Chapter 1954: Chu Chunqiu's Strength
Lin Feng's dominance served as a warning to the crowd that followed. Indeed, those who came forward to seek the Dao afterward no longer dared to treat Lin Feng as a target for provocation. The questioning and contention for the Dao raged with surging battle momentum. Even intangible exchanges carried extremely dangerous auras within them. After more than a dozen battles, only Lin Feng and the top ten experts on the Emperor's List had not been challenged. Even those ranked eleventh and twelfth had faced questioning and Dao combat.
Pei Donglai's gaze fell on Lin Feng, who was currently ranked thirteenth on the Emperor's List.
"It's your turn," Pei Donglai said calmly. Lin Feng nodded slightly, then stepped forward, his eyes sweeping over the figures on the Heavenly Emperor Pillars. He asked, "Which rank on the Emperor's List must I challenge to continue having the qualification to contend for the Dao?"
"In this round of questioning, positions eleven through twenty-six on the Emperor's List will be decided, leaving only the top ten. Of course, as long as you succeed in your Dao questioning, even if you are pushed out of the top ten, you will still have a chance to compete later," Pei Donglai replied evenly. Lin Feng nodded slightly. This meant he needed to secure a relatively high position to stabilize his place among the top ten. Otherwise, those behind him could challenge those ahead of him, pushing his ranking down, forcing him into additional battles to secure his spot. Of course, this possibility was very small.
"I'll choose Xie Yue," Lin Feng said, his gaze falling on Xie Yue, who held the eighth position on the Emperor's List. Xie Yue specialized in the Dao of Corrosive Demons, while Lin Feng's Death Dao Intent could erase that Corrosive Demon Dao, making the battle relatively easy. As for Jin Xingzi, ranked ninth, and Wang Zhong, ranked tenth, Lin Feng was not very familiar with them. He certainly would not assume that those ranked ninth and tenth were necessarily weaker than the one ranked eighth.
From beginning to end, the top ten positions on the Emperor's List had not changed, demonstrating the stability of their strength. Moreover, they seemed to have intentionally maintained this balance earlier, not shaking up the rankings, waiting for the best moment for the top ten to clash in battle. Now, Lin Feng needed to squeeze in and take a spot. If he entered, someone had to leave. Who that would be was not his concern.
Xie Yue frowned. Seeing Lin Feng's Eye of Death, his expression suddenly turned icy. Lin Feng had chosen him.
In an instant, those Death Eyes carried terrifying Death Dao Intent, charging into Xie Yue's mind. Xie Yue's expression stiffened as his Corrosive Demon Dao Intent spread out, an endless force of Corrosive Demons wildly surging toward Lin Feng. However, Lin Feng's body erupted with countless Death Tribulation Lights, which suddenly shot through the air, enveloping heaven and earth, erasing all the Corrosive Demon power.
"I will make you truly feel death," Xie Yue said coldly, letting out a roar. In an instant, heaven and earth changed color. An endless Corrosive Demon force wildly swept toward Lin Feng, turning the entire sky pitch black.
"Your Dao is insufficient," Lin Feng said, stepping forward. From the void, a Sword of Death shot toward Xie Yue. At the same time, his palm moved, and rumbling sounds rolled out. World-Sealing Ancient Seals crashed forward, enveloping all the Corrosive Demon power, and the world instantly became clear.
A roaring sound like rushing water erupted as a River of Death appeared in the sky, surging toward Xie Yue. Xie Yue's expression stiffened. His palms trembled violently as his Corrosive Demon Intent condensed into a violent storm, colliding with the River of Death.
"Get down!" Endless Death Intent eroded Xie Yue's body. The ethereal Sword of Death seemed even more terrifying. His palm moved, and an ancient seal swept out along with the River of Death, like an ancient dragon baring its fangs and claws. Seeing the River of Death surging toward him, Xie Yue's expression hardened. He had no choice but to retreat.
Xie Yue's body trembled slightly as he stepped down from the Heavenly Emperor Pillar, stunning the crowd. Lin Feng directly stepped up, temporarily taking his place at the eighth position on the Emperor's List.
"Waste," Jin Xingzi snorted coldly, moving back a spot. Not only him, but everyone behind him also shifted positions. The new holder of the thirteenth position on the Emperor's List began his Dao questioning. He glanced at the top ten figures, sighed inwardly, and said, "Others say they can die at dusk if they hear the Dao in the morning. I seek no ranking, only to comprehend Dao Might."
This person chose Ying Cheng, ranked first on the Emperor's List. He stepped forward, heading toward Ying Cheng.
"Boom!" A destructive storm suddenly swept through heaven and earth, halting his steps and freezing his gaze. Then, the world went wild, and he seemed to be caught in an uneasy upheaval. Ying Cheng's eyes flashed with a light as dazzling as a star. In that moment, heaven and earth began to explode and collapse. The man's hands trembled repeatedly as his body shot backward. Ying Cheng waved his hands, and heaven and earth shook wildly. The man seemed trapped in a storm of destruction, utterly at a loss.
"Get lost!" A strike slammed heavily into his chest, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood. His body flew backward, crashing directly into a distant Heavenly Emperor Pillar behind him. His face was pale.
"The Dao of Chaos, I have experienced it," the man sighed. His position was now fixed at thirteenth on the Emperor's List.
Next came the twelfth-ranked expert on the Emperor's List: Chu Chunqiu.
At this moment, the distant crowd all showed sharp expressions. Chu Chunqiu had always been considered a dark horse with terrifying strength. Now, at the true moment of Dao questioning and combat, who would he push down the rankings?
Suddenly, Chu Chunqiu's gaze fell on Yin Gutian, the Silver Clan expert ranked seventh on the Emperor's List. In that instant, Yin Gutian's pupils burst with dazzling light. Chu Chunqiu wanted him to move down a spot.
The crowd stared intently at the Heavenly Emperor Pillars. Chu Chunqiu rarely revealed his absolute combat power, and few knew just how strong he truly was. Today, during the Emperor's List Dao questioning, Chu Chunqiu was releasing his kingly aura. Clearly, he intended to fight fiercely on this day of Dao questioning, to overturn heaven and earth, and to seek the path to the peak of Martial Emperor in the Holy City.
"Chu Chunqiu, have you thought this through?" Yin Gutian's pupils seemed to turn silver, dazzling and brilliant beyond measure. In an instant, strands of silver light flickered in the void, extremely blinding.
Chu Chunqiu stepped forward, heading toward Yin Gutian. His pupils locked onto Yin Gutian, and suddenly, they turned into black holes, devouring toward Yin Gutian.
"Roar!" A heaven-shaking roar erupted, like a long-silent king about to release his glory. In that moment, Yin Gutian's entire body trembled wildly, his soul quaking. He felt his flesh, blood, and even soul slipping from his control. His spiritual will was draining away.
"Boom!" A terrifying ancient emperor, like an incomparably powerful giant sword, charged toward him. A Buddha descended with overwhelming pressure, crushing toward him. In that instant, endless ancient emperor wills all exploded toward him, causing his already unstable will to seem on the verge of collapse. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his face deathly pale.
"Roar!" Another earth-shattering roar erupted. Yin Gutian felt his will and soul slipping from his control, his spirit twisting as if about to leave his body. A true sense of dread surged through him. He roared in fury, and silver light filled the sky as his body retreated, struggling backward. Finally, he escaped that terrifying aura, stepping down from the Heavenly Emperor Pillar.
In that moment, everyone's gaze was fixed on Chu Chunqiu, their hearts shaken, unable to calm for a long time. Chu Chunqiu's strength was terrifying. With a single roar, heaven and earth trembled. Yin Gutian, the seventh-ranked expert on the Emperor's List, had been roared off the Heavenly Emperor Pillar. That aura just now seemed as if heaven and earth itself would be devoured by him.
Yin Gutian stood frozen in place, as if unable to believe the result. Even now, he had not fully recovered from the shock. Facing Chu Chunqiu, he had felt a soul-deep shock and fear.
Chu Chunqiu waved his sleeve, instantly taking the position, causing Yin Gutian's expression to stiffen.
"Chu Chunqiu has already become this terrifying?" Lin Feng looked at the powerful figure beside him and sighed. He had a faint feeling that this Emperor's List Dao questioning would bring about a terrifying change. The low-key Chu Chunqiu now stood like a true ancient emperor, his kingly aura fully displayed, as if he were the protagonist of the day.
Ying Cheng and Ji Shang couldn't help but look toward Chu Chunqiu. This quietly advancing powerhouse had unknowingly reached the seventh position on the Emperor's List. Next, which position on the list hanging in the void would he make a powerful charge toward?
Lin Feng stepped back one spot, now occupying the ninth position on the Emperor's List. Behind him were Xie Yue, Jin Xingzi, and Wang Zhong. Jin Xingzi, originally ranked ninth, and Wang Zhong, originally ranked tenth, were now ranked eleventh and twelfth respectively.
Wang Zhong and Jin Xingzi looked at the experts ahead of them and took a deep breath. The top few needed no mention—they had always been ahead of them. As for the newcomers Lin Feng and Chu Chunqiu, could they choose to knock these two down?
As for Chu Chunqiu, they had no confidence at all. The scene just now had made them realize that Chu Chunqiu was absolutely a terrifying existence.
The current top ten on the Emperor's List were: Ying Cheng, Ji Shang, Gui Li, Battle Monk, Shi Yunfeng, Xue Shenfeng, Chu Chunqiu, Yin Gutian, Lin Feng, and Xie Yue.
Such a lineup sent a wave of immense pressure crashing down on Wang Zhong and Jin Xingzi.
Wang Zhong finally stepped forward. He had been pushed out of the top ten on the Emperor's List. Even if not for the Dao questioning, for the sake of honor, he had to fight and contend!