342: Chapter 342 Using Thunder to Control Thunder

"Fine, if you don't dare, then I will."

The words were spoken quite calmly, but to the ears of those present, they sounded like a sudden clap of thunder.

Ye Tian stepped forward, his green cloth robe fluttering slightly.

He didn't even look at Zhao Mao's face, which had suddenly become as if he had swallowed a fly, nor did he care about the various gazes being cast from all around.

He just stared at the closest purple-glowing thunder pillar at the edge of the platform, a hundred zhang away.

Inside the pillar of light, a humanoid shadow formed from twisted bolts of electricity and sitting cross-legged seemed to sense Ye Tian approaching and slowly "raised" its head.

On that noseless and eyeless face, two points of thunder light suddenly lit up with a "shua," cold and devoid of any emotion, locking onto the approaching Ye Tian.

An invisible pressure followed the gaze of those two thunder lights, sweeping over.

This wasn't the pressure of someone's cultivation level, but a chilling Aura belonging to lightning itself, making the skin of those standing by the edge of the platform crawl.

"Senior Brother Ye..." Bai Ling couldn't help but call out softly, her brows furrowed and her eyes full of worry.

Bai Shaoyi also clenched her fists tightly, her face slightly pale.

Both of them knew that this Thunder Spirit Guard was not to be trifled with; its Aura was almost at the Sea Transformation Realm, not to mention it could borrow the power of the Thunder Malevolence in this place.

Feng Xuan raised his hand, signaling them not to worry yet. His gaze was fixed steadily on Ye Tian's back as he whispered, "Junior Brother Ye is not an impulsive person. Since he dared to accept, he must have some confidence. Let's watch first."

The platform was quiet for a moment, and then a buzzing sound of discussion arose.

"He's really going? This Ye Tian... he's got some guts!"

"Hmph, courting death. Does he really think he's invincible just because he took a finger from Young Master Bei Ming? The Thunder Spirit Guard's Aura is close to the Sea Transformation Realm!"

"Young people are hot-headed; he probably got worked up after being provoked by that guy surnamed Zhao. What a pity, a Genius is likely to fall here today."

"It's hard to say. Look at him, he seems quite steady, not like he's acting on impulse."

"What's the use of being steady? There's a gap in strength! A True Martial Realm fighting a Sea Transformation level Thunder Spirit on its own home turf—how can he win?"

Zhao Mao listened to the discussions around him, especially the pessimistic ones, and that smug look appeared on his face again.

This was exactly the effect he wanted.

It would be best if Ye Tian died! If he was heavily injured, Zhao Mao could find an opportunity to strike from the shadows and snatch that strange shield on Ye Tian's person (he had been eyeing it all along.

Even if, by some miracle, Ye Tian's luck held out and he passed the trial, he would surely lose a layer of skin. When the time came to snatch the treasures, wouldn't he be at Zhao Mao's mercy?

Nangong Yu hid behind his older cousin Nangong Chi, staring venomously at Ye Tian's back, cursing him in his heart: "Go on! Hurry up and die! It's best if you get struck by lightning until not even ashes are left!"

Bei Minghong, Li Xuanxiao, and the others still hadn't made a move, their thoughts unknown.

Ye Tian stopped about thirty zhang away from the Thunder Spirit Pillar of Light.

This distance was neither too close nor too far, putting him within the Thunder Spirit Guard's reach while still leaving some room to dodge.

He was in no hurry to draw his sword; instead, he slightly closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

With this breath, the thunder Spiritual Qi on the platform seemed to be pulled by something, gathering toward him in strands and seeping in through his pores.

Especially at his heart, the Monster Core he had obtained from the Azure Thunder Plate-Footed Leopard vibrated slightly, releasing a strand of Thunder Malevolence Origin power that flowed throughout his body.

The injury he had sustained earlier from clashing fingers with Bei Minghong was actually healing faster in this place abundant with lightning.

"Playing tricks!" The scrawny companion next to Zhao Mao curled his lip and sneered.

Just as those words left his mouth, the Thunder Spirit Pillar of Light suddenly flared with blinding brightness!

The lightning figure sitting cross-legged inside stood up with a "shua"!

Its three-zhang-tall body was formed entirely from twisting purple electrical arcs, its outline blurred.

It didn't use a weapon, but from thirty zhang away, it threw a punch toward Ye Tian!

In the blink of an eye, it reached Ye Tian's chest!

The force of this strike was definitely at the level of a full-power blow from a Sea Transformation First Layer Early Stage Cultivator!

Moreover, it carried the power of lightning, giving it even greater piercing and destructive force!

"Senior Brother Ye, watch out!" Bai Ling cried out in alarm.

Many people instinctively closed their eyes, unable to bear the sight.

However, a moment before the deep purple thunder light could touch his body, Ye Tian's figure vanished eerily.

The thunder light pierced through the "Afterimage" and slammed into the platform floor dozens of zhang behind, blasting a charred pit one zhang wide, with electrical snakes darting everywhere.

"So fast!"

A wave of exclamations rose.

Ye Tian's true body had appeared fifteen zhang away to the left at some unknown point, still maintaining his posture with slightly closed eyes, as if he hadn't moved at all.

The Thunder Spirit Guard seemed to daze for a moment, the two points of silver-white thunder light flashing as they locked onto Ye Tian's new position.

It seemed a bit confused; the way this intruder moved was different from any movement technique it knew, carrying a hint of the unique Aura of the Thunder Malevolence here.

In the next moment, the Thunder Spirit Guard raised its two arms and made a grabbing motion toward the sides.

On the platform, the thunder Spiritual Qi surged over like crazy, condensing in its two hands into two one-zhang-long Thunder Spears formed entirely of twisted lightning!

Electrical sparks crackled on the spear tips, and the violent Aura they emitted was several times stronger than that of the previous punch!

"It's manifested! It can manipulate lightning to create weapons for combat!" a Loose Cultivator said in horror.

This meant that the Thunder Spirit Guard before them had intelligence and control far superior to ordinary energy bodies.

The Thunder Spirit Guard made a throwing motion, and the two Thunder Spears suddenly split the moment they left its hands!

One became three, and three became nine!

In the blink of an eye, nine Thunder Spears shot out from every angle—above, below, left, right, front, and back—sealing off all of Ye Tian's possible escape routes with a series of whooshing sounds!

The power of each Thunder Spear was equivalent to a full-power strike from a True Martial Tenth Level Great Perfection!

"Nine Stars in Alignment! This is an area lock-on, there's no way to dodge it!" Feng Xuan's expression changed. With this kind of attack, no matter how good one's movement technique was, it would be difficult to avoid entirely.

The smugness in Zhao Mao's eyes deepened. Nangong Yu almost laughed out loud.

Ye Tian still didn't draw his sword. He stood with his feet apart in a steady stance and raised his hands, tracing a circular arc in the air before him.

As his hands moved, the air within three feet of his body seemed to suddenly stagnate.

Strands of silver electric light emerged from thin air. These silver sparks, fine as hairs, followed the trajectory of his hand movements, weaving into a constantly flowing silver electric net in front of him!

The electric net wasn't large, just enough to protect his vital points, but the true meaning of thunder it exuded was different from the purple Thunder Spears released by the Thunder Spirit Guard—it lacked the feeling of violent destruction.

"Zzzzt!"

Nine purple Thunder Spears slammed into the silver electric net almost simultaneously!

The violent destructive power was dispersed by countless silver currents!

The silver electric net fluctuated violently, flickering as if it would shatter the next second, yet it stubbornly held on, firmly "sticking" the nine Thunder Spears and neutralizing them bit by bit!

"Controlling thunder with thunder? He can actually manipulate such pure lightning power? And within this lightning... there seems to be Sword Intent mixed in?" Li

Xuanxiao showed clear surprise for the first time, the sword he held in his arms hummed softly, as if in resonance, or perhaps excitement.

"It's Sword Intent Manifestation! He has transformed his Sword Intent into a defense!" the Ghost Girl said with interest.

Seeing this, the smugness on the faces of Zhao Mao and Nangong Yu froze simultaneously.

"How is that possible?!" a Loose Cultivator cried out in shock.

With a True Martial Tenth Level cultivation, he actually withstood the simultaneous launch of nine spears from a Sea Transformation Realm Thunder Spirit Guard head-on?

After neutralizing the last Thunder Spear, the silver electric net in front of Ye Tian finally gave way, collapsing into dots of silver light with a "pfft."

His face grew a bit paler; the exertion was not small.

He could see it now.

This Thunder Spirit Guard's attacks were fierce, but its patterns were somewhat rigid. Furthermore, the source of its power seemed to be tightly connected to that purple pillar of light and the thunder pool below.

To defeat it, perhaps he didn't need to clash head-on with its seemingly inexhaustible brute force of lightning...