Chapter 96: Chapter 66: Making a Bold Move
Tan Chong laughed heartily, shook his head, and said, "I believe we both have our sights set on this realm, so there’s no need for false modesty, Fellow Daoist. How about this?"
"Who knows when the remaining Commanders will arrive. It’s rather dull for us to simply waste our time waiting here. Why don’t we make a little wager, a friendly bet, to pass the time? How about it?"
"Oh?" Sun Suzhen narrowed her eyes and asked, "What do you propose for the wager? And how shall we duel?"
"The stakes shouldn’t be too high, or it might damage the harmony between us," Tan Chong said with an air of relaxed confidence. "How about this: we’ll wager on who gets to take the first step after the grand hall is opened. If your side wins, I’ll let you go first. If my side wins, then naturally, we will go first. It’s just a one-step advantage, barely a small prize at all."
"As for the duel itself..." Tan Chong mused, "I’ve long heard that your sect’s Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture is incredibly formidable. It’s a pity, however, that I’ve only ever read about it in records or heard it described by my elders. I hear that your Fellow Daoist Xu is an expert in this art, capable of fighting even a Nascent Soul Venerable with it."
"As it happens, this junior brother of mine, Yu, has also mastered a Superior Dao Skill of my Upper Profound Sect: the Mixed Element Qi Refining Great Capture. Why don’t we have Fellow Daoist Xu and Junior Brother Yu each use their Great Capturing Hand in a match? It would be quite an eye-opener for the rest of us."
Hearing this, Sun Suzhen frowned. She turned and seemed to confer with Xuzhuang for a moment before announcing, "Very well. On behalf of Junior Brother Xu, I accept this duel!"
Tan Chong laughed. "Excellent!" he replied, then moved aside, motioning for Yu Jing to take a position in front of him.
Just as Xuzhuang was about to step forward, Sun Suzhen whispered, "Junior Brother Xu, that Tan Chong is incredibly cunning. He’s definitely trying to probe the depths of your Dao skills. If you aren’t completely confident, it might be better to feign weakness."
Xuzhuang heard her and fell silent for a moment. He, however, had other ideas. ’There’s no point in feigning weakness. It would be better to go all out. I might even be able to force that Zhong Shenxiu to make a move. And even if that fails, I can still intimidate our opponents.’
Although he had already made up his own mind, Xuzhuang didn’t argue. He simply gave a slight nod. Seeing that Xuzhuang appeared to have taken her advice to heart, Sun Suzhen relaxed. Xuzhuang then stepped forward two paces, cupped his hands, and said, "Fellow Daoist Yu."
Yu Jing gave a slight nod and replied, "Fellow Daoist Xu."
The two met each other’s gaze for a moment, then spoke in unison, "After you."
The very next instant, Yu Jing’s hands shot together in front of him, his fingers curling into a strange shape to form the Primordial Seal. With a low shout, a massive Chaos Hand erupted from behind his shoulder. It shot forward, fingers splayed, reaching to grab Xuzhuang.
Xuzhuang narrowed his eyes but remained perfectly still. The Chaos Hand was upon him in an instant. Sun Suzhen’s expression flickered, and she was about to make a move when Xuzhuang suddenly formed a seal with one hand and calmly uttered a single word: "Halt!"
BOOM! A pillar of white qi, like a signal flare, erupted from the crown of his head. It shot upward and coiled around the Mixed Element Qi Refining Great Capture hand, instantly dissolving it into a chaotic mass of Chaos Primordial Qi. The white qi’s momentum didn’t slow at all. It soared a hundred zhang into the air, transforming into a massive, distinctly-lined hand. Its five fingers spread wide as thunder and wind crackled in its palm. With a deafening RUMBLE, it plunged down toward the three members of the Upper Profound Sect!
"What?" Seeing Yu Jing’s technique shattered and his body shudder, Tan Chong didn’t even have a chance to check on him. His heart leaped as he saw the great Tai Su hand pressing down with the force of a collapsing mountain. Even before it reached them, an immense pressure slammed in from every direction. Tan Chong’s face paled. ’This is bad!’ he thought in alarm. ’His Divine Technique is this powerful? It even has a sealing ability! We can’t escape!’
Just then, Zhong Shenxiu, who had been meditating silently with his eyes closed, suddenly snapped them open. A divine light burst from his pupils, shooting out several feet and shining brighter than the sun. His hands flew together before his chest, also forming the Primordial Seal, and he barked, "Go!"
A chaotic radiance erupted from behind his shoulders, swelling in an instant. It, too, transformed into a great hand a hundred zhang tall. Murky and bewildering, it seemed to devour the very light around it as it shot fearlessly upward to meet the descending palm!
The flow of time seemed to grind to a halt. All color drained from the world, leaving only a great hand of white qi and a great Chaos Hand. One descending, one ascending, they slowly moved to touch!
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