Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

On the battle stage, the situation was ever-changing and bizarre. Everyone's hearts were tightly gripped by the battle, trembling with each clash of spiritual energy and the rise and fall of the situation, startled and on the edge of their seats.

All eyes around the Imperial Ruins Terrace were now fixed on the three supreme stone platforms in mid-air.

Standing on the central stone platform, Lin Yan stood tall and straight like a pine tree, exuding a profound and restrained aura.

On the stone platform to the right, Yunxi stood quietly in the void, her figure graceful and otherworldly, her pure and aloof temperament untouched by worldly affairs, proudly standing alone amidst the wind and clouds.

On the left side of the stone platform, the Hao family disciples held their breath, their eyes burning red. Hao Jingchuan and Hao Lie stood side by side, their tense auras poised to erupt.

With four contenders locked in a fierce battle, the final standings are set. The top three in this year's Mountain and Sea Grand Competition will be decided among these four, setting the stage for an epic final showdown.

The two factions, consisting of four individuals, represent two distinct levels of expertise.

Lin Yan and Hao Jingchuan have both reached the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment, making them the strongest contenders in this competition and naturally vying for first and second place.

Yunxi and Haolie are both at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, with the same cultivation level and similar strength, and they are competing for the third and fourth spots.

The stone platform gleamed, and the referee runes floated in the sky, silently awaiting the conclusion of the two duels to determine the final rankings of this competition.

The first match to begin was the battle for third and fourth place among the early Foundation Establishment stage players – Yunxi versus Hao Lie.

In a duel between people of the same realm, without the suppression of realm, the contest is about the exquisiteness of the techniques, combat experience, and the details of the moves.

Hao Lie raised his hand and drew his black stone battle blade, the blade condensing a faint earthy-yellow spiritual energy. He cultivated the orthodox Hao Clan's "Mountain-Splitting Blade Technique," a domineering and fierce technique, adept at close-quarters combat and breaking through all techniques with sheer force, perfectly in harmony with the Daoist principles of Mount Tai's fertile earth. He poured all his early Foundation Establishment spiritual energy into the blade, a powerful wind sweeping around, the blade's momentum solid and forceful.

With flashes of sword light and crisscrossing, mountain-splitting energy blocked Yunxi's movements layer upon layer, the attack was swift and dense, maximizing the advantage of brute force within the same realm.

Yunxi, wielding the Water Cloud Sword, stood gracefully in white. Her water-based swordsmanship was agile and exquisite, combining offense and defense. The Water Cloud Sword rippled with layers of cool water mist, its blade enveloped in soft spiritual energy. Instead of brute force, she used skill to overcome power, dismantling Hao Lie's ferocious sword strikes step by step.

The sword light flowed in fine, shimmering patterns, like ripples on a mountain, precisely dodging every heavy slash while simultaneously seeking openings to thrust and seal off any weaknesses in Hao Lie's attack combinations.

The two were evenly matched in cultivation, making their battle far more intense than a peak duel. Hao Lie possessed formidable strength and fierce attacks, taking the initiative; Yun Xi, on the other hand, was agile and meticulous in her defense, fighting steadily without revealing any weaknesses. After dozens of exchanges, neither could break the deadlock quickly.

As they fought, the difference in skill gradually became apparent.

Hao Lie's strength lay in his brute force, but he lost because his moves were simplistic and lacked flexibility. Yun Xi, on the other hand, was experienced in combat and adept at exploiting her opponent's subtle weaknesses. Taking advantage of a moment when Hao Lie's heavy blade missed its mark and his spiritual energy faltered, Yun Xi flicked her wrist, condensing a wisp of pure water-based spiritual energy into her Water Cloud Sword, which she precisely struck the spine of his blade.

hum-

The spiritual energy surged, Hao Lie's tiger's mouth went numb, and the black stone battle blade in his hand instantly deflected, causing his attack to collapse.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Yunxi unleashed her sword technique, sending out a gentle yet condensed torrent of water-based spiritual energy that precisely struck the protective aura surrounding Hao Lie.

Hao Lie's spiritual power was unstable, and his protective aura was instantly broken, causing him to involuntarily retreat from the battle.

The referee's rune lit up immediately, announcing the end of the battle for third and fourth place. Yun Xi won and ranked third, while Hao Lie lost and settled for fourth.

At this moment, the final showdown to determine the champion and runner-up of this competition begins.

Hao Jingchuan was dressed in a dark, tight-fitting outfit, his body radiating a deep, earthy-yellow spiritual energy as solid as a mountain, his aura heavy and powerful. He had been at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment for three years, honing his Dao foundation to an extremely stable state, without the slightest hint of weakness. Wielding the Hao clan's most prized treasure, the Mountain-Suppressing Black Tortoise Shield, and adorned with the Daoist aura of mountains and rivers, he primarily cultivated the "Mountain-Suppressing Technique," a style characterized by steady defense and solid offense. He excelled at using stillness to control movement and striking after the opponent has moved, making him the most unassailable, stable, and top-tier combat force among local cultivators.

Facing Lin Yan directly, Hao Jingchuan's expression was solemn, showing no sign of underestimating his opponent.

"Laoshan Lin Yan, since you started the competition, you have swept aside all rivals and dominated the entire arena. Today, I will use the local mountains and rivers of Qilu to experience your profound knowledge and skills."

As soon as he finished speaking, Hao Jingchuan was the first to unleash his full power.

The "Suppressing Mountains and Rivers Technique" was activated at full power, causing spiritual energy to surge into the sky, transforming into a hundred-zhang-tall phantom mountain that heavily suppressed the battle area. The heavy earth-elemental Daoist aura sealed off all directions, causing the spiritual energy of the entire space to become stagnant and tense. At the same time, the Suppressing Mountains and Rivers Black Tortoise Shield's spiritual light surged, and all the Five Sacred Mountains Suppressing Spirit Patterns lit up, forming an incomparably thick defensive shield that enveloped the entire body. Offense and defense were integrated, and the defensive posture instantly reached its perfect peak.

Mountains press down on the world, and all laws are firmly upheld.

This is Hao Jingchuan's peak condition, and also the strongest combat power among the Foundation Establishment cultivators native to Qilu.

Opposite him, Lin Yan stood quietly in white, his expression calm and undisturbed.

The "Azure Sea Emperor's Technique" quietly activated, its vast and boundless water-based spiritual energy concealing itself within. Seemingly calm, it was in reality like a deep ocean current, ceaselessly flowing and encompassing all things. An inkstone floated on his left shoulder, capable of suppressing spells, breaking formations, and dissolving all techniques; the Dingyuan Pearl on his chest glowed subtly, stabilizing spiritual energy and locking down enemy forces. The Sea Spirit Crystal Marrow in his dantian continuously outputted pure spiritual energy.

A mountain and a sea, soil and water, two ultimate Daoist principles stand in opposition across the void.

Hao Jingchuan manipulated the illusory mountain to crash down, the immense force sweeping in with the might to suppress everything, attempting to forcefully crush Lin Yan's Canghai spiritual power with the weight of the local Dao lineage. At the same time, wielding the Xuan Turtle Shield, he charged forward, the shield carrying the energy of mountains and rivers, launching a frontal assault, combining offense and defense without leaving any openings.

All the cultivators held their breath, and the local faction members were all on edge, hoping that Hao Jingchuan could save face for Qilu.

Lin Yan neither dodged nor avoided. With a wave of his hand, the spiritual power of the Azure Ocean surged forth, transforming into a vast ocean of waves that crashed head-on against the immense force of the mountains pressing down upon him.

Boom!

The collision of mountains and seas caused the barrier to tremble violently, and countless runes and civilizations were scattered and destroyed, with a deafening roar that reverberated throughout the entire Imperial Ruins.

The earth-elemental spiritual power, as heavy as a mountain, collided with the vast and boundless imperial power of the ocean, and was instantly washed away, disintegrated, and enveloped. Hao Jingchuan's proud mountain and river suppressing power crumbled step by step in the face of the ever-flowing ocean waves, and could not suppress the opponent in the slightest.

Hao Jingchuan's expression changed slightly, and he immediately changed his tactics to remedy the situation.

He formed hand seals, and thousands of mountain-like palm prints condensed from the void, densely surrounding and surrounding Lin Yan, attempting to disrupt Lin Yan's rhythm with a dense offensive. At the same time, the Xuan Turtle Shield firmly guarded his front, preparing for an extreme defense and a protracted battle.

With his seasoned experience, flawless moves, and perfect tactics, Hao Jingchuan had already reached the full potential of his skill level.

With a thought, Lin Yan's inkstone glowed with black light, spreading out a protective barrier.

The countless mountain-like palm prints bombarded the barrier, silently dissolving and vanishing into nothingness, not even a wisp of aftershock could get close to it.

Having broken through all attacks, Lin Yan gathered the spiritual power of the vast ocean at his fingertips, and the Dingyuan Pearl suddenly emitted a blue light, instantly enveloping Hao Jingchuan with an invisible pressure from the deep sea.

In an instant, Hao Jingchuan's flowing spiritual energy of mountains and rivers suddenly stagnated. Lin Yan stepped into the air and surged forward, with towering waves of the vast ocean crashing out, carrying the imperial might of swallowing mountains and shoving against the Zhenyue Xuan Turtle Shield.

click-

The heavy shield trembled violently, the patterns of the Five Sacred Mountains dimmed layer by layer, and the once solid defensive barrier crumbled inch by inch.

Hao Jingchuan's blood surged, and he used all his cultivation to defend his shield. Fine sweat beaded on his forehead, but he still couldn't withstand the overwhelming pressure from the higher levels.

The ocean can overcome mountains; in just a few breaths, the defenses were completely breached. The immense power of the sea, carrying a gentle yet irresistible thrust, slowly blasted Hao Jingchuan out of the battle.

Hao Jingchuan steadied himself with his shield and exhaled a long breath.

"I am not as good as you."

Thus, the competition came to a close. A celestial light converged, and the final rankings were revealed, definitively settling the positions of the three champions:

Leader: Lin Yan

Yaxi: Hao Jingchuan

Top 3: Yunxi

At the summit of Mount Tai, amidst a sea of ​​clouds, this peak moment for the young cultivators of Qi and Lu is still talked about with great interest centuries later, and people still speak of it with great enthusiasm. Of course, that's all hindsight.