Actually, if possible, the strong ones of the Great Xue Ancient Nation would not have the willingness to participate in this particular duel. After all, there are plenty of powerful fighters in the Sky Wasteland. Why would they want to risk putting themselves in the limelight?
Going to battle as a cultivator of the in the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm against a cultivator of the Spirit Realm Sixth Level, such realm oppression means that winning would be taken for granted. However, if they lose, that would be deeply humiliating.
As a part of the numerous forces in the Sky Wasteland, if at other times like when dealing with the Demon Race, they, as humans, would feel duty-bound to take action. But this time, it's a conflict between the powerful warriors of Sky Wasteland and the ancestral lands for benefits.
But these benefits, even if fought for and obtained, how much would truly trickle down to them? Most of it would be seized by the top forces and the strongest warriors.
Moreover, the powerful figure confronting them in this duel is Pei Xuanjing. Previously, the Great Xue Ancient Nation had a good relationship with him. Should they win this time, even if he has a thousand reasons not to care, there's still a slight chance he would harbor resentment against them, and that would be an unfortunate loss.
Unfortunately, the news of them previously sealing a contract with Pei Xuanjing had already gotten out. Their vulnerability was exposed, leaving them with no choice but to face the challenge.
"Taoist Priest, please," the strong man of the Great Xue Ancient Nation said with a genial smile to the Taoist Priest Qingxu.
Even though the other party has a lower realm than himself, he didn't show the slightest arrogance. After all, the potential of his opponent, recognized by many strongest warriors, was evident. It was only a matter of time until they would become peers, so the strong one of the Great Xue Ancient Nation didn't want to offend him unnecessarily.
"Taoist Friend, please."
The other party was smiling, so naturally, Taoist Priest Qingxu wouldn't respond in any offensive way.
The two men then truly began to spar.
Sure enough, while their words were gentle, as soon as they made their moves, they were astonishingly powerful.
...
When experts compete, the outcome can sometimes be decided in an instant.
The strength of the Taoist Priest Qingxu is beyond many people's expectations. No one had thought that his mastery of the Tai Chi Yin-Yang Path would be so profound.
The first round between Taoist Priest Qingxu and this strong warrior of the Great Xue Ancient Nation ended in a draw. Neither could get the upper hand.
Such a draw was acceptable to Pei Xuanjing, but it was rather surprising to the many strong warriors of the Sky Wasteland. They hadn't expected that the first round wouldn't yield a victory.
The second round was between Zhao Baiyang and a cultivator of the Xuantian Sect. Everyone expected this round to be an easy victory. But in the final moment, Zhao Baiyang suddenly used a divine power similar to that displayed by Pei Xuanjing, bursting forth with an incredible strength that defeated his opponent, earning the first victory for the warriors of the Great Ming World.
This surprised many people. Their eyes couldn't help but turn towards Pei Xuanjing. But since Pei Xuanjing had imparted many divine abilities to them and Zhao Baiyang was their friend, his knowledge of this skill wasn't surprising after all.
Only Pei Xuanjing knew that it wasn't a skill he taught, but a skill Zhao Baiyang discovered himself. Of course, there was no need for Pei Xuanjing to point this out, as it didn't make much difference.
Zhao Baiyang's victory was beyond anyone's expectation. Given that these strongest warriors and many cultivators in the Sky Wasteland were aware of his strength and potential, they acknowledged that Zhao Baiyang and the others had potential and skills. However, the underlying issue is that the time since the recovery of Heaven and Earth was too short. Despite possessing enough potential, they lacked the time to transform their potential into actual combat power.
Hence, even though Zhao Baiyang and the others had impressive skills, these people were not too concerned about the final outcome, believing that they had a firm hold on victory and everything under control.
However, Zhao Baiyang's victory caught everyone by surprise. The powerful warriors held back their previous contempt. They realized that these people who could make it to this point were by no means ordinary, and were definitely not to be underestimated.
Therefore, after Zhao Baiyang won the match with his unexpected power of the Heavenly Divine Position, the numerous strong warriors in the Sky Wasteland began to proceed with caution, adjusting their line-up for the next match.
As previously mentioned, the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm cultivators in the Sky Wasteland are not short of true warriors. The outstanding ones among them even possess the ability to challenge the Eighth Level of the Spiritual Realm.
After Zhao Baiyang's victory made them aware of the need to not be negligent, a real top performer of the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm was sent out to participate in the third match. This was a strong man from the Sword Sect, who was formidable because of the sharpness of the swordsmanship of the sect. Even many cultivators of the Eighth Rank dare not look down on him.
Facing such a fearsome opponent, the local representative Tie Qianshan's defeat was a foregone conclusion. Even though his talent was on par with Zhao Baiyang's and he possessed the ability to challenge the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm despite being at the Sixth Level of the Spiritual Realm, facing this strong man from the Sword Sect, who also had the ability to challenge those of a higher rank, the gap in their realms became an insurmountable obstacle.
Tie Qianshan was defeated by the warrior of the Sword Sect, resulting in the third victory for the Sky Wasteland side.
Thus far, from the three matches with the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm warriors, the first match resulted in a draw with the Taoist Priest Qingxu, the second match was won by Zhao Baiyang, and the third match was lost by Tie Qianshan.
With one draw, one victory, and one defeat, neither side was very satisfied with the result.
From the perspective of the numerous strong warriors of the Sky Wasteland, apart from confronting Pei Xuanjing, the Seventh and Eighth Level Spiritual Realm cultivators were undoubtedly powerful. Under such a grand scheme, they should have won all three matches. Thus, these results did not meet the expectations of many warriors in the Sky Wasteland.
Many warriors had even predicted that they would win all three matches of the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm and the Eighth Level of the Spiritual Realm, thereby eliminating the need for Pei Xuanjing, the national teacher, to intervene.
However, with the current one draw, one victory, and one defeat situation, they simply didn't gain the advantage they had hoped for. In this level of competition, both sides ended up on a level playing field, leaving everything to the upcoming combats.
Not only were the numerous cultivators of the Sky Wasteland dissatisfied with the result of the competition, but in fact, even Pei Xuanjing and the others were not satisfied with the outcome.
After all, because of constraints, they had put all their bets on this level of competition and had, at the very least, hoped to win two rounds in order to gain the upper hand and lay the foundation for a final victory.
But who could have expected that these powerful warriors from the Sky Wasteland would react so quickly? They had thought that the other side would only adjust their tactics after they had won two rounds.
However, in practice, after Zhao Baiyang's victory in just one round, the other side immediately changed their tactics, giving the home team no opportunity to take advantage.
"Actually, I'm to blame. If I had won that round, we wouldn't be in this predicament." The Taoist Qingxu expressed regretfully.
"Taoist priest, you shouldn't feel that way. It's all my fault. If I were not so incompetent…" Tie Qianshan shook his head, shouldering the responsibility.
Xue Wuheng stopped Tie Qianshan, and said with a bitter smile, "You just substituted for me, Tie brother. If I weren't so useless and had not been injured earlier, I wouldn't have caused you to lose face."
Xue Wuheng felt helpless about the outcome. He never thought that the people of the Sky Wasteland's Demonic Way would be so vindictive, constantly intensifying the conflict at the arena in the Seventh District, which resulted in his injury and inability to fight.
"No, no, no. That swordsman from the Jian Sect is so strong that even many cultivators at the Spirit Realm Eightfold can't beat him. Not to mention any of us. The possibility of winning is slim." Zhao Baiyang explained.
The strength of that swordsman from the Jiǎn Sect was beyond imagination. Even though it might be slightly inferior to Pei Xuanjing's, they couldn't challenge him either. So no matter who fought against him, the result would be the same—none of them would win.
No matter what their relationships were in normal times, at this moment, their interests were the same. Only by winning this competition could their interests be guaranteed.
"Taoist friends, don't be so pessimistic. We still have a chance." Pei Xuanjing's voice echoed in their ears.
Indeed, the current situation might not be as advantageous as they originally anticipated. However, a draw in the competition so far meant they weren't at a disadvantage.
Now it seemed that his decision to come to the frontier in person was not wrong. Instead of relying solely on a strategy to win by racing unevenly matched horses and placing all hopes on the opponent's carelessness, it's better to enhance his own strength as much as possible.
Regardless, the current situation was at a stalemate. The outcome was still uncertain. Even if they lost all three games at the Spirit Realm Eightfold, as long as he could win all three games at the Strongest Realm, it would at least end in a draw.
Of course, this was the worst-case scenario. Pei Xuanjing still had high hopes for the upcoming matches.
"Now, it's up to you to decide the next move." Pei Xuanjing said to Zhu Houji and Wu Shijiu.
Not long ago, Wang Boan also arrived here, appearing silently nearby.
Very soon, the strong men from Sky Wasteland noticed his presence. Based on the information on hand, they became fully aware of Wang Boan's background.
They had early knowledge about Wang Boan who was commanding millions of armies at the frontier, consolidating the returnees from Sky Wasteland to fight against the Demon Race.
These powers were familiar with this formidable figure who had likely attained the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm. It wasn't surprising for them that Boan was here.
"We may need to be cautious. He rarely shows his hand, but judging by his background, he may be as powerful as Pei Xuanjing, if not more." A pinnacle warrior secretly communicated with the others.
At their level, they seldom treated anyone with such caution. But after receiving information about Wang Boan, many top-level warriors were slightly surprised.
He had risen to power successfully without much fanfare, unlike Pei Xuanjing who was famous throughout the world. Boan seemed to be low-key and plain. His cultivation breakthroughs did not seem extraordinary, almost as if everything had progressed as expected. How could they not pay attention to him?
Furthermore, since Pei Xuanjing trusted him enough to let him compete at this juncture, Boan must possess sufficient strength.
The first contest at the Spirit Realm Eightfold began, and the first to compete was Wu Shijiu.
When he volunteered, Pei Xuanjing and the others couldn't refuse.
However, when the warrior from Sky Wasteland showed up, Pei Xuanjing frowned slightly, seemingly not optimistic about Wu Shijiu's match.
The reason was simple; his opponent was an old monk from the Buddha Way, who was at the Eight Level of the Spiritual Realm.
With Wu Shijiu's strength, he was already one of the strong contenders amongst those at the Spirit Realm Eightfold. By employing the mysterious rituals passed down by the Witch Deity Teaching, he could even fight against a sovereign-level warrior at the Spirit Realm Eightfold level. Therefore, he was confident in winning this round.
However, it seemed that Sky Wasteland had deliberately targeted him by dispatching a Spirit Realm Eightfold powerhouse of the Buddha Way. It was commonly known that amongst all the cultivators in the world, those of the Buddha Way could best resist the witchcraft of the Witch Deity Teaching.
The old monk who fought not only had incredible Divine Abilities from the Buddhism School, but also followed the Golden Vajra Way. His honed golden body and Buddha bone exhibited an extraordinary power completely restraining Wu Shijiu. All his Divine Abilities and witchcraft were useless.
"Regardless of the result, I'm grateful for your efforts, Mr. Wu." Zhu Houji thanked Wu Shijiu.
Even though they lost this time, they had no complaints about Wu Shijiu. After all, such natural suppression was beyond anyone's control.
"Dammit! If I had received the item traded by the leader, and had enough time to refine it, even without attaining the Strongest Realm, I could still suppress that old monk." Wu Shijiu's eyes flashed with a trace of unwillingness and a hint of murderous intention.
His participation in this contest was not only to make a gesture to Pei Xuanjing and atone for his previous mistake of introducing the Witch God Sect Leader without permission.
He also intended to use this opportunity to reappear before all the powerhouses in the world and announce his return, given his previous fame.
This loss to the monk from the Buddhism School ruined Wu Shijiu's plan, leaving him feeling bitter.
"Old fellow, I will remember you." Wu Shijiu suppressed his murderous intent and his face returned to normal.
The Witch Deity Teaching was a mysterious and longtime force, not to be trifled with. Wu Shijiu had traversed his way from the most humble disciple to his current status. He was never a kind man.
Even though he appeared gentle in front of Pei Xuanjing and others, people should never presume Wu Shijiu to be a good man.
This time, the old monk from the Buddhism School had caused Wu Shijiu to lose face. How could he let it pass?
If it had been in the past, he might have been cautious due to the present strong figures of the Buddhism School. But he couldn't bear to swallow this, despite any discontent, when faced with the powerful opponent.
But times have changed.
Today's Wu Shijiu is not the same as yesterday's, he doesn't have to submit, or suppress his anger anymore.
Wu Shijiu, who facilitated the cooperation between the Great Ming Divine Dynasty and Pei Xuanjing and the Witch Deity Teaching, has already received the resources promised by the Witch God Sect Leader, those things that enhance breakthroughs to the Nine Realms of Spirit, the realm of the strongest.
For him, the view to the realm of the strongest is no longer as unreachable and unattainable as before, therefore he will not tolerate this humiliation. Once he has enough time to digest everything, he will exact his revenge.
For whatever Wu Shijiu is thinking, everyone else is completely unaware. However, even if Pei Xuanjing and Zhu Houji knew about it, they wouldn't be too concerned.
After all, everyone is from the same faction, but in actuality, they are collaborators, with no hierarchical relationship. Wu Shijiu is not under their jurisdiction; his actions are not restricted by them.
Although Zhu Houji sensed Wu Shijiu's anger, he didn't think too much of it. It was better to focus on Wang Bo'an's move next.
Wang Bo'an, a man who usually stays low-key and never departs from the border, attracted everyone's attention. After all, he was one of the only two cultivators in the ancestral land who had reached the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm or higher.
Everyone has clearly seen the strength of Pei Xuanjing, a strong man who eclipses the world and makes all the powerhouses bow their heads.
So, as the second strongest man in the ancestral land, there was much curiosity about how powerful he truly was. Everyone wanted to see the true strength of Wang Bo'an.
Even a lion uses its full power when hunting a rabbit.
After suffering three defeats at the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm, the powerful cultivators of the Sky Wasteland no longer dare to underestimate the cultivators of the ancestral land. So, even though they have a temporary advantage in the first battle of the Spirit Realm Eightfold, they will not be complacent.
Therefore, Wang Bo'an's opponent is not an ordinary cultivator. He is a powerful person who has reached the Spirit Realm Eightfold, the younger brother of Great River ancient country's ruler, the first king of Great River ancient country, King Yuan, Ying Yuan.
As one of the few cultivators in the Spirit Realm Eightfold in the Great River ancient country, Prince Yuan's strength is not to be underestimated. He might fall short of the old ruler and ancestor of Great River ancient country but among the many cultivators of the same realm in Sky Wasteland, he is a standout.
In many people's eyes, this match was almost certain to be won. Even if Wang Bo'an is so powerful, a cultivator at the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm may be able to defeat an ordinary cultivator at the Spirit Realm Eightfold, but when facing a strong person like Ying Yuan, he may be overpowered.
Can there be another Pei Xuanjing from the ancestral land?
This was the dismissive attitude of many strong persons.
The appearance of Pei Xuanjing seriously subverted many people's perceptions and attitudes, making them treat the cultivators of the ancestral land with caution, and dare not underestimate them.
But that's it, after innumerable generations, the ancestral land has been dormant for thousands of ages, and now the world has revived, Qi Luck has deepened, and the appearance of a standout like Pei Xuanjing can be explained.
But if there is another Pei Xuanjing, whom is Wang Bo'an, it would really be a joke to all. Therefore, everyone thinks that Wang Bo'an might perform well in this battle, but the final result will not be any different.
But don't forget, sometimes, reality is cruel and helpless.
After Wang Bo'an and Prince Yuan finished their moves, there was silence. Whether it were ordinary cultivators, the powerful figures seated on the cloud platforms or the many strongest figures, their faces were complex and none of them spoke for a long time.
Silence, silence like death.
It's hard to imagine that in a place where countless cultivators gather, there would be a moment of such silence when even the wind seemed to stop.
Wang Bo'an won!
Or to say, King Yuan lost!
This situation was something that everyone had not anticipated.
No, or perhaps among all the people present, only one person expected this situation: Pei Xuanjing.
The confrontation between these two was indeed as they initially predicted. It was a groundbreaking battle, with each displaying their divine powers in their continuous attacks, which showed their strengths.
But the result differed from what the cultivators expected and did not align with their understanding.
After all, in their view, no matter how excellent Wang Bo'an performed, he would still be defeated by King Yuan in the end.
But now, King Yuan was defeated by a cultivator at the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm. This was unimaginable for many people.
Even many strong persons frowned slightly, which meant their plans had failed. The first two battles at the Spirit Realm Eightfold had a win and a loss, and the sides were again at a stalemate.
In this case, even if they win the third battle, the final result will still be decided by the confrontation of the strongest.
This is very bad!
Even considering that their real bodies did not come, and Pei Xuanjing agreed to confront them with their incarnations, they still did not want to face this situation.
However, no matter what, the current situation is what it is. What they need to do now is to go all out to win the next match; otherwise, everything will be irreversible.
It is quite clear who will fight on behalf of Pei Xuanjing's side: it is undoubtedly the last remaining person, the present Emperor of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, Zhu Houji.
Everyone is looking forward to this first ruler of the Divine Dynasty in thousands of years, they are eager to know the true strength of the Emperor.
Therefore, these strongest characters, after discussing, surprisingly dispatched a dominant figure from the Spirit Realm Eightfold, a vice leader of the Blood Fiend Sect.
In the Demonic Way, the strong are respected. The leader of the Blood Fiend Sect is personally in charge of the Blood Fiend Ancestor. A person who can become the vice head of the Blood-red Demon Sect has a power that is no less than those of the old ancestors of the ancient country. They belong to the genuinely strong characters of the Spirit Realm Eightfold's fourth stage, the kind of strongmen who are beginning to gaze into the Strongest Realm.
The stake of such a powerful person in the match implies how crucial this match is to the powerhouses of the Sky Wasteland. They have abandoned their face in order to win this battle.
"Such a strong person, he really regards me highly." Zhu Houji thought to himself.
However, when facing such a strong opponent, he had no intention of retreating, and he was extremely confident that he could win.
"Since that's the case, then let me show you the power of a true powerhouse, and let me see whether I, even without Master Pei's protection, still have the right to stand tall in the world," Zhu Houji said to himself.