Chapter 173: Number One on the Battle Stele, It's Time for a Change

For a Cultivator, time passes very quickly.

Often, just a single session of Alchemy or a simple resolution to a difficult problem is enough for a day or two to slip away unnoticed.

In the blink of an eye.

Three months had already passed since Tu Youyou and Long Aoyu completely broke ties.

During these three months, Wang Jianqiang continued to practice Alchemy, accept tasks, and occasionally solve problems for Yang Wanxin; his life was a simple routine, plain yet not dull.

On this day.

A group of nine people entered the North City District.

After more than half a year of preparation, Long Aoyu's trump card was finally ready.

With this trump card, he was confident he could defeat anyone, provided he did not encounter a Cultivator above the Nascent Soul Stage.

Not to mention whether that Wang Jianqiang was truly as perfect as Daoist Friend Lin had described.

Even if he were...

Relying on this trump card, he had absolute confidence in crushing him.

Above a stretch of wasteland.

Nine figures flew past at high speed.

Long Aoyu flew at the very front of the group, one hand behind his back, his expression arrogant.

Among them, the weakest cultivation base had reached the Golden Core Late Stage, and including Long Aoyu, there were as many as five Golden Core Perfection Cultivators.

A formidable aura emanated from every one of them.

Those Cultivators who had long been lurking on the edges of the North City District to "scavenge for scraps" sensed the ferocity of this group and retreated one after another.

However, Long Aoyu did not intend to let them go.

He had come to the North City District specifically for battle.

He locked his gaze on one person and pointed a finger.

A blood-colored Flying Sword shot out, instantly piercing that person's heart.

The moment it pierced the body, a strange suction force surged from the blood-colored Flying Sword, instantly devouring all of their blood and vitality.

By the time the Flying Sword passed through, that unlucky Cultivator had already turned into a dried corpse.

Long Aoyu's expression was cold; he did not even glance at the dried corpse, his finger sliding through the air.

The blood-colored Flying Sword, like a soul-reaping blade, pursued the fleeing Cultivators one after another, leaving behind a trail of dried corpses.

A moment later.

Everything settled down.

Long Aoyu hooked his finger, and the blood-colored Flying Sword shot back, flashing with blood-red light before merging into his body.

"Let's go, to the place where the Battle Stele is located."

Long Aoyu beckoned with his hand and was the first to fly off.

The eight people behind him immediately followed.

A corner of the North City District.

In the center of the wide Square.

A tall Stone Stele displayed one hundred names gathered in Spirit Light.

At a certain moment.

The name "Bai Wuqing," ranked in the third row, along with the many names listed below it, suddenly all dropped down by one position.

A new name appeared in the vacated third-row position.

There were quite a few Cultivators in the Square.

Soon, someone noticed this change.

"Look quickly, someone has replaced Bai Wuqing and become third on the Battle Stele!"

Following an exclamation.

Many gazes turned toward the Battle Stele.

Long Aoyu!

A new name had actually appeared on the Battle Stele, and it was ranked third!

Immediately, bursts of surprised discussion arose.

At the edge of the Square.

Nancheng Kong was leaning against a white jade pillar, bored.

After receiving the order from Wang Jianqiang.

He, Bai Wuqing, and four others had agreed to take turns guarding the Battle Stele Plaza.

Today was his day on duty.

Hearing the discussions coming from the Square, he immediately looked at the Battle Stele.

"Long Aoyu!"

Upon seeing this name, his expression tightened.

First, he sent a message to Wang Jianqiang.

Afterward, he immediately sent messages to Bai Wuqing and the others.

"The target has appeared in the North City District, assemble immediately!"

South City District.

Inside the Small Space.

Wang Jianqiang was practicing Alchemy on the third floor.

A system notification sound suddenly rang out in his mind.

"Ding, Mo Wuming's Good and Evil Value has increased. Current Good and Evil Value: 98."

Wang Jianqiang's eyes lit up.

The higher the Good and Evil Value, the harder it is to increase.

Mo Wuming's Good and Evil Value had been stuck at 95 points for a long time without moving.

To think it had suddenly increased now.

Could it be...?

Just as a guess flashed through Wang Jianqiang's mind, the Sound Transmission Talisman at his waist suddenly lit up.

His expression shifted, and he swept his Spirit Sense over the Sound Transmission Talisman.

A familiar voice entered his mind.

"Thanks to the help of Daoist Friend Wang's Pill, Mo has successfully broken through to Golden Core Stage Perfection."

As expected.

Wang Jianqiang said to himself, his inner guess confirmed.

Just then, Mo Wuming sent another message, "Mo intends to head to the Heaven-Reaching Tower immediately to reclaim the first place on the Shenfeng Ranking."

"This trip will surely be a success; I will not let Daoist Friend Wang down."

Just as Wang Jianqiang was preparing to continue sending a message to Mo Wuming, the Sound Transmission Talisman lit up again.

He had assumed it was still Mo Wuming.

He did not expect the voice of Nancheng Kong to ring out in his mind instead.

"Long Aoyu and the others have entered the North City District."

Wang Jianqiang raised an eyebrow.

Finally unable to resist making a move?

A cold glint flashed across his face as he sent a message back to Nancheng Kong, "Once they appear, just strike directly."

Afterward, with a shift of his Spirit Sense, he sent another message to Mo Wuming, "There is no rush to storm the Heaven-Reaching Tower; Wang has a matter here that requires Daoist Friend Mo's help."

Less than two breaths after the message was sent, a brief reply came back.

"Understood."

Without asking what it was for, the agreement was crisp and decisive.

Wang Jianqiang smiled.

He then informed him of the operation to kill Long Aoyu and the others.

After communicating the details of the operation with Mo Wuming, he put away the Sound Transmission Talisman, stopped thinking about the matter, and continued practicing Alchemy with undivided attention.

He was no longer a lone wolf now; there was no need to do everything himself.

The Taixuan Dao Body possessed by Mo Wuming was a Superior Spiritual Body; after breaking through to Golden Core Stage Perfection, he had few rivals among his peers.

With the double guarantee of him and Bai Wuqing.

In that North City District, Long Aoyu would certainly enter but never leave.

North City District.

Long Aoyu and the others flew all the way toward the Battle Stele Plaza.

Along the way, every Cultivator they encountered, regardless of good or evil, was killed by him.

Soon, a tall Stone Stele appeared in the sight of the nine people.

"That is where the Battle Stele is located."

Long Aoyu's expression shifted, and he led the group to dive toward the Battle Stele Plaza.

A moment later.

The nine people appeared in mid-air above the Square.

Long Aoyu was at the head of the eight, his gaze sweeping down over the people below before looking toward the Battle Stele.

The eight people behind him also looked over at the same time.

The next moment.

Including Long Aoyu, all nine were stunned.

Following that, the eight people behind Long Aoyu all let out exclamations of surprise, "To think it only ranked third!"

Long Aoyu did not speak, merely furrowing his brows, before his expression returned to normal.

Although the Battle Stele could sense all battles occurring within the entire North City District.

It could only sense the strength of the attack and defense power displayed by Cultivators during combat, using the comprehensive offensive and defensive might to rank the Cultivators.

Simply put, it only calculated offensive and defensive values without considering actual execution.

When Cultivators fight.

Offensive and defensive power are certainly important, but when power levels are similar, on-the-spot performance is what matters most.

Therefore, the ranking sensed by the Battle Stele... was not necessarily accurate.

Although he had displayed his strongest attack power when he first entered the North City District, he had not revealed his defensive capabilities, nor had he used that trump card.

He believed his actual combat experience was no weaker than anyone else's, and as for the values...

After using that trump card, he was confident he could look down upon any Cultivator below the Nascent Soul Stage!

Thinking of this, he lowered his head to look down at the people in the Square, and a powerful aura was released without restraint.

Immediately following, an arrogant and overbearing voice rang out.

"Whoever has Wang Jianqiang's contact method, notify him at once."

"I, Long, am waiting for him here."

"This seat of first place on the Battle Stele should change hands."