The battle intensified.
The grey-robed cultivator no longer held back. His spiritual energy surged as countless dark-green vines erupted from beneath the sea, intertwining into an enormous wooden dragon that collided head-on with the serpent's torrent.
Boom!
The collision shook the entire cove.
Towering waves rose hundreds of meters into the sky before crashing back into the sea with earth-shaking force.
The serpent let out an enraged roar.
Its wounds had only just begun recovering, yet this insignificant human had forced it to mobilize such a large amount of spiritual energy again.
Its injuries were splitting open once more.
Fresh blood seeped through the cracks between its scales.
Seeing this, the grey-robed cultivator's expression changed slightly.
He naturally noticed the beast's deteriorating condition.
As long as he prolonged the battle, the serpent's injuries would worsen.
Unfortunately...
That wasn't what he wanted.
His objective had always been Lin Sheng.
Not a life-and-death struggle with a Rank 4 yao beast.
Taking a deep breath, he spoke once more.
"You've mistaken friend for foe."
"The one you're looking for isn't me."
"I can leave immediately."
The serpent's only response was another deafening hiss.
Its enormous body suddenly coiled together before an astonishing amount of mist poured from every direction.
Within moments, the entire cove disappeared beneath a world of white.
The grey-robed cultivator's vision immediately dropped to only a few dozen meters.
Even his already suppressed divine sense weakened further.
His face finally became ugly.
"A divine ability..."
"No..."
"This is its innate bloodline ability."
At that exact moment...
The sea beneath him froze.
Not the surface.
The water itself.
Layer after layer of ice spread upward from below, attempting to imprison him where he stood.
The grey-robed cultivator immediately soared into the air.
Before he had even risen a hundred meters—
A gigantic blue tail burst through the mist.
Boom!!
The strike landed squarely against the protective barrier around his body.
The shield exploded instantly.
The remaining force threw him flying like a cannonball through several mountain cliffs before finally crashing into a rocky island.
Rubble scattered everywhere.
Dust filled the air.
After several breaths, the grey-robed cultivator slowly climbed back to his feet.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Several ribs had fractured.
He looked toward the serpent, his eyes no longer calm.
Instead...
A trace of killing intent gradually surfaced.
Several li away, Lin Sheng silently watched everything unfold.
The corners of his lips rose ever so slightly.
The battle was developing almost exactly as Crystal had predicted.
Neither side could retreat anymore.
One was determined to eliminate every potential threat while recovering from Heavenly Tribulation.
The other had already suffered injuries and understood that escaping peacefully had become impossible.
Crystal calmly updated its calculations.
•[Target combat capability reduced to 78%.
Rank 4 serpent combat capability reduced to 34%.
Probability of mutual heavy injuries: 94.6%.
Optimal strategy: Continue waiting.]•
The moment the lightning talisman appeared, the atmosphere around the battlefield changed.
Even the serpent, whose killing intent had remained unwavering until now, suddenly stopped advancing.
Its vertical pupils shrank.
For the first time since the battle began...
A trace of caution appeared within its eyes.
The grey-robed cultivator noticed the reaction and couldn't help letting out a cold laugh.
"So..."
"You recognize it."
"This talisman contains the power of peak Rank 3 lightning."
"I don't wish to use it."
"But if you continue forcing me..."
"...then neither of us will leave this place unharmed."
The serpent remained silent.
Its enormous body continued coiling protectively around itself.
Although it possessed little understanding of human talismans, it could clearly sense the terrifying heavenly lightning sealed within the jade.
More importantly...
Its body had only just survived Heavenly Tribulation.
The wounds left behind still carried traces of heavenly punishment.
If another powerful lightning attack erupted here...
There was a possibility that the scattered Tribulation Aura lingering around the battlefield could gather once again.
At that time...
Another Heavenly Tribulation might descend.
The consequences would be unimaginable.
Hidden among the ruins, Lin Sheng's expression gradually became serious.
His eyes never left the silver talisman.
Unlike the serpent, he understood exactly what it represented.
That wasn't ordinary lightning.
It was a treasure refined by borrowing the power of heavenly lightning itself.
If released...
Its destructive power would likely exceed an ordinary Peak Purple Palace attack.
Even from this distance, he instinctively felt danger.
Crystal immediately began calculating.
•[Peak Rank 3 lightning talisman detected.
Estimated lethality to host: 99.97%.
Recommendation: Do not approach battlefield until energy source is expended]•
Lin Sheng slowly narrowed his eyes.
He had expected Gu Qing's master to possess life-saving treasures.
But not something of this level.
For the first time since entering the Mist Sea...
Even he felt uncertain.
If that talisman truly erupted with its full power...
The outcome of this battle could completely exceed Crystal's previous calculations.
The sea fell strangely silent.
One held the talisman tightly without daring to activate it.
The other remained motionless, unwilling to risk provoking another Heavenly Tribulation.
For several breaths...
Neither side made the first move.
The deadlock lasted only a moment.
The serpent moved first.
It refused to gamble.
With a furious roar that echoed throughout the Mist Sea, an endless torrent of seawater surged upward, accompanied by dense white mist and countless shards of ice. Rather than charging directly, it unleashed everything it could from a distance.
The entire cove trembled violently.
Several mountains collapsed beneath the overwhelming pressure.
The grey-robed cultivator's eyes flashed with killing intent.
"So be it!"
He thrust the lightning talisman into the air.
At the same time, both of his hands formed a series of rapid seals.
The talisman erupted with dazzling silver light as countless lightning arcs burst from its surface, illuminating the entire Mist Sea.
The terrifying aura made both Lin Sheng and the serpent instinctively tense.
The serpent no longer hesitated.
Its massive body shot sideways with astonishing speed.
Although its injuries made every movement agonizing, its instincts screamed at it to avoid the descending lightning.
The grey-robed cultivator's lips curled into a cold smile.
"You think I'm targeting you?"
The serpent's pupils suddenly contracted.
The talisman...
Was aimed at the sky.
Boom!
The silver talisman exploded.
Instead of striking the serpent, an enormous pillar of lightning shot upward before exploding among the clouds.
The entire sky trembled.
Dark clouds that had already dispersed after the previous Heavenly Tribulation began gathering once more.
Crack...
Crack...
Tiny strands of heavenly lightning flickered between the newly formed clouds.
The lingering Tribulation Aura scattered throughout the battlefield suddenly became active again.
The serpent's expression changed drastically.
It immediately understood the grey-robed cultivator's intentions.
He wasn't trying to kill it with the talisman.
He was trying to use the lingering Tribulation Aura to summon heavenly lightning once more.
If another Heavenly Tribulation descended now...
Both of them would be within its range.
The serpent let out a furious roar that shook the sea.
Without the slightest hesitation, it abandoned every trace of caution.
Its colossal body exploded forward, carrying boundless fury.
It intended to kill this human before the heavens struck again.
The grey-robed cultivator's expression also became grave.
He had expected to intimidate the beast.
Instead...
He had completely enraged it.
Hidden several li away, Lin Sheng watched the gathering tribulation clouds with widened eyes.
Even he hadn't expected such a ruthless method.
Crystal rapidly updated its calculations.
•[Residual Tribulation Aura successfully reactivated.
Probability of secondary heavenly lightning manifestation: 81.6%.
Target survival probability decreasing rapidly.
Recommendation: Maintain maximum distance]•
Lin Sheng silently retreated another several hundred meters.
His heart had already become incomparably solemn.
This battle...
Had completely exceeded the scope of an ordinary confrontation between Purple Palace cultivators.
It had become a struggle against the heavens themselves.