Chapter 534 - 517: Zhou Dao
The moment the azure lotus bloomed, Celestial Dragon responded with a sword strike that seemed capable of sundering the heavens and the earth.
BOOM...
Elemental Power erupted with cataclysmic force, leaving the entire crowd staring in stunned silence.
Who had won?
When the Elemental Power dissipated, Ling Fei and Celestial Dragon both stood unscathed. They had truly met their match.
Celestial Dragon’s arrogance was gone, replaced by a look of profound respect as he gazed at Ling Fei.
"I never thought a Human Cultivator could reach such a level of power. You’ve earned my respect!"
The Dragon Race was proud and aloof, but they had always respected the strong and were willing to befriend them.
Ling Fei’s expression remained grave. "The Dragon Race truly lives up to its reputation. It’s time to settle this."
The true form of the Peacock Great Ming King versus a warrior in Dragon Armor—it was a battle of equals. Neither could hope to defeat the other with ordinary techniques. Although Celestial Dragon possessed a slight speed advantage, it was minimal; the Peacock Ming King was nearly as fast, and the speed of the Peacock Curse compensated for the difference. Without using their ultimate techniques, the battle could have dragged on for days without a clear winner.
Ling Fei’s Peacock Great Ming King Holy Statue blossomed. A pillar of blue light shot into the sky as a series of complex Hand Seals formed between her hands. Mysterious power began to surge, and massive, glowing runes flickered into existence. The sky, the ground, and the space all around became filled with her Peacock Seals.
Across from her, Celestial Dragon stood proudly, his expression filled with eager excitement. He clasped his Dragon Sword with both hands, holding it before his chest as he focused all his Dragon Power. BOOM... A pillar of Dragon Power erupted toward the heavens, accompanied by a draconic roar that pierced the clouds.
The two colossal powers enveloped the entire arena. ’Damn,’ the spectators thought, ’any random cultivator at the Great Perfection stage would be instantly obliterated by this kind of force.’
A slight smile touched the corner of Jii Wanli’s mouth. "It’s all down to raw power now. No more techniques."
"The Dragon Race is truly formidable," Lin Jinghao commented with a grin.
Mingren was as aloof as ever, radiating an air of indifference. Perhaps nothing short of a battle with Wang Meng could capture his interest; at the very least, this fight between Ling Fei and Celestial Dragon was not enough.
In the five major cities outside the Pure Land, every cultivator held their breath, witnessing this ultimate, explosive clash. They were all immensely grateful for this experience. Had they remained in their own Small Thousand Realms, they would have been like frogs in a well, never knowing the world outside was so vast and filled with so many powerful experts!
A flicker of pity suddenly crossed Ling Fei’s solemn face. With a point of her hands, the entire Peacock Great Ming King Holy Statue surged forward!
—Great Compassion and Great Mercy Peacock King Spell!
In response, Celestial Dragon flexed his arms and brought his Dragon Sword down in an indomitable slash, a move embodying the pride and dominance of the Dragon Race, free of any hesitation.
—Celestial Dragon Soaring Slash!
A roaring Giant Dragon materialized, majestic and powerful. The instant the two attacks were unleashed, the entire Dueling Platform began to tremble violently, as if the whole of the Pure Land was being crushed by the pressure.
The moment the two forces collided, all sound vanished. A ringing filled everyone’s ears, and their vision was flooded with blinding white light. They watched as the white light condensed, and a few seconds later, it exploded. A massive Vibration Wave swept outwards, and it was only several minutes later that the deafening sound finally reached them.
When everything returned to normal, no one paid any mind to how much time had passed. Both combatants were still on their feet. Ling Fei remained as elegant as ever, and Celestial Dragon was just as proud.
Who won???
BOOM...
Celestial Dragon’s Dragon Armor shattered. The disciples of the Flower Fairy Sect couldn’t help but clench their fists. ’Even a member of the Dragon Race can’t withstand the power of the Peacock Ming King!’
Blood trickled from the corner of Celestial Dragon’s mouth and his body swayed, but he remained standing.
But across from him, a deep gash suddenly split open on Ling Fei’s chest. Blood sprayed forth as her body slowly crumpled and fell.
The Human Cultivators couldn’t help but sigh, while the cheers from the Flower Fairy Sect disciples were strangled in their throats. ’Their Senior Sister, their invincible Senior Sister... had been defeated, just like that?’
’How is this possible?’
As the Flower Fairy Sect Leader, Bai Yu still couldn’t accept it.
Wang Meng sighed. "Ling Fei’s Peacock Great Ming King Divine Statue has evolved, but unfortunately, her own physical transformation isn’t complete. When fighting against the Dragon Race, physical durability becomes the deciding factor."
This was the power of the Dragon Race. It was why they were known as a heaven-defying race, one that no one had dared to provoke for thousands, even tens of thousands of years. Now, everyone understood why.
They had no weaknesses. They were perfect. In a battle against them, a single flaw would inevitably be exposed and become the deciding factor.
It had to be said that Purple Dragon’s victory hadn’t been ferocious enough for people to fully grasp their power. This battle, however, truly made everyone understand the Dragon Race.
Any who had harbored doubts about the Dragon Race now likely had them completely dispelled.
The Dragon Emperor’s expression was placid, as if this were a trivial matter.
The Dragon Princess Linglong was also calm. There were no cheers. They didn’t even feel much joy, including Celestial Dragon himself. For a battle with a foregone conclusion, there was simply no reason to celebrate.
To the Dragon Emperor, Celestial Dragon had merely displayed his innate talent. He had not seen what he had been hoping to see.
After the Holy Hall’s victories, the Human Cultivators suddenly found themselves under immense pressure. Two great masters of the Dragon Race had displayed their power one after another, thoroughly demoralizing them.
And one had to remember, the strongest of the Dragon Race, Linglong, had yet to fight. For the Dragon Race, bloodline was everything—the stronger the bloodline, the greater the power. Linglong’s strength was far beyond that of the other two. Just how perfect could she be?
Suddenly, everyone was pondering the same question: What if the Dragon Race monopolized the final four?
Judging by the Dragon Race’s performance, no one doubted it was possible. Most importantly, it was their expressions after their victories—Purple Dragon’s, Celestial Dragon’s—they all looked as if it was only to be expected, even seeming a little unsatisfied.
Such an incomparably tyrannical Peacock Great Ming King Holy Statue had been defeated so utterly. There was no fluke, no luck involved—not even a sliver of a chance.
This was the dominance displayed by the Dragon Race.
Frankly, if not for the Dragon Race’s small population and lack of interest in worldly power, the other races truly would not know how to contend with them.
As the victor, Celestial Dragon was entitled to a final word. Ling Fei had already been carried away for emergency treatment, but Celestial Dragon remained. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and took a deep breath as a silver light flared in his eyes. His entire body became enveloped in that same silver light, and then, to the astonishment of everyone watching, his injuries began to heal at a rate visible to the naked eye.
’Holy shit! Holy shit! That’s just too ridiculous!!!’
In the span of just a few breaths, Celestial Dragon’s injuries were mostly healed, and his expression returned to normal.
The five major cities erupted into a clamor. Everyone had assumed that Ling Fei’s desperate final attack had at least taken a heavy toll on Celestial Dragon. How could he just heal back to full strength on the spot???
What were his future opponents supposed to do???
Such a tyrannical regenerative ability left even the members of the Demon Race speechless.
Celestial Dragon’s characteristic smile returned. He suddenly turned to the contestants’ area. "Wang Meng! You’d better not lose before you face me. I’m going to defeat you with my own two hands!"
The cultivators were stunned for a moment, and then the discussions exploded once more. ’Aren’t the Dragon Race and Wang Meng on good terms???’
’What’s going on? A dragon is actually targeting Wang Meng!’
Jii Wanli was taken aback for a second before a knowing smile spread across his face. He already understood why.
"Mingren, it seems he’s quite a popular target," Lin Jinghao said happily, fanning himself. In truth, everyone admired him. Master Lin seemed to be happy every day, and one rarely saw him troubled. Whether he was the strongest in the world was unknown, but he was definitely the most optimistic of the younger generation.
To be challenged during the Battle of the Other Shore—and by a member of the Dragon Race, no less—Wang Meng merely smiled faintly and said nothing.
In Starlight City, the cultivators were in an uproar. How could Wang Meng remain silent at a time like this? He should have fiercely retorted! What was there to fear from the Dragon Race? He couldn’t afford to show weakness!
Unfortunately, Wang Meng couldn’t hear their cries, and he simply let the moment pass.
Celestial Dragon also walked off the platform. The battle had not been as easy as it appeared. The moment he was offstage, he immediately began to regulate his energy.
The Dragon Race was arrogant, but not stupid. Their badass aura came from badass strength. Otherwise, they would have been beaten into morons long ago.
The seventh match: Zhou Qian of the Holy Hall versus Cui Zhi of the Ten Thousand Spirits Sect.
The Holy Hall again... It seemed like no time at all had passed before another Holy Hall Disciple took the stage.
This time, however, the focus was not on Zhou Qian, but on Cui Zhi of the Ten Thousand Spirits Sect. The Ten Thousand Spirits Sect also had three members who had made it this far into the Battle of the Other Shore, which was quite an impressive feat. After all, even a sect with the profound heritage of the No Illusion Demon Sect only had three participants left. Of course, this was excluding the special case of the Holy Hall.
Under the leadership of Jii Wanli, the Ten Thousand Spirits Sect had steadily advanced through the tournament. In recent years, their sect’s prestige had soared, and they had built extensive connections. Cui Zhi was the number two figure in the sect, and technically Jii Wanli’s senior martial brother. He was renowned within the upper echelons of the younger generation, though of course, this was not something Zhou Qian would have known.
Cui Zhi appeared on stage with a domineering air. Without a doubt, throughout the entire Star Alliance, the Ten Thousand Spirits Sect’s fame was no less than that of the No Illusion Demon Sect. Although the No Illusion Demon Sect was ranked second, it couldn’t be denied that the Ten Thousand Spirits Sect had done more public relations work, and started earlier. This was a commonly acknowledged fact within their circles.
Judging by the reactions from the cultivators in the five major cities, the majority seemed to be rooting for Cui Zhi.
Of course, the Holy Hall had also gained many supporters by now, but did Zhou Qian really have a chance of winning?
In terms of fundamental strength, Zhou Qian was undoubtedly the weakest of the remaining contestants. If not for his special Holy Statue, he probably wouldn’t have even qualified for the Battle of the Other Shore. But the problem was, a Holy Statue Ability was also a form of strength, and that could not be denied.
In stark contrast to Cui Zhi’s air of absolute confidence, Zhou Qian appeared rather humble, with an expression that said he was just happy to participate. It seemed he truly didn’t have high expectations; for him, making it this far was enough.
Zhou Qian’s appearance naturally drew wild cheers from the Holy Hall Disciples. Zhang Xiaojiang and Suo Ming had already magnificently demonstrated the Holy Hall’s might. Now, it was all up to this Brother Zhou.
Zhou Qian was incredibly humble. Upon stepping onto the stage, he didn’t greet his opponent, but instead went around greeting everyone else—the four great experts, the various Sect Leaders, the other contestants, and all the cultivators watching from the stands. He was the very picture of thoroughness. Truly, his name shouldn’t have been Zhou Qian, but Zhou Dao.