Chapter 325: The Sixth Round Begins, A Sudden Situation (Ten-Thousand Character Chapter)

The duels between the geniuses were fierce, fiercer than the duels of the outstanding talents before them.

Beyond their Dao hearts being firmer and living up to the name of genius, it was also because they carried more weight in their respective origins and factions, so even if they were severely wounded in a brutal fight, they could normally receive better follow-up recovery after being eliminated.

Furthermore, with the outstanding talents having set such a precedent, some people refused to concede, preferring to fight to the death rather than linger on in a desperate struggle, leaving behind some stain that made them seem inferior to those outstanding talents.

With this group of people leading the way, the majority of others were also infected and influenced, thereby following suit either actively or passively, which in turn led to a situation where the fighting became more intense the longer it went on.

Thus, the situation of the personnel finally decided became what it is now.

It just so happens that there are exactly thirty-six left, and with the four candidates for the championship about to participate, that makes exactly forty!

The sixth round has forty people participating, and the final twenty to be decided will correspond exactly to the scale of the personnel for the Dragon Palace exploration, which seems just a bit too obviously perfect.

"So, do you dare say there is no intervention from your side in this?"

As Meng Changqing slowly recounted the current situation, his tone throughout emphasizing how coincidental it all was, Du En asked back plainly and directly.

"……That is indeed the case, it is truly impossible to deny, though I haven't interfered too much; that it could be so coincidental is indeed a very coincidental situation."

He couldn't help but choke up a bit, but still answered truthfully, then added: "This next round is the critical moment for advancing into the top twenty, and who knows what opportunities might be picked up, so I will try my best to arrange things well; you shouldn't just stay cooped up inside in bitter cultivation all day."

This was the reason Meng Changqing had run over to strike up a conversation now.

Seeing that this grand competition had entered the critical period for determining the subsequent Dragon Palace exploration personnel, and looking at Du En's performance of practicing as if he were possessed, he really couldn't help but speak up to advise him.

Even if one is obsessed with cultivation, this single-mindedness cannot always be kept taut; one still needs a bit of relaxation and tension.

By comparison, Du En's performance of practicing while watching the battles at the very beginning of the grand competition could barely be considered a better form.

Although the ratio of this relaxation and tension still seemed quite outrageous.

"I don't have any problems on my end, but what about True Monarch Huiqing?"

"She has lowered her banners and silenced her drums; after all, she used so many moves before, and now she doesn't have much energy left. The next part is the critical moment for deciding the Dragon Palace trip and displaying the prestige of the factions."

Although True Monarch Huiqing indeed still wanted to kill Du En, as Meng Changqing said, she was currently a bit stretched thin and needed to temporarily shift her focus to the more important matter of deciding the top twenty of the grand competition.

Coupled with the fact that the strategy of feigning weakness here had actually been effective, under the influence of various factors, she decided to temporarily lower her banners and silence her drums regarding Du En.

Amidst various overt and covert actions, and under the strict precautions constantly reinforced by Meng Changqing, no other sneaky little movements had been discovered for the time being.

"It won't be like that time with Jia Yao, right?"

Du En asked again.

"It won't! This time it definitely won't!"

Meng Changqing was practically patting his chest to guarantee it.

"My current good condition won't arouse suspicion, will it?"

Du En asked again.

"It won't! I dare guarantee it won't!"

Meng Changqing guaranteed earnestly once more.

"Mm, then that's no problem."

"……Don't be careless; those who are still left now are at least at the late Nascent Soul stage!"

"I am not being careless, so, can you arrange for me to be in the later matches?"

"Hm? Could it be?"

"Yes, I am about to break through."

You are going to break through again?

Alright, calculating the time, it is indeed about right.

But how to put it, you just finished feigning weakness, and now you want to press on and break through again; it seems somewhat like a waste of effort and suffering all that pain before.

"Anyway, no matter how much I feign weakness, it's impossible to truly curb her killing intent, and to ensure I can participate in the Dragon Palace trip, it is necessary to do this. After all, in terms of hard power, it is indeed my biggest shortcoming right now. Let's just treat it as preparing for the worst, just in case. Of course, if there were some hidden treasure on the committee's side..."

"Useless! Don't even think about it! To deceive her eyes, even a seventh-rank one won't work; you'd need at least an eighth-rank one. But where would I find that? I haven't even reached the Integration stage myself; how could those guys give me any room to reach out and touch such things?"

"Are the True Monarchs all that powerful? True Monarch Huiqing shouldn't have reached the perfection of the Integration stage yet, right?"

"Heh, just like how basically no one believes your facade of being at the early Nascent Soul stage, her mid-Integration stage is likely just a deliberate show of weakness, or rather, a positioning statement."

Although Meng Changqing felt he would eventually overtake them, he did not deny or look down on the True Monarchs, "After all, she has already stayed at this realm for over a thousand years. Although she has cashed in on her talent as a prodigy and has begun to enter the stage of accumulating strength for a breakthrough, do you dare believe she is really only at the mid-Integration stage?"

"In other words, as long as it is necessary, she can quickly break through to the perfection of the Integration stage?"

"Yes, you can think of it that way."

Then the other True Monarchs...

Du En did not ask further; anyway, knowing the general situation of his biggest and most direct enemy was enough for now, as he was actually still very far from the Integration stage.

Then Meng Changqing said a few more words and withdrew his gaze.

And then, the sixth round officially arrived.

Early that morning, Du En appeared with the others.

Xiong Fa and the other three could finally be considered to have escaped those dark days of working for free.

It was fine at first, considered a familiarization period, but once they fully excavated their talent as strong first-class outstanding talents with the potential of geniuses, and got the cooking and artifact refining properly arranged, Du En, this unscrupulous foreman, began to increase the intensity.

You must know that whether it is fifth-rank low-grade spiritual food or fourth-rank top-grade magical artifacts, they are not things that can be produced casually; even at the Nascent Soul perfection stage, one would normally have to invest full energy into it.

Like Du En, relying on the Inexhaustible Azure Spirit Body and his accumulation in various aspects, being able to cook and refine continuously, producing a huge pile every day and night, is extremely rare—it is a completely monstrous performance.

So Xiong Fa and the other four, now temporarily free from the days of labor, had that taut breath loosen, and the whole person was dazed and stunned, as if completely hollowed out.

Looking at Du En, who was refreshed and as usual... could this guy have practiced some demonic art that can absorb others' essence to restore and nourish himself?

The crowd of geniuses watched in a daze; mainly because last time Xiong Fa and the others only had hidden fatigue and were not as prominent and obvious as they were now, and previously Du En had been severely wounded, and they hadn't even had time to express their astonishment before he had hurriedly run off to heal.

Now, comparing the two, they couldn't help but think so.

But very quickly, their attention was diverted.

Because the sixth round had begun.

"Eh? He's not leading the charge?"

"Is it only a surface recovery, while the root of the illness actually remains?"

"Very likely. After all, that was the Extinction Death Ray, a very formidable secret technique. I don't know how that Jia Yao learned it, but it requires sacrificing everything of one's own to unleash a lethal death ray. Even those few capable of taking the crown would be severely wounded or even perish on the spot if they took it at such close range."

The reason the final assessment was only that, rather than saying they would definitely perish on the spot, was naturally because Du En's survival had clearly refreshed their understanding and lowered the absolute certainty of this secret technique's power.

If it were a situation like the one with Ye Buhui, knowing it in advance, they would certainly have spoken with absolute certainty before the match, saying things like "death is inevitable."

Almost got slapped in the face again, that was close!

"To be honest, Jia Yao's actions, um... are really hard to evaluate, but after all, he did create an opportunity for us. If he were to lead the charge now, who knows, someone might be able to pick up the scraps and reach the top twenty."

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"Heh! Everyone doesn't need to think that way. You have to know there are only twenty days and twenty matches in this round. Even if he relies on the favor of Counselor Meng to hide until the last day, that's only nineteen extra days. Such a short time is nothing but a blink of an eye to us; he might not be able to recover much at all!"

"Makes sense, makes sense!"

Surrounded by a pack of wolves, watched by tigers.

The geniuses did not hide their conversation, intending to put extra pressure on Du En.

"These guys are truly ungrateful wretches, completely unaware of how to repay kindness!"

Xiong Fa, listening to those idle gossips, could not help but be furious. Since his condition had eased slightly, he immediately shook his head and spoke up.

The reason he said this was because Du En's successive actions, as well as the incidents of encountering and escaping danger, appeared quite dramatic and captivating, thus producing an unexpected effect.

First, the outstanding talents exited the competition with a mental state different from previous years, which invisibly gave the geniuses a sense of underlying support.

Can we really be inferior to them?!

It was this mentality that undoubtedly raised their psychological defenses. It further infected them during the greater part of the Jia Yao battle, and the subsequent refusal of other geniuses to live in ignominy caused their entire group to develop a sense of pride, rather than the deepening fear and horror of previous years.

Therefore, it was Du En's actions that bit by bit changed the atmosphere of this grand competition, keeping the overall mindset relatively positive, with very few letting their Dao heart walk into an extreme dead end.

But the result was that they turned their guns around to start stabbing at Du En, the very person who started it all!

Xiong Fa was naturally indignant, and the other three were also filled with dissatisfaction.

Facing these dissatisfied gazes, the geniuses did not mind at all!

"Haha! So-called timing and fate. I naturally admire the talented Du, but precisely because I admire him, I must use every means available to show my respect!"

"That's right! That's right!"

"Or are you four suggesting that we need to step back and show favor to your talented Du?"

Damn you!

The tides have turned. The words Ying Dongqing used to squeeze them in the previous round were now being pulled out and used against them, immediately making Xiong Fa and the others furious.

Yet, there was no way to refute these words... Suddenly, they also experienced the stifled feeling the other side had felt before, and glancing at Du En again, they only felt ashamed and regretful.

"It's fine, don't worry about it."

Du En spoke calmly, which only made them feel even more so.

"My Lord! The fault is mine, I, I, I will go back to work overtime right now!"

Xiong Fa, unable to think of how to make amends, said these words in a rush.

Among the other three, Hao Liaoxue responded with even more enthusiasm, because his role as a laborer who couldn't do the fine work actually meant he was in the best condition.

As for Su Wanhe, she wanted to speak but hesitated. Her spirited, beautiful eyes had long since turned bright red from staring at the fire, so she looked like she was about to cry.

Ying Dongqing, who could be called the true initiator of these words, also had nothing to say. She sighed secretly and turned around silently.

Her role as a chopper was also in decent condition, so after a brief rest, she could continue working overtime.

"Talented one, I..."

"You don't need to go. Xiong Fa is, after all, an artifact cultivator and weapon cultivator, so refining is considered his specialty; it's normal for him to have energy left. As for you, forget it, we can't waste materials."

Hearing Du En's direct words, Su Wanhe was left between laughter and tears.

So I'm being looked down upon, am I!

My Lord! Sometimes your words really hit too close to the heart!

Su Wanhe thought this, but her feet stopped, and she stood up straight, still as upright as ever.

Looking outside again, she discovered that the geniuses who had just been triumphant and attempting to use the opportunity to apply pressure were now all silenced.

Because the conversation and actions here had no cover and were basically exposed, they were all shocked, though they barely maintained their composure on the surface.

So you guys, looking like your bodies have been hollowed out, were actually taking the opportunity to moonlight and work overtime?

Not to mention anything else, that magical artifact... Hiss!

At the thought of the massive crowd of Tier 4 magical artifacts, their heads immediately began to ache!

This person is a top-tier, extraordinary artifact master among his peers!

So what if his injuries haven't healed?

He can just use magical artifacts like talismans. Anyway, there are plenty of people helping to refine them now, and relying on that tough spiritual body that even the death ray couldn't kill, there's no need to worry about self-detonation or backlash... What should be done when the time comes?

Cheating!

This is cheating!

How can one moonlight and add materials during a grand competition? And, there are actually those outstanding talents acting as laborers to help add materials!

The geniuses really wanted to say this, but they also knew that since they could do such a big thing here, it clearly had the approval of those above.

Or rather, the Thousand-Day Grand Competition has always been unrestricted; as long as you follow those simple rules, anything else goes.

If one has enough strength, even killing people outside the arena across the White Iron Floating Pillars is actually allowed!

Therefore, if words like "cheating" were truly spoken, it would be self-inflicted humiliation!

Not to mention that they were just showing off, and to turn around and slap their own faces like this is truly shameful to the extreme!

Thus, they could only chew on the bitterness in their hearts and sigh with worry.

"Heh! Truly deserved!"

Glancing at their performance of feigned calmness, while actually being full of emotions and barely holding it together, Su Wanhe quickly figured out their thoughts, secretly said this to herself, and couldn't help but feel a sense of glee.

After all, she had made her own contributions in this!

Then, looking at Du En, he was watching the battle and did not speak.

Consequently, she did not speak either.

A moment later, the situation on the field quickly reached the stage where the winner was decided, with only the final reaping of victory remaining.

Du En then shifted some of his attention to Su Wanhe, who had been glancing at him since just a moment ago as if wanting to ask something, and asked directly, "Is there something you don't understand?"

"Ah, yes, there is indeed a question."

"Speak."

"Uh, it's just, Hero, who do you think among these people requires special attention?"

"That's true, it's been a long time since I watched a battle, I forgot to share some intelligence information with you all."

Du En nodded, his gaze turning toward the four candidates for the championship who had revealed their forms.

There was no need for words; they were the very objects that required special attention!

Facing the gazes directed at them one by one, the four of them also returned the looks in turn.

First was a middle-aged man, his robes loose and baggy, embroidered with colorful patterns and adorned with various flashy ornaments; at the same time, his beard was scruffy and unkempt, his overall appearance quite messy and completely slovenly, yet there was inexplicably a sense of lazy composure about him.

But observing closely, one would feel something was off, though it was hard to say exactly what.

"Sheng Zhaoshui, Nascent Soul perfection, cultivates the Linxian Code, already reached perfection."

"Oh, a true formidable enemy."

Although he was too unkempt and appeared too sloppy.

Su Wanhe evaluated him inwardly, and then, she saw Du En shift his gaze away.

"Ah? Just, just this?"

She couldn't help but speak up.

"Hahaha!"

Sheng Zhaoshui over there heard the sound and laughed directly; once he finished laughing, he said, "It is indeed just like this. Oh my, speaking of which, it's because I felt that since everyone else had information leaked in advance, it would be a bit bad if I were the only one who didn't, so little girl, that is why I specifically went to leak it myself, understand?"

Lit, little girl?!

Su Wanhe felt a darkness wash over her eyes upon hearing this.

Thinking that she had been cultivating for over a hundred years, and would soon celebrate her second sixty-year birthday, she truly hadn't expected that there would come a day when she would be called a little girl by someone of the same rank.

Sheng Zhaoshui blinked, as if he had misunderstood something, and immediately showed an expression full of apology: "Sorry about that, speaking out like that suddenly, it seems I've disturbed you, my fault, my fault, I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind."

Du En spoke at this moment.

And so, Su Wanhe could only appear as if she didn't mind.

Sheng Zhaoshui laughed even more lightly and casually, raising his hand to gesture: "Brother Du, you don't need to worry about me, just continue; however, if you trust me, then I can also tell you what I know, I think I should know quite a lot."

Bro, Brother Du?

Su Wanhe stared in astonishment again, and then.

It seemed correct?

Relatively speaking, among this group of people, Du En was actually quite young?

No, compared to the top talents he seemed quite young, but the geniuses were basically between forty and seventy years old, so it didn't seem like there was a huge gap.

Eh? Wait!

If that's the case, could this "uncle" of the same rank actually be a cycle younger than her?

Then how dare he have the nerve to call her a little girl?!

She was immediately tangled and conflicted, her willow brows arched in indignation, while Du En didn't mind these things and nodded readily.

"This, to actually have me tell you, this, trusting me so much, makes me feel a bit ashamed."

Sheng Zhaoshui gave a bitter smile, saying this as he shrugged, his wide, loose robes fluttering, appearing somewhat flamboyant.

Then, he lowered his eyelids slightly and said in a deep voice: "Then, shall we begin?"

In that instant, Su Wanhe seemed to perceive a certain hidden sense of danger, but it vanished in a flash, as if it were just an illusion, completely impossible to capture in any concrete form.

What was going on?

Before she could figure out the reason, she saw Du En nod calmly, indicating that he was listening and that the other should start quickly.

Thus, Sheng Zhaoshui returned his gaze to normal, and amidst the subtle dissatisfaction of the other three, he began to state their information one by one, as if he knew them like the back of his hand.

"First, of course, is this one!"

What he pointed to was not the young man in the next clockwise position, but her, after skipping over him.

"Sheng Zhaoshui, are you looking to die?!"

"Hehehe, this proves he still has some discernment, doesn't it?"

One man and one woman, two voices, rang out in succession.

The young man caught in the middle, Nangong Sheng, appeared grim-faced and full of killing intent; the aura he radiated made the geniuses and heroes located near him feel a chill in their hearts.

"Alright, let's go in order, don't be angry, don't be angry."

Sheng Zhaoshui sighed, somewhat reluctantly, revealing a sense of disdain as if there was nothing worth saying about the man.

Nangong Sheng suddenly withdrew his aura, standing firm like a mountain that would not fall and a sea that would not shift, and said directly: "I don't need you to trouble yourself!"

Saying this, he looked toward Du En's side and stated frankly: "I am Nangong Sheng, under the command of True Monarch Zuding, still unknown, but on the minor path of conquest and battle, I can be called perfect; I look forward to having a battle with you, to properly decide the winner!"

"That's not all, that's not all."

Sheng Zhaoshui continued to go his own way, speaking in a lazy and casual manner: "The so-called conquest and battle lies in both conquering and fighting, in clarifying the battle through conquest; the conqueror is one who travels far, one who moves forward, so those who cultivate the Conquest and Battle Code, the shallow ones can only understand the superficial minor path of conquest and warfare, but those who truly delve deep use this to walk their path; therefore, he is not a cultivator of soldiers and armies, he is..."

"I am a Battle Fighter! Fight and battle, battle and win! Let you know that I have read the Battle Fighting Treasure Code, understood a bit of the surface, and know the general outline; this battle with you all is the best thing!"

Nangong Sheng stated frankly, without fear or dread; a so-called Battle Fighter should be like this.

Du En nodded immediately, appearing earnest and composed.

Sheng Zhaoshui, however, smacked his lips, as if feeling some regret that his words had been snatched away.

But immediately after, he formally and swiftly bypassed Nangong Sheng, his spirit looking quite spirited: "And then there is this Junior Sister, whose beautiful name is Lou Shuyue!"

Following these words, the two on Du En's side looked over, and even Nangong Sheng cast a sidelong glance.

The first thing Su Wanhe saw when she officially looked at her was stunning beauty; the second thing she saw was a pitiful, delicate appearance, which instantly stirred a heart of protection and care, and then she was suddenly startled.

Eh, that's not right, I'm a woman!

Hiss!

She was suddenly inexplicably nervous, her vigilance greatly heightened, because she suddenly realized that this woman had actually appeared before, and was so stunningly beautiful that even those of the same sex could hardly be immune to her charm, yet she herself didn't even have the slightest impression!

It wasn't just her side that thought of this; other genius spectators were also guided by the topic here, and after breaking free from the astonishment, they all felt a sudden chill.

None of them had the slightest impression!

What is going on?

Could it be that her charm arts are heaven-sent and terrifying to such a degree that even geniuses and outstanding people like them could be silently bewitched and have the relevant circumstances forgotten without a sound?!

"All show and no substance."

Nangong Sheng spat out these four words directly, crossing his arms, calm and composed, as if looking at a piece of wood being chopped; he was not affected in the slightest, and his interest was not too great—it was just the posture of encountering a normal opponent.

Glancing at Du En's side again, he saw only that he remained calm, like still water without waves, and he felt even more satisfied with this dark horse of an opponent.

Looking at Sheng Zhaoshui again, *tch*! A lecherous and decadent person! Truly disgusting!

The person here smiled, not minding, and only said: "Junior Sister Caiwei, do you mind if I offer some high praise?"

Hearing this, the originally beaming smile on Lou Shuyue's face became imperceptibly heavy.

She opened her mouth and said: "If Senior Brother Sheng can help this one conceal a little, that would naturally be for the best."

"Good, good, good!"

Sheng Zhaoshui nodded with a chuckle, turned his face to look at Du En's side, and said: "I call her Junior Sister Caiwei, naturally because she practices the Caiwei Canon, not the Fragrant Bloom Canon that circulates outside; the difference between these two is immense!"

You're just going to lay it all out, aren't you?!

Lou Shuyue's smile instantly stiffened; she felt that her methods just now were like hitting cotton in mid-air, and she was suddenly somewhat annoyed, while inwardly feeling secretly vigilant.

Upholding the characteristics of the faction of True Monarch Huiqing, she prided herself on never having revealed her actual techniques, instead dual-cultivating the Fragrant Bloom Canon as an outer shell to hide herself, yet she did not expect it to be exposed in a single sentence.

"Oh? What is the difference between the Fragrant Bloom Canon and the Caiwei Canon?"

Du En asked directly.

That is a good question!

The crowd nodded secretly.

This woman had hidden so deeply before, making people feel she was peerlessly beautiful and naturally charming, not only bewitching both men and women, but also making them forget their own relevant cognition—truly terrifying!

But even so, it was not the root, just an outer shell!

Truly frightening!

The geniuses, and Su Wanhe, all had to admit this point at this moment.

Because they carefully pondered it, perhaps they didn't even have the qualifications to engage in a battle; they feared that just by standing in front of Lou Shuyue, they would be dazed and confused, and end up crippling themselves.

Unless one could know the background in advance and make targeted preparations!

Thus, Sheng Zhaoshui appeared unable to refuse the crowd's request, and facing Lou Shuyue's hidden murderous gaze, he felt no fear or concern, shaking his head and chanting a light song: "Caiwei, Caiwei, why does the lord not return? Caiwei, Caiwei, empty sorrow cuts deep..."

The crowd did not disturb him, but this Junior Sister Caiwei, Lou Shuyue, suddenly appeared somewhat suspicious and uncertain.

Then.

"Although it is a bit rude to say so, Junior Sister Caiwei, you seem to have practiced the wrong path, so when trying to advance in the Lesser Odes Poetry Canon, did you feel there was no way to progress?"

"..."

To be speechless is to affirm and agree.

So.

What kind of person is this Sheng Zhaoshui?

To be able to see through and know this person's background to this extent?

Or is it information provided by the True Monarch behind him?

The crowd was confused for a moment.

Lou Shuyue was just about to say something, and Nangong Sheng was waiting for her to speak so he could directly step on her face and mock her.

Du En simply interrupted the thoughts and actions of this group, saying calmly and earnestly: "Don't speak in riddles, speak directly."

Sheng Zhaoshui: "..."

The crowd: "..."

The scene fell into a silent pause; Su Wanhe came back to her senses and immediately spoke up righteously: "That's right! You talk so wordily, we only hear it as if we're in the clouds!"

"Sigh—"

Sheng Zhaoshui sighed, seemingly somewhat helpless at the back-and-forth here, but spreading his hands, he still said: "Simply put, one must understand the poetic sentiment; that Caiwei Canon is a lower branch of the Lesser Odes Poetry Canon, and the Lesser Odes Poetry Canon is one of the sources of the art of reciting poetry and composing couplets."

"Although Junior Sister Caiwei dual-cultivates both methods and appears extraordinary, since the root is in Caiwei, she should not learn the literal meaning of 'picking ferns'; that won't work, or rather, essentially her root is actually still in the Fragrant Bloom Canon—no, it should be the Unique Beauty Treasure Canon."

Speaking to this point, he was about to shake his head again to express his understanding of this treasure canon.

Nangong Sheng's mocking words had already been swiftly changed and were brewing.

Lou Shuyue was also targeting him, preparing to retort, while also appearing to be secretly sighing.

Because she had actually realized that she seemed to have taken the wrong path, but until just now, she had been unable to determine which path she should switch to.

Should she thank him for the pointer?

Thinking of this, she could not help but feel annoyed, because Sheng Zhaoshui exposing her bottom line at this time had already made her opponents thoughtful; there was absolutely no good intention!

Then, the actions of the three of them were interrupted once again.

"So that's how it is. She took a wrong turn in her cultivation because she has no one to love and no one to love her."

Everyone: "..."

They looked over in silence.

As expected, it had to be you, Du En!

This time, even Su Wanhe was somewhat tongue-tied and did not speak up for justice again.

Who are you calling love-starved?!

Lou Shuyue was suddenly flustered and exasperated, nearly blurting it out in a loss of composure; it was only by a hair's breadth, remembering her own reserved demeanor, that she managed to hold it back with difficulty.

However, looking at Du En's face—so calm it was like a facial paralysis—a surge of anger bubbled up again.

With you being like that, how do you have the nerve to say such a thing?!

It was likely this emotion playing tricks.

"Hahaha..."

A hearty laugh rang out, breaking the deathly, awkward silence.

Du En followed the sound and saw another graceful figure.

She was petite, small and cute, in the prime of her youth; she was laughing heartily now, as if to break the awkwardness or perhaps to express herself.

"It's mainly because you lot are so wishy-washy. I watched for a long time and it didn't look like it would ever be my turn, so I just called you all over. Yeah, that's how it is."

After she finished speaking, she grinned, looking very straightforward and also very stubborn.

Because she felt it was so, she would do it, without hesitation, without doubt, regardless of anything, holding only to herself.

"People from the sect of True Monarch Buyi are generally like this. Uh, how should I address this Junior Sister to be more appropriate?"

Sheng Zhaoshui also appeared troubled at this moment, as if he had encountered a thorn and had no way to handle it.

"My name is Jiang Ying, just call me that directly. Also, this uncle's point of contention is my cultivation method, right? That's right, the technique I practice is the Body Refining Code, and what it inherits is the Body Refining Treasure Tome!"

Saying this, as if to demonstrate her sincerity, she actually reached out both hands, grabbed the floating pillar railing in front of her, and began to exert immense force, intending to pull it apart.

Even though she knew this was fundamentally impossible, just because she felt it needed to be done, she didn't care about anything and simply started doing it. In a sense, she was stubborn to the extreme.

Everyone couldn't laugh; not only did they vaguely perceive the terror of her stubbornness and determination, but also because that small, cute body, while unable to pull the white iron railing apart, actually caused the surrounding space to tremble and crack in dense, spiderweb-like fissures.

"Is this something the Body Refining Code can achieve?"

Du En asked Sheng Zhaoshui, who was currently somewhat unable to bear looking, as if the moment he saw it, his previous fantasies would shatter along with it.

Because Du En cultivated both Dharma and body, his Inexhaustible Azure Spirit Body possessed the advantages of a Firm Spirit Body, and having undergone transformation and strengthening all the way, it had reached great success by today; yet even so, he still couldn't reach the point of shattering space directly, and likely wouldn't be able to even at perfection.

No matter how self-explanatory the Body Refining Code was, focusing on body refinement, to be able to do such a thing just by the residual force of vibration—wasn't that a bit too outrageous?

"Of course it's not because of the Code, or rather, the Code is just one of the gathered elements."

Sheng Zhaoshui appeared quite emotional, "Just like that White Bone Daoist, there will always be certain people born with unique constitutions, and what this Junior Sister Jiang Ying possesses is the strongest of all powerful bodies, standing at the pinnacle of all purely formidable constitutions, known as the Supreme Strong Fleshly Body!"

Uh, this title is a bit plain and unadorned!

A group of geniuses couldn't help but think this.

Sheng Zhaoshui seemed to know their thoughts, shrugged his shoulders, and shook his head.

"It's the Supreme Strong Hegemony Body, not some Supreme Strong Fleshly Body. This is what Old Man Buyi said; could it possibly be fake?"

Jiang Ying was very dissatisfied with this title and immediately corrected it.

Sheng Zhaoshui's mouth twitched, and as he raised his hand to rub his temple, he seemed to turn cold and stern.

"In the Northern Lands, all Nascent Soul stage geniuses were defeated by her head-on, and all Nascent Soul stage geniuses were beaten to death by her own hands; therefore, she is the only participant from the Northern Lands in this Grand Competition."

Everyone was stunned upon hearing this, then looked at the small, cute, pouting person again, and all felt it was absurd because she didn't look like it at all; but thinking about it carefully, they had to face it squarely—the fact was exactly so, and thus they felt a deep, chilling fear.

"So that's how it is. I finally understand. You all possess unique skills, and you are clearly capable of breaking through to the Spirit Severing stage—uh, it is possible to break through to the Spirit Severing stage—yet you are actively suppressing it to come and participate in this Grand Competition."

Du En's words were shocking.

It made the anger in Lou Shuyue's heart rise even more.

Your pause and change of words just now were clearly aimed at me, weren't they?

"Exactly so!"

Nangong Sheng was not afraid in the slightest, not scared at all, and spoke openly and bluntly: "You all had no choice but to participate in the Grand Competition because you couldn't avoid the fight, while the four of us have already reached the point where we can attempt to break through our realms, yet we deliberately chose to suppress it and actively chose to participate in the Grand Competition!"

"That's right! From the very beginning, we have been different from the others; we are aiming for that number one champion title!"

Jiang Ying called out in response, while continuing to struggle with the railing.

This caused Nangong Sheng, who had been full of momentum, to show a somewhat helpless expression.

As for the other geniuses, their hearts fell to the bottom at this moment; there was no shock, only a sense of bewilderment, and they had no energy left to care about Jiang Ying's stubbornness.

Being able to attempt a breakthrough to the Spirit Severing stage yet actively choosing not to, all for the sake of winning the title—from the very root, they had an essential difference from those like them who could only helplessly participate!

Strong geniuses, huh?

Then what meaning was there in them fighting to the death?

The stage was built for these four—oh, now there was one more dark horse, but looking at the basic hard strength, the gap was actually not small, let alone for those of them who were struggling bitterly!

The state of mind that had been stirred and changed by Du En seemed to be falling back again.

At this moment, his voice sounded again: "They have all finished speaking, what about you?"

Naturally, everyone's attention was drawn, looking at Du En, and also looking at that Sheng Zhaoshui.

They only saw this slovenly, lazy guy shake his wide, messy Dharma robe and speak lightly: "When you fight me in this round, you will naturally know."

Hm?!

Everyone was shocked.

"What do you mean!?"

Nangong Sheng was instead the first to question, feeling an annoyance as if his opponent had been snatched away.

"Sigh~"

Sheng Zhaoshui merely sighed, appearing helpless as he said, "There's no helping it; it was arranged by the True Monarch above me, and I am merely acting under orders."

The moment he heard these words, Nangong Sheng clamped his mouth shut and said nothing.

Lou Shuyue, who had already pulled up a gorgeous smile, instantly became unapproachable.

Even Jiang Ying, who was still struggling with the railing, subconsciously became cautious in her movements.

Though she was still struggling.

True Monarch Zhuding, True Monarch Huiqing, and True Monarch Buyi—the candidates for victory in whom these three parties truly placed their high hopes were now clearly and unmistakably identified; thus, the remaining Sheng Zhaoshui was naturally the person from True Monarch Chengru's side.

"Senior Martial Brother, you!"

Meng Changqing, who had been listening from the side, suddenly raised his eyes to look behind the jade throne.

True Monarch Chengru, who remained in the shadows despite the light, only chuckled as he spoke: "Junior Martial Brother, do not worry; I will not take his life. I simply wish to invite you, and invite him, to withdraw from this trip to the Dragon Palace."

Why?

Meng Changqing wanted to question him, but he did not truly do so.

Because things had reached this point, and questioning him further would actually only appear futile.

The reason he always spoke of uniting the weak to resist the strong, and why he had previously held his nose to forge an alliance between the latter three, stemmed precisely from the pressure brought by True Monarch Chengru's side.

He would not act unless necessary, but once he did, he was certain to succeed and certain to act!

So, calming down and examining the situation from this sudden development, Meng Changqing realized that since this fellow had intervened in such a way, he must have obtained some key intelligence.

Intelligence regarding the actions of that old immortal!

"So, none of you should have any objections, right?"

True Monarch Chengru asked this, leaving the other four people present with no choice but to nod silently in the end.

No objections, passed by unanimous vote.

Because in this way, he would abide by their mutual agreement and disclose the intelligence in its entirety.

"... Hmm, since that is the case, let us place them in the final match of this round, so that Junior Martial Brother's painstaking efforts will not have been in vain, and let them witness the methods of our sect's geniuses and heroes."

Meng Changqing repeated this to Du En, word for word.

He appeared to be gritting his teeth, yet could not help but feel a sense of helpless sighing and shame.

During this Thousand-Day Grand Competition, Du En had encountered one accident after another; that he could not protect him steadily was a sign of his own incompetence as a leader.

(End of chapter)