Chapter 1182: Thunder and Lightning Interweave

Water turned to clouds, and the friction of the clouds generated thunder. Lightning was the most explosive offensive element—using water to create lightning, an endless supply.

Turning the gentle water element into the most powerful lightning element was, without a doubt, a very formidable attack method. To utilize pure water elements to this extent was already an impressive evolution.

“Boom—” A bolt of lightning descended from the sky, arriving almost instantly before Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxiu. At that moment, Lan Xuanyu stepped forward and released Bai Xiuxiu’s hand, letting the lightning strike him directly.

Keep in mind that he had no Divine Dragon Armor right now—he was relying entirely on his golden dragon scales to endure the lightning strike.

The violent lightning failed to knock him out of the sky. Electricity coiled around him as if he were a deity standing amid the bolts. The lightning played across the surface of his scales before gradually fading. Lan Xuanyu still hovered in midair as if nothing had happened, hands clasped behind his back, long hair flowing, his bearing untouched, completely unharmed.

The clouds in the sky seemed to pause briefly. Clearly, neither Luo Shuiyun nor Song Junhou had expected this outcome.

“Boom! Boom!” Three more bolts of lightning fell from the heavens. Lan Xuanyu took a step, his body flickering three times in an instant. Not only did he catch the two bolts aimed at him, but he also intercepted the one meant for Bai Xiuxiu.

The electricity around him blazed brighter than before, but his expression did not change in the slightest. The lightning poured down and quickly dissipated. Song Junhou and Luo Shuiyun knew very well how destructive their combined lightning technique was.

Even a mountain peak would be shattered under their full-powered assault. Yet why did this lightning do nothing to the Golden Dragon Princess?

How could they know that even without fighting, Lan Xuanyu spent his days tempering himself with Annihilation Divine Lightning, and the Dragon God Shock was itself derived from Annihilation Divine Lightning. A guy who endured the rampaging fury of a four-element combination of terrifying lightning within his body every single day—would he fear some lightning generated by friction among clouds?

His body had long since adapted to lightning attacks. Such bolts had an effect on him, sure, but it was roughly equivalent to the auxiliary cultivation benefits of Dragon Force Tempering. How could they possibly pose any real threat?

Bai Xiuxiu stood behind him, watching with an amused smile. Their minds were linked, and their auras connected, so she immediately sensed what he was doing.

He was letting the opponent’s lightning strike him, and as the lightning invaded his body, he was using its power to help digest dragon energy. The dragon energy on the Rising Dragon Platform was incredibly abundant—absorbing it was one thing, but digesting more of it meant greater benefits.

By doing this, Lan Xuanyu was effectively using the opponent’s lightning to temper his body. Otherwise, given his combat style, he would have already launched an attack.

Song Junhou and Luo Shuiyun, of course, refused to accept this. Bolt after bolt hammered down, each stronger and thicker than the last, continuously crashing into Lan Xuanyu.

At this point, Lan Xuanyu started playing tricks. As the lightning striking him grew more intense, his body began to sway and descend, as if he were struggling to hold on.

Behind him, Bai Xiuxiu also put on a look of anxiety, flitting around him in apparent desperation, as if wanting to help him escape his predicament but not knowing how. Their coordination was perfect.

To the other contestants, at least, it looked like Lan Xuanyu had been too arrogant and was now trapped by Song Junhou and Luo Shuiyun. Even the couple themselves thought so, and the lightning raining down from the sky grew even denser.

Above the Seven Dragon Power Pillars, Holy Light Dragon Knight Huang Liangwei curled his lip in disdain. “Absolutely foolish.”

The other Dragon Knights said nothing, but their expressions showed that they shared Huang Liangwei’s opinion.

The leading Dragon Knight smiled slightly. “Interesting. I first heard that our Golden Dragon Princess had brawled her way through the competition. But it seems that’s not the case. Her intelligence is something she deliberately hides, isn’t it?”

Heaven-Defying Dragon Knight Long Chaoyang chuckled. “The Vice-Commander speaks truly. When I fought her last time, that fool Xu Yanmo lost to her cunning. Give her time, and this young lady will be extraordinary.”

The Dragon Knight addressed as Vice-Commander laughed and said, “That’s exactly what we need—someone who uses every available advantage. That way, we have successors. Luo Lan, she’s one of yours, isn’t she? Have you taken her as a disciple?”

Mokong Dragon Knight Luo Lan shook his head. “Not yet. However, they have already signed a thousand-year contract with the Fenglong City royal family.”

“Mhm.” The Vice-Commander clearly knew about this, but not all the other Dragon Knights were aware, and their expressions shifted in various ways.

Holy Light Dragon Knight Huang Liangwei could not help but say, “You’re quite good at snapping up bargains.”

“That’s also one of my fine qualities. If you’ve got the skill, go snap one up yourself. Benefits are earned through one’s own efforts. Unlike some people, who have decent talent but always expect free food to fall from the sky.” Luo Lan was no pushover.

Huang Liangwei seemed to recall some unpleasant memory and glared at Luo Lan, killing intent flickering in his eyes.

“Enough, watch the match,” the Vice-Commander said calmly. Just those few simple words made Huang Liangwei immediately rein himself in, not daring to cause trouble.

By now, at least on the surface, the battle in the arena had reached a fever pitch. Bolt after bolt of lightning turned the entire field into a forest of thunderbolts.

Lan Xuanyu had been driven from the sky down to the ground. His body swayed under the barrage, looking as though he might collapse at any moment—yet like a guttering candle flame, he held on to that last spark and refused to go out.

To be fair, the lightning assault Luo Shuiyun and Song Junhou unleashed together was truly sustained. With their overwhelming advantage in water-attribute control, they complemented each other perfectly, maintaining a relentless thunder-and-lightning bombardment.

Without the use of Dragon Lances, this was their most powerful attack. Under such an unending barrage, even Lan Xuanyu was not entirely unaffected—he was starting to feel a burning sensation in his innards.

But during this bombardment, his absorption of dragon energy accelerated dramatically. The residual dragon-god energy he had absorbed earlier from the Rising Dragon Platform was quickly consumed under these conditions, and then he began digesting the massive amount of dragon energy he had taken in today.

Now with his feet planted on the ground, dragon energy poured into him from all directions and was absorbed into his body. At the same time, he could clearly sense the dragon-god energy within the Rising Dragon Platform flickering faintly beneath his feet—as if, with just a little guidance, he could draw that energy into himself.

But he did not do that. In front of the seven Dragon Knights, he would never reveal even the slightest trace of his ability to freely tap into the platform’s energy. His previous absorption could be explained by excessive blood loss and blood drawing it in. If he absorbed some again, that would be much harder to explain.

If the Dragon Knights ever discovered that he could draw upon the dragon-god energy inside the Rising Dragon Platform, they would surely make him unravel that enormous mystery.

The Rising Dragon Platform was right here—it was not going anywhere. There was no need to rush. What mattered today was that all seven Dragon Knights gathered together, bringing an immense amount of dragon energy. Not absorbing it would be a waste.

It had been several days since he had last helped his companions cultivate. As his cultivation rose, Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxiu could now store even more Dragon Force Liquid. After absorbing a good amount today and converting it, he could help his companions cultivate when he returned, while also benefiting himself.