Wan Tianyang, his clothes filthy, his face swollen, his mouth twisted sideways from a slap, blood staining the corners, was consumed by terror and rage. "Isn't he just a Xiantian Golden Core? Didn't he fail to even kill the Crimson-Eyed Snow Lion Beast? This is the First Divine General! The First Divine General! How could the First Divine General actually be forced back by him? Impossible!"

Wan Tianyang stealthily glanced at the crowd around him.

Those patrol guards and disciples of the Divine Generals who had moments before offered him fawning praise were now loudly marveling at the brief exchange: "That Demon Alada is truly formidable. To force back the First Divine General, look, he even sent him flying..." As the voice trailed off, it immediately lowered in volume.

The onlookers also turned their gazes toward Wan Tianyang.

Having been slapped earlier in full view of everyone, sent spinning like a top, this was a humiliation far worse than death for Wan Tianyang.

"Scram!" Wan Tianyang said grimly, barking the order, and strode purposefully toward the exit.

"All of you, get out of my way!"

Wan Tianyang roared, shoving those beside him to either side as he rapidly made his way out. The people knew the high status of the Black-Clothed Divine Envoy, and though they secretly smirked, they dared not utter a word publicly. They all suppressed their laughter and moved aside to clear a path.

After this move by 'Huhe,' the most disgraced was undeniably the Black-Clothed Divine Envoy, 'Wan Tianyang.'

"Tianyang, what happened?"

At that moment, some late-arriving experts noticed the Black-Clothed Divine Envoy, including the Third Divine General, a tall, thin man clad in purple robes. "I have urgent matters!" Wan Tianyang responded perfunctorily, having no desire to exchange more than a few words with the Third Divine General before quickly departing!

However, this was Mount Tianshen!

There were only two main paths up Mount Tianshen, and both were crowded. Especially running into acquaintances who occasionally asked surprised questions only deepened the misery etched on Wan Tianyang's face!

Finally, the man moved like a lunatic; no one dared provoke him along the way.

"Huhe, and that slut Li Jun! Damn it, I swear I will—" Wan Tianyang was boiling with suppressed fury, but then he recalled the Demon's words—'Listen carefully, you surnamed Wan. If I wanted to kill you, it would be as easy as crushing a mosquito! Also, stop provoking Xiao Jun in the future! You're not worthy!'

That gaze, which regarded him like an insect! That overwhelming power!

Recalling that the opponent was the notoriously bloodthirsty Demon 'Alada,' who had decimated nearly twenty thousand of the hundred-thousand-strong army!

Any thought of revenge in Wan Tianyang's mind completely vanished. "I am a core disciple of my sect; why would I lower myself to quibble with this Demon Alada? I simply won't pay him any heed from now on!" Wan Tianyang comforted himself, though in truth, he had no recourse for revenge. If the First Divine General couldn't manage him, should he petition the Celestial God himself? A Void Realm expert, positioned so high above—what status did he possess that he would concern himself with such trivialities?

...

"Senior Brother, what happened? I heard you were at a disadvantage in your earlier exchange with Huhe?" In the open ground before the Goddess Palace, two Divine Generals who had rushed over upon hearing the news surrounded the First Divine General, asking with astonishment.

The First Divine General, 'Boreimmu,' clad in yellow robes, actually displayed an expression of thrilled excitement. He laughed heartily, "Huhe, truly worthy of the title 'Demon Alada'! My 'Seven Strikes of Heavenly Thunder' is also known for its sheer destructive power. Although I wasn't using my full strength just now, his punch—tsk, tsk—it absolutely suppressed me. It seems winning against him won't be easy!"

The Third and Seventh Divine Generals exchanged a look of utter astonishment.

"A worthy opponent is hard to find!"

Boreimmu's eyes shone. He suddenly clapped the shoulders of the other two Divine Generals, "Junior Brothers, three days from now, the 28th of the sixth month! Huhe and I will meet on the Death Cliff of Mount Tianshen for a Warrior's Blood Battle! You must both come to watch and see who is stronger—me or that Demon Alada!"

"Certainly, certainly!" The two Divine Generals shifted slightly, frowning internally, thinking that their Senior Brother still didn't grasp the gravity of the situation, but they replied affirmatively nonetheless.

"Senior Brother, what's wrong with Tianyang? His face is swollen?" the Third Divine General inquired.

"That kid?" Boreimmu's lips curved into a slight smile. "He must have had some conflict with that Huhe! He kept targeting 'Huhe' earlier; though he claimed to be helping me, I felt his words were becoming increasingly excessive! I stopped him and proposed the Warrior's Blood Battle to Huhe! But, unexpectedly, the kid lost his temper and wanted to keep provoking Huhe!"

Boreimmu looked at the two before him and tutted, "What kind of person is Huhe? He dared to slaughter his way through the hundred-thousand-strong army of the Golden Wolf Kingdom, causing rivers of blood and scattering the forces, killing nearly twenty thousand—that Demon Alada! For him to tolerate it this time and only strike once is rather restrained. That brat Tianyang kept trying to provoke him with nonsense, so naturally, the opponent acted!"

"It was fortunate!" Boreimmu sighed. "This Huhe showed respect both to me and to Mount Tianshen. He only slapped Tianyang; he didn't kill him! Tianyang's temperament—his own master asked me to temper him back then, but I was too lazy. This can serve as a necessary lesson. After this, perhaps his mindset can undergo some transformation!"

Boreimmu was clearly in a good mood.

"Junior Brothers, I must return now to prepare myself wholeheartedly! An opponent like this... one doesn't find such a match even with ten thousand pieces of gold!" Boreimmu exclaimed excitedly. "The last time I felt this thrilled was probably fifty years ago!" Boreimmu immediately turned, a broad smile on his face, and strode away with his retinue!

** On the second floor of the guesthouse, only Teng Qingshan and Li Jun remained.

"Brother Teng, just now I was genuinely afraid you might actually kill my fellow disciple." Li Jun gently stroked her chest, which was further accentuated by the tight cinching of her waist, and let out a long breath. "Although my fellow disciple isn't the best of men, he is still a Black-Clothed Divine Envoy. If things had escalated, it truly would have been a huge problem!"

Teng Qingshan smiled faintly.

He understood exactly how to handle the situation. If he had continued to endure the insults and slander in that scenario, he would only have been looked down upon, and people might even gossip about Li Jun behind their backs!

By acting as he did!

By agreeing to the Warrior's Blood Battle and slapping Wan Tianyang away—the nomadic people respected unmatched warriors above all else; who would dare speak ill now? Punishing Wan Tianyang to that extent wasn't enough to cause a major upheaval on Mount Tianshen.

"Brother Teng, you are only four years older than me! Yet you managed to force back the First Divine General of Mount Tianshen! That's a supreme expert who is easily ranked among the top three on the Heavenly Roster." Li Jun found it incredible. "This has never happened in the history of the Nine Provinces Continent! This is an unprecedented, earth-shattering achievement!"

Teng Qingshan glanced at Li Jun, smiling. "Xiao Jun, I'm not as extraordinary as you think; luck played a part!"

If he hadn't received the one-time infusion of the World Force contained within the 'Mountain-Splitting Divine Axe,' Teng Qingshan's physical strength wouldn't be this immense, nor would the speed at which he forged his internal Gang Qi be so astonishing!

"Who doesn't have luck? But among all the heroes and legends throughout the ancient history of the Nine Provinces Continent, who can compare to you, Brother Teng!" Li Jun gazed at Teng Qingshan, her eyes sparkling brightly. "In my eyes, you are the most magnificent hero and legend in the entire Nine Provinces Continent!"

"Alright, stop flattering me," Teng Qingshan laughed it off.

"Brother Teng, what are your chances in this fight? Ten out of ten? Eight out of ten?" Li Jun asked eagerly.

Teng Qingshan frowned upon hearing this. "Chances? The chance of winning is zero, but the chance of a draw is fifty percent!"

Li Jun froze.

After witnessing the power of Teng Qingshan's single punch, she had assumed his winning odds were overwhelmingly high. But Teng Qingshan himself knew clearly: the First Divine General could eliminate air resistance, meaning his attacks and movements would be significantly faster. Teng Qingshan's only advantage lay in his defensive techniques and immense raw power. As for attack speed, movement speed, and the like, he was at an absolute disadvantage!

Therefore, the probability of winning was zero!

Even in defense, Teng Qingshan was only fifty percent confident. After all, his opponent was the First Divine General of Mount Tianshen! He was already renowned as a top-three contender on the Heavenly Roster in the past; his current strength must have improved further. This level of skill was in no way inferior to his own master, Zhuge Yuanhong!

'Can I beat Master now?' Thinking of this, Teng Qingshan understood that he still had a considerable gap to bridge.

This battle actually had a good chance of victory!

"Zero chance of winning?" Li Jun couldn't believe it, looking at Teng Qingshan. "Brother Teng, are you deliberately tricking me?"

"Truly, I have absolutely zero chance of winning," Teng Qingshan affirmed with a nod.

Seeing Teng Qingshan's expression, Li Jun knew he wasn't lying, and she immediately grew anxious. "Then why did you agree to the challenge, Brother Teng?"

"Under those circumstances, should I retreat?" Teng Qingshan countered. Seeing Li Jun’s anxious look, he added with a smile, "Don't worry. First, I agreed because the situation demanded it. Second, I want to use this opportunity to test the power of the defensive spear technique I created. Third, even if I truly cannot match him and lose to the First Divine General, it's hardly a disgrace."

Li Jun said urgently, "But if the First Divine General gets carried away by the fight, and you fail to defend against one move—" Li Jun's greatest fear was that Teng Qingshan might be severely wounded or even killed!

"I have a hundred percent certainty of preserving my life!" Teng Qingshan said lightly with a smile.

Li Jun looked at him with slight surprise.

"Don't worry about it. What you need to do now is help me find a weapon—a spear, no, a staff! Find a good weapon, a 'long staff.'" Teng Qingshan instructed. "There should be many staff-type weapons on Mount Tianshen. Go find a decent one, one that will at least let me fully exert myself!"

In the Five Elements Spear Technique, the defensive spear move, 'Primordial Unity,' functions almost identically when executed with a staff. A spear only has a spearhead more than a staff. Using a spear might lead people to unnecessary associations. However, staff techniques are common among the steppe peoples. Moreover, Teng Qingshan's 'Primordial Unity' staff technique had already undergone a transformation. Who would recognize it?

"Alright!"

Li Jun nodded repeatedly. If she could help Teng Qingshan become stronger during the contest, she would naturally do her utmost. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "Brother Teng... you mentioned a staff. I heard that long, long ago, there was a formidable opponent of the Celestial God on the Great Steppe. The Celestial God and that supreme powerhouse engaged in a fierce battle, and the Celestial God eventually slew his opponent and brought the adversary's weapon back to Mount Tianshen. It is said that weapon was named the Black Flame Staff! A very unique Divine Weapon!"

"The Black Flame Staff? The weapon of the Celestial God's opponent?"

Teng Qingshan also felt a spark of interest.

"I only heard about it occasionally; I didn't pay much mind then. I don't know if the Black Flame Staff is still on Mount Tianshen!" Li Jun said. "Listen, Brother Teng, you wait here first; I'll go look around." As soon as she finished speaking, before Teng Qingshan could say, "Wait until after we eat lunch—" Li Jun was gone, moving as swiftly as a gust of wind.