Gu Changge barely suppressed the shock within him and looked at Chu Kuangren, saying coldly, "No matter what, I will defeat you today!!"
After coming all this way, he was only half a step away from forging an invincible heart. If he lost to Chu Kuangren now, all his efforts would fall short at the final hurdle!
He would not allow that to happen.
"Crown Prince, this man's strength is profound. I'm afraid..."
The white-robed elder suddenly spoke hesitantly.
He did not finish, but his meaning was already clear.
Chu Kuangren possessed a Supreme Dao Body, had mastered a Sage King Law, and had forged the three supreme foundations. His combat strength far exceeded his own cultivation realm.
A single slash had just gravely injured Gu Changge.
If they kept fighting, Gu Changge would undoubtedly lose!
"Old Ouyang, let the youngsters settle their own affairs. Why are you meddling?" Venerable Xuanqi's tone held a hint of amusement as he looked at the white-robed elder.
The white-robed elder's compound surname was Ouyang. He was an Attendant of the Qingyun Dynasty and Gu Changge's Dao Protector, and his cultivation had already reached the Venerable Realm.
"I am the Crown Prince's Dao Protector. Naturally, I must consider his interests."
Elder Ouyang spoke evenly.
"But this is a battle between young Heavenly Prides. Even as his Dao Protector, you have no right to interfere with the Qingyun Crown Prince's wishes, do you?"
After speaking, Venerable Xuanqi looked at Gu Changge. "Well, Crown Prince? Will you fight or not? If not, just surrender."
Chu Kuangren glanced at Venerable Xuanqi. This master he had acquired so easily wanted to shatter Gu Changge's invincible heart.
"I will fight! I said I would defeat him!" Gu Changge said coldly, waving a hand to stop Elder Ouyang, who still wanted to dissuade him.
"Very good."
Venerable Xuanqi smiled as his plan succeeded, then secretly transmitted his voice to Chu Kuangren. "Kuangren, if Gu Changge forges his invincible heart, he will become a major obstacle on your Emperor Road!
"He is gravely wounded now. Even with a Sage Artifact, defeating him will be as easy as turning your hand. In a moment, use your full strength to defeat him! Shatter his invincible heart, and he will never again be able to contend with you on the Emperor Road!"
Something stirred within Chu Kuangren. So Venerable Xuanqi had goaded Gu Changge for his sake, seeking to remove an obstacle from his Emperor Road.
Without betraying anything, he nodded slightly to show he understood.
Gu Changge's aura was feeble, but his eyes revealed an unprecedented will to fight.
He said to Chu Kuangren, "I have a feeling that once I defeat you, my invincible heart will reach complete fruition!!"
Chu Kuangren said nothing, merely regarding him calmly.
As though victory was already in his grasp.
Gu Changge sneered. "You think that just because you gravely injured me, you can seize this chance to defeat me? Then you couldn't be more mistaken!
"I am the Qingyun Crown Prince. How could any of you fathom my methods? Let me show you what I can truly do!"
"After all that nonsense, are you going to use your true dragon essence blood or not?" Chu Kuangren suddenly said impatiently.
At those words, Gu Changge's expression froze. Then, with horror in his eyes, he said, "How do you know I have true dragon essence blood?!"
The true dragon essence blood had been bestowed upon him by his imperial father. It was his greatest lifesaving trump card; even his Dao Protector did not know about it.
Yet Chu Kuangren had exposed it with a single remark!
Earlier, Chu Kuangren had likewise revealed that his Dragon-Killing Fist had reached major mastery. It left him feeling as though the other man had seen through him inside and out.
That feeling was far too terrifying, sending a chill down his spine.
Could he deduce heaven's secrets and possess the gift of foresight?
Foresight was an exceedingly rare gift that allowed one to foresee the future. Tianjizi, who had deduced that the Emperor Road would reopen in this era, was one such person, and the most accomplished known seer at that.
A Supreme Dao Body, supreme foundations, foresight...
Just how many more methods did this man have hidden away?!
Gu Changge swallowed, a trace of fear rising within him.
But he suppressed it with his powerful Dao heart, then said with a resolute gaze, "So what if you are a seer? Today, I will forge my invincible heart with your blood!! It will help me ascend to the supreme imperial throne!!"
With a roar, Gu Changge's aura erupted!
He burned the drop of true dragon essence blood within him, and an incomparably surging power instantly erupted. Blood-red radiance shot skyward as patterns of the Great Dao manifested, faintly intertwining into a supreme true dragon!!
The true dragon roared, its might shaking heaven and earth!
Countless beasts and living creatures across ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers prostrated themselves, trembling as they bowed their heads toward the Mystic Heaven Sect!
"This is dragon might!"
"True dragon essence blood! Gu Changge actually had a drop of true dragon essence blood hidden within him! Judging by this might, it came from a true dragon at least in the Supreme Supreme Realm. Damn it, this is going to be troublesome."
The expressions of Venerable Xuanqi, Elder Ruyan, and the others shifted slightly.
They were ready to act at any moment to suppress Gu Changge.
Chu Kuangren possessed a Supreme Dao Body. He absolutely could not suffer even the slightest harm.
A dragon's cry echoed through heaven and earth, its might shaking all living beings.
At that moment, Gu Changge also changed. His gravely wounded body recovered instantly, and fine Dragon Scales grew across his face. The Sage Artifact he wore, the Dragon Scale Armor, also shone with brilliant golden light.
Gu Changge clenched his fingers, and terrifying spiritual power burst forth, whipping the air into violent waves. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he felt the power surging within him, his face full of pleasure. "I feel as though I could fight a Battle King!"
Battle King was the realm above Void Insight. Gu Changge had now reached the point where he could fight a Battle King, showing just how powerful the true dragon essence blood was!
"To force me to use this final method, the Mystic Heaven Sect's Supreme Dao Body truly lives up to its reputation! But there is only one imperial throne, and it belongs to me!!"
"Come, let me grant you defeat!"
"Become the stepping stone for my ascent to the imperial throne!!"
Gu Changge looked at Chu Kuangren, his black hair flying, his wild arrogance on full display.
Immediately afterward, his spiritual power erupted and Daoist Rhyme circulated. A surge of phenomenal power gathered into a golden dragon silhouette behind him.
"Dragon Vein Dao Body Phenomenon!"
"Dragon Scale Armor, activate!"
"Dragon-Killing Fist!!"
Gu Changge burned the true dragon essence blood, unleashed his phenomenon, activated the power of his Sage Artifact, then executed the major-mastery Sage Law, Dragon-Killing Fist, striking toward Chu Kuangren.
Boundless, terrifying might shook the void.
Surging spiritual power battered the air furiously, sending rings of shock waves spreading outward as a ferocious dragon-shaped fist force soared forth!
That punch made space ripple violently.
Boundless dragon might spread across ten thousand miles, shaking mountains and rivers!
Everyone stared fixedly at that punch and at Chu Kuangren, who was about to receive it. Venerable Xuanqi could barely hold himself back from intervening.
But just then, Chu Kuangren moved.
Streams of profound sword Dao rhythm soared upward, intertwining high in the sky into the Heavenly Dao Sword. Boundless sword qi gushed forth, enveloping the surrounding area and forming what resembled a prison. It was none other than the Nine Heavens Sword Prison!
Then, Daoist Rhyme circulated beneath Chu Kuangren's feet, weaving into a thirty-six-petaled Sword Qi Azure Lotus as waves of Dao sounds echoed through the heavens.
It was the Green Lotus Sword Song phenomenon.
The three Dao body phenomena were fully unleashed once again!
And their might was even greater than when he had faced Nangong Huang!
Immediately afterward, golden light blossomed from Chu Kuangren, and his body became translucent, like golden jade. As he pushed his spiritual power to its limit, his golden jade Dao body had involuntarily manifested.
"Heaven-Slaying Sword-Drawing Art!"
Holding the Kunwu Saint Sword, Chu Kuangren swung once more.
With that effortless stroke, a sword intent of boundless offensive power erupted. Terrifying sword light, flowing with fearsome Daoist Rhyme, collided with the dragon-shaped fist force.
With a thunderous explosion, the fist force was pulverized outright!
The sword light swept forward like a blade splitting bamboo and struck Gu Changge.
The Dragon Vein Dao Body Phenomenon was blasted apart by the sword qi!
The Sage Artifact, the Dragon Scale Armor, was struck until its radiance dimmed and cracks appeared!
The terrifying impact made Gu Changge spew blood once again. His once-vast dragon might was forcibly shattered by that single slash!
"All that nonsense, and in the end, it still only took one slash."
Amid deathly silence, Chu Kuangren spoke calmly.
Before you continue