383: Tianjizi: Sect's attitude ≠ Personal attitude

White Battle's figure distorted violently within the gengjin evil qi, his bones popping and muscles bulging.

Pure white tiger stripes emerged on the surface of his skin, spreading across his body like ancient totems.

His pupils transformed into vertical slits, flickering with a bloodthirsty scarlet light.

Fangs protruded from his mouth, and his hands turned into tiger claws covered in scales.

A tiger tail like a steel whip grew from his back, its tip glinting with a sharp, cold light.

At this moment, he completely activated the Bloodline Power of the White Tiger Divine Clan, transforming into a half-man, half-tiger battle form!

“Third Kill, Seven Kills as One!”

White Battle roared to the heavens, his tiger claws tearing through the Void Realm as he struck down toward Mu Zun!

This strike fused all the essence of the White Tiger Seven Kills.

It perfectly combined the Gengjin Law, the Great Dao of Slaughter, and Bloodline Power, its power increasing more than tenfold compared to before!

Wherever the claw shadow passed, the starry sky was torn open, leaving a pitch-black rift.

Countless tiny spatial fragments spread from the edges of the rift, emitting an Aura of destruction!

This was a strike sufficient to threaten a Chaos Profound Venerable!

The prodigies below the platform paled in horror.

“Is this the true strength of the White Tiger Killing Star?”

“Can Qin Zun still block it?”

Everyone looked toward Mu Zun.

Facing this terrifying claw that tore the starry sky, Mu Zun finally moved.

He did not dodge, did not defend, and did not even use any Divine Ability.

He simply raised his right hand slowly, fingers slightly spread, palm facing the tearing claw shadow.

Then, he pressed down gently.

This press seemed simple, but it actually contained the ultimate principles of the Chaos Great Dao.

There were no Law fluctuations, no Divine Ability phenomenon, and no earth-shattering Aura.

Only the purest, most primitive, and most fundamental Chaos power.

The claw shadow, which was enough to tear through an Emperor Realm defense, suddenly froze under Mu Zun's press!

The claw shadow was only three feet away from Mu Zun's palm, yet it could not advance an inch further.

Then, the claw shadow began to tremble, and fine cracks appeared starting from the tips of the claws.

The cracks spread like a spiderweb, instantly covering the entire claw shadow.

“Crack...”

A crisp sound of shattering rang out.

The claw shadow was like colored glass crushed by an invisible giant hand, instantly bursting apart!

Everything contained within the claw shadow was completely crushed along with it!

White Battle's pupils dilated to the extreme, and a look of terror finally appeared on his face.

His full-strength strike, which fused all the essence of the White Tiger Seven Kills,

and even burned a portion of his Bloodline Power, was actually neutralized so easily by his opponent?

How was this possible?!

Mu Zun's eyes were indifferent.

“The White Tiger Seven Kills is nothing more than this.”

He took a step forward.

This step felt as if it were treading upon the very veins of the starry sky.

The entire Dao Questioning Platform vibrated violently, and countless runes flashed frantically, letting out overwhelmed wails!

White Battle felt an indescribable, terrifying Aura lock onto him.

That feeling was like an ant facing the vast starry sky—so tiny it was despair-inducing!

“Impossible, I don't believe it!”

White Battle roared frantically, completely burning his Bloodline!

His body expanded again, transforming into a white giant tiger thirty meters tall!

The giant tiger was pure white all over, except for its eyes which were as red as blood. A golden 'King' character pattern appeared on its forehead, emitting a heaven-shaking ferocity!

“White Tiger Ancestor, Bloodline Atavism!”

A well-informed Prodigy below the platform cried out in surprise.

“White Battle can actually stimulate the Bloodline Power of the White Tiger Ancestor! This is one of the White Tiger Divine Clan's strongest trump cards!”

“Legend has it that the White Tiger Ancestor was an Archaic Vicious Beast that once fought True Dragons and competed with Phoenixes, with strength comparable to the Peak Emperor Realm!”

“Even if it's just a Bloodline projection, its power exceeds the Chaos Profound Venerable level!”

The white giant tiger roared to the heavens, its voice shaking the starry sky!

It opened its bloody maw, and a golden sphere of light, brilliant to the extreme, condensed within!

Inside the light sphere, countless Gengjin Law runes circulated, and a terrifying killing power brewed within, as if it could destroy a world!

The giant tiger roared, and the golden light sphere shot out with a boom!

Wherever the light sphere passed, the Void Realm was torn into a pitch-black tunnel a hundred meters in diameter. Spatial turbulence raged at the edges of the tunnel, emitting an Aura that could destroy heaven and earth!

This strike had already surpassed the Profound Venerable level!

The prodigies below held their breath, their hearts almost stopping.

Everyone knew that this was the decisive blow!

Facing this world-destroying White Tiger World-Ending Cannon, Mu Zun's expression remained calm.

He did not even move his feet.

He simply raised his right hand slowly and struck out once more toward the incoming golden light sphere.

A Chaos Great Hand that blotted out the sun appeared in the starry sky!

The giant hand was condensed from pure Chaos Qi, its palm lines clearly visible, each line seemingly containing the principles of the Universe's birth and death.

The moment it appeared, the Laws of the entire starry sky were suppressed and frozen!

Time seemed to stop, and space seemed to freeze.

The White Tiger World-Ending Cannon, which was enough to destroy a world, appeared so fragile before this Chaos Great Hand.

The giant hand gently grasped.

The golden light sphere didn't even have time to explode before it was completely held in the palm of the giant hand.

Then, the giant hand slowly closed.

“Crack...”

A tooth-gritting sound of shattering rang out.

The golden light sphere was forcibly crushed within the giant hand!

Not even a trace of the explosion's aftershock managed to leak out!

A look of unbelievable terror appeared in the white giant tiger's pupils.

It wanted to retreat, it wanted to flee.

But the Chaos Great Hand was already pressing down toward it!

The hand blotted out the sun, covering the entire Dao Questioning Platform!

The giant tiger struggled frantically, spitting out countless gengjin evil qi from its mouth.

Its tiger claws tore at the Void Realm, trying to break through the giant hand's suppression.

But it was all in vain.

The Chaos Great Hand slowly pressed down.

The giant tiger's body began to disintegrate.

In just three breaths, the thirty-meter-tall white giant tiger was completely suppressed by the Chaos Great Hand!

It turned into countless points of light and dissipated into the starry sky.

The moment the giant tiger collapsed, White Battle's figure fell out from within it.

He had returned to human form, but he was covered in blood, and his Aura was withered to the extreme.

Blood flowed continuously from his seven orifices, and his body was covered in cracks, as if he would disintegrate at any moment.

He knelt on one knee, barely supporting himself from falling over.

His eyes were full of fear, resentment, and despair.

The White Tiger Bloodline he was so proud of, the Great Dao of Slaughter he had bitterly cultivated for a hundred years, and the invincible Battle Intent he had tempered on the extraterrestrial battlefields...

Before Mu Zun, they all seemed like a joke.

A single Chaos Great Hand Seal had completely crushed all his pride and all his trump cards!

Mu Zun withdrew his right hand, and the Chaos Great Hand dissipated.

He looked at White Battle and said calmly,

“Surrender, or die?”

White Battle struggled to lift his head and stared fixedly at Mu Zun.

Struggle, humiliation, and hatred flashed in his eyes... but in the end, they all turned into powerlessness.

Continuing to fight would only lead to death.

Mu Zun's palm strike just now had completely shattered his Dao Heart.

He had even lost the courage to resist.

“I... surrender.”

Those two words seemed to use up all of White Battle's strength.

As the words fell, he collapsed onto the ground, his Aura withering further.

The Gold Armored Divine General nodded and waved his hand, teleporting White Battle away from the Dao Questioning Platform.

Seventh Dao Questioning Platform, Mu Zun wins!

The entire venue fell into a dead silence.

Everyone stared blankly at the white-clothed figure, as if they were looking at a myth.

White Battle, the killing star of the White Tiger Divine Clan who had stimulated the White Tiger Ancestor Bloodline,

was actually suppressed by a single palm and forced to surrender?

“This is a fundamental gap! Qin Zun's strength has likely far surpassed the Profound Venerable level and reached the Quasi-Emperor level!”

“How old is he? How is this possible?!”

“Chaos Body... is this the true power of the Chaos Body?”

Shock, fear, and awe... all sorts of emotions surged in the hearts of the prodigies.

Xuan Ming stood below the platform, a trace of alarm flashing deep in his pupils.

He thought he had already evaluated Mu Zun highly enough.

But now it seemed he had still underestimated him.

Mu Zun's strength had likely reached the Middle Stage of the Emperor Realm, or even higher!

He Daoyi also had a solemn expression as he whispered to himself.

“Imperial Son Qin's strength is likely something even my Sect Master would have to treat with caution.”

Moon Clear Shadow had already been teleported away.

But seeing this scene through the observation formation, her delicate body also trembled slightly, secretly feeling glad that she had surrendered in time.

And at this moment, on the other Dao Questioning Platforms,

those prodigies who were still in the middle of intense battles also stopped one after another, looking at the seventh platform in shock.

The three envoys—the Gold Armored Divine General, the White-Robed Monk, and the Black-Robed Envoy—also had a flicker of unusual light in their eyes.

“This boy's strength has likely touched the threshold of a Quasi-Emperor,” the Gold Armored Divine General sent a low voice transmission.

“The Chaos Body truly lives up to its reputation. I wonder who is stronger between him and the one from the Taishang Palace?”

The White-Robed Monk lamented.

“The Aura contained within him seems to be more than just a Chaos Body.”

The Black-Robed Envoy's gaze was profound.

The three looked at each other, all seeing the importance they placed on him in each other's eyes.

If such a Prodigy could be recruited into the Three Teachings Dao Academy, he would surely become a titan who suppresses a region in the future!

By now, Mu Zun had already withdrawn his palm and stood with his hands behind his back, as if he had only done something insignificant.

He looked at the Gold Armored Divine General.

“Can the result be announced now?”

The Gold Armored Divine General snapped out of it and nodded.

“Seventh Dao Questioning Platform, Qin Zun wins!”

His voice spread through the starry sky.

Mu Zun turned and took a step, returning to the black hall.

Xuan Ming and the others finished their battles one after another and returned to the hall.

Prodigies like Xuan Ming had eyes full of solemnity and awe.

While Mu Zun still maintained that same calm appearance.

Soon, the fifth round ended.

The winners emerged, and with one person receiving a bye, a total of two people from the Underworld entered the final round.

Mu Zun versus Xuan Ming.

This battle also ended very quickly.

Xuan Ming used the full power of his Xuan Yin Saint Physique and his Xuan Yin Great Divine Ability to deal with Mu Zun.

However, he still couldn't last more than three moves in Mu Zun's hands.

With this, the Second Question ended.

The prodigies from the other two gates appeared.

All the prodigies who participated in the Second Question, except for those who died on the Dao Questioning Platforms, were now gathered here.

Mu Zun also saw two familiar faces—it was the two siblings of the Xiao Family.

The Gold Armored Divine General looked at them.

“You may enter the Third Question. The remaining prodigies are eliminated.”

As the words fell, the figures of the other prodigies began to blur and they were teleported away from the Gate of the Underworld.

In the black hall, only a hundred or so remained.

The Black-Robed Envoy's voice was cold.

“The Third Question: Questioning Affinity. You will enter the Wanfa Pavilion. Only those who receive the recognition of an Opportunity shall become formal students of the Dao Academy.”

“Rest for one day. It will begin tomorrow.”

After speaking, the figures of the three envoys dissipated.

The atmosphere in the entire black hall suddenly relaxed.

The hundred-plus prodigies standing here who had passed the first two questions were all survivors after tragic and fierce battles.

At this moment, everyone sized each other up, feeling both the relief of surviving a disaster and the solemnity toward the upcoming Third Question.

Just then, two figures walked quickly out of the crowd, heading straight toward Mu Zun's direction.

“Imperial Son Qin!”

Xiao Lin and Xiao Ya arrived before Mu Zun.

The two already knew Mu Zun's true identity and bowed respectfully.

Both of their faces carried an unmaskable joy—being able to see Mu Zun again in the Three Teachings Dao Academy was both a surprise and an Opportunity for them.

Mu Zun nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the two.

After the tempering in the Origin Secret Realm and these six months of settling, Xiao Lin's Aura was clearly more stable, and his cultivation had solidified at the Ninth Tribulation Supreme Profound Venerable stage.

The youthful greenness between his brows had lessened, replaced by a bit more fortitude.

Meanwhile, Xiao Ya had also successfully broken through to the Seventh Tribulation Supreme Profound Venerable stage, and her surrounding Aura was purer, clearly having gained no small harvest.

“Congratulations to you both for passing the first two questions.”

Mu Zun spoke calmly.

“It's all thanks to the Imperial Son's protection in the Origin Secret Realm back then. Otherwise, my sister and I would never have achieved what we have today.”

Xiao Lin said sincerely.

His words were not mere pleasantries. If Mu Zun hadn't protected them during their safe exploration of the ancient mine in the Secret Realm, the Xiao siblings could never have had their current cultivation and gains.

Xiao Ya also nodded repeatedly, her beautiful eyes sparkling with admiration.

“Imperial Son, your bearing on the Dao Questioning Platform just now was simply...”

She wanted to find a suitable word to describe it, but found that any vocabulary seemed pale.

Mu Zun was noncommittal about this.

The conversation between the three naturally fell into the eyes of the other surrounding prodigies.

Although the Xiao Family was an aristocratic family, it had declined in recent years and could no longer be considered a top-tier power.

Being able to receive such care from the Imperial Son of the Qin Clan immediately drew many envious and inquisitive looks.

However, this was only the beginning.

Soon, several more figures walked toward Mu Zun.

Leading them was Master of Heavenly Secrets from the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, and behind him followed a gentle-looking woman in green, who was none other than Tian Xuan, who had previously taken the initiative to surrender.

“Heavenly Secret Pavilion, Master of Heavenly Secrets. Greetings, Imperial Son Qin.”

Master of Heavenly Secrets smiled and cupped his hands to Mu Zun.

Tian Xuan behind him also gave a graceful salute, keeping her posture very low.

“On the Dao Questioning Platform just now, thank you, Imperial Son, for showing mercy.”

Master of Heavenly Secrets knew very well that with the strength Mu Zun had displayed,

if he had truly intended to kill, Tian Xuan wouldn't even have had the chance to surrender.

Mu Zun nodded faintly.

“The people of your Heavenly Secret Pavilion are quite wise.”

It should be noted that the Heavenly Secret Pavilion and Mu Zun had a great feud; their successor Zhuge Ming had died at Mu Zun's hands.

Under this premise, that woman named Tian Xuan did not show any killing intent when facing Mu Zun on the Dao Questioning Platform.

Master of Heavenly Secrets gave a bitter smile.

The Heavenly Secret Pavilion had a grudge against the Qin Imperial Clan because of Zhuge Ming, but that didn't mean he had to oppose the Qin Imperial Clan and Imperial Son Qin.

Before coming to the questioning, Master of Heavenly Secrets had instructed his fellow disciples not to take the initiative to provoke Imperial Son Qin.

“We of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion cultivate the Dao of Deduction and know best how to seek good fortune and avoid calamity.”

“Facing an existence like the Imperial Son, forced confrontation is truly unwise.”

After that, Master of Heavenly Secrets briefly expressed to Mu Zun that he had no ill will toward him, and then took the initiative to lead his fellow disciples away.

Just as Master of Heavenly Secrets left, another person immediately stepped forward.