Chapter 382 – Thunder Soul Clash
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As Lin Ming leapt onstage, he immediately aroused the attention and cries of the audience. Everyone fell silent, their breath abated; all of them had been waiting for this battle between the two greatest talents of the Five Element Region and the South Horizon Region.
However, everyone also thought it was very unfortunate that Lin Ming and Lei Mubai weren’t on the same level. For one at the late Pulse Condensation period to go against someone at the early Houtian realm… that wasn’t a small gap at all.
“Lin Ming, this damn fellow, he’s just disgracing himself.” At the Thundercrest Sect banquet area, Zhou Xiaoling was glaring at Lin Ming with resentment in her eyes. She raised her fists that were covered in soy sauce, waiting for Lin Ming to be defeated.
As for Zhou Lie, he helplessly looked at his little sister. He thought that after Lei Mubai had proposed marriage to Divine Phoenix Island, Zhou Xiaoling would drop whatever fond desires she held towards Lei Mubai. But, it seemed as if she hadn’t changed her mind about him at all. He had no idea what she was thinking.
“Lin Ming isn’t so simple…” Zhou Lie said. “We have already underestimated him once, do not underestimate him again.”
“Humph! Just you want and see!” Zhou Xiaoling didn’t bother to argue, she was a staunch supporter of Lei Mubai.
Zhou Lie shook his head. Although he couldn’t help but admit that in comparison to Lei Mubai, Lin Ming was sorely lacking. If another year passed and Lin Ming stepped into the Houtian realm, then they would be able to see a fierce competition. But this had happened far too early!
He too hoped that Lin Ming would win, but this hope was very faint. Whether it was Lei Mubai or Lin Ming, neither of them had displayed their true and complete strength. But comparatively speaking, Lei Mubai was much more profound and unfathomable. In front of him, Mu Xiaoqing didn’t even have the strength to resist!
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“Lin Ming, you are too impatient. I was prepared to face you last, but I didn’t think that you would be the second to come onstage.” Lei Mubai looked at Lin Ming as he leapt onstage, his arms crossed behind his back. From his entire body he emitted an arrogant attitude, that of someone who held complete confidence in themselves, and looked at all the heroes of the world with nothing but disdain. As a Saint rank talent from a fifth-grade sect, facing Lin Ming, who was not only from a fourth-grade sect but also had a lower cultivation, he naturally looked at him with contempt.
“I had originally wanted to experience the many chief disciples of the Five Element Region one at a time. After all, this sort of event to compete against so many masters is a very rare occasion. But because some matters have occurred, I’ve changed my mind.” A faint smiled touched upon Lin Ming’s lips, a deep meaning behind it.
Lei Mubai frowned. He didn’t know why Lin Ming was smiling, but this smiling expression caused him to feel disgust. “You think that you have a chance of winning? You don’t seem to have realized the situation you’re in!”
Lin Ming shook his head. “No, it’s just the opposite. You haven’t realized what situation you’re in.”
Lin Ming spoke, but at this time, Lei Mubai ignored him. Lei Mubai only thought that Lin Ming was trying to provoke him.
“Haha! I haven’t realized my situation? It looks like you’re quite confident in yourself.” Lei Mubai suddenly took his hands out, then clenched his fists. An enormous force arose within him, and a thick true essence emerged, nearly substantial. It spilled out like mercury, crushing all the stone tiles of the floor and sending them flying back with true essence.
“What a thick true essence!”
The hearts of everyone present at the banquet were shocked. Was this true essence something that an early Houtian martial artist could have? If they let out their perception, they would be able to feel a thick swirling vortex of true essence with Lei Mubai at the center. It was hard to believe that he was just at the early Houtian realm.
“Words are useless.” Facing Lei Mubai’s true essence that swept out at him, Lin Ming’s clothes fluttered in the air. Lin Ming grasped the Purple Comet Spear, pointing it towards the ground, his indifferent eyes touched with a hint of scorn.
“Your eyes really disgust me. Make your move. I’ll have a look to see whether or not you can force me to use my weapon!” Lei Mubai’s hands gathered together and the dazzling Blood Extinguishing Demon Thunder sparked within his palms.
Chi chi chi!
Lin Ming narrowed his eyes as he stared at the Blood Extinguishing Demon Thunder. He sneered in his heart, ‘If you were a true Thundercrest Sect disciple, I wouldn’t be able to take anything from you. But since you’re not, don’t blame me for stripping you of everything you have!’
“Phoenix Wings Ascending Sky!”
Lin Ming suddenly stepped forwards, a luminous flame burning across his entire body. It was like the mountains and rivers had erupted; he thrust a spear towards Lei Mubai’s chest! Under this spear, the space around it seemed to tighten, a flame phoenix swirling around it. Flames surrounded Lei Mubai!
“This is your move? Too bad, it’s useless against me!” Lei Mubai’s demeanor was calm. He lifted his palms and launched the Blood Extinguishing Demon Thunder. In an instant, it vanished and turned into a pair of bloody netherworld blood claws that shot towards the flame phoenix.
Bang!
The blood claws and the flame phoenix collided. The blood claws latched onto the flame phoenix’s wings, dispersing the fire. The blood claws issued a ‘chi chi chi’ sound as plumes of blue smoke spewed into the air.
“Die!”
Lei Mubai gave a loud shout and suddenly twisted his hands, the blood claws following. There was a sad and shrill phoenix cry that pierced the air, and Lin Ming’s flame phoenix was ripped in half by Lei Mubai!
The hearts of the Divine Phoenix Island disciples suddenly skipped a beat, even Mu Dingshan’s expression changed. Lin Ming’s Phoenix Wings Ascending Sky had been so easily broken!
“I said it was useless!” Lei Mubai jeered. But at this time, his smile froze on his face. After he tore apart Phoenix Wings Ascending Sky, a purple light split the smoke, shooting towards him at an incredible speed!
This needle was two inches long, and a Purple Flood Dragon coiled around the shaft. This was the coiling dragon steel needle!
“Mm? This is…!”
Lei Mubai was beyond shocked. He could feel in that purple light a thunder origin energy that had been compressed to an extreme degree!
“Thunder Soul!?”
Lei Mubai flew backwards, but the purple light followed him. No matter how fast he was, how could he compare to the speed of that coiling dragon steel needle?
As Lei Mubai saw the coiling dragon steel needle about to stab him between the eyebrows, he gave a shout and swiped at his spatial ring, pulling out a deep red blood halberd! This halberd had a nine foot long shaft and a foot long blade edge. It was a deep crimson like fresh blood, and its murderous aura soared into the sky. It was just like a terribly vicious beast all over, causing those who saw it to feel a deep and abiding fear.
Lei Mubai gripped the blood halberd and instantly slashed down at the coiling dragon steel needle.
In that moment, it was like the entire space was blocked by the blood halberd, and the Purple Flood Dragon Divine Thunder was trapped within. The blood halberd carried a vast and endless violent momentum as it fiercely chopped down.
Bang!
The Purple Flood Dragon Divine Thunder was cut by the blood halberd. Countless arcs of purple thunder splashed out, like purple snakes chaotically writhing in the air. Lei Mubai bore the brunt of this shock and his entire body was numbed by electricity. But Lin Ming was no better. His mind was connected to the Purple Flood Dragon Divine Thunder, and when it was cut he had turned pale.
Lin Ming waved his right hand, and the Purple Flood Dragon Divine Thunder that possessed an intelligent will flew back towards Lin Ming, revolving within his hand.
Lei Mubai held the halberd, standing his ground. He looked at the small steel needle in Lin Ming’s hand, and tumultuous waves surged in his heart.
It wasn’t just Lei Mubai, but the eyes of everyone in the audience were fixed upon that normal looking steel needle.
Most of them didn’t know what this coiling dragon steel needle was. They could only marvel at the power of this small object. “It looks likes Lin Ming’s strength is greater than I anticipated. He might have the ability to fight with Lei Mubai. But, that is only to fight. As for what will happen, that will all depend on how much strength Lei Mubai is still hiding…”
A Deep Earth Sect disciple analyzed the situation with an air of self-importance. But this analysis only caused the surrounding Thundercrest Sect disciples to glare at him with derision.
‘You idiot!’
A Thundercrest Sect thought in his heart. As disciples of the Thundercrest Sect, they naturally recognized what this coiling dragon steel needle was. It was a low-grade earth-step Thunder Soul!
It contained an extremely terrifying compressed thunder origin energy. In this aspect, it was far superior to the Blood Extinguishing Demon Thunder!
“A boy with a late Pulse Condensation cultivation was actually able to absorb a low-grade earth-step Thunder Soul? How is this possible!?” Zhou Lie cried out. He was unable to accept this. He was well aware of how difficult and painful it was to absorb a Thunder Soul of that level!
With his Houtian realm cultivation and also with the support of many of the Thundercrest Sect’s treasures, Zhou Lie had managed to jump ranks and absorb a high-grade human-step Thunder Soul. But the pain that followed had him wanting to kill himself. Finally, he had broken through his limits and forcefully absorbed it!
Zhou Lie thought that he had achieved the ultimate heaven-defying act, and was pleased with his talent. But afterwards, he had discovered that Lei Mubai had absorbed a low-grade earth-step Thunder Soul with his Houtian cultivation, and suffered a heavy blow to his self-esteem.
But as Zhou Lie thought that Lei Mubai was an existence that had a chance of becoming a Peerless Emperor in the future, he was just able to accept this reality. But now, it seemed that Lin Ming with his mere late Pulse Condensation cultivation had actually managed to absorb a low-grade earth-step Thunder Soul! Heavens! Was he really a human!?
Zhou Xiaoling stared with wide eyes. It was also because of the act of absorbing a Thunder Soul that her admiration of Lei Mubai had risen so high. But now in just a few days, that act had actually been surpassed by Lin Ming! She also found this hard to accept. In her eyes, Lei Mubai was the most talented and gifted individual in the world – it was impossible for anyone to exceed him. But now, it looked like Lin Ming had already eclipsed him.
Within the Divine Phoenix Island banquet area, Mu Qianyu bore witness to the intense and violent reaction from the Thundercrest Sect disciples, and her lips curved up in a satisfied smile. ‘These fellows are already so surprised. If they knew that Lin Ming had already absorbed the Purple Flood Dragon Divine Thunder over half a year ago, and that his cultivation had only been at the peak Bone Forging stage when he did so, just what sort of reactions would they have? Now that Lin Ming’s cultivation has reached the late Pulse Condensation period, with a sect’s help he might even be able to absorb a medium-grade earth-step Thunder Soul!’
“I never thought this was possible, I never expected this at all.” Lei Mubai shook his head. “I really underestimated you! I have to admit that you have the qualifications to make me a bit serious, but that is also only a bit more serious!”
Lin Ming smiled, a light laugh touching his lips. This idiot, he was knocking on death’s door and yet he still felt so smug about himself. This was also the reason that so many other geniuses died like dogs. Pride blinded their eyes and arrogance blinded their hearts, letting them believe that everything was under their control.
But the truth was that he couldn’t blame Lei Mubai. In this situation, he would also never have imagined that his identity was seen through by Lin Ming.
If there was anything to blame, one could only blame Lei Mubai for having such bad luck.
Since ancient times, Peerless Emperors were existences that had a heaven-defying talent as well as a great destiny that gathered unto their bodies. Lei Mubai’s talent was satisfactory, but it was a pity that he had no great destiny to follow him. Instead, what had fallen upon him was a calamity. Unfortunately, in this life, he had now encountered Lin Ming. And what was most tragic was that he never would have dreamt that Lin Ming had swallowed a Shattered Demon Heart Crystal, and that within that Shattered Demon Heart Crystal was the blood essence of the Netherworld Great Emperor. As for Lei Mubai, the Netherworld Great Emperor bloodline that he was so proud of and that he had hidden, had actually been recognized by Lin Ming.
Lei Mubai slapped the blood halberd and held it across his chest. In that instant, a fierce and violent energy broke forth. This was a top medium-grade earth-step treasure.
“This halberd is a desolate and dangerous treasure – it is a replica of the Forsaken Blood Halberd. Although it is a replica, it has been tempered through a thousand years and stained with the blood of countless lives. I’m anticipating that today this halberd will drink freely of your blood!”