Xu Mu shattered the ghost mist barrier and descended from the sky.
He didn't know why he did it. Nangong Huai Tian had no real connection to him, yet he came, and with all his might.
One punch, like a tiger released from its cage.
Zou Jie's eyes widened in shock. With no time to think, he instinctively pushed a palm forward. The palm wind howled, stirring up rumbling waves that finally coalesced into a colossal ghost hand, which clashed with the fist.
*Boom!*
Xu Mu's punch shattered the ghost hand, but he himself was sent reeling back several steps by the terrifying impact force, his right arm numb.
"Are you alright?"
Xu Mu stopped his staggering momentum, took a breath, and turned to ask Nangong.
"Yes, I'm fine." Nangong Huai Tian nodded, her complexion pale. She was still recovering from the clone's ability, somewhat dazed.
After all, she wasn't like Xu Mu, who had lived with his soul switching from a young age. It wasn't easy to recover after controlling a body with a clone for the first time, which was one of the reasons Zou Jie had killed so many geniuses.
"It's you again, kid." On the other side, Zou Jie clutched his chest, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, glaring at Xu Mu with immense hatred.
Just moments ago, Xu Mu had shattered his ability barrier, freeing Nangong Huai Tian, and in the process, he himself had been severely injured.
Yes, Zou Jie only blamed Xu Mu, failing to notice that the instant Xu Mu charged forward, a terrifying tremor had also faded from Nangong Huai Tian's eyes. If not for Xu Mu's arrival, Nangong Huai Tian might have used a trump card and fought him to the death!
"Die!" Zou Jie, unable to suppress his rage any longer, roared at Xu Mu, his hands surging with ability. From high above, a massive black seal gate descended, intending to crush Xu Mu.
Xu Mu's expression turned solemn. He planted his foot in the 'Gen' position, raising his hands to support the gate. Immovable as a mountain, the seal gate descended, its immense force crashing down like another mountain.
*Boom!*
Xu Mu's face flushed red, his robes ripped open in several places by the surging blood energy. His legs were bent, but he did not fall, for he was bearing the weight of the seal gate head-on!
"Hmph!"
After a few seconds of stalemate, Xu Mu, lifting the seal gate, hurled it into the air and then, like throwing a massive stone, smashed it towards Zou Jie.
Surprise flashed across Zou Jie's eyes. He extended a hand, stopping the seal gate mid-air, and then mockingly spoke, "You have brute strength, but sadly, no brains."
"This is my ability. You thought of using it against me?"
Xu Mu naturally did not answer.
*Boom!*
The next second, the seal gate in mid-air shattered. Dark golden Dao Origin erupted from its cracks, and then, in an instant, Xu Mu's figure charged out, like a descending god, golden radiance flowing all over him, purifying all darkness!
Zou Jie's mocking expression froze. Faced with Xu Mu's punch, he had no time to react and could only push out a ghost palm as before. But this time, Xu Mu's punch was more powerful, delivered with full force and imbued with Dao Origin. The ghost palm shattered in an instant.
*Dong!*
Zou Jie crossed his arms over his chest, his ghost armor protecting him, and took the punch head-on. He was then sent flying far away, almost falling off the staircase.
Seeing this, Xu Mu twisted his wrist slightly, wanting to press his advantage. However, he realized that during their fight, other geniuses on the fifty-eighth step had also ascended to this level. If he were to pursue Zou Jie, Nangong might be in danger.
"You're lucky."
Xu Mu stared at Zou Jie and coldly stated, then leaped back, retreating to Nangong Huai Tian's side, warily scanning their surroundings.
"While we were fiercely fighting below, others took advantage of the situation." Dongfang Yuchu glanced at Xu Mu, then at Nangong Huai Tian, who was protected behind him, a hint of jealousy appearing in her eyes.
"Who are you? This is my woman! Get out of the way!" Yue Hengtian took a step forward, ancient cyan ability flowing around him with a dense aura, pressing down on Xu Mu.
"Young man, step aside. The Saintess is not someone you can covet. She can only be my empress." Zheng Fangxing, possessing royal blood, also stepped forward, a domineering pressure enveloping them.
Xu Mu remained silent, standing his ground. The blood energy surging within him was fully released, the beating of his Holy Glazed Heart like muffled thunder, echoing through the space and spreading the will of the Great Dao of Death to every corner.
The oncoming pressure was all cleared by him. Even all the other geniuses standing on the fifty-ninth step were oppressed by Xu Mu's suffocating sense of death, their complexions turning pale, their forward steps immediately halting, and their minds clearing somewhat.
"Damn it, how many more trump cards does this kid have? He's just a crude martial artist, why is he so strong?" On the other side, Zou Jie straightened his damaged body, shattered by Xu Mu's punch. Sensing the powerful pressure in the space, his eyes were filled with ferocity and apprehension.
He had thought he had overestimated Xu Mu enough. If he couldn't deal with him without using that move, then based on Xu Mu's current might, even if he used his ultimate move, he might not be able to defeat Xu Mu with ease. After all, he couldn't guarantee that Xu Mu didn't have other trump cards.
"Miss Nangong, do not panic. Since we met once at Medicine King Valley, we are friends. I will absolutely not let my friend be harmed in the slightest!"
At this moment, Ji Xuansu, holding a book, arrived leisurely, landing in front of Nangong Huai Tian with a serious expression, promising.
However, as he spoke, his face involuntarily flushed red. Clearly, the excuse he'd fabricated was clumsy, and even he didn't believe it. But what else could he do? Would he admit that he had fallen in love at first sight with Nangong Huai Tian at Medicine King Valley, and after years of silence, he had suddenly decided to become her protector?
Nangong Huai Tian blinked in surprise, then said, "Uh, thank you."
"You're welcome." Ji Xuansu's heart pounded rapidly. He turned his head, his expression extremely unnatural, and then he saw Xu Mu.
Only then did he notice that there was already a person in front of Nangong Huai Tian, a handsome man exuding a powerful aura.
Who is he?
The question arose simultaneously in the minds of Ji Xuansu and Nangong Huai Tian.
But this question already had an answer.
Zou Jie looked at Xu Mu and cursed, "Mu Xu, you ungrateful fool! I didn't even intercept you with Ye Palace below, yet you came up and ruined my good deed."
"Did the Jiang family find you to participate just so you could meddle in other people's business!"
It was this sentence that made Nangong Huai Tian react. In the second round of the Ten Thousand Races Alliance, Xu Mu had been chosen by Zou Jie, and they had fought to a draw.
The latter represented the Jiang family from the Land of Hundred Tribes, named Mu Xu.
"Mu Xu, Mu Xu..." Nangong Huai Tian whispered Xu Mu's alias, and looking at the sword sheath in his hand, she felt something was not quite right.
"What I do is none of anyone's business. It seems to have nothing to do with you," Xu Mu said coldly, staring at Zou Jie. He then turned to scan everyone and declared, "I will protect the person behind me. Anyone who tries to touch her again must get past me first."
"Who do you think you are!" Yue Hengtian directly pointed at Xu Mu and cursed. Zheng Fangxing and Dongfang Yuchu were also furious, their abilities surging, yet neither of them dared to make the first move against Xu Mu.
Ji Xuansu stared blankly at Xu Mu, his gaze becoming extremely complex. He then suddenly reacted and quickly turned around, saying, "Me too. Whoever wants to touch Miss Nangong must step over me first."
Seeing this, Dongfang Yuchu and the others, though angered, found themselves unable to do anything. Both Xu Mu and Ji Xuansu were very strong, and coupled with Nangong, it seemed difficult for anyone to act against them.
Unless... they could join forces.
Zheng Fangxing turned and met Dongfang Yuchu's gaze. Their eyes conveyed a shared understanding.
"Yue Hengtian is out of the question, this brute will definitely agree. The key is Zou Jie..." Dongfang Yuchu's eyes turned cold. She then looked at Zou Jie and asked, "Mu Xu has a grudge against you. Shall we join forces to take him down?"
Zou Jie heard this, glanced at Dongfang Yuchu. Cooperating with others to take down Xu Mu? It was a feasible plan, but it would be too humiliating.
Moreover, the most crucial point was, could the four of them easily defeat the three of them?
"Unless we add one more person, the risk is too high, and it would require fighting with our lives. I won't do it," Zou Jie refused, shaking his head. He wanted to kill Xu Mu, but it was ultimately a matter of pride. He couldn't expose all his trump cards at this stage, otherwise, how would he deal with Chen Changkong?
Dongfang Yuchu nodded upon hearing this, then turned to look at the other geniuses around them and asked, "Brother Li Guang, are you interested in participating? We'll eliminate Nangong's guard first, and then contend for her."
Li Guang, a direct descendant of the Li family and a formation master, heard this, gave Dongfang Yuchu a indifferent glance, and then directly stepped onto the sixty-level holy platform via a formation, without saying a word.
Dongfang Yuchu's face darkened. She wanted to draw others into the fray but found that the remaining people were all strangers. Only Xuanyuan Shen Nian was somewhat familiar.
"Xuanyuan, do you have any thoughts? After all, Nangong is also your competitor. If we subdue her, you will be the undisputed number one genius female cultivator in the Land of Hundred Tribes."
Dongfang Yuchu asked Xuanyuan Shen Nian. Upon hearing this, Xuanyuan Shen Nian stopped her stride, turned her head, and calmly said, "Even if she were here, I would still be number one."
"Also, Zheng Fangxing, you have royal blood. Please conduct yourself with decorum. You should not tarnish the royal bloodline."
Zheng Fangxing's face immediately turned grim upon hearing this. He looked at Xuanyuan Shen Nian and said unpleasantly, "No matter how many times you say it, I am a legitimate royal with traceable bloodline. It's not your place, a woman who fabricated her ancestor's bloodline out of thin air, to tell me what to do."
Hearing this, Xuanyuan Shen Nian completely straightened her leaning body, turned to face Zheng Fangxing, and said coldly, "Do you dare say that again?"
"I'll say it ten more times, it's all the same," Zheng Fangxing said, looking calmly at Xuanyuan Shen Nian. Then, a glint of desire appeared in his eyes.
In terms of appearance, although Xuanyuan Shen Nian was not as stunning as Nangong Huai Tian to shake the world, she was definitely considered a beauty among the vast sea of immortal maidens in the cultivation world.
And in terms of her figure, Xuanyuan Shen Nian was far superior to Nangong Huai Tian, especially her proud twin peaks, which swayed alluringly, almost bursting out, captivating his unsteadfast Dao heart.
Sensing Zheng Fangxing's gaze, Xuanyuan Shen Nian's expression turned even colder. A faint brown qi began to surge within her, forming a vortex, clearly indicating she was on the verge of exploding.
"Actually, I just want to find a woman from a prominent family for a political marriage to pass on my noble royal bloodline. Whether that person is Nangong Huai Tian or not is irrelevant."
Zheng Fangxing said, then asked Xuanyuan Shen Nian, "Are you willing to bear my offspring?"
Xuanyuan Shen Nian looked at Zheng Fangxing and asked:
"Do you have any last words?"
...