Devour

"The Yunlei Sword Technique will cause clouds and thunder to rise across the world!" Wang Duxing roared and attacked with his sword.

The Mo Yang Sword, infused with magical energy, hummed and vibrated, its blade swirling with countless lightning flashes like dancing silver snakes. His ultimate move dramatically mobilized the power of heaven and earth, converging into a thick thundercloud above the arena. Within it swirled a massive vortex, poised for unleashing its might, and from time to time, three-colored lightning flashes flickered.

Pan Zhonghan's face was solemn as he sighed, "The Falling Thunder Sword Technique was my dream when I first became an inner sect disciple. Unfortunately, none of the four masters of the Sutra Repository were willing to give me the incomplete copy of this secret manual. After going through untold hardships and finding a unique way to obtain the Five Thunder Palm, I was restrained by it..."

Looking up at the dense thunderclouds, Pan Zhonghan used the "Sudden Thunder" power of the Five Thunder Palm, gently striking out a streak of purple lightning. In the blink of an eye, the purple palm power vanished like a drop in the ocean, completely absorbed by the vortex above, unable to unleash its full power.

Wang Duxing was satisfied with the scene before him and said with a smug smile, "No matter how much stronger my uncle-shi is, once he unleashes his thunder or lightning skills, they will be captured by the Thunder Sword Technique and used by me. You have absolutely no chance of winning this battle!"

"Get down!" Wang Duxing pointed his sword, a dense stream of electric sparks traced a strange trajectory. All the lightning leaped and converged, condensing into dazzling swords of light that pierced Pan Zhonghan.

Among the dense swarm of lightsabers, Mo Yang's sword danced and flashed like a nimble dragon, rushing forward and piercing through - this was the most threatening fatal blow hidden beneath the dazzling appearance.

As Cheng Bai watched the fierce battle, he picked up a piece of Thousand-Eyed Centipede meat with his Lihuo Youjin chopsticks, dipped it in the Forget-Sorrow Sauce, and put it into his mouth. He praised himself, "The tableware I made yesterday is much better than the ones I've made with Dragon Steel before. It's solid and durable, and it also tastes delicious when eaten with it!"

Cheng Bai was extremely pleased with the feast of both sight and taste. A thought flashed through his mind: "Among all the thunder techniques I've seen so far, Ji Dong, who inherited the Imperial Dao, is undoubtedly the most outstanding. With such a brilliant example before him, Wang Duxing seems to have a shallow cultivation base, a crude technique, and numerous flaws in his techniques."

Relying on the help of his spiritual eyes, Cheng Bai concluded: "If Elder Pan really wants to defeat him, it might take less than three moves."

Sure enough, the situation on the ring has changed dramatically.

After trying out a move, Pan Zhonghan used the "Swift Wind and Thunder" of the Five Thunder Palm without hesitation.

The palm shadow was as fast as lightning, and before Mo Yang's sword could pierce through, it struck Wang Duxing's chest. The hidden power exploded with a thunderous bang, shattering the black armor on his upper body.

With a "puff", Wang Duxing opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood, leaving a clearly visible purple palm print on his chest.

Cheng Bai witnessed the outcome of the battle and sighed, "Both of them are unique martial arts that harness the power of wind and thunder. They should be as swift as lightning, unbreakable only by speed! Clearly, Elder Pan's realm and maturity are vastly superior. Nephew Wang prides himself on the impressive power of his swordsmanship, but he hasn't mastered the essence of this unique skill."

Wang Duxing stared wide-eyed, stunned at his own sword's scattered energy due to his injury. He couldn't believe it and hissed, "You... are too fast! Why didn't I think of that? The Cloud of Deathly Lightning had no time to capture the mana... I... was about to be killed. Just now, a little bit of my energy was sucked away by the first move. You were just teasing me!"

Pan Zhonghan dodged the incoming lightsabers and flying swords with ease, not even a corner of his clothing was damaged. He said calmly, "Admit defeat quickly and I'll spare your life."

"Old thing, do you think I was scared into growing up?" Wang Duxing's eyes were bloodshot with anger. He stuffed the Blood Ginseng Pill, Purple Thunder Pill, and Iron Bone Heart Protecting Pill into his mouth as if they were free, and gritted his teeth to make his next move.

Seeing this, Bei Tingjun sighed, "Drugs to keep him going? That doesn't seem to violate the rules of the fight."

"The sword technique of thunder, the earth is shaking with thunder!"

Wang Duxing took a powerful step forward, and a spider web of lightning erupted from his feet. Each strand of lightning scurried out like a ferocious snake, swarming towards Pan Zhonghan. He shouted, "I don't believe you can escape from the encirclement from above and below."

Thousands of dazzling lightning bolts spewed out from the sky, and electric lights like tangled branches surged from the ground, crisscrossing and weaving into a lightning net that covered the entire arena.

Wang Duxing flew up on his sword, and the Moyang Sword shone with cold light in the lightning net, condensing into lightning beads that seemed to be real. They rotated rapidly around the sword body, making a terrifying roar.

His momentum soared, and he roared, "Uncle Master, become my stepping stone on the road to becoming the Holy Son!"

But Pan Zhonghan dodged the fatal move with a flash, and counterattacked with the same "Swift Wind and Thunder" move, but with a faster speed and more fierce force!

The palm force surged, sharp as a needle as it penetrated the gaps in the lightning grid. Wang Duxing was so panicked that he couldn't defend himself.

The palm strike hit Wang Duxing's vital spot with such force that it sent him flying out of the arena. He fell to the ground with a thud, his eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness. Wisps of smoke from the burning flesh still rose from his body.

"Nephew Wang is done pretending!"

Cheng Bai sat upright on the dais, his eyes wide open as he observed the entire exchange. "Elder Pan definitely wasn't underestimating his opponent by using the same move; it's because this move is his fastest. It's perfect for taking advantage of the enemy and securing victory! Even if there are more powerful moves, being a little slower would only put him at a disadvantage."

The massive thunderclouds and electric grid on the arena vanished in an instant. Without Wang Duxing's magical power, the Mo Yang Sword drifted in mid-air, attempting to escape the arena and fly back to its master.

The opportunity was fleeting! Pan Zhonghan was quick-witted and, seeing the gap when control was lost, he flicked his sleeves and performed the secret technique of "Silent Universe". Invisible magic power tightly grasped the magic sword and put it into his sleeve.

After the incident, Pan Zhonghan dusted off his battle robe and sneered, "Even an unintelligent weapon spirit knows better than you. Erasing the divine mark is not difficult. From now on, the Moyang Sword belongs to me!"

Wang Mingsheng put away the hourglass and announced loudly, "In the first match, Elder Pan Zhonghan of the Sword Peak Dharma Protector Hall has won and advanced to the Holy Son Showdown!"

There were crowds of people outside the Transmission Hall. Although they were not qualified to enter the hall to watch the battle, many disciples used their spiritual sense to sense the movements and observe the changes in the strange phenomena in the open air, thus roughly knowing the situation of the battle.

"Did you hear the announcement? Elder Pan won, pay up!"

The inner disciples gathered in groups, shouting and making a lot of noise.

The winner happily pocketed his winnings, grinning from ear to ear: "With money, I have elixirs, and no worries about equipment. Well done!"

Those who lost money cursed with sullen faces: "Wang Duxing is such a fucking wimp! He boasts loudly, but when he comes on stage, he acts like a scabby dog."

The hall is exceptionally quiet.

"In this battle, Elder Zhonghan utilized our sect's unique skills to perfection. It was truly exquisite! The level of martial arts and techniques isn't the key to victory or defeat..."

Wang Hong gently waved his feather fan and slowly and methodically judged the pros and cons of the details.

"...Fellow Daoists, please remember that the interplay of Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, and the Eight Trigrams is the guiding principle of cultivation and the essence of the Immortal Path! Elder Zhonghan is truly an outstanding talent among my great-grandchildren!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the elders gathered around him and echoed in unison, "The Holy Lord is wise and insightful!"

"Hmm..." Master Li stroked his beard and nodded slightly, chewing the shredded meat with a crunching sound. It was hard to tell whether he was agreeing with Wang Hong or was intoxicated by the delicious taste.

Cheng Bai said with a smile, "Master, this meat is tender and chewy, fatty but not greasy, lean but not dry. Dip it in the Forget-Your-Sorrow sauce, and the rich flavor is simply unforgettable!"

Master Li dipped some of the sauce in the dish and savored it carefully, letting his taste buds savor the unforgettable flavor. After a moment, he gave a thumbs-up and exclaimed, "This dish can conquer three thousand countries in the world. It is the best in the world!"

Cheng Bai was smugly thinking, "Master, you are truly a rare gourmet! You hit the nail on the head!"

Unexpectedly, Master Li smacked his lips and offered a suggestion: "It's good, but according to the scholar, the ingredients seem to have a certain resin added to them, which makes them a bit astringent and fails to fully blend the various ingredients to their full potential. If we could replace this resin with Seven-Hearted Wolf Eggplant, it might be even better."

"Thanks for the advice."

Cheng Bai was polite and polite, but he was secretly shocked. "I've always been like a frog in a well, rarely encountering a gourmet expert's evaluation. Anyway, that batch of dragon's blood resin is all used up. Next time, I'll find enough Seven Heart Wolf Eggplant and add Ice Flame Thunder God Wine to try a new recipe."

After Wang Hong finished his lecture, he pinched his nose lightly to try to resist the temptation of the aroma of wine and meat, and pretended that he didn't hear the two people exchanging their experiences.

The half-dead Wang Duxing was carried out by two of his attendant disciples. Pan Zhonghan jumped off the stage and landed steadily on his cushion, meditating with his eyes closed without saying a word.