Chapter 936 - Thunderlight Requiem

Just as Sheng Rong was about to shatter Lu Ming's shoulders, the situation on the battlefield changed abruptly.

Everyone's attention was locked on the central platform as they held their breaths, not daring to make a sound. This was especially true for the disciples of White Dragon Peak, who looked visibly tense.

They had already lost two duels, and this was their last chance to salvage their honor.

Suddenly, a terrifying phantom of a giant stag appeared behind Lu Ming, emitting a sinister and bewitching light.

"That's a dark spirit!" an exclamation came from the crowd.

The disciples of the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy were more knowledgeable than those of ordinary sects. This was why they could instantly recognize the phantom as a giant stag dark spirit.

"Lu Ming doesn't possess the giant stag's bloodline. This is the doing of a dark spirit!" Everyone finally realized what was going on.

It made no sense for Lu Ming, who had shown no signs of talent for months, to awaken the giant stag's bloodline suddenly. This could only be the work of a giant stag dark spirit.

The giant stag had died countless years ago, lying dormant underground until Lu Ming had awakened it.

Although his ancestors had once carried the giant stag's bloodline, it had become so diluted over generations that it could no longer awaken in him. However, it made him the perfect vessel to fuse with the giant stag dark spirit.

The dark spirit's phantom was overwhelming, emanating a crimson glow and an outburst of sinister aura that trapped Shen Rong in place, freezing his punches mid-air.

"What terrifying power!" gasped the onlookers. Those nearby felt the full force of the aura, and none had expected Lu Ming's strength to surge to such horrifying heights under the dark spirit's influence.

Shen Rong was in grave danger. The giant stag dark spirit could devour him at any moment.

Just then, a golden beam of light pierced through the crowd. No one saw where it came from. It burst forth from Liu Wuxie's eyes, streaking through the air and driving straight into the heart of the giant stag dark spirit.

A bizarre scene unfolded next as the dark spirit was frozen in place.

"Third Senior Brother, kill it now!" Liu Wuxie's voice echoed. The Conversion Art could only suppress the dark spirit; it couldn't convert it into a devotee.

Moreover, time was limited as Liu Wuxie had yet to master the technique fully. He urgently instructed Shen Rong to kill Lu Ming, the host, before the dark spirit could regain control.

Upon receiving Liu Wuxie's instructions, Shen Rong didn't hesitate to unleash his most potent attack. He was like the divine beast, kunpeng, as he crashed down from the sky and unleashed a suffocating pressure outward.

Even the elders of White Dragon Peak were shocked, as the dark spirit's appearance had left a deep shadow in everyone's hearts.

Under the mighty force of the kunpeng, Lu Ming exploded into a blood mist.

The phantom of the dark spirit writhed in the air, trying to break free from the Conversion Art's control. Without a host to anchor itself, the dark spirit began to dissipate, its power unraveling—unless it could find another vessel.

The moment the dark spirit appeared, a protective light screen rose on the platform, enveloping it. This was to prevent the dark spirit from escaping into the crowd and wreaking havoc in the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy.

After a few minutes of desperate struggles, the dark spirit dissolved into a dark mist.

Shen Rong let out a triumphant roar, leaping down from the platform after killing Lu Ming. With that, Heavenly Gate Peak had secured three victories, a clean sweep that raised their reputation with signs of overshadowing the White Dragon Peak.

Even without a disciple at the Spirit Profound Realm, the Heavenly Gate Peak had Liu Wuxie, who could kill those in the Spirit Profound Realm.

When the four martial brothers regrouped, their faces were lit with excitement.

"Junior Brother, this victory was only possible because of your guidance," Jiang Le said with heartfelt gratitude. They all knew that without Liu Wuxie, they never would have stood a chance.

"We're all martial brothers, so no need for thanks," Liu Wuxie replied with a wave.

The crowd began to disperse as the three battles had lasted for an hour.

"Who's Liu Wuxie?!" A thunderous roar echoed as a figure descended from the sky.

Liu Wuxie's group of four was about to leave when they stopped in their tracks and turned sharply toward the source of the voice.

"It's Lei Yao!" someone in the crowd gasped.

Liu Wuxie was no stranger to Lei Yao, whom he had surpassed on the Mortal Ranking.

Lei Yao had even vowed to reclaim his ranking.

Everyone immediately turned their attention to Liu Wuxie, eager to see how he would respond.

"You're Liu Wuxie?!"

Lei Yao stepped out from the crowd as he scanned Liu Wuxie from head to toe.

"I am!" Liu Wuxie replied with a nod.

He had no desire to fight over the rankings. It wasn't as though he had slain Liu Sheng just to climb a leaderboard.

The Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy maintained three rankings, each intensifying competition and pressuring disciples to prove themselves. While those rankings meant little to Liu Wuxie, they were everything to others—symbols of prestige, power, and access to resources.

"I want to defeat you!" Lei Yao said bluntly, almost causing Liu Wuxie to laugh aloud.

"Not interested!" Liu Wuxie said and turned to walk away. It was undeniable that Lei Yao was strong, but he couldn't be bothered, as he didn't want to waste his time.

"You want to run?!" Lei Yao growled, thrusting out his right hand to grab at Liu Wuxie's back.

"You're asking for it!" Liu Wuxie was already frustrated with the dangers lurking around and had no patience for meaningless fights.

The crowd who were leaving stopped in their tracks with anticipation. After all, the fight between the top three on the Mortal Ranking was rare.

Liu Wuxie raised his hand and easily brushed the force aside, directing it elsewhere.

With a loud rumble, the shockwave from Lei Yao's redirected force sent the crowd tumbling to the ground.

A large circle appeared, with Liu Wuxie and Lei Yao standing at the center.

Lei Yao's fighting spirit surged; he was a battle maniac.

Through the earlier clash, Liu Wuxie could tell that Lei Yao wasn't an ordinary foe. Similarly, Lei Yao looked at Liu Wuxie with a hint of astonishment in his eyes.

"You're strong. This will be fun!" Lei Yao gave Liu Wuxie a thumbs-up. He had acknowledged Liu Wuxie's strength, but that didn't mean he would give up.

"You're not bad either," Liu Wuxie said, his eyes gleaming.

"If I can't beat you in ten moves, I'll acknowledge your ranking," Lei Yao said.

He turned into a streak of lightning and charged at Liu Wuxie without warning.

"The Thunderlight Requiem!" an exclamation came from the crowd. This was why Lei Yao could obtain such a high rank on the Mortal Ranking.

It was rumored that Lei Yao had once fallen into a dark cave filled with lightning as a child. After enduring over a hundred days of relentless tempering, that experience had birthed the Lightning Requiem Radiance within his body; a force so destructive that it rivaled even the Destruction Flame.

Only now did Liu Wuxie understand why he hadn't made it into the top three on the Mortal Ranking previously, even after killing so many cultivators at the Spirit Profound Realm.

Merciless lightning arcs erupted from Lei Yao that rained down upon Liu Wuxie.

The spectacle was horrifying. Though Lei Yao was only at the pinnacle of the True Profound Realm, he was only one step away from the Spirit Profound Realm. But his combat strength had far surpassed those at the lower levels of the Spirit Profound Realm.

The addition of lightning made him virtually invincible among his peers.

Liu Wuxie didn't dare to be careless. Even if the lightning couldn't injure him directly, its piercing force could easily shatter weak points in his defense.

"What frightening lightning energy! Lei Yao is only one step away from breaking through to the Spirit Profound Realm." The discussion originated from the onlookers in the surrounding area. They knew Lei Yao was holding back his breakthrough to accumulate his foundation.

Many cultivators preferred to solidify their foundation at the peak of each realm before making a breakthrough.

The Heretic Blade materialized in Liu Wuxie's hand as he cleaved it down, shattering the thunderbolts coming at him.

A bizarre scene unfolded next as the shattered thunderbolts began to converge and form into more formidable thunderblades, descending upon Liu Wuxie once more.

"What strange lightning!" Liu Wuxie muttered to himself.

The fact that Lei Yao could comprehend lightning energy to this extent meant he was not an ordinary person. Liu Wuxie still recalled that there was a Great Divine Thunder Art among the three thousand dao arts. When unleashed, it would fill the sky with thunderbolts, and the power could obliterate an entire planet.

It was created by the Mother of Thunder, who had long since perished, and the dao technique had faded into myth along with her death.

Liu Wuxie didn't dare to be careless and performed the Seven Dipper Steps, easily weaving through the incoming thunderblades.

A smile rose on Lei Yao's lips at this sight. He had already unleashed three out of ten moves, and Liu Wuxie had remained untouched.

"Thunderstorm Requiem!" Lei Yao roared, and the surrounding lightning arcs became a tempest.

Liu Wuxie stood at the storm's center, at risk of being swallowed at any moment.

The terrifying display of lightning left Jiang Le and the others visibly tense as they watched from a distance.

"As expected of someone ranked in the top three on the Mortal Ranking. He's too powerful!" The disciples of the seven peaks admired in awe. Many had only heard of Lei Yao's name, and he lived up to his reputation after witnessing his strength today.

"Didn't you see the envious expressions on the faces of the Heavenly Monarch Court's disciples?"

Disciples from the three courts were monstrous enough, but those from the Myriad Phase Cavern were actual monsters.

"Liu Wuxie is no pushover either. It's already a miracle he could hold out this long. If it were someone else at the lower levels of the Spirit Profound Realm, they would've been reduced to ashes by now."

While Lei Yao's strength was undeniable, the crowd couldn't help but acknowledge Liu Wuxie's resilience.

Within the heart of the thunderstorm, Liu Wuxie's expression turned grim. He could feel it—Lei Yao had fully mastered his dao technique. The Thunderlight Requiem wasn't just lightning; it carried the essence of wind, twisting together to form the devastating storm around them.

"Cut!"

The thunderstorm coiled into a violent vortex, its force enough to tear apart anything it consumed. If Liu Wuxie were caught inside, he wouldn't walk away unscathed, and even if he survived, it would mean defeat.

There was no room for Liu Wuxie to retreat, and he raised the Heretic Blade, channeling his true essence into it. Lightning also began to crackle on the Heretic Blade, and this was the Thunder God Hammer's power.

Lei Yao had grasped the power once wielded by the Mother of Thunder, and Liu Wuxie had comprehended his from the Thunder God Hammer.