Skyfire Avenue - Chapter 720

Chapter 720

Chapter 720: Lan Jue vs . Poseidon

“Ah, then it’s fine . ” Hua Li trotted after Lan Jue .

Chu Cheng moseyed over to Lan Qing’s side . “So how long you think Lan Jue will last?”

Lan Qing fixed him with a long, uncomfortable look . “What makes you think it won’t be the other way around?”

“Ah? Hey big guy, since when did you become such a favoritist? It’s not like you . ” Chu Cheng was honestly surprised .

Lan Qing placidly responded . “If it were you instead of Lan Jue it would absolutely be a loss . Not a chance . Lan Jue isn’t a Paragon, he’s better . ”

Lan Qing had come to understand Lan Jue’s strength, little by little, over the last few days . He had displayed an incredible talent, and even without the Banishing Blades he would be an exceptional fighter – no normal peak-ranked Adept .

Lan Jue stood in the center of the arena, watching Hua Li approach with calm expression .

Hua Li stopped a few yards away . Where he stepped the floor seemed to ripple like the surface of a lake . As he looked at his opponent, surprise twinkled in the Paragon’s eyes .

His surprise came from how Lan Jue interacted with the environment Somehow he was both a part and separate, like an immortal surveying the lands of humans – and just as arrogant .

That arrogance wasn’t in his look or posture . Instead, it poured from him like an invisible wind . He was separate from everything because he was superior to it . It surrounded him with a palpable sense of danger .

“Begin . ” Lan Jue nodded at Hua Li .

His opponent smirked and waggled a finger at him . Hua Li made no attempt to hide the contempt in his gaze .

Further discussion was pointless, so Lan Jue made his move . In a blink he appeared in front of Hua Li driving his palm toward his chest .

Hua Li watched him come, standing with his hands clasped at the small of his back like a haughty lord . Just as it seemed Lan Jue’s palm strike would land, the area before Poseidon ripples with a pale blue light .

Everything took on an aqua hue, and the fighters found themselves in something like an underwater world . It filled everyone with a strange and fantastical sensation .

Lan Jue felt like he’d been caught in a quagmire . His arm – in fact his whole body felt sluggish . The pull of dark undercurrents tugged at him .

A strange scene followed . Lan Jue slowly curled his outstretched hand into a fist and hammered it forward .

His entire body was enveloped in a hazy black and white aureole . Tides of yin-yang energy dispersed the dark currents and caused the world of blue before his fist to ripple .

Hua Li’s eyes widened as he watched . Lan Jue’s fist became a shimmering resplendent cobalt as it smashed into the Paragon’s protective shield .

Surprises continued, for the rippled of protogenic power that surrounded them were dispersed like water cast from a basin . All of a sudden it was like gravity returned and everything around Poseidon came splashing down . Lan Jue pressed ahead in his attack .

For a moment Hua Li was stunned . What he felt in that punch filled him with fear . However he was a Paragon, with a Paragon’s speed . The moment Lan Jue broke his defenses Hua Li became a beam of blue light and vanished . Lan Jue’s fist tore through thin air .

Hua Li reappeared ten meters away, far enough – he thought – to avoid Lan Jue’s attack . But just as he was getting comfortable the world of water around him rippled and bolts of crackling lightning appeared all around . As they struck him he felt the power penetrate down into his bones . Numbness crept into his limbs and through his trunk . The vast cache of energy at his command evaporated like snow in a bonfire .

What was this power? He was a Paragon but somehow his energy had been dispersed . It was inconceivable .

Lan Jue never stopped . When his punching arm extended as far as it would go his index finger shot out . A burst of sapphire power surged out, flat at the front like a set hammer .

Nine Taiji Hammers!

Hua Li was numb from head to toe . Dodging was impossible .

All at once Hua Li unleashed his true strength . Swells of elemental power undulated around them, and a grand figure appeared from nowhere before him . A beam of metallic blue light erupted force and crashed into the sapphire hammer .

Poof! Lan Jue’s Taiji hammer was gone, but so was the metallic beam .

Hua Li grunted in momentary effort . He’d bought himself enough time to shed the numb sensation stifling him .

On the sidelines Chu Cheng was watching in open shock . What was happening? Hua Li was on the defensive? His Majesty Poseidon was making a fool of himself! 1

Lan Jue didn’t waste his advantage . He launched himself forward surrounded by lightning, his body disappearing into the crackling power . Although the arena was filled with the manifestation of Hua Li’s power, the rippling power was dispersed wherever it came into contact with Lan Jue’s electric shell . Lan Jue passed through like there was no resistance at all, without an ounce of speed lost .

Neither Chu Cheng nor the unfortunate Hua Li had anticipated Lan Jue commanded such dominance .

With a low growl Hua Li’s eyes took on a metallic blue light . His body vanished into the warped and quivering sea of power . If before it’d been a sea of calm, now it was the ocean in a tempest .

Thick waters solidified and pressed in on Lan Jue to try and crush the life out of him .

The lightning froze and Lan Jue was revealed again . Only now, his body was enclosed in an orb of glittering translucent sapphire energy . No matter how much of the electric blue energy collapsed upon it, the shield around him broke it apart .

Even protogenia seemed to have no effect on his defense . Hua Li’s power had no way through . A Paragon’s greatest advantage over Adepts was their control of protogenia . Against Lan Jue, however, that did not appear to be the case .

Hua Li reappeared, his face dark with doubt and anxiety . “What is this power, A-Jue? How are you able to unravel protogenia?”

Lan Jue answered with a grin . “It’s been too long since we’ve sparred . You still think you can beat me?”

Hua Li grunted at him . “I haven’t showed you my real strength yet . Don’t gloat just yet . ”

As he spoke he reached out and beckoned with his right hand . A halo of blue light radiated from him replete with divine supremacy . A golden rune in the shape of a trident shimmered into existence upon his forehead and his aura swelled .

Pressure like the crushing depths of the ocean strengthened around Lan Jue . The metallic blue light which was so easily dispersed before still could not penetrate Lan Jue defensive shield, but was less quickly defeated .

Lan Jue’s eyes lit up in excitement . “Divine rite – the power given to you by your family . You’ve only achieved the Realm of Protogenia but this inheritance lets you command the power of a Reflection of Heaven and Earth . Am I right?”

Hua Li gave an imperatorial laugh . A flash of light deposited a metallic blue trident in his hand . “Don’t worry, I won’t give you a chance to surrender . ” He drew the trident through the air as he spoke, each stroke releasing a wave of golden light . They rippled through the water-like environment, reflecting and refracting off of one another but relentlessly toward a single target .

When the first wave of golden light struck Lan Jue’s shield, it shimmered queerly . Poseidon’s new power was also dispersed, but the power protecting Lan Jue was noticeably weaker .

Such power! As the pressure continued to increase Lan Jue knew he had to act .

A flash of red light briefly lit the arena, and Captus appeared in his grip . When it did the space around him seemed to on the verge of collapsing in on itself . Poseidon’s Domain was drawn to it, into the gloomy red light like water through a drain . The pressure began to ease .

A corona of red light sprang up around Lan Jue, wide enough to allow half a step in each direction . In that small space he swung the sword around and carved out circles in the air that left behind crimson orbs .

The golden light issued from Hua Li’s trident fell into the red orbs and vanished like clay statues in a stream .

He can do that, too?

Through his Divine Rite Hua Li was pressing his opponent with the full range of his strength . Lan Jue had protected himself with tricks and techniques, but the difference had to be more than his non-Paragon companion could bear!

But the truth was laid bare, and he could hardly believe it .

Lan Jue was also in a unique position . Although the pressure put upon him by Hua Li didn’t match the Terminator’s, he also didn’t have Qianlin by his side . The skill of his Taiji sword melded with Captus’ power and his All-Heaven lightning . Through their perfect accord he continued to diffuse Hua Li’s assault .

Poseidon’s Trident was a mighty Astrum, but even it could not contend against a legendary Banishing Blade . Ever since fusing with the sword yesterday, he sensed his ties to Captus had reached new heights . It felt like a natural extension of himself . He flowed through the Taiji sword stances like a fish in water, and Captus’ powers of space-time manipulation has infused Lan Jue’s heart .

With each swipe Lan Jue’s grasp of Captus’ nature deepened . He poured his Discipline into the blade and felt it amplify . The immortal qi within his All-Heaven lightning resonated with the Banishing Blade, though only a true immortal would be capable of summoning its full strength .

Control was Captus’ eminency . It was complemented perfectly by the Taiji style . As he swung around tracing circles through the air, they did more than disperse Hua Li’s onslaught . They expanded, joined, and swelled until they formed a net of inexplicable force that covered everything .