Gate of God

by Stayrr

This is a strange and inexplicable world…Mountains, water, stones, flowers, grass, trees, wood, the Sun, moonlight, stars… All creation under the Heavens and Earths are sources of energy. In this world, there are all the classics from his previous world, but there is a new addition: The Law of Dao. Fang Zhengzhi was conflicted. I can obtain power from reading books? Should I read T

12. 365

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Chapter 365: The True Plot

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

The Law Official left.

On the surface, things seemed to have already settled down. The Emperor had expressed his opinion, even if a few military generals didn't approve of it, they couldn't continue to risk their lives arguing in front of the hundreds of officials.

Of course, the most important reason was that now wasn't the time to risk their lives going against the Emperor's decision yet. A Stable Mountain Pass wasn't sufficient to cause significant threat to the Great Xia Dynasty.

Left Prime Minister You Yiping, who usually concluded everything at the end, was completely silent from the start to the end today. This caused the officials to feel somewhat uncomfortable. However, it was just discomfort.

After all, there wasn't any further debate after the Emperor had given his order.

The officials gradually withdrew, while Left Prime Minister You Yiping calmly walked out of the Throne Room. However, he didn't even manage to walk five steps before he was stopped by an elderly wearing a palace servant attire.

"Prime Minister You, the Emperor wishes to meet you in the Imperial Study Room."

"Oh, thank you Eunuch Pan!" Left Prime Minister You Yiping stopped in his tracks and nodded lightly. Then, he fished out a handful of silver from his pockets.

The elderly dressed in palace servant attire instantly received it and stuffed it into his sleeves as he led the way with a bright smile on his face…

In the Imperial Study Room, Emperor Lin Mubai sat on the Dragon Throne with a frown on his face as he flipped through a report continuously. However, his gaze didn't seem very focused.very focused.

"Your Majesty, Left Prime Minister You is here." Right at this moment, Eunuch Pan's voice sounded out from outside the door.

"Enter."

The door opened. Left Prime Minister You Yiping, dressed in a red Imperial robe, entered respectfully and quickly made his way to the center of the Imperial study room. He bent his knees and prepared to kneel.

"There is no need for these customaries. Yiping, this time's trip by the Crown Prince to the Southern Mountain Range, I believe that he wouldn't likely conceal things about the Southern Mountain Range from. Based on your opinions, do you think that my present this time is too generous?" Emperor Lin Mubai waved his hands towards Left Prime Minister You Yiping who was about to kneel and immediately asked.

When Left Prime Minister You Yiping heard this, his expression changed slightly. The Crown Prince's relationship with the Imperial officials was too close. This matter was considered somewhat taboo within the royal family.

However, the Emperor had casually pointed it out.

At this moment, if he acknowledged it, it was equivalent to admitting the relationship between the Crown Prince and himself. But even if he didn't, how could the Emperor not notice with his astute observational abilities?

It wasn't serious enough to be considered lying to the Emperor. However, it was sufficient to lose the Emperor's trust.

"I believe that Your Majesty's decision was naturally one that was made after much thought and consideration, hence the value of the gift doesn't matter. Your Majesty understands and considers the entire decision, and my insights cannot be compared to that of Your Majesty's." Left Prime Minister You Yiping replied very seriously.

"Ha ha… I am indeed somewhat worried when I heard today's report about the loss of the Stable Mountain Pass." When Emperor Lin Mubai heard Left Prime Minister You Yiping's words, the frown on his face seemed to have relaxed a little.

"Is Your Majesty worried about the fifty thousand soldiers of the Great Xia trapped at the Stable Mountain Gate?" When Left Prime Minister You Yiping saw Emperor Lin Mubai relaxing slightly, he began to relax as well and guessed carefully.

"Yes. I am indeed worried about this." Emperor Lin Mubai glanced at Left Prime Minister You Yiping, but finally nodded in the end.

"I believe that Your Majesty need not worry too much about this."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

"Just like what Your Majesty mentioned, Your Majesty's gift is for the Southern Mountain Range. Since it is meant for the Southern Mountain Range, then what is there to worry about?"

"Ha ha ha… yes, you are very right. The culture of the Southern Mountain Range is simple and plain, they would never engage in acts such as killings and massacres. Hence, I indeed need not worry. However…" When Emperor Lin Mubai heard this, his mood seemed to have been lifted significantly. However, when he reached the end of his sentence, a tinge of worry flashed across his eyes.

"Is Your Majesty worried about the Crown Prince?"

"That's right, after all, the Crown Prince is young and lack military experience and training, unlike the Duan King who had been in charge of the military department for many years. In addition to that, this is his first time out of the Yan Capital, I wonder if he had made any mistakes in carrying things out. I am still not completely reassured." When Emperor Lin Mubai reached the end of his sentence, he sighed softly.

In reality, even though training was indeed a reason for sending Crown Prince Lin Tianrong to the Southern Mountain Range to hold the combat examination, the true reason was to use the Crown Prince's status to resolve the suspicion of the Southern Mountain Range.

Frankly speaking, the Crown Prince was a bait.

If King Duan was used, the outcome would definitely not be as good. Firstly, King Duan had controlled the military department for many years, hence the Southern Mountain Range would definitely be more cautious. Secondly, even though King Duan was of high status, it couldn't be compared to that of the Crown Prince.

"Replying Your Majesty, even though the Crown Prince is young, he had grew up by Your Majesty's side since young. He learns from his surroundings, and in addition to that, he is smart and wise, even if there was really some inappropriate handling of the details of the situation on his part, I believe that it would be impossible for him to make any major mistakes that affects the grand scheme of things." Left Prime Minister You Yiping replied confidently.

"I hope that is the case." Emperor Lin Mubai nodded and didn't speak further. Instead, he gazed outside the window. There was another worry in his heart.

Fang Zhengzhi had appeared in the Southern Mountain Range.

Furthermore, in one sweep, he had taken down Chen Feiyu who had occupied the Thunderous Lion Settlement, and then used Chen Feiyu's Thunderous Lion Settlement as a bait to eliminate Wu Feng.

His achievement was incredible.

However, it was because of this incredible results that caused Emperor Lin Mubai to worry.

"Don't tell me this guy can really take down the Icy Monkey Settlement? Impossible! He would never take down the Icy Monkey Settlement!"

Within the Sagely Mountain City, within the white jade palace where the Southern Mountain Range King stayed.

A youth around thirty years of age sat on a huge leather chair. The youth wore an exquisite silver colored animal skin on his boy and the shoes he wore on his feet were threaded with golden silk. There were two five-colored feathers diagonally protruding from his hair. In the middle of the feathers, there was a bright blue gem.

Shan Ling!

The third son of the Southern Mountain Range King, and the current noblelite of the Southern Mountain Range.

Shan Ling swept his gaze across the area below him. On his two sides, six middle-aged or elderly men dressed in various kinds of leather rattan armour stood with various different illustrations painted on them.

Some of the illustrations looked like a huge lion, while others looked like a crow bathing in flames.

These six people were the true settlement chiefs of the six settlements of the Southern Mountain Range.

As for their names, they had followed the traditions of the six main settlements and followed that of the settlement.

"Yan Ya, how many soldiers did you use to take down the Stable Mountain Pass?" After sweeping his gaze across the six people before him, Shan Ling's gaze finally landed on the body of a rather skinny middle-aged man.

"Your Highness, following your orders, there were a total of eighty thousand soldiers hidden within the Yan Ya Settlement, and three thousand soldiers were used to take down the Stable Mountain Pass. It took four and a half hours." Yan Ya instantly stood up and respectfully replied Shan Ling.

"Three thousand? Hmm… The defence of the Stable Mountain Pass is indeed stronger than what I had imagined. Even with our people hidden inside, we still had to sacrifice three thousand of our Southern Mountain Range warriors? However, sacrificing three thousand to capture fifty thousand soldiers of the Great Xia is indeed still worth it! Have these fifty thousand people been managed properly?" Shan Ling nodded and gestured Yan Ya to take a seat.

"Based on Your Highness's orders, the fifty thousand troops were split into two groups. One is imprisoned within the Yan Ya Settlement, while the other is imprisoned with the Shi Zun Settlement in case of unforeseen circumstances!" Yan Ya continued after sitting down.

"Alright, Shi Zun, how is the situation at the side of the Great Xia's Crown Prince?" Shan Ling nodded again and shifted his gaze from Yan Ya to a well-built muscular man standing by the side.

That was a man whose skin was a slight shade of green, his body filled with fissure-like illustrations. It wasn't very discernible what the illustration was, however, his shiny bald head was still extremely obvious.

"Don't worry noblelite, the Crown Prince of the Great Xia will never leave our palms. He is already currently trapped within the mountain valley and the sixty thousand soldiers in his hand are simply not able to be of any use." Shi Zun replied casually.

"Excellent. Now, the only ones that are left are Nangong Hao and the one called Fang Zhengzhi in the Icy Monkey Settlement!" When Shan Ling heard Shi Zun's words, the edges of his mouth curved into a smile.

"Noblelite, one Nangong Hao and one Fang Zhengzhi are simply no causes for concern. The eighty thousand soldiers hidden within my Thunderous Lion Settlement have already been mobilised to the Icy Monkey Settlement. Once the forces inside and outside the settlement are able to collaborate, they will definitely destroy these two random kids!" A man with dense, thick hair stood up at this moment. The purple lion patterns on his body were mysteriously captivating.

"Old Thunder, you should be careful with your words!" Another voice rang out at this moment. That was an elderly man whose hair was somewhat white and whose arms were extremely long. He seemed to be around fifty-over years of age.

"What's the matter? Don't tell me I'm wrong?" When Thunderous Lion heard this voice, his expression changed slightly.

"Nangong Hao has stayed in my Icy Monkey Settlement for almost two months. I understand a little how Nangong Hao's personality is like. I fear that he wouldn't be very easy to defeat. Furthermore, we can't underestimate that Fang Zhengzhi either. After all, both him and Nangong Hao are joint first in this Court Theory Examination. Furthermore, most importantly… what the hell, I don't know what kind of method he used, he actually managed to break my Icy Monkey Settlement's wind valley. It is really frustrating!" When the fifty-over year old elderly man finished his sentence, he swore loudly. His expression seemed somewhat inappropriate for his age.

"No matter whether he is Nangong Hao or Fang Zhengzhi, I don't believe that the combination of a hundred and sixty thousand warriors of the Southern Mountain Range from both inside and outside wouldn't be able to take down the fifty thousand men under them!" When Shan Ling heard this, he waved his hand casually with a lofty expression on his face.

"Noblelite is right, now that the Stable Mountain Pass is within our control, we have essentially entered the Great Xia's throat. They will be completely unable to send reinforcements. The defeat of these hundred thousand soldiers is only a matter of time. Furthermore, even if something truly happened to our Icy Monkey Settlement, we still have Princess Shan Yu defending from the outside. Even both of them combined wouldn't be enough to escape our ambush!" At this moment, Yan Ya also stood out and spoke confidently.

"Once the hundred thousand soldiers are captured, I really wish to see what expression the Great Xia's Emperor would show on his face, ha ha ha…" When Shan Ling thought of this, he finally broke out in laughter.

In the Southern Mountain Range, within the Icy Monkey Settlement and outside the wind valley.

As the military commanders charged into the chaotic battle as if injected with chicken blood, Fang Zhengzhi once again pulled the jade-green Sun Shooting Bow in his hands into a full crescent.

Teng Shisheng had heard that Fang Zhengzhi used a certain kind of archery technique to fend off the great tiger general, General Tai of the Supernatural advanced state's killing blow in front of Princess Shan Yu.

However, at that time, no matter whether it was Teng Shisheng or the other generals in Princess Shan Yu's camp, all of them felt that the technique only came about due to relying on Princess Shan Yu's Fiery Rattan Bow.

However, the scene in front of him as well as the arrow that was shot into the sky not too long ago caused Teng Shisheng to startle in shock. This Fang Zhengzhi in front of him, number one in the theory examination, not only had the extremely horrifying sword on him, but even had a jade-green bow didn't seem inferior to that of Princess Shan Yu's Fiery Rattan Bow.

How did he get so many treasures?!

Is he really Fang Zhengzhi? Why did I hear that Fang Zhengzhi from a poor mountain villager background. Why doesn't it really seem like that is the case?

Teng Shisheng felt somewhat doubtful.

However, what caused him even greater doubt was why Fang Zhengzhi would draw his bow over and over again at this moment. Is he trying to stop these scholars from continuing with their killing?

Does he wish to take advantage of their fatigue and finish off these scholars?

Teng Shisheng couldn't guess. Or, it could he said that even if he could, he didn't dare to confirm it. Because, the longer he stayed by Fang Zhengzhi's side, the more he felt like he was unable to see through Fang Zhengzhi's intentions.

His style of doing things was too different from that of normal people.

Whether Teng Shisheng could guess or not didn't matter. Fang Zhengzhi's arrow quickly left the bow, flying out of the Sun Shooting bow and soaring into the sky like a green meteor.

Then…

It drew a beautiful arc in the sky and shot towards a youth wearing an exquisite jade-green armour and holding a jade flute in his hand.

It wasn't any other person but Wu Feng!

As he stood among the crowd and waited for the surrounding soldiers to surrender, Wu Feng evidently hadn't imagined that Fang Zhengzhi would attack him. Furthermore, he attacked without any notice at all.

This caused Wu Feng to feel somewhat angered.

Because, if it was said that Fang Zhengzhi's shot towards Chen Feiyu was to demonstrate his power as the chief commander by using his actions when dealing with Chen Feiyu's massacre to alert to rest.

Then, having already stopped fighting, there was simply no reason for Fang Zhengzhi to attack him.

"Fang Zhengzhi! What are you trying to do?!" Wu Feng bellowed in anger. He naturally couldn't block Fang Zhengzhi's Million Sword Illustration directly as Chen Feiyu did.

Because...

In his heart, that was a useless act that wasted his energy.

A person who was as intelligent was Wu Feng would dodge to one side, using speed to his advantage to rapidly dodge Fang Zhengzhi's arrow.

"Boom!"

With a loud boom, the spot Wu Feng initially stood at exploded. Dust and debris flew into the air. At the same time, a bloodcurdling cry rang out among the sounds of explosion.

"Ah!"

Fresh blood spurted and a broken sword was tossed into the sky and then landed on the ground. A moment later, the dust settled and a corpse whose clothes were completely torn apart and whose chest was filled with blood appeared.

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Chapter 366: What Kind of Vengeance

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

This scene instantly stopped everybody in their movements.

Killing?

This wasn't something that was extreme nor was it something strange for the people of this world. However, killing a scholar from the Court Examination in front of the public for no reason at all.

They were two different things altogether.

From an emotional, logical or legal point of view, any one of these deemed that such a thing shouldn't happen. However, in terms of outcome, there seemed to be some weird form of benefits.

For example, when the soldiers who were still resisting saw such a scene, they unbelievably took a step back immediately and after which, clanging sounds began to ring out.

The weapons of almost a thousand soldiers fell to the ground one after another.

The issue of surrendering seemed to have reached a conclusive outcome.

However, even though the soldiers surrendered, the scholars flared up in anger, beginning to burn just like a spark falling into a pot of boiling hot oil.

"Fang Zhengzhi, how dare you kill the innocent!" A scholar glared at Fang Zhengzhi with anger in his eyes. However, when he reached the word 'you', he instinctively withdrew his head slightly.

Because…

After living in the Yan Capital for a period of time, he didn't feel that there was anything Fang Zhengzhi didn't dare to do. The most recent of which was that Fang Zhengzhi had disappeared during the announcement of the Court Examination results.

"Bring down Fang Zhengzhi to take revenge for Young Mater Li!"

"Killing the innocent will never be forgiven!"

"We cannot group ourselves with such a shameless person. Soldiers of the Great Xia listen up, Fang Zhengzhi had committed reckless murder and already cannot escape his criminal charges. There is no need to consider the rules of the combat examination anymore. I plea that fellow young masters will lend me a hand. Today, we must take down this criminal and send him to His Highness the Crown Prince!"

One stone incited a tsunami. Very quickly, the voices of a few scholars rang out from behind and at this moment, four scholars raised their swords and charged towards Fang Zhengzhi.

As the four scholars charged, they loudly counted out Fang Zhengzhi's criminal charges. As they announced the charges one by one, they seemed to be filled with righteousness.

When the other scholars witnessed this scene.

They were slightly taken aback. After all, based on the rules of the combat examination, they were all eliminated. And, based on the laws of the Great Xia, even if Fang Zhengzhi had really committed a crime.

The punishment should be decided by the Law Council.

Immediately wanting to capture Fang Zhengzhi like what was happening now was more or less unreasonable. However, when they recalled the scene during which Fang Zhengzhi was doing his field cooking while they were fighting with their lives.

Even though Fang Zhengzhi had defeated the formation in the end, after being trapped within the formation for almost an hour, it was somewhat impossible for the scholars to be completely void of indignation.

Why not just directly take down Fang Zhengzhi and return the army to Wu Feng?

When His Majesty questions, Fang Zhengzhi would be a criminal and the results of this combat examination would naturally not be counted. Hence, they wouldn't have to depend on the results of Fang Zhengzhi anymore.

In conclusion.

It seems like the results of the combat examination are better than imagined!

When they thought of this, the other scholars exchanged glances with one another and expressed their own feelings. Instantly, another three to four scholars followed up.

There was a saying that went, a bystander isn't afraid of big events.

When the other scholars saw that there were already seven to eight scholars who were about to fight Fang Zhengzhi with all their might, even if they didn't join in to help, there wouldn't be any harm in going over to watch the commotion.

Hence, one by one, the scholars started to move and ran head over heels towards Fang Zhengzhi, who stood at the entrance of the wind valley holding a jade-green Sun Shooting Bow in his hands.

"Guard Fang, these people seem to wish to rebel?" Teng Shisheng couldn't really understand why Fang Zhengzhi would attack Wu Feng. However, he didn't bother about these.

Because, he only listened to the order of the Cyan Stone Token.

Fang Zhengzhi held the Cyan Stone Token in his hands, hence, he had to unconditionally ensure the safety of Fang Zhengzhi.

"That's right, they indeed wish to rebel." As Fang Zhengzhi gazed towards the scholars charging towards him, and then looked at Teng Shisheng using his body to block in front of him, a smile appeared on his face.

When the other military commanders saw this scene, they were dumbfounded. They had all heard the words that the scholars shouted out, and naturally understood the meaning behind these words.

However, what could they do about it?

They were soldiers. They didn't know if their chief commander committed a crime of not. However, they knew very well the importance of orders. However, Fang Zhengzhi had indeed made the first killing move right in front of their eyes.

What could they do?

Hesitation and doubt. This was a pain that they had to go through in this short span of time.

In reality, other than the hesitation and doubt of the military commanders, there were another two people who were extremely confused. They were Wu Feng and Chen Feiyu.

Under normal circumstances, Chen Feiyu and Wu Feng should be considered the victims of this situation. However, they didn't seem to have any intention of charging towards Fang Zhengzhi.

Chen Feiyu was of royal blood, and was the descendent of the Thirteen Constabularies. He had his pride. He was naturally angry that Fang Zhengzhi shot an arrow towards him. However, after some careful consideration, he was indeed "making a mistake".

Hence…

It wasn't wrong for Fang Zhengzhi to shoot him.

However, Wu Feng's question was different from that of Chen Feiyu. He faintly recalled that when Fang Zhengzhi was shooting at him, there wasn't anybody else behind him.

However, when the arrow landed, it landed on a scholar!

What was this all about?

Actually, Wu Feng really wished that these scholars would take down Fang Zhengzhi, and hopefully instantly disqualify Fang Zhengzhi from the examination. However, he didn't participate in this movement.

Instead, he instinctively gazed towards the corpse not too far away from him.

Wu Feng wasn't very far away from the corpse. From his angle, he could clearly see that the other party had indeed been shot by the Million Sword Illustration. Because, the wounds on his chest seemed to have been sliced open by many sharp swords.

However…

He didn't seem to be dead!

Wu Feng felt the other person's chest rise faintly as well as the weak breathing from his nose. His eyes instantly lit up.

In a flash, he reached the scholar's side.

"Young Master Li, can you hear me?" Wu Feng gradually squatted down and reached one hand towards the scholar's nose. The other hand was used to lightly shake the scholar's body.

"Young… Young Master Wu, save… save me…" The scholar seemed to feel that his body was being shaken and an extremely weak voice came from his throat. His eyes opened gradually. However, it seemed extremely pained and achieved with great effort. It was only opened very narrowly.

"Of course, I have some medication with me. You must not die." When Wu Feng heard this voice, he couldn't bothered with anything else. Instead, he instantly reached into his pocket and took out a jade-green bottle. He poured out two green pills, one which he directly fed into the scholar's mouth and the other which he crushed into powder and spread it over the wound on the scholar's body.

Just as Wu Feng was healing the injured scholar.

The other scholars had already charged in front of Fang Zhengzhi. The four people who led the charge didn't even bother to speak a single word before directly lashing out towards Fang Zhengzhi.

Four swords glowed up with four different colours and slashed towards Fang Zhengzhi from four different directions at the exact same time. The speed was blazing fast and the sword techniques used were extremely powerful.

When Teng Shisheng saw this, he roared out and advanced without any further hesitation.

When the other Silver Horned Wolf Cavalry troops saw Teng Shisheng move, they similarly pounced up without the slightest intention of holding back.

When the other military commanders witnessed this, they were completely stunned by the sudden change in situation. They had indeed considered that there might be a fight.

However, they had never imagined that this battle would arrive as quickly. And, they didn't even bother to communicate with Fang Zhengzhi. They were all examinees, even if they wished to kill, shouldn't they at least announce the crimes?

The military commanders were stunned.

However, Fang Zhengzhi's expression was filled with calm, as if he had already predicted that such a thing would happen. He wasn't at all affected or taken aback by the other party's direct attack.

Instead, he quietly drew back the Sun Shooting Bow in his hand into a full crescent.

Then…

Directly shot towards the person among the four scholars who made the first move.

"Woosh!"

This arrow was different from the two that were shot towards Chen Feiyu and Wu Feng. Those two arrows followed the path of an arc as they were shot. However, this arrow was a straight shot.

Because, the distance was extremely near.

A jade glow flashed and instantly arrived in front of a scholar, carrying along with it the sound of air being torn apart and a black trail in its wake.

"Boom!"

A thunderous sound rang out once again.

A tremendously powerful force expanded in all directions like water ripples, which caused even the military commanders standing behind Fang Zhengzhi to instinctively take a step back.

"They are really fighting?"

"What is Fang Zhengzhi trying to do? Don't tell me he really wishes to murder these scholars completely?"

"It is already extremely difficult to get off with killing one. But how would he do so if he killed all of them?

"General Fang, Sword Envoy Fang, stop quickly. If there is anything, we can discuss, everyone is part of the same group!"

The military commanders really didn't wish to witness such murders. Because, it was really too meaningless. Now was the moment in which they were in front of the enemy fortress and the opposing army. Internal struggles were clearly a huge military sin.

Naturally, the military commanders chose to make peace.

After all, in their eyes, Fang Zhengzhi seemed to have the advantage no matter how they looked at the situation. Not only did he have the Sun Shooting Bow, he also had five hundred Silver Horned Wolves. How could a few scholars truly harm Fang Zhengzhi.

Hence…

They didn't have to act immediately.

This was what they thought. However, this thought was quickly changed by a scene that occured in reality. Because, when the Million Sword Illustration clashed with the sword of a scholar.

An outcome that nobody had ever imagined suddenly occurred.

The scholar was clearly injured, and, his injury seemed extremely serious. However, he didn't retreat and instead, continued to raise his sword to slash towards Fang Zhengzhi.

The other scholars also carried the same determination on their faces at this moment.

Even with Teng Shisheng and a few Silver Horned Wolf Cavalry troops fending them off in front of Fang Zhengzhi, they continued to charge over without caring about anything else. It seemed as if that if they didn't kill Fang Zhengzhi, they would never retreat.

What kind of vengeance is this?!

The person Fang Zhengzhi shot was Wu Feng!

Are these people mad?

The military commanders initially thought that fighting would occur, but they would definitely not fight with their lives. After all, Fang Zhengzhi killing the scholar was a crime. However, scholars killing Fang Zhengzhi was also a crime.

This was the same logic.

However, the current situation clearly didn't quite fulfill this logic.

"Quick, stop!"

"You are all examinees, even if one has committed a crime, it should still be dealt with by the Law Council, you cannot fight with your lives!"

A few military commanders instantly reminded these reckless scholars, attempting to stop them from fighting. However, it seemed to be completely useless.

The four scholars didn't falter the slightest bit in their movements.

Instead, they seemed to speed up.

Right at this moment, another two scholars charged out. However, what was different from the first four scholars was that the stances of these two scholars seemed somewhat different.

They were actually trying to stop the fight!"

"Young Master Tai, Young Master Wang, don't kill him, just make sure that Fang Zhengzhi surrenders."

"That's right, Fang Zhengzhi, you have already committed a great crime, you must not make your murder charges more serious. Everybody stop fighting, let's discuss and resolve this together."

As the two scholars chased after the four scholars, they shouted out loudly.

Fang Zhengzhi ignored completely the advice of these two people. He didn't even take another glance towards the two of them. Instead, he quietly pulled back his Sun Shooting Bow into another full crescent.

"With me, Teng Shisheng, here, don't even dream of crossing!"

"Kill!"

Under the leadership of Teng Shisheng, a group of Silver Horned Wolves leapt out one by one and blocked in front of Fang Zhengzhi. Instantly, they formed a three-row formation.

However, the space within the wind valley was really quite limited.

In addition to the broad bodies of the Silver Horned Wolves, the width that was usually sufficient to contain ten people was only able to contain six.

It was naturally somewhat tough for six Silver Horned Wolf Cavalry troops to defend against four crazy scholars. Hence, under the relentless attacks of the four scholars, the six Silver Horned Wolves retreated step by step.

As for the other Silver Horned Wolves standing behind, they could only wait for the Silver Horned Wolves in front of them to fall before advancing to fill up the spot in front.

This was different from the battle in which they surrounded Chen Feiyu and Wu Feng in the Thunderous Lion Settlement.

This battle was a street fight!

Hence, the Silver Horned Wolves' advantage in numbers to surround opponents naturally couldn't be employed as well as it was in the Thunderous Lion Settlement. They could only painstakingly endure.

This seemed to be an internal battle.

And, it was an extremely intense internal battle.

The cause of it was, Fang Zhengzhi randomly shooting an arrow towards Wu Feng and Chen Feiyu respectively. The results were somewhat of a joke. Chen Feiyu and Wu Feng didn't attempt to take revenge on Fang Zhengzhi.

However, the other scholars couldn't take it and directly wanted to fight Fang Zhengzhi with their lives.

It was somewhat illogical.

Yet, it was reality.

"Indeed!" Fang Zhengzhi gazed towards the four seemingly crazy scholars and smirked. He drew back his bow once again.

"Woosh!"

A jade-green arrow rapidly soared into the sky and drew out another beautiful arc. The point where it landed towards was not the four scholars, but was instead towards Wu Feng again!

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Chapter 367: Rebirth Assasins

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

If there was a certain provocation method in this world that caused the most hatred and vengeance, it definitely wouldn't be able to escape comparison with Fang Zhengzhi's current actions.

You are filled with righteousness?

You wish to fight for Wu Feng and Chen Feiyu?

Then, let me shoot another arrow towards Wu Feng. Let me see how you remain as a "good man".

That was the first thought that came to the minds of all the scholars and the military commanders. It was also the first thought that came to Wu Feng, who was trying to heal the scholar's injury.

"Is there any end to this? You are shooting again?!" This time, Wu Feng was truly somewhat angered.

If you only shoot at me once in a while, I can temporarily hold myself back. However, you are provoking me not once, but over and over again. Nobody would be able to hold back.

Wu Feng instantly shot up and turned around. He looked towards the jade-green arrow that fell from the sky and instinctively lifted up the jade flute in his hand and placed it in his mouth, attempting to block off this arrow.

However, right at this moment, an chilling feeling rose from his heart.

This chill came from the depth of his heart. However, it originated from behind his back. That was a strange feeling, causing him deep discomfort.

The speed of the jade-green arrow was naturally extremely fast. In the blink of an eye, it arrived on top of Wu Feng's head, carrying with it a power sufficient to tear apart the fabric of space.

Wu Feng knew very clearly how much power this thing contained.

He definitely could block off this shot. However, it required him to expend all his strength and energy. At the very least, he mustn't be burdened with any other thoughts or distractions.

However, under the current circumstances, could he achieve that state of clarity?

It was impossible!

Hence, Wu Feng very decisively dismissed the idea of blocking. Instead, he shot towards his left in a flash. This action was indeed more or less rather selfish.

However, in reality, Wu Feng had never considered himself as a great righteous youth.

What should he do if he wasn't able to save Young Master Li?

Then, he should just die.

Wu Feng wasn't bothered about that.

Hence…

"Boom!"

A resounding bang sounded out once again. Wu Feng had casually and quickly ran to one side. Hence, the person who truly suffered the force of this arrow was Young Master Li.

This scene naturally landed once again in the eyes of all the scholars and military commanders.

"Alright, this time he is really dead!"

This was the first thought that came to everybody's mind when they saw the jade green arrow land. The second thought was that Fang Zhengzhi's criminal charges were now official.

If the person didn't die.

Then, there would still naturally be opportunities and reasons to drop the charges. However, once he was dead, there would be many things that Fang Zhengzhi wouldn't be able to explain and escape from. At the very least, this was what they thought.

However...

The turning point of a situation always happened when one least expected it.

Even when it happened, it would still cause people to feel somewhat dumbfounded.

At this moment, this was how Wu Feng, Chen Feiyu and the military commanders thought. Because, right at the moment when the jade-green arrow landed.

An arm flew up.

That was an arm filled with fresh blood. It naturally came from the injured Young Master Li. However, that wasn't the main point. The main point was that on that arm, there was still a dagger.

A dagger that glowed with a faint blue glow.

Blue represented many things within the Dao of All Creations. For example, the sea, the sky, flowers and so on. However, it had another meaning among the Dao of All Creation.

That was…

Poison!

The poison of the Upas Tree!

Why did the injured Young Master Li hold a poisonous dagger in his hand. This was something which nobody could understand within this short span of time.

Wu Feng's initially somewhat furious expression instantly vanished, and instead appeared somewhat pale.

At this moment, he actually felt his legs go weak. Because, even though he hadn't completely understood what transpired, he knew somewhat faintly what had just occurred.

Chill!

A chill was sent down his spine.

At this instant, the gazes of Wu Feng and the military commanders were all focused on that detached arm flying in the sky. However, this didn't mean that everybody did the same.

For example, the four scholars who were attacking Fang Zhengzhi, as well as the other two scholars who were loudly urging for the fighting to stop as they sprinted towards Fang Zhengzhi.

At the very least, these six people didn't look at that detached arm.

Instead, they continued to execute what they felt that they should be doing.

"Fang Zhengzhi, raise your hands and surrender!" A scholar finally broke through the defences and forced himself between two Silver Horned Wolves.

The glow of his sword magnified greatly at this moment, seeming completely different from what it was like before. In an instant, the glow of the sword seemed to have expanded at least three feet.

At the same time, the other three scholars also seemed to be changing.

If it was said that the aura the four scholars gave off during their initial attack was somewhat normal, then, the current aura from their bodies were clearly different.

Swift and fierce!

Extremely swift and fierce!

"Be careful!" Teng Shisheng's expression also changed slightly at this moment. A green glow instantly began to radiate from his dark skin.

That was a glow that came from within. When that glow lit up, Teng Shisheng's skin turned somewhat dry, as if moisture was leaving his body.

It was a very strange scene.

However…

The outcome didn't seem too bad.

"Dong!"

An extremely dull thud sounded out. The magnified sword glow was actually forcefully deformed by Teng Shisheng's one punch. Or, it could also be said that when the sword glow cut towards Teng Shisheng's fist.

It seemed to be slanted!

When Fang Zhengzhi witnessed this scene, it was rather impossible for him to claim that he wasn't taken aback at all. Even though he didn't quite understand the training methods of the Southern Mountain Range.

However, he could at least feel the change in the air.

Teng Shisheng.

The team leader of five hundred Silver Horned Wolf Cavalries.

In terms of raw power, Fang Zhengzhi didn't think that Teng Shisheng would be very strong. Hence, Fang Zhengzhi assumed that Teng Shisheng was only probably of the Heavenly Reflection State.

At the very most…

He would have attained the Heavenly Reflection Peak State.

However, when he saw Teng Shisheng's punch, this thought was immediately rejected.

In Princess Shan Yu's military camp, Fang Zhengzhi had fought with General Tai. Hence, he knew very clearly how powerful General Tai of the Supernatural Advanced State would be.

Teng Shisheng's power might not be as ferocious as General Tai's.

However, in terms of stability.

There wasn't a single bit of difference.

"Teng Shisheng is actually of the Supernatural State?!" Fang Zhengzhi very quickly confirmed this thought. However, when this thought arose, another thought entered his mind.

If Teng Shisheng was really of the Supernatural State.

Why did Teng Shisheng purposely conceal this in the previous battles?

From the moment Teng Shisheng appeared by Fang Zhengzhi's side, the abilities he displayed were all extremely ordinary. Even when they surrounded Chen Feiyu and Wu Feng.

Teng Shisheng's performance didn't appear too impressive.

Fang Zhengzhi didn't have a definite answer to this. However, he could faintly sense that it wasn't a coincidence that Princess Shan Yu had sent Teng Shisheng to his side.

Then, what was that Princess Shan Yu's intention?

Giving him a Cyan Stone Token for no reason at all, and then giving him five hundred Silver Horned Wolf Cavalry troops, and also sending Teng Shisheng, who concealed his true powers, to his side.

If it was said that Princess Shan Yu did this to ensure Fang Zhengzhi's safety, Fang Zhengzhi wouldn't believe it even if he was beaten to death. Because, that girl didn't have such a good heart.

Fang Zhengzhi didn't continue pondering this issue.

Because, now wasn't exactly the time to do so.

As Teng Shisheng blocked off the expanding sword glow, the expressions of the other three scholars clearly changed as they looked towards Teng Shisheng with a faint shock in their eyes.

However, it was just a faint shock.

After exchanging a quick glance at one another, the three scholars didn't hesitate any further.

They stepped forward at the same time.

The actually forced themselves in the middle of the Silver Horned Wolves and used their external territory to force back the few Silver Horned Wolves.

At this moment, other than Teng Shisheng, the expressions of the other Silver Horned Wolf Cavalry troops were a deathly shade of pale.

The fundamental source of their power came from the Silver Horned Wolf. As for their individual powers, they naturally couldn't all have attained the Heavenly Reflection State.

In reality, among the five hundred Silver Horned Wolf Cavalry troops, seven out of ten of them were only of the Star Conglomerate State.

However, even so, it didn't stop them from becoming the most elite forces of the Southern Mountain Range. Because, with the Silver Horned Wolves, they could easily match up to someone of the Heavenly Reflection Intermediate State.

However…

It was clearly somewhat futile to fight against four enraged scholars of the Heavenly Reflection Peak State and above.

They were unable to surround the enemy and hence, the Silver Horned Wolves couldn't unleash their full power. As for the Silver Horned Wolf Cavalry troops standing behind, other than watching, the most they could do was to cause some distractions.

For example, shouting out loud - careful of your left, beware on top of you, or toss out a few black spears glowing with an icy glow to prevent their teammate from being injured.

However, this was futile in tackling the root of the problem.

The four scholars had clearly considered this point. They simply didn't give the Silver Horned Wolf Cavalry troops much opportunities. After forcefully pushing them back, the four swords in the hands of the scholars mysteriously met at one point.

"Sword formation?!"

When the military commanders witnessed this scene, they finally regained their senses. Each of their eyes were filled with shock. However, more of it was filled with a form of disbelief.

Because, in their hearts, the scholars in front of them were examinees participating in the Court Examination.

Four examinees?

How could they cooperate so well through a sword formation? Shouldn't they be fighting as individuals? Even if they really had some synergy, it was definitely impossible for things to be like this!

They truly couldn't understand.

As the military commanders were lost in thought, the four scholars didn't seem to have any intention of explaining themselves. At the instant their four swords met, the expressions of the four scholars instantly changed.

In it, there seemed to be a certain pain.

Fang Zhengzhi had seen this expression before. That was during the time Yan Xiu employed his Asura Dao. However, compared to Yan Xiu, the pain of the faces of these four scholars didn't seem quite the same.

Yan Xiu's was a form of endurance.

However, these four scholars seemed to be suffering.

A glow lit up in the middle of the four swords. It was a light similar to that of a star. The silver glow was soft as silk.

It was very soft, yet mysteriously sent a sharp chill down people's spines.

"This looks like…" Fang Zhengzhi rapidly recalled a scene. That was something that happened within The Vast World.

In there, Fang Zhengzhi met with somebody from the Southern Mountain Range for the first time.

His name was Shan Jia.

And, standing beside Shan Jia, there was another person. Or, it could also be said that there was another demon. That was the first time Fang Zhengzhi saw a red Demon Eye, and the first time he felt the power of a demon named Bai Xing.

The Domain Chief of the Demon Race Star Domain, Bai Xing!

Fang Zhengzhi didn't know why he felt the way he did now. However, he faintly felt that when these four swords combined together, that silver glow seemed to be largely similar to the starry glow that Bai Xing gave off.

Alright..

I seem to have overestimated myself this time!

Fang Zhengzhi naturally saw through the identities of these people. Not only did he realise the identities of these four people, he also realized the identity of that "Young Master Li" standing behind Wu Feng.

In reality, among these four scholars, there was initially one that was standing behind Chen Feiyu.

However…

Chen Feiyu seemed to be crazy!

He actually forcefully blocked off Fang Zhengzhi's Million Sword Illustration, allowing that scholar to continue concealing his identity.

Hence, as Chen Feiyu leapt around and shouted for Fang Zhengzhi to shoot another arrow at him again.

Fang Zhengzhi was actually somewhat speechless.

Other than expressing his despise towards Chen Feiyu's intelligence, there really wasn't another sentence that could describe his feelings. However, fortunately, Chen Feiyu had demonstrated a rather impressive power when he blocked off the arrow.

At the very least, the scholar who had already unsheathed his sword managed to sheath it back in time, revealing a rather exaggerated and shocked expression on his face.

Fang Zhengzhi had seen it. However, he didn't wish to loudly expose it. Instead, what he thought was that since you don't wish to expose yourself, let me give you a surprise.

That was the reason he shot another arrow towards Wu Feng.

The outcome was clearly evident.

The results were very ideal, and rather impressive. Not only did he disable that "Young Master Li" who was about to attack Wu Feng, he even managed to enrage and trigger his four buddies.

Until now, Fang Zhengzhi had given his own perfect plan thirty two 'likes'.

However...

What he never thought of was that.

Even with five hundred Silver Horned Wolves beside him and forty thousand soldiers behind him, the other party had actually suddenly managed to advance to his side and even seemed to be executing a technique almost similar to that of Bai Xing.

Shouldn't I be possessing an absolute advantage in this, playing with them in any way I wish?

This was what Fang Zhengzhi thought all along.

However, in reality, he seemed to have miscalculated a tiny bit once again. The powers of the "four scholars" was actually not of the Heavenly Reflection Peak State.

Instead, it was the Supernatural State!

Most importantly, these four "scholars" of the Supernatural State seemed to be using a certain sword formation that enabled them to attack together. This actually enabled their sword techniques to come close to Bai Xing of the Rebirth State!

"What the hell, Yun Qingwu, are you kidding me? No matter what, we were once in the same "boat" together, you actually sent four people of the Supernatural State to assassinate me?!"

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Chapter 368: Sword within the Sword

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Ever since he had met with Wu Yuer, Fang Zhengzhi had learnt from her that Yun Qingwu had another identity.

The Young Demon Lord!

Even though Fang Zhengzhi was somewhat taken aback when he heard of this identity of Yun Qingwu, he knew that Wu Yuer had no reason to lie to him.

Hence, in his heart, he inferred very easily that the incidents of the Southern Mountain Range were naturally related in some way or another to this woman Yun Qingwu, especially the part about having ties with the demon race.

The four scholars in front of him were evidently of the demon race.

Fang Zhengzhi didn't need to remove the skin masks on their faces on purpose. Because, when Fang Zhengzhi had defeated Nangong Hao's formation, one of the scholars had already launched an attack on Chen Feiyu.

What was Chen Feiyu's status?

The younger brother of Imperial Concubine Hua Fei, the young brother-in-law of the Emperor, the direct line of descent of the thirteen constabularies.

Fang Zhengzhi knew that. Hence, it was impossible for the other scholars not to know this. Hence, would anybody launch a sneak attack on somebody like Chen Feiyu?

There was.

For example, Fang Zhengzhi used a sneak attack against Chen Feiyu.

However, that was in order to take down the Thunderous Lion Settlement. And now, Chen Feiyu had already been eliminated and lost all the value he had. At such a time, launching another sneak attack on Chen Feiyu…

There could only be one reason.

That was that the other party was of the demon race!

Fang Zhengzhi inferred this point. However, he didn't infer the true strength of the other party. He initially felt that everything was within his control. However, in reality, he seemed to have been controlled by someone else all along.

That didn't feel very good.

However, he was still extremely helpless.

When faced with four Supernatural State demons employing the technique of combining four swords, causing their power to reach that of the Rebirth State, what Fang Zhengzhi needed to do was too simple.

That was one word…

Run!

However, in reality, with a bunch of people standing behind him, running was actually not something very simple. However, this evidently didn't affect Fang Zhengzhi.

Flipping into the air, he directly "fell down" from the horse.

One must frequently maintain his appearance and image, however, he must not be hindered by his image. In certain special circumstances, falling down the horse wasn't actually something bad.

The four demons disguised as scholars were evidently somewhat taken aback by Fang Zhengzhi's 'decisiveness'. After all, Fang Zhengzhi's reputation outside was on the same level as that of Nangong Hao due to being joint first in the Court Theory Examination.

Such a genius and talent.

When being attacked, he didn't even think of fighting back and instead, immediately ran away. And, the way he escaped was so "smooth".

If it was said that the four demons weren't taken aback at all, it was still rather impossible.

However, they quickly recalled Bai Xing's opinion of Fang Zhengzhi. That was that this was a person full of surprises.

Alright…

He indeed was somebody full of surprises.

After destroying the wind valley of the Icy Monkey Settlement, he defeated Nangong Hao's formation, and after that he was actually able to see through their disguises. Every single one of these incidents reflected Fang Zhengzhi's intelligence.

However, when this extremely intelligent person met with danger, he was still able to hide under the horse's stomach without the slightest bit of hesitation and care for his own image.

That was truly "full of surprises".

"Kill!" The four demons gave up their pretence.

Because, there was already no more need to do so. Their next objective was to kill as many scholars participating in this examination as possible, after which use this incident to incite and provoke conflict between the Great Xia and the Southern Mountain Range.

After all, the scholars participating in this examination were too high in "status".

Members of the royal family, descendents of the Thirteen Constabularies, notable families and great clans. When these people perished away from their home country and in the foreign land of the Southern Mountain Range, it would evidently be impossible for the Great Xia to maintain a relationship with the Southern Mountain Range that was as close as before.

However, apart from this task, there was another more important prerequisite task. That was that if they were able to kill off either Fang Zhengzhi or Nangong Hao, it was worth it to give up every other scholar.

The four demons didn't know why such an order would be given.

However, this order was personally given by Bai Xing. Hence, all they had to do was to carry it out.

Initially, their plan was definitely to aim for Fang Zhengzhi. However, Fang Zhengzhi had been constantly surrounded five hundred Silver Horned Wolves, it was too difficult to launch an attack on Fang Zhengzhi.

Hence…

After seeing that the wind valley was defeated, they changed their plan.

They followed Wu Feng and Chen Feiyu and charged into the wind valley, planning to wait until Wu Feng and Chen Feiyu led the army to launch a sneak attack on Nangong Hao before launching their attack on Wu Feng and Nangong Hao at the same time.

However, the outcome of that was that they were trapped within Nangong Hao's formation.

Just as they thought that they were in trouble, a fortunate incident happened once again. Fang Zhengzhi was actually able to defeat the formation, and furthermore, he created a situation filled chaos.

This opportunity was simply one given by Heaven.

Moreover, they indeed couldn't wait any longer.

After all, if they waited any further, Fang Zhengzhi would be able to leave the wind valley. When that time came, with five hundred Silver Horned Wolves beside him in addition to facing against Nangong Hao.

They simply didn't have a chance anymore.

Hence…

The disguised demons naturally attacked very decisively.

What happened afterwards was what everybody had seen. Even though Fang Zhengzhi saw through their identity, he didn't announce it righteously.

Hence, this gave them an opportunity to kill in the name of someone else.

Even though this reason sounded really somewhat exaggerated, the outcome seemed to have achieved their objectives. The group of military commanders didn't lash out immediately.

That was enough.

Within the wind valley, nobody could stop them.

And now, once they broke through the protection of a few Silver Horned Wolves and arrived in front of Fang Zhengzhi, they were filled with confidence that even if Fang Zhengzhi hid under the horse's stomach, he wouldn't be able to avoid this strike.

After all, slashing apart a person along with a horse wasn't something very difficult.

And…

Most importantly, with their abilities, after finishing their assassination, escaping safely was similarly not something too difficult either.

"Die!"

As the four demons roared out at the same time.

A silver glow soared from the tips of their swords, directly cutting down towards Fang Zhengzhi. It moved with blazing speed and gave off a chilling air.

"Quick, protect Guard Fang!" When Teng Shisheng saw this glow, his expression clearly changed. His task was obviously not to protect Fang Zhengzhi.

However, he couldn't just let Fang Zhengzhi die now!

At this moment, a few Silver Horned Wolf Cavalry troops stared with their eyes wide open. The silver glow in front of their eyes was extremely thin. However, the power within caused them to feel a sense of fear rising from within.

The warriors of the Southern Mountain Range were human. They also had times of fear.

However, they were able to transform this fear into a form of belief, a belief that was able to integrate them with the mountain rocks. This belief could ensure that in order to complete certain orders.

They would be willing to sacrifice their lives.

Hence, when Teng Shisheng finished his sentence, the few Silver Horned Wolf Cavalry troops standing behind Fang Zhengzhi soared into the sky and used their bodies to block in front of that silver glow.

Due to the presence of the Silver Horned Wolves behind him, Fang Zhengzhi was initially unable to turn around and run. However, when those Silver Horned Wolves leapt up, this problem seemed to be gone.

A few empty spots appeared behind him.

These empty spots enabled him to easily run a few more steps back. Even though he didn't know if he was able to avoid this silver glow, the probabilities of him doing so would at least be higher.

However, Fang Zhengzhi didn't do that.

It could even be said that when those spots appeared in front of his eyes, he didn't even consider once nor hesitate at all.

Fang Zhengzhi believed that shamelessness was a virtue.

However, this didn't represent that he could casually hide being others and watch as other people used their bodies to defend against a silver glow that should initially be slashing on his body.

Even though these people were the Silver Horned Wolf Cavalry troops that he had only briefly interacted with.

In an instant, Fang Zhengzhi pressed his hand onto his chest. There was a silver Heart Protection Mirror. Within the Heart Protection Mirror, there was a sword.

The sword's name was Traceless!

Fang Zhengzhi didn't know if the Traceless Sword could fend off this silver glow, however, this was indeed the only glimmer of hope he could think of.

After all, this sword had previously defended against General Tai's fatal blow!

"Dong!"

Right at this moment, an extremely melodious tone suddenly rang out. It wasn't loud, however, it seemed to carry with it a terrifying penetrating force.

"Boom!"

A loud boom resounded.

The silver glow seemed to have clashed with something coming from the side. It actually quavered. It didn't disappear, but its power was evidently reduced by a little.

Right at the same time, Teng Shisheng's fist reached again.

A green glow expanded from Teng Shisheng's skin. His fist once again slammed into that silver glow. This caused the silver glow to quaver once again.

It was actually forcefully made to change its course slightly.

Teng Shisheng knew that the Silver Horned Wolf Cavalry troops behind him would protect Fang Zhengzhi. However, knowing was one thing. If it was said that he could bear seeing them do so, that was still rather impossible.

Hence, he used his full strength in this punch.

Even though he couldn't block it entirely, changing its course slightly was sufficient to protect lives.

"Woosh!"

The silver glow finally landed.

Two screams rang out at the same time. One of them came from a horse Fang Zhengzhi initially rode on. It wasn't too noble, however it was still one of the top breeds among horses.

However, at this moment, one of the horse's front legs was cut into two by the silver glow.

The other sound obviously originated from a Silver Horned Wolf who had leapt into the air. Its front legs were injured as well. However, both of its legs were slashed into two and sent flying into the air.

Fresh blood…

Spurted out like a fountain.

This wasn't the end. After slashing a horse and a beast, the silver glow didn't seem to bear any intention of stopping. It continued to fly forwards and cut downwards.

This caused the few Silver Horned Wolf Cavalry troops initially standing behind Fang Zhengzhi to give off bloodcurdling cries.

However, these cries occured after the previous two.

One slash!

After clashing with the musical note and being slammed into by Teng Shisheng's full-powered punch, it was still sufficient to injure five to six Silver Horned Wolf Cavalry troops.

From this, one could infer the power of that sword.

Fang Zhengzhi's hand remained pressed upon his chest. Because, he saw that this sword was diverted off course. Hence, he naturally didn't unshealth the Traceless Sword immediately.

After all, he wasn't a hundred percent sure that the Traceless Sword was able to defend against this slash.

"Stop them!"

"They aren't humans, they are demons!"

"Protect the scholars, we mustn't allow the demons to accomplish anything!"

Just as Fang Zhengzhi prepared to shout out that these people were demons, waves of shouting already rang out beside his ear.

This caused him to feel somewhat confused.

What was this about?

Who had such a fast reaction?

As he thought, he finally saw a figure standing not too far away.

That was a youth wearing an intricately designed jade green armour. He held a jade flute to this mouth in one of his hands, while the other held on to a mask.

Under his feet, "Young Master Li", who was down to his last breath, revealed his true appearance. A glimmering demon eye could be seen on his forehead, glowing with light.

At this moment, Fang Zhengzhi recalled the melodious, yet containing immense penetrative power, sound. If he didn't predict wrongly, that sound should have originated from the jade flute in Wu Feng's hands.

It seems that…

The Dao of music could be so strong.

When Fang Zhengzhi captured Wu Feng, he naturally didn't give him any opportunities to exercise his Dao of music. Moreover, he didn't even leave the jade flute for Wu Feng to use.

Hence, even though he knew that Wu Feng was apparently quite strong.

He had never truly seen Wu Feng use the Dao of music.

This could be counted as the first time he had seen it.

This caused him to be more or less startled. Even though the power from the Dao of music didn't appear to be extremely powerful, it seemed to possess a clear advantage.

It had a blazing fast speed!

Furthermore, other than its extreme speed, the location it appeared was extremely mysterious. It was actually able to hit an extremely narrow silver glow using sound with such precision from such a long distance away.

This element of surprise and accuracy.

Wasn't something an average Dao of All Creation could compare to.

Wu Feng!

The scholar ranked number three in the Rising Dragon Roll, the student of one of the four sages. His power was indeed rather incredible. I wonder if I will be able to defend against this attack of the Dao of music?

Fang Zhengzhi pondered for a moment and felt that he had only a fifty percent chance of being able to do so.

Hence, he quickly changed his train of thought. If he really had an opportunity to fight against Wu Feng, he would make sure to steal the jade flute from his hands first. Or, he would ensure that Wu Feng didn't have the opportunity to blow the flute.

This way, his chances of winning would increase to eighty percent!

A perfect plan.

Of course, Fang Zhengzhi didn't have to consider where that sound came from anymore. Because, when Wu Feng peeled off that "Young Master Li"'s mask, the truth immediately rose to the surface.

Moreover, that deadly attack from those four people had already completely revealed their true intentions.

"Quick, take them down!" At this moment, the military commanders didn't even need Fang Zhengzhi to give any orders before acting immediately. Furthermore, at the same time, all the soldiers behind them drew back their bows.

When the four demons saw this scene, the expressions on their faces appeared somewhat pained. After all, using the same technique as they just did had some rather serious consequences.

"Seems that the four of you are from the demon race?! Don't even think of harming the citizens of our Great Xia. Today, I will fight you with my life!" Right at this moment, the two scholars following behind the demons gave off a terrified cry. Immediately after which, they moved sideways and actually leapt across the four demons and blocked in front of Fang Zhengzhi.

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Chapter 369: At All Costs

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

This sudden change in situation evidently caused the military commanders to be somewhat taken aback. After all, the power displayed by the four demons were horrifying.

In that case…

The commanders didn't know if there was any mistake in their way of dealing with this issue.

However, in reality, they all knew that the relationship between Fang Zhengzhi and the scholars weren't as close as what they imagined. Hence, under such circumstances, it was naturally extremely unlikely that they would use their bodies to defend Fang Zhengzhi.

However, at this moment, the two scholars clearly blocked in front of Fang Zhengzhi. Furthermore, they did so without the slightest bit of hesitation.

Hence, it was impossible to say that they weren't even the slightest bit shocked.

Of course, this was all just guesswork. From certain points of view, it wasn't completely impossible that the scholars were amazed and convinced by the talent Fang Zhengzhi had displayed and suddenly decided to see the big picture instead.

It was precisely because of this probability that led to the commanders not stopping the two scholars immediately in their moment of shock, and instead deciding to watch on silently.

However, this slight hesitation also allowed them to see a scene that left them astounded.

After the two scholars blocked in front of the four demons, they had also arrived in front of Fang Zhengzhi. They held a sword in each of their hands.

There wasn't any problem in this. However, the problem was that the swords in their hands didn't stab towards the four demons in front of them, instead, they turned around and stabbed towards Fang Zhengzhi.

This also meant that as they were crying out to protect scholars and people of the Great Xia, the swords in their hands were carrying out a completely opposite action.

"Pssh!"

Fresh blood spurted out and sprayed into the air.

An icy glint flashed in the eyes of the two scholars as the edges of their lips instinctively curved up into a delighted smile. However, this smile didn't last for long.

Very quickly, the two scholars lowered their head.

In their eyes, there was an evident disbelief. Because, they realised that the blood that spurted out like a fountain actually originated from their chests.

Shock.

The two scholars were shocked. The four demons were just as shocked.

The other commanders standing behind Fang Zhengzhi were also stunned, rooted to the ground. Because, this scene truly occurred too quickly.

"When… when did you rea… realise?!" The two scholars uttered softly, their eyes unmovingly fixated upon Fang Zhengzhi.

They truly didn't quite understand.

Why could Fang Zhengzhi easily see through their plans over and over again.

"From the moment you followed behind the four of them, I have already known." A faint smile appeared on Fang Zhengzhi's lips.

Making peace?

Who, in this situation, would even bother to try to make peace at this moment?

Fang Zhengzhi would never believe that the examinees in this Court Examination would have such childish hobbies. Of course, just based on this point alone, it wasn't possible to confirm this absolutely.

The truth was inferred from one sentence.

Ever since the ancient past, regardless of whether it was the past world or this world, there was one well-known saying.

That was that spectators saw the game better than players.

Previously, everytime Fang Zhengzhi evaluated a problem, this was the kind of thinking he employed. However, when the two scholars stood out with righteousness filling their faces.

He understood another word of wisdom…

That was that under certain special circumstances, only the real players in the game would be able to understand things best!

Would these two scholars in front of him be selfless enough to do what was best in this situation? Others weren't too sure. However, Fang Zhengzhi was almost absolutely certain that it was impossible!

"Within the sword, there is another hidden…'sword'!" When Fang Zhengzhi saw the two scholars make their way past the four demons, he was already certain about this situation.

What was the meaning of a sneak attack?

It was naturally one that was impossible to defend against!

Fang Zhengzhi was an expert at sneak attacks. Hence, he knew very clearly what was impossible to defend against. The previous time he saw Bai Xing was within The Vast World.

Right from that moment, Fang Zhengzhi knew that Bai Xing wasn't dumb.

Of course…

There was another person who was definitely not dumb either. That was Yun Qingwu.

Due to that, having wasted time and energy on planning a sneak attack plan, how could it only have one stage?

There was a plot within the plot, a sneak attack within the sneak attack, a sword within the sword.

That was a real deadly strike.

Fang Zhengzhi knew all of these extremely well. Hence, all he could do was to helplessly look on with disdain as these people attempted to showcase their skills in front of the real expert, himself.

Since you like to hide a sneak attack within this attack, then, I will fulfill your plan.

At the instant the two scholars jumped past the four demons, Fang Zhengzhi's sword had already lashed out.

There was a very wise saying.

Never leave your back facing the enemy.

Because, that was an extremely… stupid action!

"You knew ever since we ran over? W… Why?! We… we want to know the reason!" The expressions of the two scholars were clearly filled with disbelief as an emotional tone filled their voices.

"Beware!"

Just as Fang Zhengzhi prepared to reply the questions of these two scholars.

A somewhat urgent voice rang out beside his ear. He was somewhat familiar with this voice. If his guess was correct, it was Teng Shisheng.

However, what did 'beware' mean?

Fang Zhengzhi didn't manage to understand immediately. However, he instinctively took a step backwards. During this step backwards, he saw two swords.

Two swords that stabbed towards his throat like a dragon.

These two swords naturally came from the hands of the two scholars. However, due to the close distance between Fang Zhengzhi and the two scholars, he seemed to have neglected these two swords which were in his blind spot.

Fang Zhengzhi rarely had cold sweat.

However, this time, when he saw those two swords, his back was immediately soaked with cold sweat. He had seen through the real identities of the two scholars.

However...

He hadn't seen through their determination!

This wasn't very related to Fang Zhengzhi's judgement. Instead, it was a form of thinking. Fang Zhengzhi was a person who was rather afraid of pain and death. Hence, when he thought about a problem, he would naturally leave this point out.

On the other hand, the two "scholars" in front of him had taken advantage of this point.

On purpose!

Ever since the start, the other party's slightly "exaggerated" performance, that silly and logically flawed act, was actually all planned out for this final attack.

In other words, the other party wanted Fang Zhengzhi to understand, or, wanted Fang Zhengzhi to think he understood that everything was within his control.

It was during such moments in which a person would let down his guard.

In reality…

These moments were when the other party would value the most. The real deadly blow of the other party was actually the most boring and normal stab with the sword in close distance after being stabbed!

It was extremely dangerous. This danger that brought Fang Zhengzhi extremely close to the God of Death, despite the fact that Fang Zhengzhi was really soaked in cold sweat, if it wasn't for the fact that Teng Shisheng was just as close to Fang Zhengzhi, if it wasn't for the fact that Teng Shisheng gave the warning.

He would really have delightfully felt that the other party was showcasing their skills in front of a real expert!

The demon race!

Yun Qingwu!

Only at this moment did Fang Zhengzhi understand what the demon race was made of, what Yun Qingwu was made of. Only now did he truly understand how lucky he was to have succeeded during his previous time in The Vast World.

"Fang Zhengzhi, Domain Chief Bai asked us to bring you this sentence. How can an ant compete with huge beast that fills the sky? You are a smart man, you can naturally understand the meaning behind these words!" The attacks of the two scholars missed.

This caused a glimmer of disappointment to flash across their eyes.

However, after this glimmer of disappointment appeared, the two scholars didn't reveal any form of repent or misery. Instead, they stood silently on the spot.

Calm. That was a form of calm that would never budge even if they stood among thousands of soldiers.

Their assassination had failed.

The two scholars didn't intend to continue their attacks any further. Because, they knew very clearly that opportunities when missed, were truly missed.

"Leave!" The two scholars turned around and gazed towards the four demons.

At the same time, the wounds on their chests slowly began to heal. Even though the blood that spurted out didn't stop flowing, they simply weren't bothered at all. They didn't even take a second glance towards it.

"Roger!" When the four demons heard the words of the two scholars, they bowed slightly and leapt in four different directions towards the two walls of the wind valley.

The two scholars didn't hesitate either. They immediately followed and leapt up, pressing down with one foot on the body of a Silver Horned Wolf, borrowing its strength and very quickly, reaching the two walls of the wind valley.

They arrived quickly.

And left just as quickly.

Furthermore, the way they did it was with such uniqueness and without the slightest bit of care and hesitation.

"Want to run? Stop them!"

"Quickly, start shooting the arrows!"

"Don't let them escape!"

The commanders managed to regain their senses at this moment. Of course, if they still didn't understand up till now, then they were truly stupid.

The demon race. Among twenty scholars, there was actually a total of seven hidden demons. Six launched a sneak attack on Fang Zhengzhi, while one was killed by Fang Zhengzhi's Million Sword Illustration.

Such an incident was simply astounding to the ear.

Furthermore, most important, if these seven scholars were demons in disguise, then, where were the seven scholars who participated in the Court Examination?

Nobody knew.

However, this didn't seem to affect the arrows of those soldiers who had already drawn back their bows. At the instant the order was given, hundreds of white-feathered arrows soared into the sky.

Shooting towards the six demons on the two walls of the wind valley.

At the same time, the melodious and high pitched sound of a flute sounded out again, drifting among those white-feathered arrows towards the six demons.

Fang Zhengzhi obviously didn't give chase.

It wasn't because he didn't want to. Instead, it was because he knew very clearly that every single demon among them was of the Supernatural State. If his guess wasn't wrong, even that "Young Master Li" who had fallen on the ground was of the Supernatural State.

However, in order for the plan to succeed smoothly and lead Fang Zhengzhi to think that everything was within his control, that "Young Master Li" actually took the blow of his Million Sword Illustration twice.

After suffering fatal injuries to the organs, even someone of the Supernatural State would have to lie down for a while.

Hence, the reason why Fang Zhengzhi didn't give chase was too simple. With his powers, how could he defend against the counterattacks of six people of the Supernatural State?

Give chase?

The outcome could be predicted accurately. The other party would definitely be willing to sacrifice one or two of themselves to kill off Fang Zhengzhi, then, use his head to report back with their orders completed.

Fang Zhengzhi didn't quite understand why would the demon race sacrifice a strong person of the Supernatural State just for his head. However, in reality, that was exactly what they did.

At the same time the white-feathered arrows were shot out, black spears similarly flew out.

However, they weren't of much use.

The movements of the six demons were extremely fast. The walls of the wind valley was filled with white frost. However, when they stepped onto the frost, it was just like stepping on flat ground.

Dull blue light glowed under their feets, causing their speed to become blazing fast. In only a short moment of time, they had reached the top of the two walls of the wind valley.

"Looks like they are really going to escape?" Fang Zhengzhi had never felt that power was important. He felt that at many times, intelligence was more important than power.

However, at this moment, in front of the six Supernatural State demons, he suddenly felt that he couldn't do anything despite all the power he had.

He had five hundred Silver Horned Wolves around him and also forty over thousand soldiers of the Great Xia. This was initially supposed to be a time filled with honour and glory to make a clean sweep of the Southern Mountain Range.

However, what actually happened was that he had to helplessly watch the demons run away after they attempted to assassinate him. Frankly, if it was said that he was completely fine with that, it would be rather impossible.

He didn't know whether it was because of this slight bit of unhappiness.

Or because Fang Zhengzhi held a sword in his hand. Right at this moment, an evident purple glow flashed across Fang Zhengzhi's eyes.

At the same time, Fang Zhengzhi raised the sword in his hand.

The name of the sword was Traceless!

However, at the tip of the sword, there was an extremely abnormal purple mark that was as clear as blood, flashing with an icy and mysterious glow and carrying with it a killing intent that was as vast as the sea.

"Mountain… Waterfall Cascade!"

Fang Zhengzhi shouted in a low voice and slowly raised his sword and brought it down slowly.

In the sky, a bright silver moon appeared. That was a bright and clear shade of silver. However, for some reason, within that silver glow, there was a faint sense of purple.

A waterfall fell from the silver moon.

Then, with a terrifying speed, it became six silver rays. Each ray was like a thin string filled with a cold and chilling aura, landing towards the six demons that had climbed onto the wind valley.

At this moment, the eyes of the six demons lit up with a glow.

Their gazes turned towards the six silver rays that fell from the sky. At this moment, there seemed to be a slight change in their expressions. It was very complicated, and also somewhat relieved.

When they received the order from Bai Xing.

Take Fang Zhengzhi or Nangong Hao's life at all costs, they had also asked themselves one question. Why would the order be to do so at all costs?

However, now, they seemed to understand.

When those six silver rays came down upon them, they somewhat understood.

Indeed.

It should be done at all costs!

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Chapter 370: We Finally Meet

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

To the members of the demon race, they didn't fear those who were powerful. Because, from the moment they were born, they had a sacred eye which enabled them to communicate with Heaven and Earth.

With the demon eye, their powers were immense and their ability to grasp knowledge was uncanny.

To them, this was a form of pride. However, behind this pride lay a slow transfer of knowledge.

The demon race was extremely gifted. However, their reproduction abilities were extremely weak. Among ten humans, nine can give birth to a child. However, it wasn't the same for the demon race.

Among ten demons, at the very most, only one could give birth.

This caused the demon race to be unable to possess power in numbers like the human race did.

However, despite that, using their gift and ability that greatly exceeded that of the human race, they occupied an immensely important position in this world.

A demon's pride originated from his natural talent.

However, when a human possessing even greater natural talents stood in front of them, from certain points of view, it indeed went against the laws of nature.

They wouldn't even take a second glance towards a powerful human of the Supernatural State.

However, when a human who was only of the Heavenly Reflection State had powers that almost exceeded that of the Supernatural State, that was a completely different concept altogether.

A person who was only fifteen or sixteen years of age had defeated the wind valley of the Southern Mountain Range, one that hadn't been defeated for hundreds of years. His intellect and familiarity with stratagems and formations had already reached such a stage.

How could they not feel any shock!

At the instant six silver rays of light descended from the sky, the six demons raised the swords in their hands. There was a solemn look in their eyes. That was a look that represented their seriousness.

"Boom boom boom…"

Six resounding explosions rang out from the two walls of the wind valley as countless snow-white frost fell from above, causing the ground of the wind valley to shake slightly.

Everybody's gaze landed on the six silver rays of light.

The military commanders, the forty thousand soldiers, the remaining scholars, Wu Feng, Chen Feiyu, the five hundred Silver Horned Wolves behind Teng Shi Sheng.

Not a single one of them was staring elsewhere other than the six silver rays.

At this moment, in their hearts, there was only one thought.

Power!

But, how can they be so strong?!

Fang Zhengzhi's abilities were of the Heavenly Reflection State. This was an undeniable fact. However, Fang Zhengzhi of the Heavenly Reflection State had forcefully held back the six demons of the Supernatural State.

Even though they were only held back for a moment, it was already extremely impressive.

The frost continued to fall. The figures of the six demons of the Supernatural State were finally revealed amidst the white frost. The clothes on their bodies were somewhat tattered and cuts and wounds were clearly visible on their bodies.

The looks in their eyes appeared extremely stunned. This also represented that under a six-versus-one situation, they were injured by a silver ray that was split into six!

"Fang Zhengzhi! I will remember this, I only wish that the next time we meet, you can remain alive!" A demon spoke and raised his hand. The skin mask on his face was removed, revealing a sparkling demon eye.

This was a challenge.

However, this time, Fang Zhengzhi didn't speak. He didn't even reply a single word.

Because…

He saw a ray of light.

Compared to the ray of light from his previous strike, this ray was red in colour. It was blood-red, translucent yet shiny. It landed from the sky as thin as the wings of a cicada.

If it was said that Fang Zhengzhi's previous sword contained a demonic killing intent, then, this ray of light contained a chilliness that seemed to have originated from hell.

When Teng Shisheng and the five hundred Silver Horned Wolves saw this ray of light, there was an evident shock in their eyes. Because, this ray of light clearly didn't originate from Fang Zhengzhi.

Instead, it shot towards the six demons!

Who is it?!

This was what Teng Shisheng and the rest thought. However, it wasn't what Wu Feng, Chen Feiyu and the rest of the scholars thought. Because, once that beam of light lit up, they all knew who had arrived!

At this moment, the six demons had also noticed the red beam of light speeding towards them.

They were already injured after receiving Fang Zhengzhi's attack. Initially, they thought that everything should have ended. However, in reality, it seemed that things had only just begun.

"Psst!"

There wasn't a resounding boom. Because, when the red beam landed on the bodies of the six demons, it didn't explode. Instead, it congregated together like a fissure without disappearing nor splitting apart.

A few broken swords flew up. At the same time, there were two arms.

More importantly, a few cracks were made on the walls of the wind valley. Those cracks seemed to be exactly under the areas on which the six demons stood.

Hence…

The six demons who had initially already climbed up the mountain walls fell back down. They fell among countless soldiers with their bows drawn and riding on Silver Horned Wolves.

At the same time, a figure slowly appeared on top of the area where the six demons initially stood on the mountain wall.

He wore a faint black robe and slowly waved the paper fan in his hands which was filled with illustrations of the mountains and the rivers. During this time when it was approaching the season of winter, it seemed somewhat inappropriate.

Fang Zhengzhi was actually really tempted to ask.

"Yan Xiu, are you cold?"

However, in reality, Yan Xiu's expression clearly didn't look as if he would reply this question. That was an icy cold expression. However, within the coldness, there was a sense trace of arrogance.

Fang Zhengzhi clearly knew what Yan Xiu was thinking. All he did was give him a present when they met, after which, ask for gratitude in return.

It was just preventing the escape of a few demons, is this even necessary?

Without his initial attack, could Yan Xiu take down these six demons as smoothly?

Fang Zhengzhi didn't voice these out. Because, in his heart, what he wanted to say the most was: "I knew that you will definitely come to the Icy Monkey Settlement to unite with me!"

"Charge!"

"Everybody charge, take down the demon race!"

"We must not let them run!"

When the military commanders saw Yan Xiu, it was somewhat impossible if it was said that they weren't the slightest bit shocked. However, what they wanted to do more was to take down the six injured demons.

After all, this was what they needed to do.

As for…

Relationships and snuggling around, that was a form of fortune that only scholars could enjoy. To these people from military backgrounds, it was clearly not very suitable.

"Yan Xiu!" Wu Feng gazed towards the figure on the mountain walls and gradually put down the jade flute in his hands. Bitterness and desolation was evident in his eyes.

During the theory examination, Yan Xiu had obtained third place and stepped over his head.

This was already somewhat that caused him to feel extremely bitter. Hence, during the combat examination, he paid very close attention to Yan Xiu's movements. The six thousand troops moved everywhere. They never settled.

Wu Feng knew these. Hence, he had initially assumed that he would definitely surpass Yan Xiu in the combat examination. Because, during that time, he would have already occupied two territories and possessed two armies of soldiers.

However, in the blink of an eye.

When they met again, he had already become an eliminated scholar. Furthermore, he had almost been assassinated by the demon race in such an unbearable manner.

And when he looked at Yan Xiu?

He was standing on the cliff wall, waving his paper fan slowly. With one strike, he caused the six demons who were initially about to escape to fall onto the ground. How could Wu Feng be happy when met with that superior sense of coldness?

Compared to Wu Feng's dissatisfaction, Chen Feiyu clearly took more initiative.

Before this, he had never understood the reason behind why Fang Zhengzhi shot an arrow towards him. However, when Wu Feng tore off Young Master Li's skin mask, he was completely enlightened.

However…

He wasn't Wu Feng. He didn't understand the Dao of music, hence, he naturally couldn't make himself useful.

However, everything was different now. The six demons had been taken down by Yan Xiu. Hence, if he didn't take his revenge now, he would really not be Chen Feiyu anymore.

Chen Feiyu pounced forwards.

He felt that this was the true opportunity for him to rise to fame. He decided to fight the six of them at one go, then, demonstrate to everyone the power of his Supernatural State. This will make them deeply understand one thing…

Chen Feiyu had reached the Supernatural State!

Fang Zhengzhi didn't seem to have any intention of stopping Chen Feiyu. Instead, he slowly kept the sword in his hand back into his robe, then, waved his hands towards Yan Xiu, who was standing on the mountain wall.

The fate of the six demons naturally didn't need any further elaboration.

They were indeed of the Supernatural State. However, when they were forced out of the wind valley by the combined power of the scholars and landed in the middle of the combined assault of almost a thousand soldiers, they were clearly unable to escape as easily as before.

Most important, Teng Shisheng and the rest also participated in this battle. Because, the warriors of the Southern Mountain Range had to take revenge for fellow Southern Mountain Range warriors.

Chen Feiyu of the Supernatural State, in addition to Teng Shisheng of the Supernatural State, the large group of scholars, five hundred Silver Horned Wolves and over forty thousand soldiers. The outcome of this battle was already predetermined.

Without much further ado, the six demons were taken down. After taking one final stare towards Fang Zhengzhi, the six demons exchanged glances.

They preserved their last possible bit of pride.

Suicide!

Chen Feiyu laughed. Because, he felt that his performance was rather impressive. However, he didn't hear the congratulatory cries from the surrounding scholars.

"What is it now?" Chen Feiyu was somewhat confused. He wanted to ask, is everybody here blind? Don't tell me that you didn't notice my powers are already completely different from the past?

However, in reality, there was really not a single person who praised him.

Or, it could be said that nobody paid too much attention to him.

The reason behind this was very simple. When a group of people surrounded six demons and fought with all their powers, who would be so free as to pay attention to what techniques others were using?

There was only one thing on everybody's minds. That was, what technique I should use!

The wind slowly began to blow.

Because, after the bodies of the six demons were moved, the forty over thousand soldiers slowly exitted the wind valley and walked towards a huge fortress rooted to the ground.

That was the Icy Monkey Settlement, one of the Southern Mountain Range's six main settlements.

Gigantic, snow-white rocks filled the scenery, just like the frost on the two cliffs of the wind valley, encompassing a chilliness that troubled people's hearts.

A huge black cloud slowly pressed down towards the Icy Monkey Settlement.

In front of this black cloud, there were two people. Two people who journeyed shoulder to shoulder. One was wearing a leopard skin robe, while the other wore a faint black robe.

Fang Zhengzhi didn't ask Yan Xiu why he came. Because, he knew that once news of his intention to attack the Icy Monkey Settlement was spread, Yan Xiu would definitely come.

Except, he had never imagined that Yan Xiu would come at such a right time.

Time flowed slowly.

The black cloud slowly began to stop.

A dull sound finally came from the main gate of the Icy Monkey Settlement. The massive gate opened gradually. However, after the gate was completely opened, there wasn't much soldiers coming out of it.

Or, it could also be said that…

There simply wasn't any soldiers.

Undoubtedly, this wasn't something very normal. Because, when faced with the force of an army, there were usually two methods. One was defense, while the other was offense.

Why would a defender open the main gate? Since the main gate was opened, that meant that they wished to face the enemy. Hence, under such circumstances, how could there not be a single soldier?

Was this the stratagem of the empty city?

Wu Feng glanced at the completely empty gate, and then glanced towards Fang Zhengzhi who was standing not too far away. Because, his memory of this scene was really too vivid.

Faced with Nangong Hao's empty city stratagem, what would Fang Zhengzhi do?

This was Wu Feng's instinctive thought. Because, he really wanted to know what would Fang Zhengzhi do when he met with a situation similar to that of his own.

However, in reality, when Fang Zhengzhi saw the main gate of the Icy Monkey Settlement open, his expression didn't even change much. Instead, he quietly observed the main gate.

Finally…

The opening sound of the main gate stopped.

Closely following which, a figure slowly appeared at the main gate.

A youth dressed in a white scholarly robe whose expression didn't look too cold. However, it didn't seem too casual either. It was a form of brightness, one that shone as bright as a halo.

Obviously, the figure at the gate was Nangong Hao.

However, when the scholars saw Nangong Hao, their expressions clearly froze for a moment. Because, today, Nangong Hao indeed appeared somewhat strange.

This strangeness didn't originate from the expression on Nangong Hao's face. Instead, it was because there was no horse below Nangong Hao. Instead, he stood quietly on the ground.

Then, Nangong Hao moved.

Step by step, he walked over from the main gate of the Icy Monkey Settlement. His expression appeared extremely calm, as calm as a jade green lake.

However, the expressions of the scholars couldn't remain calm.

Because, they felt that if they were Nangong Hao, they would definitely not be as calm as he was now. At the very least, when faced with almost fifty thousand soldiers, they could never be as calm.

There was obviously nobody behind Nangong Hao.

Not a single person.

However, behind Nangong Hao's back, there was a sword. A sword that was slung horizontally across his body. The hilt of the sword was white. It was a shade of white that was as white as the snow.

The scabbard was also white.

However, compared to the hilt of the sword, the white of the scabbard was even more crystalline. It was a shade of white that was like that of ice. It was an extremely transparent white, and was extremely dazzling.

"We finally meet." Nangong Hao looked towards Fang Zhengzhi, who stood in front of the army, and then looked at Yan Xiu, who stood shoulder to shoulder beside Fang Zhengzhi, and greeted them calmly.

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Chapter 371: Dragon Combat Plan

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Nangong Hao's statement was directed at Fang Zhengzhi.

However, when this statement rang out, Wu Feng, Chen Feiyu and the other candidates were visibly more shocked than Fang Zhengzhi.

"Nangong Hao came out alone?"

"What is he trying to do?"

All of the candidates looked at each other in disbelief.

When they saw Nangong Hao walk out from the Icy Monkey Settlement, they thought that they were hallucinating. This was quite unfathomable

Is Nangong Hao stupid?

Of course not. So, what is he trying to do?

Is he going to take on 10,000 men at once?

There were more than 40,000 soldiers behind Fang Zhengzhi. Yan Xiu had another 6000. Their combined strength was almost 50,000.

How was Nangong Hao going to defeat them all alone.

No one could understand what was going on. As for Fang Zhengzhi, he did not think about it at all.

"Actually, we have yet to be acquainted." Fang Zhengzhi smirked, then turned to look at one of his deputies. "Are you familiar with him?"

"Ah?" The deputy was slightly taken aback. He looked at Fang Zhengzhi, then back at Nangong Hao, unsure of what to reply.

However, he grit his teeth when he remembered which side he was on.

"Nope!"

"It is said that there is no better way to be acquainted than to have a friendly duel. Since we are not familiar with each other, let's launch a few arrows to increase the familiarity." Fang Zhengzhi nodded satisfactorily.

"Launch a few arrows?" The deputy was stunned.

What kind of reason was this?

He could not follow Fang Zhengzhi's train of thought. That being said, he still registered the order, albeit in a rather confused manner.

What the hell?

Was the fight about to break out?

They did not even prepare. More importantly, Nangong Hao had come out from the Icy Monkey Settlement alone. Was Fang Zhengzhi not curious as to what Nangong Hao's motives were?

He did not really understand.

But he still obeyed the order!

"Archers, ready!"

"Fire!"

His voice rang out in the air and hundreds of white feathered arrows were launched skyward. They flew towards Nangong Hao.

This scene stunned all of the deputies as well as the surrounding candidates.

Who would do such a thing? This was blatant bullying! Nangong Hao had greeted Fang Zhengzhi. Yet, Fang Zhengzhi started a fight with a single statement.

Who fought that way?

Furthermore, his opponent was Nangong Hao!

Was Fang Zhengzhi not afraid?

Was Fang Zhengzhi terrified?

Naturally not.

He did not even bother explaining his ideas and thoughts to those around him. His actions were not easily understood by those around him.

He had two other reasons for doing this. Firstly, he did not believe that Nangong Hao was alone.

Fang Zhengzhi had tens of thousands of soldiers!

If Nangong Hao did not realize that, firing a few arrows would allow him to realize it.

That was the first reason. His second motive was to agitate Nangong Hao.

Fang Zhengzhi was too lazy to guess what Nangong Hao's motives were. He planned to agitate Nangong Hao into revealing his intentions.

"Ding ding ding..."

The arrows sailed through the sky and embedded themselves deep into the ground when they landed.

Nangong Hao did not move during this entire exchange.

He stood quietly and looked at Fang Zhengzhi. A faint white mist surrounded his body.

When the arrows hit the white mist, their flight paths changed, almost as if they were pushed to the side by an invisible force...

In fact... it looked like they were slipping off the mist.

"Is the Nangong Family's Dragon Combat Plan based on the ice element?" Fang Zhengzhi thought to himself bitterly.

When he had met Nangong Mu, others had told him that the two greatest arts of the Nangong Family were the Dragon Combat Plan and the Green and Blue Secret Art.

Nangong Mu chose the Green and Blue Secret Art. Green represented wood, blue represented ice.

Fang Zhengzhi did not understand the Dragon Combat Plan well. He had heard of it, but had never seen it in action. He could only guess.

However, there was no way of confirming his guesses. After all, the Dragon Combat Plan was one of the two greatest arts of the Nangong Family. It could not be that simple.

"The Dragon Combat Plan is not completely ice." Yan Xiu muttered.

"Not completely ice? Then... what else is there?" Fang Zhengzhi thought that Yan Xiu would continue explaining, but Yan Xiu said nothing.

"There are two schools of thought. One says that the Dragon Combat Plan is nothing. The other one says that the Dragon Combat Plan is everything." Yan Xiu replied.

"Nothing? Everything?" Fang Zhengzhi still could not understand.

"To put it simply, the Dragon Combat Plan is not based in any specific element. It is an all accepting art. It is completely different from the Green and Blue Secret Art. The Green and Blue Secret Art uses two opposing forces to augment each other. However, the Dragon Combat Plan is blank. The limit is simply how much you can fit into it!" Yan Xiu explained.

"Blank? I see!" Fang Zhengzhi finally understood what Yan Xiu was getting at.

Furthermore, he could guess why the Nangong Family disciples chose to learn the Dragon Combat Plan and not the Green and Blue Secret Art.

If what Yan Xiu said was true and the Dragon Combat Plan was blank, then its ideas were simple.

If everything in the universe was a word, the Dragon Combat Plan was the canvas for people to write the words on.

Was it difficult to write on a blank canvas?

Of course not!

This was extremely simple when compared to the Green and Blue Secret Art. It's simplicity gave it mass appeal.

To put it simply, the biggest difference between the Dragon Combat Plan and the Green and Blue Secret Art was it's barrier to entry. The Dragon Combat Plan had a low barrier to entry, but it required a lot of effort before one could be proficient in it.

On the other hand, the Green and Blue Secret Art had a high barrier to entry. However, once someone understood the principles of it, progress was quick.

Ordinarily, these two arts would be similarly matched.

However, for someone as talented as Nangong Hao, the difference was obvious.

The Green and Blue Secret Art was powerful, but it was limited by its elements.

The Dragon Combat Plan was easy to learn but difficult to master.

However, it was a white canvas. It's potential was limitless. If the foundation was set well enough...

It could accommodate anything the artist wanted!

When Fang Zhengzhi thought about this, he finally had some understanding of how powerful Nangong Hao was. He also understood why all the candidates had the same expression when Nangong Hao appeared.

Even if Nangong Hao was alone!

When Wu Feng heard what Yan Xiu said, he was even more taken aback than Fang Zhengzhi.

Not only did Wu Feng know how powerful the Dragon Combat Plan was...

He also knew that Nangong Hao had attained Natural Heart Dao!

There was only one state that could make the Dragon Combat Plan even scarier than it already was. That was Natural Heart Dao!

The Dragon Combat Plan could accommodate everything in the world.

The Natural Heart Dao allowed the wielder to meld everything around him into what he was doing. He could be killing, showing mercy, doing evil, or good.

Nangong Hao's potential was limitless. He had the ability to learn any Dao and a skill that could accommodate everything.

Wu Feng was keenly aware of this. As such, even when he had over 20,000 soldiers at his peak, he did not dare go to the Icy Monkey Settlement.

However...

Just because Wu Feng knew this didn't mean that the others did.

Chen Feiyu was one such example.

Chen Feiyu knew how powerful Nangong Hao was. However, in Chen Feiyu's mind, no matter how powerful Nangong Hao was, he was still only a Heavenly Reflection cultivator.

Could a Heavenly Reflection State cultivator defeat a Supernatural State cultivator?

Of course.

However, would it be easy? Definitely not. After all, Nangong Hao could not possibly suppress the Supernatural State cultivator.

"This is a good opportunity!" Chen Feiyu did not think that he could defeat Nangong Hao, but he was going to give it a try.

Especially with 50,000 soldiers as his witness.

If he could give Nangong Hao a run for his money, his name would reverberate throughout the dynasty. He would also be respected by the masses.

Chen Feiyu was not going to give up such a great opportunity.

Even though he knew he was going to lose...

He did not care.

He did not believe that the people around him would still be blind to the fact that he had broken through into the Supernatural State after this battle.

"Fang Zhengzhi!" Chen Feiyu hollered as he thought about this.

"Young Master Chen... what do you have to say?" Just as Fang Zhengzhi was contemplating ordering for another wave of arrows, he heard Chen Feiyu.

"Nangong Hao appearing alone is a challenge to our army. I ask that you allow me to face him in battle!" Chen Feiyu replied confidently.

He sounded just like a seasoned veteran.

However, when the other candidates and deputies heard what Chen Feiyu had to say, they could not help but scratch their heads in confusion.

"What is Chen Feiyu doing?"

"He wants to challenge Nangong Hao! Is he tired of living?"

"Does he think he can stand up to Nangong Hao?"

Murmurs of disbelief spread through the ranks.

Wu Feng was stunned when he heard this. He knew that Chen Feiyu was quite powerful, but he was nowhere near as powerful as Nangong Hao.

To challenge Nangong Hao was equivalent to signing his own death warrant.

This was the same thought that everyone had when they heard Chen Feiyu's challenge.

However, Fang Zhengzhi did not think so.

He was the only one who knew what Chen Feiyu was thinking. He knew for a fact that Chen Feiyu had already broken through into the Supernatural State. This was also the reason why he was not surprised that Chen Feiyu could catch his Million Sword Illustration.

"This guy really wants to show off huh?" Fang Zhengzhi thought to himself.

After all, he was in the Supernatural State.

It would be cruel if Fang Zhengzhi did not allow him to showcase his abilities.

Fang Zhengzhi decided to let Chen Feiyu have his way.

"Okay then, since Young Master Chen is eager for battle, I shall let you go ahead. Just be careful!" Fang Zhengzhi tried to act concerned.

After all, Chen Feiyu is the first person to challenge Nangong Hao.

Yan Xiu's lips twitched, almost as if he was going to say something. However, after he heard what Fang Zhengzhi said, he pursed his lips.

He remained silent.

Upon hearing Fang Zhengzhi's approval, Chen Feiyu smiled. This was a chance for him to showcase his talent. It was even more valuable than when he defeated Wu Feng.

"Nangong Hao! I, Chen Feiyu, will let you see how powerful I am!" Chen Feiyu's eyes glimmered as he drew his sword.

He was ecstatic.

It was a chance for him to challenge Nangong Hao. An opportunity to experience Nangong Hao's abilities and powers personally was rare. Who wouldn't be excited.

Nangong Hao stood in his original position. Even after hearing Chen Feiyu's challenge, his eyes remained calm.

"Okay then, Young Master Chen, please." Nangong Hao said courteously. He was not agitated by Fang Zhengzhi's provocation. Neither did he despise Chen Feiyu's challenge.

It felt like he had predicted the entire sequence of events.

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Chapter 372: Invisible Blade

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

He was calm, almost as if he was one with his surroundings.

Many a times, one could read another's character from his expression. A person who was arrogant would look at others with disdain.

However, nothing could be read from Nangong Hao's expression.

From the moment he stepped out of the Icy Monkey Settlement, he was calm, almost to the point of being humble. However, when seen in the face of a 50,000 strong army...

All of the candidates felt that this was a show of force. He was like a war god, infallible.

Of course, Nangong Hao had been defeated before. The only time he had been defeated was at the hands of Chi Guyan. However, could that be called a failure?

Definitely not!

Chi Guyan was the top of two of the Dragon Rolls. She was the Pride of Heaven and the one mentioned in the prophecy.

As such...

Even if Nangong Hao was defeated, he did not fail.

"After four years out of the public's eye, how powerful is Nangong Hao now?"

"Is he as powerful as he was four years ago?"

"How much more ridiculous did his abilities get? He was already able to suppress all his peers four years ago... how much more powerful could he get?"

Questions began to fly through the minds of the candidates as well as the 50,000 strong army.

How powerful is Nangong Hao now?

Chen Feiyu was also very interested to find out the answer to that question. The only difference was, he was going to try it out for himself.

Fang Zhengzhi himself was curious as well. However, he did not need to fight this battle, Chen Feiyu had offered to do it for him.

King of the hill style!

This was the classic tactic to wear down the outnumbered. Fang Zhengzhi was rarely able to use this tactic, but he had to admit he liked this feeling.

"Nangong Hao, prepare to receive!" Chen Feiyu had no intention of delaying any longer. He had waited too long for this moment.

He drew his sword and it began to pour.

Chen Feiyu put everything he had behind this blade. He used the Torrential Pear Blossom Sword Technique, the secret technique of the Sun Constabulary!

This technique was characterized by its speed and lethality!

In the moment he raised his sword, his body became one with the rain. He appeared in front of Nangong Hao in and instant.

The speed at which he moved was unbelievable.

Barely a second had passed from the moment he raised his sword.

However, its power was not compromised despite its speed. He thrust his sword and the storm intensified. A snow white flower bloomed in the rain, its petals dancing in the air.

"Good technique!"

"How is he that powerful?! Chen Feiyu's Torrential Pear Blossom Sword Technique is so powerful now?"

All of the candidates gasped in awe when they saw this. Before this, they were too absorbed with ensuring their own survival and defeating others.

Right now, they were able to just sit back and watch the action.

This made them realize how overpowered Chen Feiyu's sword technique was. When they saw it, they all got the feeling that it was unstoppable.

Chen Feiyu felt his pride grow when he heard the cheers around him. However, this was not enough for him. He wanted to hear more praises.

Chen Feiyu can match Nangong Hao for 100 rounds?!

Chen Feiyu managed to fight Nangong Hao to a draw?!

Chen Feiyu is in the Supernatural State!

"Come on, say it all! I want to hear it all!" Chen Feiyu lusted for these compliments. He chopped downwards.

The petals immediately formed a sharp, glowing point as they rocketed towards Nangong Hao's head. They would bloom at the very last moment.

"Woosh!" The blade fell, but the petals did not bloom.

The rain was torrential, but the strike seemed calm. It felt as if the rain had stopped. In fact, it felt like time had stopped for a brief moment.

However, this feeling did not last long.

Everyone saw the strangest sight unfold before them.

It had all happened too fast. It was so fast that everyone thought the two people had swapped places in that moment.

Chen Feiyu's strike was not blocked.

However, as his blade travelled through the air, Nangong Hao was already behind him. More importantly, it seemed as though Nangong Hao had been there all along.

"How fast!"

"Even faster than Chen Feiyu!"

All of the candidates looked at Nangong Hao and could not hold back their awe.

Fang Zhengzhi had promised Nangong Mu that he would defeat Nangong Hao. This was a promise that he intended to keep.

He believed that he could defeat Nangong Hao. However, that did not mean that he thought that Nangong Hao was weak.

Fang Zhengzhi was confident but he was not arrogant.

As such, he was keenly aware of the fact that Nangong Hao was very powerful. However, only now did he understand why Nangong Mu, as powerful as he was, would give up in the face of Nangong Hao.

Nangong Hao and Chi Guyan...

Were quite similar.

The first time Fang Zhengzhi saw Chi Guyan's speed was on Cang Ling Mountain. At that time, he thought that he would be able to leave Chi Guyan far behind.

However...

Chi Guyan had no problem following him despite being unfamiliar with the area.

That was the first time Fang Zhengzhi had witnessed such a queer way of moving. She moved without actually moving her body.

Fang Zhengzhi had wondered if Chi Guyan was stepping on something. After all, such movement was illogical.

However, after seeing how Nangong Hao dodge Chen Feiyu's strike, he knew that Chi Guyan did not have anything under her feet.

How was this possible?

Fang Zhengzhi did not understand. However, he was certain that Nangong Hao's speed was no less than Chi Guyan's.

In other words...

He was still slower than Nangong Hao!

Speed was paramount in the world of martial arts. He was already slower than Nangong Hao. How was he going to defeat someone faster than him?

Fang Zhengzhi did not spend anymore time thinking about it. Nangong Hao had already drawn his blade.

All of the candidates and deputies pursed their lips. Their gazes were fixed on Nangong Hao.

When Nangong Hao drew his blade, Fang Zhengzhi had a strange feeling. This feeling was from the heart.

For some inexplicable reason, when Nangong Hao drew his blade, Fang Zhengzhi felt that Chen Feiyu was outmatched.

This was despite the fact that Chen Feiyu was in the Supernatural State!

Fang Zhengzhi had watched how masters in his previous world bullied those less skilled. They would not draw their blades unless absolutely necessary.

However, Nangong Hao drew his blade!

It was an incredibly shiny blade.

The hilt was snow white and the blade itself was crystal clear. It was even clearer than its sheath. If one did not look closely, it would be impossible to notice.

"This is Nangong Hao's sword?" Fang Zhengzhi had seen many swords in this world, including Nangong Mu's and Xing Qingsui's.

Furthermore...

The Traceless Sword was his.

However, he had never seen a sword like Nangong Hao's! It was almost invisible. Could this be the Invisible Sword?

It looked just like a block of ice!

The moment Nangong Hao drew his sword, he thrust it at Chen Feiyu.

There was nothing special about his strike!

In the eyes of the candidates and the deputies, this strike was rather ordinary. Of course, if this was someone else, it would be quite extraordinary.

It was too quick!

Unfathomably quick!

Was Nangong Hao's strike merely quick?

This was the question in the minds of all the candidates. Nangong Hao represented the pinnacle of his age.

At the very least, his strike should be quite gaudy!

It should have the bloom of Chen Feiyu's strike. At the very least, there should be sounds of wind or thunder. Anything would be better than this silence.

However, the fact was that Nangong Hao's strike was silent.

Completely silent.

It was as smooth and stable as his movement. It did not even look like he was moving, but he appeared behind Chen Feiyu.

Chen Feiyu was not a rookie.

When he saw Nangong Hao disappear, he did not panic. He had predicted that this would happen.

Was it weird that Nangong Hao dodged his attack?

Of course not! Since he wasn't surprised, why would he panic?

He expected Nangong Hao to disappear from view.

Normally, when one's opponent disappeared from view, he was mostly likely at the back. Chen Feiyu should thrust to his back next.

However, he heard nothing from behind him.

As such...

His battle experience told him that if his opponent was not behind, then they could only be above or below.

Of course, these were all guesses. Since he had no way of being sure, he was not going to try his luck.

He decided to react in the best way possible.

He would defend himself from all sides!

A wall of blue water surrounded him like a huge bubble.

This was the torrential rain from the Torrential Pear Blossom

It was a way for him to defend himself before going on the offence.

The water would form a bubble that would defend against the incoming attack before going on the offensive. After the opponent's strike impacted the bubble, it would become millions of water droplets which would attack the opponent.

It was the perfect technique for this situation.

Chen Feiyu was proud of his adaptability. He did not think of defeating Nangong Hao in a single round. All he wanted to do was wear Nangong Hao down.

Being calm and composed was important if he was going to last multiple rounds against Nangong Hao.

However, his confidence did not last very long.

When his technique began to take shape, he felt a weird feeling around him. His shield had been broken.

The bubble had been pierced.

This was something that should never have happened.

If his bubble had really been pierced, he should have felt something. His torrential rain should also have been activated. But, it wasn't.

Without the torrential rain, what was this technique of his?

Bubble?

Chen Feiyu was rather curious. He subconsciously turned around as he looked at what was behind him.

He saw a sword.

A sword that was right at his throat.

This caused the initially calm and composed Chen Feiyu to lose his composure.

What the hell?

Why was there a blade at his throat? Where did it come from?

Chen Feiyu saw the hilt, then looked at the hands holding the blade. Finally, he looked up at Nangong Hao. Nangong Hao's expression was still calm.

"Nangong... Hao?!" Chen Feiyu had expected to lose, but he did not expect to lose so quickly.

He also did not expect himself to lose in such a weird way.

What happened?

Why didn't the torrential rain activate. Was it really time to change its name to bubble?

Chen Feiyu could not understand it. He could not accept this defeat. Even up till now, he did not know how he lost.

"You can control everything in this world, but so can I. You... have lost." Nangong Hao's lips moved as he sheathed his sword.

"Lost?!" Chen Feiyu looked at Nangong Hao, then at the sheathed blade. For the first time ever, he was lost.

He can control everything in this world just like me?

Chen Feiyu was confused. He kept thinking about what Nangong Hao had just said.

All of the other candidates were equally confused. Not only were they thinking about what Nangong Hao said, they were thinking about how Nangong Hao had pierced Chen Feiyu's defences.

That was not an ordinary strike.

On the contrary...

It was a peerless one!

However, that was a strike that Chen Feiyu did not see until it was too late.

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Chapter 373: Three sins

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Chen Feiyu was so excited to face off against Nangong Hao with 50,000 soldiers as his witness. To be defeated in a single round was quite the tragedy.

More importantly, he did not even see how he was defeated. To say it was a tragedy seemed to be an understatement.

However...

No matter how depressing it was, he was still defeated. The question that bugged all the candidates had also been answered.

Four years ago, Nangong Hao was talented, the brightest star in the empire. Four years later, he could only be described using a single word.

Terrifying!

He was sharp and domineering. He gave off the vibe that he was peerless.

Nangong Hao had only attacked once. However, this strike had struck fear and awe into the hearts of the other candidates.

All of them looked at each other in aghast. They were at a loss for words to describe what they had just seen.

When Nangong Hao had attacked, all of them thought that it looked too ordinary despite its speed.

However, when the blade pierced through the wall of blue surrounding Chen Feiyu, all of them began to question their belief.

In that instant...

It felt as though time had stopped.

The moment Nangong Hao's blade came into contact with the shield, it seemed to disappear. To be more precise, it teleported.

That being said, all of the candidates knew that no matter how powerful Nangong Hao was, he could not teleport.

After all, in order to tear apart the very fabric of space was a huge exertion for even the strongest Rebirth State cultivators.

There was no way Nangong Hao could have teleported.

However, when Nangong Hao's blade pierced through Chen Feiyu's shield, Nangong Hao seemed to disappear into thin air.

The impossible happened.

There could only be one possibility.

It had fused with the shield.

In the moment the blade came into contact with the shield, it fused with it. In that moment, Nangong Hao and the shield were one.

The fusing was flawless. That was the only way to fool Chen Feiyu's Torrential Rain. The shield would never attack itself.

"You can control everything, but so can I!"

All of the candidates thought about what Nangong Hao had said. They understood exactly what it meant, even Chen Feiyu himself knew what had happened.

However...

They did not believe it. They refused to believe it!

He fused with Dao!

How ridiculous was that?!

When one thought of stunning scenes, one would think of vast mountain ranges or raging rivers. However, what they just witnessed was far superior to all of that.

The answer to the question in all their minds, "What is Nangong Hao like four years later?" had been answered. The answer floored them all.

"Did you get a clear look?" Yan Xiu finally spoke. He did not praise Nangong Hao's strengths or point out Nangong Hao's weaknesses. Neither did he ask Fang Zhengzhi what his next course of action was.

He asked quite an ordinary question.

Even so, Fang Zhengzhi understood what Yan Xiu meant instantly.

"I still have many soldiers behind me and plenty of time. If I want to take a closer look, I have many ways of doing it." Fang Zhengzhi shook his head lightly.

He knew what Yan Xiu was thinking, but he was not going to accept it.

"If my guess is correct, you probably can't use the soldiers behind you. At the very least, you won't be able to use them to defeat Nangong Hao." Yan Xiu shook his head and asserted.

"Why?" Fang Zhengzhi did not understand.

"Because Nangong Hao exited the Icy Monkey Settlement alone!" Yan Xiu explained.

This was not a clear explanation, but Fang Zhengzhi understood it immediately. Would such a talented individual do something if he didn't have the confidence he was going to succeed?

Clearly not.

Nangong Hao had travelled far to come to the capital. His high profile participation was definitely not just to get a good ranking.

The fact was he had come.

The reason for his participation was to cleanse the Nangong Family of its shame.

With this in mind, he still decided to walk out alone in the face of a vast army.

This only meant one thing.

Nangong Hao was very confident. He knew that he was going to win. That being said, he couldn't face 50,000 soldiers alone.

One vs 50,000?

That bordered on the impossible. All the legends about a single punch killing thousands were merely just that, legends.

After all, even if 50,000 of them stood still for him to kill, he would take many nights to kill them all. Furthermore, these people knew how to run, jump, and fight.

Fang Zhengzhi knew what Yan Xiu was saying, but he had no idea how Nangong Hao planned to cause his army to defy him.

A military order?

Or the Emperor's personal order?

Fang Zhengzhi had a sudden realization. He had known all along that the combat examinations was a cover for something greater. It was a cover for the army they were bringing.

That being said, he had no idea how the soldiers would be deployed.

However, just because he didn't know didn't mean that Nangong Hao was in the dark.

It seemed like he was back where he started. To be more specific, everything that had happened was all part of an elaborate plan.

These were all Fang Zhengzhi's guesses. Yan Xiu shared the same sentiment. However, he wouldn't know unless he tried.

"General Li, take 1000 men and surround Nangong Hao!" Fang Zhengzhi would not order his entire army forward. That would do no good.

"Yes!" General Li answered immediately when he heard the order. It was almost as if he had received no other conflicting orders.

Obedience.

Such obedience from his deputies was strange. This caused Fang Zhengzhi to wonder if he and Yan Xiu were mistaken.

The 1000 strong force was quickly assembled.

300 shieldbearers, 300 spearmen, 300 swordsman and 100 archers.

This was the most appropriate lineup. The shieldbearers would be in front, the spearmen in the middle, and the archers at the back. The swordsmen would guard the flanks. They would surround Nangong Hao...

"Kaboom!"

1000 men stepped forward in unison. They marched towards Nangong Hao, an aura of death rising from their midst.

The candidates all looked on, slightly confused.

They all felt that the most honorable way was for both generals to fight it out. This was the combat examination, and it was a test for the generals.

That being said, Nangong Hao was much more powerful than Fang Zhengzhi. For Fang Zhengzhi to use his vastly superior army was not surprising.

They would have done the same.

Chen Feiyu stood rooted to his spot. He had no idea if he should return to Fang Zhengzhi's army or be a prisoner of war in the Icy Monkey Settlement.

Nangong Hao stood still. However, he was much more stable than Chen Feiyu. Not a single muscle of his moved during the entire time.

The 1000 strong army moved quickly. Before long, they were right in front of Nangong Hao and began to surround him.

Fang Zhengzhi turned to look at Yan Xiu.

Yan Xiu's gaze was fixated on the gate of the Icy Monkey Settlement, almost as if he was waiting for someone to appear.

"There are others in the Icy Monkey Settlement?" Fang Zhengzhi asked.

"I'm not sure." Yan Xiu shook his head.

"Mm, then we shall wait and see." Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

Maybe Fang Zhengzhi's words were too accurate, or maybe Yan Xiu's gaze was magical. Whatever it was, a figure did appear at the gates of the Icy Monkey Settlement.

It was a youth riding a huge green stallion. He wore armor, but it was different from those of the Great Xia Dynasty soldiers.

On his breastplate was a intricate pattern. There was a silver word in the middle.

"Order!"

This meant that this soldier was one of the messengers.

For a messenger to reveal his identity so audaciously meant that the intended recipient was here.

"This is an order from the Crown Prince!"

A resounding voice echoed out. At the same time, the messenger retrieved a black token with a silver dragon inscribed on it.

The soldiers about to surround Nangong Hao stopped in their tracks.

All of them looked to each other. General Li, who was in charge of the 1000 men, subconsciously looked to Fang Zhengzhi. Then, he dismounted and fell to on one knee.

Fang Zhengzhi, Yan Xiu, and all 50,000 soldiers all knelt. They knew what the silver dragon represented.

This was a military order!

It had to be obeyed!

All of the candidates all looked at each other, unsure if they had to obey the order as well. Regardless, they had to obey the silver dragon token.

The silver dragon represented the Crown Prince.

And the Crown Prince...

Was the Chief Invigilator for this examination.

In other words, in the absence of the Emperor's own orders, the orders of the Crown Prince were the highest there were. They were not to be questioned.

All of the candidates fell to one knee respectfully.

As for Fang Zhengzhi, he did not quite recognize the orders. However, from the reaction of those around him, he could guess what the token was for.

However, he was rather disappointed.

He had expected that Nangong Hao would have secret orders from the Emperor. However, he never expected that it would be the Crown Prince who would give the orders.

Even though the Crown Prince was the Chief Invigilator, he could not meddle with the details and happenings within the examination. He had to go by the rules and could not strip Fang Zhengzhi of his command.

Unless...

They were about to declare war on the Southern Mountain Range.

Only under such extenuating circumstances was the combat examination to be stopped. It would resume in its current state after the battle was over.

That was how they maintained fairness inside the combat examination.

Were they about to fight a war?

Just as Fang Zhengzhi was thinking about it, the messenger tugged on the reins and the stallion trotted forward. His gaze scanned across the entire army before finally resting on Fang Zhengzhi.

"The Crown Prince's orders are as follows! Fang Zhengzhi had the audacity to be absent from the results announcement. That is his first sin! His second sin was not reporting to the Crown Prince upon entering the Southern Mountain Range. His third sin was not reporting the results in a timely manner. He has compromised the integrity of the examination. The Crown Prince has ordered for Fang Zhengzhi's to be temporarily disqualified. He will be reinstated after an investigation has cleared him of guilt!"

The messenger's voice was loud. All of the candidates, deputies, and the 500 silver horned wolves all heard it clearly.

However, they were all stunned by what they heard.

"Temporarily disqualified?!"

"Did I hear that wrongly? Fang Zhengzhi is disqualified?!"

"Are our losses wiped clean then?"

All of the candidates looked on wide eyed. They were all stunned by what they heard. The first thought was, "If Fang Zhengzhi is disqualified..."

Then, they were all back to square one.

For Wu Feng and Chen Feiyu, they would be un-eliminated. Furthermore, they could get a large share of Fang Zhengzhi's army.

This was great news for them.

Of course, amidst all the joy, they all looked at Fang Zhengzhi 'regretfully'. They were waiting for him to react to the news.

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Chapter 374: Hidden Person

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Fang Zhengzhi heard the orders loud and clear. However, he did not seemed shocked or depressed by the news.

Was the right to participate important?

It was very important to many people. However, to Fang Zhengzhi, it was something that he could do without.

His motive for entering the Southern Mountain Range was to get Yan Xiu out.

Right now, Yan Xiu was already by his side. His disqualification would only mean that he wouldn't be able to use an army to wear Nangong Hao down.

That being said, he was still slightly affected by the loss of his army. However, he was not so affected by the loss of his army. The question on his mind was why the Crown Prince would take such a huge risk?

The Crown Prince was trying to compound the charges.

Fang Zhengzhi was in disdain at the Crown Prince's actions. His absence from the results announcement was a chargeable offence. However, it would be insufficient to disqualify him. If it was, he wouldn't have been able to take over the Thunderous Lion Settlement. The 40,000 soldiers would also not have obeyed his orders.

As for the other charges, they were just miscellaneous, insignificant charges.

To put it crudely.

When Fang Zhengzhi first entered the Southern Mountain Range, he did not even know where the f*ck the Crown Prince's base was. Furthermore, he was captured by Princess Shan Yu. How could he have possibly reported to the Crown Prince?

Initially, Fang Zhengzhi had thought that the order would be to declare war on the Southern Mountain Range. He never expected it to be an order for his disqualification.

Without even thinking about whether the Crown Prince had the right to do that...

Even if he did, why would he specially send a messenger to the Icy Monkey Settlement just for this?

If that was the only thing the Crown Prince wanted to do, he would have been better off sending the order straight to the Thunderous Lion Settlement.

Fang Zhengzhi had always known that the combat examinations were not as simple as they looked. The victories and losses were not important.

At the very least, they were not important in the grand scheme of things.

As such...

What was the Crown Prince trying to do?

Fang Zhengzhi and the Crown Prince had not met many times. The first time he had seen the Crown Prince was at Ping Yang's residence. The second time was in the throne room. As such, he did not understand the Crown Prince well.

No matter what, the Crown Prince had already given the order. As such, the 40,000 soldiers would no longer listen to Fang Zhengzhi. It would be pointless to protest.

Fang Zhengzhi looked at Yan Xiu.

Yan Xiu also looked back at Fang Zhengzhi. Deep inside Yan Xiu's eyes was a deep seated fury. Its presence was very obvious.

Fang Zhengzhi rarely saw this expression from Yan Xiu. However, it was clear that Yan Xiu was enraged.

Just as he prepared to say something.

Yan Xiu spoke up first.

"The Crown Prince does not have the right to disqualify or suspend a candidate, and would never give such an order. Who are you?" Yan Xiu's tone was cold as he stared at the messenger.

A red glow began to shine through his eyes.

Dao of Asura.

One of the six great Daos. Even those some distance away could feel the icy chill of hell.

The messenger stiffened and subconsciously took a step back. He knew how powerful Yan Xiu was, and he kill feel the killing intent building.

As a messenger...

He was definitely more powerful than the average soldier. However, this did not mean that he could go against Yan Xiu. After all, Yan Xiu was in the Heavenly Reflection State and wielded the Dao of Asura.

The messenger began to sweat profusely when he felt the wave of iciness. His hand began to tremble.

Yan Xiu's actions were noticed by the candidates.

All of the candidates knew that Yan Xiu and Fang Zhengzhi were close. However, would Yan Xiu go against the Crown Prince just for Fang Zhengzhi?

Probably not... or so they thought.

It looked like Yan Xiu was about to prove them wrong...

Yan Xiu did not look like he was joking. All of the candidates knew for a fact that Yan Xiu rarely jokes.

"I... I am a messenger by the Crown Prince's side. Yan Xiu, this order came personally from the Crown Prince. This token is proof of that. Are you really going against the Crown prince?" Even though the messenger was not as powerful, he was still arrogant.

After all, when he held the silver dragon token in his hand, he represented the Crown Prince. He had expected Fang Zhengzhi to resist. However, he did not expect that the first person to resist was Yan Xiu.

Even so, he did not believe that Yan Xiu would be audacious enough to go against the Crown Prince.

Even though the messenger was loud, his tone was filled with fear. When yan Xiu heard what the messenger had to say, his expression was icy, his body glowing red.

"Is Yan Xiu really going up against the Crown Prince?"

"No way! Yan Xiu has such great potential! It would be a waste to destroy it because of this!"

"Yan Xiu, don't do anything rash! The Crown Prince is only suspending Fang Zhengzhi temporarily! If he goes to the Crown prince and explains himself, he may still have a chance!"

All of the candidates began to try persuading Yan Xiu.

To them, they did not care if Fang Zhengzhi was going to be suspended or disqualified. However, if they did Yan Xiu a favor now...

They could cash it in at a later date.

Fang Zhengzhi knew exactly what Yan Xiu was thinking. However, Yan Xiu and Fang Zhengzhi had slightly different views on the suspension.

Of course...

If this was Yan Xiu being suspended, Fang Zhengzhi would have done the same thing.

Just as Yan Xiu was about to speak, a figure walked out from amongst the soldiers. This was a soldier in ordinary armor.

Fang Zhengzhi was confused.

He was not alone. All of the other candidates were also equally confused.

It was weird that an ordinary soldier would walk out from the ranks. Furthermore, the timing at which he walked out was questionable.

Yet, out walked the soldier.

He walked towards the messenger.

"Stand still!" The messenger began to grow suspicious when he saw this. He felt increasingly unsettled.

The soldier did not stop. He continued striding towards the messenger.

This caused all of the candidates and soldiers to be even more puzzled.

They all thought of something. The messenger still had the silver dragon token. What if this soldier...

"Arrest him!" The messenger waved the silver dragon token and ordered the 1000 soldiers around Nangong Hao.

"Yes!" The thousand strong army replied in unison as they surrounded that soldier.

At this moment, the soldier took off his helmet then began taking off his armor.

Very quickly, a black color top could be seen.

However, this was no ordinary outfit. There was a pillar embroidered in gold on the chest and there was a word inscribed clearly on the pillar.

"Stabilization!"

"It's the Stabilization Constabulary!"

"Xing Qingsui!"

"What is he doing here?!"

All of the candidates recognized that 'soldier' immediately. However, this raised more questions than answers.

Why would Xing Qingsui hide amongst the ranks?

What is going on?

All of the candidates turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi.

Fang Zhengzhi also looked at Xing Qingsui in confusion. He seemed to recall that...

Xing Qingsui did not participate in the combat examinations?

So, why would he be in the Southern Mountain Range? More importantly, why was he inside Fang Zhengzhi's army?

Most importantly...

Why disguise himself? Wasn't disguise something only Fang Zhengzhi did?

The army stopped in its tracks because they too saw the golden pillar on Xing Qingsui's chest.

That was the symbol of the pillar of the Great Xia Dynasty!

It was the symbol of the Stabilization Constabulary, the leader of the 13 constabularies.

To the soldiers, the Stabilization Constabulary represented the might of the Great Xia Dynasty. More importantly, Xing Qingsui had a token in his hand.

It was a token made from pure gold. Instead of the Crown Prince's silver dragon, there was a gold dragon on the token. There was also a word on it.

"Emperor!"

Fang Zhengzhi had seen the token before. He had a token that looked just like it. That was the token the Emperor had given him to bring to the Ministry of Rites.

However, Fang Zhengzhi had never used the token he had.

Xing Qingsui raised the token high up in the air. In the moment he raised up the token, the soldiers stopped in their tracks.

"The token can be used this way?" Fang Zhengzhi was quite surprised. However, his surprise did not last very long.

Thanks to Xing Qingsui, he now knew that the token could be used this way.

But...

So what?

Was he going to commit the crime of falsifying the Emperor's orders?

That didn't sound right.

"I only have one question for you. When the Crown Prince gave the order, did he pen it down?!" Xing Qingsui was very stable. He walked over to the messenger, the golden token in his hand glowing in the sun. He stopped merely three steps away from the messenger.

When the messenger saw the golden token in Xing Qingsui's hand as well as the golden pillar on Xing Qingsui's chest, sweat began to pour from his forehead.

Did he really just order for Xing Qingsui's capture?

"Young... Young Master Xing, the Crown Prince gave a verbal order. He did not pen it down!" The messenger's voice quivered.

"I understand. Arrest this person for falsifying an order from the Crown Prince!" Xing Qingsui nodded.

"Falsifying an order from the Crown Prince?"

"How is that possible?"

"Is Xing Qingsui out of his mind? What is he trying to do?"

All of the candidates were stunned when they heard what Xing Qingsui said. After all, no messenger would dare to falsify an order.

That was impossible!

Of course, the biggest reason why they were unwilling to accept the fact was that if the order was indeed falsified...

Then they were back where they started.

They had celebrated too early. They were not going to get a second chance.

"Young Master Xing, what are you talking about? This is an order from the Crown Prince! I... I would not dare lie about this! I repeated everything just as he said it, not a word out of..."

"Enough rubbish, arrest him!" Xing Qingsui interrupted the messenger and ordered for his arrest.

"Yes!" 1000 soldiers replied in unison. Four of them walked out of the ranks and dragged the messenger off his horse.

This was quite the dramatic scene.

Xing Qingsui's appearance, then the order for Xing Qingsui's arrest, all the way to the messengers arrest... it had all happened too quickly.

Of course...

This entire incident also proved one thing. The person with the more powerful token could nullify the orders from the lesser token.

Xing Qingsui had done so in the most direct manner. He had made his decision without hesitation.

However, the decision was questioned by all the candidates.

Even though Xing Qingsui was the heir to the Stabilization Constabulary, he would not go against the Crown Prince on purpose.

As such, why would Xing Qingsui risk antagonizing the Crown Prince and do something so audacious? What was his motive?

More importantly, why was Xing Qingsui hidden inside Fang Zhengzhi's army? Why would he smuggle himself into the ranks?

They could not understand.

All of the candidates looked at each other in confusion.

Of course, Nangong Hao was not confused. In fact, from the moment Xing Qingsui appeared, Nangong Hao did not say anything. He did not even make any sound when the messenger was taken away.

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Chapter 375: The cat is out of the bag!

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

There was a saying - if one isn't involved, don't get involved.

Nangong Hao was doing just that. He looked like an observer, unwilling to participate or speak.

In fact, all of the candidates knew that Nangong Hao was somehow connected to it all. However, other than Nangong Hao, there was one more person who was silent.

That was Fang Zhengzhi.

Fang Zhengzhi was calm and composed throughout the entire sequence of events.

This stumped all of the candidates.

Why was this so?

If Fang Zhengzhi was suspended, it would be horrible for him. If he wasn't suspended, Nangong Hao would be the one at a disadvantage.

So why were both of them acting like mere observers?

"Why are they this calm?" These candidates could not understand what was happening.

In actual fact, Fang Zhengzhi did not say anything because his participation in the examination did not matter much to him. However, the other candidates did not know this.

As for Nangong Hao...

It was because he understood what was happening.

He knew that the key to the Great Xia Dynasty's plan was the Icy Monkey Settlement. He also knew that the Crown Prince would never allow Fang Zhengzhi to take it. At the very least, Fang Zhengzhi would not be allowed to take it before they had put their plan into action.

As such, what did he have to worry about?

The Crown Prince did give those orders verbally. There was no doubt about it. No messenger would have the audacity to falsify something like that.

However, just as Xing Qingsui asked, did the Crown Prince put it in writing?

No!

That was the key problem.

The Crown Prince was the invigilating on behalf of the Emperor. His role was to ensure that the rules were followed and no innocent lives were lost.

Did he have the right to disqualify a candidate?

Of course not! The Chief Invigilator was still the Emperor himself!

The Crown Prince was supposed to report back to the Emperor. The Emperor would have the final say as to whether Fang Zhengzhi was disqualified or not.

The Crown Prince, Nangong Hao, Xing Qingsui, and all the candidates all knew this. However, the candidates were happy to see Fang Zhengzhi suspended.

As such, why would they question the messenger?

They wanted to believe that it was true.

Nangong Hao knew exactly what the other candidates were thinking. He also predicted how they would react. The Crown Prince's move was quite predictable.

He would sacrifice the pawn for the king!

Fang Zhengzhi was the sacrificial lamb here. However, the Crown Prince would never do something without giving himself a way out.

He only issued a verbal order. That was his escape ticket.

If it came down to it, the Crown Prince would just deny giving such an order. The person at fault would be the messenger.

He would simply accuse the messenger of being bought over by the Southern Mountain Range!

Xing Qingsui's actions was just pinning the charges on the messenger a few days in advance.

Would the Crown Prince take this to heart?

Even if he did, would Xing Qingsui care? He was the heir to the Stabilization Constabulary. As for the Crown Prince, would he go up against the leader of the 13 Constabularies because of this?

If he did, he could forget about being the Crown Prince.

Nangong Hao had predicted all of this. He could also predict what Xing Qingsui would do after capturing the messenger.

Fang Zhengzhi never expected Xing Qingsui to appear in the Southern Mountain Range. He did think that Xing Yuanguo may make an appearance, but Xing Qingsui's attendance was unexpected. That being said, he could still understand the reasoning behind it.

The entrance to the Icy Monkey Settlement.

After Xing Qingsui gave the order for the messenger's capture, he subconsciously glanced at Nangong Hao. Then, he began walking towards Fang Zhengzhi.

Fang Zhengzhi did not speak immediately.

He did not know the details of the Great Xia Dynasty's plan. Of course, he did not want to know, and did not want to participate in it.

His only aim had been to find Yan Xiu.

He had brought along 500 silver horned wolves to conquer the Thunder Light Settlement. Then, he had snuck up on Chen Feiyu and Wu Feng and the Thunderous Lion Settlement.

He did this to build up his power.

He knew Yan Xiu very well.

If he had simply participated in the combat examinations, Yan Xiu would not join up with him. Yan Xiu would have treated him as an 'opponent'.

However, if Fang Zhengzhi attacked Nangong Hao, things would be different.

Yan Xiu would definitely meet up with him.

Fang Zhengzhi's plan had been going smoothly all the way till this point. As for defeating Nangong Hao at the Icy Monkey Settlement...

That was a different plan altogether.

In fact, it was his promise to Nangong Mu.

His 40,000 strong army was already at the gates. He had to make a show of attacking.

More importantly, if Fang Zhengzhi had called for a retreat after seeing Yan Xiu, what would Yan Xiu think?

Defeating Nangong Hao was something Fang Zhengzhi had to do.

However, he never expected that there would be this many twists and turns along the way. After all that happened, he seemed to be back where he started.

But...

Was it really the case?

Xing Qingsui had smuggled his way into the ranks a long time ago. For him to choose to reveal himself now meant that he wanted to do something other than blocking this 'fake' order.

"Fang Zhengzhi, if I ask you to pull back, will you?" Xing Qingsui stopped at a point five steps away from Fang Zhengzhi.

"Pull back?"

"Xing Qingsui wants Fang Zhengzhi to pull back?!"

"What is going on? Is the Stabilization Constabulary interfering with the court examinations?"

All of the other candidates did not understand why Xing Qingsui would ask such a question. They were all guessing why the Stabilization Constabulary was in the Southern Mountain Range, but they could not figure out why Xing Qingsui would ask Fang Zhengzhi to retreat.

"I won't." Fang Zhengzhi shook his head and answered honestly.

He knew that Xing Qingsui had a reason for asking him for something like that. However, he did not want to turn back.

"Mm... I guessed as much. What if I asked you to pull back with the Emperor's token?" Xing Qingsui nodded, unsurprised by Fang Zhengzhi's answer.

"Emperor's token?"

"The Stabilization Constabulary is interfering with the court examinations?!"

"What is going on?"

All of the candidates were stunned when they heard Xing Qingsui. This meant that Xing Qingsui was using the Emperor's token to interfere with the combat examination.

Was he not afraid that the Emperor would charge him?

Or...

Was this the Emperor's idea?

But why would the Emperor have such an idea?

When Yan Xiu heard this, he frowned and looked like he was deep in thought. He stared at the golden token in Xing Qingsui's hand.

Fang Zhengzhi did not answer Xing Qingsui immediately. He knew all along that the combat examinations was an excuse for the Great Xia Dynasty to send an army into the Southern Mountain Range. However, he did not know how they planned to execute their plan.

However, the moment Xing Qingsui asked him to retreat, he understood almost immediately.

The Great Xia Dynasty had gathered 100,000 soldiers to enter the Southern Mountain Range. 60,000 were in the hands of the candidates whilst the remaining 40,000 were commanded by the Crown Prince.

However, should they be activated, the 100,000 could not possibly fight from their respective locations...

The best tactic would be to strike as one, straight at the heart of the Southern Mountain Range!

Where was the heart?

The Sagely Mountain City!

The Icy Monkey Settlement is the nearest to the Sagely Mountain Settlement. Nangong Hao had based himself there from the start of the examination, understanding its layout and scouting the surroundings.

This would only mean one thing. The Icy Monkey Settlement was the 'frontline' for the Great Xia Dynasty's plan.

If Fang Zhengzhi's guess was correct, they wanted the combat examinations to proceed as per normal. When the time was right, either Wu Feng or Chen Feiyu would command the 60,000 strong army to the Icy Monkey Settlement.

Mm...

They would be delivering the army to Nangong Hao.

By that time, all Nangong Hao had to do was defeat Wu Feng or Chen Feiyu. The 60,000 strong army would then be his.

However, Fang Zhengzhi's appearance had complicated matters...

He had come out of nowhere and defeated Chen Feiyu and Wu Feng. Then, he had come straight for Nangong Hao with his army.

Everything would have still been according to plan, but right now, Fang Zhengzhi only had 40,000 soldiers. This was still some ways away from the 60,000.

There were still candidates out there.

The time had not come for them to execute their plan.

Fang Zhengzhi finally understood why the Crown Prince wanted to suspend him temporarily. He also understood why Xing Qingsui would stop him from attacking the Icy Monkey Settlement.

"I understand." Fang Zhengzhi glanced at the golden token in Xing Qingsui's hand. He finally understood why Xing Qingsui made such a request.

"You agree to pull back?" Xing Qingsui was visibly relieved after hearing Fang Zhengzhi's response.

"Mm, I agree to pull back, but..." Fang Zhengzhi nodded as he looked at Nangong Hao.

"But what?"

"My army can pull back, but I will not."

"You will not? Fang Zhengzhi, you... you're thinking of?" Xing Qingsui's expression changed as he thought of the implications.

This stunned Xing Qingsui, his calm demeanor disappearing in an instant.

"Since I'm here already, why not fight it out?" Fang Zhengzhi smiled, almost as if this was something obvious.

Xing Qingsui wanted to prevent him from attacking the Icy Monkey Settlement and ensure that the plan could proceed.

However, the truth was, Fang Zhengzhi's goal was never the Icy Monkey Settlement. It was Nangong Hao. As such, why not just challenge Nangong Hao directly?

Fang Zhengzhi's thought process was straightforward.

However, all the candidates could not believe their ears.

Because...

They had just witnessed a show of Nangong Hao's power. The clean thrust of his blade was still etched in their minds.

He had defeated Chen Feiyu in a single round.

What about Fang Zhengzhi?

They still remembered that Chen Feiyu blocked Fang Zhengzhi's Million Sword Illustration. Furthermore, Fang Zhengzhi had the element of surprise then.

Even though they now knew that Fang Zhengzhi's arrow was aimed at the demons and not Chen Feiyu...

Fang Zhengzhi did not hold back on that strike. In other words, Fang Zhengzhi could not even defeat Chen Feiyu in a single round, despite having the element of surprise.

However, Nangong Hao had defeated Chen Feiyu handedly in a fair battle.

The difference between the two of them was clear.

If Fang Zhengzhi tried to suppress Nangong Hao using his 40,000 soldiers, he may still stand a chance. However, Fang Zhengzhi refused to pull back!

He was challenging Nangong Hao!

All of the candidates looked at each other in disbelief. Their disbelief was also mixed with expressions of mockery and disdain.

"Is this guy dumb?"

"Why is he trying to duel Nangong Hao alone. He has 40,000 soldiers!"

"It's not that he doesn't want to use them. He can't use them!"

"Well, it's not that he can't use them later! Xing Qingsui may have stopped him now, but that doesn't mean that Xing Qingsui will stop him indefinitely. Fang Zhengzhi can pull back to his stronghold. With his settlements and army, he will still finish in first place. Nangong Hao would be forced to attack him there. Isn't that better than a duel?"

"That's true!"

All of the candidates began murmuring amongst themselves. All of them thought that Fang Zhengzhi was crazy to do this.

However, Fang Zhengzhi was keenly aware of something else.

The Southern Mountain Range had set up ambushes in all the other three settlements.

Pull back to the Thunderous Lion Settlement?

That would be dumb!

Fang Zhengzhi's thought process was simple. Since he was here, he would just try. If he won, he won. If he lost, he would escape. Why waste time in this god forsaken place?

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Chapter 376: Fair fight between Fang Zhengzhi and Nangong Hao

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

All of the candidates thought that Fang Zhengzhi was courting death. However, Fang Zhengzhi just wanted to give it a go.

Xing Qingsui was silent.

He also thought that Fang Zhengzhi and Nangong Hao were not on the same level. At the very least, they did not seem to be on the same level.

However, he was not too stunned by Fang Zhengzhi's actions.

This was the Fang Zhengzhi he knew. Someone who could understand the Xing Family's "Offence is the best defence" would never retreat!

Furthermore, Fang Zhengzhi had created miracle after miracle.

In the World of the Sage, who would have expected Fang Zhengzhi to emerge victorious? When the demon Ying Shan revealed that he was in the Supernatural State, who would have expected that Fang Zhengzhi would defeat him?

Xing Qingsui nodded after a moment of silence.

He did not stop Fang Zhengzhi. After all, he could not prevent this battle from happening.

Yan Xiu looked to Fang Zhengzhi.

"If you really want to fight, let me fight him first!" Yan Xiu opened up his Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan.

"No, this time, I want to go first." Fang Zhengzhi shook his head.

"I lost to you in the preliminaries, so... I think I should go first." Yan Xiu shook his head, his eyes filled with determination.

"What if you lose?" Fang Zhengzhi knew what Yan Xiu was trying to do. From the moment Chen Feiyu lost to Nangong Hao, Yan Xiu wanted to battle Nangong Hao first.

However...

Fang Zhengzhi did not want this to happen.

Lose?

Yan Xiu frowned. If someone else had said this, it would be taken as an insult. However, Yan Xiu was not angry that Fang Zhengzhi said it.

In fact, Yan Xiu never thought about the possibility of losing in previous battles.

But this time, he did.

After all, his opponent was Nangong Hao, the greatest talent of the Great Xia Dynasty, ranked number two on the Rising Dragon Roll. Furthermore, he just defeated Chen Feiyu in a single round.

"If I lose... I should still be able to come in third with my theory examination results!" Yan Xiu spoke after a moment of silence.

"Is that enough?" Fang Zhengzhi asked again.

Yan Xiu's eyes glimmered. He had no idea what Fang Zhengzhi actually meant, but he realized something else.

Third place?

Enough?!

Before Yan Xiu had left for the capital, his grandfather had only said one thing to him, "Take home the third place!"

Third place...

It was not the highest rank possible. However, it was incredibly respectable.

When he saw Nangong Hao's participation in the court examinations, when he lost to Fang Zhengzhi in the preliminaries, when he saw Fang Zhengzhi and Nangong Hao tie for first place in the theory examinations.

Who would have asked Yan Xiu this question?

Is third place enough?

Yan Xiu was not someone who expressed himself well. However, if someone really asked him that question, he would definitely answer...

No!

"This is why I must defeat Nangong Hao first. Then, we can have a fair fight. Then, regardless of what happens, you will definitely rank above Nangong Hao!" Fang Zhengzhi did not wait for Yan Xiu to reply. There was no reply required.

"Rank above Nangong Hao?!"

All of the candidates looked speechlessly at Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu. They all had the same expression of disbelief.

Fang Zhengzhi is mad!

This guy has a screw loose!

What Fang Zhengzhi said was correct. If Fang Zhengzhi defeated Nangong Hao and eliminated him, then Yan Xiu would rank above Nangong Hao despite the theory examination results.

However...

Was that even possible?

Could Fang Zhengzhi defeat Nangong Hao?!

Even if Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu teamed up, their chances of victory were virtually zero.

Hang on!

Why didn't Fang Zhengzhi team up with Yan Xiu?

All of the candidates were stunned by this revelation. If this was any other candidate, they would have disregarded that possibility.

However, this was Fang Zhengzhi.

Fang Zhengzhi was notorious for being shameless.

2v1?

In the first round of the imperial examinations, he had eliminated the favorite, Su Donglin, in a 4v1.

Fang Zhengzhi could guess what the other candidates were thinking.

Yan Xiu's lips began to twitch. If both of them eliminated Nangong Hao, that would guarantee that they would rank higher than him.

Team up against Nangong Hao?

Yan Xiu did not like the idea, but he wasn't against it.

"I would like to have a fair battle with Nangong Hao!" Fang Zhengzhi saw Yan Xiu's lips twitched and stopped him in his tracks.

"Fair battle?!"

All of the other candidates were stunned by what they just heard. There was nothing wrong with what was said, but, it had come from Fang Zhengzhi's mouth...

They could not believe what they just heard.

Fang Zhengzhi did not explain further. He dismounted and began walking towards Nangong Hao.

Nangong Hao did not have a stallion, so Fang Zhengzhi dismounted.

This was fairness.

The reason was simple. Fang Zhengzhi promised Nangong Mu that he would defeat Nangong Hao. He had to do so fairly.

Nangong Hao's expression had been calm all this while.

From the time he exited from the Icy Monkey Settlement and faced an army by himself, to the time he accepted Chen Feiyu's challenge...

All the way to the arrest of the messenger...

Nangong Hao's expression did not change. He still looked on politely, his eyes glimmering. However, when Fang Zhengzhi proposed a fair fight, his expression changed.

He was shocked, and slightly scornful.

Chi Guyan and Nangong Hao were quite similar. They were very smart, but they kept a low profile and were not arrogant.

However, this did not mean that they weren't confident.

On the contrary, they were very confident of themselves. They possessed far more confidence than the average person.

As such...

When something unexpected happened, their calm nature would be slightly disturbed.

Clearly, Fang Zhengzhi's actions were not predicted by Nangong Hao.

Nangong Hao had expected that Fang Zhengzhi would team up with Yan Xiu. At the very least, he would let Yan Xiu go first. However, not only did Fang Zhengzhi want to go first, he proposed a fair fight.

"Fair fight?" Nangong Hao murmured to himself, his eyes shining even brighter. It was almost as if there was a sun embedded in his eyes.

In that instant, Nangong Hao stepped forward.

He began walking towards Fang Zhengzhi. He was not fast, but he he was stable.

On the other hand, Fang Zhengzhi strolled leisurely, humming a tune as he walked.

Then, both of them stopped.

The distance between them...

10 steps!

"Fang Zhengzhi, I came to the court examinations to defeat you, but I wasn't looking forward to this battle. But now, I have changed my mind." Nangong Hao gripped the hilt of his sword lightly. His demeanor was different from when he battled Chen Feiyu.

"Ok. So what if you've changed your mind? Do you need to say it out loud?" Fang Zhengzhi twitched his lips in disdain.

There was no way he would be tricked into asking why.

"Indeed, I don't." Nangong Hao was not affected or angered by Fang Zhengzhi's reply. He simply nodded solemnly.

Then, Nangong Hao drew his blade.

He held the blade in his right hand as his left hand supported the crystal clear blade. He laid it flat for all to see.

"Since this is a fair competition, let me introduce myself. I am the eldest son of the Nangong Family. I broke through to the Supernatural State last month. I am probably at the pinnacle of the Supernatural State. My blade is named 'Standstill'. It gets name from its ability to do anything. My understanding of Dao is that it should be natural and one should always follow one's heart. My cultivation technique is similar. My character and heart for Dao will not be extinguished!"

Nangong Hao bowed lightly towards Fang Zhengzhi.

After Fang Zhengzhi heard the self introduction, his expression stiffened. He felt that something was amiss.

Standstill?

Because there is nothing it can't do?

Fang Zhnegzhi knew what this meant.

Of course, Nangong Hao's emphasis was not on his blade. He had emphasized the fact that he had broken through to the Supernatural State a month ago!

Hang on!

Supernatural state?

And...

His abilities are in the pinnacle of the Supernatural State?!

What the hell?

Isn't he a pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State cultivator? Was it all a lie? Why would people lie about that?

Fang Zhengzhi was stunned to hear it.

All of the other candidates were also equally stunned. In fact, they looked even more floored than Fang Zhengzhi.

"Nangong Hao broke through!"

"He managed to progress to the pinnacle of the Supernatural State in one month?!"

"Wha... what is going on? Why didn't anyone from the Nangong Family say anything about this? How did he manage to progress so much in one month?"

All of the candidates could not believe their ears.

They were arguably even more stunned than when Nangong Hao defeated Chen Feiyu in a single round.

Chen Feiyu's eyes widened. He knew he had lost, but he did not understand why he lost.

He had refused to accept the loss.

Why would he, as a Supernatural State cultivator, lose to Nangong Hao in a single round. Nangong Hao was supposed to be a pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State cultivator!

But now...

He finally understood.

Supernatural State!

He was only in the nascent stages of the Supernatural State. For him to challenge the pinnacle Supernatural State Nangong Hao was comical.

All Chen Feiyu wanted to do was dig a hole and hide.

Wu Feng's expression was a little calmer. All this while, he had known that Nangong Hao was not someone he should antagonize.

But now, he knew that Nangong Hao was absolutely unantagonizable.

He broke through one month ago.

One month to get to the pinnacle of the Supernatural State.

Is he even human?

Hang on, if Nangong Hao broke through and is now in the pinnacle Supernatural State...

Ranked first on the Rising Dragon Roll?!

This question flew into Wu Feng's mind. At the same time, all of the candidates pondered the implications. Everyone knew how important this was.

Yan Xiu always believed in Fang Zhengzhi.

He had believed in Fang Zhengzhi even when Fang Zhengzhi proposed a fair battle. He believed in Fang Zhengzhi even when the two combatants were 10 steps apart.

But now...

He gripped his reins tightly.

Nangong Hao broke through?!

This was a piece of news that would shock the entire Great Xia Dynasty. Yet, Nangong Hao had kept this a secret all this while.

He finally chose to reveal it here.

This could only mean one thing. Nangong Hao felt that Fang Zhengzhi was an opponent deserving of his respect. Even though this news will spread like wildfire in the capital...

All he wanted was...

Fairness!

Of course, that meant that Nangong Hao would not hold back.

He was in the pinnacle Supernatural State. If he did not show mercy, one could only imagine how scary he would be.

"I must stop this battle from happening!" Yan Xiu thought to himself. He had no idea how Fang Zhengzhi planned to fight this battle, but he knew he had to prevent the fight from happening.

It was possible to fight someone one state higher than you.

However, never in history did someone in the pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State defeat someone in the pinnacle Supernatural State.

Even Chi Guyan may not be able to do it.

Yan Xiu gripped the reins before dismounting. He straightened his back, his battle intent ignited.

However, just at that moment...

He saw a hand waving him off.

"I said that this would be a fair battle. It will be a fair battle!" Fang Zhengzhi's voice reverberated through the air.

His determination was clear for all to see.

It was a determination that had never been seen before from Fang Zhengzhi.

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Chapter 377: Friendship is fragile

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Yan Xiu's hands moved slightly. After dismounting, he stood rooted to the ground.

He looked at Fang Zhengzhi silently. He knew what Fang Zhengzhi wanted. Since he knew that Fang Zhengzhi's mind was set, why bother saying anything else?

All of the candidates froze. Then, they looked at Fang Zhengzhi with mockery and disdain.

All this while, they thought that Fang Zhengzhi only managed to achieve what he did through his thick skin and shamelessness.

But now...

With those out of the picture, what did Fang Zhengzhi have?

Ability?

Pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State ability?!

What a joke!

Nangong Hao was already in the pinnacle Supernatural State. In a fair fight, Fang Zhengzhi would be hard pressed to defeat Wu Feng, much less Nangong Hao.

"Fair fight? He must be courting death!"

"Why don't we bet on how many rounds Fang Zhengzhi will last?"

"How many rounds?! What kind of joke is this? If Fang Zhengzhi is able to last one round, he can brag about it for half a year!"

"Young Master Wang is right. After all, even Chen Feiyu could not last a single round! Hahaha..."

"Come come come, I shall be the banker. Those who think that he will last only one round place your bets on the left. Those who bet between two to five rounds, place your bets on the right!" One of the candidates in white retrieved a huge white cloth with the word 'bets'. This man was clearly a gambler.

"I bet on one round!"

"I also bet on one round!"

"You all look down on Young Master Fang too much. Didn't he save us before? How about this, I will be the first to bet on two rounds." Just as all the candidates were getting excited, Wu Feng stepped forward and bet 1000 silvers.

"Young Master Wu is generous!"

"This is nothing. This is also my way of thanking him for his 'arrows' just now!" Wu Feng waved them off.

Even though Fang Zhengzhi ignored what was happening, he still heard the chatter. It was as irritating as flies by his ear.

"You bunch of idiots! What a joke! Why would I only last one round?!" Fang Zhengzhi turned around and arrogantly pointed his middle finger at the candidates.

Just at this moment, Yan Xiu dismounted icily. Then, he walked through the crowd, holding his Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan as he did so.

This caused all the other candidates to quieten down.

They were not scared of Fang Zhengzhi. However, when it came to Yan Xiu, they felt an icy chill down their spine. This was because of the Yan Family and Yan Xiu's Dao of Asura.

Yan Xiu looked at the cloth on the floor as well as the money placed on both sides. He paused for a moment before speaking.

"Where do I place my bets for five rounds and above?"

"What?" The candidate who was the banker was momentarily stunned.

"I asked where to place my bets for five rounds and above?" Yan Xiu asked irritably.

"What? Five rounds and above? Erm... you can just put it in the middle, on top of the word 'bets'". The banker finally recovered from his shock.

"Okay then, I will bet 50,000 taels on that!" Yan Xiu did not waffle about. He took out a stack of cash and placed it on the cloth.

"50,000 taels?!"

All of the candidates were stunned by Yan Xiu's actions. They thought that Yan Xiu was here to break it up. Little did they expect that Yan Xiu was here to place a bet with virtually no chance of winning.

Money...

Did he have too much?

This was the first thought in the minds of the other candidates. However, they immediately threw the thought out of their minds. The Yan Family was indeed filthy rich.

Many people thought that this was Yan Xiu's way of encouraging Fang Zhengzhi. This ensured that the bets would not be too demeaning.

However, there was another problem.

Yan Xiu bet on the fact that Fang Zhengzhi would last five rounds or more, not...

Win!

The candidates did not think about this. In their minds, Fang Zhengzhi would not be able to defeat Nangong Hao. Since that was the case, Yan Xiu's bet was already bold enough.

However, Fang Zhengzhi's expressions changed.

Where was the trust? Where was the friendship?

Five rounds and above...

What was the meaning of that?

Fang Zhengzhi could not describe his feeling in words. If he had to describe it, all he could say was, "Friendship is a fragile thing!"

Fang Zhengzhi placed his hand on his chest amidst the sadness.

There was a Heart Protection Mirror there. Inside it was a sword, a sword that he did not take out unless he was in danger. That sword was named Traceless!

Right now, Fang Zhengzhi would need everything he had if he was going to stand a chance in this battle!

He shouted the name and a crisp hum rang out. Soon after, Fang Zhengzhi held a sword in his hand. It looked like an ordinary sword, but it was anything but.

There were no patterns on the hilt, no intricate carvings or art.

The hilt was pure black, its blade shiny. This blade was pristine, all the way till the tip.

At the tip of the sword was a purple colored mark. That was a strange shade of purple.

"I am the only child of the Fang Family of the Northern Mountain Village. I do not know when I broke through to the Heavenly Reflection State. I do not know how powerful I am now. My blade is named 'Traceless'. It gets its name from its perfection and spotlessness. My understanding of Dao is... ah heck it. Every Dao is my Dao!" Fang Zhengzhi bowed as he waved his sword.

"Shallow!"

"Crazy!"

"Shameless!"

All of the candidates began to chide Fang Zhengzhi. They started calling him names.

However, Nangong Hao did not despise Fang Zhengzhi for what he said. Instead, he repeated Fang Zhengzhi's words.

Of course, he edited them.

"Every Dao is my Dao, mm... it does fit your character. However, it is extremely difficult to accommodate all the Daos into your pocket dimension. As far as I know, there are no more than 10 cultivators who have managed to accommodate more than 100 Daos. They are the best at their level, but none of them managed to become Sages! Young Master Fang, are you sure you want to continue on this dead end road?" Nangong Hao asked sincerely.

Fang Zhengzhi was stunned.

All this while, he had been very proud of the fact that he had hundreds of Dao in his pocket dimension. The number of Daos he knew was also one of the reasons why he managed to ace all the previous exams.

But now, Nangong Hao had just called it a dead end!

Fang Zhengzhi's heart fluttered. He had gone through a lot since his Star Conglomerate and Heavenly Reflection days.

The Imperial examinations, the battle on Cang Ling Mountain, and now the court examinations.

Logically...

He should be very powerful after learning so many Daos. He should also be on the verge of breaking through. However, he still did not feel like he was close.

Nangong Hao was the heir to the Nangong Family. His view of cultivation was unmatched by the average individual. The route he chose was also one that was well paved and researched.

As such...

Hang on!

Just as Fang Zhengzhi thought about this, he remembered the time he spent with Chi Guyan back at the Northern Mountain Village.

Other than Yan Xiu, Chi Guyan was the only one who knew that he had hundreds of Dao in his pocket dimension.

At that time, Chi Guyan had asked...

"Do you want to defeat me?"

Fang Zhengzhi could not say for sure why Chi Guyan would ask that question, but he knew what she was getting at.

Dao could be grown.

He had to develop them.

This was the most pressing issue right now.

Fang Zhengzhi had been doing this over the past few months. He kept trying to understand each Dao over and over again...

Yet, Nangong Hao was criticizing his methods?

Fang Zhengzhi had no idea if Nangong Hao said it on purpose. However, he did know one thing.

If he began to doubt himself because of something his opponent said, he would have lost the battle before it even began!

A bead of sweat rolled across Fang Zhengzhi's forehead. Fang Zhengzhi had competed with Nangong Hao once during the theory examination. That had resulted in a draw.

However, this time, after a single statement by Nangong Hao...

He was already at a disadvantage. Nangong Hao was confident about himself and had an intricate understanding of Dao.

Fang Zhengzhi knew that he had a lethal weakness.

He had never been to an academy and had never been taught properly. As such, his cultivation had mostly been self taught.

This was a weakness that everyone knew.

However, only Nangong Hao knew how to attack this weakness.

Fang Zhengzhi knew that he had to find a way to regain the upper hand.

He could not discuss Dao as this would involve him using his weakness to challenge Nangong Hao's strength.

As such...

Fang Zhengzhi had to abandon that plan. He chose a different route.

"I heard that the Nangong Family was well informed. Why is it that I fail to see that trait on you?" Fang Zhengzhi smiled condescendingly.

The fact that the Nangong Family was well informed and connected was a fact. He had seen this in the World of the Sage.

That was the first time Nangong Mu had seen Ying Shan.

However, he was able to pinpoint Ying Shan's identity based on the method Ying Shan used in his sneak attack.

This proved one that... the Nangong Family was extremely well informed!

"What do you mean?" Nangong Hao smiled as well. This was a calm smile and he revealed no trace of anger.

"You just said that there are no more than 10 cultivators who managed to grasp more than 100 Daos. Do you have proof?" Fang Zhengzhi asked.

"Yes."

Nangong Hao did not even hesitate before speaking, "Year 13 of the Great Xia Dynasty, at Yuan Ye River. A man, aged 43, grasped 103 Daos. He was known as the most powerful Supernatural State cultivator. He died at 87 but did not break through to the Rebirth State. Year 57 of the Great Xia Dynasty..."

Nangong Hao rattled off the names and achievements of all the people in history. The most powerful of whom were in the Rebirth State. The least powerful of which was in the Heavenly Reflection State. However, none of them managed to attain the level of sage.

"Year 25 of the Great Xia Dynasty... this is the tenth person. He died at 93 in the Rebirth State, unable to breakthrough!"

Nangong Hao paused after announcing the tenth person. Then, he looked at Fang Zhengzhi, "Does Young Master Fang agree with what I just said?"

He had just rattled off 10 historical figures together with their birth year, death year, and their cultivation level. He did not even hesitate between names.

This was proof of his knowledge.

Even though Nangong Hao seemed to be looking to Fang Zhengzhi for approval, all of the other candidates were awed by his knowledge.

They had all learnt such facts and historical nuggets.

But, who ever remembered them?

The candidates had all studied in academies, but none of them bothered to remember such insignificant nuggets of information. Would someone like Fang Zhengzhi remember?

In fact, did he even read about this before?

As such, even though Nangong Hao was looking to Fang Zhengzhi, none of the candidates thought that Fang Zhengzhi would be able to find fault with what Nangong Hao said.

"You are right, but... you missed out one person!" Fang Zhengzhi did not bother looking at the expressions of the candidates around him. He waited patiently for Nangong Hao to finish before replying.

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Chapter 378: Tree full of Dao

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"Missed our one person?!"

All of the candidates were stunned when they heard Fang Zhengzhi. From what they knew, Fang Zhengzhi had never attended an academy.

If he had never been to an academy, how can he have any understanding of history?

This was equivalent to an illiterate claiming that he could read the Law of Dao. This was virtually impossible.

"How can information from the Nangong Family ever be wrong?"

"Fang Zhengzhi said Nangong Hao missed out someone? How is that possible?"

"Exactly! Even though I do not care about these people, I remember that someone told me that there are only 10 people in history who grasped more than 100 Daos! Nangong Hao mentioned 10 people just now, where is the missing individual?"

"I think this fella is trying one of his shameless tactics again!"

All of the candidates shook their head as they looked at Fang Zhengzhi in disdain. After all, it was not too difficult to make up a story when it came to history.

All Fang Zhengzhi needed to do was make up a piece of history and say that it wasn't recorded in the official annals.

Then...

None of them could say that he was wrong.

After all, those legends were unverifiable. Since they could not be verified, who could say for sure if they were fact or fiction?

However, this was not something an academic would do.

Since all of the candidates could think about this tactic, so could Nangong Hao. However, he was not angered by Fang Zhengzhi's question.

"Young Master Fang says that I missed out one person, do you have proof?" Nangong Hao's voice was not loud, but his tone was solemn.

"I can." Fang Zhengzhi nodded without hesitation.

"Okay then, as long as Young Master Fang is able to prove that I missed out one person, I will admit that I am ignorant and apologize to you. However, if you cannot, then please apologize to me for the comment!" Nangong Hao replied equally quickly.

His eyes were shining, his expression calm. However, there was a deep seated confidence embedded within the calm.

All of the candidates smiled and chuckled when they heard this,

They did not believe that Fang Zhengzhi would be able to find evidence to prove his point. After all, it was a fact that the official records only recorded 10 people who managed to grasp more than 100 Daos.

Fang Zhengzhi was smiling as well.

It was a fact that the official records only recorded 10 people who grasped more than 100 Daos.

But, that was the history books.

To put it simply, it did not take into account the present, or the future.

"There are only 10 people who grasped more than 100 Daos?" This was the first time Fang Zhengzhi had heard about this. If not for the fact that it was Nangong Hao who said it, he would not believe it.

After all, he had hundreds of Daos in his pocket dimension.

As such, Fang Zhengzhi had always thought that having a hundred or even hundreds of Dao in one's pocket dimension was normal.

Of course, Fang Zhengzhi did not know that his experience was unprecedented. No one before him had done it before, and it was highly unlikely that future generations would be able to replicate this feat.

He figured out the Illustration of All Creation at age six and accessed Dao.

This was extremely rare in the Great Xia Dynasty. In the entire empire, there were no more than three people who were able to access Dao before age seven.

These talented individuals all had impeccable teaching and had countless resources at their disposal.

For someone to do this without any knowledge?

That would be even more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack.

However, Fang Zhengzhi was such a miracle. He accessed Dao at age six, but understood nothing. Absolutely nothing.

However, Fang Zhengzhi was not dumb.

He had his own unique methods. He developed this method from the mathematics he learnt in primary school. One plus one equals two. Two plus one equals three.

He used his general knowledge to solve his problems in cultivation. He began to gain some traction in cultivation.

Ever since he accessed Dao at age six, he did only one thing. He kept trying to grasp more and more Daos, ensuring each one was unique. After all, his primary school teacher had taught him one thing.

Two is definitely better than one!

Furthermore, when Fang Zhengzhi grasped his second Dao, the difference was stark. His abilities more than doubled.

Time flew by as he continued to learn and grasp more and more Daos.

Fang Zhengzhi never stopped trying. He spent every day of the year trying to grasp new Daos. After a few years, he managed to fill his pocket dimension's tree with many fruits.

The fruits were multicolored, and they adorned the huge tree in his pocket dimension. He once thought that he was on top of the world.

However, after exiting the Northern Mountain Village, he finally understood that he had been a frog in the well.

That being said...

Was there a second person in the history of the Great Xia Dynasty capable of something like that?

Fang Zhengzhi did not know that. All he knew was that he had many Daos in his pocket dimension. He knew that he had way more than 100 Daos.

As such, when he heard what Nangong Hao said, he chuckled.

Nangong Hao could see the smile on Fang Zhengzhi's face. He could sense that there was confidence behind that radiant smile.

However, he could not understand where Fang Zhengzhi was getting his blind confidence from?

That was until...

Nangong Hao saw Fang Zhengzhi raise his hand and point to himself. Then, Fang Zhengzhi said something that no one would have expected.

"You left me out!" Fang Zhengzhi replied flatly. He did not seem like he was acting. In fact, he looked like he was simply stating a fact.

"You left me out!"

"Left out..."

"Me?!"

Fang Zhengzhi's statement was not loud but simple. However, everyone around them burst into exclamations of disbelief when they heard this.

All of the other candidates were in shock.

"What did Fang Zhengzhi just say?"

"I think he said Nangong Hao left him out!"

"Left him out? What does he mean?"

"I think he means Nangong Hao didn't mention his name?"

"Duh! What I'm asking is... what does it mean!"

"No way, how is that possible? Fang Zhengzhi never attended an academy, but he said... could it be that he really grasped more than 100 Daos?"

All of the other candidates could not hide their shock.

Nangong Hao was right in saying that no one who grasped more than 100 Daos managed to attain the level of sage. That being said, how many people could become a sage anyways?

Becoming a sage.

That was the dream. However, that was an unattainable dream for many.

On the contrary, all those who managed to grasp more than 100 Daos were known as heroes. That was an attainable reality, and people had done it before.

The candidates were all floored.

It would be impossible for Nangong Hao not to be taken aback by this news. After all, this was not a route that the average person could take.

In order to grasp and understand over 100 Daos required peerless talent. It was arguably even more difficult than mastering a single Dao.

More importantly, it required immense determination.

This person could probably have broken through to the Heavenly Reflection State in a year with his talent. However, he needed to suppress his cultivation at the Star Conglomerate level in order to grasp and understand more Daos.

Four years ago, Nangong Hao rejected the invitation to the Heaven Dao Pavillion claiming that his foundation was not stable enough. He returned to the Nangong Family for four years.

At that time, he had considered doing this as well.

However, he gave up. After all, this was much too difficult and required too much effort. More importantly, no one could guarantee results.

All roads lead to Rome. Every cultivation technique was capable of producing great powers.

That being said, there were clearly easier and more difficult routes to choose. It wasn't difficult to see which was the obvious choice.

Nangong Hao chose to cultivate his heart, and achieved great things with this technique.

As such, with the four years of training he had, he managed to reach the pinnacle Supernatural State within a month of breakthrough.

His progress was terrifying.

Nangong Hao had always thought that he had chosen the best path.

However, when he found out that Fang Zhengzhi had chosen a path that he himself did not dare to choose, he felt a strange feeling in his heart.

It was inexplicable.

Jealousy? No! Nangong Hao firmly believed that the path he chose was the best!

Curiosity? No! After all, history had proven that this was a road was a dead end!

Nangong Hao could not describe this feeling. He felt slightly uncomfortable. This was the first time he had felt this uncomfortable after maturing in his heart cultivation.

"You have grasped more than 100 Daos?" Nangong Hao did not doubt Fang Zhengzhi because he could see that Fang Zhengzhi was telling the truth.

However, he asked it anyways. He wanted to know how far along this road Fang Zhengzhi was.

"100 Daos? That is too little!" Fang Zhengzhi shook his head in scorn. He thought that Nangong Hao was looking down on him.

100?

Go f*ck yourself!

Nangong Hao was stunned. He was very rarely affected by the words of others. However, when he heard Fang Zhengzhi's response, his expression changed.

All of the other candidates were shocked.

100 is too little?

Did this guy grasp 110 Daos? Or even 120 Daos?

That didn't seem very possible.

Throughout history, the maximum number of Daos anyone had ever grasped in their lives was 183. Furthermore, he only managed that number in his 90s.

How old was Fang Zhengzhi?

Only 15!

Yan Xiu turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi. He head heard Fang Zhengzhi say that he had many Daos in his pocket dimension.

However, he did not know exactly how many Daos Fang Zhengzhi had understood.

"Could it be that Young Master Fang has grasped over 120 Daos?" Nangong Hao's recovered quickly.

120 Daos was a very bold guess.

However, when Nangong Hao said it, he did so calmly.

This was a function of his confidence, his confidence that he was the best amongst his peers.

"Too little." Fang Zhengzhi shook his head again. Didn't he already say that 100 was too little.

Even the dumbest person would know to add a little more. At the very least, he could double his guess?

What was the point of adding 20?

"Still too little?!"

"The number exceeds 120?!"

"How... how is this possible? Is he bragging?! I don't believe this!"

All of the candidates could hear Fang Zhengzhi's answer clearly. However, they could not bring themselves to believe that the teenage Fang Zhengzhi could grasp more than 120 Daos!

Fang Zhengzhi also noticed the look of shock on the faces of the other candidates. He did not understand why they were this shocked.

Of course...

Even if Fang Zhengzhi knew that the record for the most Daos grasped in history was 183, he would not be surprised.

This did not mean that Fang Zhengzhi was necessarily more talented.

The only thing that could be said was that he had a head start. This was akin to the difference in learning ability between a mature student and a child.

If a child had been placed in different environments growing up, then he would be able to grasp many languages.

Furthermore, he would be fluent in all of them.

However, if you placed a man in his thirties in different environments, he may not even be able to master a single language.

Since he was six, Fang Zhengzhi had been trying to understand the various Daos. As such, he had a huge head start compared to the historical figures.

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Chapter 379: Most powerful

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Learning had to start from a tender age.

Fang Zhengzhi had memories from his previous world. However, when he was born, he was born into a baby's body. This was why he managed to memorize the Law of Dao so easily.

A mature individual would not be able to memorize the entire page after reading it a couple of times, but a baby could.

Fang Zhengzhi did not know why the candidates were so stunned. Similarly, he did not understand Nangong Hao's expression.

"120 is still too little?!" Nangong Hao was rarely this shaken, but never in his wildest dreams would he expect that Fang Zhengzhi had grasped over 120 Daos!

Nangong Hao was a genius.

He had always looked down on those around him. It was just like how a rank 2 official would not bother with the rank seven officials.

Even so, Nangong Hao had specially put aside an entire week to read up on Fang Zhengzhi in an attempt to understand him better.

The information packet included things that were public knowledge, as well as information that few knew.

For example...

The Nangong Family had sent someone to assimilate into the Northern and Southern Mountain villages to gather information about Fang Zhengzhi.

Nangong Hao's preparation for this battle was complete and intensive.

He would be able to predict Fang Zhengzhi's moves after reading up on his experiences. Furthermore, Nangong Hao had the cultivation state advantage.

His victory was virtually guaranteed.

In fact, everything was within Nangong Hao's control. Even Fang Zhengzhi's queer disappearance at the Intellectual Hall and his subsequent appearance in the Southern Mountain Range.

Nangong Hao had prepared for everything.

Four years of confinement...

Nangong Hao's appearance drew much attention. Furthermore, he managed to make use of the Nangong Family's intelligence network to hand in a script from the leader of the demons.

Then, he managed to tie for first position during the theory examination.

Everything was going according to plan. However, no one had ever mentioned the fact that Fang Zhengzhi had grasped more than 100 Daos.

"Could it be that this has been a secret all his time?" Nangong Hao felt that this was the only explanation.

However, this seemed a little far fetched.

After all...

Fang Zhengzhi was not one to fly under the radar.

He was so shameless and loved the spotlight. It would be impossible that a secret like that had stayed a secret for this length of time.

Nangong Hao simply could not figure out what was going on.

Of course, Nangong Hao never expected that Fang Zhengzhi, who tied with him for first, would be 'ignorant' enough to not know what the implications meant.

Fang Zhengzhi truly did not know the implications. During his time with Chi Guyan, he had mentioned the fact that he had nearly 300 Daos in his pocket dimension.

However, other than pointing out his problem, Chi Guyan had not said that this was an extraordinary feat. She even made the 'slave' deal with Fang Zhengzhi.

He looked at Nangong Hao who was visibly stumped.

Fang Zhengzhi was growing impatient. He had mentioned the fact that he had more than 100 Daos in his pocket dimension to rebuke Nangong Hao. At the same time, he would regain the upper hand.

However, he never expected to play this guessing game with Nangong Hao.

Seeing that Nangong Hao was not speaking, Fang Zhengzhi raised three fingers and waved them in front of Nangong Hao.

"130?!" Nangong Hao's expression changed when he saw the three fingers. His calm eyes began to shimmer.

When Fang Zhengzhi proposed a fair fight, Nangong Hao felt for the first time that Fang Zhengzhi deserved his respect. But now...

This was the first time he took Fang Zhengzhi seriously.

"He grasped 130 Daos?!"

All of the surrounding candidates were floored by this realization. This was a number that no one would have predicted.

However, even before the candidates could express their awe, a furious voice reverberated through the air.

"Nangong Hao, are you really that much of an imbecile? Three fingers is 130?! 300, do you know what is 300?!"

Fang Zhengzhi rarely questioned the intelligence of his opponents. But now, he was questioning the intelligence of one of the most talented individuals in the empire.

That being said, he could not hold it in any longer.

Was his hint not obvious enough?

He already said that 100 was too little?

Then Nangong Hao said 120.

Fine, no problem. Since he wasn't getting anywhere near the number, Fang Zhengzhi decided to tell him. Surely he would understand three fingers?

But yet...

Nangong Hao guessed 130?!

How could he take such humiliation?

Fang Zhengzhi did not care if others judged him as being short tempered. Even if he was going to scold the number one talent in the empire, he had to vent his anger.

Fang Zhengzhi's voice cut through the air like a knife.

All of the candidates heard his words loud and clear.

However, they could not react in time.

There were two reasons for this. One, Fang Zhengzhi had just insulted Nangong Hao. That was obvious.

Yet, he had not even bothered trying to soften the blow.

This was almost as if an unknown carpenter ran up to a word renowned one and asked if he knew how to wield an axe?

Or if an unknown soldier waved his sword in front of the top general of their generation claiming that he can be the general's tutor!

Who in their right mind would question Nangong Hao's intelligence?!

Even the Emperor himself would not dare say something like that. In fact, there was no one else on the planet who would think that way.

As for the second point...

Fang Zhengzhi had said 300!

300?

What did he mean?

Was he talking about silvers? Or gold? He can't possibly be talking about Dao?! 300?! What kind of joke was this?

The most in recorded history was 183. Furthermore, it took the person more than 90 years! How old was Fang Zhengzhi? 15? 16?

Who would believe it?

The candidates refused to.

Nangong Hao did not want to believe it either. However, Fang Zhengzhi had said it so clearly it was impossible not to understand.

"You've grasped... 300 Daos?!" Nangong Hao kept repeating this in his mind. His heart and mind were famed for their calmness.

However, at this moment, he felt that calm being hit by a powerful charge.

This was a virtually unstoppable hit!

Other than Nangong Hao, Wu Feng, Chen Feiyu, and even Xing Qingsui were all equally floored by this revelation.

Even Yan Xiu, who had known all along that Fang Zhengzhi had grasped many Daos, could not believe his ears.

He had heard Fang Zhengzhi mention this in passing before.

However, he did not think too much about it. After all, there were many people in this world who grasped about 50 different Daos.

Of course, when Fang Zhengzhi said that he had grasped over 100 Daos, Yan Xiu was slightly taken aback, but only slightly.

He had always thought of Fang Zhengzhi as a genius.

As such...

He was not surprised that Fang Zhengzhi could achieve more than most.

However, when his feats were extraordinary even when compared to the best in history, even Yan Xiu could not react.

Nangong Hao was silent.

The other candidates were silent.

Yan Xiu, Wu Feng, Chen Feiyu, and Xing Qingsui were all silent.

After Fang Zhengzhi finished berating Nangong Hao, he took a deep breath. Then, he realized that he had humiliated his opponent.

After all, Nangong Hao had not scolded him.

Fang Zhengzhi had never been very well mannered. He had always spoke his mind. If he wanted to scold somebody, he wouldn't think twice.

However, it was not very nice to scold someone when others didn't even raise their voice.

As such, when he saw Nangong Hao remain silent, he decided to try and lighten the atmosphere and relieve some of the embarrassment.

Apologize?

That would be too polite and unnecessary.

Fang Zhengzhi chose his own unique way of lightening the atmosphere. He decided to tell Nangong Hao the whole truth in a show of sincerity.

"Okay, to be honest, 300 is an estimate. If you want the exact number, I have 388 Daos in my pocket dimension!" Fang Zhengzhi revealed the exact number of Daos he had grasped. In that moment, he felt relieved.

Honesty.

This was complete honesty!

After all, cultivation was like one's technique. Everyone guarded it closely, who would reveal something like this to the opponent?

Very few people would do such a thing.

But yet, Fang Zhengzhi had done it. He had told Nangong Hao the exact number of Daos he had in his pocket dimension. This was equivalent to telling Nangong Hao how many techniques he knew.

Of course...

Fang Zhengzhi offered up the information so readily because he felt that Nangong Hao would not benefit much from knowing that information.

After all, it was almost impossible to calculate the number of ways he could string together his techniques.

Fang Zhengzhi was confident of that.

However, when Fang Zhengzhi revealed this truth, the result was one that shocked and confused him.

"What's wrong with Nangong Hao?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at Nangong Hao, unable to understand what was happening. Nangong Hao stood in front of him like a wooden dummy.

Oh?

The top talent is stumped?

Or is he just too touched by Fang Zhengzhi's honesty?

Fang Zhengzhi could not figure it out. He turned around and realized that the reactions of those behind him were even more exaggerated than Nangong Hao's.

"Cling clang cling clang." Metallic noises rang out.

That was the sound of weapons falling to the ground. Fang Zhengzhi also saw all the candidates with their mouth agape, their eyes popping out of their sockets.

Fang Zhengzhi had no words to describe what he saw.

If he really had to describe it, all he could say was that they all looked dumbfounded!

"388?!"

"He said that he had 388..."

All of the candidates could not believe their ears.

In actual fact, they were already stunned when Fang Zhengzhi berated Nangong Hao. However, after they heard what Fang Zhengzhi said, they were completely floored.

388 Daos?

This was oppression!

This was never before seen, and would probably never be seen again in the future.

There was one person in history who managed to grasp 183 Daos in his life. He managed to breakthrough to the Rebirth State, becoming the most powerful person in that state.

Even though he did not manage to breakthrough to sage, his position as the most powerful person in that state made others revere him.

People once wondered how powerful this person would be if he attained sage.

That was a terrifying thought.

No one dared to imagine it, but the thought still existed. How powerful would a sage who managed to grasp more than 100 Daos be?

But...

300!

388 at that!

What kind of 'potential' does this person have?

Top Heavenly Reflection State cultivator!

In that moment, all of the candidates recovered from the shock. They remembered Fang Zhengzhi's exploits in the imperial examination. At that time, Fang Zhengzhi had just broken through a month ago.

At that time, everyone had thought that Fang Zhengzhi was only in the nascent Heavenly Reflection State. They never thought of him as being in the same league as Su Donglin, Xing Qingsui and Nangong Mu.

But the truth was?

Fang Zhengzhi showed in the first round that he had the power to go up against Su Donglin. Then, he defeated Nangong Mu, who was proficient in the Green and Blue Secret Art, in the finals. Then, he managed to take down Yan Xiu who had a good grasp of the Dao of Asura.

This was something that had stumped all of the candidates.

They could not understand why someone as shameless as him who had just broken through would have such luck and abilities. After all, he did not learn any special techniques.

But now, they understood.

Fang Zhengzhi had more than 388 Daos in his pocket dimension. In other words, Fang Zhengzhi was the most powerful Heavenly Reflection State cultivator!

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Chapter 380: Not even one round?

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Since the ancient days, people had always wanted to compete to see who was better. However, some people had higher cultivation levels whilst others had better techniques.

Then, how would they decide?

The easiest method was to have a fair fight.

However, after the candidates heard that Fang Zhengzhi had 388 Daos in his pocket dimension, no one doubted his abilities anymore.

After all, history had proven that those who managed to grasp more than 100 Daos were all heroes amongst their peers!

Nangong Hao had been a bright star ever since his childhood days. He had been surrounded by compliments for the past 20 years.

More and more complimentary phrases had been piled on over the years.

Mature, calm, stable, talented, the future of his generation. A plethora of different compliments had been heaped upon him.

Anyone in his position would be incredibly arrogant.

However, Nangong Hao was not. He knew that the higher he went, the greater the fall would be. As such, he never stopped working hard to improve himself.

For the court examinations, despite having every advantage, he still spent effort to read up on his opponent's character and techniques.

He felt that as long as he did the necessary preparations and found Fang Zhengzhi's achilles heel, victory was certain.

But now?

Fang Zhengzhi had countered almost perfectly. Fang Zhengzhi had ruined his plans, unsettling him greatly.

Nangong Hao recovered slowly.

He raised his head as he looked into the blue sky. He felt the chilly spring wind and looked at the stunned candidates around him.

He knew that right now, Fang Zhengzhi was just on the same level as him.

However, if one saw it from the different perspective…

His knowledge advantage, ability advantage, geographical advantage… virtually all his advantages had been neutralized by Fang Zhengzhi!

Nangong Hao did not bother thinking any more. He did not try to rebut Fang Zhengzhi. Instead, he slowly raised his clear sword.

"In this battle, I will suppress my cultivation level to the Heavenly Reflection State." Nangong Hao started rather shakily before calming down.

All of the other candidates were taken aback by what they heard.

"Nangong Hao wants to suppress his own cultivation state?! He proposed this himself? What is going on?"

"Why would he do such a thing?"

"It is no wonder he is the top talent!"

Some of the candidates could not understand what Nangong Hao was thinking. However, some of the faster ones understood almost immediately.

The logic was not difficult to understand. However, few people would make the same decision if they were placed in that situation. Nangong Hao's action was admirable.

That being said…

If he didn't make that decision, he wouldn't be Nangong Hao.

Nangong Hao's hand was steady, his eyes as bright as the sun, rays of light beaming out of his pupils.

That look of confusion had disappeared completely.

Nangong Hao knew the risks involved in such a decision. However, only by making such a decision would he feel the rush he did.

He couldn't remember the last time he had been this excited to battle someone.

But now…

He felt the rush!

When he heard that Fang Zhengzhi had 388 Daos in his pocket dimension, he had two choices. One, he could use his cultivation state superiority to oppress Fang Zhengzhi.

However, if he did so, he would have lost the battle of the heart.

Nangong Hao's pride refused to let that happen.

This was especially after Fang Zhengzhi managed to neutralize all the posturing advantage Nangong Hao had.

The strong could only remain strong if they were confident enough.

Only these people would be willing to take risks and push themselves to the limits.

Only people like that would be able to stand at the pinnacle and become true powers.

Nangong Hao could choose the easier option.

He could use his cultivation state to oppress Fang Zhengzhi. However, this would mean that he did not dare to take up the challenge and prove that his method was the right one.

This battle could ruin his life!

Nangong Hao had complete faith in his choice. He was willing to pay the price for his choice. He was not afraid of losing, he was afraid of not daring to lose.

Of course, Fang Zhengzhi had to be capable enough to defeat him.

Nangong Hao's calm slowly morphed into confidence and excitement. This was a rush he felt from discovering a worthy opponent.

How powerful was someone with 388 Daos in the pocket dimension?

Nangong Hao stared at Fang Zhengzhi. He wanted to find out for himself if the numbers made a difference, or if the heart would be the determining factor.

Fang Zhengzhi never thought that he would be gifted with such a golden opportunity.

In actual fact, when he heard that Nangong Hao had broken through to the Supernatural State, he wanted to turn back and tell Nangong Hao that he would reschedule.

Of course, he didn't do so.

There was no need to explain his reasons. In the end, he had managed to neutralize the posturing advantage Nangong Hao had. Then, he received yet another piece of good news.

Nangong Hao was going to suppress his own cultivation state!

Hang on!

So if Nangong Hao was defeated, would it be legitimate?

Fang Zhengzhi's excitement did not last long. He remembered that the purpose of battling Nangong Hao was to fulfill his promise to nangong Mu.

If he defeated Nangong Hao whilst his cultivation state was suppressed, he would not have achieved what he set out to do.

That was what Fang Zhengzhi thought.

Even so, to the candidates and the deputies, the fact that Nangong Hao was willing to suppress his cultivation state meant that he was extremely confident. This gave him the slight advantage.

"Who will win if they are both in the same cultivation state?"

"Nangong Hao of course! After all, Nangong Hao was invited to join the Heaven Dao Pavillion when he was in the Heavenly Reflection State. Furthermore, Nangong Hao's heart is ridiculously strong."

"Even so, Fang Zhengzhi has grasped over 300… no nearly 400 Daos! Logically speaking, no one in the same cultivation state is his match!"

"Exactly, this battle… will be difficult to predict!"

All of the candidates began to discuss the possible results of this battle. After knowing the number of Daos in Fang Zhengzhi's pocket dimension, they began to think that this battle was less lopsided than they expected.

However, just as these candidates were expecting the battle to begin, Fang Zhengzhi's voice rang out.

"If you are not going to give this battle your all, then this battle is meaningless. When I say it'll be a fair fight, I mean it! I want you to try your very best! As such, please shove your pity aside and give it your all! Let me see if you are worth me drawing my sword!" Fang Zhengzhi waved his sword in the air as he spoke.

The entire crowd was silent.

All of the candidates were awed by what they just heard. This time, they were awed by Fang Zhengzhi's lack of fear.

This was bravery in the face of a superpower.

This was even more valuable than Nangong Hao's bravery.

The sun shone down on the Traceless Sword in Fang Zhengzhi's hand. It caused the purple glow to be ever so bright.

Nangong Hao's expression of excitement froze.

He never felt that he would start off a battle feeling this low. Even before the battle begun, he felt incredible pressure.

This pressure did not come from his opponent's ability or power!

It was from the heart!

Nangong Hao was very confident when it came to his heart and control. However, he had to admit that as of now, Fang Zhengzhi was schooling him in that area.

He did not know what would happen if he continued like this. All he knew was that he could not sheath his sword now.

"A fair fight? Then I'd like to see if you can even last a single round!" Nangong Hao's eyes glimmered like a golden sun.

When under such immense pressure.

Few would choose to draw their blades.

However, Nangong Hao did not even hesitate. He knew that he was well trained in that area. He did not fear someone who was equally skilled.

The Dragon Combat Plan was all accommodating.

With Nangong Hao's cultivation method, he could accommodate almost everything. Kindness, evil, crazy… he could extract the best of everything.

With such abilities, why would he be affected by a small setback?

Nangong Hao drew his sword.

Despite losing the advantage, he did not hesitate.

His blade looked extremely ordinary and it lived up to its name. It looked like any ordinary blade, but there was nothing it was not capable of.

The blade rocketed through the air.

This was quite similar to the strike Nangong Hao had used to defeat Chen Feiyu. All of the candidates knew that this ordinary looking strike was incredibly powerful.

Fang Zhengzhi was a little taken aback when he saw the strike.

He had thought that after the exchange, Nangong Hao should have said something. For example, he could have stood his ground or tried to convince Fang Zhengzhi.

However, Nangong Hao did not do anything of that sort.

He chose to draw his sword and strike. He did so without mercy or hesitation. He did not even say anything before striking.

"Sneak attack?" Fang Zhengzhi wanted to accuse Nangong Hao of that, but he realized that it would not be appropriate.

After all, Nangong Hao had struck from the front. Furthermore, he had asked for fairness.

In other words, Fang Zhengzhi had already said that the battle had begun!

It was understandable that Nangong Hao would strike.

Fang Zhengzhi knew this. Even though he found it quite strange, he reacted quickly, throwing out a bunch of nails with his left hand.

The Dragon Combat Plan can accommodate everything huh?

Try accommodating nails!

Fang Zhengzhi did not hope for much from this handful of nails. This was just a habit of his.

As such, after he threw out the handful of nails, he swung Traceless with his right hand.

The water of the Yellow River originates from heaven and flows straight towards the sea, never to return." This was a poem from the previous world, but Fang Zhengzhi thought it was the most appropriate.

The blade swung and rays of light shone out from it.

The light rays shone downard like a huge waterfall. They crashed towards Nangong Hao's blade.

In that instant, the silver light clashed with the crystal sword.

However…

There was no loud crash or impact. It was silent, a silence that was completely foreign to the spectators.

This was a technique that Fang Zhengzhi had used many times.

He had termed this technique Mountain Waterfall Cascade. When the Traceless Blade was used, even people in the Supernatural State did not dare to take it lightly.

But this time, when his technique clashed with Nangong Hao's blade, he felt a queer feeling in his heart.

If he had to use a single phrase to describe it, it would be…

We come from the same roots, why are we in a rush to kill each other?!

"God damn it!" Fang Zhengzhi knew this feeling originated from Nangong Hao's Dragon Combat Plan. He wanted to attack it.

However, that unsettling feeling rushed towards his heart. His sword technique lacked any battle intent.

Without battle intent, could it still be called a sword technique?

Fang Zhengzhi finally understood why Chen Feiyu would stand rooted to the ground, only reacting after Nangong Hao's blade was at his throat.

It wasn't that Chen Feiyu didn't want to fight.

It was that Chen Feiyu's sword technique didn't want to fight!

"You can control everything in the universe but so can I!" Nangong Hao's words to Chen Feiyu rang out in Fang Zhengzhi's mind.

The sword technique was made up from Dao and Dao was everything in the universe.

Nangong Hao's cultivation state was superior to Fang Zhengzhi. As such, he had better control over everything in the universe. With that in mind, he had better control over Dao…

That meant that he could control the sword technique.

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Chapter 381: Last stand

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Fang Zhengzhi had felt this way before. That was in the battle with Lu Yusheng at the Divine Constabulary.

At that time, Lu Yusheng had strangely broken through into the Heavenly Reflection State. He proceeded to 'hunt down' Yan Xiu and Fang Zhengzhi in the Heavenly Treasure Hall.

After, Fang Zhengzhi managed to breakthrough to the Heavenly Reflection State, the two had one last battle inside the Heavenly Treasure Hall.

Even though Fang Zhengzhi looked like he had the element of surprise, the fact was that he had a much better control over the Dao of all Creation. As such, he was able to control Lu Yusheng's Ice Territory.

The roles were now reversed, but the concept was similar.

Of course, in order to do such a thing, two conditions must be met. First, one's pocket dimension must have the same Dao. Two, one must have better control than the opponent.

Nangong Hao was in the pinnacle Supernatural State. As such, his control over the Dao of All Creation was better than Fang Zhengzhi's. Furthermore, the Dragon Combat Plan's unique accommodating nature meant that his sword technique could combine with any Dao.

As such, it was not difficult for Nangong Hao to do this.

Nangong Hao may have an easy time, but that meant that Fang Zhengzhi was going to struggle.

To Fang Zhengzhi, it felt like he had thrust his sword only to find out that it wasn't him. Instead, his opponent had stolen his sword and thrust it back at him. What's mine is his, what's his is still his. How was he going to fight?

Fang Zhengzhi knew that Nangong Hao was powerful, but he never expected Nangong Hao to be this ridiculously powerful.

Stealing the Dao of others?

The thought flashed through Fang Zhengzhi's mind. He kept trying to think of a weakness in the Dragon Combat Plan. However, his most pressing issue was not to find a weakness...

It was to dodge Nangong Hao's attack.

No fancy show of force, no fanfare. However, it was as quick as a bolt of lightning.

Nangong Hao thrusted straight at him. When his blade contacted the waterfall from heaven, it went straight through and flew towards Fang Zhengzhi's throat.

This strike left Fang Zhengzhi with no choice but to give up his menacing technique and retreat.

"Clang!" A crisp sound rang out.

There wasn't much reverberation as the blades clashed and parted. Yet, the crisp sound was clear for all to hear.

Nangong Hao's blade returned to its original position, the tip still pointed at Fang Zhengzhi. It glowed golden in the light.

"Congratulations, you managed to block my strike!" Nangong Hao's tone was calm, just like how he was when he exited the Icy Monkey Settlement.

Nangong Hao's shock upon hearing that Fang Zhengzhi had 388 Daos in his pocket dimension had disappeared.

This strike had restored his composure.

This was the beauty of his technique.

"Fang Zhengzhi blocked Nangong Hao's strike?!"

"This battle is even more interesting than I expected."

"I wonder how many rounds Fang Zhengzhi can last considering that he's being outclassed in cultivation state. If Nangong Hao really suppressed his own cultivation state, Fang Zhengzhi really had a good chance of winning!"

"Mm, for a pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State cultivator to block the attack of a pinnacle Supernatural State cultivator is impressive!"

All of the candidates looked at Fang Zhengzhi with conflicted expressions. They had once disregarded him as a despicable villager. But now, he was a shining star.

That being said...

Nangong Hao was much too powerful.

Nangong Hao was a full cultivation state above Fang Zhengzhi. No matter how hard Fang Zhengzhi tried, he could not possibly defeat Nangong Hao.

The fact that he could block one attack...

Could be considered a victory.

All of the candidates thought the same way. However, Chen Feiyu was extremely depressed when he saw this. Despite being in the Supernatural State, he was unable to block Nangong Hao's strike...

Yan Xiu was not too surprised. He had expected that Fang Zhengzhi would be able to block Nangong Hao's strike. However, he didn't expect that it would be this difficult.

Yan Xiu noticed something that the others didn't. Yan Xiu looked at Fang Zhengzhi's sword wielding hand.

And right now...

That hand was trembling slightly.

Fang Zhengzhi had thought of many ways to block Nangong Hao's strike. He wanted to use more Daos to increase the difficulty for Nangong Hao to accommodate them all.

He also wanted to try using each Dao one by one.

He did not believe that the Dragon Combat Plan would be able to accommodate everything.

But did Fang Zhengzhi have the chance to try it?

Nope.

As such, he was forced to use the most basic of techniques. He did not use Dao, choosing instead to use his own energy.

That was what he used to block Nangong Hao's strike.

However, just as what Yan Xiu guessed, without any Dao in the blade, how could Fang Zhengzhi go up against Nangong Hao's Dragon Combat Plan buffed strike.

In the moment the blades clashed, a powerful wave of force crashed towards Fang Zhengzhi.

If not for the fact that Fang Zhengzhi's blade was the Traceless Sword...

He would not have been able to match that attack.

"The Sagely Battle God Meng Tian is a hero of the Great Xia Dynasty. His blade had slashed through the demon's Blood Shadow City. That mark is still there to this day. His blade is stained with the blood of the demon lord Si Kong. The blade in your hand is truly a good sword." Nangong Hao's eyes glowed even brighter as he looked at Fang Zhengzhi's sword. His white robe flapped in the wind.

Fang Zhengzhi knew exactly what Nangong Hao was saying.

He knew that Nangong Hao had already seen through the fact that he only managed to block the strike because of the quality of his blade. He also knew that Nangong Hao's next strike would not be easy to block.

Was the difference between cultivation states really that great?

Dragon Combat Plan!

How was he going to find a weakness in the Dragon Combat Plan?!

A technique that could steal the Dao of others is impossible to break! He could steal everything you had. How would someone like that lose?

But, Nangong Hao had lost before...

He had lost to one person. That person was Chi Guyan.

Fang Zhengzhi knew this. However, what he didn't know was how Chi Guyan managed to defeat Nangong Hao's sword technique!

Did she use the Million Sword Illustration?

The only technique he had seen Chi Guyan use was the Divine Constabulary's Million Sword Illustration. Right now, that seemed like his only hope.

However, could it really defeat the Dragon Combat Plan?

Fang Zhengzhi did not think that it was very likely.

If it couldn't, then how did Chi Guyan manage to defeat Nangong Hao?

Fang Zhengzhi tried to recall what was discussed during his time with Chi Guyan in the Northern Mountain Village. Back then, Chi Guyan enlightened him about his weaknesses and made the deal with him.

Chi Guyan wanted him to participate in the court examinations.

That meant that Chi Guyan knew that this battle would take place.

If so, why didn't Chi Guyan mention anything about the Dragon Combat Plan? Did she think that he had no chance of defeating Nangong Hao? Or was it that she had said it but he didn't take notice?

Fang Zhengzhi kept trying to recall the minute details from his last meeting with Chi Guyan. However, he could not remember Chi Guyan dropping any hints.

Okay then...

Chi Guyan must have thought that he couldn't defeat Nangong Hao.

Fang Zhengzhi was furious when he thought about this. His initially trembling hand became firm as he gripped the hilt of his sword.

What he didn't realize was that in the moment he gripped the hilt, the purple mark on the tip of the blade changed.

It began to flow.

Fang Zhengzhi did not think anymore. Based on his knowledge of Dao and cultivation, he could not think of any way to defeat the nature of the Dragon Combat Plan.

If that was the case...

His only option was simple.

Just do it!

Go at it mindlessly!

Fang Zhengzhi moved. He did not wait for Nangong Hao to strike again, deciding to take the initiative this time. He couldn't let Nangong Hao have the first-move advantage all the time.

It didn't matter if he couldn't win, he wasn't going to give up!

Fang Zhengzhi went straight for Nangong Hao.

All of the candidates were shocked to see Fang Zhengzhi take the initiative. Why wouldn't he take this time to set up his defence?

Was he giving up?

Nangong Hao's eyes moved. He knew that Fang Zhengzhi had struggled to block his previous attack. But yet, Fang Zhengzhi's reaction was to attack?

"Not bad!" Nangong Hao swung his blade.

He knew that Fang Zhengzhi was willing to lose but he was going to keep trying. In other words, this was Fang Zhengzhi's last stand. He had effectively given up.

Nangong Hao knew that his battle with Fang Zhengzhi would be short.

Three rounds!

That was the limit that he had set for himself.

Initially, when he heard that Fang Zhengzhi had 388 Daos in his pocket dimension, he wanted to raise the limit. He wanted to suppress his abilities and see for himself how powerful Fang Zhengzhi was.

However, Fang Zhengzhi had rejected his offer.

As such, he would respect Fang Zhengzhi's decision.

He decided to finish this battle off quickly. As for his question about if the number of Daos was what made someone powerful, or if the heart was the determining factor...

Nangong Hao never doubted his own choices.

The competition did not matter much to him.

Nangong Hao knew that another opportunity would come. When Fang Zhengzhi was fortunate enough to breakthrough to the Supernatural State, he would be able to try it out for himself.

Of course, the prerequisite was that Fang Zhengzhi must be able to breakthrough. The second condition was that he himself had not broken through to the Rebirth State.

388 Daos!

This was a double edged sword!

Fang Zhengzhi would be the best in his current state. However, it would be many times more difficult for Fang Zhengzhi to breakthrough.

The logic was simple. The more Daos one had, the less one could master each Dao. In the same time, someone who focused on one Dao would be able to advance much further.

Nangong Hao did not want this battle to drag on any longer. He still had his own unique mission in the war between the Great Xia Dynasty and the Southern Mountain Range.

He struck in the same silent way.

This time however, Nangong Hao's blade multiplied into four.

Four blades, four people.

When the blade in his hand split into four, so did Nangong Hao. Each of their white robes flapped in the wind.

The four blades came straight at Fang Zhengzhi from four different directions.

Fang Zhengzhi was not shocked that Nangong Hao managed to split into four. He knew many techniques which could do such a thing.

They could be holograms or reflections.

Some techniques reflected light to project three similar images. Of course, Fang Zhengzhi was not powerful enough to do it himself.

Okay then...

Fang Zhengzhi never expected that the difference between the two strikes would be this great.

Nangong Hao's first attack was ordinary and silent. It was just quick. However, his second attack came from all four directions.

How was Fang Zhengzhi going to block this?

There was no way!

Fang Zhengzhi wanted to breakout of this. However, what he was afraid of was that he would be defeated even before he could breakout. If he defeated one of the Nangong Haos...

It could just be a reflection.

Then, he would be dead...

But Nangong Hao would still be alive.

He could not use the Dao of All Creation to block Nangong Hao's attack. Not only did Nangong Hao stop him from using any Daos, Nangong Hao was attacking from all directions.

How would he defend against four opponents?

Fang Zhengzhi felt like he was at the end of his road. Without being able to use the Dao of All Creation, he felt like an unarmed villager going up against a ferocious beast.

He was helpless.

But was he going to lose just like that?

Fang Zhengzhi did entertain the possibility that he would be defeated. However, in all his battles, he had never fell in the second round.

Just one round?

That was utterly embarrassing!

Fang Zhengzhi would never accept that! After all, if news of this spread to Ping Yang or Chi Guyan, how would he ever bring himself to face them in the future?

No way!

Even if he was going to lose, he was going to last a few more rounds. Or perhaps, he was going to force Nangong Hao to be on the defensive.

Fang Zhengzhi was desperate. However, it was this desperation that caused his mind to open up almost instantly.

In that moment, he saw the light at the end of the tunnel. The angelic light shone radiantly in front of him, so much so that he struggled to open his eyes.

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Chapter 382: Something out of nothing

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

If I can't block your attack, then I'll make you block mine.

Offence is the best defence. This was the mentality of the Stabilization Constabulary and Fang Zhengzhi understood it extremely well.

However, this would not be enough to defeat Nangong Hao.

In order to maximise the effectiveness of this technique, he had to be able to attack. If he couldn't even use his techniques, how was he going to go on the offence?

Fang Zhengzhi understood this very well.

As such, he decided to modify this idea slightly.

There was only one way that a weaker person could emerge victorious. He had to make his techniques messy and unpredictable.

In a battle between two people in different leagues, the weaker one could have the best possible techniques and the stronger one could use simple techniques. However, the results would always be the same.

The crowd would praise the expert for being able to make such an ordinary technique so powerful. Some of these experts would end up as 'guru'.

Then, the expert would placate the hardworking probie. Then, he would deal the lethal blow...

"No matter how good your technique, I can find its weaknesses. If you really want to be an expert, you have to move past these techniques."

This was what the best in the business did.

They would create something out of nothing!

Of course, Fang Zhengzhi could not possibly attain such a level instantly. Ever since he left the Northern Mountain Village, he had never been lucky enough to attain greatness through a single battle.

That was something virtually impossible.

Think about it. If it was that easy to understand these concepts, then those who made battle a daily occurrence in their lives...

These concepts would be so overrated.

Fang Zhengzhi did not understand it immediately, but he had a feeling. He felt that he could possibly manage something along those lines.

Nangong Hao could defeat anything that he tried. Nangong Hao could render his techniques useless.

In other words...

He was now the probie going up against the expert.

No matter how perfect or elaborate his techniques were, he would not be able to defeat his opponent's ordinary strikes.

The Dragon Combat Plan would steal the technique!

How domineering...

On the surface, this looked like an impossible technique to defeat. However, upon closer inspection, there were certain rules that had to be followed.

He had to see the technique for him to be able to break it down.

When Fang Zhengzhi's Mountain Waterfall Cascade came crashing down, Nangong Hao's blade would merge with the waterfall.

That way, Fang Zhengzhi's attack would be rendered useless.

However, what if there wasn't a waterfall.

This was quite the audacious and impossible idea. After all, if there was no waterfall, there was no Dao. With no Dao, where would the sword get its power?

But...

If one really drilled into the bedrock, one would find that it was not completely impossible.

Fang Zhengzhi's waterfall in the Mountain Waterfall Cascade was formed through Dao. It used the shape to augment the blade's offensive power.

The Dao would come from the heavens and congregate at a single point before charging towards its target. The power embedded within this technique was unfathomable.

However, other than the Dao, the technique also drew upon something else.

That was...

The white mist inside his pocket dimension.

Dao was shape, and the white mist was Qi. When two people had the same amount of Qi, technique was the differentiating factor. However, Qi could also augment one's technique.

As such, when Fang Zhengzhi thought about no waterfall...

What he meant was that he would give up his elaborate techniques. To put it plainly, he was going to give up the power of Dao and rely purely on his 'raw power'.

Ordinarily, this technique would not be successful.

This was akin to someone having to quench the thirst of 1000 refugees with only a bucket of water. They would have to ration in carefully.

After all, they had to ensure that the refugees all received water.

But...

What if you had hundreds of acres of water?

Would you still need to ration the water? By that time, all you hoped for was that they wouldn't kill themselves from water poisoning.

Fang Zhengzhi had a ton of white mist in his pocket dimension. Not only did the white mist fill up the entire sky within his pocket dimension, it also filled up a vast ocean.

In this world, the white mist was known as the origin of Dao.

It was possible to channel the same amount of power into each strike without using Dao. However, the physical exertion would be many times greater. In other words, Fang Zhengzhi had to put everything he had behind each strike.

By giving up the Dao and just using the raw ingredients, Fang Zhengzhi was tapping on the vast reserves of white mist in his pocket dimension.

Those who grasped more than 100 Daos were the best in their cultivation state.

That was something that had been proven all throughout history. However, few people knew why that was the case.

Fang Zhengzhi did not understand either before this. But now, Chi Guyan's words kept repeating in his head.

"What you need to do now is calm yourself down and nurture your Daos!"

At that time, Fang Zhengzhi did not know what Chi Guyan meant. But now, he seemed to understand what she was trying to say.

His advantage was not that he had a tree filled with Daos.

Those Daos had not yet taken on their final form. Before they had been properly nurtured and developed, they were just a blunt sword. But... his reserve of raw materials...

That was terrifying.

That was what he was counting on now.

At the very least, it was his only hope for the near future. Once all of his Daos were fully developed, one could only guess the limits of his power.

Fang Zhengzhi looked at Nangong Hao, who was attacking from all sides.

This time however, he was not shocked. He was not prepared to sacrifice himself to breakout of this net.

He wanted the net...

To break first!

"Boom!"

Fang Zhengzhi and Nangong Hao clashed and the resulting shockwave sent earth flying skyward. This was different from the previous clashes that the other candidates had witnessed.

This clash.

Was resoundingly loud and powerful.

It was not as calm as the previous clashes. This time, it felt like two humongous rocks had clashed with each other, the shockwave crashing into the crowd.

This caused all of the candidates to subconsciously retreat. They could not believe what they were seeing.

To be completely honest, they didn't even know what happened.

They saw Nangong Hao strike in four different directions before they all combined into one. Then, the shockwave had crashed into them.

"Did they clash?"

"Is there a victor?!"

All of the candidates admitted that Fang Zhengzhi was talented. However, being able to block one of Nangong Hao's attack was lucky enough. None of them thought that he would be able to withstand a second round.

Yan Xiu stared at the center of the chaos, his knuckles white as he gripped the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan.

Chen Feiyu and Wu Feng were significantly more shocked by the results.

Chen Feiyu's shock was the most palpable. He was of the opinion that in the face of Nangong Hao, all the sword techniques were useless. So why was there such a powerful shockwave?

Teng Shisheng looked at the eye of the storm equally anxiously. However, his anxiety was visibly different from Yan Xiu's.

Then...

The dust settled.

Two figures could be seen. One was wearing a white academic robe, the other leopard print leather.

Their outfits were caked in dust.

Fang Zhengzhi smiled faintly as the Traceless Sword in his hand glowed purple. Then, just like before, he did not wait for Nangong Hao to attack.

He lunged forward once again.

The purple light shone radiantly, staining Fang Zhengzhi's eyes purple as well.

"He... lunged forward?!"

"Does that mean that he managed to block Nangong Hao's attack? Not only did he block it, he has energy to charge?"

"How is that possible?"

All of the candidates had thought that Fang Zhengzhi had given up. But now, all they felt was awe and disbelief.

This was a result that none of them would have predicted.

Even Nangong Hao himself was shocked. Not only was he shocked that Fang Zhengzhi blocked his attack, he was shocked that Fang Zhengzhi...

Was able to continue fighting?!

He knew exactly how Fang Zhengzhi had blocked his attack.

Fang Zhengzhi had not used any sword technique or element or Dao. All he did was channel all the energy in his pocket dimension.

How powerful was the raw energy in one's pocket dimension?

No one knew.

But it was a fact that Fang Zhengzhi had blocked Nangong Hao's second attack.

Then...

The natural thing happened. Fang Zhengzhi swung his sword at Nangong Hao, a strange purple glow at its tip.

It was the same shade of purple as the blood on the tip of the sword.

Yet, the power behind this strike was so powerful that it tore through the fabric of the universe, leaving behind a black crack. Previously, Fang Zhengzhi had only managed to create such a tear with the Sun Shooting Bow and the Million Sword Illustration.

But this time, Fang Zhengzhi managed to do it.

"I see!" Nangong Hao's eyes glowed golden. When he saw Fang Zhengzhi unleash all his power, he finally understood what was going on.

Fang Zhengzhi's sword was not drawing on any Dao or technique. It was drawing on Fang Zhengzhi's raw power.

As a result...

His Dragon Combat Plan was unable to control it. After all, he could not control the power inside Fang Zhengzhi.

Nangong Hao did want to end the battle early. But based on what was happening, it was not going to end anytime soon. It would not end until Fang Zhengzhi had depleted all his resources.

"Boom!"

The third clash.

The purple stain clashed with Nangong Hao's clear blade once again. The shockwave reverberated through the crowd.

Then, a fourth clash, a fifth clash, a sixth clash...

Every clash was accompanied by a powerful shockwave that sent columns of dust skyward. It enveloped the battlefield and obscured them from vision.

"Is... that really Fang Zhengzhi?!"

"How is he that powerful? How did he manage to block so many of Nangong Hao's attacks?"

"Is Nangong Hao suppressing his own cultivation state?"

"What rubbish. Even without considering the fact that Nangong Hao wouldn't do it, does the battle raging in front of you look like it could be by two Heavenly Reflection State cultivators?"

The jaws of all the candidates spectating the battle dropped, their eyes on the verge of popping out of their sockets.

Disbelief.

They could not bring themselves to believe what they were seeing.

This was not just a competition. This was a fight for survival. However, it was going on for much too long!

Yan Xiu's fists clenched even tighter, anxiety written all over his face. Furthermore, there traces of awe began to show. He had thought that his rate of improvement was very fast.

However, he didn't expect that Fang Zhengzhi was even faster!

In the two months since the preliminaries, Fang Zhengzhi was now powerful enough to battle Nangong Hao?!

This was a shocker to him.

All of the gazes were fixated on the two battling figures. They faded in and out of view, accompanied by the loud clashes.

Everyone watching had their hearts in their mouths.

"How powerful!"

"They've been going at it for at least seven rounds!"

"I wonder how many more rounds this battle will last?"

"Why is Fang Zhengzhi able to block Nangong Hao's attacks? Is he a monster?"

All of the candidates looked on intently, silently counting the number of rounds. They were all wondering how long this battle would last.

As for who would win...

There was no need to guess.

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Chapter 383: Make you a sage

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

In fact, everyone thought that the results of this battle was a foregone conclusion.

Pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State against a pinnacle Supernatural State.

Was there any doubt?

This was what the candidates thought, and it was also what Nangong Hao thought. He was not arrogant. In fact, he had been extremely meticulous in preparing for his battle with Fang Zhengzhi.

It would be impossible for Nangong Hao, who was in the pinnacle Supernatural State, to not be confident about defeating Fang Zhengzhi.

Nangong Hao had expected that he would battle with Fang Zhengzhi. He also expected that Fang Zhengzhi would not admit defeat. He expected Fang Zhengzhi to put up quite the struggle.

However, he never expected that Fang Zhengzhi would be able to last this long!

"What's going on? Has he not depleted his energy yet?" Nangong Hao was shocked after the eighth clash.

He knew exactly what Fang Zhengzhi was doing, and he knew the consequences of Fang Zhengzhi's actions.

Fighting for his life?

Could he last long?

Of course no. If he could last long, then it wouldn't be a last-ditch attempt. This was akin to sprinting at the end of a marathon. Could someone sprint the entire marathon?

But Fang Zhengzhi was doing just that...

Every strike was filled with every ounce of force he could muster. Every charge tore a hole in the fabric of the universe. One could only imagine the exertion required to maintain such power.

Nangong Hao knew exactly how tiring this was. As such, he was in no hurry.

He knew that Fang Zhengzhi could not last long. He thought that Fang Zhengzhi was just trying to ensure that his defeat was not too humiliating.

Nangong Hao could understand this. Furthermore, Fang Zhengzhi had proposed a fair fight and rejected his offer to suppress his cultivation state to the Heavenly Reflection State.

This was reason enough for him to take Fang Zhengzhi seriously.

But...

Fang Zhengzhi was holding out for a ridiculously long time.

Furthermore, it felt like Fang Zhengzhi still had more in him. He continued to charge and swing manically. It didn't look like he was fighting for his life. In fact, it looked like he was just venting his anger.

"What the hell?" Nangong Hao could not understand what was going on. He had been in the Heavenly Reflection State before and knew how much resources were at his disposal. Even if Fang Zhengzhi had more than the average person, this was getting a little too ridiculous.

That was what Nangong Hao was thinking.

However, what he did not know was that Fang Zhengzhi was actually venting.

Fang Zhengzhi had always been quite thrifty and conservative with his use of these resources. After all, he could not afford to waste it.

But this time, he realized that he had something that he could use to refill his resources.

That was a vast ocean.

An ocean filled with raw energy.

Every swing of the blade would wipe out all of the raw energy in the sky inside his pocket dimension. It was such a great feeling.

Every swing would wipe it out.

Fang Zhengzhi could only use one word to describe it.

Awesome!

The vast ocean in his pocket dimension roared as it kept filling the sky with more of the white mist. Every time it was filled, it would be emptied, only to be refilled again.

Fang Zhengzhi had no idea how long it would take before the ocean would be completely depleted. However, he had the feeling that it would take at least an hour.

Even though he had no way of defeating Nangong Hao, to be able to last more than an hour in battle was admirable.

Fang Zhengzhi knew that they couldn't mock him for such a feat. He smirked subconsciously, a queer sight amidst all the dust and battle.

What Fang Zhengzhi did not know was that whilst the ocean of mist was raging, the huge tree in his pocket dimension was also changing. Leaves began to sprout from the branches and the fruits began to morph.

They were initially smooth and ordinary. But now, patterns began to appear on the surface. There were mountains, rivers, flora, grass, trees, snowflakes...

The fruit that changed the most was the purple colored one.

That fruit already had patterns on it, but now, with the vaporization of white mist, that fruit began to glow.

Fang Zhengzhi was having the time of his life.

Nangong Hao was shocked. He even had a feeling that Fang Zhengzhi's attacks were getting more and more powerful.

Even though...

The change was so minute that it was almost unnoticeable...

He still managed to feel it.

"If I had suppressed my cultivation state to the Heavenly Reflection State, could I have won?" Nangong Hao wondered to himself as he fought.

All this while, Nangong Hao never doubted the path that he chose. After all, he had chosen this path after much consideration and research.

This was the most direct path in the cultivation world.

Initially, he had given up learning the Green and Blue Secret Art in favor of the Dragon Combat Plan. His reason for not choosing the Green and Blue Secret Art was not because he was scared of its difficulty.

He chose it for the starting point.

The Dragon Combat Plan provided a better starting point.

He would learn the Dragon Combat Plan first, then proceed to the Green and Blue Secret Art. He had never revealed this plan to anyone.

Including Nangong Mu.

Nangong Hao knew exactly why Nangong Mu chose the Green and Blue Secret Art. He had tried talking Nangong Mu out of it but to no avail. As such, he had no choice but to support his brother.

As long as Nangong Mu participated in the exam, he would not participate. Furthermore, he would not fight with Nangong Mu for any honor.

On many occasions, Nangong Hao had promised in his heart that he would help Nangong Mu master the Green and Blue Secret Art after he had distilled all the essence of the Dragon Combat Plan. He would help make his brother a sage!

This was Nangong Hao.

He did not lust after reputation or benefits. All he wanted was to find the best cultivation techniques.

But now, for the first time ever, he began to doubt the method he chose. This doubt originated from Fang Zhengzhi.

Nangong Hao's surprise was considered mild.

All of the candidates were completely floored by this time. They kept trying to guess how long this battle would last.

Five rounds? Six rounds? Eight rounds?

Five minutes?

15 minutes!

Okay then...

More than 15 minutes had passed and the battle continued to rage on. Fang Zhengzhi never stopped charging towards Nangong Hao.

What the hell was going on?!

They couldn't figure it out. All they could do was watch on like wooden dummies, unable to believe what they were seeing.

All of the soldiers and candidates were too engrossed in the battle, oblivious to the fact that there was a group of people on top of a cliff.

That was where Yan Xiu had killed a few demons.

Beneath their feet were the blood stains from the battle. These people were not bothered by it, choosing to step on the stains on purpose.

The group was led by a lady dressed in an ordinary white dress. Her face was covered by a veil.

Even so, the aura of her body could not be masked.

It was a commanding, icy aura. When she stood on the snowy cliff, it was augmented, capable of sending chills down one's spine.

The wind blew and lifted a corner of the lady's veil up. It revealed her exquisite features and dainty, bright red lips. One could see that...

The lady was shocked by what she was seeing.

She was accompanied by a group of men dressed in black. However, the shock on those men's faces was clear for all to see.

To her left was a figure in a black cloak. This figure was thin, his eyes like stars, his eyebrows like swords.

More importantly, he had a demonic eye in his forehead, and it was bright red.

This was Bai Xing.

The person next to him could only be the master of the demons, Yun Qingwu.

"388 Daos? He actually has 388 Daos?! I would never expect that Fang Zhengzhi would be this powerful!"

"As a pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State individual, he is able to last more than 15 minutes against the pinnacle Supernatural State Nangong Hao. I'm afraid there is no other person with such talent?"

"Master, we cannot let this guy live!"

Shock filled the eyes of all the black-robed men. Their mouths were agape as they whimpered in awe. Nothing could mask their surprise at what they were seeing.

Yun Qingwu watched in silence as her eyes glimmered. No one knew what she was thinking, and no one dared to defy her orders.

Because...

She was the favorite daughter of the demon lord. The young master of the demons.

"Master, should I take Nangong Hao's life or Fang Zhengzhi's life?" Bai Xiang's fingers moved as a star twirled around his finger.

He was waiting for Yun Qingwu to make a decision.

Of course, if things had gone according to plan, he did not have to wait. However, upon seeing the battle below them, the plan had to be changed.

"Up to you." Yun Qingwu finally spoke, her voice flat. However, she hesitated for a moment immediately after.

She quickly suppressed the hesitation.

There was no reason given.

She was the young master of the demons.

"Thank you, Master!" Bai Xing nodded. He didn't reply as though he had just received an order, choosing instead to express gratitude.

It didn't seem very fitting for the situation.

However, that was how Bai Xing chose to reply. Neither Yun Qingwu nor the men behind her thought that it was inappropriate.

Then...

A bright ray of light shone into the sky.

It was as thin as a star. It was not overly bright, but it was filled with a cold, icy killing intent.

Bai Xing had gotten to his current position not through connections with the leadership. He had gotten here through raw ability.

His ability originated from his calmness and loyalty. Furthermore, no one he set out to kill lived.

Of course, the incident at The Vast World was an exception.

His opponent then was Xing Yuanguo of the Stabilization Constabulary.

That was a man who was wanted by virtually everyone outside the Great Xia Dynasty. However, he continued to live and battle.

Bai Xing could not be blamed for that failure.

However, this time was different.

His opponent was not Xing Yuanguo. It was Nangong Zhao and Fang Zhengzhi. Furthermore, the two of them were engaged in an intense battle with each other.

One was in the pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State, the other was in the pinnacle Supernatural State. They were the top talents of their age and held in high regard by their peers.

However, could they stand up against the Rebirth State Bai Xing?

If they could, then Bai Xing would not be called Bai Xing!

The silver ray of light originated from Bai Xing's ginger and shot skyward. At that moment, Bai Xing disappeared from atop the cliff.

It felt like he had never appeared on the cliff. To be more precise, it looked as if he was always that disappearing ray of light.

All of the candidates and soldiers were too captivated by the battle between Nangong Hao and Fang Zhengzhi.

Yan Xiu gripped his Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan so tightly his knuckles turned white. He was anxious but also surprised by Fang Zhengzhi's abilities.

His emotions were complicated.

This wave of emotions caused him to miss seeing the ray of silver light from the heavens.

Not only did Yan Xiu fail to notice it, Wu Feng, Chen Feiyu, and even Teng Shisheng failed to notice it.

The silver ray of light disappeared almost as quickly as it appeared.

It didn't truly disappear. In fact, it had merged with the light around it. It was camouflaged so well that one would only see the sunlight when one looked up.

They were both lights, but one was warm whilst the other was icy cold.

The ray of light embedded within the sunlight crashed towards the earth, landing right in the middle of the battling Nangong Hao and Fang Zhengzhi.

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Chapter 384: This is Asura

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Fang Zhengzhi would rarely be this passionate about a battle which he had little chance of winning. However, the rush that he was feeling was too awesome to give up.

More importantly, his opponent was Nangong Hao.

Most people could not understand this feeling. However, put simply, would there be any satisfaction in defeating an unknown weakling?

Perhaps a little, but not too much.

However... if one defeated someone famous and powerful... it'll be a different story altogether.

Nangong Hao made a name for himself four years ago, earning himself the title of the top talent in the Great Xia Dynasty. Furthermore, his cultivation state was a full level above Fang Zhengzhi.

Yet, with 40,000 troops as witnesses, he could not easily defeat Fang Zhengzhi.

Fang Zhengzhi wanted to clash with Nangong Hao a few more times.

But...

Just as he was having the time of his life, he felt a wave of iciness crash towards him from above.

"Sneak attack?!" Fang Zhengzhi looked up instinctively. This was part of his reflexes, especially since he was so adept at the sneak attack tactic.

However, he did not notice anything.

To be more precise, all he saw was a ray of sunlight. It was rather bright and piercing.

Then, he felt a sharp pain in his chest.

It felt like needles or a sword.

In actual fact, what Fang Zhengzhi didn't know was that when he raised his head, a silver ray of light had already reached his chest.

Bai Xing would never let his victim know in advance that he was under attack.

By the time his victim felt the icy chill, it was all over. The blade was already on its way. As for the iciness...

It was the suppression after he had released the blade.

Fang Zhengzhi felt that a sneak attack was coming, but he had no way of dodging the sword. It was so fast that he didn't even have time to react to it.

The cold icy killing intent rose and spread in all directions, causing all the dust in the air to freeze in that instant. It looked extremely queer.

However, if one looked closely, one would see that every speck of dust was covered in a layer of white ice. This was not dust anymore. It was ice.

Yun Qingwu watched quietly from the cliff. Her lips parted and pursed as she watched the dust turn into ice. She clenched her fingers tightly, almost as if she was saying something.

However, even the guys closest to her could not hear anything.

Of course, this was partially because of the fact that Yun Qingwu's voice was too soft. However, it was more because they were too captivated by the icy ground they saw in front of them.

From the freezing of the dust to the ice falling to the ground...

Less than a second had passed. However, for Yun Qingwu, this was a slow, agonizing wait.

In actual fact, the wait had begun from the moment Bai Xing disappeared.

She waited anxiously for the sword to find its mark.

And now...

The blade had struck, right between Nangong Hao and Fang Zhengzhi. To be more precise, the blade had struck Fang Zhengzhi's chest, just as she had guessed.

Did that mean that it was all over?

The ice fell to the ground like drops of rain, making pitter patter noises as it did so. It was light and almost soundless.

The ragged breathing of the candidates was much louder in comparison.

They did not see the ray of light coming down from the heavens, but it would be impossible not to see the light strike Fang Zhengzhi.

The iciness that enveloped the land also engulfed the hearts of the candidates.

They did not know where the ray of light had come from or why it had struck. However, they knew that they were in enemy territory, and this ray of light was not a good sign.

"Fang Zhengzhi!"

A voice rang out from within the crowd. This voice was icy, but traces of anxiety were clear for all to hear.

When Yan Xiu saw the ray of light, he was not stunned like the others. The only thought in his mind was, how is Fang Zhengzhi?

Fang Zhengzhi did not know what Yan Xiu was thinking. If he did, he would definitely reply that he was not fine, and that he was furious.

In actual fact, Fang Zhengzhi always had a different outlook on life from the people in this world.

If he could avoid getting hurt, he would. If he could avoid fighting, he would. As such, when he was going to fight and get hurt, there was no point in asking him if he was okay.

The answer was obvious.

Fang Zhengzhi had seen Bai Xing before. As such, when he saw the figure appear in front of him with a bright red demonic eye, the only thing he could do was...

"Bai Xing, f*ck your mother!"

Fang Zhengzhi rarely cursed this badly. Normally, he would choose comparatively more civilized terms.

However, this time, he felt that only the crudest and most despicable swear words could describe the anger he felt.

Then, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

The bright red stream of blood rocketed through the air and landed on the snow white ground some distance away. It looked like a red flower in the snow.

In fact, Bai Xing felt the same way as Fang Zhengzhi. He too wanted to curse and swear. However, Bai Xing was a demon.

To the humans, the demons were an evil race.

However, to the demons, they were royalty. They were the rightful rulers of the world.

As such, the demons rarely chose to scold others. Ordinarily, they would choose to kill before they chose to scold.

But right now, Bai Xing really wanted to scold and curse.

It wasn't just because Fang Zhengzhi had just defiled his mother with his words. More importantly, his strike had hit home, but Fang Zhengzhi did not die!

Of course, Bai Xing's strike had hit its mark.

Even though it had been more difficult than he expected... When his blade was thrust towards Fang Zhengzhi's chest, the blade in Fang Zhengzhi's hand mysteriously appeared in front of his sword.

Then, there was a crystal clear sword that was aimed at his side causing him to feel like his blade wasn't his.

However, these were not enough to stop Bai Xing.

His sword still found its mark.

He swiped away Fang Zhengzhi's blade and his sword took a hit from Nangong Hao's blade. However, his sword did not stray from its intended path.

However, just when his blade hit Fang Zhengzhi's chest...

He felt a hard object. This did not feel like human flesh. This was a metal, a metal that was strong enough to block his blade.

But Fang Zhengzhi was only wearing a leopard print leather suit...

Where did the metal come from?

Unless Fang Zhengzhi was also wearing armor underneath, armor that had saved his life.

Of course...

No matter what the reason was, the fact was that Bai Xing had failed to assassinate Fang Zhengzhi. That was a truth that he could not deny.

Nangong Hao turned to look at Bai Xing. He did not look at Bai Xing's appearance or the blade in Bai Xing's hand. He merely looked at Bai Xing's red demonic eye.

Then, he swung his sword.

There was no hesitation.

When he battled Fang Zhengzhi, his attacks were silent. However, this time, his blade hummed as it sailed through the air.

This was the sound of a dragon, the hum that resulted from prolonged suppression.

All of the ice on the ground seemed to be summoned by this hum. They flew towards Nangong Hao's blade and congregated there.

Then, they formed an icy, hellish aura.

"Hum!"

Bai Xing knew all along that Nangong Hao was powerful. However, he was still shocked when he saw this strike.

He could feel that even with his powers, he needed to defend against it with everything that he had.

"Boom!"

Bai Xing's body flew back more than 10 steps. He steadied himself and stared at Nangong Hao, then back at Fang Zhengzhi.

He had always thought that his sword was quick.

Only now did he know that there was someone else below the Rebirth State that was just as quick as him. That person was Nangong Hao.

If not for the fact that Nangong Hao had attacked his flank, Bai Xing was confident that he would have been able to penetrate whatever armor Fang Zhengzhi had.

Of course, this was all history.

Bai Xing had thought that his strike had no chance of failing. But yet, Fang Zhengzhi had blocked his blade and Nangong Hao's sword had clashed with his. In the end, he had been stopped by Fang Zhengzhi's armor.

He had to admit...

This was quite a hit to Bai Xing's ego.

Furthermore, Yun Qingwu and the elites of the demon race were all observing from above. This was not just a matter of being humiliated.

He decided to make good his failure...

He would kill Fang Zhengzhi AND Nangong Hao.

Nangong Hao's sword was pointed at Bai Xing but he did not look in that direction. Instead, he looked at Fang Zhengzhi.

From the moment Bai Xing appeared, Nangong Hao knew that the combat examinations had been paused. If his guess was correct, the war of the Southern Mountain Range had begun.

Naturally, his sword would not be pointed at Fang Zhengzhi.

"Go first!" Nangong Hao's voice was not loud but it was determined. However, he was quite shocked to see a silver metallic glow where there was a tear in Fang Zhengzhi's leather suit.

He knew exactly how powerful Bai Xing's attack was. Even though he had struck Bai Xing's blade, all he did was weaken it slightly.

As for its accuracy...

It had been unchanged throughout.

As such, the thing that managed to defend against Bai Xing's attack was that metallic, mirror-like object.

"She really gave that thing... to him..."

Fang Zhengzhi wanted to leave as well, but he knew that he couldn't. He was Bai Xing's target.

He felt much better after he finished berating Bai Xing.

However, after being snuck up on, it would be impossible for all his anger to dissipate after a single curse.

If not for the fact that Traceless Sword went against his will and turned back... If not for the fact that Nangong Hao had attacked Bai Xing's sword... If not for Chi Guyan's Heart Protection mirror...

Most importantly, if Bai Xing had not aimed for his heart...

He would have been dead.

At the very least, he could not be able to retaliate.

Fang Zhengzhi rarely fought battles he had no confidence in winning. He knew that Bai Xing was a Rebirth State Demon.

However, for some queer reason, after he spat out the mouthful of blood, his heart burned with an unquenchable rage.

It seemed to originate from his hand.

More precisely, it seemed to originate from the Traceless Sword.

However, what he did not notice was that the blood that he spat out was now being collected by his sword. It was being incorporated into that purple stain.

The purple stain began to expand.

This caused Fang Zhengzhi much discomfort. However, his eyes began to turn purple, a weird glow swirling around in his pupils.

Just at this moment...

A red beam of light appeared in front of him. It was the shade of blood, and it was different from the iciness he felt from the silver beam of light.

This cold felt like it came right out of hell. Furthermore, the stench of blood was strong.

Fang Zhengzhi turned back instinctively.

He saw a figure almost entirely enveloped in red light. Then, he saw two glowing, bloodshot eyes.

"Yan Xiu?!" Fang Zhengzhi had seen Yan Xiu use the Dao of Asura, but he had never seen Yan Xiu use it in this way.

It wasn't because Yan Xiu looked any different.

But... his aura...

This aura came from within his body. It did not feel like Yan Xiu was using the Dao of Asura. Instead, it felt like the Dao of Asura was complementing Yan Xiu. In other words, Yan Xiu was the Dao of Asura!

"Die!" Yan Xiu bellowed as his eyes turned completely red. The Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan in his hand was covered by a layer of red crystals.

It looked beautiful and translucent, but it was filled with killing intent.

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Chapter 385: I killed Fang Zhengzhi?

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Fang Zhengzhi had seen Yan Xiu wield the Dao of Asura before. He still remembered the faint red and the sharp killing power.

However, it was clearly different from how Yan Xiu was now.

Nangong Hao had seen Yan Xiu's Dao of Asura before. He witnessed it together with Wu Feng, Chen Feiyu, and the other candidates during the release of the Theory Examination results.

That time, Yan Xiu's actions had shocked all of the officials present.

However...

He was suppressed by the Emperor's words. But today, who could suppress Yan Xiu?

All of the candidates wanted to stop Yan Xiu, but Yan Xiu was too fast. Furthermore, the aura that Yan Xiu was exuding struck fear in their hearts.

Of course...

Bai Xing did not know fear.

That being said, it would be impossible if Bai Xing wasn't shocked when he saw the red glow enveloping Yan Xiu.

After the battle on Cang Ling Mountain, he had spent most of his time in the Southern Mountain Range. His entire focus was put here, so he naturally ignored the intelligence coming from the Great Xia Dynasty.

Yan Xiu had shown the Dao of Asura at the preliminary court examinations.

As such, Bai Xing had no idea.

"The Dao... of Asura?!" Bai Xing was in the Rebirth State. Naturally, he knew what the Dao of Asura entailed.

However, Bai Xing was not afraid of the Dao of Asura.

However, for a 16-year-old teenager to be able to wield the Dao of Asura? 16?! That would mean that he already had one foot in the Rebirth State at 16. Such a talent would only appear once every few centuries.

"But he seems a little unstable!" Bai Xing smirked as he looked at the red glow surrounding Yan Xiu and staining Yan Xiu's eyes.

The Dao of Asura was a virtuous one.

However, it was a unique one amongst the virtuous Daos. The Dao of Asura originated from anger and fury. Bai Xing did not know how long Yan Xiu had been training in the Dao of Asura.

However, he knew that Yan Xiu's fury originated from...

Fang Zhengzhi!

Bai Xing, who was the leader of all ten demonic domains, guessed this easily. He could see it in Yan Xiu's expression.

He was determined to make Yan Xiu even angrier.

It was not difficult for Bai Xing to do this. As someone who has spent more than a decade in the Rebirth State, he was much more powerful than Yan Xiu.

A silver ray of light shot skyward and Bai Xing disappeared from where he stood, becoming one with the silver ray of light.

Fang Zhengzhi had seen the battle between Bai Xing and Xing Yuanguo.

At that time, the purple light had crossed with the silver one. He could not see if it was human or light, but he could see that the purple light had the advantage.

He remembered it well, but he did not really understand how terrifying it was.

However, when Bai Xing disappeared once again, Fang Zhengzhi felt it for himself.

What else could unsettle one's opponent more than disappearing into a ray of light?

"Watch out!" Fang Zhengzhi heard a sound from his side.

Fang Zhengzhi knew that this came from Nangong Hao, but he didn't know if it was directed at him or Yan Xiu.

Of course...

He realized in a moment.

Yan Xiu's Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan was in front of him in an instant, the red crystals glowing in all their ferocity.

The stench of blood was thick in the air.

Fang Zhengzhi did not know why Yan Xiu's Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan would be coming towards him, but he knew he could not dodge.

After all, he had been concentrating on Bai Xing. He never thought that he would need to defend against Yan Xiu.

"Boom!"

He felt a sharp pain that shot right through his brain. It was an icy, sharp pain, almost as if he had just been thrown into the depths of hell.

Fang Zhengzhi had already been injured by the strike from Bai Xing. However, before he could recover, he was hit by yet another powerful attack.

He blacked out.

A stream of blood spewed from his mouth as his legs turned to jelly.

The bright red blood danced in the air and dropped onto the blade of the Traceless Sword. The strange purple glow continued to expand as it became brighter and brighter.

Silence, pin drop silence.

All of the soldiers looked on in shock as they saw Fang Zhengzhi collapsed.

Bai Xing's appearance, Yan Xiu's attack, and Fang Zhengzhi's subsequent collapse had all happened too quickly.

Bai Xing's ability and identity were a given.

The red demonic eye on his forehead said it all.

The soldiers were all shocked to see Bai Xing appear. Then, Fang Zhengzhi's ability to block his attack was even more awe-inducing. After all, that was an attack from a Rebirth State cultivator.

They all began to celebrate.

At least Fang Zhengzhi was still alive. That was the best result they could have hoped for. However, who would expect tragedy to strike so quickly.

Furthermore...

It had happened so quickly and in the most unexpected way. None of the soldiers would expect that Fang Zhengzhi would fall to Yan Xiu's Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan.

Even Wu Feng, Chen Feiyu, and all the other candidates could not predict such an ending.

Even Yan Xiu and Nangong Hao could not react in time. Nangong Hao had seen Bai Xing attack, but he could not stop it.

The reason was simple.

There were three people facing Bai Xing, himself, the injured Fang Zhengzhi, and the Dao of Asura wielding Yan Xiu.

The choice was simple.

He had to stop Bai Xing from attacking Fang Zhengzhi. However, he did not expect that Bai Xing would use Yan Xiu...

As such, when Yan Xiu attacked Fang Zhengzhi with his Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan, Nangong Hao was unable to stop it.

"Fang Zhengzhi!" Nangong Hao's expression changed as a ray of golden light instantly enveloped himself and Fang Zhengzhi.

Yan Xiu's expression was significantly more pained. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

"I... I killed Fang Zhengzhi?!" Yan Xiu shut his eyes as he looked at the fallen Fang Zhengzhi. He knew how powerful that attack was.

If he had hit home...

Even he himself would be seriously injured and bedridden for a year and a half. Furthermore, Fang Zhengzhi had already been seriously injured by Bai Xing's attack.

Pain and rage consumed him in that instant.

In fact, when he had seen Bai Xing attack Fang Zhengzhi, he was already furious.

He was not angry with Bai Xing.

He was angry with himself.

He blamed himself for not insisting on fighting with Fang Zhengzhi. He blamed himself for spectating the battle and not expecting a sneak attack.

Where were they?!

The Southern Mountain Range!

Danger was everywhere.

Yet, under such circumstances, he had been engrossed by the battle between Nangong Hao and Fang Zhengzhi. He had completely ignored the possibility of a sneak attack.

He had been too complacent!

The demons had hidden amongst the candidates, yet he had missed it out? He was furious.

And now?

Just as he was raging, his attack had hit the seriously injured Fang Zhengzhi.

Blood...

Bright red blood stained the ground and Yan Xiu's eyes. His eye was completely red. One could not see the whites nor the pupils.

Bai Xing appeared some distance away, his starry eyes looking at Yan Xiu, who was completely consumed by red.

"Not bad, what a beautiful strike!" Bai Xing pointed at Fang Zhengzhi and smirked.

"It's the demons! Rebirth State demon! Charge, don't let him run!"

"Kill!"

"Send the order to surround him!"

All of the generals sprang into action. When faced with demons, they only had one mission. Kill any demon that they saw.

Ass to who will kill him?

It wasn't for them to decide. Regardless, they would surround the demon first.

Xing Qingsui glanced at the fallen Fang Zhengzhi, then back at the smirking Bai Xing.

"It is the leader of the 10 demonic domains, Bai Xing!" Xing Qingsui was not like the other generals. He knew what the plan was.

Furthermore, he knew for a fact that Bai Xing's appearance...

Was no coincidence!

Could it be that the demons had laid an ambush in the Icy Monkey Settlement?

Xing Qingsui looked towards the Icy Monkey Settlement. Then, his gaze froze. He saw a group of soldiers in rattan standing on the walls of the Icy Monkey Settlement.

It wasn't just the soldiers on the wall, there were regiments marching out of the gates of the Icy Monkey Settlement.

"The Southern Mountain Range... good on them! They actually placed so many soldiers here to ambush us?" Xing Qingsui gripped his fists.

He could recognize that these were the soldiers from the Southern Mountain Range. He could also guess why they were here.

Then, he heard similar noises from his back.

"Not good, the soldiers from Feng Su are also wrapping around!"

"There are soldiers from the Southern Mountain Range on both sides, we are surrounded!"

"Silence!"

All of the soldiers fell silent, the generals looking to Xing Qingsui for direction.

Xing Qingsui was the successor to the Stabilization Constabulary. Furthermore, he had the Emperor's token in hand. They would follow him to hell and back.

"Hold your ground!" Xing Qingsui ordered without much thought. He knew that every moment of hesitation could cost the lives of hundreds of soldiers.

"Yes, sir!" The voices replied in unison.

Yun Qingwu watched all of these unfold from the top of the cliff. However, her gaze never left Fang Zhengzhi's body.

Her lips parted and closed but never made any sound. She looked on quietly before she touched the veil covering her face, her expression conflicted.

One could not discern if it was hurt, joy, reminiscence, or contemplation.

Then, she retrieved a dark green Guqin.

The men at the back were all slightly taken aback when they saw Yun Qingwu take out her Guqin. However, they reacted quickly.

With the movement of his finger, one of the men commanded the rocks on the cliff. The rocks all came together to form a stool and a table.

Yun Qingwu did not speak as she took her seat. Then, she placed the Guqin on the table and looked up at the clear blue sky.

No one knew what Yun Qingwu was thinking.

Then, Yun Qingwu's voice became clearer. It sounded like a dialogue, but it was between Yun Qingwu and herself.

"What would you like to listen to?"

"Haha..."

"Young Master Fang is a great person, but this piece, "Guang Ling Verse" has many parts. Which part would Young Master Fang like to listen to first?"

Then, Yun Qingwu pursed her lips.

The melodious sound of the Guqin rang out and reverberated through the mountains. It sounded as though it was recounting a memory whose existence was a mystery.

"Why is there music?!"

"It sounds like Guang Ling Verse? Who is playing such beautiful music?"

"Look, there is someone on top of the cliff. My... my god, are my eyes playing tricks on me? Is... is that Yun Qingwu?!"

All of the candidates looked at the lady in the white dress on top of the cliff. What the could not understand was...

Why would Yun Qingwu show herself here?!

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Chapter 386: Useless Weakling

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Ever since the ancient times, talents had been looking for love. They were not looking for action on the bed, but they were looking for true love.

There were the hopeless romantics who searched high and low for love.

There were many talents who dreamed that they would find their ideal match to live together and grow old with.

Some of these dreams were bitter, some didn't end well, some ended single, whilst some ended well.

Even though most of them did not end up as perfect as they dreamt it up to be, the candidates still flocked to it like moths to a flame.

Actually...

It was not difficult to understand why.

In this world, studying was the way towards success. Many of them spent decades in their study rooms, watching as the world around them kept changing.

All they were working for was success. They wanted to be revered by their peers. They hoped that they would be able to lift that veil...

How many girls were there in this world that had both the looks and the brains?

That was the perfect girl.

Males needed to know how to appreciate the arts and be skilled in writing. As for ladies, they needed to have the looks and the talent.

Without which, how would they be able to communicate with each other?

As such, the females constantly tried to improve their musical skills and the males learned to appreciate the performance.

That was the beauty of romance.

Every talent in the world tried to be well educated enough to appreciate the arts. Anyone who did not show any appreciation of the arts would not dare talk about romance.

As for Yun Qingwu, she was the dream girl for many of the talents in the Great Xia Dynasty.

Yun Qingwu knew how to draw, perform, compose poetry, amongst other things. In fact, whatever they could do, she could do too, possibly even better.

As such...

How could the candidates not be attracted to such a lady?

"Why is Yun Qingwu in the Southern Regions?!"

The first thought through the minds of the candidates was, "Has she been kidnapped?". Of course, this thought did not last long.

They saw that the demons standing behind Yun Qingwu were stern, but they accorded her immense respect.

"Yun Qingwu is part of the demons?!"

This thought raced through the minds of the candidates. They gripped their fists.

Even though she was a demon, they still admired her.

This was romance.

At least, this was romance in the minds of the candidates.

Nangong Hao's reaction was different from that of the other candidates when he saw Yun Qingwu on the cliff.

"She didn't die?" Nangong Hao tightened the grip on his sword. He recalled the incident where he had destroyed the Sword Star Formation and stained his clothes.

But he had always had doubts...

Was the lady that he killed on the boat... really Yun Qingwu?

"The young master of the demons, Yun Qingwu!" Xing Qingsui's gaze was icy as he unsheathed his sword.

He pointed it straight at Yun Qingwu, his battle intent at its peak.

"What? Yun Qingwu is the... young master of the demons?!"

"Young Master Xing, are you sure about this?"

"How can this be?"

All of the candidates looked on in disbelief when they heard what Xing Qingsui said. It felt as though Xing Qingsui had just called a hawker the Emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty. None of the candidates wanted to believe it was true.

However, what they wanted to believe was secondary...

It was a fact!

Just as the music continued to resonate through the air, two of the men behind Yun Qingwu began to lift up their cloaks.

Their red demonic eyes were clear for all to see.

Even though the redness was still some ways off from Bai Xing's, their cultivation level was obvious.

Rebirth, both of them!

There was one other person besides these two Rebirth State Demons. His demonic eye was green, but it sent chills down everyone's spine.

Pinnacle Supernatural State.

The three deputies of the 10 demonic domains. Two in the Rebirth State, and one at the pinnacle of the Supernatural State.

"There are two Rebirth State demons, one pinnacle Supernatural State one, and at least 50 Supernatural State elites. Furthermore... we are being surrounded on all sides by the Southern Region soldiers... how are we going to fight this battle?"

"Over my dead body!"

"No! I came here for the examination, not to die!"

"Shut up. Death is no big deal! I will willingly give up my life for this battle. Yun Qingwu, my only wish is to die by your hand!" One of the candidates scorned the cowardly candidate before he screamed to the lady at the top of the cliff, tears in his eyes.

Just as the candidate finished his sentence, a ray of purple light shot skywards from behind Yun Qingwu. Then, it crashed down.

"Sh*t!"

Blood spewed from the candidate's mouth.

He looked at his chest in disbelief. There was a sword embedded deep in his chest.

Blood flowed onto the blade and dripped onto the ground.

"You..." The candidate looked at the middle-aged man standing in front of him. He stared at the red demonic eye in disbelief.

"Useless weakling!" The middle-aged man removed his sword and blood spewed from the wound. However, he did not even bother looking at that candidate. In fact, he didn't even give a reason for killing the candidate.

He merely called the candidate a weakling.

This candidate had spent decades studying for this examination. He was revered by his peers. Yet, the last thing he heard before his death...

Useless weakling.

Panic, disorientation, a sense of loss...

At that moment, all of the candidates understood one thing. In the Great Xia Dynasty, they were the top talents of their generation.

They could enjoy their lives and be revered by others. They could spend their time composing poems and having fun.

But, the moment they stepped out of the Great Xia Dynasty, out of the protective bubble, they were nothing

Fang Zhengzhi was the prime example.

He was a villager. No matter how talented he was, they never thought of him as a serious contender. How could a villager ever match up to them?

They were so arrogant that they ignored everyone else.

But now...

In the battle between the Great Xia Dynasty and the Southern Region, when being flanked by the demons, they were helpless.

Pinnacle Heavenly Reflection talent?

In the face of a Rebirth State demon, he was a weakling.

He could be killed easily.

Chen Feiyu looked at the candidate bathing in his own blood. He was no more than two steps from the candidate. When the middle-aged man removed his sword, he could feel the warmth of the blood gushing out.

Some of it splattered on his face.

He saw the look of defiance on the face of the candidate. For the first time, he felt that death was imminent.

As a disciple in one of the 13 constabularies, he had seen his fair share of blood.

However, he knew that the bloodshed was never lethal. After all, the 13 constabularies ensured that no one was fatally injured.

When he broke through to the Supernatural State...

He only had one thought in his mind. He wanted to showcase his power. He wanted others to cheer for him and recognize him as a talent.

But now?

There was a Rebirth State demon just steps away from him. The demon held a sword stained with the blood of his comrade. The demon had just insulted that comrade...

Yet, what was he doing?

All this while, he had wanted to showcase his abilities.

But now, when the opportunity arose, he only had one thought on his mind. He was going to wait. He didn't know if he was waiting for the sword to strike him down, or if he was waiting for his opponent to leave.

Chen Feiyu did not look at the middle-aged man's expression, neither did he look at the terrifying red demonic eye. He lowered his head as he looked at the fallen candidate.

The middle-aged man sheathed his sword.

Then, he looked around at all the silent candidates, his eyes glowing with disdain and scorn.

He did not draw his sword again after sheathing it. He walked past all the candidates rooted in their position. Then, he walked towards Bai Xing and Nangong Hao.

"He is alone, as long as we stick together..." One of the candidates started to speak. However, he was not given a chance to finish.

There was already a sword at his throat, a sword that had already been stained with blood.

The candidate could not believe his eyes when he saw the sword. His eyes screamed defiance, but he did not look at the middle-aged man. All he did was look at the other candidates around him, the ones that he drank and made merry with...

Right now, all of those candidates looked at him as well. However, they chose not to move. They did not even make a squeak.

"Sh*t!"

Blood spewed out like a geyser from his throat.

The middle-aged man sheathed his sword once again. He did not even look at that fallen candidate, neither did he bother calling the candidate a weakling.

Blood dripped from his hand.

Then, without any change in expression, the middle-aged man walked to Bai Xing's side and remained silent.

He did not draw his sword. He watched Bai Xing, Nangong Hao, Yan Xiu, and the fallen Fang Zhengzhi silently.

The music continued to resonate through the air. Throughout the murder of the two candidates, the music never stopped.

It was still as melodious and intoxicating as before.

However...

The candidates could no longer enjoy the music. All they could feel was blood, the bright red blood that had been spilled.

"Young Master Xing, what do we do now?"

"Yes, the Emperor gave you his token, he must have said something! Did he place the Mountain Breaking Army here? If he did, now..."

"Young Master Xing, we can't hold off all these soldiers ourselves! There are demons as well!"

All of the generals began to voice their opinions as they looked to Xing Qingsui for orders.

This was a dire situation for the Great Xia Dynasty.

They were surrounded by the soldiers of the Southern Mountain Range as well as the demon elites. There was no way they would emerge victorious.

Xing Qingsui, with the Emperor's token in hand, was their only hope.

All of the other candidates looked to Xing Qingsui as well. Right now, Xing Qingsui was their last hope.

Xing Qingsui did not stand with the other candidates. He stood with the other generals, nearer to Fang Zhengzhi.

He heard the generals and the other candidates.

However, he did not reply immediately. He looked at Bai Xing, then at the regiments marching from the Icy Monkey Settlement.

He hesitated.

No one knew why Xing Qingsui hesitated. The only course of action now was to fight the Southern Region and the demons head-on.

But, Xing Qingsui hesitated.

Just at this moment, the music stopped. The hearts of all the candidates were heavy.

It felt as though they were about to be sentenced.

It was life or death for them!

It was almost ironic. The lady that every talent in the Great Xia Dynasty lusted for was now in control of their fate.

What kind of decision would this immensely talented and beautiful lady make?

Yun Qingwu put down the Guqin as she stood up from the stone bench. She looked down at all the candidates below.

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Chapter 387: Blood Red

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Previously, Yun Qingwu looked like a pristine individual, untouched by any dirt or evil that she came into contact with. But now, Yun Qingwu had an additional layer of class.

She was powerful.

However, Yun Qingwu could not be less interested in their fate. She did not even take a second look at them.

She turned to look at the fallen Fang Zhengzhi, then pointed at the Traceless Sword in Fang Zhengzhi's hand. She did not even say anything.

But Bai Xing knew what she wanted immediately.

"Take Fang Zhengzhi and the sword over there!" Bai Xing glanced at Fang Zhengzhi, his icy aura still strong as ever.

"Okay." The middle-aged man nodded.

His blade was still sheathed as he walked towards Fang Zhengzhi. He did not even look at Nangong Hao or Yan Xiu.

Just at that moment, a red glow appeared in front of this middle-aged man. He brought with him a hellish iciness.

This was Yan Xiu.

However, Yan Xiu was not Yan Xiu anymore.

Yan Xiu's eyes were completely red, his Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan covered in red crystal. More importantly, there was a red light ring around his waist.

It kept swirling.

This was quite the ridiculous sight. The middle-aged man did not even look at Yan Xiu. He walked calmly towards Fang Zhengzhi, then...

Raised his sword.

"Boom!"

The red light swirled around Yan Xiu's waist like a spirit out of hell. It looked as though its teeth were chewing on something.

An exclamation of surprise rang out all of a sudden.

Then, a figure retreated a couple of steps, the look of surprise and disbelief clear for all to see.

The candidates were all stunned to see this because they never expected that the middle-aged man would be the one to retreat.

"How is this possible?!"

"How does a pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State cultivator go up against a Rebirth State one?"

"Even though Yan Xiu already has one foot inside the Rebirth State, he is up against a Rebirth State opponent. How is this possible?"

All of the other candidates looked on in disbelief. They could not believe that Yan Xiu had managed to go up against a Rebirth State Demon.

Yan Xiu's eyes continued to glow red as he stood in front of Fang Zhengzhi, his Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan covered in a layer of glowing red crystals.

The middle-aged man did not turn to look at Yan Xiu immediately. Instead, he looked down at his sword.

There was a red circle of light around the blade of his sword as it flew towards his palm.

"Open!" The middle-aged man's hand shuddered and the red circle of light disappeared. However, there was a mark on the blade of his sword.

"It is no wonder the Dao of Asura is the most lethal of the six. However, how long can you remain in this state?" The middle-aged man's expression became stern once again as he looked at the mark.

For a Rebirth State demon to take someone seriously...

That was quite unfathomable. Furthermore, his opponent was just a 16 year old at the pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State.

Yan Xiu ignored the middle-aged man.

He did not even bother answering the middle-aged man's remark. The middle-aged man had thought that the other candidates were not worth his time or saliva.

But, who could be colder than Yan Xiu himself?

He was naturally cold and icy, even in the face of a Rebirth State Demon.

The middle-aged man didn't expect that his opponent would ignore him completely. What the hell was this?

Shouldn't a human be honored that a Rebirth State demon is addressing him directly?

"Move to the side and you can still live another hour!" The middle-aged man's voice was cold.

Yan Xiu continued to ignore the middle-aged man. It looked almost as though Yan Xiu was a general looking at a clown.

"Go to hell!" The middle-aged man would rarely be angered by a Heavenly Reflection State human. But this time, he was furious.

He moved, the sword in his hand covered by a layer of purple light.

At the same time, he disappeared from his original person, combining with the purple light as he shot towards Yan Xiu at unfathomable speeds.

Nangong Hao's grip on his blade tightened, but a silver ray of light appeared right in front of his blade.

"Shouldn't you be trying to protect yourself?" Bai Xing looked at Nangong Hao, his finger pointing at the silver ray of light.

"You can't kill me." Nangong Hao glanced at the silver ray of light in Bai Xing's hand, his eyes glowing golden. He lowered his sword, Standstill, at Bai XIng.

Ordinarily, it would be comical that a pinnacle Supernatural State cultivator said something like that to an intermediate stage Rebirth State Demon.

However, Bai Xing was not laughing.

Not only was Bai Xing not laughing, even the middle-aged man and the other demons behind Yun Qingwu were not laughing.

They all knew that this was a fact.

If Bai XIng could really kill Nangong Hao, why was Nangong Hao still alive. Furthermore, why would Bai Xing have to resort to a sneak attack?

It seemed quite impossible that a Rebirth State demon had to resort to a sneak attack against a pinnacle Supernatural State human.

However, Bai Xing did not say anything.

The human was Nangong Hao.

"You are right, but if I have some help, I am quite confident!" Bai Xing nodded solemnly before raising his head to look at the dozens of demons.

Nangong Hao did not answer Bai XIng because the middle-aged man had already clashed with Yan Xiu's Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan. The power from the clash was explosive.

"Ding Dong!" Just at this moment, a shrill sound from a flute rang out. It's penetrating power was keenly felt as it clashed with the purple light.

Then, a crisp exclamation of "Sh*t!" rang out.

Even before he could move the jade green flute away from his mouth, Wu Feng spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Overconfident!" The purple ray of light turned around as the middle-aged man showed himself. He turned to look at Wu Feng, who had fallen to his knees. Then, he turned back to look at Yan Xiu.

"Sh*t!" Yan Xiu's face was flushed as he too spat out a mouthful of blood. He had been hit slightly later than Wu Feng.

The blood stained the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan, causing the fan to glow an even brighter shade of red.

"How long more can you last?!" The middle-aged man asked again. However, this time, he was much more confident.

"I will last till he wakes up." Yan Xiu looked at the middle-aged man, the redness in his eyes swirling around. It looked like it was blood filling up his eyes.

"Wake up?" The middle-aged man was stunned. Then, he looked at the fallen Fang Zhengzhi, his expression changing.

He did not know how Yan Xiu knew that Fang Zhengzhi was still alive.

However, he knew that one thing was certain. Fang Zhengzhi's sword was glowing a strange shade of purple.

That shade of purple was different from his.

It was bright, almost like it was blood.

Right now, that strange purple stain was spreading across the blade. In fact, it was beginning to stain the hilt and showed no signs of slowing down.

For some reason...

When the middle-aged man saw that purple, his heart shuddered.

Even though it was very faint...

It stunned the middle-aged man. He knew that Fang Zhengzhi was just at the pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State.

Even though he had 388 Daos in his pocket dimension. Even though he was a talent.

He was just in the Heavenly Reflection State.

This was an undeniable fact!

So, why was a Rebirth State demon like himself shuddering at the sight of a Heavenly Reflection State human? Was it the sword or the strange purple stain?

The middle-aged man did not know, but he knew that he could not let Fang Zhengzhi continue holding that sword. The sword unsettled him.

He turned to look at Yan Xiu.

He did not say anything this time. He prepared to deliver a lethal blow to Yan Xiu. That was the only way he could take the sword from Fang Zhengzhi.

Only then...

Would he feel more secure and safe?

"Die!" The middle-aged man bellowed icily as he morphed into a purple ray of light once again. However, this time, the purple light began to multiply until it turned the entire sky purple.

"Yan Xiu!" Wu Feng's voice rang out as he put the flute to his lips. Even though he knew that this was courting death...

Even though he knew that it was useless...

He did not hesitate to put the flute to his blood-stained lips. His blood-stained hands continued to dance along the flute as a melodious tune emerged.

Xing Qingsui looked at the purple light shooting towards Yan Xiu. He knew what kind of power that was, but he had no way of stopping it.

He had other responsibilities at hand.

If he was not commanding 50,000 soldiers... if he was not carrying the weight of the Great Xia Dynasty's plan on his shoulders... he would have done exactly what Wu Feng did.

But now...

He could not do so.

He had to deal with the more immediate threat to the army. The Southern Region soldiers were closing in from the Icy Monkey Settlement.

"Gather the troops and form them up in all four directions. General Zhao, take the left flank! General Wang, you will take the right flank! General Li, lead 5000 men and guard our rear! Everyone else, follow me!" Xing Qingsui waved the Emperor's token in the air.

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Yes, sir!"

All of the generals reacted immediately upon hearing Xing Qingsui's orders. They exuded an aura of blood.

Alone, they were no match for the demons or even the candidates standing in front of them. However, if you gave them time to set up their formations...

They could become an impenetrable wall!

Yan Xiu looked at the countless rays of purple light shooting towards him. His lips trembled slightly as he fought against the pain.

However, his feet were stable.

It was almost as if they were spears driven deep into the ground.

As the rays of purple light neared, the red ring of light around Yan Xiu's waist continued to rise. It was almost near his chest.

Every cultivator knew that the chest was a vital part of the body.

That was where the heart was.

The heart was the fundamental of the human body and it was also where the pocket dimension was located. Once it was penetrated, it would cause either death or the destruction of the pocket dimension. The destruction of the pocket dimension could cause a deterioration in cultivation state or permanent disability.

However, Yan Xiu did not bother about the fact that the red ring was inching closer to his chest and his pocket dimension.

The purple light was almost in front of him.

Yan Xiu's hand sprung into action. The Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan beamed as rays of red light rushed towards the sky. In fact, they looked like streams of blood.

"Heaven and Earth Reversal, Removal of Mountains and Rivers!" Yan Xiu uttered icily. He had memorized these words from a young age.

However, he had only ever used the first phrase.

As for the second one...

He had never uttered it in his life.

That was a memory that didn't belong to him. It belonged to the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan.

"Hum!"

The entire area shuddered.

The bright red light crashed down from the heavens, carving out a picture of a mountain range. However, the rocks, the sand, even the water were all of one color.

That color was...

Red!

This redness brought with it a combination of intense heat and extreme cold. Despite its monotony, one could clearly make out the rocks on the mountains and the water. The mountain and rocks were moving and the water made gushing noises.

"Sh*t!" A bright red spray of blood stained the mountain range, causing the entire sky to turn red.

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Chapter 388: Trump card

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

The purple clashed with this blood red mountain range.

The Purple light was like a sword, tearing through the air as it shredded the red mountain range. It was clearly more powerful.

But just at that moment...

A ball of flame appeared in the middle of the furball.

It was as bright as the sun, the fire burning everything in its way. At that moment, the entire mountain range was ignited.

The purple light continued to suppress the fire as it shot through it.

It seemed like the purple light still had the upper hand. However, the tides began to turn slowly but surely. The purple light was being swallowed, bit by bit.

It was not fast, but as the fire continued to burn brighter, the rate at which it was swallowed became faster.

Finally, the mountain range had all but disappeared. However, the fire continued to digest the purple light.

Flute music continued to reverberate through the air.

In actual fact, the music did not stop ever since the ball of flame appeared. The music was pained and icy, almost as if it was mourning the loss of what had been burnt.

It was like the memory of the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan.

It was filled with depressing thoughts.

Then, the purple light disappeared and so did the music. All that was left was a dwindling fireball.

A light breeze blew past the battlefield...

And the fire was extinguished.

It looked as though nothing had happened. The air was still slightly chilly. However, everyone was stunned by what they saw.

Especially Wu Feng.

Even though blood was still trickling from his lips, he suppressed it, ensuring that he did not spit it out like the previous time.

Because...

He did not want it to affect his music.

Wu Feng's eyes were filled with sorrow. It was impossible to determine if this was because he had felt the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan's memories or because he was pained by what Yan Xiu looked like now.

His eyes were filled with tears as he stared at the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan in Yan Xiu's hand. Of course, the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan was no longer the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan.

There were no more pictures of mountains or rivers. The fan was white but stained with blood.

The red crystal glow had all but disappeared.

However, Yan Xiu's eyes were just as red as ever. There was a red ray of light on his chest.

It blinked rhythmically, almost as if it was beating to Yan Xiu's heartbeat.

"I never thought that the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan was this powerful? No wonder it is one of the five treasures of the Yan Family. However, why does Yan Xiu look so weird? Could it be..."

"Oh no! The Dao of Asura is controlling Yan Xiu! I read that if one's foundation is not strong enough, forcing improvements in power would backfire!"

"Backfire? Is Yan Xiu into the evil Asura state?"

"If that is the case, all hell is about to break loose. Once it turns into evil Asura, he will lose all that is good within him. He will lose all sense of reason. The only way to save him is to destroy his cultivation."

All of the other candidates were terrified when they saw the red beam of light at Yan Xiu's chest.

"Evil Asura?" The middle-aged man did not look well. He had suffered slight injuries from the hit.

However, he smirked when he saw the beam of red light blinking on Yan Xiu's chest.

He no longer attacked Yan Xiu.

Anyone who dropped into the realm of evil Asura was a dead man walking.

The humans would mourn the loss of such a talent, but anyone who is controlled by evil Asura would have to be stopped. Of course, there was a more important reason as to why the man did not attack.

It was that...

Yan Xiu was the Dao of Asura.

In simple terms, Yan Xiu was not an opponent he could deal with. Why would he go up against someone so powerful who posed little threat?

After he saw the state of Yan Xiu, he began to walk around Yan Xiu and towards Fang Zhengzhi.

He ignored the pair of red eyes that were locked onto him.

He closed in...

Just as he was about to reach Fang Zhengzhi, a ray of red light shot towards his side.

It brought with it a hellish, icy killing intent.

"Woosh!" The middle-aged man leapt into the air and landed some distance away. He looked at Yan Xiu in shock.

Evil Asura!

Once consumed by the evil Asura, Yan Xiu would lose all rationality. As such, he could possibly attack those around him for no reason.

However, Yan Xiu was not doing that.

Yan Xiu was still protecting Fang Zhengzhi.

Yan Xiu was still protecting Fang Zhengzhi. This was not something that he needed his brain to decide. This protection came from the heart, and it sent shivers down the spine of the middle-aged man.

This also meant that...

He will not get to Fang Zhengzhi easily.

"What a bother! It's a pity... you'll still be ruined!" The middle-aged man's eyes glowed purple as he slashed with his sword.

At that very moment, yet another ray of purple light rushed towards Fang Zhengzhi.

"Woosh woosh!" Two rays of red light shot out. One crashed into the sword whilst the other crashed against the purple light directed at Fang Zhengzhi.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Two explosions rang out.

On top of the cliff.

Yun Qingwu watched as the middle-aged man clashed with Yan Xiu. Her expression changed slightly.

Then, her hands moved as she waved to the dozens of demon elites behind her. Her gaze was ice cold.

All of the elites looked at each other as they saw Yun Qingwu's gesture. They could see the determination in each others' eyes.

"Die!" All of the elites bellowed in unison. Then, they jumped off the cliff and into the battlefield.

Almost like comets, they all shot towards Nangong Hao and the other candidates.

Before long, only three people were left on top of the cliff. Yun Qingwu and her two bodyguards. One was a Rebirth State demon, the other a pinnacle Supernatural State Demon.

Wehn Nangong Hao saw the demon elites rocketing towards him, his grip on his sword tightened.

Cracking sounds could be heard from his hand.

He looked like he was making a decision. However, even someone like Nangong Hao hesitated.

The demon elites rushed into the crowd.

They were not just demon elites, they were wolves amongst sheep. After they rushed into the crowd, they began to kill the candidates indiscriminately.

"Archers, ready!"

"Fire!"

"Spearmen and shieldbearers to me!"

"Fend them off and protect the candidates!"

Orders reverberated throughout the battlefield as the arrows blocked out the sun. Shields and spears immediately fell into place, guarding the candidates.

However, they could not stop the attacks of the demons.

After all...

These were Supernatural State Demons.

It was much too easy for a Supernatural State demon to massacre the pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State candidates and ordinary soldiers.

"Zoom!"

Just at that moment, a ray of golden light shot towards the heavens. That light came from a crystal clear sword.

Its name was Standstill, and its owner was Nangong Hao.

Angong Hao looked at the demon elites rushing towards the candidates. He steeled himself, his choice made.

He knew what he had to do.

Xing Qingsui's expression changed instantly when he saw the golden light shooting into the sky.

However...

He recovered quickly. He bit his lip as he looked at Nangong Hao, almost as though he had something to say.

At that very moment, cracks began to appear below the walls of the Icy Monkey Settlement. The cracks became bigger and bigger as they revealed themselves as doors.

All of the Southern Region soldiers charging out of the Icy Monkey Settlement were stunned by this sight. Even the demon elites were shocked by what they saw.

After the gates opened, many figures began rushing to the surface like ants out of a nest.

"Woosh woosh woosh..."

They exited quickly but in an orderly manner.

They were extremely quick. After they emerged on the surface, they rushed towards Nangong Hao and the demon elites like a ray of light.

"Another ambush?"

"No, this is the Great Xia Dynasty..."

"Oh my god, it really is them!"

All of the candidates were stunned to see who the reinforcements were. They never expected to see these men here.

"Oh I see... they never entered the Icy Monkey Settlement, Nangong Hao... it's no wonder you are a talent!" Yun Qingwu looked on in admiration.

She was not too shocked to see the figures rushing onto the battlefield. However, she did admire Nangong Hao's talent.

The figures formed up in front of Nangong Hao.

All of them wore glistening, tailor-made armor. Their armor was made up of a special material and adorned with golden lines, almost like intertwining dragons.

"Young Master Nangong!" They replied in unison. They sounded much more confident than the average soldier.

They were the elites, and they were proud of it.

They had good reason to be proud. After all, they were the Dragon Protection Squad, the army of elites that belonged to the Emperor.

There was a golden dragon imprinted on their chest plate. It was a status symbol. It meant that they did not have to bow to the princes and did not have to dismount upon entering the palace. This was the privilege of being a part of the Dragon Protection Squad.

Yet today, they had made an appearance here, in the Southern Region's Icy Monkey Settlement. Furthermore, they accorded Nangong Hao every respect.

Four middle-aged men walked out from the ranks of the Dragon Protection Squad and stood by Nangong Hao's side.

"Young Master Nangong, this order is a deviation from our plan." The middle-aged man commented. However, he did not question or berate Nangong Hao for this deviation.

"I know." Nangong Hao nodded but did not explain.

"Okay, I understand." The middle-aged man nodded. He did not need an explanation, he already knew what Nangong Hao was thinking.

"Leave Bai Xing to me. Take care of the others. As for Fang Zhengzhi... leave him to Yan Xiu!" Nangong Hao decided quickly.

However, he hesitated slightly when he looked at Yan Xiu.

However, he had made up his mind.

This was not a decision he wanted to make, but he had no other choice.

Because...

Right now, Yan Xiu would not listen to orders or advice.

In other words, the demon may not be able to get close to Fang Zhengzhi, but neither could the Dragon Protection Squad. The best option was to leave him alone.

"Evil Asura... Yan Xiu, you cannot be consumed by the Evil Asura..." Nangong Hao glanced at Yan Xiu as he sighed to himself. Then, he pointed Standstill towards Bai Xing.

Bai Xing was still smirking.

It looked like he was not surprised by the appearance of the Dragon Protection Squad. In fact, he looked extremely excited, almost as if victory was almost in his reach.

"What do you have left after you've played your trump card?" Bai Xing's fingers danced as he looked at the Dragon Protection Squad.

"You can take a guess." Nangong Hao did not answer Bai Xing immediately. He looked up into the blue sky, almost as if he was talking to himself.

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Chapter 389: The Dragon has woken

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Nangong Hao had been calm ever since he stepped out of the Icy Monkey Settlement. Even when Yun Qingwu and Bai Xing appeared, he was composed.

However, he began to look increasingly solemn after the Dragon Protection Squad appeared.

No one knew what Nangong Hao was thinking. Perhaps Bai Xing was right. What was left after the trump card was played? Perhaps Nangong Hao was right...

You could guess...

"Will the battle at the Icy Monkey Settlement really decide the future between the Southern Region and the Great Xia Dynasty?" Bai Xing pressed.

"You can try and find out." Nangong Hao looked Bai Xing in the eye, his eyes glowing golden as he lowered Standstill and charged.

"If I were you, I wouldn't care about the fates of these people." Bai Xing squinted as he smirked, morphing into a ray of silver light.

This was an incredibly intense battle.

The 50,000 strong Great Xia Dynasty army held their position as they were attacked by more than 100,000 Southern Region soldiers and dozens of demon elites.

However, when the Dragon Protection Squad appeared, the Southern Region soldiers had no choice but to retreat.

This looked like a battle that was evening out.

However, everyone knew that the battle had only evened out temporarily. After all, this was the Southern Region and not the Great Xia.

If they could not win within the initial moments of the battle, it would be a matter of time before they were worn down.

The Southern Region had set up an ambush in the Icy Monkey Settlement. Naturally, they had more ambushes set up outside. If the army was bogged down, they were as good as dead.

Xing Qingsui and Wu Feng both knew this.

However...

Wu Feng was more concerned about Yan Xiu. Even though Yan Xiu had always been cold, Wu Feng had known Yan Xiu since young.

Losing to Yan Xiu in the theory examination...

Had hurt Wu Feng quite significantly.

However, he did not hate Yan Xiu. After all, he had grown up with Yan Xiu. He had always treated Yan Xiu as a brother.

Even though it was quite weird for the younger brother to surpass the older one...

This did not mean that he wanted to see Yan Xiu consumed by evil Asura. He also did not want to see Yan Xiu killed by the demon.

He gripped his jade flute tightly as he made a decision in his heart.

Other than Wu Feng, Yun Qingwu also focused her attention on Yan Xiu.

"I think he needs help." Yun Qingwu murmured to herself. However, this was akin to an order to her two deputies.

"Should I go and help him?" The demon with the green demon eye asked.

"Wu Ji will go." Yun Qingwu shook her head.

"Me? Master, your safety..." The demon with the red demonic eye hesitated when he heard what Yun Qingwu had to say.

"I'll be fine." Yun Qingwu replied flatly.

"I understand. I will be back soon." Wu Ji disappeared from his position without a second word.

With the intense battle raging below, a ray of light crashing down from the cliff would not raise too many eyebrows.

However, when the ray of light shot towards Yan Xiu, Wu Feng felt the immense killing intent almost immediately.

"In your dreams!" Wu Feng bellowed as he shot towards the ray of light like a comet.

Wu Feng was skilled in music.

Close combat was not his forte.

He thrived in ranged combat. However, he did not hesitate to charge forward this time. As he did so, the jade green flute in his hand lit up.

It looked like there was a layer of water covering it. When the light shone on Wu Feng's arm, a strange pattern emerged.

Green cloud patterns began to adorn Wu Feng's arms. They travelled upwards, slowly making their way towards his chest.

"Oh?" A soft exclamation of surprise could be heard.

Then, the light clashed with the human.

It was no surprise that Wu Feng was thrown back like a broken kite. He spat out mouthfuls of blood, his face pale.

A middle-aged man with a red demonic eye stood at where they had clashed. This was Wu Ji.

Wu Ji's clothes were torn in a few places and his arm was trembling slightly. He looked at the fallen Wu Feng with traces of admiration.

"Don't struggle anymore, it is useless." Wu Ji looked at Wu Feng, who was struggling to get up.

"If I don't fight, then I'll really be useless!" Wu Feng bit his lip, blood trickling from the corner. It was impossible to determine if this was blood from his lips or blood from his insides.

"With your talent, you would beat me hands down in a decade." Wu Ji said reassuringly as he looked at the cloud patterns on Wu Feng's hand.

"I know." Wu Feng replied assertively.

"Mm, I can give you a chance and pretend that I didn't see you."

"But I've already seen you."

"Okay then... if that's the case, go to hell!" Wu Ji nodded as he swung his sword. A thin ray of light shot out from the tip of the blade.

It looked like an ordinary ray of light.

However, when Wu Feng saw that ray of light, his expression was ashen. He bit his lip and waited for it to hit home.

"Boom!"

Blood splattered everywhere.

Wu Feng's head fell to the ground, the wound in his chest so deep one could see the bone. His eyes were shut, his face ashen. However, his jade flute was still pointed at Yan Xiu...

"Wu Feng!"

"Young Master Wu!"

All of the candidates screamed as they looked at Wu Feng sympathetically. They knew that their end was coming as well.

Yan Xiu still looked rather lifeless.

He guarded Fang Zhengzhi silently, a red glow swirling in his eyes. One could not guess what he was seeing.

He still gripped the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan tightly, the blood stains making it painful to look at.

"Wu... Wu... Wu Feng..." A tiny voice could be heard coming from Yan Xiu. As he uttered those words, the redness in his eyes began to clear up.

It was now translucent.

It looked like the dust in his eyes was settling. It was still red, but it was now becoming more and more translucent.

"Wu Feng!" All of a sudden, Yan Xiu shouted Wu Feng's name in an explosion of red light.

The light was blinking previously. Now, it was glowing radiantly.

"What the hell?" Wu Ji was confused as he looked at the red light on Yan Xiu's chest. Yan Xiu should have been consumed by evil Asura.

Of course...

Yan Xiu was still consumed by evil Asura. The brighter the red light at his chest, the deeper he was.

So, why could Yan Xiu speak?

Wu Ji could not understand.

The middle-aged man engaged in battle with Yan Xiu also could not understand. How could someone escape the grasp of evil Asura?

Both of these vice domain chiefs were extremely confused.

However, their confusion quickly turned into surprise. They saw a figure who had one arm pressed on Yan Xiu's shoulder.

That arm was completely wrapped in purple light.

That purple light originated from the sword in his hand. The entire sword, from hilt to blade, glowed a strange shade of purple.

"Fang... Fang Zhengzhi?!" Wu Ji would rarely be shocked by a human. After all, he was a Rebirth State Demon. But now, for some inexplicable reason, he felt extremely uncomfortable.

The middle-aged man who was next to Wu Ji was equally stunned. He looked at Fang Zhengzhi and stepped back.

Even though it was just a small step, it was enough to express what he was thinking.

"Fang Zhengzhi didn't die!"

"This... is this still Fang Zhengzhi?"

"What is going on? Why am I... why do I feel terrified?!"

All of the candidates noticed the figure standing behind Yan Xiu. He looked familiar but distant at the same time.

Yun Qingwu's expression changed instantly.

Yun Qingwu recognized the figure behind Yan Xiu. All this while, Yun Qingwu felt that Fang Zhengzhi was someone who she couldn't describe in words.

His aura was intimidating.

But now...

That aura was gone.

Fang Zhengzhi was like a spirit wrapped up in purple light. The Traceless Sword was now a purple crystal sword.

Even Fang Zhengzhi's arm was enveloped in purple light.

The purple ran in his bloodstream. Even Fang Zhengzhi's eyes were purple.

Yan Xiu's eyes were understandably red because of the Dao of Asura. After all, that was a power that only a Rebirth State cultivator had.

But...

Was Fang Zhengzhi in the Rebirth State?

Of course not. His advantage was in the fact that he had 388 Daos in his pocket dimension. However, at that very moment, only one Dao was flowing through his body.

The Dao of Massacre.

His killing intent was clear for all to see.

The Dao of Asura's iciness originated from the combination between good and evil. Fang Zhengzhi's icy aura originated from his bones.

This was killing intent.

Unsuppressed killing intent.

"He woke up?" Yun Qingwu was stunned. It was rare that she would be taken by surprise.

The vice domain chief with the green domain eye also squinted as he unsheathed his sword.

Yan Xiu's body shuddered slightly.

His reaction was small, but a wave of purple that originated from Fang Zhengzhi's hand began to envelop Yan Xiu.

For someone consumed by the evil Asura...

This was something that should not have been possible. There was no way someone consumed by evil Asura would allow other energies into his body.

However, Yan Xiu did not react. He stood silently in his spot, his body shuddering.

Then...

He closed his eyes and collapsed.

Just as everyone expected, Yan Xiu entered a comatose state. However, none of them expected that Fang Zhengzhi would be the one to put Yan Xiu in that state!

Fang Zhengzhi had no intention of entertaining the looks of confusion. He patted Yan Xiu, then looked at Wu Feng, who was lying in a pool of blood.

Then...

He turned to look at Wu Ji and the middle-aged man beside Wu Ji.

A purple ray of light rose from his feet and began to encircle his body like a dragon.

Even Nangong Hao and Bai Xing paused their battle to witness this.

Bai Xing was stunned. The smirk was instantly wiped from his face. He felt extremely uncomfortable looking at Fang Zhengzhi.

Nangong Hao was equally surprised. This was different from the surprise he felt when Fang Zhengzhi revealed that he had 388 Daos in his pocket dimension. He was rather confused this time.

Was this the power of 388 Daos?

No.

This was one dao, the Dao of Massacre!

Why is there such a Dao?!

The intense battle seemed to pause for a moment. All of a sudden, a ray of purple light shot to the heavens. That was a purple dragon.

"Die!" A bone-chilling voice rang out from the dragon and Fang Zhengzhi disappeared from where he stood.

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Chapter 390: The Returning Dragon

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Fang Zhengzhi had no idea if he was awake or not. All he remembered was that he had a very strange dream after being hit by Yan Xiu.

In this dream, he was in his pocket dimension.

However...

His pocket dimension was clearly different. This time, the fruits on the huge tree were adorned with patterns. The sea of white mist was also glistening.

Of course, the most attention-grabbing fruit on the tree was the purple one.

A queer, crystal-like glow could be seen from the fruit. It became brighter and brighter, so much so that his entire pocket dimension was stained purple.

The trees were now purple in color, the leaves and branches bathing in purple light. Even the vast ocean glistened purple.

As the purple became more and more intense...

Fang Zhengzhi felt a deep-seated rage grow. He felt like he was losing control of himself and his actions became more involuntary.

In the end...

When he opened his eyes again, he saw an ancient city.

This was a city made up of red rocks. From afar, it looked like a giant beast bathing in blood.

There were two words emblazoned in red atop the city walls.

Blood Shadow.

Fang Zhengzhi knew what the Blood Shadow City was. However, he had no idea why he would dream of such a place. After all, he had never been there before.

How could he dream of it if he had never been there?

Okay then...

That was not the most important point. The most important point was that he saw a sword.

This sword shot straight into the heavens and morphed into a humongous dragon. It roared, causing the ground to shake, as it enjoyed its freedom.

Then, it turned back and tunneled back into the ground in a show of force.

This was known as...

The Returning Dragon!

The purple dragon continued to circle in the sky before it finally morphed back into a ray of purple light which shot back down towards the middle-aged demon next to Wu Ji.

"Die!"

The purple dragon's roar sent chills down everyone's spine.

The middle-aged man stared at that purple light. He knew that this had come from Fang Zhengzhi, and he knew that Fang Zhengzhi was merely in the pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State.

For someone like that to attack...

He should not have felt threatened.

However, when he saw the purple light tunneling towards him, he felt an intense wave of fear. He did not know if it was because the light had enough power to destroy everything in its path...

Or because...

Of the aura it was exuding.

It had a lonely aura, almost as if it was alone at the very top. It felt as though this single attack could destroy an entire star.

The middle-aged man tightened his grip on his sword instinctively.

He did not know exactly how strong this attack was. However, he had a feeling that it was very powerful. It was so powerful that he wanted to escape.

However, could he dodge?

No!

He was the stronger individual.

This was the pride and arrogance that he had. After all, Yun Qingwu was behind him watching this fight.

His blade was already marked after his clash with Yan Xiu. However, he was not bothered by it.

The reason was simple.

He was in the Rebirth State. He was the more powerful one.

He raised his sword and the blade glowed purple. He charged forward like a bolt of lightning, straight towards the ray of purple coming towards him...

"Boom!"

An explosion rocked the entire area as the two rays of purple continued to clash and tear at each other. The roars of the purple dragon continued to resonate.

Then, silence. Complete, utter silence.

Only one sound could be heard, the cold crisp roar of the dragon. Other than that, there was no second sound to be heard.

Everyone was captivated by the battle.

The 50,000 strong Great Xia Dynasty army stopped fighting as they looked at the two rays of purple duking it out. All of the Southern Region soldiers also stopped fighting as they watched in awe.

The candidates were all holding their breath...

The demon elites were holding their breaths as well. They were all immensely powerful and could feel the energies contained within the two rays of purple.

The Dragon Protection Squad continued to hold onto their blades. They had been through rigorous and strict training, but even they could not resist looking at the two rays of purple.

Nangong Hao, Bai Xing, Wu Ji, Yun Qingwu, Xing Qingsui... there was no one on the battlefield who wasn't looking at the two rays of purple.

All of them only had one thought in their mind...

How does a pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State cultivator fight a Rebirth State cultivator? Furthermore, the duel seemed quite evenly matched.

"Kaboom..."

The roars faded but it was quickly replaced by thunder and a downpour. The raindrops were as large as beans and they brought with them a winter-like cold.

The rain pummeled the ground and sent mud flying all over the place. It began to wash away the blood on the ground, forming little streams all over the battlefield.

The battle ceased temporarily.

Both the Great Xia Dynasty army and the Southern Region army stood their ground, allowing the rain to slide off their armor.

It was cold...

But they didn't seem to be bothered.

All of the candidates were also under the brutal assault of the rain. Normally, they would find a nice restaurant to hide out, or a nice bar to have a drink. At the very least, they would use their abilities to shut out the rain.

But now...

Nothing like that happened.

All of the candidates stood rooted to the ground, the raindrops pummeling their faces and flowing down their necks.

"How did this happen?"

"How is that possible?"

"Am I dreaming?"

Whispers could be heard as candidates looked to one another. The roar of the dragon had all disappeared, and it was replaced with the calmness of the rain.

Then, the troops began to move.

All of the soldiers of the Great Xia Dynasty raised their spears, their expressions filled with excitement.

The expressions of the 100,000 Southern Region army froze. They still could not rid themselves of the shock and awe from what they just witnessed.

Xing Qingsui's expression was complicated. However, there were traces of surprise, almost as if he saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

Nangong Hao gripped his blade tightly. However, this imposing stance was not because of his opponent.

It had come from his heart.

"Fang Zhengzhi!" Bai Xing rarely called out someone else's name when in battle. However, this time, he yelled it out.

His tone was icy beyond belief.

Fang Zhengzhi thought that he was in a dream. He thought that the pocket dimension he saw was just a dream, and the purple stain was a dream as well.

Furthermore, his visit to the Blood Shadow City confirmed in his mind that he was in a dream.

Because he was in a dream, he did not feel much emotions except for the growing killing intent.

But now...

He felt as though the dream was becoming a reality.

He seemed to have returned to the battlefield. He saw Yan Xiu in front of him, his body glowing red.

Other than Yan Xiu, he saw two middle-aged men staring at him. One of them was holding a blade stained with blood.

Of course, everything that he saw was through a purple lens. Even though he could tell that it was fresh red blood, he saw it as purple.

The faces of the two middle-aged men were also purple.

Fang Zhengzhi wanted to ask what was going on. Were they fighting?

However, when he saw Yan Xiu spit out a mouthful of blood whilst enveloped by a red glow, he did not ask any questions. He was consumed by a rage and a thirst to kill.

Yan Xiu was injured?

Fang Zhengzhi thought that he was in a dream. However, he never expected Yan Xiu to be beaten to this state even in a dream.

He placed his hand on yan Xiu's shoulders.

He did not speak. He knew that he was transferring some of his killing intent into Yan Xiu's heart and he knew that Yan Xiu knew exactly what he meant.

Of course, that was the truth as well.

Yan Xiu closed his eyes and sat down.

Fang Zhengzhi turned to look at the two middle-aged men once again. To be precise, he turned on the middle-aged men who had blood on his sword.

"Die!" Fang Zhengzhi did not think too much.

After all...

This was just a dream.

Then, he leapt into action. He did not think too much as too what technique he wanted to use. He only had one technique in his heart, the one he just witnessed.

The technique that had split the Blood Shadow City into two. The one that still left its mark till this day.

The purple dragon shot to the sky.

It charged towards the heavens and morphed into a twisting ray of purple light.

Fang Zhengzhi thought that this was definitely a dream. He never expected that he would be able to use this technique. This technique's power was indescribable.

The torrential rain started at that moment.

Raindrops splattered on his face, causing a cooling effect. However, the purple showed no signs of dissipating. In fact, it intensified.

The world was completely purple. Even the rain was purple.

Was this a dream?

A purple dream?

"Clang!" The middle-aged man's sword dropped to the ground. By this time, it was no longer a sword. It was a hilt with no blade.

As a Rebirth State cultivator...

His sword would not be destroyed even if it had been cracked. He would be able to use Dao to keep the blade intact.

But the fact was that his sword had broke, smashed to smithereens.

There was only one possible explanation. His Rebirth State Dao was insufficient to protect his sword.

The middle-aged man's gaze was lost as he looked on exasperatedly. He did not know what just happened, but he knew that the facts could not be changed.

"Young Master!" The middle-aged man turned to look at Yun Qingwu, who was still on top the cliff.

Yun Qingwu's white dress was initially dancing in the torrential rain. However, as her dress collected more and more raindrops, it became too heavy for the wind to lift.

Her veil was drenched and stuck to her face. Even though one still couldn't see her face, her exquisite features were obvious.

The middle-aged man wanted to say something to Yun Qingwu.

However, he realized that Yun Qingwu was not looking at him. Instead, she was looking at the youth in front of him.

He suddenly understood what was happening. He could tell what Yun Qingwu was thinking. This feeling originated from the expression beneath the veil.

He saw that Yun Qingwu was smiling.

That's right...

Smiling.

The middle-aged man did not know why she was so joyous, but he had a feeling that her joy had something to do with this youth.

Was it because the youth wasn't dead?

Or was it because...

Was the youth very powerful?

The middle-aged man no longer looked at Yun Qingwu. He turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi. He felt like he had to do something.

"Can you tell me the name of the technique you just used?" The middle-aged man stared at Fang Zhengzhi's eyes, which were completely stained purple.

"Name?" Fang Zhengzhi had no idea why the people in his dreams would ask such strange questions. Since they were characters in his dream, they should know what he did.

He didn't feel like responding.

However, when he heard the middle-aged man's question, the technique flashed in his mind and he felt an urge to say its name.

Maybe...

It was a memory.

Maybe this memory wanted to let him know that it existed.

Regardless of the reason, Fang Zhengzhi answered the question in a simple and straightforward manner.

"This technique is known as... The Returning Dragon!"

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Chapter 391: Perform a striptease

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"The Returning Dragon?" The middle-aged man murmured to himself. The attack just now had exuded an aura so powerful he had never felt anything like it before.

But...

Why would such a powerful technique be named The Returning Dragon?

Returning?

Is it because it couldn't bear to leave? Or because it had unfinished business?

The middle-aged man could not understand it, but he did not think much about it.

Wu Ji, who was standing next to the middle-aged man, also could not understand it. Even the other candidates, the dozens of demon elites, the Dragon Protection Squad, and...

Virtually no one there knew why this technique was known as The Returning Dragon.

However, they did not spend too much time thinking about it. Their attention was drawn to a deep crack in the ground.

This crevice was beneath the feet of the middle-aged man.

As such, this could not have been the work of the middle-aged man. This was clearly done by Fang Zhengzhi. A single strike had caused a crevice over five yards long.

How ridiculous was that?

Furthermore, Fang Zhengzhi's opponent was a Rebirth State Demon.

"The Returning Dragon?!"

All of the demon elites looked at each other in confusion. They had never heard of a technique known as The Returning Dragon.

This technique allows a Heavenly Reflection State human to go up against a Rebirth State Demon!

Is it the technique?

Or...

Is it the person?!

No one had any idea what the answer was. If it was the former, what a powerful technique this was... if it was the latter...

How could someone like that exist in this world?

Could someone like that still be termed as a talent?

No!

This was ungodly!

Nangong Hao stopped in his tracks as he raised his head, the rain pummeling his face. He did not think about why the technique was named The Returning Dragon. He was trying to recall what he saw.

The silver light from Bai Xing's finger disappeared as well. He instinctively turned to look at Yun Qingwu, who was standing atop the cliff.

He too saw the joy through Yun Qingwu's veil.

Why was she happy?

Bai Xing did not understand. However, he knew that if someone like that was allowed to live...

Could the demons still survive in the coming decades?

This was a teenager who could go up against a Rebirth State Demon. Even though it was just a single round, this human could not be allowed to live.

Furthermore, he had an unprecedented 388 Daos in his pocket dimension.

"No matter the cost!" Bai Xing did not wait for Yun Qingwu's orders. It wasn't because he doubted Yun Qingwu's decision.

However...

Regardless of what Yun Qingwu wanted, he had to do this for the future of the demons.

The middle-aged man's expression turned steely. He knew what Bai Xing wanted. In fact, he was thinking the same thing.

"Ah!" A cry of pain reverberated through the air.

Then, the entire ground shook. This was a terrifying wave of force, almost as though it had been suppressed for centuries just waiting to explode.

Everyone recovered instantly when they heard the piercing scream and the intense vibrations. Everyone was awed by what they saw.

"He... he is going to?!"

"Demon... he is a Rebirth State demon!"

All of the candidates could not believe their eyes. They knew what was happening. However, their disbelief stemmed from the fact that they knew what he was doing."

"Shi Kou, how... how dare you!" Yun Qingwu shouted from the cliff. She rarely spoke to humans or demons.

But this time, she shouted.

Furthermore...

Her tone was filled with fury.

All of the demon elites, as well as Bai Xing and Wu Ji, were all filled with shock and admiration as they saw what the middle-aged man was doing.

He bit his lip, his face contorting in pain. However, embedded deep within this pain was a sense of relieve.

This was Shi Kou.

The first Vice Domain Chief of the 10 demonic domains. He was a nascent Rebirth State Demon.

He only lived by one rule. The successful ruled, the ones who failed died.

He did not know if he had truly failed. However, he knew that once his sword had been shattered by a teenage Heavenly Reflection State human, he could not return to the demons.

This was a matter of pride.

The only way to preserve his dignity was to kill this human single-handedly.

Just as Bai Xing had said, no matter the cost.

The pale red demonic eye, representing a Rebirth State demon, turned black in that instant. It was like a black hole, and that meant that his demonic eye had been emptied.

At that moment, Shi Kou shot a ray of purple light that was stained with red into the sky.

"Not good!" Nangong Hao reacted almost instantly. With his heart cultivation, there were few things in this world which could make him flustered.

However, when he saw Shi Kou's demonic eye turn black...

He could predict what was about to happen.

"Nangong Hao, you cannot interfere! This is a battle that concerns Shi Kou's pride!" Bai Xing's fingers lit up once again as a ray of silver light shot towards Nangong Hao.

Wu Ji's blade also sprung into action. He did not point it at Fang Zhengzhi, choosing to turn on the Dragon Protection Squad. From the moment. Shi Kou decided to drain his demonic eye, Fang Zhengzhi was a dead man walking.

As such, he did not have to concern himself with Fang Zhengzhi.

His only job now was to...

Prevent anyone else from interfering in this battle.

Xing Qingsui clenched his fists. He knew what Shi Kou had done, but he was too far from Fang Zhengzhi. Even if he rushed over, he could not stop it.

The Dragon Protection Squad watched solemnly.

They were the elite soldiers of the Emperor. They were well decorated and honored in many ways. However, when they heard of Fang Zhengzhi's exploits, they realized that all their honors and achievements could not even hold a candle to this man.

He had conquered the Thunderous Lion Settlement with little fanfare.

Then, he commanded a 50,000 strong army to attack this city.

He had conquered most of the lands in the combat examinations, then broke the deadlock with Nangong Hao. With 50,000 soldiers as witnesses, he fought more than a dozen rounds with Nangong Hao despite being a whole cultivation state lower.

Most importantly...

With 'The Returning Dragon', he had shattered the sword of a Rebirth State Demon.

This was not just an achievement. This was a miracle. This man was a miracle that would be recorded in the history of the Great Xia Dynasty.

How could they let someone like this die?

"We must save Fang Zhengzhi, no matter the cost!" One of the members shouted.

As the Dragon Protection Squad, they only obeyed the orders of the Emperor. Even on this expedition, they only obeyed Nangong Hao, who was given special instructions by the Emperor.

In their entire history...

They had never done something without direct orders.

However, this time, even though Nangong Hao did not say anything, they had already made up their mind without hesitation.

The Dragon Protection Squad was formed from the disciples of the 13 Constabularies. They were all of noble blood and quite powerful. However, they were willing to sacrifice their lives to save this villager known as Fang Zhengzhi.

Fang Zhengzhi had thought that he was in a dream. However, he felt that the dream was becoming increasingly realistic. Not only could he see the expressions of those around him...

He could also hear their voices.

More importantly...

A Rebirth State demon had decided to play the "kamikaze" card.

He had seen this before.

In the World of the Sage, Ying Shan had been humiliated so badly that he lost control of his emotions and chose this destructive path...

But, what was wrong with Shi Kou?

Fang Zhengzhi had not said anything to agitate him. All he did was shatter his sword. Why would he resort to doing such a thing?

Hang on!

Why was it that his attack could shatter the blade of a Rebirth State demon?

Okay...

This is a dream, a dream that he was in control of.

In his dream, he could probably defeat a sage. If he wanted to, he could smash the swords and bodies of everyone in his way.

Fang Zhengzhi relaxed.

After all, he was the most powerful in his dream.

When he raised his head, he saw Yun Qingwu standing atop the cliff. He already knew that Yun Qingwu was the young master of the demons.

As such, he was not surprised to see demons beside Yun Qingwu.

However...

He had already seen Yun Qingwu's face before. Why was she still in a veil inside his dream?

Can't she be a little more liberal in his dream?

Since he was dreaming, he could think of anything. He was still a little too innocent. If he was more dirty minded, Yun Qingwu would already be doing a striptease in front of the soldiers.

"Hey, Yun Qingwu, perform a striptease for me!" Fang Zhengzhi shouted. After all, he thought that he was still in his own dream.

What was there that he could not say?

He pointed at Yun Qingwu, who still looked purple through his eyes. He wagged his finger and smirked.

The rain intensified. It washed the dirt off the armor of the soldiers, causing them to shine. The rattan armor of the Southern Region soldiers became heavier as they absorbed the water.

However...

They were no longer paying attention to the rain.

A single sentence echoed continuously in their minds.

"Yun Qingwu, perform a striptease for me!"

"Striptease?!"

"He asked Yun Qingwu to perform a striptease?!"

All of the soldiers could not believe their ears. They never expected that the first statement out of Fang Zhengzhi's mouth would be 'Die!'. Then, for his second statement to be...

"Perform a striptease?!"

All of the demon elites were stunned.

They had heard that Fang Zhengzhi was a maverick. However, no matter how unorthodox Fang Zhengzhi was, why would he say something like that?

To the demons, Yun Qingwu was their master. She was above all humiliation, someone who could not be touched.

Yet, Fang Zhengzhi, a human teenager...

He had just mocked their master in front of thousands of Great Xia and Southern Region soldiers!

It was pure, unadulterated humiliation!

Who could tolerate something like that?

"Kill him, kill him!"

All of the demon elites replied in unison. They did not care how ungodly Fang Zhengzhi was. All they wanted to do was tear him apart.

The Dragon Protection Squad stopped in their tracks.

They looked at Fang Zhengzhi. Just a moment ago, they were willing to lay down their lives to try and protect this teenager with unlimited potential.

But now, that determination wavered.

Even though the opponent was a demon, was someone who would say something so shameless really worth them laying down their lives for?

Yun Qingwu was stunned as well, her expression conflicted. However, she did not reply.

Because...

She really didn't know what to say.

"Fang Zhengzhi, go to hell!" Shi Kou's face contorted even more. He hated himself for not striking faster.

He hated himself for only thinking about sacrificing his own life to take Fang Zhengzhi's only after Fang Zhengzhi destroyed his sword.

If he had made that decision from the moment he saw Fang Zhengzhi, then none of this would have happened.

Fang Zhengzhi...

The audacious teen who dared to humiliate the master of the demons.

There was only one fate for someone like him. Death. Regardless of the price he had to pay, Shi Kou would ensure that Fang Zhengzhi died.

Shi Kou knew this very well.

He was not the only demon who thought that way.

As such, how could Fang Zhengzhi live through this?

A single slap...

The purple light shone radiantly. This slap was filled with rage and contained all the energy Shi Kou could muster. His only thought was to kill this audacious maverick with this attack!

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Chapter 392: Terror

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Fang Zhengzhi could feel the aura from Shi Kou keenly. He knew exactly how powerful Shi Kou's attack would be after he decided to kamikaze.

If this was reality, Fang Zhengzhi would not hesitate to run.

So what if he had this uncontrollable and domineering killing intent in his heart?

Anyone with a brain would not go up against this attack.

But...

This was a dream.

Could he be scared off by another character in his dream?

Fang Zhengzhi scorned the attack. He did not bother running away, choosing instead to charge towards the attack, the killing intent gathering at the tip of his blade.

"Boom!"

The palm and the sword clashed in the air once again.

The intensity of the light looked quite similar to the previous clash. However, the result was vastly different.

A powerful and domineering force instantly shattered the other purple light and crashed down towards the person below.

"Fang Zhengzhi!"

"What's going on? Why is there so much difference between this clash and the previous one?"

"Did he use up all his energy?"

All of the members of the Dragon Protection Squad looked at the paling Fang Zhengzhi. They did decide to fight for Fang Zhengzhi with their lives.

But...

Fang Zhengzhi had to last until they arrived.

Wu Ji was standing in their way. In order to save Fang Zhengzhi, they had to go around Wu Ji, who was a Rebirth State Demon.

Fang Zhengzhi looked like he had the upper hand in the previous clash with Shi Kou. Normally, even if Shi Kou fought with everything he had, Fang Zhengzhi should not fall immediately.

He should be able to last at least five minutes?

That was what the Dragon Protection Squad thought.

However, what they saw shattered any dreams they had.

The dozens of demon elites, the candidates, and all the soldiers on the battlefield...

Even Shi Kou himself was stunned.

The difference between the two attacks was a little too large to believe.

"What's going on? Why is he so weak?" Shi Kou was stunned. If this was Fang Zhengzhi's true power...

Why did he have to sacrifice his life?

"What's going on? Why is he so powerful?" Fang Zhengzhi was stunned as well. He paled. He never expected that Shi Kou's attack would be this powerful.

My dream...

Why is he stronger than me in my dream?!

Fang Zhengzhi could not understand it, but he had to face the fact. The fact was that the overpowering purple light was plummeting towards him.

"F*ck me!" Fang Zhengzhi shrieked as he blacked out again.

Fang Zhengzhi did not know if it was because of Shi Kou's power, or because he was too intent on seeing Yun Qingwu dance...

Regardless...

The world in front of his eyes changed once again.

This was a world that was impossible to describe with words. However, Fang Zhengzhi knew that he had been here before. This was the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet!

The lush green grass and the dense forests, as well as the humongous lake. The water was so clear he could see the bed, but there were no fishes.

Field, forest, lake...

This was the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet.

Fang Zhengzhi did not know if this feeling was right, but when he first stepped into this place from The Vast World, he had a strange feeling.

This time, when he entered in his dreams, he had this feeling again.

"The Heaven Dao Sage Tablet? Why would I come to the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet? That's impossible! Wasn't it destroyed with The Vast World?" Fang Zhengzhi was confused.

From the beginning, he never understood what was going on.

As such...

He decided to try again.

The last time, he had taken a bath in the lake to escape from the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet. That was what he remembered.

He could not be sure, but he decided to give it a go.

He stripped, revealing a silver-colored Heart Protection Mirror. If Nangong Hao saw this, he would confirm what he had guessed.

Watertight Mirror!

One of the seven treasures of the Divine Constabulary!

"I never thought that I would have another chance to bathe in the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet?" Fang Zhengzhi smirked.

However, his smile froze almost instantly.

Because...

He saw a woman. That woman was dancing on the surface of the lake. She wore a white dress, and the figure was extremely familiar.

"It's her?!" Fang Zhengzhi was stunned.

To see the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet in his dreams did not shock him. After all, this was a dream, but to see this woman...

Why would she appear in his dreams?

Isn't this the lady he saw in the Divine Constabulary's Heavenly Treasure Hall?

Fang Zhengzhi remembered that he had seen this lady in the humongous lake. He did not know her name, but he felt a sense of familiarity.

But that was the lake inside the Heavenly Treasure Hall!

What did that have to do with the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet?

He did not understand. By this point, he was utterly confused.

Pearl...

He had found a pearl at the bottom of that lake. That pearl was sitting snugly inside his Heart Protection Mirror. Did this have something to do with that pearl?

Fang Zhengzhi began to look for it inside his Heart Protection Mirror instinctively.

He had many things in the Heart Protection Mirror.

Secret weapons, clothes, food, etcetera. However, he could not find that pearl. It was almost as if it vanished.

Hang on!

It seemed like something else was missing...

Fang Zhengzhi's attention shifted because he felt as though something else had disappeared from his Heart Protection Mirror. It was a black square stone.

When he first saw that stone, it was shining brightly.

"The pearl and stone are both gone? What's going on?" Fang Zhengzhi had no idea what was going on.

Then...

When he looked at the silent dancing lady on the surface of the water.

"She looks so familiar, who is she?" Fang Zhengzhi murmured to himself as he gave up on the idea of taking a bath. He simply couldn't bring himself to bathe in front of this lady.

At the entrance of the Icy Monkey Settlement.

It continued to pour, the intensity increasing by the minute. However, everyone stopped in their tracks.

They were all looking at the figure bathing in purple light.

That was Fang Zhengzhi.

In fact, when they saw Shi Kou attack and that mountainous wave of force crashing towards Fang Zhengzhi, they knew that it was over.

With the differences in their ability clear for all to see, was there anything else that could happen?

No one expected a miracle to happen.

However, when the purple light crashed into Fang Zhengzhi, the strangest miracle happened.

Everyone thought that the domineering purple light would smash Fang Zhengzhi's body to smithereens. However, when the light hit Fang Zhengzhi...

The result was completely different.

It was a strange sight.

It felt as though the purple light entered Fang Zhengzhi's body. To be more precise, it was as though Fang Zhengzhi absorbed all of it.

How is that possible?!

No one understood what had just happened. Just as they thought that Fang Zhengzhi was going to die, he absorbed the purple light attacking him?

How did that happen?

What...

The f*ck?

No one could figure out what they just saw, including Nangong Hao, Xing Qingsui, Yun Qingwu and even Bai Xing...

This had never happened before. The purple light represented the intense energy from Shi Kou. How could a human body absorb all that energy?

But those were the facts.

It was an indisputable truth.

Fang Zhengzhi stood in the middle of the purple light as he continued to absorb them into his body.

Then, the purple light vanished.

Silence!

Pin drop silence!

There was no other sound other than that of the rain hitting the ground. Countless pairs of eyes stared at Fang Zhengzhi and the purple sword he held in his hand.

The sword was Traceless!

In fact...

There was not a single trace on it other than purple!

"Why aren't you attacking?!" Wu Ji's voice broke the silence. He did not know what Fang Zhengzhi just did, but he knew that Shi Kou had too attack now before it was too late.

"Fang Zhengzhi, die! You must die!" Shi Kou's eyes were filled with rage and awe. He could not believe that Fang Zhengzhi managed to block his attack.

But he had no other choice. He had no time to think because he was already running out of time.

"Die!" Shi Kou raised his hands and he morphed into a ray of purple light. He shot towards Fang Zhengzhi. If Fang Zhengzhi could use such a weird method to block his energy...

Then...

He had to get in close!

The entire space shuddered as black cracks appeared behind Shi Kou. His body was literally tearing through space.

"Bang!" A huge sound echoed out.

The two bodies clashed and parted in the blink of an eye.

Wu Ji's eyes were filled with fear and shock. Being so close to the action, he could see that Shi Kou was the one who was forced back.

"What's going on? What the hell is this? Could it be that the Heavenly Reflection State Fang Zhengzhi can go up against Shi Kou, who already drained his demonic eye?" Wu Ji could not believe his eyes.

In fact, no one could believe what they were saying.

"Worthless weakling!" An icy, arrogant voice rang out at this moment. This was the voice of a superior individual scorning a weaker one.

Shi Kou had done something similar just moments ago.

He had felt this same rush when he crashed down from the cliff. Furthermore, he had said those exact words.

Worthless weakling!

But now, he was not the one saying these words. Instead, Fang Zhengzhi was saying this to him.

At that moment, Fang Zhengzhi opened his eyes amidst the torrential rain. His eyes were stained a scary shade of purple.

More importantly...

There was a sword embedded inside.

The sword was glowing inside his pupils.

"Hum!" The vast killing intent rushed out of Fang Zhengzhi's body like a tsunami, crashing towards Shi Kou.

"Kaboom!"

Purple bolts of lightning could be seen in the sky, almost as if there were many dragons roaming the clouds. The entire sky seemed to darken.

"Sword in the eye!"

Everyone was terrified when they saw Fang Zhengzhi's eyes. The sheer terror they felt was indescribable.

There were two states when one attained the highest sword techniques.

One was not having a sword in the hand, but having a sword in the heart. The other was not having a sword in either, but the entire person was the sword.

This was known as "Sword Offering!"

He was the sword.

Shi Kou's body stiffened. As a Rebirth State demon, he knew what this was, but he could not believe that Fang Zhengzhi could attain such a state.

That being said...

Even if Fang Zhengzhi managed to reach this state, he still had to fight to the bitter end.

He was a demon waiting to die. What more did he have to think about?

F*ck it! He didn't care if Fang Zhengzhi was in the Sword Offering state!

Fang Zhengzhi had to die!

"Fang Zhengzhi, go to hell!" Shi Kou's body turned into a ray of purple light as he charged at Fang Zhengzhi. This ray of light was even brighter than the previous one.

"Die!" Fang Zhengzhi moved even before Shi Kou did. The sword in his eye glowed radiantly, almost as if it was a real sword.

The strange purple shot to the heavens as it twisted in the air. It combined with the thunder and the clouds, turning into a humongous tree that covered the entire area.

"He's so powerful, why is he so powerful?!"

"Is... is this still Fang Zhengzhi? Why can't I recognize him anymore?"

"Fang Zhengzhi... impossible! Fang Zhengzhi cannot possibly be this powerful!"

All of the candidates looked at the purple tree in the air that was made from the lightning and the clouds. They stepped back instinctively.

The terror in their eyes said it all...

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Chapter 393: The battle begins

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Previously, everyone thought of Fang Zhengzhi as the most shameless individual they had ever met. But now, the only thing they felt from Fang Zhengzhi was iciness.

It was beyond what they could tolerate. The iciness was augmented by a domineering killing aura which sent chills down everyone's spines.

"Kacha!"

The twisting purple lights and lightning bolts that formed the huge tree eventually crashed down towards the ground.

This was The Returning Dragon, and it was peerlessly powerful.

However...

It was slightly different from the first one. This time, the power was augmented by an icy killing intent.

"Boom!"

The two rays of purple light intertwined, then separated.

There was a spray of blood, almost as if a red flower bloomed in mid-air. This blood was washed to the ground by the rain, forming a red stream on the ground.

There was a figure lying in the pool of blood. His eyes were wide, his face pale, his hair gradually turning silver.

His skin was wrinkled beyond belief. It felt as though he had aged multiple times in that short period.

"You... are not Fang Zhengzhi!" Shi Kou sputtered as the blood trickled from his lips. He could not believe what had happened, but he could not battle anymore.

His arms were completely shattered...

He was a powerful Rebirth State demon who looked down on the candidates as worthless individuals. Yet, the person in front of him now was many times more powerful than him.

Worthless!

Shi Kou closed his eyes, unable to hang in there anymore. If he had not chosen to drain his demonic eye, he would have been able to recover from his shattered arms within a few months.

However, he had already drained his demonic eye. That meant that he would be dead in 15 minutes if he could not kill Fang Zhengzhi.

He did not struggle as he waited for death to take him. However, he held on to one belief even up till his last breath...

The person he had faced was not Fang Zhengzhi.

The arrogance and domineering power that Fang Zhengzhi had demonstrated was not possible for a Heavenly Reflection State human.

It continued to pour, thunder roaring throughout the battlefield. The huge tree created by the purple lightning bolts eventually disappeared.

There was a youth standing where the tree once was. He held a glowing purple sword in his hand as he surveyed his surroundings.

Waves of killing intent emanated from his body. His aura could be keenly felt despite the torrential rain.

"Fang Zhengzhi!"

"He... He actually defeated a Rebirth State demon!"

Shock, awe, terror. The gazes of all the candidates froze as they looked at the sword embedded inside the pupils of the figure in the rain.

Bai Xing, Wu Ji, and the dozens of demon elites were also frozen in their places. They too could not believe what they had just seen.

"How is that possible?!"

"Is he human? Why does such a human being even exist?!"

Yun Qingwu stood in the rain, her exquisite eyes looking at Fang Zhengzhi with conflicted emotions.

She seemed, relieved and happy, yet, there were traces of awe, fear, and a clear desire to kill him.

"Is that really him?" Yun Qingwu's lips parted as she murmured so softly it felt like she was talking to herself.

No one answered the question. Of course, Yun Qingwu never really expected an answer.

In the rain...

Fang Zhengzhi looked up at Yun Qingwu. At the moment, his body leapt into action, the strange purple glow swirling around his sword. It was almost as if there was a purple dragon circling his blade.

"Die!" The icy voice filled with killing intent rang out once again as his terrifying aura spread to the surroundings.

"In your dreams!" Wu Ji sprang into action as well. He had no idea what Fang Zhengzhi wanted to do, but he knew that he had to stop Fang Zhengzhi.

The dozens of demon elites also sprang into action with Wu Ji.

Naturally...

The Dragon Protection Squad could not do nothing.

Even though they had not figured out how Fang Zhengzhi defeated Shi Kou, it was not their concern. At the end of the day, that was a good thing for them.

As such, they could throw it out of their minds for now.

"Formation!"

As the renowned Dragon Protection Squad, they had great chemistry with each other and formed up efficiently. Now that they didn't have to worry about Fang Zhengzhi, they could turn their attention on the enemy.

Xing Qingsui's expression became increasingly solemn.

The moment Fang Zhengzhi and the Dragon Protection Squad sprang into action, the 100,000 Southern Region soldiers also moved.

"Boom boom boom!"

The rhythmic marching could be heard from miles away. They kicked up droplets of water as they charged towards the Great Xia army.

This was a battle that was waiting to happen. The Great Xia Dynasty was outnumbered almost two to one.

"Die!"

"Die!"

"Die die die!"

The soldiers of the Great Xia Dynasty chanted in unison. They kept trying to raise the morale of their fellow comrades as they waited for the enemy to crash into them.

"Listen up, general of the Great Xia!" Just at this moment, a middle-aged man in thick armor walked out. He had a huge black leather coat on his back.

Xing Qingsui raised his hand and the chanting ceased.

When the general of the Southern Region saw this, he put down the huge blade in his hand. He stared down the Great Xia soldiers.

"We have taken over the Stable Mountain Gate. We have taken over 50,000 soldiers prisoner, so you have lost your reinforcements. The Crown Prince is currently surrounded by 100,000 of our soldiers. You have lost this war. Put down your weapons and surrender! Our king will not take your lives. However, if you resist, all 130,000 of our men will show you no mercy!"

The general of the Southern Regions pointed his sword at Xing Qingsui, his gaze filled with an animalistic rage.

At this point, a cavalryman rode out from within the ranks. He held a tattered flag in his hands. There were three words on the blood-stained flag.

Stable Mountain Gate!

This was the flag of the Stable Mountain Gate. The fact that they had the flag meant that the gate had been broken!

"Stable Mountain Gate has fallen?!"

"How is that possible? The Stable Mountain Gate has fallen? What... what are we going to do now? If the Stable Mountain Gate has fallen, we can't go back!"

"The Crown Prince is surrounded. Aren't we the only army left?"

All of the soldiers began to panic when they heard the words of the Southern Region's general.

The tides of the battle had changed.

Before this, the soldiers were willing to fight to the death because they knew that the Great Xia Dynasty was more powerful than the Southern Regions.

As such, with reinforcements coming, there was no way they could lose.

Even if they were outnumbered two to one, they did not fear. After all, they had 40,000 soldiers under the command of the Crown Prince and the 50,000 soldiers at the Stable Mountain Gate. Furthermore, there were over a million more soldiers at the ready in the empire.

But now...

With the Stable Mountain Gate broken, how would their reinforcements arrive? The Crown Prince was also surrounded and had no way of saving them.

Alone!

They were alone and deep in enemy territory.

Under such circumstances, they only had one fate awaiting them. Death in a foreign land.

All 50,000 soldiers looked to Xing Qingsui and the generals with desperation in their eyes.

All of the generals paled when they saw the bloodstained flag of the Stable Mountain Gate and heard the words of the Southern Region general.

Xing Qingsui's expression changed too.

He did not expect the Stable Mountain Gate to fall. Even he did not expect the Southern Region to be this powerful.

"Is there no retreat?" Xing Qingsui mouthed to himself. He gripped his black sword tightly. However, he was different from the soldiers.

He would never retreat, and he would never surrender!

As a disciple of the Stabilization Constabulary, he never needed a path to retreat. If there was no way back, they would march forward. They would carve out a path with blood!

"Soldiers of the Great Xia, listen up! Fang Zhengzhi can defeat a Rebirth State demon despite only being a Heavenly Reflection State cultivator. This is testament to the potential we have as humans. You now have two choices!"

"The first choice is to put down your weapons and kneel in humiliation. You can beg for mercy and become a prisoner!"

"Your second choice is to hold the spears in your hand and charge with me! We will take over the Icy Monkey Settlement and charge into the Sagely Mountain City. We will capture their king!"

"Answer together!"

Xing Qingsui raised the black sword in his hand as he rallied his troops. He looked at the general, his eyes filled with battle intent.

"Die!"

"Capture their king!"

"Capture their king!"

"If Fang Zhengzhi can defeat a Rebirth State demon, we can conquer the Sagely Mountain City!"

All of the soldiers were fired up. Under the leadership of their generals, they began to chant in unison.

"Capture their king!"

"Capture their king!"

"Conquer Sagely Mountain City!"

The Southern Region general smirked when he heard the replies. "What a bunch of idiots! Today, I will show you the power of the Southern Region army! Kill!"

"Die!"

"Die!"

"Die die die!"

The Southern Region soldiers roared in unison, their voices causing the earth to shake. This was their home!

Yun Qingwu looked at the two armies about to do battle, her eyes glittering. However, her attention was more on the group of people already embroiled in battle.

Those people would decide the fate of this war.

One strike!

The strange purple light.

It was like a venomous snake, the icy killing intent spreading through the air. If not for the fact that Wu Ji was doing battle with Fang Zhengzhi, there would be casualties amongst the ranks of the demon elite.

Other than Fang Zhengzhi, Nangong Hao's battle with Bai Xing reignited. The silver glow continued to attack. However, Nangong Hao was not losing any ground despite only being in the pinnacle Supernatural State.

The Dragon Protection Squad continued to battle the demon elites. They had the upper hand but did not let up.

Because...

They all knew that the advantage the numbers advantage they had was temporary. The demons and the Southern Region had the true numerical advantage.

Over 100,000 Southern Region soldiers.

These were brutal warriors who grew up in these lands. Each one was ferocious and had powerful abilities. Based on individual skill alone, each one would overpower the soldiers of the Great Xia.

However, the Great Xia army had the tactical advantage.

Even so, the numbers disadvantage was too great to overcome.

"Die!"

"Die!"

"Die die die!"

The roars reverberated through the air. The rain continued to beat down on both sides, washing the dirt off their armor.

"Charge!" The Southern Region general lifted his broadsword high up in the air. The gigantic beast which was his stallion also galloped forward.

He charged straight for Xing Qingsui.

The Southern Region...

As the general of the army, he had to lead by example. This was the only way he could command the respect of his men.

"Charge, kill!"

"Die!"

As the Southern Region general charged forward, the rest of the army sprang into action behind him, almost like wolves charging a herd.

They glared at the soldiers of the Great Xia. Their dark skin glistened in the rain as they ran forward without hesitation.

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Chapter 394: The true trump card

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"Kaboom!" A thunderous explosion echoed out.

The rain of arrows combined with the downpour as they sliced through the air. The Southern Region soldiers tried to look at the arrows...

However, they could not see in amongst the heavy downpour.

Then...

Screams of pain rang out as soldiers fell to the arrows only to be trampled by their charging comrades.

However, they did not have any regrets. After all, they were soldiers.

"Boom!" The charging horde finally crashed into the Great Xia soldiers. The bloodbath had begun.

The sound of the horn rang out at the gates of the Icy Monkey Settlement. It pierced through the air and rallied the troops of the Southern Region. All of them straightened their backs and fought with renewed vigor.

"Die!"

"Die!"

All of the Great Xia soldiers thrust with their spears as they tried to hold the line. The archers continued to fire arrows into the horde of Southern Region soldiers...

Bodies fell to the ground.

Blood stained the earth and clumped up in pools.

Xing Qingsui was on the frontlines, flanked by dozens of soldiers. His black sword continued to swing as he sunk the blade into the body of a Southern Region soldier.

"Have the flanks advance and flank the enemy!" Xing Qingsui ordered as he drew his blade from the chest of a Southern Region soldier.

"Yes!" One of the bodyguards raised the flag in his hands and passed on the order.

Just at this moment, a beastlike roar echoed out.

It was the general of the Southern Region.

His eyes glowed green as he addressed Xing Qingsui with an icy glare. The leather cloak on his back was prickly, almost like spines on his back.

He raised his sword high up in the air and killed the two soldiers in his way. In a single bound, his beast appeared in front of Xing Qingsui.

"Go to hell!" He roared, a domineering aura exploding from his body. This general was extremely powerful.

He was probably in the advanced stages of the Supernatural State.

How powerful was Xing Qingsui?

Heavenly Reflection State... in the face of this general, his only option would have been to run.

However, when Xing Qingsui saw the general charge up to him, he smiled. It was a smile of anticipation and relief.

He did not retreat.

In fact, he did not even move. He watched as the Southern Region general brought the blade down on his head. He did not even blink.

"Boom!"

A thunderous sound echoed out.

Then, a column of light shot skyward from behind Xing Qingsui. It was like a gigantic sword.

At that moment, a head flew into the air.

That was the head of the Southern Region general, his eyes wide in disbelief. He simply could not understand how he had been killed.

Then, a figure leapt up from behind Xing Qingsui, grabbing the head of the general before landing on both feet.

The rain continued to wash the blood into puddles.

The ground was slick with blood, the grass trampled constantly. The moment one leg was lifted, another stamped down on them.

"The general of the Southern Region is dead! Follow me and take over the Icy Monkey Settlement!" A crisp voice rang out as he raised the head of the fallen general.

In that instant.

The intense battle came to a standstill. All of them turned to look at the figure who held the head of the fallen general in his hands.

That man had worn the armor of the ordinary soldier.

However, when he raised the head high up in the air, his armor was sliced open by rays of light, revealing a purplish golden robe.

Traces of calm were embedded within his expression of determination. It felt as though he had everything under control.

"It's Xing Hou!"

"Oh my god, Xing Hou is in the Southern Region!"

"We have hope!"

All of the soldiers of the Great Xia Dynasty were invigorated when they saw this man. Before this, they were fighting out of desperation. But now, they had a beacon of hope.

Xing Hou, Xing Yuanguo of the Stabilization Constabulary.

The pillar of the Great Xia Dynasty and the leader of the 13 Constabularies. His battle exploits were legendary.

Even King Duan himself would not dare say that he was more influential than Xing Yuanguo.

"Mountain Breaking Army!"

"Here!"

"Clear a path!"

"Yes!"

The voices replied in unison.

Then, they shed their ordinary armor, revealing the bright, shining armor underneath. They charged behind Xing Yuanguo.

If the Southern Region soldiers were wolves tearing into a flock of sheep.

Then the Mountain Breaking Army was the tiger hidden amongst the sheep.

They shot out like an arrow from a bow as they carved a path through the ranks of the stunned Southern Region soldiers.

Too fast.

It had all happened too quickly.

It was so fast that the Southern Region soldiers did not even have a chance to react.

They had the upper hand all this while. However, they never expected that their general would die in the heat of battle.

Then...

Xing Hou of the Great Xia's Stabilization Constabulary led the Mountain Breaking Army through their ranks. The Mountain Breaking Army was notorious. All of them knew that this was the elite army of the Stabilization Constabulary.

What was going on?

The soldiers of the Southern Region could not react in time.

They were not the only ones who were stunned. Even the candidates who were fighting for their lives could not believe their eyes.

"Xing Hou is here?!"

"The Mountain Breaking Army is also here?!"

"What is going on? Why is Xing Hou hidden in the ranks and why would the Mountain Breaking Army also be hidden in the ranks? When did they sneak in?"

Questions began flying through the minds of the candidates.

They did not know what exactly was going on, but they realized that this had all been planned for by the Emperor.

Xing Yuanguo hiding inside the army may have been a coincidence. However, considering the fact that the Mountain Breaking Army also snuck themselves in, the only explanation was that this was planned for.

The aim was to bait the Southern Region and the demons into action. Then, they would defeat them with the element of surprise.

The tide of the battle was indeed turning.

The Southern Region general had been too careless, causing him to lose his life to Xing Yuanguo. Then, the Mountain Breaking Army had smashed through the ranks of the Southern Region soldiers.

The Mountain Breaking Army!

Their forte was siege and battle on an open plain.

The entrance to the Icy Monkey Settlement was an open plain. This was the perfect terrain for the Mountain Breaking Army. The Southern Region soldiers struggled to react to the onslaught.

Without the leadership of their general and the appearance of the Mountain Breaking Army, the soldiers began to panic a little.

That being said, it was just a little.

After all, this was their home and they were warriors. They would rather die than surrender. As long as they had weapons in their hand, they would fight to the bitter end.

"Don't panic, stop them and avenge General Ke!"

"Charge!"

"People in the middle, defend with me!"

All of the deputies began to bark out orders and organize their troops. Groups began to charge in the midst of the chaos.

Some continued to press on whilst others tried to hold the line.

Just at this moment, there were killing noises at the gates of the Icy Monkey Settlement. Bodies began flying off the city walls, shrieking as they fell to the ground.

The candidates were in shock when they saw this.

Could it be...

There was an ambush in the Icy Monkey Settlement?

All of the candidates turned to look at Nangong Hao. Nangong Hao was also looking at the city walls, his expression calm.

The candidates began to understand what was happening.

From the beginning, only 1000 of Nangong Hao's soldiers had been seen. That was the 1000 soldiers guarding the entrance to Feng Su.

What about the other 1000?

No one had ever seen them.

This was a detail that would have been easily missed. However, when they heard the killing sounds, all of the candidates understood what was happening.

If the Emperor could insert the Mountain Breaking Army into the regular army, how could the Emperor have given Nangong Hao 2000 ordinary soldiers?

1000 ordinary soldiers were placed in plain sight to confuse the Southern Region. The true elite force was left to guard the Icy Monkey Settlement.

In other words, Nangong Hao had already worked with the Stabilization Constabulary on a plan to take over the Icy Monkey Settlement. This was all part of the plan.

Trump card!

This was the Emperor's trump card!

"Kill! Kill our way into the Icy Monkey Settlement!"

"Charge!"

"That is our only way to survive!"

All of the generals began yelling out orders. All of them knew that getting into the Icy Monkey Settlement was their only chance at survival.

The soldiers of the Great Xia Dynasty were reinvigorated.

The 50,000 strong army got into formation efficiently and advanced towards the Southern Region soldiers. The followed behind the charging Mountain Breaking Army and closed in on the Icy Monkey Settlement.

At the back, the soldiers continued to defend against the onslaught of soldiers from Feng Su as they retreated.

The gates to the Icy Monkey Settlement were sealed shut. The Southern Region army was being massacred by the Mountain Breaking Army. Their general was dead and the deputies were not unified in their ideas.

In the end...

They broke.

"So this is the true trump card of the Great Xia Dynasty!"

The young vice domain chief looked at Xing Yuanguo from atop the cliff, his eyes glittering with battle intent.

However, this battle intent only lasted for a brief moment.

"Mm, since the Great Xia had decided to attack the Southern Region, they need a real general. This general could not have been Nangong Hao. Xing Yuanguo... is more like it." Yun Qingwu looked at the retreating Southern Region soldiers as she answered the question of her vice domain chief.

"Master, since you guessed that they will send a commander, why don't we take this opportunity to destroy them all?"

"What is our aim?" Yun Qingwu did not answer the question directly, choosing to ask a question of her own.

"This... it is the Southern Region..." The young demon stiffened, unable to fully understand what Yun Qingwu was getting at.

"Do you think that the Southern Region will listen to us even if the Great Xia army is decimated? The Icy Monkey Settlement is a strategic location, and we must destroy these people sooner or later. However, whether we take over the Southern Region or not will not be decided by this battle."

"Young master, you mean..." The young demon seemed to understand.

"If my guess is correct, the ruler of the Southern Region is just using us to control the Great Xia. This will allow him to free himself from their control and establish an empire."

"Young Master already knew the intentions of the Southern Region Ruler. I understand."

"Let's go."

"Yes!" The young demon nodded when he heard this. Then, he turned to look at the figure bathing in purple light, "Young Master... should I help Wu Ji?"

"No need, Bai Xing will take care of it." Yun Qingwu looked at Fang Zhengzhi, wavering for a moment before she shook it off.

"Your wish is my command!"

From the moment Bai Xing saw Xing Yuanguo, he knew the result of this battle. As such, he did not go fight Xing Yuanguo.

He also did not order the demon elites to stop the advance of the Mountain Breaking Army.

He knew that he had a more important mission. His mission was the purple figure entangled in a battle with Wu Ji.

"We can lose this battle, but you... must die!" Bai Xing squinted as his eyes began to glitter, almost as if there were stars in his pupils.

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Chapter 395: Explosive youth

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

This was a teen who could go up against a Rebirth State Demon. A teen who had 388 Daos in his pocket dimension.

How could Bai Xing let someone like that live?

"Bang!"

A slap landed squarely on Bai Xing's chest, causing it to glow radiantly. Then, his body sailed through the air like a broken kite.

Blood trickled from Bai Xing's mouth.

Nangong Hao was slightly stunned. He did not think that Bai Xing would fail to dodge this attack. However, the fact was that his attack landed squarely on Bai Xing.

Something was wrong.

Nangong Hao never believed in luck. Also, he did not believe that his opponent would make such a grave mistake during a duel.

Bai Xing was the prime example.

Not good!

Nangong Hao was looking at Bai Xing, but Bai Xing was not looking at him, he was looking at the figure that was battling Wu Ji.

Bai Xing did not seem to be in pain. In fact, Bai Xing was smiling, his eyes glittering like stars in the night sky.

Mistake.

The first one was to bait the opponent in...

The second one was to take advantage of the opponent's aggression!

Bai Xing's mistake was clearly the latter. He wanted to make use of Nangong Hao's attack to augment his sneak attack on the dueling Fang Zhengzhi.

Nangong Hao guessed his motive when he saw Bai Xing sailing towards Fang Zhengzhi.

However, he was in no position to stop this attack. Bai Xing was quick, no slower than Nangong Hao.

There were only two people who could stop Bai Xing.

One was Nangong Hao, the other was Xing Yuanguo.

If Nangong Hao could not block his attack, then Xing Yuanguo could not either. Xing Yuanguo was even further away, and his focus was on commanding the soldiers.

Bai Xing took advantage of this.

As such, he did not hesitate to take the hit from Nangong Hao. He wanted to kill Fang Zhengzhi even before Xing Yuanguo had a chance to react.

However... the heavens always have the last laugh.

Bai Xing had taken into account all the people who could stop him to find the opportune moment to strike. However, he did not consider what Fang Zhengzhi was thinking.

In fact...

No one expected that Fang Zhengzhi would do what he did. Even if they thought of it, no one believed that Fang Zhengzhi would dare to do it.

Bai Xing thought that he would be able to end it after taking the hit from Nangong Hao. However, Fang Zhengzhi went around Wu Ji and rushed towards the cliff.

The torrential rain continued to splatter as it hit the puddles on the ground.

A figure encased in purple light sliced through the rain like a sword. It had a boundless killing intent as it carved a bloody path through all the soldiers.

None of the Great Xia soldiers could believe their eyes. Fang Zhengzhi was chasing down Yun Qingwu.

That was akin to a death wish.

Yun Qingwu had another vice domain chief as her bodyguard. Furthermore, as the young master of the demons, she definitely had some protective treasures.

It would be legendary if he could kill the general in the face of the enemy soldiers. However, even when Xing Yuanguo did it, he had the element of surprise on his side.

But Fang Zhengzhi was...

Just charging straight at her?!

Isn't that a little too ridiculous?

They could not believe it.

However, when the soldiers of the Great Xia saw the figure speeding towards them, they instinctively opened up a path. After all, they were on the same side. The more important reason was...

The aura of death surrounding Fang Zhengzhi was too terrifying!

It was so heavy that it sent chills down the spine of all the soldiers. It crested in waves, piercing through the torrential rain.

Bai Xing shuddered in his spot.

He never expected that Fang Zhengzhi would get away from Wu Ji and rush towards Yun Qingwu. That was suicide.

Even an idiot would not do that.

It would be a different story if he had come from atop the cliff and Yun Qingwu was on the field. Right now, Fang Zhengzhi had to carve a path through the army and kill her through her bodyguard.

Even Xing Yuanguo could not do it!

However, Fang Zhengzhi was trying it. This slippery teenager was going to try something that was so audacious and idiotic it bordered on the legendary.

Yun Qingwu turned back because she felt that domineering wave aura of death crashing towards her.

She had been drenched by the rain, her hair resting on her shoulders. The wind wanted to blow her veil up, but it stuck to her face.

"Go to hell! Young Master, go!" The young vice domain chief also noticed the purple figure crashing towards them. He smiled scornfully.

"It's okay." Yun Qingwu shook her head, her emotions conflicted. Her feelings were inexplicable, and she did not know where these emotions were coming from.

In fact, she had not felt anything from the first time she had seen Fang Zhengzhi till now.

However...

She could not forget that Fang Zhengzhi was the first human to brush her veil away. Not once, but twice...

What if she wasn't the young master of the demons?

Could he have been her confidante?

This was a question which Yun Qingwu asked herself many times. The other question was, if Fang Zhengzhi was not talented enough to threaten the future of the demons, would she really kill him?

Killing the talents of the human race was something that the demons had done for many years.

However, when faced with a true, legendary talent, one would hesitate to take his life.

This was truly conflicting.

To make matters worse, after Yun Qingwu decided to kill Fang Zhengzhi, she realized that Fang Zhengzhi was also doing his best to kill her.

"Do... you really want to kill me that badly?" Yun Qingwu murmured to herself as she looked at the figure encased in purple light.

This was not a question which Yun Qingwu should have asked. After all, she was supposed to be in control of the situation.

This question was stupid and naive.

Even so...

Yun Qingwu still asked herself.

However, she replied her own question almost instantly, "Yes, since I want to kill you... it is only natural that you want to kill me!"

A scene flashed through her mind.

At that time, she was alone with Fang Zhengzhi. She was playing music for him. Back then, she had enough ways to stop Fang Zhengzhi from leaving the boat, and Fang Zhengzhi had enough opportunities to kill her.

However, neither of them had any ideas of killing each other. They were just two friends catching up.

That was the first time in Yun Qingwu's time amongst the humans that she had no motive for meeting someone.

Her only aim was to celebrate the fact that Fang Zhengzhi had topped the River of Trust province examinations.

A few months had passed since that fateful day.

They met again.

They had not spoken, but they were now enemies. Yun Qingwu would try everything to kill Fang Zhengzhi, and Fang Zhengzhi would kill his way through an army to get to her.

Humans and demons.

That was their fate...

"Stop him!"

"Protect the young master!"

"Dragon Protection Squad, clear a path for Fang Zhengzhi!"

All of the demon elites and the Dragon Protection Squad joined the fray. The demons did everything they could to stop Fang Zhengzhi whilst the Dragon Protection Squad tried to keep the demon elites away.

Wu Ji paled.

Only when he started dueling Fang Zhengzhi could he feel the oppressive killing aura exuded by Fang Zhengzhi. It felt almost as if he was thrown into the depths of hell.

He was suffocated and his limbs were restricted in their movements. This caused him to be at a disadvantage in the duel.

"Killing aura, it's too strong! Why is the killing aura so strong?!" Wu Ji did not understand how a teenage human could have such a terrifying killing aura.

Honed on the battlefield?

Fang Zhengzhi had no such opportunity.

Hatred and rage built up since young?

That didn't seem likely either!

Furthermore, intelligence had reported that Fang Zhengzhi grew up in a small village and led a carefree life. He did not seem like someone who had would have a reason to hate the world.

Wu Ji could not understand it.

However, he knew that if it wasn't for the fact that Fang Zhengzhi's aura was suffocating him, he would not be losing.

But the fact was that he was losing.

Furthermore, Fang Zhengzhi had managed to go around him and head straight for Yun Qingwu.

"Chase him down!" Bai Xing's voice rang out in Wu Ji's ears. This relieved much of the pressure on his chest.

Wu Ji did not reply as he turned and sped towards Fang Zhengzhi.

He didn't really want to experience that oppressive killing aura again. However, when it was headed straight for Yun Qingwu, he did not hesitate to charge forward.

He was even willing to take the hit for Yun Qingwu!

The rain intensified, causing visibility to be at an all-time low. One could barely make out the features of the person next to you.

However, there was one figure who could be seen clearly through the rain.

It was encased in a purple light.

Thunder clapped and purple lightning bolts shot through the air. Waves of killing aura spread through the air. He was extremely quick, almost like another bolt of lightning shooting through the air.

"Stop him!"

"Stop him quickly!"

Panicked voices shrieked as they watched the figure shooting through the clouds. Black bodies threw themselves in front of the purple figure.

"Die!" A voice rang out from inside the purple light.

Then, the purple lightning flickered and a column of purple light shot to the heavens. Then, it turned back and crashed towards the ground, twisting as it made is way through the air. It exploded in the middle of these black figures.

The Returning Dragon!

This was the powerful technique that channeled all of that killing aura.

"Boom!"

A huge crevice formed as clouds of blood splattered into the air. All of the obstacles in Fang Zhengzhi's way were instantly blown apart.

"How is it possible that he still has this incredible combat power after fighting for so long? How much energy does he have?" One of the candidates asked in shock when he saw the crevice.

All of the other candidates also recovered from their shock when they heard this.

"That's true, why does it feel like he did not expend any energy at all?"

"How is that possible? He is only in the Heavenly Reflection State. It is already incredible that he is able to fight a Rebirth State Demon. Yet, he can still last this long?"

Questions flew through the minds of all the candidates.

They had all forgotten this momentarily when Fang Zhengzhi had entered a coma. However, once someone reminded them of it, it struck them like a bolt of lightning.

Fang Zhengzhi had been fighting for a long time.

He had started off with a battle with Nangong Hao. Then, he had been attacked by Bai Xing and Yan Xiu. He then defeated Shi Kou and was embroiled in a duel with Wu Ji.

All of his opponents were strong beyond belief.

Fang Zhengzhi should have needed to expend all of his energy to fight any one of these people. But, after all that fighting...

Fang Zhengzhi did not look like he was getting any weaker.

In fact, it felt as though his strikes were getting sharper and more powerful.

Is he even human?

Even if he was ungodly... this was getting a little ridiculous...

All of the candidates continued to ponder about this. The demon elites grit their teeth as they felt the full force of Fang Zhengzhi's 'The Returning Dragon'.

One of the demon elites was sliced into two.

Even though he was in the Supernatural State, he could not revive.

Three others were seriously injured. One of them lost a limb whilst the other two suffered internal injuries. All of these injuries would take an extended period of time to heal.

A single strike! One dead, three wounded!

How terrifying was this?!

All of these demon elites were in the Supernatural State. In the human world, they would all be generals, commanding tens of thousands of soldiers.

Shock and awe...

Just as all of the demon elites grit their teeth and prepared to fight to the death, the ray of purple light had already shot into the sky like a meteor.

It was flying straight towards Yun Qingwu.

"How is that possible?!"

"This... him... that's impossible!"

All of the demon elites could not understand how Fang Zhengzhi managed to transform himself into an arrow and fly towards the cliff.

That was until...

They saw a bow embedded in the crevice.

The jade green bow was supported by the two walls of the crevice. The black bowstring was still trembling from the release of that arrow.

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Chapter 396: Why is he so powerful?

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"His body is the arrow?!"

Not only were the demon elites stunned by what they saw, even Bai Xing and Wu Ji were shocked.

Just as what they had thought...

It would be impossible for an individual to kill his way to the top of the mountain. Even Xing Yuanguo, the most powerful of them all, would not think of doing such a thing.

But...

Fang Zhengzhi managed to do it.

He did it in the most unbelievable fashion. With everyone watching him, he managed to morph into a purple ray of light and shoot himself at Yun Qingwu.

This was not a difficult technique.

Bai Xing and Wu Ji could do it. Even any of the demon elites with a good grasp of bow techniques could do it.

But they did not manage to think of it.

It wasn't that they couldn't think of such a plan ordinarily. However, none of them would be able to think of it in the heat of battle.

Who in the world would have thought that Fang Zhengzhi would have used The Returning Dragon for the sole purpose of creating a crevice to hold the bow?

Shock, awe, helplessness.

This was exactly what Bai Xing and Wu Ji were feeling. They wanted to rush to the top and save Yun Qingwu, but they were unable to.

Fang Zhengzhi's Sun Shooting Bow was still in the crevice.

However, once one person used this technique, it would be much more difficult for a second person to repeat the feat.

Even if they managed to get to the bow...

What use was it now?

Fang Zhengzhi was not as quick as Bai Xing, but when he was augmented by the Sun Shooting Bow, even Bai Xing could not stop him.

A ray of purple light shot skyward through the torrential rain. Then, it shot back down towards Yun Qingwu like a sword.

The young vice domain chief standing next to Yun Qingwu stiffened. The arrogant smirk was wiped off his face, completely replaced with shock.

If Fang Zhengzhi had climbed up from below...

He would have more than a hundred ways to defeat Fang Zhengzhi. He could probably kill Fang Zhengzhi. After all, he had the high ground.

However, he suddenly realized that Fang Zhengzhi was on top of him. How could he still take such an opponent lightly?

"Shing!" He unsheathed his blade. It was a unique blade with a forked tip. Furthermore, the blade was even sharper than ordinary ones.

This was his weapon.

It was named 'Spectre'.

If the Blazing Qilin Spear was one of the 10 greatest treasures of the Great Xia Dynasty, then Spectre was one of the five greatest treasures of the demons.

For a young demon like him to be in possession of such a blade...

He was clearly of noble blood.

However, this did not have much implication as to whether he could defend against Fang Zhengzhi's attack. Despite his standing, he still stepped in front of Yun Qingwu when he saw Fang Zhengzhi.

Yun Qingwu raised her head as she watched Fang Zhengzhi quietly. She felt the oppressive wave of killing aura crashing down towards her.

"So he made it..." Yun Qingwu's lips parted slightly as she murmured to herself. It was almost as if she knew that this was going to happen all along.

"Kacha!" Purple lightning shot through the dark clouds and a humongous tree formed from purple lightning bolts covered the entire area.

The purple figure continued to weave through the clouds like a dragon as it emitted a powerful aura.

"Die!" An icy voice echoed through the clouds.

Then, a ray of purple light shot out from inside the clouds. There was a person encased in the light, shooting to the ground like a sword.

The cold eyes locked on the figure in the plain white dress, the oppressive killing aura crashing earthward.

This was an aura that destroyed everything in its path.

When coupled with the radiant lightsword, this was a sight that would strike terror into the bravest of hearts.

"Why is he so powerful?!" The young vice domain chief raised his sword in the air. He gripped the scale-like pattern on the hilt of his sword tightly.

Never in his life had he felt the emotions he felt now.

That kind of bone-chilling cold coupled with the powerful killing aura made him understand the true meaning of fear.

He finally understood why Shi Kou had failed.

Shi Kou did not fail because of cultivation state.

He failed because his aura was weaker!

Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. Within moments, his entire body was drenched in sweat.

However, he still held the Spectre Blade high up in the air. He showed no signs of relaxing. Despite his paling expression, his hand did not tremble.

At that moment, the jade green demonic eye on his forehead shone radiantly.

The young vice domain chief continued to stare at the sword in the sky. He concentrated on the dragon light ray of purple circling the blade.

"Boom!" A resounding clash echoed out, causing the entire Feng Su cliff to shake. Even the ground below began to tremble.

The torrential rain continued to hinder visibility, but it did not prevent the spectators from being awed by what they saw.

The soldiers of the Great Xia gripped the spears in their hands whilst the soldiers of the Southern Region grabbed their swords. The demon elites glared and stopped in their tracks.

The candidates, the Dragon Protection Squad, the 500 silver horned wolves, Xing Qingsui, Nangong Hao, Bai Xing, Wu Ji, even Xing Yuanguo stopped what they were doing as they looked at the clash atop the cliff.

"Kacha!" A huge crack appeared on the cliff.

A humongous rock was shaved off the cliff and began rolling down. With a loud boom, it crashed into the ground and shattered.

The torrential rain pummeled the newly exposed rock race. The loose pieces were washed off, revealing the hard rock underneath.

At this moment...

There were three people standing next to where the rock broke off.

Yun Qingwu's white dress danced in the wind, revealing her slender snow white legs. There was a large crevice no more than a finger's length from where she stood.

There was a kneeling figure in front of her.

His cloak had been torn apart, revealing a handsome face, his green demonic eye glowing.

He stared at the youth standing in front of him.

He bit his lip, blood trickling from the edges of his mouth. His sleeves were also stained by blood.

It stretched from his shoulder all the way to his palm.

The rain continued to pummel the ground.

The blood was washed to the ground, revealing a wound so deep one could see the bone. Other than the wound, there was also a metallic glow.

"Ah, ah..." The young vice domain chief breathed heavily, thoroughly exhausted from the battle.

This attack had brought him to his knees.

The demons had always thought of themselves as a superior race. To be forced to his knees by his opponent after a single round was humiliating.

"Why is he so powerful? Why... that's impossible... how can he be this powerful..." The young demon's breathing was labored.

Fang Zhengzhi stood quietly on the cliff. He ignored the young demon vice domain chief on his knees as he lowered his sword at Yun Qingwu.

The Traceless Sword continued to glow purple, drops of blood washing of its blade and onto the ground.

"Hum!"

The blade hummed, almost like a dragon, yet almost as if it was expressing its excitement.

The domineering killing aura continued to spread in waves.

"Are you going to kill me?" Yun Qingwu spoke, her exquisite eyes looking at the purple blade in Fang Zhengzhi's hand. Her voice was calm, almost as if she was talking to a friend.

Of course, there was a blade at Yun Qingwu's throat. It was no more than three steps away.

Fang Zhengzhi did not answer Yun Qingwu's question.

He looked at Yun Qingwu quietly, the bright sword in his eye becoming clearer with each passing moment.

On the plain below.

More than 100,000 pairs of eyes were staring at the three figures on the cliff. To be more precise, they were looking at the Traceless Sword in Fang Zhengzhi's eyes.

His next movement would decide Yun Qingwu's fate.

Death!

Or life!

Fang Zhengzhi was in control of the situation.

Other than Yun Qingwu, there was no one else who could block Fang Zhengzhi if he chose to attack. Even Bai Xing and Wu Ji were too far away.

What else could they do other than wait?

Fang Zhengzhi's blade was much too close to Yun Qingwu. At this distance, Fang Zhengzhi would be able to kill Yun Qingwu even before they managed to close any significant distance.

"Kill!"

"Why is he still hesitating?"

"If you were in that position, could you possibly kill Yun Qingwu?"

All of the candidates were equally conflicted. They all knew that the next few moments could change the entire battle.

If the Southern Region lost the support of the demons, could they still go up against the Great Xia?

More importantly, it would make Fang Zhengzhi famous and influential.

That was Yun Qingwu.

The incredibly talented Yun Qingwu. She was a talent, who was also the young master of the demons, and someone who did not care about the fate of the humans.

Xing Qingsui looked at Fang Zhengzhi, his mouth agape. Then, he pursed his lips before his jaw dropped again. It felt like he had something to say.

Xing Yuanguo had a similar expression.

However, Xing Yuanguo only watched quietly. Even though he was the commanding general of this battle, yet he did not speak at this point.

No one knew what he was thinking.

Nangong Hao sheathed his sword, an icy mist coming out from his body. He did not chase Bai XIng and did not try to stop Wu Ji.

There was no need.

As time passed, Fang Zhengzhi continued to point his sword at Yun Qingwu's throat. Yun Qingwu, on the other hand, seemed to be waiting for something.

After a very long time, Yun Qingwu's voice rang out once again.

"Since you've already made up your mind, why don't you follow through? You spent all that effort to get up here. You can't possibly just let me off without a reason." Yun Qingwu stepped forward, her dress dancing in the wind.

This time, her voice had an added tone of relief. It felt as though the locks on her heart were released.

The rain continued to pummel her veil, making it more translucent with each passing moment. Her exquisite features were revealed to Fang Zhengzhi.

She looked like a white lotus amongst the snow.

Calm and arrogant. She stood at the highest point, quietly watching everyone below.

"Kill... kill everyone who has harmed me. Kill them all, kill them all, kill... kill..." Fang Zhengzhi murmured to himself.

However, the voice was filled with terrifying iciness. It was not the voice that incited terror, it was the oppressive killing aura.

"Kaboom!" A ray of purple lightning shot through the sky, tearing a crack through the air.

At the same time, the Traceless Sword in Fang Zhengzhi's hand lit up, the purple light flowing along the blade like a pool of blood.

"Die!"

"Die!"

"Die!"

Fang Zhengzhi kept murmuring to himself.

The killing aura filled the air, circling around his feet, slowing rising to the sky like a whirlpool. It formed rings in the sky, temporarily blocking out the rain.

The bright lightsword continued to glow in Fang Zhengzhi's eyes, combining with the deep purple. It was a strange sight to behold.

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