"A challenge system for Daoist disciples! This is going to be interesting!"
"Lin Feng, the Daoist disciple of Dongxu Peak, and Zhao Meng of Nanyue Peak are both at the late stage of the Creation Realm. It's still uncertain who will win!"
"Five Peaks actually has a Dao Child? It must be that Xiao Chen, right? What a pity, even if he is a Dao Child, he probably can't beat the geniuses from the other peaks!"
In the Xixuan Peak team, Su Qing heard the rules and her eyes flashed with excitement: "Great! This time I must challenge the Daoists from other peaks and get a good ranking!"
She turned to look at Ling Xue, "Lin Xue, you've only been here a short time and your strength is still weak, so just watch from the sidelines for now."
Ling Xue remained silent, only casting her gaze towards the Five Peaks, a hint of anticipation in her eyes.
She was eager to see how Xiao Chen would perform when facing Dao disciples from other peaks.
Meanwhile, on the Star Gazing Jade Tower, Wen Yi was watching his disciples below, who were eager to get started, and a smile appeared on his lips.
He had a vague premonition that this year's Five Summits might be more spectacular than any previous one.
In the center of the Four Directions Sect's martial arts arena, the bluestone on the arena was warm from the sun, and disciples from various peaks surrounded it, with noise rising and falling.
Qinghe stood below the stage, turned to look at Xiao Chen beside her, and asked with a smile, "Junior Brother Xiao, the inner sect disciple challenge begins today. Which senior brother do you plan to challenge?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen smiled faintly but remained silent.
The next second, he moved swiftly, leaping into the air like an arrow released from a bow, and landed steadily in the center of the arena.
The movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
"Um?"
The training ground fell silent for a moment. Everyone was stunned, their eyes all turning to Xiao Chen on the stage, their faces full of surprise.
"Am I seeing things? Xiao Chen is actually the first one to go on stage to challenge?"
"He's incredibly audacious! This challenge is a matter of life and death, left to fate, and he's in such a hurry?"
"Hey, you don't understand. Wuyue Peak doesn't participate in these kinds of challenge battles in previous years. Even if he loses, it's not shameful. Just consider it a learning experience!"
"That's right, maybe he just wants a quick victory, to lose and go back to the peak to sleep as soon as possible!"
The murmurs resumed, mostly expressing incomprehension and disdain for Xiao Chen.
After all, the Five Peaks had been in decline for many years and had never achieved any significant results in challenge battles, while Xiao Chen had only joined the Five Peaks three months ago.
His cultivation level was only half a step into Nirvana, making him inconspicuous among the many inner disciples.
Xiao Chen stood in the center of the arena, ignoring the discussions below. His gaze swept over the crowd, and he announced loudly, "The person I challenge is Rui Zhang, the Daoist of Dongxu Peak!"
"What?!"
These words caused an uproar in the training ground. Everyone was dumbfounded, as if they had heard the biggest joke in the world.
"What did he say? Challenge Senior Brother Ruizhang?"
"Did I hear that right? Senior Brother Ruizhang is the strongest disciple of Dongxu Peak?"
"He is also one of the top young talents of our Four Directions Sect, and his cultivation has reached the fifth level of Nirvana!"
"This is insane! How dare a cultivator at the half-step Nirvana stage challenge Senior Brother Ruizhang?"
"How is this any different from suicide?"
The disciples of Dongxu Peak's faces darkened, their gazes towards Xiao Chen filled with anger.
This Xiao Chen is simply ignorant of his own limitations, daring to provoke their peak's Daoist!
Among the crowd, Rui Zhang was standing with several core disciples of Dongxu Peak. Hearing Xiao Chen's words, he was slightly taken aback, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
He looked Xiao Chen up and down a few times, clearly not expecting that this unknown disciple of the Five Peaks would be the first to challenge him.
Standing in the Xixuan Peak group, Ling Xue saw this scene and her lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.
Su Qing, standing beside her, frowned and muttered in confusion, "Has he lost his mind? Or does he just want a quick victory so he can go home and sleep as soon as possible?"
On the arena, Xiao Chen stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze calmly fixed on Rui Zhang's direction, awaiting his response.
The sunlight shone on him, yet it seemed unable to dispel the faint, mysterious aura surrounding him.
No one knew why this seemingly insignificant disciple of the Five Peaks dared to provoke the top genius of the Four Directions Sect.
With a swift movement, Rui Zhang landed in the center of the arena like a gentle breeze, his clothes fluttering in the wind. He held his sword in one hand, pointing it diagonally at the ground, his posture elegant and composed.
He sized Xiao Chen up and down, his eyes filled with a condescending scrutiny, his tone indifferent.
With a hint of instructing a younger person, he said, "You do have some courage, but if you're going to challenge me, you'll have to show your true abilities."
Xiao Chen remained silent, lowered his waist and stood firmly on his horse, the Dragon Spear in his hand firmly rooted to the ground, its body gleaming with a cold, dark light, as steady as a rock.
The next second, he twisted his waist and exerted force, and the spear suddenly awakened like a dormant dragon. The spear tip, with a piercing sound of air being cut, went straight for Rui Zhang's heart!
This strike was simple and unadorned, yet it contained immense power. Tiny electric snakes were already wrapped around the tip of the spear, crackling and carrying a violent aura of thunder.
"Hmm?" A hint of surprise flashed in Rui Zhang's eyes. He flipped his wrist, and his longsword accurately blocked the tip of the spear.
"Clang!" The sound of metal clashing was deafening. Rui Zhang felt a slight numbness in his arm. A domineering force came through the longsword, causing him to involuntarily take half a step back.
"Eh?" He couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, his gaze towards Xiao Chen now showing a hint of recognition.
—The power of this half-step Nirvana cultivator was much stronger than he had expected.
Xiao Chen pressed his advantage relentlessly, his spear thrusts growing ever more ferocious, each shot faster than the last, the shadows of his spears engulfing Rui Zhang like a storm.
With each thrust, the electric snakes at the spear tip grew increasingly violent, sometimes condensing into bolts of lightning.
At times, it would explode, forcing Ruizhang to parry repeatedly, his longsword moving so tightly it was impenetrable.
But Rui Zhang's defense was like an impregnable fortress; no matter how fierce Xiao Chen's spear thrusts were, he could never break through his defenses.
As Rui Zhang parried, a faint smile appeared on his lips, and he nodded slightly: "Not bad, being able to integrate the power of thunder into your spear technique shows some skill."
"But if this is all the strength you have, then you'll have to stop here today."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ruizhang's longsword suddenly pointed to the sky!
A vast amount of spiritual energy spread out from him, forming a pale golden domain with a diameter of ten feet!
Within the domain, the air instantly became scorching and distorted, as if one were under the blazing sun, and the gravity suddenly increased, causing Xiao Chen's body to sink slightly.
Countless fine, yet incomparably sharp "sunlight sword energies" appeared out of thin air, like countless stars in the sky.
The sword energy attacked Xiao Chen from all directions without leaving any blind spots, and even the space itself cracked slightly wherever it passed.
"What a powerful domain! Is this Senior Brother Ruizhang's strength?"
The disciples below the stage gasped in shock, feeling the terrifying pressure emanating from the domain, and involuntarily retreated.
Faced with the omnipresent strangling sword energy, Xiao Chen not only did not panic, but his eyes narrowed and he slammed the Dragon Spear in his hand to the ground!
"Thump!"
The gun collided with the arena, producing a dull thud, and a violent burst of lightning power erupted from the gun, spreading along the ground.
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