"Buzz!"
"Here it comes!"
With a hum, Lin Chu felt the spiritual energy in the heavens and earth converge from all directions. Clearly, the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish's advancement was nearing its end.
"Boom!"
As Lin Chu and Shi Wendong closely watched the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish above the water pillar, a thunderous roar suddenly echoed from the sky. Lin Chu and Shi Wendong immediately looked up.
They saw a lightning bolt as thick as an arm descend from the sky with lightning speed towards the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish above the water pillar.
"So beasts undergoing advancement must indeed endure a lightning tribulation. Senior Brother Lin Chu, as long as this Five-Spotted Dragon Fish survives this lightning tribulation, it will successfully advance." Seeing the lightning strike, Shi Wendong nodded slightly and then said to Lin Chu.
Lin Chu nodded, clearly understanding the matter of beasts undergoing tribulations.
As the lightning gradually dissipated in the sky, the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish above the water pillar slowly reappeared before their eyes. Seeing the spiritual energy seeping from the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish, Lin Chu and Shi Wendong's breathing quickened.
Lin Chu and Shi Wendong knew that the competition between them was about to begin!
"Whoosh!"
Just as Lin Chu and Shi Wendong were ready, the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish above the water pillar had already completed its advancement. Without waiting for the water pillar to recede, the successfully advanced Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King suddenly leaped with its tail, plunging into the water and rapidly fleeing into the distance.
Clearly, Lin Chu and Shi Wendong had already been detected by the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish. Everything before was merely for its advancement, and it had paid them no mind.
"What a cunning Five-Spotted Dragon Fish. No wonder it managed to advance. However, it's too late to think of escaping now!"
Seeing the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King fleeing rapidly, Shi Wendong was first astonished, then a slight smile curved his lips. He reached down towards the Flowing Sand River below, and a twin-headed spear suddenly shot out, swiftly flying towards the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King.
As if sensing danger, the advancing body of the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King suddenly veered. Bubbles emerged, seemingly substantial, surging towards the twin-headed spear. Then, the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King fled again.
"This is... a spirit weapon?!" Seeing the emergence of the twin-headed spear, a flash of shock crossed Lin Chu's eyes. He had not expected Shi Wendong to possess a spirit weapon. Subsequently, Lin Chu's gaze towards Shi Wendong became exceptionally intense.
Possessing a spirit weapon was enough to prove Shi Wendong's powerful background.
"I underestimated him. It seems I don't know enough about the disciples within the Young Sect." Lin Chu thought to himself.
He was not worried about the rapidly fleeing Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King at all. With a spirit weapon in play, the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King would absolutely not escape, otherwise spirit weapons would not be so rare.
Moreover, since Shi Wendong had chosen to act, he would lose face if he failed. Lin Chu could also use this opportunity to understand Shi Wendong's strength and the power of the spirit weapon.
Indeed!
Seeing the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King expel numerous seemingly solid bubbles, Shi Wendong's expression remained unchanged. He simply pointed downwards, and a purple light shot out from the tip of the twin-headed spear, instantly piercing the bubbles. Then, with a surge of speed, the spear struck the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King.
Subsequently, Shi Wendong waved his hand, and the twin-headed spear flew back into his grasp. At one end of the twin-headed spear was the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King.
"Senior Brother Lin Chu, now that the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King is secured, the duel between us begins." Shi Wendong glanced at the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King, then turned to face Lin Chu and said slowly.
As his voice fell, Shi Wendong's arm tensed, and the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King's corpse fell into the Flowing Sand River. A spiritual energy then bound the corpse, keeping it suspended in place.
"Very well." Lin Chu nodded slightly at this. With a thought, the spiritual energy within his body began to circulate.
"Since the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King is secured, I find your agreed-upon wager agreeable. Therefore, I shall act as the referee for this battle." As Lin Chu's spiritual energy circulated, a figure rapidly shot forward. It was Elder Yang Yun, who had been closely observing.
"With Elder Yang Yun as the referee, the fairness of this battle is assured. We thank you, Elder Yang Yun." Upon Elder Yang Yun's appearance, both Lin Chu and Shi Wendong bowed in greeting.
"It is somewhat surprising to me that you two have chosen this method to decide who obtains this opportunity. This shows your magnanimity. Now, the victor of this battle will obtain the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King. The loser will receive a Void Breaking Pill as compensation from me."
"Although its effects are not as potent as the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King, it can still advance one's strength. I only hope that you two will bring glory to our Young Sect and the Ordinary Disciple faction on the day of the grand competition!"
Elder Yang Yun nodded, then waved his hand. A layer of spiritual light rapidly appeared above the gently flowing river. The light then solidified, becoming firm.
"Senior Brother Lin Chu, please guide me!" Seeing Elder Yang Yun's actions, Shi Wendong, wielding the twin-headed spear, bowed slightly towards Lin Chu. Immediately, an astonishing aura erupted from within him. Clearly, Shi Wendong possessed formidable combat power.
"Please!" Lin Chu also responded with a thought, and the spiritual energy from within his spiritual soul surged out like a gale. His robes fluttered as if in the wind, and his divine sense instantly locked onto Shi Wendong.
"Spear emerges like a dragon!" Seeing Lin Chu's stance, Shi Wendong struck first. The twin-headed spear vibrated slightly, and a dragon's roar echoed as it swiftly pierced towards Lin Chu.
Lin Chu responded by forming hand seals and then shouted, "Meteor Holy Slash!"
The spiritual energy within Lin Chu rapidly condensed into a spiritual light, transforming into a great saber that descended from the heavens to cleave at Shi Wendong's twin-headed spear. Shi Wendong merely glanced at it, his twin-headed spear shaking rapidly without fear.
"Clang!"
With a ding, Lin Chu instantly saw a point of cold light shoot out from Shi Wendong's twin-headed spear. The great saber formed from his spiritual energy was instantly pierced, dissipating into a shower of spiritual light.
"Is this the power of a spirit weapon?" Lin Chu muttered softly, his fighting spirit burning even hotter in his eyes.
"Senior Brother Lin Chu, be careful!" Having shattered Lin Chu's attack with a single thrust, Shi Wendong shouted loudly.
"Triple Claw Strike!"
As Shi Wendong's voice fell, the twin-headed spear in his hand flew out, heading straight for Lin Chu.
Lin Chu's pupils flickered slightly at this. With a thought, the strength of his physical body instantly gathered in his left arm, and he unleashed a punch towards the hurtling twin-headed spear.
"Bang!"
"Bang, bang!"
With a single punch, it collided with the twin-headed spear. After three resounding impacts, Lin Chu was forcefully pushed back several hundred meters by the twin-headed spear. A drop of blood slowly dripped from Lin Chu's fingertip.
"What a peculiar attack." Lin Chu stopped, completely unconcerned about the injury to his hand. In the recent exchange, the twin-headed spear had thrust out three consecutive times, each strike more powerful than the last.
Moreover, that cold light had pierced through Lin Chu's defense, inflicting a wound on his left arm.
"Junior Brother Wendong, I will no longer hold back!" Having experienced the power of the spirit weapon, the look in Lin Chu's eyes grew serious.
As his words fell, the three divine abilities imparted by Yang Song instantly appeared in his mind.
With a movement of his hands, the spiritual energy from within his spiritual soul erupted, rapidly condensing in his palms. As Lin Chu moved, the surrounding space seemed to freeze as if in a vacuum.
After a few breaths, Lin Chu suddenly looked up, slowly pushed his left hand forward, and his voice became extremely cold: "Immovable King Seal!"
As Lin Chu's words fell, a massive handprint, as if descending from the heavens, appeared above Shi Wendong and rapidly pressed down towards him.
Shi Wendong felt a powerful sense of crisis and immediately grasped at the void. The twin-headed spear was instantly recalled.
"Crescent Moon Bodyguard!"
As Shi Wendong's voice fell, the twin-headed spear detached from his hand and rapidly spun around Shi Wendong's body. A hurricane rose with the rotation of the twin-headed spear. The twin-headed spear shimmered with cold light, vaguely resembling a bright moon.
"Descend!"
Seeing Shi Wendong intending to meet his attack head-on, Lin Chu no longer held back. He flicked his finger towards Shi Wendong, and the massive handprint that was about to fall onto Shi Wendong instantly accelerated.
"Rumble!"
The handprint collided with the hurricane, instantly erupting with a startling roar. Then, Shi Wendong's entire figure was engulfed by the handprint.
Elder Yang Yun, who was watching this scene, also focused his gaze slightly. After a moment, a hint of surprise flickered in his eyes as he murmured, "I initially thought that with Shi Wendong's assistance from a terrestrial spirit weapon, Lin Chu would be at a disadvantage. Now it seems Lin Chu is no pushover either. However, the power of a terrestrial spirit weapon is not that simple."
Indeed!
As Elder Yang Yun's words fell, a figure shot out amidst the swirling spiritual light. A spear in his hand let out a war cry that resounded through the heavens.
"I didn't expect Senior Brother Lin Chu to completely suppress me without a spirit weapon. If I had a spirit weapon in hand, I fear I would be the one defeated today." Shi Wendong's robes fluttered, and he held the twin-headed spear with an ethereal grace.
His spiritual energy surged, and his eyes were filled with battle intent. From his words, it was evident that Shi Wendong had not conceded defeat. It seemed he still possessed more powerful means.
After listening to Shi Wendong's words, Lin Chu also took a deep breath. With a spirit weapon in hand, Shi Wendong was indeed difficult to deal with. However, after confirming that Shi Wendong was not seriously injured, Lin Chu felt relieved.
This was the first time he had unleashed the Immovable King Seal, and its power was sufficient to heavily injure a cultivator in the early stage of the Spiritual Soul realm. Initially, Lin Chu had been worried about Shi Wendong's safety, but now it seemed he had worried unnecessarily.
After all, Shi Wendong possessed a spirit weapon.
Lin Chu also saw that Shi Wendong was able to withstand his attack primarily because the spirit weapon had absorbed most of the damage. Therefore, seeing the fervent battle intent in Shi Wendong's eyes, Lin Chu nodded slightly and raised his hands again with a thought.
"Junior Brother Wendong, I will unleash one more move. If you can withstand it, I will cede the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King to you." As Lin Chu's words fell, his hands shifted again, and the spiritual energy from within his spiritual soul flowed along his meridians into his arms, rapidly condensing in his palms.
"Good!" Shi Wendong's eyes held a trace of solemnity upon hearing this. Since Lin Chu had said these words, the power must surely be even greater than the previous move.
However, with a spirit weapon, Shi Wendong clearly possessed sufficient confidence. Moreover, he himself was in the early stage of the Spiritual Soul realm, and Shi Wendong did not believe he was significantly weaker than Lin Chu.
"Is this the final showdown?" Elder Yang Yun murmured, watching the actions of Lin Chu and Shi Wendong, then fixed his gaze firmly upon them.
"Thunderous Imperial Seal!"
With a thought, Lin Chu let out a booming shout and pointed at Shi Wendong again.
As Lin Chu pointed, the spiritual ball condensed in his hand instantly erupted with thousands of feet of light. Within the light, the surrounding spiritual energy was continuously drawn in. A golden seal slowly materialized.
"Huh? How did Lin Chu learn such a powerful move? This move is several times more potent than the previous one. I wonder if Shi Wendong can withstand it."
Elder Yang Yun's expression also became somewhat grave as he watched Lin Chu's movements.
At this moment, Shi Wendong's expression was also quite serious upon seeing the golden seal Lin Chu had unleashed. The spear in his hand spun rapidly, acting like a shield in front of him. Then, the spiritual energy within Shi Wendong was continuously infused into the twin-headed spear, which also emitted an astonishing radiance.
"Wind Slash, Electric Pierce!"
As Shi Wendong's face grew paler, he let out a fierce cry. The rapidly spinning twin-headed spear suddenly shot towards the golden seal Lin Chu had condensed.
This time, Shi Wendong did not choose to defend but opted for an offensive defense. Clearly, he intended to compete with Lin Chu in terms of power.
Seeing this, a smile appeared on Lin Chu's face. With a thought, he slowly spoke towards the twin-headed spear shot by Shi Wendong: "Descend."
The golden seal absorbed the spiritual energy, its radiance becoming even brighter. At Lin Chu's command, it instantly pressed down towards the twin-headed spear. Wherever it passed, space shuddered. The water of the Flowing Sand River below also churned with massive waves.
"Boom!"
In a flash of lightning, the golden seal and the twin-headed spear violently collided, and a thunderous roar echoed through the heavens and earth.
As the roar subsided, Elder Yang Yun's eyes held a look of shock. In mid-air, the golden seal and the twin-headed spear resisted each other, neither gaining the upper hand. The space around them cracked, clearly unable to bear their power.
"Now, it all depends on whose spiritual energy reserves are more profound." Elder Yang Yun shook his head slightly, observing this scene. He then shifted his gaze to Lin Chu, a hint of admiration in his eyes. Based on his previous observations, he had already compared the spiritual energy storage of the two.
Naturally, he could now instantly determine who would win this wager.
Indeed!
After the golden seal and the twin-headed spear had been locked in confrontation for half a minute, a mournful cry emanated from the spear, and its spiritual light weakened before it fell. Along with the dissipation of the twin-headed spear's spiritual light, Shi Wendong simultaneously spat out a mouthful of blood, his already pale face turning even paler.
Seeing Lin Chu, whose expression remained unchanged, a hint of bitterness flashed across Shi Wendong's lips. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, then clasped his hands towards Lin Chu and said, "Senior Brother Lin Chu truly lives up to his title as the chief of the Ordinary Disciples. I have lost this battle."
"Junior Brother Wendong, do not be discouraged. If I hadn't learned the third-tier absorption technique that my elder sister taught me, I would likely be the one who lost today." Lin Chu clasped his hands in return.
The reason for this was that Lin Chu knew his techniques would attract Elder Yang Yun's attention upon his appearance. By bringing up Bai Yuwei's name, he was providing himself with an excuse. Lin Chu believed that Elder Yang Yun would not be suspicious because of this.
"So it was taught by the Saintess herself, no wonder your spiritual energy is inexhaustible. However, this battle can be considered fair. Lin Chu has the third-tier absorption technique to recover spiritual energy, and Shi Wendong has the augmentation of a terrestrial spirit weapon."
"Since Shi Wendong has conceded, I declare Lin Chu the winner of this battle. The Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King is yours. Wendong, take this Void Breaking Pill. Also, I happened to capture seven Five-Spotted Dragon Fish out of boredom earlier. Although they are not comparable to the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King, they can serve as some compensation. Take them as well."
A hint of realization flashed in Elder Yang Yun's eyes. He smiled at Lin Chu and Shi Wendong, his face filled with joy. He then waved his hand, and a jade bottle and seven Five-Spotted Dragon Fish instantly shot towards Shi Wendong.
"Thank you, Elder Yang Yun." Shi Wendong's eyes also gleamed with joy, and he received them.
Elder Yang Yun nodded, then looked at Lin Chu and said, "The Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King is dead. If it is not consumed within three hours, its efficacy will be greatly reduced. Therefore, Lin Chu, you should go and consume it now."
"Yes." Lin Chu nodded, his heart filled with excitement. He immediately rushed towards the Flowing Sand River below, heading towards the location where Shi Wendong had placed the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King.
"How dare you, you scoundrel!"
Just as Lin Chu was about to reach the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King, a furious voice suddenly rang out. Lin Chu looked up, and his vision blurred. The Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King, which was within his grasp, instantly vanished before his eyes.
Not far away, a figure of similar age to Elder Yang Yun was holding an object, which was the Five-Spotted Dragon Fish King.
"Liu Buren, daring to act within our Young Sect's domain, are you tired of living?"