Shangguan Yunzhu stepped into the Light Gate of the Core Zone, and the scene before her eyes instantly turned upside down.
One moment, it was the Endless Sand Sea with yellow sand filling the sky and scorching heat waves; the next, she found herself in a Peach Blossom Spring with bright mountains, beautiful waters, deep forests, and birdsong.
Emerald peaks clustered together, clear water gurgled, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of vegetation. The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful.
However, beneath this peaceful and serene appearance lurked a heart-palpitating horror.
Almost the instant she stepped into this place—
“Roar—!!!”
A heaven-shaking tiger roar suddenly exploded! The sound waves were like a physical giant hammer, carrying a surging demonic might of a Dayao as they slammed ruthlessly into Shangguan Yunzhu.
That pure, terrifying pressure originating from the very level of life made even her feel her blood churning and her Divine Soul trembling violently, nearly causing her to fall from her Flying Sword.
“Whew…” Shangguan Yunzhu forcibly suppressed her churning blood and took a deep breath of the air carrying the fragrance of grass and trees, her gaze instantly becoming as sharp as a blade.
The Flying Sword beneath her feet hummed clearly, and her figure rose higher. Her powerful Ling Shi, like an invisible giant net, instantly swept through the lush mountain forest and clear streams below.
Soon, her gaze locked onto a massive crouching ox-shaped rock by the stream.
There, a Hanging-eyed White-browed Tiger of such suffocating proportions was coiled.
Its body was like Xiaoshan, its knotted muscles like coiling giant pythons, bulging and undulating under its glossy, multicolored fur.
Merely by lying there, the majestic demonic qi emanating from its entire body had condensed into a physical pressure, making the surrounding air viscous and heavy, making it difficult to breathe.
Fortunately, this terrifying giant beast seemed to still be resting with its eyes closed, not noticing the tiny observer high in the sky.
But how could Shangguan Yunzhu dare to be even slightly careless? She knew well the terror of an Integration Realm Dayao. While it’s down, take its life.
A cold light flashed in her eyes, and her hands instantly formed complex and profound hand seals. Her cherry lips parted slightly, and her cold voice, carrying a resolute killing intent, resounded through the mountain forest: “Fengyu Thousand Blades, Myriad Swords Return!”
Buzz—!
The countless crimson sword shadows that had been nimbly circling her body suddenly came to a standstill. The sword tips turned in unison, pointing directly at the giant tiger below.
The sword bodies vibrated violently, emitting a piercing hum, as the surging flaming sword intent gathered crazily like a hundred rivers returning to the sea.
“One Flame Burns the Heavens, Shattering the Nine Folds!”
Ten thousand swords chimed together. A blazing fire soared into the sky, condensing into a sky-burning fire cloud above, carrying a power that could destroy heaven and earth as it ruthlessly pressed down toward the sleeping giant tiger below.
“Sincere Heart Burning Out, Sword Breaking the Sky!”
All the Flying Swords suddenly collapsed and aggregated inward. A blinding red-gold light instantly swallowed the sky, as if a bright sun had exploded in mid-air.
“Lone Swan Traversing the World, Piercing the Firmament!”
Shangguan Yunzhu pointed her jade fingers like a sword and slashed ruthlessly through the air toward where the giant tiger was located.
“Screech—!!!”
A heaven-shaking phoenix cry, capable of piercing gold and cracking stone as if it came from the primordial era, tore through the sky.
Within that extremely brilliant light, a giant flaming phoenix with a wingspan that blotted out the sun, completely formed from the True Flames of Nirvana, flapped its wings and emerged.
The majestic divine power burned the eight wildernesses.
It was like a spear of judgment, turning into a red-gold meteor that tore through space, carrying the terrifying high temperature that could incinerate all things as it crashed down toward the giant tiger on the crouching rock.
“Roar—!!!”
A deafening roar of pain resounded through the valley. The giant tiger’s massive body was ruthlessly struck by the red-gold meteor.
The terrifying heat instantly burned its glossy fur to ashes, revealing charred and carbonized flesh. A pungent scorched smell permeated the air, and the scene was incredibly wretched.
However, how could the vitality of an Integration Realm Dayao be ordinary?
“Roar!” The giant tiger’s furious roar carried boundless humiliation. The demonic power throughout its body erupted like a volcano. A visible transparent coating, flowing with earthen-yellow Dao patterns, instantly covered its entire body.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle.
The True Flames of Nirvana, which were enough to melt gold and iron, were actually isolated by this strange coating, unable to harm it in the slightest anymore.
The giant tiger suddenly raised its head, its beastly pupils burning with sky-high rage as they locked onto Shangguan Yunzhu high in the sky.
A low, murderous growl rumbled in its throat.
“Vile beast! Die!”
Seeing that her strongest killing move had failed to take effect, Shangguan Yunzhu felt a chill in her heart, but her offensive did not stop.
Her finger seals changed again, and the flames on the ground that had not yet been extinguished seemed to be summoned, instantly gathering and rising, condensing into a giant flame sword as massive as a mountain above her head. The sword’s edge pointed directly at the giant tiger below.
“Roar!” How could the giant tiger sit and wait for death? It let out a heaven-shaking roar, and the earth rumbled along with it.
The mud and sand by the stream seemed to come alive, frantically surging toward the giant tiger, instantly wrapping and shaping it.
In the blink of an eye, a ferocious Stone Tiger Colossus, dozens of zhang tall and composed of hard rock, rose from the ground.
The colossus’s eyes burned with eerie green demonic fire, emitting a terrifyingly malevolent aura.
“Slash!” Shangguan Yunzhu swung her jade arm down, and the giant flame sword above her head, carrying the power to burn mountains and boil seas, crashed down toward the Stone Tiger Colossus.
“Roar—!” The Stone Tiger Colossus suddenly opened its massive stone mouth and let out a tiger roar even more terrifying than before. The invisible sound waves, like a physical impact, slammed ruthlessly into the falling giant flame sword.
Buzz—!
That incomparably powerful giant flame sword actually vibrated violently. Under Shangguan Yunzhu’s solemn gaze, the surface of the giant sword was instantly covered with spiderweb-like cracks, and then with a “boom,” it disintegrated into countless scattered flaming Flying Swords, like a rain of fire.
And the Stone Tiger Colossus’s attack was far from over. It opened its massive mouth slightly, and dozens of sharp stone cones the size of houses, entwined with earthen-yellow demonic power, shot toward Shangguan Yunzhu in the air like siege ballistae, accompanied by piercing sounds of breaking through the air.
Shangguan Yunzhu’s pupils constricted slightly, and her sword fingers tapped repeatedly. The scattered Flying Swords instantly relinked, forming a flame sword curtain to protect her.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew in all directions. Most of the stone cones were crushed by the sword curtain, but a few still craftily broke through the defense.
Shangguan Yunzhu’s figure was like lightning, the main sword in her hand turning into streaks of afterimages, dangerously shattering the stone cones that reached her one by one.
“Ten Thousand Blades Paying Homage!” She shouted clearly, and the sword casket behind her opened once more. Countless Flying Swords, like a swarm of bees returning to their nest, gathered into a brilliant river of swords behind her. The sword tips pointed directly at the Stone Tiger Colossus on the ground.
“Roar!” The Stone Tiger Colossus’s thick stone tail suddenly swept across. Another dozens of stone cones whistled out, accurately smashing into the river of swords.
Puff, puff, puff!
Many Flying Swords were knocked down by the stone cones, their light dimming.
Although the remaining Flying Swords struck the Stone Tiger Colossus, they were stopped dead by that layer of rock armor flowing with earthen-yellow Dao patterns, producing the sound of clashing metal and unable to advance an inch.
Shangguan Yunzhu’s gaze became increasingly solemn, and fine beads of sweat seeped from her forehead. This vile beast’s defense… was too troublesome.
Just as Shangguan Yunzhu was in the heat of battle with the Integration Realm tiger demon, at the edge of the Core Zone, within a dense ancient forest.
The two youngsters of Tianquanfeng—Lu Qiancha and Gantang—were like two alert little beasts, silently lurking among the lush tree crowns and foliage.
Through the gaps, they held their breath and concentrated on observing the heaven-shaking battle in the distance.
“Shixiong…” Gantang’s voice was kept extremely low, filled with unbelievable alarm and doubt, “Can that Shangguan Yunzhu… really beat this tiger?”
She felt the aura fluctuations belonging to the Lianxu Realm coming from afar, and then sensed the Integration Realm demonic might emanating from the Stone Tiger Colossus that made one’s soul tremble. Her heart was full of doubt.
“That’s the Integration Realm, an existence that has preliminarily mastered the laws of heaven and earth. The gap between it and the Lianxu Realm is simply a natural chasm.”
“Shimei,” a profound smile curled at the corner of Lu Qiancha’s mouth, his gaze still locked on the battlefield, “You should know that those who can be called ‘geniuses’ often hide unknown trump cards.”
“The more they are at the moment of life and death, the more they can explode with inconceivable power. Fighting across levels is just a common occurrence for them.”
His tone carried a hint of playfulness.
“O… Okay…” Gantang reluctantly accepted this explanation, but the worry in her eyes did not completely dissipate.
Immediately after, Lu Qiancha turned his head, his eyes flashing with a cunning light, and whispered to Gantang: “Shimei, next, I need you to cooperate with me in a play. The success or failure of our Grand Competition depends on this one move!”
“What play?!” Gantang’s spirit instantly rallied, her big eyes widening and her ears perking up, for fear of missing a single word.
“Hehe, just watch.” Lu Qiancha gave a mysterious smile, and the spiritual power within his body quietly circulated.
A burst of light and shadow blurred and distorted around him; his figure, face, and even his aura were rapidly changing.
In the blink of an eye, the person standing before Gantang had remarkably turned into the appearance of the presiding elder she had seen before in the Dazhong—Hu Shi, who had white hair and a youthful face, possessing the air of an immortal. It was lifelike, without a single flaw.
“!!!” Gantang’s small mouth instantly formed an “O” shape, as if it could fit a whole apple.
She stared dumbfoundedly at this incredible scene before her, her eyes filled with extreme shock and bewilderment: “Shi… Shixiong?! You… you can even change into other people’s appearances?!”
She had always thought her Shixiong’s disguise was limited to that gentle and jade-like Shixiong image; she never imagined he had such multifaceted divine abilities.
“Your Shixiong knows many things.”
Lu Qiancha grinned, then quickly returned to a serious expression, mimicking Hu Shi’s previous tone, and spoke indifferently: “To show fairness, the sect specifically compensates Tianquanfeng with an initial score of one hundred and eighty points. Gantang, do you have any objections?”
Gantang, who was beside him, clapped repeatedly, praising Lu Qiancha: “Shixiong’s imitation is exactly the same. If I hadn’t seen it before, I really wouldn’t have been able to tell at all.”
“That’s natural. Your Shixiong is very impressive; people call me the Little Oscar Movie King.”
Lu Qiancha spoke proudly.
Gantang blinked her eyes upon hearing this; Shixiong was saying those incomprehensible strange words again.
However, Gantang could also roughly tell that this was Lu Qiancha saying his disguise was very powerful.
So, Gantang hurriedly praised: “Shixiong is the most impressive.”
“Hmph hmph, of course.”
Lu Qiancha found this praise very enjoyable; under the disguise, his little tail almost wagged up to the sky.
Then, Gantang hurriedly asked: “Shixiong, what do you want me to do in a bit?”
Lu Qiancha thought for a moment and said to Gantang: “Hmm… when the time comes, you just need to do this…”