Heavenly Lion Technique

Some cultivators were fighting atop the Bluestone Platform, all of them Qi Refining Cultivators.

The gold-shirted man and the Gold-Skirted Girl stepped onto a Bluestone Platform. A pale cyan light screen appeared, covering the entire Blue Stone Arena.

"I am Xu Hu of the Spirit Control Sect!"

The gold-shirted man announced his name.

"This little sister is Chen Qian of the Seven Rosy Clouds Sect."

The Gold-Skirted Girl announced her name.

"A match between disciples of the Spirit Control Sect and the Seven Rosy Clouds Sect—now that's rare."

"I wonder who's stronger. This match should be interesting."

"Come on, let's go watch."

Many Qi Refining Cultivators gathered around. As the Immortal Ascension Assembly approached, a great number of Qi Refining Cultivators had poured into Yunmeng Mountain. Conflicts between them were unavoidable, and the Martial Arts Arena was meant for sparring matches, where they stopped at the proper point.

If lives were lost, the Five Great Powers would intervene.

Shen Long stared intently at the Bluestone Platform. He too wanted to see the fighting methods of disciples from the Seven Rosy Clouds Sect and the Spirit Control Sect.

As soon as the match began, Xu Hu slapped the Spirit Beast Bag at his waist. A red light and a cyan light flew out, revealing a massive tiger over a zhang long and a cyan strange bird with a lion's head and an eagle's body.

The giant tiger stood half a zhang tall, its body covered in crimson mane. Two sharp canine teeth protruded from its mouth, making it look exceptionally ferocious, while a crimson tail lashed behind it.

The cyan strange bird spread its wings several zhang wide, covered in cyan feathers. Beneath its belly were a pair of cyan lion claws, and it let out a low roar.

"Crimson Flame Tiger! Lion-Eagle Beast!"

Chen Qian's willow brows furrowed. Both the Crimson Flame Tiger and Lion-Eagle Beast were First Rank Late Stage.

"Go! Let her have a taste of your power."

Xu Hu swept his sleeve. The Crimson Flame Tiger opened its blood-filled maw and spat out more than ten millstone-sized Crimson Fireballs, which shot straight toward Chen Qian.

The Lion-Eagle Beast lightly flapped its wings, sending over ten cyan wind blades, each about a foot long, flying toward Chen Qian.

Golden Light lit up across Chen Qian's body, and a thick Golden Light Screen appeared close against her skin, shielding her entire body. She produced a Golden Small Umbrella, opened it, and spun it rapidly.

More than ten Crimson Fireballs struck the surface of the Golden Small Umbrella in succession. After a series of thunderous explosions, billowing flames engulfed the Golden Small Umbrella. The cyan wind blades struck its surface, producing dull clangs of metal against metal.

The Crimson Flame Tiger pounced from the left. Chen Qian flicked her right hand, sending out a white Talisman that transformed into more than ten White Ice Spikes over two feet long, hurtling toward the Crimson Flame Tiger.

The Crimson Flame Tiger opened its blood-filled maw and spewed a thick Crimson Flame to meet them.

Several White Ice Spikes collided with the Crimson Flame and vanished at once, erupting into a large cloud of white mist. A few White Ice Spikes struck the Crimson Flame Tiger, but they did not so much as scratch an itch.

A golden, gleaming rope appeared from within the white mist without warning, arriving before the Crimson Flame Tiger in an instant.

Before the Crimson Flame Tiger could dodge, its four limbs were bound by the golden rope, and it fell to the ground.

The Lion-Eagle Beast swooped down from the sky, its pair of cyan lion claws shooting straight at Chen Qian.

The corners of Chen Qian's lips lifted slightly. With a flick of her right hand, a white Talisman flew out and exploded instantly. A surge of bone-chilling cold gushed forth, and white ice flecks appeared across the Lion-Eagle Beast's body, slowing it down.

She flicked her right hand again, sending out a golden, gleaming net that covered the Lion-Eagle Beast. It rapidly tightened, trapping it within.

The Lion-Eagle Beast struggled violently but could not break free.

Zhang Yuyan revealed a delighted expression. The Spirit Control Sect was famous throughout the Qin Kingdom Cultivation World for controlling Spirit Insects and Spirit Beasts. Now that the Spirit Beast and Spirit Bird had been trapped, Xu Hu's strength should have been cut by more than half.

"You can control three Dharma Artifacts at once. Your divine sense is far stronger than that of ordinary Qi Refining Cultivators."

Xu Hu said.

Chen Qian put away the Golden Small Umbrella and produced a Golden Flying Knife. At the same time, she slapped the Spirit Beast Bag at her waist, and a white giant python over two zhang long flew out and landed on the ground.

The white giant python exhaled frosty air. Its eyes were snow-white, and white scales covered its body as though it wore a suit of white armor.

A First Rank Late Stage Ice Armor Python!

As a disciple of the Spirit Control Sect, Xu Hu would lose all face if he were defeated by his opponent's Spirit Beast.

"Your Life-Bound Spirit Beasts have already been captured by me. Let's see how you'll fight me now."

Chen Qian said smugly. Her divine sense was much stronger than that of most Qi Refining Cultivators.

The Ice Armor Python opened its blood-filled maw and spat out more than ten White Ice Spikes, which flew straight toward Xu Hu.

Xu Hu wore a mocking expression. He opened his mouth and let out an earth-shaking lion's roar, spewing a Golden Sound Wave toward the Golden Flying Knife and White Ice Spikes.

The Golden Flying Knife collided with the Golden Sound Wave and was instantly knocked flying backward. More than ten White Ice Spikes shattered completely.

Cyan light flared beneath Xu Hu's feet. He turned into an afterimage and rushed straight toward Chen Qian.

Chen Qian's expression changed drastically. With a flick of her right hand, a red Talisman flew out and transformed into more than ten bowl-sized Crimson Fireballs, which smashed toward Xu Hu.

The Ice Armor Python spat out more than ten White Ice Spikes to attack Xu Hu.

Xu Hu became an afterimage and dodged all those attacks. With a flash, he appeared behind Chen Qian, spewing a Golden Sound Wave from his mouth as Golden Light blazed from his right fist. He smashed his fist into the Golden Light Screen.

With a dull bang, the Golden Light Screen shattered like paper mache.

Xu Hu's fist stopped, only an inch from Chen Qian's head.

Chen Qian broke out in a cold sweat. If this had been a life-and-death battle, she would already have died.

"Thank you for yielding, Fairy Chen."

Xu Hu said.

Chen Qian's expression was somewhat unpleasant. She cupped her fists and said, "Fellow Daoist Xu, your Dao techniques are profound. This little sister admires you. I never expected Fellow Daoist Xu to be a Body Cultivator."

"I'm not a Body Cultivator. I merely cultivate the Heavenly Lion Technique, so I'm a little stronger than most. Also, the Spirit Beasts you captured aren't my Life-Bound Spirit Beasts. This was only a sparring match—I wouldn't go so far as to release my Life-Bound Spirit Beasts."

Xu Hu explained, his face full of pride.

Shen Long nodded inwardly, while Zhang Yuyan's expression did not look good.

"My fellow Daoists may take part in the Spirit Control Sect's assessment. Aside from Spirit Beasts, Spirit Birds, and Spirit Insects, our Spirit Control Sect's cultivation techniques are not weak either."

Xu Hu said.

After watching this spar, quite a few Qi Refining Cultivators developed a strong interest in the Spirit Control Sect.

Having lost the match, Chen Qian felt too ashamed to remain. She jumped down from the Bluestone Platform and left, while Zhang Yuyan and Zhang Yuruo left as well.

Shen Long greeted Wei Tianbao and left too.

He arrived at Free Trade Square and began wandering around.

After a while, Shen Long suddenly quickened his pace and came before a small stall. The stall owner was a green-shirted youth in his early twenties, only at the sixth level of Qi Refining. Several ores, Spirit Wood, and Monster Beast Material were displayed on the stall.

Shen Long's gaze fell upon a pale golden ore. He bent down and reached for the golden ore.

"I'll take this Golden Lang Stone. Name your price."

A loud man's voice rang out.

As soon as the words fell, a tall silver-robed youth flashed over and appeared before the stall. Judging by his aura, he was clearly a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

The silver-robed youth carried a long saber on his back, its scabbard carved with exquisite patterns.

"If Senior likes it, please take it."

The young man in green said with an ingratiating smile.

The silver-robed youth took out a Cyan Storage Bag and tossed it to the green-shirted youth. "That's enough, right?"

The green-shirted youth swept it with his divine sense, delight appearing on his face as he hurriedly nodded.

The silver-robed youth put away the golden ore, rose to his feet, and left.

Shen Long felt deeply frustrated. He could have picked up a huge bargain, only for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to cut in and snatch it away.

Golden Lang Stone was a second rank refining material. It could be used to forge Top-Grade Dharma Artifacts and was extremely valuable.

"Fellow Daoist, do you still want Golden Lang Stone?"

The young man in green asked enthusiastically.

Shen Long crouched down, picked up several pieces of golden ore, and inspected them carefully. They were not Golden Lang Stone.