Xu Mu walked off the arena, sat cross-legged in a shadowy corner by the pond, took a pill, and began to heal.
Seeing this, Nangong Huaitian hesitated for a moment, then mustered her courage, walked up to Xu Mu, and silently guarded him, just as Xu Mu had done for her on the sacred platform.
The phantom of the old monk appeared, announced the results of the previous round of battles, and then, with a wave of his hand, removed Zhou Jie's corpse from the Jade Pond Immortal Realm, while also cleaning the battlefield.
"The winner of this round is Mu Xu, you will directly advance to the top sixteen. Next, please, Zuo Mingqiu, step onto the stage and choose your opponent for this round."
Upon hearing this, Zuo Mingqiu glanced at Xu Mu, then nodded with a solemn expression and walked onto the stage. His gaze swept across the remaining thirty people below, each of their information appearing in his mind.
Who would he choose?
Everyone wanted to know the answer to this question, and so they all became nervous, because Zuo Mingqiu's strength was too immense; even Chen Changkong ran the risk of being eliminated if chosen by him.
No one wanted to face him in this round.
"I don't know who to choose, so I'll just pick someone at random," Zuo Mingqiu said, pointing to a young man with an unfamiliar face. "Daoist friend Zhu He, ranked thirty-first. I've heard you are the direct disciple of the Myriad Willow Valley Master."
"Myriad Willow Valley, known as a paradise in the Land of Hundred Tribes, so I want to see what kind of genius comes from there," Zuo Mingqiu explained with a sincere expression.
"You won't be disappointed."
From below the stage, Zhu He, the direct disciple of the Myriad Willow Valley Master who was chosen by Zuo Mingqiu as his opponent for this round, stood up and floated onto the battle stage on a gust of clear wind.
He was slender, with delicate features and fair skin; both his demeanor and appearance could be considered excellent.
The moment Zhu He stepped onto the stage, everyone felt as if the green mountains and clear waters of the Jade Pond Immortal Realm had become several times more vibrant. The springs sang, the forests rustled, as if sprites were dancing joyfully.
Seeing this, Zuo Mingqiu clicked his tongue, then held his forehead and sighed, "Alas, it seems my luck isn't very good. Fighting in a place like this, you seem to have a natural advantage."
Zhu He conjured two emerald wings behind his back using his abilities, rising into the air. Looking down with arrogance, he said, "Yes, with your strength, perhaps anyone else could win, but against me, the outcome becomes uncertain."
Zuo Mingqiu looked up at Zhu He, smiled, and shook his head, "No, you misunderstand."
"Although you have a significant advantage, the reason I'm troubled is that I originally intended to finish you within three moves. But now it seems three moves might not be enough."
"Three moves?" Zhu He looked at Zuo Mingqiu, feeling greatly insulted. His emerald wings widened, flapping in the space, and invisible wind blades sliced through the air, cutting Zuo Mingqiu's robes into countless fine strips. However, these strips did not fall, as each one was connected by imperceptible points.
This was Zhu He's deliberate act.
Zuo Mingqiu lowered his head, then smiled and said, "Terrifying precision. Thank you for leaving my clothes intact."
Zhu He, with his back to the sun, replied calmly, "What's the point? Even the slightest collision from now on will tear these clothes. So I suggest you find a place to change before the fight begins."
"No, this is fine," Zuo Mingqiu said, taking out an Eight Trigram array disk and adjusting it, pointing the 'Li' trigram towards Zhu He in the sky. He then smiled slightly, "Consider it increasing the game's difficulty."
"Come and try. See if you can touch me once and destroy this outfit."
...
...
Zhu He was enraged, so he launched his most ferocious assault. Gales swept with blades, and the grass element totem was attached, unleashing immense combat power.
But in the end, he lost.
And he didn't even touch Zuo Mingqiu.
"You are truly strong. Yesterday, if I wanted to win against you, I would have paid a great price."
Zuo Mingqiu stood on the stage, looking at Zhu He, who was sealed in a pit by his Dao techniques, and explained sincerely, "But now, I have broken through, not just in realm, but also in my state of mind. So you cannot win against me, nor can you destroy my clothes."
"Cough, cough, cough—"
The seal was broken, and Zhu He coughed as he climbed out of the pit. He then lay on the ground, looking up at the blue sky and the light green breeze, breathing in the air deeply.
"You won. I am inferior to you."
Zuo Mingqiu nodded and walked off the stage. "If there's an opportunity, I will visit Myriad Willow Valley. I hope you won't chase me away then."
Zhu He stood up from the ground, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and gave a wry smile. "I can't thank you enough. Although you eliminated me, if you hadn't stopped in time, I would probably be no different from Zhou Jie right now."
"Alright, I'll see you around then," Zuo Mingqiu nodded, speaking his final words sincerely, and then closed his eyes to rest and recover his strength.
This battle was not as easy as it appeared on the surface. Zhu He was indeed strong, and there was indeed a cost.
Meanwhile, Zhu He was eliminated and teleported out of the Jade Pond Immortal Realm. After the battle stage was cleared, the new battles were about to begin.
"Xuanyuan Shennian, please choose your opponent."
Called by name, Xuanyuan Shennian, from the ancient and mysterious Xuanyuan clan, known as the Empress, directly stepped onto the arena and imperiously fixed her gaze on a youth with an equally noble and imposing aura.
"Zheng Fangxing, get up here!"
Xuanyuan Shennian coldly commanded, her presence majestic, like an emperor, allowing no questioning or refusal.
Zheng Fangxing, whose name was called, had his face darken, then reluctantly stood up and walked towards the battle stage.
He knew that Xuanyuan Shennian chose him because, on the sacred ladder in the third round, he had told Xuanyuan Shennian that he would make her bear his offspring.
Later, even when he and Dongfang Yuchu joined forces, they couldn't defeat Xuanyuan Shennian; instead, they were suppressed by her burst of strength for a time, which was very humiliating. Those impure thoughts had long since vanished. Now, Xuanyuan Shennian had finally come to exact her revenge!
"As fellow imperial clan prodigies, you and I should not have met in this round," Zheng Fangxing said to Xuanyuan Shennian with a serious expression.
Xuanyuan Shennian said coldly, "I am different from you. In the bodies of the Xuanyuan clan flows the noble and ancient blood of the Great Emperors. You are merely a collateral member of the Great Zhou Dynasty's imperial family and cannot be compared to the bloodline of my Xuanyuan clan!"
Hearing this, Zheng Fangxing's dark pupils converged into two golden rings, emitting a strong imperial aura. His voice was stern as he said, "I will give you one chance to retract that statement, otherwise, I will show no mercy."
"I, do not require you to hold back," Xuanyuan Shennian said. Behind her, a faint phantom of a star exuding a chilling aura suddenly appeared. Frost swept forth, and stardust subsided, creating a magnificent yet suffocating scene.
"Three sentences. Speak your last words."
Xuanyuan Shennian looked at Zheng Fangxing with arrogance and said.
Upon hearing this, Zheng Fangxing conjured a phantom of the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King behind him, resembling a Dharma idol. Golden light emanated from his eyes, and noble imperial qi flowed, confronting that Taiyin Celestial Star.
"If you lose this fight, become my concubine."
"If that is your last word, I can send you to join Zhou Jie," Xuanyuan Shennian said. Without using Dao techniques, she used absolute strength to drag the star behind her and smash it towards Zheng Fangxing.
It was like a distant meteor, shining with its trajectory, falling towards the ground.
...