72: Victory, unexpected changes

Hearing this, Fang Qingshan showed a smile on the corner of his mouth; wasn't this exactly what he wanted?

His spiritual power surged, his green robe flapped, his body leaned back slightly, and his right hand gathered energy, suddenly striking out with earth-shattering force.

Everyone only saw a flash of golden light, and a majestic fist-print blasted towards the giant sword.

“Sky Shatter!”

The fist-print, carrying a golden stream of light, collided head-on with the giant sword, neither giving way. The surrounding air vibrated and twisted continuously under the powerful energy impact.

“Hmph!”

Both men roared at the same time. In the end, the fist-print shattered the giant sword, and countless sword auras fell, hitting the ground with a harsh sound. The fist-print also slowly dissipated into nothingness.

Jian Wuchen's face was somewhat pale; it was clear that the previous move had put an immense strain on him, and he had temporarily lost his combat ability. In contrast, Fang Qingshan was breathing heavily but still had some energy left.

The two men stared at each other silently. After dozens of breaths, Jian Wuchen relaxed his furrowed brow and said with a sense of relief, “You win. I was already half a minor realm higher than you, so even if I had won, it wouldn't have been a fair victory. I am convinced by my defeat!”

It was already an incredible feat for Fang Qingshan to defeat Jian Wuchen, who was at the Half-step Spirit Core Realm, with a cultivation of Qi Sea Realm Ninth Layer.

Moreover, the victory was so clean and decisive that no one could find any fault with it.

Fang Qingshan chuckled, “You are very strong, but I am determined to win first place in the Competition. Thank you for the match!”

Jian Wuchen nodded slightly and walked off the arena by himself. The stage after this was for the victor.

The Elder Host had a smile on his face, not knowing what he was thinking, but there was a strange look in his eyes as he gazed at Fang Qingshan.

Fang Qingshan felt a bit uneasy under his gaze. After all, there was already a perverted old man in his sect, and he was afraid that this person might also have some unknown special hobbies.

When Jian Wuchen was defeated, Huang Wuji quietly crushed a jade talisman, and then a strange smile appeared on his lips.

The Elder Host stroked his beard, and his voice boomed as he announced, “This Qingxuan Grand Competition, first place goes to Fang Qingshan of the Chang Sheng Sect from the Eastern Continent!”

A wave of commotion erupted among the crowd. In just three short days, the Chang Sheng Sect had stolen all the limelight, and had even directly claimed first place in this once-in-a-century Competition. It was truly terrifying.

Nangong Xiaotian and the others felt honored, looking at Fang Qingshan on the arena with smiles. The primary condition had been met, and the subsequent series of actions could now be carried out smoothly.

After The Elder Host finished speaking, he sent a voice transmission to Fang Qingshan, “After the Competition ends, come to me. I have something to give you!”

Hearing this, Fang Qingshan's expression froze for a moment. Could this old man be…?

He shook his head, and after a brief thought, he dismissed the idea. Regardless of the other party's intentions, with the Chang Sheng Sect group present, he would be safe.

The number of onlookers was quite large, and they all felt somewhat unsatisfied, but no one left early.

Because after every Competition, some top sects with grudges would take this opportunity to make a move.

The Elder Host was also aware of this, so he did not leave. Such situations had often occurred in previous Competitions.

Sure enough, a powerful voice rang out.

“Old geezer from the Crimson Bamboo Gate, come out and fight! I've tolerated you guys for too long.”

A burly Middle-aged man with wide, tiger-like eyes rose into the air, looking down at a spot below, which was the Crimson Bamboo Gate's encampment.

“Hmph!”

“Bloodthirsty Gate's vermin, do you really think I'm afraid of you?”

An old man in orange-yellow attire shot into the sky, his face gloomy. He was the Grand Elder of the Crimson Bamboo Gate who had notified the Golden Sword Sect.

The two major sects belonged to different factions. One was located in the Southern Continent, and the other in the Western Continent. Their sect locations were also very close, leading to constant friction.

If it weren't for the fact that their respective overlord-level powers had not allowed it, they would have long since fought to the death.

The Bloodthirsty Gate was similar to the Chixue Sect in the Eastern Continent; both were considered deviant and evil, but they were accepted by the Huangji Sect, the overlord of the Western Continent, leaving many rogue cultivators in the Western Continent angry but unable to speak out.

Although the Tianxuan Sword Sect had long wanted to eliminate the other party, with the Huangji Sect watching covetously from the side, they had never found a suitable opportunity, so they had always allowed the two sects to engage in minor skirmishes.

“Battle in the high sky!”

The Grand Elder of the Crimson Bamboo Gate said with a cold expression and a chilling tone.

“Hmph, old man, do you think I'm afraid of you?”

The burly Middle-aged man from the Bloodthirsty Gate was not to be outdone and flew upwards.

Everyone present dared not speak, quietly watching this scene. Compared to the battles between young geniuses, this was the main event.

Before long, intense battle fluctuations erupted in the sky, and loud noises continuously echoed.

Both men were at the peak of the Half-step Spirit King Realm, and their strength was very close, making it a difficult and evenly matched fight for a while.

After a full stick of incense, The Elder Host felt something was amiss. The Middle-aged man from the Bloodthirsty Gate seemed to have other intentions, as if he was stalling for time.

He looked around, but detected nothing unusual, so he could only keep a mental note, ready to respond promptly if anything unexpected happened.

A barely noticeable glint flashed in Huang Wuji's eyes, and he sneered inwardly, “A bunch of fools, just wait until you all bow down to my Huangji Sect!”

The Grand Elder of the Crimson Bamboo Gate in the sky showed no mercy, going all out, aiming to kill him legitimately during the Competition so that the Huangji Sect would have no reason to make trouble or pursue the matter afterwards.

He also felt a bit strange at this moment. No matter how he attacked, the other party either dodged or resisted with magical artifacts.

This was completely unlike his usual ruthless style, but after much thought, he couldn't find an answer and could only fight with all his might.

Wei Shengjin, as a God-Emperor Realm expert, was the first among the Chang Sheng Sect group to notice something amiss, and he said to Nangong Xiaotian beside him, “Sect Master, in my opinion, I'm afraid some unexpected changes will occur soon.”

“Hmm.”

Nangong Xiaotian was not foolish either. After being reminded, his mind raced, and he whispered,

“Get ready for battle. If some unforeseen events occur, we will suppress them directly. This is a good opportunity to take down all the forces from the other continents.”

He wished for a bit of chaos, so he would have a reason to act against other forces.

Finally, he glanced at the Gray Cat beside him, only to see it curled up and sound asleep, seemingly unaffected by even the noisiest environment.

Seeing that it was still there, he felt as if he had a reassurance in his heart. No matter what happened next, he had enough strength to cope.

Just as the two people in the sky separated again, all the experts present who had reached the Spirit King Realm and above felt a vague threat, seemingly approaching.

Everyone's faces changed. They looked at each other, somewhat at a loss, as this threat was enough to endanger their lives, making their hearts uneasy.

The Grand Elder of the Crimson Bamboo Gate also stopped making rash moves, looking at the other party with a gaze of surprise and uncertainty, trying to discern something.

The other person's face was triumphant, and he burst into laughter, “What, old geezer, is that all you've got? Let's fight another three hundred rounds.”

A hint of a smile finally appeared on Huang Wuji's calm face, and he muttered softly, “They're here!”

As soon as his voice fell, an incomparably powerful aura suddenly surged from the distant horizon, sweeping across the entire Qingxuan Mountain like a tidal wave!