The Day of the Duel, the Might of the Great Emperor!

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse.

Ye Xi took his leave of Ye Qingge and stepped outside; it was already dark, and a cool breeze was blowing.

He looked up to see dots of campfires scattered across the mountains.

In some places, it was exceptionally bright; those were the major sects, which did not rely on campfires for light but instead hoisted magical treasures into the air.

The magical treasures hung in the sky like bright moons, radiating brilliance.

Because of a diary entry by the Immortal Great Emperor, the area within hundreds of miles of Cangwu Mountain was completely overcrowded.

It was quite lively!

"The day of the decisive battle against the An Clan is the day after tomorrow!"

Ye Xi murmured to himself, hesitating for a moment before his figure flew off into the darkness.

The next moment.

He had arrived at the summit of a ten-thousand-foot peak, where he bowed toward the ground and said, "Mistress! Your disciple Ye Xi has come to seek an audience!"

The wilderness was silent.

The only response was the chirping of insects and the rustling of branches blowing in the wind.

Ye Xi sighed helplessly and spoke again, "Mistress..."

However, before he could finish his sentence, the ground beneath his feet shook, and with a loud crack, a fissure split open.

Billowing black mist began to permeate from the crack.

Within the black mist, a pair of sharp eyes landed on Ye Xi, and a voice emerged:

"I told you long ago, I am not your mistress!"

"Are you looking to die, you brat?"

Ye Xi smiled upon hearing this, completely unbothered as he said, "Mistress, I often hear Master speak of you..."

"He says you are the most gentle, kind, and understanding person he has ever met. Even though you speak harsh words, your heart is incredibly pure and kind."

Ye Xi paused, then continued, "He also said you have a sharp tongue but a soft heart..."

Within the black mist, that hazy figure swayed slightly.

Her light purple pupils softened a fraction at that moment.

"Enough, stop talking!"

Great Emperor Zhitong asked bluntly, "What exactly do you want me to do?"

Ye Xi's face lit up with joy, and after a moment of thought, he laid out some of his plans.

Half an hour later.

As Ye Xi prepared to leave, he took out a box, handed it to Great Emperor Zhitong, and said, "Mistress!"

"This is a gift Master prepared specifically for you before he left, and he made me promise to deliver it to you personally!"

Great Emperor Zhitong fell silent, and for a long time, there was no movement from within the black mist.

A moment later.

She finally took the box and opened it to find a single red bean seed.

Great Emperor Zhitong was puzzled: "Why would he send me a red bean seed for no reason?"

Ye Xi smiled without answering, then began to recite softly:

"Red beans grow in the southern land; how many branches sprout in the spring? I wish for you to gather many, for they are the symbols of deepest longing."

As Ye Xi's voice faded, two lines of tears streamed down Great Emperor Zhitong's face.

Great Emperor Zhitong whispered to herself, "I wish for you to gather many, for they are the symbols of deepest longing."

"But, why did you..."

Ye Xi waited a moment before saying, "Mistress, although I don't know what happened,"

"I am sure Master had his reasons back then. When he returns, he will naturally explain everything to you clearly."

After Ye Xi finished speaking, he bowed once more, and his figure drifted away.

In the blink of an eye, he vanished into the night.

He thought to himself, For the sake of Master and Mistress's happy life, I am really pushing myself!

A long time passed.

Great Emperor Zhitong looked at the red bean in her hand as if it were a precious treasure, and only after a long while did she let out a cold snort and say:

"Fine, then we shall see how you try to talk your way out of this when the time comes!"

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Early morning.

The eastern sky had just begun to turn a pale white when the three ancestors of the An Clan emerged from their secret chamber.

An Shanyuan led the most powerful cultivators of the An Clan, standing by in strict formation.

In another hour, their An Clan would be heading to a life-or-death duel.

The outcome of this battle concerned the survival of the entire family!

An Yujun, dressed in a black robe, scanned the crowd with a calm expression and laughed:

"Let's go. Since our An Clan dared to propose this decisive battle, we shouldn't keep our fellow daoists waiting."

Above the An Clan's ancestral grounds, figures shot out like bolts of lightning.

Then, like a swarm of locusts, they flew toward the vast mountain range in the distance.

The site for this duel was set on a plain several hundred miles away from Cangwu Mountain.

The plain was vast and boundless.

It was perfectly suited for watching the battle and for both sides to unleash their full divine abilities!

At this moment, the surroundings of the once-empty plain were already packed with people, with various factions gathered together.

Yuan Ruoyu, Ye Qingge, and others were also among the crowd.

Super-powers like the Jade Pool Holy Land and the Liyue Immortal Dynasty naturally occupied the core area.

The further back one was, the more they had to channel their mana just to catch a glimpse.

Of course, in a battle of this level, being too close carried certain risks.

When Mahayana Realm cultivators strike with their full power, even the shockwaves of the combat are more than ordinary cultivators can withstand.

In the distance, the sound of air being torn apart echoed.

Everyone looked up, their smiles growing even more excited.

Incredibly thrilled!

The people of the An Clan had arrived; the duel was about to begin!

Among the crowd, many cultivators looked at the members of the An Clan with eyes full of admiration, surprised that they actually dared to show up under these circumstances.

Before this, many cultivators had speculated whether this so-called decisive battle was just a ruse by the An Clan.

The goal being to stall for time so they could move the secrets of Cangwu Mountain...

Only at this moment did everyone believe that the An Clan truly intended to challenge all the gathered factions with the strength of a single clan!

Such spirit was worthy of respect.

On one side of the open plain, the An Clan members descended slowly, each of them wearing a solemn expression, as if facing a formidable enemy.

An Shanyuan stepped forward a few paces, his voice infused with mana as he spoke:

"Today is the day of the agreed-upon duel. The An Clan keeps its word; we have come to accept the challenge!"

An Shanyuan drew a deep breath and continued: "A fair duel, life or death is of no consequence!"

"At the same time, I hope all fellow daoists will remember: if my An Clan is fortunate enough to win, you shall all depart and never bring this matter up again!"

As his voice fell, most of the 'coalition' side nodded repeatedly.

If the experts chosen by so many factions were to lose to the An Clan, what face would they have left to demand that others unlock the secrets of Cangwu Mountain?

"Since that is the case, let us begin!"

An Shanyuan slowly retreated, and one of the An Clan's ancestors soared into the air.

An overwhelming aura erupted as An Yuheng shouted: "An Clan, An Yuheng. Who dares to come forward for a battle?"

Yuan Ruoyu narrowed her eyes as she sized up An Yuheng, her expression turning grave.

The three ancestors of the An Clan were once legendary figures in the cultivation world.

Each had been a prodigy who led their own era.

It was only in recent years, as the An Clan rose to prominence, that the three ancestors had mostly remained in seclusion, causing many to forget their fearsome reputations.

A moment later.

The tall figure of the Great Elder Cang Yuan also soared into the air, his aura climbing steadily.

"Cang Yuan of the Jade Pool Holy Land, here to cross paths with Fellow Daoist An!"

The two stood facing each other from a distance of several dozen feet, their gazes clashing.

Having Cang Yuan fight first was the result of the group's deliberations.

In this instant, the previously noisy crowd suddenly fell into complete silence.

It was terrifyingly quiet!

Everyone present couldn't help but hold their breath, their eyes burning as they stared at the two figures in the sky.

This was the first duel, and its impact was significant!

"Who do you think will win?"

"Hard to say!"

"I'm leaning towards Cang Yuan. After all, he is the Great Elder of the Jade Pool Holy Land, possessing countless cultivation resources and being a person of exceptional talent himself!"

"You shouldn't be so certain. The three ancestors of the An Clan were all legendary figures who dominated their era back in the day!"

"Furthermore, the An Clan has risen rapidly, and they aren't lacking in resources either!"

After a brief moment of silence, a boom erupted, and the crowd exploded like a boiling pot.

The scene instantly became clamorous once again.

Various noisy discussions rang out incessantly.

Ye Qingge's expression was cold and stern; she stared at those two figures, lost in her own thoughts.

Yuan Ruoyu also wore a grave expression.

However, in a corner of the sky, perched upon a single leaf.

Ye Xi was sitting there nonchalantly, eating Hot Pot, seemingly completely unconcerned about this duel.

Qiao Xi rolled her eyes at him and said, "You're involved in this too. You're about to go on stage, and you still have the heart to eat a feast?"

Ye Xi answered as if it were only natural, "How can I have the strength to fight if I'm not full?"

"..."

Qiao Xi was speechless. You're in the Mahayana Realm, okay? If you need to be full to have strength, then everyone else might as well just die.

She looked at Ye Xi, a flash of complexity crossing her eyes...

At first, Qiao Xi thought Ye Xi was just a junior from some cultivation family, but later she discovered that he was a mighty expert in the Mahayana Realm!

Moreover, she had checked, and there really wasn't a single surname called Nicholas among the cultivation families.

Qiao Xi found the person before her increasingly unfathomable, like a mystery.

It left her mind in a state of chaos.

Ye Xi looked up at her and said, "Eat quickly, why aren't you eating? If it's overcooked, it'll get tough! You have to eat it while it's tender!"

At this moment, the two figures confronting each other on the plain finally moved.

An Yuheng sneered, shook his head, and said, "Fellow Daoist Cang Yuan, be careful!"

As his voice fell, his aura surged once again!

An incredibly astonishing pressure instantly crushed down like a mountain-toppling sea.

At this moment, everyone was shocked!

This pressure—it was a Great Emperor!

An Yuheng of the An Clan was not a late-stage Mahayana Realm cultivator, but a Great Emperor in the Tribulation Transcendence Realm.

Data is very important during the new book period; I request Black Silk and a whip!