Normally, a cultivator's spells were monotype. After they passed into the mid-Aurous Core stage, they could also only manipulate one type of spiritual energy in the environment around them.
For better mantras, cultivators that had perfected them could use more than one type of spiritual energy from the environment around them.
For example, the Great Qin Empire's Secret Manual of the Five Imperial True Dragons could allow a mid-Aurous Core stage cultivator, who had perfected all five of its components, to manipulate five different types of spiritual energy and form five true dragons. They could harness the powers of metal, wood, water, fire and earth, and were considered to be the top of their league.
However, both Xiao Budian and Zhu Yi were able to absorb eight types of spiritual energy from the environment to form their Eight Trigrams. For such a powerful move, it would still be understandable if only one person could do it, as it could be attributed to his own individual prowess.
However, if two people were able to do the exact same thing identically, there could only be explanation; it was a result of their training.
"What kind of terrifying mantra is this?" asked the Sun Radiance Swordmaster as he sighed with a slightly horrified expression.
The Supreme Radiance Swordmaster said hesitantly, "When the Celestial Sect of Wonders' eldest disciple, Xiao Yan, ascended to the mid-Aurous Core stage on the top of Xingyun Peak, such a scene did not manifest. Instead, all he did was to absorb all the fire spiritual energy from around him and turned into an inferno..."
His gaze betrayed panic as he then said, "Wait... the amount of fire-type spiritual energy that he managed to manipulate was abnormal. There wasn't so much fire-type spiritual energy on Xingyun Peak to begin with. I think he combusted other types of spiritual energy."
Thinking about it here, his expression became complex. Every single Immortal Soul stage elder had a complex expression on their faces.
A mid-Aurous Core stage mastery was nothing to them normally. However, the spells of the Celestial Sect of Wonders betrayed a terrifying power and potential, which made them understandably alarmed.
The many Immortal Soul stage elders looked at Lin Feng silently.
This blow struck them deeper than the outstanding performances of the Celestial Sect's disciples earlier.
For the Celestial Sect to have such a powerful mantra, it meant that even if the Celestial Sect did not possess extraordinary talents, their rise would still be inevitable.
Lin Feng did not have to look at Shi Zongyue and company to know that his prestige in the system, as well as the prestige of the entire sect, was increasing rapidly. He could feel the awe in their hearts.
Lin Feng looked contentedly at Xiao Budian and Zhu Yi as he said, "Good, very good. Now that the both of you are in the mid-Aurous Core stage, both of you should try your best here. After the two of you reached the late-Aurous Core stage, I have even more techniques and spells to teach you."
"The Great Celestial Way of the Eight Trigrams is only the beginning."
Lin Feng withdrew his mana and scattered the small purple gas world. Xiao Budian emerged from it, exhaled and looked at Zhu Yi. Smiling calmly, he said, "Second Senior, please guide me."
Zhu Yi smiled back slightly and said, "Little Junior, please."
While the atmosphere between the two of them were cordial, the faces of the disciples of the
Heaven Lake Sect were dark like storm clouds.
Ever since Xiao Budian went through the Tribulation of the Yin Fire and ascended into the mid-Aurous Core stage, many disciples of the Heaven Lake Sect bore furious expressions
Song Qingyuan, looking at the scene before him, was ashen-faced.
Because this meant that in his fight against Xiao Budian, Xiao Budian did not use the full extent of his powers.
He only reserved all his powers for the battle against his Second Senior. As for Song Qingyuan, it appeared that such power was unnecessary.
Such a realization almost made Song Qingyuan and the other Heaven Lake Sect disciples crazy with depression. They could not even verbalize their grievances.
However, reality had demonstrated that in the fight against Song Qingyuan, Xiao Budian did not need to use all of his powers to achieve victory.
This, in particular, made the Heaven Lake Sect disciple feel terribly useless, particularly SOng Qingyuan.
Even the master of the Heaven Lake Sect, Cao Wei, felt useless beyond belief despite the calm
expression on his face.
Other than the Heaven Lake Sect, the rest of the audience looked at Zhu Yi and Xiao Budian in anticipation. At first, they thought that there would be no question on the victor in the fight between Zhu Yi and Xiao Budian.
Who knew that in the blink of an eye, Xiao Budian ascended to the mid-Aurous Core stage.
Looking at him go through the Tribulation of the Yin Fire, it appeared that he found it easier than Zhu Yi. After he passed that Tribulation, there was no period of weakness. Instead, he appeared to be in his physical peak.
This made the battle for the championship all the more exciting, as everyone was dying to find out which disciple would emerge victorious.
As Lin Feng watched Xiao Budian and Zhu Yi enter the Hidden Dragon Gorge, he waved his sleeves as a young man clad in purple robes fell onto the ground. It was Wang Lin, whom went for his closed-door training under Lin Feng's protection after he made some new revelations about his spells after his battle with Dao Yuting.
Lin Feng smiled, "Wang Lin, you chose to end your training at the right time. You can watch the final, most exciting round."
Wang Lin looked at the Zhu Yi's and Xiao Budian's disappearing figure as his gaze flashed. "Are Second Senior and Little Junior fighting for the champion of the Aurous Core round?"
Saying that, Wang Lin fell silent. Instead, he decided to focus intensely on the Hidden Dragon Gorge. For him, watching this battle would bring unspeakable benefits.
Yue Hongyan, Yang Qing and even Tuntun and Zhuge Fengling too quietened down as they stared at the Hidden Dragon Gorge.
However, when their gaze fell upon Wang Lin, they felt something funny.
While they knew that Wang Lin's mastery was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, they could feel that after his closed-door training, he had undergone a drastic transformation.
"What was that?" The four of them thought about it in unison. Then, they shook their heads.
Tuntun, whose mastery was the highest, looked at Wang Lin again and thought, "Something is different here."
Wang Lin was nothing more than a distraction. The stars of the show were still Zhu Yi and Xiao Budian.
As the two of them entered the Hidden Dragon Gorge, Xiao Budian patted his hands and said, smiling, "Second Senior, it will be the same as before. Whenever I spar against you, I would use all my strength."
Saying that, Xiao Budian pushed his entire body off with the sole of the feet and flew towards Zhu Yi like an arrow.
Xiao Budian's words made Zhu Yi remember the first spar they had a long time ago. That was before Yue Hongyan and Yang Qing joined the sect. At that time, both Xiao Budian and he were in the Foundation Establishment stage.
At that time, Xiao Budian was always in a rush. Finally, while the powers of both cultivators were similar, Zhu Yi took advantage of Xiao Budian's impatience to overcome him.
The scene appeared to replay before him, but Zhu Yi knew that his Little Junior now would not make the same mistake twice.
Hence, Zhu Yi's strategy changed as well. No longer was he trying to run circles around Xiao Budian to exhaust him. Instead, Zhu Yi decided to confront Xiao Budian upfront.
Zhu Yi took in a deep breath as his entire body emitted light. Infinite amount of light rays criss-crossed in the Hidden Dragon Gorge and formed the shape of a huge mandala.
The Light Mandala!
In the center of the mandala was a glow of light, its two hands were closed and it sat cross-legged. From within, one could feel a boundless amount of light brimming with self-awareness and intelligence, brimming with Buddhist teachings.
Unlike others, as disciples of the same sect, both Xiao Budian and Zhu Yi understood each other very well. They were both clear about what trump cards they each possessed. Hence, to achieve victory, they had to use something novel.
After Zhu Yi learned from Lin Feng one of the treasured teachings of the former Great Thunderclap Temple, the Forever-Bright Tathagata Mantra, he used to combine its powers with his Great Celestial Way of the Eight Trigrams. Now, he was fighting purely with this mantra alone.
The Light Mandala emitted countless amount of light, akin to an eternal shield that warded off all forms of evil. It blocked its caster's enemies out, and as Xiao Budian charged towards the center of the Light Mandala, his way was blocked immediately.
Looking at the scene, Xiao Budian could not help but to laugh. "The Forever-Bright Tathagata
Mantra is indeed extraordinary, but there's no way it could surpass our Great Celestial Way of the Eight Trigrams. Second Senior, if you wish to pull off some trick, perhaps you have
compromised on quality for novelty."
Saying that, Xiao Budian raised his right punch as an startling amount of wind and thunder began to concentrate on his right arm. The two different powers crackled and danced as they grew exponentially in strength. As they grew, they then disappeared and gave off an apocalyptic energy.
Xiao Budian punched outwards. It was his Dual Hammers of the Heavenly Hammers of the Eight Trigrams. As Xiao Budian was already in the mid-Aurous Core stage, coupled with the fact that he had absorbed the spiritual energy from around him within the Gorge to enhance his punch, this punch was much more powerful than the one he had unleashed on Song Qingyuan earlier on.
With his punch, he smashed the Light Mandala. It was akin to using a thousand-ton hammer to destroy a porcelain object.
While the Light Mandala was indeed stunning, it was unable to block Xiao Budian's punch. It shattered into thousands of light fragments.
However, while the Light Mandala had been reduced to light fragments, it did not completely disappear. Instead, tiny rays of light began to envelop Xiao Budian.
At this moment, countless amount of black light appeared out of nowhere and began to merge with the light rays. In the blink of an eye, it formed a black-and-white sacrificial altar.
Xiao Budian became trapped in the sacrificial altar, as if trapped in a small universe. Before him, the black emptiness of space was alight with stars and bright milky ways.
The Great Boundaries of the Celestial Light and Darkness Mandala!
From the milky way, Xiao Budian heard Zhu Yi's voice, "Little Junior has a point. I know this, of course, Little Junior actually think that I am that sort of person?"
"However, all combatants shall seek to obtain victory righteously and deftly. A combination of deftness and righteousness is the way to success."
From that voice, Xiao Budian could feel that the mandala world that Zhu Yi conjured had established Xiao Budian as its center and was rapidly collapsing onto him.
The entire formation began to collapse from underneath Xiao Budian's feet. The entire world that
Zhu Yi created now rushed towards its own destruction.
The entire mandala that Zhu Yi operated mimicked the powers of the destruction of the heaven and the earth. If it were to blow up in this instant, with Xiao Budian's mastery, there was only one thing that he could do.
"Yu!" Xiao Budian's expression was neutral and he did not panic. He raised his tiny fist, and the "Yu" mantra from the Xuanhuang Four-Word Mantra began to activate.
In that instant, the space was filled with a huge amount of energy. The entire light-and-darkness appeared to be filled with countless of columns as something appeared to have stabilized the world till it was as firm as a mountain.