220: If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them! One Punch Shakes the Entire Arena!

"Senior Brother Tan, Hua Zhenyu's votes have gradually surpassed Chen Dengming's, and the two Golden Core Elders who are close to Chen Dengming will abstain from voting."

It seems that Hua Zhenyu is going to win the first round of voting.

However, any smart person could guess that Hua Zhenyu's little tricks were his doing. Wasn't he afraid of offending those two Golden Core Elders?

Inside a pavilion nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains, three people sat around a table, enjoying a pot of tea and exchanging simple conversation. One of them shook his head as he spoke.

"Offend?"

The first cultivator, with a rugged face and sturdy build, chuckled upon hearing this.

"What are you afraid of? You guessed it was him because you know I didn't do it, so naturally you suspect him."

There are still many people outside saying that I reported Chen Dengming, trying to smear me. I hate them so much I want to grind my teeth in anger.

But while there is suspicion, does anyone have evidence to prove that it was someone surnamed Hua who did it?

Besides, even if there is evidence, so what? Elders, are you going to kill that Hua fellow over something so trivial?"

"That's not true. Hua Zhenyu himself has been at the Pseudo-Core stage for over ten years, and he might reach the Golden Core stage in a few years. His uncle is even a Golden Core Late Stage cultivator from the Evergreen Gate. His influence... sigh, Senior Brother Tan, your only weakness is your influence."

"There's no need to mention those things."

The sturdy man picked up his teacup, shook his head, and said, "Taking such a small risk to compete for a position in the Longevity Seed —for us cultivators, this might be the only opportunity we have in our lifetime. Who wouldn't give it their all?"

It seems that the man surnamed Hua has already won the voting round, and he also holds a significant advantage in terms of seniority.

Now, let alone me, even Chen Dengming isn't necessarily guaranteed victory. Some of my plans need to be revised."

As he finished speaking, the sturdy man's expression became complicated. He sighed with regret, feeling a great deal of resentment, but there was nothing he could do at that moment.

He had thought that Chen Dengming would have a chance to win the vote and beat Hua Zhenyu.

As a result, Hua Zhenyu lost the voting round.

And he was able to surpass Chen Dengming in terms of seniority.

Even among those competing for Longevity Seed, he wasn't without a sliver of a chance.

No one is willing to give up as long as there is even the slightest chance.

But now, Hua Zhenyu has established a dominant position, and there is absolutely no hope for him to stand out again.

In that case, it would be better to sell Chen Dengming out, help Chen Dengming advance further, and then take a step back to broaden one's horizons and seek the next Longevity Seed.

"Senior Brother Tan, are you really determined to support Chen Dengming? If you're going to support Chen Dengming now, why didn't you support Hua Zhenyu before?"

"Everyone had the advantage before, who could have predicted the current situation? Could you, with your hindsight, have foreseen this?"

Besides, don't you all know what kind of person Hua Zhenyu, that hypocritical fellow, is?

Now they're using these petty tricks to smear me.

"Hmph, if Chen Dengming becomes Longevity Seed being, he might even cause a misunderstanding because of this and come after me."

"That's true. Compared to Hua Zhenyu, Senior Brother Chen's reputation is indeed more genuine and better. I've heard he's very loyal and righteous."

Cao Yan had helped him once, Cao Yan died at the hands of the Soul Devouring Sect cultivator, so he avenged Cao Yan.

Tan Siyan stood up, paced around the pavilion, and sighed softly, "If I miss this one, the next one won't be for another thirty or forty years. Oh well. The merit-based selection is about to begin, so I'll give Chen Dengming a big gift: if he can't compete, he can join."

The selection of the most viable Longevity Seed is indeed about to begin.

The meeting was scheduled for three days from now, to take place in the large fighting arena at the foot of Changqing Peak.

In the Heavenly Timing, Hua Zhenyu has surpassed Chen Dengming to take first place on the candidate voting list, leading by more than two thousand votes and maintaining a very high advantage.

However, just when many people thought the situation had been settled.

On the third day, Chen Dengming's votes suddenly surged by three thousand.

Ran Yiqiang, the Golden Core Elder of the Merit Hall, actually cast his vote directly for Chen Dengming.

Immediately, Chen Dengming's votes were overtaken again.

This unexpected turn of events immediately attracted the attention of many people.

"Isn't Elder Ran close to Tan Siyan? Why would he suddenly vote for Chen Dengming?"

At the edge of the fighting square at the foot of Changqing Peak, nearly a hundred armchairs and tea tables have already been arranged, creating a unique ambiance for tea tasting and fighting.

Hua Zhenyu arrived early and sat in one of the armchairs. When he received the latest news about the votes, his brows furrowed slightly, but he quickly composed himself and maintained his smile, though he had many plans in mind.

He knew that Tan Siyan had probably given up, but instead chose to sponsor Chen Dengming.

This despicable behavior ignited a nameless rage within him, but to maintain his image, he had no choice but to suppress it.

Now Ran Yiqiang has voted for Chen Dengming, and True Man Yu Ding Ye Yong has an excellent relationship with Chen Dengming.

Adding another Qiu Feng to the mix makes the situation quite unfavorable for him.

"In that case, Sect Leader Xing's vote will be especially important."

Tan Siyan, this is a heavy blow to me at a crucial moment!

Hua Zhenyu felt increasingly annoyed as he Tan Siyan's face.

At that moment, voices came from outside.

Elders and deacons arrived one after another from afar, riding on their Escape Light.

Among them, a massive Black Panther stood out with its imposing presence, particularly amidst the many radiant lights.

After the Black Panther landed, a group of male and female cultivators strolled leisurely towards them from the corridor surrounding the arena, chatting and laughing.

Among the crowd, a woman stood out with her slender and graceful figure, straight waist, and delicate steps. Her elegant and dignified demeanor was impeccable, attracting the attention of many male cultivators who secretly watched her.

However, what attracted even more attention, and who appealed to both men and women, was another tall and robust cultivator beside the woman, with a handsome face and flowing white hair at his temples as he looked around.

Upon seeing his signature white hair at the temples, the many disciples of the Longevity Sect surrounding the outer stands of the arena began to stir and discuss among themselves.

"Chen Dengming."

Hua Zhenyu's eyes flashed, and he stood up, looking directly at him.

Chen Dengming was chatting and laughing with some Senior Brother when he noticed a gaze from afar.

His piercing gaze swept past He Yingyu beside him and landed on Hua Zhenyu in the distance. He smiled slightly and gave a polite greeting.

Hua Zhenyu's heart tightened, feeling an intense pressure from the gaze coming from afar, which made his heart tremble.

It's unclear whether this is psychological or if the Divine Sense will contained in the other person's eyes is truly that strong.

"Indeed very strong!"

Hua Zhenyu frowned, recalling the several simulated battles he had with the opponent inside the Illusory True Cave.

Even inside the Illusory True Cave, it took him two attempts to defeat his opponent.

As is well known, the simulated enemies recorded within the Illusory True Cave are generally much weaker than real opponents, and are more rigid and easier to deal with.

In this round of competition based on ability, he can only try his best to last longer, at least longer than other candidates, in order to get a higher evaluation and maintain his advantage.

In the distance, as Chen Dengming turned his gaze away, he saw the stocky Tan Siyan walking towards him with a hearty laugh, greeting Chen Dengming politely.

"Junior Brother Chen, your strength is beyond doubt. I just hope that during the upcoming duel, you'll give your Senior Brother some face, haha."

"Senior Brother Tan is too modest."

Just as Chen Dengming was about to speak, he suddenly received a Tan Siyan.

"Junior Brother Chen, by asking Elder Ran to vote for you, I am completely giving up on this year's election for Longevity Seed and fully supporting you. I sincerely hope you will be elected as Longevity Seed."

"Oh?"

Chen Dengming was surprised. He looked at Tan Siyan's meaningful eyes and the intriguing smile on her lips, understood her meaning, smiled, and nodded in a telepathic message.

"Thank you so much for your kind support, Senior Brother Tan!"

After exchanging pleasantries, the two walked together to the area with armchairs and took their seats.

At this moment, many Golden Core Elders, stewards, and pseudo-Golden Core cultivators of the Longevity Sect arrived on their Escape Light and took their seats in the area of the Grand Master's Chair.

The stands in the distance were already filled with disciples of the Longevity Sect.

Those that can't be seated will fly in the air and observe from high above.

In an instant, countless spiritual lights flickered in the air near Changqing Peak, like countless starlight lanterns hanging in the sky.

The buzzing of conversations mingled with the wind, and the warmth of everyone's breath seemed to raise the temperature of the air.

This scene was indeed a grand event for the Longevity Sect.

Chen Dengming had just sat down and taken a sip of tea when he received a telepathic message from He Yingyu.

"Junior Brother, Hua Zhenyu has such a smiling face, he's obviously no good. He's the one who's been lying and framing you.

Lately, there have been frequent attempts to smear Senior Brother Tan; I think it's all the work of that man surnamed Hua."

Chen Dengming calmly transmitted his voice, "Whether it's him or not, I will still go all out in the battle later."

"Right now, my situation is not optimistic in terms of both voting and qualifications, so the only way to turn things around is through a contest of strength."

"Are you planning to use Daoist script?"

"If they don't have any other special preparations, I shouldn't need to use Dao script. But Sect Leader Xing is aware of the power of Dao script, so if he really has to use it, it won't be a problem."

After he finished speaking, he politely smiled and nodded to Rao Ling, who was waving to him from a distance.

Currently, it seems that among the five candidates, apart from Hu Yan Shunbin is rather aloof and keeps to himself, the others, including Hua Zhenyu, are all good at socializing and will still take the initiative to greet each other even when they are rivals.

At this moment, he was calm and focused his gaze on the battle arena Formation that was gradually rising with Formation light not far away.

Having experienced countless life-or-death battles over the years, mere sparring and duels no longer excite or excite him; his mind remains as calm as still water.

However, this kind of battle scene, which resembled a martial arts contest in a ring, was the first time he had ever seen it since entering the Cultivation World.

Especially since it was conducted in front of so many people, it was quite a unique event.

Chen Dengming pondered which Technique Method and Law Treasure artifacts would be most suitable to use in the upcoming battle.

With the brothers Zhu Xun not by his side, he was missing one of his fighting techniques.

However, it didn't have a significant impact, because the one-eyed creature he had obtained from the evil spirit was still in his possession.

"Quiet!"

Just then, from the chairman's position at the very front, a majestic and powerful Divine Sense transmission, like a gust of wind spreading instantly, clearly entered the ears of all the disciples.

The scene fell silent instantly.

The speaker was none other than Xing Huiguang, the head of the Longevity Sect.

His eyes gleamed with a sharp light. He flew to the top of the fighting arena and unleashed a beam of light by making a hand seal.

Instantly, a Law Artifact flew out from within the beam of light, transforming into a giant light screen that projected its image and the scene of the battle arena onto it, presenting it to everyone's eyes.

"Live broadcast on a large screen?"

Chen Dengming mentally scoffed, then heard Xing Huiguang begin announcing the rules and process for the Longevity Seed to compete in strength.

Chen Dengming was already familiar with this set of rules and procedures.

The first thing to do is to compare their cultivation levels and Cultivation Method to determine their relative cultivation levels.

After that, the main thing is that the five people will almost always fight against the other four people, unless the opponent voluntarily gives up and admits defeat. The principle of fighting is to stop as soon as possible.

In terms of the level of cultivation Cultivation Method, Chen Dengming had no advantage whatsoever; in fact, he could be said to be at the very bottom.

After all, he had only been at the False Core Realm for a few years, and in terms of accumulated experience, he was naturally inferior to the other candidates.

Fortunately, the level of cultivation only accounts for 30% of the strength score; the main factor is the result of the final sparring match.

Soon after Xing Huiguang finished reading the rules, he directly called out the candidates for the first duel according to the list.

"Chen Dengming!"

"Hu Yan Shunbin!"

Hu Yan Shunbin, who was sitting in a grand chair, glanced at Hua Zhenning not far away, then looked away. His eyes flashed with a cold light.

Although he was aloof and arrogant, and held himself in high esteem, he knew that he was no match for Chen Baimao, who could slay a Golden Core cultivator.

Unless there are special circumstances, after a few rounds of sparring, you can simply admit defeat.

After all, given the current situation, it's clear that he has no chance of winning the Longevity Seed; this is just a formality.

But having already accepted the promised benefits from Hua Zhenning, he had to fulfill his promise and do his duty to weaken Chen Dengming as much as possible, and ideally even injure him.

"If Junior Brother Chen treats me with disrespect, I am not without my chance."

Hu Yan Shunbin rose and walked toward the arena.

"Junior Brother!"

He Yingyu looked at Chen Dengming with her clear, bright eyes, her gaze filled with encouragement.

Chen Dengming nodded slightly, put down his teacup, and calmly walked out.

The arena was a full five hundred feet in diameter, and it was now shrouded by the Mountain Protecting Formation of Changqing Peak.

Once activated, this Mountain Protecting Formation is so strong that even a group of Golden Core Great Cultivator cultivators working together would find it difficult to break through in a short time. It is more than sufficient as a safety shield for the arena of combat.

"I will act as the referee for this contest. You may begin."

Guan Chao flew above the dueling arena, looked down at the two below, and announced.

"Junior Brother Chen, please show mercy!"

Inside the arena, Hu Yan Shunbin and Chen Dengming stood facing each other, raising their hands in a gesture of respect.

Chen Dengming also raised his hand, about to say something polite.

Hu Yan Shunbin, however, unleashed his spiritual power, condensed his Core Power, and with a powerful shout, he formed a hand seal. The sound wave, like a thunderclap on flat ground, instantly created a terrifying ripple that merged into his Divine Sense.

The impact struck Chen Dengming in an instant, as if it would shatter his eardrums and brain.

Chen Dengming felt a deafening roar in his ears and a slight buzzing in his mind. An incomparably powerful and sharp energy surged forth with the sound waves, like a raging torrent.

This sudden and insidious attack, though cunning, was absolutely powerful enough to catch anyone off guard and inevitably lead to their demise.

However, Chen Dengming's Divine Sense was filled with surging Dao power, and his State of Mind was even more stable and powerful.

He regained consciousness in a mere instant, his eyes suddenly blazing with power, and his Divine Sense, activated by the Sacred Heart Art and the Spirit Refining Art, condensed into two icy vortexes.

Like two abysses devouring the spirit, they instantly swallowed the incoming Divine Sense. The raging sound waves impacted his body, triggering the protective armor of his Jiamu Mage Robe, creating ripples on the protective shield.

"Um?"

Hu Yan Shunbin felt as if his Divine Sense, which he had unleashed, had vanished as quickly as a mud ox sinking into the sea.

It even gave him a feeling of palpitations and weakness, and he immediately had to quickly withdraw his Divine Sense.

However, at this moment, Chen Dengming's eyes shone as brightly as lamps, his long hair danced like flames, and the vortex in his eyes emitted an even stronger suction force, making it impossible for him to even withdraw his Divine Sense. He could only endure it.

Suddenly, a bizarre scene unfolded.

The two stood motionless in the arena, like two stone sculptures, their clothes completely still.

Their eyes, however, were like Divine Weapons, their sharpness fully revealed, clashing in the void.

As the two immense forces clashed, the arena was instantly filled with a surge of powerful energy.

Chen Dengming used the Sacred Heart Art combined with the Membrane Technique to devour Hu Yan Shunbin's Divine Sense. His figure stood like a solitary peak, hands behind his back, and he said calmly, "Senior Brother Huyan, since you are so ruthless from the start, then don't say that your Junior Brother will show no mercy."

Hu Yan Shunbin was shocked. Chen Dengming was able to speak so calmly under the pressure of his Divine Sense battle with him, which proved that his Divine Sense power had surpassed his own by a lot. Hu Yanshun was just showing off his limited skills in front of Lu Ban.

If this confrontation continues, he will be exhausted, and even if he doesn't die on the spot, he will definitely suffer a great loss.

"Ah!!--"

He let out a long roar, hardened his heart, and resolutely severed his own Divine Sense.

A sharp pain surged through his mind, making him feel as if his head had been struck by a heavy hammer, leaving him almost completely blank.

But in that instant, he bit his tongue to resist, trying his best to stay awake. At the same time, he activated his Core Power to the fullest extent, like a still deep pool turning into a tornado. A Law Treasure that looked like a giant hammer suddenly grew larger, flashing with Golden Light, and its power was awe-inspiring, like Mount Tai pressing down on him.

"Certainly!"

In that instant, Chen Dengming stretched out his hand, unleashing the Puppet Technique. His eyes flashed like lightning, gleaming with a blue light, as if he wanted to see through his opponent's heart and soul.

Instantly, a large amount of Wood Elemental Spiritual Energy formed Cyan Light and entered Hu Yan Shunbin's body.

His body stiffened slightly for a moment.

Before he could react, Chen Dengming strode forward, his inner Core Power highly concentrated, and suddenly twisted his waist, throwing a punch.

Laugh!--

The Law Treasure Soul Shocking Silk, coalesced into a highly condensed, astonishingly bright white beam of light. It rubbed against the air at high speed, bursting out with a faint red glow, as if forming a compressed, high-pressure Qi Pillar, heading straight for Hu Yan Shunbin.

Guan Chao, who was acting as referee in mid-air, felt his heart pounding and was on high alert, ready to save the person at any moment.

Hu Yan Shunbin was the first to be affected, and upon sensing the intense threat of death, he unleashed his Core Power to break free from the Puppet Technique.

Boom!

A semi-circular defensive Law Artifact instantly appeared around his body, and the giant hammer simultaneously emitted a scorching Golden Light as it smashed out.

A loud clang rang out!

The air exploded, leaving behind a cloud of milky white sound barriers. A shockwave suddenly spread out, blasting the giant hammer-shaped Law Treasure apart.

Almost simultaneously, a loud clang rang out and sparks flew.

The defensive magic Law Artifact outside Hu Yan Shunbin's body was pierced by the condensed Soul Shocking Silk, and fell to the ground with a 'clatter,' the cut was bright red, and it seemed to have melted.

"Bang!"

Hu Yan Shunbin was blasted away, crashing heavily into the ground behind him. He smashed the stone bricks, creating a long gash that splintered like tofu, and a huge cloud of dust rose up.

He coughed up a mouthful of blood, his robes were ruined, and everything went black before his eyes. Under the double blow to his mind and body, he fainted on the spot.

The disciples in the surrounding stands fell silent for a moment, then a clamor arose.

Even many of the fake alchemists and stewards who were sitting in the grand master's chair stood up, their expressions filled with disbelief.

That's incredibly fast.

Although everyone had already anticipated that Hu Yan Shunbin was no match for Chen Dengming.

However, in many people's eyes, the two only stared at each other for a couple of breaths before Hu Yan Shunbin summoned his Law Treasure.

As a result, Chen Dengming threw a punch, which blasted away Hu Yan Shunbin's Law Treasure and sent him flying, spitting blood and falling unconscious.

It appears that Hu Yan Shunbin was defeated in just one round.

This is a candidate for the Longevity Seed, Hu Yan Shunbin is also a member of the pro-war faction, so his combat strength is definitely not weak.

But the current performance

The smile that Hua Zhenyu had maintained on his face gradually froze, and a chill even began to creep into his heart.

The strength of our competitors has truly exceeded our expectations.

(Requesting monthly votes)