Chapter 327: Flowers and Leaves Fall into the Fish Abyss (Ten-Thousand-Character Chapter)

"So, if your magic power is truly as you just described, then I must instead suspect: is your so-called 'fully cultivated' superior method actually fully cultivated? Don't let it be just a hollow facade."

After the rebuttal, Du En retorted with these words, his tone quite biting, while his gaze also observed the other party, seemingly harboring exactly that suspicion.

Because logically speaking, a superior cultivation method cultivated to perfection, combined with a clear superiority in cultivation base, should have provided a crushing, direct advantage over his side.

Yet as things stood, truly engaging in a head-on confrontation with this Sheng Zhaoshui, no such situation had occurred.

The other party appeared to have everything under control, victory already in his grasp, but in reality, it was more like posturing—a hollow facade that failed to display sufficient suppressive power.

Even the geniuses couldn't help but think that this guy had just been boasting!

However, a glance at the other three candidates for the championship revealed that they all had their brows tightly locked, appearing exceptionally grave.

Du En's heart was actually just as grave, yet he continued to speak along the flow: "Of course, it could also be that your method is peculiar; after all, that so-called Linxian Codex was unknown even to the resolution committee, and being specifically labeled as a 'new method,' it is clearly the True Monarch's private stock."

He paused deliberately, as if sensing something, then spoke sharply: "Or perhaps, like that White Bone Daoist who holds only a hollow reputation, you are merely a test subject for a cultivation method."

Hearing this, Sheng Zhaoshui only let out a sigh.

"Why is it now your turn to bait me into attacking, attempting to strike only after the enemy has moved?"

"……Because your provocation just now seemed far too perfunctory, and the actions you took before were also exceptionally careless."

"Haha, is it that obvious? But, you aren't entirely wrong; the Linxian Codex is indeed private stock, an experimental work. Of course, unlike the clumsy failure on Wang Gu's side, this method is a beginning—or rather, a system, the start of a Dharma lineage."

Sheng Zhaoshui appeared quite candid, shrugging directly as he said this, "Anyway, that's what the True Monarch said, so I might as well believe him for now. Besides, I have no choice but to believe, right?"

"Indeed."

Du En nodded and suddenly swung his spear backhanded.

A figure hurriedly shifted aside to dodge; it was none other than Sheng Zhaoshui.

Looking back at the original spot, there was already no one there.

Spatial movement?

Completely without warning, completely without a gap!

The crowd outside the arena was startled, only then noticing this situation.

Amidst the rush to shift their focus, they caught sight of Du En swinging the Phoenix Blood Spear repeatedly, the crimson flowing along the spear body becoming increasingly intense, while Sheng Zhaoshui was always able to dodge at the very last second, appearing here one moment and there the next.

Looking closely, it appeared as if he were frequently using spatial movement without any gaps, but in reality, it was not so; it seemed strange and mysterious, yet one could not make heads or tails of it, leaving only a heart full of strange doubts.

But in the eyes of the three championship candidates, and under Du En's gaze, it was clear that the moment he swung the spear tip, it naturally dragged the other party's body along, causing him to shift and dodge spontaneously, ensuring the Phoenix Blood Spear could never reach him...

Roar!

"Screech!!!!!"

The outer shell of the spear tip suddenly shattered, and the Phoenix Remnant Hatred, long unable to restrain itself, reached out its claws and grabbed fiercely, burning through space and leaving behind a pitch-black hole.

Sheng Zhaoshui's figure vanished—he had truly used spatial movement—and when he reappeared, the hem of his robe was burning incessantly, forcing him to feel pained and tearful as he stripped off this colorful outer robe.

The moment it was shed, it turned directly into fly ash in the sudden fire, while the Remnant Hatred's crimson flames surged like arrows, still attacking toward him, forcing him to actively dodge, only managing to escape after several attempts.

Before he could even catch his breath, Du En had already pursued him using spatial movement.

The Phoenix Blood Spear, as if cast from hateful fire, carried flames that burned through spatial phenomena and sought to destroy everything; it followed closely, breaking through the air, and swung down at his head with fierce, urgent momentum!

Sheng Zhaoshui had no choice but to raise his hand and press against the spear tip.

The Phoenix Remnant Hatred's crimson flames vanished in an instant!

Thus, Du En calmly assessed the situation and deployed spatial movement, one after another without pause, urgently retreating; there was no sign of a grave, hard-to-heal injury, only a steady spirit and a firm body could allow for such maneuvers.

But thinking of Meng Changqing, who would surely spend a fortune to treat his injuries, it was within reason and acceptable; at most, it only made the watching geniuses curse him under their breath for being insidious and thick-skinned.

Sheng Zhaoshui followed closely behind, never being left behind; the two had already crossed a distance of over a thousand miles in the blink of an eye and were still continuing to move, the intervals between each move being extremely short!

"And you still say you are at the early Nascent Soul stage, with your cultivation method integrated and your injuries grave and hard to heal?"

Sheng Zhaoshui still had energy to spare and couldn't help but say this.

Du En did not answer, only swinging his spear.

The Phoenix Remnant Hatred's crimson flames surged out again, only to be grabbed and extinguished once more.

"A divine ability?"

He stated the root of this guy's previous series of actions, deliberately adding a hint of doubt.

The crowd outside the arena was stunned for a moment, then suddenly enlightened.

The three championship candidates did not feel relieved; they only tightened their minds in secret, clearly feeling a surging pressure.

"That's right, it is a divine ability. Under normal circumstances, one only has a tiny possibility of comprehending a branch of Dao through fortuitous coincidence after reaching the Deity Transformation stage."

Sheng Zhaoshui did not refute, agreeing, and opened his hand; his palm was charred black and very painful, "To contend with Dao, one must use the same Dao. Phoenix Remnant Hatred is currently rooted in the Dao of Nirvana; although limited by the external carrier port, as expected, I can at most forcibly interrupt it a few times—there is still a clear gap."

This was only natural; rather, the fact that he could do this at all meant that the divine ability he had mastered was quite extraordinary and deep.

Du En asked directly: "What is this divine ability?"

Sheng Zhaoshui did not mind explaining: "I call it, 'Flowers and Leaves Never Meet'."

The two maintained their spatial movement, having already moved several thousand miles by now, rapidly approaching the scale of ten thousand miles.

At the same time, under such circumstances, they were still able to maintain the action of swinging the spear and extinguishing the fire.

Du En was still swinging the spear, whether pecking, thrusting, or sweeping.

Sheng Zhaoshui, despite doing nothing extra, was always able to reach out his hand in front of the spear tip just in time to block the attack, ensuring the Phoenix's Remnant Hatred could never truly burn him.

He even had the energy to ramble on with an explanation: "The Other Shore Flower, have you heard of it?"

"It is a truly desolate and beautiful flower that captures the heart, and also a flower that blooms in the underworld, filling one with fear."

"Legend says that when its flower has not yet bloomed, the leaves are still present, but when its flower blooms, the leaves have already withered. Thus, throughout its life, the flower never sees the leaves, and the leaves never see the flower; flowers and leaves never meet."

"Buddhist scriptures also say: 'Affection is not the cause, fate determines life and death'."

"This is my divine ability."

Simply put, it is a causal-type divine ability.

When an "external object" strikes, it can be regarded as the leaf, or it can be regarded as the flower, and Sheng Zhaoshui is the opposite side; the two will never meet, and thus, they will never touch.

Therefore, while he seemingly remained in place, in reality, he was not; at that moment, in that instant, he was in a mysterious state belonging to the separation of cause and effect.

It could be called standing in an invincible position!

The other three candidates for the championship could not, for a time, think of how they could break it!

And if one cannot hit him, how can one win?

And this, I fear, is only the most superficial and simple manifestation!

Judging by the depth of Sheng Zhaoshui's mastery, it must be at least at the level of minor accomplishment, which is why he could forcibly extinguish and contain the outflow of the Phoenix's Lingering Grudge.

This is a clear distinction between life and death, with cause and effect already destined.

But after all, the difference in quality between them was still too great, and the Phoenix's Lingering Grudge is the type that becomes even more frantic the more it is blocked, so gradually, the Phoenix Blood Spear in Du En's hand began to lose its shape; it no longer looked like a spear, but more like a vertical flame.

Wielding it was, in fact, wielding a divine ability, wielding the Dao.

It is also because of this that he is likewise regarded as standing in an invincible position!

Because for a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, normally speaking, there is simply no effective means to counter a divine ability, unless one is able to master divine abilities, Dao techniques, or secret arts in advance!

Therefore, the three championship candidates were all silent at this moment, and by unspoken agreement, they actually felt a sense of relief.

They actually had not mastered such means; by comparison, they were merely ordinary, strong geniuses!

Thus, they felt relief.

It is fortunate that these two, who have mastered divine abilities in different forms and can be called true championship candidates, collided in such a strong-versus-strong clash before the top twenty finals; otherwise, when they truly faced them, without any preparation, they would very likely have lost the match in just a few exchanges.

Du En's side is better; not only does he have shortcomings in his raw strength, but the Phoenix Blood Spear had already been revealed, so they had already made their own considerations regarding it. Although they did not know if it would work, at least they had the confidence and grasp to fight, and would not be instantly defeated due to a sudden encounter.

Looking at this point, the actions of True Monarch Chengru are truly capable of influencing the direction of victory or defeat!

Perhaps it is also because of this, because of the Phoenix Blood Spear, that True Monarch Chengru decided to interrupt Du En's advancement!

So, this Sheng Zhaoshui, he...

"To think that even a divine ability cannot take you down, there really is no other way; it seems I can only use my final resort!"

While the thoughts of those outside the arena were still running, Sheng Zhaoshui suddenly stopped following closely and instead violently pulled away in the opposite direction.

One of his hands was charred to charcoal, but he waved it along the way, and the charcoal shell disintegrated, restoring it as it was before.

It made people's eyelids twitch.

This fellow is also a sinister character; he was clearly able to withstand more, yet he put on a show there, just wanting to make people misjudge and act impulsively, so that he could counterattack and secure the victory!

Looking at Du En's side again, he did not close the distance, but first contained the Phoenix Blood Spear, making it cool down in the blink of an eye, appearing quite at ease with his control, and his tolerance was also higher than expected.

Well, these two are clearly evenly matched, both fellows full of bad intentions!

The crowd outside the arena watched with twitching eyes, and were even more glad that these two fellows had clashed head-on early.

"The words you just said, were they directed at True Monarch Chengru?"

"Since you heard it, there's no need to say it directly!"

Sheng Zhaoshui did not refute, and the implication was very clear.

He actually had no drive, appearing lazy overall, so after bringing out his divine ability and seeing that he still could not quickly take down Du En, he felt he had done enough to fulfill his duty; next, he would simply take out his final killing move, and no one would say anything extra.

After all, I have even brought out a divine ability, and if I still cannot take down Du En, his strength is extraordinary, so I can only use my final killing move!

Laziness with a clear conscience!

He just wanted to end this duel as quickly as possible; it is estimated that when the next round opens, he will lie directly on the ground, saying something about being injured from fighting Du En, that the consumption was too great, that he really cannot hold on, and then concede the match on the spot to get away!

Unaccountably, everyone had this strange perception and imagination.

Then, on one hand, they were shocked by his confidence, or even arrogance, because he clearly felt that his next move would far surpass his divine ability, so how could they not be shocked?

On the other hand, this kind of extravagant unreliability really left one not knowing what to say.

High talent, strong comprehension, sufficient strength—can one really do whatever one wants?

It seems so!

They thought, and could not help but fall silent.

Du En also just watched the other party, not making any meaningless interruption movements.

It looked like that, but in reality, he was brewing, waiting for an opportunity to act.

"Then... are you ready?"

As Sheng Zhaoshui said this, his tone and manner changed abruptly, becoming very cold.

Cold!

Chillingly cold!

Piercingly cold and chilling!

The sudden chill spread directly, and even those outside the arena could feel it tangibly, unable to help but shiver, all trembling in unison.

What is going on?

They were confused for a moment, and then, together with the unable-to-resist Du En, they saw Sheng Zhaoshui wear a cold, sharp smile, and with himself as the center point, a pitch-black color suddenly expanded and spread rapidly outward.

Gulp~

There was simply no room for anyone to dodge or escape; in the blink of an eye, they sank into deep water.

The pitch-black, eerie water body had shimmering light overhead and a deep abyss beneath the feet; it seemed boundless in all directions, at least Du En's divine sense could not detect an edge, and the silence and chill permeated through his body and magic power, covering his soul and Nascent Soul.

At this very moment, Sheng Zhaoshui finally displayed this direct advantage in cultivation technique!

Du En was too late to stop it from taking shape, and now he could not avoid being submerged, so he could only sink deeper and deeper.

"Yellow-grade Dao technique, Abyss of the Sinking Fish."

Sheng Zhaoshui and Du En fell together into this deep, eerie abyss, going ever downward, getting further and further away from the shimmering light overhead, and the voice he emitted sounded like damp, penetrating cold.

The crowd outside the arena shivered once more.

Then they were stunned.

A Dao technique?

Isn't it said that spells of that kind, which differ from fourth-tier arts and stand above them, can only be learned and mastered by great cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage?

You were actually able to learn it ahead of time, and furthermore, it's not just that you've barely learned it—you must have at least reached the level of mastery and integration?

They only felt a sense of profound absurdity!

Although this had been the case since the divine abilities appeared, at least there were fortuitous encounters like sudden enlightenment from which one could obtain them, which could serve as a cover or excuse to soothe their hearts; yet Daoist arts require solid, real-world study and mastery, and there is simply no shortcut to take!

Even the three candidates for the championship were staring fixedly at the arena at this moment, looking into the empty small world, looking at that puddle of cold water that had quietly appeared, and only by looking through the observation ports specially opened by the True Monarchs could they see the boundless deep water inside and the two people falling into the cold gloom.

"Rather than standing by the abyss and envying the fish, it is better to fall into it together."

"So, you must absolutely not be naive and think that this is just the lowest-level Daoist art."

Sheng Zhaoshui looked at Du En, who had already put away the Phoenix Blood Spear in front, his gaze returning to its previous listlessness, as if the cold and sharp intensity that had appeared for an instant was merely a hallucinatory illusion.

He appeared somewhat helpless, because the person opposite remained calm, without impulse, like still water; inexplicably, it seemed exceptionally fitting for this cold and dead Sink-Fish Abyss.

It was just not cold enough, and not profound enough.

So, the difference is actually still quite large.

"Now, your magic power and mine have both turned into the water in this abyss, constantly flowing out, constantly maintaining, constantly increasing, and constantly increasing the pressure, making it deeper and deeper, with the pressure growing stronger and stronger."

"At the same time, our cultivation bases are now bound together, mutually adding weight, turning into sinking stones, falling to the bottom of the abyss together."

"In other words, if you can quickly understand this, that would be for the best; that way, we can peacefully reach the conclusion without me having to expend any extra effort."

Just as Sheng Zhaoshui's words suggested, at this very moment, the magic power and cultivation of the two were jointly constructing this Sink-Fish Abyss, consuming constantly, consuming equally.

As soon as Du En sank in, he perceived this, and he also realized that the person opposite no longer intended to use divine abilities to dodge, no longer intended to use spatial movement to avoid, and would not even make any obstructions; the attacks he launched would be fully effective.

Only, under the current circumstances, I fear that even the wounds would be shared equally.

And in order to recover from injuries, one would need to increase the consumption of magic power.

If one heals oneself, the person opposite will also be healed along with it.

Sink-Fish Abyss, Sink-Fish Abyss, the only thing that actually sinks is one fish!

What a disgusting Daoist art!

Therefore, he chose to put away the Phoenix Blood Spear, because at this time, ordinary offensive means that cannot exceed the boundary are meaningless.

Sheng Zhaoshui did not seem to intend to launch an attack either, letting their magic power be consumed quickly.

It was not that he couldn't do it, but that he was too lazy to do it.

No motivation.

In short, that is the reason.

Leaving the crowd outside the arena silent and speechless.

He would rather use this kind of Daoist art to wear down an opponent like Du En, who has an endless, continuous flow of magic power, than to display other means to accelerate the end of the duel.

One could perceive a sense of ease from this, and in fact, it was indeed ease.

But Du En would not pin his hopes on others, so at this moment, he made a move.

Using his life-bound magical treasure.

Thousand Changes, Transformation, Eternal Frozen Coffin.

Obtained from a transformation form of the life-bound magical treasure of Tang Mingshuang, the third disciple of the great cultivator Yun Yi, thereby allowing him to take a shortcut and reproduce the power of a secret technique on the same level as a Daoist art!

Crack, crack, crack~

A faint light rippled in the water, and then a teeth-gritting sound rang out; an ice layer covered over, and an eternally frozen coffin appeared in this deep water, accelerating Du En's descent and isolating him from external interference.

"Hey, hey, hey, you can even manifest a secret technique hidden inside a magical treasure?"

Sheng Zhaoshui had an exaggerated look of complete surprise, but seeing that he also accelerated his sinking speed, it was clear that he had already considered it; relying on this Eternal Frozen Coffin, it was simply impossible to exempt oneself from or block the influence of the Sink-Fish Abyss.

However, Du En was not disappointed, because he was only using it as a turtle shell, not thinking of breaking the situation with it.

Then, in the even more stunned gazes of everyone, he chose to close his eyes, as if sleeping in the ice coffin; in reality, however, he began to circulate his energy to cultivate.

The yellow earth, the clear green sky, the towering trees, lush and dripping with green, branches swaying gently; before one knew it, even under the trees, green grass had grown, vigorous and ceaseless, spreading everywhere toward the yellow earth.

As long as this yellow is completely covered, the green will be completely above the yellow, which is the perfection of the Green-Yellow Canon, or rather, Du En's perfection in the Green-Yellow Canon.

The phenomenon reflected in the mind, not actually existing in reality.

Sheng Zhaoshui came back to his senses, his brows involuntarily raised: "It really is unique, an unexpected visualization phenomenon. The normal Green-Yellow Canon is not this clear and distinct, truthfully contrasting the circumstances of the earth and wood elements, but this ceaseless, sky-supporting green wood and earth-covering vigorous grass reflect the virtual and the real, possessing their own mysteries; it is truly extraordinary..."

He was deeply moved by this, and the onlookers had similar thoughts; especially the geniuses who practiced earth and wood element arts were even moved by this, but when they tried to capture it carefully, it was just a castle in the air, impossible to grasp.

Then, they heard that concluding remark.

"And you said your cultivation method was only at the level of mastery and integration!"

A single sentence broke the furrowed-brow contemplation of the geniuses and elites watching outside.

It made people laugh and cry, yet they had to admit that this guy who hid his true strength was indeed right.

Although Du En's visualization phenomenon was unexpected, one could generally judge the level from the details.

He was clearly only one step away from having that vigorous grass cover the earth, completely realizing yellow bones with green skin, yellow beneath green, earth behind wood, and bringing the Green-Yellow Canon to his own state of perfection!

And yet, listen to what he said before?

Nascent Soul early stage, cultivation method at the level of mastery... If you want to deceive people, then put on a good act now!

After the emotional fluctuations, they returned to their senses one by one.

Lou Shuyue blinked her beautiful eyes and asked softly: "So, what is the situation now?"

The Sink-Fish Abyss continued, consuming the magic power of both, Du En simply sealed himself up to cultivate, Sheng Zhaoshui was too lazy to act, and they actually just tacitly wore each other down like this!

What happened to the "dog-eat-dog" fight we were promised?

"Perhaps Du En is trying to use his nascent 'ceaseless life' to drag out the time and exhaust the maintenance limit of that guy Sheng Zhaoshui?"

Nangong Sheng could only judge it this way, yet he vaguely shook his head, because in his view, this approach of Du En's was too passive and inactive.

"Can he really do it?"

Jiang Ying asked back with a somewhat dazed and cute expression.

Even she could tell that Sheng Zhaoshui had plenty of energy left; although casting Daoist arts indeed required paying a cost for maintenance, relying on such a method to win was, if anything, underestimating the opponent too much.

"No, it's most likely impossible. I even feel that Senior Brother Sheng can incorporate the consumption of maintaining the Daoist art into the shared consumption, making it fundamentally impossible to break the situation through this avenue."

Lou Shuoyue said this, attempting to get an answer from the person involved.

It was just that Sheng Zhaoshui was currently submerged in the water, perhaps due to the obstruction of the Daoist art, and did not hear, so he did not answer.

"Oh, so you mean that if Du En cultivates to recover now, it will instead prolong the duration of that Daoist art, the Water Abyss?"

It is not some Daoist art Water Abyss!

Someone couldn't help but want to argue this, but seeing Jiang Ying's self-assured and decisive manner, they knew she definitely wouldn't listen; if you argued with her, she might even get furious and directly apply her little pink fists.

So no one refuted this openly.

At the same time, the situation she described was also visible to the naked eye.

So, are they really going to let them drag it out like this?

"What a lazy fellow, there's nothing to be done about him!"

In the Zhengshu Main Hall, True Monarch Chengru chuckled as he expressed his thoughts.

His meaning was very clear: let them drag it out, it doesn't matter.

"How did Senior Brother's people learn such lazy methods?"

True Monarch Buyi said with dissatisfaction.

At the same time, True Monarch Huiqing frowned slightly, feeling deep wariness, and also harbored a desire to kill Sheng Zhaoshui.

After all, the threat he displayed was clearly a cut above Du En's, and now he had even forced him to seal his own cultivation and attempt to wait for a change by dragging things out.

Perhaps he wanted to time it just right, relying on a breakthrough in his cultivation method to snatch victory in the duel.

Therefore, he could not be allowed to have his way.

Thus, she continued: "These two are hogging the duel arena; how are the subsequent duels to proceed, and how is the ranking to be determined? This is clearly a violation of the rules!"

As long as she brought up the violation and established this tone, then True Monarch Buyi, who was already dissatisfied and upheld the rules of the Grand Competition, would be able to cast his vote for her.

However.

"The rules set by Master don't necessarily have to be strictly adhered to; let them continue their duel as normal, and let the others continue their duels as normal—both sides can proceed together."

True Monarch Chengru spoke up like this before True Monarch Buyi could officially state his position, then waved his hand through the air, "As for the duel arena, I will just conjure another one."

As his words fell, at the duel arena, the crowd's white iron floating pillars began to move aside, and then, under the eyes of everyone, space-time collapsed, followed by the surging of earth, fire, wind, and water; the Five Elements were fixed, the Yin and Yang were distinct, and a new small-world duel arena was generated in the blink of an eye, set up right next to the original one.

The changes regarding the subsequent duels were simultaneously reflected in the hearts of the participants.

In the seventh round, one person would have a bye and wait temporarily, while the others would continue their duels as normal; if Du En and Sheng Zhaoshui had not decided a winner by the end of the seventh round, then the normal duels would continue, and the champion would ultimately be determined.

As for the winner between them, it would naturally fall to the very end, that twentieth place.

"As the saying goes, if you want a horse to run, you have to give it grass, so, True Monarch, could you give me a little bit of fodder to comfort and enrich this time spent sinking to the bottom?"

Sheng Zhaoshui spoke up immediately, and the crowd, who had just learned the situation and finally regained their senses, could not help but look at each other in dismay.

You are truly lazy!

His desire to just muddle through was truly known to everyone!

He immediately drew the dissatisfied gazes of three championship candidates, feeling that he had been severely looked down upon and treated as nothing!

"Senior Brother Sheng, one thing is one thing, but you shouldn't say it out loud, don't you agree?"

"Hmph! Putting on an act, sneaky and devious, lazy beyond measure; wait until I win the championship, then I will come to fight you—don't think about running!"

"Exactly, exactly! Only one can survive, and only one can reach the top!"

Heh! That is only if you can find me when the time comes!

Sheng Zhaoshui had already made up his mind: win and run, hide far away.

"You, you are just too lazy. Since the junior brother and junior sister have invited you to a fight, then you should give them some pointers when the time comes."

"Hm? No! You can't do this!"

True Monarch Chengru did not pay attention to his struggle, but simply opened a view for him within the Water Abyss that could see the scene in the neighboring small world, then looked at his own junior brothers and sisters.

"How about it?"

You have already acted first and reported later; isn't it a bit too late to ask now?

Truly becoming more and more like that old immortal!

Once I get rid of the old immortal, you are next!

The four of them thought somewhat in unison; at this moment, no one spoke, which counted as both tacit consent and opposition.

"One to zero, it's been a long time since we've had a voting pattern like this."

True Monarch Chengru chuckled, unconcerned.

The Zhengshu Main Hall fell into silence.

The Thousand-Day Grand Competition continued in full swing.

Under the tense observation of Ying Dongqing and the other three, Du En remained self-sealed and continued to cultivate; his Dharma power flowed out continuously, consuming and transforming into a part of the deep water, making it increasingly bottomless and adding more pressure, while the ice coffin seemed to be faintly creaking and groaning.

This day passed just like that; the two of them kept sinking, and now the bottom was still far from being seen.

The others did not disperse; everyone continued to watch, not wanting to miss the changes that might occur next, nor the moment of victory.

Then, in the middle of the night, Du En ended his cultivation for the day.

Without the influx of spiritual energy from the outside world, there was naturally no change in the accumulation of his cultivation base, but he was not working in vain, because his "Endless Life" had already reached a certain scale, and circulating his energy could also promote it slightly, making the overall consumption of Dharma power appear much slower.

Furthermore, the number of times his cultivation method proficiency increased also accumulated.

This was thanks to the "Green-Yellow Dharma Canon" having reached this level, which could already be considered moving from the concrete to the abstract; even if it were idling, one could still perceive changes within it and accumulate proficiency.

"And, it's like having an external brain..."

He thought this, slightly opening his eyes to look at Sheng Zhaoshui, who was bored to death on the opposite side and had simply fallen asleep in the water, completely unaffected by the changes in water pressure, either cheating with a Daoist art or possessing some kind of formidable spiritual body.

Their cultivation bases were connected, merging and intensifying, falling into the abyss together.

In other words, Du En currently has such a cheat installed on him, allowing him to borrow the attainments and cultivation of the other party.

The actual result is that the number of times he practices his technique per day has soared to two hundred and fifty, and at the same time, practicing nine and a half times is enough to accumulate one point of proficiency!

"It's a pity, this Dao technique is clearly also private goods of the True Monarch, and it also requires the Linxian Codex to have this kind of effect."

Otherwise, if one were to pull Meng Changqing, or other True Monarchs or True Immortals, in to soak in the water together, the accumulation speed of that proficiency would surely skyrocket.

Outsiders don't know Du En's thoughts; seeing him "secretly" open his eyes late at night, they think he is trying to take advantage of his opponent's carelessness while sleeping to give them a heavy blow!

To actually fall asleep, it's simply not taking you seriously at all!

If not acting now, when?

If not practicing now, when?

So Du En closed his eyes again, and the crowd watching closely felt as if they had been played.

But even so, no one looked away.

The morning of the second day arrived.

The seventh round of the Grand Competition arrived as scheduled and unfolded as usual.

Just as people's attention shifted slightly, Du En and Sheng Zhaoshui opened their eyes at the same time, shifting their gazes toward the shimmering light of the adjacent arena.

You two guys, really! Really...

After catching a glimpse, the crowd couldn't help but be stunned, various emotions emerging, and for a moment they couldn't find suitable words to express them.

In short, there were two extra spectators watching the show to pass the time.

The contestants for the first match of the seventh round were two ordinary geniuses at the Nascent Soul Perfection stage, and as they stared at each other, they looked quite strange and very uncomfortable.

After all, there were two different gazes upon them invisibly.

But one thing is one thing, the duel still had to be fought.

They began to make their moves.

One could only see one of them waving their hand to release a pile of spirit insects; they were actually a relatively rare Insect Breeder, having not revealed it before, clearly wanting to save it for this moment.

And their opponent, with handsome eyebrows and starry eyes, gave a bright smile, very warm, and with a wave of their hand, a large wolf-hair brush appeared in their hand, using magic power as ink to paint in mid-air, presenting a rugged landscape.

In the blink of an eye, they trapped their opponent in this ink-wash landscape!

"It's actually a Painting Cultivator, this is a rare sight!"

Sheng Zhaoshui clicked his tongue in wonder, as if he really hadn't expected it, but considering his notorious reputation, the authenticity of this point is worth doubting.

However, Painting Cultivators are indeed rare; to be precise, the craft of being a painter is currently a very niche one, as everyone is busy fighting for hegemony and struggling to survive, and no one has such leisure and elegance.

And their opponent, as an Insect Breeder, was a bit better, but still considered rare; now that the two met, it was a niche against a rarity, just like a needle against a whetstone, and a heated battle immediately erupted.

After a fierce battle.

The Painting Cultivator was a cut above, sacrificing their Natal Artifact, the Thousand-Mile River and Mountain Map, to directly trap the opponent's Natal Spirit Insect, the Six-Gold Wind Centipede.

That Six-Gold Wind Centipede is actually quite extraordinary; according to the explanation of a certain idler, it requires one thousand catties each of six types of spirit metals—gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, and aluminum—and also needs to be supplemented with the exotic material known as Wind Vortex Essence to be cultivated and advanced.

By now it is already at the Fourth Rank Perfection, and the top-grade spirit stones burned in the process total at least nearly two hundred thousand!

Naturally, its combat power is exceptionally extraordinary; its body gathers the characteristics of the six metals, compensating for the flaws of each, making it truly powerful, and it also has the speed of wind, being extremely swift, and can control both metal and wind.

Most crucially, there is the secret technique of human-insect unity, which allows the seemingly frail cultivator-insect breeder to gain the strength of the spirit insect, and there is also a significant boost.

But the result was still being suppressed by the heavy Thousand-Mile River and Mountain; the warm-jade-like male cultivator, handsome and dashing, showed no mercy in destroying the flower, directly wearing a smile as he beat his opponent into a cripple, the spirit insect dead and the Nascent Soul shattered, leaving only a single breath hanging.

It can only be said that it was no surprise, and no one was astonished.

After all, who among those who can reach this step is not ruthless?

The Falling Feather Immortal Sect is not some righteous sect!

"Sigh! What a pity, that junior sister was so delicate, yet ended up like this; I don't know if she can be saved later!"

Sheng Zhaoshui is quite good at cherishing the fairer sex, and couldn't help but sigh like this.

Then, no one answered.

Du En withdrew his gaze, closed his eyes again, and continued to practice.

Sheng Zhaoshui, having asked for a snub, could only shut his mouth resentfully.

On the other side, the Painting Cultivator who won this match, after leaving the small world arena, subconsciously looked at the adjacent arena, wanting to see how the battle situation there was developing.

After all, if they decided the winner in this round, they could still participate in the subsequent duels, and in the next round, they might run into them, so of course, they had to pay attention.

After the others sighed, they did the same.

Thus, in the following time, a strange scene began to appear.

On one side, they were fighting to the death, one after another, with various Poison Cultivators, Puppet Masters, and Talisman Cultivators taking the stage to duel, and after a round of slaughter, everyone, whether they were the parties involved or the onlookers, would first feel various emotions, and then, in the second instance, turn their heads to look at the next door, wanting to see if the battle there was finished.

Especially the three candidates for the championship, who were paying close attention, invisibly stirring up the atmosphere and aggravating this situation.

Then.

Then the seventh round ended, and Lou Shuyue, who was ranked last, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

She was that lucky one, and also that unlucky one.

If Du En had decided the winner here, she would have needed to duel the winner at such a moment; although she had the confidence to defeat a fatigued enemy after consumption, it was very clear that even if she could win in the end, she would suffer heavy damage.

And by the seventh round, only ten days remained.

By the time the eighth round arrived, there were only the top eight left, with only four duels.

In these few short days, unless the Huiqing True Monarch above could spend as much as Meng Changqing, she would have no hope of recovering to her original state, and would be easily dealt with by an opponent waiting at ease!

While she was secretly relieved, the duels of the eighth round unfolded alternately.

The first to appear was still that Painting Cultivator.

He looked at his opponent with only a bitter smile.

Jiang Ying!

In the previous round of duels, her opponent was very straightforward, crippling himself and fleeing as soon as he entered the arena, which was better than being beaten into a real cripple, which is exactly what makes her look particularly unhappy right now.

"You aren't going to pull the same trick, are you?"

She asked indignantly, looking very cute, though her little pink fists could hardly be restrained; if there was any sign of the opponent surrendering, she would shatter space itself to charge right in front of him.

What is the best way to stop an opponent from self-mutilation?

Help them become crippled, so they cannot mutilate themselves!

The painting cultivator gave a bitter smile, yet his expression remained resolute; with no way to retreat, he only said, "Naturally not, I ask Senior Sister Jiang to instruct me!"

"That's easy to say, come at me!"

Jiang Ying was suddenly in high spirits, her laughter sounding like silver bells.

The opponent did not hesitate, bringing out the Thousand Li Rivers and Mountains Map once more to trap her inside, intending to repeat his old trick and suppress her heavily.

Then, he turned red in the face, losing all composure, unleashing all his magic power, his Nascent Soul exerting itself frantically, but...

"Is that it?"

Jiang Ying held up the Thousand Li Rivers and Mountains with both hands, feeling somewhat disappointed, then roused her divine strength, moving while carrying the mountains, stepping through the void, shattering space with every step, and amidst the head-shaking sighs of Sheng Zhao and the others, she charged right in front of her opponent.

"Back to you!"

As the three words fell, the Thousand Li Rivers and Mountains became completely uncontrollable, crashing directly back onto its master.

Watching that scene, one felt as if they were experiencing it themselves, making it unbearable to look at.

(End of chapter)