Ye Futian's wings were dazzling; it was as if the shadow of a Roc had appeared. He blazed at Xie Ji like a bolt of lightning. However, one fiery Dark Lotus after another came at him, each packing incredible destructive potential.
Ye Futian picked up speed and drew a beautiful arc, like mirages blitzing forward. However, the number of lotuses grew in response, and a terrifying dark fire blazed. Countless lotuses blocked his way. Ye Futian tried to cast freezing spells and brought about freezing aura in an attempt to snuff out the fires of the lotuses. Yet all he heard were sizzling noises; his freezing spells evaporated almost instantly by the flames.
"Xie Ji is marking his own turf by exerting his own spirit and will onto the place, and he cast that incredibly terrifying World-burning Lotus. Ye Futian's plane has been weak all along, and none of his water-elemental spells could have worked." This was the opinion many people watching held.
A fearsome Meteorite Storm appeared around Ye Futian, cloaking him in terrifying starlight as he continued moving forward. The Meteorite Storm clashed hard with the Dark Lotuses. He had intended to use such measures as a defense and carve his way in. However, the Dark Lotuses latched onto the Meteorite Storm and went on to eat at the rocks. The meteorites burned soon and the fire spread, threatening to burn Ye Futian's starry world to dust.
Countless Dark Lotuses turned into enormous petals blocking Ye Futian's way forward completely. It happened with all the other directions as countless more gathered around, turning into petals to do the same. A huge lotus platform appeared beneath Ye Futian. Xie Ji's Life Spirit was unleashed, melding with the platform of the lotus. The vast battlefield turned into one giant World-burning Lotus, with an explicit purpose to cook Ye Futian inside.
Many of the people in the audiences' faces changed. Chen Yuan, Gu Yunxi, Li Qingyi, and many others watched the scene in awe. The move was simply too powerful, and it was simply terrifying when the geniuses actually went all out against anyone they fought.
Ye Futian stood inside the huge Dark Lotus. The entire world was filled with flames, eating their way at him. None of his spells would have been able to do much to save him from the fires.
His deep, starlit eyes looked forward as his wings flapped about. He kept his sights to the front within the world of lotus, thinking what would happen to him if he simply barged his way out.
Xie Ji proved to be more vicious than Bing Yi. Xie Ji used his most powerful spell right off the bat without giving Ye Futian any chance. However, the cost of doing so was immense, as it would affect Xie Ji's performance in latter battles. Xie Ji would need a lot of rest later, and perhaps he had simply intended to use the stage to prove himself and never had any intentions of staying till the very end. He might have wanted nothing more than to show his prowess to the world.
Ye Futian activated Freedom Meditation, wanting to see how powerful the World-burning Lotus could get. He saw the lotus being manifestations of the Fire Spiritual Qi congealing. He was even able to feel Xie Ji's lotus Life Spirit and that it melded with that particular lotus he was caged in. He felt he was able to see Xie Ji's silhouette inside the spell itself.
The power of nobles lied with the ability to have one's spirit and will resonate with the heaven and earth around, giving birth to even more powerful spells instead of controlling Spiritual Qi with one's Spiritual Energy, and using such manifestations as spells. The cost in Xie Ji's Spiritual Energy would be proportionate to the powerful spell he cast, which was an enormous one.
A sun appeared behind Ye Futian, and he was bathed in fearsome flames in an instant. A terrifying fire imprint blossomed in the middle of his brow, dazzling like divine light. Fire Spiritual Qi gathered maniacally, and even the phantasmal flame that was created specifically to kill him melded with his surroundings.
A divine tree appeared within the sun, shining with jade-like brilliance, like undying fires. Ye Futian's body turned into a Divine Sun Furnace, embodying flames that could have burned down anything in existence.
The flames of the World-burning Lotus crept up on him, yet the incessant fires were simply absorbed by the Divine Sun Furnace. Ye Futian's body turned into an incredibly voracious instrument, out to devour everything around it.
Ye Futian activated the Sun Scripture and was surrounded by brilliant lights. He felt he was a body of flesh and blood; he felt himself becoming one with the sun, turning into a divine furnace. His spiritual will fused into the furnace, and he felt like he was able to see even more Spiritual Qi, which enabled him to devour even more Fire Spiritual Qi.
A mystical brilliance of fire was born within the dark world of lotuses, shooting at the heavens. A crisp sound was heard in Ye Futian's mind, like he broke something. Even more violent flames burst forth at the very next moment. Spiritual Qi practically gushed at him, as if he were to steal every bit of the Fire Spiritual Qi from his opponent.
"So, I have made a breakthrough." Ye Futian smirked. His Spiritual Energy had long reached a critical point, and it was no surprise that he was able to break into the Noble Plane. Since he had broken into the Noble Plane, he felt it was time for him to see how far the Sun Scripture, boosted by Holy Will, would have worked at devouring flames.
The flames of the World-burning Lotus came down upon him, threatening to devour Ye Futian's entire being through and through. However, some totally different form of fire powers seemed to have surrounded Ye Futian, and his body felt like the Divine Sun Furnace itself, neutralizing any fire powers that invaded, even the flames of an attacking spell.
"What is happening?" Xie Ji was using spells to burn Ye Futian to death and it was only natural for him to be aware of things happening to his spell. He was startled to find that formidable fiery powers covered Ye Futian; fires that were capable of neutralizing all types of fires eating at him. Xie Ji's spell was unable to move against Ye Futian any further.
"Die." Xie Ji's mind went cold as the lotus platform that was formed by his Life Spirit gave birth to even more terrifying lotuses, sending them out to devour Ye Futian.
The Roc behind Ye Futian, who was practically encased in fire, flapped its wings hard, and then blitzed into Xie Ji's fires. Ye Futian's body devoured everything in its path like a divine furnace, making little of Xie Ji's fires capable of eating Ye Futian's body.
Voom. Fires raged up front, and Xie Ji saw a fiery silhouette bathed in divine light appear, coming for him at a blinding speed. His face turned pale. He had paid a huge toll in Spiritual Energy to cast the spell; a spell that was not only incapable of killing Ye Futian but had actually allowed Ye Futian to come at him with impunity. Furthermore, Ye Futian actually managed to break through into the Noble Plane while fighting.
Xie Ji recalled his Dark Lotus Life Spirit in an instant, and his body seemed to be clad in flames as well. He pointed his finger forward, and terrifying light of his dark flames burst forth. However, given how not even the World-burning Lotus was able to harm Ye Futian, a common trick like what Xie Ji had just pulled proved useless. The terrifying silhouette blitzed through the air and made it to him soon.
Xie Ji made a snap decision to gather an incredibly huge Dark Flame palm. Ye Futian's body descended upon him at almost the same time, lashing out with a palm of the Sun seemingly capable of melting everything. The flames of different nature clashed with a loud boom. Xie Ji's body was thrown far away and fell to the ground. One of his arms was completely charred beyond recognition, and all meridians within shattered. Ye Futian's attack was infused with not only the terrifying power of the fire but also his strength as a powerful martial artist. Xie Ji stood no chance fighting up close and personal with Ye Futian.
The fearsome fiery lotuses disappeared in the battlefield. Only Xie Ji, who was writhing in pain, was on the ground, and Ye Futian remained levitating in the air.
"Noble Plane." Many felt the aura around Ye Futian. A multiple element Mandate Sorcerer practicing both martial arts and sorcery, and both sorcery and martial arts had broken into Noble Plane. Xie Ji's spell forced him to make a breakthrough and the tables turned against Xie Ji in an instant.
Ye Futian made it into top 20 after the battle as a grade nine noble.
No one would have expected Ye Futian to be able to make it into top 20. Even if he were eliminated fighting for a spot in the top 20, he would have been able to earn a place in the Core Island of the Holy Zhi Palace. There was little left to the imagination in this regard after the battle.
Mighty ones from the Sacred Fire Sect were all eliminated after that battle.
Ye Futian's wings shone as he made it back to his original spot. There were mighty ones from the Holy Zhi Palace extending their invitation to Xie Ji, but he refused them all, perhaps due to his dissatisfaction at those who invited him.
The battles continued, and the remaining ones continued to try to take the initiative to pick their own opponents. Every single battle was a clash of the titans, and every single battle turned out extremely intense.
Both Yuan Zhan and Yi Xiaoshi fought incredibly formidable opponents but were able to beat their extremely powerful combat prowess. Many people speculated that both Yuan Zhan and Yi Xiaoshi were both vying for a spot in the top 10.
As the subsequent battles kept producing combatants emerging simultaneously, there was no opportunity for anyone to pick Yu Sheng as their opponent until they were only two left on the battlefield: Yu Sheng and a fearsome figure from the State Road, Dou Kui, an heir of a fearsome tribe at the western regions of Barren State.
Dou Kui had a stout build, which did not look all that different from Yu Sheng's. He had tanned skin and took a golden form in battle. All one was able to see was that he proved to be a terrifying opponent.
Many watching them walk out to battle felt that there was little left to speculate about. Dou Kui would become one of the top 20. While Yu Sheng packed explosive power and was a born warrior, Dou Kui would probably prove stronger in every way. Only those who emerged from Dawn Road hoped that Yu Sheng would win the fight.
"You are born with invincible might and specialized wielding metal type powers, but your level is too different from mine. It's best that you just surrender. It is a pity… If only your plane was higher than it is now." Dou Kui shook his head. The very reason he had come to the Holy Zhi Palace was to experience the combat prowess of the myriad of formidable figures present. He saw great potential in Yu Sheng and thought his upcoming opponent would have been a very good match if only he was stronger. It was a pity that Yu Sheng's level was too low, and Dou Kui deemed it rather pointless to fight him.
Yu Sheng kept his eyes locked in Dou Kui's direction and said nothing. He unleashed his wild aura and dark golden armor appeared, boiling with demonic might.
Boom. Yu Sheng ran in Dou Kui's direction with a heavy first step. He did not choose to use wings but instead chose to fight on solid ground. The battlefield rumbled as if an earthquake had just taken place.
Dou Kui's body exploded with a dazzling golden light, encasing his body. The holy, pure golden brilliance was a blinding one. He took a golden form in an instant and even his arms were seemingly made of pure gold. He sidestepped as he saw Yu Sheng coming at him, then punched.
The air shook.
Dou Kui's fist seemed to have conjured some mystical imprint, clashing hard with the demonic fist that Yu Sheng lashed out.
Boom! A golden brilliance blew up on impact, and many witnessed Yu Sheng's muscular body being thrown far away, falling to the ground with a loud thump.
That body which was built like a god of war was unable to withstand Dou Kui's explosive power.
All of the spots for top 20 were taken in a rather premature manner.