by Translator: BornToBe; Author: Ordinary Magician (平凡魔术师); Licensed From: 17k
However, his robes made people’s hearts shake. He was actually from the Bloodkill Hall.
Only now did people realize that at some point, dozens of Netherpassage experts had gathered here.
These experts belonged from various factions, including the ancient races, the Corrupt path, the ancient family alliance, the Xuan Beasts, and Pill Valley.
Obviously, they had received news that Long Chen was here. However, they had arrived too late.
Actually, the news that Long Chen had come to the Eastern Xuan City had spread early enough for them to have rushed here in time. However, they hadn’t come at that time because they had expected him to simply go through the Huayun Pavilion’s transportation formations. No one dared to go completely hostile with the Huayun Sect.
The Huayun Sect said that they were businessmen and they did business with anyone. Hence, no one dared to go to the Huayun Sect to force them to hand over Long Chen.
The only one capable of competing with the Huayun Sect was Pill Valley. But Pill Valley assumed that Long Chen was drawing their attention here on purpose to affect their overall plans.
In fact, they even suspected that this was one of Hua Mingxiong’s schemes to slow down their plans, so they hadn’t cared too much that Long Chen had come here.
As long as Long Chen was alive, they would have an excuse to pressure others. That wasn’t a bad thing either.
So the experts that had been sent here were just some early stage Netherpassage experts, and even they hadn’t expected Long Chen to just walk out directly.
By the time they heard that Long Chen had slain some Netherpassage experts and rushed over, it was already too late. However, they managed to catch True Immortal Jiaoqi’s fight with the heir of the Gambling Heavenly Dao.
The world rumbled as True Immortal Jiaoqi’s power soared. However, the shocking thing was that even as his energy soared to the point of causing every expert to feel like he was strong enough to destroy the world, that simple three-meter domino of Hu Feng’s didn’t budge. There were seven divine runes flowing within it.
“The Heavenly Nine Tiles is the Gambling Heavenly Dao’s inherited divine item. Successive generations of heirs had bestowed their life energy into the tiles either before ascending or before dying. Legend has it that they have nine points, representing nine different strength levels, starting with one and progressing to nine at the peak. There are now seven runes on that bone tile, representing the seventh level of strength,” said an expert of the Righteous path. He was so ancient that he looked doddering, and he leaned on a walking stick. However, his gaze was still sharp.
The experts from the other factions stared in shock at that elder as they recognized his status.
“Senior, wouldn’t that mean that the eight rune and nine rune tiles would be even more terrifying?” asked one disciple respectfully.
“In theory, yes,” said the elder without any airs.
That elder’s response elicited cold gasps. Just how powerful was this Hu Feng?
“Qilin-drake energy, split heaven and earth!” True Immortal Jiaoqi suddenly let out a roar, and a giant beast appeared in his manifestation. It had the body of a qilin but the tail of a drake. His halberd blazed with divine light when that beast appeared, and he stabbed it forward. “Break!”
Finally, there was a reaction from Hu Feng’s tile. It began to shudder intensely, showing signs that it wouldn’t be able to hold on.
However, Hu Feng’s expression was still calm. He slowly formed hand seals. Suddenly, six dominos appeared in the air, and they layered themselves behind the current domino.
These dominos had one, two, three, four, five, and six runes respectively. The seven dominos lit up at the same time, and the world suddenly dimmed.
“A gambling heavenly art capable of wrestling away the very energy of heaven and earth.”
Someone let out a startled cry. There were many legends of the Gambling Heavenly Dao, but now they were witnessing that legend in person.
Heaven and earth rumbled as the energy of the Heavenly Daos surged toward the seven dominos. Ripples of divine light spread along the dominos, actually blocking True Immortal Jiaoqi’s power.
“Heavens, even without using any of his own energy, he can rely just on stealing the energy of the Heavenly Daos to fight his enemies! That’s basically cheating! Could it be that all the heirs of the Gambling Heavenly Daos are legendary Heaven-Snatchers?”
“No, Heaven-Snatchers steal the power of the heavens that has already been fixed somewhere else. They have to kill people to take their Heavenly Dao energy and give it to themselves. As for the heirs of the Gambling Heavenly Dao, they take the power of the heavens, but that is something they won through gambling against the heavens. When their battle or gamble is over, the energy of the heavens will return. If they want more energy, they’ll need a new gamble, and I heard that they don’t always win. If they lose, instead of taking any energy, they’ll receive a backlash. It’s an extremely inconceivable inheritance,” explained someone.
The Gambling Heavenly Dao’s inheritance stretched back so many years that no one knew when it had even started. It was thought that their inheritance had been severed several times in the past, but they had always reappeared.
The most curious thing was that they would only have one heir at a time. No one knew how they managed to continue existing.
True Immortal Jiaoqi suddenly retreated from the dominos. He no longer looked down on them and decided to attack Hu Feng’s true body. Avoiding the dominos, he attacked from the side, forcing Hu Feng to actually fight himself.
The dominos were too bizarre, capable of taking the energy of the very heavens to use in battle.
Fighting against something that was practically cheating wasn’t going to benefit him. Hence, True Immortal Jiaqi had made the right choice. However, he had just moved when Hu Feng’s dominos actually split apart, attacking him like blades.
They split into four groups. The one and six dominos were together, along with the two and five dominos and the three and four dominos. The final seventh domino attacked on its own.
What both shocked and enraged true Immortal Jiaoqi was that these dominos were incredibly fast, and they began to unleash a barrage of attacks against him, forcing him to retreat over and over again.
He had no idea what material they were made of, but each time he clashed against them, he didn’t even leave a scar on them.
“What strange attacks. Each attack is evenly powered.”
“Did you notice? Each of those four groups of dominos has seven runes in total, but they can’t attack at the same time. Their power flows between the four groups seamlessly.”
Through that person’s reminder, people noticed that each time the dominos attacked, they would dim a bit after their attack was over, while another group of dominos would then light up ever so slightly and attack.
They had never seen such an attack style. Hu Feng was attacking without using up any of his own energy. Couldn’t he simply exhaust his enemy to death like this?
BOOM!
Suddenly, Hu Feng’s seven dominos slammed together, and he had a fierce head-on clash against True Immortal Jiaoqi. True Immortal Jiaoqi was forced back seven steps before stabilizing.
“I, Hu Feng, have no intention of being enemies with anyone, but people should have a yardstick for their actions. I know you haven’t used many trump cards, but I’m the same. This battle has no winner or loser, so let’s let things end here!” Hu Feng waved his hand, summoning back the dominos, looking at the furious True Immortal Jiaoqi indifferently.
His voice was not differential or afraid. Despite facing True Immortal Jiaoqi as well as the surrounding Netherpassage experts, he was still calm.
His meaning was clear. The reason he had interfered was because True Immortal Jiaoqi had gone too far. He kept referring to the human race as inferior. Hu Feng might be a neutral expert, but he was a human.
They had already tested each other’s
basics. If the battle continued, they would be forced to take out their real trump cards. Having their trump cards exposed in front of so many people wasn’t good for either of them.
“Do you think things will end just because you say so? As I see it, you’re one of Long Chen’s friends, and you’re trying to draw attention from him!” roared True Immortal Jiaoqi.
Hu Feng smiled, but it was a disdainful smile. “This should be your habit of slandering others. As long as you don’t like someone, you give them a bad name and then attack them with a grand excuse. Who would have thought that the domineering and direct Xuan Beast race had also become so shameless? I only said what I said because it’s not my business to interfere with you, but if you think that it’s because I’m afraid of you, you’re very mistaken. If you want to fight, I’ll accompany you. Long Chen could make your blood flow like a river, and I, Hu Feng, can pile your corpses into mountains.” Killing intent finally appeared from Hu Feng.
BOOM!
Suddenly, the die behind Hu Feng stopped spinning. The world suddenly became still, and an ancient slumbering aura filled the sky.
“Are we fighting or not? You can decide with just a word.” Hu Feng’s cold voice resounded through the air. The heir of the Gambling Heavenly Dao was enraged.
Chapter 1954 If You Know, Why Bother
Hu Feng was enraged. The heirs of the Gambling Heavenly Dao were never existences to be provoked. It seemed that he was bringing shame to his sect by being treated like this.
He had long since found the Xuan Beasts to be irritating. They always called the human race inferior and vile, not fit to live in this world. He had endured that, but he was no longer enduring. If he kept enduring, he would embarrass the name of the heir of the Gambling Heavenly Dao.
Originally, Hu Feng had just wanted to give a warning to the Xuan Beasts not to have such dirty mouths. He had already gotten the advantage in the fight just now, but he had pulled back just to give True Immortal Jiaoqi a chance to back out without losing face. As a result, that shameless fellow actually pushed for more, infuriating Hu Feng.
Hu Feng was angry, but so was True Immortal Jiaoqi. In the Yin Yang World, he had joined hands with Huo Lieyun and Xie Luo, but even together, they hadn’t managed to kill Long Chen. That was equivalent to a defeat.
Now that he had advanced to Life Star, he had gained control of world energy and even merged more deeply with his qilin-drake energy, with even his manifestation getting closer to awakening. He also had the nine-colored celestial horse as a steed and two powerful divine items. With these, he had wanted to sweep away his previous disgrace, killing Long Chen in front of everyone. However, he had ended up encountering Hu Feng who was extremely bizarre and difficult to deal with.
If he didn’t defeat Hu Feng, he wouldn’t be able to settle his rage, nor would he be able to face his own pride.
Geniuses all had their own pride and confidence. No one was willing to be labeled as the defeated, and that was especially true of a genius on True Immortal Jiaoqi’s level. They needed a flawless Dao-heart. He had to personally defeat Long Chen.
That was true of True Immortal Jiaoqi, as well as Pill Valley’s Huo Lieyun and the Corrupt path’s Xie Luo. The three of them were all looking for a chance to kill Long Chen.
“Then let’s fight! What’s so special about the Gambling Heavenly Dao? I’ll still kill you!” True Immortal Jiaoqi’s aura suddenly changed. His manifestation began to rumble.
“Wait a moment!”
Just as True Immortal Jiaoqi was about to attack, a figure appeared in front of him, stopping him.
“Valley master?” True Immortal Jiaoqi was startled to see that Yu Xiaoyun had personally come here. But he quickly realized it was just a clone.
Having stopped True Immortal Jiaoqi, Yu Xiaoyun turned to Hu Feng. “The Gambling Heavenly Dao has already been gone from the continent for thousands of years. Now that someone has appeared carrying on its legacy, it seems that marvelous geniuses are rising on the continent.”
“I wouldn’t dare to accept your praise,” said Hu Feng calmly.
Yu Xiaoyun smiled. “Young people need vitality and motivation. That’s the only way to bring growth to the Martial Heaven Continent. However, the current continent is filled with chaos due to Long Chen. Everyone is worried about what he will plot next to overthrow the Martial Heaven Continent. That’s why all brave warriors are answering the call in this desperate crisis, fighting to slay the devil to restore order to the continent. As the heir of the Gambling Heavenly Dao, you are also an important member of the Martial Heaven Continent. Even not viewing things from the viewpoint of the continent, I feel like when it comes to the competition between heavenly geniuses, Long Chen should be your enemy instead of a stranger you don’t care about.”
Was he really trying to pull Hu Feng into targeting Long Chen? Everyone heard the double meanings in Yu Xiaoyun’s words.
The current continent was in chaos, with Pill Valley pushing the waves. However, they pushed the responsibility onto Long Chen. As a result, countless fools who weren’t aware of the truth really believed Long Chen to be a fiend and that whoever killed Long Chen would be the savior of the continent.
Sometimes, the power of the ignorant could be extremely terrifying. Like an infection, their stupidity would run rampant throughout the world.
Other than some smarter people or people with more information who were able to retain cool heads, many people had been affected by this public opinion. Pill Valley was currently boosting their support.
They pushed Long Chen into the position of the villain, making all cultivators view him as an enemy. This truth was already almost set in stone. The stories of Long Chen’s evil deeds were rapidly spreading, and it was difficult to tell the truth from falsehood.
“Valley master’s praise is too much. The Gambling Heavenly Dao does not interfere with the rest of the world. We gamble against the heavens, not fight people. If it weren’t for this person’s words being too difficult to bear, I wouldn’t have interfered. I am not friends with Long Chen, nor am I enemies with him. I have nothing to do with his matters. The Gambling Heavenly Dao’s disciples prefer to be free and unrestrained. Valley master, this little one still has things to do, so I’ll take my leave first.”
Hu Feng tactfully declined Yu Xiaoyun’s suggestion. Or perhaps it should be said he had bluntly refused his invitation. Clearly, Yu Xiaoyun had been trying to pull him into their camp.
Yu Xiaoyun seemed to have expected this refusal, and he indifferently smiled. “People have their own wills. Things can’t be forced. But I trust that when the calamity descends and all lives are in trouble, you won’t stand by the side.”
Hu Feng replied with a smile that said nothing. Cupping his fists, he said, “Goodbye.”
Hu Feng walked away. The die behind him once more began to slowly spin, and he vanished from sight.
“Valley master, why didn’t you let me kill him?” demanded True Immortal Jiaoqi.
“The Gambling Heavenly Dao’s disciples aren’t so easy to kill. Trust me, his power is definitely not weaker than Long Chen’s. It might even be greater. The name of the fifty-fifty win isn’t for nothing. Let alone you, even if my true body came, I might not be able to hold him against his will. That’s the power of the Gambling Heavenly Dao,” said Yu Xioayun.
“I-”
“You don’t believe it? Then let me put it this way. You might be able to defeat him, but you have no chance of killing him. He would get away, and then you would have pushed him to Long Chen’s side. It’s not worth it to provoke such a terrifying enemy with limitless potential.”
“Then what are we supposed to do? Just let Long Chen keep getting away?!”
“Be patient. Time will let you slowly obtain many things. You’re only a bit off from fully awakening your manifestation. That's the more pressing thing. As for Long Chen? Don’t worry, he and his Dragonblood Legion will become your stepping stones in the end,” said Yu Xiaoyun, before va
nishing.
Although he was very unwilling, True Immortal Jiaoqi didn’t dare to talk back. He endured his fury. Shouting an order at the nine-colored celestial horse, he flew away in the Qilin Battle Carriage, vanishing from sight. Even once he was gone, the world continued to rumble for a long time.
The news of this battle quickly spread throughout the world. The heir of the Gambling Heavenly Dao had finally fought in public, and his fighting style was shocking. He had actually managed to suppress True Immortal Jiaoqi.
However, they had both just been probing each other, and the decisive fight had been interrupted by Yu Xiaoyun. No one could really say which of the two was stronger.
People finally had some understanding of the heir of the Gambling Heavenly Dao. He was another peak expert who was definitely on the same level as Long Chen, Mo Nian, Di Feng, Xie Luo, and True Immortal Jiaoqi.
As for Huo Lieyun, many people had already kicked him from those rankings because he had been defeated by Long Chen in the Life Star realm, and his physical body had been destroyed. Everyone knew that he would no longer be able to exist in the world of heavenly geniuses.
This battle had ended with no victor, but Hu Feng’s name gradually grew even more resounding on the Martial Heaven Continent.
…
Long Chen didn’t know that True Immortal Jiaoqi had appeared right after he had left, nor did he know about his fight with Hu Feng.
He was currently sitting on top of a cliff, with Evilmoon stabbed into the stone beside him. He was calmly looking at the surging river down below. It was unknown what he was thinking.
“If you want to say something, then say it. You’ve been sitting here for six hours.” Finally, Evilmoon broke the silence.
Long Chen’s killing intent had vanished after leaving the Eastern Xuan City. He had gone silent, not saying a single thing the whole time.
“Evilmoon, tell me the truth. Am I very strange?”