He watched the entire process with perfect clarity. The lightning energy, already concentrated dozens of times, was further compressed. It was akin to an artificial Tailed Beast Bomb, emitting an aura not much inferior to the complete version. Within the confined space of less than twenty square meters, facing the explosion of a miniature Tailed Beast Bomb directly would have killed any number of him, were it not for his absolute confidence in the unique abilities of his Mangekyo Sharingan.
As he mused, all the energy within the prison was absorbed. The lightning orb detonated without hesitation. Beyond the blinding light, Li Xi felt nothing. His current state was not within the current dimension; his body resided in another space. As long as the power couldn't breach that space, any magical force, no matter how potent, would affect Li Xi like a gentle breeze, even an Archmage spell.
The compressed energy exploded. The four spiraling cloud pillars and the cloud prison above expanded several times their original size, making it seem as though they would be utterly shattered in the next second. However, once the peak energy passed and its intensity waned, the prison, like an overfed giant, began to regain its slim form. From beginning to end, not a single wisp of energy escaped the cloud-formed cage.
This demonstrated the astonishing control and precision of Sedunasi's combined magic. If the compressed lightning orb's power were too great, it would directly shatter the prison, an almost merciful mistake for the enemy within. Conversely, if the orb's power were too weak, it would be a waste of the considerable mana expended to create the prison. Sedunasi, however, had adjusted the explosive force of the detonation and the sturdiness of the prison so perfectly that not a single bit was wasted. Truly the mark of a Grand Magister.
The explosive expansion of energy vaporized all the seawater within the prison. The entire enclosure filled with white mist, rendering it impossible for Sedunasi, Mendit, and the others outside to see anything within.
"Sedunasi, you old dog, I never knew you had such skills. Combining multiple spells to achieve the power of an Archmage spell." Mendit, who was usually so stubborn, could only express his admiration with such a hearty compliment, indicating the true prowess of Sedunasi's consecutive spells.
"Want to learn? I'll teach you." Sedunasi was fully confident in his technique. Combining just five ordinary spells to create the power of an Archmage spell – there might be those in this world who could withstand it, but it certainly wouldn't include the cat-masked man inside. This was his trump card. He was certain he would win this match.
"Heh, while your combined magic is impressive, its limitations are too great. I have no interest. When the time comes, don't forget to give me the promised reward of ten drops of divine power."
Even if Mendit secretly wished to learn, he could not admit it. His status dictated his actions; his highest principle was serving the God of Storms. He could not lower himself to learn another's magic, as it would tarnish the majesty of the God of Storms. Moreover, if Mendit wanted to learn, Sedunasi would certainly not teach him, leading only to humiliation.
As for the ten drops of divine power as a reward, this was the condition Mendit had agreed upon for betting fifteen drops of his own divine power. Without such a generous reward, why would Mendit risk such a gamble? Seeing Sedunasi's display now, Mendit knew they had already won. Ten drops as a reward felt like striking it rich.
An Archmage spell, at its smallest, could destroy cities and wipe out entire tribes. At its largest, it could alter environments and lay waste to the world. An Archmage-level spell had never failed before.
"Don't worry, when have I ever gone back on my word?" Sedunasi felt a pang of unwillingness but was also resigned.
Ten drops. It was a heavy price, but as long as they won the match, they would gain fifty drops of divine power. And with the Evil God Turtle returning, ten drops would be acceptable. It was still a profitable venture.
The white mist within the prison grew thicker, showing no signs of dissipating. Mendit checked the time. "Time's up. Dispel it."
Sedunasi's sleeves swept through the air. The clouds of the prison vanished, and the four spiraling cloud pillars slowly dissolved. The white mist, compressed for an extended period within the prison, dispersed outward the moment the prison dissolved, enveloping the entire sea in a dreamlike atmosphere.
However, no one could appreciate the beauty, nor was anyone in a mood to admire it. All stared with wide eyes, their throats as dry as ancient riverbeds, letting out hoarse cries, "This is impossible!"
As the white mist cleared, Li Xi remained in his previous posture, hands held before his chest. If they hadn't personally felt the successive waves of magical energy earlier, they might have mistaken the entire contest for an illusion, as if Sedunasi had deliberately held back.
"You... you..."
Sedunasi's mouth hung open like a hippopotamus devouring a watermelon, his uvula clearly visible. In that moment, his proud status as a Cardinal and Grand Magister evaporated. His entire being was filled with a sense of defeat, as if he had been repeatedly violated by dozens of burly men.
He knew the power of his own magic better than anyone. How could someone possibly endure its full force and emerge completely unharmed? Was he not human?
"Oh, it's over. I didn't move at all throughout. The fifteen drops of divine power from the bet are mine." Li Xi's sleepy demeanor caused Sedunasi's heart to ache even more. Had his Archmage-level combined spell only served as a lullaby?
"You want to take the divine power? Don't you know where you are?" Sedunasi, utterly devastated, could barely utter a coherent sentence, his lips trembling.
But Mendit was having none of it. Sedunasi had guaranteed him a win, a hundred percent certainty. Losing was out of the question. Mendit had even asked what would happen if they lost. Sedunasi had replied, "Lose? I'll only lose if the gods who have returned to the divine realm can be defeated by mere mortals."
At the time, Mendit had found Sedunasi's words reasonable. However, he had cautiously pressed Sedunasi on what would happen if they did lose. Sedunasi had assured him that if he lost, he would compensate fifteen drops of divine power.
Mendit had been swayed by Sedunasi's repeated assurances of victory, never considering that if Sedunasi lost, he wouldn't even be able to keep his position as a Cardinal, let alone compensate Mendit with fifteen drops of divine power.
Now that the reality had set in, Mendit awakened to the truth. Seeing Sedunasi utterly useless, he could only resolve to protect the divine power himself.
Mendit cursed Sedunasi's ancestors for a hundred generations in his heart. The divine power was of utmost importance to the God of Storms, practically his lifeblood. The loss of fifty drops of divine power would spell Sedunasi's doom. If he himself lost these fifteen drops, upon his return... well...
Mendit dared not imagine what awaited him.
Draining all his magical power? Demoted to a slave? Kicked out of the church? Turned into dried jerky?
Because of the contract they had signed, the five small vials of divine power could not be stored in a spatial ring and were currently in Mendit's hands.
The moment the victor was decided, a faint glow flickered over the five small vials. This was a sign that the contract was taking effect. They were like lost children finding their home, heading towards Li Xi.
But Mendit uttered a few words, and a ball of water shot up from the sea, directly encircling the five vials of divine power, preventing them from moving further. Mendit would rather destroy the contract than lose this precious divine power. After all, the God of Contracts had good relations with their deities; they could cancel it later. The immediate priority was to prevent the divine power from falling into another's hands.
Next, a giant hand made of seawater emerged from beneath Li Xi's feet. It clenched into a fist, intending to crush Li Xi like an ant.
However, Mendit's full-powered attack, the hand of seawater, passed directly through Li Xi's body. The air shattered, creating a sonic boom, but the attack hit nothing. Li Xi remained motionless.
"Die!"
Knowing Li Xi's spatial abilities were peculiar, Mendit's contorted face, combined with the surging magical energy around him, summoned a waterspout from beneath Li Xi's feet, powerful enough to lift a whale into the sky.
The other priests of the God of Storms also remained idle. Dense water arrows, water blades several feet long, and water cannons the size of human heads rained down upon Li Xi.
But Li Xi?
He ignored all attacks. Not even the hem of his robes, fluttering in the wind, was disturbed. He walked out of Mendit's waterspout as leisurely as if on a spring outing, his robes remaining completely dry throughout.
Save for the peculiar six-petaled pattern in his right eye, Li Xi's relaxed demeanor was akin to a deity descending upon the mortal realm.
As for the priests' attacks, they all passed through Li Xi's body without the slightest impedance, striking the sea behind him and causing waves to erupt from the already turbulent waters.
"This is impossible."
Mendit gritted his teeth and growled. First, Sedunasi's Archmage-level combined spell, and now their continuous barrage of attacks – how could they have no effect whatsoever? Even an ancient dragon would have been severely wounded.
The lightning symbol on his brow flashed incessantly, emitting a dazzling light. Accompanied by Mendit's mana surge, the clouds that had just dissipated reappeared in the sky, silver snakes danced, thunder roared, and a fierce gale swept across the sea. The apocalypse couldn't describe the scene; a world-ending cataclysm would be more fitting.
Li Xi ignored all attacks. As the priests were about to prepare their most powerful spells, his body twisted and vanished.
In the midst of the battlefield, Mendit, having lost sight of Li Xi, did not waver in his resolve. He swung his hands, and dense lightning bolts rained down from the sky. Mendit thought, "Since I can't find you, I'll cover the entire area. It's better to kill by mistake than to let you go."
The ocean, already churning violently, was now subjected to magical attacks once more. It was impossible to know how many sea creatures perished. The energy density of the air here was more than ten times that of the surrounding areas, but the chaotic magical energy also made casting spells several times more difficult for the casters.
The barrage continued for several minutes, only stopping when Mendit's magical power began to wane. Mendit retrieved a potion from his spatial ring and was about to replenish his mana to continue his attack when,
Unexpectedly, at this moment, spatial power appeared around the water sphere containing the five vials of divine power. It twisted, spun, and vanished.
It happened too fast for anyone to react.
"No!"
Mendit cried out in despair and grief, his voice as tragic as if he had seen the goddess he had pursued for years groveling in servitude to another.
The cat-faced masked man, holding the five vials of divine power, waved from afar. "I've witnessed the strength of your so-called Cardinals today. They're nothing special."
"If I have time next, I will definitely seek your guidance again."
"Goodbye."
Li Xi waved and vanished. Mendit, enraged, roared at him, but trying to find someone proficient in such spatial mysteries would be akin to seeking humiliation. Mendit grabbed the ashen-faced Sedunasi and began to shout. Li Xi vaguely heard them shifting blame to each other. Sedunasi, having resigned himself to fate, decided to go all out. The promised fifteen drops of divine power? Hah! His own life was on the line, who would still pay you divine power!
Having his possessions gambled away, and then refusing to admit it after losing, it was no wonder Mendit exploded. Before long, the original site of the duel once again surged with magical tides. It was uncertain who the ultimate victor was.
Meanwhile, Li Xi, who had escaped to a distance and was now swimming stealthily underwater, happily tallied his spoils: an Evil God Octopus, fifty drops of divine power contributed by Sedunasi, and fifteen drops from Mendit. This added up to nearly seventy to eighty drops of divine power.
Li Xi's complete victory and immense gains were entirely due to the abilities that emerged from his Sharingan's evolution into Mangekyo Sharingan. It had to be said, the new abilities of the Mangekyo Sharingan were truly powerful. This ability was none other than Obito's spatial ability.
Kamui. For five minutes, it could ignore any damage. Otherwise, Li Xi wouldn't have dared to spar with two Cardinals so carelessly. It was simply that they were unaware of this Mangekyo Sharingan ability; otherwise, defeating Li Xi would have been a matter of minutes.
Even with the Mangekyo Sharingan's incredible power, Li Xi never made a move against anyone throughout the entire fight. He knew that without using ninjutsu, there was no difference between him attacking and not attacking; the outcome would not break their defenses. So why not simply play the mysterious master of seclusion? I'll stand here, and if I move, I lose!
Why wouldn't I hit you? Do you deserve for me to attack you?
"Hahahaha, indeed, one cannot get rich without ill-gotten gains, and a horse cannot get fat without eating night fodder. I must not miss such an opportunity next time."
"First, I'll find a place to extract the divine power contained within this Evil God Octopus, then I'll return to submit the mission. The divine power to be submitted doesn't need to be much, just one drop. And under no circumstances will I admit to hunting an Evil God. I'll say the island was already gone when I got there, and I was lucky to find a tentacle."
"Once everything is arranged, I'll decide whether to absorb the Flame Demon bloodline or Hashirama's cells."
"Why even think about it? Wood Style, here I come."
...