Chapter 620: Peak Showdown

The lotus of light wreathed in sacred flames, the instant it took shape, shot forth like a bolt. Wherever it passed, countless streams of light and flame flowed, forming a tail like a shooting star, and with a dazzlingly resplendent effect, under the gaze of countless moved eyes, it slammed toward Zhong Taiqiu.

The divine lotus of light was reflected in Zhong Taiqiu's pupils, causing the soft, feminine smile on his face to gradually recede at this moment, because within that lotus of light, he sensed an immense aura of danger.

"She only just broke through to the Void Pearl realm, yet she can erupt with this degree of Affinity Power?"

Zhong Taiqiu's heart churned like a raging sea. He had never looked down on Jiang Jiang Qinge. Even though the gap between their Affinity Power grades was extremely obvious, he still hadn't expected that the Affinity Power she erupted with this time could actually be this strong.

This was the strongest Void Pearl realm he had ever seen.

Zhong Taiqiu took a deep breath, and his gaze also grew sharp. No matter how monstrous Jiang Jiang Qinge was, if she wanted to take the position of the Seven Star Pillar from him, it probably wouldn't be that easy!

As the once strongest Seven Star Pillar, Zhong Taiqiu naturally had his own pride in his heart. When he was gradually surpassed by Gong Gong Shenjun and Gong Luan Yu, juniors from the Four Star House, he accepted it. But now Jiang Jiang Qinge was still only of the Three Star House—if he couldn't even block her here, that would be far too embarrassing for him.

Boom!

Dark green Affinity Power at this moment erupted from within Zhong Taiqiu's body like a monstrous wave. From afar, it looked like a great green river churning behind him. Then he formed a hand seal.

Suddenly, from within that dark green Affinity Power, countless silver specks of light burst forth. Upon closer inspection, these specks turned out to be silver snake scales.

Each snake scale was inscribed with strange patterns, drawing in the energy of heaven and earth.

Many in the arena who were familiar with Zhong Taiqiu saw this and immediately whispered: "'Snake Scale Myriad Transformations Art'! This is the high-tier Dragon General Art that Zhong Taiqiu has cultivated to the most exquisite degree. This art has three layers: 'Green Scale,' 'Silver Scale,' and 'Gold Scale.' He has already cultivated it to the 'Silver Scale' realm—its power is extraordinary."

"It seems Zhong Taiqiu also sensed the threat. The moment he struck, he used his strongest technique."

"Of course. Although Junior Jiang only just broke through to the Void Pearl realm, her Void Pearl realm is simply too terrifying... This is absolutely the strongest Void Pearl realm in the history of Saint Exoteric Star Academy."

Hiss!

Amidst those many whispers, Zhong Taiqiu's mind moved, and he struck out with a palm. The countless silver snake scales poured forth like a flood, transforming into a giant palm of snake scales roughly a hundred zhang across. A deep fissure split open in the center of the palm, like a serpent's maw, flicking a forked tongue.

Boom!

The giant silver-snake-scale palm struck out, the void violently trembled, the energy of heaven and earth roared, raising a thunderous din that shook the heavens.

The stone slabs below directly began to crack apart one after another at this moment.

Under the gaze of countless nervous eyes, the lotus of light burning with sacred flames pierced through the air, and in the next instant, collided head-on with the giant silver-snake-scale hand.

Rumble!

A deafening thunderous roar rang out. Massive waves of energy shockwave swept out in all directions, the stone slabs in the arena continually shattering. And when the aftershock was about to reach the tiered stands, mentors maintaining order stepped in, and layers of energy light barriers surged forth, covering the plaza.

Boom, boom, boom!

Ripples continuously spread across the energy light barrier.

Yet no one's gaze lingered on this. They only stared at the source of the energy shockwave.

The sacred fire lotus and the silver-scaled giant hand had reached a stalemate.

The fire lotus slowly rotated, and waves of sacred flame surged like great waves. Within the flames was contained Light Affinity Power. Under its wave upon wave of scouring, the silver snake scales were gradually becoming transparent.

That was the purifying power of Light Affinity Power!

Moreover, Jiang Jiang Qinge possessed a Nine-Grade Light Affinity, so that purifying power was all the more domineering and fierce. Even though Zhong Taiqiu had the strength of a Six-Star Tian Zhu Jing, the silver snake scales formed from his Affinity Power still found it difficult to completely ward off the erosion of the purifying power.

"Nine-Grade Light Affinity Power is truly domineering beyond compare!"

Zhong Taiqiu also noticed the change in the snake-scale giant hand, and his gaze instantly hardened. He himself possessed a Lower Eight-Grade Demon Python Affinity, so the grade of Affinity Power he had cultivated was already not low. Yet unexpectedly, in his exchange with Jiang Jiang Qinge, the grade of his Affinity Power was completely suppressed. Fortunately, his own Affinity Power was extremely abundant, so the purification from the Light Affinity Power could still be endured.

The slowly rotating lotus of light was reflected in Zhong Taiqiu's pupils. From the previous clash, he had already sensed that Jiang Jiang Qinge's current Affinity Power intensity was probably no weaker than the Four-Star Tian Zhu Jing. This was an utterly abnormal matter—after all, he had never seen anyone in the Void Pearl realm able to elevate their Affinity Power to such a degree.

But he also understood that Jiang Jiang Qinge's abnormal level of Affinity Power shouldn't last too long, otherwise it would simply defy common sense. No matter how monstrous a Nine-Grade Light Affinity was, it shouldn't reach such a level.

"Although this lotus of light is strong, it's not like I can't take it."

Zhong Taiqiu's gaze flickered. As the once strongest Seven Star Pillar, he still had sufficient confidence in his own methods. Although Jiang Jiang Qinge's lotus of light had made him feel an extremely strong threat, the gap in their grades was right there—wanting to make up for it wasn't that easy.

"Very well, once I dissolve this move of yours, the challenge should be over."

At this thought, Zhong Taiqiu no longer hesitated. The Affinity Power within his body erupted in full at this moment, and immediately the Affinity Power between heaven and earth surged, as if a piercing shriek rang out.

"Snake Scale Myriad Transformations Art, Demon Serpent Devours the Heavens!"

Accompanying Zhong Taiqiu's cold cry that suddenly rang out, the deep fissure at the center of the giant palm formed by the silver snake scales tore open at this moment, transforming into a serpent's maw bristling with fangs. Within the maw, deep as an abyss, terrifying and chilling poisonous gas churned.

The giant palm descended, and the abyssal maw seemed to blot out heaven and earth. Under countless shocked gazes, it swallowed the lotus of light whole in a single bite.

"Serpent Abyss Suppression!"

After swallowing the lotus of light, Zhong Taiqiu rapidly formed hand seals. The five fingers of the snake-scale giant hand clenched tight, sealing the lotus of light trapped within like five giant pythons. At the same time, surging poisonous gas howled forth, attempting to grind down and erode the lotus of light.

And under the erosion of that boundless serpent venom, the lotus of light swallowed into the giant hand also seemed to begin flickering in and out of existence.

Seeing this scene, the students in the arena who had been rooting for Jiang Jiang Qinge couldn't help but feel some worry. As expected, even though Jiang Jiang Qinge possessed a Nine-Grade Light Affinity, it was still very difficult for her to contend with an established Seven Star Pillar like Zhong Taiqiu?

Even Li Luo's gaze hardened slightly.

Zhong Taiqiu's move was indeed somewhat terrifying. If it were another Void Pearl realm cultivator, they would probably have been swallowed into that Serpent Abyss and then ground down alive by the poisonous gas.

"Junior Jiang, the fact that you can erupt with this level of attack in the Void Pearl realm is already very impressive. I feel that if you truly stepped into the Tian Zhu Jing right now, I'd most likely not be your match. But unfortunately..." Zhong Taiqiu stood in the air, the giant hand formed of silver snake scales hovering above, its shadow covering Jiang Jiang Qinge. He looked down at her from above and spoke slowly.

"Junior Jiang, this move of yours seems to have lost its effect."

"So..."

However, just as Zhong Taiqiu's last words fell, Jiang Jiang Qinge extended her slender jade hand, pointing it from afar at the giant hand formed of silver snake scales. Her bright eyes and voice were both quite cold: "Senior Zhong's Serpent Abyss is indeed extraordinary, but my lotus of light may not be so easy to digest."

Her slender jade hand clenched tight at this moment.

In the instant her five fingers clenched, the lotus of light suppressed by the Serpent Abyss suddenly erupted with overwhelming, biting sword Qi. The petals of the fire lotus shot outward, each petal transforming into a holy sword flowing with sacred flames. Instantly, sword Qi shrieked, and the holy-light sword Qi nearly shredded the swirling serpent venom to nothing.

At the same time, as the sword Qi swept past, the Serpent Abyss collapsed.

And the giant silver-snake-scale hand violently trembled at this moment. Streaks of light marks spread across its surface, and finally, under Zhong Taiqiu's incredulous gaze, it exploded with a roar. Holy-light sword Qi poured forth, like a river of sword Qi, hovering above the plaza.

Jiang Jiang Qinge took a single step forward, her jade fingers forming a sword seal, and she tapped the air.

The holy-light sword Qi torrent howled forth, like a holy sword of light, shattering all illusions, cutting through all spatial obstacles, aimed straight at the horrified Zhong Taiqiu.

And at this moment, Zhong Taiqiu, because his Affinity Art had been broken and his own Affinity Power was in a turbulent, chaotic state, could only watch helplessly as the torrent imbued with overwhelming sword Qi surged toward him.

His body ached with sharp pain. Before the sword Qi even drew near, his body had already been torn with streak after streak of sword wounds.

Zhong Taiqiu felt some unwillingness. The shift in the situation was faster than he had imagined.

But no matter how unwilling he was, the sword Qi torrent had already come pouring in.

In the end, he could only grit his teeth and let out a low growl: "Junior Jiang, you win!"

Jiang Jiang Qinge shifted her hand-seal, and the roaring sword Qi that had been like a flood instantly gentled at that moment. In an instant, it seemed to transform into a warm stream of light that pierced through Zhong Taiqiu's entire body, finally turning into a skyful of light motes that burst apart behind him.

Countless light motes drifted down, and the phase-force fluctuations around Jiang Jiang Qinge's body began to plummet rapidly. She then gave Zhong Taiqiu a slight nod, and a calm, light voice rang out across the field.

"Senior Zhong, you let me win."