"Second update! Four thousand characters." "Young Master Jun, never mind that the Lord of your state has already tacitly agreed; even if you deny it now, it's meaningless..."
Cheng Yin Xiao said lightly, "Even if you still wish to proceed with the decisive battle, there is no longer an opponent for it. Do you... plan to fight amongst yourselves? If so, our side would be delighted to witness such a splendid battle formation secret art; fighting a few more rounds is no issue!"
Jun Mo Xie's eyes widened, so wide they seemed ready to pop out. He truly never expected this Guardian Lord to speak with such shamelessness. Was this the legendary senior master, the mythical figure? ...
"Three esteemed Guardians, even if we forfeit the next two battles without a fight, the three old fellows and Young Master Jun still have a gentleman's agreement..."
Hai Wu Ya stated, "That is... regardless of the outcome of the decisive battle, the three of us still wish to spar with Young Master Jun. We ask for your indulgence on this matter, my lord."
"Spar?"
Qiao Ying and the other two exchanged glances; they were all somewhat moved. If it didn't have to be a life-or-death battle, the three of them could finally gauge Jun Mo Xie's true strength... This was indeed a good alternative.
As for the Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Hells, he was extremely interested! If this extra bout occurred, perhaps he could witness the unique martial arts of that 'Number One Master of the Nine Heavens' from Jun Mo Xie? He hadn't forgotten that he still had a scheduled fight with the Number One Master of the Nine Heavens, and currently, he felt utterly unprepared...
Seeing the four old demons, who had lived for thousands of years, staring at him with keen interest, Jun Mo Xie gave a wry smile: "It seems I haven't agreed yet. Are you assuming all the benefits go to your Holy Lands just like that?..."
"Young Master Jun speaks too modestly; aren't we discussing this with you!"
Cheng Yin Xiao continued, "If you truly refuse to agree, then Old Brother Qu Wu Hui and I will keep you company for a spar or two. After all, we two are technically part of the Holy Lands ourselves, so it wouldn't violate the previous agreement..."
Cheng Yin Xiao was being somewhat unscrupulous...
Pah! Does this not violate the agreement? Startled by that statement, Young Master Jun thought to himself that he had barely managed against Qiao Ying alone previously; facing two of them at once wouldn't be a spar—it would be him asking for a thorough beating...
However, the Exquisite Lotus seemed to be secured now. If he insisted stubbornly on pushing the decisive battle to the very end... he feared these three might not let him off easily, which could backfire and might not be beneficial after all...
"Since this fight is primarily a sparring match, there is no need for either side to fight to the death. Which one of you three will step forward? Is it you, He Zhi Qiu?"
Qu Wu Hui inquired.
"Brother He need not trouble himself for this fight; this old man will accompany this 'Monarch of Evil' for a spar or two."
From the Holy Land contingent, a figure slowly stepped forward.
It was Zhan Mu Bai!
Except now, his face was flushed with vigor, radiating energy, composed and serene—where was the previous wretched appearance?
As Zhan Mu Bai spoke, he laid a very heavy emphasis on the syllables of 'spar, spar.'
Exuding a deeply suppressed intensity...
The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Hells' gaze narrowed, and he scrutinized Zhan Mu Bai closely. He was confident that the Yin-Yang Soul Refining Seal he had previously placed could not be broken by anyone in the current age, yet Zhan Mu Bai appeared completely unharmed. How could this not shock him?
After observing him carefully for a while longer, the Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Hells' eyes flashed, and he murmured, "So that's how it is."
Zhan Mu Bai's body exhibited an extremely intense fluctuation of profound energy, which should not be present in an expert at the Saint Emperor level. It seemed this person must have employed some extremely potent yet somewhat unorthodox method to forcibly suppress his previous injuries! Simultaneously, this method had temporarily suppressed the seal placed by the Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Hells.
And there was only one method, circulated within the Holy Lands since time immemorial, that fit this unorthodox technique: the Blood Bursting Body Shattering Grand Method! This was an extremely drastic measure; once employed, the individual would absolutely not survive for more than an hour and a quarter!
But during this short period, regardless of the severity of the injuries, the strength could be instantly restored, even temporarily doubled! Most importantly... a person absolutely could not activate this method on their own! It required an outsider to assist in its circulation, which the user then had to cooperate with, to bring it into effect!
It appeared that Zhan Mu Bai was now resigned to certain death... Was he planning to drag Young Master Jun down with him? The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Hells' gaze flickered, and he began to ponder...
"Very well. This Young Master is also very interested in 'sparring' with Saint Emperor Zhan!"
Jun Mo Xie replied, a cold smile playing on his lips, his words carrying a double meaning.
He also bit down heavily on the words 'sparring, sparring'!
Zhan Mu Bai's sneak attack in the Heavenly Punishment Forest had nearly doomed Jun Mo Xie to eternal suffering! That was secondary; the most crucial thing was that Qian Xun the Snake King's fate remained unknown to this day! Holding such bone-deep hatred, Jun Mo Xie kept it constantly in his heart. Seeing Zhan Mu Bai actively step out now was like meeting a mortal enemy—his eyes flared red with fury. Without hesitation, he agreed instantly!
The two facing each other maintained faint smiles, gazing quietly at one another, but an invisible killing intent was silently brewing, generating, and spreading between them.
Qiao Ying, Qu Wu Hui, and the others all shook their heads and sighed. These two were repeatedly uttering the word 'spar,' but the situation between them was clear to any discerning eye: another life-and-death battle was imminent!
Everyone knew that Zhan Mu Bai had once attacked Jun Mo Xie sneakily, disregarding his status. It was completely understandable that Jun Mo Xie harbored immense hatred for Zhan Mu Bai! But where did Zhan Mu Bai's hatred for Jun Mo Xie come from? If you launched a sneak attack and gained a huge advantage, would you still be infuriated? Was there such a thing? If Jun Mo Xie was correct, then Zhan Mu Bai's moral character was truly depraved to the extreme!
"You can choose not to accept this fight!"
The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Hells said solemnly. His words carried an implicit meaning.
"Yes, I certainly can refuse it. I also know that Zhan Mu Bai has at best only an hour and a quarter left to live, but... I am unwilling to let Zhan Mu Bai die just like that. If Zhan Mu Bai must die, then he must die by my hand! If he dies by someone else's hand, absolutely not!"
Jun Mo Xie stated grimly, "Never mind that he hasn't died; even if he were dead, I would drag him out of the underworld and kill him once more! Because even if he held no enmity toward me, I would still settle accounts with him—an account he owes me, and an account he owes her!"
Jun Mo Xie took a deep breath, speaking word by word, "This battle today is inevitable! This is my accounting to myself! And it is my accounting to her..."
A flash of movement, and Jun Mo Xie's tall, upright, and refined silhouette appeared in the center of the field.
The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Hells, Qiao Ying, Cheng Yin Xiao, and the others fell silent.
The most affected was naturally Qiao Ying; the final words from Jun Mo Xie made goosebumps rise all over her body. Others might not know, but she clearly knew that the matter of ghosts was absolutely real.
Thinking of Jun Mo Xie’s words, "even if he were dead, I would drag him out of the underworld and kill him once more!" sent shivers down her spine.
Such terrifying resentment, such hatred buried deep in the marrow, was truly startling and unheard of...
A sound like whistling wind swept across the arena. Without exchanging another word, the two had already engaged!
They even skipped opening pleasantries.
Because those formalities were meaningless to both Jun Mo Xie and Zhan Mu Bai. Zhan Mu Bai had no time; every remaining second was precious! As for Jun Mo Xie, he disdained wasting breath on such scum; a single word was superfluous!
Yet their goals were identical: one of them must die!
Therefore, Zhan Mu Bai unleashed his ultimate secret technique immediately! Even before the actual strike, his Space Lock, Heaven and Earth Cage, and unique Blazing Sun Profound Art Domain were unfolding one after another!
As the Blazing Sun Profound Art erupted, the space between heaven and earth suddenly grew intensely hot, becoming increasingly stifling. Even the scattered remains of corpses at the center of the field began to emit smoke, immediately followed by a 'whoosh' as they caught fire, releasing an indescribably acrid smell into the air...
Flames roared fiercely, and every spectator surrounding them wore expressions of solemnity!
This battle was extremely disadvantageous for Young Master Jun! Although Zhan Mu Bai's deployment of the 'Blood Bursting Body Shattering Grand Method' hastened his own demise, his forcibly enhanced power level had reached the height of a Fourth-Grade Saint Emperor, seemingly on the verge of breaking through!
Jun Mo Xie's current state was at best only at the Third-Grade Saint Emperor level! Such a vast disparity in strength—how could he possibly defend against it?
Just as everyone worried for Young Master Jun, they saw Jun Mo Xie initiating the attack first!
Under everyone's gaze, Jun Mo Xie suddenly shot upward like a massive white eagle soaring through the clouds, flashing mid-air until he was directly above Zhan Mu Bai.
A chilling sword light flashed, suddenly suffusing the heaven and earth with a magnificent and arrogant aura! It was as if an ancient Emperor had suddenly opened his slumbering eyes, exuding the imposing might of an absolute sovereign reigning over all!
Shen Ke, Blood of Yan Huang! Drawn!
This drawing of the sword would nourish itself with the blood of a top-tier Saint Emperor! Although this top-tier Saint Emperor was morally despicable, his actual cultivation base was undeniably solid!
The divine sword was drawn; even just the initial display of its edge caused the sword light to fill the sky. In an instant, a transformation occurred in the heavens—the entire sky instantly transmuted into a sheet of crimson blood! The density of the blood color actually managed to suppress the scorching heat of Zhan Mu Bai's Blazing Sun Profound Art!
This was merely the raw power displayed by Shen Ke itself! Jun Mo Xie had not yet integrated his own profound energy to complement it.
Outside the field, the Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Hells was the first to sense this aura. His eyes widened, and his face revealed a look of astonishment unseen in over thirteen centuries!
"This... how is this possible? A divine sword like a demon!"
The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Hells blurted out, "Engraved with Spirit God, devouring heaven and swallowing earth... Could the legends truly be real? Does such a profound spiritual anomaly actually exist between heaven and earth?"
Qiao Ying, Cheng Yin Xiao, and Qu Wu Hui also displayed expressions of extreme shock, their faces clearly showing disbelief, yet beneath that disbelief was a hidden hope that this unbelievable event was indeed true!
Zhan Mu Bai had completed his preparations, and in the battle of auras between the two, he held the absolute upper hand. But the moment Jun Mo Xie drew his sword, relying solely on the sword's inherent majesty, the balance of power instantly reversed!
That sword could clearly no longer be described by the ordinary definition of a "divine weapon." As the Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Hells said, this was completely a 'demon-like divine edge.' Jun Mo Xie let out a long cry, truly descending from above to strike! The Blood of Yan Huang hummed softly, like a dragon roaring across the firmament, a phoenix crying out in the high heavens! The chilling, fierce killing aura erupted, surging into the sky, revealing an abnormal urgency born of a thirst for blood!
Jun Mo Xie's killing intent, concurrent with the sword's draw, perfectly merged with the innate boundless killing aura of the Blood of Yan Huang. In an instant, it formed a kingly killing momentum capable of shaking the gods and demons of heaven and earth—a Killing Momentum! Once killing intent achieved absolute quantity, it underwent a qualitative transformation. This was the so-called "Momentum." In the eyes of Qiao Ying and the others, Jun Mo Xie now appeared transformed into an absolute, peerless Emperor, wielding a heaven-shattering weapon and possessing absolute authority, standing proudly in the air, unleashing an unrefusable, undodgeable, uncounterable Imperial Strike upon his subject! In everyone's perception, this one strike meant killing was the natural order! No matter who the opponent, there was only acceptance of the fatal blow! To resist was treason! Facing this strike, there was only... submission! Only submission! The Three Guardians were aghast! The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Hells watched Jun Mo Xie's strike, a dazzling gleam appearing in his eyes! This strike truly captured the ultimate essence of 'Momentum'! Since ancient times, few individuals could possibly unleash such a sword strike! And those who could manifest such a moment were all peerless wonders, exceptional heroes who created glory! Just witnessing this moment made the entire journey worthwhile for whosoever came! This moment was precisely a move tailor-made by Jun Mo Xie based on the Blood of Yan Huang: the Sovereign's Sword!