Tianji Shangren was amused to the point of laughter; it was the first time he encountered someone trying to tell his fortune, and it was a mere child at that.
The thing he avoided most in his life was having his fate calculated. He never did it himself and would never let others do it. This little brat had successfully piqued his interest.
"Heh, what a fool," Li Si sneered inwardly as he observed the scene.
He was well aware that Zhao Wenzhuo was a pawn they had placed within the Chu Tian Alliance, their number one pawn.
This young man, given his age, couldn't possibly have any profound understanding of formations. Whether he could even unravel a formation was questionable. Zhao Wenzhuo's sole purpose in participating was to mess with their minds, to first eliminate Tianji Shangren, their rival, so he could easily claim the top spot.
Seeing through the opponent's plan, Li Si felt reassured. With one less competitor, the first place was within easy reach.
As for Xu the Butcher, he naturally ignored him, thinking, "A snake, what does he know about formations?"
Tianji Shangren stared at Zhao Wenzhuo for a long time before slowly saying, "I see water and fire clashing in you, a fate marked by disaster. I fear you were born into misfortune, bringing bad luck to anyone around you!"
These words hit Zhao Wenzhuo's sore spot.
His eyes narrowed, but he maintained a cool tone, "You harbor fire in your fate, hiding malicious intent. Anyone you fixate on is bound to suffer great misfortune!"
Upon hearing this, Tianji Shangren's eyes narrowed to slits, but soon he sneered, "Young man, some words shouldn't be spoken carelessly."
"Why are they arguing?" Xu Hei was taken aback.
The two kept cursing each other, exposing each other's weaknesses, seemingly intent on mutual destruction. Were they both suffering from some sort of ailment?
In the blink of an eye, Li Si was about to unravel the first layer.
Tianji Shangren smirked, pulling out a paper figure, and with a flick of his finger, he began inscribing lines into it.
"You can eat recklessly, but you can't speak recklessly. Today, I'll teach you a lesson!"
As Tianji Shangren inscribed, the paper figure became lifelike, gradually transforming into the likeness of a young man, bearing some resemblance to Zhao Wenzhuo.
Zhao Wenzhuo's eyes flickered, and he cupped his hands toward Mo Wuyou, "Senior, may I ask if we can make a move here?"
"You are only allowed to act on the formations, not attack each other," Mo Wuyou replied calmly.
Zhao Wenzhuo nodded, forming hand seals toward the formation, but it seemed more like he was adding something rather than analyzing it.
"Trying to make a move against me, truly reckless!" Tianji Shangren almost laughed out loud, his hands moving even faster, as the paper figure grew hair and bones, becoming increasingly lifelike.
Xu Hei was about to start analyzing when he suddenly paused.
"No attacking each other?"
Xu Hei frowned.
Would Zhao Wenzhuo's words count as verbal attacks? Was Tianji Shangren's paper figure also a form of attack?
Mo Wuyou, if he truly wanted to prevent interference, could have locked them in separate rooms. Why let them sit face to face in the open?
It was clear he tacitly allowed them to attack each other!
Xu Hei realized this belatedly. Originally planning to immediately analyze the formation, he hesitated.
If he could see this, had the other three also noticed?
Was Li Si, who seemed to be unraveling the formation, also up to something behind the scenes?
The only thing not to worry about was external interference; this place was isolated from the outside, and any changes would occur internally.
"I've long memorized these nine formations. It's not enough to merge them; I must thoroughly understand them first."
Xu Hei didn't act immediately but instead sent his Divine Sense into the formation, studying every detail meticulously.
It's like analyzing a lock; you can open it, but you can't understand its mechanism.
At this moment, Xu Hei was studying the mechanism.
......
Time ticked by.
Unknowingly, most of the first day had passed.
Li Si had already unraveled six formations, but the difficulty of the last three increased exponentially, ten times harder than before, and the time spent was incomparable.
An ice thunder killing formation alone took as much time as all the previous ones combined to complete.
After finishing the paper figure, Tianji Shangren put it away, muttering incantations under his breath, the purpose unknown.
Zhao Wenzhuo sat cross-legged before the formation, his formation different from before, but the difference was indiscernible.
Xu Hei sat motionless with his eyes closed, like a piece of wood.
"One in a daze, two attacking each other, like a child's play, ridiculous," Li Si scoffed, having initially thought he needed to guard against Xu Hei, but it seemed unnecessary.
At this moment, Xu Hei opened his eyes, a gleam flashing through them.
Just now, he had completely understood the merging of the nine formations, able to see through any detail with his eyes closed.
If he were to analyze now, he could unravel the formation in no time, easily claiming first place.
However, Xu Hei didn't plan to do that; he wanted to see what tricks the other three were up to.
He strongly suspected that the key to this round wasn't in unraveling the formation at all.
He didn't know Mo Wuyou's intentions, but it certainly wasn't something as superficial as solving a formation.
"What is Mo Wuyou thinking?" Xu Hei looked at the unmoving silhouette.
"Fire Poison Killing Formation, complete..." As Xu Hei pondered, Li Si unraveled another formation, leaving only the final one.
This was the most complex Five Elements Killing Formation.
From the progress, he was far ahead of the others, with first place almost guaranteed.
Xu Hei couldn't wait any longer; he didn't know how long it would take the opponent to unravel the final formation. What if it went wrong?
"No, I must start now. If Li Si is holding back and suddenly speeds up, catching me off guard, it would be troublesome!" Xu Hei thought to himself.
Such suspicion wasn't unfounded; Li Si had clearly slowed down intentionally toward the end.
As soon as the last formation began to be analyzed, it accelerated, indicating prior rehearsal.
Xu Hei immediately approached the formation, intending to unravel it as quickly as possible.
And just then.
Zhao Wenzhuo suddenly pointed at the formation, releasing a burst of flame toward Tianji Shangren's face, a fiery array from within the formation.
"Foolish!" Tianji Shangren sneered, seemingly prepared, waving his sleeve to reveal a Bagua pattern that dissipated the flame.
Then, Zhao Wenzhuo continued to activate the formation, launching all attacks toward Tianji Shangren.
Tianji Shangren casually waved his sleeve, easily neutralizing these simple attacks.
"Is this all you have to cause me harm? Not enough!" Tianji Shangren sneered, taking out the completed paper figure and pointing at it.
Li Si looked over curiously.
Xu Hei's eyes narrowed as he saw the paper figure's appearance change, initially resembling Zhao Wenzhuo, but suddenly twisting into Li Si's likeness.
"Not good!" Li Si's face changed drastically.
"Karma Transfer!"
Tianji Shangren pointed at the paper figure, which quickly burned to ashes, an invisible karma linking the two formations.
Attacking the person was forbidden, but attacking the formation wasn't.
The formation in front of Li Si, just one step from completion, was instantly swapped and transferred to Tianji Shangren.
Meanwhile, Tianji Shangren's new formation was transferred to Li Si.
The two had swapped!
Tianji Shangren had directly stolen the completed solution from his opponent.
Did you think he was doing nothing before, just wasting time arguing? How naive and laughable.....
...232....
The sudden reversal left Xu Hei utterly astonished.
"Good thing I didn't rush to break the formation. If it had been stolen from me, all my efforts would have been in vain."
Xu Hei was relieved that he had kept his composure.
Meanwhile, the situation on Zhao Wenzhuo's side was also becoming clear.
He had just added a brand new formation on top of the nine formations—a phantom formation!
This formation could create various illusions to confuse opponents. His earlier attacks on Tianji Shangren were all fake!
Tianji Shangren saw through those illusory attacks at a glance but still assumed a defensive posture, merely to mislead others and conceal his true intentions.
In the end, he succeeded.
He stole Li Si's achievements, jumping straight to the first place!
At the same time, Zhao Wenzhuo's real progress was revealed—he was also deciphering the final formation, almost on par with Tianji Shangren.
He had been deciphering formations all along, just hidden by the phantom formation, making everyone mistakenly believe he was standing still.
The entire venue was in an uproar.
"Zhao Wenzhuo's talent in formations is terrifying; he's already at the last formation! Even more terrifying, he knows how to hide it!"
"This guy is no simple character; everyone in the Chu Tian Alliance is a freak!"
"We've all been played!"
The audience outside could see the situation within the light circle, and their eyes were about to pop out.
The Bai Family members were very glad they hadn't gotten involved. Damn, these people were all devious tricksters; if they had sent someone in, they would have been at the bottom for sure!
This was no longer just a test of formation skills; it was also a test of cunning.
The Heavenly Puppet Sect instantly fell from heaven to hell, dropping from first place to last, tied with Xu Hei.
"What the hell!"
"Isn't Zhao Wenzhuo one of us?"
Voices of confusion erupted within the Heavenly Puppet Sect. Bai Luo was puzzled, while Lei He remained silent.
Xu Hei took a deep breath and calmed himself.
Those two guys had been arguing all along; he thought it was just a petty squabble, but he had underestimated them.
Now, things were getting interesting.
"The battle has just begun!"
Xu Hei controlled the butcher, his hands moving frantically, casting spells into the formation at a speed that created afterimages.
In one breath, the first formation was broken!
In two breaths, the second formation was broken!
The third formation was broken!
Initially, only Xu Hei's hands were moving, but soon, multiple arms appeared, casting spells simultaneously, countless afterimages in motion.
To speed up, Xu Hei applied the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique to his arms.
Others couldn't keep up with their brains; Xu Hei simply couldn't keep up with his hands.
Li Si intended to catch up, having spent the whole day deciphering formations. With his previous experience, he shouldn't have been in last place.
At the very least, he could hold his ground and avoid losing points.
But when he saw Xu Hei's actions next to him, he was dumbfounded.
"How is this possible?!"
What did Li Si see?
In just the blink of an eye, Xu Hei had already reached the last three challenging formations.
And he had just started, at least ten times slower.
He had deciphered them once before, so he should have been much more proficient. How could Xu Hei, who was doing it for the first time, be so terrifying?
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"Impossible, this is impossible! How could I be at the bottom?"
Li Si panicked, losing his usual calm demeanor.
As the strategist of the Qin Kingdom, undefeated in war, this was the first time he had been so stumped.
He had been outsmarted by those two devious tricksters and the snake beside him; they were all pretending, every single one of them!
Each one was more extraordinary than the last, yet each one was better at pretending. And he, the honest person, was just obediently deciphering formations?
At this moment, the outside world was once again in an uproar, even more shocking than what Zhao Wenzhuo had brought.
Everyone doubted their eyes.
Xu the Butcher, with dozens of arms simultaneously breaking formations, what a joke? He was just a snake, a snake! Only now did they realize Xu Hei had been severely underestimated.
"The seventh formation, the eighth formation!"
In the blink of an eye, these extremely complex two formations were also effortlessly broken by Xu Hei.
Now, he arrived at the final formation, the Five Elements Killing Formation.
Xu Hei, Zhao Wenzhuo, and Tianji Shangren stood on the same starting line.
The original first place, Li Si, had turned into a laughingstock, as ridiculous as could be.
"Hehe, things are getting interesting," Mo Wuyou chuckled.
Li Si's eyes flickered, stopping his actions, a trace of malice flashing in his eyes.
In the final formation, the three were incredibly fast, but upon closer comparison, they found Xu Hei was more than ten times faster than them.
"Hmm?"
Tianji Shangren squinted his eyes, unconsciously speeding up.
Zhao Wenzhuo's face darkened, also speeding up, abandoning any tricks; now, it was all about raw strength.
Xu Hei remained unhurried, and in the blink of an eye, he had deciphered over ninety percent, just one step away.
What's The Reason Behind Sydney's Breakup?
हर सुबह का भरोसा: प्राकृतिक फार्मूला शुगर रोगियों के लिए
"The outcome is decided."
Mo Wuyou had already made his calculations.
Li Si stared at the formation before him, a fierce glint in his eyes, about to make a move when he suddenly felt a cold gaze.
He withdrew his hand involuntarily.
Moments later—
"Success!"
The formation in front of Xu Hei was completely deciphered, vanishing instantly.
Immediately after, Zhao Wenzhuo and Tianji Shangren almost simultaneously completed their deciphering, not a second apart.
Li Si, unwilling as he was, had to accept being at the bottom and chose to give up.
"Alright! The first round is over. The Earth Team takes first place, earning three points, now with thirteen points."
"The Water Team and Fire Team tie for second, each earning one point, now with eleven points."
"The Metal Team is fourth, losing one point, now with nine points."
Mo Wuyou waved his hand, and the four turned into rainbows, automatically flying back to their team locations.
Li Si returned to his spot, and no one blamed him. Bai Luo consoled him, "A temporary setback is no big deal; the road ahead is long."
Li Si took a deep breath, nodded, and regained his usual calm demeanor.
"Indeed, we have the advantage."
Li Si thought of his arrangements, regaining his confidence, though his fists clenched tightly, eyes filled with killing intent.
When Tianji Shangren returned, the Zhou Family welcomed him with the utmost enthusiasm.
Tianji Shangren, however, was not in the mood, waving them off, "Second place, the biggest loser, nothing worth celebrating."
But the Zhou Family didn't see it that way.
Their only opponent was the Heavenly Puppet Sect; as long as they pulled them down, it was a success.
As for the team composed of those three beasts, they didn't even consider them a threat, believing they would be surpassed sooner or later.
Tianji Shangren sat cross-legged, his gaze fixed on Xu Hei in the distance, eyes heavy, muttering, "That snake must have seen the Nine Palaces Formation before, otherwise, he couldn't be this fast! Waiting for me to steal before making a move, perfectly avoiding it, his luck is extraordinary!"
He glanced at Zhou Wendie, muttering, "I hope I didn't choose wrong."
Xu Hei felt a chill in his heart, sensing the gaze from afar.
Xu Hei's mind raced, thinking to himself, "I drew too much attention just now; I'll be targeted. I need to control my score."
...233...
Abandon the sword, harvest fallen iron
At the last moment, Xu Hei surpassed everyone in just a few breaths and took first place, causing quite a stir.
With a total of five teams, if one team pulls ahead, they are sure to be targeted by the others.
"The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. Xu Hei has never liked being in the spotlight; he'd rather settle for a middle ranking."
"Heh, what kind of nonsense is this, trying to be a strategist? With skills like that, you might as well put a dog's head on your face and be a dog-headed strategist," Hei Huang couldn't resist mocking the neighboring team.
Li Si was fuming, but remembering the opponent's sharp teeth and the dull ache in his thigh, he knew he couldn't gain any advantage. He snorted coldly and ignored them.
"Say what you will, but once this is over, none of you will escape!" Li Si's eyes were venomous.
Lei He and Bai Luo seemed confident, not at all worried about the unfavorable start.
"The second round, sword forging!"
Mo Wuyou laid out a pile of oddly shaped metal materials on the ground.
Everyone quickly gathered to look.
The pile consisted of irregularly shaped stones, entirely pitch black with a hint of deep purple, twinkling with starlight, as if infused with some strange energy.
"Is this meteorite iron from beyond the heavens?"
Hei Huang's eyes narrowed with greed.
"Explain," Xu Hei asked.
"Heavenly meteorite iron, as the name suggests, is stone that falls from the sky. The materials are bizarre, but all contain the power of the stars. If refined properly, even trash can become treasure. The key lies in that trace of star power."
Hei Huang rubbed his paws together, looking somewhat excited.
Mo Wuyou's voice spread out: "Forge a sword! Within the limited seven days, use these materials to forge a flying sword. The ranking will be based on the quality of the sword, following the same rules as the first round."
"You have the time of a stick of incense to prepare."
Immediately, all the teams gathered to discuss their next steps.
Xu Hei frowned and asked, "Are you going to participate in this round?"
"Aren't you trying to control the score? If I participate, there won't be any suspense," Hei Huang replied.
Xu Hei was taken aback. It was surprising that Hei Huang would support him in controlling the score.
Wasn't this old dog usually very high-profile?
"Wait, if you do this..."
Hei Huang crawled over and whispered something to Xu Hei, leaving him dumbfounded.
After a stick of incense, each team had chosen their participant.
With a wave of Mo Wuyou's hand, everyone was drawn into the circle of light.
This time, all five teams chose to participate.
The Heavenly Puppet Sect sent their strongest, Lei He, while the Bai Family sent their top sword cultivator, Bai Que.
The Myriad Treasure Pavilion brought out Han Te, a master swordsmith with flying swords all over his body.
"Pay me more, you must pay me more!" Han Te had planned to be lazy, but ended up having to take the stage himself, which made him very unhappy, feeling like he had lost hundreds of thousands.
The Chu Tian Alliance sent Zhang Tie, and Xu Hei represented his own side.
In the center of the five participants lay a large pile of irregular heavenly meteorite iron. They looked similar in appearance, but the materials were surely different.
This was also a test of one's discernment!
Stones falling from the sky couldn't all be the same; the materials could vary greatly. The only commonality was that they all contained star power.
"Choose the right material and forge the strongest sword. Remember, each person can only choose one piece, and once chosen, there's no going back."
"In this round, interference with others is prohibited. Violators will be expelled!" Mo Wuyou announced.
Everyone understood.
While interference was prohibited, there were no barriers between them. In essence, it was still up to each person's ability to maneuver within the rules.
The four of them focused ahead, their divine senses scanning each piece of meteorite iron, hesitant to decide. Since they could only take one piece and couldn't change their minds, they had to choose carefully.
But if they took too long, someone else might snatch the piece they wanted.
Zhang Tie only observed for a few breaths before stepping forward to grab a millstone-sized piece of meteorite iron.
Then, one by one, others went up to choose their desired materials.
Xu Hei approached the largest piece of meteorite iron, which stood five meters tall, like a massive meteorite. The butcher's arms wrapped around the giant stone, trying to lift it, but couldn't move it.
He controlled the butcher, using all his strength and even channeling black True Qi, barely managing to lift it.
"What is he thinking?"
Zhang Tie didn't quite understand.
Taking such a large piece, how long would it take to refine? The time limit was only a week!
Moreover, the quality of the flying sword wasn't solely dependent on the material's value; it had to suit the user.
Lei He showed a disdainful expression; no tricks would work in this round.
"So heavy! With this weight, it must contain top-grade materials!" Xu Hei was thrilled and directly stored the meteorite iron in his storage bag.
Then he said to Mo Wuyou, "I forfeit."
"What?"
The crowd was in an uproar.
Even the confident Lei He was stunned, clearly not expecting this development.
A brief silence fell over the surroundings.
"Forfeit?" Mo Wuyou looked at him for a while and asked, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I forfeit. I'm no match for these people; I just wanted to grab a piece of material and leave," Xu Hei answered honestly.
This left everyone speechless.
No wonder Xu Hei chose the largest piece; he planned to grab it and run, not aiming for any ranking.
You have to admit, this move was quite practical. No one would have thought of this, as only a weirdo like Xu Hei would think of controlling the score, while others didn't have this awareness at all.
"Alright, the Earth Team loses one point, leaving twelve."
With a wave of Mo Wuyou's hand, Xu Hei was directly sent flying out, back to the outside of the circle of light.
Meanwhile, the others sat in their respective positions, calming their minds and observing their materials.
"Forfeiting is also a wise choice, at least he knows his limits!" Liu Chengfeng sneered inwardly.
"A team of three demonic beasts winning once is just good luck; losing consistently is more reasonable," Yin Mingzi nodded in agreement.
......
"Quick, take it out and let's see!" Hei Huang said excitedly.
Xu Hei took out the five-meter-diameter meteorite iron, entirely dark with a purple glow, the largest in size, and almost too heavy for him to move, showing how dense it was.
Hei Huang sniffed it with his nose, tapped it with his paw, and praised, "If I'm not mistaken, it should contain about ten percent star purple gold, five percent Tianxuan divine sand, twenty percent Orient Loong God rock, fifty percent mysterious steel, and the rest are impurities."
Xu Hei didn't understand a word and asked, "Can you speak human language?"
"It's very valuable!" Hei Huang replied.
"Got it," Xu Hei nodded.
By now, the participants in the arena had already begun melting their materials.
Hei Huang cut open the material, extracting some purple substance, and said, "Little Xu, why not try forging a flying sword for yourself? After all, you're not doing anything else."
"Me? Forge a flying sword?"
Xu Hei was momentarily stunned.
He had never forged a flying sword before; his previous ivory flying sword was simply carved into shape and used directly.
He had refined one of Zhou Qing's blood-kill swords, though.
"You're almost at Core Formation; how can you not have your own life-bound flying sword? Give it a try; I've prepared all the materials for you," Hei Huang encouraged.
....234...
Xu Hei nodded and immediately began to act.
Refining a flying sword is not a task that can be completed in a day or two. A flying sword crafted within seven days would never be of high quality.
Especially a life-bound flying sword, which requires years of nurturing to achieve extraordinary power.
Xu Hei didn't want to hastily forge one just to win a rank.
In the blink of an eye, seven days passed.
During this week, a series of events unfolded in the arena. Initially, Lei He and Bai Que engaged in a continuous and widespread clash of sword intents, clearly having a mutual understanding to disrupt others.
Han Te, to avoid being affected, planned to withdraw, but suddenly heard a voice.
"One point for a hundred thousand? One point for a hundred thousand?"
Han Te shivered, his eyes glowing red.
"If I take first place, wouldn't I get three hundred thousand spirit stones? Damn it, I'll fight for it!" Han Te gritted his teeth, combining his flying swords to form a shield, blocking all interference.
On the last day, the products were completed.
Lei He and Bai Que's flying swords were both impressive, rare treasures.
Han Te's flying sword was broad and tall, more like a shield than a sword.
Zhang Tie, however, crafted a hoe.
"Master Ku Xuan told me that whenever demonic thoughts arise, I should abandon the intent to kill and forge a sword into a plow. I think that's the true intention of Wuyou City." Zhang Tie said slowly.
This statement shocked everyone, making them break into a cold sweat.
If forging a sword had this meaning, they would surely lose, and even the best flying sword would be meaningless.
However, it was just a false alarm.
"What I require is sword forging, not reading comprehension. Fire Team, last place!" Mo Wuyou said without hesitation, directly expelling Zhang Tie.
This made everyone breathe a sigh of relief.
"Forging a sword into a plow, the Chu Tian Alliance does have some insight, but not much." Li Si sneered.
However, the competition among the remaining three sparked some controversy.
The flying sword contest was not to be interfered with by cultivation, purely comparing the quality of the flying swords.
Bai Que's flying sword was inferior and lost.
Han Te and Lei He, however, entered an incredible stalemate.
Han Te's flying sword had zero offense but full defense, making it impossible for the opponent to break through, and his sword couldn't break through the opponent either.
After several rounds of stalemate, neither could do anything to the other.
"This cunning trickster!"
Lei He looked livid, his sword-forging skills inferior to a bounty hunter, leaving him humiliated.
If he could enhance his cultivation, ten Han Tes wouldn't be enough for him, but in terms of pure flying sword quality, they were evenly matched.
Han Te also looked grave, secretly worried: "Damn it! To earn this three hundred thousand, I've exposed my sword-forging skills. Will someone target me now?"
"I have no money on me! No opportunities either, don't look at me!"
Han Te tightened his storage bag, feeling like ants were crawling all over him under the various blatant stares.
Mo Wuyou said, "You two are tied for first."
Lei He angrily said, "Flying swords are meant for killing, who uses them like him? This is clearly a turtle shell! Being tied with this guy is a disgrace to us!"
"Poof!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Lei He was blasted away, spitting blood, making him restrain his murderous aura and dare not act rashly.
The results were out, two tied for first, both earning three points, Bai Que zero points, Zhang Tie minus one point.
In this way, Xu Hei successfully controlled the scores, very successfully.
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At this moment, Xu Hei's flying sword had barely formed a prototype, far from a finished product, and couldn't be taken out for competition.
Suspended before him was a purple sword embryo, said to be made from the best component of star meteorite, preserving the complete power of the stars.
But when Xu Hei wanted to continue refining, the sword embryo emitted an attraction, making his true self involuntarily merge into it.
"Strange!"
Xu Hei quickly stopped his actions, looking at the three-foot-long sword embryo with uncertainty.
He couldn't help but think of the Black Dragon Pagoda, making him shiver.
After a brief contemplation, he put away the sword embryo to study later.
"Next is the third round..." Mo Wuyou continued the introduction.
In the following third and fourth rounds, Mo Wuyou tested talisman and tribulation crossing abilities.
Xu Hei placed last and second, respectively.
At the same time, he acquired a large amount of talisman materials.
As for tribulation crossing, it tested the ability to cope during tribulation, with thunder tribulation lasting seven days. Originally, Xu Hei could pass unscathed, but was shocked to find his thunder tribulation was several times stronger than others!
Upon careful observation, Xu Hei discovered it was caused by Ji Ying during tribulation crossing!
"Ji Ying is about to form a core!"
Xu Hei was secretly alarmed but dared not make it public.
While others were testing, he was truly crossing a tribulation, the pressure was imaginable.
However, if Ji Ying formed a core, it would be a great help to him, becoming one of his strongest trump cards. After all, it was a genuine Core Formation stage, and being a Corpse Beetle, it was much stronger than human cultivators.
Through these tests, Xu Hei's strength quietly grew.
Others might be aiming for points ranking, but Xu Hei was purely aiming to become stronger.
As for the final ranking rewards, Xu Hei no longer cared, whether he got them or not didn't matter.
After a series of tests.
Xu Hei only scored twelve points.
The Zhou Family ranked first with sixteen points, Heavenly Puppet Sect second with fifteen points, Chu Tian Alliance thirteen points.
The Bai Family was at the bottom.
During this time, Xu Hei witnessed the methods of various parties.
Tianji Shangren repeatedly took action, always coming in second, earning him the nickname "eternal second." This seemed to remind him of unpleasant past memories, making his face look grim.
The only time Chu Tian Alliance won was relying on Xu Qingfeng's talisman skills, using words to transform into talismans, overwhelming everyone.
Although Heavenly Puppet Sect won twice, they were still behind the Zhou Family due to losing a point at the start.
"Next is the final round, pill refining."
Mo Wuyou said, taking out various ancient spirit medicines, piling them within the light circle.
"Finally, it's here."
Xu Hei took a deep breath, having anticipated this round, as the tests were mostly within the six arts of cultivation.
"Is it my turn?" Xu Bai was quite excited.
"Yes, perform as you wish." Xu Hei smiled.
He was currently at twelve points, ranking fourth, winning or losing didn't matter, as he couldn't take first place anyway.
The five teams quickly made their decisions.
The Bai Family and Chu Tian Alliance forfeited, leaving only three participants.
Liu Chengfeng, Tianji Shangren, and Xu Bai.
Seeing Xu Hei send out a mysterious woman, everyone was a bit surprised, but didn't pay much attention, as Xu Hei's previous actions had minimized his presence.
He only won the first round by sheer luck, and his subsequent performance was on par with the Bai Family, akin to hidden talents.
"I'm only one point behind the Zhou Family, as long as I take first, I can surpass them."
Liu Chengfeng was full of confidence, having prepared thoroughly, determined to surprise everyone.
The Zhou Family once again sent out Tianji Shangren, who almost always participated, securing a point each time, steady as the old dog.
"This round, I will pave the way for you, next, it depends on Zhou Wendie herself." Tianji Shangren thought to himself.
....235....
The medicinal herbs provided by Mo Wuyou, though common Spirit Medicines, were all at least a thousand years old, making them rare treasures in the market.
Even an ordinary spiritual herb, after living for a thousand years, would have its Spiritual Qi greatly increased.
"For this round, the requirement is to refine a Golden Essence Pill for Core Formation cultivators. Only one pill is allowed, and the one with the highest quality wins!" Mo Wuyou announced.
The Golden Essence Pill is similar in effect to the Foundation Essence Pill, commonly consumed by cultivators; the former is for the Core Formation Stage, while the latter is for the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Any Core Formation cultivator can refine such pills, but the quality is not guaranteed.
Tianji Shangren moved swiftly, selecting five medicinal herbs and starting the refining process.
Liu Chengfeng, confident, chose six herbs, took out his pill furnace, and threw in one of the herbs, injecting a cluster of golden flames.
In an instant, the flames shone as brightly as the sun.
The moment the golden light appeared, the crowd's eyes focused, followed by exclamations.
"Is that... the Great Sun Golden Flame?"
"Indeed, it's the legendary Great Sun Golden Flame, said to be born from absorbing the essence of the sun!"
"Using this flame to refine pills allows them to absorb the essence of the sun and moon, enhancing their quality by a tier!"
Many sharp-eyed individuals recognized the origin of the flame, gasping in astonishment. Such a legendary flame appeared with Liu Chengfeng.
Liu Chengfeng merely smirked coldly.
This flame was the great fortune of the place of inheritance for the metal element, the Great Sun Golden Flame. However, it was not the complete form, just a wisp of the flame, which he had borrowed from Bai Luo.
He had anticipated the pill refining segment in this assessment and had prepared in advance for this moment!
With the half-tier enhancement from the Great Sun Golden Flame, the Golden Essence Pill he refined could be called the Great Golden Essence Pill, enough to outshine all others. Unless it was a fourth-grade pill, nothing could surpass it.
"The great fortune of the metal element's inheritance, comparable to the Ice Soul Demon Eyes, these people are not simple!" Tianji Shangren thought with a calm expression, secretly amused.
He could see that Bai Luo also possessed great fortune, but still slightly less than Zhou Wendie.
At this moment, Xu Bai had also selected her medicinal herbs, only three, and they were extremely rare, ones many had never seen before.
"Why is that?"
Xu Qingfeng, observing the scene, couldn't help but frown.
The herbs for refining the Golden Essence Pill were well-established, based on the experience of predecessors.
It's not that other herbs couldn't work, but this was the optimal solution.
Using other combinations would result in either low-quality pills or failed ones, with almost no exceptions.
Xu Bai took out a small emerald green cauldron, placed the three herbs inside, and a wisp of green flame enveloped the herbs.
It seemed ordinary, just for show, and the crowd quickly lost interest after a glance.
Xu Hei, on the other hand, watched with great interest, as he had never seen Xu Bai refine pills before; this was his first time.
Time slowly passed.
In the blink of an eye, two days went by. The refining of third-grade pills always took a long time, especially when pursuing quality and perfection.
However, with the aid of the Great Sun Golden Flame, Liu Chengfeng's pill had already taken shape, entering the final Condensing Elixir stage.
With the support of the exotic flame, even the speed was remarkably fast.
Liu Chengfeng remained vigilant, having learned from previous lessons, constantly guarding against Tianji Shangren's "pill-stealing" tactics. However, Tianji Shangren hadn't used such tricks since the first round.
"The outcome is set, just wait for the good news," Liu Chengfeng thought to himself.
Tianji Shangren felt a sudden unease, taking out a row of Talismans.
At that moment, the weather changed dramatically!
Above everyone's heads, dense clouds suddenly gathered, layering the sky.
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They grew denser and larger.
Within them, a rumbling sound emerged, like the roar of a thunder god, with purple lightning coalescing inside, brewing a terrifying thunderous might.
Tianji Shangren's pupils contracted in shock, "Is this... Pill Thunder?"
"Pill Thunder?!"
Liu Chengfeng's face changed drastically.
Most of the people present were confused.
Only a few elder cultivators had heard of Pill Thunder, their expressions turning to shock, their hearts stirring with immense waves.
Cultivators have thunder tribulations, Demonic Beasts have thunder tribulations, and pills also have thunder tribulations!
However, Pill Thunder is extremely rare, requiring two conditions to be met.
The first condition is that the pill exceeds third grade, meaning above the Core Formation Stage.
The second condition is that such a pill has never been created before.
This is the first time this pill has appeared, triggering Pill Thunder.
In ancient times, Pill Thunder was common, with great cultivators often creating new pills, forming their own schools, and triggering countless Pill Thunders, causing a sensation.
But as time passed, such conditions no longer existed, and it was rare to see brilliant alchemists creating entirely new pills.
Nowadays, people mostly follow the paths of their predecessors, using their pills, never attempting to innovate.
"What kind of pill is this to trigger Pill Thunder?"
Tianji Shangren was genuinely shocked, not pretending.
You can't just create any third-grade pill and expect to trigger Pill Thunder; the pill must have certain value, recognized by the heavens and earth!
It's akin to a cultivator forming a core, defying the heavens, triggering a thunder tribulation.
"Not good, retreat quickly!"
Liu Chengfeng's face changed dramatically as a thunderbolt as thick as a barrel suddenly descended from the clouds above, striking Xu Bai's pill.
"Boom!!!"
Lightning scattered, exploding with a deafening roar, shaking the heavens and earth, even causing the Void to tremble. Liu Chengfeng, next to it, was caught in the blast, sent flying.
"Crack!!"
Liu Chengfeng spat blood and staggered back, his pill furnace also thrown aside, barely avoiding being overturned with his desperate control.
Tianji Shangren, more composed, retreated in time, protecting his pill from the lightning.
When a cultivator crosses a tribulation, having other cultivators nearby will also attract the heavenly tribulation.
The same principle applies to pill tribulations; if there are other pills nearby, they will also attract lightning.
Tianji Shangren watched Xu Bai, bathed in Pill Thunder, with a flicker in his eyes. A female puppet appeared in his sleeve, but after a moment of hesitation, he shook his head and put it away.
Liu Chengfeng, protecting his pill, retreated to the farthest point.
At this moment, his Great Golden Essence Pill was full of cracks, nearly destroyed by the earlier blast.
"It's over, it's all over!" Liu Chengfeng's face was as grim as if he had eaten something foul.
Not only him, but everyone from the Heavenly Puppet Sect was stunned, their faces ashen.
"How could this happen?" Bai Luo couldn't believe it.
This was the final round, the one they were sure they could turn the tables with.
They had prepared long in advance, even bringing out the great fortune of the metal element's inheritance, the Great Sun Golden Flame, to overturn the situation in the pill refining segment.
In fact, according to their plan, overtaking the score and seizing first place was a sure thing!
But then, a heaven-defying pill triggered Pill Thunder.
Is there any comparison left?
"Everyone, don't panic. Triggering Pill Thunder only indicates that the pill is innovative; it doesn't mean its quality surpasses the Great Golden Essence Pill," Li Si said calmly.
Creating a never-before-seen pill and triggering Pill Thunder is indeed a rare feat.
But can that pill, in terms of quality, surpass the Great Golden Essence Pill? That's a quasi-fourth-grade pill; unless it's a true fourth-grade pill, there's no chance.
Hearing Li Si's words, the crowd came to their senses, finding his reasoning sound.
....236...
"Boom!"
Pill Thunder struck continuously, landing right where Xu Bai was.
Xu Hei asked worriedly, "Is Pill Thunder rare?"
"It's quite common, nothing to fuss about. They just haven't seen much of the world, don't follow their example," Hei Huang replied.
Xu Hei nodded.
At this moment, the Pill Thunder kept striking the green cauldron, tempering the Golden Essence Pill within the lightning, emitting a golden glow, no longer resembling a typical Golden Essence Pill.
The two people nearby stopped their pill refining, intending to wait until the storm passed.
"So this is how Xu Bai refines pills," Xu Hei mused.
Just then, Xu Bai grabbed the green cauldron from a distance, suddenly stood up, and walked towards the center area.
As she moved, the Pill Thunder followed, striking wherever she went.
"What is she doing?" Liu Chengfeng's face changed drastically.
The closer Xu Bai got to the center, the closer she was to them.
At that moment, the Pill Thunder struck again, splitting a bolt that headed straight for Liu Chengfeng.
"What!!"
Liu Chengfeng screamed, using his physical body to block the Pill Thunder to prevent his pill from shattering.
"Ugh!"
Liu Chengfeng spat out blood, severely injured once more.
The lightning fell again, splitting and striking towards the two people nearby.
"Damn it!"
Tianji Shangren felt his scalp tingle; this was the power of heaven and earth, not something human strength could withstand, and he could only avoid its sharpness.
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Xu Hei then realized that Xu Bai was doing it on purpose.
"Damn, Xu Bai is crafty too! Who did she learn this from?" Xu Hei was stunned.
Before long, Xu Bai stood in the center, and with the Pill Thunder descending there, no matter where the other two hid, as long as they didn't leave, they would keep getting struck by lightning.
This heavenly thunder tribulation was a tempering for her pill but a destruction for others.
Tianji Shangren calculated with his fingers and saw a Pill Thunder strike down, turning his pill into ashes.
Looking at the scene before him, Tianji Shangren's face turned as black as coal.
"I give up!"
He was very decisive, leaving the circle immediately and returning to the Zhou Family's position.
Zhou Wendie glanced at him, puzzled.
"No worries, it's not over yet," Tianji Shangren said.
Not long after, Liu Chengfeng couldn't hold on either, and his pill shattered all over the ground.
Failing in pill refining resulted in a deduction of one point, regardless of your rank. Liu Chengfeng could only give up, prepared to be scolded.
The Pill Thunder lasted a whole day before it ended.
Xu Bai's green cauldron didn't have a single crack, and the pill was perfectly preserved.
There was no need for evaluation; even if it was a trash pill, the other two had failed, so naturally, she won first place.
Despite this, Mo Wuyou still evaluated it and said, "A Golden Essence Pill, yet not quite like one. What is the effect of this pill?"
He couldn't discern the pill's purpose and had to ask Xu Bai.
"It enhances cultivation, but it's meant for special demonic beasts," Xu Bai answered truthfully.
"Special demonic beasts..."
Mo Wuyou didn't pursue further, nodded slightly, and announced the result.
Xu Hei's score shot up to fifteen points, tying with the Zhou Family for first place.
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Heavenly Puppet Sect had fourteen points, and Chu Tian Alliance had thirteen.
The Bai Family kept losing, their single-digit score negligible.
No one expected the final round to end up like this, with Xu Hei jumping from fourth to a tie for first, leaving the Zhou Family in an awkward position.
Tianji Shangren calculated again and said, "Don't panic, the main event is yet to come."
A tie for first wouldn't just be left as is.
There could only be one true inheritor.
"All rounds have ended, but due to a tie, there will be an extra round," Mo Wuyou said, his gaze sweeping over the Zhou Family and Xu Hei's direction. "Both sides will engage in a duel, rules of your choice."
"No need to choose, a life-and-death battle, no holds barred, until one side falls!" Zhou Qingxuan stepped forward, his eyes filled with killing intent. "What do you think?"
Xu Hei frowned, about to refuse, but Hei Huang shouted, "Sure! Who's afraid? Let your Zhou whatever her name is fight our Xu the Butcher. Loser kneels and kowtows!"
Zhou Qingxuan's face darkened; he had planned to fight himself. With his mid-stage Core Formation cultivation, wouldn't he be able to handle it easily?
"I agree."
Zhou Wendie stood up, her eyes swirling with a mix of ice and fire, burning slowly in her pupils.
After a year, facing Xu Hei again, there was no fear in her eyes, only confidence, the confidence of being an unparalleled arrogance.
Tianji Shangren's eyes lit up; this was the moment he had been waiting for.
Zhou Wendie and Xu Hei would determine the first place.
But Bai Luo of the Heavenly Puppet Sect didn't show much anxiety, standing with his hands behind his back, quietly observing.
...
Outside the ancient relic.
In the capital of the Qin Kingdom, within the imperial city.
A golden token flew over from the horizon, shrouded in a divine aura, like a flying dragon, exuding a terrifying pressure akin to a Superior Immortal's arrival.Qin Xuanji appeared immediately, respectfully catching the token in his hand.
At this moment, a phantom figure appeared on the token, its features indistinct, only two eyes shining brightly.
"With this decree, eliminate Mo Wuyou!"
The phantom figure spoke only one sentence, accompanied by a majesty comparable to the Divine Transformation Stage, enveloping the sky.
Qin Xuanji's expression remained unchanged as he bowed respectfully, "As you command!"
"The Demon Lord deceives the heavens and cultivates in secret; someone will handle him. You just follow orders."
"Within a month, I want results!"
The phantom figure returned to the token, which Qin Xuanji held in his hand.
At this moment, even Qin Xuanji's arm trembled slightly. Despite his usually unshakable demeanor, he couldn't suppress his emotions, trembling with excitement.
This was his opportunity, the greatest opportunity of his life!
He had bet correctly!
"Contact the Divine Puppet Sect. Nine deaths and one life, who would have thought, not only did you survive, but the Divine Puppet Sect also responded."
A white-bearded elder appeared beside him, one of their Elemental Infant ancestors, known as Ancestor Xingtian.
"They are very concerned about the third-generation ancestor, urging me to eliminate him quickly. There must be a big secret involved; I'm just going with the flow," Qin Xuanji said.
The Divine Puppet Sect, to this day, remained one of the top sects on the cultivation star, with a Divine Transformation Stage expert overseeing it. For their small Heavenly Puppet Sect, without a major event, disturbing them would be courting death.
Qin Xuanji had risked his life on this gamble.
"No wonder the third-generation ancestor harbors such hatred for the Divine Puppet Sect, even forbidding entry into the Wu Mountain area. It's a blood feud to the death!" Ancestor Xingtian sighed.
Qin Xuanji wasted no more words and immediately gathered all the elites of the Heavenly Puppet Sect.
"Everyone, move out immediately, surround Wu Mountain, and don't let even a mosquito escape!"
"Yes!"
The deafening response echoed throughout the imperial city and beyond.
No one knew how many disciples and elders the Heavenly Puppet Sect had, only that their puppet army was invincible, breaking through all obstacles, the most terrifying force in the world.
Wherever they pointed, even if it was a demonic beast's territory, they could carve out a path.
That day, dense clouds gathered in the sky, setting out from the Qin Kingdom, drifting towards Wu Mountain in the Chu Kingdom, the vast and boundless army of the Heavenly Puppet Sect.
————
[The second volume is wrapping up, the relic is about to end, entering the third volume.]
...237...
Mo Wuyou gazed into the horizon, seemingly sensing something in the void. After a moment, he let out a sigh.
"What is meant to come will eventually come. Time is running out."
He looked at the participants and produced a large piece of intricately patterned jade, which he tossed out. The jade pieces landed in front of the five teams.
In front of Xu Qingfeng were thirteen jade pieces.
Bai Luo received fourteen jade pieces.
Bai Qiushui got eight.
Xu Hei and Zhou Wendie each received sixteen.
Upon closer inspection, the number of jade pieces matched their remaining points.
"These are mechanism jades. With them, you can open the mechanism boxes found within the relic," Mo Wuyou explained.
Everyone was taken aback.
They had indeed found many mechanism boxes within the relic, but no one had been able to open them, despite trying countless methods.
Who would have thought they needed these mechanism jades to unlock them!
Everyone who came to the ancient relic had acquired some mechanism boxes, even rogue cultivators might have found one or two. Now, with a way to open them, the boxes' value became apparent.
Xu Hei, however, was stunned.
If the mechanism jade opened the boxes, then what was the purpose of his key?
The key he obtained from the old ape could open mechanism boxes and the Earth Path...
Xu Hei's eyes flickered as he considered various possibilities.
"Could it be a universal key?"
His breath quickened slightly.
Of course, this was just a guess and needed verification. If it truly was a universal key that could open anything, that would be interesting.
But now was not the time to think about such things.
With a wave of Mo Wuyou's hand, Xu Hei and Zhou Wendie's figures flew into the center of the light circle.
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The circle's area suddenly expanded, transforming into a battle platform that stretched infinitely, expanding to a width of a thousand miles—this was their battlefield.
Xu Hei remained hidden within the butcher's body, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and armor. Zhou Wendie stood opposite him, clad in a purple robe, her face as cold as frost.
Their physiques formed a stark contrast.
Outside the circle, all eyes were on them.
"The winner between you two will receive my final inheritance," Mo Wuyou's voice echoed.
Xu Hei asked, "May I ask, senior, what exactly is your inheritance?"
"I cannot tell you yet," Mo Wuyou shook his head.
Xu Hei sighed helplessly.
He hated exposing his strength in front of others. He preferred to keep a low profile, avoiding attention and enmity.
Despite controlling his points throughout the competition, it still came down to a one-on-one battle.
Perhaps this was fate!
There was no retreat in this fight.
Yet Xu Hei had a vague feeling that his point control was not meaningless; it had at least influenced some people's judgments.
"I'm surprised to face you instead of Bai Luo in the end!"
Zhou Wendie's voice was calm, a stark contrast to her previous hasty retreat in the Blood Corpse Cave. Now, her eyes were filled with absolute confidence.
Last time, she had not fully recovered from her injuries, her eyes had been taken, and her strength greatly diminished.
This time, she would not repeat her mistakes!
Although she was wary of Xu Hei's method of killing Zhou Qing, she could tell Zhou Qing was not defeated head-on but fell to some underhanded trick.
She could not afford to be careless.
Xu Hei's expression grew serious.
His opponent was at the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage, ready to form a core at any moment, and he was not far behind. In terms of cultivation, he had no disadvantage. Due to his perfect Foundation Establishment, Xu Hei even had an overwhelming advantage.
The only potential variables were magical treasures and hidden trump cards.
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In any case, he could not be careless.
Xu Hei and this woman had a deep-seated enmity. She had repeatedly plotted to have him killed and even summoned an ancestor. Who knew if there would be a next time? If given the chance, Xu Hei would not hesitate to eliminate her.
"Whoosh!"
Zhou Wendie vanished from her spot, a pair of butterfly wings appearing behind her, moving so fast that afterimages formed.
"So fast!"
Xu Hei's eyes narrowed as he too disappeared, leaving behind an afterimage.
As they crossed paths, a crisp metallic sound echoed in the void, and a blade mark appeared on the butcher's arm, though it was unclear what had caused it.
"Whoosh!"
Zhou Wendie charged again, her speed rivaling that of an average Core Formation cultivator, even faster than the butcher's Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique.
Xu Hei extended countless arms, reaching for Zhou Wendie, but she sidestepped and flashed past, slicing off one of the butcher's arms.
"This is one of the Zhou Family's Four Divine Techniques, the Startling Swan Step!"
Someone outside recognized Zhou Wendie's footwork and exclaimed in astonishment.
"This is a spell only Core Formation ancestors can learn. When did she master it?"
"Did you see the wings on her back? That's also a third-tier magical treasure, the Illusory Butterfly Wings!"
"The Startling Swan Step combined with the Illusory Butterfly Wings makes her speed comparable to the Core Formation Stage."
The crowd marveled.
They all knew the two were merely testing each other, but even in this probing, Xu Hei was at a disadvantage.
No wonder she was one of the top Chosen in the Qin Kingdom, capable of fighting across realms!
In fact, Zhou Wendie had already sparred in secret with three rogue cultivators her family had recruited.
Three early-stage Core Formation cultivators. Among them, Cang Ming had fought her for a hundred moves without using trump cards, ending in a draw.
The blue-clad woman surrendered after two hundred moves.
Han Te was defeated in just three moves, though there was suspicion of him holding back. But still, he was a Core Formation cultivator using true essence, yet he was no match for Zhou Wendie.
It was clear that Zhou Wendie's strength could already rival an early-stage Core Formation cultivator.
"Whoosh!"
Zhou Wendie charged again. Xu Hei could discern her position, but the butcher's large size made dodging difficult, leaving him a sitting duck.
Xu Hei pondered briefly, and as she approached, he sank his energy into his dantian and let out a mighty roar: "Roar!!"
Dragon clan's ultimate technique, Dragon Shatter Roar!
However, he only used twenty percent of his power before stopping, not wanting to reveal too much.
Yet even with just twenty percent, Zhou Wendie's movement halted, causing a brief stiffness. Xu Hei quickly formed a hand seal and shouted, "Earth Rock Spike!"
Countless rocks in the void formed spikes and shot toward Zhou Wendie's figure, piercing through her in an instant.
However, Zhou Wendie's figure vanished; what was pierced was merely an afterimage.
"So it was a feint."
Xu Hei's expression remained unchanged as he struck the void beside him, sending three ivory flying swords stabbing into a large umbrella, spinning and bouncing off.
Xu Hei realized immediately that this woman had too many defensive magical treasures, protecting not only her physical body but also her divine sense.
Even soundwave spells couldn't catch her off guard.
Of course, Xu Hei had only used twenty percent of his power in the Dragon Shatter Roar, so it was normal not to break through her defenses.
"Whoosh!"
Zhou Wendie retreated a thousand feet away, covering herself with her wings and vanishing from sight.
At this moment, she withdrew to a corner, her expression heavy.
"This person is incredibly strong. I've already used fifty percent of my cultivation and the Startling Swan Step, yet I can't do anything to him. Even getting close is extremely difficult."
Zhou Wendie swallowed a pill to maintain her optimal state.
At this rate, even if she used all her cultivation, without employing her Ice and Fire Dual Pupils, victory would be hard to achieve.
Because she could tell her opponent was also hiding his strength, though she didn't know how much.
"I'll use the Four Divine Techniques to force out his true self."
Zhou Wendie made up her mind.
The Zhou Family's Four Divine Techniques were well-known in the Qin Kingdom.
Speed technique, Startling Swan Step. Palm technique, Void Shattering Palm.
Blade technique, Invisible Sword. Eye technique, Void Piercing Eye.
Each technique was a decisive killer move in the Core Formation Stage.
Just as Zhou Wendie was formulating her plan, she saw a shadow appear before her.
....238...
"Whoosh!"
This time, Xu Hei took the initiative to attack. Countless fists, infused with overwhelming corpse Qi, roared out with earth-shattering force, creating turbulent waves of energy. The sheer number of fists blocked all of Zhou Wendie's escape routes.
Above Zhou Wendie's head, that umbrella appeared once more.
The fists struck it, but it was as if they hit a slippery eel, the force dispersing everywhere, sliding off in all directions, unable to concentrate.
Umbrella-type magical treasures, he had seen Liu Chengfeng use them before, were very effective at dispersing force, the nemesis of all brute strength.
"What a strange umbrella! If I were to attack in person, would the result be the same?"
Xu Hei calculated inwardly, suddenly feeling a prickling sensation on his back, quickly dodging to the side.
In the next moment, numerous fine cuts appeared on his arm, and two more arms were severed.
It was that invisible sword again!
One of the Four Divine Techniques of the Zhou Family, Blade Absolute, Invisible Sword.
Xu Hei had suffered from this invisible sword before. After creating some distance, he pressed his palm to the ground.
"Mountain Severing Abyss!"
This was the first time Xu Hei used a third-tier spell after reaching the peak of Foundation Establishment. Mountains rose from the ground, connecting into a chain, forming a serpent-like mountain range, with its head raised, charging towards Zhou Wendie.
This serpent-like mountain range, in terms of area, was similar to the one Xu Hei had previously summoned with the help of the Mountain-moving Patriarch, but its hardness was several times greater!
The serpent's head was like it was forged from metal, exuding a sense of immense weight. It was unclear what material the battle platform was made of.
"Boom..."
The mountain serpent crashed down, causing Zhou Wendie's treasure umbrella to tremble violently, layers of invisible ripples spreading out. Zhou Wendie's face turned pale, and she had to increase her cultivation, raising it to over eighty percent.
Under Xu Hei's relentless assault, she found it difficult to withstand.
"Even with my perfect Foundation Establishment, am I really this lacking in True Qi? Could he have already reached Core Formation?"
Zhou Wendie's eyes were heavy, already considering Xu Hei as an opponent of a higher level, engaging in a cross-level battle.
"Spurt!"
She spat out a mouthful of blood, a streak of purple light appearing beneath her feet, her speed increasing several times, instantly escaping the range of the mountain serpent's impact. Then, her figure vanished.
"You like to hide, huh? Let's see where you can hide!"
With a thought, Xu Hei caused the butcher's body to suddenly split into multiple figures, identical, faceless, with only limbs and heads.
Passersby A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H.
Each passerby was covered in various offensive talismans, ranging from the peak of the second tier to the third tier. Xu Hei had collected a basketful of these talismans, using them freely.
"Go!"
With a point of his finger, these passerby corpse puppets flew out, appearing at any possible location Zhou Wendie might move to, stopping and self-destructing.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."
The talismans on their bodies shot out in all directions, exploding at various locations. For a moment, the battle platform was filled with continuous explosions, the entire world shaking, violent True Qi scattering everywhere.
Wind blades, fireballs, thunder, whirlpools, countless talisman spells erupted, sweeping across all areas, a full-scale bombardment with no blind spots, leaving Zhou Wendie nowhere to hide.
The crowd outside was all shocked by this scene.
Xu Hei's methods were truly astonishing, simultaneously activating so many talismans. Even someone at the Core Formation Stage would suffer greatly.
"Bai Luo, what do you think of these two?" Lei He asked.
Bai Luo, dressed in white, stood with his hands behind his back, a gentle demeanor, calmly said, "Rare Chosen ones, comparable to Bai Qiushui."
Bai Qiushui was of his uncle's generation, but his talent had always been overshadowed by Bai Luo. When the Bai Family chose someone to go to the Heavenly Puppet Sect, they chose the younger, more outstanding Bai Luo.
Thus, while it seemed like he was praising them, the implication was clear—they were not as good as him.
"Hehe, it seems you've made quite some progress this year," Lei He laughed.
"If it were a year ago, with my cultivation severely damaged, I really wouldn't be their match," Bai Luo calmly admitted.
Bai Luo had received a good education from a young age, with a gentle and refined temperament, rarely losing his temper. The only time he lost his composure was when he was trapped in that pyramid.
But after a year of honing, he had regained that confidence and composed demeanor.
Yet the pride in his bones was undeniable.
He was the first, the strongest Chosen.
As the top genius of the number one sect, the Heavenly Puppet Sect, this was his pride.
These two were still fighting to the death for Mo Wuyou's inheritance, unaware that everything here would eventually belong to the Heavenly Puppet Sect.
Third in points, so what?
He hadn't even stepped onto the stage once, not because of his lack of strength, but because his team was too weak. If he wanted, he could become the rule maker at any time, not even bothering to take first place. Only the weak are bound by rules.
"Boom boom boom..."
The fierce bombardment in the arena lasted for several breaths before it ended. Xu Hei scanned the area, only to see a turtle-shell-like light shield curled up in a corner.
The light shield was covered in cracks, Zhou Wendie's body was pitch black, hair disheveled, her aura chaotic, even her eyes appeared unfocused.
But Xu Hei wouldn't believe any of her displays. Even if she was dead, he would grind her to ashes, only believing she was dead once the ashes were scattered.
"Go!"
With a point of his finger, three flying swords shot out again, sword Qi crisscrossing, forming an impenetrable sword net. At the same time, Falling Stars was unleashed, meteors crashing down everywhere, another round of relentless bombardment.
"Void Piercing Eye!"
Suddenly, Zhou Wendie's eyes lit up.
In her vision, all movements slowed down, she saw a narrow gap, the flaw in the opponent's offensive.
Void Piercing Eye, capable of seeing through all illusions, even the flaws in the opponent's attacks at a glance.
She stepped with the Startling Swan Step, slipping through the flaw, simultaneously connecting with the Invisible Sword.
But just as she rushed in, she was enveloped by endless firepower. This was a flaw Xu Hei had deliberately left, luring her in!
"Boom boom boom..."
Another series of meteors crashed down on her head, Zhou Wendie's turtle-shell light shield finally shattered, her head taking a heavy blow, bleeding profusely, as she fell down.
Seeing her in such a sorry state, Xu Hei frowned slightly, pondering inwardly, "Could she really be unable to take it anymore?"
He didn't want to show overwhelming strength.
Because he always felt things weren't that simple.
It was purely an instinct, a self-preservation instinct. If he had ten parts of strength, and five were enough to win, he would never use six.
At this moment, Xu Hei had only shown four parts of his strength.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, the temperature in the world soared, the air distorted, and the falling meteors melted into nothingness.
At this moment, one of Zhou Wendie's eyes ignited, the golden flames within spreading at a terrifying speed, sweeping towards Xu Hei.
"Finally here."
Xu Hei assumed a five-part serious stance.
He had seen these golden flames before, a corpse puppet would instantly melt upon contact. He had witnessed a False Core Stage corpse puppet being burned to death in the Blood Corpse Cave, its corpse Qi perfectly restrained.
Thus, Xu Hei decisively put away the butcher, revealing his true self.
No matter how much he used the butcher, it only had half his strength. Only by appearing in person could he exceed half.
....239...
From the moment the Scarlet Flame Demon Eyes appeared, Zhou Wendie had no intention of holding back. This fire burned everything and was the nemesis of all things sinister.
Staring at the blaze igniting in the void, Xu Hei remained unfazed, his entire body enveloped in a layer of blood-red armor, perfectly encasing his serpent-like form.
Blood God Armor!
At this moment, both Xu Hei's speed and close combat abilities were pushed to their limits.
"Whoosh!"
With the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique fully unleashed, Xu Hei instantly passed through the fiery net, arriving right in front of Zhou Wendie.
This explosive speed left Zhou Wendie stunned, and another Ice Soul Demon Eye immediately emerged, freezing the surroundings and drastically slowing Xu Hei's speed.
Initially, she wanted to keep it hidden, but if she continued to do so, defeat was certain!
"Is that the Ice Soul Demon Eye?!" Zhang Tie's pupils contracted.
"Her Scarlet Flame Demon Eye is still in my possession, yet she awakened the Ice Soul Demon Eye. This woman is indeed extraordinary!" Xu Qingfeng murmured.
At this moment, the appearance of the Ice Soul Demon Eye once again caused a stir.
Even the extremely arrogant Bai Luo couldn't help but express a hint of surprise, nodding in admiration.
As Xu Hei approached, an uncontrollable icy force surged in from the outside, freezing the Blood God Armor, his flesh, and his True Qi.
But when this extreme cold tried to invade his meridians, the Demon God Cauldron trembled slightly, immediately refining all the freezing energy.
This unexpected situation left Xu Hei momentarily stunned.
Without hesitation, he summoned a Blood Killing Sword, brimming with endless bloodlust, and thrust it towards Zhou Wendie.
At such close range, there was nowhere for her to dodge.
"Slash!"
A streak of blood appeared on her cheek, most of her hair was cut off, and the blood-red Sword Qi, like devouring insects, surged into her body through the facial wound, causing Zhou Wendie to spew blood and retreat.
The Blood Killing Sword, once it hits even a minor wound, rapidly worsens the injury.
Seeing the Blood Killing Sword strike again, her eyes swirled with ice and fire, forming a blue fire wall in front. Even the Blood Killing Sword was frozen after being burned by the fire wall.
Xu Hei could clearly feel the opponent's life force rapidly declining.
"No wonder it's a third-tier high-grade Flying Sword; its effect is immediate," Xu Hei thought to himself.
Although the Blood Killing Sword also consumed a significant amount of his vitality, Xu Hei's physique was extraordinary, well within his endurance.
At this moment, as long as he pressed the advantage, he had a great chance of completely defeating the opponent.
But Xu Hei had a nagging feeling.
"Something's not right! I can't just win like this! I must have overlooked some detail! Something's definitely wrong!"
Xu Hei's mind raced, constantly recalling various details from before, replaying every facial expression and action of everyone involved.
In that brief instant, Xu Hei connected many dots.
Suddenly, Xu Hei thought of a possibility, his pupils slightly contracting.
"Could it be..."
Xu Hei pondered carefully, the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed, and he felt a chill run down his spine, his body trembling.
Regardless of whether it was true or not, he couldn't continue fighting; he couldn't take such a risk.
Xu Hei immediately retreated, applied an Invisibility Talisman, and then swallowed a Pill.
The Blood Locking Pill, the more severe the injury, the faster the healing effect, could be used for disguise. Xu Qingfeng had used this pill to deceive the Four Sects Alliance, making others believe he was in a severely injured state.
Not enough!
Xu Hei swallowed a Breath Suppressing Pill, which could suppress True Qi to the lowest level, making others think he was out of True Qi, while it was actually stored deep within the Demon God Cauldron.
He had to conceal his strength, not expose it.
When Xu Hei reappeared, he looked weak, the Blood God Armor dim and lifeless, as if drained of all vitality.
Seeing this, Zhou Wendie didn't show much surprise.
"The Blood God Armor and the Blood Killing Sword of the second ancestor, how could they be so easily mastered? You're indeed at your limit."
Zhou Wendie struggled to stand from the ground, the scars on her face gradually enlarging, threatening to disfigure her, but she didn't care; instead, her eyes showed excitement.
The Blood God Armor and Blood Killing Sword, each use consumed a massive amount of the user's vitality to maintain.
Even Zhou Qing was left emaciated, let alone Xu Hei?
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Zhou Wendie had calculated Xu Hei's tactics long ago.
What he had used and what he hadn't, she knew clearly, knowing oneself and the enemy, she could remain undefeated. From the moment he brought out the Blood God Armor and Blood Killing Sword, she had predicted the subsequent situation.
"If I'm not mistaken, he still has a tower he hasn't used."
Zhou Wendie's eyes bled, but she didn't use any other means, directly employing her ice and fire dual eyes.
"Boom!!"
One ice, one fire, growing more intense, forming two tornadoes, spiraling towards Xu Hei. Xu Hei's expression turned grave as he summoned the Black Dragon Pagoda to block in front.
"Boom!!"
The ice and fire tornadoes collided with the Black Dragon Pagoda, Xu Hei spat blood and was sent flying, even the Black Dragon Pagoda was overturned.
Zhou Wendie's pupils bled more, but she didn't care, swallowing a Pill and walking straight ahead.
Suddenly, as she approached within a hundred feet of Xu Hei, the Black Dragon Pagoda suddenly moved, crashing towards Zhou Wendie.
"Whoosh!!"
A strike missed.
Zhou Wendie's Void Piercing Eye and Startling Swan Step were always active, constantly guarding against any sneak attacks.
If Xu Hei had no backup plan, she would have been more worried.
"It seems you're at your limit too, even your sneak attacks are powerless."
At this moment, she retreated to the other side of the Black Dragon Pagoda, took out a longbow, drew it fully, and placed a black arrow, aiming at Xu Hei.
Demon Slaying Bow, Demon Exorcising Arrow!
This was her final trump card, the top-tier Magical Treasure in the Myriad Treasure Pavilion! It had a strong restraining effect on Demonic Beasts and evil spirits, once locked on, there was no escape, it was almost a guaranteed kill!
"With the Demon Slaying Bow and Demon Exorcising Arrow, it should be over."
Zhou Qingxuan sighed.
Others also sighed.
This battle had undergone two reversals, initially Zhou Wendie was suppressed, but once the ice and fire dual eyes were used, the situation reversed, and Xu Hei was constantly restrained.
The Blood God Armor and Blood Killing Sword, though possessing unparalleled defense and attack, were used by the Zhou Family's second ancestor, not something ordinary people could easily master.
Defeating the enemy at the cost of one's own damage.
"Whoosh!"
Zhou Wendie released her grip, the Demon Exorcising Arrow shot out instantly, tearing through the sky, leaving a deep mark in the void.
Xu Hei launched himself with the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique, flying towards the distance, leaving countless afterimages in mid-air, splitting into two, creating an External Incarnation.
But to Zhou Wendie, all this seemed like a futile struggle.
"Poof!"
The incarnation was pierced through, and the Demon Exorcising Arrow locked onto the true body, striking Xu Hei.
"Boom!"
The dragon scales emitted a metallic sound, not pierced in the slightest, but his internal flesh collapsed, spewing from his mouth, crashing to the ground, unable to move.
Piercing one, slaying the incarnation, destroying the true body, the power of the Demon Exorcising Arrow was fully displayed.
"It's over!"
Zhou Wendie exhaled deeply, her body nearly collapsing to the ground.
Xu Bai and Hei Huang's eyes were wide open, staring at Xu Hei in the field, as if dumbfounded.
"Heh, the outcome is the same, why bother?" Zhou Qingxuan sneered.
Various teams sighed, voicing all sorts of opinions.
Only Tianji Shangren remained silent, doing something unknown.
In the sky, Mo Wuyou's phantom also appeared, about to announce the result.
And at this moment.
From Tianji Shangren's sleeve, a female doll appeared, lifelike and indistinguishable from Zhou Wendie, except the eyes hadn't been drawn.
At this moment, Tianji Shangren gently tapped, and the doll's eyes appeared, one blue, one red, ice and fire dual eyes.
"After receiving so many favors from me, cause and effect must be repaid, it's time for you to return the favor."
Tianji Shangren took out the doll, some snake scales on the doll's surface fell off, dissipating in mid-air.
This was his second layer of preparation, turning it into a snake, but it seemed unnecessary, Zhou Wendie was indeed the child of destiny.
No need to change, his choice was correct!
"Cause and effect transfer!"
Tianji Shangren clenched his fist, Zhou Wendie's doll dissipated, merging into his body.
...240....
Tianji Shangren, from the moment he entered the ruins, was constantly searching for someone with great fortune.
He believed that with his strength, it was impossible to obtain the final inheritance, so he could only plunder!
Stealing the secrets of heaven, seizing creation, using his supreme art of Tianji, he sought out the child of destiny to snatch a piece of the future!
At this moment, Zhou Wendie's figure suddenly became illusory, as if an irresistible force of causality was acting upon her.
She could clearly feel herself being separated, her identity being swapped with Tianji Shangren, a power from the mysterious heavens, leaving her unable to resist.
And in the memories of everyone present, a series of errors appeared.
For instance, in their impression, it was Tianji Shangren who first entered the City Lord's mansion and initiated the inheritance.
It was Tianji Shangren who hired the three rogue cultivators.
It was Tianji Shangren who fought against Xu Hei.
This was the most ruthless technique of stealing causality, ten or even a hundred times more vicious than what he had previously used, capable of even altering the memories of others!
"You old scoundrel, you won't succeed!"
Zhou Wendie gritted her teeth, took out a jade talisman, and crushed it directly. A phantom figure appeared behind her, a divine halo enveloping her.
This was the first ancestor of the Zhou Family.
Under the divine halo, the layer of causal force couldn't get close, being repelled every time it approached, solidifying her once illusory form.
"It's useless. The causality between you and me is too deep. If it weren't for my intervention, how could you have obtained the first place? How could you have the qualification to fight the opponent?"
"You received my favor, so you must pay the price. This is your causality! You cannot escape it; you can only accept it!"
Tianji Shangren was very calm. He had anticipated the protection of the Zhou Family's first ancestor. The cause he had planted was too deep, and this alone could not reverse it.
To steal the result, there must be a cause, only then can causality be connected.What he had done before was to create the "cause."
In this world, there are no favors without reason, no good relations formed for no reason.
Offering unsolicited kindness, either a traitor or a thief!
It was precisely because he planted countless "causes" that the final result was irresistible to the other party.
Tianji Shangren also hoped Zhou Wendie could succeed. His entanglement with Xu Hei was not deep, and his attempts to approach were repeatedly rejected.
If he were to change his plan at the last minute and plunder Xu Hei instead, even if successful, it wouldn't be flawless, affecting everyone's thoughts, and in the end, might even lead to some unforeseen events.
Now, taking Zhou Wendie was the best outcome.
At this moment, Xu Hei also had a feeling that the other party seemed not to be Zhou Wendie, but Tianji Shangren.
The one he had been fighting with before had always been Tianji Shangren.
This sense of confusion in his thoughts and memories suddenly awakened Xu Hei, who quickly calmed his mind and focused his thoughts on the Demon God Cauldron.
He didn't know where this power came from, but the only treasure in his body that could suppress it was the Demon God Cauldron.
Sure enough, the Demon God Cauldron gently trembled, blocking all external influences, keeping Xu Hei clear-headed.
Under Xu Hei's gaze, Zhou Wendie's figure ahead flickered, sometimes appearing as Tianji Shangren, sometimes as herself.
"What a terrifying technique of stealing causality."
Xu Hei's heart was in turmoil.
He had considered these things before, but whenever he thought of Tianji Shangren, he would unconsciously ignore and automatically dismiss it.
Tianji Shangren must have used some means to shield his presence, making people not think of him.
It was only at this critical moment that Xu Hei suddenly remembered something Zhao Wenzhuo had said: "You harbor malicious intent, and those targeted by you are bound to suffer."
This was originally a verbal spat between Zhao Wenzhuo and Tianji Shangren, which no one took seriously.
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But upon closer thought, this was no mere verbal spat!
Previously, Xu Hei had carefully reviewed everyone's words, actions, and details, and thought of this sentence.
Like a sudden enlightenment, it instantly awakened him!
"Zhao Wenzhuo is not simple either. From the start, he saw through Tianji Shangren's intentions. That seemingly casual remark was a warning to others," Xu Hei thought to himself.
He wasn't sure if he would be taken by Tianji Shangren if he got first place, but he didn't want to take the risk.
In the end, Tianji Shangren still succeeded.
He appeared in the arena out of nowhere, replacing Zhou Wendie's position, without a hint of incongruity.
Zhou Wendie returned to the sidelines, standing with Zhou Qingxuan and others.
She was stunned for a moment, then pointed at Tianji Shangren, hesitantly saying, "Why is he there?"
Zhou Wendie's eyes were blank, feeling as if she had lost something, yet she couldn't recall what it was.
She tapped her forehead, grabbed a handful of hair, and her pupils were bloodshot.
"What happened to you?"
Zhou Qingxuan looked at her curiously.
Others were also puzzled.
"It's nothing..." Zhou Wendie took a deep breath and sat cross-legged on the ground. Perhaps she had made a mistake in her cultivation, causing her to see all sorts of illusions.
Just now, she had even mistakenly thought she was fighting that snake in the arena.
How absurd!
The illusion was too realistic, like a dream, Zhou Wendie frowned, lost in thought.
Tianji Shangren appeared in the arena, looking at Xu Hei, who seemed like a corpse, and said, "It's over, it's time to announce the results."
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He looked at Mo Wuyou, but the latter had no reaction.
Tianji Shangren frowned slightly. Wasn't Mo Wuyou supposed to announce the results?
He picked up the Demon Slaying Bow on the ground, grabbed the Demon Exorcising Arrow from afar, then drew the bow and aimed it at the fallen Xu Hei.
Even if it was a corpse, it had to be pulverized!
But at that moment, Tianji Shangren's vision blurred, and Xu Hei's figure suddenly disappeared.
"Not right!"
Tianji Shangren's pupils shrank, aiming the bow and arrow downward, and shot fiercely.
At the moment his Demon Exorcising Arrow was released, a massive snake head emerged from the ground, and simultaneously, a deafening roar echoed from its mouth.
"Roar!!!"
Dragon Shatter Roar, full power mode!
Space twisted, air waves surged to the sky, and the Demon Exorcising Arrow exploded instantly upon being hit by the Dragon Shatter Roar, shattering like dry wood, with no resistance!
"What?!"
Tianji Shangren was dumbfounded.
He had guessed that Xu Hei was playing dead, but thought he was barely hanging on, with only a fraction of his strength left.
But he never expected that Xu Hei had preserved so much strength, and wasn't even seriously injured!
Xu Hei had been hiding all along, not even unleashing half of his cultivation, pretending from start to finish. Until this moment, until Tianji Shangren was exposed, Xu Hei finally revealed his true strength!
With one move, Dragon Shatter Roar shattered the Demon Exorcising Arrow, its residual power sweeping across.
"Boom!!"
The terrifying sound wave, like a heavy hammer, smashed into Tianji Shangren's mind, causing his whole body to tremble violently, his mind buzzing, thoughts blank, and his body on the verge of shattering, seeping countless blood lights.
Previously unable to break through Zhou Wendie's defense, now, with one move, severely injuring Tianji Shangren.
The entire arena was stunned by this sudden reversal.
"Ji Ying, go!"
With a thought, Xu Hei sent Ji Ying flying out. This was the Core Formation Ji Ying, making its first move, like a bolt of lightning, heading straight for Tianji Shangren's head.
At the same time, Xu Hei changed direction, ignoring the stiff Tianji Shangren, and charged towards a blank area at the back, where the paper substitute was hidden, something Xu Hei had already discovered.