85: Chapter 85 No comparison, no harm

"Are you afraid?"

Elder Xing Tu's voice grew increasingly cold.

"This Disciple wouldn't dare!"

Zhou Sen hurriedly lowered his head.

Then, he looked up, a hint of arrogance surfacing on his face. "Elder, you overestimate that Chu Xiao. To kill him, why would I need to use a Forbidden Technique? With just one palm, I can suppress him!"

As the Second True Disciple of the Jiuyou Sect, Zhou Sen had his own pride.

He believed his talent and strength were second to none.

Now at the Golden Core Stage Ninth Layer Peak, he was only half a step away from the Nascent Soul Stage.

In his view, Chu Xiao was merely lucky.

He had only killed two careless pieces of trash.

As for himself, as long as he stood on the arena and personally killed Chu Xiao in front of everyone!

Then Zhou Sen's reputation would instantly surpass everyone, making him the undisputed number one among the younger generation!

Thinking of this, the bit of hesitation in his heart...

...was instantly replaced by fanaticism.

Elder Xing Tu looked at his confident appearance and said no more, only adding sinisterly, "I want absolute certainty! The Sect will prepare Medicinal Pills for you to make up for your Foundation; you only need to take his life!"

"This Disciple obeys!"

Upon hearing this， Zhou Sen nodded.

...

On the other side, at the Tianyan Sect's seats.

Elder Ling Yun looked at Chu Xiao, who was about to go on stage, his expression becoming more solemn. Stroking his beard, he whispered instructions, "Chu Xiao, that Zhou Sen is the number two figure of the Jiuyou Sect. His Foundation is solid and his methods are ruthless, far beyond what an ordinary Golden Core Stage Ninth Layer can compare to. The Jiuyou Sect bears a grudge against our Sect; once you are on stage, you must be extra careful and never be careless."

Although he had confidence in Chu Xiao's strength, his opponent was the Jiuyou Sect after all.

A Demonic Path Sect known for its sinister and ruthless ways.

No one could say for sure what underhanded methods they might use.

"Elder, rest assured."

Chu Xiao's expression showed no ripples.

After absorbing that Returning Void Realm cultivation insight, his strength had long since undergone a heaven-shaking transformation.

Now, his vision and state of mind were no longer what they used to be.

A mere Zhou Sen was no different from an ant in his eyes.

Just as he was about to get up and walk toward the arena stage...

...a soft, warm hand suddenly gently grabbed his sleeve.

Chu Xiao turned back and met Xu Linger's autumn-water eyes, which were filled with worry.

"Junior Brother Chu, you... you must be careful."

Xu Linger's voice was very soft. "I'm afraid... I'm afraid the people from the Jiuyou Sect will try to kill you."

She knew Chu Xiao was strong, but her concern clouded her judgment.

At the thought of Chu Xiao facing that notoriously fierce demonic Sect Disciple...

...her heart tightened.

Their intimate behavior immediately drew the attention of the fellow Disciples around them.

Everyone's eyes widened in shock.

This... was this still their Senior Sister Xu, who was as cold as the moon and kept everyone at a distance?

She actually took the initiative to pull a man's sleeve?

And spoke in such a... such a girlish tone?

For a moment, countless gazes swept back and forth between Chu Xiao and Xu Linger.

On the high platform, Elder Ling Yun saw this, but he stroked his beard and revealed a knowing smile.

For the two most outstanding prodigies in the Sect to come together...

...was a great thing for him and the entire Tianyan Sect.

Feeling the strange looks around her, Xu Linger's pretty face turned completely red.

She hurriedly let go, but still whispered another warning uneasily, "Don't... don't get hurt."

Chu Xiao looked at her shy and worried, yet cute appearance, felt a warmth in his heart, and nodded. Then he turned and took a step, his figure appearing on the massive Fighting Arena stage like a ghost.

Opposite him, Zhou Sen, dressed in black, had already taken his stance.

The two faced each other from a distance, one as indifferent as an abyss, the other arrogant and aggressive.

The atmosphere of the entire venue was pushed to its Peak at this moment.

Everyone held their breath, looking forward to this duel between top geniuses.

"Chu Xiao!"

Zhou Sen spoke first, his voice full of arrogance. "You killed my Sect's Senior Brother; that is a crime punishable by ten thousand deaths. However, Young Master is in a good mood today and can give you a chance to live."

He paused. "Now, kneel down, kowtow to me three times, then cripple your own cultivation and get off the stage. I might consider sparing your dog's life!"

He wanted to use this method to crush Chu Xiao and make a name for himself!

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire audience was in an uproar.

No one expected Zhou Sen to be so arrogant as to publicly provoke and humiliate Chu Xiao.

However, facing such humiliation, Chu Xiao remained unmoved!

He lifted his eyelids and glanced at Zhou Sen with the look one would give a dead man. "Trash."

This voice clearly reached the ears of everyone present.

The smile on Zhou Sen's face instantly froze.

"You... what did you say?!"

"I said..."

Chu Xiao's tone remained calm. "You are a noisy piece of trash."

"Ahhh! You're looking for death!"

Zhou Sen was completely enraged. Like a madman, he let out a sky-shaking roar!

Boom!

A burst of pitch-black Devilish Qi suddenly erupted from his body!

At this moment, his Aura climbed step by step, instantly breaking through the shackles of the Golden Core Stage Ninth Layer.

It surged all the way, finally stopping steadily at the Nascent Soul Stage Early Stage!

A terrifying pressure belonging to a Nascent Soul Cultivator swept through the entire Fighting Arena like a tsunami!

"Brahma Saint Luo Heaven Fist!"

Zhou Sen's eyes were blood-red. Without giving anyone time to react, he concentrated all his power into one fist.

He threw a punch at Chu Xiao from a distance!

In an instant, the overwhelming Devilish Qi gathered into a pitch-black fist print the size of a house.

On the fist print, twisted and painful human faces even appeared.

Letting out shrill cries and ghostly howls.

That fist print not only contained the vast Spiritual Qi of the Nascent Soul Stage but also carried a cold and overbearing Fist Intent!

It was as if it wanted to blast a hole in the heavens and earth!

He actually wanted to completely blast Chu Xiao into dust with one move!

"Not good! He used a Forbidden Technique!"

On the high platform, Elder Ling Yun's face changed drastically. He suddenly stood up, intending to intervene.

But as soon as he moved, a figure blocked his path.

It was none other than Elder Xing Tu of the Jiuyou Sect!

"Ling Yun, in a duel, life and death are up to fate. Do you want to break the rules in front of everyone?"

A sinister sneer hung on Elder Xing Tu's face.

At this moment, a majestic voice came from the even higher viewing platform.

"Rules are rules. No one is allowed to interfere! Those who violate them will face the consequences!"

The speaker was the envoy from the Upper Sect.

His voice wasn't loud, but it instantly suppressed the commotion in the arena.

Elder Ling Yun's face instantly became extremely ugly.

"Junior Brother Chu!"

Xu Linger was even more frightened, her face losing its color as she let out a cry of alarm.

She was about to rush onto the stage regardless of everything.

But as soon as she moved, she was pulled back by Elder Ling Yun.

"Don't go! You'll only be going to your death!"

Elder Ling Yun held her tightly, his voice full of anxiety and helplessness.

It's over!

These words appeared in everyone's hearts.

Facing the full-strength strike of a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator!

Chu Xiao was certain to die!

However, at this critical moment, Chu Xiao, at the center of the storm...

...still maintained that calm and relaxed appearance.

Looking at the demonic fist carrying the power to destroy heaven and earth, he smiled faintly!

"Nascent Soul? It's just a False Realm exchanged for burning your Lifespan."

He slowly raised his right hand and struck out with a plain, unremarkable palm.

"Very well, I'll let you see what true power is."

"Go!"

This palm strike had no earth-shaking momentum.

Nor did it have any brilliant or dazzling light.

A crystal-clear golden palm print, as if carved from colored glaze, quietly appeared.

It appeared in front of Chu Xiao's palm.

The palm print didn't seem large, but it felt as if it contained a world—ancient, vast, and boundless.

A terrifying Palm Intent, far exceeding Zhou Sen's so-called Fist Intent, suddenly erupted!

With the support of such intent, the power of that unremarkable palm strike...

...had already reached an inconceivable level!

As soon as the golden palm print appeared, the Spiritual Qi of the entire world seemed to be completely drained at that moment!

The massive fist print gathered from overwhelming Devilish Qi was imposing, accompanied by ghostly howls.

It seemed capable of leveling mountains.

But in front of that small, crystal-clear golden palm print, it was like a paper tiger meeting a prairie fire.

There was no earth-shaking collision, nor was there a shockwave of exploding spiritual power.

That glazed golden palm print silently pressed onto the pitch-black demonic fist.

Sizzle—

A soft sound, like hot oil hitting water.

The demonic fist containing the full-strength strike of a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator couldn't even last for a breath.

From the point of contact with the golden palm print, it began to melt inch by inch, disintegrating and dissipating.

The countless twisted faces attached to it, upon touching that vast and boundless Palm Intent...

...didn't even have time to scream before turning into blue smoke.

It was like a hot knife through butter, unstoppable!

After crushing the demonic fist, the golden palm print's power didn't diminish at all as it continued to float toward Zhou Sen at the other end of the arena.

"Im... impossible!"

The ferocity on Zhou Sen's face completely froze the moment he saw his strongest strike so easily neutralized.

He couldn't feel much spiritual power fluctuation on that golden palm print.

But he could clearly perceive the intent contained within it!

In front of that intent, the Nascent Soul power he had exchanged by burning his Lifespan...

...and the Fist Intent he was so proud of, all became a joke!

"This is... this is Palm Intent! At least fifty percent Palm Intent!"

Zhou Sen's lips trembled, and his Dao Heart was on the verge of collapse.

In the Dao of immortal intent, every ten percent is a new level of heaven.

Ordinary geniuses who can comprehend ten or twenty percent intent in the Golden Core Stage are enough to be proud.

And he had barely touched the threshold of twenty percent Fist Intent.

Fifty percent Palm Intent!

What kind of Concept was that?

That was a Realm that only those prodigies on the legendary heavenly prodigy ranking could reach!

Every one of those people was invincible among their peers.

They were even existences that could kill those of a higher level!

The false Nascent Soul he had exchanged by burning his Lifespan was completely vulnerable before such a true Prodigy!

He would die!

The instinct for survival overwhelmed everything. He couldn't care about the Jiuyou Sect's face or his ambition to kill Chu Xiao and become famous. He screamed with all his might, "I admit defeat! I—"

However, before he could finish his sentence, Chu Xiao's voice interrupted him, "Too late."

"When you developed the intent to kill me, you should have expected this outcome.""}],

The moment the voice fell, the golden palm print floated in front of Zhou Sen.

Zhou Sen's eyes widened in terror.

He wanted to dodge, but he found his body suppressed by an invisible mountain, unable to move even a single finger.

He could only watch helplessly as that small palm approached.

It pressed lightly against his chest.

Crack—

A dense sound of bones fracturing rang out.

Zhou Sen's body took a direct hit, his chest caving inward completely.

He was sent flying backward, spitting out a spray of blood in mid-air, before crashing heavily onto the edge of the arena; after twitching twice, he fell silent forever.

The entire Fighting Arena fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone seemed to be under a paralysis spell, staring blankly at the scene on the stage.

Their minds were a complete blank.

A moment ago, Zhou Sen was still incredibly arrogant, using a Forbidden Technique to manifest as an Incarnation of a Nascent Soul expert to kill Chu Xiao with a single punch.

The next moment, he had become a corpse.

And Chu Xiao, from beginning to end, had only casually struck out with a single palm.

This massive contrast dealt a powerful shock to everyone's perception.

For a moment, they simply could not accept the reality before their eyes.

"Dead... he's dead?"

"Zhou Sen... just died like that? Slapped to death with one palm?"

Someone's mutter broke the deathly silence.

Boom!

The entire Fighting Arena instantly erupted into a frenzy!

"Heavens! What did I just see? Was that really an attack a Golden Core Stage Cultivator could unleash?"

"One palm! Just one palm to insta-kill a Nascent Soul Stage expert using a Forbidden Technique!"

"Terrifying! This is a true Prodigy!"

"Compared to him, those so-called First Core Disciples from before are simply like fireflies compared to the bright moon!"

On the high platform, Elder Ling Yun of the Tianyan Sect, Elder Xing Tu of the Jiuyou Sect, and the leading Elders of other major Sects, including the City Lord—

All of them stood up abruptly the moment Chu Xiao attacked!

They looked toward the stage, their eyes filled with unbelievable shock.

"Fifty percent Palm Intent! It's definitely fifty percent Palm Intent! No... even higher!"

Elder Ling Yun was so excited his beard was trembling as he looked at Chu Xiao.

It was as if he were looking at a rare treasure.

"This boy... this boy's talent is likely enough to rival those few monsters in the top ten of the heavenly prodigy ranking!"

The Wanfa Sect Elder exclaimed in shock.

Unlike their excitement and shock, Elder Xing Tu of the Jiuyou Sect looked absolutely terrible.

He stared at the motionless Zhou Sen on the stage.

His entire body was trembling.

Another one dead!

After the first core Disciple, the second core Disciple had also died at the hands of this Chu Xiao!

As of now, three core Disciples had already died at Chu Xiao's hands.

What a humiliation!

This was a humiliation the Jiuyou Sect had never faced since its founding!

The referee on the stage, also a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, was stunned for a long while before reacting and rushing forward to check Zhou Sen's condition.

A moment later, he stood up and announced loudly:

"Zhou Sen of the Jiuyou Sect has his heart meridians severed and his Divine Soul utterly destroyed; he is dead on the spot!"

"In this battle, Chu Xiao of the Tianyan Sect wins!"

This result set the entire venue ablaze once again.

Chu Xiao walked off the stage with a calm expression.

It was as if he had merely swatted a fly.

Just as he returned to the Tianyan Sect's seating area, a terrifying pressure filled with killing intent descended from the Jiuyou Sect's direction, aimed directly at Chu Xiao!

"Little beast! Die for me!"

Elder Xing Tu could finally no longer restrain himself, and he actually disregarded the rules to kill Chu Xiao on the spot!

"Xing Tu! You dare!"

Elder Ling Yun roared, similarly releasing his own pressure.

He intercepted Elder Xing Tu's attack in mid-air.

"Xing Tu! Does your Jiuyou Sect wish to start a full-scale war with my Tianyan Sect?!"

Elder Ling Yun's hair and beard bristled with fury.

"If it's war you want, then war it is! Today, I must kill this boy!"

Xing Tu acted like a madman.

At that moment, Chu Xiao's voice rang out indifferently.

"Elder, please calm your anger. In an arena match, blades have no eyes, and life and death are fated. The Jiuyou Sect Disciple's skills were inferior, so dying on stage is his own fault for being useless. What does it have to do with me?"

"Is the Jiuyou Sect such a sore loser that they want to use their power to bully others in front of all the Cultivators in the city?"

Upon hearing this, Xing Tu was so angry he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

Useless?

You killed two of our Sect's top core Disciples and called them useless?

This was practically stomping on the Jiuyou Sect's face twice!

The Cultivators from other Sects around them also began to look at the Jiuyou Sect with strange expressions.

Indeed.

Your own Disciple humiliated him in every way before going on stage, harbored killing intent, and used a Forbidden Technique, only to be counter-killed. And now the Elder wants to step in for revenge!

This behavior was simply too unsightly.

"You... you..."

Xing Tu pointed at Chu Xiao, too enraged to speak.

He turned to the Upper Sect Envoy on the highest viewing platform and bowed. "Envoy! This boy is cruel and ruthless, killing two of our Sect's core Disciples in a row. For such Devil Head conduct, I ask the Envoy to step in and execute him on the spot as a warning to others!"

Everyone's gaze converged on the Envoy, who had remained silent all along.

Zhang Fan picked up his teacup, blew on it gently, and then spoke slowly. "As I said before, in the True Disciple Grand Competition, blades have no eyes, and life and death are fated."

"Rules are rules. Since you step onto the stage, you must have the resolve to die."

"This matter ends here."

He had previously said blades have no eyes to avoid intervening, so he naturally couldn't slap his own face now.

Xing Tu's face instantly turned ashen.

He knew that with the Envoy's words—

It would be impossible for him to touch Chu Xiao today.

He could only glare at Chu Xiao with venomous eyes, as if he wanted to skin him alive.

Just then, at the Jiuyou Sect's seating area—

A black-robed youth who had been resting with his eyes closed slowly opened them.

He stood up, his gaze passing over the crowd and landing on Chu Xiao.

His eyes were very calm, with no anger or venom.

There was only a piercing coldness!

"My name is Gu Yan."

The black-robed youth spoke. "Chu Xiao, you are good. I hope you won't make me wait too long in the upcoming matches."

"Because I will personally crush your bones, inch by inch."

After saying that, he sat back down and closed his eyes again.

It was as if everything that had just happened had nothing to do with him.

The voice of that black-robed youth named Gu Yan was raspy and his tone was flat.

Yet it was like a cold wind from the underworld, making many people present feel a chill in their hearts.

The killing intent emanating from him was more tangible and more terrifying than Elder Xing Tu's rage.

Gu Yan of the Jiuyou Sect.

Many young Disciples present had heard of this name.

Rumor had it that this person had always been in secluded cultivation in the Sect's Forbidden Ground; he was eccentric and ruthless, and he was the true trump card hidden by the Jiuyou Sect.

As for his strength, no one knew.

Presumably, he had also come this time to deal with Chu Xiao.

Facing this threat, the atmosphere at the Tianyan Sect's seating area became heavy once again.

Even Elder Ling Yun and Xu Linger were incredibly indignant!

This Jiuyou Sect! They truly never end!

Chu Xiao, however, turned and said indifferently to the grim-faced Elder Ling Yun, "Elder, calm your anger. It's just a barking dog, no need to pay him any mind."

At these words, Elder Xing Tu's face over at the Jiuyou Sect twitched violently.

Even the eyelids of the just-seated Gu Yan—

Trembled almost imperceptibly.

Meanwhile, the Tianyan Sect Disciples felt a wave of relief.

The way they looked at Chu Xiao was filled with adoration.

This was their Senior Brother Chu!

No matter if you were the top core Disciple or some Sect trump card!

In his eyes, you were all like clay chickens and pottery dogs!

Elder Ling Yun was also stunned upon hearing this, but then he stroked his beard and laughed loudly, his worries swept away. "Well said! Why should we care about a bunch of rats hiding in the shadows!"

The way he looked at Chu Xiao was one of extreme satisfaction.

Supreme talent, and an even more mountain-like, steady Heart-Nature that remained unmoved by external things.

Truly worthy of being my Tianyan Sect's Qilin Son!

Looking at Chu Xiao's profile, Xu Linger's worry was also replaced by a strange sense of peace.

She knew that her Junior Brother never did anything he wasn't certain of.

She only needed to watch him quietly and believe in him.

Chu Xiao's heart, meanwhile, was perfectly calm.

He didn't care about Gu Yan's threat; to him, it was just another Experience Pack about to fall at his feet.

What he cared more about was that through these two battles, he had gained a clearer understanding of his current strength.

After absorbing those Dao cultivation insights from the Returning Void Realm, his understanding and application of power had reached a completely new level.

The so-called Immortal Dao Concept was, in his view, merely a superficial application of the power of Law.

The reason he only revealed fifty percent Palm Intent—

Was simply because he wanted to see what the level of the geniuses in this world truly was.

The result left him somewhat disappointed.

"It seems that if I want to truly fight to my heart's content, I'll have to wait for the Liyang Cave Heaven to open."

Chu Xiao thought to himself.

He was determined to take first place in this True Disciple Grand Competition.

Not just for the reward, but also to nip all potential trouble in the bud before entering the Liyang Cave Heaven.

He needed to use a posture of absolute invincibility to intimidate all those insignificant pests.

The commotion in the Fighting Arena did not last long.

Under the authority of the Upper Sect Envoy, no matter how unwilling the Jiuyou Sect was—

They could only temporarily swallow this grievance.

However, the discussions about Chu Xiao at the seating areas of various Sects reached a new height.

At the Wanfa Sect's seating area.

The leading Elder looked at his own first core Disciple, Ye Lingtian, with a grave expression and asked in a low voice, "Lingtian, if you were to face that Chu Xiao, what are your chances?"

Ye Lingtian had a tall build and a handsome face.

He was the leading figure of the Wanfa Sect's younger generation, with a Ninth Level Golden Core Peak cultivation.

His 'Flowing Light Phantom Sword' was superb.

He gazed at Chu Xiao at the Tianyan Sect's seating area from afar, a flash of Battle Intent in his eyes, and after a moment of silence, he replied truthfully, "Elder, in a direct clash, I am not his match."

"That fifty percent Palm Intent is too domineering; my Sword Intent has not yet reached that level."

Elder Zhao Yuan's frown deepened upon hearing this.