Extreme Spirit Chaos Technique

Chapter 385: Chapter 377: Shadow

Just a moment ago, when Mu Chen forced him to kneel and apologize, Guo Zijie had instinctively used his strongest Poison Attribute Combat Skill to launch a fierce counterattack! But to his absolute horror, none of his Poison Attribute Combat Skills had any effect on Mu Chen! They either changed direction upon getting close to Mu Chen, or were casually slapped off course by a single palm strike! Guo Zijie had never experienced such a feeling of powerlessness in his entire life.

So he had conceded! He had truly conceded!

His concession was also what snapped everyone present back to their senses. Seeing Guo Zijie on the verge of death below, the crowd couldn’t help but gasp. When their gazes shifted back to Mu Chen, their initial approval slowly morphed into adoration, but hidden within that adoration was a hint of fear! The fear one has for the truly powerful!

"In this battle, Guo Zijie has forfeited. Therefore, the winner is Mu Chen of the Xuanling Empire!"

Even with his mind a complete blank, Elder Bai habitually announced the result of the match. After speaking, his gaze remained vacant. He was the closest person to the arena, so he had seen what happened below with utmost clarity. But it was precisely because he had seen it so clearly that he was all the more shaken!

"Is... Is he really a First-Ring Martial Sect?" On the silent Peak of the Holy Mark, such a question arose from an unknown corner of the crowd.

"A First-Ring Martial Sect... Who would believe it if you told them..." After coming to his senses, Shi Mu Hua looked utterly helpless. His gaze toward Mu Chen became extremely complicated. ’It seems I was too arrogant when we met this morning.’

Hearing Shi Mu Hua’s words, the youth beside him shook his head. "Brother Mu Hua, you’re being humble again. From my perspective, the strength Mu Chen has revealed so far isn’t that great. If we were to measure it against your power, Brother Mu Hua, he would be at most one-third as strong—not accounting for any hidden strength, of course. The fact that he can suppress the Poison Demon, Guo Zijie, like this must be for some other reason, like an external Antitoxic Treasure or some kind of Antitoxic Elixir. In any case, it absolutely can’t be because he overpowered him with raw strength."

"You have a point." Shi Mu Hua nodded, glancing at the youth with some appreciation. "But an external Antitoxic Elixir... I’m afraid even those peerless Great Powers couldn’t obtain such a thing, to say nothing of an abstruse item like an Antitoxic Treasure. It’s debatable whether such things even exist in this world. And even if they did, one would never fall into Mu Chen’s hands. So, there must be another reason we are unaware of."

"Perhaps..." In truth, the youth couldn’t figure it out either; he was merely speculating...

In the special viewing area, the smiles had vanished from everyone’s faces, including Dilaka’s. His expression was grave. After living for nearly a thousand years, this was the first time Dilaka had felt his mouth go dry. He swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and said, "Old Dan, did you see anything unusual?"

"Nothing." Upon hearing Dilaka, Shan Qiuhen sucked in a sharp breath and then shook his head with a wry smile. "I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. If I’m not mistaken, it’s not that the kid can resist the Poison Attribute; it’s that he isn’t afraid of it in the first place."

"Oh? You saw it too?" Dilaka nodded. "You’re right. If an external object were resisting the Poison Attribute, it would definitely form something like a Defense Shield around his body. No matter how high-grade or ancient that object was—so ancient that it had reached the state of Returning to the Essence—it would still require a trigger."

"Primordial Power," Dilaka and Shan Qiuhen said in unison.

Dilaka continued, "But from what we just saw, that little fellow Mu Chen didn’t use a single shred of Primordial Power from beginning to end. Even when Guo Zijie’s Poison Attribute Combat Skills came at him, he only resisted with his physical body. He nonchalantly dismantled the Poison Attribute Primordial Power that makes everyone’s face pale at its mere mention. This shows that the boy must possess some kind of extremely special, utterly terrifying constitution! Or an ability! Otherwise, there’s no reason that can explain what just happened."

"Well said." Shan Qiuhen sighed softly. Although the bet between him and Dilaka had ended in a way neither of them could have imagined, Shan Qiuhen didn’t feel the least bit upset. Instead, he felt a faint sense of vexation. He finally understood why he and Dilaka were of similar age, yet Dilaka’s Martial Artist Realm was a full two realms higher. It was a person’s mind and way of thinking. Dilaka was able to see things far beyond the obvious!

"So, I’ve won this round. But... Old Dan, we’ve worked together for so many years. Did you really think I, Dilaka, am such a petty person? If you want to browse the Supreme Secret Scripture, you just have to ask. Besides, a person can only obtain one Ancient Secret Technique in their lifetime, and what’s more, it’s chosen at random. With your status and contributions to Holy Tomb Mountain, aren’t you worthy of the chance to browse the Supreme Secret Scripture?"

"You mean? Even though I lost, I can still browse it?" Shan Qiuhen was in disbelief.

"Of course. But don’t you dare fight me over this disciple. This little fellow, Mu Chen, is mine. I, Dilaka, have claimed him."

Dilaka had already held Mu Chen in high regard, and now with this huge, unexpected discovery, he was even more determined not to let him go. But judging from Mu Chen’s actions, his rage was likely triggered by Guo Zijie injuring those two little girls. From this point alone, the relationship between those two girls and Mu Chen was probably anything but ordinary. ’If I want to keep Mu Chen here, I might have to start with those two.’

While everyone below was focused on the arena, high above the Peak of the Holy Mark, a silver-haired old man in a gray, patched-up robe was reclining in mid-air. His hair was disheveled, his face was grimy, and he was a picture of slovenliness. He held a greasy chicken leg in one hand, constantly stuffing it into his mouth. In just a few moments, only a bone was left.

His murky Phoenix Eyes glanced sideways at the arena below. With a PUFF, he spat out a chicken bone. His grease-stained mouth curled into a slight grin, revealing a set of perfectly white and even teeth as he said, "Well, well... looks like I’ve found a promising little devil."

After saying this, the silver-haired old man tossed the chicken bone behind him. The bone cut through the sky in a beautiful parabola, landing on a mountain peak.

Normally, a chicken bone thrown from such a height would have shattered into dust upon impact with the rock face. But what actually happened? When the bone touched the cliff, it made a muffled THUD and actually pierced straight through from one side of the mountain to the other! It then landed gently on the soil, leaving only a shallow mark!

And the mountain itself spanned... several thousand meters! For a chicken bone to pierce through a mountain thousands of meters thick and then not even create a large crater, but merely leave a faint imprint upon landing—what kind of power control would that require!

But even with such masterful control, the old man was not satisfied...

’Eh? Seems I didn’t control my strength properly. It still left a mark. Tsk tsk, I’ve moved around too little these past few thousand years. Even my body is getting a little rusty.’ The silver-haired old man pouted. He glanced at the grease on his hand, his brow furrowed in extreme disgust as he muttered, "I hate this greasy stuff more than anything."

After saying that, the silver-haired old man cautiously scanned his surroundings. Seeing no one else in the sky, he nonchalantly placed his palm on his thigh and rubbed it back and forth a couple of times. When he saw the grease had completely disappeared, his brow finally relaxed. He pulled an unadorned wooden pipe from his sleeve and began to smoke it, completely oblivious to the fact that the "greasy stuff" he had just mentioned had now been transferred to his thigh!

’But it looks like that little fellow Dilaka has taken a liking to him. Ah, well. Ever since that child Jiuye’s misfortune, that boy Dilaka has been living in self-blame. He has a terrifying Martial Artist cultivation but no one to pass it on to. If this continues, it will be a huge loss for all of Holy Tomb Mountain, so I’ll let him have this one. However, he’s not the only prodigy among the people from the Xuanling Empire... For example, there’s that little lass I’ve got my eye on. No! Or rather... the descendant of that completely extinct line.’ Exhaling a puff of white smoke, the silver-haired old man narrowed his Phoenix Eyes and gave a meaningful smile. ’She hides it so deep, but she’s already given her heart to that boy Mu Chen. That’s the only regrettable part. This Mu Chen, his luck is even more monstrous than his strength! A constitution that resists the Poison Attribute, a Pupil Technique that can see through any opening, a logic-defying Dual Attribute Primordial Power... and the favor of that descendant! Heh, and he’s still hiding his power.’

"For a being that defies all rules to appear... Extreme Martial Continent, are you about to face some unforeseen catastrophe?" The silver-haired old man gently raised his head. His gaze shifted, and the white clouds in the sky seemed to receive a command, scattering completely! They left behind nothing but an expanse of sky as blue as the ocean. The old man’s murky eyes suddenly turned pitch-black. Within that blackness, brilliant points of light, like stars, began to move along a profound trajectory...

"This battle! Mu Chen of the Xuanling Empire is the victor! Due to the sudden nature of this fight, I have taken the liberty of ruling it a one-on-one match! Therefore, the Caesar Empire may continue to participate! Next contestant!"

After a moment to catch his breath, Elder Bai finally composed himself. Once Guo Zijie had recalled his Poisonous Screen and Feng Wu into his Poison Cauldron, Elder Bai dispelled the light barrier. The instant the barrier dissipated, Guo Zijie whipped his head around to look at Mu Chen. His whole body trembled, and he instantly transformed into a black mist, rushing back to the Caesar Empire’s viewing section! To him, that arena was like a Deceitful Forbidden Land, filling him with absolute terror... It had even left a deep, dark shadow in his heart!