While the player is in Battle Through the Heavens, the system is in The Great Ruler.

Chapter 232 The Desolate Ancient Abyss

Soon after,

At the summit of Tianmu Mountain, a sea of ​​clouds rolls and churns.

I heard that the Dou Sheng elder from the ancient clan wants to fight their own sect master, apart from the Heavenly Fire Venerable who is already in seclusion.

Inside the Lingbao Pavilion, all the experts who had broken through to the Dou Zun level went to watch the battle.

"Who do you think will win this battle?" Little Fairy Doctor asked softly, gazing at the two figures facing off in the distance.

Qinglin shook his head, his eyes filled with worry: "That ancient clan elder's aura is unfathomable; he'll probably be difficult to deal with..."

Cai Lin stood with her hands behind her back, her eight-colored hair fluttering in the wind: "Since Lu Yu dares to accept the challenge, he must have his reasons."

Mang Tianchi stroked his beard and chuckled, "This lad always manages to surprise people. However, I can't fathom the strength of that Elder Gu Yuan either. Let's just wait and see..."

As everyone spoke, the standoff on the mountaintop had already begun.

Gu Yuan stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly, "I have lived much longer than you, a junior, and I will not take advantage of you. Pavilion Master Lu, you should make the first move."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu did not refuse and immediately clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Then this junior will have to offend you."

Before he finished speaking, nine layers of flames spread out as he raised his hand, and a vast amount of energy rapidly condensed in his palm, transforming into a dazzling sun that slammed out with the force to burn the heavens and boil the seas!

It was his Heaven-Burning and Sea-Boiling Palm technique, which he had mastered to its highest level!
Today, the power of this palm strike is comparable to a high-level Earth-rank combat skill!

Faced with an attack that would make even an ordinary half-saint change color, Gu Yuan's eyes did not even waver in the slightest.

Just as the fiery palm print was about to strike, a slender hand emerged from nothingness with seemingly slow but actually fast movements. The fingertips were surrounded by a seemingly ordinary light, and the hand casually pressed down on the raging fiery palm print.

"boom--"

The two forces collided with a deafening roar, sending terrifying energy ripples sweeping in all directions. To everyone's astonishment, the seemingly faint light remained completely still, while the incredibly powerful fiery palm print shattered as if it had struck an invisible barrier!
"Bravo!"

Qinglin couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

The Little Fairy Doctor's beautiful eyes were filled with solemnity: "That ancient clan elder's control over power has reached the realm of returning to simplicity..."

Cai Lin frowned slightly, somewhat worried, and said, "It seems this battle won't be easy."

Lu Yu's pupils suddenly contracted, and his brows furrowed. Although he had not used his full strength in this palm strike, he had still used seven-tenths of his power, yet it had been neutralized so easily by his opponent.

It should be noted that his Floating Pagoda has now been upgraded to a divine artifact, and the purity of his battle qi is by no means inferior to that of an ordinary Battle Saint.

What alarmed him even more was that the aura displayed by the opponent when he made his move was clearly still at the level of a one-star Dou Sheng, but this effortless control was far beyond what a one-star Dou Sheng could achieve.

Gu Yuan slowly withdrew his hand and said calmly, "Not bad, but unfortunately... it's too forceful and lacks staying power."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking to himself, "This guy's cultivation technique must be at least at the mid-level of the Heaven Rank, otherwise he could never have such pure battle qi..."

Immediately, he stopped holding back, formed hand seals, and his aura suddenly changed.

The Heaven-Burning Spirit-Igniting Secret Technique, First Transformation!
Burning Spirit Transformation!
In an instant, jet-black flames rose from Lu Yu's body—this was a brand-new strange fire perfectly fused from the seven great strange fires. With the blessing of this power, his cultivation level instantly rose to the advanced half-saint level, and the jet-black flames condensed in his palm into a terrifying palm print containing an aura of destruction.

"Try taking another blow from me!"

Lu Yu gave a soft shout and struck out with his palm again!
The power of this palm strike was several times stronger than before!
A glint flashed in Gu Yuan's eyes; he sensed a threatening aura emanating from the dark flames. He raised an eyebrow, his tone tinged with surprise: "A strange fire at the Dou Sheng level?"

"This kid has really had a great opportunity."

His figure floated back dozens of feet like a willow catkin, choosing not to take the palm strike head-on. His right hand, fingers pointed like a sword, gently pointed into the air:

"Great Extinction Finger!"

In an instant, the entire world seemed to be imprisoned by an invisible force. An aura of annihilation originating from the depths of the Netherworld erupted from his fingertips, sweeping across the surroundings like a destructive storm.

Dark clouds surged wildly in the sky, and a gigantic black finger, seemingly capable of obliterating all things in the world, tore through the clouds, extinguishing all life wherever it passed, and creating a spatial chasm thousands of feet long in the void.

boom!
The giant black finger fell, and the black flame palm print shattered under this destructive force.

"A Heavenly Rank Battle Technique?"

Lu Yu raised an eyebrow, but smiled calmly at the awe-inspiring power of this Heaven-Rank Battle Skill. He slowly raised his right hand, his fingers forming a sword shape, a blue glow emanating from his fingertips.

“Perfect timing, I also have a finger technique, please have Elder Gu Yuan appraise it.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the energy of the entire world began to converge towards his fingertips. The azure light grew stronger and stronger, eventually condensing into a tangible stream of sword intent in the void.

"Roar!"

In an instant, a clear and melodious dragon's roar resounded through the sky, and a beam of azure sword light shot out from his fingertips, transforming into a lifelike hundred-foot azure dragon in the air.

The azure dragon was enveloped in a tangible, sharp sword aura, each scale gleaming with a blinding, cold light. Its eyes held a chilling sword intent, and as it soared into the sky, it caused the heavens and earth to tremble, as if all things were submitting to this supreme sword intent.

Heavenly Rank Combat Technique, Four Symbols Sword Finger! Azure Dragon Sword Finger!

The hundred-foot-long azure dragon roared, carrying a terrifying power that could tear the sky apart, and fiercely met the black finger of annihilation.

Rumble!
The Azure Dragon and the Black Finger collided violently in mid-air, unleashing a dazzling light that eclipsed the sun and moon. To Gu Yuan's slightly surprised gaze, the Azure Dragon Sword Finger utterly and irresistibly dismantled the Annihilation Finger Force!
Swish swish!
The dragon's roar resounded through the heavens, and countless azure sword energies poured down like a torrential rain, hurtling towards the ancient abyss.

Gu Yuan chuckled, a serious look appearing in his eyes for the first time: "This fighting technique is quite interesting."

Immediately, he waved his sleeve and unleashed five palm prints in succession. The palm prints overlapped one after another, transforming into a solid golden giant palm—the secret Emperor Seal Technique passed down by the ancient clan!

The golden palm print collided violently with the sword energy filling the sky, bursting out with dazzling light and shattering all the cyan sword energy.

"Not bad, it's worth my attention."

As soon as Gu Yuan finished speaking, a dazzling golden light appeared at his fingertips. An even more terrifying pressure than before permeated the heavens and earth, causing the entire space to tremble slightly.

"Ancient Emperor's Heaven-Shattering Finger!"

With a clear shout, a gigantic golden finger, seemingly formed from pure imperial might, shot forth. Profound runes flowed along its knuckles, carrying an unparalleled power capable of shattering the heavens, as it slowly pressed down towards Lu Yu.

The power of this finger strike had clearly reached the mid-level of the Heavenly Rank!

"boom--"

The giant golden finger crashed down, causing the entire Tianmu Mountain to tremble violently, and all the onlookers paled in shock.

"Watch out!" Little Fairy Doctor exclaimed in surprise, her slender hand unconsciously covering her lips.

Cai Lin instantly grabbed Qing Lin's arm, her face turning extremely ugly, and a murderous intent unconsciously surfaced in her eyes as she looked at Gu Yuan.

Qinglin's face turned pale as she was pinched, but she dared not utter a sound.

Even the usually composed Mang Tianchi lost his relaxed demeanor, his brow furrowed as he stared intently at the center of the battlefield. Rumble!
The enormous golden finger slammed towards Lu Yu, instantly unleashing terrifying energy ripples. The violent energy shattered the surrounding rocks into dust, and the entire sky was enveloped in dazzling golden light.

Countless plumes of smoke rose slowly like a thick curtain, and the destructive energy remaining from the giant golden finger tore through space, dyeing the sky an ominous gold.

Amidst the billowing dust and flying rocks, everyone held their breath, intently watching the center of the battlefield.

Amidst this cloud of smoke and dust, a glimmer of purple-gold light quietly appeared.

The light was faint at first, but then grew stronger and stronger, like the rising sun breaking through the morning mist. When the smoke and dust cleared, Lu Yu was seen standing with his hands behind his back, his clothes fluttering, completely spotless.

A purple-gold pagoda spun leisurely around him, its body flowing with an eternal and undying radiance. The ancient runes seemed to be imbued with life, slowly moving across the pagoda's surface, turning the devastating attack from before into nothingness.

"Holy crap, what is this thing? It can actually withstand a strike from a mid-level Heaven-rank Battle Technique?"

Mang Tianchi, who was watching from a distance, widened his eyes in disbelief.

On the other side, Gu Yuan also looked surprised and puzzled when he saw this scene.

Is there really a weapon in this world that can withstand the attacks of a Dou Sheng?

"Hasn't Elder Gu Yuan always wanted to see my array formations?"

However, Lu Yu had no intention of explaining. Looking at Gu Yuan's surprised expression, he smiled slightly and snapped his fingers with a rather pleasant mood.

The defensive capabilities of the divine artifact, the Floating Pagoda, far exceeded his expectations; it must be among the top-tier low-grade divine artifacts.

With a crisp "snap," as if a switch had been flipped, the entire sky changed color in an instant!

Swish swish!
Countless crimson flaming swords materialized from nothingness, each radiating terrifying heat capable of scorching the heavens and boiling the seas. These fiery swords darted through the air at breakneck speed, their cries echoing through the heavens, instantly forming an unparalleled sword formation that enveloped the world—

Supreme Spirit Array, Heaven-Burning Blazing Sword Array!
The blazing sword intent locked onto Gu Yuan like a net from heaven and earth. As the sword formation operated, the temperature of the entire space rose sharply, and the onlookers in the distance had to circulate their battle qi to resist the heat.

Lu Yu stood with his hands behind his back at the center of the formation, his robes fluttering in the scorching wind. As he slowly raised his right hand, the entire sword formation erupted with a terrifying pressure that eclipsed the heavens and earth—

"Please, Elder... savor it carefully."

As he spoke casually, thousands of fiery swords transformed into a raging torrent that poured down from the heavens. Each fiery sword traced an intricate trajectory in the air, its momentum continuous and seemingly endless.

Gu Yuan's expression finally turned serious. As he formed hand seals, golden battle qi surged forth, condensing into a thick light barrier in front of him. The fire sword struck the light barrier, unleashing a deafening roar, each strike causing the barrier to tremble violently.

"My goodness, the power of this sword formation is dozens of times stronger than before!"

Mang Tianchi gasped, shocked, "The power of this attack is probably close to that of a two-star Dou Sheng, isn't it?"

Gu Yuan struggled to dodge the rain of swords, his sleeves torn in several places by the blades. He had to use his movement techniques to find a way to survive in the dense net of swords.

This ancient clan elder, who had always been composed, finally showed signs of being somewhat disheveled!
"This kid... does have some skill."

As Gu Yuan dodged and weaved amidst the rain of swords, a complex mix of emotions welled up within him.

Originally, they came with only a tentative intention, but now they had to admit that the strength and talent displayed by this young man were truly impressive.

But the more this was the case, the more complex and indescribable emotions welled up within him.

"Let me see your limits once more."

His expression suddenly hardened, and he formed a profound hand seal in front of his chest. His aura surged dramatically, rising directly from the early stage of a one-star Dou Sheng to the peak of a one-star Dou Sheng! The overwhelming pressure of his Dou Qi swept out, even causing the countless fiery swords in the sky to pause.

"Ancient Emperor's Seal!"

With a low shout, a golden palm print imbued with unparalleled imperial might burst forth, shattering the fiery swords in its path. The power of this strike was several times greater than the previous one!
Lu Yu's expression suddenly hardened, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. He made a grasping motion with his right hand, and a long sword, entirely crimson, appeared instantly—it was his natal sword, the Fallen God Sword!

The sword's blade flowed with scorching divine light, and the pressure of this quasi-divine artifact caused ripples in the surrounding space. As Lu Yu's cultivation level rose to half-saint, this sword also advanced further.

"Daluo Tianyan Sword!"

Lu Yuqing shouted, and the crimson sword suddenly burst forth with dazzling light. He flicked the spine of the sword with his fingers, and the Fallen God Sword instantly transformed into a crimson rainbow that pierced through the heavens and earth, merging into the entire sword formation.

The fiery swords rang out in unison, and the sword formation suddenly accelerated!
"Shhhhh-"

The thousands of fiery swords seemed to be imbued with a spirit, weaving into an impenetrable sword net in the void. At times, these fiery swords would pour down like a meteor shower, and at other times they would form a rotating sword wheel to block all directions, cutting off Gu Yuan's retreat routes.

Gu Yuan moved nimbly within the sword formation, unleashing a series of golden palm strikes that shattered the incoming fire swords into a shower of sparks, yet the newly formed fire swords seemed endless.

Even more troublesome was Lu Yu's offensive with the Fallen God Sword; each strike contained a deadly threat, forcing him to deal with it with all his might.

"clang!"

Gu Yuan used his fingers as a sword to forcefully block a direct thrust from the Fallen God Sword, his fingertips tingling from the impact. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he finally let out a long sigh, gracefully retreating more than ten feet, his fighting spirit slowly receding.

"Stop it."

Gu Yuan looked at Lu Yu, who stood holding his sword, with a complicated expression. "In this battle, I have lost."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu lightly turned his wrist, and the Meteor God Sword emitted a clear and melodious sword cry. He formed a sword incantation with his left hand, and the fiery swords that filled the sky stopped in response, then dissipated into the void like rivers flowing into the sea.

The entire sword formation instantly turned into wisps of green smoke, leaving only the blazing sword intent still swirling in the air.

"The younger generation is truly formidable, indeed..."

Gu Yuan stroked his beard and sighed deeply, his eyes filled with a complex and unreadable expression. He turned and left with a hint of dejection, not even bothering to speak with anyone present.

Upon seeing this, everyone looked at each other in surprise.

"What's wrong with this old man? Did Lu Yu beat him senseless?"

At this moment, Zi Yan, who arrived late, took a bite of the spiritual fruit in her hand, tilted her head, and looked at Gu Yuan's departing figure: "Judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem to have lost the competition, but rather..."

She blinked her amethyst-like eyes and added thoughtfully, "It's like someone has stolen your precious treasure."

"Sigh, this person has been in seclusion for many years, and he was defeated by a junior as soon as he came out. He probably lost face..."

Mang Tianchi stroked his beard and sighed softly, his gaze lingering with a hint of melancholy as he looked in the direction Gu Yuan had departed.

As an elder of the Thunder Clan, he was best able to understand the complex state of mind of such a veteran powerhouse.

Upon hearing this, Zi Yan pursed her lips and took another big bite of the spiritual fruit: "If you ask me, what's so shameful about losing to Lu Yu? This guy's strength can't be judged by common sense."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement, and then, looking at the lonely figure gradually disappearing into the distance, they couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions.

The feeling of a powerful Dou Sheng who had been living in seclusion for many years being defeated by a rising star as soon as he emerged from seclusion is truly indescribable.

Elder Gu Yuan must be feeling terrible, right?
(End of this chapter)