282: Reverse Foundation Building

"Boom!"

It was like a sudden clap of thunder! Lin Jingyu did not even make any complicated movements; he merely pointed his fingers like a sword and waved them forward casually.

A streak of dark purple thunderous lightning, condensed to the extreme, erupted from his fingertip like an enraged Dragon tearing through the sky.

This thunder was not an ordinary thunder Spell; it contained the Thunder True Intent he had initially comprehended, along with a trace of the destructive aura from the Origin Sea of Thunder.

Where the thunder passed, the air smelled burnt. The incoming Flying Sword, fireballs, and ice cones were instantly evaporated and annihilated as if they were made of paper.

"What?!"

"Thunder True Intent? Foundation Establishment..."

The sneer on the Middle-aged Cultivator's face instantly turned into boundless horror. He wanted to retreat and summon a life-saving Magical Artifact, but it was all too late.

The dark purple electric light struck him directly at a speed surpassing his reaction time.

"No!"

A sharp, miserable cry came to an abrupt halt. The Middle-aged Cultivator's body twitched violently in the lightning, and his Protective Spiritual Light melted away like ice and snow under the sun.

In an instant, his entire body turned charred black, then exploded with a bang, turning into ash!

Even the Storage Pouch on his person was destroyed by the terrifying thunder.

The remaining four Cultivators were scared to the point of Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering by this terrifying sight; their attacking movements instantly froze, and their faces were filled with despair.

Lin Jingyu's gaze was icy, and electric arcs danced on his fingertips again. He would never show mercy to those who wished to kill him and seize his treasures.

However, just as he was about to deal with these four people, a terrifying Spiritual Pressure, several times stronger than that of the Middle-aged Cultivator and rushing like a tide, suddenly assaulted him from the rear-side.

"Junior! How dare you kill my Martial Nephew! Die!"

A majestic, water-blue Sword Qi, like the Heavenly River overturning, carried bone-chilling killing intent, instantly spanning dozens of yards and slashing towards Lin Jingyu.

The power of this sword strike far surpassed the Qi Refining Stage; it was clearly a Foundation Establishment Cultivator striking in anger.

Lin Jingyu's heart tightened—finally, a worthy opponent had arrived! He dared not be careless, executing the Flowing Cloud Steps to the extreme. His figure transformed into an afterimage, narrowly avoiding the Sword Qi's direct edge.

"Boom!"

The Sword Qi slashed the ground, leaving behind a bottomless ravine. Cold Qi permeated the area, freezing the surrounding vegetation into ice.

An old man wearing a blue Daoist Robe with a withered face, holding a long sword shimmering with water light, appeared not far away. Killing intent spilled from his eyes as he locked onto Lin Jingyu.

The aura emanating from him was precisely that of the Early Foundation Establishment Stage.

Moreover, he was not a novice entering the Foundation Establishment Stage, but a strong practitioner even within the Early Foundation Establishment Stage.

"A Foundation Establishment Cultivator..."

Lin Jingyu's expression was solemn, but there was no fear in his eyes; instead, blazing Battle Intent ignited. Perfect! I'll use you to test my true strength after cultivating on Thunder Mountain!

The four Qi Refining Cultivators saw the old man as their savior and scrambled back behind him.

"Junior Martial Uncle! He is the one who killed Senior Brother!"

"Junior Martial Uncle, be careful, this kid's thunder Spells are powerful!"

The blue-robed old man snorted coldly, his gaze slicing across Lin Jingyu like a knife:

"No wonder you're so arrogant; so you comprehended the Thunder True Intent. Unfortunately, Qi Refining is Qi Refining in the end. Before Foundation Establishment, you are nothing more than a slightly stronger ant!

Today, I will let you know the vast difference between Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining!"

His long sword trembled, water vapor permeated his surroundings, and countless ice crystals instantly condensed in the air; the temperature plummeted.

"Profound Ice Sword Qi!"

A streak of blue Sword Qi, more condensed and colder than the last, shot out like a venomous snake, carrying a chill that could freeze the Soul, and slashed toward Lin Jingyu again.

This time, the Sword Momentum enveloped the surroundings, sealing off all of Lin Jingyu's space for evasion.

"Good timing!"

Lin Jingyu let out a long cry, advancing instead of retreating!

The Spirit Refining Art circulated to its limit, causing the three Mental Lakes to surge. His powerful Divine Sense allowed him to accurately capture the weakest trajectory of the Sword Qi.

At the same time, the Thunder True Intent within him fully erupted. Purple electric light flashed wildly around him, and he seemed to transform into the God of Thunder!

He no longer used his finger as a sword, but thrust out both palms. The boundless Spiritual Power within him, mixed with pure thunder power, erupted with a roar!

"Break!"

This was a killing move he had comprehended himself, combining the Thunder True Intent and his own Spiritual Power! A dark purple Thunder Pillar, as thick as a child's arm, appeared like falling thunder from the Nine Heavens, bravely meeting the Profound Ice Sword Qi.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Thunder and ice, Supreme Yang and Supreme Yin—two completely different powerful forces collided violently, producing deafening explosions.

A violent energy shockwave spread outwards, tearing up a layer of the ground. The four Qi Refining Cultivators were hit by the aftermath, screaming as they spat blood and flew backward.

The blue-robed old man's expression changed. He felt his Profound Ice Sword Qi rapidly melting and disintegrating under the dominant power of the thunder.

The thunder contained not only destructive power but also a Concept of Purifying the Universe and Breaking All Spells, subtly suppressing his Water-attribute Cultivation Technique.

"This child absolutely cannot be allowed to live! He is so powerful just in Qi Refining; if he successfully achieves Foundation Establishment, he could probably instantly kill me with a single move."

The killing intent in the old man's heart intensified, and he began preparing to use a stronger method.

But Lin Jingyu, having gained the advantage, showed no mercy. He knew that prolonged battle was unfavorable and he must achieve a quick victory!

With a thought, the dark golden Thunder Mark in his Sea of Consciousness suddenly burst forth with dazzling light!

He abandoned complex Spells, pouring all his Mental Will and Spiritual Power into the Thunder True Intent, and simultaneously drew upon the trace of destructive aura from the Origin Sea of Thunder within his body.

"Take this strike!"

Purple lightning shot out of Lin Jingyu's eyes. He cupped his hands together, and a purple Thunder Orb, only the size of a fist but condensed to the extreme, instantly formed before his chest.

Inside the purple Thunder Orb, countless electric snakes wildly darted around, emitting heart-stopping destructive fluctuations. It instantly took shape before his chest.

The moment this Thunder Orb appeared, the sky seemed to darken, and the surrounding Spiritual Qi became wild and restless.

The blue-robed old man sensed the terrifying power contained within the Thunder Orb, and his face finally changed drastically, revealing fear.

"Impossible! This is... Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Spiritual Pressure! How can you, a Cultivator at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, possibly..."

Before he finished speaking, Lin Jingyu violently pushed both hands forward.

"Go!"

The purple Thunder Orb transformed into a streak of flowing light, appearing instantly before the blue-robed old man at a speed faster than Divine Sense could lock onto.

The old man roared, injecting all his Spiritual Power into the long sword in his hand, setting up layers of Water Screen Ice Walls in front of him. At the same time, he summoned a Small Blue Shield, which instantly expanded and blocked his front.

However, everything was futile.

"Crack... Boom!"

The moment the Thunder Orb made contact, the Water Screen Ice Wall shattered like paper. The Small Blue Shield Magical Artifact only held up for a single breath before its spiritual light dimmed, and it was blasted away with a mournful cry.

Immediately afterward, the Thunder Orb completely erupted!

Blinding purple light engulfed everything! Destructive thunder energy, like a volcanic eruption, completely swallowed the blue-robed old man.

The screams were drowned out by the roar of the thunder. When the lightning dissipated, all that remained was a charred black crater, and at the bottom of the pit, some unrecognizable remains and a severely damaged Small Blue Shield.

The blue-robed old man, an Early Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, had been utterly Destroyed in Both Body and Spirit.

The four Qi Refining Cultivators who had narrowly escaped death were already scared out of their wits and scattered desperately, fleeing for their lives.