One battle on the cloud platform!

Directly declaring war on Xu Lan’er – she truly showed no courtesy whatsoever!

Countless people who had guessed and those who hadn’t all fell silent at this moment beneath Kunwu Mountain, beneath this towering cloud platform!

Yashan and Jianzhu Sect had old grudges!

Jian Chou and Xu Lan’er had old grudges!

This was something everyone had heard about!

But what were they hearing at this moment? The female cultivator standing on the cloud platform had actually directly called out Xu Lan’er for battle!

Simply outrageous!

Simply arrogant beyond bounds!

Fellow daoist, fellow daoist, have you heard of “avoiding suspicion”?

No matter what, you can’t be this obvious…

Many had guessed it was Xu Lan’er, but always felt this was too straightforward, too blatant, too crude, so they doubted their own speculation.

But when the result came out, it left people with mixed feelings.

Hearing this, the Yashan disciples below couldn’t help but exchange glances: their eldest senior sister truly didn’t follow conventional paths, and moreover seemed…

She didn’t care at all what others said.

At the foot of the mountain, people began discussing.

“Do you think this counts as bullying with power and seeking personal revenge? Such bullying…”

“Bullying with power? What power is she relying on? What’s wrong with personal revenge? Are you a running dog of Jianzhu Sect? Besides, what do you mean bullying with power? Didn’t you see that Fairy Jian Chou is still at Foundation Establishment?”

“But her combat power…”

“Combat power my ass! Just tell me who’s Golden Core and who’s Foundation Establishment! Who’s bullying whom?”

“I…”

What the hell could I say?

Even if Jian Chou was only at Foundation Establishment, with that combat power that nearly split Gu Qingmei in half with one axe, who would dare say she was only “Foundation Establishment”?!

Not bullying?

This was simply sophistry!

The arguing cultivator was nearly fainted with anger!

Of course, some people were thrilled to death.

“Just now in the misty sky section, watching this woman’s little schemes one after another, getting beaten by Xie Ding and Young Master Ruhua but still not giving up, nearly causing our Beauty Lu to fail advancement – simply shameless! Fairy Jian Chou should beat her to death!”

“Right, beat her!”

“…”

The ground was in uproar.

Seeing a good show before their eyes, people couldn’t help but have eyes glowing green with excitement, some even unable to control themselves, directly opening betting: “Come, come, place your bets! Who wins, who loses, hurry up and bet! Time’s running out!”

A scene of liveliness.

Everyone anticipated: this would surely be a spectacular dragon-tiger fight, a fierce back-and-forth battle!

Below, Xu Lan’er’s expression had long changed, gripping her water-blue long sword, only having the impulse to rush up and chop Jian Chou to pieces!

But the rules were such – Jian Chou had named her for battle, and if she didn’t fight, she would surely lose this advancement opportunity.

Was there a choice?

None!

Xu Lan’er forcibly suppressed her anger, flying upward to land on the cloud platform, stepping on the floating clouds, forcing a smile: “Being so honored by Senior Sister Jian Chou’s regard, to battle with senior sister, regardless of the outcome, will be Lan’er’s honor.”

Hypocritical.

More empty words.

Unfortunately, Jian Chou didn’t like exchanging pleasantries with people she found disagreeable. She didn’t intend to give any face, and even her expression showed no change, only saying indifferently: “First, I have never regarded you highly; second, this battle is your honor, my shame.”

“…”

Suddenly…

At the foot of Kunwu, shocked silence!

On the Sky-Reaching Platforms, dead silence!

On the mountainside, deathly quiet!

Everyone looked at Jian Chou as if looking at a beast, their hearts nearly trembling with shock at such a face-refusing statement!

You…

What exactly are you saying!

Damn idiot!

Countless people had the impulse to puncture their own eardrums!

Don’t you know you’ll get gang-beaten for this!

Too shameless, too domineering, too brazen!

Both trembling and excited, they wanted to rush up and howl twice.

On the ground, voices immediately erupted!

But all Jianzhu Sect cultivators darkened their faces and reddened their eyes with anger!

On the mountainside, Jianzhu Sect Leader Zhuxin’s delicate nose was instantly crooked with rage!

Only Fudao Shanren slapped his leg and laughed uproariously, nearly laughing to tears!

“Good Jian Chou, good Jian Chou! Even if the sky falls, this Fudao will hold it up! Fear nothing! Fight to your heart’s content!”

Hearing Fudao Shanren’s voice, Jian Chou sighed in her heart.

Though everyone around looked at her with horrified gazes, she was only speaking her truest inner feelings.

Why waste effort being hypocritical toward someone she detested?

She didn’t want to live so tiredly.

Jian Chou looked at Xu Lan’er and said: “Between you and me, no need for nonsense. Make your move.”

Xu Lan’er’s face was black as water. The teardrop mole at her eye corner, which originally gave her a somewhat delicate air, now showed a nearly hysterical viciousness under her current expression.

Gripping her sword tightly, unprecedented fury almost swept away all her reason.

Too arrogant.

Not giving any face at all.

She approached with a smiling face, yet the other directly slapped her!

Yashan?

Eldest senior sister?

Sure victory?

All just dreams!

Being able to escape from the joint attack of Xie Ding and Young Master Ruhua, and calculating against Nie Xiaowan, Zhang Sui, and Lu Xiangleng when paths crossed – if not for those two actually abandoning their Sky-Reaching Platform Seals to give to Lu Xiangleng, she would surely have calculated those three into complete defeat!

What a pity that she ultimately fell short of success.

Now facing Jian Chou, the other surely had contempt in her heart.

Everyone was curious what exactly she had obtained in the hidden realm of Qingfeng Nunnery, but only her master Fairy Zhuxin knew clearly.

Having cultivated the “Deficiency Manual” for over two years, Xu Lan’er dared say she had been completely transformed!

No matter how powerful Jian Chou was, she absolutely couldn’t overcome the manual’s domineering power.

This battle – who would win was still undetermined!

An indescribable smile appeared on her face: “Then please instruct me, Senior Sister Jian Chou of Yashan!”

As Xu Lan’er’s words fell, Jian Chou’s body immediately tensed to the extreme.

Simultaneously, a thin sound transmission appeared in her mind.

“Xu Lan’er’s cultivation method is strange, possibly some heretical evil way with the ability to harm others and benefit herself. Fellow Daoist Jian Chou should be extremely careful!”

It was Lu Xiangleng’s voice.

Hearing this transmission, Jian Chou was slightly surprised.

Her brows furrowed as she glanced sideways. Lu Xiangleng stood on the distant Sky-Reaching Platform, watching her intently, nodding at Jian Chou.

“Swish!”

A sword light from behind struck at this instant!

Below, someone immediately cursed: “Shameless, actually sneak attacking!”

Jian Chou only felt coldness by her cheek – it was a water-blue sword light that appeared clear and beautiful under the azure sky.

Dodging with a flash, she heavily stamped her foot!

Bang!

On the entire high platform, all the cloud qi immediately vibrated and dispersed outward!

A battle disc infinitely close to two zhang instantly bloomed, with Kunxian clearly distinct and brilliant to the extreme!

This was a Foundation Establishment perfect battle disc!

This was a battle disc about to break through to Golden Core!

As Jian Chou rose from the ground, that sword light passed through the sky and disappeared.

Jian Chou looked down to see Xu Lan’er holding her long sword, standing where she had just sneak attacked, wearing a charming smile: “Senior Sister Jian Chou is quite alert. Since senior sister named me for battle, how can you be so unfocused? At this rate, I’m afraid senior sister will be defeated by me within ten exchanges!”

Tsk!

What an impolite statement!

Countless people below wanted to spit: this was truly shameless!

Jian Chou stood aloft in the sky, stepping on that nearly two-zhang battle disc, divine light gathering in her eyes, condensed but not scattered, naturally carrying a sky-reaching battle intent.

Hearing Xu Lan’er’s words, she rarely laughed.

“Ten exchanges?”

Xu Lan’er’s expression darkened, showing mockery while revealing sinister calculation.

With the manual on her person, the later it went, the more advantageous it would be for her.

Jian Chou just didn’t know.

Her words weren’t groundless.

“If Senior Sister Jian Chou doesn’t believe, feel free to try.”

“Try?”

Jian Chou lightly touched the ghost axe with her finger, and immediately a burning aura rose from it, like a red sun rising, like countless scalding blood suddenly flowing!

Boiling!

She gripped a boiling axe!

On the three-hundred-zhang Sky-Reaching Platform, Xia Houshe’s eyes suddenly shot out sharp, fanatical light, his gaze falling on the ghost axe with complete wariness and amazement!

Her aura suddenly soared.

In Jian Chou’s mind flashed the second Dao seal carved on the ghost axe’s body. One by one, the Dao characters lit up in her consciousness and on the battle disc beneath her feet!

From the ghost axe came that long-suppressed eagerness to try.

That was the call of the brand new Dao seal…

It was calling to her, asking her to use it.

It spoke of its own power, endowing her with endless confidence.

Thus, as the battle disc rotated, that surging danger grew ever thicker!

Xu Lan’er felt all her hair standing on end, her heart turning cold. Almost the instant Jian Chou’s battle disc appeared and the Dao characters formed, she raised her sword!

No matter what she was about to unleash, just interrupt her before she could!

Xu Lan’er suddenly wasn’t very sure she could win.

She bit down hard on her teeth, gripping her long sword with both hands, fully releasing the famous move of Jianzhu Sect she had long mastered!

The current Xu Lan’er far exceeded her former self.

Sword qi gathered into transparent sword light, immediately causing explosive sounds in the surrounding air.

Except for the cloud platform beneath their feet, all surrounding clouds were instantly swept away by this sword!

Famous throughout the Central Domain – Abyss Strike!

The sword light was incredibly clear, rushing toward Jian Chou.

It seemed to split endless deep seas with one sword, to cleave the azure firmament with one blade!

Her strongest strike right from the start!

This performance alone proved how afraid Xu Lan’er truly was.

Unfortunately…

At this instant, a light even fiercer and stronger than the blue radiance finally leaped forth.

It was red light, tragic as blood, blazing as the sun!

Jian Chou’s hand holding the ghost axe diagonally was steady as a rock, her slender fingers appearing even more transparently fair against the axe’s black backdrop.

The Dao seal on the ghost axe lit up.

Deep red Dao characters, as if dyed with human blood.

Once lit, like a spark falling into dormant lava, instantly the entire ghost axe body blazed!

Boom!

A terrifying heat wave swept outward!

Red as blood!

The ghost axe in Jian Chou’s hand – all blackness was burned away, becoming intense, bright red. All the mottled rust marks also disappeared in this red.

A blood-red axe!

A burning axe!

Curved lines outlined a shocking, fierce silhouette. Its massive body made anyone holding it appear magnificent.

Jian Chou seemed to see a giant tall as a small mountain, lifting this blood-red ghost axe, striking at thousands upon thousands of evil spirits ahead!

Invincible!

In that instant, everything was touched, everything empathized.

Uncontrollable fierceness and madness surged in Jian Chou’s eyes from this power!

She saw it!

Saw endless evil spirits, saw the grim underworld, saw endless slaughter!

Saw…

That cold yet blazing blue light, that famous Abyss Strike of the Central Domain!

The ghost axe trembled in her hand – how perfectly matched with her intent at this moment?

Demons, ghosts, and monsters, follow me not.

Running dogs and villains, disturb my heart not!

Xu Lan’er?

She smiled indifferently, but to everyone’s ears it carried the lightness and madness of thunder!

“Ten exchanges? A rat like you also qualifies?!”

By what right!

Dare you speak so boldly?

By what right!

Can you survive ten exchanges under my hand?

By what right!

Do you think you can win?!

No matter how many schemes and methods, how can they match my stunning strike!

The ghost axe swung like ten thousand ghosts dancing wildly.

A graceful arc scattered blood light that made hearts race.

In the eyes of Yashan elders, this was long-missed blood light.

In countless observers’ eyes, this was a suddenly emerging—

Red sun!

Carrying endless blood light, endless slaughter, endless supremacy, it illuminated heaven and earth’s purity and turbidity, annihilating all gods and ghosts blocking its path!

“Puchi.”

With just one light sound, that brilliant Abyss Strike dissipated like green smoke before this red sun!

And Xu Lan’er standing below was merely an ant, insignificant!

Jian Chou’s eyes were completely calm.

She didn’t see Xu Lan’er, because she had already been buried in this blood-red expanse the instant the Red Sun Slash was unleashed, never to be found again.

This blood-colored expanse, like a new sky canopy, centered on Jian Chou, centered on the ghost axe in her hand, spread endlessly in all directions, to heaven and earth!

All people standing below, filled with shock and awe, raised their heads to look.

The azure sky was covered, vanished, replaced by blood-red, by a sea of blood!

The ghost axe, rising like a red sun, bathed in this sky-covering blood color, stood like an insurmountable mountain, rugged and majestic!

Fudao Shanren watched with the urge to laugh toward heaven, but just as laughter was about to emerge, it transformed into sorrow flowing in his heart.

True Person Hengxu’s face also showed indescribable shock.

In some corner, Qu Zhengfeng raised his head to look at this blood curtain, at that moon-white shadow standing with axe on the cloud platform, also unable to make a sound.

…

Western Sea Plaza, Nine Heavens Tablet.

Still bustling with people coming and going, everyone hurried, only a few stopped beneath the nine tablets standing at the plaza’s edge.

Kunwu’s Zhao Zhuo had just returned from the sea, standing in a plaza teleportation array.

He had already transmitted news of Xie Buchen back to Kunwu, reaching Third Junior Brother Wu Duan’s hands, but details still awaited face-to-face reporting to his master.

His expression inevitably grave, Zhao Zhuo raised his hand to activate the teleportation array.

“The, the tablet!”

Suddenly an exclamation!

A cultivator standing beneath the Second Heaven Tablet raised his finger in shock, pointing at the top!

Zhou Chengjiang’s name had long disappeared from the dark tablet after his battle with Xie Buchen years ago, replaced by “Xie Buchen” in silver and gold characters!

But now, while “Xie Buchen” remained unmoved, two new characters appeared above it!

Sea winds blew, the entire plaza fell silent, then erupted.

Zhao Zhuo stood in the teleportation array, looking from afar.

Either dead at the Foundation Establishment realm, or no longer first in this realm.

Junior Brother Xie…

His heart suddenly felt like rising tide, heavy and dark.

The ancient Nine Heavens Tablet, standing for unknown years, still used the most ancient script to carve those names that streaked across the night sky like meteors.

Appearing above “Xie Buchen” were only two characters—

Jian, Chou!