The shockwave from the collision rippled across the main peak, shattering stones and uprooting ancient trees. The air trembled, and the purple thunderlight danced wildly in the sky, as if the heavens themselves were angry at the audacity of a mere mortal challenging the chosen genius of the Azure Cloud Sect. Dust filled the air, blocking the vision of the countless disciples below, but even through the haze, they could feel the oppressive killing intent radiating from the two figures at the center of the storm.
Li Qingyun staggered back a dozen steps, the golden sword energy in his palm still fluctuating violently. His face was pale, and his lips were tightly pressed, his eyes filled with shock and anger. He had never thought that Chen Lei—once dismissed as a useless piece of trash—would possess such terrifying power.
"Chen Lei, you dare to defy the Azure Cloud Sect's rules!" Li Qingyun roared, raising his hand again to summon a massive sword light. The golden light blazed, cutting through the dust-filled air like a bolt of lightning, "This time, I will crush you completely!"
Chen Lei stood firm, his gaze calm as he watched the incoming sword light. He did not dodge, nor did he parry with another attack. Instead, he took a deep breath, and the spiritual energy within his body surged like a tidal wave. The purple thunderlight around him grew brighter, merging into a single, brilliant sphere that hovered above his palm.
"Your sword is strong, but it is not strong enough." Chen Lei's voice was low, yet it cut through the roar of the storm, "Today, the Azure Cloud Sect shall fall."
In an instant, the sphere of thunderlight exploded.
It was not a loud explosion that deafened the ears, but a quiet, devastating force that spread across the mountain. The golden sword light, which had been aimed at Chen Lei, vanished without a trace as if it had never existed. Li Qingyun's body froze mid-air, his eyes widening in disbelief as the purple thunderlight wrapped around him like a snake.
The thunderlight seeped through his defenses,钻进 his spiritual veins, corroding the golden sword energy bit by bit. His hands trembled, and he felt his spiritual power fading away, like a candle in the wind, about to be snuffed out forever.
"Impossible… this is impossible…" Li Qingyun muttered, his voice cracking. He had been the pride of the Azure Cloud Sect since he was a child, a genius who stood above all others. How could he possibly lose to a nobody who had once been dismissed as trash?
Chen Lei walked forward, his steps slow and steady. Each step he took sent ripples across the storm-filled air, causing the thunderlight to dance more violently. He stopped in front of Li Qingyun, his eyes calm as he looked upon the defeated genius.
"Defeat is not impossible," Chen Lei said softly. "It is simply a testament to the fact that you did not work hard enough."
With that, he raised his hand, and the purple thunderlight above Li Qingyun's head converged into a single, massive bolt. The bolt descended like the wrath of the gods, striking Li Qingyun square in the chest.
A deafening crash echoed across the mountain.
When the dust finally settled, Li Qingyun's body lay crumpled on the ground, his once-proud posture broken. His white robes were torn to shreds, and his skin was blackened and charred from the attack. He looked up at Chen Lei, his eyes filled with pain, anger, and finally, acceptance.
"You win…" Li Qingyun whispered, his voice barely audible.
Chen Lei did not respond. He simply turned around and walked back to his original position, the purple thunderlight fading away from his body as if it had never been there. The countless disciples below stared in awe, their hearts pounding with fear and admiration.
The Azure Cloud Sect's most powerful genius had been defeated.
And the victor was none other than Chen Lei.