The arena seemed to stretch into eternity, sunlight blazing over tens of thousands of spectators. Today was the culmination of the World Tournament—the final showdown that would decide supremacy over the cultivation world.
Li Tian stood at the center, the Devouring Core swirling in a perfect spiral of golden-white-purple energy, its aura more radiant and controlled than ever. Every pulse of the Core harmonized with his mind, each thought instantly translated into battlefield strategy and power manipulation.
Han Xue appeared at his side, her expression steady but intense. "This is the ultimate trial. Every move will be scrutinized, every reaction tested. Stay focused."
Li Tian exhaled, his aura expanding to encompass the battlefield. "I am ready. Let the heavens witness the rise of the Devouring Core."
The Ultimate Opponents Assemble
Emerging from the shadowed stands were the final challengers:
Zhao Ming, fully aware of Li Tian's growth, radiating a storm of raw lightning energy.
Xuan Wu, the prodigy with elemental mastery, eyes sharp and calculating.
Shen Wu, the Heavenly Spirit Prodigy, whose six-element aura now crackled with threatening intensity.
And from hidden corners, several elite sect leaders and secret disciples appeared, drawn by rumors of Li Tian's unmatched power.
The combined aura of his opponents made the air shimmer violently. Even seasoned elders gasped.
"You… have grown," Zhao Ming hissed. "But today, all your tricks end!"
Li Tian's eyes narrowed. "Then let's see whose will dominates the heavens."
Battle of Legendary Scale
The fight erupted instantly, a storm of energy and elements. Lightning and fire collided with wind and earth; void energy twisted reality around the combatants.
Li Tian moved like the eye of a hurricane:
Absorbing multiple attacks simultaneously with the Devouring Core.
Redirecting enemy energy in precise arcs, striking without exposure.
Manipulating battlefield terrain via Core energy, creating barriers, traps, and advantageous positions.
Combining absorbed elements to form hybrid attacks, unpredictable and devastating.
Every strike and counter was calculated; his Core predicted enemy movements and optimized responses instantly.
Even Shen Wu and Xuan Wu faltered under the speed and versatility of Li Tian's attacks. Zhao Ming's lightning surged only to be absorbed, converted, and reflected back in controlled bursts.
Core Ultimate Awakening
Amid the chaos, the Devouring Core achieved perfect ultimate mastery. The golden-white-purple aura expanded outward, twisting into radiant loops that resonated with every elemental force present.
Pain surged, energy roared—but Li Tian channeled everything into the Core.
The Core pulsed with awareness, autonomously assessing threats, predicting attacks, and enhancing both offensive and defensive potential. Li Tian had transcended traditional cultivation—he was one with the Devouring Core, and the battlefield itself bent subtly to his will.
A decisive strike erupted: a storm of combined elements and absorbed energy formed a spiral of destruction, neutralizing multiple attacks simultaneously. His opponents staggered, awed and fearful of the mortal's power.
The Turning Point
Li Tian pressed forward, every attack synchronized with strategy:
He separated Shen Wu and Xuan Wu from Zhao Ming, exploiting their combined reliance on teamwork.
The arena became a canvas for Core energy, with traps, illusions, and energy currents flowing according to his will.
Hybrid elemental storms forced the strongest adversaries to defend rather than attack.
The spectators could hardly comprehend what they were witnessing—a mortal without spirit roots commanding forces beyond imagination.
Final Strike
With a final, perfectly timed release of Core energy, Li Tian combined all absorbed power:
Lightning, fire, wind, earth, water, void—every element harmonized into a single, controlled maelstrom.
The energy spiral expanded, targeting Zhao Ming, Xuan Wu, and Shen Wu simultaneously.
Their attacks collided with Li Tian's Core, then were absorbed, neutralized, and redirected.
When the dust settled, the opponents lay defeated, retreating in shock. The arena erupted in an unprecedented roar; disciples, elders, and sect leaders alike stood in awe.
Li Tian, golden-white-purple aura radiating, exhaled calmly. "This… is only the beginning."
Foreshadowing Greater Challenges
As the World Tournament concluded, unseen eyes from ancient sects, hidden clans, and mysterious realms observed him. The Devouring Core's ultimate awakening had made Li Tian a focal point of the cultivation world—a rising storm no one could ignore.
Han Xue approached, her voice soft but urgent. "Stronger threats are coming. Ancient relics, secret sects… and enemies who will not yield."
Li Tian's gaze swept the horizon. "Then let them come. Every secret, every power, every challenge… I will surpass them all."
The mortal without spirit roots had become a legendary cultivator, the Devouring Core now fully awakened, ready to shape the destiny of the entire world.