Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Li Mu and Ji Tianyong, a Late Stage Nascent Soul cultivator from the Ji Family, ascended the dueling platform.
The surrounding sounds abruptly ceased, and time seemed to freeze at that moment.
Ji Tianyong drew the massive sword from his back, its blade emanating a sharp, cold light, gathering the killing Aura of the heavens and earth; his gaze was firm and keen as he stared directly at Li Mu.
Li Mu was expressionless; with a wave of his hand, he summoned five five-tier spirit swords from the nine storage spiritual pearl, which circled around him, each sword emitting a unique Five Elements spiritual light, agile and sharp.
Two powerful Auras collided, stirring up an invisible storm, and a great battle was on the verge of breaking out.
As everyone watched, Ji Tianyong initiated the attack, brandishing the massive sword in his hand, cutting towards Li Mu with a fierce gust of wind, releasing a sharp sword light that instantly tore through the air, emitting a piercing whooshing sound, both fast and urgent.
Li Mu's eyes narrowed; the five Flying Swords instantly shot out, in the blink of an eye combining into a single Five Elements Giant Sword, transforming into a brilliant beam of light that fiercely met the sword light.
With a tremendous boom, like a clap of thunder exploding in everyone's ears, two immense forces violently collided in the center of the dueling platform.
At that instant, the entire dueling platform seemed to be swallowed by this power, and a powerful Sword Qi instantly permeated the air, tearing apart the surrounding atmosphere.
On the platform, the figures of the two had already vanished; they collided like two meteors, each intersection accompanied by crisscrossing Sword Qi, and each collision triggered violent energy fluctuations. These fluctuations, like ocean waves, spread outwards in layers, causing the onlookers to feel a continuous sense of trepidation.
Although the two moved with lightning speed, every action and Move was clearly reflected in the eyes of everyone present; their Divine Thought, like invisible tentacles, tightly locked onto the subtle changes of the two on the dueling platform…
Just as everyone had anticipated, it could be said that the outcome was already decided!
This Late Stage Nascent Soul cultivator from the Ji Family possessed extraordinary strength and a solid Foundation, having cultivated the Ji Family's core Legacy Cultivation Technique—the Profound Adamantine Codex. This Cultivation Technique is extremely profound, producing abundant True Essence, and is the Ji Family's renowned secret art passed down to this day. Furthermore, he had also learned the formidable Overlord Sword Art, a set of sword Moves that is incredibly fierce and almost unstoppable once unleashed.
Even so, Ji Tianyong still seemed somewhat outmatched when facing Li Mu.
This is not to say that Ji Tianyong's strength was not great; on the contrary, his strength and Aptitude left a deep impression on everyone present. His Realm had reached the Peak of the Late Stage Nascent Soul Realm, just one step away from the Soul Transformation Realm. If he were to fight an ordinary Soul Transformation Cultivator, there would be a great possibility of him winning by overcoming a Realm.
However, he was facing Li Mu, an opponent with unfathomable strength.
In the Cultivation world, the importance of Cultivation Technique is self-evident; different Cultivation Techniques have different characteristics and effects. The ancient Five Elements Technique that Li Mu cultivated is undoubtedly an extremely profound and powerful Cultivation Technique.
The Five Elements Technique emphasizes the mutual assistance of Yin and Yang, and mutual generation and overcoming. When cultivated to its extreme, its power is almost infinite. It requires the Cultivator to master the power of the Five Elements, namely metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, and to integrate and apply these five powers freely. The five Dao Law powers each have their own marvelous uses, complementing each other; once one can perfectly control them, they can unleash astonishing power.
However, cultivating this Cultivation Technique is not easy. Cultivating all Five Elements means that the Cultivator possesses a Five Elements Spiritual Root and Cultivates five types of magical power. This not only requires a large amount of resources and time but also extremely high talent and Comprehension Ability. Even in the resource-rich ancient times, very few people were able to successfully Cultivate this Cultivation Technique.
Now, with the passage of time, compared to ancient times, the current spiritual energy resources are far less abundant, yet the number of Cultivators has greatly increased, and the competition for auxiliary spiritual materials and Cultivation resources has become increasingly fierce, making cultivation even more difficult.
Under these circumstances, even those from immortal sects or major Cultivation Families rarely choose the path of cultivating all Five Elements. Most people choose to specialize in one or two Laws, which not only ensures Cultivation resources but also improves Cultivation speed.
The time and resources required for cultivating all Five Elements are immense, and the risks are also very high. Once a Cultivator's Lifespan is exhausted and they cannot Breakthrough their Realm, they may face life-threatening danger.
However, Li Mu chose a different path. He not only cultivated this Five Elements Technique but also broke through to the Nascent Soul Realm within a hundred years. This Aptitude is far beyond what ordinary people can achieve!
Moreover, Li Mu has cultivated this Five Elements Technique to a state of perfection; his understanding of the Five Elements power has surpassed that of ordinary people, enabling him to perfectly integrate the five powers, resulting in astonishing power!
On the dueling platform, the battle between Li Mu and Ji Tianyong had entered a heated stage. Their figures intertwined in the air, Sword Qi crisscrossed, and energy fluctuations rose and fell.
Li Mu's Five Elements True Essence was incredibly profound; his attacks were sometimes as fierce as a storm, and sometimes as subtle as a needle hidden in cotton. His Five Elements Escape Technique was used at will, suppressing Ji Tianyong, who was struggling to cope.
Simply by relying on a skilled Five Elements Escape Technique, Li Mu had already established an invincible position.
Even more astonishingly, Li Mu not only possessed profound Five Elements True Essence, but his Divine Thought and sword art were also incredibly powerful. His Divine Thought was so strong that he could easily discern his opponent's weaknesses and evade with ease. Moreover, his sword art was exquisitely refined, always able to effortlessly neutralize Ji Tianyong's attacks while launching swift counterattacks.
The outcome of this battle was no longer in doubt; the entire rhythm of the fight was completely controlled by Li Mu. As everyone watched this duel, they could almost foresee the ending.
The focus of the crowd's attention had now shifted from who would win the battle to how long Ji Tianyong could endure under Li Mu's fierce onslaught.
On the battle platform, the continuous sounds of clashing swords echoed, and Sword Qi surged, creating an intense spectacle.
Ji Tianyong, the most outstanding Nascent Soul cultivator of the Ji Family, was now like a lone boat in a storm, liable to be swallowed by giant waves at any moment.
Ji Tianyong gritted his teeth and persevered, his heart filled with bitterness and helplessness. His Realm was clearly a minor Realm higher than his opponent's, yet in this battle, not only was he unable to defeat his opponent, but he was also suppressed by the opponent in an overwhelming manner, unable to even force out all of the opponent's strength.
Every attack was like hitting an invisible wall; this feeling of powerlessness almost made Ji Tianyong, who always thought highly of himself, collapse internally!
However, Ji Tianyong was, after all, a Prodigy of the Central Plains Ji Family; his unique pride and self-respect would not allow him to fall so easily. Facing Li Mu's overwhelming offensive, he did not retreat; instead, he ignited the Battle Intent deep within his heart.
Ji Tianyong disregarded his own life and death, fully immersing himself in this battle. His sword Moves became increasingly fierce; each swing of his sword seemed to pour all his strength into it.
In Ji Tianyong's eyes, there was only one pure thought left at this moment: fight!
Ji Tianyong no longer showed any retreat or hesitation; an indomitable Battle Intent erupted from him. The Overlord Sword Heart and Overlord Sword Intent were both unleashed to their fullest extent at this moment.
His sharp sword Moves, each strike like a meteor streaking across the sky, carried an endless Aura directly at Li Mu's vital points. The sword light was unstoppable, unparalleled in its dominance, making it impossible to look directly at.
In an instant, the Five Elements Spirit Sword transformed from five blades into one, and a powerful Sword Qi erupted, fiercely colliding with the Overlord Sword unleashed by Ji Tianyong.
It was a head-on confrontation, without any flashy techniques, only pure strength and tenacious will.
With a thunderous boom, Sword Qi crisscrossed and energy waves surged. The two forces collided, creating a deafening sound that made the entire dueling platform and the heavens and earth tremble.
The Five Elements Giant Sword was sent flying by Ji Tianyong's Overlord Sword, letting out a mournful cry before disintegrating in mid-air and flying towards Li Mu.
Clearly, Ji Tianyong's strike had damaged the sword spirits of his five five-tier spirit swords!
Looking at Ji Tianyong again, he was sent flying dozens of steps, sword and all, covered in blood and appearing quite heavily injured. However, his state and Aura were incredibly good, as if possessed by an overlord; an indomitable, fierce, and unyielding Aura burst forth, his eyes firm and fiery.
“After this battle, if Ji Tianyong can survive, the Ji Family will produce another peerless expert!”
Tianshang Honored One's eyes flashed with a hint of admiration as he congratulated Ji Wuheng.
“The Overlord Sword Art is indeed formidable! However, Little Friend Li has not yet exerted his full strength!”
Celestial Venerable Kun Ling couldn't help but praise, saying with a chuckle.
At this moment, a hint of joy appeared on Ji Wuheng's previously gloomy face. Everyone had unanimously favored Li Mu in this match, and even he himself thought so. To advance to the Nascent Soul Realm in just a hundred years while cultivating all Five Elements was already astonishing enough; such Aptitude would make Ji Tianyong pale in comparison.
Not to mention, that boy's profound Five Elements True Essence, Divine Thought, spell techniques, escape techniques, and sword art were all incredibly powerful. Furthermore, he possessed the ability of a Six-Tier Grandmaster Refiner. Encountering such a Prodigy was enough to make one despair.
However, Ji Tianyong withstood the pressure, and in desperate circumstances, he even ignited the Heart of the Overlord, fighting with increasing ferocity and displaying indomitable Battle Intent and powerful strength.
After this battle, Ji Tianyong would definitely Breakthrough to the Soul Transformation Realm, or even a higher Realm, based on the gains from the fight.
The intense battle on the arena continued, with the two fiercely attacking each other, stirring up gales of wind.
Feeling Ji Tianyong's strength and tenacity, as well as his indomitable Battle Intent and Aura, Li Mu couldn't help but become interested. In the Cultivation world, it was rare to encounter such a evenly matched opponent, especially when he couldn't use his six-tier spirit sword and six-tier spirit treasure.
Such an opponent excited Li Mu and made him take this duel more seriously.
To better deal with Ji Tianyong, Li Mu summoned seven gold-element five-tier spirit swords from the nine storage spiritual pearl. Using the Five Elements Escape Technique, his figure flickered, quickly widening the distance from the approaching Ji Tianyong.
Then, Li Mu formed a sword incantation with his hand and unleashed the Seven Stars Sword Formation. The seven gold-element five-tier spirit swords instantly shot out, enveloping Ji Tianyong in the blink of an eye.
The Seven Stars Sword Formation is an extremely powerful defensive and offensive Formation. The seven gold-element five-tier spirit swords formed a perfect seven-star pattern in the air, each sword emitting a brilliant light, as if stars from the heavens had descended to the mortal Realm.
Once the sword Formation was formed, Li Mu could freely control these seven spirit swords to launch dense Flying Sword attacks on Ji Tianyong from various angles and directions.
“Whoosh, whoosh…” The gold-element spirit swords flew like meteors, their sword lights flashing with astonishing power.
Ji Tianyong felt the immense pressure from the Seven Stars Sword Formation. He found that his offensive was perfectly blocked, and the sword Formation seemed to contain a powerful suction force, making it difficult for his body to Move.
However, Ji Tianyong did not give up easily. He ignited his Overlord Sword Heart and Overlord Sword Intent, pouring all his strength into his sword, and resolutely launched a fierce counterattack against the sword Formation.
“Clang, clang…”
Within the Seven Stars Sword Formation, Ji Tianyong repeatedly struck away the Flying Swords attacking him, yet he was always unable to break through the Formation's restraint and quickly fell into a desperate situation.
“Seven Stars Sword Formation? Isn’t this the Xuantian Sword Sect’s famous sword Formation! What is this person’s connection with the Xuantian Sword Sect?”
Recognizing the sword Formation Li Mu was using, Ji Wuheng's face darkened. He looked at Celestial Venerable Kun Ling and Tianshang Honored One, asking with concern, “Sirs, what exactly is this person’s connection with the Xuantian Sword Sect?”
At this moment, Tianshang Honored One and Celestial Venerable Kun Ling also seemed somewhat stunned, their faces showing expressions of surprise.
“That’s not right. Little Friend Li should have no connection with the Xuantian Sword Sect; otherwise, Executive Fang of the Xuantian Sword Sect wouldn’t have invited Little Friend Li along with us!” Celestial Venerable Kun Ling pondered for a moment, then said with certainty.
“That’s right! I can vouch for it; Little Friend Li is indeed not from the Xuantian Sword Sect!” Tianshang Honored One thought for a moment and confirmed as well.
“Heh! The art of sword Formations, this is the core secret art of the Xuantian Sword Sect; only their Core Disciples can learn and master it. Previously, when he used the Five Elements Sword Formation, I thought he had comprehended it himself based on the Five Elements Dao. But now, seeing this Seven Stars Sword Formation, its skillful application and exquisite technique, even the Sword Masters of the Xuantian Sword Sect are far inferior! How could there be no connection between them!” Ji Wuheng stared intently at Li Mu, who was performing sword incantations on the battle platform like flowing clouds and water, his tone carrying an unconcealable heaviness.
Hearing Ji Wuheng's words, the expressions of the surrounding crowd froze, their faces showing surprise and confusion. They hadn't expected that the sword Formation Li Mu used was so closely related to the Xuantian Sword Sect.
“Aren’t people from the Xuantian Sword Sect also here! If you two don’t know, I’ll go ask Sword Master Feng now!” Ji Wuheng proposed bluntly.
…
At this moment, Ji Tianyong was already trapped in the sword Formation, his defeat was certain and irreversible. Li Mu also breathed a sigh of relief, having enough energy to pay attention to the situation below the stage. Seeing the confused and surprised expressions of the crowd, and hearing their discussions, a hint of doubt arose in his heart.
Is the Profound Heaven Sword Formation—Basic Sword Formation Art—that he Cultivates really related to the Xuantian Sword Sect? If there is a connection, how would the people of the Xuantian Sword Sect react?
Li Mu couldn't help but frown, falling into deep thought. (End of this chapter)
