Chapter 789 - 881 Respond to Battle
As soon as the voice rang out, both those outside the forest and outside the Eight Extremes Diagram erupted in excitement.
Countless people perked up their ears and looked skyward.
Indeed, the voice was Xiao Qingtian’s.
A golden light shot forth and abruptly stopped mid-air outside the forest, forming a tall and fierce silhouette whose very presence was daunting.
"It’s Senior Brother Xiao. Senior Brother Xiao is going to duel Chen Mo."
"Xiao Qingtian finally made his move. That kid is too arrogant and needs to be put down."
"Exactly, he eliminated so many of our branch disciples along his Path of Immortality. If he isn’t eliminated, we’ll lose face entirely."
"How many Bone Tokens does he still have? If he gets eliminated, we might have a chance to get his tokens too."
"I’ve heard Senior Brother Xiao has a fondness for Zhao Fujin and has made several advances, all rejected by Zhao Fujin. But Chen Mo is Zhao Fujin’s Dao Companion. This might make Senior Brother Xiao irritated, thinking Zhao Fujin turned him down only to choose someone unworthy."
"This will be a good show to watch, a battle between rivals in love."
"It’s somewhat worrying. Chen Mo has a servant who is a Qingqiu Spirit Fox, who defeated the Zhengyi Sect’s Lan Chengting. If these two team up, the outcome might be uncertain. Plus, there’s that Thunder Urgent Profound Kui Array Chen Mo set up in the forest. If he hides in the array, Senior Brother Xiao might truly have a hard time dealing with him."
"..."
There was a flurry of whispers. Although some analyzed both sides and believed Chen Mo might not necessarily lose, many still doubted him. After all, Xiao Qingtian’s reputation was far greater, and he was a Half-Step Divinity Transformation Realm powerhouse with a Supreme Immortal Body.
Against the Blue Body with only Middle Stage Nascent Soul of Chen Mo, defeating him was considered a trivial matter.
"A spectacular battle is about to begin." Li Xianyuan and Li Fengxian gazed at the scene, exclaiming, with a hint of admiration for Chen Mo in the Eight Extremes Diagram.
With their wisdom, they knew the rumors about trampling all branch disciples were exaggerations, but as Sect Leaders, they certainly wouldn’t clarify this. For a dark horse as impressive as this, they were curious to see what would happen when he faced the strongest contestant, Xiao Qingtian.
Zhao Fujin’s Dao Companion, disciple of Zuoqiu Yiren, what is his true strength?
"I admit he has some skills, but compared to Xiao Qingtian, his foundation is still too weak. He eliminated my disciple; this time, you can wait to be eliminated." Han Zijing said with a dark expression.
Zuoqiu Yiren lazily reclined on the Merak Sword, taking a long swig of wine, murmuring, "The time to astonish everyone has come. It’s time to show your true strength..."
Afterward, she formed a hand seal as instructed by the Vice Sect Leader, unlocking the constitution seal on Chen Mo.
...
Oblivious to the outside commotion, Chen Mo stared at the void opposite where Xiao Qingtian was, his eyes flickering.
He had waited for Xiao Qingtian for a long time.
Xiao Jiu, feeling a tad worried, seeing that Chen Mo had remained silent for a while, stepped forward towards the void, saying, "You’re not qualified to duel with my master; I’ll fight you."
The surrounding crowd was shocked.
Xiao Jiu’s combat power was formidable, having even defeated Lan Chengting, and she was the first to reach the end of the Path of Immortality.
The most crucial aspect was that they couldn’t discern Xiao Jiu’s true cultivation level.
As a result, Xiao Jiu gave the crowd a sense of profound depth.
Xiao Qingtian looked at Xiao Jiu, a flash of seriousness crossing his face.
However, he had little interest in dueling Xiao Jiu.
He sidestepped Xiao Jiu’s figure, his gaze coldly fixed on Chen Mo behind her, his aura surging with battle intent.
"Didn’t you say you wanted to trample all the branch disciples? Why are you hiding behind a woman, not daring to duel me..."
Xiao Qingtian wanted to defeat Chen Mo honorably, to prove to Zhao Fujin that he was stronger and the better choice.
"You’re begging for a beating."
Xiao Jiu, furious at the insult to her master, was about to charge at Xiao Qingtian, but her arm was held by Chen Mo.
"Master." Xiao Jiu looked at Chen Mo and said, "Master, you don’t need to worry. Leave it to me."
Chen Mo shook his head, smiling, "No need, I can handle this myself, trust me."
Their gazes met.
Xiao Jiu blushed slightly, then gently nodded.
The Ice Spirit behind quickly advised, "Chen Mo, don’t be impulsive. Xiao Qingtian is a Half-Step Divinity Transformation Realm powerhouse with a Supreme Immortal Body. One-on-one, you aren’t his match. Only if the three of us join forces and rely on the array can we stand a chance."
She had no idea what trump cards Chen Mo might have, just considered this the safest option.
However, Chen Mo had reasons to insist on this course of action.
"I will fight you."
Chen Mo took a step forward.
Their gazes clashed in the void, dense with fighting spirit.
"He actually accepted the challenge."
"Chen Mo actually chose to face Senior Brother Xiao head-on."
"Though Chen Mo is a bit arrogant sometimes, he’s pretty manly in this case."
Their impression of him slightly changed.
Xiao Qingtian was slightly startled, then said, "Very well, daring to accept the challenge shows you’re not a coward. Fujin has good taste. For this, after defeating you, I can show mercy and not eliminate you."
At his words, the crowd fell silent.
Some disciples who suffered losses on the Path of Immortality immediately persuaded Xiao Qingtian, "Senior Brother Xiao, Chen Mo eliminated many disciples of our Shangqing Sect; you can’t just let him go."
The disciples believed that simply defeating Chen Mo without eliminating him was letting him off too easy.
However, what Xiao Qingtian had decided would not be swayed by a few words from others.
Xiao Qingtian didn’t even glance at that disciple, saying to Chen Mo, "Whoever loses must leave Fujin alone and never bother her again."
Chen Mo laughed at this: "My senior sister is not something to be wagered. Besides, you were never with her, to begin with, so how can you leave her? If I agreed to this, it would be a terrible loss for me."
Xiao Qingtian frowned: "Then what do you propose?"
"A top-grade Treasure Medicine should not be an issue for you, right?" Chen Mo replied.
"Fine, a top-grade Treasure Medicine it is."
In Xiao Qingtian’s view, once he defeated Chen Mo, Chen Mo would likely have no face to remain beside Fujin.
Similarly, if he were to lose, he would also distance himself from Fujin.
However, he believed defeat was impossible.
Boom!
Golden True Qi erupted from Xiao Qingtian’s body, flaring his robes, and his resonant voice echoed all around: "This is a one-on-one duel between me and Chen Mo. No one is allowed to interfere; otherwise, you will be my mortal enemy!"