Chapter 113: Epiphyllum
Chapter 113: Epiphyllum
“You think you’ve got secret arts? What about me?” Li Yi’s lips curled into a thin, icy smile. His magic gestures twisted violently like a frenzied dragon. He gave a sharp shout, “Thunderclap Strike!”
Imperial-Rank Lower-Grade Secret Art — Thunderclap Strike!
This secret art, acquired from the “Master of Melody,” hadn’t seen much use in battle.
Its power was immense, but its mana cost was huge. It also didn’t harmonize well with the powers of the Dragon Turtle or the Ancient Alligator, making it difficult to wield.
But now, as a Lower-Rank Spell Disciple bolstered by the invigorating Great Soft-Shelled Turtle Aura, Li Yi had no worries and could finally unleash it boldly.
Inside his body, the serene, echoing roar of the Great Soft-Shelled Turtle resonated, gradually blending into the bellow of the Kui Bull. From the inside out, the deep, thunderous roar of the Kui Bull shook the land for miles!
“Huh? That’s… a secret art?”
“What kind of secret art? A single, simple gesture holds such earth-shattering power!”
Just the starting stance left the onlookers stunned. Even Zhangsun Shenji’s gaze sharpened intently.
“Hmm?” Sensing the boiling mana within, Li Yi seemed to grasp something, his eyes gleaming. “So that’s it…”
He realized it now. In the past, the power he unleashed with this art hadn’t even been a fraction of its true potential.
Only now, supported by the Great Soft-Shelled Turtle Aura, did a mere glimpse of its overwhelming force finally reveal itself.
The resonant sound, clear as jade, transformed into the towering, mountain-like phantom of a Kui Bull. It reared back, roaring at the heavens, commanding the sky above!
As its roar pierced the heavens, darkness instantly swallowed the daylight. A sinuous, colossal bolt of lightning, like heavenly tribulation from the ninth heaven, plummeted straight down amidst rippling flashes of cold light!
The furious lightning bolt, thick as a water barrel, shimmered with five hues and seven layers, resonating with the five tones and seven melodies. The thunder’s fury was contained, its sonic shockwave invisible, strangely silent.
Where the lightning pointed, silence reigned supreme. Only the crackling sound of shattering void space echoed, unnervingly clear!
Its power could now break the void itself.
“Heh!” Crushing pressure slammed into him. Yu Qian’s face went deathly pale. The Nine-Bend River coiling around him suddenly reversed direction. Carrying an aura of Annihilation, it surged defiantly skyward!
Buzz!
Nine-Bend Flowing Cup!
Thunderclap Strike!
Two colossal forces collided. Yet, still, there was no sound. Countless beams of blinding white light erupted within the void space, flooding outward like a catastrophic deluge!
The spectacular scene instantly drew countless horrified stares.
“What is that?”
“Heavens! Two Lower-Rank Spell Disciples battling with such ferocity?”
“Could this be… a clash of Heaven’s Pride?”
“Both spells are secret arts! And from what I see, at least Imperial-Rank!”
“Imperial-Rank secret arts? Impossible!”
Cries of shock rang out repeatedly.
There were nine Glory Arenas here. Fierce duels raged on four, yet every gaze was glued to this one stage.
Blinding radiance clashed: one a streak of silent thunder, the other a raging river of emerald green. They crashed, crushed, tore, and destroyed each other. The shockwaves escaping their contest made heaven and earth tremble.
“Huh?”
The blinding light gradually pushed downward.
The “Annihilation” within the Nine-Bend Flowing Cup was the bane of most spells, but against Thunderclap Strike, it proved ineffective.
Thunderclap Strike was not lightning. It wasn’t even elemental essence. It was chaotic sound waves — pure, Seamless vibrations designed to rip and annihilate everything!
The savage shockwaves began to dismantle the silver river like stripping silk from a cocoon, bit by bit, gaining the upper hand.
“This can’t be!” Yu Qian’s face instantly drained of color.
Boom!
A colossal fireball shot through the air, flames swirling on its surface like a miniature sun, its heat wave washing over everyone.
Rank 3 Spell — Fireball!
Then, two more fireballs followed in rapid succession, boiling forth without pause.
The three fireballs landed with pinpoint accuracy, forming a triangular shape and detonated simultaneously!
BOOM!
Violent flames erupted into countless fiery tongues, sweeping out in all directions, scorching the emptiness.
Under this inferno, the two secret arts erupted mid-air. An unparalleled blast of wind pressure surged outwards, transforming into a sky-splitting hurricane!
Dust flew, stones rolled. Every single onlooker was thrown to the ground. On a nearby Glory Arena, two battling mages caught off guard were flung violently away.
“The duel ends! A draw!”
The presiding Mage Overseer’s voice rang out urgently.
Slightly winded, he took out a handkerchief and wiped sweat from his brow.
According to the rules, if the Presiding Overseer felt the situation was becoming uncontrollable and casualties might occur, they could halt the duel and announce a draw.
Such an event was extremely rare, especially since the Presiding Overseer’s cultivation level was a full two ranks higher!
“Freaks… absolute freaks…” The Presiding Overseer muttered under his breath while wiping sweat, a knot of dread in his chest.
The rest of the onlookers, though, looked disappointed and reluctant for it to end.
“Yu Qian? See? I told you it was a clash of Heaven’s Pride!” Yu Qian, as a Heaven’s Pride, was naturally well-known.
“Who’s the other one?”
“Hey, I think I recognize him… Isn’t that Li Yi? This guy specializes in puppetry! Fan Wen, the Puppet Master, wanted to take him as an apprentice!” A young mage who had witnessed the “Hundred Puppets War” spoke up.
“No, he’s an Armament Master!” someone else countered. “I heard Yan He, who’s been making waves lately, is his senior apprentice brother! He also had a hand in that famous ‘Profound Darkness Heart’ suit.”
“A Puppeteer? And an Armament Master? Mastering multiple auxiliary professions and still having this level of cultivation?” The person next to him stared in disbelief. “He’s equally matched against Heaven’s Pride Yu Qian?”
“Equally matched? No way, he seemed to be gaining the upper hand.”
“Totally insane! A youth with such monstrous talent isn’t a Heaven’s Pride?”
The whispers reached Yu Qian’s ears, coloring his expression an extremely ugly shade.
In contrast, Li Yi’s expression was calm as he strode forward, stopping face-to-face with Yu Qian, nearly bumping chests.
At this moment, Yu Qian’s face was pale, while Li Yi looked completely unfazed. The difference was stark.
“Well? Want to keep going?” Yu Qian’s words tried to sound tough, but his lack of confidence was plain.
“Heh,” Li Yi scoffed softly, leaning his head forward to speak beside Yu Qian’s ear. “If I were you? I wouldn’t have accepted this duel. You’re Heaven’s Pride. I’m just a nobody. Win, and everyone thinks you should have. Lose…” Li Yi gestured slightly, “…and this is what happens. Honestly? Stepping on a Heaven’s Pride to rise up feels pretty good!”
Yu Qian said nothing. His face was so dark it looked black.
“Zhangsun, let’s go!” Li Yi turned and walked away alongside Zhangsun Shenji without a backward glance.
Yu Qian stared fixedly at his retreating back, utterly speechless.
A long moment later, he suddenly let out a cold chuckle.
“You think I was the one looking for trouble? We’ll see about that!”
…
“What brings you here, Zhangsun?” Li Yi asked with a slight smile as they walked at a relaxed pace.
He understood. While Zhangsun Shenji had fortuitously shielded him from trouble, he was a busy cultivator. He wouldn’t visit the Outer Academy without reason.
“I came to ask a favor,” Zhangsun Shenji began, annoyance creeping into his voice. “That damned Yan Zhao… completely useless when you actually need him…”
“What kind of favor?” Li Yi inquired.
“You’ve realized the path I cultivate, haven’t you?” Zhangsun Shenji asked.
“Of course,” Li Yi nodded. “The Path of Conceptual Realm!”
Among warriors, there’s the debate between the “Way of the Sword” and “Sword Techniques.” Among mages, there’s the debate between “Mana Force” and “Conceptual Realm.”
Conceptual Realm, to put it plainly, is the comprehension of Rules.
Those deeply versed in Conceptual Realm may not even need to use mana. They can wield incredibly powerful “Decree Magic” — Words Become Law!
“Law Saint” Confucius was an ultimate powerhouse who cultivated both “Concept” and “Force.” He possessed both endless powerful spells and terrifying decrees like “The Master Says.”
For normal people, however, lacking such heaven-defying talent, they usually focused on one path, supplementing it with the other.
The vast majority walked the Path of Mana Force. Zhangsun Shenji, however, took a different path — the Path of Conceptual Realm.
His cultivation method had a name — “Groping for Pearls in the Murky Depths.”
His cultivation wasn’t step-by-step, progressive refinement. It was like searching for hidden pearls at the bottom of a deep, dark river. Perhaps he wouldn’t find one for ten years, but once found, a single pearl might match decades of hard cultivation by others.
“Recently, I encountered a breakthrough opportunity,” Zhangsun Shenji nodded.
“An opportunity?”
“The Floating Light Sleep Lotus within my body can trigger profound sensations towards spiritually potent things,” Zhangsun Shenji explained. “Recently, I sensed that within the Soul-Return Marsh, a Mist-Hidden Epiphyllum is about to bloom.”
“Mist-Hidden Epiphyllum?” Li Yi’s eyes lit up instantly.
“Indeed,” Zhangsun Shenji confirmed. “But you know what the Soul-Return Marsh is like… My current strength isn’t sufficient. I need your help.”
Li Yi nodded in understanding.
“The Mist-Hidden Epiphyllum, while rare, isn’t truly useful for me. What I need is to observe its fleeting bloom and withering, to comprehend the Conceptual Realm within it. How about it? You accompany me. You take the flower. I take the insight!”
Though inwardly, a slight doubt stirred within him.