The Earth Element Spirit Ship was extremely fast, and the island below was reached in an instant.
Li Mu had Crimson Refining Fire Phoenix summon the skyfire cauldron, then absorbed the Extreme Yang Heavenly Fire into his body. Extreme Yang Heavenly Fire was precisely the counter to a water-element Seven-rank True Spirit.
"You all help me cover, and at the same time, pay attention to Qing Yue's Undergoing Tribulation situation. Don't let anyone approach and disturb her," Li Mu instructed his beast companions before leaving.
"Master, that old man is powerful. Why don't I take this fight?"
Xiao Jin looked at Li Mu with deep worry, speaking anxiously.
"That's right, Master!"
...
Xiao Wa and Ginseng King also voiced their concern.
"No need to worry, I have my own way to handle it!" Li Mu smiled and waved his hand, flying off the Earth Element Spirit Ship and speeding towards the island below.
Before Li Mu even landed, he first cast out several formation plates, which sank into the island, activating the protective formation.
"Sly Human Race Cultivator, what are you doing!"
White Whale Demon Emperor's eyes flashed with a hint of vigilance upon seeing this, and he questioned sharply.
"Don't judge a gentleman by a villain's standards. What I did, can't you see for yourself? This island is fragile. If I don't reinforce it with a protective formation, can it withstand our fight later?" Li Mu chuckled, responding to the other party.
"How dare you insult this Emperor! Go to hell!"
White Whale Demon Emperor was momentarily speechless, then became enraged out of embarrassment. He stopped wasting words with Li Mu, waving the trident in his hand and charging at him with immense, powerful force.
With a loud "Boom!" White Whale Demon Emperor's spear pierced through Li Mu's body, and a violent force erupted.
With a "Bang," the Li Mu pierced by the trident transformed into a piece of wood, shattering and flying apart. It was clearly a Wood Escape Clone.
Li Mu's true body emerged from the ground, in the full glory of his Five Elements Dao Body. Five-colored Spiritual Qi enveloped his entire body, his skin a faint golden hue, as if a jade bathed in sunlight. His long hair fluttered, dyed a layer of spirit fire, turning crimson, and beneath his feet, gray Spiritual Qi gathered, constantly drawing upon the Earth Element power of the island, allowing him to float in mid-air. Above, the vast ocean's water element Spiritual Qi gathered, ...
This battle was Li Mu's encounter with his strongest enemy—a Seven-rank Demon Emperor—without relying on his five beast companions. He had no choice but to unleash his full power, revealing his Five Elements Dao Body, simultaneously operating the Spirit Devouring Life Nurturing Art and the Star Cloud Contemplation Method at full capacity.
In previous battles, he either relied on his five Five Elements beast companions to fight or on Spirit Treasures, never personally entering the fray to use his Cultivation Technique and personal strength to clash head-on with an enemy.
Currently, this Seven-rank Demon Emperor possessed an extraordinarily powerful Physical Body, yet was slightly inferior in other aspects, making him an excellent whetstone. Li Mu wanted to see if he could contend with a Seven-rank Demon Emperor by unleashing all his close-combat skills.
"Five Elements Power!"
White Whale Demon Emperor's expression became uncertain as he observed the state his enemy displayed. He had initially thought he could easily subdue this Nascent Soul cultivator, but the confident strike just now was easily evaded by the opponent using the Five Elements Escape Technique, forcing him to re-evaluate his opponent.
The power of the Five Elements is the foundation upon which all Dao are built, and also the Origin of all things.
The power of each of the Five Elements contains infinite mysteries, enough to make countless Cultivators exhaust their energy and spend their entire lives pursuing them.
However, the Five Elements power released by this Nascent Soul cultivator before him was a complete convergence of the Five Elements, so solidified in form that it even condensed into a Five Elements Dao Body. This was enough to show his profound mastery of the Five Element Dao.
White Whale Demon Emperor's expression involuntarily grew serious. He cast aside his disdain, realizing that this Nascent Soul cultivator was no ordinary individual.
Just then, Li Mu reached out and grabbed something from thin air, summoning a Six-rank Gold-element Spirit Sword from his storage grid. Grasping it in his hand, his figure flickered, leaving countless afterimages as he slashed towards White Whale Demon Emperor.
White Whale Demon Emperor, naturally unafraid, thrust his trident fiercely towards a vital point of his enemy, forcing a defensive move.
With a loud "Bang!" the heavens and earth seemed to pause, and a powerful energy wave swept out from the center of the island in all directions.
Li Mu and White Whale Demon Emperor separated after a single clash, then immediately collided again fiercely. Their Spirit Sword and trident struck each other violently, leaving continuous afterimages. Both sides' speeds rapidly escalated, with each collision faster than the last.
Loud "Bang, bang..." sounds resonated continuously, and the entire island was filled with their figures. The island's ground collapsed, and giant rocks shattered.
Under the intense collisions, the island's protective formation Li Mu had previously set up was already showing signs of disintegration.
Just as the two were locked in an intense, evenly matched battle, above the island, the Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon also welcomed the arrival of its Seven-rank True Spirit Thunder Tribulation.
With a loud "Crack!" the sky seemed to split open. A thick bolt of lightning tore through the sky, striking down from the vortex-shaped clouds towards the hundred-zhang Azure Flood Dragon in the air.
"Roar!"
The Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon let out a mournful cry to the sky. Despite being mentally prepared, when the lightning struck its body, engulfing it in a dazzling light, and currents surged through its entire being, rapidly moving between its scales, the intense pain still caused the Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon to tremble uncontrollably, filled with immense fear.
Fortunately, it had heeded its master's advice and cultivated the Spirit Devouring Life Nurturing Art to Perfection, increasing its Physical Body strength by dozens, even hundreds of times. Otherwise, this first tribulation lightning bolt would have claimed its life.
A hint of lingering fear flashed in the Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon's eyes. It no longer had any reservations, stubbornly straightening its body to accept the baptism of the lightning.
"Crack!" Another sharp bolt of lightning struck down.
Soon, the third, fourth, and subsequent tribulation lightning bolts struck down relentlessly and continuously, each one more violent and powerful than the last.
Before long, the Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon's massive body was scorched black by countless tribulation lightning bolts. Dense lightning power permeated its body, continuously impacting its Meridians and internal organs, ...
On the Earth Element Spirit Ship, Xiao Jin and Xiao Wa occasionally looked up at the Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon undergoing the Lightning Tribulation, and at other times looked down at their master, who was engaged in close-quarters combat with a powerful enemy on the island below. Their hearts were filled with anxiety, wanting to intervene but powerless.
...
The Seven-rank True Dragon Lightning Tribulation had a lightning cloud radius exceeding a hundred li, creating a grand spectacle that drew the attention of countless high-level Cultivators throughout the entire sea region.
Many Soul Transformation Cultivators, Void Refining Cultivators, Six-rank Demon Kings, and Seven-rank Demon Emperors from nearby flew over to observe whether the tribulation-undergoer could safely pass the tribulation.
However, as they flew to that sea region, they were drawn by another fierce battle. On an island near the Lightning Tribulation, an earth-shattering battle was raging.
The air was filled with dense Spiritual Qi fluctuations, also mixed with Demonic Qi, clearly indicating that two powerful individuals were engaged in a fierce duel.
"Island Lord Ye, you've also arrived!" A Soul Transformation female Cultivator saw Island Lord Ye Qiuming of Thousand Leaf Island and greeted him warmly.
"So it's Fellow Daoist Situ. Do you know what's going on with that battle ahead?" Ye Qiuming returned the greeting, looking at Situ Lan and asking curiously.
The battle ahead produced a powerful Spiritual Yuan fluctuation, mixed with the unique aura of White Whale Demon Emperor. This meant that at least one of the combatants was a powerful individual on par with White Whale Demon Emperor.
"I just arrived as well. Why don't we proceed and observe closely? I wonder which Fellow Daoist has angered the White Whale Demon Emperor so much that it's so furious," Situ Lan shook her head and suggested.
"Alright!"
Ye Qiuming nodded in agreement and proceeded on his sword.
Along the way, the two discovered many Fellow Daoists. After greeting them, they joined their group.
As they drew closer to the location of the Lightning Tribulation and the sea region where the great battle was taking place, the group of onlookers expanded to eight people.
There was the Grand Elder of Wanxing Sect, the Void Refining Cultivator—Chen Xuanzi, the Third Elder of Sea God Sect—the Soul Transformation Cultivator—Situ Lan, the Island Lord of Thousand Leaf Island—the Soul Transformation Cultivator—Ye Qiuming, ...
Everyone sped towards the island, their hearts filled with doubt and curiosity, wanting to know the reason behind this battle. They were even more curious about who had angered the usually good-tempered White Whale clan, to the point of making White Whale Demon Emperor personally engage in a decisive battle.
Everyone's aerial speed was extremely fast. In no time, they all appeared above the island, instantly stunned by the scene before them.
A young Nascent Soul cultivator was locked in an evenly matched, fierce battle with White Whale Demon Emperor. Although the Cultivator was only at the Nascent Soul cultivation level, his strength was enough to contend with a Seven-rank Demon Emperor, and even held the upper hand in some aspects.
"This, how is this possible? The person fighting White Whale Demon Emperor, and evenly matched, is actually just a Nascent Soul cultivator?" The Void Refining Cultivator—Chen Xuanzi, muttered in disbelief.
"Who is this Human Race Prodigy? Fellow Daoists, who among you knows him?" Situ Lan looked at her Fellow Daoists, asking in shock.
"To be able to Cultivate Five Elements magical power to such a profound level, and this Physical Body strength is also so formidable, not inferior to a Seven-rank Demon Emperor's Physical Body—this Nascent Soul cultivator is simply a monster!"
"That's right! Look at how he uses the Five Elements Escape Technique, as if it's an extension of his arm, completely integrated, moving freely. Even though White Whale Demon Emperor's strength is immense, weighing thousands of pounds, its speed is its fatal flaw. In this battle, it can only passively endure the force, with no power to retaliate!"
...
The Cultivators discussed animatedly, shocked by the Nascent Soul cultivator's strength. They had never seen anyone capable of cultivating Five Elements magical power to such a profound level, with such formidable Physical Body strength, even able to contend with a Seven-rank Demon Emperor. It simply shattered their understanding.
"Who exactly is this person? He doesn't look old. How did he Cultivate, and how did he acquire such formidable abilities?"
For a moment, this question couldn't help but arise in everyone's minds.
In this sea region, White Whale Demon Emperor was an invincible existence. Its strength and speed were top-tier in the cultivation world. However, the Cultivator before them was actually able to contend with it, which was truly unbelievable.
The arrival of the high-level Cultivators made Xiao Jin and Xiao Wa on the Earth Element Spirit Ship feel tense. However, after overhearing their comments, the tense expressions of the beast companions relaxed slightly.
After their discussion and analysis, the beast companions could confirm one thing: their master held the upper hand in this battle, and the advantage seemed to be extremely significant.
"Fellow Daoists, look at that Spirit Ship. There are several transformed great demons on it, each with extraordinary strength and Aptitude. What's most astonishing is that Seven-rank plant spirit. Its vitality is so vigorous, as if it can live as long as heaven and earth. And this Six-rank Spirit Ship, could it be the treasure of that Nascent Soul cultivator below?" Just as the Cultivators' attention was drawn to the fierce battle on the island below, a Soul Transformation Cultivator—Venerable Huang Ling—suddenly spoke.
Upon hearing this, everyone's gaze turned towards the Six-rank Spirit Ship floating above the island. Their expressions simultaneously froze, and they all agreed with his judgment.
"You all, do you think that Flood Dragon undergoing the Seven-rank True Spirit Lightning Tribulation in the sky might also be related to this young man?" Venerable Huang Ling paused, then continued.
"How is that possible! Fellow Daoist Huang, your imagination is too rich." When Venerable Huang Ling proposed this idea, someone immediately retorted, clearly unwilling to believe it.
"Fellow Daoist Ye, think carefully. The water-element magical power that Flood Dragon possesses, and the elemental relationship between it and the high-level beast companions on this Spirit Ship—don't they happen to complete the Five Elements?"
"And then look at that Nascent Soul cultivator; his Five Elements magical essence is so abundant, and his mastery of Five Elements power is unfathomable. Therefore, I, Huang, deduce that he must have gathered these five Five Elements beast companions for this purpose. So, that tribulation-undergoing Flood Dragon should have a close relationship with him!" Venerable Huang Ling smiled slightly, elaborating on his idea more concretely.
Upon hearing this, the Cultivators' expressions froze slightly, immensely shocked.
"Dao Lord above, what is the Origin of this young man, to be able to subdue so many high-level beast companions, and to have also gathered the Five Elements?"
"This! Fellow Daoist Huang's words make sense!"
"It must be so."
...
Under Venerable Huang Ling's explanation, the Cultivators smiled bitterly, having to admit that this deduction was highly probable and consistent with what they understood.
For a time, the Cultivators stared at the fierce battle on the island, speechless. They were all calming their minds, digesting this astonishing news.
On the island, after half an hour of fierce fighting, Li Mu had already grasped his opponent's fighting style. He used the Five Elements Escape Technique to evade White Whale Demon Emperor's attacks, remaining calm and composed.
The entire island could serve as a foothold for Li Mu to execute his escape techniques. His figure was unpredictable, and White Whale Demon Emperor's attacks missed repeatedly.
During the intense battle, Li Mu even had enough energy to extend his Divine Sense, monitoring the Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon's Undergoing Tribulation, and also discovered the arrival of the Cultivators from the Ten Thousand Stars Sea Region, as well as other Demon Kings and Demon Emperors of the sea race secretly observing from the seabed.
Seeing this scene, Li Mu's mood became irritable. This battle with White Whale Demon Emperor would likely expose his identity, and at that time, he would probably face trouble from the Ji Family.
"Damn it! How dare you get distracted while fighting me! You're going too far!"
White Whale Demon Emperor perceived Li Mu's state and immediately burst into a furious rage. Disregarding their previous agreement not to use the geographical advantage of the sea's power, his entire body's water element Demonic Qi erupted completely.
In an instant, the heavens and earth changed color. A hundred-zhang-high sea wave rose around the island, transforming into a giant hand that slammed down fiercely onto the entire island, intending to crush this Nascent Soul cultivator into a meat patty in one fell swoop with a saturation attack, leaving him no escape.
Li Mu's expression changed slightly. The gigantic hand condensed the White Whale Demon Emperor's immense Demonic Qi, and with his cultivation, he simply could not withstand it. (End of Chapter)
