The Battle Begins

Some people who were following Yue Qianchou saw him stroll over to the Myriad Demon Palace and chat happily with the people from the number one sect of the demonic path, but then, for some reason, he returned with a sour face.

The members of the Four Great Families exchanged bewildered glances. Ziyi stared at him for a long while before finally asking, "What's wrong with you?"

Yue Qianchou said expressionlessly, "Nothing much, just solved a small problem." Ziyi Yi frowned slightly. Why wasn't she happy after solving the problem? She wasn't one to talk much, so she didn't ask and instead turned her gaze to the valley with everyone else.

The challenge is about to begin. Both sides seem to have agreed on the terms, each handing over their respective ten billion Spirit Stone to a middleman— the Myriad Demon Palace. Indeed, at present, the Myriad Demon Palace is the only middleman acceptable to both sides.

Everything was prepared, there were no unnecessary complications, and not even a judge was needed. It seemed this kind of life-or-death challenge didn't require a judge; the rules were already set. Aside from the loser being the one who escaped the valley, there was no other choice. It was simply a matter of life and death, making it easy to determine a winner. However, once they entered the fray, the chances of escape were slim; no sect could afford the humiliation! Those who tried to flee would certainly be severely punished afterward.

The top ten sects of Righteous and Demonic paths have summoned their experts overnight. Fu Xian Island, in particular, has surprisingly sent two experts at the late Tribulation Transcendence stage, along with ten Tribulation Transcendence stage realm experts from the Cultivation Pavilion. Dongfang Changao is among these ten. It's clear that Fu Xian Island is brimming with confidence, preparing to prove its status as the number one sect in the world through this challenge.

The Demonic Sect's leader, the Myriad Demon Palace, was destined to be no match for Fu Xian Island in this matter. Any cultivator with even a slight understanding of the Cultivation World knew that Fu Xian Island was controlled by the Guan family, while the Myriad Demon Palace was controlled by the Yan family. Yan Bugui was the only son of the previous Myriad Demon Palace leader, Yan Wuchen, and the senior brother of the current Bu Yunxiao leader, Yan Wuchen lived, who in the Myriad Demon Palace would dare to do anything to Yan Bugui?

As soon as the Spirit Stone were handed over, the valley fell silent, with only the sound of the mountain wind. Everyone looked around, wondering who would be the first to challenge and who would be the first to accept the challenge.

Damn it! What are we waiting for? Yue Qianchou around, wishing he could go first, but his cultivation level was too low. If he went first, his opponents would all be at least at the Tribulation Transcendence stage, and according to the rules, they wouldn't be able to challenge him. Going first would be pointless. According to the rules, those with higher cultivation levels cannot challenge those with lower cultivation levels, while those with lower cultivation levels can challenge those with higher cultivation levels. However, the possibility of the second scenario seems very low, because that would be almost suicide.

The Huaxia Cultivation World knew little about the Cultivation World outside, and each faction wanted someone to go out and investigate before making a move. Yan Bugui, however, was fully aware of the situation in the Huaxia Cultivation World. He wanted to see who would step in and then send someone to deal with them; this was one of the reasons he was so determined to succeed. This difference in mindset led to a brief stalemate.

Remembering that winning a match could potentially earn him fifty million, Yue Qianchou longer. If no one else stepped up, then he would have to let Ziyi go on stage to ignite the flame. Just then, Dongfang Changao from Fu Xian Island slowly pulled a long, golden spear from his Storage Bag, immediately attracting everyone's attention. It seemed that Fu Xian Island was going to go first.

Fu Xian Island is known as the number one sect in the world. This stalemate might not matter to other sects, but Fu Xian Island cannot afford to do this because it is the number one sect in the world! Dongfang Changao has long represented the image of Fu Xian Island, so he has no choice but to step forward first!

It's him again! Yue Qianchou stared at Dongfang Changao, a hint of pity in his eyes. He couldn't help but sigh softly. This Dongfang Changao was practically the daredevil of Fu Xian Island, always charging ahead. Alas! Even heroes grow old, and even the finest horses stumble. If this continues, he's destined to become a tragic figure!

With a flash, Dongfang Changao stood in the center of the valley, the lush grass reaching up to his knees. He brandished his spear and shouted, "Dongfang Changao, mid Tribulation stage cultivator from Fu Xian Island, accepts the challenge! Who will die?" The last sentence was particularly powerful, and his voice echoed in the valley for a long time.

"Bravo!" Someone shouted loudly, and everyone looked in the direction of the voice to see Yue Qianchou leading the applause and cheers. Everyone was slightly taken aback, but people from the Cultivation Alliance immediately joined in, and soon cheers and applause filled the air, instantly creating a lively atmosphere.

Yue Qianchou didn't mean anything by it. First, someone had finally stepped up to light the fire. Second, in his mind, Dongfang Changao was a real man, so the applause and cheers were well-deserved.

Ziyi looked at Yue Qianchou in surprise, not expecting such a strong reaction from everyone after his actions. Caught up in the atmosphere, she couldn't help but clap along. Wu Licheng Bi Zicong and the other two glanced at Bi Zicong, who returned their smiles with a wry smile before joining in the clapping.

Dongfang Changao glanced at Yue Qianchou, nodded slightly in thanks, and said that this was something a man would uphold throughout his life. To receive praise from another man was enough for him.

He eventually met Chou Wuyuan of the Myriad Demon Palace. These two leading figures, representing the leaders of the Righteous and Demonic paths respectively, fought fiercely for the honor of their sects and never yielded to each other... Chou Wuyuan looked at Dongfang Changao with an inscrutable expression, sighed slightly, and looked away. For the first time, he had yielded to Dongfang Changao! Only the two people involved could probably understand the feeling he was going through.

Yue Qianchou intensified, Dongfang Changao's fighting spirit surged. He suddenly turned around, pointed at Yan Bugui and the others on a hilltop, and shouted loudly, "Dongfang Changao is here! Who dares to challenge me!"

"Good..." This time, no one needed to lead the way; the applause and cheers reached another climax.

Yan Bugui withdrew his resentful gaze from Yue Qianchou, glanced around, snorted coldly, and slowly walked to a man, saying in a deep voice, "Mr. Yan, you must have heard of this man. He's quite a prominent figure on Fu Xian Island. His Golden Treasure Spear is a top-grade Law Treasure, and he's rarely matched. Although your cultivation is similar to his, and your 'Black Dragon Whip' has some effect in countering the spear, don't underestimate him. I'm counting on you for this match."

"I've long wanted to meet this man." The cultivator called Mr. Yan chuckled, and with a gentle pull, a long, black whip bound to his burly, bare torso slipped into his hand and coiled into a bundle. He swung down from the mountaintop, standing a dozen meters away from Dongfang Changao, and said with a grin, "Yan Biao mid Tribulation stage cultivator from the Xiushui Kingdom, has come to challenge me."

As soon as he stepped off the stage, the surroundings fell silent again, all eyes fixed on the two of them. Dongfang Changao raised an eyebrow slightly upon seeing the whip in his hand, and brandished his spear, shouting, "Foreign cultivators, how dare you disrupt the Huaxia Cultivation World! Prepare to die!"

A phantom spear flashed, crashing down upon him; Dongfang Changao had struck first. With a deafening boom, a long, cylindrical crater appeared in the ground, the shockwave sending surrounding weeds flying. Yan Biao couldn't possibly have been hit so easily; he had already vanished from his spot.

"I've long heard of Dongfang Changao name, but now that I see him, he's clumsy and nothing special." The voice came from the air. Yan Biao paused in mid-air, his long whip already outstretched, circling around him like a nimble snake, extremely agile.

The members of the Cultivation Alliance were all taken aback. The Huaxia Cultivation World was adept at wielding flying swords, but this was the first time they had ever seen someone wield a whip. The two late Tribulation Transcendence stage Transcending Elders from Fu Xian Island, named Ji Nian and Fan Benlei, had a hint of worry on their faces. Whips were naturally effective against spears, and this person could wield them like a sword; they feared Dongfang Changao was in danger!

Dongfang Changao didn't even raise his head. Upon hearing the sound, he raised his spear and thrust it straight into the sky. With a "whoosh," a golden light shot up from the spearhead and flew towards Yan Biao above him.

As Yan Biao spoke, his hands were already forming chaotic hand seals, and the black whip coiled in the air, its raised tip a pitch-black cone, as if forged from some kind of beast horn or tooth. The golden light shot towards him, but Yan Biao didn't dodge. He pointed his finger, and the whip whistled out, its cone-shaped tip colliding directly with the golden light.

With a loud "bang," a shockwave exploded, instantly shattering the golden light emitted by the spear in mid-air, while the whip shot straight down like an arrow towards Dongfang Changao. The onlookers were shocked by the whip's sharpness, and at the same time, they held their breath for the person below.

Dongfang Changao looked up, sprang into the air, and swung his spear, knocking the whip away with a "bang." He then chased after Yan Biao, who was still in the air. The latter grinned maliciously, pointed a finger, Dongfang Changao immediately sensed danger. He quickly glanced left and right, only to hear a "whoosh" sound behind him. Turning around, he saw the whip he had just knocked away was coming again.

With a "bang," he turned and flicked his spear, sending the whip flying again. But the whip, barely deflected, bounced in mid-air, resurrected, and instantly coiled around him again. Dongfang Changao no longer cared about Yan Biao, wielding his spear in a fierce battle with the strange whip. Meanwhile, Yan Biao in the air could easily manipulate the whip with his fingers. Dongfang Changao was already subtly at a disadvantage. If this continued, and his True Essence was depleted, any slight lapse in reaction would likely result in a loss.

Yue Qianchou realized that Dongfang Changao wasn't really inferior to that guy; the key was that guy's whip was too strange—it was indestructible and incredibly persistent, making it impossible for Dongfang Changao to unleash his full power.

Damn it! Nobody knows what will happen next. Losing one more game might be the key to deciding the outcome, and it concerns the ownership of a billion! I've already invested forty million; I can't afford to lose it all! Yue Qianchou frowned deeply, then suddenly turned to Bi Shan and asked, "If someone throws a treasure down the mountain right now, and Dongfang Changao happens to pick it up and use it, wouldn't that be considered a foul?"

"Ah!" Bi Shan looked at him in astonishment, not understanding what he meant by that...

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