Chapter 696 - 331: The Great Melee

On the mountain peak, rain and mist stretched endlessly, as if the world was enveloped in a thin veil.

The fine raindrops silently drifted down, mingling with the mountain mist, rendering the entire peak hazy and mysterious.

Amidst this serene atmosphere, the figures of thirty-six cultivators stood motionless, like specters in the rain and mist.

The wind blew mournfully, mixed with the sound of raindrops hitting leaves, adding an air of somberness.

Every face bore a cold expression, eyes filled with vigilance and hostility. Their breaths were steady and hidden, swords and knives in hand gleamed with cold light, no one knowing towards whom they pointed.

Thus, no one rushed towards the sacred altar bearing the trinity of purple gold, all waiting in place for the right moment.

Because stepping out meant exposing one’s back to more people.

Suddenly, a low shout broke the deadlock!

"Don’t move!"

The voice thundered, resonating through the mist and rain atop the mountain, instantly shattering the heavy silence.

All eyes of the cultivators turned to the source, where a hunchbacked, stern-faced man stood.

With just a command, he swiftly darted like a swallow into the center of the altar.

Many faces showed surprise, for everyone noticed his initial movement, yet none could react!

His ’Don’t move’ was like a heavenly decree, truly making all thirty-five present heed!

Speech Dao Body!

You Su immediately thought of this unique constitution!

Wu Cheng possessed the Speech Dao Body, able to simultaneously release two Skills, and the power of these Skills far exceeded the norm.

This obscure male cultivator could actually subdue thirty-five of the strongest in the same realm; even You Su felt a momentary daze upon hearing that voice, just this one skill alone was enough to be called a prodigious talent.

Fortunately, this person was merely at Water Condensation Perfection, and needed to immobilize the crowd, thus only managing to stop them for the duration of one breath.

But even within that one breath, the male cultivator managed to advance two-thirds of the way to the trinity of purple gold, being, in terms of progress, far ahead.

His presence broke the maintained deadlock among them, causing most to move simultaneously.

"Being the first bird is not that easy!"

An irritable person stomped with golden light and roared, immediately chasing at full speed to catch up.

For this group of geniuses, the first third of the altar’s Restriction Technique couldn’t delay their steps.

Upon crossing roughly a third of the distance, a noticeable resistance from the Restriction Technique would appear, which led to being easily caught by those behind.

The hunchbacked male cultivator at the forefront couldn’t afford to continue forward, and turned to cast a Skill to fend off pursuers.

You Su’s guess was correct, he truly was another rare Speech Dao Body!

One ice and one fire Skill condensed respectively in his left and right hands, then he astonishingly merged the two opposing elements into a ball causing spatial fluctuations, sending it crashing behind him.

"Damn! He’s even playing with ice and fire!"

The man was truly a reclusive genius, this move was indeed terrifyingly powerful, but none present were ordinary.

Among the relentless pursuers, someone immediately waved a hand, a black leather wine pouch was tossed into the air and instantly inflated several times, absorbing the ice-fire explosive into it without causing a single splash!

"Venerable Fang Xiu’s Wine Pouch!"

Someone recognized this Magical Treasure’s origin and furiously shouted:

"This is cheating!"

This Wine Pouch was Venerable Fang Xiu’s treasure for storing wine, unlike Third Elder’s deceptive wine gourd, this pouch truly had a unique space where wine could go three years without replenishment.

Venerable Fang Xiu often used it to thwart enemies, absorbing their attacks into the pouch as ingredients for his brew, leaving foes with the sensation of punching cotton and hearing praise from the other side.

Some even speculated it was Venerable Fang Xiu’s life-bound artefact; years ago, he realized Dao in a wine pool and then refined it into the Wine Pouch kept by his side.

This indiscriminate attack-absorbing Magical Treasure was absolutely a cheat in battles below Feather Transformation, no wonder they outright called it cheating.

Yet no one thought Venerable Fang Xiu would lend such a treasure to his disciple for the island trial, if the entrusted disciple perished, it would be an irreparable disaster for Fang Xiu.

The appearance of this heaven-defying treasure drew considerable attention to Fang Xiu’s disciple; with the Speech Dao Body figure almost within reach, the next likely target of concentrated fire would be Fang Xiu’s disciple owning the treasure.

As more people began charging, the steady drizzle finally turned into a downpour. The pea-sized raindrops struck the ground with a rapid clattering, like a natural war drum, pushing the battlefield’s crowd to madness.

The scene quickly descended into chaos, screams and curses filled the air, and crimson blood mixed into the rain.

However, some remained indifferent, standing still, disdainful of the bloody melee before them.

Some seemed utterly uninterested, as if frightened by the savage and brutal scene before them, afraid to move.