Teng Qingshan glanced at Bo Rileimu and spoke, “Bo Rileimu! You are the First Divine General of Tianshen Mountain, and I am merely a passerby here. Must you force me into a battle?”
“Brother Huhe, where has your manly spirit gone!” Bo Rileimu glared with fierce eyes and roared in reprimand.
“Bo Rileimu, must I accept every challenge thrown my way just because someone comes to fight me? I’d exhaust myself to death. If you’re looking for a match, go find someone else! I have no interest.” Teng Qingshan said, turning to walk back inside. Now that he had news of his parents and relatives, his sole focus was setting sail.
He truly did not wish to provoke trouble with this ‘Martial Maniac,’ the First Divine General, lest he invite further disaster!
“Huhe!” Bo Rileimu grew somewhat agitated, “You—”
He had previously praised Teng Qingshan, then needled him, and deliberately provoked him...
But he never expected the other party to ignore him completely.
Meanwhile, Wan Tianyang, seeing that Teng Qingshan was not taking the bait, grew anxious. He thought, This Huhe is probably genuinely afraid.
He immediately laughed loudly, “Huhe! Brother Bo Rileimu is the First Divine General of our Tianshen Mountain, and you are a peerless warrior capable of fighting a hundred thousand alone! A battle between you two would be a once-in-a-century event! Yet now, you act so timid and hesitant. Are you perhaps afraid?”
Teng Qingshan’s expression darkened, and he turned to glare coldly at Wan Tianyang.
“Senior Brother Wan, this matter doesn't concern you, does it?” Li Jun flashed her bright, sparkling eyes and rebuked him.
...
On the open ground before the Goddess Palace, because both the First Divine General and Wan Tianyang had booming voices, quite a crowd had gathered.
“What’s happening up front?”
“I heard the First Divine General is challenging someone called Huhe. That Huhe, they say, is the legendary demon ‘Alada’!”
Many idle personnel converged, buzzing with discussion and gasps of awe. A large group stared at Teng Qingshan, Bo Rileimu, and the others.
“Which one is Alada?”
“Look, that one, the one with the beard, who looks quite handsome.”
Many had only heard the name of the demon ‘Alada’ but had never seen the man himself, and they all looked at Teng Qingshan with astonishment and curiosity. To fight a hundred thousand and cause nearly twenty thousand casualties while routing the rest of the army—such a record was simply unbelievable! It truly suited the name ‘Alada the Demon’!
In the center of the onlookers.
Li Jun, tall and slender in her white robe cinched at the waist, was undeniably drawing every eye.
...
After scolding Wan Tianyang, Li Jun turned to the First Divine General, her face icy, and said, “First Divine General! Brother Huhe is a friend I invited here. I know you enjoy seeking out opponents for sparring, but... I hope you won’t drag Brother Huhe into it!”
“Sorry, I won’t accompany you!” With that, Li Jun exchanged a look with Teng Qingshan.
The two prepared to leave.
Wan Tianyang, scolded by Li Jun and witnessing the shared glance between her and Teng Qingshan, felt a sudden rush of heat and his eyes reddened. He declared loudly, “Huhe! You’re a grown man, a supreme expert renowned across the Great Steppe. Are you really going to rely on a woman to escape today? Are you even a man? Look down there—are you missing something crucial between your legs?”
Teng Qingshan spun around abruptly, fixing his stare on Wan Tianyang.
Rage simmered violently within Teng Qingshan.
“You, shut up!” Teng Qingshan ground out the three words between his teeth!
Wan Tianyang was also boiling inside. He thought, That damned woman! I’ve pursued her for so long, and today, for this Huhe, she publicly scolds me and targets the First Divine General! In her heart, my status must be less than even a tenth of Huhe’s!
Wan Tianyang wasn't a fool! Based on this behavior, he could certainly deduce a few things!
That bitch actually thinks she’s something special! She’s just a woman, and I have plenty of them! I can certainly manage without her! Wan Tianyang held a respected position, and women were always available to him. It was just that he had held a fleeting hope for Li Jun, and now that hope was shattered, he simply gave up!
Since he wasn't planning on pursuing her anymore, he naturally had to retaliate viciously!
“You care about this Huhe, don’t you?” Wan Tianyang’s lips curled into a cold smirk as he gazed at Teng Qingshan, his decision made. This is Tianshen Mountain. What is this Huhe compared to this place? Does he dare act arrogantly on Tianshen Mountain? Wan Tianyang didn't take Teng Qingshan seriously; he was standing right beside the First Divine General, and besides... the Heavenly God was here on Tianshen Mountain!
With the Heavenly God present, how could he possibly allow Teng Qingshan to run wild?
“Huhe!” Wan Tianyang’s voice boomed, echoing around them, staring at Teng Qingshan. “You are an outsider. This is Tianshen Mountain, and I am a Black Robe Divine Envoy of Tianshen Mountain. By what right do you tell me to shut up?”
“Tianyang!”
The First Divine General, Bo Rileimu, frowned beside him and extended a hand to stop Wan Tianyang. Then, the First Divine General Bo Rileimu turned to Teng Qingshan and spoke solemnly and loudly, “Huhe, you are a supreme expert from the Steppe! I was somewhat disrespectful in my words earlier; I ask that you do not take offense. To show my respect, let us have a ‘Warrior’s Blood Battle.’”
“Tianshen Mountain, Cliff of Life and Death! Three days from now, the 28th of the Sixth Month! A battle between you and me, how about it?” Bo Rileimu looked behind him. The guards behind him had already hastened to bring over a porcelain bowl filled with water. Bo Rileimu stretched out his hand, a flash of cyan light sparking on his right index finger, which he used to slice his own skin, and crimson blood flowed out.
Drip! Drip!
The porcelain bowl was instantly stained red. Bo Rileimu stared at Teng Qingshan, “If you accept this Warrior’s Blood Battle, please drink this!” The guards behind him immediately rushed towards Teng Qingshan, carrying the bowl of water.
Bo Rileimu was no longer mocking or intentionally provoking; he was issuing the most solemn challenge!
The Warrior’s Blood Battle!
This was the highest form of challenge on the Great Steppe. The challenger would drip their blood into a bowl and solemnly ask the opponent to drink it. If the opponent drank it, it signified acceptance of the battle. If they refused to drink or declined the fight... they would be mocked by all Steppe people, deemed cowardly as mice, and not a true man! They would be scorned and looked down upon by everyone!
The Warrior’s Blood Battle was held in high regard.
It required choosing an auspicious day, allowing both sides to prepare, and then engaging in battle at a designated location! This was not a simple spar, but a true battle of warriors! The weaker could challenge the stronger, and those of equal strength could challenge each other. However, a stronger person using this method to challenge a weaker one would also be ridiculed!
One was the First Divine General!
The other was the demon ‘Alada,’ capable of fighting a hundred thousand alone.
In the eyes of the crowd, the two should be figures of the same caliber!
...
On the open ground before the Tianshen Mountain Goddess Palace, some Divine Envoys, patrol guards, and disciples of Divine Envoys and Divine Generals had gathered. Everyone was focused on Teng Qingshan—everyone believed that at least a man, at least someone of comparable strength, could not refuse the Warrior’s Blood Battle!
If he refused, he might as well commit suicide!
“First Divine General, why are you forcing my friend like this?” Li Jun sounded somewhat angered.
“Junior Sister, this is a true contest between warriors; you should not interfere,” Wan Tianyang glanced at Li Jun with a smile. Even though he no longer intended to pursue Li Jun as a wife, a perverse urge remained in his heart to dominate her; a wicked fire burned in his chest!
Teng Qingshan stared at Wan Tianyang with a grim face. Beside him, the guard still held the bowl of bloody water.
“Huhe, I think you...” Wan Tianyang started to speak to Teng Qingshan again.
Teng Qingshan’s eyes narrowed!
“Truly seeking death!” Teng Qingshan snorted angrily. His figure exploded outward, traversing nearly ten zhang in a flash, like a surging azure dragon.
Wan Tianyang’s face went white with fright, “Bo R...”
“Insolent!” The First Divine General Bo Rileimu’s face darkened, and his angry roar echoed across Tianshen Mountain. He immediately ducked low and lunged toward Teng Qingshan, simultaneously unleashing his right palm, which was coated in cyan light. Teng Qingshan’s afterimage, moving at extreme speed, produced a blurred fist shadow that violently collided with the cyan palm shadow!
Bo Rileimu, who had been supremely confident moments before, felt his face change drastically. He felt a surge of vast, savage, terrifying power erupt.
Peng!
A visible shockwave rippled outwards like water waves. “Hush~~~” The very ground before the Goddess Palace convulsed, and many surrounding Divine Envoys, Divine Generals, disciples, and patrol guards were so startled they retreated backward.
The sound of the explosion resonated through the sky!
Bo Rileimu was blasted backward, while Teng Qingshan’s blurred afterimage paused momentarily, only to immediately charge toward Wan Tianyang again.
“How is that possible?” Wan Tianyang had just braced against the shockwave when he witnessed the sight!
The First Divine General ‘Bo Rileimu’ was sent flying!
And that Huhe, the demon ‘Alada,’ only paused for an instant before charging again!
The difference in their strength was instantly clear!
Slap! The crisp sound was extraordinarily loud. To the surrounding people, they only saw a blurred palm shadow flash out like lightning and strike Wan Tianyang’s face fiercely. A subtle force acted upon Wan Tianyang, causing him to spin wildly in mid-air like a top from the force of the slap.
Then, with a Peng! sound, he crashed heavily onto the ground.
Wan Tianyang’s face swelled up high, and as he lay sprawled on the ground, he appeared somewhat dazed.
Hoo! Teng Qingshan swiftly moved to Wan Tianyang’s front, grabbed the lapel of his chest armor, and lifted him up.
“Brother Huhe, show mercy!” The First Divine General Bo Rileimu looked conflicted, unsure how to proceed.
Teng Qingshan glanced at him. This First Divine General dared to trade blows head-on with him? In terms of explosive power, the combination of his internal Gang Jin energy and powerful physique meant Teng Qingshan absolutely surpassed experts at the Innate Golden Core level. Golden Core experts could only defeat Teng Qingshan by relying on agility and speed!
“You, you...” Wan Tianyang finally regained consciousness, his face swollen. Looking at the ferocious Teng Qingshan, his speech was somewhat faltering.
Teng Qingshan held him as easily as if grasping a mosquito, and with his other hand, he patted Wan Tianyang’s face. “You surnamed Wan, listen to me clearly. Killing you would be as easy as crushing a mosquito! Also, stop bothering Xiao Jun in the future! You are not worthy!”
With that, he threw Wan Tianyang aside. Wan Tianyang slammed heavily onto the ground like a discarded sandbag, but he dared not utter a sound.
“Brother Huhe, thank you for showing restraint.” Bo Rileimu smiled. “Tell me, do you dare accept our Warrior’s Blood Battle?” After that brief exchange, Bo Rileimu’s thirst for battle was already fully ignited.
Teng Qingshan looked at Bo Rileimu.
“The bowl!” Teng Qingshan called out coldly.
A guard protecting the water bowl from a distance flinched, fully coming to his senses, before quickly running over with the bowl and respectfully offering it.
“I hope you don't disappoint me!” Teng Qingshan glanced at Bo Rileimu, took the bowl, raised his head, and drank it all down in one gulp.
Then, he tossed it—
Smash! The bowl shattered, the sound of its breaking echoing in people’s hearts. Wan Tianyang, already scared into silence, jumped at the sound.
“Xiao Jun, let’s go.” Teng Qingshan, with Li Jun beside him, ignored the surrounding crowd and walked directly into the pavilion.