More importantly, the lightning poured down like water, forming a roiling ocean of Water Bombs around him.
"Water Bombs?!" Li Tiannan’s eyes flew wide. "How is that possible? You can actually create Water Bombs externally, without using the water from your own body?!"
"Yup. My water affinity is also at one hundred percent, so I can draw on the moisture in the air anytime. There’s no need to dehydrate myself like you," Gao Neng said with a shrug.
"Holy crap!" Li Tiannan froze for a second before bursting out in curses. "You insolent brat! Don’t think I can’t take you down just because you have a little talent!"
"But you really can’t."
"..." Li Tiannan wasted no more words.
He attacked directly.
Wreathed in indomitable lightning, he charged at Gao Neng.
But Gao Neng didn’t back down, charging straight toward Li Tiannan as well.
Two blurs of lightning.
Slammed into each other!
Intertwining, colliding.
They produced a blinding white light.
BOOM!
BOOM!
The entire hill trembled.
This scene completely stunned the surrounding reporters with their cameras.
"A friendly match?!"
"This is a deathmatch!"
"Run for your lives!"
The reporters scattered frantically.
However, their professional dedication was admirable.
Even as they fled for their lives, they kept their cameras trained on the heart of the battle between Gao Neng and Li Tiannan, providing "passionate" commentary as they ran.
"Wow, this is a truly world-shaking battle!"
"Celestial Thunder versus Water Bomb! Which type of lightning... is truly the strongest?!"
"Master versus disciple! Who will emerge victorious?"
"This is Alliance Channel One, coming to you live with a challenge issued by Gao Neng to Li Tiannan! And, uh... I can say with full confidence, this is definitely not a friendly match."
"..."
The reporters had gone live.
All across the Alliance, the footage was being broadcast to every citizen via television, the internet, and all forms of media.
"So terrifying! Is this what a battle between powerhouses is like?"
"A Rank-Nine versus a Strongest! Wow... This is a first!"
"They’re incredible!"
The public cried out in amazement.
Meanwhile, Qin Lei, Fairy Liu, and the other Strongest quietly watched the screen. The battle unfolding was clearly a ferocious one.
BOOM!
BOOM!
The thunderous sounds were incessant.
On screen, every slash from Gao Neng’s blade carried a tidal wave of Water Bombs that surged toward Li Tiannan.
Li Tiannan, the one who had initiated the attack, was now flushed in the face, constantly retreating under Gao Neng’s counteroffensive.
One step!
Two steps!
Three!
Li Tiannan had been driven all the way back to the villa’s front gate!
"You damn brat, you’re really not holding back!" Li Tiannan was finally certain. Gao Neng was fighting like a complete lunatic, as if his life depended on it.
"Master, either your leg gets broken today, or mine does!" All sorts of lights began to shine in Gao Neng’s eyes—red, blue, cyan, purple, gold, silver...
And as these lights flared to life...
...all kinds of elements and attributes began to weave together around him.
"Very well. In that case, I won’t be polite either!" Li Tiannan’s retreating form abruptly halted. A moment later, with a soft POP, countless thread-like white lights burst from his body.
After emerging, these silky white threads shot out to entangle the Water Bombs around Gao Neng.
The white lights then sliced through the Water Bombs.
Just like sharp blades.
"What move is this? You never taught it to me," Gao Neng asked in surprise.
"Duh. If I taught you everything, how could I possibly keep you suppressed?" Li Tiannan strode forward as the white light pouring from his body grew more intense.
"Oh, so that’s how it is. But... Master, have you forgotten something?" Gao Neng asked, a look of dawning realization on his face.
"What is it?"
"You seem to be fighting me in close quarters, right?" Gao Neng blinked.
"Ho... Holy crap!" Li Tiannan suddenly snapped to his senses.
A single sentence had woken him from his reverie.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Li Tiannan turned to flee.
But what was behind him?
The door to his grand villa!
THUD!
Li Tiannan slammed headfirst into the door.
He smashed the entire door to smithereens.
At the same time, a grand voice echoed in his ears.
"Sixfold Slash in One!"
"What?!" Li Tiannan spun around.
A flash from a blade descended upon his head.
It wasn’t an Illusion Realm.
Gao Neng hadn’t used an Illusion Technique, either.
He was... a liar!
But that wasn’t the point. The point was, Li Tiannan had nowhere to run. The only thing he could do was block Gao Neng’s slash with everything he had.
BOOM!
The blade fell.
A powerful wave of energy blasted outward.
The gateway, which had already been shattered, collapsed with a thunderous crash.
At the same time, the roof burst into roaring flames, instantly bathing the entire villa in a sea of fire.
Li Tiannan desperately wanted to spare some focus to protect his villa.
But he was willing, yet powerless!
Under the full force of Gao Neng’s slash, his legs had gone weak... He wasn’t sure if it was because he’d overexerted himself a few days ago, but he was starting to tremble.
"Gao Neng, fuck your whole family! Spare my villa!" Li Tiannan was about to cry. The heartache was real—so real he could barely breathe.
"Okay!" Gao Neng sheathed his blade.
"???" Li Tiannan.
Before he could even feel a flicker of pleasant surprise...
...he was plunged into terror.
Because a second voice rang out.
"Sixfold Slash in One, Infinite Combo!"
"..." What could Li Tiannan possibly say?
Staring at the descending blade, he had only one thought. ’You damn brat... even if I die, even if I become a ghost, I will never let you go!’
BOOM!
The blade fell.
Li Tiannan was sent flying by the slash.
His body shot like a cannonball into his villa.
And then, the entire villa completely collapsed.
CRASH!
Stones rained down, striking Li Tiannan in the face.
They didn’t hurt his body.
But they wounded his heart.
"Oh, raindrops, raindrops... pitter-pattering, splashing down... just like my heart, which can never close its eyes," Li Tiannan recited, lying on the ground.
He let the rain of stones batter him.
His heart was so tired!
His heart was in so much pain!
He just wanted some peace and quiet.
But then, he saw a figure leaping toward him.
"Continuing the Infinite Combo!"
"I... Gan Liniang!" Li Tiannan broke down.
Life is full of so, so much helplessness.
But if one had to name the most painful kind of helplessness, it would be getting beaten by your own disciple, only for him to continue flogging your corpse.
So sad...
I wanna cry!
Li Tiannan closed his eyes.
Because he had already passed out.
Ever since becoming one of the Strongest, he had never been beaten so badly that he couldn’t even move a muscle.
"..."
"Master?"
"Master, are you okay?"
"Huh? Did he pass out...?" Gao Neng shook Li Tiannan and found him completely unresponsive. He couldn’t help but sigh internally. ’Even after such a high-intensity battle, I still haven’t broken through? Could it be that Li Tiannan is too weak? This won’t do... I need to find someone stronger!’
He helped Li Tiannan up from the ground.
Then, he poured two drops of the ’Spring of Life’ into Li Tiannan’s mouth.
He figured that would be enough for a quick recovery.
Still, on the surface... Li Tiannan looked absolutely wretched.
His face was charred black.
A large patch of his hair had been burned off by the lightning, leaving him bald.
As for his body, it was a sight too gruesome to bear.
He was covered in bloody gashes, crisscrossing from every direction.
The slash marks were so deep one wouldn’t dare to look twice.
The surrounding reporters who witnessed this were utterly dumbfounded.
Was this the same righteous-looking Li Tiannan from just a moment ago?
Was this the former War God of the Military Department, the Strongest, Li Tiannan?
WHOOSH!
An uproar swept through the crowd.
Then, the camera flashes began to go off.
CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!
"Quick, record this beautiful moment!"