Tong Xiu raised a hand. The dark clouds in the sky suddenly plummeted, rushing instantly towards the long spear.
The horsetail whisk in his right hand finally moved, transforming into a sky full of silver threads that enshrouded the long spear. Silence!
A profound silence, with no sound to be heard, was followed by a sudden spread of sound waves. These waves caused the platform beneath their feet to instantly cave inward, like the smooth bottom of a bowl.
"Transforming Sanqing, Qian of three continuous lines, Zhen of the upturned bowl."
"Thunder Brewed by Heaven, Thunder Falls!"
"Qian-Zhen, motionless."
With a RUMBLE, the platform shattered, kicking up a cloud of dust that filled the air.
That earth-shattering spear, wrapped in lightning, was suddenly stilled, then exploded into fragments!
The two men retreated, instantly putting hundreds of meters between them.
The Tribulation Cloud, which borrowed the power of lightning, was casually dispersed by Tong Xiu!
And Tong Xiu's technique also utilized the great momentum of heaven and earth. He leveraged heaven's force, for nothing can overcome heaven!
"You're quite good, to force out my horsetail whisk."
Tong Xiu continued, "However, as I have said, even within Half-Step into Dao Integration, there are differences..."
His expression was unchanging as he spoke, but his eyes held a look of appreciation as he regarded Wei Tianqi.
He lifted and raised his hands. The previously still scholar's robes instantly rippled and undulated, never ceasing.
Around him, over a dozen tornadoes instantly appeared. Then, the tornadoes transformed into dragons—over a dozen flood dragons—wrapped in a sky full of dust, winding and swimming around Tong Xiu.
Next, within a radius of several miles, the dust roiled, and one by one, earth dragons surged out!
Tong Xiu pushed forward with his hands, and the world seemed to overturn.
"Transforming Sanqing, Gen as an overturned bowl, Xun with a break below."
"Wind aids the dust, Dust arises!"
"Xun-Gen Dragon!"
Tong Xiu was only exerting seventy percent of his strength, still holding back thirty percent. Yet, it was already enough to turn the world upside down—a majestic spectacle.
To craft celestial phenomena with human strength was truly a display of undefeatable grandeur!
The expressions of the numerous elders on the Elder's Platform instantly became grave. They watched the scene unfold before them with disbelief until finally, one elder muttered to himself,
"He... He is not just infinitely close to Dao Integration."
"In a certain sense, he *is* Dao Integration!!"
Except for not having gone through the Heart Demon Tribulation, he was no different from a Dao Integration Cultivator.
Yang Tianqing let out a long sigh, smiled bitterly, and spoke softly,
"Well, I originally thought he had merely failed to pass the Heavenly Tribulation and thus remained at Half-Step into Dao Integration. But now it seems he could enter the Dao Integration Realm at any time!
"He must have deliberately suppressed the Heart Demon Tribulation for this Ascension Platform."
Seeing this scene, the outcome of this contest for the Dao was already clear.
"If this Wei Tianqi hadn't encountered Tong Xiu, I'm afraid he truly could have secured the title of the foremost sect in this Ascension Platform event..." Ji Nanjue's expression also turned solemn for a moment as he spoke lightly.
Above the platform, the rising dust stirred into ripples, then the dust waves rolled, and the whole sky seemed to boil!
"Three Harmonies Spear, Sever the Clouds!!"
"Hold firm for me!!"
Wei Tianqi's teeth bled, and the skin between his thumb and forefinger split open. Under the impact of this great power of heaven and earth, his entire body endured incomparable pressure!
Although he could borrow the power of heaven and earth, he was still only at Half-Step into Dao Integration. How could he possibly compare with Tong Xiu, who was just one step away from complete Dao Integration?
One shaped the heavenly momentum with human strength, while the other defied it!
One went with the flow, the other against it!
Furthermore, there was an insurmountable chasm between their cultivation realms!
After a moment, countless fine lines of blood appeared on Wei Tianqi's body, staining his azure robes. But he was oblivious, still holding his spear and rising against the overwhelming force, not retreating a single step.
The long spear became ethereal, bursting forth with myriad brilliances that filled the sky!
"Three Harmonies Spear, Wind Rises!"
"Three Harmonies Spear, Wave Turning!"
"Three Harmonies Spear, Celestial Dome!"
"Three Harmonies Spear..."
This contest for the Dao, which in the eyes of the world had lasted for centuries, was ultimately displayed in this form on the Ascension Platform.
All the fierce winds came to a halt. Only Tong Xiu's spiritual energy permeated heaven and earth, merging completely with the infinite natural momentum. His ordinary face radiated a blurred dignity—infinite heaven and earth, he stood unparalleled!
Then he pressed a hand downward, and the dozens of earth dragons followed his motion, crushing down instantly.
It was as if this single move dragged the entire firmament towards the ground!
Wei Tianqi felt as if he bore a weight of tens of thousands of pounds. His bones cracked audibly, and blood continuously flowed from his seven orifices.
"Three Harmonies Spear, Thunder..."
SPURT—
A mouthful of vital blood sprayed out. His body felt burdened by an immense weight, but Wei Tianqi still strove to stand upright!
A true man must stand tall and upright. To stand on the Ascension Platform signifies that one carries the honor and disgrace of the Sect. Wei Tianqi carried such a burden.
Everyone carries burdens: parents, spouse, children, ancestral legacy, even the world itself!
For Wei Tianqi, his burden was the Origin Sect!
Even if this burden was as heavy as heaven and earth, he would bear it!
「The next instant.」
THUD, THUD, THUD—
His vital energy and blood reversed their flow, and he flew backward like a kite with a severed string. The long spear in his hand stabbed into the ground, carving out a trench hundreds of meters long.