Chapter 173: The King of Shang’s Creation

Chapter 173: Chapter 173: The King of Shang’s Creation

Everyone’s eyes followed Yi Xiaoyao as they all cried out in shock.

"What? Yi Xiaoyao actually knocked Shangguan Tianjian out of the sky, and now he’s going to kill him!"

"Shangguan Tianjian can’t use his full strength while he’s falling! If Yi Xiaoyao hits him, he’ll be severely injured, if not dead!"

Just as the crowd said, Shangguan Tianjian understood this perfectly. His pupils contracted as he watched Yi Xiaoyao get closer and closer.

But just then, a heavy grunt echoed out of nowhere. A flash of white light revealed Shangguan Jingyun, who had just flown out of the Asura Arena.

Shangguan Jingyun didn’t have time to catch Shangguan Tianjian. He simply raised his hand and shattered the streams of Sword Qi that Yi Xiaoyao had unleashed.

"You little bastard, how dare you!"

After the furious roar, Shangguan Jingyun shot his hand out, attempting to grab Yi Xiaoyao.

Yi Xiaoyao’s expression tightened. He abruptly halted his advance, and a draconic phantom formed around him as he rapidly retreated.

At the same time, the Black Robe Hall Master flew out from the Asura Arena just in time to clash with Shangguan Jingyun.

"Shangguan Jingyun, this is a fight between the younger generation. As an old man, have you no shame, interfering like this?"

The two flew back from the impact, and the Black Robe Hall Master spoke to Shangguan Jingyun with a cold smile.

Shangguan Jingyun’s face was grim. He snorted, "Black Robe, we’ll see how long you can protect this little bastard. In the competition later, my son, Shangguan Tianjian, will definitely kill him!"

Yi Xiaoyao, standing beside the Black Robe Hall Master, scoffed when he heard Shangguan Jingyun’s words.

"Kill me? With just Shangguan Tianjian?"

Yi Xiaoyao looked at Shangguan Tianjian, who had now landed, his eyes filled with ridicule. ’Didn’t this guy just say he was going to kill me?’

But now, not only had he failed to kill Yi Xiaoyao, he had been knocked out of the sky by him.

At this moment, Shangguan Tianjian was half-squatting on the ground, supporting himself with one hand. His white robes were stained with the Griffin’s blood, and his tied-up hair had become disheveled during the fall.

Compared to the high and mighty number one on the Hidden Dragon List from before, the current Shangguan Tianjian was a pathetic sight.

Shangguan Tianjian had always been insufferably arrogant. When had he ever suffered such a humiliation?

And the one who had brought him to this sorry state was an enemy younger and ranked lower than him. ℴ

A flicker of malice appeared on Shangguan Tianjian’s face. He roared in a low voice, "Yi Xiaoyao! In the competition to come, if I don’t kill you, then I’m not Shangguan Tianjian!"

All around, the crowd that had witnessed the entire event was completely stunned.

The exchange between those two was just too terrifying. ’Could that level of commotion really be caused by someone in the Golden Core Realm?’

’Even a battle between powerful Nascent Soul Realm experts would probably be no more intense than that.’

"They’re just too strong!"

"Terrifying! Just thinking about the aftershocks from that fight makes me break out in a cold sweat!"

"It’s one thing for Shangguan Tianjian—he’s the unrivaled number one on the Hidden Dragon List, so his strength is beyond question. But why is Yi Xiaoyao so terrifyingly powerful too?"

"Exactly! Not only did Yi Xiaoyao take Shangguan Tianjian’s attack, but he even knocked him down! And those few sword strikes he just unleashed were just as horrifyingly powerful!"

Everyone found it too incredible to believe, discussing it amongst themselves in shock and doubt.

You have to understand, people had always questioned Yi Xiaoyao’s ranking. Many believed he didn’t deserve to be ranked eighth at all.

Everyone thought that the reason Yi Xiaoyao hadn’t shown his face in months was because he knew he wasn’t strong enough and was hiding from others’ challenges.

But what about now?

The power displayed in the clash between Yi Xiaoyao and Shangguan Tianjian would make even the other top-ten experts on the Hidden Dragon List feel inadequate.

Not only that, Yi Xiaoyao even counterattacked, pursued, and knocked Shangguan Tianjian from the sky!

Said he wasn’t strong enough?

Said he didn’t deserve to be eighth?

Said he was hiding for months because he was afraid of being challenged?

In light of this, all the previous slanderous rumors about Yi Xiaoyao now seemed like utterly ridiculous nonsense!

"This Yi Xiaoyao... he’s very strong."

A young woman with a charming and noble face watched Yi Xiaoyao, now the center of everyone’s attention, with calm, beautiful eyes.

This woman was exceptionally beautiful. She was none other than the princess of the Great Shang Dynasty, ranked fourth on the Hidden Dragon List. It was also said that she was Shangguan Tianjian’s fiancée.

"Shangguan Tianjian’s strength is far greater than mine. Even though he wasn’t using his full power just now, the fact that this Yi Xiaoyao could take one of his moves and counterattack is already incredibly impressive."

A burly young man with bronze skin also narrowed his eyes slightly. This was Wei Buzhan from the Asura Arena, ranked fifth on the Hidden Dragon List.

At the same time, the third-ranked Bo Qianyang frowned deeply and muttered to himself, "I didn’t expect this Yi Xiaoyao to be such a tough nut to crack."

Beside him, Ye Qingqing stared at Yi Xiaoyao in astonishment, her gaze complicated. When she heard Bo Qianyang’s words, she let out a cold laugh.

"What are you laughing at? Do you think I don’t dare to kill Yi Xiaoyao? Shangguan Tianjian wasn’t even using his full strength with that last sword strike. Even I could have taken it!" Bo Qianyang’s expression turned cold. "Just watch. I said I would help you kill Yi Xiaoyao, and I will kill him!"

The top few experts on the Hidden Dragon List all realized that a new dark horse, one who could contend with them, had just appeared.

As for those ranked in the teens who had previously boasted about teaching Yi Xiaoyao a lesson, they were now silent, their hearts filled with terror and guilt. They worried that Yi Xiaoyao might come after them in the upcoming competition.

Just as all the Cultivators were lost in their own thoughts and discussions about the recent battle, several figures shot out from the Asura Arena.

These people were all flying through the air—every one of them was a Nascent Soul Realm expert.

The man at the very front wore a golden robe. He was slightly plump but carried himself with a noble air, and the other Nascent Soul Realm experts were all extremely respectful toward him.

"It seems that most of the participants for this competition have arrived."

This noble, middle-aged man had a powerful presence. He scanned the crowd below, his voice naturally carrying a majestic authority.

Instantly, an uproar broke out among the crowd below, as they seemed to recognize this person.

"The King of Shang!"

"It’s the Great Shang Monarch!"

The King of Shang was the monarch of the Great Shang Dynasty.

The next moment, someone in the air shouted, "What are you waiting for? Pay your respects to the King of Shang!"

Everyone immediately bowed and knelt to the King of Shang. Even the Black Robe Hall Master and Shangguan Jingyun bowed respectfully from a distance.

"Mm, you may all rise."

The King of Shang raised his hand casually and continued, "This King has appeared today not to interfere with the competition for the Heaven and Earth Fire Essence, but merely to use this battle to select a few experts and bestow upon them a different kind of Creation, separate from the Heaven and Earth Fire Essence."

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