Battle Drums Shaking the Skies
Battle Drums Shaking the Skies
The participants filed onto the battlefield one after another, each taking their place on the stone platforms and delicately touching the battle drums before them.
Qin Wentian's gaze swept across the vast expanse, counting the faces of his fellow competitors. There were roughly several hundred individuals assembled here.
"Let's take our positions as well," Qin Wentian declared as he stepped forward. In no time, he stood before a battle drum, surrounded by Ye Lingshuang, Chu Mang, and the others who formed a protective circle around him.
With a gentle touch, Qin Wentian connected with the battle drum in front of him, a mysterious sensation enveloping his consciousness. It was as if, with his volition, he could infuse his essence into the drum, giving birth to a battle spirit that would fight on his behalf.
This concept aligned with what had been engraved on the stone tablet: in this battlefield, it would be the battle drums, not the participants, that engaged in combat.
Although their cultivation levels were still suppressed, utilizing the battle drums allowed them to transcend this limitation, unleashing power that far exceeded their peak strength.
However, the method of achieving this remained a personal discovery.
Without delay, everyone entered the battlefield, recognizing that this arena was meant for them to contend against one another. It marked the first test in the Immortal Martial Realm where they had to face fellow participants directly. In a sense, it was a test of absolute fairness.
BOOM!
A participant used their hands to strike the battle drum, triggering a surge of battle intent that reverberated through the battlefield.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!
Successive booming sounds echoed as participants experimented with ways to harness the drums for combat.
Qin Wentian extended his perception, then unleashed a palm strike directly at his battle drum. Instantly, a thunderous roar resounded through the space, and a mysterious energy surged forth, forming a protective barrier of light around him.
At that moment, an unusual sensation blossomed within Qin Wentian. It felt as though he could merge seamlessly with the battle drum. This drum harbored a unique battle spirit, one that existed solely to engage in combat, one that was born in response to the warrior who could resonate with it.
BOOM!
Qin Wentian unleashed another palm strike, and the peculiar sensation intensified further.
After three booming strikes, Qin Wentian felt as if he had successfully melded with the battle spirit residing within the drum. With a mere thought, he could direct an attack in any direction using the battle drum as his conduit.
BANG!
A fiery palm imprint lunged toward Qin Wentian. Although he didn't lift his head, his heightened perception allowed him to grasp every detail of the chaotic scene. On his left, an infernal palm, seething with destructive energy, hurtled menacingly toward him. It was evident that someone had figured out how to harness the power of the battle drums slightly earlier than Qin Wentian and had aimed an attack at him.
Without hesitation, Qin Wentian's palms struck his own battle drum with force. In an instant, a thunderous draconic roar filled the air, colliding with the fiery palm imprint. The impact produced turbulent energy currents and chaotic qi flows that surged through the surroundings.
As this confrontation ignited, battles erupted among the other participants as well. The entire area transformed into a battlefield of resounding drumbeats, with battle spirits exuding intense fighting intent.
Qin Wentian, confronted with an imminent sneak attack, had no intention of showing undue restraint. He retaliated with a fierce counterattack aimed at his assailant. Crimson palms slammed onto the battle drum, giving rise to blood-colored palmprints, which darted aggressively toward his adversary.
"Hmph," the assailant snorted contemptuously, refusing to back down. He infused his fiery palms with overwhelming destructive power that smashed through the blood-colored palmprints, continuing its relentless assault toward Qin Wentian.
"Shattered Void!" Qin Wentian roared. His palms slammed down with even greater destructive might, dispelling his opponent's attack. His palms danced in a rapid flurry, striking the surface of the battle drum and summoning two colossal, ancient bells. These bells hurtled toward his adversary, their resonant chimes aimed at shattering his opponent's heart.
The Heartbreak Echo had a reputation for causing heartache, and it lived up to its name. In the heat of battle, participants honed their skills with the drum as a medium for their attacks. The shockwaves from the collisions intensified, and the Heartbreak Echo's reverberations sent shivers down the spine of Qin Wentian's opponent. The ceaseless loop of reverberations, combined with the drum's resounding booms, relentlessly targeted the heart.
Streams of sword qi sliced through the air, intercepting the flame-coated spears. The harmonious hum of countless swords filled the battlefield amidst the booming Heartbreak Echo. His opponent coughed up yet another mouthful of blood, and his battle intent wavered. The battle spirit within his drum trembled under the relentless assault, and in an instant, his heart burst with a deafening roar. The shattering of the drum equated to the death of its user. Strangely, the mysterious energy from his opponent's shattered drum flowed toward Qin Wentian's, enhancing its power.
The radiance emanating from Qin Wentian's drum intensified, enveloping him in a brilliant aura. When he launched another attack through the drum, the resonance was even more thunderous, and the scale of his assault expanded.
But it wasn't just Qin Wentian. The entire space became a battleground as combat raged on. Several participants successfully shattered the drums of others, infusing their own drums with additional energy.
It was a ruthless contest for battle spirits through destruction.
"Let's increase the intensity of our attacks and begin plundering the battle spirits of others. If we don't, the gap between us and our opponents will only widen," Qin Wentian transmitted his thoughts urgently to Ye Lingshuang and the others. They all nodded in agreement, intensifying their attacks as they sought to strengthen themselves by shattering the drums of fellow participants.
Que Cheng of the Violet Thunder Sect, Shi Kuang from the Heaven Crippling Sect, and Yin Ting representing the Great Earth Sect displayed a degree of cunning restraint. Rather than rushing to engage Qin Wentian directly, they discerned the strategy at play—the ability to plunder the battle spirits of others to augment their own power. In a frenzy, they initiated attacks against those in close proximity.
"Fully commit and support me in pillaging these spirits," Que Cheng commanded the Violet Thunder Sect experts beside him. They swiftly formed a formation with Que Cheng at its core. Attempting to go it alone in this ruthless battle for power was a losing proposition. The most efficient way to level up was by collaborating with others to boost the growth of one's battle drum. The first individual to attain this breakthrough would become an unparalleled force within the field.
"Assist me as well," Yin Ting ordered, sharing the same objective as Que Cheng.
Their strategic approach influenced other major powers, prompting them to rally around their leading figures as they, too, embarked on the endeavor to pilfer battle spirits. Soon enough, several participants had successfully leveled up.
"He has already broken through to the second level of Heavenly Dipper, despite the suppression effect. His mastery of Mandate in his attacks has grown stronger," someone observed as they noticed Que Cheng's remarkable progress. The combined might of the Violet Thunder Sect Alliance grew more formidable by the minute.
Members of the Violet Thunder Sect typically excelled in lightning and thunder attributes, which often emphasized powerful offensive capabilities. When a group of lightning-adept individuals joined forces in a formation, their combined power became nothing short of terrifying. Consequently, Que Cheng began to outshine the competition.
RUMBLE!
Under the ferocious onslaught of lightning, another participant's battle drum shattered, and their life was extinguished.
"This can't continue. To prevent their rise, we must support one individual to plunder the spirits," some of the unaffiliated major powers concluded. They refused to be mere stepping stones for others' ascension and were increasingly alarmed by the resounding booms of the battle drums from the Nine Great Sects. It was clear that they would soon be left behind.
"Wentian, we'll support you in plundering," Ye Lingshuang offered.
At that moment, Qin Wentian was locked in a heated battle with an opponent. Upon hearing Ye Lingshuang's declaration, his expression brightened. Chu Mang added his agreement, saying, "Indeed, if we don't act, the gap between us and the others will only widen."
As Chu Mang spoke, a formidable meteor hammer swung down, targeting him. Unperturbed, Chu Mang struck his palms against his battle drum, conjuring a massive battle axe that cleaved toward the incoming meteor hammer. Invisible forces clashed in the air, but after a few moments, the hammer's momentum prevailed, and it continued its trajectory toward Chu Mang. The attacker was evidently the leader of an alliance, and his power was on the cusp of breaking through to the second level of Heavenly Dipper.
"Agreed." Qin Wentian nodded, his gaze shifting to Chu Mang's assailant, his eyes flashing with cold determination.
"Support me, and I'll take the lead in the attack," Qin Wentian declared, his battle intent radiating intensely. The deafening chorus of drums filled the air as Qin Wentian unleashed the Heartbreak Echo once more. His assault was like a relentless tempest, raining blows upon the alliance that had targeted Chu Mang.
"Understood!" Ye Lingshuang and the others agreed, joining Qin Wentian in neutralizing attacks from other alliances. This allowed Qin Wentian to focus entirely on his offensive role.
The battlefield crackled with energy as countless attacks collided. Drums reverberated through the air, conjuring numerous ancient bells that chimed in unison. The echoes formed a wall of sound that cascaded upon the alliance that had assaulted Chu Mang. Their faces turned red as they struggled to withstand Qin Wentian's onslaught.
Meanwhile, a flurry of blood-red ancient halberds descended from the heavens, raining down upon a seven-member alliance.
RUMBLE!
A nightmarish dreamscape abruptly materialized within the minds of those seven experts. Normally, they might have resisted such an intrusion of dreamforce, but the Heartbreak Echo had already pushed them to their limits. Now, with the additional assault from Qin Wentian's dream will, they could only grit their teeth and endure the invasion.
The resonance of the bells harmonized with Qin Wentian's drumming, creating a symphony of destruction.
The seven experts couldn't hold out any longer. They all coughed up blood, their weaker drums shattered, and their lives extinguished. Only the leader displayed more resilience, but even he fell victim as an ancient halberd descended from above, piercing his battle drum and causing it to shatter.
One by one, the battle spirits rushed into Qin Wentian's battle drum, further amplifying its power. Just as the alliance was destroyed, a flaming giant materialized, charging toward Ye Lingshuang with the intention of engulfing her in a sea of flames.
"Sister Lingshuang, be cautious!" Qin Wentian shouted as he sensed the incoming attack. Ye Lingshuang reacted swiftly, striking her palms against her battle drum, unleashing sword qi into the air. However, she was still a fraction too slow. The flaming giant exuded an indomitable aura, and under the immense pressure, Ye Lingshuang coughed up blood as she hastily severed her connection with her battle drum. Although the drum didn't shatter, she had lost control of it. The battle spirit within was forcibly absorbed by the attacker, wresting control of the drum from her.
The remaining essence of the flaming giant transformed into a dragon and lunged at Ye Lingshuang. She paled, realizing that the instructions engraved on the stone tablet clearly stated that only the drums could be used for battle in this field. Those who violated this rule would face a death sentence.
Helplessly, Ye Lingshuang raised her palms, preparing to unleash her final attack.
BOOOM!
Suddenly, an enormous palm imprint materialized in the air, shattering the dragon into pieces. Ye Lingshuang trembled uncontrollably, her back drenched in cold sweat. It was a narrow escape!
"Sister Lingshuang, stand behind me," Qin Wentian called out. Ye Lingshuang nodded and quickly took refuge behind him.
Qin Wentian then fixed his gaze on the person who had sneakily attacked Ye Lingshuang. It was none other than Chen Yin from the Great Solar Chen Clan. Despite having grudges with many individuals, most were focused on plundering battle spirits to rapidly increase their strength. However, Chen Yin seemed unable to restrain himself any longer and had opted for a direct attack on Qin Wentian.