Chapter 355 Battle for the Top Spot 1

Logically, once the challenge was issued, it would be immediately transmitted to the Temple of War and used to find Wu Shaogan.

However, before that, the news had already been announced to the world at top speed, spreading far and wide and reaching the disciples of countless forces, large and small.

The challenge has not yet arrived, but there is already much discussion on the sky.

Lianqiao and He Zong usually don't spend much time on Danwu Tianmu, but today Lianqiao just ran out of resources to improve her secret technique, so she was going to go online to stock up. She casually opened the forum to see if there were any new messages, and that's when she found out about this.

Then, Lianqiao informed Hezong.

The two often practiced together and had a good relationship. They were also acquainted with the Zhong and Wu couple, so they were naturally eager to come over.

They were thinking that if Junior Brother Wu and King Zhong Dan happened to be in seclusion and didn't discover this, and outsiders thought that Junior Brother Wu was cowardly, wouldn't he lose a lot of face?

As expected, the couple had no idea, so they quickly explained the whole story.

·

After listening attentively, Zhong Cai looked enlightened and said, "Thank you for informing us, Senior Sister Lian and Senior Brother. We almost missed the news. Otherwise, we probably wouldn't have known until we received the challenge letter."

Actually, it's not a big problem. Normal people wouldn't gossip about Wu Shaogan behind his back just because he didn't know about the challenge in advance. But there are always some people who deliberately gossip, which is also annoying.

We should resolve this as soon as possible.

Wu Shaogan understood, took out his token, projected the Danwu Heavenly Screen, and directly entered the forum.

Sure enough, at least half of the posts on the homepage were discussing this matter.

The first post I saw, the one with the most followers, was very enthusiastic from the title alone.

[Discussion] Chao Douwang has issued a challenge to our Wu Douwang!

·

After clicking on this post, there was no unnecessary preamble; the message was stated directly.

The number of comments below has now exceeded 300,000, and it continues to grow. Every slight pause in the discussion may immediately result in dozens more comments.

Judging from the usernames of the followers, the vast majority of them belong to the Temple of War.

Because many names begin with "martial arts" and have four characters in total, implying that they are going to engage in martial arts combat with someone.

After battling the heavens, they battled the ocean waves; after battling the volcanoes, they battled the glaciers; after battling the earth, they battled the deep pools; after battling the sun and moon, they battled the stars; and after battling humans, they went on to battle beasts…

They were all "fighting" in densely packed formations.

Zhong Cai even considered suggesting to Lao Wu that he use a username like "Martial Arts Fighting So-and-So" when he's on the forum... to make him seem more sociable?

However, he ultimately did not do so.

It wasn't that he thought Old Wu wouldn't want to change his name, but rather that he thought about it for a long time and couldn't think of anything Old Wu could possibly fight against.

Never mind then.

·

Zhong Cai quickly posted.

Many disciples in the posts echoed the sentiments, while others analyzed and offered their insights.

They all felt the challenge was a bit late, but it was only right that Chao Hanxiao took the initiative to issue it. Now they were just waiting for Junior Brother Wu to come and express his opinion.

Of course, no post would say that Wu Shaogan was cowardly or dared not accept the challenge.

Most of the disciples were discussing whether anyone knew where the battle would take place, when it would be held, and how many people would be allowed to spectate...

Many disciples speculated about Chao Hanxiao's thoughts when he issued the challenge, and what his associates thought.

As the disciples discussed the matter, they also mentioned Wu Shaogan's possible reaction.

·

After briefly glancing over the items, Zhong Cai looked at Wu Shaogan.

Wu Shaogan understood, logged onto the post under his real name, and left a concise line of text.

[Wu Shaogan: I am deeply grateful for Brother Chao's kindness and will certainly keep my appointment on time.]

·

Upon hearing this, it seemed as if all the active cultivators in the thread quieted down for a moment, but immediately countless disciples quickly followed up with replies.

[Martial Arts World: Junior Brother Wu! Have you received the challenge yet?]

[Martial Arts Battle Across the Four Seas: The challenge hasn't arrived yet; this is Junior Brother Wu making his stance clear.]

[Exploding the Heavens: Wu Douwang, is Junior Brother Zhong by your side? What's he thinking? When are you going to fight? Will you bring Junior Brother Zhong along?]

[Don't bomb today: Wu Douwang absolutely has to win, Junior Brother Zhong is watching you!]

[Martial Arts Overlord: Junior Brother Wu's combat power is definitely strong, I'll have to grab a good spot then!]

[The martial arts side: We have faith in Junior Brother Wu's strength. We must take a picture and observe carefully...]

[Martial Arts Xuanhuang: Junior Brother Wu has improved so fast! I never imagined that in such a short time, he would already be able to face Chao Douwang head-on. If Junior Brother Wu wins this time, our War God Hall will be incredibly proud!]

[Martial Arts Dominance: Don't put pressure on Junior Brother Wu. A major battle is imminent; we can't let it affect his mindset.]

[Did you explode today?: Although I'm not very talented in martial arts, we alchemists can remain calm even in the midst of a bustling city. Someone like King Wu Dou shouldn't be like that either.]

[Martial Arts Universe: That makes sense. Don't underestimate Junior Brother Wu!]

[Martial arts combat...]

It was incredibly lively, but there was no doubt that the disciples of both factions were extremely supportive of Wu Shaogan and were all looking forward to his victory in this battle.

Many of his disciples were very proud of Wu Shaogan.

Being ranked first on the Sky Ranking is indeed an extraordinary honor.

·

As Zhong Cai watched, she couldn't help but grasp Wu Shaogan's hand.

Wu Shaogan shook hands in return.

Lian Qiao and He Zong had also glanced at the post, but they inadvertently noticed the couple's little actions. They looked at each other, finding it both amusing and a little envious.

Unfortunately, they are still single.

However, they are more focused on martial arts right now, and they can talk about becoming a couple later.

Let things take their course.

·

After sitting for a while, seeing that the atmosphere between Zhong and Wu was becoming more and more warm, Lian Qiao and Zong felt that they had delivered the message and there was nothing more for them to do. They also didn't want to disturb Wu Shaogan's preparations when the challenge was about to be issued, so they quickly got up to say goodbye.

Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan accompanied them for part of the journey.

They appreciated the kindness of the two men and naturally thanked them.

Lian Qiao said with a smile, "In the past, when Junior Brother Wu instructed us in martial arts, we were not very polite. You two don't need to be so formal either."

He Zong also laughed and said, "It's just delivering a message; it's only natural for fellow disciples to do so."

Zhong Cai replied frankly, "I'll come visit again when I have time."

Both Lianqiao and Hezong readily agreed.

There was no need for Zhong Danwang to take the initiative to invite them, because during this battle for the top spot, they would definitely have many questions while watching. After the battle ended and the results were obtained, they would definitely come to seek guidance from Junior Brother Wu.

They really didn't hold back.

·

After everyone left, Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan picked up their teacups and took a few sips.

Zhong Cai asked with a smile, "Old Wu, are you confident?"

Wu Shaogan turned to look at Zhong Cai and asked, "Does Cai have confidence?"

Zhong Cai replied matter-of-factly, "Of course I have faith in you! I will always have the most faith in you!"

Wu Shaogan chuckled softly, "Then I have confidence in myself too."

Zhong Cai understood what Wu Shaogan meant, so she leaned over and nestled her head in the crook of his neck, rubbing against him affectionately.

Wu Shaogan smiled and let him rub against him.

Zhong Cai mumbled, "...You need to be careful, you're the most important person."

Wu Shaogan smiled and said softly, "Don't worry, A-Cai."

·

The ancient city, the accompanying medicinal herb garden, and the mountains.

On a tall tree hangs a small, exquisite, snow-white honeycomb, which looks as if it were carved from jade, making it very eye-catching.

Its quality is extremely high, emanating a faint aura of power—it was once the residence of a ninth-tier queen bee. If the one living inside now is not a descendant of that queen bee, then ordinary spirit bees would probably not be able to get close to it at all.

—Yes, a spirit bee has already taken up residence here.

It hatched from that bee egg, and it already had the strength of a fifth-level bee right after it came out; it was indeed a queen bee.

Because its status is far inferior to that of its ancestors, it can be temporarily called: Little Queen Bee.

Just a few days ago, Emperor Xiao Dan indeed sent people to deliver the resources for hatching bees.

Perhaps it was luck, or perhaps they just happened to choose high-quality bee eggs, so the little queen bee successfully hatched and grew after only using the resources rewarded by the sect.

It indeed absorbed enough nutrients, and not only grew quickly, but also began to lay new bee eggs.

After that, the bee colony will continue to grow...

·

Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan came to see the little queen bee.

A sweep of spiritual senses through the inside of the hive revealed that the hive was in excellent condition, with a healthy body and high-quality eggs.

Then just let the little queen bee grow up.

Before long, Zhong Cai will be able to have Wu Shaogan harvest honey from the beehive so that he, Zhong Cai, can use it to research new types of elixirs.

As for the remaining two bee eggs...

The couple were sold back to their sect.

Currently, both the War God Temple and the Spirit Immortal Sect have three bee eggs.

However, the exact number of eggs that successfully hatched remains unknown to the two of them.

If, after some time, this type of honey appears among the rare treasures supplied to the disciples, it will at least prove that there has been some success...

·

Zhong Cai took Wu Shaogan's hand and walked to the valley next to them.

The valley floor is very large, and there are many fertile fields.

There are currently several level six or seven puppets, some holding seeds and others carrying relatively easy-to-grow flowering medicinal herbs, all busy in the fields and mountains.

This is planting flowers.

Once the bee colony is established, it will need to collect nectar from various flowers. Therefore, during the preparation period for the queen bee, many exotic flowers of similar quality should also be planted...

·

After taking a quick look around, the two left the ancient city together.

Chao Hanxiao's challenge arrived yesterday, and the battle will take place on the last day of this month.

In other words, once the battle between the two is decided, they will face the next ranking update.

Even if the battle can't be finished in a day, the Sky Ranking will surely be able to determine their relative strengths and weaknesses through intense combat...

The battle did not take place in the Chao family, where Chao Hanxiao was born, nor near the Lingxian Sect or the War God Palace, but in the Liuhuo Plain in the Maple Forest Domain, a central domain between the Xihe Domain and the Mingxiao Domain where the Chao family was located.

The battleground was quite vast, with ample space for other cultivators to observe.

Since it was a duel between two Battle Kings and did not involve their respective forces, both sides would bring several high-level puppets to create a battle space that other cultivators could not approach, and also to maintain order so that other cultivators would not disturb the two.

Additionally, it also serves to avoid troublemakers.

Of course, this kind of battle, with no discernible outcome, aroused the curiosity of many cultivators, and inevitably attracted a large number of spectators.

This will certainly include some powerful individuals with high levels of expertise.

But whether out of respect for the Chao family or for the Spirit Immortal Sect and the War God Hall, the righteous powerhouses are unlikely to cause trouble.

What we need to be wary of are mostly some powerful but evil figures.

The distance between Liuhuo Plain and Xihe Region is quite far, so the two of them should set off early.

No other fellow disciples accompanied them along the way.

It wasn't that the fellow disciples weren't going to support him, but rather that they didn't want to disturb Wu Shaogan's state of mind during this time.

...His fellow disciples all felt that only Zhong Cai, his Daoist partner, would be an exception. Not only would she not bother him, but she could also encourage him further.

·

Pomegranate Fire Plain.

This is a very vast plain, with boundless grasslands and herds of wild and rare beasts.

On the eve of the end of the month, many animals seemed to sense something terrifying and fled their original roaming places, heading towards distant places where they no longer felt fear and panic.

As they had anticipated, countless cultivators arrived that day, some casually tossing aside a palace, others hovering in their airships, still others releasing a levitation artifact, some riding mounts, and others simply arriving alone and finding a place to sit cross-legged...

More and more people are coming.

The vast majority of them are at the Palace Building stage. Those above the Spirit Transformation stage basically don't show themselves in public. Those with lower cultivation levels mostly stick together and just wait patiently.

It seemed the time for the competition was approaching. Although the cultivators had come to the plain, they spontaneously left a large open space, enough for cultivators at the Fusion Realm—or even those at the Palace Building and Spirit Transformation Realms—to tumble about.

·

Finally, the last day of the month arrived.

Many onlookers were already waiting here, and if nothing unexpected happened, the two who were about to fight would arrive soon.

In the vast sky, it seemed as if a thunderclap suddenly exploded.

The cultivators looked up and instantly discovered that a purple halo had appeared in the distant west, which then spread rapidly as if it had dissolved into clear water, dyeing the blue sky a bright purple.

A surging pressure, accompanied by purple light, came and extended in all directions.

Wherever it passed, cultivators with lower levels of cultivation or less firm minds inevitably felt their hearts pounding violently, and even their breathing became intermittent, seemingly difficult to sustain.

This sign—

Countless cultivators found him familiar.

It's Chao Hanxiao!

Before Chao Hanxiao even arrived, his imposing aura and strange phenomena preceded his arrival.

He'll be there soon!

·

At that very moment, many cultivators suddenly felt a burst of heat—at the same time, their vision blurred, and their eyeballs felt as if they had been pierced by some sharp force, producing an unbearable pain!

The lower the level of spiritual attainment, the more intense the pain. If one does not close their eyes in time, they may even feel as if their eyes are burning!

Those with higher levels of understanding suddenly noticed that amidst the purple light, a brilliant golden light had somehow spread out to the east, dazzling and incredibly bright, illuminating the sky on the other side so that it seemed to allow no darkness whatsoever.

It cannot tolerate darkness, nor can it tolerate purple light.

Wherever the golden light passed, even if the area was already occupied by dazzling purple, the purple light would be pushed back little by little, and retreat slowly...

The purple light was very tenacious, but once the golden light appeared, it was indeed no longer able to occupy the entire sky.

The terrifying pressure was like mercury, spreading continuously, extremely dense and heavy, yet impossible to defend against.

The oppressive aura seemed to choke everyone, making it impossible for them to breathe!

Many cultivators have to quickly shut down most of their senses, leaving only a small amount, in order to reduce the impact on themselves.

Even so, many cultivators whose cultivation levels were insufficient still involuntarily coughed up blood.

Something's not right, something's very wrong.

The oppressive aura also carried an extremely terrifying power, which invaded their bodies along with the oppressive aura. The next moment, it was as if thousands of silver needles had been pierced into their bodies, causing a stinging pain as if they were already riddled with holes.

Some cultivators, as if their vital points had been instantly pierced, felt a chill run down their spines when they came to their senses.

Many cultivators were so overwhelmed by the oppressive aura that they were almost unable to move, their minds going completely blank. Sharp pain churned in their minds until a friend put a pill in their mouth, which finally brought them back to their senses.

Under the alternating torment of the two kinds of pressure, countless cultivators with relatively lower cultivation levels turned pale and involuntarily retreated.

If you can't even withstand the pressure, then forget about watching the battle up close.

One wrong move and you could lose your life.

·

Gradually, the purple and gold lights became evenly matched, each occupying half of the sky, and they stabilized.

Both sides remained completely still, neither able to affect the other in the slightest.

Within the purple light, there was a hint of fierce and domineering power; while deep within the golden light, there seemed to be an immense terror brewing, which, if released at any moment, would erupt with unparalleled sharpness, piercing through heaven and earth!

All cultivators knew that the golden light was the phenomenon held by Wu Shaogan.

His formation was imposing and majestic, much like the golden light, seemingly gentle but actually carrying an undeniable sense of aggression.

Just like his imposing presence.

Although Chao Hanxiao usually exudes an extremely powerful aura, while Wu Shaogan rarely displays such power, the mere presence of this strange phenomenon carrying with it has already subtly revealed to many cultivators that while Chao Hanxiao's domineering demeanor is undeniably intimidating, it is far more about intimidation. However, the subtle sense of danger emanating from Wu Shaogan's aura is actually extremely perilous.

·

The strange phenomenon caused by the two top geniuses remained in a stalemate in the sky for a long time.

The cultivators were all jolted back to their senses, looking up at that spot with anticipation in their hearts.

Suddenly, several figures appeared out of thin air.

The cultivators looked over and suddenly realized that it was actually four level-eight puppets rushing towards them from the east.

After they appeared, they split into four directions, raised their hands and pushed forward, sweeping across the vast area, and leaving behind a powerful force in each direction to hinder other cultivators from approaching.

It can be said that an "arena" was created out of thin air.

Several more Nirvana Realm elders with stiff faces appeared from the west, also dividing into four directions. Together with the puppets, they occupied the eight sides of the arena and used their profound power to divide the battleground.

Upon seeing this, the cultivators couldn't help but scan back and forth in the direction of the purple and golden light. Although they weren't exactly eager to see it, they all felt a slight sense of urgency.

·

Suddenly!

The purple light seemed to tear open a piece of silk, from which a magnificent purple spear was thrown out. It burst out with a violent whistling sound and quickly pierced the ground, emitting a long and distant "hum".

The gun trembled slightly, and with each tremor, an invisible force spread out like ripples, layer upon layer, stirring up gusts of wind across the field.

The purple light flashed and then disappeared.

At the same moment, a young man dressed in purple and with an arrogant demeanor suddenly appeared beside the purple spear.

He simply raised his hand slightly, and the purple spear landed in his palm, which he then caught.

Upon this grasp, even more terrifying energy exploded from the purple spear, blowing the purple-clad youth's long hair, which fluttered wildly in the wind.

·

On the other side, a huge vortex seemed to appear in the center of the golden light in the sky, absorbing countless rays of light. The golden light also continued to condense by the power of the vortex as it contracted, and the light became brighter and brighter.

Soon, the endless golden light transformed into a huge golden fireball, hanging high in the sky, like another blazing sun, reflecting the original one and radiating terrifying, dazzling energy.

The next instant, the blazing sun suddenly plummeted!

It was as if the blazing sun had transformed into a shooting star, descending from the sky with a long, fiery tail that trailed out a vast sea of ​​fire, burning wildly in the air.

Finally, the blazing sun fell to the ground, instantly creating a golden flame.

This is no ordinary flame, but the power of an extremely yang sun, or a special kind of stellar power.

The fireball, as bright as the sun, did not explode violently upon impact. Instead, the instant it touched the ground, it carved a path through the middle of the ground.

A handsome young man dressed in brocade robes walked out with an air of nonchalance.

His steps didn't seem very fast, but in reality, in the time it took to breathe, almost no one noticed the change in his pace, and he had already reached the other side of the field.

He stood facing the young man in purple from afar.

While no one was paying attention, the young man in brocade robes suddenly wrapped a dark gold bow around his arm, making him look especially dashing.

A faint smile played on his lips, which should have been gentle, but the aura he exuded and the presence he radiated made it impossible for anyone to get close to him.

·

At this moment, a flying boat was hovering on the ground in the sky to the east of the venue.

On the deck, the handsome young alchemist wore a satisfied smile.

Old Wu indeed gave him a big surprise.

Their pomp and circumstance were absolutely no less impressive than Chao Hanxiao's.