Chapter 430: True Strength
"Oh? You have a more suitable choice for a Shadow Guard?"
Upon hearing Qingtan's words, not only Bo Xuan but also Mo Ming and the entire Elder Council looked surprised.
Mo Ming, regaining his composure, smiled slightly and said, "Qingtan, as I mentioned, if your chosen candidate can defeat me, I'll willingly give up my right to be your Shadow Guard." Having bested Chen Kui, he found it hard to believe the Hall Master's faction had any hidden prodigies left to challenge him.
Meanwhile, Chen Kui approached Bo Xuan and Qingtan, his face pale and laced with a trace of regret. "I'm sorry, Master, Qingtan. I failed."
"Brother Chen Kui, it's not your fault. Who could have guessed that Mo Ming had already achieved the Greater Mastery level of the Saint Profound Stage? The Elder Council kept him well-hidden," Qingtan reassured him with a gentle shake of her head.
Though comforted, Chen Kui's expression remained one of quiet frustration. He turned to Qingtan, his tone curious. "Do you really have a more suitable candidate? Who might that be? I haven't heard of anyone like that."
Qingtan's lips curved into a small smile. "You've met him before, Brother Chen Kui."
With those words, and before anyone could respond, Qingtan suddenly leaped into the air, crossing the expanse of the Dark Square in a graceful arc. To the crowd's amazement, she parted the throng and warmly clasped the arm of a striking young man dressed in blue, standing off in a distant corner of the square.
"Brother Langtian! When did you arrive? You should have told me you were coming!"
In an instant, the cold, authoritative aura surrounding Qingtan vanished. Leaning against the handsome figure in blue, she was no longer the Hall Master's formidable disciple but simply a cheerful young woman reunited with a cherished older brother.
In Langtian's presence, Qingtan felt like she was back in the main Lin Clan household, where, under his protection, she had once been free from worry and the weight of her new responsibilities. Apart from Lin Dong and her immediate family, Langtian was perhaps the only one who made her feel a sense of belonging, of home.
Langtian returned her smile, pleased to see Qingtan's familiar warmth. His years of effort to win the young girl's trust and affection hadn't been in vain. Though Lin Dong's bond with her would always be unmatched, Langtian knew he also held a valued place in her heart.
"Ah, I only just arrived. I thought I'd catch a glimpse of you at the festival, so here I am. But it seems you're in a bit of a bind," he said, his tone light as he glanced toward Mo Ming and the Elder Council seated on the stage. His eyes narrowed slightly.
He had an inkling of Qingtan's intent but didn't mind. After all, he regarded her as a younger sister and would gladly step in if needed.
High on the stage, the Elder Council members looked on in confusion, and Mo Ming, watching Qingtan and Langtian's closeness, felt a pang of jealousy flash across his gaze.
"It's him," Chen Kui murmured in surprise, recognizing Langtian at once.
He recalled following Qingtan into the Realm of Demonic Spirits, where he had witnessed two memorable events: Lin Dong's annihilation of Yuan Cang's disciples from the Yuan Sect and Langtian's defeat of every disciple from the Celestial Sect.
Chen Kui wasn't unfamiliar with Langtian—he was particularly struck by Langtian's daring display when he had taken a blow from the Revolving Realm's powerful Huang Wuzi, a feat that had left even Chen Kui stunned.
"So Langtian is the one Qingtan had in mind as her Shadow Guard," he realized with a sigh of relief.
He hadn't personally seen Langtian eliminate the disciples of the Celestial Sect, but considering Langtian had defeated even Xuan Tian, a powerful Greater Mastery of the Saint Profound Realm, there was a good chance he could hold his own against Mo Ming.
"Langtian? I thought he was a disciple of the Yuan Sect. Why would he be here?" Bo Xuan's thoughtful, weathered gaze lingered on Langtian.
Chen Kui, deep in thought, responded, "I don't know, Master. But Qingtan did mention she has two older brothers—one is Lin Dong, who was pursued by the three headmasters of the Yuan Sect, and the other is Langtian. If he really can defeat Mo Ming, making him Qingtan's Shadow Guard wouldn't be a bad choice. Besides, if the Yuan Sect's headmasters barely regard him, it wouldn't hurt for the Dark Hall to bring him into our fold."
Bo Xuan chuckled. "It seems Yuan Sect's headmasters are short-sighted. Even our Dark Hall wouldn't lightly provoke the Celestial Demon Marten Clan, yet they recklessly launched an attack. Their foolishness will cost them dearly, especially if Qingtan can persuade Langtian to join us. If she does, I'll be happy to promote him."
"That's assuming he can defeat Mo Ming…" Chen Kui's expression grew grim as he eyed Mo Ming. He couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that Mo Ming's real strength wasn't limited to Greater Mastery of the Saint Profound Stage.
Meanwhile, Qingtan tugged on Langtian's arm, smiling with confidence. "Brother Langtian, I'd like you to take down that guy for me—I don't want him as my Shadow Guard."
As she spoke, she pointed directly at Mo Ming on stage, making his expression grow even darker.
Langtian, unbothered, nodded without a second's hesitation. "Consider it done."
Mo Ming might be mysterious, but as long as he hadn't reached the Death Profound Realm, Langtian felt he had more than enough methods to handle him.
"Brother Langtian, you're the best!" Qingtan beamed and led Langtian onto the stage by the arm.
To her, Langtian had always been someone she could rely on, radiating strength and confidence that made him seem unbreakable. Even Lin Dong, who was equally dear to her, hadn't given her this sense of dependability. She had full confidence Langtian would defeat Mo Ming without a hitch.
Seeing Qingtan and Langtian standing together, Ka Long and the other mercenaries nearby were left speechless. "So the little sister Langtian mentioned…is the Hall Master's disciple, Lady Qingtan?"
"Qingtan, this person you've chosen doesn't appear to be one of our Dark Hall's disciples, does he?" Elder Luo, from the Elder Council, said with a raised brow as he watched Qingtan and Langtian's closeness. Although he doubted the young man could actually defeat the Council's chosen candidate, he asked nonetheless out of caution.
Upon hearing this, Qingtan frowned slightly, but before she could respond, Bo Xuan calmly interjected, "Elder Luo, the Shadow Guard is assigned to assist with Qingtan's trial. What matters is her satisfaction and trust. Although Lin Langtian is not a member of our Dark Hall, he is Qingtan's brother. If the Elder Council is permitted to meddle in the Hall Master's faction's selection of a Shadow Guard, surely there's no issue with Qingtan choosing her brother as her candidate?"
"Lin Langtian... Qingtan's brother?"
The members of the Elder Council looked at one another, taken aback. Although Lin Langtian's reputation was formidable in the Eastern and Western domains, his name meant little in the Northern domain. Some among them hadn't even heard of him.
"Hall Master, the choice of Shadow Guard is a serious matter and requires thorough consideration. I suggest we…"
Elder Luo hesitated, unwilling to let anything jeopardize his plan. But before he could finish, Mo Ming interrupted him, casting a dark glance at Lin Langtian. Turning to Qingtan, he smiled and said, "Since you trust your brother's abilities so much, Qingtan, let's settle this by the agreed method. I propose a duel between myself and Lin. Whoever wins takes the position of Shadow Guard. How about that?"
"That's only fair," Lin Langtian replied evenly, motioning for Qingtan to stand aside. He turned his gaze toward Mo Ming, exuding calm confidence.
"Mo Ming, you…" Elder Luo's face twitched at Mo Ming's impulsiveness.
"Don't worry, Elder Luo," Mo Ming replied, his eyes narrowing with confidence. "I will defeat this man, ensuring Qingtan accepts me as her Shadow Guard."
Elder Luo wavered, his expression shifting before he finally replied in a low tone, "If that's the case, make sure you don't hold back."
Mo Ming's smile widened slightly. "Rest assured; I know what I'm doing."
With these words, Mo Ming stepped forward to face Lin Langtian, the two of them standing opposed, tension thick in the air.
After a moment, Mo Ming gave a casual smile. "If I'm not mistaken, Brother Lin, you must be that famed Yuan Sect disciple who wiped out the disciples of the Celestial Sect in the Eastern and Western domains. You're Lin Langtian, correct?"
As his words echoed through the Dark Square, the crowd stirred with amazement, their gazes fixated on the young man in blue.
Mo Ming's reminder jogged memories, and many in the crowd began recalling the uproar caused by Lin Langtian's name just a short while ago. His massacre of the Celestial Sect disciples and his feat of enduring a blow from the mighty Huang Wuzi were both feats that had caused quite a stir. But no one had expected that this notorious prodigy would appear in the Northern domain and take part in the Shadow Guard selection at the Dark Hall.
The elders of the Elder Council exchanged glances, their expressions changing as they realized just who Qingtan's brother was.
With furrowed brows, Elder Luo's gaze flickered. Yet, recalling Mo Ming's strength, he regained his composure, saying, "Not to worry. Mo Ming is far beyond the likes of Xuan Tian. He was trained personally by the Grand Elder and held back against Chen Kui earlier, using only about thirty percent of his power."
Hearing this, the other elders breathed a sigh of relief. The Grand Elder held a position of unparalleled authority within the Dark Hall, and if Mo Ming had been groomed personally by him, they had little to worry about.
"Lin Langtian," Mo Ming continued in a low voice, "I once sparred with Xuan Tian in disguise, and he couldn't last even a hundred moves against me."
Mo Ming's eyes glinted with jealousy as he watched the crowd's astonishment at Lin Langtian's appearance. He resented the fact that, despite his own strength, his name hadn't even gained as much recognition as Chen Kui's. Yet now, with Lin Langtian here, he would soon be able to establish himself as a true prodigy across the Tian Xuan Continent—by stepping over Lin Langtian.
Sensing Mo Ming's ambitions, Lin Langtian chuckled coldly. "Unfortunately for you, Xuan Tian didn't even survive a hundred moves when he and five hundred Celestial Sect disciples were all annihilated by me."
Mo Ming's face darkened. He took a slow, deep breath, then spoke through clenched teeth, "A sharp tongue won't save you."
A cold smirk stretched across Mo Ming's lips, and with a glint of malice in his eyes, a fierce wave of primordial energy surged from within him. The energy roared like a massive tidal wave, powerful and unyielding.
Floating in mid-air, Mo Ming looked down upon Lin Langtian with the arrogance of a deity gazing at a mere mortal. His cold smile grew. "Let's see if you live up to your reputation, Lin Langtian."
With that, Mo Ming's eyes narrowed. With a swift motion, he thrust his palm forward, unleashing a massive wave of primordial energy in the form of a giant black hand aimed directly at Lin Langtian.
Lin Langtian looked up, observing the oncoming energy with calm eyes. He raised his hand, unleashing his own ancient palm technique that swelled as it cut through the air to meet Mo Ming's attack head-on.
The sky erupted with a thunderous explosion as their energy clashed. Waves of power rippled outwards from the collision, radiating a force so intense it made Chen Kui tremble.
"Oh, so you're only at the Lesser Saint Profound Realm, yet your energy level rivals that of a Master. I see why Xuan Tian fell to you so easily," Mo Ming sneered, feeling Lin Langtian's powerful energy reserves.
"Did you think that would be enough to challenge me?"
His gaze icy, Mo Ming's lips twisted into a sneer. Though Lin Langtian possessed formidable combat strength, he still believed it wouldn't be enough to match him.
"Today, I'll show you what true strength looks like."
Suddenly, Mo Ming's face hardened, and he rapidly formed a series of complex hand seals. Instantly, his energy began to surge wildly.
With a powerful surge, Mo Ming's aura flooded the square, nearly doubling in strength. Waves of raw power emanated from his body, enough to make onlookers gasp.
As he felt the potent energy radiating from Mo Ming, Lin Langtian's expression shifted slightly. "So this is your true strength. You're at the Peak of the Saint Profound Realm…"
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