âJun Zaitian, if you admit defeat now, you can still live,â Jun Mochen finally spoke.
âNo! Iâm just one battle away from an undefeated record. How could I admit defeat?â Jun Zaitian stubbornly shouted.
As soon as he finished speaking, he was once again sent flying by the fire clone.
Jun Mochen watched calmly, his expression indifferent and his gaze devoid of any emotion.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Even though the family genius was on the verge of being killed, he had no intention of intervening.
The Jun Clan was the most rule-bound of families, and interfering in battles between the younger generation would break those rules. How could he intervene?
According to the clan's rules, many geniuses of the Jun Clan went out to challenge others, and countless had already been killed for losing.
The Jun Clan had never made a big fuss over the death of a genius, and today was no exception. They could afford to lose, and they didn't lack for geniuses. Besides, Jun Zaitian had already been given a chance to survive.
Seeing that Jun Zaitian was determined to court death, Jun Mochen stopped trying to persuade him. Cold-hearted, he shifted his gaze, suddenly pausing as he noticed something among the corpses scattered on the battlefield.
Not everyone could kill their way in and out of an army of 200,000 soldiers, especially when there were 10,000 Gu cultivators aiding them.
The geniuses of the Western Lands had already suffered losses. One genius had even had his storage bag shattered, scattering treasures everywhere, including a Heaven-Mending Fruit.
As a Gu cultivator from a great clan, how could Jun Mochen not recognize such a treasure?
Seeing the fruit, his breathing quickened, and a greedy look appeared in his eyes. Even as a powerful cultivator in the Spiritual Sea stage, he couldn't stay calm in the presence of this treasure.
A person's natural talent was determined at birth, and improving one's aptitude was akin to defying the heavens. There were very few ways in the world to enhance one's talent.
This item was too rareâit was something that any strong cultivator would go to any lengths to obtain.
Unable to contain his greed, Jun Mochen rushed toward the Heaven-Mending Fruit at top speed.
At that moment, Long Xuan's battle with Jun Zaitian finally ended. Looking down at the lifeless, blood-covered body of Jun Zaitian, Long Xuan sighed helplessly.
He had originally hesitated to deliver the fatal blow because there was a Spiritual Sea Gu cultivator nearby.
But Jun Zaitian had insisted on rushing to his death. Even though he no longer had the strength to fight, he still came charging in. In a moment of carelessness, Long Xuanâs punch had killed him.
After Jun Zaitian's death, Long Xuan felt a chill and quickly looked toward the Spiritual Sea Gu cultivator.
Unfortunately, the Spiritual Sea Gu cultivator was also looking at him. Their gazes met.
Noticing that the Gu cultivator now held several storage bags from Western Landsâ geniuses, Long Xuanâs heart sankâhe realized the situation had taken a turn for the worse.
âYoung man, youâre quite impressive. There are very few in the Gu world who can kill Jun Zaitian at the same level. You can definitely be called a world-class genius,â the Gu practitioner said.
âJun Zaitian died in a fair and just duel. The Jun Clan has always followed the rules, and we can afford to lose. I wonât kill you to avenge him.â
Just as Long Xuan was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Jun Mochen suddenly changed his tone and shouted sternly, âBut! Treasures belong to the strong. Youâve taken something you shouldnât have, so itâs only right that I deal with you. Itâs within the rules.â
As soon as he finished speaking, a third eye suddenly appeared on Jun Mochenâs forehead. Under the gaze of this eye, Long Xuan felt as if a mountain was pressing down on his shoulders, nearly forcing him to his knees.
The weight was much stronger than before. Even with his two Dharma forms powers combined, he found it extremely difficult to move.
He felt as if he were trapped in a cage, barely able to move. If he couldnât move, he would be killed in a single strike by the advancing opponent.
Long Xuan was horrified, cold sweat running down his back.
He remembered what Li Laodao had told him before they came here: an accident was bound to happen, and it might leave him gravely injured, but he was guaranteed not to die. Moreover, if he hadnât come on this mission, everyone else would have died. ð³
Since arriving, Long Xuan had been trying to figure out what Li Laodao had foreseen.
Now, he realized the accident wasnât the mysterious 'National master', nor Bai Youranâs self-destructive sabotage of the 'Sou Gu Hut', nor even the overwhelmingly powerful Jun Zaitian.
The real accident was this Spiritual Sea Gu cultivator is from the Central Region. Once he made his move, everyone would die, including Long Dan.
Long Danâs seemingly flawless plan had encountered four unexpected incidents, and the one that could cost him his life was this final accident.
But Li Laodao had said that with Long Xuan present, they would all survive. What did he mean by that? Did it mean Long Xuan could kill a Spiritual Sea Gu practitioner?
What kind of joke was that? That was a 'Spiritual Sea' stage powerhouse! How could he, Long Xuan, possibly defeat such a being? Was Li Laodao overestimating him? Was his foresight really that accurate?
This was supposed to be a mission where he was âguaranteed not to dieâ? Was Li Laodao crazy?
This time, it seemed like Li Laodaoâs prediction had gotten him killed! If it werenât for Li Laodao constantly assuring him there would be accidents but that heâd survive, Long Xuan would never have come in the first place!
Long Xuanâs face grew darker as his opponent drew closer, sweat dripping from his forehead.
Then, in the nick of time, a flash of inspiration struck Long Xuan. A long-forgotten memory resurfaced, and he finally remembered how to break out of this situation.
A glimmer of hope appeared in Long Xuanâs eyes. No, he still had a chanceâthere was still a sliver of hope.
Without wasting any more time, he activated a power he had never used beforeâthe
"Gate of Life and Death".
âProfound Gate, open!â
âMartial Gate, open!â
âSpirit Gate, open!â
âDivine Gate, open!â
âStar Gate, open!â
âHeavenly Gate, open!â
In an instant, Long Xuan's blood, qi, spiritual power, mental strength, life force, and lifespan all ignited.
A powerful force suddenly surged into his limbs, and his aura began to skyrocket.
The immense energy pouring into his body made Long Xuan feel like he was about to explode, and his entire body was in excruciating pain.
He showed a pained expression. If it weren't for the Water Bear Gu granting him pseudo immortality, his current physical strength wouldn't have been able to withstand the injuries caused by opening six gates.
The strain of bearing power far beyond his current realm was causing severe damage to his body. Long Xuan let out a roar, and the sudden surge of power allowed him to break free from the constraints of gravity in an instant.
At this moment, Jun Mochen had just approached him. Sensing Long Xuan's rising aura, he was astonished but quickly became serious.
âA powerful forbidden technique to enhance strength in a short time? But isnât the strength increase a bit too exaggerated?â
His expression was one of surprise, but there was no time to think further. Long Xuanâs heavy fist was already coming his way. Instinctively, Jun Mochen met the blow with his own fist.
âBoom!â
The collision of their fists produced a deafening thud.
Jun Mochen felt a sharp force seep into his skin, directly attacking his internal organs.
His face changed dramatically, and he quickly used his Transference Gu to redirect the sharp force into the ground beneath him.
âBoom!â
The ground beneath him shattered instantly from the redirected force, sending dust flying into the air.
âYouâre courting death! Boosting your power by this much! I donât believe youâll survive this!â
Jun Mochen was enraged and charged at him again.
In a flash, the two exchanged countless blows. Long Xuanâs momentum continued to rise. Despite the heavy gravity, he was clashing head-on with a Spiritual Sea Realm expert, holding his own in the short term.
Fists clashed with fists, legs with legs, each attack direct and brutal.
Jun Mochen, facing an opponent of lower cultivation, didnât bother dodging Long Xuan's strikes. Every time Long Xuan threw a punch, he met it head-on, never backing down.
The sheer force of their battle was terrifying. Buildings around them collapsed one after another from the shockwaves, and the sound of their fists clashing echoed loudly, shaking the air.
Everyone watching the fight was stunned.
âA Marrow Cleansing Realm cultivator can fight evenly with a Spiritual Sea Realm expert? Am I seeing things? Is this Long Xuanâs true combat strength?â Long Dan stared in disbelief, utterly shocked by the scene.
âCrossing such a large gap in realms to fight a Spiritual Sea Realm cultivator, and not falling behindâthis has never happened in history!â Li Laodao exclaimed, deeply moved as he watched the fight unfold.
The woman in the golden robe no longer had her usual smile; her expression had turned extremely serious.
Seeing that he hadnât yet subdued this Spiritual Sea Realm Gu cultivator, Long Xuan grew anxious.
He knew he couldnât maintain this state for long, especially after opening the third gateâthe Spirit Gate. Keeping it open for too long could cause his cultivation to drop.
He couldnât afford to drag this out. He had to finish it quickly, or the consequences would be disastrous.
Gritting his teeth, Long Xuanâs expression turned wild as he decided to stop worrying about the consequences and opened the two most dangerous gates.
âSeventh Gate, Dragon Gate, open!â
âEighth Gate, Ghost Gate, open!â
Long Xuan roared, his eyes turning blood-red as immense power flooded into his limbs again.
He let out a pained howl as terrifying energy surged out of him. His entire body was engulfed in red flames, and a shockwave of energy exploded outward, spreading rapidly.
The red flames burning on his body werenât ordinary fire but energy so powerful that it overflowed from his body.
When mental power, soul power, life force, vitality, blood energy, vital energy, spiritual power, and potential all ignite together, the eight forces combine to form the power of Ghost and God.
This fusion of power was far more than just the sum of its parts.
Its energy level far surpassed spiritual powerâby as much as a hundred times.
The power was terrifying beyond belief.
Long Xuan vividly remembered the description of Ghost and God power in the introduction to the "Gate of Life and Death".
Ghost and God power could merge with a dharma form, and a dharma form infused with Ghost and God power could attack enemies directly.
Even someone one whole realm higher than the caster would die if struck by such an attack.
This was the description of Ghost and God power in the "Gate of Life and Death", and its ultimate move. Anyone without the Water Bear Gu would perish upon using it.
Without hesitation, Long Xuan condensed the Divine Dragon Dharma above his head, channeling the Ghost and God power into it.
In an instant, the Divine Dragon Dharma was enveloped in red energy, and it seemed to come to life, becoming lifelike.
Suddenly, the dragon's eyes opened, emitting a soul-stirring gaze filled with endless dragon might.
The Divine Dragon roared, its eyes sweeping across the battlefield with supreme arrogance, looking down on all.
At that moment, it was as though the dragon had been given life.
The overwhelming aura caused Jun Mochenâs hair to blow wildly in the wind, and he raised his arm to shield himself from the terrifying shockwave.
âThis isâ¦â
His expression was filled with shock.
âThis powerâ¦â
The woman in the golden robe immediately stood up, horrifiedâ¦