The stadium was deathly silent as everyone watched the young man step forward, a sword in his hand and lightning illuminating him. Every droplet of rain that fell onto him instantly vaporized into steam. His white hair fluttered in the wind, while his sword was wreathed in flame and lightning.
No one had expected that he, who was destined for tragedy today, would have such a moving aura!
Everyone was aware that his name was Li Tianming, and everyone was aware of just how many miracles he had created since returning to Ignispolis. And everyone was aware that, today, he stood on the battlefield to challenge that lofty figure in his destiny!
However, the unbridgeable gulf in power made people feel nothing but pity for him.
“If Li Tianming doesn’t die here today, his future is limitless.”
“It’s either him or Lin Xiaoting today! However, Lin Xiaoting has received Heaven’s Elysium’s favor. How could he fall today?”
After a day had passed, the number of believers in the truth had also increased. It was this group that was filled with regret for Li Tianming.
“He’s just as daring as Mu Yang. Alas, he wasn’t born in Wei Manor, and when he did obtain a treasure, it was robbed from him.”
“If he dies here, he deserves respect.”
Hidden among the crowd of onlookers was an insignificant man dressed in a black raincoat that covered his whole body: Li Yanfeng. His gaze fell on Li Tianming, then shifted to Lin Xiaoting. Finally, it was directed to the Lightning Seigneur, Lin Tao, who was lying on a sickbed. His gaze turned ferocious. “Spectating from the bed?”
“Li Tianming, you’ve left me shocked time and time again since you left Flamehaven. If you manage to kill Lin Xiaoting today, you’ll have completely convinced me. I’ll even help you this time and remove Lightning Manor from Ignispolis! It can be considered a conclusion to our twenty years of father and son connection.” Li Yanfeng’s gaze never left the Lightning Seigneur.
Yesterday, he had staked his life to fight for Lightning Manor. When he was high and mighty, the Seigneur had promised to make him the second-in-charge of Lightning Manor. However, when he had lost, he was forced to crawl out of the stadium like some unwanted dog.
“For every debt, there is a debtor. As people, we really can’t be too arrogant.”
The Flameyellow Stadium was a microcosm of life. Some were worried, some furious, some were hot-blooded, and some were uncaring, only here to watch a show.
When Li Tianming stepped through the barrier, Yueling Ji, dressed in white, descended from the stormy sky like a goddess. The stadium, which had been turned into a watery realm in the storm, was now a world that belonged to her. She stepped forward, her Wind Cometh Blade in one hand and Snow Fall Blade in the other. The wind howled as it swept across the land, and snow fell, freezing over the world.
“Li Tianming. We don’t have a grudge between us. I don’t want the limelight today, so I won’t kill you. But, I will show you how I’ve created a gap between us that you will never cross. That gap is known as eight-star lifebound beasts and the marvels of Unity! Before you perish here today, let me, Yueling Ji, show you the true power of Heaven’s Elysium disciples.”
When she finished speaking, Li Tianming raised his head to look at the girl in the air.
“Are you done prattling?” Li Tianming’s tone was even frostier than her snow.
“Yes, so… let’s fight!” Yueling Ji was very displeased by his gloomy attitude.
“Come out!” At her call, her Blizzard Spirit Dragon charged out. The dragon, which had alternating blue and white scales, gave a howl that caused the entire stadium to shake. The storm was its domain! And although it wasn’t fully mature, the dragon’s awe-inspiring and mighty presence, as well as its noble bloodline, was undeniable and worthy of admiration.
It was no longer a mere Blizzard Dragon. It was even more massive and impressive now, and its claw that previously had four claws now had five.
Who was it that claimed that now that the older generations had fought, there would be nothing exciting to watch in the younger generation’s fight?
A massive pair of eyes locked on to Li Tianming. Yueling Ji was currently atop its head. Although the pair were only twenty, who would dare challenge their majesty?
“I heard you became a twin beastmaster?” Yueling Ji asked disdainfully.
“Yes, you heard correctly.” Under a flash of lightning, two lifebound beasts suddenly appeared on Li Tianming’s left and right shoulders. They were a little yellow chick and a little black cat.
However, no one was laughing at how cute they were anymore.
That was because, as of this moment, they were overflowing with the aura of massive beasts. Meow Meow was even wide awake. This was the first time the Genesis Chaos Thunderfiend had publicly appeared, quickly drawing the attention of everyone. No one understood how Li Tianming’s beast could be so young, yet so strong.
However, there was no time to question it, as the two beasts quickly left Li Tianming. The little chick soared into the skies, its body aflame and the storm unable to touch it. As for the black cat, it arched its body and raced toward Yueling Ji with light steps. Its swaying body was accompanied by the rumbling of thunder.
Its blue eyes had already become wrapped up by lightning, and its pupils had already turned into two slits, making it look like a fierce and ruthless wildbeast, a fiend born from lightning!
“Attack!” A wondrous change befell Yueling Ji and her dragon. Their powers began to ripple out and merge together. With them as a core, a ‘bipolar domain’ was formed. This was one of the characteristic properties of the unity field.
The unity field was the core of the cooperation between a lifebound beast and beastmaster. The two could use the field to manipulate energy, such as gathering the spiritual energy of the world and infusing it for an explosive attack in battle. It was one of the terrifying means available to a Unity stage beastmaster.
The unity field would also create ‘nexuses’ to act as their core. Having an eight-star lifebound beast meant Yueling Ji could create a total of eight. Each nexus was independently capable of manipulating and infusing energy, causing the beastmaster to grow much stronger than before the nexuses had been created.
It could also be used as a medium to unleash a lifebound beast’s spiritsource abilities.
Yueling Ji hadn’t had time to train the stronger abilities of a Unity-level cultivator yet. However, her ‘snow field’ had turned the surrounding area into her personal territory. Just by coming near her, enemies would be passively assaulted by the snow without her needing to lift a finger. If anyone asked, she would refuse to believe it was possible to break through it!
Hence, with it activated, she charged at Li Tianming together with her dragon.
“If you don’t do anything and let me attack first, you won’t get a chance.” Yueling Ji gave a ghastly smile.
“Alas, you’re not qualified to make me attack personally.” Li Tianming’s mouth slightly curved upward.
“I don’t?” Yueling Ji involuntarily laughed. Was he mentally challenged, or had he lost his mind?
“Correct, Yueling Ji. You. Do not. Qualify.” Li Tianming stabbed his sword into the ground, then stepped back ten meters.
“Bold words!” Yueling Ji was furious. “KILL HIM!”
Her command given, the dragon gave a furious roar.
“Your opponent is us!” Suddenly, a little chick appeared in front of them.
“Get lost!” Yueling Ji launched her Whirlwind Nine Strikes. From all angles, it seemed like just the first strike would kill the little chick. Her dragon also activated a spiritsource ability, unleashing a breath of cold air that froze the storm in its path.
“Truly… weak.” The little chick flickered past the attacks, heading straight for Yueling Ji. Its tiny claw created a massive phantom claw that filled the skies.
No one present could tell this was Mu Yang’s Demise of Man sword art, Spectral-Dance!
Horrifying force was contained within the claw. The chick’s overbearing eighth level Spiritsource beast ki was even greater than Yueling Ji’s Unity beast ki, and its beastial arts were even more profound than her martial arts.
As for the dragon’s ability, the little chick belched out a fiery phoenix that immediately vaporized it before slamming into the dragon itself, eliciting a miserable shriek from the giant beast.
Finally, the little chick’s claw slammed into Yueling Ji’s Wind Cometh Blade and knocked it away. It continued past her, leaving burn marks on her waist from the Infernal Armor that was covering it.
An ice-type lifebound beast was utterly incapable of penetrating its armor.
The Blizzard Spirit Dragon was well and truly furious now. It unleashed all eight of its spiritsource abilities together, releasing a wave of energy that froze the very air itself and forced the monstrous little chick to retreat.
However, at that moment, lightning began gathering at the top of the barrier.
1. The author really likes to push the idea that Li Tianming is a "crazed demon", which is a reference he uses throughout the novel. I cut it here, because I don't think it's appropriate in this particular instance (where he’s not acting crazed, but rather cold and impassive), but it's a recurring theme and a part of how the world in general sees him.