138: Chapter 138 The Foundation of the Sect

"Oh my god! Is Chu Zhanxiao crazy?! How dare he... how dare he do this!!"

A young Cultivator from a small border country sprang up from his seat, pointing at the ring. His eyes were almost popping out, and his voice was distorted and cracked from extreme shock.

Beside him, an old Cultivator with slightly white hair clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, drawing blood without him even noticing. His entire body was trembling uncontrollably:

"No! Not crazy! It's strength! It's ridiculously strong! Listen carefully! The Dao laws and destructive Aura contained in his lightning... they have absolutely, definitely reached the Golden Core Late Stage, or even... half a step onto the threshold of the Golden Core Peak!"

"But how long has it been since his cultivation was crippled? Counting it all up, it's only been three months! Three months!!"

The old Cultivator's voice was hoarse, filled with the horror of having his worldview overturned. "Even if the Xuantian Sect poured out all its foundation and exhausted its treasury of divine medicines, this cultivation speed... is unheard of; it simply defies the common principles of the Heavenly Dao!"

"We were all wrong! Terribly wrong!"

Another middle-aged Cultivator beside them turned his head abruptly, his eyes flashing with a mixture of fear and fanaticism. "This Xuantian Sect, I'm afraid it's truly as those most secretive and absurd rumors say—they have obtained some unimaginable, world-shaking Legacy! Otherwise, how could a crippled person achieve Nirvana and Rebirth? How could they create such a monster?!"

"Quick! Send a message back to the Sect immediately!" The middle-aged Cultivator grabbed the Disciple beside him, his voice urgent. "Tell all core Disciples that from today on, they are to go into closed-door cultivation and improve their cultivation at any cost! If the Xuantian Sect opens its gates in a few years, even if it means emptying our coffers and risking our lives, we must win an entry qualification for our Sect! This might be... a prehistoric Opportunity for a carp to leap over the dragon gate and ascend to the heavens in one step!!"

The murmurs, the gasps of cold air, and the screams of uncontrolled excitement swept through every corner of the Martial Arts Arena like an apocalyptic tsunami.

Countless faces were filled with horror, bewilderment, jealousy, and fanaticism... various emotions mixed together, finally turning into an extreme shock that overturned their perceptions.

It wasn't just the ordinary audience.

Even the giants and Elders from the top Imperial Dynasties, ancient Holy Lands, and hidden Sects on the high platform could no longer maintain their detached, aloof posture of looking down upon the masses.

They whispered to each other in extremely low voices, their eyes shooting out tangible sharp glints, and the unconcealable gravity and suspicion between their brows indicated what monstrous waves were rising in their hearts.

Their gazes toward Chu Zhanxiao had completely shifted from initial curiosity, scrutiny, and even a hint of imperceptible contempt to extreme solemnity, and perhaps even... a trace of dread.

This young man who had suddenly appeared was no longer just a dark horse worth cultivating.

He was a world-shaking variable capable of overturning the chessboard and disrupting the layout of all forces!

On the high seat.

Emperor sat upright in his seat, his figure straight, his expression seemingly calm.

But the Aura emanating from his body was icy and bone-chilling, as if it could freeze the air itself.

The shadows behind him seemed to be slightly twisting and writhing.

The more radiant Chu Zhanxiao was, with every bolt of lightning and every arrogant word, the more it felt like loud slaps to his face, making his decision to ruthlessly expel him from the Sect appear stupid, short-sighted, and utterly ridiculous!

He could even clearly "hear" the subtle exchanges of Divine Thought from all directions in the Void Realm, and those gazes, like poisoned needles, pricking him densely.

Scrutiny, mockery, schadenfreude, secret sarcasm...

Every gaze made him feel like he was on pins and needles.

He gripped the mysterious wood armrests so tightly that his knuckles turned ghastly white from excessive force, and the armrests, which were harder than refined iron, made a subtle yet teeth-grinding "creak" as they were pinched into spiderweb-like cracks.

In stark contrast to this was Emperor Wu Tianba on the other side.

His eyes were as deep as an ancient well, his gaze shifting subtly between the figure on the ring who looked like a descending thunder god and Chu Changsheng in the distance, who remained calm and collected as if he had the whole world in his grasp.

The corner of his mouth curled into a faint, elusive arc, half-smiling and intriguing.

"Good! A good 'After meeting me, you will no longer be the first'! Hahaha! That's gutsy! That's arrogant! That's satisfying!"

Jian Xiaotian's booming laughter rang out like thunder, breaking the eerie silence on the high platform.

He didn't hide his appreciation and joy, slamming the jade table in front of him.

"Boom!"

The jade table shook, causing the cups on it to jump, with crisp clinking sounds echoing endlessly.

"When a young person Cultivates and seeks the Dao, if they don't have this kind of boundless ambition to pierce the heavens and shatter the clouds, and this invincible spirit, they might as well go home and grow sweet potatoes! This child, he suits my heart! Hahaha!"

This undisguised admiration and laughter was like a giant rock thrown into a calm lake, causing several nearby giants and Holy Land Elders to look over. The recognition and importance in their eyes toward Chu Zhanxiao grew stronger, even carrying a hint of a desire to befriend him.

On the ring, silver snakes danced wildly, a lightning prison spanned the sky, and the Aura of destruction filled every inch of space!

The golden dragon shadow on the opposite side also solidified in an instant, dragon scales shining, the sound of dragon roars resounding through the Nine Heavens, as the majestic dragon might stood toe-to-toe with the lightning!

An epic duel destined to shake the eight wildernesses and be written into the annals of future history was already on the string, ready to fire at any moment!

Below the stage, in a relatively quiet corner.

Chu Changsheng was lifting that celadon-glazed teacup, and just as his fingertips touched the warm rim, he was choked by Chu Zhanxiao's earth-shattering, boundless arrogant declaration, causing him to cough violently.

"Cough, cough... cough, cough, cough..."

A few drops of tea splashed out, blooming into dark water stains on the front of his elegant green shirt.

He hurriedly put down the teacup, gently rubbing his chest to catch his breath, shaking his head helplessly, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upward, finally turning into a low, doting chuckle:

"This brat... when did he learn to brag like this? The advice I usually give him about biding his time, hiding his sharpness, and making a fortune in silence... could it be that it was all fed to the big yellow dog guarding the gate of the neighboring Sect?"

There was a tone of three parts chiding and seven parts helplessness, but the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and the smile flowing in his eyes were full of indulgence and pride.

Young people, after all, should be forging ahead, with a spirit as fierce as a tiger.

Moreover, Chu Zhanxiao's arrogance at this moment was the invincible confidence tempered after stepping over mountains of corpses and seas of blood and experiencing the Nirvana of burning himself, not some ignorant bluff.

Jian Tanghuang, seeing this, hurriedly stood up, her slender, jade-like fingers moving with a touch of urgency as they gently landed on his back, stroking along the line of his spine to help him catch his breath.

Her voice was soft and gentle, full of concern: "Revered Master, are you alright? Is the tea too hot and did it choke you?"

Chu Changsheng waved his hand, but his gaze was as if attracted by a magnet, firmly locked on the figure on the ring, wrapped in endless silver lightning, like a god or a demon. The smile in his eyes deepened, and he whispered: "It's nothing, nothing. I was just startled by this kid's sudden 'bold words'."

His fingertips unconsciously rubbed the smooth rim of the cup, his mind stirred, and he muttered in his heart: "System, is our Revered Master-Disciple style of acting... considered to be on the path of a villain?"

[Ding! Host, please rest assured. This System is fully named the "Myriad Heavens and Worlds Strongest Disciple-Taking System", and its core ultimate goal is to Cultivate a Supreme powerhouse who can push across the Myriad Heavens and judge the ages alone. This System has no preset "Righteous" or "Villain" stance binding; all codes of conduct are judged based on the optimization of the growth of the Host and the Disciple.]

[Current detection: Disciple Chu Zhanxiao's behavior judgment — confident and flamboyant, domineering and exposed, fully in line with the core growth principle of "the strong have no fear, my heart is invincible", with no risk of deviating from the cultivation path. Supplementary note: Appropriate deterrence, aggressive declarations, and a domineering style can effectively accelerate the establishment of the prestige of the strong, deter potential opponents, and meet the standard growth logic and Aura requirements of the top Prodigy of the Myriad Heavens and Worlds. Please rest assured in cultivating, Host.]

Hearing the System's matter-of-fact yet strangely reassuring reply, Chu Changsheng breathed a sigh of relief.

It's good that it's not a villain.

He didn't want to be drinking tea leisurely one day, when suddenly a "Child of Luck" would descend from the sky, pointing a sword at his nose and shouting "Evil cultist, wreaking havoc on the world, today I, so-and-so, will act on behalf of the heavens"...

It's just that, when his gaze fell back to Chu Zhanxiao on the ring, who was sharp-edged and almost piercing the sky, he couldn't help but mutter to himself:

The way this kid acts now, this Aura, these lines... no matter how you look at it, he looks just like those arrogant and domineering villain big bosses in storybooks who are just waiting to be slapped in the face by the protagonist...

Just as Chu Changsheng was distracted and muttering to himself—

On the ring, Nangong Tianlong had been completely ignited by Chu Zhanxiao's words, his long-suppressed anger and monstrous Battle Intent!

He had been gifted since childhood, pushing through his peers without a rival, and had received endless respect and admiration. When had he ever been so belittled and despised?!

Listening to the arrogant words that resounded throughout the arena, and feeling the majestic pressure and destructive Aura coming from the lightning that was in no way inferior to his own, he didn't lose control in anger. Instead, a blazing flame of becoming stronger when faced with the strong and desiring a Peak battle burned in his chest!

"Good! Good! Good!"

Nangong Tianlong laughed instead of getting angry, looking up to the sky and letting out a series of long laughs. The laughter pierced gold and cracked stone, heading straight for the clouds, filled with the pleasure of finding an opponent worth fighting, and the violent Battle Intent stirred up by his absolute desire to win!

"I, Nangong Tianlong, established Foundation Establishment at seven, Core Formation at twelve, and have roamed among my peers for over a decade without a single defeat! Today—it is indeed the first time I have been looked down upon like this!"

He looked up abruptly, and from his long, narrow phoenix eyes, two tangible golden rays of light shot out, piercing the air!

The pale golden Dragon Qi that had originally just circled around his body was like cold water thrown into hot oil, instantly boiling and rioting!

A more profound, more ancient, and terrifying pressure that seemed to originate from the source of his Bloodline suddenly awakened and erupted from the deepest part of his body!

"Roar—!!!"

Vaguely, there seemed to be a roar of an Azure Dragon from the prehistoric, ancient times echoing within his body!

His entire Aura suddenly rose, as if an ancient Dragon God who had been sleeping for ten thousand years had, at this moment, opened his eyes to look down on the mortal world!

"Since you feel... that I, Nangong Tianlong, am not worthy of the empty name of being the first—"

His voice sounded like the explosion of Nine Heavens divine thunder, word by word, carrying the determination and pride to crush everything:

"Then use your blood, your defeat, and your Dao... to make me, shut up!"

"Tyrant Blood Azure Dragon Body—"

"Open!!!"

Boom—!!!!

A terrifying loud noise that seemed capable of cracking the sky and shaking the earth erupted violently!

The entire giant ring, cast from "Xuanhai Cold Iron" and capable of withstanding the full-force strike of a Nascent Soul Cultivator, trembled violently as if hit by an ancient divine mountain, emitting an unbearable, teeth-grinding ** loud noise!

Nangong Tianlong's bones made a dense and terrifying cracking sound like popping beans, as if ten thousand thunderbolts were exploding simultaneously in his limbs and every inch of his flesh!

His figure, which was already as straight as a spear, was forcibly stretched by another half a foot! His dark gold battle robe was stretched tight and on the verge of tearing by the terrifying muscles that suddenly swelled, expanded, and shone with a metallic luster, making a "chi la" tearing sound.

What was even more heart-stopping was—

On the surface of his exposed skin, fine, hard, and neatly arranged—golden dragon scales appeared at a speed visible to the naked eye!

Each scale was about the size of a fingernail, with edges as sharp as a Sharp Weapon, glowing with a cold and noble metallic luster, as if they were not growing, but condensed from the purest Geng Metal Qi between heaven and earth! Beneath the scales, dark golden blood surged like a great river, emitting a dull roar.

A prehistoric dragon might, ten times, a hundred times more terrifying than before, erupted like a volcano that had been dormant for ten thousand years. With him as the center, it turned into a visible pale golden air wave, crushing toward all directions like a tsunami!

"Buzz buzz buzz—!!!"

On the periphery of the ring, the layered protective light curtain, set up jointly by dozens of Formation Great Masters, was violently swayed and twisted by this pure and domineering dragon might, rippling with rapid ripples, its light flickering uncertainly, as if it would collapse at any moment!

"Crack, crack, crack..."

Under his feet, the incredibly hard Xuanhai Cold Iron ground finally could not bear the weight!

With the place where he stood as the center, terrifying cracks like spiderwebs, several inches deep, crazily spread and tore toward every corner of the ring! The harsh sound of metal breaking was like the wailing of evil ghosts, making one's scalp tingle and Divine Soul tremble.

At this moment, Nangong Tianlong truly revealed his full strength and terrifying foundation as the winner of the previous Heavenly Ranking and the Supreme of the younger generation!

"Roar—!!!"

He looked up to the sky, letting out a violent roar that didn't sound human at all, as if from an ancient Azure Dragon!

The sound waves visibly twisted the air, forming ripples of sound, sweeping across the entire field!

Countless spectators in the front row felt their eardrums being pierced by steel needles, their brains buzzing, their vision going black, and they subconsciously covered their ears tightly. Those with slightly weaker cultivation even had blood seeping from their ears and noses, their faces showing pain.

The golden dragon scales on his body became more brilliant and dazzling in the roar, the light flowing like a living thing.

A pair of phoenix eyes had completely turned into cold, cruel, upright golden dragon pupils! Deep in the pupils flashed the most primitive, most barbaric bloodthirsty fierce light, firmly locked on the figure wrapped in lightning in the air.

Every breath he took spat out majestic Dragon Qi, squeezing, twisting, and collapsing the air around him, and even the sunlight shining down bent into strange and gorgeous arcs around his body, as if space itself was submitting and kneeling to him.

"Chu Zhanxiao..."

Nangong Tianlong spoke, his voice hoarse and low, yet containing Supreme majesty, as if a Dragon God was pronouncing a sentence.

He walked step by step toward Chu Zhanxiao, who was floating in the air.

Every step he took was as heavy as ten thousand jun, and the ring shook violently, the cracks deepening and spreading again, emitting a roar that made people's hearts and souls tremble.

"To be able to force me to use the true form of the 'Tyrant Blood Azure Dragon Body' at this moment..."

He raised his right hand, the arm that had completely turned into a dragon claw, his five fingers slightly spread, the sharp claw tips flashing with golden light that could tear through everything.

"You, are enough to be proud."

Before the words fell—

He stomped his foot violently!

"Boom!!!"

The Xuan Iron ground where he had stood collapsed with a bang, forming a clear, cracked crater!

And his whole person had turned into a golden lightning that tore through the sky, faster than the limit of visual capture!

No, that was not lightning.

That was a humanoid tyrannosaurus, carrying the terrifying kinetic energy and boundless killing intent to crush mountains and shatter the sky, shooting out violently!

His right dragon claw reached out, five fingers like hooks, claw tips swallowing golden light, emitting a harsh, ghost-wailing screech as it tore through the air. Wherever it passed, space itself rippled with subtle yet real black ripples!

This claw was without any bells and whistles, pure power and speed to the extreme!

It went straight for Chu Zhanxiao's heart!

To tear out that still-beating heart, along with all his arrogant words and hopes, and... crush it to pieces!

Before the claw wind arrived, the sharp, unparalleled killing intent and pressure had already frozen the lightning surging around Chu Zhanxiao like ten-thousand-year black ice!

The real battle...

Only now, it truly began!