The moment Zhou Yunqing appeared, he displayed terrifying strength!
Treating the crushing pressure radiating from Lu Hengtian with utter disdain, it took nothing more than a single glance from him for an overwhelming force to roll forth like a primordial beast, completely suppressing his opponent!
A muffled grunt escaped Lu Hengtian's throat, and everyone heard Zhou Yunqing's voice.
Infused with primal energy, his deep, steady voice rang out in all directions, icy and stern: "Rein in your aura, or else..."
Before his words had even finished echoing, another magnificent, hundred-zhang-long azure cloud boat materialized beside the Lu clan's vessel!
A stout old woman clad in coarse hemp robes stood upon it, her deeply wrinkled face frozen in a chilly glare.
Narrowing her eyes at Zhou Yunqing, she rasped in a cold tone, "Go on. Or else what?"
An even more ferocious and terrifying pressure surged straight into the clouds. Zhou Yunqing frowned, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Late Mahayana Realm!"
Lu Hengtian glanced back at the crone, murmuring expressionlessly to himself, *Why has the Zhu clan come?*
At that moment, the cultivators of the Six Domains felt as though a great mountain was weighing on their chests, making it difficult to breathe.
Before that withered crone, they could not even lift their heads.
Even Li Guanqi had not anticipated that things would escalate to such a state; the situation was spiraling ever larger...
Yet right then!
Without anyone realizing when or how, a swordsman in azure robes carrying a sword on his back stood soundlessly beside the old woman.
The young man held an azure wine gourd in his hand. Smiling, he glanced toward Li Guanqi and took a swig of wine.
*Boom!*
The instant the old woman caught sight of the azure-robed figure beside her, she thrust the walking stick in her hand savagely toward her flank!
*Clang!*
A resonant sword chime rang out. A longsword cut through from beneath the crone's armpit right up to her neck, its edge sinking two finger-widths deep into her flesh!
The young man sipping his wine paid no heed to the severed arm that fell by his feet. Tilting his head toward the old woman, he said softly, "Zhu Ying, don't force my hand to kill you."
The moment she heard the young man speak, the hunchbacked old crone began to tremble violently from head to toe.
That was... terror!
Terror from the very depths of her heart!
Lowering her head, cold sweat dripping down her cheeks onto the deck, she swallowed hard.
Setting aside her cane, she bowed deeply in salute. "Zhu Ying of the Zhu clan pays respects to the Azure-Robed Sword Immortal, Mr. Nangong."
Everyone watched the scene in utter disbelief, not daring even to breathe.
A figure who just a moment earlier had suppressed Great Xia Domain Lord Zhou Yunqing with her aura alone...
...had half her arm severed in the blink of an eye, and with a blade embedded in her neck, she dared not show the slightest hint of discontent...
Li Guanqi's eyes shone brightly as he looked at the azure-robed swordsman on the ship's gunwale.
He murmured under his breath, "The Azure-Robed Sword Immortal, Nangong Xuandu!"
Back then, Hong Zhi had told him quite a bit about the Eight Generals, though only passing over each in a few brief sentences.
Yet regarding this sword cultivator, Hong Zhi had added a couple more lines.
He had never imagined he would meet him so soon.
Nangong Xuandu withdrew his sword, sheathing it on his back with a sharp clang, and in a single step flashed to the center between the two factions.
Sweeping a calm gaze over the crowd, he said softly, "You need not know who I am. You only need to know that I am presiding over the arena battle between the Great Xia Sword Sect and the ancient Lu clan."
Glancing toward the thousand-zhang Dao platform floating in midair nearby, Nangong Xuandu added, "Since everyone is here, prepare to begin."
Li Guanqi frowned, glanced at Nangong Xuandu, and sent him a voice transmission...
...only to find that the fluctuations of his message were blocked completely!
The corner of Li Guanqi's mouth twitched. No wonder Senior Hong Zhi had remarked that Nangong Xuandu was 'utterly unsympathetic' back then!
*Buzz!*
Under the man's control, a tremendously thick azure barrier slowly rose around the Dao platform!
The strength of this barrier exceeded everyone's imagination.
Even Body Integration Realm cultivators could strike with abandon inside it.
Nangong Xuandu's voice sounded slowly: "I presume you all know the rules, but I shall briefly restate them.
"Dao age must not exceed one hundred years. Any possessor who participates shall be slain by my hand without question!
"Aside from the age restriction, life and death are on your own heads, and cultivation realms are unrestricted—even if you are a Mahayana Realm cultivator under a hundred, it does not matter.
"Now then, the first fighter from the Great Xia Sword Sect and the Lu clan's representative may take the stage."
With that, Nangong Xuandu raised his hand and ignited a stick of incense in midair.
Clearly, little time had been left for either side to prepare, and this stick of incense was burning at an exceptionally fast rate...
Li Guanqi couldn't help cursing internally, *Would it kill you to cut us a little slack?! Why is that incense burning so damn fast?!*
"Third Brother, where are you guys?!"
"Boss, half an hour! We've reached Zhongzhou!!"
"Faster! You don't have much time left!"
By this point, sweat was beading on Lu Kangnian's forehead. His fists were clenched tight inside his sleeves, yet he maintained an utterly placid expression on the surface.
At the railing of the cloud boat, Lu Wuhen took a deep look at Nangong Xuandu. Suddenly, Nangong Xuandu turned his head to meet his gaze.
Tilting his head slightly, Nangong Xuandu looked at Lu Wuhen and said softly, "Watch your eyes. If you 'look' at me like that again, I wouldn't mind killing you."
Lu Wuhen hastily lowered his head. In that brief instant, he had clearly felt the other man's killing intent!
Nangong Xuandu's words were a warning: do not even entertain the thought of scheming against him!
With his head bowed, Lu Wuhen parted his lips and uttered a single command. Moments later, a young man from the Lu clan's cloud boat teleported onto the Dao platform!
The tall, lean youth was none other than Lu Yun, who had previously been pinned to the stone pillar by Lu Tao.
Lu Yun, late Void Refining Realm, possessed considerable strength.
Yet standing on the Dao platform, Lu Yun understood that he was merely a pawn.
A pawn casually thrown out to test the waters against the Great Xia Sword Sect!
Lu Yun's brow furrowed slightly, a sharp light flickering in his eyes as he looked around.
The sensation of being the center of attention under countless eyes thrilled him immensely, and he constantly adjusted his breathing where he stood.
Within a few breaths, he had already brought himself into peak condition.
All sound vanished from his ears; every distraction was shut out completely.
Seeing this, Lu Kangnian couldn't help saying, "Guanqi, how much longer until Cao Yan and the others return?
"This fellow doesn't look simple. Even if he's just bait thrown out by the other side, his strength is definitely nothing to take lightly!"
Li Guanqi nodded. Naturally, he understood.
Even if this opponent was the weakest of their five fighters, he had certainly not been chosen at random and tossed up!
Neither the Great Xia Sword Sect nor the Lu clan could afford to lose any single match lightly!
Losing one match meant there would be little room left for error later on.
Everyone held their breath as they watched the sandalwood incense burning in midair. Soon, it was on the verge of burning out completely.
Li Guanqi took a deep breath and began walking forward.
Seeing this, the corners of Lu Wuhen's mouth curled up almost to his ears. If he could trade Lu Yun for Li Guanqi...
Yet Li Guanqi was actually preparing to forfeit this round!
Even if it meant taking a loss, he would not step up himself just to secure a single victory.
Just as he raised his hand and parted his lips to speak, a white-robed figure abruptly teleported onto the Dao platform!
His chest heaving violently, Cao Yan did not look back. His eyes blazing with fierce determination, he stared fixedly at the young man before him and said in a heavy voice:
"Great Xia Sword Sect, Cao Yan!!"
Chapter 788