standards they sought to achieve. And now, she was about to step in personally and challenge the Son of the Starry School.
“The Son will probably be content with getting defeated at the hands of Mu Zhiqiu,” the onlookers mused. While it was true that Ye Futian had shown unparalleled talent so far, no one believed he would really be able to defeat Mu Zhiqiu. Besides, there was a large gap in their respective planes.
The disciples of the Blazing Sun School and the Bright Moon School, as well as those from the Jin Clan, stared sharply at her. They too were wondering if Mu Zhiqiu, the renowned pride of the Zhaixing House, would be able to defeat the monstrously talented Son, who had demonstrated such great ability at the coronation ceremony.
Chen Wang, one of the Blazing Sun School’s best who was at the peak of the arcana plane, had lost to Ye Futian. But if Mu Zhiqiu was really as powerful as the rumors suggested, then she was definitely way above Chen Wang in terms of ability.
Most people were unaware, but some clan disciples of the Three Top Schools had caught wind of rumors that Mu Zhiqiu was definitely entering the Holy Zhi Palace. No one would ever doubt the capabilities of an individual who was able to enter the Holy Zhi Palace.
All eyes were on Mu Zhiqiu, yet she did not seem to be bothered by the attention and was peaceful as always. Once she entered the starry storm, she glided upwards effortlessly with the whirling winds, light as air. It was as if the heavy gravitational forces had no effect on her. In fact, she was riding on the currents of the storm as if they were nothing.
“How beautiful,” murmured the challengers in the starry storm who were watching Mu Zhiqiu glide upwards. Her hair, black and silky, fluttered in the wind. She was as gloriously beautiful as an angel.
Looking at the figure gliding up towards him, Ye Futian had to admit that Mu Zhiqiu was indeed unparalleled in her beauty. She was second to none whether in looks or demeanor. However, he ignored her and continued his way up. His attention was on the Divine Destruction Polearm that hung suspended in the sky. Ye Futian was here for the ritual implement, and no one would get in his way, not even Mu Zhiqiu.
As Ye Futian moved upwards, the gravitational pull grew stronger. He was left straining against gravity, unable to advance. Below, Mu Zhiqiu was still spiraling upwards along with the currents of the storm. It seemed as though she were a fairy dancing through the air. In no time, she caught up with Ye Futian and cast her eyes upon him.
She waved an elegant hand, and the storm suddenly seemed to flow to a strange rhythm. The giant meteorites moved along with the movements of her hand, and they began spiraling crazily towards Ye Futian. Everyone watched as the humongous meteorites changed their initial trajectory and sped towards Ye Futian. Furthermore, these eye-catching, radiant meteorites were not traveling in a straight line. Instead, they spiraled forward, the surface of each meteorite teeming with frightening stormy energy that made it an even more potent weapon.
In the eye of this meteorite storm, Ye Futian appeared especially small and insignificant. His already solemn expression darkened even further. As he felt the power of this storm, he realized that Mu Zhiqiu posed a very real threat to him.
All around Ye Futian, stars were being created and they revolved around him in a dazzling array of light. The Immortal Celestial Bodies defensive technique was a highly impressive one.
At this moment, a giant meteorite hurtled towards him. With a loud explosion that seemed to rattle the sky, the stars that had been created were blown apart by the impact. But Ye Futian’s defensive barrier remained standing, and with the collision, a piercing sound was heard.
A series of further explosions were heard as the meteorites landed one after the other on the Immortal Celestial Bodies that Ye Futian had summoned. Cracks began to show on the stars that revolved around Ye Futian. With a loud cracking sound, the starry defense was shattered, and yet another meteorite whistled towards Ye Futian, who had been rattled by the attack.
In response, Ye Futian formed the shape of a bow with his body and cut through the sky like a shooting star. A loud bang was heard, and the meteorite was destroyed. Ye Futian, who was dressed extravagantly, stood upright in the sky, watching the figure opposite him intently.
“As expected of Mu Zhiqiu,” an onlooker declared. Everyone present was staring at the beautiful figure holding herself proudly in mid-air. Her peak arcana plane abilities, along with the fact that she was equally proficient at powerful star attack techniques, meant that she was able to launch a powerful attack that not only shattered Ye Futian’s defenses but also forced him back.
What did it matter if Ye Futian was a Son of the Starry School? His reputation reached only the ends of the school. He was but fodder to boost Mu Zhiqiu’s own illustrious name.
Mu Zhiqiu’s gaze remained peaceful. She waved her hands and activated a wind technique, twisting the air into whirlwinds that spun towards Ye Futian. The winds grew stronger still, and it seemed as though Ye Futian was about to be swallowed up by the windstorm that raged around him in a constant rhythm.
Ye Futian watched as the wind storm tore apart meteorites and created countless sharp edges that reminded one of knives. Even worse, the windstorm merged with the starry storm that he had created, releasing an even mightier power that forced him to remain in the middle of the storm.
Meteorites buzzed around Ye Futian, emitting dazzling starlight as they formed a storm that had him caught in the middle. With the storm continuously growing stronger and merging with the whirlwinds Mu Zhiqiu had created, the entire starry dimension was instantly transformed into a nightmarish dark landscape of wind storms. A sharp piercing sound could be heard coming from the wind.
Mu Zhiqiu stepped forward, her long hair fluttering in the wind. As she moved, a smaller starry dimension seemed to form behind her. The smaller dimension seemed to resonate with the one they were in. The meteorites hummed and vibrated, and the formless whirling energy seemed to vibrate along with them as well.
“Her realization of Dharma is the miniature starry sky!” Ye Futian’s eyes sparkled. He realized that Mu Zhiqiu’s Life Spirit obviously had something to do with the starry skies. The Zhaixing House now seemed a more legitimate heir to the Starry Divine Path than the Starry School.
With the appearance of Mu Zhiqiu’s realisation of Dharma, streams of starlight shot towards Ye Futian from above. The attack looked just like Falling Stars, a technique Ye Futian had used just now. Furthermore, the realization of Dharma made the attack look even more natural, as though it was following some sort of mystical rhythm.
Along with the streams of light, meteorites were also hurtling dangerously down towards Ye Futian. The streams of light came rushing at him as though they were about to annihilate the entire space, but Ye Futian stood there silently. He reached out and instantly a golden polearm appeared in his hand. At the same time, the shadow of a Giant Roc burst out from his body. The roar of a dragon surrounded Ye Futian, and his physical capacity was unleashed to the maximum as he was covered by the shadow of a Divine Ape.
With a rumble, the stars moved and seemed to surround Ye Futian, sparkling with a dazzling light. He waved the polearm, and in an instant, the starlight from the stars seemed to move with him as well. As the starlight illuminated the golden polearm, it appeared especially heavy.
In the face of the attacking streams of light, Ye Futian gathered energy around him. With a strike of the polearm, a star shot out along with the movements of the weapon and destroyed a stream of light with a loud crash. But more streams of light were approaching Ye Futian. The wings on his back fluttered, and he attacked continuously with the polearm, sending out more meteorites that exploded upon impact. Ye Futian’s movements appeared slow, yet there seemed to be a methodical rhythm to it, and every strike felt equally strong.
The roars of a dragon echoed about him as Ye Futian continued advancing onwards. Mu Zhiqiu kept up with him and continued firing streams of light at him as well. The two were battling furiously even as they moved upwards through the storm.
“This fellow’s offensive capabilities are really strong,” the onlookers mused. Mu Zhiqiu was incredibly powerful, but even she had yet to take down Ye Futian, who was still advancing upwards slowly.
With a loud sound, a thunderbolt flashed under Ye Futian’s feet, and he charged at Mu Zhiqiu using the Thundering Illusion Step. With a strike of his polearm, meteorites exploded around him as he flew through the sky towards her.
However, Mu Zhiqiu’s eyes remained calm and peaceful. Starlight began to gather in one place and formed a dazzling star pattern that looked just like the night sky.
Boom! Ye Futian struck down from above and cracks appeared in the star pattern. More cracks then grew within the pattern and it seemed as though it was about to shatter at any moment. The sight of such a powerful strike sent shudders down the spines of many.
This was all because Ye Futian wanted to get his hands on the Divine Destruction Polearm. It was plain as day that monstrously great power was hidden within this one strike. Ye Futian was already physically strong. With the added power of his realization of Dharma, this one polearm strike seemed capable of splitting the very sky itself open. However, Mu Zhiqiu’s body began to emit dazzling starlight, which repaired the cracks at a crazy speed as the starlight came into contact with the pattern.
With a strike of her palm, Mu Zhiqiu sent the star pattern flying forward in an attempt to suppress Ye Futian’s attack. Streams of starlight shot out towards Ye Futian, forcing him back. He waved his polearm, and with a roar that seemed to come from the heavens and earth, a stronger force of energy was created. Stars attached themselves to the polearm, and with another strike, Mu Zhiqiu’s star pattern was shattered with a loud boom.
The shattered star pattern disintegrated into star fragments and meteorites that hung suspended in mid-air. The meteorites around Ye Futian were unmoving as well. Everything seemed to have come to a standstill at this very moment.
Ye Futian looked at Mu Zhiqiu, and his gaze was instantly sucked into hers. It was almost as if he was looking at a starry night sky instead of a pair of eyes. “It’s over now,” he declared.
Those at the Zhaixing House watched the scene before them silently. They thought to themselves that Chen Yuan had indeed selected a very talented Son. It was a pity that even Mu Zhiqiu had been forced into a stalemate by him.