206: Chapter 206 Showdown with the Princesses

"Human-Spirit Integration Secret Technique."

"Mysterious Snake Transformation!"

The Black Water Mysterious Snake let out a deafening hiss, its massive body turning into a streak of black light that fused with Liang Hong.

In an instant, Liang Hong's body grew to two zhang tall, dense black snake scales appearing on the surface of his skin, his eyes turning into vertical slits, demonic power and spiritual power intertwining around him, his Aura skyrocketing frantically to directly rival the Peak of the Fourth Layer of Nascent Soul!

"Your Highness!"

Liang Hong's voice became hoarse and heavy.

He wielded the black fiend saber, its blade wreathed in dense Nine Nether black water, with a terrifying Aura.

"You are the first person at the Cangxuan Assembly to force me to use this move!"

Crown Prince Zhou Changqing's expression finally turned solemn as he slowly raised the Azure Wood Spirit Bead. The azure light surged brightly, condensing countless layers of vine barriers in front of him.

"Perfect."

He took a deep breath, pointing his green-honed sword diagonally, his Aura climbing to its absolute limit, a hint of hunting eagerness and Battle Intent in his voice.

"This Prince also wants to witness just how genuine the Beast Taming Sect's Human-Spirit Integration Secret Technique truly is!"

"black fiend saber Art — Nine Nether World Destruction!"

Liang Hong roared, his figure darting out like a black lightning bolt.

The black fiend saber, carrying the Nine Nether black water and bloody fiendish Qi, transformed into a pitch-black blade radiance tens of zhang long, slashing down fiercely toward Crown Prince Zhou Changqing.

The might of that single strike felt as though it could split the entire arena in half!

"Myriad Woods Return to Spring — Azure Emperor's Protection!"

Crown Prince Zhou Changqing formed hand seals with both hands, the Azure Wood Spirit Bead spinning crazily, intertwining countless vines into a gigantic azure emperor phantom that firmly protected him within.

"Boom!"

The blade radiance and the Wood Emperor collided with a bang, and the violent shockwaves swept in all directions.

The azure emperor phantom rapidly melted under the corrosion of the Nine Nether black water, yet it constantly regenerated under the nourishment of the spirit bead.

However, Liang Hong's strike was simply too terrifying. The Second Layer Nascent Soul demonic power of the Black Water Mysterious Snake combined with his own Third Layer Nascent Soul cultivation, and their superposition already surpassed an ordinary Fourth Layer of Nascent Soul!

"Crack!"

The vine barrier finally reached its limit, shattering layer by layer.

The remaining momentum of the blade radiance did not diminish, heavily slashing onto Crown Prince Zhou Changqing's green-honed sword.

"Clang!"

With a loud crash, Crown Prince Zhou Changqing's figure flew backward, retreating more than ten zhang in the air as a trickle of fresh blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

He steadied his figure, wanting to fight again, only to find that Liang Hong had followed like a shadow, placing the black fiend saber against his neck. The black water on the blade only needed to advance another inch to corrode his throat.

"Your Highness, I accept this win."

Liang Hong slowly withdrew his saber, the snake scales on his body gradually fading. The Black Water Mysterious Snake separated from his body, shrinking back into the Spirit Beast Bag with a withered Aura.

Liang Hong himself was also pale-faced, clearly having consumed a massive amount of energy.

Crown Prince Zhou Changqing wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, smiled bitterly, and praised:

"The Human-Spirit Integration Secret Technique truly lives up to its reputation. Brother Liang, this Prince admires your strength."

With that, his figure leapt, withdrawing from the arena.

The fourth match was between Fifth Prince Zhou Changfeng and Tiandao Sect's Huang Yunxiao.

Obviously, Fifth Prince Zhou Changfeng won!

The fifth match was Ji Family's Ji Zhan versus Wu Family's Wu Lie.

Ji Zhan won by a narrow margin!

...

Eighth Prince Zhou Daoyi waited for the cheers to subside slightly, then announced loudly:

"The top five have been decided! Seventh Prince Zhou Changyu, Baili Yunche, Ji Zhan, Fifth Prince Zhou Changfeng, Liang Hong! Will the five of you please step forward to draw lots!"

Five figures landed before the jade platform.

Baili Yunche reached his hand into the jade box, pulling out a jade slip engraved with the number "Three".

The jade slip drawn by Ji Zhan was engraved with "One".

The jade slip drawn by Seventh Prince Zhou Changyu was engraved with "Two".

The jade slip drawn by Fifth Prince Zhou Changfeng was engraved with "Four".

The jade slip drawn by Liang Hong was engraved with "Bye".

Eighth Prince Zhou Daoyi swept his gaze across them and said loudly: "Baili Yunche versus Ji Zhan! Seventh Prince Zhou Changyu versus Fifth Prince Zhou Changfeng! Liang Hong, bye!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire audience broke into an uproar.

"Baili Yunche versus Ji Zhan! I'm afraid Ji Zhan won't have an easy time!"

"Indeed! Previously, at the Ninth Layer of Golden Core, he took one of Ji Zhan's moves head-on. Now that he has broken through to the First Layer of Nascent Soul, he can probably knock Ji Zhan flat with a single punch!"

"Ji Zhan has truly kicked an iron plate this time. That jinx Baili Yunche even crippled Liu Yuze with a single punch; how many moves can Ji Zhan endure?"

Hearing the rising and falling discussions around him, Ji Zhan's complexion turned ashen and dark as ink.

He stood before the jade platform, his fists clenching so hard they made cracking sounds, his face full of resentment.

Previously, Baili Yunche had stepped on his reputation to rise, causing the entire Cangxuan Empire to circulate the joke that "Ji Zhan failed to kill Baili Yunche with a single strike". This made him, the legitimate eldest son of the Ji Family, lose all face.

Now, he had actually become a pathetic wretch bound to lose in everyone's eyes; this kind of humiliation was harder to bear than being killed!

Yet he knew in his heart that under normal circumstances, he was unlikely to be Baili Yunche's match.

That kid was a Prodigy unlike any human, capable of crippling a Third Layer Nascent Soul practitioner like Liu Yuze while only at the First Layer of Nascent Soul.

A fierce glint flashed across Ji Zhan's eyes, and he thought inwardly of the Blood-Boiling Pill he had purchased at the auction previously, calming down slightly.

That was his last trump card and his only hope to redeem his face!

In the VIP seating area, Patriarch Ji Wuyan was dressed in a dark golden brocade robe, his features five-part similar to Ji Zhan's, around fifty years of age, with the cultivation of the Ninth Layer of Nascent Soul. At this moment, his brows were tightly locked.

He used sound transmission, his voice heavy: "Zhan'er, if you cannot match him, surrender directly! As long as the green hills remain, there's no need to worry about firewood!"

Patriarch Ji Wuyan sighed inwardly.

Baili Yunche's growth speed was simply too fast, so fast that their Ji Family couldn't react in time at all!

From the former Fourth Layer of Golden Core to the First Layer of Nascent Soul, how long had it been?

If this child is not eliminated, the Ji Family will surely suffer a great disaster!

He looked toward Baili Yunche, his gaze as cold and venomous as a viper, murderous intent faintly visible.

This person who had made their Ji Family lose all face in the imperial city must die!

Even if not on the arena, he must be secretly obliterated within the Cangxuan Secret Realm or after the assembly!

Ji Zhan nodded, walking expressionlessly toward the arena.

There was only one thought in his heart: Today, either Baili Yunche dies, or he perishes!

On the arena, the two stood facing each other.

Ji Zhan took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the anger in his heart, and said in a cold voice:

"Baili Yunche, although I don't know how you broke through to the Nascent Soul Stage, you must die today!"

"Having offended the Ji Family, even if you enter the Cangxuan Secret Realm, you are bound to face endless pursuit and assassination by the Ji Family!"

"Throughout the entire Cangxuan Empire, there will no longer be any place for you to hide!"

Baili Yunche crossed his arms, looking down at Ji Zhan from a superior height with a playful smile hanging at the corner of his mouth.

"What, do you think you are stronger than Liu Yuze?"

"Liu Yuze also had the cultivation of the Third Layer of Nascent Soul, yet he was crippled by my two punches!"

"You are merely a tiny bit stronger than Liu Yuze; who gave you the courage to spout such wild nonsense here?"

"Liang Jingru?"

"You…"

Ji Zhan's face turned flushed red.

Without waiting for him to speak, Baili Yunche continued to mock:

"Oh, I forgot, you are the Saint after all, the eldest young master of the Ji Family. What a pity, leaving the Ji Family, you are nothing."

"That little cultivation of yours was piled up by the Family using Medicinal Pills, right? Among the same rank, you aren't even worthy of carrying my shoes."

"If I were you, I would kneel down right now, kowtow three loud heads, and call me Grandpa three times. I might perhaps consider letting you lose a bit more decently."

"Courting death!"

Ji Zhan let out a furious roar, unable to contain his anger.

The Third Layer Nascent Soul spiritual power around his body surged wildly, his fists transforming into two gigantic golden tiger heads that roared as they rushed up.

"Tiger Roar Dragon Chant Fist — Dragon-Tiger Double Kill!"

The fist wind whistled, transforming into two phantoms of a dragon and a tiger, their Aura terrifying.

However, Baili Yunche merely gave a disdainful smile, bringing his right hand's fingers together like a sword and gently slicing forward.

"Setting Sun Soul-Breaking."

A scarlet-golden sword radiance materialized out of thin air, merely a zhang or so in length, yet condensed to the absolute extreme.

The sword radiance collided with the dragon-tiger fist shadows, producing a crisp shattering sound.

"Crack!"

The dragon and tiger phantoms shattered like bubbles.

The remaining momentum of the sword radiance did not diminish, heavily slashing onto Ji Zhan's fists.

"Boom!"

Ji Zhan only felt an irresistible, colossal force transmitting from his fists, his entire body feeling as though he had been hit by a massive mountain as he retreated more than ten steps in succession, his feet plowing two deep trenches into the ground.

He barely steadied his figure, his arms numb, the web of his thumbs split open, and fresh blood dripping down his wrists.

Baili Yunche remained motionless, with an expression of utter calm.