NFBE Chapter 1988
Chapter 1988
Everyone present was fully aware of the ferocity Chen Xuan had previously displayed:
Xiao Xuanche summoned protective puppets and armor comparable to those of a true immortal, but they were still killed by his sword.
Currently, there are only a handful of Saintly Sons and Saintly Daughters of the Void Realm who can rival him – Xia Jiuyou has already made his appearance, and the remaining ones are only Han Jiuling, Tianxuan Saintly Son, Ziqing Twin Masters, and five or six others from Dao Yi Holy Land.
But everyone knew that challenging Chen Xuan on stage was a losing proposition – Chen Xuan had just been severely injured by the Immortal King, and even if they defeated him, they wouldn't be tainted by the stain of "unfair victory"; but if they lost, their foundation for immortality would be damaged, and their future in the path of immortality would be basically ruined.
It's not worth it no matter how you look at it.
Only a few holy sons from the Yao Guang Holy Land were eager to make a move—in order to impress the Holy Lord, and even more so to win over Lu Xueqi, a top-tier Holy Maiden vessel, they were willing to risk their reputation.
It should be known that with the help of a furnace, the probability of safely passing the Heavenly Immortal Tribulation can be increased several times over; since ancient times, among millions of Void Realm cultivators, only a handful of prodigies have been able to survive the second-class and first-class Heavenly Immortal Tribulations.
What does it matter if one loses some prestige in order to become an immortal?
"Chen Xuan! Since you're so eager to die, I, Mo Xingyan, will kill you!"
A clear shout rang out, and Mo Xingyan, the third holy son of Yaoguang, wearing a star-patterned robe and holding a thousand-star fan covered with star patterns, was surrounded by starlight. He transformed into a stream of light, rushed out of the warship deck, and headed straight for the sword-fighting platform at the top of the mountains.
Chen Xuan glanced at him, then casually pointed to another part of the Yao Guang warship, his tone indifferent: "You are not qualified to fight me one-on-one. Lu Jinxiao, you shall also die."
Upon hearing this, Lu Jinxiao, the third holy son of Yaoguang, frowned, but when he thought of Lu Xueqi's advantage as a furnace cauldron, he suppressed his displeasure and smiled calmly: "Since Brother Chen Xuan is in such a hurry to set off, it would seem unreasonable of me not to grant his request."
As soon as he finished speaking, he transformed into a streak of light and followed Mo Xingyan to the sword-fighting platform.
Upon seeing this, the disciples of Yaoguang burst into thunderous cheers, their shouts of battle almost drowning out the gale-force winds in the void.
Chen Xuan looked at the two people on the stage, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
His gaze swept past the Yao Guang warship and turned to the three holy lands of Tianxuan, Yaochi, and Daoyi, who had previously spoken up for Yao Guang. He lightly tapped the air with his finger, and his voice echoed in all directions: "I wonder if there are any truly talented holy sons among Tianxuan, Yaochi, and Daoyi who dare to enter the arena for a battle?"
Where was there even a trace of the grievance, sob, and helplessness he had shown when facing the Celestial King?
That domineering and confident air that looked down upon the world sent a chill down everyone's spine—was he trying to leave a lasting mark on the history of the ranking battle of the Ten Holy Lands? Or was it a final, desperate act of madness?
Regardless, Jue Wuqing spoke up for the Holy Maiden's furnace just now, and Chen Xuan was the fuse that ignited this conflict. Both of them were trying to change the old system of "Holy Maiden's furnace".
This is why, even as Chen Xuan frantically challenged the four holy lands, the truly powerful holy maidens who hadn't been used as cultivation vessels remained silent.
Among them are the Ziqing Twin Sisters, and the demon fairy Xia Jiuyou, who is determined to prove herself and escape her fate as a furnace cauldron.
Xia Jiuyou stood on the deck of the Jiuyou warship, her clear eyes gazing at the white-haired youth on the dueling platform, a complex emotion hidden deep within her gaze.
For so many years, someone has dared to speak out so frantically for the Holy Maiden's furnace in front of the Eight Great Holy Lords and the Divine Lord.
"Hmph, this Chen Xuan is truly interesting. I can't miss this opportunity to spar." Not far away, Han Jiuling from the Dao Yi Holy Land had a burning gaze. He immediately bowed to the hunched old woman of the Nine Nether Holy Lord and said respectfully, "Holy Lord, this disciple is willing to participate in the battle."
The old woman slowly raised her eyes, her cloudy gaze sweeping over Xia Jiuyou beside her, then nodded slightly: "Go if you want to. This little Chen Xuan is quite strong. Fighting him will be a test for you and a way to prove yourself."
"Thank you, Holy Lord!" Han Jiuling bowed and accepted, his tone filled with a sense of triumph. "Holy Lord, rest assured, after this battle, I will surely restore the former glory and majesty of Jiuyou!"
As he finished speaking, he turned around unintentionally and looked at Xia Jiuyou, whose face was cold. His eyes held a hint of provocation, as if to say: No matter how talented you are, no matter how hard you have tried to get rid of your fate as a furnace cauldron, as long as you can't beat me, you will eventually be my furnace cauldron.
Normally, the two maintained a relationship as fellow disciples, but since Han Jiuling's return, they have clashed in secret dozens of times, with each winning half and losing half, showing that their strengths are evenly matched.
Han Jiuling moved swiftly, leaping to the edge of the warship. He stood with his hands behind his back, looking at Chen Xuan on the dueling platform, and said loudly, "Brother Chen Xuan, you truly possess invincible talent! I, Han Jiuling, naturally do not wish to miss such a good opportunity for sparring—I wonder if my Nine Nether Holy Land may join the battle?"
This cheerful voice pierced through the void, drawing the attention of holy lands from all sides.
Chen Xuan squinted and turned around, seeing Han Jiuling looking at him with a smile, but a disdainful smirk appeared on his lips: "You alone cannot represent the Nine Nether Holy Land. You are not qualified to fight me one-on-one."
"What did you say?!" Han Jiuling's smile froze instantly, his expression darkened slightly, his brows furrowed, and his tone was filled with anger. "Chen Xuan, have I been too kind to you? Who do you think you are, daring to say that I'm not qualified to challenge you one-on-one?"
Chen Xuan ignored his taunts and his cold gaze swept through the crowd, landing on Xia Jiuyou on the deck of the Nine Nether Warship. He said with a hint of a smile, "Xia Jiuyou, you can also make your appearance."
Xia Jiuyou's delicate body trembled slightly—this challenge contained a message she couldn't decipher. What was Chen Xuan's purpose? She couldn't quite figure it out yet, but a strange flutter rose in her heart.
"Hmph, Brother Chen Xuan killed Xiao Xuanche with four swords, his strength is astonishing. Since you have challenged me to a duel, I also want to see your sword path." After Xia Jiuyou finished speaking, he completely ignored Han Jiuling, who was left standing aside with a livid face, and immediately transformed into a stream of immortal light and rushed out of the warship deck.
Even as she passed by the Lord of the Nine Netherworlds, she hurriedly sent a telepathic message as an apology.
"You! Xia Jiuyou!" How proud Han Jiuling was! First, he was looked down upon by Chen Xuan, and then ignored by the "furnace" he had chosen. His anger instantly surged to the top of his head.
He could no longer maintain his composure and followed closely behind Xia Jiuyou, transforming into a streak of light and rushing into the dueling arena in just a few breaths.
Immediately afterwards, the two holy sons of Yaochi Holy Land, the two holy sons of Tianxuan Holy Land, and even the two core holy sons of Daoyi Holy Land, Tianyi and Xuanyi, also set off one after another—either unwilling to be outdone or wanting to take the opportunity to make a name for themselves, all transforming into streaks of light and rushing onto the Sword Debate Platform.
One person challenged them to a duel, actually taking on eight top holy sons and daughters from the four holy lands of Yaoguang, Jiuyou, Tianxuan, and Yaochi!
This scene, witnessed by the disciples of the eight holy lands, caused everyone to hold their breath, their heartbeats seemingly slowing down—shocked, breathless, and incredulous.
The air around the dueling platform seemed to freeze because of this extreme confrontation.