Chapter 164

Chapter 164: An Unwelcome Request

"I need to isolate myself for the night."

Returning to the palace, Nangong Zhandao departed alone.

"By tomorrow, he should reach saint level perfection," Lin Qianmo murmured, watching Nangong Zhandao’s retreating figure with a complex expression.

Within the palace hall, Nangong Zhandao settled into a sitting lotus position.

He activated the Xuan Du Forgetting Emotions Heaven Book and instantly entered a state of seated oblivion. No external disturbance could affect his cultivation now.

Vast streams of spiritual power surged as Nangong Zhandao’s aura grew increasingly formidable.

The next day dawned with the fish-belly white of dawn appearing in the east. Nangong Zhandao ceased his cultivation. He opened his eyes, radiating vitality without a trace of fatigue.

"I wonder how strong I am now?" Nangong Zhandao savored the immense power within him. "I wonder if their combined strength could even shake me?"

A flicker of interest ignited within him.

At this Hidden Dragon Gathering, no single opponent could hope to challenge him.

Yet, if the top nine joined forces, they might exert just enough pressure to be interesting.

Nangong Zhandao smiled.

He hadn’t felt true pressure in a very long time.

He stepped out of the palace. Daylight pierced the gloom, morning rays illuminating his figure until he resembled a banished immortal, untouched by worldly dust.

"Senior Brother Nangong."

A woman from the Moon God Clan approached, admiration subtly hidden in her gaze yet carefully veiled.

"The final battle is about to begin. Shall I accompany you there?"

"Unnecessary."

Nangong Zhandao glanced at her lightly before shifting his focus away.

Disappointment clouded the woman’s eyes.

Before long, Lin Qianmo, Lan Youruo, and the others arrived. The group set off together for the Hidden Dragon Gathering.

"Esteemed participants, today marks the final day of the Hidden Dragon Gathering," Yang Xuanzhan announced with a broad smile. "The question remains: to whose lap will the champion’s honor fall?"

"Senior Tian Ji, regarding today’s decisive engagements, we propose taking matters into our own hands."

Qi Zijun from Empress Nuwa Palace offered a light smile, bowing respectfully towards Ye Xu.

"And what exactly do you propose?"

"This junior wishes to challenge Nangong Zhandao." Qi Zijun said, his expression turning stern.

Once defeated, he would be unable to fight Nangong Zhandao.

He had come precisely for Nangong Zhandao; if he could not fight him, he would probably regret it for half his life.

"Are you all thinking the same?" Ye Xu lightly asked, his gaze sweeping over Meng Feixian, Xuan Yu, Qi Wuhen, and the others.

"Yes."

They nodded.

"Senior, this is not fair." Lan Youruo frowned. "If each of them wants to challenge Nangong Zhandao, won’t that be a tactic of overwhelming with numbers?"

"In my view, following your arrangement is the fairest way."

"That makes sense." Ye Xu smiled.

"Senior, this junior also has an overbold request."

Suddenly, the silent Nangong Zhendao spoke.

"Speak."

Ye Xu stared at Nangong Zhandao meaningfully.

"Yesterday, this junior had a cultivation breakthrough; today, I wish to ask all of you to help me test my strength." Nangong Zhandao said indifferently. "Since you all desire to battle me, why not all come at me together?"

Boom!

The moment these words rang out, the atmosphere erupted.

"Nangong, you’re crazy!" Lan Youruo seemed unable to believe her ears. How could Nangong Zhandao even consider fighting nine top geniuses alone with his own strength?

To that day, Nangong Zhandao had been publicly acknowledged as the number one prodigy.

But among those nine, which one was not a genius found once in a thousand or even ten thousand years?

Facing one alone would be extremely tough, let alone confronting nine?

"Ha ha ha…"

The Mystic Law Sect’s Great Emperor laughed heartily, his eyes filled with mockery. "This kid really doesn’t know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth, does he? He thinks bearing a grand fortune makes him invincible in the world?"

"No."

The Empress of the Holy Mother Palace said, "Nangong Zhandao carries the grand fortune of the Yuan Realm; he cannot be underestimated."

Dao King also revealed a strange smile.

"Nangong Zhandao, by challenging us nine alone with your own strength, you show utter disdain for us!" Qi Zijun said angrily, feeling he had been insulted.

"You are insulting us." Li Xieyun said.

Li Xieyun’s expression was extremely dark.

"Nangong Zhandao, I want a fair duel. Who wishes to win by superior numbers?" Qi Wuhen said, his injuries recovered, hopping around energetically again. "If we win by teaming up against you, it would be an unworthy victory and spread as a joke through the lands."

"Old Master, what can we do?"

Yang Xuanzhan looked at the chaotic scene, unsure of what to do.

"Sit still and wait."

Ye Xu said unhurriedly.

Meng Feixian’s beautiful eyes flickered.

Her strength had originally been inferior to Nangong Zhandao’s, and now that Nangong Zhandao had broken through again to a higher level, she stood even less chance against him.

However, Nangong Zhandao’s demand had still made her quite angry.

They had considered Nangong Zhandao a worthy opponent, yet he clearly didn’t regard them seriously.

"Nangong senior brother, how about letting me face you?"

Yan Duxing was eager to give it a try.

"A waste of time."

Nangong Zhandao had no interest whatsoever.

"Wait a moment."

Qi Wuhen’s eyes narrowed craftily as he suggested, laughing, "Nangong Zhandao, how about letting me and him challenge you together? If you can defeat us both, that would prove you truly have sufficient skill."

"That way, perhaps they’ll agree."

"What do you think, dear friends?"

"Agreed."

Bu Linglong nodded.

Both Yan Duxing and Qi Wuhen’s strength was only slightly below theirs; defeating the two of them together would be extremely difficult.

At the very least, Bu Linglong admitted she couldn’t do it.

"I have no objection."

Li Xieyun, Qi Zijun, and Xuan Yu nodded their assent.

"Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk also agrees." Monk Juexin from Little West Heaven Temple smiled.

"Alright."

A taciturn man in black robes, radiating a fierce aura, responded solemnly.

This was the top talent from Yama Court.

The only entrant to make the top twenty from the Shadow Realm.

Nangong Zhandao frowned.

"Since everyone’s reached a consensus, it’s settled then." Ye Xu’s decision was final.

The words of the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion carried significant weight.

As soon as Ye Xu’s voice was heard, the arguments immediately ceased.

"Nangong senior brother, I beg for your guidance."

Yan Duxing, trembling with nervousness, pushed his profound technique to its limit. His magic power vibrated wildly as divine patterns, like tattoos, awakened and wrapped around his flesh.

Innumerable divine patterns appeared like a totem, imprinted with demons of hell, asura yakshas.

However, Yan Duxing naturally radiated an aura of righteousness.

Without even making a move, Yan Duxing unleashed his full power, activating his Suppress the Prison Divine Body to battle Nangong Zhandao.

Qi Wuhen gripped his divine spear as Xuanhuang energy coalesced.

The spear chimed, a spear intent piercing the heavens. A dragon’s roar erupted from the spear in his hand, and his entire form suddenly vanished.

The heavens spun, the earth reversed, the cycles of four seasons shifted.

Four Poles Reincarnation!

Spring, summer, autumn, winter transformed incessantly, trapping Nangong Zhandao. A divine spear descended from the sky, merging with heaven and earth. When the spear struck, only that spear remained in everyone’s vision.

“He merged into one with it…”

Bu Linglong’s gaze flickered slightly. Though this technique couldn’t compare to the power of the Xuanhuang Origin, it was still remarkably formidable.

BOOM!

Yan Duxing stepped forward, vast divine might surging like a celestial river. He crashed towards Nangong Zhandao like a blazing sun.

Two top geniuses joined forces in battle.

“Do you think they can withstand even one move from Nangong Zhandao?”

Ye Xu watched the battle with a faint smile.

“Probably possible.”

Yang Xuanzhan spoke cautiously, “After all, Yan Duxing and Qi Wuhen are ranked among the top ten geniuses. No matter how strong Nangong Zhandao is, he couldn’t obliterate them in a single move, could he?”

“Keep watching.”

Ye Xu replied lightly.

CLANG!

The cry of a blade rang out.

Nangong Zhandao seemed to transform into a divine dagger. An overwhelmingly domineering sword intent burst forth from his very being. The mere intent of the blade soared skyward like an intangible celestial dagger.

Qi Wuhen’s Four Poles Reincarnation powers shattered instantly.

Qi Wuhen was dumbstruck.

He too had grasped the cyclical power, but compared to Nangong Zhandao’s sword intent, they seemed to exist on entirely different planes.

CRACK!

An intangible heavenly dagger cleaved through the world. Qi Wuhen’s divine spear abruptly snapped. His body split in two, while countless surges of sword energy writhed within the halves.

Despite using all his strength to suppress the sword energy, Qi Wuhen found he could not contain it at all.

“Could it be… I must use the Xuanhuang Origin again?”

The thought flashed through Qi Wuhen’s mind, only to be dismissed instantly.

When he fought Beitang Jue, he used the Xuanhuang Origin because his intent was to kill.

Yet at this moment, his goal was simply survival.

"Senior Brother Nangong, I admit defeat."

Qi Wuhen shouted loudly, then dashed out of the battlefield.

Boom!

At the same time.

Yan Duxing exerted all his strength to drive the Divine Suppression, unleashing his full power. He resembled a giant standing ten thousand zhang tall; the totems on his body awakened, and a hell rose into being.

This was Yan Duxing’s domain.

He committed all his might, trying to clash directly against Nangong Zhandao’s blade intent.

However, Nangong Zhandao still made no movement.

He stayed in place; that blade intent shattered Qi Wuhen’s Four Poles Reincarnation, broke the cyclical power, and instead of fading, it grew even more terrifying.

Yan Duxing sensed the blade intent invading.

They saw that hell domain collapse piece by piece, falling apart; each Asura demon vanished instantly upon touching the blade intent.

After one breath, the hell was annihilated.

Yan Duxing’s body shook violently, covered densely with blade marks, blood streaming down.

Bang!

Yan Duxing’s form shrank back to its original size; trembling, he stood on the battle platform, covered all over with fierce blade wounds, like a demon.

"What an intense blade intent."

This blade strike was astonishingly brilliant.

"Truly overbearing."

Bu Linglong and Li Xieyun exchanged a glance, both feeling their hearts tighten with fear.

The overbearing blade intent defeated Qi Wuhen and Yan Duxing in a single move, ending cleanly and efficiently.

At that moment, no one dared to question Nangong Zhandao’s strength any longer.

"Thanks for going easy on me."

Nangong Zhandao looked at the blood-soaked Yan Duxing and said lightly.

"Fighting against you, senior brother, though it ended in defeat for me, it remains an honor." Yan Duxing forced a faint smile, but the heavy sense of defeat left him thoroughly demoralized.

He had trained for ages, suffering daily, yet still couldn’t withstand Nangong Zhandao’s one blade strike.

The gap between him and Nangong Zhandao was like an impassable chasm.

Off the stage.

Meng Feixian was acting to help Qi Wuhen suppress the blade intent; although he had escaped the battlefield, Qi Wuhen was still scared and unsettled.

Right then, the geniuses from Godfall Ridge surprisingly did not mock Qi Wuhen.

It was known to all that Nangong Zhandao was a freak.

After a short while, Meng Feixian finally extinguished the blade intent completely.

"Sister Meng, not even you seven together are necessarily his match." Qi Wuhen was deeply shaken; he, who feared nothing, finally felt terror grip him.

Meng Feixian stared at him in astonishment.

"So you do know fear?" Meng Feixian teased him lightly.

Qi Wuhen flushed with embarrassment, "Th-this… who said I’m afraid?"

Meng Feixian couldn’t be bothered to argue back.

"Come on now; all of you can team up."

Nangong Zhandao’s voice carried over, clear and distinct.

However, to Bu Linglong and the others—the seven of them—it cut painfully sharp.