Xu Ying chuckled. "I don't mind, but she certainly will. I already have a beloved back in the Earth Immortal Realm. If you can win her consent, everything is negotiable."
Princess Mingman's eyes lit up. "Is she good at fighting?"
"She is the very person who rammed people with her ship in Longhua City."
Hearing this, Princess Mingman was not intimidated in the least. On the contrary, her fighting spirit surged, and she said, "This disciple will definitely cultivate diligently and persuade her as soon as possible!"
Xu Ying burst out laughing, feeling thoroughly relaxed.
By now, the Dragon Court imperial capital was a sea of people. Dragon immortals packed the city, all eagerly awaiting the duel. Many had even rushed over from the borderlands just to witness the clash between Xu Ying and the imperial son.
This battle was not merely about victory or defeat between two individuals; it was a contest between the Dao methods of the Earth Immortal Realm and those of the Heavenly Immortal Realm. The dragon race's faith in the Dao methods of the other shore, as well as their belief in entombment, were pinned entirely on this match!
Heavenly Prime Minister Yuan Heng had not staged the duel within a minor heaven. Although the Dragon Court was filled with masters, boasting thousands of combatants whose might could rival Supremes—cultivators who could open worlds in the void and evolve minor heavens—a minor heaven would struggle to endure the shockwaves of divine powers unleashed by masters like Xu Ying and Imperial Son Mingxi.
Therefore, Yuan Heng had long since ordered the evacuation of the residents outside the imperial capital, clearing ten thousand li of land and erecting the Shutian Pagodas on all four sides.
Once deployed, these treasures stood thousands of feet tall, stationed either in midair or rooted to the earth. Though they possessed little offensive power, they were unmatched at absorbing the impact of divine powers and treasures. Let alone Xu Ying and Imperial Son Mingxi, who were only at the seventh Dao Realm, even if they were at the eighth Dao Realm, the power of their divine powers could never breach the perimeter formed by the one hundred and eight Shutian Pagodas.
The dragon race needed this battle to salvage the precarious reputation of wholesale entombment.
Yet no one knew that Imperial Son Mingxi was no longer the one who would decide the outcome. The dragon elders had already placed their hopes on Young Master Hongbo, who had arrived from the other shore.
As Xu Ying and Imperial Son Mingxi walked into view, countless eyes turned toward them. Suddenly, a voice shouted, "Beat this barbarian from the Earth Immortal Realm to death!"
Accompanied by that shout, a ray of cold light shot across the air, slicing toward Xu Ying with a sharp whoosh.
It was a bone-dragon sword—exceedingly sharp and domineering in power. Yet the moment it struck Xu Ying, it shattered into pieces with a series of sharp cracks, completely pulverized.
Princess Mingman flew into a rage. Leaping into the crowd of dragons, she dragged out the dragon immortal who had launched the sneak attack, rained down blows upon him, and barked, "Ambushing my master—are you trying to make me a widow?!"
The dragon immortal was beaten until his bones snapped and his tendons tore, knocking him out cold.
Only then did Princess Mingman notice the hostile glares surrounding her. The dragon immortals glared at her and began closing in. "There's another little barbarian here!"
"Beat her to death!"
The throng of dragon immortals surged forward, drowning Princess Mingman in their numbers.
Mingman suddenly remembered that because she had intended to flirt with her master, she had taken the form of a human girl rather than her true appearance as a dragon princess. That was why these dragon immortals dared to attack her with lethal intent.
Still...
*If I want to outdo my mistress and become the mistress myself, how can I achieve that without enduring a little hardship?*
Thrilled beyond measure, her Far Ancestor bloodline erupted, and she threw herself into a wild melee with the dragon immortals.
"Old Dragon, this girl isn't bad. Among your descendants, her bloodline is the purest," the Ancestral God's voice drifted over.
Xu Ying followed the sound and saw the Ancestral God, the Far Ancestor Big Dragon, and the 'little barbarian' Holy Venerable approaching side by side. Of the three, the Ancestral God and the Far Ancestor were attended by dragon maidens. Only the Holy Venerable was weighed down by shackles and handcuffs, hung with all kinds of sealing talismans. Presumably because he had beaten Imperial Son Mingxi, the dragon race guarded against him with utmost vigilance.
Xu Ying shook his head. "How could these sealing measures possibly hold back the Holy Venerable?"
The Holy Venerable was far too knowledgeable to be bound by such seals. The only reason he wore the chains was that he couldn't beat several high-cultivation dragon elders along with Emperor Mingdao.
Xu Ying's gaze shifted to the Ancestral God. As the Ancestral God took a step, the earth beneath his feet turned ethereal and buoyant.
Xu Ying's eyes brightened. *The Ancestral God's cultivation and strength have completely recovered! No, that's not right—he is even stronger than in his prime!*
The ground beneath their feet was formed from a million years of accumulated Dao ash!
As the Ancestral God stepped upon it, the ground became insubstantial, signifying that he had already mastered the Heavenly Dao of the Heavenly Immortal Realm. At any moment, he could revert the Dao ash burying the realm back into Heavenly Dao!
This Heavenly Dao was not the one from the archaic Dragon Court era, but a New Heavenly Dao tempered by tens of millions of years of hardship!
*The Ancestral God advanced so rapidly this time; my guidance was not in vain.*
Xu Ying felt quite gratified. The Heavenly Dao he had transmitted to the Ancestral God had originally come from Old Emperor Mingxun, but since Xu Ying was the one who had passed it on, he shamelessly took the credit.
"Lu Yiren!"
Xu Ying caught sight of a familiar figure and was taken aback. Lu Yiren met his gaze and nodded at him with a slight smile.
Xu Ying nodded back in acknowledgment, thinking, *The passage between the Earth Immortal Realm and the Heavenly Immortal Realm has been severed. How did he get in? Did he cross over through the Underworld? Has the Heavenly Dao of the Heavenly Immortal Realm been restored to that extent?*
His scalp prickled. Stamping his foot, the Heavenly Immortal Realm vanished from his sight in an instant as his body sank, reaching the Underworld of the Heavenly Immortal Realm!
*The recovery of the Ancestral God's cultivation has indeed caused the Underworld to reappear!*
To his relief, although the realm's Underworld had reformed due to the restoration of Heavenly Dao, it was not yet connected to the Earth Immortal Realm.
Xu Ying's figure resurfaced outside the Dragon Court imperial capital, thoroughly bewildered. *He didn't come through the Underworld. Could there be another path into the Heavenly Immortal Realm? Wait! I understand now!*
His eyes fixed on Lu Yiren, and he thought, *He possesses a treasure crafted from Emerald Rock! He relies on that treasure to travel freely between the Three Realms!*
Beside Lu Yiren stood another strange person of immense stature, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him.
The moment Xu Ying's eyes met that person's, he felt a blazing battle intent—wild, feral, and intensely aggressive.
*That fellow is built like a shaggy bear. Why does he harbor such fierce murderous intent toward me?*
Xu Ying felt an elusive familiarity in the man's aura, but couldn't recall where he had encountered something like it before. He didn't dwell on it—after all, when he killed Young Master Qi Xuan back then, he had executed the strike so cleanly that he hadn't bothered to commit Qi Xuan's aura to memory.
Just then, Emperor Mingdao arrived. His commanding presence weighed down upon the venue, causing the clamor to gradually subside. Only Princess Mingman was still locked in battle with the group of dragon immortals, their clash shaking the earth.
Emperor Mingdao frowned slightly at the sight, feeling helpless. His daughter had always been obedient, never picking fights or causing trouble. She had always been a gentle pushover who endured mistreatment, which was why he doted on her so much.
Yet ever since she began following Xu Ying, the brawls had never stopped.
Emperor Mingdao swept his gaze across the gathering and locked eyes with Lu Yiren. Their eyes met; Lu Yiren smiled faintly without uttering a word.
*True King Cangzhu isn't by his side? Then he must be hiding in the dark. One in the light and one in the shadows, supporting and covering for each other—truly insidious!*
Emperor Mingdao withdrew his gaze. An Immortal lurking in concealment was undeniably terrifying.
*Fortunately, we father and son are just as insidious.*
Emperor Mingdao thought to himself, *The Retired Emperor is also lurking in secret. Let us see who makes the first move.*
Heavenly Prime Minister Yuan Heng hurried over to him and asked, "Your Majesty?"
Emperor Mingdao said in a deep voice, "Let it begin."
Yuan Heng complied. Straightening his posture, his voice thundered across the plains: "Today, the barbarian Xu Ying has traveled from afar, from the Earth Immortal Realm, seeking the arts of the other shore from our Heavenly Immortal Realm.
"Xu Ying is obstinate and ferocious, having wounded people in our Heavenly Immortal Realm. Yet His Majesty cherishes talent, and has thus graciously permitted him to witness the wondrous arts of the other shore. For today's opening battle, His Highness Mingxi shall instruct the barbarian Xu Ying!"
Xu Ying chuckled to himself. *If Mingxi hadn't shared that true transmission with me, Yuan Heng's words alone would have been enough for me to beat Imperial Son Mingxi to death. The Heavenly Immortal Realm has truly enjoyed peace for too long if they chose such a Heavenly Prime Minister.*
Heavenly Prime Minister Yuan Heng called out, "His Highness Mingxi, if you please."
Imperial Son Mingxi stepped onto the field, looked around, and declared loudly, "Today's battle is not to determine the superiority between the Dao methods of the other shore and those of the Earth Immortal Realm, nor is it to judge the dragons against humanity. Rather, it is an exchange of Dao methods and divine powers between myself and Fellow Daoist Xu, to test which of us is stronger!"
"What magnanimity from His Highness!"
The dragon immortals praised in unison. "His Highness is truly kind and benevolent! Barbarian Xu Ying, have you heard? Why haven't you quickly committed suicide to atone for your offenses?!"
Princess Mingman flew into a rage and charged at those dragon immortals, plunging the sidelines into chaos once more.
Imperial Son Mingxi said, "Fellow Daoist Xu, please!"
Xu Ying entered the arena and smiled. "Your Highness, please."
Imperial Son Mingxi summoned eight cave abysses. Moving his feet, he circulated the cultivation technique imparted to him by Emperor Mingdao, instantly pushing his cultivation to its peak. Channeling the Great Dao of Taiyi, he unified all other Daos beneath it. His aura surged so powerfully that not even the one hundred and eight Shutian Pagodas could suppress it!
Heavenly Prime Minister Yuan Heng and the others were both surprised and overjoyed. Yuan Bugui hurried to Yuan Heng's side and whispered, "His Highness's cultivation and strength have improved by leaps and bounds these past few days. Even without inviting Young Master Hongbo, His Highness could probably secure an easy victory!"
Yuan Heng laughed. "How could I have possessed the foresight to anticipate such a thing?"
What they did not know was that during these past few days of exchanging insights with Xu Ying, Mingxi had benefited from Xu Ying's guidance, taking his comprehension of the Dao methods to another level. After three days of secluded cultivation, he had made a major breakthrough!
Seeing this, Emperor Mingdao also nodded approvingly, holding high hopes for Mingxi. He thought, *Ever since he returned from studying on the other shore, he has always held himself in high esteem. Now, he has finally learned restraint.*
Even as the thoughts crossed their minds, the divine powers of both combatants erupted. A tense chord had been drawn taut in Imperial Son Mingxi's heart, fearing he would be defeated by Xu Ying. Yet the moment their techniques collided, that chord relaxed. *Xu Ying's cultivation isn't actually that much higher than mine.*
He had spent all this time dreading that he would lose in a single blow to Xu Ying and humiliate Emperor Mingdao; only now did he breathe a sigh of relief.
*I lost to the Holy Venerable, so I kept using the Holy Venerable's might to measure Xu Ying. It seems I overthought it. The Holy Venerable's cultivation and strength are far superior to Xu Ying's!*
With his mind at ease, he let his hands fly freely, unfurling various divine powers of the other shore with effortless grace. Displaying the intricate profundities of each art, his attacks only seemed to grow fiercer and more potent with every breath!
Xu Ying also channeled his various cave abysses to meet him, refusing to yield an inch!
The spectating dragon immortals were dazzled. The two figures flickered across the battlefield like specters, their fierce, unyielding strikes colliding relentlessly.
To the onlookers, Imperial Son Mingxi's combat prowess seemed to climb higher and higher, the might of his divine powers growing until it looked as though he was on the verge of striking Xu Ying dead. Yet that barbarian's divine powers rose in tandem, consistently deflecting every one of Mingxi's assaults.
Mingxi grew bolder the longer he fought, relishing the thrill of meeting a worthy rival. All of his latent potential and intellect were dragged out by Xu Ying.
More importantly, this pressure was calibrated to perfection. Whenever he comprehended a subtle technique amidst combat, he was granted just enough time to refine it and unleash it with exhilarating abandon.
It was precisely this exhilaration that enabled him to continually grasp superior divine powers and wield his Dao methods with increasing finesse.
Elders like Yuan Heng, Yuan Bugui, and Meng Santong watched with beaming smiles, stroking their beards and nodding in high praise.
Only Emperor Mingdao let out a soft sigh, feeling both gratified and somewhat helpless. He thought, *Dao Ancestor Xu is feeding him moves, helping Xi'er raise his Dao attainment and strength. I owe him a favor for this.*
To others, this great battle was a dazzling spectacle, but to an existence of the Immortal realm like him, it was obvious that Xu Ying was pulling his punches time and again.
Imperial Son Mingxi fought with mounting vigor, letting out long roars as he activated his entombment, causing his cultivation and strength to surge astonishingly once more.
Yet he remained locked in a dead heat with Xu Ying.
Reaching this point, Imperial Son Mingxi finally realized the truth: *It's not that he can't defeat me—he's guiding me! He's sparing my pride!*
The two exchanged over a hundred more moves. In the end, Xu Ying secured victory by the narrowest of margins, defeating Mingxi by a single stroke.
All around, the dragon immortals of the Heavenly Immortal Realm fell into dead silence, their disappointment palpable.
Xu Ying adopted a solemn expression and praised, "Your Highness's divine powers are extraordinary, your magic power reaches the heavens, and your talent and wisdom command the deepest respect. I won by a mere stroke of luck. If we were to clash again, I might not necessarily prevail."
Hearing this, Imperial Son Mingxi's heart stirred. From outside the arena, Man Kongming's voice shouted, "A way out! He's giving you a way out!"
Imperial Son Mingxi snapped to his senses and gave an easy laugh. "A loss is a loss; my skills simply fell short. Fellow Daoist Xu's Dao methods are indeed superior! I, Mingxi, thank Fellow Daoist Xu for his instruction. If I achieve anything in the future, I will certainly seek your guidance again!"
Xu Ying laughed heartily. "Anytime, anytime."
At that very moment, a tremendous boom shook the air. Young Master Hongbo plummeted from the sky, landing squarely between the two of them. He sneered, "A mere barbarian wielding the crude Dao methods of the Earth Immortal Realm—how dare you claim to contest the Dao methods of the other shore? Mingxi is just an incompetent fool. The Dao methods of the other shore ought to be displayed by someone who actually comes from the other shore!"
Xu Ying understood at once. *No wonder His Highness Mingxi told me I had to win! He knew he was doomed to lose against this fellow, so he passed me that single line of Taiyi true transmission, bidding me to defeat this giant from the other shore no matter what!*
Young Master Hongbo said in a deep voice, "I, Hongbo, disciple of the Immortal True King Yinyuanzi, have come to avenge my junior brother Qi Xuan and vindicate the Dao methods of the other shore!"
He cast his gaze across the surroundings, his voice rumbling like thunder. "Today, I shall use my strength to prove to you all that the true transmission of the other shore's Dao methods belongs to the other shore, not to you dragons! You dragons are an inferior race; even when taught, you can never truly master them. Only young masters from our other shore can truly grasp the Great Daos of the other shore!"
Xu Ying smiled faintly. "I remember your aura now. It's identical to that other-shore strange person named Qi Xuan. Qi Xuan was killed by a single punch from me; he was nothing special."
Fierce light gleamed in Young Master Hongbo's eyes. "Junior Brother Qi Xuan's skills were lacking; his death was of his own making!"
"I even took his scalp," Xu Ying said with a grin, eyeing Hongbo's cranium.
Enraged beyond words, Young Master Hongbo mobilized his arts from the other shore. But at that exact moment, an earth-shattering aura erupted from Xu Ying's body, infinitely more terrifying than anything he had displayed during his fight with Imperial Son Mingxi!
Xu Ying's footwork shifted. Resembling a titanic god cleaving open heaven and earth, he arched his body back. A brilliant axe radiance sprang from between his hands, and swinging the world-opening axe, he brought it crashing down!
Wherever the axe light swept, the Great Dao roared and vibrant light cascaded. Confronting the strike, Young Master Hongbo's expression changed drastically, and he frantically channeled his divine powers to block.
*Boom!*
The moment the axe light fell, his divine powers shattered into nothingness. The blazing brilliance sliced through the earth behind him, carving a massive crevice that tore across several thousand li with a deafening rumble, tearing past one of the Shutian Pagodas. Even that Shutian Pagoda failed to absorb the strike's ferocity—with a loud crack, it was sheared cleanly in two!
Young Master Hongbo caught the axe light between his palms, but the crushing force forced him to his knees with a dull thud. The axe blade bit into his skull before finally coming to a slow halt.
The entire venue fell dead silent. Every dragon immortal stared blankly at the scene.
One strike.
A single strike.
And the young master from the other shore was utterly crushed!
Chapter 697