Upon the arena, Wei Tianqi's expression flickered indeterminately as he watched Tong Xiu. With merely a casual preparatory stance from Tong Xiu, the clouds for miles around began to churn endlessly!
A terrifying Spiritual Energy Vortex formed instantly, blanketing the entire arena. This was despite the arena having been fortified by the Sacred Land elders. A deafening sound resonated to the very heavens!
Tong Xiu slowly pushed out a palm. The vast Spiritual Energy in the air instantly converged upon a single point, then slowly drifted towards Wei Tianqi.
"Transforming Sanqing, Departing Fire."
The Spiritual Energy surrounding Tong Xiu swelled, coalescing into a boundless ocean of fire. At that moment, everyone could clearly see an indescribable, ethereal, and astonishing Bagua phantom manifest on the arena floor!
Under this terrifying pressure, Wei Tianqi's body swayed precariously, like a lone skiff in a tempestuous sea.
The spectating crowd leaped to their feet, their eyes wide with disbelief as they stared at the arena, at Tong Xiu, who stood with one hand clasped behind his back, the other slowly pushing through the air!
"This is the Dao Sect's ultimate defining technique, The Truth of Sanqing!!"
"My heavens! Both are Half-Step into Dao Integration. Is this complete domination?"
"Elder Tong might even possess the strength to battle a true Dao Integration expert!"
"So terrifying! In this battle at the Ascension Platform, the other Great Sects are probably just here as foils."
On the Elder's Platform, Key Smoke's eyes narrowed as she calmly watched the figure on the arena. A faint smile touched her lips as she murmured, "Interesting."
Beside her, Great Elder Yang Tianqing glanced at Second Elder Wei Nan and said leisurely, "The Dao Sect isn't playing fair. That's pushing the boundaries a bit, isn't it?"
Wei Nan, stroking his beard as he observed Tong Xiu, chuckled. "No rules were broken. Everything is within regulations."
Yang Tianqing chuckled softly, picked up the teacup before him, and gently blew away the steam. "Having overcome one Heavenly Tribulation while at Half-Step into Dao Integration, he must be incredibly close to the Dao Integration Realm by now."
"Without surmounting the Heart Demon Tribulation, he will forever remain at Half-Step into Dao Integration."
Yang Tianqing smiled faintly, fell silent for a moment, then sighed and said ruefully, "It seems this battle for the Ascension Platform holds no suspense after all."
Wei Tianqi, feeling the immense pressure bearing down on him, narrowed his eyes. His long spear, already engulfed by the sea of fire, began to bend as if it would shatter at any moment. He roared, his aura surging, rising steadily, and the Spiritual Energy fluctuations around his body reached an astonishing level!
"Elder Tong, you are underestimating me too much!"
The earth quaked thunderously!
In the next instant, Wei Tianqi's long spear swelled to a hundred zhang in length, piercing the sky, its tip crackling with lightning!
"Three Harmonies Spear, Nine Heavens Jade Thunder!!"
A wind swept in from beyond the heavens, then clouds gathered from all directions, until finally, dark clouds densely covered the sky.
The boundless thunder pool boomed, and heavy, dark clouds instantly enveloped the entirety of Azure Cloud Mountain. Above, streaks of white light flashed across the azure expanse, where chain-like patterns seemed to form. Countless spear phantoms flickered, faintly connecting to the vast Jade Thunder, resembling a thunder pool suspended upside down from the highest heavens!
This was the Nine Heavens Jade Thunder, using the spear to draw down the boundless Jade Thunder from the heavens!
Wei Tianqi roared; this technique drew upon the power of Heaven and Earth!
"Elder Tong, prepare to receive this spear!!"
The immense, sky-covering palm quickly dissipated beneath this thunder pool. Then, the Jade Thunder swirled, thunder resounding, supported by the long spear, vaguely taking the shape of a Qilin!
A wave of sharp gasps swept through the onlookers around the arena.
The dark clouds were like ink, threatening to crush the city.
"This… Has Elder Wei Tianqi actually summoned nature's spiritual energy, communed with Heaven and Earth, to attack Elder Tong with lightning?!"
"Is this truly a battle between cultivators at Half-Step into Dao Integration? The scale of the battle between Elder Xi of the Sword Sect and Shui Tianyi doesn't even come close to this!"
"No! The power behind their attacks is definitely infinitely close to the Dao Integration Realm. Now, this is becoming truly profound, worthy of the two pinnacle Sects of the world!"
"Can Elder Tong withstand this overwhelming force of Heaven and Earth?"
A Great Sect elder, witnessing the scene, couldn't help but sigh in admiration. He had been fortunate enough to see two true Dao Integration experts battle five hundred years ago, during a contest between the Buddha Gate and Daoism at the Moksha Temple. The rightful source is novel[f]ire.net
In that battle, a Daoist Cultivator had similarly summoned Nine Heavens Profound Thunder to shatter the Buddha Gate's Hundred Zang Golden Body.
Su Bei's gaze was fixed on the two figures in the sky above. He could feel the Qingping Sword at his waist stirring with eagerness. Gently calming its exuberant fighting spirit, Su Bei watched the vast Jade Thunder with a grave expression.
On the Elder's Platform, Yang Tianqing raised an eyebrow, holding his teacup, and said with a smile, "Interesting. Wei Tianqi certainly has some tricks up his sleeve, borrowing the overwhelming power of Heaven and Earth. Tong Xiu might have a hard time withstanding this…"
Wei Nan, who was beside him, however, was all smiles, his eyes showing no hint of surprise. He gestured towards Tong Xiu and said mysteriously, "Great Elder, just wait and see."
The vast Jade Thunder, carrying with it the endless Spiritual Energy of the heavens, furiously bombarded Tong Xiu. Streaks of white light, each hundreds of zhang long, accompanied by a piercing shriek, descended with the hundred-zhang spear, plunging straight down!
"Nine Heavens Jade Thunder Spear!!"
Tong Xiu looked up at the dark clouds pressing down from above, his scholar's robe fluttering in the wind. He spoke calmly, "Wei Tianqi, why are you standing so high up?"
As his words fell, the thunder pool in the sky abruptly stilled. The entire sky ceased its earlier fragmented display!