Chapter 324: Ranking Soars, Twelve Years Later, The First Ultimate Spell

The duel between Liu Tianning and Ling Tianchen drew widespread attention. This was Ling Tianchen's first match against Liu Tianning. After this, Wang Tianzhi would also have his first match against Liu Tianning.

Ling Tianchen was highly renowned in high-tier circles because many treacherous and harsh grotto-heavens could only be entered by Provisional Transformation Branch farmers, who would bring back rare treasures. Wang Tianzhi, on the other hand, was famous across all ranks, being the disciple of the former Grand Minister of Agriculture and the junior fellow apprentice of the current Grand Minister.

Liu Tianning was also well-known, having gained widespread recognition since the late Jinxin calendar era. He had even subdued Pang Xianyun, a third-rank cultivator, while still in the fourth rank, with Pang Xianyun subsequently changing his name to Pang Yuanzhen. As a Military Minister of Agriculture, he served as an inspector in the military world, executing countless powerful individuals. After becoming the Dean of Shangluo Academy, he elevated his branch's magical techniques, especially the myriad-method straw figures, to a new level of "Seven Dharma Bodies." In the first seven rounds, spanning dozens of battles, he remained undefeated.

Upon hearing that their duel was about to begin, Ji Che immediately ordered the floating island to be moved to Debate Arena No. 1.

"According to the agreement the Grand Ancestor made with the three branches back then," Ji Wenchang explained to the Prince of Morse en route. "The candidates from the three branches will compete for a maximum of ten rounds to determine the ultimate victor. The final victor will be appointed by the Emperor as the Grand Minister of Agriculture of Great Zhou."

"The competition began in the first year of Yongzhi and it is now the eightieth year of Yongzhi. According to ancestral regulations, this is already the penultimate round."

"Looking at the history of past Grand Ministers of Agriculture in Great Zhou, the candidate is usually decided after seven or eight rounds of competition among the three branches."

"Why? Didn't you say ten rounds?" Prince Jinke asked, puzzled.

"Because they've been thoroughly defeated," Ji Wenchang explained. "If the gap is too significant, no other contender dares to challenge. In the fewest instances, the Grand Minister of Agriculture was decided after just one round, as was the case with Wu Cheng, the founding Grand Minister of Agriculture."

"I see," Prince Jinke realized, a hint of envy in his voice. "Just the path of agriculture has produced countless powerful individuals. Its long history and profound heritage truly befit a celestial empire."

Prince Jinke suddenly felt his horizons broadened. In his country of Morse, there was no such civilized selection method; the first round would already be a fight to the death. They also lacked such a flourishing lineage of cultivation. Thousands of years ago, the concept of a 'Minister of Agriculture' didn't even exist in Morse; their lives revolved around hunting, fishing, and aquaculture, with no tradition of farming. The city mayors in Morse were also directly appointed by the king, solely responsible for managing finances. Anyone could serve as a mayor, regardless of their profession, as long as they were nobles.

"Lord Zongbo, do positions like Grand Commandant and Grand Minister of Works in Great Zhou also have such grand selection events?" King Bingtu asked curiously.

Ji Wenchang patiently replied, "While various ministries have some selection ceremonies, most of the chief officials in our dynasty are directly appointed by His Majesty. For instance, the current Grand Commandant was directly appointed by the Emperor, as was Grand Minister of Works Nie Xiongying—"

Zhao Xing was also listening to Ji Wenchang's historical accounts nearby. This situation primarily stemmed from the Great Zhou Grand Ancestor's origins as a member of an engineering family from the State of Wu during the Myriad States Period. The Grand Ancestor was proficient in the ways of numerous schools. Before conquering the myriad states, he had studied under various sects and acquired many core inheritances in martial arts, engineering, spellcraft, and the path of destiny. His younger brother, Ji Shuang, was known as the God of War and was the first dean of the Divine Martial Academy.

After years of development, many high-ranking officials in the Seventy-Two Academies were members of the Ji clan. In numerous first-class agricultural academies like Lianhua Academy and Qingmu Academy, those in power bore the Ji surname. Even within the three major holy lands of agriculture, many high-ranking members were from the Ji clan. For example, among the two candidates from Kunyuan Academy who had not yet competed, one was Qiu Yuanshan and the other was Ji Youtang.

Of course, the emperors of the Ji royal family held much of the world's fortune. Throughout history, while many Ji clan members held high positions, it was rare for one to be considered the absolute best in a particular field. The former Prince Liang was one such example, having been the previous dean of the Divine Martial Academy. However, this title became vacant for decades after Prince Liang retired during the late Dingxin era, along with the separation of the Creation Disk, until Prince Luo ascended.

In recent decades, many high-ranking officials across various professions were approaching their lifespan limits, and many new generation powerhouses arrived at the debate arenas to showcase their abilities. The period of transition between old and new was when powerful individuals were most active, with countless people eager to demonstrate their capabilities in hopes of catching the eye of the next emperor. While political achievements, character, and reputation required long-term validation, rankings in the debate arenas were undoubtedly the quickest way to demonstrate one's prowess. Therefore, internal selections for any profession, academy, or branch always involved the rankings from the debate arenas.

"Old Liu's rise has broken many records," Zhao Xing remarked, reviewing the arena rankings. "Excluding his dormant fifth-rank period, he achieved first place in the Nine Section Arena during his fourth-rank Primal Soul realm, and also held first place in the third and second ranks, maintaining an undefeated record in each period."

The Nine Section Arena specifically tabulated the rankings for Ministers of Agriculture. Zhao Xing was looking at the points and win-loss rankings of the Nine Section Arena. Comparing other professions was difficult. For example, the techniques of musicians and dancers only maximized their power when performed in groups. Individuals within the same profession could spar and debate, but cross-professional duels were simply incomparable. Take Ji Mengjun, for instance. During her second-rank period, she was ranked first in the Ritual Music Arena, yet in cross-professional spars, she couldn't even defeat the thirtieth-ranked martial artist in the Wuyao Arena. However, if she teamed up with fifteen dancers and musicians for a group battle, she could suppress a team of martial artists ranked first to fifteenth in the Wuyao Arena. Therefore, when it came to arena rankings, only those within one's own profession held much relevance; others had little comparative value.

"Old Liu has truly demonstrated strong dominance within his profession. Since the 28th year of the Jinxin calendar, 99% of his arena spars have been victories, with the remainder being draws." Additionally, Liu Tianning had broken many records, including the youngest Dean of Shangluo Academy and the record for the number and variety of top-tier straw figure Dharma Bodies.

"Even in this competition for the Grand Minister of Agriculture, he broke the record for the number of matches played. Apart from him, no previous Grand Minister of Agriculture has ever played so many matches. Aside from special cases like Wu Cheng, most were decided after six or seven rounds. Yet here he is, already in the eighth round, and several individuals from Xuantian Academy and Kunyuan Academy are still unconvinced, seeking to challenge him in the ninth or even tenth round," Zhao Xing thought to himself. There was simply no precedent in Great Zhou for a Dean of Shangluo Academy to become the Grand Minister of Agriculture!

The status of the Self-Branch had always been low, and it also had the fewest members. Of course, things were much better now. Over a hundred years had passed since Zhao Xing authored the two commentaries on "The Theory of Self and Heavenly Objects" and "The Theory of Material Laws." The number of Self-Branch Ministers of Agriculture had increased severalfold compared to before. While still not as numerous as the other two branches, they were at least much more prosperous than before.

"Liu Tianning is different in this life, but so are Ling Tianchen and Wang Tianzhi," Zhao Xing mused. "I wonder if there will be any unexpected changes." Liu Tianning not being insane in this life didn't necessarily mean his combat strength was significantly greater than in his previous life, as the time spent on his re-cultivation had to be factored in. It could only be said that it benefited Old Liu's future. In terms of combat power, Liu Tianning had already reached his peak in his previous life, so there wouldn't be much change even if he improved further in this one.

Ling Tianchen, however, had obtained the "Ancestral Dragon Transformation" and a large quantity of true blood. While Liu Tianning was re-cultivating the "Divine Evolution Art," Ling Tianchen's transition from "Kiss Transformation" to "Ancestral Dragon Transformation" took very little time at all, because the 'Kiss' was inherently the son of a true dragon. Wang Tianzhi's life trajectory had also changed. Originally, he had served as a second-rank Junior Minister of Agriculture, but he resigned early and was sent by Li Boqian to the West Sea for special training. Qiu Yuanshan from Kunyuan Academy, who had not left a deep impression on Zhao Xing previously, must possess considerable abilities, given that he had spent over a century researching the Kunyuan Divine Hoe in the Ancestral Shrine and was now being compared to Liu Tianning.

"They should cause Old Liu some trouble," Zhao Xing thought, "though I don't know how much. The hope of defeating Liu Tianning is still very slim."

The floating island quickly flew to Debate Arena No. 1. His island merged with Princess Youruo's island, forming a single large one. The number of people on the island grew. Princess Youruo, Ji Si, Prince Luo, Nie Xiongying, Lu Ying, Divine Prince Luo, Lord Longyuan, Ye Yukong, Duke Weiguo, Duke Yangguo, Bai Yunwu, Xuanyuan Qingtian, Meng Kun, Gu Changqing, Li Boqian, and many others. Nearly everyone of significant standing had come to this prime viewing location. "The Grand Minister of Agriculture, Grand Minister of Works, Grand Commandant—with so many people gathered, it would be enough for a rebellion," Zhao Xing mused.

Ji Che set up three special seats and invited Li Boqian, Xuanyuan Qingtian, and Zhao Xing to sit there and explain the upcoming battle to everyone. Zhao Xing initially didn't want such high-profile treatment: "Your Highness, how can this be? I am merely a Spirit Mountain Emissary; how can I sit alongside these two seniors? Moreover, I am only in the Heavenly Fate Realm and may not fully comprehend the battle." But Ji Che insisted, pulling him towards the seat: "Why not? Who would object?" Ji Che scanned the surroundings with a fierce gaze. He didn't need to look at anyone else, knowing no one would object; his eyes were fixed on the group of ritual officials. Ji Wenchang pretended not to see, sitting upright with his gaze straight ahead. Seeing this, Ji Che turned and raised an eyebrow at Zhao Xing: "See? No one objects. Elder Brother, you are the Vice Dean of Shangluo Academy. With the Dean absent, you are effectively the Dean, so please take this seat." With things as they were, Zhao Xing had nothing more to say and could only sit between Li Boqian and Xuanyuan Qingtian. If any other crown prince dared to arrange the seating this way, Li Boqian and Xuanyuan Qingtian would jump up and scold him. To rank a vice-dean of the Self-Branch as chief guest? Do you even know how to manage affairs?! However, since it was Zhao Xing, the two merely chuckled, watching Ji Che and Zhao Xing politely defer.

"Lord Lu," Ji Che said, looking at Vice Minister of Works Lu Ying, "whether everyone gets to see an exciting match depends on you."

"Please rest assured, Your Highness," Lu Ying straightened up and immediately summoned eight ground mirrors, assembling them into a cube. Everyone seated in the hall could clearly see the images projected in the ground mirrors from any angle. Simultaneously, outside the floating island, thousands of similar octahedrons flew up, forming small matrices that concealed themselves throughout various areas of the arena. This broadcast was entirely military-grade! This was because Lu Ying was the Military Minister of Works, and such methods were precisely what the military world used to monitor battlefields. Upon seeing this, Zhao Xing suddenly recalled his internship period. Bathing in the hot springs of Cloud City, or having cat-eared girls dance, would probably have been visible to everyone.

"They are beginning to enter the arena," Li Boqian's voice echoed through the hall. "According to the rules set by the Grand Ancestor and the founding Grand Minister of Agriculture, Wu Cheng, no divine weapons or sharp instruments are permitted in the debates among the three branches. This includes the Season Branch's divine artifacts such as the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Talisman, the Seventy-Two Pentad Seal, and the Spirit Rhinoceros Astrolabe." Li Boqian cited several divine artifacts of the Season Branch. "For the Terrestrial Branch, there are the Kunyuan Divine Hoe and the Earth Emperor's Crown. For the Self-Branch, treasure-grade divine trees are forbidden, but there are no other restrictions."

At this point, many laypeople found this restriction puzzling. Noticing this, Xuanyuan Qingtian immediately gave Zhao Xing an opportunity to elaborate: "Dean Zhao, why is only the treasure-grade tree-type plant forbidden?"

Zhao Xing explained, "Although the Self-Branch does not possess divine artifacts, it has plant-type armaments equivalent to them. The restriction on tree-type treasures is mainly because large tree-type armaments possess overwhelming combat power. Cultivating tree-type plant armaments takes far longer than the growth cycle of any other life form, but once fully grown, their power is boundless. However, the Self-Branch cannot be completely restricted from using treasure-grade armaments. Most of the combat strength of the Self-Branch military ministers comes from cultivating and commanding plant-type armaments. If completely restricted, the power of the Self-Branch ministers would be cut by more than half, much like a beast tamer being forbidden from bringing combat pets."

In fact, there was another reason Zhao Xing didn't mention: tree-type treasures were generally inherited through the combined efforts of the entire academy. Any dean was sure to inherit them, and the dean of Shangluo Academy also possessed a secret technique. This technique allowed for the complete manifestation of a divine tree, but at too great a cost: not only would the minister himself be harmed, but the divine tree within them would also be damaged, possibly even leading to its rapid demise. This had nothing to do with personal strength. Since it was a debate on the Dao, only the magical techniques mattered. What would be the outcome if all three branches were unrestricted? The Terrestrial Branch would wield the Divine Farmer's Hoe, the Season Branch would summon the Solar Terms Talisman, and the Self-Branch would unleash divine trees at a great cost. In such a scenario, the minister's individual strength would be negligible; it would simply be a contest between divine artifacts and divine trees.

"Liu Tianning, Self-Branch Minister of Agriculture, first-rank Life Palace Realm, Rule Domain Tier 5," Zhao Xing announced Old Liu's official data.

"Ling Tianchen, Season Branch Minister of Agriculture, first-rank Life Palace Realm, Rule Domain Tier 6," Li Boqian stated Ling Tianchen's theoretical data.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xing's gaze sharpened. Ling Tianchen had indeed grown stronger. In terms of rule domains, he was even a tier higher than Liu Tianning. However, this was merely theoretical data. Zhao Xing reviewed the records and noted that even many powerful individuals with similar five- or six-tier domains had been defeated by these two. While rule domains represented comprehension of the Dao, as long as the disparity wasn't too great, magical techniques and martial arts were the key to combat. Wu Cheng had never even cultivated myriad-method straw figures, yet he still pioneered the "Wu's Straw Figure Art." Xu Xing was two tiers lower than Li Boqian in his domain, yet outsiders claimed Xu Xing could effortlessly defeat Li Boqian. This was due to differences in cultivated techniques and their application.

Outside the small island, numerous fixed-position multi-story ships and stone platforms floated in the spectator areas. A dense crowd of spectators stared intently at the situation within Debate Arena No. 1.

"Liu Wanfa is invincible! Looking at his arena battles, he's never lost a single one. Betting on him this time is sure to make money!"

"Great Zhou has never had a Grand Minister of Agriculture from the Self-Branch. Ling Tianchen hasn't appeared yet; he's probably preparing some killer move. Ling Tianchen's odds are also high; trust me, betting on him is where the real money is!"

"You're right. I've sold all eight of my grand estates and put everything on Ling Tianchen. After today, it'll be hard for me to be poor!"

"You're truly mad—"

The spectacle was unprecedented! Statistics from the ground mirrors showed that over a million people had personally come to watch this duel! This was despite restrictions on spectators' strength and status; after all, battles of this caliber were incomprehensible to those of too low a rank, even with commentary. As for the official betting odds, they too were designed to profit only from the wealthy; those who weren't rich or noble couldn't even enter.

"It's beginning," Zhao Xing observed, looking down. At that moment, the protective golden light surrounding Liu Tianning, dressed in a cyan arcane robe, and Ling Tianchen, in a white arcane robe, slowly receded. Finally, it completely dissipated!

"Boom!" The moment the golden light receded, a dense golden airflow erupted from Ling Tianchen.

"Roar~" As a dragon's roar echoed through the heavens and earth, a ten-thousand-meter-long five-clawed golden dragon appeared in the sky. Complex mystic patterns shimmered on its golden scales, which illuminated the ground below. The five-clawed golden dragon opened its mouth and exhaled a golden cloud. The clouds rapidly spread across the sky. After transforming, Ling Tianchen even conjured cloud magic.

"Bigger, bigger, bigger!!!" Ling Tianchen didn't attack Liu Tianning at all; his dragon body churned within the golden clouds, continuously growing larger. He intended to use his Provisional Transformation body and cloud magic to directly push Liu Tianning out of the arena. As the clouds churned, the weather and environment in Ling Tianchen's vicinity dramatically changed. The dark soil below underwent a drastic phenological transformation at that moment, turning into translucent crystal sand. In an instant, fertile soil became crystal sand! The crystal sand below churned violently, expanding wildly. A Tier 6 Provisional Transformation Domain! The area where Ling Tianchen stood was experiencing a chaotic provisional transformation of "century-level" intensity. With the combination of internal and external provisional transformations, anyone daring to enter his vicinity would be completely crystallized!

"Trying to push me out?!" Liu Tianning snorted coldly, swiftly descending from the air to the ground. "Skyhorn Bamboo, manifest!" His Pure Essence Projection unfolded, and a bamboo forest immediately appeared on the ground. Among the bamboo, one Skyhorn Bamboo stood a thousand meters tall, while the remaining hundreds were all at the ninth tier.

"Boom, boom, boom!" Thunderbolts crackled among the bamboos, each as thick as a water vat. Ultimately, all the thunderbolts converged upon the shimmering, treasure-grade Skyhorn Bamboo.

"Boom!" Spring thunder exploded, and a pillar of lightning shot skyward, directly scattering Ling Tianchen's clouds. Using the Skyhorn Bamboo forest as its foundation, the lightning domain also expanded wildly. Unusually, after the lightning spread, bamboo shoots surprisingly began to sprout all around. With immense vitality, they rooted directly into Ling Tianchen's crystal soil. In the blink of an eye, half of the arena area had transformed into a vibrant bamboo sea, pulsating with thunderbolts! A Tier 5 Life Domain!

Both immediately displayed their respective domains. Each occupied a distinct space, attempting to crush the other's domain. This was a clash between the Season Rule Domain and the Self Rule Domain!

On the floating island, inside the Spectator Hall. "This is a bit exaggerated, isn't it? He can still grow larger?" Xuanyuan Qingtian was surprised. "Brother Boqian, what technique is Tianchen using? As far as I know, a 'Kiss' shouldn't take this form, should it?" Xuanyuan Qingtian had long since retired from active duties, living in a semi-retired state, and naturally was unaware of Ling Tianchen's secrets. But he could tell at a glance that this shouldn't be the form of a 'Kiss'.

"You should ask Dean Zhao," Li Boqian transmitted via sound, as this was a secret that couldn't be openly explained. A sound barrier formed between the three. Zhao Xing's voice echoed within the sound barrier: "What Dean Ling is performing is called the 'Ancestral Dragon Transformation.' It was a technique this junior accidentally created while studying the Dragon Emperor's Canon and the transformations of the Ancestral Dragon in the Dragon Court. This provisional transformation technique simulates the Ancestral Dragon's form. Every twenty years, I send a batch of true blood to Xuantian Academy for Dean Ling."

Xuanyuan Qingtian paused, surprised: "You created it? And taught it to Ling Tianchen?"

"Yes."

"Hahahaha," Xuanyuan Qingtian burst out laughing.

"Why are you laughing, Dean Xuanyuan?"

"I don't know, maybe I just remembered something amusing."

"They seem to be whispering."

"Hahahaha, I know what he's laughing about."

"Tell us?"

"Can't say, it's classified!"

A few others present also knew this secret, including Ji Che, who also began to laugh. Many didn't know why the esteemed figures were laughing, but no matter! Laughter was enough. Soon, for reasons unknown, everyone in the hall began to laugh.

Xuanyuan Qingtian chuckled, "You're truly making it harder for Liu Tianning." To use a technique created by Zhao Xing and true blood provided by Zhao Xing to fight Liu Tianning, and for it to be so powerful? Xuanyuan Qingtian naturally found it amusing. "Qiu Yuanshan spends all day in the Ancestral Shrine studying the Kunyuan Divine Hoe. I thought only Kunyuan Academy benefited, but I never imagined there was also a hand in this from that side."

Inside the arena, Liu Tianning was indeed in a bit of trouble. Because he didn't have an advantage in rule domains, Ling Tianchen constantly used the Ancestral Dragon Transformation to compress his space, which prevented Liu Tianning from using his clones for deceptive attacks. His straw figures, combined with his main body and plant armaments, should have offered many combat styles. But now only one remained: a direct confrontation.

"Divide!" Liu Tianning clones emerged one after another from the bamboo forest. In the blink of an eye, over a thousand clones appeared. However, Liu Tianning stopped at just over a thousand clones, because there wasn't enough space!

"Explode!" Liu Tianning could only first use his Heavenly Meteor Dharma Body and "Soul Burst Art" to expand his operational space. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! The clones swiftly moved towards Ling Tianchen in the sky-high clouds.

"Hmm? Why is he still getting larger? This doesn't seem like the Kiss Transformation; it looks more like Zhao Xing's Ancestral Dragon Transformation?" Liu Tianning was also puzzled. Although he was the Dean of Shangluo Academy, he was unaware of Xuantian Academy's secrets. He didn't know about Zhao Xing providing true blood. But now that he saw it, it looked increasingly familiar. "Ling Tianchen's ultimate move, held back for decades, came from Zhao Xing?" Liu Tianning was somewhat mistaken. Ling Tianchen's Season Domain, combining internal and external provisional transformations, indeed caused him significant trouble.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!" Most of the Heavenly Meteor Dharma Bodies detonated in mid-air before even reaching the clouds. Out of thousands of clones, only about a dozen managed to explode near Ling Tianchen's main body. However, this was merely a minor annoyance to the Ancestral Dragon's body. Not even a single scale was blown off. The Soul Burst, however, had a slightly better effect, slowing down Ling Tianchen's expansion speed.

"Liu Tianning, you're far too early to become the Grand Minister of Agriculture!" Ling Tianchen roared inwardly.

"Golden Scale Sky!" As the rule domain's expansion slowed, Liu Tianning unleashed a spell, and he, too, began to cast spells. The clash of Dao principles shifted into a contest of magical techniques. Tens of thousands of scales fell from the Ancestral Dragon's body. Each scale was the size of a plaza, with an incredibly smooth surface, like a gigantic mirror.

"Whoosh~" The sky-obscuring scales swiftly flew above the bamboo forest, arranging themselves in a mystical pattern like mirrors.

"Boom!" Dragon's Breath was exhaled, and the upper layer of dragon scale mirrors immediately amplified the light pillar. The light pillar, refracted by the middle and lower layers of dragon scale mirrors, surged directly towards Liu Tianning's Skyhorn Bamboo forest.

"Sizzle~" The scorching airflow immediately burned down patches of bamboo forest below. Large sections of the lightning pool were scattered, and the violent airflow impacted the spectator island barriers around the arena. A massive tremor swept through, even causing many small islands to shift sideways.

"Quickly reinforce the array!" Nie Xiongying shouted. "Don't let it affect His Highness."

"Yes," Lu Ying said, beads of sweat running down his back. He had never imagined the battle between these two could be so intense. Other spectator areas were far away, but Ji Che's floating island was directly inside the duel zone.

"Hahahaha, good, well fought!" Ji Che, however, was completely unconcerned and instead cheered enthusiastically.

"Who fought well?" Princess Youruo glanced at Ji Che.

"Of course, Ling—"

"Hmm?"

"Of course, Ling Tianchen's opponent, Liu Tianning, fought well," Ji Che corrected himself gravely.

"You are the Crown Prince; how can you be so reckless?" Princess Youruo glared at him. "Sit properly."

"Elder Sister's admonition is correct," Ji Che said, showing great respect for Princess Youruo, and immediately adjusted his posture. Fearing Princess Youruo might lecture him further, he immediately changed the subject: "Grand Minister of Agriculture, esteemed Deans, do you know what the outcome of this battle will be?"

Li Boqian observed carefully, then gently shook his head. "Reporting to Your Highness, in a maximum of sixty breaths, Ling Tianchen will show clear signs of defeat. In another sixty breaths, he will have to concede."

Xuanyuan Qingtian also nodded: "The Grand Minister of Agriculture is correct. Although Ling Tianchen seems to be in his prime right now, whenever he destroys a patch of bamboo forest, Liu Tianning can immediately replenish it. Furthermore, his Profound Fire Dharma Body can greatly weaken his self-created spell, 'Golden Scale Sky'. Liu Tianning still hasn't unleashed his Golden Divine Pillars, yet he's already established a firm foothold with just the Skyhorn Bamboo forest. The Heavenly Meteor Dharma Body can also cause Ling Tianchen's thoughts to slow down, making his spellcasting stiff and revealing flaws in his perfected techniques. It won't be long before the tide of offense and defense shifts."

Zhao Xing couldn't discern what the two grand figures were evaluating. He only felt that Ling Tianchen was overwhelmingly powerful and held the upper hand. However, after listening to their explanations, Zhao Xing became thoughtful. "Old Liu's Seven Great Dharma Bodies are Soul Devourer, Heavenly Meteor, Profound Fire, Yellow Springs, Floating Wanderer, and Sky Walker. The other four Dharma Bodies had little offensive power against the Ancestral Dragon Transformation, but Heavenly Meteor, Soul Devourer, and Yellow Springs could all be effective. Soul Devourer and Heavenly Meteor could attack the spirit, and the Yellow Springs Dharma Body could even absorb life force. Even without unleashing the Four Seasons Divine Radiance, once he activates the Spring and Summer seasons, he can turn defense into offense."

Liu Tianning possessed two domains! One was the Life Rule Domain he himself comprehended, and the other was a domain manifested by controlling treasure-grade plants through the "Heaven and Earth Seed Soldier Scripture." The Life Rule Domain ensured that plant armaments could be smoothly deployed and recreated. The Four Seasons Domain and Dharma Bodies were for offense. Even if treasure-grade divine trees couldn't be used, the Golden Divine Pillars and Skyhorn Bamboo were not considered tree types. Therefore, Liu Tianning could still employ the Dual Season Domain and unleash the Divine Radiance strangulation technique.

"Ling Tianchen's Ancestral Dragon Transformation is different from the Ancestral Dragon innate secret technique I comprehended. I wonder what its effects are," Zhao Xing mused. But with the two seniors' hints, he could discern the weaknesses of Ling's Ancestral Dragon Transformation: its vulnerability in soul and life force. Ling Tianchen couldn't resist the Yellow Springs Dharma Body's life force extraction. He could block the self-detonation of the Heavenly Meteor Dharma Body, but not its Soul Burst. Liu Tianning's Divine Evolution Art had