Recently, the most talked-about figure in Shuntian City was undoubtedly Ye Chen.
First, the Ninth Princess had pleaded for him, allowing him to escape with his life. Then he had returned like a king and defeated the Second Prince at the Rune Assembly.
Now that he was taking the stage to compete, his aura had unexpectedly reached the Qi Refining Sixth Layer. It seemed he wanted to create another brilliant feat.
"Ye Chen truly is someone remarkable. Not only are his rune arts outstanding, but his cultivation is no less impressive."
"The Ninth Princess is known as Great Zhou's greatest beauty. Even Shangguan Dongjun admires her. If you ask me, Ye Chen's luck with Peach Blossoms is far stronger than his talent."
"A spell battle is ultimately not rune arts. No matter how gifted Ye Chen is, he cannot possibly defeat Shangguan Mo across realms."
"..."
Hearing the various discussions, Ye Chen's expression did not change in the slightest. He remained absolutely calm, and there was a peculiar charm to his resolute face.
Shangguan Mo folded his arms across his chest, a prideful smile on his face. The Seven-Story Pagoda rose and fell above his head, displaying all the bearing of a genius.
"You're quite something, kid. Unfortunately, you ran into me."
Shangguan Mo's voice was deep, his momentum unstoppable.
"I didn't expect this guy to be such an old master of acting."
Shen Yun's gaze turned strange as he recalled the sight of Shangguan Mo groveling humbly and kneeling to beg for mercy.
Ye Chen ignored Shangguan Mo's words. His figure flashed like Fleeting Light and Shadow as he charged fiercely toward him.
"The kid actually dares to attack first. What nerve!"
Shangguan Mo gave a cold shout. The Seven-Story Pagoda shone brilliantly as layers upon layers of Earth Spiritual Power surged forth.
"Shuji Tower, suppress him!"
With that command, everything within ten meters seemed to freeze solid, and the jade bricks beneath their feet gave off crisp grinding sounds.
Ye Chen's movements seemed to jam. His speed slowed several times over, and every step required immense strength.
The Shuji Tower can draw upon the power of the earth veins and form a Fivefold Gravity Space. Today is this kid's day of death.
Though Shangguan Mo appeared arrogant and disdainful, he never fought a battle without preparation.
He had long investigated Ye Chen and learned that his body was powerful and that he excelled in close combat. The Shuji Tower was the perfect counter to Body Cultivators like him.
"Stone Spear Technique, kill!"
Shangguan Mo pointed two fingers at the ground. Every time Ye Chen took a step, several stone spears besieged him.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The stone spears stabbed in rapid succession. Ye Chen was wounded in an instant, his black robe torn apart to reveal his bronze body. Four crisscrossing bloody gashes covered it, deep enough to expose bone.
A bloodthirsty smile appeared on Shangguan Mo's face. His Dao techniques became even fiercer, like a violent storm, determined to cut Ye Chen down.
Zhou Xingyu smiled faintly, as if he could already see Ye Chen being crippled.
"The gap is simply too great. There is absolute suppression in terms of realm, and Shangguan Mo is one of the finest among the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining."
The spectators could not help shaking their heads. They had already concluded that Ye Chen would lose.
Zhou Ziyou withdrew his gaze and sighed. "What a pity. Shangguan Mo's moves restrain Ye Chen too severely. The overall situation has already been decided."
Zhou Ziyou had also heard many things. Ye Chen's experiences were indeed pitiful, but the Ye Family lacked strength. Its defeat and destruction were also the general trend.
The strong were honored. That was the rule of the Cultivation World.
Though it appeared to be a spell battle with no suspense, Shen Yun's mind was more focused than ever before.
He pushed the Qi Observation Method to its limit, nearly breaking through the shackles of the Perfection realm and entering an entirely new domain.
Just as Zhou Ziyou was about to say something, he suddenly noticed Shen Yun's state, and his heart jolted.
Neither joyous nor sorrowful, with his six senses cleansed, Shen Yun's gaze was calm and profound. He was like an ancient deity, observing the changes of the mortal world.
Brother Yun has entered Enlightenment?
Zhou Ziyou let out a long breath, gaining an even deeper understanding of Shen Yun's talent.
The world in Shen Yun's eyes underwent a vast transformation. All things vanished, heaven and earth lost their color, and all he could see was hazy cloud mist.
At this moment, Ye Chen had fallen into a desperate situation and seemed powerless to turn things around. Yet in Shen Yun's eyes, a thread of golden light strangely appeared around him.
Is this Fortune?
With a thought, Shen Yun withdrew from his state of Enlightenment.
Once his mind settled, his divine sense had unexpectedly surged by a great deal, and the world before his eyes became even clearer.
The situation in the arena suddenly changed. Ye Chen was like a spring compressed to its limit, suddenly launching himself from the ground.
He pressed his palms together and formed a mysterious hand seal, disrupting the operation of his opponent's magical artifact.
The Shuji Tower instantly lost its luster, and its suppressive power dissipated without a trace.
"How is this possible?! What demonic art did you use?!"
Shangguan Mo only felt his vision blur before Ye Chen's huge hand arrived in an instant. The sharp sound of air tearing made his scalp tingle.
"A frog at the bottom of a well—how could you know the vastness of the vast sea!"
Ye Chen was covered in blood, his ribs shattered. Such injuries would have made anyone else lose all fighting strength.
Yet he only grew braver with every setback. His vigorous figure was like a Roc spreading its wings, and his iron claws fiercely grabbed at Shangguan Mo's qi sea.
Rip!
The sound of flesh tearing rang out. Shangguan Mo's body sank, a hole punched through his lower Dantian. He was like a deflated toad, his aura plunging to rock bottom.
"NO!"
Shangguan Mo's face was ashen, as if his soul had been drawn out of him. There was not a trace of life in him.
The qi sea was a cultivator's lifeline. Once damaged, it meant one's future was ruined. Even if he found heavenly treasures to recover, his potential from now on would be greatly diminished.
It could be said that Shangguan Mo had become crippled. Breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm from now on would be nothing but a foolish dream.
This sudden turn of events came as swiftly as a hare rising and a falcon falling. Shangguan Mo, who had held every advantage, was defeated in an instant, leaving everyone dazzled.
"I truly have no choice but to be convinced. Ye Chen actually fought across realms and created another miracle."
"I heard that those blessed with towering Fortune can often turn danger into safety and defeat into victory. I think Ye Chen is exactly that kind of person."
"It is difficult to imagine just how high he can rise. But one thing is certain: Ye Chen is absolutely a hidden dragon in the abyss, merely waiting for the right time to soar into the sky."
"..."
Ye Chen received countless praises, and his performance won unanimous approval.
The killing intent in Zhou Xingyu's eyes was almost substantial. This time, he had tried to steal a chicken only to lose the rice used to bait it. Not only had Shangguan Mo become crippled, but Ye Chen's fame had also been made.
Unfortunately, eyes could not kill. Otherwise, Ye Chen would already have been sliced into a thousand pieces.
The grand event came to an end, and those who had obtained slots were invited to the Dragon Blood Pool.
After passing the Ninety-Nine White Jade Steps, a vast Secret Realm appeared before them.
Though it was called the Dragon Blood Pool, it resembled a lake, its broad surface stretching beyond sight.
The pool water was azure like the sky and glimmered with Five-Colored Treasure Light. Shrouded in mist-like spiritual energy, it was tranquil and mysterious.
"The Blood Dragon Pool is the life-bound magical artifact of the Great Zhou Ancestor. It is said that the Ancestor's attainment as a Nascent Soul True Lord was greatly connected to this treasure..."
The First Prince spoke of these secrets, emphasizing both openly and subtly the preciousness of the Blood Dragon Pool.
This was precisely where his brilliance lay: without making a show of it, he made everyone aware of Great Zhou's goodwill.
Had Zhou Xingyu been present, he would have understood that what he lacked was not merely discernment, but also a refined yet magnanimous manner of conducting himself.
The First Prince stopped at the right point and produced a Nine Dragon Imperial Seal. At once, five Rainbow Bridges appeared by the shore, extending directly into the Dragon Blood Pool.
"Fellow Daoists, you may enter now."
As soon as the First Prince finished speaking, the five people moved at once, carried by the Rainbow Bridges into the Dragon Blood Pool.
The instant he entered the pool, Shen Yun felt the all-pervading pressure of the water. It was almost equivalent to the full-force strike of a Qi Refining First Layer cultivator.
Thus, he began circulating the Five Elements Primordial Chaos Body. After the Five Elements Spiritual Power tempered him, fine wounds appeared across his body.
Like the sound of a clear spring flowing, ripples spread over the pool water. In the blink of an eye, his injuries were healed.
As expected, it can accelerate the cultivation of the Five Elements Primordial Chaos Body.
Shen Yun's eyes lit up as he headed deeper into the Blood Pool.
The deeper they went, the greater the pressure became. The pain of flesh being torn was nearly unbearable, and everyone's pace began to slow.
Tantai Jing had cultivated the Indestructible Wind and Thunder Body. His body was comparable to a first-rank magical artifact, and he charged ahead at the front.
Murong Xue closely followed behind. Her willow-leaf brows were tightly furrowed, and beads of sweat covered her fair face as she struggled with all her strength against the pain.
Ye Chen and Su Yu'er lagged far behind, but the former's steps grew faster and faster. As time passed, he unexpectedly reached the very front.
This is practically a sacred ground tailored for me.
Ye Chen was filled with ambition. The Dragon Blood Pool was frantically strengthening his bloodline, and there were no side effects whatsoever.
He gradually discovered that the Nameless Technique was undergoing strange changes. Several different powers were being plundered and drawn into him.
This is the Power of Wind and Lightning! And ice, mist spiritual energy!... The Nameless Technique actually has such miraculous effects.
Ye Chen's eyes widened. A moment later, he understood the chain of cause and effect.
Through the Dragon Blood Pool, he could plunder other people's bloodlines!
If I want to ascend to the highest point, what does it matter if I use every means necessary? It is nothing more than a little wind and frost.
Ye Chen's expression hardened. He began circulating the Nameless Technique with all his strength, and his blood energy immediately rose at a rapid pace, as though he had swallowed immortal pills.
Shen Yun's pace was neither hurried nor slow. He gradually adapted to the Dragon Blood Pool's pressure, while the Five Elements Primordial Chaos Body advanced by leaps and bounds through tempering.
"Hm!? The rate at which my blood energy is increasing has suddenly slowed quite a bit."
He stopped walking. His powerful divine sense immediately caught a thread of strange aura.
Mysterious and vast, carrying a profound and mysterious artistic conception, it was devouring his bloodline. He had sensed this aura only moments ago.
"Ye Chen!"
Shen Yun narrowed his eyes and murmured softly, "We have kept to our own waters and never crossed paths; we could have lived in peace. But since you have made a move, I must return the courtesy."
As soon as the thought arose, Shen Yun broke through the waves toward Ye Chen.
What person blessed with Fortune? He did not take it seriously at all. This trip would make the other party understand the price of making a move.
Before you continue