“Don’t even think about a sneak attack!”
Ye Luqing dispersed several strands of Profound Yellow True Qi from her hand, directly suppressing the red Long Blade that was charging towards Ying Qianqian, pinning it to the ground.
In just a single exchange, Tang Hongdao had launched three attacks.
One was the fist of a Body Cultivator, another was the Late Nascent Soul Stage spiritual attack, and the last was that Long Blade, which came from an extremely tricky angle.
Ye Luqing had watched the entire battle between Chu He and Tang Hongdao before, and she knew just how troublesome that Long Blade could be.
Tang Hongdao intended to use the first two attacks to obstruct her, then use the Long Blade to strike Ying Qianqian and break their Yin-Yang Meridian Array.
Though normally an adorable, soft-spoken little girl, she became a different person once she entered combat mode.
If she then activated the Barbarian God Manifestation, the contrast was even greater.
Ye Luqing simultaneously activated six Profound-Tier Superior arrays, and in an instant, the corridor was filled with the interplay of water and fire, thunder rumbling deafeningly, as if several Spell Cultivators of the same level were casting spells at once.
In her normal state, Ye Luqing certainly couldn’t manage this, but for an Array Cultivator, the longer the preparation time, the more numerous and powerful the arrays became.
The time she had stalled during the first barrier now yielded its dividends.
Various pre-prepared, fully charged arrays bombarded Tang Hongdao, while Ying Qianqian behind her occasionally threw out two arrays to weaken Tang Hongdao’s cultivation level and condensed several Formation Spells to bolster Ye Luqing.
For a time, Ye Luqing was wreathed in dazzling lights, her aura approaching the Spirit Transformation Stage, resembling a divine being. As an Array Cultivator, she was holding her own against Tang Hongdao’s offensive, and even trading blows.
On Tang Hongdao’s side, she had also unleashed her full power. With talisman support, her combat strength reached the complete form of Peak Nascent Soul Stage. With the Talisman Cultivation True Disciple Xi Miaoyin manipulating talismans for assistance, her combat power was also considered peerless below the Spirit Transformation Stage.
“Ha!”
Tang Hongdao roared, and a circle of pale blue ripples instantly spread from her body, as if unlocking some sort of shackle.
Her physique swelled immediately, and in the blink of an eye, she expanded countless times, transforming into a gigantic golden figure three to four zhang tall.
It was the Profound-Tier Superior technique, the Golden Body Dharma Aspect.
When executed, this technique provided a Body Cultivator with buffs similar to other Profound-Tier techniques but had the extra effect of enlarging the user.
Among Earth-Tier techniques, there was a superior version of the Golden Body Dharma Aspect, the “Heaven Earth Golden Body Dharma Aspect,” which, when cultivated to the extreme, could allow one’s body to tower over heaven and earth, filling the mortal realm.
At this moment, although Tang Hongdao’s manifestation was only three or four zhang tall, it was already like a massive pagoda.
This was partly because the maze had spatial limitations; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been impossible for her form to swell to seven or eight zhang.
Ye Luqing watched as Tang Hongdao transformed into such a giant, but she didn’t panic and flee. After all, running away wouldn’t do much good.
Besides, she didn’t need to run.
“Little Ying!”
Ye Luqing manipulated the Yin-Yang Meridian Array, channeling half of her True Qi and Mental Energy into Ying Qianqian.
Simultaneously, she brandished the Jade Spirit Sword, executing the One Qi Sword Art and summoning Sword Energy.
Ying Qianqian immediately understood her intent. She flung out an array inscribed on a magical artifact, creating a Clone.
Four Clones simultaneously formed hand seals, and an ancient, profound array diagram suddenly appeared in the sky.
Metal, Wood, Water, Earth…
The four attributes aligned into a straight line on the diagram, encircling into a massive True Qi vortex that directly engulfed Tang Hongdao’s giant form.
This was the Profound-Tier Superior array, the Four Symbols Four Elements Formation – a formation both Ye Luqing and Ying Qianqian originally knew.
Normally, this array was meant to be cast by a team, with four people each occupying a position corresponding to the Four Symbols, coordinating according to the Four Elements within the Five Elements.
By having Ye Luqing summon a strand of Sword Energy and Ying Qianqian utilize her formation clones, they activated this array as if they were four individuals.
The superior version of the Four Symbols Four Elements Formation was the Earth-Tier Heaven’s Net Five Elements Formation. But now, with most of her concentration devoted to the Yin-Yang Meridian Array, Ye Luqing couldn’t spare the effort for a fifth clone, thus she could only deploy the Four Elements formation.
But for the current situation, it was more than enough.
The True Qi vortex swirled faster and fiercer, gradually forming a sky-obscuring barrier of True Qi.
Even lacking one element, the power of the Four Elements turned into a sweeping storm, engulfing everything in this section of the corridor. Tang Hongdao’s giant form, by contrast, seemed small.
The audience in the stands outside was once again plunged into shock, their eyes widening as they stared at the shadow on the projection screen that was unleashing the storm.
Since Ye Luqing’s team and Tang Hongdao’s team were the slowest among the Top 8 matchups, the other three matches had already concluded, so most disciples were watching this one.
No one had anticipated the battle reaching this stage, especially from Ye Luqing’s Dual Formation Cultivator Team.
Initially, everyone had mocked this double-support lineup as a laughingstock, but now, their performance had won everyone over.
However, within the storm, Tang Hongdao wasn’t waiting for defeat.
Her arms crashed down heavily, hammering violently against the True Qi vortex of the Four Symbols Four Elements Formation, unleashing a world-shaking, powerful impact.
Even without divine abilities or spells, a full-strength blow from Tang Hongdao in her Golden Body Dharma Aspect state was comparable to a strike from a Spirit Transformation Stage Body Cultivator.
But this still wasn’t enough. After all, Tang Hongdao wasn’t an Array Cultivator and couldn’t accurately pinpoint the Array Eye.
Although the Four Symbols Four Elements Formation was only a Profound-Tier Superior technique, once four people converged their attacks, its power could multiply several times over.
If the five elements were complete, becoming the Heaven’s Net Five Elements Formation, the power would increase exponentially.
Seeing that she couldn’t break the storm at its core, Tang Hongdao turned her head with difficulty, a flicker of determination flashing in her eyes.
The next moment, as if making a firm resolution in her heart, she roared towards Xi Miaoyin at the edge of the storm:
“Junior Sister Xi, Return Wind Reverse Fire!”
Xi Miaoyin, upon hearing the command, was slightly taken aback. Her hesitant expression vanished in a flash, replaced by unwavering resolve.
The Return Wind Reverse Fire Talisman was their trump card, originally intended for the very end.
But in the current situation, if they didn’t use this Earth-Tier talisman, they would likely be eliminated at the Top 8.
“Activate!”
With a flick of Xi Miaoyin’s wrist, a purple-gold talisman shot towards Tang Hongdao.
Unaffected by the Four Elements storm, as if guided by some Karma, it flew straight onto Tang Hongdao’s body.
Tang Hongdao’s aura instantly returned to its peak. Then, without a second word, she directly activated her most powerful ability, the Barbarian God Manifestation.
The Return Wind Reverse Fire Talisman first imprints and saves the cultivator’s desired state, then reapplies it when needed, allowing the cultivator to return to peak condition for a short period.
According to competition rules, Talisman Cultivators could carry a small number of talismans they had previously created.
This was the only Earth-Tier talisman Xi Miaoyin had ever refined. Though she was allowed to carry it, using it pained her greatly, so she had been extremely stringent about the timing.
In the second match, Tang Hongdao and Xi Miaoyin had encountered the Heavenly Sword Peak True Disciple, Tong Yan. They had been forced to activate the Barbarian God Manifestation, otherwise they would have been eliminated in the previous round.
Tang Hongdao couldn’t use this Earth-Tier technique again in such a short period. Therefore, she could only rely on the Return Wind Reverse Fire Talisman to restore her peak state and activate it a second time.
“Roar!”
After Tang Hongdao activated the Barbarian God Manifestation, her size shrank by half, but the Earth-Tier divine weapon, her Long Blade, also flew back into her hands.
She swung the Long Blade with both arms, hacking fiercely into the heart of the Four Symbols Four Elements Formation.
BOOM! Crack—!
The great formation that had originally suppressed the Golden Body Dharma Aspect instantly began tottering on the verge of collapse. The formation wielder, Ying Qianqian, even coughed up a mouthful of blood, and the clones summoned by the array nearly failed to hold on.
Even with the distribution of the Yin-Yang Meridian Array, her cultivation foundation was indeed inferior to Ye Luqing’s, so she was the first to suffer backlash.
In a few more breaths, her True Qi would be exhausted. By then, the clones would vanish, and the Four Symbols Four Elements Formation could no longer be maintained.
If Tang Hongdao broke free from the formation, they would have absolutely no way to stop a Body Cultivator buffed by talismans and empowered by the Barbarian God Manifestation.
Seeing this, Ye Luqing seemed to have anticipated the situation. She shouted towards Ying Qianqian:
“Little Ying, come to me!”
In the next instant, before the eyes of the gathered crowd, amidst the raging storm surrounding them, Ye Luqing and Ying Qianqian actually embraced each other.
