For years he'd never met a match within the same cultivation realm. He was fighting against a God restricted to the Mortal Realms of strength, although he started off badly, not knowing what was happening, he quickly realized that even a God restricted to the Mortal Realms was not his match. This battle would have been over in a few seconds if he didn't let Frankenstein get to him.
But that wouldn't keep him from finishing the battle in the next second. Frankenstein's technique tore holes through the gigantic ball of pure Void Qi with ease. He noticed, but his mind was oddly calm. The rage that built up in him and was on the cusp of spilling out receded into nothingness. All was within his palm.
When he comes down, the frigid mask he loved keeping when interacting with anyone besides his mother stitched itself all over his face. Pure apathy gushed out from his deep black eyes. Arrogance, befitting of a Prince amongst princes and a Dragon amongst dragons exuded from his ramrod posture. He placed his hand neatly dying his back and gazed down at the tattered ball of Void Qi.
Frankenstein looked different. The suit he priced himself wearing a few minutes ago was gone. All that was left were rags. A pair of wings spotted from his back, giving him an immeasurable boost in speed.
Long Wei didn't let Frankenstein's boost in strength daunt him. All he did was study the output he felt from him. It surpassed the threshold of what the Mortal Realm's could bear, touching upon the Mysteries of the Human Immortal Realm. This insane output of power for what should have been a God trapped in a mortal's body did little to frighten Long Wei. He stopped using the half-baked qi in his dantian and reached for the purest form of Void Qi found within his bloodline. Long Wei's Mindscape was virtually endless, signifying his potential to one day wield endless qi. The amount of qi he had within his Mindscape at the moment rivaled that of a Peak Human Immortal powerhouse. But that was mainly diluted Void Qi. Although, diluted Void Qi for him was a level of purity only his father and few select Void-Dragons could hope to match. And his pure Void Qi was even more terrifying. He only had about ponds worth near the gates of his Heavenly Palace.
He poured a cup worth through the Mindscape Barrier, allowing the purist form of Void Qi he could access as a mortal flood his meridians. He didn't waste a second. He reached out to Frankenstein and squeezed. An action so simple most would overlook its meaning. And a mistake that would be.
The tattered floating orb of Void-Qi inverted. Instead of outwardly affecting the environment, all that destructive force was inverted. The environmental destruction ceased. The ball thinned to a point where its size was no different from a needlepoint. Not a single sound escaped the orb in its new size. Most of all, not a thread of qi or spiritual presence came off it.
Frankenstein, flying towards Long Wei, ready to end the battle stopped when he was halfway. He knew something was up. He didn't idle any longer and showed one of his trump cards. He slammed his hands together, generating a burst of energy that swept outwards at speeds that far eclipsed the speed of light. These waves slammed into Long Wei before he could even process what was going on. Suddenly, all the strength that he had gathered seeped out. His expert control over his own qi faded. Within seconds, his muscles went out of his control. He fell out of the sky.
"It actually worked! I was beginning to think that notne of my methods were going to work on that kid," Frankenstein let out a burst of hearty laughter, " Lesson hear kids is nothing is as it ever seems."
The purple ring on Long Wei's finger pulsed for an attosecond.
—
SPECTRAL HAVEN SECT: VIEWING PAVILIONS
—
"What sort of game is the Spectral Haven Sect playing?" Elder Bohai asked Elder Cai the moment he live feed of the trial grounds faded into total blackness.
"These things have been working for years. And yes. I personally checked them in advance before the Prince came here," Elder Cai sighed, "Give them a few minutes, maybe the someone overloaded the array."
Elder Bohai didn't feel comfortable sitting down so he stood up and went to the Pavilions balcony to feel nature's wind rustle his hair and robes. Losing the life feed for even a second had his nerves wound up in a messy yawn ball. He promised to never take his eyes off the Prince. He failed on that promise.
"I think something is wrong," he said.
Elder Mo ran up and down the stage, seconding spirit transmission after spirit transmission. Even his aura changed, it wasn't as confident as it was before. One of his shoulders dropped below the other and a limp he never had poisoned his steps. Elder Bohai didn't wait for Elder Cai to instruct him and someone else was far more impatient.
"What is the blopdy meaning of this Spectral Haven Sect?" A slightly feminine voice boomed out of a pavilion just below theirs.
A man that looked no older than twenty, wrapped in red and gold robes flew out of the pavilion and stood atop the void of space. He had a few golden ornaments in his hair to keep it all styled in a neat, shiny ponytail. Like most cultivators, he took a dignified pose in the air with his hands placed behind him.
"Your bracelets. It's only been a few minutes into the trials and these things aren't working anymore. What is the meaning of this?"
"I have it under control, Elder Feng Gang. An unknown signal intercepted ours a few seconds ago. Our Formation Masters are working to bring everything back to normal. Give them about an hour," Elder Mo dialed down the intensity of the problem.
Elder Feng Gang wanted a more detailed answer but saw no way he could reasonably seek it when one reasonable answer was given already. He was tasked with making certain Feng Meng remained safe throughout the entire trial. Being unable to observe his every move would make that job difficult.
"An hour. That's all I'm patient enough to wait for. And pray nothing untoward has happened to Feng Mang."
Elder Feng Gang thrust out his sleeve in anger and went back to his Pavillion.
"Elder Gang might be fine giving you an hour. But I am not," a feminine voice that drowned the atmosphere in the scent of pelted red roses traveling through the wind.
The voice came from the same pavilion Elder Fang Gang came from. The owner of the voice chose not to reveal their presence to the rest of the pavilions. But that much wasn't needed. Any immortal clan worth it's salt knew that voice like the borders of its territory. There wasn't a member of the Immortal Clans that didn't know her voice, let alone her name, Jasmine Sorrowsbane. She earned the respect and fear on the battlefield an entire Chaos Cycle ago. The sight of a few Expanses frozen under her divine might leave a deep impression on the various Immortals that survived that war. Most of all, her identity was nothing to scoff at either.
"I'll rip a hole through to the trial grounds if I have to. Thirty minutes. That's how long I'm willing to wait."
Elder Mo didn't know what to say. His lips quivered, trying to find an explanation. The Formation Masters didn't give him any detailed piece of information, leaving him mostly clueless too. He couldn't make promises even if he wanted to.
"The young lady is correct. We cannot stand here and twiddle our thumbs when our clans and factions valued talents are inside of a trial that belongs to this sect with no form of communication.
And don't take us for fools. Which experts or group of experts have the qualifications to interrupt the signal from a network created by some of the best Formation Masters godstones can buy?
It's much more logical to just tell us what is happening than trying to keep it hush-hush, " an Elderly voice slithered out of one of the pavilions.
Elder Mo froze on the spot.
"Don't worry too much about it Brother Bohai.I have a lock on the young prince's location. It won't take me more than an attosecond to interfere if I sense that he is in danger. Right now, he is engaged in a battle. One that will teach him a thing or two about hunting both a whale, a tiger or a mouse with the exact same level of strength," Elder Cai didn't bother opening his eyes.
Long Wei was pretty much safe as long as he was there. His understanding of the Void was one of the best among the few Void Dragons left. Ripping cross-dimensional space was no different to dipping dumplings into some soup once one reached his level of comprehension.
" The Prince has insane talent. Probably the best within the past few hundred Chaos Cycles. But he suffers from one problem," said Elder Cai.
"Arrogance? Looking down on his opponents? His absolute confidence in winning battles? I don't think that one problem. That is a few," Elder Bohai chuckled.
"You are correct by a technicality. Those problems stem from one cause though. And that is Pride. So one problem. The excursion through the mortal planes, a few years, chipped off some of that pride. But he hasn't changed much in the grander scheme of things.
And I know my Prince Well. Using his full strength to win has always been a humiliation. And losing while using his full strength will be a major blow to his Impeccable Dao Heart. I'd rather him experience that blow now than later.
I spoke with the Emperor already. I don't have to swoop in unless his life is on the line by being far stronger than him," Elder Cai shook his head while explaining.