Chapter 481: The Aftermath, My Own Yin-Yang (1/2)

Chapter 481: The Aftermath, My Own Yin-Yang

“It looks like the tournament is over.” Mo Xiao had fled the near-explosion, but returned now. Her voice sounded strange, a reflection of her surprise. She couldn’t believe Lan Jue was so strong.

The Terminator looked at her, then shouted out across the Arena. “Announcing the Champions of this year’s Great Adept Tournament; Zeus!” His final declaration was the end of the games.

Now it crossed the minds of the audience to cheer. However, back East, every corner of every Eastern Alliance planet had been cheering for ages. Most especially, the National Eastern University sounded like it was host to a riot. The administration had been quick to abuse Lan Jue’s image. The moment his face was revealed, the NEU made sure everyone knew he was one of their instructors. The news had spread all across the East.

Jun Yongye and Zeus clambered from the crater on wobbly legs. They both looked like the battle had cost them a lot. But while their bodies were hammered, their spirits were high. Lan Jue couldn’t shake that sense he’d felt, in those last moments. It was a taste of what it was to be a Paragon, a hint of what was to come.

It had been a move of desperation. That fissure created by Jun Yongye had been so overwhelming, that a bold leap had been necessary.

The nine thrusts were the might of his yang lightning, overlaid with the Taiji powers as enhancement. Under his ministrations, his Discipline was empowered and concentrated by it – resulting in one of the strange rules of yin-yang; when Yang rose to its peak, Yin is born 1.

That final moment, that crucial point, Lan Jue felt the yang-force of his thunderbolt flare outward. With his own yin-yang powers as a base, his lightning was catapulted in strength. Just like when he fought the Driver. The joining of his Yang- and the Driver’s Yin-Discipline had been a brief glimpse at the possibilities. The combination of Lan Jue’s subsequent cultivation, and the refinement by Taiji had recreated that explosion a hundred times over.

For a moment, somewhere in that cataclysmic blast, he’d seen it again. Like before, the Path to Paragon – he sensed the direction now. But it was also far beyond his control. Even before the yin-yang powers merged, in that second where Yang was at its peak, he couldn’t control it. Only once he reached Paragon was that level of mastery capable.

Every inch felt like a mile as the two heroes struggled from the ring. The crowds cheered in admiration.

There was no question that the fight had been frightening for them. However, at the very least that was testament to the strength of the fighters! These two men were worthy to fight for the Championship.

The Great Adept tournament had wowed spectators for more than a month. Now, whether they were there in person or watched on their screens, people didn’t quite know what to do with themselves.

As they sat, lost reverie over the last few weeks, the floodlights dimmed. The arena was plunged in to an inky darkness. But, before anyone could panic, a single column of light burst in to existence. In the surrounding darkness, it was particularly eye-catching.

The beam fell upon a figure, dressed in a dark red suit. It made the man look gloomy, set stark beneath the light, but his unparalleled features were the focus of every spectator. Deep notes wafted through the black, but muffled as though locked away.

Poseidon! It’s Poseidon!

Indeed it was, the God of the Sea, suspended in the middle of the Great Conclave Arena.

He looked like the field sounded, broken and repressed. The white light gradually died, and was replaced by a crimson light that seemed to come from everywhere. He was suddenly immersed in a sea of red.

The melody rose in volume. It was pleasing to the ear, but none could say it was peaceful. The trudging notes were thick with oppression and grief.

A new song from Poseidon! The screens in frtonf of every seat flashed with four dark-red words: The Sea of Blood.

It was a tale told through song, about when humanity left for the stars. It showed the progress of humanity through the Stellar Migration, and the glory of its achievements. The story went on to detail man’s journey up to now, with both its victories and blemishes.

The scene changed. The red became green, and the sea was a forest. Sprite-like figures of green light danced through the air of the arena, unhindered. The crippling sadness was gone, replaced with an atmosphere of sunlight and joy. The sudden shift made the audience gasp.

Poseidon’s song shifted gears as well, becoming softer. He sang like it was the story of his life, with all its peaks and valleys, but nonetheless a glorious landscape.

The image scaled back and suddenly, the audience was looking over a majestic forest vista. As they looked on, toxic spots of purplish-black appeared within the green. With startling speed, the corrosive hue spread.

It was familiar, and many in the audience recognized the scene; Taihua.