Give It, or He! Will! Take It!

Boom!! A terrifying pressure instantly flooded the void! Li Guanqi's aura surged at once to the late-stage Tribulation Transcendence realm, nearing its peak. Boom!!! The Spirit-Devouring Dao Physique fired at full capacity. In an instant, the lightning primal energy drifting through the world gathered around Li Guanqi as if brought to a boil. Immediately after, his body began to transform. As the blood in his veins churned with deafening roars, what sounded like the cries of dragons and elephants echoed out. His frame visibly expanded by a full margin. Dragon scales emerged, divine markings spread across his skin, and ferocious dragon horns swept outward. Yet this time, Li Guanqi's height did not change in the slightest. He tore away his robes, baring his lean, powerful muscles and scale-clad physique. Running the Divine Punishment technique to its utmost, he felt the shackles of the fourth level begin to loosen faintly. Li Guanqi muttered under his breath, "Is this the fifth level, the Divine Punishment Realm the sword spirit spoke of?" Though his cultivation still stood at the late-stage Tribulation Transcendence realm, his oppressive aura was already comparable to a half-step Ascension cultivator! A flash of astonishment passed through Su Xuan's eyes. He had not expected Li Guanqi to possess such staggering strength now. "So... in his battle with the Mystic King, he was still holding back?" "Even so, this remains extraordinarily perilous." Su Xuan glanced up at the sky, sighed, pulled ten thousand zhang away, and concealed his presence. He feared he would not be able to stop himself from intervening. Yet whether he could even save Li Guanqi was secondary. The moment he stepped in, he would sever Li Guanqi's path to becoming a Human Spirit Immortal. Li Guanqi would never again be able to reach the Mystic Immortal realm in the Human Spirit Realm. And yet... to fathom the profound mysteries of the Ascension realm in such a brief span of time was easier said than done. The thunderstorm granted Li Guanqi no time to ponder. The moment the barrier of primal energy around him began to fracture, the cracking sounds rang like war drums beating before two armies clashed. Both Li Guanqi and the heavenly tribulation of the thunderstorm stood fully poised to annihilate each other!! Rumble!! Crack! Bang!! The storm clouds churned and whirled as lightning serpents danced in madness, quietly giving rise to an unprecedented heavenly thunderstorm tribulation! Its momentum was so vast that it seemed bent on obliterating every shred of life in this world. At the center of the storm, lightning surged like dragons, weaving into an inescapable net. The deafening roars sounded like the wrath of primordial deities, shaking the soul and striking terror into the heart. The primal energy lightning around Li Guanqi was ripped and warped out of shape. Even Su Xuan, standing ten thousand zhang away, could sense the horrifying might capable of altering mountains and rivers. Beneath such world-rending heavenly power, what mortal flesh could muster appeared profoundly insignificant. The moment the barrier of primal energy was crushed to pieces, bolts of lightning as thick as human arms converged on Li Guanqi in dense swathes!!!! Li Guanqi executed his movement technique, weaving like a swimming dragon as he dodged in a frenzy. At the same time, he slashed continuously with the sword in his left hand!! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!! The explosions were deafening, and Li Guanqi felt his very heart shudder in rhythm with each blast. Violent power swept across the world, blasting away over a thousand zhang of the Celestial Spirit Mountain Range in a flash. Li Guanqi darted across the sky. The sword rays he unleashed with Red Lotus burned with lightning fused with Shiwu's power, growing all the more ferocious. Even so, his expression shifted. With just that single clash, he realized his sword rays were easily shattered by the lightning!! Those bolts... They seemed like the primordial lightning born when the world first split from chaos. Pure, powerful, and infused with the intent of judgment. Li Guanqi did not know whether it was merely his imagination, but his senses toward the lightning cascading from the storm were extraordinarily sharp. He even suspected that all the tribulation lightning struck upon cultivators throughout this world originated from this very storm!! This thunderstorm seemed to be the exact embodiment of punishment within the heavenly laws of the Human Spirit Realm!! In the distance, Su Xuan murmured, "Have you noticed?" "That you chose the lightning spiritual root was unexpected even to me..." "Had you chosen Geng Metal, I naturally would have cleared the path for you." Li Guanqi's body darted through the sky like a streak of lightning, flashing wildly across the air. His soaring sword intent merged into the sword rays. The greatest power of the Sword Po realm lay in fusing the swordsman's will into the intent, bringing forth unimaginable might. In other words, within the Sword Po realm, the stronger the wielder's will, the more terrifying the power became. At this moment, Li Guanqi's battle intent soared, burning to contest with the heavens themselves!! Throughout his life, he had rarely fought for contention against others. Yet against heaven, he had never once held back! Because this was what he rightfully deserved! Give it up or not, heaven had to yield. And if it refused... he! would! take! it!! Boom!!! A bolt of lightning pierced straight through Li Guanqi's shoulder in an instant. His face paled slightly, and he barked in a low voice, "Demonic Blood Revival!" Swish!! Shattered dragon scales and torn flesh knit back together at a visible speed. Yet such monstrous regeneration came at the cost of his blood vitality and primal energy. Li Guanqi's expression turned grim. While the descending bolts varied in intensity, every single one hit with power comparable to the peak of the Tribulation Transcendence realm!! Furthermore, the thunderstorm spanned a vast expanse, its core holding virtually boundless energy... The heavens and earth roared as lightning crashed toward the ground. Su Xuan narrowed his eyes and forcibly relocated the Four Heavenly King Towers and the Time Pagoda with his power. The entirety of Celestial Spirit Town was wiped out in an instant by the falling lightning. The earth was scarred and battered, buildings collapsed, charred rubble drifted with pale smoke, and ruins stretched in every direction. Yet to Su Xuan, none of these material things mattered. The old man fixed his gaze on the figure dodging frantically in midair, his fists clenched tight! After a moment of silence, he reached into the void and drew out an ancient, austere saber scabbard, holding it firmly in hand. No matter what, he would keep Li Guanqi alive! Even if... it meant sacrificing his own path as a Human Spirit Immortal to pave the way! The screeching of lightning was piercing to the ears, and sword qi crisscrossed across the firmament. Countless spiritual swords converged in midair, sweeping up and down to intercept the lightning! Li Guanqi's eyes flickered. He did not know when this thunderstorm would ever end. Even heavenly tribulations had a point of exhaustion. Yet this storm seemed limitless, as though it would never disperse until it had claimed his life. Nor did it grant him any time to reflect. The storm clouds churned and spun faster and faster, and the descending lightning grew thicker and more ferocious! In the blink of an eye, the bolts broadened, their power leaping by another thirty percent!! Boom! Boom! Boom!!! Li Guanqi could not draw his sword back in time to defend, and the barrier of primal energy he raised offered almost no resistance. Several bolts struck his body, the immense force hurtling him through the air! Hiss!!! Li Guanqi's feet carved two long rifts through the air as his figure flashed away. His chest and back were a mangled mess of blood and flesh, the purple-black flame armor pierced through. He panted heavily. Had the Shiwu Sacred Armor not protected him at the crucial moment, that strike alone would have left him grievously wounded!