Chapter 1179: The Phoenix Perching on the Parasol Tree Guiding Technique

Xu Yanmo flapped all six wings behind him at once, his speed instantly reaching its maximum. Carrying a blazing light flame, he charged straight at Zheng Shude. This attack was stronger than any of the strikes he had unleashed against Lan Xuanyu that day, because this time, Xu Yanmo’s power had not been depleted beforehand; he erupted with full force from the very start. How could Zheng Shude possibly block it? In terms of cultivation, he was indeed inferior to Xu Yanmo. Lan Xuanyu did not think Zheng Shude had any good way to withstand this kind of assault from Xu Yanmo. Given Xu Yanmo’s level of cultivation, once he locked onto his target, he would not make a mistake. In terms of total Dragon Force, he also held a clear advantage.

At that moment, the smile on Zheng Shude’s face grew even brighter. By now, the tree trunks he had released covered an area of a hundred meters in radius, and they were still growing wildly, frantically absorbing light elements, as if he were utterly unconcerned about the lethal strike about to land. The fierce light flame drew near, and the tops of those great trees began to blaze with fire. Light elements were indispensable for plant growth, but when they transformed into flame, they brought immense destruction.

But just then, in the distance beyond this patch of woodland, a single great tree suddenly underwent a change. It turned emerald green in an instant, radiating a dazzling green radiance. A dense life force and some peculiar fluctuations of willpower formed a ring of halo light in an instant. The six-winged figure, already within a few dozen meters of Zheng Shude and about to blast him in the next moment, suddenly spun around and hurtled toward that emerald-green trunk. With this abrupt turn, the light flames in the air twisted as well. Lan Xuanyu even heard Xu Yanmo let out a muffled groan. Clearly, this was not what he had intended! What was going on?

The next instant, the light flames carried by that six-winged figure slammed violently into the distant emerald-green tree. The tremendous boom caused the entire Rising Dragon Platform to tremble slightly, and many nearby trees were reduced to ashes in the blaze. However, the trees in other directions were rapidly spreading farther outward. The intensely dense light elements in the air only destroyed the trees within a certain radius around the epicenter of the explosion, but a vast amount of light elements were also absorbed by the other trees.

“The Phoenix Perching on the Parasol Tree Guiding Technique,” Qi Tianlong said, answering the doubt in Lan Xuanyu’s mind. “All flying creatures will be affected by it. This is one of Zheng Shude’s secret arts; not many people know about it, and it just happens to work perfectly against Xu Yanmo.” So there was such an unusual way of fighting. As Qi Tianlong had said, Zheng Shude truly possessed a considerable restraining effect on Xu Yanmo!

Xu Yanmo clearly realized the problem as well. Golden light flames blazed up once more. This time, he dashed forward directly on the ground, moving in a straight line toward Zheng Shude, the scorching golden flames burning the trees in his path. The distance between them closed rapidly. By the time Xu Yanmo reached Zheng Shude, all the trees instantly turned to dust and vanished without a sound. Zheng Shude’s humanoid body suddenly swelled to three times its original size, and his massive fist blasted out fiercely.

“Boom!” A deafening collision rang out instantly. Zheng Shude’s entire body was set ablaze by the light flames, but Xu Yanmo’s body was sent flying backward, smashing heavily against the edge of the Rising Dragon Platform. The flames on Zheng Shude gradually faded, as if they had been absorbed into his body. At the same time, a great tree rapidly grew outward from his body as its center.

Xu Yanmo struggled to his feet, his expression extremely grave. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and stared coldly at the rapidly growing tree. Facing Zheng Shude’s guiding technique, he could not attack his opponent from the air by flying, and if he attacked on the ground, he would inevitably be slowed down by the trees. Most terrifying of all, Zheng Shude had been continuously absorbing the light elements Xu Yanmo attracted to strengthen himself. That last exchange was the best proof. His inferior opponent, by absorbing a massive amount of his light elements, had unleashed offensive power far beyond his usual level and wounded him in a single blow.

Xu Yanmo took a deep breath, his eyes instantly turning bright. He threw his head back and let out a stirring dragon roar, his body rapidly expanding into a gigantic golden dragon that blazed with intense light all over. The golden dragon smashed through the surrounding trees like a hot knife through butter, and pillars of golden light shot up into the sky from its body. These golden pillars coalesced in the air, greedily absorbing the light elements in the atmosphere. Xu Yanmo was, after all, a controller of light elements; with this absorption, the trees below immediately had their rate of light-element absorption slowed.

Zheng Shude frowned slightly. A verdant green light burst forth from his body, and he raised his head to the sky with a long, resonant dragon roar. The next moment, his feet took root, his body transformed into a great tree and shot straight upward, instantly becoming a colossal tree a hundred meters tall, vying for the light elements in the air. Meanwhile, the enormous golden dragon flapped its six wings and charged straight at Zheng Shude.

Thick vines covered in dragon scales lashed out wildly from all directions, striking at the massive golden dragon. The golden dragon spewed light flames from its mouth, burning everything around it as it engaged the giant tree in fierce combat. After the initial probing, both sides had found what they believed to be the most suitable method to counter their opponent. Across the entire arena, Dragon Force surged violently, and the two fighters plunged into a battle that darkened the sky and dimmed the earth!

This was the final of the Rising Dragon Competition, and from the very first match, it had entered a white-hot intensity. Xu Yanmo no longer bothered with the trees growing around him, letting them absorb the light elements freely. The golden orbs of light gathering in the air, once formed, fell like meteors, exploding only against the great tree that Zheng Shude had transformed into. Each golden orb was a light-element bomb; under the fierce explosions, the giant tree’s branches and leaves were shattered. Though it could replenish itself through the surrounding trees, the bombardment of golden orbs grew increasingly intense, not to mention Xu Yanmo’s own relentless assault on the main body.

“In the end, it’s still a gap in cultivation. Just a little short,” Qi Tianlong remarked calmly. Lan Xuanyu nodded slightly. “The outcome is decided.” Yes, the outcome was decided. Undoubtedly, Zheng Shude’s tactics had been successful, but in terms of cultivation, he was still noticeably inferior to Xu Yanmo. Xu Yanmo’s ferocious offensive, focusing only on Zheng Shude’s main body and combined with his own control over light elements, eventually suppressed Zheng Shude’s giant tree form until it gradually withered. This was a pure suppression of strength. If Zheng Shude and Xu Yanmo had been closer in cultivation, the match might have ended differently.

When Zheng Shude finally chose to concede, Xu Yanmo reverted to his human form. His face was pale, and his body swayed unsteadily, clearly having expended a tremendous amount of energy. In the first elimination match, Xu Yanmo emerged victorious, becoming the first contestant to advance to the top fifteen.

“In the final stage, first round of eliminations, second match. Contestants number three and four, enter the arena.” As the referee’s voice rang out, Lan Xuanyu noticed with surprise that Qi Tianlong, seated beside him, stood up. Then, Qi Tianlong turned to Lan Xuanyu with a wry smile and asked, “You’re not number four, are you?” Lan Xuanyu shook his head.

A hint of a smile appeared at the corner of Qi Tianlong’s mouth. “That’s good.” With that, he walked toward the arena. Only after Qi Tianlong had stepped into the competition ground did Bai Xiuxiu, who had been silent beside Lan Xuanyu all along, lean in and whisper in his ear, “You really know how to attract trouble, don’t you? He’s clearly interested in you!” 

Lan Xuanyu smiled wryly. “Where’s the flower? I only see grass.” Bai Xiuxiu snorted and ignored him. 

“I wouldn’t dare. I only have you,” Lan Xuanyu said instantly, his tone righteous as he transmitted his voice.