Chapter 532

Chapter 532: Three Unfortunate Souls

Everyone stared in astonishment.

How could such a remarkably capable individual, just struck down by heavenly punishment, be so full of vigor and vitality once more?

Amidst the crowd’s expressions of shock and awe, Dugu Ming entered Canglan City and approached the Dao Lord ranking. His eyes gleamed like brilliant starlight.

Li Ruoyu frowned subtly and quietly retreated a step back.

"Is this the Dao Lord ranking?"

Dugu Ming gazed at the ranking, momentarily taken aback. "Am I truly ranked first on the Dao Lord ranking?"

"That can’t be right…"

he muttered to himself.

"Born unlucky, I’ve always been at the bottom during my training under hundreds of sects. Yet, on the Dao Lord ranking, I suddenly come out on top? Such an anomaly must hide deceit!"

Dugu Ming declared firmly.

He didn’t believe the ranking at all.

"This humble one is Ji Wushuang. May I inquire, Daoist brother, who might you be?" Ji Wushuang asked, sword in hand.

"Me?"

Dugu Ming laughed. "I am Dugu Ming."

"You’re the number one on the Dao Lord ranking?"

The moment these words left Ji Wushuang’s mouth, the crowd exploded into commotion. Everyone looked as if they had seen a ghost.

The top-ranked Dao Lord was actually such a freakishly monstrous individual?

"I’m baffled myself,"

Dugu Ming said, scratching the back of his head with a puzzled expression. "I’ve never won a single contest against anyone in my cultivation journey. How could I possibly rank first on the Dao Lord ranking?"

"Perhaps the senior masters of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion made a mistake."

"???"

Everyone was completely baffled.

Li Ruoyu frowned deeply. He didn’t believe the Dao Lord ranking issued by Ye Xu could be flawed. Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s work was infallible; there simply could be no errors in their information.

"Chances are, there’s something unusual about him personally," Li Ruoyu thought silently.

On the Dao Lord ranking, only a name was listed, with no accompanying details. Yet, Li Ruoyu alone knew: Dugu Ming himself was an anomaly, inherently carrying bad fortune. Anyone who came into contact with him was bound to suffer great misfortune.

However.

While he grasped the truth, Ji Wushuang, the golden-armored man, and others began to entertain ideas.

Dugu Ming seemed like a naive young man; he likely had no reason to lie to them. Someone who had never won a fight—how could such a person be worthy of holding the top position on the Dao Lord ranking?

"Brother Ji, don’t you want to test him?" the golden-armored man urged. "If you win, you can take his place and become number one on the Dao Lord ranking."

Ji Wushuang’s thoughts gradually grew lively.

"Daoist friend Red-Eyed, what do you think?" Long You transmitted secretly.

"Don’t rush."

The red-eyed youth said: "Daoist friend Li remains composed and hasn’t taken a stance. We should also watch calmly."

"Daoist friend Dugu Ming, I seek to exchange two moves with you. Might you grant me instruction?" Ji Wushuang couldn’t hold back, clasping his hands over his sword in salute.

He had his own calculations.

On the Dao Lord Ranking, both were Nine Tribulations Dao Lords. Even if Dugu Ming lied, he couldn’t be overwhelmingly stronger. Should things turn unfavorable, Ji could cease immediately.

Ji Wushuang had confidence in withdrawing unharmed.

"I don’t fight, you should go easy on me," Dugu Ming replied.

"…" Ji Wushuang’s forehead sprouted bulging veins. Reaching Nine Tribulations Dao Lord yet claiming no combat skill? Dugu Ming might as well be grinding Ji’s intelligence underfoot.

"I’ll try my best."

Ji Wushuang took a deep breath.

"Come on!"

Dugu Ming stood in place, closing his eyes as if offering his neck to execution.

"Daoist friend, what’s the meaning of this?" Ji Wushuang frowned, utterly baffled.

"Well, I don’t fight anyway, so I’ll stand still for your attack," Dugu Ming smiled with harmless innocence. "Brother, strike gently; don’t kill me."

"…"

Numerous cultivators gaped, stunned.

What bizarre creature was this man?

"I definitely won’t kill you!"

Ji Wushuang gritted his teeth; Dugu Ming’s attitude was pure humiliation.

Clang!

Rage surged as Ji Wushuang unleashed his magic power. Nine sword beams encircled him, evolving into a profound sword formation embodying the Nine Palaces Mystery, charging at Dugu Ming.

Seeing this,

Li Ruoyu retreated further back.

Long You and the red-eyed youth noted Li Ruoyu’s strangeness, though neither thought much of it.

Boom!

Just as Ji Wushuang’s sword formation was about to strike Dugu Ming, Ji suddenly screamed. His magic power inexplicably clogged!

Without magic power support, the formation instantly collapsed. A terrifying backlash surged forth, hammering Ji Wushuang’s body.

Crack-boom!

Ji Wushuang vomited blood, hurled back thousands of miles, crashing through palaces and towers like collapsing dominos.

"Daoist brother Long You—did you see what happened?" The red-eyed youth stared at Long You, stunned.

"Ji Wushuang…"

Long You paused momentarily, swallowing his saliva, and said, "He seems to have been injured by the sword formation he initiated."

"Is that possible?"

The golden-armored man also sensed something strange, yet he didn’t entirely believe Long You’s words.

Whoosh!

The next moment.

Ji Wushuang rushed in like sword light, his hair disheveled, his breath chaotic, with swords lights intertwining in his eyes as his Eye Technique operated, and mysterious divine patterns flickering.

"My eyes…"

But before he could deploy his Sword Pupil, Ji Wushuang suddenly let out a shriek, and two drops of bloody tears streamed from the corners of his eyes, tracing a bloody streak on his face.

"……"

Looking at this scene, everyone felt a chill in their hearts.

What on earth was happening?

Ji Wushuang covered his eyes, hopping fiercely in agony.

Every time he circulated his Qi at a critical moment, his mana always became abnormal; previously, it was sluggish and stuck, but this time, his meridians had reversed.

"Too weird…" Li Ruoyu’s heart pounded violently.

"Brother, why aren’t you making a move yet?"

Dugu Ming opened his eyes and expressed doubt, "Your eyes are injured—who hurt you?"

Long You and the red-eyed youth exchanged bewildered glances.

"Is this lad naive, or just pretending to be clueless?" the red-eyed youth whispered mentally.

"Let’s test him."

Long You declared sternly.

Throughout his cultivation journey, he had never encountered such an eerie individual.

"Fine."

The red-eyed youth nodded.

He also intended to probe Dugu Ming.

"Now let’s see how formidable the top spot on the Dao Lord ranking really is?"

Boom!

The red-eyed youth and Long You simultaneously activated their mana.

"Annihilation of All Laws!"

"Eastern Pole World-Shaking Fist!"

The red-eyed youth activated one hundred and eight Great Dao Worlds, and the Great Dao primordial spirit manifested; the winds and clouds abruptly shifted, one hundred and eight types of Great Dao fused into one, channeling the power into his fist.

With a tremendous explosion!

He erupted with all his might, his fist shattering the void, compressing his power to the extreme, and smashing towards Dugu Ming.

Long You’s right arm transformed into a Dragon Claw, covered in blue-gold dragon scales as blue-gold divine blood flowed, releasing an ancient, immense aura.

Crack!

His knuckles cracked loudly, overwhelming divine power burst from his body, crushing the void, as he prepared to clash directly with Dugu Ming using his physical body.

"Long You and the red-eyed youth, one is third on the Dao Lord ranking, the other is fourth; attacking Dugu Ming together will surely force him to act," thought the golden-armored man.

"This is truly amazing!"

The spectators clapped their hands in praise.

"I should slip away early," said Li Ruoyu, activating the Great Dao of space and disappearing into the Ultimate Great Luo Heaven.

Dugu Ming was too bizarre; he truly hadn’t acted, but his bad fortune could silently affect those around him.

Ji Wushuang was a vivid example.

Boom!

Mere moments later.

Only a deafening sound was heard; the red-eyed youth’s Great Dao World suddenly twisted, layers of Dao Realm began collapsing, his magical power raged chaotically within his body, exactly like signs of demonic possession.

Long You’s situation was even more absurd.

Within his bloodline, the East Sky Azure Dragon’s blood and the Kirin divine blood repelled each other at the critical moment of his attack; a fierce battle between the two bloodlines instantly shattered his arm.

And that wasn’t all.

That bizarre force affected his entire body; Long You’s power split into two streams, one led by the East Sky Azure Dragon’s blood, the other by the Kirin divine blood.

The two forces fought incessantly, making him suffer unbearable agony, his whole body bathed in blood.

"Pfft!" Long You spat out divine blood and bolted frantically, fleeing far from Dugu Ming.

The red-eyed youth’s physical body was completely crushed by his collapsing Great Dao World, his condition even more miserable, lying at Dugu Ming’s feet like a pile of mud.

The golden-armored man and the surrounding cultivators watched this scene with horror.

At this moment.

Even the most foolish person understood that the source of the strangeness was Dugu Ming.

"That guy is pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger!" exclaimed the golden-armored man fearfully.

Ji Wushuang, the red-eyed youth, and Long You were among the top Dao Lords, yet before Dugu Ming, they seemed like three-year-old children, utterly powerless.

From start to finish, Dugu Ming hadn’t even acted.

"Brothers, why are you all leaving?" Dugu Ming sensed the commotion; he watched the terrified escaping Long You and Ji Wushuang, and finally fixed his gaze on the red-eyed youth, who couldn’t flee.

"Brother, how did you get so badly injured?" The red-eyed youth was nearly crying. Right now, he couldn’t even walk.

"Daoist brother Dugu, I admit defeat," wept the red-eyed youth with choked voice, "Can you let me go? I need to return to my sect to find my master to heal me. I’m dying…"

Dugu Ming looked innocent. "Brother, I truly haven’t acted…" He scratched his head, saying, "If you don’t mind, how about I escort you back to your sect?"

The red-eyed youth shook his head frantically. If Dugu Ming escorted him, he’d probably kick the bucket halfway there.

Li Ruoyu’s face twitched, but he couldn’t muster a laugh. Meeting Dugu Ming felt like experiencing eight lifetimes of bad luck.