Archfiend

Chapter 41: Battle Royale (6)

 In the darkness of the forest, the wind rustles the grass. The general draws his bow at night. As the sky brightens, his arrow, with a fletching of white plumage, sinks into stone.

Swish! At this instant, qi that terrify initial-stage Qi Condensation cultivators erupted from the barrel of Chu Zhaonan’s gun! Over the course of two seconds, an endless amount of weaving qi flew out from the front of the gun barrel to condense into a tremendous arrow!

Afterwards, not waiting on anyone to react, the arrow brought with it a sharp whistling that could lacerate all things, frantically rushing towards Xu Yangyi! In this twinkling, twenty steles suddenly shattered from among the remaining ninety stone steles!

They had crumbled apart in a fleeting moment! There were simply no traces of cracks that covered them! This represented that the spiritual force Chu Zhaonan had exploded with now exceeded the twenty previous paragons!

“HAH!” A snarl shook Xu Yangyi’s chest as it thundered its way out. The rubble surrounding him was quickly sent rushing away as if it had been smashed away by the blast of a formless spirit wave! 

“Solution Ninety… Life Sacrification!”

“He… wants to take this move head-on?” A spirited light erupted in the eyes of a late-stage Qi Condensation cultivator. “Does he think he can take it?”

“Not necessarily.” A fellow Daoist at his side fixed his gaze on the arena stage. “Life Sacrification can rouse the innate potential within one’s body and temporarily make one forget about pain. However, the consumption is equally tremendous, almost capable of drying up a normal cultivator’s qi sea, in a single breath. But it has another function, which for the time being is considered a hidden effect.”

“Life Sacrification can strengthen the effect of other solutions from the Hundred Solutions. This is probably the only move in the last ten solutions that can be kept on being used in the long term…” Firecloud looked at the arena stage, and qi walls clearly emerged at the stage’s four sides. He said thoughtfully, “You aren’t an impulsive person. Let me see… what you wish to do…”

No less than three meters in size, the empty shadow of an arrow carried a mournful wail, bringing forth a fierce wind that could skewer all things! Facing towards the ground, it sped forth!

Swoooosh! The sleeves of Xu Yangyi’s camouflage attire fluttered back, yet not a sliver of alarm was seen on his face, only unmatched calm!

“Solution Ninety-Seven… Tortoise Burdens!”

Bang! The camouflage on his upper body shredded apart with a rumble, transforming into tatters of fragmented cloth and exposing his well-trained, powerful flesh. On his chest, his veins twisted to converge into the image of a qilin. 

Boom! In the next second, the tremendous arrow firmly nailed into the ground! A shock wave, visible to the naked eye, surged up from the ground! Dust flew upwards and a circular earthen-yellow spirit wave soared on the ground. The faces over a thousand initial-stage cultivators collectively changed at the same time! This was the power of a divine ability! This was the might of a true cultivator!

Scars that extended several meters deep spread out like a spider web on the ground! The force of a single blow was surprisingly so great!

Buzz… At this time, the enduring stone steles disintegrated into rubble. On the arena floor, dust rose into the air, and high above, countless white rays scattered. Many, many beginner cultivators deeply engraved this scene at the bottom of their hearts.

“What’s going on?” Luo Sanfeng was staring intensely at the arena. It was beyond his expectations that Chu Zhaonan’s strike would be so terrifying! If he had been substituted in, he would’ve been absolutely unable to receive it. 

However, what about the man who had defeated him? Would he be able to take it?

Countless eyes were on the center of the arena stage. As the smoke cleared, they looked on in astonishment at Xu Yangyi who was actually crossing his arms and protecting his vitals. He was still standing there as before!

From head to toe, there was nearly no place left intact. Bloody scars covered his bare upper body, somewhat so deep that bone could already be seen! He was drenched in blood, and the life fluid followed down his body and trickled. His chest was rapidly heaving up and down, however...

He was still standing! He hadn’t fallen!

“This is it?” Faintly gasping for breath, Xu Yangyi set down both of his arms and spat out a mouthful of blood. He used his hand to wipe away at his mouth, his eyes looking at Chu Zhaonan who had already landed. “Nothing else?”

“Fuck me!” Gao Ye shouted loudly and lowered his arms. He had seen it clearly—no—everyone had seen it clearly. The wounds on Xu Yangyi’s body appeared frightening, but none of them were on his vitals! Not a single location on his vitals had been injured! He had forcibly resisted this blow!

Gao Ye firmly clenched both of his hands and his eyeballs saucered. He didn’t dare to believe that with the same combination of Life Sacrification and Tortoise Burdens that Xu Yangyi had managed to resist without heavy injuries. Yet he… hadn’t been able to fight against Chu Zhaonan who hadn’t even used a divine ability!” 

“That’s impossible!” Chu Zhaonan’s complexion changed for the first time, and he looked at Xu Yangyi in shock. His opponent had been injured. The wounds weren’t heavy, but by no means were they light! However… this strike he used was capable of killing off the other’s eruption of spiritual force!

“If that’s all you got, then you still can’t beat me.” Xu Yangyi sucked in deeply. Each of his bones ached terribly, but every one of his blood vessels and cells were boiling! It was the exercise of his full power that he’d been separated from for a long time now. One that was capable of making every man, in both body and mind, flare up upon meeting their match!

It was the movement of his full power, long since separated from him. In his chest, his heart raged and the blood in his veins billowed over and over. Each of his cells craved for an equal battle!

“Puh…” Xu Yangyi spat on the ground and raised his fist towards the sky. His face covered in blood, he revealed his first smile. “Chu, you’ve reached me.” 

Chu Zhaonan’s pupils suddenly needled. At this moment, he and the Xu Yangyi of moments ago were the same; he sensed a bone-piercing menace akin to countless needles! Without almost a thought, he flipped backwards and suddenly snarled, “Rising Cloud!”

Both of his hands tightened up by fraction. The original lone gun that he was carrying transformed into two, without omen. Chu Zhaonan faced the ground and fired with all his might. 

Boom! Rubble scattered into the air. This volley of fire seemed to give rise to tremendous recoil, bringing him to the rear in urgent retreat! However, not even waiting for him to settle, an incomparably frenzied tyrannosaurus rex-like aura had already charged in front of him!

Good speed! Before Chu Zhaonan could even complete this thought, his shoulder blade was subsequently struck by what seemed to be a hammer. A mouthful of blood that he simply couldn’t restrain came spraying out! Without a moment’s delay for him to react, a fist met his stomach. This fist sent him directly flying back a couple meters, leaving a path of blood in the air!

In the next second, his right shoulder, left shoulder, right leg… The human-shaped hammer didn’t give him time to think as it ceaselessly bombarded his body!

“This is…” At this instant, Lilac, Hibiscus, and Vulture stood up in unison. It wasn’t limited to only them; everyone familiar with the Hundred Solutions looked on in astonishment at the scene on stage.

The shadow of man, hard to capture with the naked eye, shuttled back and forth at the side of Chu Zhaonan’s body. Chu Zhaonan seemed to be nailed to the spot, essentially unable to move a single step!

“H-How is this possible?!” Gao Ye, Luo Sanfeng, and the other champions all cried out in alarm. It couldn’t be anything else because they were very familiar with Xu Yangyi’s move. So familiar that they had seen their instructors demonstrate it many times, but it was a technique they were fundamentally unable to use! 

Rapid Shadows, Solution Eighty-Nine!

“Yes… That’s right…” It wasn’t until several seconds later did Luo Sanfeng take a long dejected sigh. “We can learn any of the solutions, but being able to use Solution Ninety: Life Sacrification is already remarkable. How’s there a chance that a person like him wouldn’t be able to use a solution in the eighties?”

Swish… Xu Yangyi’s figure finally revealed itself. At the same time, Chu Zhaonan spat out a great mouthful of blood, yet the instant he was about to fall to the ground, he fired downwards and staggered firmly onto his feet. 

The arena was a stretch of silence.

“Huff… Huff…” Chu Zhaonan’s chest heaved up and down like a bellows. The current him was even more wretched than Xu Yangyi. With bloodied eyes, he clearly looked at everything, and a mad will to fight erupted out of his heart, without the least restraint!

Behind Xu Yangyi, there was a gorge. It was a half-meter deep trench, like a human-shaped tyrannosaurus rex had violently charged forward with an undeniable momentum. Even Chu Zhaonan could imagine the horrific impact strength Xu Yangyi had charged him with at that moment. 

“Great strength… I was still underestimating you...” He gritted his teeth rigidly, and the blood flowing from his hands pervaded his gun. The gun’s blue light became even more dazzling, and the complexion of his face became even paler.

Crack… Crack… At this time, a distinct shattering noise entered everyone’s ears. Each and every face was shocked. It wasn’t that the sound of crumbling stone steles had gone unheard, but the one this time… was especially great!

“That’s Ji Feng’s!” Shadowslay’s gaze suddenly sharpened, looking incredulously at the stone stele. With a bang, the armrest of his magnificent throne transformed into rubble in an instant.

“Ji Feng?!” Firecloud heard what was said and nearly stood up, yet he restrained himself, not daring to believe what he was witnessing. 

A stone stele written with the characters “Ji Feng” was covered in cracks. Amidst the pair’s stunned expression, it transformed into motes of white light and died away with the wind. It wasn’t bound to only this stone stele… This time, a whole thirty-two stone steles were shaking! It was as if thirty-two mountain peaks were crying synchronously! The shattering noise was heard all throughout the arena!

Crack… Crack… Crack! Shadowslay’s dry and rough Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, and he stood up for the first time. He extended his hand and grabbed a floating mote of light to himself, his expression extremely complex as he looked at the blood-soaked Xu Yangyi through the light motes that filled the sky. 

“Ji Feng was the last paragon of your four southern provinces…” Firecloud couldn’t help but gasp coldly. “A disciple under Daomaster Ancientpine… Jiangzhu Province’s Heavens Law Branch Master… This…”

The flesh of Shadowslay’s face twitched somewhat faintly, his voice like sawing timber. “Zhang Lanchun… The paragon of Beisan Province… Late-stage Foundation Establishment… Deputy Commander of CSIB’s Demonslayer Guard…”

Each and every one of these names were ones they knew, ones that were familiar to the ear. Before their eyes, these names vanished into light. They hadn’t expected that here, in this Nantong Province, so many stone steles would actually be broken in a single bout!

Hum… Now, all the crumbling noises came to a halt. However, there was a soft sound that seemed to resonate throughout the air, abruptly spreading out. As this sound was heard, an elderly fellow suddenly raised his head, looking towards the tallest stone stele. “T-T-This, don’t tell me…”

“Impossible!” A woman fanning her sweet self put a fast end to her hand’s swaying. Her eyes were filled with disbelief as she looked over.

“Huff…” Firecloud and Shadowslay felt the air around their bodies turn cold at the same time. In the next second, it transformed into unparalleled roiling heat, and they immediately looked towards a place.

Lilac’s, Hibiscus’s, Vulture’s—even Chu Tianyi’s—and everyone else’s gazes were completely fixed on one location!

A blank stele!

It was the tallest nameless stone stele. The stone stele specifically constructed for Sunnihilator… had moved! It was devoid of any cracks whatsoever and was still smooth like a mirror. But… 

It had swayed three times! A clear shaking of three times!