IOAFD - 1137. Admit Defeat

The two men immediately started fighting, disregarding everyone else around them. Zhe Xu turned into a blur of punches and kicks while Ming He turned into a blur of multi-colored light. The two of them were among the strongest cultivators present. Nobody dared to say anything or get in their way.

In a flash, they had already traded many blows, their ferocious spiritual energies billowing across the underground space. Since it was the Eastern Light Clan and the Southern Temple, no other sect got involved. It became a tacit understanding that whoever won the duel would obtain the piece of dragon horn. They didn’t even consider what Ten Thousand Flower Valley or the Beast God Sanctum thought about the matter.

The duel was ferocious. It was very eye-catching. All of the disciples turned miners stopped what they were doing to watch. Some started to bet on the result while others admired the skill and power of the two experts.

Zhe Xu was well-known across the Western Wumu Subcontinent. He used to be a top ranker of the Proclamation of Martial Fate. Now, he was a top ranker of the Proclamation of Heaven’s Way. He had been declared as the future successor of the Southern Temple for a long time.

Ming He was a newcomer to fame. His talent had always been good, but he had always stayed lowkey. He hadn’t made any noise until recently, when he made a trip to the west as the representative of the Eastern Light Clan. Seeing him trade blow for blow with Zhe Xu, everyone had to admit his strength. He was even younger than Zhe Xu, being only thirty-seven, which qualified him as a super genius by the standards of the Immortal Association.

As the two men fought, Chen Wentian’s disciples also watched them intently. It was a rare opportunity to witness the strength of the lesser realm of Spiritual Ascendance. It was especially so for Wu Qianyu and Peng Lingxi. This duel was a more effective learning experience for them than watching their master throw around fireballs for the thousandth time.

As for Chen Wentian, controlling Ming He’s soul, he did his best to drag out the duel. He didn’t intend to win like last time. He wanted to exhaust Zhe Xu as much as possible. He still wanted to add more living souls to his collection and this Zhe Xu wasn’t bad. He was bald but his bald head was especially shiny and round. It looked quite good.

Finally, after a long time, Ming He accidentally took a kick to his midsection and spurted a mouthful of blood. He fell to the ground and tumbled a few times. He even groaned painfully and was slow to get up.

“Brother Ming!”

“Brother Ming! Are you alright?”

His women quickly gathered around him, worrying over him and glaring at his opponent.

Zhe Xu gave a triumphant laugh but he couldn’t hide his weariness or the sweat that covered his body, “Brother Ming, it seems that experience and stamina won out in the end.”

“Cough…” Ming He sat up, clutching his chest, “Brother Zhe, you are my senior. I admit defeat. I still need to cultivate diligently and practice my fighting arts.”

“Hahaha, good!” Zhe Xu laughed and breathed out a sigh of relief.

In truth, he was close to exhaustion. He wasn’t surprised by the win. Having seen all of Ming He’s moves from the first duel, he had already developed a set of counter moves. Instead, it was Ming He’s stamina which was almost as good as his own.

“Good, good. Now, let’s take a look at this dragon horn,” He said and turned towards the mining pit.

However, the smile from his victory quickly turned into a frown as he was met by a glowing purple sword.

Wu Qianyu stood in his way with a cold expression, “Southern Prodigal Zhe Xu, this area belongs to Ten Thousand Flower Valley. Please go back.”

Zhe Xu’s eyes roamed over her figure, “The beauties of the east really live up to their fame. You must be the Paragon Wu Qianyu. You are more impressive in person!”

As he said the word impressive, his eyes lingered on her wide waist and large chest.

“Miss Wu, I prefer not to fight with beauties in public. It’s more fun to fight in private,” He laughed unrestrainedly, “Please step aside if you know what is good for you.”

Wu Qianyu snorted, “You are a tough guy, right? How about this, if you can withstand one sword from me, this dragon horn will be yours. If you can’t, then the Southern Temple owes Ten Thousand Flower Valley an explanation for their atrocious behavior!”

Zhe Xu looked around and noticed that the other disciples of Ten Thousand Flower Valley, as well as their allies, weren’t backing down. He also noticed that Ming He and the Eastern Light Clan weren’t interested in speaking up for him. The Huang Family had also backed away, intent on letting the Southern Temple be the bad guys who robbed a weaker sect.

Zhe Xu clicked his tongue in annoyance, “Fine, fine. One sword, it’s a deal!”

He waved his hands and formed the defensive stance of the Fists of the Southern God. Spiritual energy gathered around him, rooting his feet into the hard rocks. He extended his right palm, creating a spiritual barrier in the shape of a giant palm.

“Come!” He shouted.

Wu Qianyu didn’t need to be told. She had already been prepared. Chen Wentian had told her to go all out and hold nothing back. All of the pain in her body, mind, and spirit had already collected into a single point on the tip of the Purple Jade Sword. It was a vast sea of pain that exceeded mortal comprehension. It was a realm of pain that could exceed mortal limits.

“Fourth sorrow, torment…” She whispered as she thrust out her sword.

It was a simple thrust, a seemingly harmless move that had no hope of defeating Zhe Xu’s prepared defense. But in an instant, a mysterious energy passed through his protective barrier as if it wasn’t there. It penetrated his body as if his steel-like skin and iron muscles were nothing.

“Ahhh!” Zhe Xu let out a wretched scream that shocked everyone, making their hearts tremble.

It was the scream of a top-tier expert, a scream akin to dying a hundred times.

He fell to his knees, screaming as if his life was vanishing before his eyes, as if all of the demons of the world had gathered to torture his body, mind, and soul.

“Nooooo! Ahhhhh!”

Everyone was stunned. The Huang Family, the Bright Sky Institute, the Limitless Sword Hall, the Eastern Light Clan, they couldn’t understand what had happened. It was beyond their imagination. Even if Zhe Xu was tired from the previous duel, he shouldn’t have lost to a single sword move. Even if he hadn’t been prepared, he shouldn’t have been turned into a raving lunatic from a single strike.

Zhe Xu crumbled to the ground, no longer able to hold on. He rolled around a few times as a final struggle. Just as he was about to collapse and lose his mind entirely, an enormous and oppressive spiritual aura erupted from the belt he wore. It was a protective treasure, linked to his consciousness and soul. It sensed imminent danger to his life and wrapped around him in a protective bubble. It also swept through his body, quickly pushing out Wu Qianyu’s painful energy.

Afterward, the immortal spiritual energy formed into the bald head of a venerable old master who glared at Wu Qianyu, “Very good, very good. Ten Thousand Flower Valley, your abilities are truly ruthless. The Southern Temple admits defeat.”

With that, the presence disappeared along with the power from the protective treasure.

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