210: Chapter 210 A Contest of Supernatural Powers

The fluctuations of Demon Power from the direction of Qingfeng Ravine spread further and further, diffusing outward like tidal waves, shaking the rubble on both sides of the mountain col until it kept tumbling down.

Fire-red heat waves and dark cyan water vapor exploded, interweaving to form a visible beam of light in the twilight, clear to see even from dozens of miles away.

On the outskirts of Black Stone Ridge, on a hidden hillside, two figures stood side by side.

Sect Master Zhou Xuanqing stood under a crooked pine tree, his cyan Daoist robe fluttering loudly in the wind, the jade pendant at his waist engraved with the character "Xuan" shimmering faintly in the twilight.

He gazed at the constantly rising beam of light in the direction of Qingfeng Ravine, his brows furrowed deeply.

Zhao Tieshan squatted beside him, his grayish-brown short jacket covered in dew and grass clippings, his rough palms pressed against the ground as if sensing the vibrations of the earth.

He looked up, his dark face revealing little expression, but his fingers tightened involuntarily.

"This direction..."

Sect Master Zhou Xuanqing's voice was very low.

"There has never been any Demonic Qi over at Qingfeng Ravine. Our people have been there a few times, and they all said the place was desolate, unable to even support a Tier 2 Demonic Beast. How did such a huge commotion suddenly erupt?"

Zhao Tieshan stood up and brushed the mud off his hands.

"It's not just one or two Yao fighting; it's at least a collision above Tier 3, and there's more than one. I remember the terrain over there; the mountain col is narrow. When fighting, there's no place to retreat, so it's a contest of who is tougher."

Sect Master Zhou Xuanqing was silent for a moment, then turned and took a bronze mirror from his sleeve.

The mirror's surface glowed with a pale golden light as he aimed it toward Qingfeng Ravine.

The image in the mirror was blurry, almost obscured by the interference of Demon Power and water vapor. He could only vaguely discern two masses of light colliding—one crimson like fire, the other dark cyan like water.

"Two groups of the Yao Race are fighting."

Sect Master Zhou Xuanqing put away the bronze mirror, his voice somewhat heavy. "The aura of the Horned Dragon is in there, but the other group... I don't recognize them, I've never seen them."

"Could it be... the group of foreign Yao Race that the Yuexuan Guard is looking for?"

Zhao Tieshan's voice was very low. His dark face showed no expression, but his hand gripping his blade tightened a fraction more.

Sect Master Zhou Xuanqing did not answer immediately.

He glanced again at the constantly clashing beam of light in the direction of Qingfeng Ravine. Firelight and water vapor exploded alternately in the twilight, the fighting growing fiercer with no sign of stopping. He pressed his lips into a line, speaking only after a moment.

"Regardless of whether it is or not, we cannot just stand here and watch. The higher-ups are pressing us; if we miss something and are blamed later, we won't be able to bear the consequences."

As he spoke, he tucked the bronze mirror into his sleeve and brushed the dust from the hem of his robe.

Zhao Tieshan had already stood up.

"Their perception is very strong; there's no way to get very close."

Sect Master Zhou Xuanqing thought for a moment: "We don't need to enter the mountain col. We can circle around to the ridge on the west side. From that high vantage point, we can see clearly without getting dragged in. If we, two Golden Core Early Stage cultivators, are discovered meddling in a fight between Tier 3 Yao Race, it will be very troublesome."

Zhao Tieshan nodded without saying more.

The two slid down the hillside, lowered their profiles along a dry creek bed at the foot of the mountain, and crept toward the ridge west of Qingfeng Ravine.

...

"Boom~"

Over on Wu Li's side, the two were still locked in a fierce battle.

Wu Li swept his fire halberd backhanded, but the Horned Dragon dodged to the side. The flames trailing from the halberd blade scorched his scales, leaving a charred mark.

The Horned Dragon looked down, his brows furrowed slightly, then he suddenly opened his mouth, and a blade of cold light shot straight at Wu Li's face.

Wu Li tilted his head to avoid it, and the fire halberd turned with the momentum, slashing toward the Horned Dragon's ribs.

The Horned Dragon stepped back, and water vapor condensed around his body, forming a dark cyan water curtain that blocked the halberd blade.

"Bang!"

A violent noise erupted.

The two pulled back several feet, each gasping for breath.

The ground had already been battered into pits and craters by the aftershocks of their fight. White mist steamed from the surface of the pool, and the surrounding rocks were covered in cracks scorched by flames and depressions eroded by water vapor.

The Horned Dragon stood firm, his dark yellow vertical pupils reflecting Wu Li's figure, a hint of gravity flashing in his eyes.

"I truly underestimated you."

He took a deep breath and slowly raised both hands, palms upward, as if holding up something invisible.

The surrounding air began to turn cold with his movements. Water vapor was drawn out from the ground, the pool, and the air, condensing around him into a layer of damp, cold air vortex.

The vortex grew larger and faster, carrying gravel and dust, forming a grayish-white water-mist whirlwind in mid-air. Within the inner wall of the whirlwind, the phantom of a swimming dragon could be vaguely seen, dark cyan Demon Power churning within the water vapor, emitting a low, watery sound.

"Wind and rain are coming..."

The Horned Dragon let out a sharp shout and slammed his palms together. The water-mist whirlwind, carrying a massive amount of water vapor, transformed into a phantom of a dragon dozens of feet long. In its eyes were two balls of cold light, and its open mouth was filled with churning water vapor.

Wu Li's pupils constricted slightly. He spun his fire halberd, and flame runes lit up simultaneously, crimson-gold firelight dancing along the halberd shaft.

He thrust the fire halberd into the ground and formed a seal with one hand. The Colorless Profound Light transformed into a pitch-black radiance, wrapping around the fire halberd, making the flames on the blade become heavier and darker.

"Colorless Profound Light!"

"Boom!"

Both sides clashed with their Divine Abilities.

The Horned Dragon pushed with both palms, and the dragon phantom, wrapped in gale and water vapor, hit Wu Li like a moving water peak. Wu Li's Colorless Profound Light melted everything in all directions.

"Boom—whoosh whoosh whoosh~"

The pitch-black radiance and the dark cyan dragon collided, like two massive iron plates pressed together, squeezing and rubbing against each other, neither willing to yield.

The dragon phantom's head pressed against the Colorless Profound Light, water vapor constantly surging from the dragon's body, transforming into new power to replenish it, attempting to crush that black light.

The Colorless Profound Light also churned constantly, like a layer of viscous lava, peeling, melting, and dissolving the water vapor that touched it layer by layer.

The two powers clashed constantly at the contact surface; the black light devoured the water vapor, and the water vapor constantly replenished itself, back and forth, neither yielding to the other.

"Damn it!"

The Horned Dragon was furious at this sight.

The Demon Power within his body surged frantically, continuously pouring into the dragon phantom. The dark cyan radiance flowed over the dragon's body, and the scales seemed to come alive, breathing as they opened and closed.

Wu Li also did not stop; Demon Power was poured into the Colorless Profound Light endlessly. The black light grew thicker and heavier, like a solidified abyss blocking the dragon's path.

The two Yao stood in a standoff, separated by several feet.

Water vapor and black light collided, consumed, and regenerated in the middle. The ground was plowed with crisscrossing furrows by the aftershocks of the two intertwined powers; gravel was ground into powder and then scattered by the wind.

As time passed.

Maintaining his Divine Ability like this, fine beads of sweat seeped from the Horned Dragon's forehead, but he did not stop; instead, he increased the output of his Demon Power.

Wu Li was also holding on desperately, the Demon Power inside him rapidly depleting, his claws slightly numb.

Neither side retreated, and neither broke through the other's Divine Ability. They remained deadlocked on the open ground in front of Qingfeng Ravine, like two stone statues wrestling each other; whoever relaxed their strength first would be crushed.