A Deadly Strike, a Phenomenon Formed, and an Encounter with Zhao Jiuxiao!

Seeing the gathered prodigies sneering, Li Daochen smiled too.

Their plan was good, but it had no shortage of holes.

For one thing, as soon as he arrived above the great lake, he sensed a great many people beneath it.

For another, though the formation was well hidden, it could not escape Li Daochen's notice.

As an Old Devil, he was naturally skilled at both setting traps and guarding against them!

After all, once you had been trapped enough times, you taught yourself a great many things.

Their tricks were good enough to fool ordinary prodigies, but trying to fool him, Li Daochen, was simply muddleheaded.

Even back when he had been snatching spirit fruits on the first level, Li Daochen had deliberately guided them into doing this. Otherwise, how could the prodigies whose spirit fruits he had taken have survived?

Li Daochen calmly gripped his sword. "Did it never occur to you that I came in here of my own accord?"

Everyone froze.

And in the instant they were caught between shock and doubt—

Boom!

Li Daochen unleashed the Azure Emperor Demon-Planting Lotus. The Azure Emperor's phantom pressed one prodigy to death with a finger, while the demon lotus exploded and killed another.

Then—

Sshk!

Li Daochen abruptly charged in front of Lin Wuming. His sword moves were elusive and unpredictable, strange and unfathomable, and he cleaved him in two with a single strike.

Divine Bridge Fifth Layer, divine ability: Ethereal Spirit Dragon Sword!

During the ten days he had spent refining dragon bones, Li Daochen had not actively cultivated, yet he had still advanced a layer!

"I spared your life that day. Why did you have to come looking for me again?" Li Daochen sneered after cutting Lin Wuming down.

Then—

He abruptly turned his head and said coldly, "That's called striking first to gain the advantage!"

The many prodigies froze again.

They stared in disbelief at the phantom of the Azure Emperor holding the demon lotus.

"A Fleshly Body Phenomenon?" Lu Tianqiu's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

A Fleshly Body Phenomenon awakened in the Divine Bridge Realm?

This was absolutely beyond his understanding!

The other prodigies were no different.

But the next moment—

An icy killing intent jolted them back to their senses, and they roared in haste, "Use all your strength to suppress and kill him!"

In an instant, the Spirit-Severing Wind Thunder Formation unfolded, sending the power of wind and thunder sweeping toward Li Daochen as the many prodigies rushed him together.

Li Daochen held his sword across his body.

"If you had done this ten days ago, I really would have been in trouble. But now, you can only keep each other company on the road to the next world."

Boom!

Eight Holy Dragon Bones and six Demonic Dragon Bones erupted together, bringing Li Daochen's fleshly body to its limit.

Then—

Li Daochen did not even defend himself. Like a wolf among sheep, he charged in and began slaughtering them!

That was right!

He charged in and slaughtered them!

The most dazzling prodigies of the eastern region before him could not withstand a single exchange with Li Daochen!

Li Daochen did not care who they were. He simply killed them!

"Th-this..." Lu Tianqiu's scalp tingled. They simply could not beat him.

Compared to ten days ago, Li Daochen's strength had doubled outright!

At that moment, Lu Tianqiu suddenly remembered something his master had once said!

In the face of absolute strength, numbers were useless.

Killing one person or a hundred was merely a question of time!

Li Daochen before him was undoubtedly just such a case!

Worst of all, the Spirit-Severing Wind Thunder Formation had sealed them inside the cave abode too.

Gradually—

A sea of bitterness began to gather around Li Daochen!

Fear, despair, pain... all of it began to swell the sea of bitterness.

After a long while—

Bang!

The Spirit-Severing Wind Thunder Formation was finally broken open!

Lu Tianqiu fled outside for all he was worth. Looking back, he saw that only a handful of the hundred-odd prodigies remained standing; the rest had either fallen to the ground screaming or were fleeing outside as madly as he was.

Qi Kongyue and Qi Muyang were dead too, their heads cut off by Li Daochen.

Only because Li Daochen had gone to collect the Evil Dragon Pearl at that moment did he stop killing.

"He's killed so many prodigies. Even if the Thousand Sect Grand Competition doesn't forbid killing, the major sects definitely won't let him off!" Lu Tianqiu's head buzzed. He simply could not understand what Li Daochen was thinking.

But—

That did not stop him from fleeing!

Inside the cave abode—

As soon as Li Daochen put away the Evil Dragon Pearl, he rushed outside.

His gaze was cold and still.

The Sea of Bitterness Devil Phoenix Fist was close to taking shape as a phenomenon.

Next, he would kill again!

Rustle...

The grass churned as Lu Tianqiu burst out with a roar.

Li Daochen pursued him relentlessly from behind.

Bang!

He finally fell, coughing up blood without stopping.

He could not escape!

Lu Tianqiu stared fixedly at Li Daochen and roared, "The Purple Cloud Sect, the Thousand Mountain Sect, the Wind-Annihilating Sect, the Fire Thunder Sect, the True Talisman Profound Sect, the Nine Artifact Sect, the Heavenly Wilds Sect... Li Daochen, do you know how many sects you've offended this time?"

He was growing somewhat hysterical.

"Hahaha, you're a monster! A Lower Profound Sect couldn't produce another like you in a thousand years! But no matter how strong you are, can you be stronger than these Upper Profound Sects?"

At this point, Lu Tianqiu had thrown caution to the wind.

Li Daochen's expression was indifferent.

How could he not know that?

Obviously, that was impossible!

The Thousand Sect Grand Competition claimed not to forbid killing, leaving life and death to fate. Yet in past years, the sects that had fought bloody battles over slain prodigies were simply too numerous to count.

If a weak sect killed a powerful sect's prodigy, it would draw frenzied retaliation.

Given Li Daochen's habit of planning before acting, even if he intended to kill, he would do it without anyone knowing!

But—

This time, Li Daochen had made it known to everyone!

"You'll never know what I intend to do!" Li Daochen pierced Lu Tianqiu's throat with his sword.

Utter resentment spilled forth and merged into the sea of bitterness!

Boom!

Behind Li Daochen, the sea of bitterness churned and a devil phoenix soared.

The Fleshly Body Phenomenon was complete!

Huo Changfeng was a disciple of the Fire Nether Sect.

The Fire Nether Sect was only a Lower Profound Sect, but it had an excellent relationship with the Fire Thunder Sect, rather like a branch of it.

That was precisely why Huo Changfeng had also taken part in the attack to surround and kill Li Daochen.

"Dead, they're all dead. That Li Daochen is a madman, a demon..." Huo Changfeng's face was deathly pale as he trembled and ran into the distance.

But the next moment—

Huo Changfeng stood rooted to the spot, despair showing in his eyes.

Li Daochen was actually walking toward him from ahead.

"Do I look that much like a demon?" Li Daochen asked.

"Ah..." Huo Changfeng screamed, turned, and ran.

But he had only taken one step when he stopped.

He wanted to turn around, but his body slowly stiffened.

Bang!

Huo Changfeng fell to the ground.

Behind him, Li Daochen said nothing as he used the Dragon Transformation Emperor Scripture to refine a strand of bloodline power!

The Fire Nether Sect... possessed the Fire Flood Dragon Bloodline!

"The Five Elements Flood Dragon Bloodlines are all gathered. I can condense the Five Elements Dragon Spirit now."

Li Daochen spoke to himself.

"Next, it's time to bring this Thousand Sect Grand Competition to an end."

For a time afterward, Li Daochen continuously refined the Evil Dragon Pearl he had just obtained.

Nearly half a month passed.

Li Daochen, seated cross-legged atop a mountain peak, suddenly opened his eyes.

Not far away, a young man was slowly approaching.

The sky was clear for ten thousand miles that day, and the world was bright and fair.

But as soon as the young man appeared, he became the most dazzling presence there.

His feet were an inch above the ground. It was hard to tell without looking closely, but he was indeed walking above the ground.

Untouched by dust, his fleshly body was immaculate!

This was an extremely terrifying method of cultivation, uncommon even in Saint Sects.

The newcomer was none other than Zhao Jiuxiao!

He walked among mountains and rivers, climbing each mountain he met and crossing each river.

Zhao Jiuxiao had been in a rather good mood lately, having obtained a great treasure.

He had originally been ready to head to the third level and win first place for his sect sooner, so he could also go to a Saint Sect sooner.

Zhao Jiuxiao had a clear plan for his cultivation, and the eastern region no longer made him feel any pressure. Naturally, he had to go to the central region, where prodigies were countless.

That place was also known as the Central Land!

Its territory was larger than the eastern, western, southern, and northern regions combined.

Countless prodigies and outstanding talents of Mystic Dragon Province gathered there!

Zhao Jiuxiao harbored lofty ambitions, so naturally he had to go there and contend with them.

The eastern region's stage was too small for him, Zhao Jiuxiao!

However—

He learned that Li Daochen was slaughtering people here.

So he turned back.

Upon reaching the mountain peak—

Zhao Jiuxiao glanced at Li Daochen, his eyes unruffled. "You want to overturn the order of the Thousand Sect Grand Competition and have a Lower Profound Sect take first place among the thousand sects?"

"Can't I?" Li Daochen countered.

"The strong make the rules, and the weak obey. That has been an eternal truth since ancient times." Zhao Jiuxiao looked at Li Daochen with his hands behind his back, a trace of pity appearing in his eyes. "In other people's eyes, you may already be strong. But in mine, you're still just a weakling. With me here, you don't stand a chance."

"How will I know without trying?" Li Daochen slowly rose to his feet.

Zhao Jiuxiao's whereabouts were unpredictable. Even the disciples of the Northern Nether Dragon Fish Sect did not know where he was, so naturally Li Daochen could not find him either.

So Li Daochen made a bigger and bigger commotion, drawing him out of his own accord.

He had been waiting for Zhao Jiuxiao for a long time!

Zhao Jiuxiao raised a swordlike brow, and his eyes abruptly turned cold and murderous.

The next moment—

Boom!

Zhao Jiuxiao's feet, which had been an inch above the ground, suddenly came down, and the entire sizable mountain peak shattered outright.

"Then I'll send you to your death!"