Chapter 153: Chapter 152: Sakai Yoshiei Approaching the Grandmaster Realm
The moment he received Lin Wei’s message, Jiang Qiu flew over from the Xia Country Management District, Chuyuan spear in hand. He arrived just as Beligi was attempting to kill someone and casually ran him through with Rainbow Spear Piercing the Moon.
Although his opponent was a Grandmaster, he was caught so off guard that he was unable to even mount a defense. He tried to withstand the spear’s flames with his physical body alone, but he stood no chance.
This was the gap between the cultivation systems of North Border City and the Xia Country.
A Xia Country Grandmaster could sense an enemy from a kilometer away, as their Consciousness Power grows in sync with their cultivation realm. For example, once a Spear Cultivation Grandmaster comprehends Spear Intent, they can perceive the very contours of the air in a large area without needing to focus their gaze.
Now, Jiang Qiu stood atop the city wall where Beligi had been, his magnificent aura blazing like a rising sun as he faced off against Sakai Yoshiei and his group, who hovered in midair.
The Belli Family members on the wall and the refugees outside the gate were all stunned into silence, frozen in place as they stared up at his figure, not daring to make a single rash move.
The Martial Arts Team members guarding the gate mechanism, however, breathed a sigh of relief. They formed a circle, their eyes fixed on the nearby Martial Artists who were not from the Xia Country.
"You bastard! How dare you show your face?!"
Sakai Yoshiei gritted his teeth, a dense Nether Dark Spirit Charm leaking from the corners of his narrowed eyes, making him look like a man-eating demon.
’I never imagined I would be so utterly defeated by someone from the Xia Country—and have it broadcast live for millions to see!’
’And because of him, a Grandmaster-level elder is now dead!’
’Jiang Qiu... The man who subjected me to this public humiliation. No matter what, he has to die today!’
Sakai Yoshiei snarled, the corners of his mouth seeming to tear as two fangs jutted out. His pupils dilated, and his aura surged as if he were possessed by the Snake King.
"You are not getting through this gate."
Jiang Qiu ignored his taunt, raising his spear in a ready stance. His gaze was resolute, his expression serene.
"Fine. Just fine! You really think you can beat me?" Sakai Yoshiei laughed in fury. "I wasn’t even serious in the arena! If I had been, how could someone with your meager strength possibly defeat me—the possessor of the Eight-headed Snake King’s bloodline!"
He threw his head back and roared, his body transforming into a serpentine hybrid. Above him, the phantom of a giant python materialized, growing to a height of ten zhang in the blink of an eye—and it showed no signs of stopping.
His aura was far more powerful than it had been in the arena. Like a bottomless spring, it gushed forth, madly spewing Nether Dark Spirit Charm to coalesce into his Dharma Aspect.
The thick clouds overhead roiled and changed color. Lightning crackled for miles, and the heavy snow retreated, swirling away from him. Even the twenty-two Dharma Realm Martial Artists behind him scattered, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire.
"Such resolve from the Young Master!"
A Sang Island Martial Artist frowned, his mind reeling.
’Sang Island had always intended to establish its own management district in North Border City. Taking advantage of the news that a Great Secret Realm was about to appear, they had secretly relocated numerous Martial Artists with the help of some Grandmasters from the Belli Family, positioning them in the settlements outside North Border City.’
’But the plan was to act after the Great Secret Realm opened. At that point, Xia Country’s Grandmaster Zhu Weiyi would be distracted by it and neglect his administrative duties, allowing them to coordinate with the Belli Family for an attack from both inside and out.’
’But who could have expected the North Snow Wolf Clan, one of the Three Great Demon Clans of the Northern Wilderness, to suffer such a devastating blow? They even lost their most precious Wolf Emperor Secret Realm. Now, their Wolf King—a being whose strength approaches the level of a Demon Marshal—is desperate to eliminate all Xia Country Martial Artists.’
’On top of that, the Young Master himself suffered a setback in the city’s arena, and a Grandmaster-level clan elder was killed. In a fit of rage, he pushed the entire operation forward!’
’Now, the Young Master is leading the charge, having absorbed the Essence Blood prepared by Lord Baki to forcibly raise his power to the Peak of the Dharma Realm. He intends to personally kill that Xia Country prodigy, Jiang Qiu!’
"Jiang Qiu, you cannot fathom my power!"
The Nether Dark Spirit Charm around Sakai Yoshiei pulsed without end. The Dharma Aspect above his head expanded at a frenzied pace, and the phantom of a second head even began to take shape!
Ten zhang!
Twenty zhang!
Thirty zhang!
Forty zhang!
Seventy zhang!
Ninety zhang!
The two-headed giant python gazed down from high above. Its eyes, like green moons, reflected the Martial Artists of North Border City, who looked as insignificant as specks of dust, and Jiang Qiu—a lone needle piercing the top of the city wall!
Beneath the shadow of the giant python, countless refugees stared, dumbfounded. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably as they dropped to their knees, wailing and begging for mercy. Mothers clutched their children, tears streaming down their faces. The children’s heart-rending screams felt like a knife twisting in everyone’s chest.
Fear. Dread. Submission.
It was the aura of a king, the innate suppression of a powerful bloodline over lesser breeds, the contempt of an ancient, surviving power for the systems of the modern age.
For those who had lived in the Northern Wilderness for decades, this was the first time they had ever directly faced such terrifying pressure. They were like ants gazing upon a blazing, fiery sun for the very first time.
Even prodigies like Lin Wei gripped their weapons, jaws clenched tight. They struggled to suppress their wildly pounding hearts, fearing they might literally burst from the strain.
’Rumor has it that the current Eight-headed Snake King was the first serpentine Great Demon on Sang Island to achieve Transformation, having inherited the legacy of the Eight-headed Snake Emperor from the Great Secret Realm there. Every new head he grows signifies a massive breakthrough in power!’
’By summoning a mere two-headed phantom of the Snake King, Sakai Yoshiei’s power is already approaching the Grandmaster level!’
Lin Wei’s face paled with horror.
’Although Sang Island is a small place, one had to admit that by inheriting the legacy of the Eight-headed Snake Emperor, they had developed a relatively complete cultivation system. It was hardly inferior to that of the Xia Country, and in some aspects, it was in a league of its own.’
’If he were a Grandmaster, he’d be more than ten times stronger than Beligi. And as the number one prodigy of Sang Island, the Secret Techniques at his disposal would surely be powerful and utterly vicious!’
’Can Jiang Qiu, who only entered the Dharma Realm a few days ago, really hold the wall?’
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...
The deafening heartbeat sounded like a leather mallet striking a great drum, and countless eyes were fixed on Jiang Qiu.
The Martial Artists of the Belli Family flinched, their weapon-wielding hands slick with sweat. They desperately wished they could risk death, cut down the Xia Country Martial Artist, and immediately open the city gate.
Meanwhile, the refugees clutched their sweat-soaked clothes, their faces ashen, praying that the young man who dared to confront Sang Island’s top prodigy could hold on.
People from the Xia Country, like Lin Wei, stared up at him with burning gazes, wishing for the battle to break out so they could draw their weapons and fight the Sang Island Martial Artists to the death!
"You’re right, I can’t measure your power," Jiang Qiu said, taking a step forward onto the empty air. He met Sakai Yoshiei’s venomous gaze, his every word deliberate and clear. "After all, no matter how big a worm gets, it’s still a worm. And no matter how small a dragon is, it’s still a dragon."
Flaming Azure Dragon Dharma Aspect!
BOOM—
A torrent of fire erupted, coalescing into the ten-zhang-tall form of an Azure Dragon. Its scale armor looked forged and solid, its dragon horns held a latent might, and its dragon eyes naturally possessed the imperious gaze of an ancient race.
It was the look a cat gives a mouse.
Jiang Qiu’s body was as straight as a spear, possessing its own peerless sharpness. Flames ignited along the length of his Chuyuan spear as he walked toward Sakai Yoshiei and the others, step by step. The inferno wreathing his body burned away the cold aura emanating from the giant python Dharma Aspect.
He was like a great sun driving away the night.
