"Now this is finally something worth taking seriously."

If it had been anyone else, Zhou Xiong Ying’s Death Intent would have been extremely troublesome to deal with. However, Li Yun remained completely unfazed. A faint, cold smile appeared on his face as he raised his hand calmly.

"Heavenly Lightning Codex - Heavenly Thunder Wheel."

At once, countless strands of lightning burst into existence. Blue arcs of electricity flickered wildly as they gathered in the air, forming a massive rotating wheel of thunder. As it spun, a violent and boundless aura erupted outward, accompanied by deep, rumbling thunder that seemed to shake the very world.

Under the enhancement of Lightning Intent at sixty percent mastery, this technique from Heaven Mandate Peak was pushed to an entirely new level. The power it displayed far surpassed its original limits. Even the expert who had created the Heavenly Thunder Wheel from the Heavenly Lightning Codex might not have been able to unleash it with such overwhelming force.

With a simple motion of his hand, Li Yun sent the wheel forward.

The Heavenly Thunder Wheel spun violently, releasing endless flasjes of lightning. It transformed into a blazing torrent of blue energy, resembling a river of thunder descending from the heavens. With unstoppable momentum, it surged across the sky and collided head-on with the black torrent formed by the Netherworld Divine Eagle.

The impact was instantaneous.

A thunderous roar erupted, as if mountains were collapsing upon one another. The collision of the two forces created a shockwave so powerful that it spread outward in all directions. Within a radius of several thousand meters, the air itself shattered like fragile glass, forming a vast vacuum where nothing could remain.

In the next moment, an explosion of dazzling energy erupted from the point of impact. Brilliant light surged outward like a volcanic eruption, illuminating the entire battlefield.

The spectators drew in sharp breaths.

Even seasoned experts felt their hearts tremble at the sight. The destructive power unleashed by this clash was so immense that it rivaled the full-force battle of two peak Essence Qi Realm experts.

"These two are truly terrifying."

Their shock was evident, their eyes fixed on the battlefield as they tried to comprehend what they were witnessing.

In the viewing stands, a middle-aged man in black robes watched intently. His expression grew increasingly serious as he observed the collision.

"Xiong Ying is at a disadvantage."

He spoke quietly, his voice carrying a hint of concern.

This man was Origin Order Zi, the Palace Master of the Origin Order Palace and a Half-step Mortal Core Realm expert.

To most observers, the clash appeared evenly matched, its brilliance masking the underlying reality. However, Origin Order Zi could see beyond the surface.

Li Yun had gained the upper hand.

Zhou Xiong Ying’s technique was not weaker in itself, but it was being suppressed. The difference did not lie in the quality of the technique, but in how it was being countered.

Death Intent was undoubtedly a terrifying Martial Dao concept, but it was far from invincible. There were many other concepts capable of restraining it, such as the Concept of Life, and more importantly, the power of Lightning Intent.

Lightning was known as the most pure and forceful energy in the natural world. It carried an overwhelming, upright strength that naturally suppressed anything aligned with Yin attributes. Although Death Intent did not belong to demonic or evil forces, its nature still leaned toward Yin, which meant it was inhertently restrained by the dominant and masculine nature of lightning.

Under such circumstances, Death Intent could not display its full power.

Even when two concepts were evenly matched in mastery, the presence of Lightning Intent would already suppress Death Intent, reducing its effectiveness to roughly seventy percent of its original strength. However, the gap between the two in this battle made the situation even worse for Zhou Xiong Ying.

His Death Intent had only reached fifty percent mastery, while Li Yun’s Lightning Intent had already reached sixty percent. With the difference in proficiency combined with the natural suppression between the two, the power of Zhou Xiong Ying’s Death Intent was reduced to less than half of its potential.

Against Lightning Intent unleashed at near peak strength, the outcome was already decided.

Just as Origin Order Zi had predicted, the clash in the sky quickly tilted in Li Yun’s favor.

The black torrent formed by the Netherworld Divine Eagle began to retreat steadily under the relentless pressure of the blue lightning torrent. Bolts of lightning surged continuously from the blue mass, striking the black energy again and again.

Each impact caused the black torrent to tremble, and the dense mist surrounding it started to disperse.

It resembled ice melting under the blazing sun, dissolving rapidly with every passing moment.

"Break."

A cold light flashed in Li Yun’s eyes as he exerted force through his palm.

In an instant, the full power of the lightning torrent erupted. It surged forward with overwhelming intensity, crashing into the black torrent. A sharp cracking sound echoed as fractures spread across the dark mass.

The cracks widened rapidly until they reached their limit.

Then, with a violent explosion, the black torrent shattered completely, bursting apart into a storm of scattered energy that swept through the sky.

The blue lightning torrent did not slow down.

With unstoppable momentum, it pierced through the remnants of black energy like a spear of thunder. The air rippled violently in its wake as it shot forward toward Zhou Xiong Ying.

Zhou Xiong Ying’s pupils contracted as the blazing blue light filled his vision.

It was as if a thunder dragon had come alive, charging straight at him with unstoppable force. Fear surfaced on his face as he realized the danger, but before he could react, the attack had already reached him.

The impact was direct.

A heavy blow struck his chest, shattering multiple ribs in an instant. Blood burst from his mouth as his body was sent flying backward through the air.

As he was thrown away, the golden dragon mark on his forehead began to flicker violently.

A deep dragon’s roar echoed faintly.

The mark dissolved into a stream of golden Dragon Qi, which surged out from between his brows and flew toward Li Yun. It entered his body without resistance, merging with his own Dragon Qi.

The departure of this energy marked the end of the battle.

Zhou Xiong Ying had lost.

"No!"

Zhou Xiong Ying roared in frustration, his voice filled with unwillingness. He reached out instinctively, trying to seize the Dragon Qi that had escaped from his body. However, although the golden stream was clearly visible, it lacked any tangible form. His hand passed straight through it, unable to grasp or restrain it in the slightest.

A streak of golden light flashed through the air.

In the next instant, the Dragon Qi arrived before Li Yun and entered his body through his forehead. The golden dragon mark there seemed to come alive, opening its mouth and swallowing the incoming energy completely.

At once, a brilliant radiance spread within his Sea of Consciousness.

The golden Heavenly Dragon began to grow at a visible rate, its form expanding rapidly. From its previous length of four and a half meters, it surged upward until it reached over seven meters in size.

Zhou Xiong Ying had defeated many opponents during the group battles, and the Dragon Qi he had accumulated was substantial. Now that it had all been absorbed by Li Yun, it was only natural for the growth of his golden dragon to accelerate so dramatically.