Chapter 97: The Nine Heavens Thunder-Slaying Array

After Li Jiansan finished speaking, he turned his hand and sealed the void with a gesture. Bright sigils gathered in his palm, flowing slowly, each no larger than a fingertip, yet containing terrifying power.

Ye Tian stared in shock at the refined spiritual seals forming one after another in Li Jiansan's hand, and his body trembled as he froze in place.

How... how could this be?

He really was a spiritual array master.

Ye Tian looked at Li Jiansan in horror, his face darkening terribly, as though he had been turned to stone, unable to accept this cruel fact.

Although he himself had become a spiritual array master, it had only been through the aid of his master, who had expended a tremendous amount of soul power to help him succeed.

And ever since then, that old fellow had...

He had paid such a steep price just to become a spiritual array master.

Yet this boy had become one so effortlessly?

More than that, the sheer number of spiritual seals he could form was something only a highly seasoned spiritual array master could accomplish. Even now, he himself could not match Li Jiansan's effortless seal-making.

Complexity spread across Ye Tian's face in an instant.

Compared with Li Jiansan, he would always fall just short.

But Li Jiansan had no time to concern himself with Ye Tian's feelings. At that moment, he was fully focused on forming the seals. A moment later, he flicked his fingers, and the several spiritual seals in his hand vanished instantly into the void.

"Buzz!"

In the next instant, intricate forces suddenly burst forth. Faintly, flashes of lightning seemed to flicker within the empty air.

The great array Li Jiansan had set up produced one omen after another, startling the crowd below the platform, who all turned their eyes upward in astonishment.

"So strong. It seems the Young Sect Master has improved yet again in the art of setting spiritual arrays."

"The power of this great array is probably unmatched within the Foundation Establishment stage."

"Foundation Establishment? You're underestimating him. Even a Profound Realm cultivator would have a hard time surviving this."

Sensing the surging power within it, the onlookers all changed expression in shock.

On the other side, when Gu Yue saw the scene on the stage, his expression also shifted.

"What? That boy is a spiritual array master too!"

"And his understanding of spiritual arrays seems even more profound than Ye Tian's. His technique is extremely skilled; even I feel slightly inferior."

"I never expected to encounter such a gifted seedling here."

"If I can nurture him and recommend him to the Spiritual Array Masters Guild, he will surely become a third-rank spiritual array master or above in the future."

"And that merit might even raise my own standing by another step..."

With that thought, the look in Gu Yue's eyes toward Li Jiansan was no longer displeased. Instead, it had taken on a trace of fervent eagerness.

"No good. The formation I taught Ye Tian is a second-rank great array. Even if that boy is extraordinarily gifted, he still won't have any room to fight back before a second-rank array. What should I do..."

Gu Yue suddenly remembered something, and his brows knit tightly together. It had not been easy to discover such a genius; if he were to die like this, how wasteful that would be.

So Gu Yue hurriedly shouted, "Ye Tian, stop at once. You must not take his life!"

Though Ye Tian heard Gu Yue's words, he had no idea why Gu Yue had abruptly changed his mind, and he had no intention of listening anyway.

Ridiculous. It had come to this already—how could he possibly let Li Jiansan go?

"To dare set up a spiritual array before me? You must be tired of living!"

Seeing Li Jiansan still in the midst of arranging his array, Ye Tian moved without another word.

From the energy fluctuations earlier, it was clear the boy was laying down an extremely formidable spiritual array. If he succeeded, even he might not be able to withstand it.

So how could he be allowed to succeed?

With that thought, Ye Tian swiftly turned his hand, and a blade of deep blue water light condensed at once, surging forward in a flash to strike at Li Jiansan.

"You little bastard, didn't I say no killing? And you still dare to strike for the kill!"

Seeing Ye Tian's actions, Gu Yue on the platform below jumped anxiously. This was a genius rarely seen in a hundred years, and to have him ruined by this brat would be such a pity...

On the platform, Li Jiansan looked at the restless Ye Tian and smiled faintly. "Still thinking of making a move now? Don't you think it's already too late?"

Ye Tian was startled. "How is that possible? You've already finished setting the array this fast?"

Li Jiansan said nothing. He simply swept out a palm. In the void, brilliant radiance erupted, and beneath the terrifying flash of lightning came the rumble of thunder, shaking the world in all directions.

"I had intended to play with you slowly, but since you're so eager to die, you can't blame me for it!"

Caught off guard by the sudden lightning, Ye Tian had no time to react. He could only hastily drive the earlier array to blast toward Li Jiansan.

Seeing this, Gu Yue turned slightly away below the platform. He had already given up hope for Li Jiansan.

His second-rank array, unleashed to its full power by Ye Tian, would kill even a Profound Realm cultivator without fail.

"Li Jiansan, I will definitely kill you!"

Ye Tian roared at the array as it crashed down.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Li Jiansan's great array slammed fiercely into Ye Tian's spiritual array.

What could be seen with the naked eye was that Ye Tian's spiritual array was instantly dissolved under Li Jiansan's assault, becoming flecks of spiritual light.

Then the terrifying lightning within the great array struck without hesitation, smashing brutally onto Ye Tian's body. The violent power of thunder exploded inside him at once.

Crushed by that overwhelming force, Ye Tian was instantly sent flying, crashing down onto the arena and sinking several meters into the ground.

"Pu..."

Under that terrifying blow, Ye Tian spewed a mouthful of blood. Scorched by the lightning, even his skin had turned charred black, and his internal organs still throbbed with a searing pain.

Ye Tian raised his head in horror and saw that young man on the platform, calm and unhurried.

Li Jiansan turned his hand once more, and that terrifying power continued to circulate slowly.

Only when he clenched his palm did the lightning, filled with violent spiritual energy, gradually disperse.

"Damn it... how could his spiritual array be so strong? He beat me so badly I couldn't even fight back!"

Ye Tian's heart was filled with shock and dread. This was a second-rank spiritual array he had set up.

And even so, he had still been blasted into grievous injury by Li Jiansan's great array. With such terrifying power, it could almost contend head-on with a Profound Realm cultivator.

Seeing this scene, Gu Yue on the platform below widened his eyes in utter disbelief.

That was a second-rank spiritual array.

And that boy had actually broken it.

Just moments ago, he had thought Li Jiansan would surely die beneath a second-rank array.

But he never would have imagined that Li Jiansan not only remained unharmed, but had instead severely injured Ye Tian.

That boy's talent was truly terrifying!

Gu Yue asked in curiosity, "Li Jiansan, what kind of array is this?"

This array was called the Nine Heavens Thunder-Exterminating Array. It had no fixed grade; the power it could unleash depended entirely on the spiritual array master's skill.

However, this Nine Heavens Thunder-Exterminating Array had once slain a terrifying ancient demon.

As for its upper limit, no one had yet discovered it...

This fearsome great array had been passed to Li Jiansan by the sword spirit Zhao Ling'er. Its origin was exceedingly mysterious, and even Zhao Ling'er herself did not fully understand it.

Naturally, Li Jiansan would not tell Gu Yue any of that.

"A... what kind of array is this?"

"I refuse... I refuse to accept this!"

"Li Jiansan, even if I lose, so what? You don't dare kill me."

"I am a certified spiritual array master of the Spiritual Array Masters Guild. If you dare kill me, the guild will never let you go!"

With disheveled hair, blood spraying from his mouth, his whole body filthy with blood, Ye Tian looked like a vicious demon as he bared a savage grin at Li Jiansan.

So what if he lost?

The road ahead was long; there would be time enough.

He was a spiritual array master certified by the Spiritual Array Masters Guild. This boy would surely not dare make a move against him.

"Haha, what do you think? You were still toyed with by me. You lost, and I can kill you. But if I lose, you can't help but kill me."

Seeing Li Jiansan's cold expression, Ye Tian still said arrogantly, "Kill me? Do you dare?"