Chapter 861: Zhong Wanshang Goes All Out

Chapter 861 -859: Zhong Wanshang Goes All Out

The world abruptly darkened.

Xu Yang trembled, a bitter smile surfacing on his face. Facing Jia Chunyang, who had suddenly expanded like a giant, he felt a profound sense of powerlessness. He couldn’t win. Even if he utilized the Source of the Wind Division, he would still lose.

His opponent was simply too strong. Jia Chunyang’s current strength was absolutely on par with the Late Stage of Golden Immortal.

“I yield,” Xu Yang declared, making his choice decisively.

Hearing Xu Yang’s surrender, Chen Yingchuan took a deep breath and murmured, “He was unstoppable. Yielding is the best choice. Losing just one match won’t change the final outcome.

“But when did Jia Chunyang cultivate such a terrifying Secret Technique?”

Let alone Chen Yingchuan, the vast majority of the cultivators present had never seen Jia Chunyang use this Secret Technique before. Evidently, he had kept it hidden in preparation for this fierce competition. Its power was truly formidable.

Many in the crowd also breathed a sigh of relief. Xu Yang’s surrender seemed to signify something important: although his talent was monstrous, he wasn’t an invincible myth.

Jia Chunyang’s suspended kick froze in midair. His terrifying aura, which felt as if it could destroy heaven and earth, rapidly retracted at a visible pace. Within a few breaths, he returned to his original state, his face pale and his aura greatly diminished.

Clearly, such an astonishing Secret Technique came with significant repercussions. When facing Xu Yang, he had exerted a hundred and twenty percent of his effort, not daring to underestimate him in the slightest.

“However, the rest will depend on luck,” someone in the crowd remarked.

“Although Xu Yang lost to Jia Chunyang, he might not necessarily lose to Zhong Wanshang, unless Zhong Wanshang also has hidden trump cards.”

“Judging by Zhong Wanshang’s calm demeanor, it’s hard to tell.”

“If Xu Yang is lucky enough not to run into Zhong Wanshang in his final two matches, he’ll still take first place.”

“I’d rather see him clash with Zhong Wanshang!”

The crowd discussed fervently, their spirits fully roused. Very few matches remained, and the final results would soon be revealed.

The battles continued.

Xu Yang rested with his eyes closed, adjusting his breathing to recover his condition. He only had two matches left; he couldn’t afford to lose again. His biggest rival now was Zhong Wanshang. Since there wasn’t a large gap in strength between Zhong Wanshang and Jia Chunyang, no one could guarantee that Zhong Wanshang didn’t also have a terrifying, hidden method.

“If he does have one…” Xu Yang thought, a ripple of concern rising in his heart. “My Heaven Locking Intent has already been exposed, so he will definitely be on guard.

“Then I’ll just have to play a little dirty.”

Though it might be considered playing dirty, it was still a part of his own arsenal. With the first-place ranking on the line, he naturally wouldn’t give up easily. With this thought in mind, his heart completely calmed down.

In the eighth match, Xu Yang’s luck was excellent; his opponent surrendered immediately upon stepping up. The Pavilion Master of the Heaven’s Edge Tower that this opponent belonged to seemed to have a good relationship with Chen Yingchuan. Knowing he was outmatched, there was no need to waste time, and this generously gave Xu Yang extra time to recover.

As time passed, the ninth round of matches finally arrived. The jade beads cracked open one by one.

SWISH!

Celestial Sword City versus Nine Heavens City.

“Zhong Wanshang!”

A wave of exclamations washed through the crowd. The final match would be Xu Yang against Zhong Wanshang. Ultimately, Xu Yang’s luck hadn’t been good enough to avoid him entirely.

“This match should be the most spectacular one yet,” a vice Pavilion Master muttered with great interest.

“Mr. Zhong definitely has a trump card. He might not be much weaker than Jia Chunyang.”

“It’s really hard to predict the outcome of this match.”

This was the most crucial battle. The victor would determine the final standings for first, second, and third place. Which Heaven’s Edge Tower would ultimately claim the top spot?

Cang Feng narrowed his eyes, also quite curious.

Chen Yingchuan was now genuinely nervous. His fists were tightly clenched, and the smile had vanished from his face. The group of people behind him were so tense that they stopped their discussions, creating a silence that felt oppressive.

“Mr. Xu, I will not lose.” Stepping into the restricted combat zone, Zhong Wanshang stared at Xu Yang and spoke only that single sentence.

The next moment, hundreds of densely packed, tiny flying needles materialized in front of him.

WHOOSH!

Hundreds of flying needles violently shot forward, piercing the sky. Half of the space twisted, instantly transforming into a sieve-like net filled with holes. The needles were ruthlessly sharp, their cold gleam chilling to the bone. Every single one of these hundreds of flying needles was a mid-grade Tier-3 Immortal Artifact.

“Bring it on!” Xu Yang shouted in a low voice, charging forward with his Daluo Saber.

“Detonate!” Zhong Wanshang abruptly roared.

Everyone’s eyes went wide.

“Detonate?”

“Is Zhong Wanshang crazy?”

“That’s his killer move! He’s nurtured those hundreds of flying needles for years. Once his cultivation breaks through and he refines them again, the power of hundreds of Immortal Artifacts would be absolutely terrifying. And he’s actually willing to detonate them all?”

“Hiss, what a madman. Zhong Wanshang is going all out, no matter the cost.”

“Xu Yang is in massive trouble.”

The crowd was completely astounded; no one had anticipated this. Even the Pavilion Master of Nine Heavens City’s Heaven’s Edge Tower looked utterly shocked, clearly unaware that Zhong Wanshang would be so resolute. Even Jia Chunyang hadn’t expected Zhong Wanshang to be this ruthless, causing the corners of his eyes to twitch violently.

RUMBLE!!

Xu Yang’s expression changed drastically. He couldn’t help but curse inwardly as he frantically brandished the Daluo Saber. Bright, thick streaks of saber light constantly formed in front of him, creating a protective barrier as the immortal essence within his body surged out wildly.

BOOM!

The dense, sharp needles completely detonated. Their explosive power intertwined, transforming into an overwhelming wave of destruction that crashed down with an unstoppable, crushing momentum. Dozens of layers of saber light were instantly torn to shreds.

“Even the Wind’s Fall Immortal Expanse won’t be able to stop this,” Xu Yang thought quickly. “Unless I activate my origin power, but that would drain my immortal essence entirely. No matter how much I try to replenish it, I wouldn’t recover in time, and I’d undoubtedly lose.”

Xu Yang made an instantaneous decision.

BOOM!

Black flames erupted and raged into the sky, engulfing half of the combat zone. The Celestial Refining Divine Tripod appeared out of thin air, and he directly retreated inside it.

“Where did he go?”

“What is he doing? What bizarre immortal fire! I can’t believe he also controls immortal fire, but isn’t it too reckless to rely on that for defense?”

“Can that really stop the blast?”

BOOM!

CRASH!!

The shockwave from the flying needles instantly bore down on him. The moment it touched the sea of fire, it tore right through with overwhelming might.

Suddenly, a crisp, resonant series of collisions rang out.

CLANG CLANG CLANG!!

The explosive force of the flying needles seemed to have struck something incredibly sturdy.

Zhong Wanshang, whose mouth was bleeding from the recoil, suddenly changed his expression. “What is that? It actually blocked the full force of all the flying needles?” Disbelieving, he waved his sleeve, dispersing the flames to reveal a dark, ancient tripod.

“What is that thing?”

“A tripod?”

“Hiss, it actually blocked it, and without a single scratch.”

“Where is Xu Yang? Did he hide inside the tripod?”

The phrase ‘cowardly turtle hiding in its shell’ subconsciously surfaced in everyone’s minds. They had all assumed that Xu Yang was solely renowned for his saber skills, never expecting him to wield immortal fire and possess such an astonishing treasure tripod.

It had to be known that the explosive power of Zhong Wanshang’s flying needles alone was comparable to an attack from the Late Stage of Golden Immortal. His plan was to inflict severe injuries on Xu Yang right from the start, allowing for a swift and forceful suppression.

However, the needles had been blocked.

His expression unchanging, Zhong Wanshang formed seals with lightning speed. Immortal light flickered as intricate and archaic immortal patterns continuously coalesced in front of him. This process took nearly ten breaths of time. His face gradually paled, and his aura became volatile, clearly indicating an immense expenditure of energy.

“The Pocket World Divine Grinding Seal!” a spectator cried.

“This Divine Technique is incredibly powerful, but it requires a terrifying amount of Seal Skills to execute. Even with Zhong Wanshang’s cultivation, he needs over a dozen breaths of time to prepare it. In a normal, intense battle, he’d never have the time to cast it. But now, with Xu Yang hiding inside, Zhong Wanshang has absolutely nothing to worry about.”

WHOOSH!!

A massive golden grinding wheel gradually took shape. Immortal light flowed across its surface, and the ancient charm of its engravings radiated a soul-shocking aura. It felt as if a breathtaking Grotto Heaven was hidden within it, harboring supreme divine might.

The moment the Pocket World Divine Grinding Wheel fully solidified, an eerie smile appeared on Zhong Wanshang’s pale face. “If you hadn’t hidden inside, this would be a bit tricky. But now, you’ve brought this upon yourself!

“Even if this tripod is indestructible, it is spiritually connected to you. By staying inside, even if I can’t break it, the sheer impact and concussive force alone will be enough to severely injure you.

“Moreover, my Pocket World Divine Grinding Seal is different from before. It truly contains a Grotto Heaven inside.”

As Zhong Wanshang’s undisguised murmurs fell, a palm-sized, translucent fragment suddenly shot out from his glabella. A vast landscape of mountains and rivers could faintly be seen within it…

“A Grotto Heaven fragment!”

“Hiss, where did Zhong Wanshang get a Grotto Heaven fragment?”

“That’s a genuine Grotto Heaven! Even though it’s just a fragment, it’s enough to double the power of the Pocket World Divine Grinding Seal. That’s no less effective than consuming a top-tier pill that temporarily boosts strength.”

“Well played, Zhong Wanshang.”

“I just realized how lucky Zhong Wanshang and Jia Chunyang are. The two of them actually never ran into each other. Otherwise, in a clash of dragons and tigers like that, who knows who would have emerged victorious?”

The crowd was deeply shocked once again, and the Pavilion Master of Nine Heavens City’s Heaven’s Edge Tower was already showing an expression of pure excitement.