Chapter 478: Ringing the Spirit Gathering Bell

Boom—!

Violent thunder roared continuously along the two cloud ladders, and at this moment, all eyes on the islands were fixed on the two figures rapidly ascending.

Normally, under such relentless torrents of energy, the seemingly simple thirty steps should have been extremely difficult and heavy, but now the two seemed to ignore the obstruction of the energy torrents.

This was not because the power of the energy torrents had weakened, but because both men had unleashed their true strength and techniques.

Each time they crossed the thirty-step mark, as a new wave of energy torrent howled toward them, they instantly neutralized it at maximum speed and surged upward.

In just a few short minutes, the two had pulled far ahead, the summit of the cloud ladder now within reach.

What caused many to grow solemn was that Li Luo and Jing Jing Taixu's steps were nearly perfectly aligned.

Eventually, Sun Sun Dasheng and Lu Ming on the other two cloud ladders both slowed their pace, their gazes intently fixed on the two rivals, eager to see who would reach the summit first after such a fierce contest.

And they understood that the final wave of energy torrent would reach its peak strength.

This final obstacle might determine who rose above the other on this cloud ladder.

"Li Luo..."

Lu Ming's expression was cold, yet her eyes never left Li Luo's figure; that Li Luo could match Jing Jing Taixu so closely on this cloud ladder was truly unexpected by everyone, and all of it stemmed from his peculiar Water Mirror rebound ability—this Water Mirror Technique applied here was nothing short of breathtakingly exquisite.

But after observing for this duration, Lu Ming had noticed that Li Luo's "Water Mirror" rebound effect had its limits, for as each successive wave of energy torrent grew stronger, the openings torn by the rebound force became progressively smaller.

This meant that under the final energy torrent's impact, Li Luo's "Water Mirror" effect would weaken significantly, and his speed would inevitably be hindered—thus, he could not keep pace with Jing Jing Taixu.

This contest would ultimately be won by Jing Jing Taixu.

But it didn't really matter; the order of ascent on this cloud ladder held little significance—by forcing Jing Jing Taixu to take him so seriously, Li Luo had, in a sense, already won.

At the very least, Lu Ming now regarded Li Luo with a touch of solemnity in her gaze.

Previously, rumors had named Li Luo as the fourth favorite for the championship, but she had paid it no mind; now, having witnessed this ladder contest between Li Luo and Jing Jing Taixu, she could not deny that the rumor held credibility.

Boom!

As Lu Ming's thoughts shifted, a piercing, deafening explosion suddenly erupted at the summit of the two cloud ladders; she lifted her gaze to see a vast, dazzling torrent of energy sweeping down from the ladder's peak.

The force of this energy torrent far surpassed all previous ones.

The final wave of energy torrent had finally arrived.

Jing Jing Taixu's pupils reflected the rushing torrent descending upon him; his expression remained as calm as ever, even as the overwhelming energy torrent before him was so terrifying.

He formed a single hand seal, and a vast, pure azure aura gathered, coalescing into a glowing azure fan in his hand; gripping the fan, he slashed downward with full force.

"Great Spirit Wind Slice!"

As his low roar echoed, a massive azure wind blade—some ten zhang wide—shot forth, moving so swiftly that many could only catch a flash of blue light before an ear-splitting wind-splitting sound tore through the heavens and earth.

In the blink of an eye, the azure wind blade collided with the howling energy torrent.

Ssshhhh—

A tearing sound rang out, and countless faces paled, for they saw that even the cloud ladder itself had been violently split open by the wind blade, leaving a deep, lasting gash.

The energy torrent ahead was cleaved cleanly in two.

Such terrifying destructive power!

With the energy torrent split, Jing Jing Taixu stepped forward, his foot seemingly stepping upon the wind as he shot forward, racing straight toward the Spirit Gathering Bell standing before the advanced Spirit Gathering Altar.

Whooosh.

A chorus of astonished murmurs rose across the islands; Jing Jing Taixu's move had laid bare the terrifying extent of his power.

And at the very moment Jing Jing Taixu split the energy torrent, others were watching Li Luo's side.

Boom!

As the energy torrent surged toward him, Li Luo, as expected, activated his earlier "Water Mirror" technique; the massive water mirror collided with the torrent and shattered instantly into a thousand shimmering droplets, yet the rebound force erupted just in time.

The energy torrent shuddered violently, splitting open another gap.

But as Lu Ming had anticipated, the gap was not fully cleared—this time, the energy torrent was too powerful, exceeding the Water Mirror's rebound limit, leaving residual force still intact.

Yet Li Luo's steps showed no hesitation; he dashed into the torn opening, took several strides, and collided directly with the remaining momentum of the energy torrent.

His expression remained unmoved; his hand gripped the Xuanxiang Blade tightly.

The dual aura within him erupted without hesitation.

Aura rings encircled the blade's body.

Sharp, brilliant blade-light flickered unpredictably along its edge.

But Li Luo knew this was not enough.

So he shifted his intent, and at that moment, the Jin Yu Xuanxiang Blade vibrated with a deep hum; faint light patterns began to glow across its mottled blade surface.

Jin Yu Xuanxiang Blade, First Level: Elephant God Power!

Astonishing divine power surged directly into Li Luo's arms; his skin tore open, veins swelled like serpents, making his arms look terrifyingly grotesque.

But the overwhelming force—power enough to cleave off a mountain peak—made Li Luo grin.

He hurled the Xuanxiang Blade forward; the straight blade became a blinding slash of light, cleaving through the final remnants of the energy torrent with unstoppable force, its momentum unbroken as it shot straight toward the cloud ladder's summit.

On the other cloud ladder, Jing Jing Taixu had already reached the summit; his figure appeared before the Spirit Gathering Bell, and without hesitation, he slammed his palm down.

A faint smile curled at his lips.

This Li Luo truly had some talent—he'd stirred in Jing Jing Taixu a rare spark of excitement.

But in the end, he was still one step behind.

His palm swept downward with a howling wind—but at the very instant before it struck the Spirit Gathering Bell, a resounding, clarion bell chime rang out across the heavens.

Jing Jing Taixu's pupils contracted slightly.

His peripheral vision flickered to the other cloud ladder, where he saw the Spirit Gathering Bell's body pierced by an ancient straight blade, the bell violently shaking as it emitted a deafening, thunderous resonance.

Only then did Jing Jing Taixu's palm land upon the Spirit Gathering Bell, producing a massive clang.

But the smile on his lips slowly faded.

Across the islands, silence fell; all stared in mute awe at this scene.

Sun Sun Dasheng and Lu Ming both halted their steps, their eyes filled with profound astonishment.

They gazed toward the end of the cloud staircase, where Li Luo was slowly climbing the final few steps, then walking to the Spirit Gathering Bell and drawing out the straight blade.

He did not turn around, merely wiping the long blade in his hand, while a muttering voice drifted down from above.

"Really..."

"Boring."