Chapter 59: The Game of Changing Circumstances

Wang Qi knew it—this was truly, exceedingly difficult.

He had thought that the Thunderblast Spell would be enough to defeat Li Mu, and even the Lightning Spear had proven futile. When he used the Interference Forbidden Array, Li Mu’s sinister arts were rendered useless, yet his true power endured for an unexpectedly long time. Now, in front of him, Li Mu had become someone utterly unpredictable, instilling Wang Qi with dread.

Had he known things would turn out this way, he would never have provoked Li Mu. But now, it was far too late for regrets.

However, “You think you’ve won? Ha!” Wang Qi suddenly stood up, making no effort to conceal himself, and shouted in wild delirium.

“I told you—if you have any more tricks, use them all,” Li Mu replied, hardly showing any fear.

Slowly, Wang Qi raised his hand, his gaze fixed on the ring on his finger, his face turning a steely gray. He had no choice but to decide. In one swift motion, he tore the ring off and crushed it with a decisive force.

A wailing sound, like the shriek of a ghost, erupted from the shattered ring, releasing several wisps of faint black smoke that twisted and tangled as they emerged.

If Ye Yibai were here, he would have immediately fled the platform to destroy Wang Qi—he knew what was hidden in that ring.

It was spirit souls.

The souls of several cultivators at the Foundation Spirit stage.

Wang Qi had collected the souls of several fellow disciples for his own cultivation. He had been saving them for later, knowing that after consuming the Jiesu Pill, his cultivation progress would slow, so he had prepared this as a backup for after the competition, once the pill’s effects wore off. But now, he had no choice—he had to use them.

“Soul Refinement.”

The moment the spirit souls were absorbed by Wang Qi, a transformation occurred.

Soul Refinement—also known as Soul Transformation Body Training—was similar to the Blood Transformation Body Training of lesser evil cultivators. It involved using the souls of others to strengthen one’s own body and spirit. The result was overwhelming power—a force not just incrementally increased, but multiplied.

Yet the side effects were terrifying: prolonged frailty, and the risk of allowing foreign souls to invade one’s will, causing irreparable damage.

But Wang Qi no longer cared. His mind was now consumed by a relentless desire for vengeance. Li Mu must die.

Boom!

A deafening explosion followed, though Wang Qi’s appearance did not change. He had reached his peak condition: all injuries vanished, and his speed and strength doubled.

But what was most greatly enhanced was the power of his spells.

“Thunderblast Spell!”

A lightning bolt as thick as a tree trunk crashed down from the sky, directly striking the platform. Hundreds of arcs of lightning wove and slashed through the air, slicing like blades, their wild brilliance shredding the mist in an instant, dispersing it entirely.

Only now could the cultivators on the platform glimpse the battle’s progress, their eyes wide with amazement.

“Is that the Thunderblast Spell?”

“What happened just now? How did Wang Qi become so powerful?”

“Heavens, even a Meridian Forging cultivator couldn’t match this!”

The spectators on the platform were utterly stunned.

“Even I couldn’t cast a Thunderblast Spell of this magnitude,” murmured Tie Hai of the Eastwater Sect, staring dumbfounded at the storm of lightning.

“Something’s not right,” Yu Dazhu said gravely.

Madam Wang rose to her feet once more, her sense of foreboding only deepening. “Something must have gone wrong. There’s no pill capable of enhancing the power of spells to this degree—absolutely none.”

“I want to take a look,” Yu Dazhu nodded.

“I’ll come too,” Madam Wang said, shaking her head. She took out her Cloud and Rain Fan and flew toward the arena.

By now, Li Mu had already collapsed on the ground.

Faced with a Thunderblast Spell of this magnitude, he had no way to defend himself. The Ancient Spirit Lamp was useless against lightning, and he had no lightning-warding shield.

Much of his body was scorched black; fortunately, the most vital parts were protected by his shield, or he would have been gravely injured. Yet now, the shield was nearly shattered, rendered useless.

He struggled to stand, forcing himself up with sheer will, but could only remain upright for a moment before collapsing again. Knowing Wang Qi would not allow him time to recover, he quickly retrieved two Spirit Nurturing Pills from his spirit tower and swallowed them. These could heal minor wounds, but he doubted Wang Qi would give him the chance.

Indeed, Wang Qi’s figure flickered like lightning, and in a blink he was standing before Li Mu.

He would not let Li Mu escape. Li Mu must die.

A large orb of light, crackling with lightning, formed in Wang Qi’s hand, arcs of electricity swirling and exploding around it. “Die!”

“Stop!” Madam Wang, seeing the danger from the sky, produced a green sword. The tip emanated a blade of energy hundreds of meters long, which slashed down at Wang Qi’s hand.

The blade of energy, like a rainbow, cut a long scar across the sky as it descended.

The cultivators on the platform gasped in awe.

“Madam Wang’s power surpasses even the legends,” Tu Xi exhaled softly, hastening to provide cover.

It was rare for even a Meridian Forging cultivator to unleash an attack that could kill at a range of a hundred meters, but for Madam Wang to strike across several hundred meters in a single move was almost unheard of.

Yet even so, her sword energy could not quite reach Wang Qi, falling a great distance short.

Wang Qi ignored it, hurling the orb of lightning downward with all his strength.

Crack!

The orb never reached Li Mu. It was struck aside by an unexpected blow.

The orb burst in midair, exploding into pure white light that scattered in all directions.

“Ah!” Wang Qi staggered back several steps, his face livid with rage.

Opposite him, Li Mu not only stood firm, but his entire being radiated the aura of a spirit beast—a natural, commanding presence that made others dare not meet his gaze.

Madam Wang was shocked as well—how was Li Mu able to stand, and how did he have the strength to deflect the orb? But she had no time to ponder, and continued her descent.

Yu Dazhu followed, speaking quietly, “Something’s odd—let’s wait. Li Mu can still fight.”

Madam Wang nodded, flying down to a distance where she could intervene, and stood with Yu Dazhu, watching the arena closely.

Li Mu closed his eyes, one hand on his forehead, the other raised, standing tall.

He himself did not know what had happened.

In a moment of crisis, when all seemed lost, he had seen in his spirit tower the refined blood he had stored. On a sudden impulse, he consumed it.

The moment he swallowed the blood, a tremendous power surged from it, flooding his organs and filling his body with strength.

This was a real, tangible power—not true energy or spiritual force, but the raw physical strength possessed only by body-forging cultivators. It felt as though he had reached the very limits of the flesh, strength without end, enough to shatter mountains with a wave of his hand.

At this moment, Li Mu was several times stronger than Mu Kui, the body-forging cultivator he had just fought. He guessed that perhaps this was the level of a peak Foundation Spirit body-forging cultivator.

What was that blood, that it could grant me such power?

Li Mu opened his eyes—one blue, one red—fixing his gaze on Wang Qi with the ferocity of a wild beast. Without a sound, his aura surged, grand and overwhelming.

Wang Qi trembled like a trapped insect. “What are you? What are you?”

The Li Mu before him was utterly transformed, as if possessed by something else, devoid of human reason.

“I am myself—Li Mu.”

Li Mu stepped forward—crossing several meters in a single stride—and struck out with a single, devastating blow.