Chapter 82: The Match Begins

Above Yi Feng Valley.

Two armies faced off, the pressure of spirit surging like tides.

Two Late Nascent Soul Grand Cultivators gazed at each other across the void, barely a thousand zhang apart.

One man's purple robes billowed in the wind as he stood with hands clasped behind his back. It was none other than Gu Xuanzhou.

The other, with flowing cyan robes and a cold, stern expression, was the Grand Cultivator surnamed Fang from Lingchuan.

Below, countless low and mid-tier cultivators shouted encouragement, their voices shaking the heavens.

Dozens of Mid-Nascent Soul cultivators hovered silently on both flanks, their auras intertwining, hidden killing intent lurking beneath.

Still more observers lurked further away, too afraid to approach this ground destined to become a slaughterhouse.

Gu Xuanzhou spoke first. His voice was soft, yet every word landed clearly in each person's ears.

"Daoist Fang, how about we simply turn this conflict into friendship?"

He paused, sweeping his gaze across the densely packed Lingchuan army opposite him.

"You say we invaded Lingchuan, but I'd rather say we've returned to claim land that rightfully belongs to us."

"Don't forget, while you were peacefully recuperating on the continent, who was out there holding back the demonic beasts for you?"

His tone was calm, but every word cut like a blade.

"Our strengths are evenly matched. Fighting each other will only lead to needless casualties and heavy losses on both sides."

"The entire Lingchuan continent is surrounded by sea on three sides. Further south lies what you call the Blood Demon Valley."

"Perhaps we could turn enemies into allies. When it comes to dealing with demonic beasts, we cultivators of the Tianyuan Sea are the most seasoned."

He paused briefly, his gaze locking onto the man across from him.

"So? Care to give it some thought?"

The Grand Cultivator surnamed Fang let out a cold snort.

His eyes stared straight ahead, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

"We Lingchuan cultivators have long called this land our home. How could we yield so easily?"

"The Heaven Demon is reviving. You could have used the teleportation array to seek our aid, joining forces to suppress it."

"In the future, we could even use the teleportation array to exchange goods, cooperate, and jointly pursue the path of immortality."

"But the first thing you did was march north and seize our territory."

"Delusional."

Gu Xuanzhou's expression remained unchanged, clearly having anticipated this response.

He spoke slowly, his voice turning cold.

"Words are useless then. In that case, let our abilities settle the score."

As his words faded.

Both Grand Cultivators nodded simultaneously.

The barrier formations prepared in advance activated one after another, streaks of spiritual light barriers shooting into the sky.

The light barriers divided the vast battlefield into thirteen separate arenas, corresponding exactly to the thirteen pairs of cultivators about to duel.

Each formation had been repeatedly inspected by both sides' formation masters to prevent any hidden tampering.

After a moment, the formation masters from both sides retreated.

The cultivators began to take the field.

On the Abyssal Sea side, thirteen figures wore varied expressions.

Some looked grim, some had murder in their eyes, while others shifted their gaze furtively, scheming over who knows what.

On the Lingchuan side, similarly, each harbored their own thoughts.

Jiuyou swept his gaze across, then flew out from the formation and selected the leftmost arena.

The others entered the field one by one as well.

Some of the faster ones had already begun their duels, spiritual light exploding with continuous thunderous booms.

Jiuyou glanced over briefly, then withdrew his attention.

Standing across from him was a black-robed man with a face full of stubble. His build was burly, and faint black qi coiled around his body.

Clearly, he too was well-versed in the demonic arts.

Their eyes met, and their Divine Sense clashed in the void.

Each sized up the other, probing for weaknesses.

The next instant.

The black-robed man moved.

Despite his massive frame, his figure moved swift as a swimming dragon, closing the distance to Jiuyou's position in a few flickering steps. He muttered an incantation, then raised his hand and hurled a mass of black profound energy toward Jiuyou.

The mass of black qi twisted in midair, shrinking smaller and smaller until it compressed into a black dot the size of a needle's tip.

The black dot tore through the void, silent and soundless, yet laden with deadly killing intent, racing straight for Jiuyou.

Jiuyou's heart tightened, but his movements remained unhurried, his Divine Sense locked onto his opponent's every action.

The Heavenly Light Mirror was already concealed in his sleeve, a faint flicker of spiritual light indicating it had been activated.

He retreated backward, simultaneously raising his hand to cast out a set of green leaf ancient relics.

The leaves spun rapidly in midair, forming an emerald vortex that enveloped the black dot.

Layer upon layer of leaves ground down the black dot's momentum.

The black dot was worn away smaller and smaller, until it dissipated into nothingness.

Jiuyou gave him no chance to catch his breath.

He shot into the air, abruptly raising his hand.

A cyan chain coiled around his palm, and behind him, dense fog churned in the void.

Countless Nine Nether Soul-Chaining Chains surged out from the mist, blotting out the sky as they lashed toward the black-robed cultivator.

Wherever the chains passed, frost condensed, and the very air seemed to freeze solid.

At the same time, Nether Capital's Frozen Domain unfolded at full power.

The cold aura radiated outward from Jiuyou in all directions, instantly painting the entire arena as a frozen wasteland.

Within the light barrier, snowflakes began to fall inexplicably.

Each snowflake was crystal clear, yet carried a bone-piercing chill.

The black-robed cultivator's movements faltered, feeling his actions slow by several degrees.

His expression shifted slightly, but he didn't panic.

Black light flashed beneath his feet as he explosively retreated, simultaneously forming hand seals. A black barrier coalesced before him.

The chains slammed into the barrier, producing screeching metallic clashes with sparks flying everywhere.

The black-robed cultivator steadied himself and drew a deep breath.

The black qi around his body surged, expelling the invading cold from within. His speed recovered somewhat, but was clearly no longer as swift as before.

Jiuyou's expression remained impassive.

He flipped his palm, and the white-jade bottle flew out from his sleeve, hovering above his head. A transparent film enveloped his entire body.

The Heavenly Wind Robe silently draped over him, gray light flowing, making his figure even more ethereal.

He tapped his foot lightly, drifting out like a ghost, constantly circling the black-robed cultivator and shifting positions.

The black-robed cultivator gritted his teeth and gave chase, but always fell half a beat behind.

Nether Capital Ghostfire condensed in Jiuyou's hand, and a ghostly blue beam of light shot forth.

The black-robed cultivator hastily dodged, but the beam grazed his shoulder. A layer of frost instantly covered his entire left arm, and the pain made him gasp sharply.

He no longer dared to hold back. He produced a small black flag and unfurled it against the wind. Black qi roiled across the flag's surface as countless black arrows shot out from it, raining down on Jiuyou in a sky-obscuring torrent.

Jiuyou let out a cold snort.

The Heavenly Light Mirror flashed in his sleeve, and a cyan light barrier overlapped with the transparent film, shielding him. The arrows slammed into the barrier and shattered on impact.

The green leaf ancient relics circled before him, shredding any arrows that slipped through. The white-jade bottle's transparent film blocked the final few attacks.

The more the black-robed cultivator fought, the more alarmed he became. The man before him had an endless array of tricks, flawless in both offense and defense, with no openings whatsoever.

Jiuyou, meanwhile, grew more composed the longer the battle wore on.

He knew full well that he still had many trump cards yet to reveal. The Jinli Ember Moon Sword Formation, the exquisite carapace, Golden Sun Mountain... and the Hundred-Mile Inch Hairpin was clutched in his sleeve, ready to escape at any moment if things went wrong.

But for now, there was no need.

He activated Nether Capital Ghostfire once more, and a ghostly blue pillar of light twice as thick as before blasted forth.

The black-robed cultivator couldn't dodge in time. The pillar struck his chest, sending him flying backward to slam hard against the light barrier.

He spat out a mouthful of blood, his face ashen.

Jiuyou was about to press the advantage.

Suddenly, a transmission dripping with killing intent drilled into his ear.

"Make your move."

It was Gu Xuanzhou's voice.

Short. Cold.

Jiuyou's heart stirred. His hand gripping the inch hairpin tightened further. Murderous intent surged within him, and the killing edge in his attacks grew heavier.

He looked up toward the high sky.

There, behind Gu Xuanzhou, the void suddenly tore open.

A massive, gleaming white jade platform slowly emerged from the rift, ring upon ring of stone circling around it.

Following closely behind was a beam of white light that enveloped heaven and earth, carrying with it overwhelming might that made every single person present feel their very souls tremble.