An Exhilarating Battle, the Overlord

In the arena.

Niu Tuntian looked down at the Human Race in front of him, who was more than two heads shorter than him, and a hint of surprise flashed in his copper bell-like eyes.

It also recognized Yu Tunzhou, after all, this character's performance in the first level was quite remarkable.

Even Kong Ling developed a considerable interest in this human.

If it weren't for that woman surnamed Feng emphasizing the importance of retrieving the divine artifact, they would have definitely fought a proper battle with the Central Plains Human Race at the entrance.

Seeing the Yu Tunzhou appear on the opposite side, it was also filled with excitement.

Sensing the fighting spirit emanating from Yu Tunzhou, Niu Tuntian grinned, revealing two rows of gleaming white teeth, his voice rumbling like thunder:

"You surnamed Yu, do you really want to compete with me in a physical contest?"

"Give it a try?" Yu Tunzhou grinned.

"Good! That's brave enough!"

Before the words were even finished, the two of them moved simultaneously.

At first, there were no fancy moves, no techniques, just the purest clash of forces.

Niu Tuntian took a step forward, and the entire arena trembled slightly. His right fist, carrying immense power, smashed straight towards Yu Tunzhou's face.

Before the fist even landed, the fierce force already made Yu Tunzhou's robes flutter loudly.

But to its surprise, Yu Tunzhou didn't dodge or evade, and instead met the attack with a punch of its own!

His fists looked far less robust than Niu Tuntian's, even somewhat delicate, but the moment the two fists collided, a deafening roar erupted.

Bang--!

The sound of flesh colliding was exhilarating, and visible shockwaves spread outwards from the two of them.

"Um?!"

An unexpected force came from the opponent's fist. Although it was not as strong as his own, it had a penetrating quality, running straight up his arm and into his internal organs.

Niu Tuntian was so shocked that he took three steps back, shook his numb right hand, and his eyes gleamed.

"You're also following the path of achieving physical immortality?"

What kind of practice do you follow?

Yu Tunzhou retreated five steps, each step leaving a deep footprint about an inch deep in the ground. Having lost out in a pure contest of strength, he couldn't help but praise:

"Truly worthy of being a descendant of the Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven!"

A powerful Demon Race who can get along well with Brother Monkey!

"You know my ancestors?" Niu Tuntian was taken aback, then asked seriously, "Which lineage do you belong to?"

The last time its ancestors appeared in the world was at the end of the Primordial Era, spanning the High Antiquity era. Those who could still remember its ancestors must be the top lineages of the Human Race, such as Daoism and Buddhism.

Niu Tuntian began to seriously examine Yu Tunzhou.

There are only a handful of top-tier methods for achieving physical sainthood, and each one is held by the most prestigious lineages.

The Yu Tunzhou before us is of Human Race, yet he possesses such a physical body. He must have cultivated a peerless or even supreme level of magic!

Suddenly, he noticed the Indestructible Golden Light emanating from Yu Tunzhou's skin.

"Indestructible Golden Light..." Niu Tuntian's gaze suddenly sharpened, his previous contempt vanished, and he said in a low voice, "The Eight-Nine Mysterious Art of the Jade Void Lineage?"

"Interesting... interesting!"

Before Yu Tunzhou could answer, Niu Tuntian burst into laughter, his eyes gleaming with excitement:

"I've long heard that the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art is the most advanced method for achieving physical immortality in the world, even slightly surpassing the techniques of my Niu family. Today, I'm determined to see for myself!"

It took a deep breath, and its Qi and Blood suddenly boiled. Its skin glowed with a bronze color, its muscles swelled, white steam rose from its pores, and its body temperature reached a terrifying level. It was as if an invisible furnace was scorching the air around it.

"Come!"

Niu Tuntian out like a wild bull, without any technique, only the most primal and pure power.

Yu Tunzhou clenched his fist, his muscles and bones throbbed, and his body shimmered with a precious light as he took another step.

BOOM!!!

The two figures collided violently. It was a pure physical contest, with every punch landing squarely, and surging waves of air swept out from beneath their feet.

Niu Tuntian was a rare opponent among his peers, and he was eager to test his skills. Yu Tunzhou, on the other hand, took this opportunity to examine the results of his Eight-Nine Mysterious Art.

Niu Tuntian was a size larger than Yu Tunzhou, and his palm was like a fan. He slapped Yu Tunzhou on the forehead with his five fingers spread out, covering his entire face.

Yu Tunzhou was furious. Didn't he know that hitting someone in the face was inappropriate?!

He kicked Niu Tuntian hard in the shin, causing the latter to stagger, lose his balance, and kneel on one knee in front of Yu Tunzhou.

Yu Tunzhou snorted coldly, his two fingers like spears piercing towards those two copper bell-like bull eyes.

Niu Tuntian was shocked. So ruthless?!

It hurriedly raised its hand to block, but was struck squarely on the bottom by a knee, its head thrown high into the air, and the taste of blood rising from its mouth.

Niu Tuntian was also enraged. He disregarded everything and threw a punch, sending Yu Tunzhou flying more than ten meters away.

The next moment, the two figures charged at each other again.

Niu Tuntian did not remove the battle axe from his waist. Instead, he pounded Yu Tunzhou with both fists like a storm, creating a dense barrage of punches that completely sealed off the space around Yu Tunzhou.

Bang!

It was another dull, teeth-grinding sound of fists landing, and the two figures each retreated more than ten steps.

"Haha, that's great, that's great!"

Niu Tuntian tore off his tattered sleeve, revealing his muscular body completely unharmed, except for a bruise on his face. He wiped the blood from his nose and burst into laughter.

"Truly worthy of being a descendant of the Jade Void Lineage!"

"Among this generation of Demon Race, no one has been able to fight me so head-on and hold their own!"

"Unfortunately..."

Then, it changed the subject, its tone tinged with regret.

"You are not of Immortals and Gods blood. If you possessed the bloodline of my Thunder Accumulation Mountain, coupled with such physical Cultivation Method, your future would be limitless. Unfortunately, you are Human Race, without the support of a bloodline. It will be difficult for you to go far on your path!"

"You must have been practicing the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art since you were a child, but you haven't even reached the third level yet, have you?"

It shook its head slightly, spoke in a muffled voice, and its expression showed obvious longing:

"I've heard that the first chapter of the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art is merely Foundation Establishment. Only upon reaching the third level can one truly be considered to have entered the gate and be qualified to look forward to the next three levels. The next three levels are where one can truly stand shoulder to shoulder with Immortals and Gods, achieving physical sainthood..."

At this moment, compared to Niu Tuntian, whose face was bruised, Yu Tunzhou was in no better shape, with numb arms and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

This bull's physique is truly remarkable!

The descendants of the Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven possess the qualities of top-tier direct descendants of a Daoist lineage, both in terms of bloodline, physique, and Cultivation Method cultivation techniques.

Considering the severe loss of the Daoist tradition in the Central Plains, if Thunder Accumulation Mountain were to be preserved intact, it would most likely be even superior to the former.

This direct physical fight allowed both sides to fully understand each other's physical limits.

After calming his surging Qi and Blood, Niu Tuntian's smile gradually turned ferocious, and he began to get serious:

"Again!"

"Come and take my Great Strength Bull Demon Fist!"

The next moment, Niu Tuntian moved like a mountain, crushing towards Yu Tunzhou. His fist, like a mountain, grew larger and larger in Yu Tunzhou's eyes, squeezing out all the Liaokong and drawing everything around him closer to his fist.

Yu Tunzhou shifted his feet slightly, his body gliding away like a swimming fish, his fist grazing past his clothes, only creating a gust of wind.

He didn't confront them head-on anymore; the result he wanted had been tested, and now it was time for the real battle.

"Why are you starting to dodge?" Niu Tuntian grinned and threw a second punch, saying, "You surnamed Yu, are you starting to tire? Your technique is top-notch, but it's a pity you were born into the wrong race!"

However, the next moment, Niu Tuntian felt a smooth and harmonious force envelop his fist like a vortex, deflecting and redirecting the overwhelming power layer by layer.

Its body involuntarily tilted to one side, its fist grazing past Yu Tunzhou's ear before slamming into the stone wall behind it.

Using the force of the deflection, Yu Tunzhou twisted his waist and thrust his knee toward Niu Tuntian's ribs.

Niu Tuntian reacted extremely quickly, lowering his left arm to block in front of his ribs. His knee struck the arm with a dull thud, and both of them staggered backward.

Niu Tuntian's fist technique is expansive and powerful, with each punch carrying an overwhelming momentum, like a giant axe splitting a mountain, truly bringing the art of "strength" to its extreme.

Faced with such a mountain-toppling attack, Yu Tunzhou is like flowing water, dissolving the overwhelming force into nothingness.

As the two continued their fierce battle in the arena, Niu Tuntian grew increasingly frustrated, feeling as if every punch he threw was hitting cotton. He possessed immense, earth-shattering power, yet he was using it in the wrong place.

Every time I go all out, my opponent defuses it in a strange way, and sometimes they even use my momentum against me, causing me to stumble a few steps because of my unstable center of gravity.

Its heart grew heavier.

With his physical body alone, he could fight me to a standstill. Considering his performance in the first stage, his Primordial Spirit and physical body seemed to have no weaknesses. In terms of overall strength, I was probably no match for him!

I wonder what other Divine Ability this child possesses. If he can withstand the Five-Colored Divine Light, wouldn't even Kong Ling be no match for him?

The Eight-Nine Mysterious Art... Could it truly be the work of Jade Void Lineage?

There are no weaklings among those who come from this lineage!

Thinking of the records of the three generations of disciples of Jade Void in the clan, Niu Tuntian's heart sank. Could it be another True Lord of Pure Origin Mystic Path?

"I, Old Niu, am getting serious!"

Niu Tuntian roared in a low voice, and black lines began to appear on his bare, bronze-colored upper body, spreading from his brow and covering his entire body.

As the patterns became visible, its aura surged.

Niu Tuntian took a step forward, his figure instantly disappearing from the spot. When he reappeared, he was already in front of Yu Tunzhou, his right fist glowing with black light, slamming hard into Yu Tunzhou's chest.

Yu Tunzhou calmly and composedly; by then, it's too late for him to dodge.

His breathing became long and steady in an instant, his heartbeat slowed to an extreme, and he seemed to merge with the world around him.

He planted his feet firmly, lowered his waist and sat on his horse stance, and pushed his palms forward, but instead of taking the blow head-on, he used his palms to meet Niu Tuntian's fist, deflecting, neutralizing and dissipating the violent force.

Then—leverage resources.

He used the force of Niu Tuntian's attack to his advantage, twisting his body sharply and delivering a "Deflect, Parry and Punch).

"Bang!"

Niu Tuntian, who was charging straight at him, was sent flying and crashed into the stone wall of the arena. The wall cracked and rubble fell down.

"Reversal is the movement of the Tao; weakness is the function of the Tao."

The sound of Yu Tunzhou slowly rose.

Niu Tuntian knelt on one knee, supporting himself with his hand on the ground. He slowly raised his head, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, but there was no anger in his eyes, only an increasingly fervent fighting spirit.

"Alright." It stood up, wiping the blood from the corner of its mouth. "Well done, using someone else's strength against them."

At this moment, Yu Tunzhou's breathing was slightly disordered, and his chest heaved. Although his attack had been successful, it had also taken a toll on him.

"I didn't originally intend to use this move, as it would be unfair." Niu Tuntian took a deep breath, his bones cracking, his voice low and rumbling like thunder, "But you are worthy of making me use the Great Sage Bloodline."

He took a step forward.

The air in the arena seemed to freeze.

An invisible sense of oppression emanated from Niu Tuntian, like an invisible mountain pressing down on Yu Tunzhou.

Yu Tunzhou frowned. This wasn't Divine Ability, it was... the pressure of bloodline?

He and Niu Tuntian were not of the same race, but the Great Sage Bloodline was superior to that of mortals. This was the suppression of the Immortals and Gods by the immortals and gods!

Niu Tuntian slowly pushed out his fists, the movement was very slow, as slow as pushing a mountain, but the oppressive feeling was getting heavier and heavier, making Yu Tunzhou feel as if he was really being crushed by a mountain.

"Yu Tunzhou, you forced me to use the Great Sage Bloodline. You are worthy of the Jade Void Lineage and worthy of the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art."

Niu Tuntian slowly raised his right fist, which was wrapped in black Blood Qi. Every muscle in his fist was twitching slightly, accumulating terrifying power.

It said, slowly and deliberately:

"Take this punch— Pacify Heaven and Shake Earth!"

As the fist was thrown, the entire Dragon Ascension Platform seemed to be drawn by this punch, collapsing towards Niu Tuntian's fist.

Yu Tunzhou felt as if everything in front of him was distorting, and the air was compressed into a solid wall that slammed into him.

This is truly achieving the power of Unity of Heaven and Celestial Person External Scenery through the physical body!

Any other cultivator of the same level would have no choice but to close their eyes and await death at this moment.

Yu Tunzhou a deep breath and waited solemnly. He could withstand the heavenly lightning that was close to the External Scenery with his Eight-Nine Mysterious Art, but if he were to take this punch head-on... he would be seriously injured even if he didn't die!

Even though the Fist Intent was suppressed and could not leave the body, it still filled the entire body.

The Fist Intent, the mind, the thoughts... all remained as still as water, without the slightest ripple.

The mechanism of movement and stillness is the mother of yin and yang.

After losing his Primordial Spirit, the Unity of Heaven and Celestial Person, and even the Fist Intent, his fist techniques became increasingly refined and subtle.

Instead of retreating, the Yu Tunzhou, taking a step forward with outstretched arms, moving with effortless grace even under the immense pressure of a mountain.

The next moment--

The harmonious and rounded power of Taijiquan clashed with the fierce and domineering force of the Great Strength Bull Demon Fist in mid-air. There was no loud noise, no shockwave, only a silent struggle.

The stone slabs beneath their feet cracked inch by inch, and the broken stones were lifted up by an invisible force and suspended in mid-air.

A silent stalemate.

Niu Tuntian's forehead veins bulged, and Yu Tunzhou's mouth oozed a trace of blood.

finally--

"Bang!"

The rubble that had been swirling in mid-air suddenly shot out in all directions, each piece carrying enough force to severely injure a Form Refinement martial artist.

Both of them were knocked back by the force of the impact.

"Yu Tunzhou! You're such a pleasant surprise! No wonder Kong Ling treats you with such special regard!"

Niu Tuntian roared and charged again, his fists raining down like a storm.

This time, Yu Tunzhou no longer simply defended; he used softness to overcome hardness, hardness to meet hardness, and fist to fist, directly confronting Niu Tuntian.

Yu Tunzhou's fist slammed into Niu Tuntian's chest, Niu Tuntian's fist slammed into Yu Tunzhou's shoulder.

They both retreated simultaneously, then pounced on each other at the same time.

You throw a punch, I throw a punch; neither of us backs down, neither of us gives way.

Blood spilled from the corners of their mouths, dripped from their fists, and stained the stone slabs beneath their feet.

At that moment, they forgot everything, their eyes only on each other, who were both on the path to physical immortality.

Three hundred moves.

Five hundred moves.

Eight hundred moves.

The two slowed down and weakened, but each punch and palm strike became more focused and pure than before.

Given their physical strength, they would almost never experience exhaustion again, as their Inner Qi and blood circulation would naturally circulate.

But at this moment, they both gave each other their "sincerity," dedicating their entire understanding of physical strength and martial arts to this duel.

They gave it their all, just as Niu Tuntian was unwilling to lose to his opponent in his area of expertise, Yu Tunzhou was also unwilling to lose any duel.

outside world.

As the sun sank below the horizon, the second night descended upon this land.

The night was as dark as ink, and the black fog rolled in like a tide.

A white dress gradually blended into the darkness, fluttering gently in the night breeze, like a flower blooming in the darkness.

"I saw desolation, despair, pain, and annihilation..."

An Ruyu stood on an abandoned stone platform, gazing up at the silhouette in the darkness. After an unknown amount of time, she murmured:

"Is this the answer that the Primeval Ancestral Dragon sought, the answer that he built with the full power of his clan to create the Dragon Gate and pin his hopes on?"

"In this world... perhaps only a hegemon can bear all of this..."

The moment she finished speaking.

A blood-red rain fell from the sky, like the first downpour after a long drought, but it was not a savior, but a harbinger of great misfortune.

The rain fell into the cracked earth and into various secret realms, corroding the bones and hearts, devouring all living things.

Many martial artists hiding in the secret realm rose in horror. Some who were unable to dodge were drenched in blood, their flesh instantly festering and exposing their white bones. They died before they could even scream.

"Ah--!"

"What the hell is this?!"

"Quick, hide! Quickly, hide deep within the secret realm!"

"I quit! I quit this trial!"

Screams came from all directions, but were quickly drowned out by the rain of blood.

The disaster struck faster than expected.

On the very second night, the world revealed its true cruelty.

Dragon Ascension Platform)

Fists clashed, and the muffled thuds of flesh colliding echoed in the arena for an unknown length of time.

Blood rain also invaded this world, but the two people's Qi and Blood, which were like a furnace, scorched the air, and the blood rain was evaporated before it even touched their bodies.

"Yu Tunzhou, the final punch!"

Niu Tuntian roared furiously, his voice deep and hoarse, yet carrying a sense of exhilarating pleasure.

The black veins on its body flickered, and blood seeped from the corners of its mouth, nostrils, and ear canals. Its strength was unusually close to its limit, yet it still reached its peak and pounced fiercely, like a mountain collapsing!

Both were on the verge of exhaustion; this was their final battle!

In the end, Yu Tunzhou held firm in his position, refusing to retreat even a step, allowing Niu Tuntian to pounce on him time and time again, only to be repelled each time.

Nothing in the world is more yielding and weak than water, yet nothing can surpass it in overcoming the hard and strong.

At this moment, Yu Tunzhou remained motionless, even with his fists wide open, but Niu Tuntian could clearly feel the suffocating sensation of an impending storm rushing towards him.

In the final moments, what Niu Tuntian sensed from Yu Tunzhou was a vast and all-encompassing spirit.

"Bang!"

Niu Tuntian crashed heavily into the stone wall, causing it to crack and scatter rubble like rain. It struggled to crawl out from the rubble, staggered to its feet, covered in blood, and stared intently at Yu Tunzhou in front of it.

Unexpectedly, I ended up losing to the Martial Dao techniques that I used to disdain because I relied on Divine Ability and methods!

Yu Tunzhou wasn't much better off; his body swayed precariously, his chest heaving violently, but he ultimately managed to stand still, without falling.

He looked up at the rain of blood falling from the sky; the rain was blocked from his body and evaporated by his Qi and Blood.

This is...?