Chapter 219: Fight! Fight! Fight! (6k)

Hearing Zhou Qing's question, Second Uncle slowly opened his eyes, looking as if he were still savoring the moment.

"I haven't really looked into that. To the east of the Sacred Martial Dynasty, there is contact with a Level 4 cultivation nation called Jiuli."

"And this cultivation nation is in contact with four other cultivation nations; one of them seems to border a Level 5 cultivation nation."

He rubbed his chin, struggling to recall, "That Level 5 cultivation nation seems to be called... let me think. Right, the Heavenly Fortune Sacred Dynasty. That seems to be the name. Anyway, it's too far away; I've never been there."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing's eyes lit up.

"Heavenly Fortune Sacred Dynasty? It seems Number Six must be from that cultivation nation!"

Not long after the Four Flowers Gathering at the Top, Number Six had mentioned this matter within the Divine Ruins Heavenly Palace, but Number Four and Number Five simply didn't believe her.

After all, the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top was already extremely rare, let alone the Four Flowers Gathering at the Top, which they had never even heard of.

Moreover, there were several Level 4 cultivation nations between the Sacred Martial Dynasty and the Heavenly Fortune Sacred Dynasty. Even if Number Six were in the Soul Severance Realm, it would be impossible for her to arrive so quickly and hear news of the Four Flowers Gathering at the Top.

It seems that at the time, she was either within the borders of the Sacred Martial Dynasty or staying in a neighboring country.

Next time, he could try to probe her.

"Second Uncle, what are you doing?" After hearing that *jie-jie-jie* laughter once again, Zhou Qing's curiosity was piqued, and he couldn't help but ask.

Second Uncle waved his hand, looking mysterious: "Nothing much. That Xuan Yuan brat is here, so I won't be attending the banquet. Just find some excuse for me."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a knock sounded at the door outside.

"Brother Zhou, His Imperial Highness and the others have returned. The victory banquet is now prepared, and they invite you to join. By the way, is Brother Si Yun here? His residence seems empty."

Xuan Yuan Brother Yichen's voice came from outside the door.

Zhou Qing glanced at Second Uncle, shrugged helplessly, and had no choice but to get up and walk out the door.

At the banquet, Xuan Yuan Shuo was extremely happy.

Ever since the Four-Colored Array began to decline, he had spent every day in anxiety.

At the slightest sign of trouble from the three demon mountains, he would immediately become vigilant.

The Demon Emperor Feng Lao of Taiyao Mountain acted with unpredictable cunning, and he had secretly infiltrated the inland many times, all of which he had followed and monitored in the shadows.

He even went so far as to seek help from his Imperial Brother, hoping to find that Level 4 Array Master again to help repair the array.

But the answer he received was that even in a Level 5 cultivation nation, a Level 4 Array Master was a figure who saw the head but not the tail of the dragon; wanting to find one was easier said than done.

Helpless, he had to invite the two highest-ranked Level 3 Array Masters in the dynasty—Su Su Lishan and Wu Wu Tiangang.

He handed over the precious jade slips recording the array without reservation.

But he hadn't expected that after five full years, and the consumption of massive resources and energy, the two not only failed to solve the problem but made the situation even worse.

He had thought the array would just hang on in this half-dead state, but he hadn't expected that Lin Daochen, Zhou Qing, and their group would completely repair it in just three short days.

What did this mean?

It meant that if the root of the problem wasn't found, all other efforts were merely futile.

Su Su Lishan and Wu Wu Tiangang appeared to be working diligently to repair the array, but in reality, they were just doing superficial work, blindly performing some inconsequential repairs.

They even made mistakes and couldn't wait to find someone else to take the blame, nearly causing the entire array to collapse.

Now that it was finally completely repaired, the boulder in his heart had finally fallen to the ground.

At the banquet, the lights were brilliant and the atmosphere was lively. The spacious hall was filled with delicacies and the aroma of wine.

Xuan Yuan Shuo raised his wine cup, stood up, and scanned everyone present, his face full of relief and gratitude.

"The fact that the array could be repaired today is entirely due to the efforts of Master Lin, Little Friend Zhou Qing, and the others. Let us toast them!"

The commanders of the nine legions, including Xuan Yuan Shuo's disciples, the Ninth Imperial Prince, the Princess, and others, all stood up, raising their wine cups high to pay tribute to Zhou Qing, Lin Daochen, and the others.

Zhou Qing, Lin Daochen, and the others quickly stood up, full of humility.

Yan Yan Xiaohu, who was also drinking on the side, sighed after watching Number Four substitute tea for wine.

Such a fine young man, yet ruined like this by Brother Du Kui.

But not drinking was actually quite good; it didn't interfere with business, and Lu Lu Yaoyao seemed to dislike Number Four drinking very much.

But he was different; he had long been accustomed to the contents of the cup, and he probably wouldn't be able to change it for the rest of his life.

"Brother Zhou, I am Lu Lu Jinghong, Left Commandant of the Longxiang Army. I heard you defeated Jiang Jiang Pojun in less than half an hour? I wonder if that is true or false?"

After three rounds of drinks, a burly, middle-aged man stood up, holding his wine cup and walking over with large strides.

Each legion was divided into Left and Right Commandants, held by those in the Divine Transformation Realm; Jiang Jiang Pojun was the Right Commandant of the Longxiang Army.

At this moment, those who were unaware were all shocked, including the Seventh Imperial Prince Xuan Yuan Brother Yichen, whose eyes were full of disbelief.

Jiang Jiang Pojun was a powerhouse in the Divine Transformation Realm, almost invincible among his peers. How could Zhou Qing possibly defeat him?

Wait—

Xuan Yuan Brother Yichen, having reacted, quickly probed Zhou Qing, only to discover that Zhou Qing's aura was as restrained as the sea, without the slightest leakage.

"Could it be that he has already reached Divine Transformation? How is this possible?"

A few years ago at the Master Bai Yu Taixu Academy, although he progressed quickly, he was only in the Nascent Soul Realm; he had even congratulated him on repairing his Golden Core.

How much time had passed? Not only had he failed to catch up to his Zhou Shixiong Gui Ao, but now even Zhou Qing had left him far behind.

At this moment, Jiang Jiang Pojun, sitting behind the low table opposite, met the gazes of his colleagues and couldn't help but feel a bit awkward, having to pretend to drink to cover it up.

Zhou Qing smiled slightly.

On the space ship during the journey, Second Uncle had given him a list, along with the general realm of understanding and cultivation base of the other party.

This Lu Lu Jinghong before him was also one of Xuan Yuan Shuo's disciples, with a cultivation base in the early Divine Transformation Realm; it could be said that he was on par with Jiang Jiang Pojun.

"Lu Jinghong, step down! This is not the place for this!" Just as Zhou Qing was about to speak, Xuan Yuan Shuo above spoke with unprovoked authority, tinged with a bit of reproach.

Lu Lu Jinghong then realized his abruptness and quickly bowed to Zhou Qing to apologize.

"Brother Zhou, I apologize! I'm just like this; once I drink a little, I can't control myself. Please don't take offense at my rudeness."

Saying this, he prepared to return to his seat.

Zhou Qing smiled instead and said, "Brother Lu, you are too serious. Actually, I have long admired Brother Lu's name. Since we are idle anyway, why not have a spar?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Lu Jinghong's eyes lit up immediately.

He was a warlike person by nature and had always hoped to find a worthy opponent to spar with to improve his strength.

Ever since he learned that Junior Brother Jiang had been defeated by Zhou Qing, he had been itching to try.

Especially since Junior Brother Jiang told him that the realm of understanding comprehended by the person before him was extremely bizarre and could easily break others' realms of understanding.

He didn't believe it at all, but it only fueled his intense curiosity and desire to challenge.

Seeing Zhou Qing take the initiative to mention it, he immediately looked at his master.

Xuan Yuan Shuo was actually a bit curious himself, but looking at the two, he could only shake his head slightly, his eyes carrying a hint of a smile.

"Enough, enough. Since you are both in such high spirits, go to the martial arts arena to spar. But remember, stop at the point of contact; do not harm the harmony."

Hearing Xuan Yuan Shuo's permission, everyone was excited.

This was the best side dish for wine.

As for the Seventh Imperial Prince Xuan Yuan Brother Yichen, his face was full of bitterness; such a scene only confirmed the conjecture in his heart.

Everyone immediately moved to the martial arts arena!

The two who entered the field stood opposite each other.

Lu Lu Jinghong's whole body radiated surging battle intent, while Zhou Qing's expression was calm, his aura restrained.

"Wait a moment!" Just as everyone was full of anticipation for this wonderful duel, a voice suddenly sounded from the side.

Everyone looked over in unison, only to see Yan Yan Xiaohu swallowing nervously, his palms slightly sweating.

Then, gritting his teeth, he slapped his storage bag, and a gambling table appeared, landing steadily on the ground.

He then took out a full five supreme-grade spirit stones, placed them on it, and said with a slightly trembling voice: "One to three, only supreme-grade spirit stones. Anyone want to bet?"

Second Uncle wasn't here this time, so he had to seize this opportunity to get rich overnight.

Facing the familiar gambling table, everyone looked at each other, and the commanders of several legions couldn't help but laugh.

As rough men stationed at the border, in their boring daily lives, what they liked most was killing demons, drinking, sleeping, and gambling.

They didn't expect to meet a fellow traveler, and this little guy in the mid-Nascent Soul Realm was so generous, taking out five supreme-grade spirit stones at once. They wouldn't be polite.

Seeing dozens of onlookers eager to try, Yan Yan Xiaohu's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly said: "Only five people! If I lose, I can still scrape together enough money to pay!"

Yan Yan Xiaohu didn't expect so many people to have supreme-grade spirit stones. If he won, he would make a fortune.

But what if he lost?

By then, Number Four and the others would just walk away, leaving him here to pay with his flesh; he wouldn't be able to escape for hundreds of years.

Although he trusted Number Four, there were no absolutes.

Today, he would just test the waters first.

*Xiu! Xiu! Xiu! *

Soon, five legion commanders at the perfection of the Divine Transformation Realm appeared before Yan Yan Xiaohu, as if afraid of missing out on this big gamble.

Each of them threw down five supreme-grade spirit stones, their voices loud and powerful: "Bet!"

Looking at the five people who had already occupied the gambling table, the others were full of unwillingness, muttering "This speed is too fast," and could only stand by and watch the start of this gambling game.

As for Xuan Yuan Shuo in front, witnessing this scene, he just smiled and shook his head, his eyes full of indulgence, not stopping it at all. After all, this was also his way of passing the time.

Yan Yan Xiaohu looked at the twenty-five supreme-grade spirit stones in front of him, making him both excited and terrified, even regretting his impulsiveness.

If he lost this, he would have to pay out seventy-five supreme-grade spirit stones, but he only had these five in total.

Zhou Qing, standing in the field, saw this and sighed.

But soon he received a voice transmission from Yan Yan Xiaohu.

"Number Four, I beg you, otherwise your Zhou Shixiong might be finished here. We'll split it fifty-fifty afterward!" Yan Yan Xiaohu pleaded.

Zhou Qing countered without hesitation: "Forty-sixty!"

"Do you know how much risk I'm taking?" Yan Yan Xiaohu was anxious.

"Alright then, if I lose, I lose. I have nothing to lose anyway." Zhou Qing feigned ease.

"Don't! Fine, forty-sixty it is!" Yan Yan Xiaohu said quickly.

Watching Zhou Qing slowly take out that broken sword, Yan Yan Xiaohu prayed again: "Heavenly Bodhisattva, please protect Number Four, protect me. I'll take this risk just this once, and I'll never gamble again."

Lu Lu Jinghong, seeing Zhou Qing take out a rusty broken sword, did not lower his guard.

According to what Junior Brother Jiang revealed, don't look at how broken the sword was; it was extremely tough. Even his full-force attack with his long spear could hardly leave a mark on it.

Lu Lu Jinghong took a deep breath, the alcohol in his body dissipated, replaced by a sharp battle intent.

A large saber appeared in his hand, its blade as black as ink, covered in unknown incantations, radiating a cold chill.

"Brother Zhou, offense taken!" Lu Lu Jinghong shouted, his spiritual power surging as he shot forward like a fully drawn bow.

Zhou Qing's expression was calm. The moment the saber was about to touch him, his figure flashed, disappearing like a ghost.

Lu Lu Jinghong's first probe missed completely.

"Such speed!" Lu Lu Jinghong was surprised.

Zhou Qing had already appeared behind him, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.

"Such a domineering saber aura. In that case, I won't be polite!" Zhou Qing smiled slightly, gripped the broken sword, and charged forward.

Lu Lu Jinghong snorted, the saber light flashing as he pressed back.

In an instant, the sound of metal clashing rang out continuously, the powerful force of the impact causing the surrounding air to tremble.

Yan Yan Xiaohu's head shook back and forth, he was that nervous.

The others had eyes radiating different colors, because only in this way could they keep up with the dazzling speed of the two Divine Transformation Realm experts.

After multiple probes, Lu Lu Jinghong instantly widened the distance between them.

He gripped the saber handle with both hands and raised it above his head.

Suddenly, a black mist surged around him, and the sound of a dragon's roar could be faintly heard within the mist.

For a moment, a pair of blood-red pupils appeared in the thickening mist, radiating a chilling pressure.

"I didn't expect Commandant Lu to use his realm of understanding so quickly. It seems this Zhou Qing has some tricks up his sleeve."

"Indeed. As an Array Master, using an array disk or array flag during a battle should be within the reasonable rules, but he doesn't seem to have any intention of doing so."

"Let's not talk about him. Commandant Lu's 'Dragon Abyss Fury' realm of understanding was comprehended by going to the Blood Prison Mountain and spying on the Flood Dragon Emperor. It is extremely powerful."

"So he is a madman, but one must admit he succeeded, and now he is exceptionally domineering."

Everyone discussed it, and Lu Lu Yaoyao and the others couldn't help but worry.

Zhou Qing stood there, waiting for his realm of understanding to fully unfold, feeling it first, then slowly raising his hand.

He spoke softly, his voice not loud, yet it seemed to contain a certain power of rules: "Break!"

Instantly, a golden ripple expanded outward.

With a loud *boom*, Lu Lu Jinghong's realm of understanding collapsed the moment it made contact.

The black mist dissipated, and the sound of the dragon's roar gradually disappeared.

His body swayed, he stumbled backward, his face turned as pale as paper, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

"This... how is this possible?" Lu Lu Jinghong looked at Zhou Qing in disbelief.

Even Xuan Yuan Shuo and the others had their pupils shrink.

What kind of realm of understanding was this? It was so domineering!

Jiang Jiang Pojun sniffed.

See? My realm of understanding was destroyed just like that. You guys didn't believe me.

Zhou Qing didn't give Lu Lu Jinghong any chance to catch his breath, approaching at high speed.

"Cang Lei Sword Art, Fourth Form: Subjugation!"

Terrifying thunder, like hundreds of giant pythons, mixed with countless sword auras, crashed down...

*Bang! *

Zhou Qing timed it perfectly. In less than half an hour, Lu Lu Jinghong was sent flying, rolling several times on the ground before stabilizing his figure.

It had to be said that this person was indeed a bit stronger than Jiang Jiang Pojun; at the very least, he had used nearly seventy percent of his power this time.

"Brother Lu, offense taken!" Zhou Qing stood in the air and bowed.

Lu Lu Yaoyao, seeing this, was about to cheer excitedly, but Lu Lu Yuanzhi, standing on the side, pulled her gently.

She then reacted and quickly cast her gaze toward the surrounding crowd, especially Xuan Yuan Shuo in the main seat.

She quickly covered her mouth, but the excitement in her eyes couldn't be hidden, almost curving into crescent moons.

Yan Yan Xiaohu didn't have so many scruples; he could no longer suppress the ecstasy in his heart and shouted excitedly.

Then, with extreme speed, he stuffed all the supreme-grade spirit crystals into his storage bag.

"I'm rich, I'm rich! This time I'm really rich!"

Twenty-five supreme-grade spirit stones! He had never seen so much money in his life.

Lin Daochen also looked at the figure in the air, straight as a pine, his eyes full of admiration.

This child was not only a genius in the way of arrays but also no less inferior in cultivation. This was a true heaven-defying talent!

At this moment, except for a few close people who were excited, everyone else stared blankly at everything in the field, their faces full of shock and disbelief.

Lu Lu Jinghong, the Left Commandant of the Longxiang Army, was defeated just like that?

How did it feel like a dream?

Especially Xuan Yuan Shuo, whose calm and composed face couldn't help but show a hint of surprise at this moment.

One had to know that Lu Lu Jinghong and Jiang Jiang Pojun had both grown and broken through bit by bit through real battles.

They were almost invincible among their peers, but now, they were both defeated by a young man who focused on studying the way of arrays.

No matter how he looked at it, it felt incredible.

The commanders of the nine legions also had their eyes wide open, especially the Longxiang Legion Commander; as his subordinate commandant, no one knew him better.

But, in less than half an hour? This was too shameful.

The Seventh Imperial Prince Xuan Yuan Brother Yichen had even more complex eyes. Ever since he learned that Gui Ao had broken through to Divine Transformation, it had invisibly put pressure on him.

For this reason, he took the initiative to come to the border for training, but what was the result?

Those two brothers had already quietly left him far behind.

Jiang Jiang Pojun, standing on the side, also had mixed feelings.

This scene was simply a repeat of his spar that day.

It was still so crisp and neat.

Lu Lu Jinghong, kneeling on one knee, stared blankly at Zhou Qing in the air, his eyes full of confusion.

On his own turf, in front of so many people, how did he lose so muddledly?

Especially the five legion commanders, who trusted him so much and bet more than twenty supreme-grade spirit stones.

But soon, the pain and unwillingness on his face gradually faded, replaced by a look of calmness.

"Brother Zhou, I lost. I am convinced of my defeat." Lu Lu Jinghong bowed, then let out a long breath: "Fighting Brother Zhou today, I have benefited a lot. Thank you!"

This battle, although defeated, was glorious, making him understand many of his own limitations.

Zhou Qing saw this and returned the salute, saying humbly: "Brother Lu, you were too kind. If it were a life-and-death battle, I'm afraid I would have lost long ago. Thank you, Brother Lu, for your mercy."

"Mercy my ass! Defeat is defeat. I, Lu Lu Jinghong, can still afford to lose. No need to gild my face!"

Lu Lu Jinghong waved his hand and laughed heartily.

Regarding winning and losing, he could see through it and let it go. After all, failure was not shameful; what was important was being able to draw lessons from it.

Having said that, Lu Lu Jinghong turned to look at Xuan Yuan Shuo in the main seat, a hint of shame flashing in his eyes.

After all, losing on his own turf in front of so many people had failed his master's daily teachings and expectations.

At this moment, he pursed his lips, bowed, and entered the crowd.

Watching him, a sense of admiration surged in Zhou Qing's heart.

He appreciated people with such an open-minded nature, not coy, not pretentious.

Lu Lu Jinghong was one, and Jiang Jiang Pojun was another!

But at this moment, he had a feeling of being unsatisfied.

Especially after the battle just now, his own realm of understanding seemed to have been replenished, moving toward the stage of Great Completion.

Every step of breakthrough after the Divine Transformation Realm, besides one's own spiritual power, was the follow-up of the realm of understanding.

Just like when Second Uncle took him around, holding the dirt on various sect masters or elders, forcing them to use their Great Completion or Perfection realms of understanding for his own comprehension.

Perhaps, coming to the border this time, besides repaying Second Uncle's favor for the Heavenly Dao Qi, had unspeakable benefits for himself.

This feeling could only be brought to him by these fierce generals stationed at the border.

Because their realms of understanding, besides being special, also contained a kind of special killing intent.

This feeling that appeared suddenly at this moment could not be missed!

Thinking of this, Zhou Qing was excited, and immediately drew a portion of the blood energy and spiritual power from the golden flower.

Instantly, his whole body's aura returned to its peak, vigorous and majestic.

Then he cast his gaze toward the other two people in the field.

The left and right lieutenants of the Cold Abyss Army, one of the nine great legions—Qin Liao and Xie Heng.

At the same time, they were also people on the Second Master's list.

Over the course of two banquets, through the introduction of the Seventh Imperial Prince, he had already become familiar with everyone.

"I have long heard of your great names; I wonder if I might spar with the two of you?" Zhou Qing said with a smile, his eyes flickering with intense fighting spirit.

Upon hearing this, the two were momentarily stunned.

"The two of us together?" Qin Liao thought he had misheard.

Zhou Qing nodded, his eyes sharp and piercing, and he made a gesture inviting them to fight.

For a moment, everyone present was filled with shock.

This was too arrogant; having just finished such an intense spar, not only did he not rest to adjust, but he actually took the initiative to challenge two people.

And these two were the left and right lieutenants of the Cold Abyss Army, both also at the early stage of the Soul Transformation realm.

One would be manageable, but as colleagues and fellow disciples, if they joined forces, their combat power would be no worse than an average mid-stage Soul Transformation realm expert.

But on second thought, young people are naturally hot-blooded and vigorous, especially since he had just won a match, so a bit of impulsiveness was understandable.

(End of chapter)