A Clash of Peaks

Inside the stone chamber, Qing Zhi watched the White-Clothed Woman before him, a flicker of surprise surfacing deep in his eyes.

Before his breakthrough, he had still been able to roughly discern Mu Zi's strength. Yet after successfully passing the Reincarnation Tribulation, he found that he could no longer see through her at all.

He truly wondered just how far she had reached by now.

Qing Zhi's gaze flickered, and then he smiled faintly as he said solemnly, "I've made some progress recently, and my hands are itching for a fight. Would you be willing to spar with me?"

Duan Tao was still immersed in the shock of Qing Zhi passing the Reincarnation Tribulation. Upon hearing this, his expression immediately changed, and the look on his face became exceedingly vivid.

Senior Qing Zhi had actually issued an invitation. It was clear that he regarded her as an opponent worthy of battle, not someone for a "guidance match." That was rather terrifying!

Duan Tao's gaze fell upon Mu Zi's youthful face, and astonishment flashed through his eyes. Could her strength have surpassed even his imagination?

Sensing the fighting spirit in Qing Zhi's eyes, Mu Zi pondered for a moment before smiling lightly and nodding, accepting his challenge.

"Sure."

Looking at the young woman across from him, Qing Zhi could not help recalling how, several years ago, she had challenged him within the Four Symbols Profound Sect ruins.

Now, however, he was the one taking the initiative to challenge her. Only a few years had passed, yet it felt as though the times had changed. It was quite moving.

"For our battle, would you mind if members of the Dragon Clan watched?" Qing Zhi asked, his eyes shifting slightly.

Mu Zi gently shook her head. She did not care whether there were spectators. So long as she could enjoy a satisfying battle, that was enough. That was also why she had accepted Qing Zhi's invitation—she wanted to see just how strong she had become.

Qing Zhi shifted his gaze slightly. His eyes seemed to pierce through the stone chamber and behold the scene within the Dragon Clan, a profound glint flashing through them.

"Hehe, those fellows of the Dragon Clan should finally get to see what a truly bald-headed figure is."

Mu Zi: ...

Why did that sound so strange?

Mu Zi looked at her waist-length hair and fell into deep thought.

The news that Qing Zhi was about to fight a mysterious expert spread, instantly igniting the atmosphere throughout the Dragon Clan.

In the hearts of the Dragon Clan, Qing Zhi held an extremely lofty status. He was a living fossil from ancient times, a super expert who had entered the Reincarnation Stage. The Azure Sky Dragon Transformation Art he had created was also among the most supreme martial arts in the Dragon Clan.

For such a peak expert, what sort of person could possibly be qualified to fight him?

According to some circulating rumors, that person was actually a young woman. Those Dragon Clan experts who heard this could not help finding it rather unbelievable.

Though some only half believed it, the fact that she was qualified to fight Qing Zhi meant that she had already reached heights surpassing countless members of the Dragon Clan!

Not long ago, Lin Dong had overwhelmingly defeated the geniuses of the Dragon Clan's younger generation, which had already dealt them quite a blow. Yet someone even more astonishing than Lin Dong had appeared—it was simply inconceivable!

Considering her age only made it all the more shocking.

In a vast region within the Dragon Clan territory, few people were usually seen. Yet it had now become exceedingly lively. So long as they were not in closed-door cultivation, the Dragon Clan members did not wish to miss this opportunity. They gathered here in droves, eagerly awaiting the event.

A battle at the Reincarnation Stage was an extremely rare sight. Even for the Dragon Clan, it possessed a terrifying allure.

Above them, the Dragon Clan's grand formation enveloped the sky. Beneath it stood countless fervent Dragon Clan experts.

As they waited, everyone discussed the matter animatedly. Their boiling voices soared into the heavens, and even the grand formation in the sky seemed to ripple.

"Haha, Liu Qing is really unlucky. He just happened to enter seclusion and missed this chance," a young Dragon Clan member said with undisguised glee.

"Yeah, that battle maniac won't get to witness a clash of this level. He'll probably regret it until his guts turn green!" another person echoed, amusement in his eyes.

"I can already imagine the look on his face when he comes out of seclusion. Hahaha!"

Before a Stone Hall below stood several figures—several elderly men. They were clearly extremely ancient, their faces lined with wrinkles like ravines, yet beneath their aged appearances lurked terrifying power.

These old men were, astonishingly, high-ranking figures of the Dragon Clan.

At the very front stood a burly middle-aged man. He wore the plainest hemp robes, and his appearance was not particularly remarkable. Yet his pair of unusual golden pupils resembled a vast void, unfathomable and inscrutable.

The current Dragon Clan Chief, Yuan Qian—a Reincarnation Stage expert.

"Hehe, it's quite lively."

Yuan Qian looked toward the sea of people, a ripple passing through his eyes. It had been a long time since the Dragon Clan had seen such a bustling scene. Only Qing Zhi possessed such a degree of influence, as expected!

"Hm?"

At that moment, Yuan Qian's eyes shifted as he looked to one side. The space there suddenly twisted, and an old man holding a dragon-headed cane eerily appeared before his eyes.

The old man's gaze was weathered, but his skin was as delicate as a youth's. His pupils were exceptionally deep, and faint yet terrifying reincarnation fluctuations radiated from around him.

"Grand Elder?"

Surprise flashed through Yuan Qian's eyes upon seeing the old man. This Grand Elder was one of the Dragon Clan's foundations, a living fossil. He had entered the Reincarnation Stage before Qing Zhi had even risen to prominence. He spent most of his time cultivating in seclusion, so Yuan Qian had not expected this arranged battle to draw him out.

After appearing, the weathered old man looked at Yuan Qian and asked indifferently, "Qing Zhi has passed the Reincarnation Tribulation?"

"Yes, that is indeed the case," Yuan Qian replied, though he sighed inwardly. Qing Zhi passing the Reincarnation Tribulation had also shaken him somewhat. At the very least, he himself had not been confident that he could succeed.

After confirming the matter, the Grand Elder said nothing further. He merely looked into the void ahead, his gaze profound.

As a fellow expert of the First Reincarnation Stage, he naturally understood the might of this realm. He had heard that Qing Zhi's opponent was around the same age as Lin Dong. This battle was something he needed to observe carefully.

Amid everyone's heated discussions, fluctuations rippled through the sky, and a handsome man in azure robes appeared in their sight.

"Senior Qing Zhi!"

At the sight of that figure, reverence flashed through the eyes of all the Dragon Clan experts present. Within the clan, countless members of the Dragon Clan regarded Qing Zhi as their idol. Now that they could witness his magnificence once more, their excitement was plain to see.

"Look over there!"

Someone cried out in alarm, and everyone immediately turned to look in the other direction. There, a figure had appeared at some unknown time.

She was a woman dressed in a white gown, breathtakingly beautiful. Three Thousand Black Silks flowed behind her, fluttering along with her skirts. She possessed an unforgettable, otherworldly air, like an immortal.

Not a trace of aura leaked from her body, yet she seemed to be the center of heaven and earth itself. One could not help looking at her, unable to tear one's gaze away.

Astonishment flashed through everyone's eyes as they secretly marveled: What a beauty of Peerless Grace!

Some of the younger Dragon Clan men could not help but feel a sense of longing in their hearts. But when they remembered that she was someone capable of fighting Lord Qing Zhi, they could only suppress such thoughts and sigh in regret.

In the sky, the two figures stood upon empty air, facing each other from afar. As their battle intent surged, vast and mighty auras spread out, filling heaven and earth.

Below, the Dragon Clan experts gradually fell silent, looking up at the two supreme experts in the sky with anticipation shining in their eyes.

A clash between peak experts was on the verge of erupting.