The Reason for His Invincibility

"Li Changye, I know you're said to be invincible among those in the same realm, but you may not be able to withstand my Dao formation."

"Li Fire Blazing Heaven Formation, rise!"

Zhuge Changming brought out eight fire-colored banners and positioned them in the eight directions of Qian, Zhen, Kan, Gen, Kun, Xun, Li, and Dui, trapping Li Changye in a Dao formation.

The fire banners blazed fiercely, and eight pillars of fire shot into the sky, forming a fire formation. The surrounding air warped from the intense heat, and many elders were drenched in sweat.

"What a terrifying Dao formation!"

"Zhuge Changming truly lives up to his reputation as Crouching Dragon Temple's Chief Grand Disciple. He can set up a Dao formation in moments."

"The Law Treasures he's using are the low-grade Innate Spirit Treasures, the Li Fire Banners!"

"What an astonishing presence."

Feeling the heat waves wash over him, Lu Changsheng hurriedly circulated his Qi to protect himself and Lian from the fire poison.

Lu Changsheng was only watching the match, yet he could feel the boundless heat waves. One could only imagine what it was like for First Senior Brother in the middle of the Li Fire Blazing Heaven Formation.

Lu Changsheng looked through the pillars of fire and saw Li Changye standing on the Martial Platform.

Clad in swordsman's robes, Li Changye remained motionless as a vast force of Qi swirled around him, keeping the fire poison at bay.

"It lives up to its reputation as Crouching Dragon Temple's famous Li Fire Blazing Heaven Formation, but it's of limited use against me."

Li Changye moved, so fast that only an afterimage remained.

"Break!"

At some unknown moment, his sword had left its sheath. Like a bolt of white silk, it shattered the pillars of fire that formed the formation.

The next moment, Li Changye's sword was already before Zhuge Changming.

Startled, Zhuge Changming thrust his own sword forward, blocking Li Changye's lightning-fast strike.

Li Changye fought speed with speed, his sword strikes flowing one after another like drifting clouds and running water, without the slightest opening.

Zhuge Changming could only parry, his wrist trembling violently.

"First Senior Brother's physique is the Myriad Desolations Indestructible Body. Even if Zhuge Changming's sword strikes him, his life won't be in danger. But Zhuge Changming can't afford the slightest mistake, or he'll lose."

"So First Senior Brother only needs to focus on attacking, while Zhuge Changming has to defend and find a way to counterattack."

"Even if he does nothing but defend, Zhuge Changming simply doesn't have the stamina to keep this up against First Senior Brother. With his wits, it won't be hard for him to realize that."

"But if he has to defend and counterattack, he'll be even more likely to expose an opening."

"And First Senior Brother's foundation in every realm is exceptionally solid. The Spiritual Qi in his Dantian's Qi sea is several times that of cultivators in the same realm. On top of that, his Dao heart is firm, so he won't give his opponent the slightest opening."

"For Zhuge Changming, this is a dead end."

Second Senior Brother Song Wuchuan analyzed the fight from the sidelines, laying everything out clearly and logically.

An exceptionally formidable special physique, the Myriad Desolations Indestructible Body; an incomparably solid foundation; and several times the Spiritual Qi of cultivators in the same realm—these were the reasons First Senior Brother Li Changye was invincible in the Dao Palace Realm!

Zhuge Changming excelled at schemes and deduction, but on the Martial Platform, where there was little outside help to draw upon, he was utterly at a loss against Li Changye.

"What's going on? Li Changye really is as strong as the rumors say. This is trouble."

Elder Ye, the Martial Dao Alliance's Chief Grand Disciple, muttered to himself, looking quite troubled.

If the Martial Dao Alliance defeated the Artifact Refinement Sect, he would have to face Li Changye.

Grandmaster Chen, the Martial Dao Alliance leader, patted his eldest disciple on the shoulder. "Little Ye, just do your best. It's two wins out of three. Even if you lose, we'll still have a chance."

Elder Ye could only smile bitterly.

Even the Martial Dao Alliance leader had no confidence in him.

"Master, to tell the truth, I can't possibly be a match for Li Changye."

The chief disciple of Ask Immortal Pavilion shook his head gently at Li Changye's astonishing performance.

Li Changye was invincible in the Dao Palace Realm. How was he supposed to fight him?

"You needn't worry. I've already calculated it. You'll lose to Li Changye, but as long as your two junior sisters win, under the two-out-of-three rules, our Ask Immortal Pavilion can still come out above Mount Shu."

"Taiyuan's youngest disciple is only at the Dao Palace Realm, First Layer. He absolutely won't be a match for Xue'er."

"Then victory or defeat will come down to Taiyuan's second disciple and my second disciple."

"My second disciple, Xiao Menger, has talent close to my own. She's slightly inferior to Li Changye, but above Song Wuchuan."

"However I calculate it, that's two wins and one loss. This time I can finally give old Taiyuan a thorough humiliation."

Even after witnessing Li Changye's monstrous talent, the Pavilion Master of Ask Immortal Pavilion remained completely confident.

The fight on the Martial Platform continued. Li Changye handled it with ease, while Zhuge Changming's blue robes were already soaked with sweat.

"Stop. I've lost."

Zhuge Changming conceded of his own accord.

"Brother Zhuge excels at using all kinds of outside help to defeat powerful enemies. There's nothing here, and no one else can intervene, so this place works against your strengths. I had the advantage."

Li Changye did not grow smug over defeating Crouching Dragon Temple's Chief Grand Disciple.

"A loss is a loss. I, Zhuge Changming, am not such a sore loser." Zhuge Changming cupped his fists, then returned to the Crouching Dragon Temple elders' seats and saluted Yu Xuanji, the Master of Crouching Dragon Temple. "Master, this disciple was not capable enough to win."

Yu Xuanji merely nodded and said nothing more.

"That's our First Senior Brother for you, a man invincible among those in the same realm!"

"No wonder the sect leader entrusted First Senior Brother with handling the sect leader's duties. With his talent, he'll surely become Mount Shu's next sect leader in a few hundred years."

"First Senior Brother is only one step away from the Void Refinement Realm."

After Li Changye returned to his seat, the Mount Shu elders all sang his praises.

First Senior Brother truly was the foremost of the young elders.

"Next, it's up to Second Senior Brother."

"Second Senior Brother, do your best! We can't let Junior Brother take the blame."

After First Senior Brother Li Changye defeated Crouching Dragon Temple's Chief Grand Disciple Zhuge Changming, it was Second Senior Brother Song Wuchuan's turn to take the stage. His opponent was Jiang Feng, a Dao Palace Realm Seventh Layer disciple.

The result was never in doubt. Song Wuchuan, at the Dao Palace Realm, Eighth Layer, defeated Jiang Feng, who was at the Dao Palace Realm Seventh Layer.

Under the two-out-of-three rules, Lu Changsheng did not need to take the stage, and the contest ended in Mount Shu's victory.

"Our Crouching Dragon Temple really has grown somewhat lax over the past few hundred years."

"My youngest disciple, Liu Xunxian, has quite good talent, but unfortunately he won't get to take the stage."

Yu Xuanji's tone never changed; she did not treat the contest as anything important.

"What a pity. I couldn't see what was exceptional about Taiyuan's youngest disciple."

The Pavilion Master of Ask Immortal Pavilion felt some regret.

She had intended to see what exceptional abilities Lu Changsheng possessed and whether he posed a threat to Xia Ningxue. But Mount Shu's Li Changye and Song Wuchuan were too monstrous. They had won both fights, so Lu Changsheng did not need to compete.

Next came the contest between Boundless Temple and Ask Immortal Pavilion.

"The first to fight for Ask Immortal Pavilion is its Chief Grand Disciple, Zeng Yeqiu. He's at the Dao Palace Realm, Eighth Layer, but he's no match for Boundless Temple's Master Mingzhi."

"However, the most talented person in Ask Immortal Pavilion isn't its eldest disciple, but its second disciple, Xiao Menger. She's cultivated for three hundred and seventy years and is also at the Dao Palace Realm, Eighth Layer."

"But the one who truly draws attention is Xia Ningxue, who only recently appeared before the world."

With no need to compete, Zhao Wuyan began analyzing from the sidelines. The Mount Shu elders nodded as they listened with relish, as though listening to a storyteller.