"Mr. Lei, you mustn't!" Blue King quickly interjected.
He wanted to immediately dissuade Pei Xuanjing from the idea.
In a great contest between two races, victory or defeat matters not, only life or death. This rule is unalterable.
Even though Pei Xuanjing's continuous attempts to fight were extremely rare, they weren't against any rules.
However, the risks associated were too high. Both the human race and the Demon Race found it difficult after one brutal fight, let alone having to muster the energy to fight again.
Moreover, even if the victor had strength to continue fighting, they would not choose to do so.
After all, remaining on the arena would undoubtedly be seen as a huge provocation to the other side, leading to stronger opponents being sent out.
Pei Xuanjing having killed the Grey Bear King with the power of thunder was already fulfilling the human race's expectation of him. With his youthfulness and the strength he exhibited now, there's no doubt he would become a top-tier champion of the human race in the future.
Had it not been for the pressing demands from the Wolf King on the day, Blue King didn't even want Pei Xuanjing to participate in the contest. Taking into account that Pei Xuanjing had consumed the Jiaolong Blood Pill to set his foundation, a potential powerhouse like him should not be squandered.
Now, he wanted to stop Pei Xuanjing, not wanting him to harm himself in his impulsiveness.
"No worries, Blue King, don't fret. I will only act when I am sure!" Pei Xuanjing shook his head.
Originally, he was only planning to have one match, but the abundant rewards tempted him.
The rich essence of energy he absorbed solely from killing the Grey Bear King could fuel him to condense numerous apertures. If he could kill more Demon Kings in the following matches and absorb their essence energy, then undoubtedly, his strength would increase by a notch.
Ordinary kings and lords would worry that consecutive grand battles might drain their strength, but this was not a concern for Pei Xuanjing.
Despite his Path of Qi Refinement being greatly suppressed in this world, the speed at which he absorbed the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi remained unaffected. Coupled with his accumulation of primordial Qi, he had no worry for consumption.
With respect to the Demon Race possibly sending stronger opponents after him, Pei Xuanjing was not worried either.
Without a doubt, his individual strength has already reached the peak of this world. Along with his Yin Spirit power as his trump card, he feared no Demon King, at least not losing to them.
"Mr. Lei, you…" Blue King was caught between emotions, yet helpless.
Currently, Pei Xuanjing was in the arena. Unless he willingly stepped down, there was no way Blue King could prevent him from continuing.
"Could it be that one of our human race's rising powerhouses is destined to fall here?" Blue King lamented inwardly.
In his opinion, given the talent Pei Xuanjing displayed, together with the foundation built from consuming the Jiaolong Blood Pill, it was likely that he could reach the legendary Imperial Realm in his future.
If that day were to come, the human race would break their current stalemate, surpass the Demon Race, and become the rulers of this world.
However, now, this possibility seemed to be slipping away from them.
"Human, since you're seeking death, we'll help you attain it!" The Wolf King did not conceal the murderous intent in his eyes, he spoke ominously.
Originally, he thought that after the Grey Bear King's failure this time, if the opponent kept hiding in the Human Domain, it would be difficult to have another chance to kill him.
Now that the latter was seeking death, he definitely could not miss this chance.
He coldly commanded, "Leopard King, you act personally. Kill him!"
"Yes!" Leopard King nodded.
Changing his form, the Leopard King landed on the arena. Despite the fact that Pei Xuanjing had killed the Grey Bear King, he felt that Pei Xuanjing had only relied on some underhanded tactic.
Now, he did not bother to engage Pei Xuanjing in conversation. The moment he landed on the arena, he immediately launched his attack, with his power surging fiercely.
Upon seeing this, Pei Xuanjing naturally did not hold back. His sword slashed forward, shining brilliantly and creating waves of sword Qi in all directions.
In an instant, the terrifying force both parties unleashed crashed against each other. It felt as if two mountains were clashing, creating a powerful boom and releasing dreadful shockwaves that viciously swept all directions.
If it weren't for the arena being a treasure, it might not have been able to withstand the clash between the two powerhouses.
It's important to note that the power Leopard King was now displaying far exceeded that of the Grey Bear King. Not only was his physical form more agile and robust, the energy he radiated was also no less formidable.
However, Pei Xuanjing's demonstrated strength was even more terrifying. As he slashed his sword, the wind was howling and thunder roaring, a boundless gale sweeping the area, accompanied by persistent thundering sounds.
The power displayed by both parties shocked the numerous human and Demon tribal leaders. While the strength of Leopard King, a seasoned Demon King, was comprehensible, Pei Xuanjing's power was surprising. Having just broken through to the rank of a lord, his extraordinary strength was leaving many in awe.
Could this be the effect of the Jiaolong Blood Pill?
For a moment, many regretted not being the ones who had swallowed the Jiaolong Blood Pill.
The path of cultivation is arduous. Most human lords have to devote a great deal of time and energy to improving their abilities even slightly after breaking through, and success is never guaranteed.
Any top-tier human powerhouse, like Blue King, took hundreds or even thousands of years of cultivation to acquire their current strength.
Yet Pei Xuanjing, by simply relying on the Jiaolong Blood Pill, was able to rise abruptly in power. This glaring contrast evoked feelings of life's unfairness and envy in others.
As they watched the two of them engage in battle, just as everyone was thinking that this would be a hard-fought battle, the course of events abruptly changed.
Pei Xuanjing's sword trembled in his hand, and saw the Shenxiao Origin Qi in his body surge out uncontrollably. The fluctuating Qi was colored in blue, red, yellow, white, black, and purple, which enveloped his sword.
At this moment, the divine weapon sword in his hand emitted a humming sound. Under the erosion of this Qi, it gave off a terrifying aura, its blade keen enough to cut through space with just the emitting sword Qi.
Although the Path of Qi Refinement is suppressed in this world, releasing Qi in this manner was effortless for him.
He slowly raised his sword. His move was unhurried, and his technique simple, but his aura kept growing. The Shenxiao Origin Qi permeated the surroundings, the colors of blue, red, yellow, white, black, and purple permeated the arena, bathing it in their glow.
Impressions floated in their minds, as if they could see nine star patterns on the sword, flickering brightly.
The First Stroke: Nine Luminaries.
Although the Heaven and Earth of this world were different, they could not connect to the celestial bodies and summon their projections. But with Pei Xuanjing's ability, he could fully display the star patterns and utilize the mysterious force from beyond.
Pei Xuanjing's eyes glowed with a desire for battle, while his long sword reverberated forcefully. As the sword swung down, countless stars illuminated the surroundings, accompanied by thunderous roars.
When the sword was swung, the sword light seemed like the Nine Heavens Milky Way pouring out, rolling and falling. Under the bolster of his terrifying physical strength, the sword light was cold and sharp, as if the sounds of a Dragon's Roar and Tiger's Howl were echoing across the sky. Countless Kings and Demon Kings were shocked by this display.
Most shocked was the Leopard King who was fighting with Pei Xuanjing. At the sight of this sword, the fear in his heart was indescribable. Faced with such a terrifying sword, he could no longer resist.
After the falling of the sword light, everyone could only see that the Leopard King was killed on the spot by Pei Xuanjing!
Looking at the figure, sitting in a pool of blood, running his skills, countless Kings and Demon Kings were shocked and the field fell into silence, no one knew what to say.
After a moment, the humans finally began to cheer, celebrating the victory obtained through Pei Xuanjing's killing of two Demon Kings.
In contrast, the Demon Race had become extremely agitated. Indeed, Pei Xuanjing's act was undoubtedly a disgrace to them. The brighter Pei Xuanjing shone, the more the Demon Race lost their face.
Moreover, initially in the contest at the realm of Kings, the Demon Race had taken a good lead by winning the first two rounds. But now, Pei Xuanjing, by himself, had slain two Great Demons, completely turning the tide in favor of the humans. His latecomer-takes-all momentum swept away the previously diminished morale of the humans.
After having absorbed the essence blood, Pei Xuanjing opened his eyes and again set his gaze on the Demon Race's area, coldly saying: "Who's next?"
The Wolf King was furious but also knew that the currently rampant Pei Xuanjing deserves to be so. Unless this human is killed, not only will the Demon Race lose face, they would also fail in this contest. And the next hundred years would not be easy for the Demon Race too.
So, suppressing his rage, the Wolf King sent another Demon King into the battle.
Three moves!
Pei Xuanjing killed another Demon King in three moves.
This was the third Demon King to die by Pei Xuanjing's hand, and the contest's fifth fight. Just by virtue of Pei Xuanjing himself, the circumstances of the two races had been overturned.
The fourth one!
The fifth one!
The sixth one!
When the sixth Demon King was also killed by Pei Xuanjing, the field fell into silence again. Obviously, the victory or defeat in this once-in-a-century contest had been decided. The Demon Race would need to retreat for the next hundred years and pay the corresponding price.
For the last two fights, the Demon Race decisively chose to give up. Because at this moment, the strength showed by Pei Xuanjing was already a level that even someone as powerful as the Wolf King who had also reached the peak of the King's realm could not break. Without absolute confidence in facing Pei Xuanjing and seeing the situation irretrievable, he also decisively chose to admit defeat.
In this battle, Pei Xuanjing's fame thoroughly spread throughout this world. The title of 'King Lei' had already become a monument for the human race and an unerasable shadow for the Demon Race.
As for what happened next, Pei Xuanjing had no interest in paying attention. He gained a lot from this battle. Apart from the rewards given to him by the human side after the victory, he himself had obtained great help from the thick essence blood from the six Demon Kings he killed after absorbing it.
So, he immediately started to close off, refining these essence blood timely to enhance his strength.
Next, humans had hundred years of peace. Pei Xuanjing was cultivating in the hinterland of the human race and without any dangers, successfully ended this simulation of life.
[The Projection Avatar Simulation of Life is finished this time. Host, do you choose to inherit the cultivation realm rewards earned in this Projection Avatar Simulation of Life?]
"Yes!"
Pei Xuanjing chose to inherit without any hesitation.
Feeling the power within his body, a satisfied smile spread across Pei Xuanjing's face.
The gains from this life simulation were not small. After he finished refining the essence blood of those Demon Kings, he consecutively condensed quite a few points, waiting for him to end the projection avatar simulation. The points he condensed in his body had already reached seventy-one, which was equal to reaching the sixth level of the Spirit Realm in Refining Foundation. With such strength, even if he was placed in the powerful central hub of the Tianhuang Realm, he would be considered a local powerhouse and would be respected by various forces.
Naturally, apart from the improvement of strength, the biggest gain for Pei Xuanjing was other things. Through the comprehension of the human race's path of physical cultivation in the projection world, Pei Xuanjing had gained some understanding of their methods of bloodline enhancement, a considerable inspiration for him.
In the past, when he was cultivating the Way of Essence Refinement, he was too focused on physical enhancement, thinking about pursuing Body Immortal when he cultivated to the extreme. But this bloodline enhancement method was undoubtedly another path, picking up the abandoned Way of Blood Qi again. This may actually be another route in the Spirit Realm's Way of Essence Refinement.
While Pei Xuanjing was familiarising himself with his newly enhanced power, he was also sensing the richness level of Heaven and Earth Essence Qi contained in the air to roughly estimate the time he had spent in this life simulation.
"It's probably the power of the Spirit Realm Third Level that I can withstand at most, no more than the Fourth Level of the Spiritual Realm." Pei Xuanjing made a rough judgement.
When Pei Xuanjing came out of the place of seclusion, he found that there were many fewer disciples on Shenxiao Mountain, and it seemed that people like Pang Hong and Yu Zhenzi were not on the mountain. He slightly scowling everyday, sensing the situation on the mountain peak with his Divine Soul, he quickly spotted a familiar figure.
With one step, his entire figure disappeared into thin air! When he appeared again, he was right inside the grand hall.
"Who is it!" Tao Rong, who was in the Jade Clear Hall, felt someone appear. His brows furrowed as he said coldly.
But when he saw Pei Xuanjing's face, the seriousness on his face immediately disappeared and turned into a smile: "Master, you have come out of seclusion!"
To Tao Rong and others, they had witnessed and followed Pei Xuanjing step by step to reach the peak, so they had an extreme, or rather a blind, confidence in Pei Xuanjing. They believed as long as Pei Xuanjing was there, then all problems were not problems.
During these two years of Pei Xuanjing's retreat, although there were many problems persistently, these people still kept their stand without the slightest wavering.
Pei Xuanjing did not know that he had gradually become the faith of people like Tao Rong in their heart. He just nodded with a smile.
Then he raised his eyebrows and asked, "How long have I been in seclusion?"
Pei Xuanjing looked at Tao Rong who had broken through to the Spirit Realm and wondered how much the world had changed during the time he was in seclusion.
"Two years and eight months." Tao Rong replied without even thinking.
He remembered very clearly the duration of Pei Xuanjing's seclusion, there was no way he could get it wrong.
Pei Xuanjing nodded, and said, "Tell me about the major events that have happened in the world over the past few years."
"Yes!" Tao Rong nodded and recounted all the things that had happened over the past two or three years, one by one.
"Master, the biggest event of these years is actually the imperial court's army being held up outside the border and in a deadlock with the remnants of the Former Yuan." Tao Rong said to Pei Xuanjing.
Pei Xuanjing was puzzled: "Wang Boan commands an army of millions and is assisted by forces from all over the world. Wasn't he overwhelmingly victorious just a few years ago, and no one among the remnants of the Former Yuan able to stop him? How come there is a deadlock now?"
To be honest, Pei Xuanjing was very puzzled about this. The reason he'd felt confident enough to enter seclusion in the first place was that in his opinion, the sweeping victory of the army outside the border had already been determined. He'd never expected any setbacks.
Let's face it, when Wang Boan led his millions-strong army to the battlefield, they had been unstoppable, advancing like a bamboo splitting the trunks. Even if the Tartar tribes had come together, they would not have been a match. Most people blamed Wang Boan for being steadfasdt and methodical, advancing too slowly, but no one thought that would cause him any hindrance.
But who would have thought that as soon as he began his seclusion, a problem would arise.
"In fact, as soon as you entered seclusion, you encountered a setback." Tao Rong gave Pei Xuanjing a look and said somewhat helplessly.
Speaking of coincidences, the army didn't encounter any obstacles early or late, just shortly after Pei Xuanjing entered seclusion, they ran into a blockade of hundreds of thousands of wolves, leaving them helpless.
Next, he gave a detailed account of the events that unfolded.
After the incident of the wolf pack blockade, various parties began to explore why the wolves were being so driven and continuously fighting to the death against the army.
After various parties failed to find out any news, it was Xue Hanyi, who was on Shenxiao Mountain at the time, who put forward a guess that it might be the work of the Demon Race.
"Have the Demon Race really descended?" Pei Xuanjing asked, frowning.
The Tianhuang World Human Race and the Demon Race had clashed countless times over the years, and the fighting between humans and demons was the main trend in the Tianhuang World. The Ten Thousand Spirit Body Forging Skill he had obtained from Xue Hanyi was also created by a Demonic Way power to counter the Demon Race.
He had thought that the arrival of Xue Hanyi, representing the ancient nation of Da Xue, was early enough, but he hadn't expected the Demon Race to move so quickly as well.
"Yes!" Tao Rong nodded, even his face showing a hint of gloominess: "The Demon Race has indeed descended. They've been driving fierce beasts and birds to slaughter the Tartar tribes outside the border indiscriminately, and then halting the advancement of the army."
They had confirmed that it was the Demon Race that had been driving the wolf pack to block the road, and that they had killed the leaders of the Former Yuan, turned countless Tartar tribespeople into food for the Demonic beasts, and stopped the Human Race's army from advancing.
It could be said that in these years, the conflict had transformed from a battle between the Great Ming imperial court and the remnants of the Former Yuan, to a real conflict between the Human Race and the Demon Race.
Tao Rong couldn't help but have a grim look on his face. After all, one always feels for their own kind. Even though they and the Tartars outside the border didn't belong to the same race, and had fought each other fiercely in wars, they were still both part of the Human Race.
Now seeing the Tartars, who were also part of the Human Race, being devoured by Demonic beasts, how could they not sadden over their own kind's fate?
"The Demons, they must die!" A hint of killing intent flashed in Pei Xuanjing's eyes. He hadn't expected that while he was killing Demons in the projection world, the Daming World he belonged to would be having the same encounter with Demons.
"What's the situation now?" He asked solemnly.
Tao Rong replied: "The imperial court has added another million-strong army, and with the support provided by the various forces in the world, they are in a standoff with the Demon Race, often battling, with victories and defeats on both sides, but the deadlock remains."
Pei Xuanjing nodded, and raised another question: "I fear the Demons that can descend would not be weak, even if there are experts in the Spirit Realm who have made breakthroughs over the years, they might not be a match, right?"
It's not that Pei Xuanjing was belittling them, but based on his previous inquiry with Xue Hanyi, he knew that if one wanted to descend, one's strength could not be too high or too low. The strength of the Demon beasts that descended was about the same as that of Xue Hanyi.
Despite the fact that Xue Hanyi was easily subdued by Pei Xuanjing, he was not someone who the newly ascended experts could deal with.
Tao Rong nodded: "Yes, the strength of those Demons should be around the second or third layer of the Spirit Realm, and there's more than one. They're simply not something we can deal with. The current situation has been kept in check because there's been a return of experts from similar ancient forces!"
With the revival of the Heaven and Earth of the Daming World, it was naturally noticed by those ancient forces who had left and were monitoring it non-stop. The arrival of people like Xue Hanyi from the ancient nation of Da Xue was undoubtedly not the last batch.
Right at the time when the multitude of Demons were driving wolf packs and fierce beasts to attack, they were also stopped by the Human Race who had similarly returned from the Tianhuang World.
The return of similar ancient forces!
"Just as I thought!" Pei Xuanjing thought to himself.
This was something he had been prepared for. But what surprised him was that those who returned this time had taken the initiative to participate, which was somewhat unexpected.
It seemed that those who returned this time belonged to a camp similar to that of good and orderly power, otherwise, they wouldn't have behaved this way.
Those with the strength to return, even if they were merely at the Onefold Spirit Realm, would still stand at the pinnacle in today's world. If they didn't want to reveal their presence, they wouldn't be noticed at all and could safely stay hidden while plotting their moves.
"Which faction do those who returned this time belong to?" Pei Xuanjing asked.
Tao Rong replied: "According to their self-introduction, they belong to Heart Moon Lake and the Witch Deity Teaching."
"Heart Moon Lake? If it's them, it could be understood." Pei Xuanjing was recalling the names of these two factions, murmuring with doubt: "But why would people from the Witch Deity Teaching want to help?"
Heart Moon Lake and Witch Deity Teaching, both of these were major powers in the Tianhuang World, and if it came to it, the Heart Moon Lake could be considered to be on the same level as the ancient nation of Da Xue, with powerhouses of the Spirit Realm Eightfold.
Moreover, because all the members of the Heart Moon Lake were women, and they weren't affiliated with Buddhism or Taoism, they were a renowned righteous school, with great influence, and some connections with many powerhouses. In certain aspects, their influence was even greater than that of the ancient nation of Da Xue.
The participation of the disciple of Heart Moon Lake in aiding against the Demon Race could be understood, but it was a bit strange for those from the Witch Deity Teaching.
The Witch Deity Teaching, an inheritance from the ancient witches, is one of the oldest forces passed down among the Human Race. During the earliest days of the Human Race, they controlled the sacrificial methods of the Human Race. Even though the right to uphold traditions and ceremonies was later taken over by the Confucian Gate, they were still very powerful. In the Tianhuang World, they were a top-tier force with powerhouses of Spirit Realm Ninefold.
"I don't know!" Tao Rong shook his head.
After his breakthrough to the Spirit Realm, he mainly guarded Shenxiao Mountain. On one hand, he was protecting Pei Xuanjing, who was in seclusion, and on the other hand, he was monitoring Xue Hanyi, who was under soft house arrest on the mountain. As for the issue of the army being blocked outside the border, he only knew about it from the messages relayed back to them.
Pei Xuanjing nodded: "In that case, I'll take a trip out of the border to see what the exact situation is."
He made a decision on the spot.