Leave the Rest to Me!

The next day. At the first glimmer of dawn, groups of people emerged one after another from various parts of Lingtian Pass, surging toward the Battle Arena. Gu Caiyi and Sima Wenjie arrived at the Castellan Manor early to submit their combatants for the day. As the foremost grand stronghold on the front line—spearheaded by the Mingyuan Sect and jointly built by twenty-one sects—the position of castellan of Lingtian Pass fell upon a True Person from the Mingyuan Sect. His name was Ye Lingtian, which was why this fortress was named Lingtian Pass, and he was respectfully addressed by all as Castellan Lingtian. At this moment, Castellan Lingtian held a roster, an intrigued smile touching his lips. "Wang Yuan is stepping into battle so early?" "Having nothing better to do today, this castellan might as well go have a look!" Hearing this, Gu Caiyi was momentarily taken aback before a surge of secret joy rose in her heart. The Nascent Soul True Person who had lowered his status to befriend Wang Yuan and invite him for wine back then was none other than this Castellan Lingtian of the Mingyuan Sect! He held Wang Yuan in very high regard. If he watched the match today, it would surely provide a massive boost to the Luotian Sect's morale. Sima Wenjie had not expected this at all, and an uneasy look appeared on his face. At the same time, he handed over his own side's roster. Castellan Lingtian cast a glance at it, the corners of his mouth curving slightly. "Yin Sixiang? Tsk-tsk, this battle is indeed worth my trip." Upon hearing the name, Gu Caiyi's expression shifted slightly as she glared coldly at Sima Wenjie. "You certainly spared no expense!" Sima Wenjie said nothing and hurried out of the Castellan Manor. He needed to inform Old Ghost Motian and True Person Shenhuo of the news that Castellan Lingtian would be spectating. *** Once Castellan Lingtian ordered the day's combat roster to be posted outside the Battle Arena, the atmosphere that had been brewing over the Ten Duels of Decision reached a fever pitch. War Fiend Wang Yuan was taking the field in person! Meanwhile, Si Wenjun's side had dispatched Yin Sixiang, a renowned great cultivator of the late Golden Core stage! The latter was no ordinary figure, but an exceptionally formidable cultivator of the Five Elements Divine Sect whose cultivation had reached the Golden Core Great Circle. Rumor had it that he was merely a single step away from the Nascent Soul realm. Many had already come to view him as the Five Elements Divine Sect's next Five Peaks Elder. Well, perhaps putting it that way was no longer fitting. The Five Elements Divine Sect was now like a stray dog without a home; its sect grounds had fallen, so what Five Peaks Elder was there to speak of? And on the roster, the name Meng Qin'er also attracted significant attention. Meng Qin'er was a female cultivator currently rising to prominence in Fenghua Palace. Possessing peerless beauty and extraordinary aptitude, she had somehow been betrothed by Fenghua Palace to an unremarkable Foundation Establishment cultivator as his Dao companion. What was more, rumor had it that Meng Qin'er had married him as a second wife. Back then, people had been thoroughly baffled. Yet later, as that seemingly ordinary Qu Lingjun gradually revealed his consummate alchemy skills, everyone realized why Fenghua Palace had wedded such an outstanding disciple to him. Perhaps owing to the principle that the pavilion nearest the water gets the moon first, Meng Qin'er's subsequent growth surpassed all expectations as well. In barely a century, she progressed from the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment straight into the Golden Core stage, and her cultivation continued to soar until she broke into the mid Golden Core stage, standing shoulder to shoulder with the older generation of Fenghua Palace cultivators. Now that Meng Qin'er was fighting, did it signify that Fenghua Palace had begun to throw its full weight behind the Luotian Sect? Everyone speculated in secret, but the bulk of their attention remained fixed on War Fiend Wang Yuan and Yin Sixiang. One was a fearsome body cultivator who had once gone toe-to-toe with a tier-four demon sovereign; the other was a Golden Core Master at the Great Circle with bright prospects of attaining the Nascent Soul. This battle between them was undeniably among the highest caliber of clashes beneath the Nascent Soul realm. Various betting lines opened across gambling stalls regarding the duel's outcome. Several notable figures who caught wind of the matchup grew intrigued as well, flocking to the Battle Arena to witness the fight. *** As daylight brightened and sunlight gradually spilled down, Wang Yuan stepped onto the elevated platform before the eyes of thousands. With every stride he took up the stage, terrifying blood-qi surged, coalescing above his head into a shockingly dense plume of wolf-smoke. His eyes stared coldly at the middle-aged man who had long since ascended the platform. Dressed in plain clothes, with an ordinary face, the man did not look extraordinary in the slightest. Yet beneath the suffocating pressure of Wang Yuan's aura, he stood facing the wind without the slightest trace of timidity. "Yin Sixiang... someone with four spiritual roots who cultivated all the way to the Golden Core Great Circle, with magic power so profound that none of his rank could rival him! "He truly reminds me of an old friend." Wang Yuan took a deep breath. Without exchanging a single word of banter, the moment the referee called out "Begin," he launched a ferocious assault. With just one step! As if shrinking the earth to an inch, he crossed a distance of a hundred zhang. Boom! A punch blasted forward, yet his opponent showed no panic. An earthen wall glowing with dusky yellow light sprang up between him and Wang Yuan. Tier-three earth defensive art: Boundless Stronghold! With his first punch thwarted, Wang Yuan shifted his footing with blinding speed, throwing punches at his foe from every angle. True to its name, once Boundless Stronghold unfolded, it stretched without end like an impregnable fortress wall, turning aside the enemy's relentless barrage. Boom! Boom! Boom! Amid thunderous detonations, Wang Yuan steadily ramped up his astral qi, concentrating his strikes onto a single point. Faced with this, Yin Sixiang remained composed as he executed further arts. Holding a talisman in one hand and forming an incantation seal with the other, he barked, "Descend!" A patch of black dots abruptly emerged on the arena stage. Centering on Yin Sixiang, the darkness spread outward, transforming into a mud swamp a full hundred zhang across. Caught within it, Wang Yuan's blistering speed was forced to slacken, leaving him no choice but to pull out of the area first. Seeing this, Yin Sixiang's hand seal shifted once more. Clang! Clang! Clang! Behind him, streak after streak of golden light flared, radiating terrifying sharp metallic qi. Looking closely, each was a small golden sword condensed from pure magic power. As the sea of thousands of swords took form, Yin Sixiang let out a soft cry. "Go!" Instantly, the rain of swords surged like a dragon, continuously pounding toward Wang Yuan. All of this took place in a matter of mere breaths, moving so quickly that it dazzled the eye. Only then did the spectators outside finally react. "Earlier, I thought this man had secluded himself for so long that his wits had dulled—failing to open up distance against a high-tier body cultivator and choosing to trade blows head-on instead. It seemed utterly foolish. But now, it appears my view was far too narrow!" "He used Boundless Stronghold to withstand the initial rush, cast the dual water-earth combination art Emerald Gloom Black Swamp to restrict the War Fiend's speed and establish a terrain advantage, flipping a disadvantage into an advantage. Then, after driving the War Fiend back, he unleashed an uninterrupted barrage of long-range metal arts." "Tsk!" "Exquisite tactics, seasoned combat experience—Master Sixiang truly lives up to his reputation!" From Wang Yuan's perspective, however, it brought an entirely different sensation. The blinding casting speed, the ceaseless five-element arts, and that bottomless reservoir of vast magic power... All of it stirred his nostalgia for that old friend. The brother who had often sought him out for sparring. "You fellow, you truly bring me joy!" Wang Yuan laughed aloud. Abandoning the ground fight altogether, he shot straight into the sky. Seeing the stream of swords relentlessly pursuing him, he channeled power into a single palm, and astral qi erupted. Pure Yang Single Qi! Boom! With one thrust of his palm, the river of swords instantly shattered. Having gained a moment of respite, the ruthless glint on Wang Yuan's face deepened. Flicking all ten fingers in rapid succession, he fired spike after spike of blood at his foe. Chi, chi, chi... Countless blood spikes whistled through the air, yet the instant they reached within one zhang of Yin Sixiang, they were halted dead in their tracks by the dusky yellow light. Evidently, the man's mastery over that defense had reached peak perfection. Yin Sixiang paid Wang Yuan no heed and began forming yet another incantation seal. Yet Wang Yuan was likewise an individual of immense combat experience; how could he waste his Blood God Tribulation Finger in vain? "The flaw is right here!" With a low shout, his body shot forth like an arrow. Boundless astral qi surged across his frame, gathering upon his right palm. He descended with overwhelming ferocity, resembling a falling meteor. Yin Sixiang's brow furrowed, and he abruptly altered the hand seal he was halfway through weaving. "Rise!" Rumble! Rumble! Under countless astonished gazes, thick vines suddenly sprouted from the Emerald Gloom Black Swamp covering the arena floor. Like monstrous pythons, they unfurled into the sky, violently lashing out to strangle the plunging figure. Wang Yuan's forward charge felt as though he had plunged into a primeval forest. His expression remained unchanged. Such techniques and sudden twists might catch others unprepared, but a century ago, he had already grown completely accustomed to them. The astral qi gathered in his right hand instantly condensed into a massive crimson sabre. Facing the flailing, snapping vines, he cleaved down again and again. Crack! Crack! The thick vines snapped repeatedly, yet after falling to the ground, they instantly regenerated and chased after Wang Yuan once more. In terms of speed, however, they fell far short. Wang Yuan simply barreled forward, completely ignoring the threat behind him. Upon reaching Boundless Stronghold once again, he slashed down with all his might. Not only that, but he also drove a finger straight into the dusky yellow curtain of light. The sabre light slashed down, sending severe tremors through the stronghold. His finger strike erupted into blood, and in an instant, the defense collapsed. Through the hazy air, Yin Sixiang snorted coldly and swung his hand toward Wang Yuan. Countless ox-hair needles flew forth. The needle tips distinctly glinted with an ominous, abyssal sheen. A poisoned magical treasure? Wang Yuan's brow furrowed. Unwilling to force his way in, he was compelled to fall back once more. A blood-red barrier of qi rose before him, blocking the assault of the needles. When he landed over a hundred zhang away, however, he suddenly sensed something amiss. Looking down, he saw the muddy black swamp swallowing his feet like a living entity. This should not have happened! His judgment of distance was masterful; how could he have stepped back into the range of the enemy's spell? It turned out that at some point, Yin Sixiang had secretly been expanding the reach of the art with all his might. Still, it was only a minor technique; Wang Yuan had no fear of it. Opening his mouth, he exhaled toward the ground. Formidable astral qi poured forth like the gales of the highest heavens. Like autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, this single breath of astral qi instantly blasted the black swamp beneath his feet to dust. And right at that moment, Yin Sixiang, who had remained silent all this while, spoke up. "Now that you have entered my domain, yield and accept capture!" Once the black swamp was dispersed, four small banners emerged from the earth. Yellow, green, blue, and gold—they blazed with brilliant light. Over the Battle Arena, which was already enclosed by protective arrays, yet another barrier of light materialized. This was Yin Sixiang's most formidable trump card: a boundary constructed using his natal magical treasure, the Four Spirits Banners, combined with the ancient Four Symbols Formation. The Four Symbols Dharma Boundary! The moment this boundary was unveiled, the receded black swamp regenerated at rapid speed. Golden sabres and silver swords materialized out of the sky one after another. Massive logs of green wood, like battering rams, emerged rumbling from within the dharma boundary. The appearance of this move caused an immediate uproar outside! Old Ghost Motian remarked thoughtfully, "A pseudo-domain akin to a Nascent Soul domain? To think this junior possessed such a method. It seems the trump card I prepared for him won't be needed after all. Well, that's fine—it avoids drawing criticism from Lingtian." As this thought crossed his mind, he could not help but glance at the composed True Person Shenhuo in the distance. The Five Elements Divine Sect truly was not to be underestimated! Fairy Fengyue's expression changed drastically. If she were trapped within it, she would surely have no hope of survival. Deep apprehension showed on her face, and she could not help looking at the woman standing before her. "Master, is such a method truly something a Golden Core cultivator can execute?" Fairy Fengyue's master was none other than the Grand Palace Master of Fenghua Palace! She first inspected the barrier with a furrowed brow, then shook her head. "This boundary is heterogeneous. It appears to fuse formations, magical arts, and magical treasures, supplemented by various pre-prepared materials. Given enough resources, patience, and profound magic power, it is indeed possible to set it up in the Golden Core stage." "You must be careful of Yin Sixiang in the future. He is quite extraordinary!" Fairy Fengyue parted her lips and said in a raspy voice, "Then doesn't that mean Wang Yuan is in grave danger?" The Grand Palace Master hummed in acknowledgment, yet added uncertainly, "Rumor has it that Wang Yuan's body cultivation arts form a school of their own. He should still have the strength to fight back." Among the crowd below the platform, Fiend Dragon was unlike the others, gazing at his master's back with utter confidence. "Have faith in Master. This boundary cannot trap him!" Atop another high pavilion, Castellan Lingtian set down his cup when the Four Symbols Dharma Boundary appeared, but after merely a glance, he chuckled and shook his head. "A technique like this won't trap the man this castellan favors!" In the next instant, the winds and clouds within the dharma boundary churned. "Five Qis Returning to Origin, Giant Spirit Sudden Transformation!" A burly physique began to shoot upward section by section like a miniature mountain. Controlling the four small banners, Yin Sixiang watched this unfold, the corner of his mouth twitching. "This trick again?" He remained unruffled. Behind the black swamp, giant logs, and golden sabres and silver swords, he waved his hand to cast a sheet of red thread. It was none other than the Red Line Dragon-Binding Cord that his junior sister, Qi Emei, had previously used against Fiend Dragon. Furthermore, compared to Qi Emei, his mastery of this art was even more formidable. However! Around that massive frame, wisps of potent astral winds and fiend-qi suddenly surged forth. As the astral winds swept out, the swamp, sabres, and swords were all battered and driven back in disarray. As the fiend-qi eroded, the red threads disintegrated inch by inch, unable to even draw near Wang Yuan's body. Beneath the stage, Fiend Dragon clenched his fists tightly. "Is this the might of refining thirty-six wisps of divine wind and thirty-six streaks of earthly fiend into the physical body?" "Impervious to all things, unharmed by magical treasures!" Within the Four Symbols Dharma Boundary, a nine-zhang-tall giant stood tall between heaven and earth, disdainfully imperious. Wisps of divine wind and streaks of astral fiend swirled around him, chaotic and murky like an encircling nebula. Exhaling sharply, he threw a punch. Every green log crashing toward him shattered in an instant. Then, his eyes narrowed, locking onto the middle-aged man outside the dharma boundary. Disregarding the restraint of the Four Symbols Dharma Boundary, his massive body adopted a sprint, and he shoved off with one foot. Like a colossal beast tearing at the binding power of the barrier, he surged toward Yin Sixiang, dragging along the four small banners that had been ripped from the ground. With his natal magical treasure violently jolted, a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of Yin Sixiang's lips. Wiping his mouth, he muttered, "Very well. This is not a battleground suited for me after all. If I wish to subdue this man, I must rely on that item." He opened his left palm flat. A miniature mountain appeared. Upon it, craggy stones jutted out, and precipitous cliffs towered high. He tossed it with his left hand! The miniature mountain instantly transformed into a sky-blotting colossus, completely covering the giant Wang Yuan had become, before heavily bearing down. "Roar!!!" The giant let out an inhuman howl, unleashing peerless, colossal strength in an attempt to overturn the great mountain. Yet at this moment, it felt as though heaven and earth were pressing down together. No matter his matchless divine strength, piercing divine winds, or raging astral fiends, he could not budge the mountain in the slightest. The crowd fell dead silent. Only Castellan Lingtian slammed his table and surged to his feet. "Bastard!" At some point, True Person Shenhuo had appeared before him. "Fellow Daoist, it is merely a junior. Why get so worked up?" Castellan Lingtian stared at him coldly. "You broke the rules!" True Person Shenhuo shook his head. "The rules never stated one cannot borrow another's treasure!" Indeed, the duel rules of Lingtian Pass contained no such clause. Yet what disgusted Castellan Lingtian was that he could distinctly sense a potent surge of Nascent Soul magic power lingering within that True Artifact. "Is that Old Ghost Motian's Motian Cliff?" Muttering to himself, he snorted coldly. "Do you truly believe you can forcefully suppress Wang Yuan with merely a strand of residual magic power?" "Oh?" True Person Shenhuo showed a look of surprise. He turned his gaze toward the platform. Under the crushing weight of Motian Cliff, the skin across the giant's body cracked inch by inch, thick streams of blood pouring down. Yet at some point, the armor-like hide covering Wang Yuan had transformed into overlapping scales. "Using natal essence-blood as a catalyst to undergo a quasi-demon transformation?" True Person Shenhuo's brows knit tightly. He recalled the feat of War Fiend Wang Yuan clashing head-on with a tier-four demon sovereign back then—had he relied on this very technique? However, executing this art would inevitably inflict severe damage on one's vitality. "No matter. Old Ghost Motian's methods aren't that simple." On the arena stage, Wang Yuan looked frenzied as scales rapidly erupted over his entire body, and a hammer-like tail slowly formed behind him. This battle must be won! Even if it cost him severe damage to his cultivation base and a drop in realm! Just as he prepared to spare no expense to overturn this mountain, a sudden explosive detonation reached his ears. In the next moment, he felt the mountain-like pressure abruptly lighten, leaving his massive frame staggering slightly. Looking up, he saw a fleeting figure standing upon his shoulder. With robes fluttering in the wind, a hand was raised to effortlessly prop up the towering cliff. "Brother Wang, leave the rest to me!" An unfamiliar tone, a familiar form of address—in that dreamlike ambiguity, a face as young as in days of old struck straight at his heart.