Qing Nv's true form awoke on a high-tech chair, her breaths light and hands unclenching.
"You're really unlucky, to encounter that monster after ten consecutive wins."
A cup of warm water was handed to Qing Nv as a mature woman in a white lab coat and glasses watched the battle footage on the opposite wall's screen.
This was one of the benefits provided by the Mending the Sky Division.
After each battle, a super-brain would help them analyze the reasons for victory or defeat, listing details they hadn't considered, enhancing everyone's combat abilities and cultivating higher-level battle consciousness.
"I knew he was strong, but I didn't expect him to be this strong."
Qing Nv finished the water in one gulp, as if to dispel the irritation from her projection incarnation being extinguished by the purple fire sword light.
"This person is a once-in-a-millennium sword genius. He grasped Sword Rainbow Splitting Light at just the first level of Foundation Establishment. How did the Refining Department manage to train him?"
The mature woman was Zhong Liyi, the deputy leader of the fourth group of the Mending the Sky Division, who also had an account in Minor Red Heaven. Unfortunately, her medical and poison skills didn't fare well in a pure spiritual energy and spell-based environment, and her performance was subpar.
She once had the misfortune of matching against Chen Mobai and was defeated by a single sword strike.
"He must have comprehended it on his own. I wonder if he can break the records of Ancestor Yuan Yang."
After drinking the water, Qing Nv calmed her mind for a while, finally removing the burning sensation of her projection's destruction from her Sea of Consciousness, stood up, and started watching Chen Mobai's subsequent battles on the screen.
"It might be difficult now, they've matched him with that guy."
At this moment, Zhong Liyi saw Chen Mobai's next opponent and couldn't help but widen her eyes and sigh.
It was a man with yellowish skin, large hands and feet, and a rough face.
"Who is this person?"
Qing Nv knew that although Zhong Liyi's combat skills were average, her background in the Zhong Li family and position in the Mending the Sky Division made her very familiar with the prodigies of various Immortal Gates.
She had personally experienced Chen Mobai's strength, but upon seeing the man, she thought Chen might lose.
Clearly, this man's background and strength were extraordinary.
"He is Lu Qiulong!"
Hearing this name, Qing Nv's eyes widened in shock.
It was him.
***
After seeing off Qing Nv, Chen Mobai sighed slightly.
This hurdle was something Qing Nv had to overcome on her own.
He shook his head, cleared his thoughts, and clicked the match button again.
A somewhat aged-looking man appeared before him.
With the Bright Mirror Law Eyes activated, Chen Mobai had already seen through his cultivation level.
Foundation Establishment, fifth level.
But the man's vitality was beyond ordinary, as if burning. Chen wanted to look closer, but suddenly, the man's vitality transformed into a majestic and colorful beast, opening its bloody maw and charging into Chen Mobai's Purple Mansion Sea of Consciousness.
Roar!
Caught off guard, a seemingly real colorful tiger appeared before the Qingtong sapling that Chen Mobai had just distracted.
Its white fangs opened, ready to bite down on the sapling.
Clang!
A sound like a sword being drawn rang out, a green sprout fell and transformed into an invisible blade that slashed through the air, cutting into the tiger's forehead in an instant.
Under the Divine Command Slash, the illusory tiger, formed from bloodlust and vitality, dissipated like a bubble within Chen Mobai's Sea of Consciousness.
But this made Chen Mobai, who had been somewhat relaxed, suddenly become alert.
At this point, due to his terrifying battle record, his only possible matches were either those with an undefeated streak like himself or the top contenders in the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.
These individuals all had formidable combat skills and had made a name for themselves in Minor Red Heaven.
"Lu Qiulong."
The big man stated his name, and Chen Mobai nodded, acknowledging that he remembered it.
"Don't you know who I am?"
Seeing Chen Mobai's calm face after hearing his name, Lu Qiulong was puzzled and asked.
"Are you famous?"
Chen Mobai truly hadn't heard of Lu Qiulong before. In the Immortal Gates, he was genuinely devoted to arduous cultivation, either collecting resources in the Tianhe Realm or studying cultivation in Red City Cave Heaven.
He was truly oblivious to worldly affairs.
***
"This is bad, how could the president encounter this guy!"
Outside, the members of the Refining Department's Student Council, who had been following Chen Mobai, saw his opponent and even Ming-Yu, who had always revered him, couldn't help but frown.
"I see he's only at the fifth level of Foundation Establishment. Hasn't Chen defeated a dozen or so of them already? Is this man really that fearsome?"
Ming Yihua, who had come along to watch the big screen, scratched his head in confusion at the sight of the Student Council members looking so apprehensive.
"This man is the top graduate of the True Spirit Academy. Although his cultivation is average, his companion beast is a peak second-order Taijue Savage Tiger. His combat power is so strong that even among those in the later stages of Foundation Establishment, he ranks highly."
Hua Zijing looked worried.
"Then there's even less to fear. You can't bring magical weapons into Minor Red Heaven, let alone spirit beasts. Chen is sure to win."
Ming Yihua's view differed from the Student Council members.
"It's different for the True Spirit Academy. If they know their opponent is strong, they can absorb some of their companion beast's power in advance, despite the spiritual drain."
Lu Tiansuan voiced the concerns of the crowd, which made Ming Yihua inhale sharply.
If that was the case, Chen Mobai might indeed be at a disadvantage.
Now, they could only hope that Lu Qiulong hadn't done so.
Chen Mobai was unaware.
After his opponent was revealed to be Lu Qiulong, almost all the Immortal Gate cultivators watching the Minor Red Heaven broadcast shifted their attention to their battle.
In an instant, the top trending topic on all portal websites and forums was this duel.
"Are you from Kunpeng Refining Department or True Spirit Academy?"
Chen Mobai asked Lu Qiulong, knowing that these two were famous for beast taming in the Immortal Gates.
"True Spirit Academy."
"Oh, that's a pity."
"What's a pity?"
"Most of your strength as a beast tamer lies in your companion beast. In Minor Red Heaven, you can't fully utilize your abilities, which is a bit disappointing."
As Chen Mobai spoke, he deactivated his Bright Mirror Law Eyes.
Undoubtedly, Lu Qiulong had deeply cultivated his beast taming, merging his bloodline with his beast and carrying the ferocity of the Taijue Savage Tiger. If Chen Mobai hadn't mastered the Divine Command Slash, which could counteract it, he might have been defeated with just one look.
"It's not a pity because I knew I would be matched with you today, so I borrowed some of my companion beast's power in advance."
As Lu Qiulong spoke, he clenched his fists tightly.
Boom!
A majestic and powerful surge of bloodlust erupted from his body, tearing his shirt open to reveal his perfectly muscled torso.
Chen Mobai's pupils tightened!
Lu Qiulong vanished from his sight, and an indescribable terrifying punch with fierce bloodlust aimed at his right cheek.
"So fast!"
This pure physical speed was the fastest Chen Mobai had encountered in over a hundred battles.
Fortunately, his sword light had reached the realm of thought following intent.
With a flick of his right finger, a brilliant deep purple sword light burst forth, just in time to intercept the punch before it could hit his cheek.
Sword light and punch clashed head-on with the most direct display of power!
In the thunderous roar, Lu Qiulong's left punch was countered by the sword light, and with a crazed smile, he retreated instead of advancing, his right punch, filled with violent blood energy, smashing heavily towards Chen Mobai's chin.
At that moment, Chen Mobai's left index finger was already raised, pointing out a sword strike.
Bang!
A massive shockwave spread from the center of the two, and Chen Mobai immediately flew backward.
As he retreated, his hands came together, and a series of dazzling red lightning bolts began to form in his palms.
Meanwhile, Lu Qiulong landed on his feet and charged at Chen Mobai like a cannonball, going against the momentum.
In the roaring sound!
Lu Qiulong collided head-on with the Bing Fire Divine Thunder Technique. His body hair ignited, his bronze skin tinged with red lightning, but he managed to disperse the powerful spell.
He was already closing in on Chen Mobai again.
At this moment, two fireballs accompanied by sword light spat out from Chen Mobai's palms.
With a swing of his fists, both the fireballs and the sword light shattered.
But Chen Mobai's combat talent, stimulated by a formidable opponent, began to show. His hands moved again, his consciousness operated, and the Fire Chain Technique from the Longevity Sect was activated.
The dispersed flames and sword light were quickly solidified under his control, turning into a long chain of fire.
Rooted in the void, it stretched out and firmly bound Lu Qiulong, who had charged in front of Chen Mobai.
After securing control, Chen Mobai's eyes flickered, his right hand opened, and a ball of purple-green fire blazed in his palm, ready to unleash a terrifying sword light.
Lu Qiulong felt the power of his spirit beast rapidly depleting within him and was shocked by Chen Mobai's formidable strength. However, he held the formula for victory in his palm.
Roar!
After a heaven-shaking roar, his blood surged, and he transformed into a three-meter-tall ferocious tiger, breaking free from all the fire chains and biting towards Chen Mobai.
At the same time, the purple fire sword light, powered by the Fire Spirit Body and the Ascending Sun Technique, extended from Chen Mobai's palm and pierced straight into the center of the gaping maw of the tiger that Lu Qiulong had become.
"Who won?"
Outside, amidst the dazzling purple-green firelight and the overwhelming blood energy, no one could see the center of the clash between the two.
As Hua Zijing, Ming Yihua, and others clenched their fists in tension, the light around the two began to fade.
Chen Mobai's sword light was grasped by Lu Qiulong's left hand, diverting what should have been a fatal blow to the heart to his left shoulder blade.
Although his left hand was now useless, he avoided a fatal defeat. At the same time, Lu Qiulong's right hand clawed at Chen Mobai's neck, seemingly ready to decapitate him.
But a clear spiritual light formed an invisible barrier, like a halo protecting Chen Mobai's neck, stopping his right hand from advancing further.
It was the "Heavenly Wood Spirit Light" that Chen Mobai had painstakingly cultivated for nearly two years after Foundation Establishment!
As the rudimentary form of the Shenmu Sect's supreme technique "Heavenly Wood Divine Light," the Heavenly Wood Spirit Light lacked offensive power, but under the versatile spiritual light techniques from the Longevity Sect, it could change form and was Chen Mobai's strongest defensive spell.
"Aren't you a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Pure Yang Scripture?"
Lu Qiulong was surprised to see the Heavenly Wood Spirit Light resisting his right hand's claws. He could feel it was made from wood spiritual energy, the perfect counter to his earth spiritual energy.
"Your earth spiritual energy counters my fire attribute sword qi, indeed the most suitable opponent for me."
As Chen Mobai spoke, he tried to withdraw his right hand's sword finger from the blood hole in Lu Qiulong's shoulder, but the latter held on tightly, preventing him from moving.
"Too bad, your previous hundred opponents were too weak to force out your trump card."
Lu Qiulong lamented as his right hand's nails, driven by his own spiritual energy, turned into five blades, slowly but firmly piercing the Heavenly Wood Spirit Light, almost touching Chen Mobai's throat.
"Shouldn't the True Spirit Academy be standing with the Kunpeng Refining Department?"
Suddenly, Chen Mobai said something that made Lu Qiulong frown.
"What do you mean?"
"Taishi Shu was recently defeated by the Pure Yang Academy, and Lan Haitian, dissatisfied with Xiahou Weihuan and others bullying the weak, has come to Red City Cave Heaven. I thought you should be using your strength against the Pure Yang Academy."
Chen Mobai's words made Lu Qiulong's expression change, but he shook his head.
"Although I'm a graduate of the True Spirit Academy, I come first. Since I promised to defeat you, I at least have to do that."
After saying this, Lu Qiulong's brows suddenly turned tiger-like, and as he firmly gripped Chen Mobai's sword finger with his left hand, one of the right hand's blade fingers finally broke through the Heavenly Wood Spirit Light, almost cutting open Chen Mobai's throat.
"It's a pity, I wanted to let you concede gracefully."
Chen Mobai suddenly sighed, and before Lu Qiulong could understand the meaning of his words, the latter's head suddenly exploded, turning into a sky full of blood plasma.
Facing such a strong opponent, Chen Mobai used the "Divine Command Slash" evolved from the flower fruit of his consciousness.
If Lu Qiulong had been at his peak, he wouldn't have been so easily tricked.
But after a fierce battle with Chen Mobai, and Lu Qiulong forcibly absorbing his spirit beast's power just to fight Chen Mobai, his spirit had already suffered a lot of internal consumption, leading to this outcome.
Chen Mobai raised his right hand, his fingers flexing, his sword qi crisscrossing, and he sliced the restraining Lu Qiulong into several pieces.
Amidst the blood, he looked up at the last traces of his opponent and sincerely admired.
"A respectable opponent."
Proofreader & Editor:Peter Pan