In the next moment, Ye Luqing’s opponent also leaped onto the arena.
It was a youth with a drowsy, lethargic expression, his head bobbing in and out, as if he might fall asleep at any second.
Ye Luqing raised an eyebrow and instantly recognized him.
Inner Sect Disciple of Myriad Arts Peak, Golden Core Peak Stage, Li Yongxing.
Because Ye Luqing’s placement had been relatively late yesterday, she had managed to watch quite a few of the preceding matches.
This Li Yongxing’s fighting style was very unique. Although his cultivation was only at the Golden Core Peak Stage, once he fell asleep and entered a dream, he could erupt with combat power at the Nascent Soul Stage.
Out of curiosity, she had used the System to analyze this Li Yongxing and got a fairly detailed answer.
This Li Yongxing possessed a divine anomaly called the “Heavenly Dream Gu.” Once he fell into a dreaming state, his body could be taken over by the Heavenly Dream Gu, granting him immensely powerful Spiritual Power—even allowing him to fight across major stages.
The side effects were an inability to distinguish between dreams and reality normally, and a Spiritual Power consumption rate far exceeding normal.
With an order given, the battle began immediately.
Ye Luqing formed a one-handed seal, and a blast of Xun Wind Force shot rapidly towards Li Yongxing.
She planned to defeat him before he could be taken over by the Heavenly Dream Gu. This was the best choice, and the most energy-efficient method.
Having just closed his eyes and about to enter the dream, Li Yongxing had no choice but to dodge first. At the same time, he picked up a “Third Art” spell and hurled it at Ye Luqing.
The Heavenly Dream Gu was his trump card, but as an Inner Sect Disciple of Myriad Arts Peak, his mastery of spell techniques far surpassed ordinary cultivators.
Under the effect of her technique’s Formation Spell, Ye Luqing’s Water-Wood True Qi transformed into turbulent rapids and sharp wooden arrows, shooting towards Li Yongxing—only to be shot down, countered by the other’s spells.
The two’s True Qi clashed. It looked less like an Array Cultivator versus a Spell Cultivator, and more like a civil war between two Spell Cultivators.
After the first two matches today and yesterday’s battles, the disciples in the stands felt this fight was starting to get tedious.
“Senior Sister Ye’s spell True Qi is of lower quality. How can she fight Senior Brother Li to a standstill?”
“Because Senior Sister Ye’s spells are launched through Formation Spells. The quantity makes up for the lack of quality.”
“Looks like a long-drawn spell-slinging battle…”
Yet some still watched this match without blinking. They still remembered the scene yesterday where Ye Luqing turned the tables from a desperate situation to snatch victory.
Ye Luqing indeed had no intention of winning through a spell bombardment. These spell arrays were meant to divert Li Yongxing’s attention, preventing him from falling asleep and growing stronger.
Yesterday, Li Yongxing’s opponent was also at the Golden Core Peak Stage. After he entered the dream, he directly took down his opponent with a single Spiritual Impact attack, showing the power of the Heavenly Dream Gu.
Therefore, the safest method was still to defeat Li Yongxing before he could fall asleep.
“About ready…”
Estimating that the spell arrays and Formation Spells deployed on the arena were enough to tie up her opponent, Ye Luqing silently condensed her Profound Yellow True Qi.
She drew five strands of Profound Yellow True Qi from her Dantian, then instantly activated the Profound Yellow Mountain-Suppressing Art, pressing it down towards Li Yongxing.
The overwhelming Earthly Sha Force almost condensed into solid matter, as if a massive mountain peak was crashing down.
Li Yongxing clenched his jaw. He decided to force himself into sleep and gamble on it.
In the heat of magical combat, the chance of successfully entering a dream was extremely low. Even if he could, the time required would be greatly prolonged. It was very likely that before the Heavenly Dream Gu could take over his body, the Profound Yellow Mountain-Suppressing Art’s attack would suppress him first.
But now, this was the only path he could take. Not entering the dream meant being crushed by the Profound Yellow Mountain-Suppressing Art. Entering it offered a slim chance of survival.
Li Yongxing shut his eyes. Golden light instantly bloomed beneath his feet. Myriad fine golden threads enveloped his body in the blink of an eye.
However, just as the golden threads were spreading towards his upper body, Ye Luqing struck him with an instant-cast Formation Spell.
“Wake up!”
The voice was like thunder, clearing the Spiritual Platform and making it impossible to fall asleep.
The speed at which the “cocoon” wrapping Li Yongxing was closing suddenly slowed down.
Simple words could certainly not achieve such an effect. Ye Luqing had infused this voice with the power of the Six Desires Triggering Array.
She had been guarding against Li Yongxing forcing himself into sleep all along. This Six Desires Triggering Array was the final straw that would break the camel’s back.
Li Yongxing’s expression became strained, as if he might wake up at any moment.
‘Victory is certain!’
Ye Luqing thought.
But at that exact moment, a wisp of purple suddenly clouded Li Yongxing’s already open, murky eyes. Then, he fell into a deep, profound sleep.
“Ugh…”
In the next second, the great cocoon enveloping him instantly turned purple, then sealed shut at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.
BOOM!
The belated Profound Yellow Mountain-Suppressing Art slammed down onto the purple cocoon. The solid arena forged from Kun Earth Rock dented and cracked inch by inch, yet the purple cocoon only sustained a single fracture.
CRACK…
The cocoon split open along that crack, and Li Yongxing’s figure was revealed once more.
Ye Luqing’s expression turned grave.
How had Li Yongxing managed to force himself into sleep? What was that purple light? Some magic artifact of his?
But no time was given to Ye Luqing to ponder. A piercing shriek that echoed through heaven and earth erupted.
GROOOAAARRR!
Hearing that terrifying sound, Ye Luqing felt like a heavy sledgehammer had brutally smashed her head.
A Spiritual Impact at the Nascent Soul Stage!
The Steward at the edge of the arena hurriedly erected a barrier to prevent the weaker disciples from being injured by this Spiritual Power attack.
It was only at the Foundation Establishment Stage that cultivators could open their Spirit Palace and condense Spiritual Power, slowly developing into the divine sense for perceiving the outside world.
And to project Spiritual Power outward for attacks, one needed to reach the Nascent Soul Stage.
But the Spiritual Impact released by Li Yongxing had already surpassed the Early Nascent Soul Stage. It was at least at the level of a Late Nascent Soul Stage cultivator who had condensed their Primordial Spirit, or perhaps even a Peak Nascent Soul Stage spiritual attack.
Fortunately, Ye Luqing had maxed out [Unstained Soul Platform · Beginner], granting her resistance to Spiritual Power attacks.
Otherwise, this Spiritual Impact alone would have blasted her unconscious on the spot.
Even so, Ye Luqing’s face was now deathly pale, and blood streamed uncontrollably from her nose.
“Heavenly Dream Gu… truly lives up to its reputation…”
She wiped the blood from her nose and mouth, then struck herself with two recovery Formation Spells. Her condition visibly improved.
Not far away, “Li Yongxing” had lost all control and was now wildly releasing the Heavenly Dream Gu’s Spiritual Impact in all directions.
Perhaps due to the forced dream entry, in this state, Li Yongxing had lost the ability to distinguish friend from foe.
His attacks had no direction; it was more like an impotent rage, a mere wasteful expenditure of power.
Ye Luqing quietly activated the Marrow Mist Array, using it to conceal her figure.
If she could just endure this period of the Heavenly Dream Gu’s rampage, the victor would still be her.
After a long while, “Li Yongxing’s” body slowly quieted down. The purple radiance surrounding him also gradually dimmed.
Sensing an opportunity, Ye Luqing used the cover of the Marrow Mist Array to slip behind him. In her hand was the Soul-Clearing Art, long since prepared and amplified by the Six Desires Triggering Array.
Without a shred of hesitation, she struck this Formation Spell into “Li Yongxing’s” back near the heart. The body convulsed slightly, then fell forward.
Seeing this, she relaxed. Although there were some twists and turns, she had still won.
But right at that moment, the already fallen Li Yongxing’s fading purple light did not dissipate. Instead, it shot directly towards Ye Luqing.
Caught off guard, Ye Luqing couldn’t dodge. The “runaway” purple radiance struck her square between the brows.
