Chapter 1480: Against All Others

"No—look carefully. It's not just wind and storm. There are other elemental forces in the mix as well." One sharp-eyed cultivator pointed out the complexity of Fang Yi's technique.

"Could that be the legendary chaos?"

"Are you kidding? The energy of chaos is a top-tier elemental energy. Even among the universe, there are few known cultivators who have managed to harness its power. Anyone who can master chaos is surely an apex existence. This tournament is for novices—how could someone like that appear here?"

"That said, the competitor who defeated the Starlit Legend demonstrated control over chaos as well."

"Not just chaos, but time."

"Time and chaos? Two of the strongest elemental forces in the universe?"

Fang Yi struck with overwhelming force, as if he were a heavenly monarch.

The son of lightning blanched. He found himself on the losing end of things; his opponent's wind and storm energy was intermixed with chaos and elevated to a new level entirely. That mix of energies wasn't something that ordinary lightning could compare to.

The son of lightning spread out both hands. His left hand was pitch-black as ink, and his right blazing like the sun. Solar energy seemed to emanate from his right hand, while yin energy surged in his left, shielded by lightning.

Fang Yi's eyes widened.

The son of lightning was displaying two different types of lightning-attuned energy, one of pure yin and the other of pure yang.

The spectators were puzzled by what was going on. How could lightning-attuned energy be decomposed into such polar opposites?

His right hand was like the sun; his left hand was pitch-black, the lightning gathered around it soft as mud.

The son of lightning began, "While studying the pinnacle of lightning, I attempted to decompose it to its constituent elements. In the end, I found a secret that lies at the pinnacle."

Everyone stopped short and listened closely. The son of lightning had traveled far along the path of lightning, and what secrets he had divined from his experience could serve them all well for life.

"When I decomposed lightning into its constituent elements, I came to a shocking conclusion. All things are divided into yin and yang; life, lifeforms, and even lightning."

Many cultivators present were confused. "Lightning, formed of yin and yang? How?"

"Right? Isn't lightning sharp, fierce, and destructive? Surely lightning is the pinnacle of yang energy!"

Some cultivators, however, were more thoughtful. "Could this be the legendary notion that 'all things are birthed in pairs'?"

The son of lightning shook his head. "Lightning is neither of yin nor of yang, but rather formed as a result of collisions between yin and yang."

Fang Yi nodded in understanding.

The son of lightning was talking about protons and electrons, fundamental science knowledge that even middle-school students were aware of back on Earth.

Although the knowledge was foundational, to actually perform the decomposition was an incredible feat. Rather than calling the son of lightning a genius, however, it was more apt to consider him stubborn. Only a genius who had been able to manipulate lightning from birth would be able to transform such a fundamental interaction into a powerful blow.

The son of lightning clasped his hands together, combining yin and yang. A frightening burst of lightning erupted.

"[Wheel of Time]!"

Fang Yi's spear took on the aspects of time and age. Temporal winds buffeted the spear, and a mysterious light began to circle the spear like lightning.

A wheel of light appeared behind Fang Yi, taking on the form of a clock.

As Fang Yi strode forward, a bell tolled to his back. Wheels of time stacked up one after another.

He intended to force a direct confrontation with the son of lightning. The son of lightning's attack was formed by forcibly sending a charge between protons and electrons, and everyone was startled by how strong the resulting lightning was. Even when bolstered by wheels of time, Fang Yi's strength was suppressed.

Through the fight, by personally experiencing attacks from the son of lightning, Fang Yi was attempting to grasp his opponent's intuitive control of lightning.

The images of a dragon and tiger appeared behind Fang Yi, the dragon formed of storm and the tiger of lightning. The storm dragon turned black, while the lightning tiger glowed with blinding light, like a blazing sun.

Fang Yi recalled what Zhang Lie had demonstrated in the third realm. Genetic energy took on an elemental attunement based on one's framework, but other elemental energies could be simulated as well. Another member of Team Zenith had accomplished such a feat.

Yin and yang were fundamental forces of nature, and Fang Yi could well take advantage of these notions to strengthen his own techniques.

The son of lightning was shocked. This technique was one that he had developed over years of deep analysis, but Fang Yi was starting to replicate it at incredible speed.

The son of lightning knew that he couldn't allow Fang Yi to keep growing stronger. A bolt of five-colored lightning struck the son of lightning. His surroundings glowed with color. This was an ultimate technique born of the pinnacle of lightning, combining lightning with the five fundamental elements. The son of lightning's lightning was elevated to new heights, but he was still unable to obliterate his opponent.

Using his immature combination of dipolar wind and storm, Fang Yi blocked the son of lightning's attack.

The two cultivators each retreated to one side.

Meanwhile, Zhang Lie was being besieged by a large group of cultivators. Despite his individual prowess, dealing with a huge crowd was still problematic. It was as though he were mired in a swamp and couldn't extricate himself.

Zhang Lie stepped through the void, a strange formation appearing beneath his feet.

"[Syzygy]!" A pitch-black sun appeared behind Zhang Lie, and a blood moon by his feet. His aura was magnified tenfold, and a halo of black sun appeared above his forehead. Natural law seemed to warp around him. Runes likewise appeared on the bloody moon by his feet, forming an intricate array.

Everyone's energy was drained as Zhang Lie's was magnified.

The cultivators gaped in shock.

"What's this?!" Fang Yi turned and asked in excitement, "Captain, can you emulate Hong Xi's technique?"

"That's rather difficult, I'm afraid."

Fang Yi was speaking of the upgraded form of [Syzygy], which was able to weaken all cultivators in the vicinity and transfer all that strength to a single person or to a group of companions.

In either case, Zhang Lie would be able to handle the situation in far more relaxed a fashion.

The son of lightning frowned. Weakened by Zhang Lie's blood moon domain, his lightning grew faint; on the other hand, thanks to Zhang Lie's control, Fang Yi was unaffected.

"[Floating Clouds]!"

Fang Yi had no intention of wasting such an opportunity. He morphed into lightning itself. Storms rose up all around him, and he left a flurry of afterimages behind.

"You must be the one who slew our young star! Let me see just how strong you are." Suddenly, a Redgold competitor approached, seated cross-legged with his body cradled by a sun. Divine flame burned in his vicinity in a resplendent fashion.