Immortal and Martial Dual Cultivation Chapter 686-695

Chapter 686: New Level of Respect; Sharing the Booty

The Golden Savage Ox struggled free and regained its freedom.

"Ka ca!"

Just as the Golden Savage Ox was about to start its massacre, Xiao Chen's dense and pure three-hundred-meter-long Return of the Azure Dragon landed. Blood instantly spurted out like a fountain, drenching Xiao Chen's white robes red.

A gigantic ox head flew into the air. Its eyes were opened wide with outrage as it died.

The person who launched the sword light saw this incredible scene the moment he turned around. He felt as though his brain had short-circuited. A moment ago, the team had been in a dangerous situation. However, he had just turned away for an instant, and the Golden Savage Ox was dead.

Hu Hai recovered his wits and roared angrily. Then, he sent an ax strike at the swordsman. The swordsman blocked in a frenzy and fled in a sorry state after Hu Hai knocked him back.

Hu Hai felt a bone-deep hatred for this person, so he did not want to let him off. His figure flashed as he quickly gave chase.

"Bang!"

The Savage Golden Ox's corpse crashed to the ground with a loud sound. The ground trembled violently for a while before gradually calming down.

The landscape of the bottle-gourd-shaped valley had already been completely destroyed. Deep pits and crevices filled the place, the walls around the valley crumbled.

As the wind blew from the valley entrance, the dilapidated valley fell quiet.

Jun Si and the other two had just escaped the jaws of death. When they looked at the Savage Golden Ox's corpse and Xiao Chen in his bloodstained white robes, their eyes filled with amazement. The insignificant inner sect disciple Xiao Chen had shocked them once again with his prodigious efforts to avert this desperate crisis.

Xiao Chen had used his physical body to clash with the enemy earlier. His astonishing performance then led the true inheritors to forget that he was a bladesman. Only when Xiao Chen drew his saber did they understand that, when compared to his physical body and close combat techniques, his Saber Techniques were still better.

At this moment, the true inheritors finally appreciated that, although Xiao Chen's cultivation was low and his combat prowess was lower than theirs, he was not that much weaker than them.

"Junior Brother Xiao Chen, we really have to thank you this time."

Without dwelling on this, Jun Si went to the Golden Savage Ox and pulled out her weapon as she spoke to Xiao Chen.

Chen Xiao laughed loudly and said, "How can the person I recommended disappoint everyone? Let's rest and wait for Senior Brother Hu to return first. Then we can split this Golden Savage Ox; the entirety of this fellow is a treasure."

Only Wang Cheng did not say anything. He glanced at Xiao Chen, suspecting that when they exchanged blows previously, Xiao Chen had not used his full power.

Xiao Chen knew that after he revealed his true strength, it would be hard to avoid people treating him as a competitor. However, as the situation had been urgent, he did not care too much about this risk. Thus, he did not regret his decision.

One hour later:

"Damn it! I still let that fellow escape in the end!"

A strong wind blew, and Hu Hai's figure arrived before everyone from the valley entrance. However, he had a smile on his face; he did not seem dispirited at all.

Then, Hu Hai walked over to Xiao Chen and patted Xiao Chen's shoulder heavily. Smiling, he said, "Firstly, you managed to save my life; you saved everybody's lives.

"Then, you helped us gain the rights to enter the Savage Battlefield. Thirty percent of the spoils will go to you, and you get the first pick. Everyone has no objections, right?"

Jun Si smiled and said, "I do not have a problem with that."

Chen Xiao did not seem to mind as he added, "I don't, either. In fact, that should be the case. In both crucial moments, he was the one who saved the day."

When Wang Cheng saw this, he shook his head to indicate he also did not have a problem with the allocation.

The Savage Golden Ox had the bloodline of an ancient Savage Beast. Furthermore, it was a peak Rank 8 Spirit Beast. Its entire body was a treasure.

Naturally, the most precious thing would be the Spirit Core. There was not much to say about its effect; it could directly increase a cultivator's cultivation. Furthermore, it would not have any side effects—making it better than a Rank 9 Medicinal Pill.

Next up would be the pair of golden horns on the Golden Savage Ox's head. These golden horns were tougher than Frost Iron and could be molded into high-ranked Spirit Weapons. It could also be ground into a powder for refining peak grade Medicinal Pills.

The four golden hooves at the ends of its legs were relatively precious as well. They contained a special flame and were a material necessary for making some Secret Treasures.

The marrow hidden in the Golden Savage Ox's spine contained a dense Savage Beast's bloodline. It was beneficial for someone who tempered the body.

Then, there was the ten-meter-long tail. After refining it a little, it would turn into a Golden Ox Tail Whip, which could be sold for a sky-high price to cultivators who used whips.

Aside from these, there were still the ox hide, bones, tendon, meat, and blood. Even though their value could not be compared to the parts mentioned above, they still had significant value.

Four hours later, Hu Hai finished dissecting the Golden Savage Ox's corpse. He picked up a golden ox horn and put it away to serve as proof of completion for First Senior Sister Shui Lingling.

Then, he pointed at the more valuable parts and said to Xiao Chen, "Junior Brother Xiao, go ahead and take your pick. You can take two."

The golden horn, Spirit Core, golden hooves, golden ox tail, and the Savage Beast's bloodline, all of these items were worth cities on their own. All of them tempted Xiao Chen.

However, Xiao Chen could only pick two. So he had to make his choice very carefully. First, he eliminated the most valuable item, the Golden Savage Ox's Spirit Core.

Actually, Xiao Chen's cultivation was rather low at the moment. This was the kind of natural treasure that he lacked the most now. However, he had no choice. The human heart was hard to predict.

Although Hu Hai had said that Xiao Chen could take thirty percent and also the first pick, if he took away two of the most precious items, it would be hard to avoid others feeling upset, feeling that he was being too greedy for a Medial Grade Martial Monarch.

After eliminating the Spirit Core, Xiao Chen chose the Golden Savage Ox's marrow containing the Savage Beast's bloodline and then the golden ox horn. The first item could help increase his physical strength once more, while the latter could be used for the Life Bestowal Spell, giving him another trump card.

To others, these were items that were not very useful, so his choices would not result in any ill feelings.

Seeing what Xiao Chen selected, Hu Hai praised him in his heart for being able to act appropriately even in the face of such temptation. Youths with the same mentality as Xiao Chen were rare finds.

"There are three items left. Each of you, pick one. I do not need any," Hu Hai said, smiling gently.

Indeed, Hu Hai did not need any of them. He had already advanced to late-stage Superior Grade Martial Monarch. It would be hard to find external items that could help him increase his cultivation. As a true inheritor with the right to enlist others, he did not lack Spirit Stones. Since he did not need any of these items, he did not bother picking any.

Hu Hai had only one target—to enter the Savage Battlefield. He wanted to see if he could find a fortuitous encounter to help him advance to half-step Martial Sage as soon as possible.

The three thought for a while. Then, Jun Si selected the golden ox hooves, Wang Cheng selected the Spirit Core, and Chen Xiao selected the golden ox tail. Everyone managed to obtain what they needed.

As for the other miscellaneous items, the true inheritors did not care much about them. Xiao Chen smiled faintly and stored them all in his Universe Ring.

Since the meat could be used as food and the other items could be sold for a large sum of Spirit Stones after he tidied them up, he might as well take them.

After the items were distributed, Hu Hai no longer hesitated. He laughed grandly and said, "Let's go. That Hua Tianhe definitely will not have expected that we managed to kill the Golden Savage Ox in five days. I really want to see what kind of expression he makes when he finds out."

"Sou! Sou! Sou!"

In one corner of the Savage Beast Forest, a strangely agile, ten-meter-tall white money swung from branch to branch as it moved through the forest.

With every swing, afterimages could be seen in the air. This monkey only had one arm, so it moved by flinging itself from the branch and curling up into a ball that flew up by five or six hundred meters.

This white monkey was a Spirit Flame Monkey. This kind of Spirit Beast lived in groups, moving around the forest within a fixed area in the Savage Beast Forest. They were different from ordinary monkeys in that they had a very brutal nature and liked to eat meat, particularly brains.

Spirit Flame Monkeys especially loved human brains. Furthermore, they were extremely intelligent, able to learn the Martial Techniques of humans and put them to use. They were the Spirit Beasts that humans wanted to meet the least.

This Spirit Flame Monkey was taller than its brethren. Clearly, this was a Spirit Flame Monkey King. It was previously a tyrant of the Savage Beast Forest, but it had lost its position, ousted by the new monkey king.

Today, this Spirit Flame Monkey King, which had struck terror in everyone's hearts, was fleeing miserably from some humans.

Previously, half the Supreme Sky Sect's true inheritors had surrounded this monkey a few times and finally chopped its arm off. They used the rules of the Spirit Flame Monkeys to force it out of its band, so they could surround and kill it alone.

Four young men approached the white monkey from different directions. Its face sank as it traveled speedily through the forest. It seemed like cornering this one-armed white monkey would be very difficult.

This monkey was extremely crafty. It knew how powerful Hua Tianhe and the others were. So it chose not to fight, immediately fleeing when it saw any one of these four people.

"Pu chi!"

Hua Tianhe chased after it closely. Suddenly, he sent out a dense sword Qi. This sword Qi was more than sixty meters long, chopping down the trees somewhere in front of the white monkey.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" The sound of trees falling came from the forest. However, when the white monkey saw what was ahead, it chose to flee in the direction of where the trees fell.

The white monkey's thin limbs pushed off against a tree trunk as it turned into a white flash of light moving forward. The trees fell over behind the white figure. By the time the trees all finished falling, the white monkey had vanished from sight.

"Xiu! Xiu! Xiu!"

Several figures appeared from the other directions and gathered together. If the white monkey had not gone where it had earlier and had gone in some other direction instead, it would have ended up surrounded.

"Damn it! This brutish monkey managed to escape again!"

After failing to surround the Spirit Flame Monkey once more, a true inheritor could not help but curse.

Another person said, "This monkey is too crafty. It keeps leading us in circles. It even nearly lured us into the territories of Spirit Beasts that live in groups."

Hua Tianhe frowned heavily but was not too dispirited. He said, "It also knows its own strength. It does not dare to enter the core area of the Savage Beast Forest. There are Rank 9 and Rank 10 Spirit Beasts in there, perhaps even Spirit Beasts surpassing Rank 10.

"As long as it does not enter the core area, it is just a matter of time before we surround and kill it. We are in a much better position than Hu Hai's group."

"Shua! Shua!"

Suddenly, footsteps came from the forest. Everyone's expressions turned grave as they took combat stances. Hua Tianhe looked up and smiled. "There is no need to be nervous. It is Junior Brother Yan. That group of people has probably returned in failure. They will not be able to recover in less than half a month."

Ten minutes later, Yan Tao arrived before the rest, bearing some wounds and looking somewhat miserable. A bad feeling woke in Hua Tianhe's heart. He said, "Judging from the ax wounds on your body, I suppose Hu Hai did this?"

Yan Tao did not dare to meet Hua Tianhe's eyes. He nodded and said softly, "They killed the Golden Savage Ox and are preparing to return to the Supreme Sky Sect."

"How can this be?! It has been only five days!" someone exclaimed in shock as the expressions of the three people behind Hua Tianhe changed greatly.

Chapter 687: Attack at Night

Hua Tianhe's expression kept changing as he demanded, "What exactly happened? Tell me everything in detail."

After Hua Tianhe heard Yan Tao's report, he punched a nearby tree. He had a cold expression as he growled, "I just knew that brat would cause our plans to go awry. He is really gutsy."

"Senior Brother Hua, what should we do now? Should we keep chasing the Spirit Flame Monkey?" someone asked.

Hua Tianhe smiled icily and said, "Is there even a need to? Just stop them directly, and kill that brat. If there is any problem, I will take responsibility. I definitely have to go to the Savage Battlefield."

He waved his hand, and a snake-shaped puppet appeared from his spatial ring. The snake-shaped puppet slowly grew larger and eventually turned into a hundred-meter-long ferocious snake.

A door opened up at the snake's belly, and the group entered it. Then, the door closed. The black snake puppet dove into the ground, kicking up a dust cloud. Soon, it had disappeared completely into the dirt.

When night fell, a cold wind blew. Occasionally, some scary roars could be heard in the dark forest, stirring fear in the heart.

Xiao Chen leaned against a tree trunk and took out an exquisite carving knife. Then, he slowly worked on the golden ox horn, fashioning a miniature of the Golden Savage Ox.

The toughness of the golden ox horn far surpassed his expectations. Every time he made a cut, he had to circulate his Quintessence at full power. Furthermore, he had to be fully focused on carving.

After working continuously for three nights, he finally completed it. When he looked at the exquisite and realistic Golden Savage Ox sculpture, he smiled in satisfaction.

Xiao Chen had recognized the person who attacked that day. It was someone from Hua Tianhe's faction. The cutthroat competition between the two factions gave him an intense sense of urgency.

He feared that he would be expendable in the battle between the two factions. If they really fought, he would be the first target.

The principle was simple: picking off the weakest person first, dealing with the easiest problem before anything else. If Xiao Chen were in the same position, he would do the same.

At that time, Hu Hai and the others might not be able to protect him. Xiao Chen had to take his fate into his own hands. The more trump cards he had, the safer he felt.

This Golden Savage Ox would be his newest trump card. He pricked his finger with the carving knife and dripped blood containing his Spiritual Sense into it.

As the blood permeated the sculpture, the Mental Energy in Xiao Chen's sea of consciousness drained continuously. He expended a total of two-thirds of his Mental Energy before the flow stopped and the miniature Golden Savage Ox gave off a faint glow.

His head throbbed slightly, so he closed his eyes and kneaded his forehead. After that, he opened his eyes and looked at the sculpture in his hands. He muttered to himself, "It still costs too much Mental Energy to create it. It will probably cost even more to use it."

The Golden Savage Ox was a peak Rank 8 Spirit Beast. It was as strong as a late-stage Superior Grade Martial Monarch, much stronger than Xiao Chen. So he definitely would not be able to maintain it for long.

Jun Si came out of her tent and walked to the tree. She said softly to Xiao Chen, "Junior Brother Xiao, it is my turn to stand guard for the night. Go and rest."

He put away the Golden Savage Ox sculpture and jumped down the tree he was leaning against. Then, he exchanged greetings with Jun Si before going to his tent.

As Jun Si watched Xiao Chen leave, she muttered, "The longer I interact with him, the more unfathomable I find him."

The night passed peacefully. Early the next morning, everyone came out of their tents feeling refreshed.

After everyone washed up, Hu Hai gathered the team together and said, "We will travel at full speed today. I will open up a path for us. Let's try to get out of Savage Beast Forest before the sun sets, so we don't spend too many nights in here."

Everyone was in high spirits, cheering loudly. Clearly, their morale was high, and they hated that they could not arrive at Supreme Sky City immediately to hand the golden ox horn over to First Senior Sister Shui Lingling.

This was the final stretch of the journey, so Hu Hai had no intention of holding back. He immediately unleashed his aura. Several Spirit Beasts immediately fled far away when they felt this aura.

As for the Spirit Beasts that overestimated themselves, the team worked together and quickly dealt with these Spirit Beasts.

Hu Hai and the others truly lived up to the reputation of the Rank 9 Supreme Sky Sect's true inheritors. Aside from some Spirit Beasts that were the overlords of the area, there were no Spirit Beasts that could delay the group for long.

"Boom!"

Just when the group arrived within two kilometers of the exit of the Savage Beast Forest, the flat ground exploded for no apparent reason. A black snake emerged from the ground and stared coldly at the group.

Hu Hai's expression changed, and he said sullenly, "Retreat! This is Hua Tianhe's puppet snake!"

When Xiao Chen heard this, he silently took a few more steps back. The thing that he worried about the most had happened.

"Ka ca!" A door at the belly of the snake opened. Hua Tianhe walked out expressionlessly, leading four other people and emitting a surging killing Qi.

When Hu Hai saw that something was wrong, he immediately brandished his huge ax and demanded ferociously, "Hua Tianhe, what are you thinking of doing?!"

Hua Tianhe smiled sinisterly and projected his voice to the people behind himself, saying, "Don't bother speaking any nonsense with him. Find that brat and kill him first. Then, snatch the Golden Savage Ox's horn."

The few of them looked around, prepared to attack the moment they saw Xiao Chen. However, after eyeing the surroundings, they would not help but feel astonished. They could not find Xiao Chen anywhere.

Xiao Chen stood high above everyone, on a towering tree. As he watched the others looking around, he guessed what they were thinking.

"Life Bestowal Spell!"

Smiling coldly, he formed hand seals. Then, he tossed the sculpture of the Golden Savage Ox at Hua Tianhe's group.

Hua Tianhe's expression changed slightly. He felt it was strange that they could not find the white-robed brat.

At first, everything had been going well. However, because Xiao Chen appeared, Hu Hai instantly surpassed him. The done deal ended up slipping out of their grasp. Hua Tianhe and his group's hatred for Xiao Chen could be easily imagined.

Hua Tianhe had initially been prepared to attack at full power with the other true inheritors to kill Xiao Chen without saying a single word. However, when he arrived, he could not find Xiao Chen.

Hua Tianhe felt extremely depressed. He unleashed killing Qi from his entire body and demanded angrily, "Hu Hai, hand that white-robed brat and the Savage Golden Ox's horn over to me. Otherwise, don't blame me for—"

Before he could finish speaking, a shadow suddenly appeared under their feet. The five of Hua Tianhe's group looked up, and their expressions could not help but change. Fear filled their eyes.

Hua Tianhe's group saw a burgeoning golden ox in the sky, falling towards them.

"Rumble…!"

A forty-meter-tall Savage Golden Ox as large as a small mound dropped from the sky.

By the time Hua Tianhe's group looked up, the Savage Golden Ox had already swollen to size. With gravity acting on it, the Savage Golden Ox only took a blink of an eye to fall to the ground.

The Savage Golden Ox's gigantic body crushed the surrounding trees and dealt a tremendous blow to the five underneath it as well.

Pressed into the dirt by the Savage Golden Ox's abdomen, Hua Tianhe's entire group vomited blood, suffering several broken ribs and even finding it difficult to breathe.

Hua Tianhe and his group used all their Quintessence to push on the Savage Golden Ox's abdomen with both hands. However, their efforts were in vain. Instead, the attempt made them feel even worse.

This development startled Hu Hai and his group as well. They could not understand why a Savage Golden Ox would fall from the sky. When they recovered their wits, they quickly retreated far away.

Hu Hai and his group looked cautiously at the Savage Golden Ox. After having fought with a Savage Golden Ox for so long, they had no doubts about its might.

"We will go around and not get involved with this fellow."

Hu Hai immediately made a decision. The appearance of this Savage Golden Ox was extremely unusual. The words strange or odd could not even begin to describe this situation.

The other three nodded, also feeling there was no need to take the risk. They all executed their Movement Techniques and left quickly.

Xiao Chen, who was on a tree, watched as Hu Hai and the others got clear. Then, after muttering to himself for a bit, he formed a hand seal.

The Savage Golden Ox pressing on Hua Tianhe and his group turned into a beam of golden light and flew back into his hand.

Xiao Chen stretched his hand out and caught the sculpture. Then, he looked pensively at the five people embedded into the soil.

Hua Tianhe and his group coughed violently a few times and pulled themselves out of the ground, resisting the intense pain.

The five had blank looks on their pale faces; they did not know what had happened.

Wiping blood off a corner of his lips, Yun Feiyu looked up and asked, "What happened just now? It felt like a mountain fell from the sky."

Hua Tianhe checked his body and found that he had broken several ribs. Furthermore, he sustained injuries of various severity to his internal organs.

When he thought about what had happened, a chill ran down his back, fear settling in his heart. If the people in his group had not had vast and pure Quintessence, that massive thing that fell on them would have squashed them into meat paste.

"Quick, let's leave this place. There is something strange about this place," Hua Tianhe said to the other four after standing up with much difficulty.

"Bang!"

Just at this moment, a shadow appeared again without any warning. Another Savage Golden Ox fell from the sky, pressing the five back into the ground.

The five groaned and fainted from the pain, not understanding what had happened.

Xiao Chen jumped down from the tree. If possible, he would have wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to kill this group of people and end this grudge.

However, as true inheritors of the Supreme Sky Sect, they probably had some protective measures that the sect left on their bodies. The risk was too high.

Xiao Chen looked around and discovered the one-hundred-meter-long puppet snake. A look of interest flashed in his eyes.

He quickly walked over and entered it. Then, he sent his Spiritual Sense into the formations within the puppet. Using his strong Mental Energy, he removed the spiritual imprint Hua Tianhe left behind.

Then, Xiao Chen set his own spiritual imprint on the puppet snake. Under his control, the puppet snake shrank and entered his Universe Ring.

"I will collect some interest first. After I formally become a true inheritor, I will come and look for trouble with you again."

With the wave of Xiao Chen's hand, the Savage Golden Ox turned into a golden beam of light and returned to him. After he had the golden sculpture in his tight grasp, his body suddenly buckled, and he nearly fell to his knees.

I have exhausted too much Mental Energy. I need to leave quickly, Xiao Chen thought to himself. After figuring out which direction Hu Hai and the others had taken, he quickly chased after them.

Because Hu Hai's group feared that the Savage Golden Ox would go on a rampage, they dashed wildly for the exit to the forest.

"Wait a moment, did you all see Junior Brother Xiao Chen?" Jun Si suddenly asked.

The three turned their heads to look, feeling it was strange. They had all thought that Xiao Chen was right at their tail. They only realized now that Xiao Chen was not there.

"Senior Sister Jun, I am here."

Xiao Chen's voice came from behind. After a few breaths, he appeared before the rest with a slightly pale complexion.

Chapter 688: Demonic Calamity Erupts

Wang Cheng asked suspiciously, "Junior Brother Xiao, where did you go earlier?"

Hu Hai thought for a moment and recalled Hua Tianhe and the others looking around for something. Then, he guessed why Xiao Chen left.

Hu Hai smiled and said, "There is no need to ask further; I know where Junior Brother Xiao went. Let's go. There is something strange about this place. We should leave first before continuing this conversation."

At the same time, Hu Hai projected his voice to Xiao Chen, "Junior Brother Xiao, don't worry. After we return, I will explain everything to First Senior Sister. No matter what, Hua Tianhe will not dare defy her."

Xiao Chen nodded slightly to indicate his thanks. However, he knew full well that this grudge would not be resolved easily.

He had to take his fate into his own hands. Becoming strong was the most important thing.

When the five left the forest, strong sunlight shone down. When they smelled the fresh air and saw the distant blazing sun, they all smiled.

They knew that there would not be any more unexpected surprises with this mission. The rights to enter the Savage Battlefield were definitely theirs.

"Ha ha ha! I feel great. I finally defeated Hua Tianhe and his group this once." Hu Hai laughed loudly as he took the lead.

However, just at this moment, the bright sky suddenly turned leaden. Dark clouds gathered from all directions, churning as they did so.

The cultivators around the forest entrance and the not-so-distant bustling bazaar all stopped what they were doing and stared at the sky.

The noisy and bustling bazaar immediately fell quiet. Xiao Chen looked up and saw the churning gray clouds becoming increasingly darker. The sky seemed like it had turned into a black lake.

Even a fool could tell that something was wrong.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Countless panicked Spirit Beasts' roars resounded in the forest. The ground seemed to shake as pounding footfalls came from the forest; several Spirit Beasts ran to the forest's periphery.

"Damn it! It's a Demonic Calamity!"

Suddenly, the surrounding cultivators reacted, looks of horror flashing on their faces. Then, they ran around in a frenzy, turning the whole place chaotic.

The previously bustling bazaar emptied in a mere matter of minutes; not a single soul could be seen.

The expressions of Jun Si and the others did not change much. They were no stranger to Demonic Calamities. However, they were rather incredulous. "Strange, it is not the time for the Demonic God Blood Sacrifice yet. Why is there a Demonic Calamity?"

Hu Hai said calmly, "This should not be a true Demonic Calamity. It is just an ordinary spatial storm. Come on, we are not returning to the Supreme Sky City yet. We are going to the nearby Spirit Water City first."

Wang Cheng said disapprovingly, "There is a Supreme Sky Sect branch in Spirit Water City. There is also a Martial Sage there. There is no need for us to remain. We should hand the proof of completion to First Senior Sister first; that is the most important."

However, Hu Hai was very determined. He summoned out his metal warship and said, "You can't say that. As true inheritors of the sect, we cannot stand by idly, doing nothing.

"Regardless of whether it is a Demonic Calamity or not, just the presence of frantic Spirit Beasts will fluster the people here. Furthermore, the Demonic Beasts and Demons that might arrive would be very problematic. If we fail to defend Spirit Water City, the death toll could be in the millions."

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

As the group spoke, the sky became more and more ominous. Black lightning flashed, adding an apocalyptic cast to the scene.

Countless Spirit Beasts of various types stampeded out of the Savage Beast Forest. The group no longer said anything else and immediately boarded the metal warship.

The moment the metal warship lifted off the ground, a dense cloud of flying Spirit Beasts emerged from the Savage Beast Forest.

The flying Spirit Beasts blanketed the sky. Then, like a rain of arrows, they launched themselves at the metal warship.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A blue barrier appeared around the warship. When the countless Spirit Beasts crashed into the barrier, the warship rocked heavily, making everyone feel dizzy.

Hu Hai stomped heavily on the deck, and an immense force spread out. The flying Spirit Beasts near the warship immediately died from the shock waves.

"Junior Sister Jun, help me fill the warship up with Spirit Stones. We are going to break out," Hu Hai said with a grave expression.

Understanding the urgency of the matter, Jun Si quickly ran into the hold and fed the warship a large pile of Superior Grade Spirit Stones.

Hu Hai laughed loudly and gently patted the railing. "Ka ca! Ka ca!" Some portholes opened up, and huge sharp swords extended from the sides, front, and back of the warship.

The black metal warship turned into a ferocious beast baring fangs at the moment. Hu Hai doubled the speed of the warship, diving forward at Mach 8.

"Pu ci! Pu ci!"

The warship put on a burst of speed as fast as lightning, ramming into the flying Spirit Beasts in front and slicing them in half.

Along the way, the warship left behind a red trail of blood. With its fast speed, it finally managed to break away from the rampaging flying Spirit Beasts, leaving them far behind.

The dark sky now reappeared before everyone's vision. The danger had passed for now.

Xiao Chen looked down and saw people fleeing, looking terror-stricken. There were warships with the Supreme Sky Sect's insignia stopped in front, taking in all these ordinary citizens.

However, there were not many warships and too many people. Clearly, these would not be enough. The crowd was in a state of panic.

After Xiao Chen looked around, he peered into the distance. He extended his Spiritual Sense to his limits and soon discovered a few villages. These villages were in complete disorder; corpses covered the ground.

Xiao Chen was dumbfounded. As he looked at the dark clouds, he asked, "What is going on?"

The others exchanged glances. Then, Chen Xiao sighed and replied, "This is a spatial storm from the Demonic World. No matter if there is a Demonic Calamity or not, there will always be Demonic Qi pouring out. These Spirit Beasts were frightened and just wanted to leave this place.

"Junior Brother Xiao Chen, you know how Demonic Beasts are formed, right? They are formed when Spirit Beasts get contaminated with Demonic Qi. Aside from Rank 8 Spirit Beasts and above, regular Spirit Beasts would find it very hard to resist the contamination of Demonic Qi."

Xiao Chen nodded and said, "Then what exactly is a Demonic Calamity? From what you've said so far, it sounds very horrifying."

Chen Xiao had a grave expression as he replied, "The Demonic Calamity is a sword hanging over the entire Kunlun Realm. For the sake of offering sacrifices to their Demonic God, the eighteen Demonic Worlds invade the Kunlun Realm every five hundred years. Every time it happens, they harvest the blood of a hundred million cultivators before they stop."

Xiao Chen's expression changed slightly. He noticed that Chen Xiao said cultivator and not ordinary citizens. The Kunlun Realm was vast and broad. If every race were taken into account, there would be more than a hundred billion people.

Just the Tianwu Domain was already several times the size of the Tianwu Continent. It was easy to imagine how many people there were.

However, there were relatively fewer cultivators. If they had to kill a hundred million cultivators, then at least a billion ordinary people would die.

This was not just a numbers game. When Xiao Chen simulated this invasion in his mind, the scenario that appeared was filled with mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Just thinking about it made Xiao Chen tremble. It seemed impossible that the incredibly strong Kunlun Realm would experience such a calamity.

"This is a calamity for both sides. If these Demons do not kill the cultivators of the Kunlun Realm, then cultivators from the Demonic Worlds will have to be killed, instead. Otherwise, when the Demonic God rages, all eighteen Demon rulers will be changed."

Chen Xiao continued, "Aside from offering sacrifices to the Demonic God, some Demon Race experts occasionally attack the Kunlun Realm for the sake of their evil cultivation."

When Hu Hai heard this, he smiled and said, "Junior Brother Xiao Chen, it is not as frightening as Chen Xiao says. We are still a long way from the next Demonic Calamity. The Supreme Sky Sect also has the Supreme Sky Emperor protecting it. No Demon Race expert would be stupid enough to attack us.

"This is just a spatial storm. The Kunlun Realm's space and the Demonic World's space collided with each other. This kind of thing happens occasionally. At most, there will just be some Demonic Beasts from the Demonic World coming over."

After Xiao Chen understood everything, he regained some confidence. He whispered, "However, these ordinary people will suffer, suffering a disaster for nothing."

Hu Hai also turned sullen, and he sighed, "This is unavoidable. However, there is a Supreme Sky Sect branch in Spirit Water City. They should have already sent out experts to stop the Spirit Beasts.

"We should rush over to Spirit Water City. The demonized Spirit Beasts and the Demonic Beasts appearing later are what's horrifying. If we fail to defend Spirit Water City, the millions of people fleeing nearby are likely to die."

After an hour, a majestic city appeared before the five's eyes. They could see long lines of people awaiting entry at all the city gates.

Many Ancient Demonic Energy Cannons lined the walls, looking very mighty.

Hu Hai surveyed the city before setting his gaze above the city gate in front. Many people with Supreme Sky Sect disciple medallions were standing there already.

At this moment, the troops that normally maintained the peace could no longer manage the situation. The defense of the city was handed over to the Supreme Sky Sect branch.

Hu Hai waved his hand, and the metal warship returned to his sleeve. Then, the five floated down to that city gate.

"Who is the person in charge here? I am the Supreme Sky Sect's true inheritor, Hu Hai."

Hu Hai took out his medallion, addressing the hundred-odd Supreme Sky Sect disciples in front. His tone radiated a faint might.

A gray-robed cultivator with deep cultivation revealed joy on his face. He immediately stepped forward and said, "This old man is Bai Ao. I am the Branch Leader here."

Spirit Water City was not one of the Supreme Sky Sect's nine main cities, so they would not be able to gather experts from the branch at short notice. At the moment when the Branch Leader worried about this, he saw Hu Hai and his group.

Naturally, the old man rejoiced, feeling more confident.

Xiao Chen thought to himself, Hu Hai really has a respected position in the sect. Even though the old man before us is a peak late-stage Superior Grade Martial Monarch, he is still so humble and respectful to Hu Hai.

"Where are the Guardian Elders?"

Hu Hai frowned slightly. In such a large city like Spirit Water City, the Supreme Sky Sect would normally arrange for some Martial Sage cultivators to hold down the fort.

With such a disaster imminent, Hu Hai felt somewhat furious that he did not see the Guardian Elders.

Bai Ao quickly explained, "The Guardian Elders sensed the arrival of the Demonic Calamity the moment signs appeared. They immediately rushed over to hold back the beast horde coming from the Savage Beast Forest."

Hu Hai's anger eased, and he said, "Summon all the disciples who are Martial Kings and above. Perhaps we can also recruit some of the cultivators fleeing into the city."

Clearly, Hu Hai had experience in defending the city. With just a few words, he stabilized the situation. His steadiness allowed the nervous disciples who had never seen him before to calm down.

Witnessing all this, Xiao Chen felt respect for Hu Hai. If he were to handle this situation, he would not be able to perform as well. Even if he could do it, he did not have the sense of responsibility to do so.

Chapter 689: Bloody Battle without Retreat

In such a situation, Wang Cheng would probably be like Xiao Chen. Initially, he had even suggested not caring about these people's survival, wanting to hand in the proof of completion first.

Chen Xiao stood beside Xiao Chen. When he saw Xiao Chen's expression, he consoled Xiao Chen with a smile, saying, "Junior Brother Xiao Chen, don't worry too much. This kind of spatial storm may be destructive, but it does not last long. The spatial crack will heal automatically. Given our cultivation, we will not be in any danger."

However, this was not the reason why Xiao Chen had an unsightly expression. Instead, it was because he had used the Golden Savage Ox sculpture twice earlier, expending too much Mental Energy.

Even so, Xiao Chen smiled faintly in response to Chen Xiao's consolation. However, he did not say anything.

Under Hu Hai's arrangements, the sect disciples and the passing cultivators all gathered on top of the city walls.

A rough count gave no less than five thousand Martial Kings. However, there were much fewer Martial Monarch experts. Hu Hai only managed to gather about two hundred.

Jun Si walked over and asked, "Senior Brother, are these people enough?"

Hu Hai frowned heavily and whispered, "Under normal circumstances, it would be able to last until the sect sends sufficient reinforcement. However, if too many Rank 8 Demonic Beasts appear, we will have some trouble."

When the many sect disciples saw the four true inheritors here, they all felt rather optimistic. Their expressions showed no worry about the danger.

True inheritors did not just represent the might of their status. They also grasped the Heaven Ranked Martial Techniques of the Supreme Sky Sect. In a large-scale battle, they would be able to bring out the might of the Heaven Ranked Martial Techniques to their limits.

Having the four true inheritors here was like having a hundred Martial Monarchs. So everyone felt more relaxed.

Hu Hai's expression turned grave as he looked at the sky. "The spatial crack is about to open. Everyone, be careful!"

When Xiao Chen heard that, he looked up. He saw hundreds of black lightning flickering in the center of the black clouds that stretched to the horizon. Then, a whirlpool-shaped spatial crack slowly opened.

In an instant, boundless black Demonic Qi poured out in all directions of the whirlpool.

When the spatial crack opened completely, thousands of black hail shot out like cannonballs. When Xiao Chen looked closer, he realized that what appeared to be small hail from a distance were actually large, ferocious Demonic Beasts with red eyes and black scales all over their bodies.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Demonic Beasts from the Demonic World landed on the ground like cannonballs, blasting out deep pits. The cultivators and regular citizens who had not managed to get into the city in time were killed immediately. These Demonic Beasts were different from Fiend Beasts or Spirit Beasts. They were ferocious beasts born in the Demonic World itself. There were various types, but they all had black shining scales.

The scales appeared strangely hard, and the Demonic Beasts' claws gleamed with a cold light. The Demonic Beasts tore the fleeing people in half with casual swipes that looked very cruel.

The city gates were already closed. The fates of the ordinary citizens who failed to enter were already sealed. Their lives were extinguished like flames before Xiao Chen's eyes.

Fortunately, the Demonic Calamity only came from one side of the city; the city gates in the other directions did not face any attacks.

As Hu Hai looked at the Demonic Beasts falling from the sky like rain, he heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Fortunately, it is just some ordinary Demonic Beasts. Elder Bai, prepare to fire the Ancient Demonic Energy Cannons."

Bai Ao nodded gently. Then, he ordered the cannoneers crouched in the city walls to make their preparations.

After a while, the Ancient Demonic Energy Cannons hidden in the walls fired. They sent thousands of light beams interweaving to form a screen of death made up of light. When the shots landed, all the Demonic Beasts shattered into pieces.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A rain of blood fell from the sky. After a few rounds of cannon fire covering a large area, less than fifty percent of the Demonic Beasts landed on the ground.

However, the numbers of the Demonic Beasts were still terrifying—at least a hundred thousand of them. As they ran and roared, they were like a vast army charging at the city walls.

The Ancient Demonic Energy Cannons needed to be loaded with Spirit Stones. So reloading them took time. Furthermore, there were dead angles. In the end, the defense of the city wall relied on the five-thousand-odd Martial Kings gathered at the last minute.

Faced with a dense crowd of Demonic Beasts, several cultivators, who had never seen such a large-scale battle before, felt some fear in their hearts. Their right hands holding their weapons could not help but tremble.

When Xiao Chen saw this, he frowned slightly. However, he could not say much about it. From the time the black clouds appeared until now, it had only been four hours. The Supreme Sky Sect had lacked time to prepare. This level of performance was already pretty good.

If it were a Rank 8 or Rank 7 sect, all the cultivators might have opted to flee the city and escape. They would not care about the life and death of the ordinary citizens.

Suddenly, a Demonic Beast that walked upright leaped nimbly up the city walls and appeared before everyone. Black scales covered it, and spikes lined its back. Its face looked like that of an ape.

There was a loud 'bang,' and blood splattered everywhere.

Hu Hai had expressionlessly sent out a punch and exploded this Demonic Beast. He said coldly, "Prepare for battle. No one is to retreat without my order. Otherwise, you will be killed without exception!"

After this ape-type Demonic Beast leaped over the city walls, streams of Demonic Beasts followed it over, launching themselves at anyone they saw.

Xiao Chen single-handedly defended an area. As his figure flashed, he executed Dragon Claw Fist. His Vital Qi surging, he exploded the Demonic Beasts that launched themselves over with his punches.

After a while, he discovered that it was as Hu Hai had said: these were just some weak Demonic Beasts. Aside from their numerical advantage, there was nothing scary about them.

Hence, Xiao Chen started to go easy on his Vital Qi, using only four hundred tons of force to defeat the enemies.

The others had discovered the same thing as well. They realized that the Demonic Beasts were not as scary as they had imagined. Soon, their faces filled with excitement.

These cultivators circulated their Quintessence and killed the approaching Demonic Beasts like they were just chopping vegetables.

When Hu Hai saw that, he quickly reminded these people to conserve their Quintessence.

However, the cultivators on the city wall forgot this as they killed more Demonic Beasts. Killing Qi spread in their eyes. As some of these people were not Supreme Sky Sect disciples, they did not listen to Hu Hai's words.

Black clouds churned in the sky, blocking the light for five hundred kilometers. The sky seemed like it would drop.

Demonic Beasts continuously fell from the dark sky like hail. It seemed like this would continue forever. When the Ancient Demonic Energy Cannons fired, blood spattered everywhere.

A choking stench of blood permeated the air. When seen from a distance, a scarlet mist seemed to fill the entire place.

Pits and crevices covered the ground along with corpses of Demonic Beasts and humans lying messily, piled up everywhere. It was a scene out of hell.

It was hard to imagine that six hours ago, this place was the Kunlun Realm that was filled with overwhelming Spiritual Energy, bright sunlight, and fresh air.

The disciples on the city walls that were killing the Demonic Beasts with ease earlier started to move more stiffly as they swung their weapons. Their complexions slowly turned red.

There were too many. Too many Demonic Beasts were climbing up from the bottom. Furthermore, this was relentless, never pausing even for a second.

After the cultivators killed a batch of Demonic Beasts, another batch would take its place. Even if they were dispatched with an easy motion, after repeating that motion for thousands of times, the arm would naturally turn stiff.

Another more serious problem existed—Quintessence. These cultivators could not take time out to replenish their Quintessence in this continuous and intense battle.

Finally, someone who was at his limits said to Hu Hai, "Senior Brother Hu, we can't endure much longer."

Hu Hai had already expected this to happen long ago. He shook his head slightly and said, "Jun Si, Wang Cheng, Chen Xiao, and Xiao Chen, follow me down and mow down these Demonic Beasts."

These five people were powerful. They had vast and pure Quintessence. With their strength, if they swept through the entire place, they would be able to kill all the Demonic Beasts on the city walls.

Without waiting for new Demonic Beasts to charge over, the five jumped off the city walls, and they each executed a Heaven Ranked Martial Technique.

"Plum Blossom Swordplay!"

"Seven Stars Surrounding the Moon!"

"Heaven and Earth Sword Heart!"

"Sky Breaking Ax Chop!"

"Return of the Azure Dragon!"

Five strong Heaven Ranked Martial Techniques swept through the place like a fierce gust of wind. As the strong energy surged, anguished cries resounded.

The five Heaven Ranked Martial Techniques shredded an immense swath of Demonic Beasts, clearing the area three kilometers from the city gates.

The cultivators on the wall immediately used this precious breathing space to sit down and recover.

Hu Hai held his huge ax with one hand and smiled. "Hang on for another two hours. The experts of the main sect should arrive by then. Meanwhile, let's kill more of these weak Demonic Beasts. Charge with me!"

Behind them was the majestic Spirit Water City. In front of them was the vast Demonic Beast horde. Now that everyone's morale was boosted, they rushed towards the torrential Demonic Beast horde without any fear.

Each taking a different direction, the five clutched their weapons tightly and charged forward boldly.

Even when Xiao Chen saw the multitude of Demonic Beasts, he did not feel any fear. Instead, he felt like his blood had ignited, feeling inspired.

Dark clouds covered the sky; there was no sun to give light.

Xiao Chen and the others each defended a direction. The weapons in their hands trembled as they sent out various Martial Techniques, defending against the horde of Demonic Beasts single-handedly.

An incredible scene appeared before everyone. Five youths held back the flood-like Demonic Beast on their own.

Each of the five killed thousands of Demonic Beasts, repulsing tens of thousands.

When the cultivators on the city walls, who had more or less recovered their Quintessence, saw this scene, they revealed extreme shock in their eyes.

"How powerful! They truly deserve to be the true inheritors of the Supreme Sky Sect!"

"The expressions 'proud sons of heavens' and 'dragons and phoenixes of men' truly apply to them."

"Indeed, who would dare to face so many Demonic Beasts on their own, not even letting a single Demonic Beast rush over.

Everyone revealed expressions of respect. They all sang praises for the five. The strong would be able to gain respect and awe anywhere they went.

In this scene where everyone's blood surged with excitement, everyone wanted to be the ones leading the charge, battling the horde alone, and gaining the respect of everyone.

"That's strange. Who is that white-robed bladesman? He is not a true inheritor!"

Finally, someone noticed Xiao Chen. When they saw his appearance and attire, they could not help but be surprised. Unexpectedly, someone who was not a true inheritor had dared to charge down as well.

"Hey, that's true. Who is that? How can he dare to charge down?"

After a while, everyone noticed the white figure. Unexpectedly, he could defend against the charge of thousands of Demonic Beasts together with the four true inheritors.

Xiao Chen felt very calm as he dealt with the endless horde of Demonic Beasts, executing every move he knew.

He only treated his army of Demonic Beasts as a big test, a test of all the Martial Techniques he had learned. Such an opportunity could not be found anywhere else.

Under such an intense situation, the deficiencies that Xiao Chen had not noticed before in the Lightning Tribulation Saber Technique and the Four Season Saber Technique were exposed. This insight was a big benefit to him.

"Roar!"

Suddenly, a loud roar came from the black whirlpool-shaped crack. A massive Demonic Beast squeezed its upper body through the crack, struggling hard to come out.

The strong aura its roar projected spread from above, causing the Demonic Beast army below to freeze for a moment.

Chapter 690: First Senior Sister, Shui Lingling

Hu Hai's expression changed slightly as he said, "A high-ranked Demonic Beast! We are in big trouble now. A high-ranked Demonic Beast is as strong as a half-step Martial Sage. We probably will not be able to defend Spirit Water City."

Hu Hai was not the only one. The cultivators who had previously seen that the situation had stabilized also changed their expressions, their hearts filled with fear.

Xiao Chen looked up and frowned slightly as well. That Demonic Beast had still revealed only half its body. Even so, it had such a horrifying aura. If it succeeded in climbing out, how powerful would it be exactly?

Just when everyone looked on with dread, on the verge of beating a retreat, a red light flashed in the sky, leaving a long flame tail like a meteor.

"Bang!"

Then, the red light crashed into the high-ranked Demonic Beast's head at lightning speed. The mound-sized upper body instantly exploded.

The high-ranked Demonic Beast that made everyone despair died so easily. No one could believe it.

However, Hu Hai rejoiced. He smiled and said, "First Senior Sister is here. There is no need to be afraid anymore."

Xiao Chen looked up and saw a beautiful girl standing on an azure-colored bird in the sky.

The purple-clad girl revealed a spirited smile on her face and put away the bow in her hands.

"It is Shui Lingling! We are saved! First Senior Sister is here!"

When the Supreme Sky Sect disciples on the city wall saw the azure bird in the sky, they immediately cried aloud in joy.

Shui Lingling, one of the seven giants among the Tianwu Domain's youth, was the top expert of the eighteen southern provinces and enforced the rules for the Martial God Palace. She had all sorts of honor and glory attributed to her name, giving this mysterious girl a tremendous reputation in the Supreme Sky Sect and deep respect from everyone.

Shui Lingling's appearance boosted the morale of the many disciples on the wall considerably. They all became very excited and jumped down the wall to begin a great counterattack.

Xiao Chen took a casual look and withdrew his gaze. Then, he continued dealing with the Demonic Beasts in front of him. Swinging his saber light, he calmly chopped the Demonic Beasts before him in half.

He looked around and discovered that Jun Si, who was not far away, seemed a little distracted. Her focus was on the charming azure bird in the air.

Four or five black-scaled Demonic Beasts moved in a flash and broke through her screen of swords. Then, they sent attacks at her. If the attacks struck her protective Quintessence shield, she would definitely be injured.

Furthermore, these Demonic Beasts contained Demonic Qi in their body. If her wounds were contaminated by Demonic Qi, even if her injuries were not severe, she would find it hard to recover from them.

Xiao Chen sent out a ring of saber Qi and temporarily cleared the Demonic Beasts around him. Then, he launched four strands of saber Qi to help Jun Si and immediately killed the four Demonic Beasts.

"Thank you, Junior Brother Xiao Chen!" Jun Si recovered her wits and thanked him.

Xiao Chen smiled gently and did not say anything. He continued paying attention to the Demonic Beasts on his side.

"Wah!"

Suddenly, a loud cry came from behind from all the cultivators rushing down to counterattack. They all stared at the sky in astonishment.

Xiao Chen took a moment to look, and his eyelids could not help but twitch at what he saw in the horrifyingly dark sky.

The enormous azure bird spread its wings and carried Shui Lingling into the sky with a flash. Then, it went through the spatial crack.

What great guts! Unexpectedly, Shui Lingling dared to kill her way into the nest of the Demonic Beasts. No wonder so many cultivators just stood there gaping foolishly.

"Half-Sage, half-step Martial Sage. Is this the power of a half-Sage?"

A fervent gaze blazed in Xiao Chen's eyes as he muttered to himself.

After Shui Lingling entered the spatial crack, the horde of Demonic Beasts falling down like hail stopped appearing.

All the cultivators charged forward and started a massive counterattack, sweeping up the battlefield.

The crisis was temporarily averted. As Xiao Chen watched the nearby excited cultivators, he shook his head slightly. He stopped attacking and sheathed his Lunar Shadow Saber. Then, he slowly retreated from the crowd.

After a few leaps, he landed on the city wall. He immediately closed his eyes and digested the comprehension he gained during the great battle.

The clamor and noise of the world had nothing do with Xiao Chen. He immersed himself in the profound world of cultivation, his heart perfectly tranquil.

Xiao Chen had blood staining his white robes, and a killing Qi lingered in his surroundings. However, Xiao Chen, who had his eyes closed, gave off a sense of peace and serenity, a feeling of elegance and pride.

At some point in time, he suddenly opened his eyes. A saber hummed in their depths. His sharp gaze seemed like it could pierce the air.

Xiao Chen's aura became even more intense. His delicate face radiated sharpness. He unconsciously released the tyrannical aura unique to a bladesman.

His blood-stained white robes fluttered as a strong wind blew. The air became significantly denser.

Xiao Chen waved his hand, and a strand of purple saber Qi appeared in the form of a kilometer-long arc like a crescent moon.

Even though the saber Qi had lengthened to more than a hundred times its normal size, its purity and might did not diminish; it looked as bright as it initially was.

If another person were here, they would no doubt be astounded. Unexpectedly, Xiao Chen's saber intent had advanced to seventy percent comprehension.

Furthermore, it was a perfect seventy-percent-comprehended saber intent. He could launch it or withdraw it at will, moving it freely as he pleased.

Xiao Chen pulled his hand back, and the strand of saber Qi instantly vanished into nothingness. That outstanding, peerless, tyrannical aura buzzed as he retracted it into his body.

After that, he returned to his usual self, not showing any of his pride. He said indifferently, "Seventy-percent-comprehended saber intent, that is also a Great Perfection saber intent. From the very start, saber intent has been stronger than sword intent. Now, if Yun Feiyu tries to compete with me in aura, I will be able to defeat him instantly."

Suddenly, Xiao Chen recalled that he had crushed Yun Feiyu and his group with the Golden Savage Ox in the Savage Beast Forest. He did not know if they survived this chaos.

It would be for the best if they all died. That way, Xiao Chen did not have to do anything, and that would save him some trouble.

"Junior Brother Xiao, why are you back so early?"

Not many Demonic Beasts remained in front. Hu Hai and the others had exhausted a lot of Quintessence, so they had stopped as well.

Wang Cheng said indifferently, "Perhaps Junior Brother Xiao did not have enough Quintessence; that is understandable."

Xiao Chen could tell from Wang Cheng's eyes that he was targeting him. Wang Cheng was already treating him as a rival.

However, Hu Hai did not say anything. When he looked at Xiao Chen now, he discovered that something about him had changed. However, he could not tell what exactly it was.

Hu Hai started to find Xiao Chen unfathomable; he did not know how far Xiao Chen's abilities went.

However, Hu Hai was a broad-minded person. He also had confidence in his own strength, so he felt there was nothing inappropriate about it.

Hu Hai smiled easily and said, "Xiao Chen, when First Senior Sister comes out, I will introduce you to her. Our mission this time can be considered a success."

The team chatted casually, and the dark clouds slowly retreated. Their color gradually lightened until the sky cleared completely.

The whirlpool-sized spatial crack slowly shrank, mending bit by bit. However, Shui Lingling still did not come out. The others could not help but get worried.

"Xiao!"

Right before the spatial crack closed, an azure light shot out from it. A resonant bird cry echoed throughout the heavens, and an azure bird carried Shui Lingling out safely.

When Xiao Chen saw this scene, he could not help but be astonished. He said, "This azure bird is really amazing. Not only does it have overwhelming Spiritual Energy, but it also moves extremely fast. Unexpectedly, it can even shrink instantly."

Jun Si smiled and said, "That is a Rank 9 Spirit Bird that the Martial Emperor Sect Leader gave to First Senior Sister. It is called a Profound Sun Bird. I hear that it has the bloodline of an Immortal Beast and has the extreme Yang Profound Sun True Flames. It is also very powerful in battle."

As the team spoke, a light flashed, and a purple-clad girl appeared on the city wall. Now, a palm-sized azure bird sat on her shoulder, looking very cute and adorable.

"Greetings, First Senior Sister!"

Hu Hai and the others quickly performed cupped-fist salutes, not daring to be laggard at all.

Shui Lingling, the top true inheritor of the Supreme Sky Sect, had resplendent eyes radiating a dazzling light. Her skin glistened like crystals, and she gave off a faint intoxicating fragrance.

When she stood straight and tall, she displayed a slender and elegant figure like a purple lotus flower blossoming. She seemed extraordinary with a beautiful appearance.

Shui Lingling had a remarkably calm expression, not revealing any unsteadiness. She looked steadily at the team below her and asked in a melodious voice, "Junior Brother Hu, you already killed the Spirit Beast?"

Hu Hai had been prepared for this already. He revealed a relaxed smile and handed the Golden Savage Ox horn over.

Shui Lingling closed her eyes and held the Golden Savage Ox horn in her dainty hands. The horn glowed slightly. After a while, she opened her hands and said, "This is right. The resentment, Spiritual Energy, and baleful aura have not dissipated yet. It is not purchased from the auction house. You will be following me to the Savage Battlefield, then."

Faint smiles appeared on everyone's faces; they were thrilled in their hearts. Hu Hai took back the Golden Savage Ox horn and said, "Many thanks, First Senior Sister."

After that, Hu Hai pointed to Xiao Chen and said, "First Senior Sister, this is Xiao Chen. He is a peak inner sect disciple who is as strong as Yun Feiyu. In this mission, he made the greatest contribution to killing the Golden Savage Ox. Can we bring him to the Savage Battlefield as well?"

Wang Cheng seemed ready for this. When Hu Hai finished speaking, he reacted instantly. "Senior Brother Hu, that is not necessary, right? Junior Brother Xiao is only a Medial Grade Martial Monarch. It would be too dangerous for him to come with us."

Jun Si exclaimed in astonishment, "Senior Brother Wang, how can you say that? Didn't we agree on this long ago?"

Chen Xiao's gaze flickered as if he wanted to say something to aid Xiao Chen. However, he thought about Xiao Chen's performance during the Demonic Calamity and kept silent.

Wang Cheng ignored the astonished gazes of the others and continued, "The Savage Battlefield is filled with danger. Even we cannot guarantee our own safety. I think Junior Brother Xiao should wait another three years. This is for his own good."

However, Shui Lingling acted like she did not hear Wang Cheng's words at all. She looked at Xiao Chen with interest and said, "So, you are Xiao Chen. It looks like you really did use the Monarch Blood Grass and half drop of Dragon Marrow."

Aside from Chen Xiao, everyone else was shocked to hear that. They had not expected Shui Lingling, who was stationed in the distant Martial God Palace, to know or remember Xiao Chen.

Hu Hai asked in a probing manner, "First Senior Sister, you know Xiao Chen?"

Shui Lingling shook her head and said, "I do not know him. However, he is already famous in the Central Province. When Nuan Muyun made a bet with Wang Meng, they both ended up losing to him.

"Xiao Chen sits firmly on the thousandth rank of the Proud Son of Heaven Ranking. No one has been able to move him until now. Because of him, several Rank 9 sect and Noble Clan elders have been complaining bitterly to me."

Chapter 691: Cause and Effect of That Day

Now, the expressions of not only Hu Hai and the other two but also Chen Xiao changed. They all looked at Xiao Chen in bewilderment.

What was the Central Province? That was the center of the Tianwu Domain, also the place where the Martial God Palace was located. Xiao Chen, whom the true inheritors had initially looked down on, had actually already become famous in the Central Province.

Who were Nuan Muyun and Wang Meng? One was a legendary Holy Daughter, and the other was one of the seven giants along with Shui Lingling.

Unexpectedly, these two had lost to Xiao Chen in their bet? Just thinking about this felt impossible and unimaginable.

Xiao Chen also felt somewhat shocked. He had not expected that his simple attempt at the Proud Son of Heaven Ranking that day had caused so much commotion.

"First Senior Sister, what exactly was going on with the Monarch Blood Grass and the half drop of Dragon Marrow? Can you please tell me more about it?"

Xiao Chen did not bother to think about any other things. He immediately asked the question that had been niggling him all this time.

Shui Lingling laughed gently and said, "On that day, Nuan Muyun and Wang Meng brought their sect disciples to see who would rank higher. In the end, both their disciples lost to you. So, the victor of the bet became you, instead."

Xiao Chen shook his head in disbelief. He knew how precious the Monarch Blood Grass and the half drop of Dragon Marrow were. While he did not know much about Nuan Muyun, that Wang Meng did not exactly have a good reputation. How could he have just quietly handed over the half drop of Dragon Marrow?

Shui Lingling smiled faintly but did not want to explain too much. She said, "Wang Meng is very egotistical and competitive. No matter the reason, given that you used the half drop of Dragon Marrow, it will not be a good thing for you to run into him.

"You will be fine in the Supreme Sky Sect; you won't have much of a chance of running into him here. However, if you go to the Savage Battlefield, it is very likely that you will run into him. Furthermore, the Savage Battlefield is indeed filled with danger. You should consider very carefully whether to go or not before making a decision."

Xiao Chen answered definitely, "I have to go to the Savage Battlefield; no matter who or why, nothing will stop me."

An unsurprised look flashed in Wang Cheng's eyes. He interrupted, "Junior Brother Xiao Chen, you are not strong enough. If you go, we will still have to take care of you. If you run into Wang Meng, it would even make things difficult for First Senior Sister. Why the need to do all that?"

When Hu Hai heard that, he could not hold back any longer. He asked, "Junior Brother Wang, how can you say this?"

Wang Cheng retorted disapprovingly, "What do you mean by how can I say that? Everything I said is fact. He is only a Medial Grade Martial Monarch. Which of us is not at least a middle-stage Superior Grade Martial Monarch? Junior Brother Chen, tell us, am I right?"

Chen Xiao nodded to indicate his agreement.

Jun Si felt very anxious, but she was also rather confused. She did not understand why Wang Cheng changed his opinions so quickly and why Chen Xiao did not speak up for Xiao Chen.

When Xiao Chen saw all this, he smiled coldly to himself, but he did not argue or say anything. He only waited calmly for Shui Lingling's answer.

Shui Lingling had a deep and penetrating look in her bright eyes. With her intelligence, she already had a general idea of what was happening before her.

"I understand. Since you have made your decision, you can come with me when the time comes. The Guardian Elders are still dealing with the demonized Spirit Beasts. They need my help there, so I will be leaving first."

Shui Lingling immediately agreed to Xiao Chen's request without giving it too much thought. The Profound Sun Bird on her shoulder turned into a beam of dim light and quickly grew larger. Then, Shui Lingling mounted it and flew into the distance.

Xiao Chen exchanged some words with Hu Hai and Jun Si. Then, without even looking at Wang Cheng, he jumped off the city walls and started to make his way back to the Supreme Sky Sect.

Jun Si could not understand. She said, "Senior Brother Wang, didn't we agree before that we would bring Xiao Chen along to the Savage Battlefield after he finishes the mission?"

Wang Cheng smiled coldly and replied, "Before we came, we did not know he had a Heaven Ranked Martial Technique. We also would not have guessed that his attack would be on par with Senior Brother Hu's. What's more, we did not know that he would able to do this well against the boundless Demonic Beasts.

"The most important thing is that he is only twenty-one years old. As for us, the youngest among us is already twenty-five years old."

Jun Si finally understood. It turned out that Wang Cheng feared Xiao Chen's rapid growth. This made him feel insecure and want to suppress Xiao Chen.

"Short-sighted," Hu Hai said disdainfully and shook his head. "Who do you think First Senior Sister is? Do you think she could not figure out what you are thinking? By doing this, you will only cause others to look down on you. A true genius does not fear competition."

Wang Cheng still wanted to argue, but after Hu Hai finished speaking, he left. Jun Si felt ashamed for Wang Cheng, so she also left immediately, unwilling to say more.

Three days later, Xiao Chen arrived back at the Supreme Sky Sect. He took a bath and washed off the fatigue of the previous days, making a complete recovery.

He did not rush to put on all his clothes, only wearing a pair of shorts. Then, he took out a palm-sized porcelain bottle from his Universe Ring.

This bottle contained the marrow from the spine of the Golden Savage Ox. The Golden Savage Ox had the bloodline of an ancient Savage Beast.

The Savage Beasts were famous for their destructive strength. The ancient Sages and Martial Emperors did not dare clash head-on with them. From this information, one can easily imagine how strong a Savage Beast had been.

The Savage Beast bloodline in the Golden Savage Ox had already thinned to a negligible level. However, its marrow still had a fantastic effect on cultivators who tempered their bodies. It was worth cities, not something an ordinary Medicinal Pill could compare with.

A resolute gaze flashed in Xiao Chen's eyes as he held the porcelain bottle. The expression 'nine died out of ten' still underestimated the danger of the Savage Battlefield.

Xiao Chen had to increase his strength. Only by doing so could he shut up people like Wang Cheng and fight for more benefits for himself.

He poured the marrow in the bottle onto his palm; then he rubbed it on his bare upper body. His skin instantly felt a hot and spicy prickling.

When Xiao Chen finished applying all the marrow, he felt like his blood had taken fire. He felt extremely energetic, filled with unending Vital Qi.

"I can't hold it anymore. That's it. I have to digest the energy in the marrow quickly. Otherwise, it will burn me to death."

A strong wind blew as Xiao Chen dashed frantically into the yard. After he stood still, he immediately started circulating his Vital Qi and practicing a Fist Technique.

This Fist Technique looked very plain and ordinary. This was a set of Fist Techniques that he practiced when he was very young in the Xiao Clan; there was nothing fancy about it.

However, in Xiao Chen's hands, it displayed a certain might. Fist winds howled like thunder, changing something rotten into something magical.

Every time Xiao Chen punched, space trembled. The marrow that he applied on his skin permeated into his blood even faster.

The thunderous sound continued relentlessly in the courtyard. Gusts blew as he punched to his heart's content. His Qi and blood surged, and he could not help roaring with pleasure.

As the Golden Savage Ox's marrow seeped into Xiao Chen's body, his skin started to give off a scarlet radiance. It had a strange beauty under the illumination of the sun.

"Rumble…!" As Xiao Chen's blood flowed through his body, it erupted with intense energy, like a gushing river surging without end.

A faint roar of waves and the babble of a gushing river were audible as Xiao Chen sent out fist winds, like a river descending from the nine heavens.

"Break!"

Suddenly, the thousands of rivers merged and gathered at the dantian. Xiao Chen felt as though something had exploded in his body.

It was as if his physical body had been reborn; there was a qualitative change. Three acupoints on each foot burst open.

Xiao Chen quickly circulated the Firmament Body Tempering Art and, indeed, he had broken through from peak late-stage sixth layer to the seventh layer.

After Xiao Chen's bare skin completely absorbed the Savage Beast's bloodline, his senses were heightened. His swelling muscles filled with explosive power.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Xiao Chen clenched his right fist tightly and punched the air three times. A horrifying force burst into the air, giving off three intense sounds. They merged and formed a mighty tornado.

His heart filled with joy. He muttered, "Good, I have increased my physical strength by one hundred and fifty tons of force for a total of nine hundred tons of force. My Vital Qi increased dramatically. Now, when I burn my Vital Qi and use Burning the Heavens, its might will be even more horrifying."

However, Xiao Chen became depressed after a while. He lightly tapped his right fist against his left palm and said, "Starting with the seventh layer, the Firmament Body Tempering Art focuses on the recovery ability of the physical body. Each stalk of Spirit Herb needed to assist it will have an astronomical price."

The focus of the seventh layer was tempering the internal organs. However, the goal was not greater resiliency but improved recovery ability.

For example, an internal injury that would normally take half an hour to recover from completely could be healed within ten minutes after the seventh layer reached Great Perfection.

Each of the internal organs corresponded to a natural treasure. Tempering the heart required the Heart Nourishing Flower; the liver and gallbladder used the Purple Sun Grass; the spleen and kidney needed the Red Lotus Fruit.

Every one of these Spirit Herbs was rare and hard to find. Even in the high-ranked auctions, they were extremely hard to come by. One could only find them in the face of danger.

Xiao Chen collected his thoughts and said indifferently, "When we reach the mountain, there will be a way through. For now, I should just focus on my preparations for the Savage Battlefield. There is no need to dwell on other things."

[TL Note: When we reach the mountain there will be a way through: This means everything will turn out for the best.]

"Dong! Dong! Dong!"

Just at this moment, a loud and ancient bell rang on a desolate mountain summit of one of the mountain peaks surrounding the Supreme Sky Sect.

The clanging of the bell resounded far and wide. Everyone within Supreme Sky City heard it clearly. However, compared to the sound of the bell, the words that followed shocked everyone even more.

"Supreme Sky Sect's Xiao Chen is despicable and shameless. He forgets his friends and plots against his comrades. As someone of a righteous sect, I, the Full Moon Pavilion's Qiu Yi, come to your sect today and challenge you. If you are not a head-shrinking tortoise, get out here!"

[TL Note: Head-shrinking tortoise is a form of name calling. It means coward.]

Qiu Yi purposely supported the final three words with his Quintessence, making them linger for a long time without disappearing. As it echoed, everyone could feel the overwhelming hatred in his tone.

"It is a sect challenge! A disciple of a similar-ranked sect rang the combat bell."

"Qiu Yi is the top disciple of the Full Moon Pavilion, about as strong as Yun Feiyu. They are both quite famous in the eighteen southern provinces. How did Xiao Chen offend him?"

"Our Supreme Sky Sect's Xiao Chen is not weak; he might not lose to this Qiu Yi."

"Maybe…in regard to Martial Technique, there should not be much of a difference. However, Xiao Chen has spent too little time in the Kunlun Realm; he should not have many accumulations in his cultivation."

"Come on, let's go to Giant Sword Peak quick to watch. Looks like there will be a good show. It has been several years since someone rang the combat bell!"

As the bell reverberated in the air of Supreme Sky City, all the disciples who heard Qiu Yi's mocking words stopped what they were doing and headed to Giant Sword Peak to spectate.

They all leaped up simultaneously and flew towards Giant Sword Peak. Nowadays, Xiao Chen was famous in the inner sect. Stories of his deeds were widespread.

Xiao Chen came from the last-ranking Sky Dome Realm. On the path of his rise, he first trounced Gui Wu, then Situ Gang. Finally, the five faction leaders of the inner sect worked together to try and suppress him. However, he still handed them a resounding defeat.

Chapter 692: Troubles Arriving

There were no weaklings among Xiao Chen's opponents. Be they the five faction leaders, or Gui Wu and Situ Gang, they had proven themselves with their strength.

As of now, everyone knew of Xiao Chen. When they heard that an expert from the Full Moon Pavilion came to challenge him, it immediately piqued their interest.

Back in the courtyard, Xiao Chen put on his clothes and slowly repeated Qiu Yi's name to himself several times. Only then did he remember who this person was and the conflicts they had that led to this challenge.

"Issuing a challenge is fine, but why the need to say so many pompous words? How dull."

Xiao Chen shook his head slightly with some disdain. He now understood why he did not bother remembering this person. With such pretentious and pompous nonsense and all the feigned righteousness, it would be strange if he wanted to remember Qiu Yi.

Ripples spread on the lake nearby.

Two figures flashed as they moved quickly. They were Yue Chenxi and Gong Yangyu, who had heard the news. After a few breaths, the two landed beside Xiao Chen.

"Senior Brother Xiao Chen, it seems like trouble has come for you," Yue Chenxi said somewhat mischievously as she smiled gently. She was not very anxious.

Xiao Chen shrugged his shoulder and said, "It's not really trouble."

Smiling, Gong Yangyu retorted, "That is not trouble? Despicable and shameless; forgets his friends and plots against his comrades; head-shrinking tortoise—these are all rather big accusations."

Xiao Chen smiled helplessly and said, "The two of you don't believe this nonsense, right?"

Yue Chenxi burst out in laughter before asking earnestly, "Jokes aside, Xiao Chen, how confident are you?"

Gong Yangyu also said gravely, "In the eighteen southern provinces, the Full Moon Pavilion is no weaker than the Supreme Sky Sect in both resources and strength. Since he dares to come and challenge you in such a grand fashion, he must have a trump card. Otherwise, he would be very embarrassed if he loses."

"I'm totally confident," Xiao Chen said calmly and positively.

Yue Chenxi and Gong Yangyu exchanged glances and relaxed. They knew that Xiao Chen would never boast. If he said he was totally confident, then he was totally confident.

Just as the three prepared to head for Giant Sword Peak, a blue-robed old man descended from the sky. Hovering in the air, he asked the three, "Who is Xiao Chen?"

The insignia of a Supreme Sky Sect inner sect elder was embroidered on the old man's sleeves. He had a deep cultivation, just slightly weaker than Shui Lingling's. Clearly, he did not have a low position.

Xiao Chen took a step forward and said, "I am."

The blue-robed old man gauged Xiao Chen and revealed an astonished gaze. He discovered that even with his cultivation, he actually could not completely discern Xiao Chen's strength.

The old man withdrew his gaze and said, "After the combat bell rings, the person called out has to answer the call. This is a rule common to all the big sects of the Tianwu Domain. I hope you will do your best. Do not lose and embarrass our Supreme Sky Sect."

"Definitely."

Following the old man, the three flew to Giant Sword Peak. Only three kilometers tall, Giant Sword Peak did not stand out among the myriad of mountains around Supreme Sky City.

However, there was a peak grade arena and a resilient combat bell constructed on its summit, which was where it differed from the other mountains.

Someone strong had used extraordinary force to shave off the top of this mountain and form a smooth platform. The structures at the summit were extremely simple.

A wooden frame stood at the center. This hundred-meter-tall wooden frame supported an ancient and grand bell. Not far off was an arena built with Frost Mountain Stones.

Aside from a strong and sharp wind, this simple platform held only rustling battle intent.

"He's coming! Xiao Chen is coming!"

When the various disciples already gathered around the arena saw the group of people flying over, their eyes lit up and became more alert.

Qiu Yi stood below the arena and revealed a cold smile as he looked at Xiao Chen in the air. His eyes gleamed with hate.

Around Qiu Yi were the sect disciples that had worked together the previous time to kill Lone Wolf. All of them had come over, and their eyes were full of hate as well.

This was especially so for the Thousand Mystery Sect's Zhuo Ping. Back then, when she sneak-attacked Xiao Chen, Xiao Chen had broken her nose. Even after she recovered from her injuries, it could not be restored to its original state.

Now, Zhuo Ping's nose sat crooked on her face, marring the beauty of her formerly pretty face.

Seeing that the fight was about to begin, someone from the group behind Qiu Yi said, "Big Brother Qiu, whether we can get our revenge or not will depend on you."

Qiu Yi grasped his scabbard tightly with his right hand and revealed a confident smile. He said, "Rest assured. I already broke through the bottleneck of Medial Grade Martial Monarch and advanced to Superior Grade Martial Monarch. Previously, that brat was able to bully me because I ran out of Quintessence.

"This time, not only will I beat him until he kneels and begs for mercy, but I will also tear down all his reputation. He will never be able to raise his head again, ever."

"Xiu!"

The blue-robed old man led Xiao Chen and the other two to land firmly on the opposite end of the arena. Then, he went below the arena to serve as the referee of this duel.

"Swords and sabers do not have eyes. Full Moon Pavilion's Qiu Yi, once you rang the combat bell, it was equal to you signing a life-or-death contract. You understand this, right?"

"Naturally, I understand. It means that even if I kill this person, the Supreme Sky Sect will not pursue me to take responsibility."

Qiu Yi pushed off the ground and flew gracefully into the arena. He held his sword to his chest with his two hands and looked at Xiao Chen. Smiling, he said, "Indeed, even after so long, you have only just broken through to Medial Grade Martial Monarch."

Xiao Chen did not bother arguing with him. He leaped up and landed on the arena.

"Xiao Chen, back then, I saw that your cultivation was low, so I invited you to kill Lone Wolf together with us out of the kindness of my heart. However, you selfishly hid and preserved your strength.

"When you killed Lone Wolf, you immediately went back on our agreement, biting the hand that fed you. You then proceeded to beat up all the sect disciples who had exhausted their Quintessence, do you admit to this?!"

Qiu Yi had a gloomy expression on his face as he shouted ferociously at Xiao Chen.

The group of people who came with him started to shout loudly as well, raging at Xiao Chen. They spoke all sorts of unpleasant words.

When the Supreme Sky Sect disciples who came to watch the battle heard this, their expressions changed. They could not believe that Xiao Chen was someone like this. Hushed discussions erupted among them.

This was the impact Qiu Yi wanted. He first wanted to make it sound like Xiao Chen was unreasonable and unscrupulous. Then, he would use absolute strength to trample him ruthlessly, relieving all his hatred.

"Xiao Chen, with so many people as witnesses here, do you have anything to say about that?!" Qiu Yi demanded coldly, pointing at Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen's white robes fluttered in the wind. He had a calm expression as he replied with only one sentence: "Are you done?"

Seeing Xiao Chen so indifferent and not panicking at all—something entirely different from his expectations—Qiu Yi was stunned. At a loss for words, he fumbled. "You…"

"Are you done? If you are, then you can scram!"

Xiao Chen's expression turned cold, and he circulated the ancient sovereign's aura that he refined once, unleashing it. It felt like a divine being descended, shocking Qiu Yi immediately.

Xiao Chen unleashed his Vital Qi, and then he burned half of it. Azure smoke wafted out of his Tianmen Acupoint and rushed to the sky. Then, he punched upwards.

After most of the clouds above burned with azure flames, a dragon roar resounded. An Azure Dragon's claw clenched into a fist drove down from the sky, carrying the might of heaven.

Qiu Yi had just broken free of Xiao Chen's aura. Before he could draw his sword, the lightning-fast punch knocked him to the floor.

After burning nine hundred tons of force's worth of Vital Qi, Xiao Chen achieved a thousand tons of force that planted Qiu Yi face first into the Frost Mountain Stones before creating cracks that looked like a spiderweb with him in the center.

Xiao Chen's figure flashed and arrived beside Qiu Yi. Without even giving Qiu Yi a chance to get to his feet, he kicked Qiu Yi.

Qiu Yi tumbled in the air like a tossed sandbag, falling towards the crowd.

From the moment Xiao Chen spoke to sending out the punch and kicking Qiu Yi, only two blinks of the eye had elapsed.

Xiao Chen flowed like the wind, decisive and lightning fast.

The onlookers were all stunned. This was especially so for the various sect disciples who came with Qiu Yi. Such an end was entirely outside of their expectations.

Just a moment ago, under Qiu Yi's lead, they had been aggressively criticizing Xiao Chen. However, in less than a breath, Qiu Yi came flying down.

The entire place fell quiet as if someone had died. No one spoke a word. No one had expected that the great battle they had anticipated would be settled with one punch from Xiao Chen.

Several people did not even realize what had happened; Xiao Chen was too fast.

Only some inner sect disciples with higher cultivations managed to see what had happened. The force from Xiao Chen's punch had already surpassed that of an ordinary Superior Grade Martial Monarch.

Given the sudden attack with aura along with Qiu Yi's carelessness, this outcome was only logical. When experts fought, how could they be careless? One mistake could instantly change the situation.

The cultivators who came with Qiu Yi rushed forward to treat him, feeding him Medicinal Pills and infusing their Quintessence into him.

"Xiao Chen, you are too ruthless in your attacks. How could you attack so heavily?!"

"You are not only despicable and shameless but also ruthless!"

The cultivators who came expecting Qiu Yi to help address their hatred could not accept such an ending. So they all started cursing and scolding Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen remained calm and felt disdain in his heart, disinclined to explain himself. Only the weak would make trouble for no reason like this, trying to win the dispute with their tongues.

"If you think the results are inappropriate, you can always ring the combat bell anytime."

Xiao Chen just replied indifferently and looked coldly at these people. These disciples from the various sects cursing and shouting earlier promptly shut up, no longer daring to say anything.

After seeing Qiu Yi's miserable state, how could they dare to go up and humiliate themselves?

A cold light flickered in the eyes of the Thousand Mystery Sect's Zhuo Ping. As she looked at Xiao Chen on the arena, she hated that she would not ring the combat bell and cut him into tiny pieces.

However, when Zhuo Ping thought of Qiu Yi's fate, she gritted her teeth. She simply stood there not moving at all.

Xiao Chen frowned slightly and shook his head. He felt that this was just a waste of time. These were people who talked big but could not perform. It was too boring.

"Since no one is going to ring the bell, I will be taking my leave."

Xiao Chen nodded towards the blue-robed old man and turned around, preparing to leave. The Savage Battlefield would officially open at the end of the month; he did not have time to waste here.

"Dang! Dang!"

Just at this moment, the ancient combat bell suddenly rang twice. As the ringing echoed around the mountain peaks, it stirred up strong winds that would not die down for years.

The ringing echoed in everyone's ears. After hearing the combat bell ring at such a close distance, everyone's blood surged, evoking an intense battle intent.

"You truly deserve to be the Sky Dome Realm's King Grade True Dragon. In a mere three months, you have already grown this much."

A cold voice came from a distance. The people on the summit immediately looked towards the origin of the voice and saw two figures in the air flying over quickly together on a cold wind.

With a casual wave of his pale white hands, the person who spoke fired out icy Quintessence and rang the ancient combat bell continuously.

Chapter 693: Seven Giants: Bai Wuxue

The cold Quintessence propagated on the sound of the bell. The ambient temperature immediately plummeted, and a layer of frost rapidly spread across the ground.

Several cultivators felt a bone-chilling cold, as if the frigid air had infiltrated their blood vessels, which startled them into quickly circulating their Quintessence to resist.

As the bell rang, the cold air attacked them in waves. The Supreme Sky Sect inner sect disciples with lower cultivations turned as pale as snow. They revealed horror in their eyes as they slowly retreated, not daring to stand too close to that combat bell.

"What a horrifying state of ice! They are people from the Extreme Yin Sect!"

With the challenger's casual move, everyone who guessed the newcomers' identity looked shocked.

The Extreme Yin Sect was very strong. It had two Martial Emperors among their number and stood at the peak of the Rank 9 sects. In terms of strength, it was significantly stronger than the Supreme Sky Sect or the Full Moon Pavilion.

"The bell has been rung. Xiao Chen, you can't leave yet!"

Xiao Chen stopped walking and revealed a somewhat grave expression as he said, "Wan Feng!"

The challenger was the Extreme Yin Sect's Wan Feng. However, the reason for the change in Xiao Chen's expression was not him but the youth standing beside him.

That youth wore plain attire and had a faint smile on his face. However, his face looked like millennial glacial ice; his smile did not have the least bit of sunshine to it, which was even stranger.

Xiao Chen could not discern this person's cultivation; apparently, it was much higher than Hu Hai's.

"It's the Extreme Yin Sect's top true inheritor! One of the seven giants, Bai Wuxue! Unexpectedly, he is here as well."

Finally, someone recognized that youth. His gaze filled with shock. This youth stood equal to their First Senior Sister.

The previously calm blue-robed old man also reacted. He asked, "Bai Wuxue, are you here to ring the bell as well?"

A corner of Bai Wuxue's lips curled up as he replied indifferently, "No, I'm not entirely sure that I can defeat Shui Lingling. I am only here to see the person that managed to make my Youngest Junior Brother work so hard."

"I recall now. The person who rang the bell is called Wan Feng. Like Bai Wuxue, he is one of the Extreme Yin Old Man's disciples. Unexpectedly, Xiao Chen has offended him as well."

"This is going to be problematic. Our Supreme Sky Sect's prestige is destined to take a hit today."

"That Wan Feng is already a peak early-stage Superior Grade Martial Monarch. Furthermore, he is under the tutelage of the Extreme Yin Old Man. In our Supreme Sky Sect, probably only the true inheritors can defeat him."

As the people below whispered among themselves, they could not help but worry for Xiao Chen as they looked at him.

At first, when Xiao Chen faced Qiu Yi, the Supreme Sky Sect disciples had not been that worried. After all, given what they knew of Xiao Chen's strength, they imagined he still had a fifty-fifty chance.

However, Xiao Chen's opponent was now Wan Feng, the final disciple of the Extreme Yin Old Man. All the onlookers believed that Xiao Chen did not stand much of a chance.

Worry also appeared on Yue Chenxi's and Gong Yangyu's faces. Back then, the both of them had personally experienced Wan Feng's might.

"Xiu!"

Wan Feng leaped up and landed on the arena. Then he smiled at Xiao Chen and said in a frosty voice, "Xiao Chen, I really have to thank you. Without the pressure from you, I would not have been able to improve so fast in such a short time."

Xiao Chen smiled faintly and retorted, "There is no need to thank me. I will help you out again today."

The exchange of sharp words quickly escalated to a competition in auras. Wan Feng's expression turned sinister and cold as he tried to suppress Xiao Chen with his aura.

A cold wind howled behind Wan Feng. His aura was like a snowstorm as it surged towards Xiao Chen. Indistinct snowflakes were visible in the air.

The air in the arena immediately dropped by a hundred Celsius degrees. A hard layer of frost formed on the ground below Xiao Chen and spread upwards.

Xiao Chen raised his right leg and stomped down. "Ka ca! Ka ca!" The hard layer of frost instantly shattered.

Then, the frost turned into pieces of ice filling the air. When the sun shone on them, they flickered with an icy glow, looking like resplendent pearls.

Xiao Chen activated the ancient sovereign's bloodline in his body, and a vast, drawn-out, boundless, and ancient aura surged out, turning into a strong wind.

That wind seemed to have crossed space and time, coming from that ancient period. When the strong wind blew, the ice shards in the air spun around.

With a 'whoosh,' ice pierced through ice. These beautiful objects transformed completely into sharp killing weapons as they headed for Wan Feng like rain.

Wan Feng felt astonished. He had not expected to lose to Xiao Chen in aura.

When he saw the rain of ice shards coming, he took a step back and sent out a palm strike.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Shattering sounds reverberated in the air without pause. With this palm strike, Wan Feng shattered all the ice shards into powder, as well as negated Xiao Chen's sovereign aura.

Xiao Chen had burned half his Vital Qi in the fight with Qiu Yi earlier, so he had no intention of using Burning the Heavens.

Standing on an Azure Dragon image moving up and down, he swept through the ice dust in the air and sent a tyrannical Berserk Dragon Fist at Wan Feng.

Wan Feng smiled coldly to himself. He did not rush as he tilted his body to the side slightly. Then, he used his palm as a saber, chopping down on the Azure Dragon roaring ferociously.

A smooth hole appeared on the Azure Dragon image made of Quintessence, which immediately shattered.

After gaining the upper hand with this move, Wan Feng circulated his icy Quintessence and sent out three palm strikes, pushing Xiao Chen back and taking back the initiative.

"Xiao Chen, it looks like your physical body is only so strong. Draw your saber. I have already become extraordinary. It is not something you can imagine," Wan Feng said arrogantly as he forced Xiao Chen back.

Xiao Chen landed firmly on the ground. He had burned half his Vital Qi earlier, lowering the might of his physical body. Furthermore, he did not want to expose too much of his abilities to Bai Wuxue, so he had held back.

Smiling indifferently, he flipped his left hand, summoning the Lunar Shadow Saber. "You are not the only person who improved in this world. Well, let's see what makes you extraordinary."

Wan Feng flashed an evil grin as he watched Xiao Chen take out the Lunar Shadow Saber. He said, "Don't disappoint me, White Robed Bladesman."

"Flower Prison!"

Wan Feng spread his fingers apart and pushed towards Xiao Chen. An image of a flower embedded on the floor appeared.

Xiao Chen felt some strange energy moving through the stones. His expression changed slightly as he leaped up.

Wan Feng smiled faintly and pulled his right hand back. The ice flower on the floor blossomed into a humongous ice flower.

The layers of ice petals stretched out for a hundred meters. It looked like a huge mouth as it rose off the floor and tried to bite Xiao Chen.

This Wan Feng had apparently learned new Martial Techniques in the Extreme Yin Sect. Xiao Chen had not seen him use such a strange Martial Technique in their previous battle.

As the flower soared into the air, it was connected to the arena by a root. Seen from a distance, it looked like a real flower swaying in the wind.

The surrounding cold Qi gathered, and the root grew longer. The flower chased after Xiao Chen continuously, trying to bite him.

No matter how Xiao Chen dodged, he could not shake off the flower. Wan Feng smiled faintly and pushed off the ground. He turned into a white flash as he attacked Xiao Chen.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Wan Feng's palms turned transparent like ice and flickered with a faint cold light. He sent out three palm strikes, trying to seal off Xiao Chen's paths of escape.

Each palm wind formed an icy storm in the air. As each storm howled, it seemed like it could shatter mountains.

"What powerful icy Quintessence! He is truly deserving of being the Extreme Yin Old Man's disciple."

The surrounding Supreme Sky Sect disciples were dumbfounded by Wan Feng's three palm strikes. Even the peak inner sect disciples of the Extreme Yin Sect would not be able to refine their icy Quintessence to this level. Only the disciples of the Extreme Yin Old Man could do so.

Although others would not be able to dodge the icy storms, they did not give Xiao Chen too much pressure. He was a bladesman. With the support of saber intent, he had never been afraid of this kind of head-on clash.

In the past, when Xiao Chen still had only the perfect sixty-percent-comprehended saber intent, he already did not fear a Quintessence storm of this level. Now that his saber intent had reached Great Perfection, he did not care about it at all.

"Xiu!"

An electric light flashed. Xiao Chen only used a sixty-percent-comprehended saber intent and swung his saber three times. Three strands of purple saber Qi, which seemed like they could cut open the sky, directly hacked the three Quintessence storms in half.

The storms dissipated into countless snowflakes drifting away.

Wan Feng revealed mild astonishment. He had not expected Xiao Chen's saber intent to have improved so fast. It was completely different from when they were in the Sky Dome Realm.

However, this result was still within his margin of error. After he saw Xiao Chen break his three storms, his body flashed backwards, and he sent out a palm strike.

"Cold Yin Palm!"

The drifting ice-attributed Spiritual Qi in the air gathered into a huge palm. Then, it slammed towards Xiao Chen.

The special state of ice of the Extreme Yin Sect gathered in the middle of the palm, upsetting the balance of Yin and Yang and driving out the Yang-attributed energy continuously.

The Yang-attributed energy formed clumps of Yang-attributed fire that flew out like arrows. When they landed on the ground, they blasted out deep pits.

Some of the clumps struck nearby Supreme Sky Sect disciples. These unfortunate people immediately vomited a mouthful of blood, astonishing the rest.

Xiao Chen's expression turned slightly grave. This was Wan Feng's best move. It looked like Wan Feng had steeled himself to force him into the ice flower on his tail.

However, this palm strike was still too weak. "Four Season Saber Technique: Cycle of Seasons!"

Various mysterious phenomena of spring, summer, autumn, and winter appeared around Xiao Chen—the flowing waters of spring, the blazing sun of summer, the rustling autumn wind, and the emotionless winter snow.

The scenes materialized the cycle of the four seasons, vast and unending.

"Bang!"

The saber light clashed with the ice hand in the air. Thunderous shock waves exploded out in all directions.

The boundless power of Cycle of Seasons reduced the Cold Yin Palm, which Wan Feng had placed his hopes on, to pieces of ice, scattering everywhere.

When Wan Feng saw Xiao Chen doing all this in such a relaxed manner, he could not understand it. His own cultivation had increased considerably, and he had even learned new secret techniques, yet he still could not do anything to Xiao Chen.

Furthermore, the gap between them seemed even larger than when they were in the Sky Dome Realm. In the past, Xiao Chen still had to be very focused. Now, he executed his moves so casually, even leisurely.

The intense battle in the air exceeded the crowd's expectations.

Wan Feng, who came with surging momentum and used all his moves, executing all sorts of strong Martial Techniques continuously, failed to do anything to Xiao Chen.

The white-robed bladesman in the air stood on an Azure Dragon image, breaking all of Wan Feng's killing moves as it moved up and down. Furthermore, he still seemed to be holding back some of his strength.

Chapter 694: Oppressing Wan Feng Again

Xiao Chen smiled faintly and said, "Wan Feng, is this what you mean by extraordinary? It's not very strong. In fact, aside from your cultivation, I don't see how you have improved."

"Damn it!"

Xiao Chen's mockery frustrated Wan Feng even more. He shouted loudly and circulated all his Quintessence. The ambient temperature dropped, kicking up a terrifyingly frigid wind.

"Great Icy Cold Palm!"

As the arctic wind blew, all the cold-attributed energy gathered to form a colossal ice palm replete with detailed palm lines.

The ice palm appeared too quickly, suddenly coming out of nowhere. Then, it immediately grabbed Xiao Chen.

Although Wan Feng's face turned slightly pale, he laughed loudly. "Let's see you continue to be arrogant. I will squish you to death!"

The situation suddenly changed, surprising everyone. Gong Yangyu and Yue Chenxi could not help but want to fly up to help.

Under Wan Feng's control, the colossal ice palm clenched Xiao Chen hard. The ice hand applied a puissant force, trying to squish Xiao Chen into a meat paste.

When Xiao Chen felt the force of the palm, he did not care. He had already reached the seventh layer of the Firmament Body Tempering Art. Now, his physical body was as strong as that of an early Sage.

If it were any other Martial Monarch of the same cultivation, they would immediately sustain internal injuries from getting grabbed. Under the immense force, their internal organs would definitely get crushed.

However, Xiao Chen's physical body was horrifyingly strong. How could he be afraid of this? His Vital Qi surged and neutralized the state of ice in his body, and he fisted his hands tightly. The twelve acupoints in both his arms instantly opened.

"Bang!"

A surging force exploded forth and smashed the ice hand, turning it into ice shards that shattered when they hit the arena.

Wan Feng vomited a mouthful of blood and immediately crashed to the floor. His complexion turned ashen, looking like he was drained of blood.

When Xiao Chen sensed the ice flower, which was chasing him, about to try biting him from behind again, he could not be bothered to dodge. He turned around and stabbed the flower with his saber.

When he secretly unleashed his Great Perfection saber intent, the ice flower immediately shattered, and its roots broke.

The light in Wan Feng's eyes dimmed as he lay on the arena and looked at Xiao Chen in the air. He appeared extremely dispirited. A few months ago, Xiao Chen was only about as strong as he was.

If Xiao Chen had not had that Heaven Ranked Martial Technique, it would be hard to say who would have won. However, a few months later, his growth in the Kunlun Realm had left Wan Feng far behind.

Seeing Xiao Chen gain a complete victory, Gong Yangyu and Yue Chenxi relaxed and smiled.

Standing at the side of the arena, the spectating Bai Wuxue did not change his expression. He said indifferently, "Indeed, it is so. No wonder Master wanted me to come. If I don't kill this person, Youngest Junior Brother will end up having a heart demon."

Great Icy Cold Palm!

The top true inheritor of the Extreme Yin Sect, Bai Wuxue, silently and suddenly attacked. A colossal ice hand drove down from the sky, moving towards Xiao Chen at lightning speed.

This palm was extremely stealthy. By the time Xiao Chen discovered it, it had already arrived above his head. It would land on him in the next moment.

This ice hand had extraordinary Yin-attributed energy. Even though it was also a Great Icy Cold Palm, it was several times stronger than Wan Feng's.

Xiao Chen did not have time to think. He immediately rolled on the floor, and there was a loud sound. A deep pit appeared where he previously stood.

The resilient arena instantly shattered under this palm strike. A surging shock wave spread out, knocking the nearby Xiao Chen into the air.

This surprised Bai Wuxue somewhat. Unexpectedly, he failed to kill Xiao Chen with one strike, allowing him to dodge.

I'll send another attack, then.

The moment this thought struck him, another brilliant ice hand appeared in the air and flew towards Xiao Chen.

The ice palm moved rapidly; no one could sense it in time to even try and stop it.

The ice hand looked like an ice mountain. It contained not only boundless cold energy but also unrivaled force.

This was the result of a half-Sage attacking with his Quintessence. Xiao Chen's cultivation was much lower than his.

The situation was critical. Xiao Chen, who had been knocked into the air by the shock wave, saw another ice palm coming. Without much time to think, he gathered all his remaining Vital Qi together.

He crisscrossed his arms, and a dragon and tiger roared. He took the stance of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, clashing head-on being his only choice.

"Bang!"

The attack knocked back Xiao Chen. Blood leaked from a corner of his mouth as he flew back like a kite with its string cut.

Bai Wuxue was dumbfounded. The might of his Great Icy Cold Palm was equal to that of a Heaven Ranked Martial Technique. However, he failed to kill Xiao Chen after using it.

Bai Wuxue's Quintessence surged. He could not help but raise the usage of his strength from fifty percent to seventy percent. The cold air surged and formed an even more massive ice palm, pressing towards Xiao Chen.

The colossal palm formed right above Xiao Chen's head, appearing from nothing. There was no time for him to dodge at all as it instantly covered him.

"Ka ca!"

Just as Xiao Chen prepared to use the Taiji Yinyang Flame Diagram, the mountain-like ice palm above him suddenly shattered into shards.

Xiao Chen looked up and saw a purple-clad girl holding a purple bow standing on a Profound Sun Bird. She had a stern expression and stood proudly, giving off a faint radiance.

Shui Lingling had a frosty expression as she drew the bow and fired at Bai Wuxue.

"Hu chi!"

Instantly, a fiery light flashed like a meteor. It moved so fast that it was invisible to most of the people present.

Bai Wuxue's previous calm face revealed an extremely grave expression. He quickly formed hand seals with both hands, and wind howled around him. A tornado barrier manifested in front of him.

The arrow formed by the fiery light crashed into the tornado barrier and gave off a startling sound. The entire Giant Sword Peak started shaking intensely.

Boundless shock waves surged out and knocked the surrounding disciples off their feet.

With a flicker of purple light, Shui Lingling's figure landed on the arena. She said to Bai Wuxue, "Bai Wuxue, have you forgotten where you are? How dare you try to kill our Supreme Sky Sect's disciple in front of us?"

When the snow scattered, Bai Wuxue smiled gently and said, "Naturally, I did not forget. This is Giant Sword Peak. As long as I ring the combat bell, I can challenge any disciple of the Supreme Sky Sect."

Someone looked up and saw that the ancient combat bell had started shaking left and right at some point in time. However, it strangely did not give off any sound.

Pretending to be extremely shocked, Bai Wuxue said in an exaggerated tone, "Hey, this bell seems to be broken. Unexpectedly, it did not give off any sound.

"However, no matter what, the combat bell has already been rung. Shui Lingling, you better make way. According to the rules, unless this person admits defeat or is killed by me, you cannot appear on the arena."

Bai Wuxue had already anticipated such a situation long ago. He stood upright with his hands behind his back and gave Shui Lingling an unhurried explanation.

Shui Lingling's expression wavered. She had not expected Bai Wuxue to be so hard to deal with, leaving her at a loss for words.

"Ha ha ha! I was just joking. I really disdain to take the life of such a person. Xiao Chen, keep your life. My Junior Brother will take it personally."

Bai Wuxue was temperamental; he did not give a fig about Xiao Chen at all. He immediately laughed, picked up Wan Feng, and left quickly.

"Second Senior Brother, why did you let that brat off? That was a good opportunity earlier," Wan Feng asked as he felt confused.

Bai Wuxue replied indifferently, "There were no more opportunities. This brat managed to dodge in the two best chances. Now that Shui Lingling appeared, do you think she would just watch me kill that brat?"

Xiao Chen's expression turned gloomy as he watched Bai Wuxue leave. He completely burned all his remaining Vital Qi.

Without warning, the monarch's aura from the Monarch Blood Grass burst forth. Xiao Chen's blood surged like a gushing river, strong and unending, raising his momentum.

Azure smoke came out of Xiao Chen's Tianmen Acupoint on his head and rushed into the sky. For the first time since he raised the Firmament Body Tempering Art to the seventh layer, he burned all his Vital Qi without holding back.

As the azure smoke rose, azure flames quickly spread, instantly dyeing the blue sky azure. Clouds churned, and a dragon roar resounded.

Bai Wuxue, who was moving rapidly suddenly stopped in midair. His expression turned grave as he sent a palm strike at the sky on the spur of the moment.

His palms turned transparent like ice, flickering with a cold light. His reaction was already swift. However, he was still too slow. He did not have enough time to gather the needed Quintessence.

Bai Wuxue had only sent out his palm strike halfway when the Azure Dragon Fist carrying Dragon Might plunged from the sky and blasted it back.

Rumbling came from the sky, shaking heaven and earth; even space trembled. Horrifying energy spread out. Even disciples far away felt fear.

Bai Wuxue felt his arm go numb and could not stop it from trembling. Unexpectedly, the force from the Dragon Fist was at least one thousand and five hundred tons of force.

Caught off guard, Bai Wuxue could not block the full force with his cultivation. The bones in his right arm hurt as tiny fractures appeared.

As for Wan Feng, he was in a sorrier state. The shock waves swept him away, tossing him like a fired cannonball, and he crashed into a mountain.

All the disciples on Giant Sword Peak looked at Xiao Chen like he was a madman. Unexpectedly, he dared to sneak-attack Bai Wuxue.

Who was Bai Wuxue? He was one of the seven giants of the Tianwu Domain's youth. He had become famous at a young age, frequently occupying the top ten spots on the Proud Son of Heaven Ranking.

In this age of geniuses, Bai Wuxue was a bright star among the human cultivators. He was even more famous than Shui Lingling.

No matter where Bai Wuxue went, no one dared to offend him; even the inner sect elders of the other Rank 9 sects would all treat him politely.

This was because Bai Wuxue was a potential Martial Emperor. Offending him was tantamount to offending a Martial Emperor. The consequences would be dire. No one would be willing to anger them.

When the blue-robed old man saw Bai Wuxue mount a sneak attack on Xiao Chen, he had not dared to say anything after Bai Wuxue stopped; he had no choice but to keep quiet to maintain the peace.

Even someone as strong as Shui Lingling, the top true inheritor of the Supreme Sky Sect and also one of the seven giants, did not try to prevent Bai Wuxue from leaving.

However, Xiao Chen, an inner sect disciple, a mere Medial Grade Martial Monarch bladesman, dared to attack Bai Wuxue. Furthermore, he had done it so ruthlessly.

"Bai Wuxue, no one is joking with you. Since you gave up on this battle, someday I will go to the Extreme Yin Sect and openly ring the combat bell."

Xiao Chen's white robes fluttered in the wind. As he looked at Bai Wuxue, he enunciated every word with vigor.

Chapter 695: Stunning Challenge

Xiao Chen did not care about the seven giants, or about any potential Martial Emperor. He was also not afraid of offending such people.

What he cared about was the most fundamental principle as a cultivator: if others sneak-attacked him, he had to pay it back in kind.

He could not bury this anger in his heart because of fear, wronging himself and making himself suffer.

Bai Wuxue clearly wanted to kill Xiao Chen, trying to smash him to death with a palm strike. How could he just pass it off as a joke and say he disdained to kill Xiao Chen?

No matter how humble and inferior Xiao Chen was, he still had his pride as a bottom line. As a bladesman, he would rather break than bend.

Bai Wuxue felt an intense pain in his right arm. He forcibly suppressed his desire to smash Xiao Chen to death on the spot. Then, he said in a cold voice, "Even Wang Meng does not dare to come to the Extreme Yin Sect to ring the combat bell. Brat, you are even more arrogant than him.

"Don't make me wait too long. Otherwise, I will come for your head on my own initiative."

Bai Wuxue glanced at Shui Lingling above Giant Sword Peak. Then he shifted his gaze to the floating inner city above Supreme Sky City. After all, this was the Supreme Sky Sect's territory.

Although he was a half-Sage with great backing, since he missed out on this opportunity to kill Xiao Chen, he could only endure for now.

On Giant Sword Peak, the hundreds of Supreme Sky Sect disciples all looked at Xiao Chen like he was a fool. Then, they lowered their heads and muttered in low voices.

"This fellow is too absurd. Does he think that after defeating Qiu Yi and Wan Feng, he is truly unrivaled?"

"Unexpectedly, he dared to challenge Bai Wuxue, one of the seven giants—someone even our Supreme Sky Sect true inheritors have to tiptoe around."

"These seven people are able to lead countless geniuses, standing out from more than ten billion people in the Tianwu Domain. Furthermore, they've stood strong without falling for so many years, so how can any of them be mediocre?"

"That's right. The age of geniuses has descended upon us. Countless geniuses are appearing without end. Among these geniuses, there are some outstanding ones. However, no matter how much of a rush they are in to become famous, they will not dare to challenge the seven giants."

"If First Senior Sister were not here, Xiao Chen would have died already. I really wonder where he gets his courage from. To think he took the initiative to challenge Bai Wuxue!"

Xiao Chen heard all sorts of mocking. However, he did not say anything; he simply could not be bothered.

He was new to the Kunlun Realm. At this moment, when his cultivation was low, and he was still weak, he could not care about the clamor and restlessness of the world.

Xiao Chen only needed to wait until he had gained some achievements and earned a name in the inner sect. Then, he would receive all sorts of praise and respect. As long as he did not change, everything would be fine. So he would only smile calmly and bury himself in cultivation.

From the Xiao Clan in Mohe City to the Heavenly Saber Pavilion, then the Great Qin Nation to the Ancient Desolate Land; after that to the Boundless Sea and the Dragon Sealing City in the Great Jin Nation; finally, moving from the Sky Dome Realm to the Kunlun Realm. Along the way, Xiao Chen had experienced too many ups and downs. From being famous and respected to falling to the bottom of the valley.

Once, for the sake of tempering his killing intent, he had spent a year tirelessly massacring in the Deep Sea Battlefield.

Xiao Chen had already given up on caring about fame and glory. He only cared about his own principles, seeking the great Dao and asking for nothing else.

For the sake of his own Dao, he would not care about how others viewed him.

Bai Wuxue bullied him and humiliated him. If Xiao Chen endured all this, what was the point of living on?

"Xiao Chen, you are too impulsive. Bai Wuxue is not one of those geniuses who relied on Medicinal Pills to grow stronger. He is not as simple as you think he is," Shui Lingling said softly while frowning slightly. Making such a big enemy like Bai Wuxue was just too dangerous for Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen said, "I understand. However, I did not say that without careful consideration. In at least half a year or a year at most, I will definitely go to the Extreme Yin Sect."

Shui Lingling stared into Xiao Chen's eyes, trying to see his inner heart and discern his thoughts.

Aside from a serene look in Xiao Chen's pitch-black eyes, there was nothing else. They were like pools of autumn waters, calm with no ripples, neither haughty nor humble, showing neither joy nor grief.

However, Shui Lingling's bright eyes saw the pride and confidence that Xiao Chen hid in his heart in their depths.

Xiao Chen was like a true dragon in hibernation. As he watched the wind and clouds rise and fall, he awaited the right time to descend upon the world, to break out of the sea and soar to the skies.

"Many thanks for First Senior Sister's help. Xiao Chen will take his leave first."

Xiao Chen performed a cupped-fist salute to Shui Lingling, thanking her sincerely. Then, before everyone, he stood on an Azure Dragon image and vanished into the clouds.

Shui Lingling muttered to herself for a long time. Her pretty face revealed a very grave expression before she said, "I cannot see through him. Even though I could see his pride, I could not see his heart. Perhaps he really can create a miracle?

"The Supreme Sky Sect produced Xiao Chen. I wonder what kind of people the other sects will produce? Then, there are the geniuses of the other domains. It looks like chaos is upon us."

Suddenly, another thought seemed to have struck Shui Lingling. She said, "No, I have to tell the Sect Leader about this. We cannot let a talent like Xiao Chen die early. Otherwise, it would be the greatest loss of our Supreme Sky Sect."

The Profound Sun Bird with an overwhelming Spiritual Energy on Shui Lingling's shoulder cried out. Then it revealed its original appearance and carried Shui Lingling above the inner city.

That area seemed to be empty with nothing there. However, it appeared to be Shui Lingling's destination.

Xiao Chen, you are crazy. You actually want to challenge a half-Sage in half a year!

After Xiao Chen returned to his courtyard, Ao Jiao, who was in the Immortal Spirit Ring, could not help but speak up.

Xiao Chen sampled tea in the courtyard as he looked around. Then, he looked at the clear lake and said, "Is that impossible? I have the Purple Thunder Divine Incantation that surpasses a Heaven Ranked Cultivation Technique and an unrivaled physical body among the youth. The only difference between Bai Wuxue and me is cultivation."

Flabbergasted, Ao Jiao said, You say that as though it is so simple, just cultivation. What do you mean just cultivation? From Medial Grade Martial Monarch to half-Sage will take you at least two years, no matter how excellent your talent is and how strong your Purple Thunder Divine Incantation is.

Furthermore, Bai Wuxue will not remain stagnant. By the time you catch up to him, he might have already broken through the bottleneck of Martial Sage. If that is so, you will not be able to surpass him without at least five years.

Xiao Chen nodded and said, "I understand. That is why I definitely have to go to the Savage Battlefield and find natural treasures like the Golden Savage Ox's Spirit Core."

Ao Jiao shook her head and said, You are making the Savage Battlefield out to be too simple. There are several forbidden lands that the Thunder Emperor did not dare to enter. Furthermore, at that time, all the outstanding talents of the entire Tianwu Domain will enter as well. There will even be loose cultivators who do not care about the rules.

With such cutthroat competition and fabulous treasures, you might not be able to walk out alive. Don't pin all your hopes on the Savage Battlefield.

Xiao Chen frowned slightly, and then he suddenly thought of something. He revealed a bright smile and said, "Little Ao Jiao, you've learned to hide what you mean in your words. Are you saying I shouldn't rely on the Savage Battlefield? Did the Thunder Emperor leave some relic or inheritance behind in the Kunlun Realm?"

When the Thunder Emperor was alive a thousand years ago, he moved among the hundreds of races of the Kunlun Realm as he pleased. Even several of the Martial Emperors of the older generation were not a match for him. If he left behind any relics and Xiao Chen could obtain them, they would definitely be worth a lot. By then, catching up to Bai Wuxue would be easy.

Ao Jiao smiled and replied, You are indulging in too much wishful thinking. Even if there are relics, you will not be able to activate them. They can only be used after you become a Martial Emperor.

Furthermore, you might still not be able to activate them, either. Once you truly activate the Thunder Emperor's relic, you would be formally taking on the identity of the Thunder Emperor's inheritor. I do not wish for you to take on this heavy burden.

Xiao Chen felt suspicious and asked, "Why? Will becoming the Thunder Emperor's inheritor lead to a disaster or something?"

Ao Jiao was not willing to say more. She replied, Stop asking. Anyway, I do not wish for you to activate his relics; that's all. Go to the Savage Battlefield first. After that, I will bring you to a place.

As Ao Jiao clenched her fist, she smiled. Don't worry. No matter what, you are still my trashy master. I will not stand by and watch that Bai Wuxue bully you.

When Xiao Chen heard the concern in Ao Jiao's words, he smiled faintly, no longer caring about the Thunder Emperor's relics.

"Oh, by the way, how is my Netherworld Flower now?"

There was no point in thinking about these distant things. He might as well focus on something more practical. Currently, his greatest trump card was the Taiji Yinyang Flame Diagram.

If he could improve it by another step, he would be able to protect himself better when he next met Bai Wuxue. He would not end up in such a passive state.

Ao Jiao nodded and said, Very good. Even while I was speaking with you, I did not forget to use Yin-attributed Spiritual Energy to nourish the flower bud. It will mature in three more months.

That feels a little slow. Xiao Chen nodded and said, "Is it possible to speed it up? That way I will have more trump cards in the Savage Battlefield."

Ao Jiao gently fiddled around with the Netherworld Flower in the world within the Immortal Spirit Ring. She smiled and said, Of course. Just throw in three million Superior Grade Spirit Stones. With those, the Netherworld Flower can mature in one month.

The moment Ao Jiao spoke, she asked for three million Superior Grade Spirit Stones, equal to half of Xiao Chen's wealth. He frowned and said, "You make it sound so simple. It is not that easy for me to gain Spirit Stones. Furthermore, what little Spirit Stones I have is already insufficient for myself."

Ao Jiao said softly, Just be satisfied with what you have. You already picked up this peak grade Immortal Spirit Ring for so little, yet you still want more. Just so you know, this Immortal Spirit Ring is something that is typically used by Martial Emperors.

Unless you can bring in a few high-ranked Spirit Veins, you will have to use Spirit Stones to help the Spirit Herbs grow faster.

Feeling helpless, Xiao Chen could only endure the pain in his heart as he tossed in the Spirit Stones that he worked so hard to obtain.

A rain of light immediately started to fall in the world within the ring; it looked glorious. The petite Ao Jiao walked around in the rain.

Her dainty hands directed the light rain to fall on the Netherworld Flower. The white core of the flame flower gradually grew brighter.

Xiao Chen withdrew his Spiritual Sense from the Immortal Spirit Ring. Then, he picked up the teacup and drained it in one go. "It is time to make a start on my third goal."

After a while, he took out the Dragon Subduing Slash's secret manual from his Universe Ring and started to read more about the second move—Soaring Dragon.

Hidden Dragon in the Depths, Soaring Dragon

This move was created to follow up on the first move of the Dragon Subduing Slash. It could also be used independently or linked with Return of the Azure Dragon.

The stance of a soaring true dragon changed many times. Each change affected the circulation path of Quintessence. Just the several dozens of Quintessence circulation paths already gave one a headache, not even to mention how to comprehend the state of this moment.

Every Quintessence circulation path was unique. Furthermore, it had strict requirements on the meridians that it passed through.

Xiao Chen spent three days before he memorized half of the changes. He felt that this move was far more complicated than Return of the Azure Dragon.

"Hidden Dragon in the Depths, Soaring Dragon."

Xiao Chen muttered these two phrases and entered deep thought. These two phrases were written at the start of the introduction to this move. They seemed to contain the truth and essence of this move.

Hidden Dragon in the Depths was a part of the sixty-four divinatory hexagrams. It meant that a gentleman would wait for an opportunity to take action, preserving his strength in the meanwhile and not making any hasty moves.

Opps, srry, this chap got slightly delayed, please check back in half an hour