Chapter 665: The Dominant Body Storm (Double Monthly Tickets Have Arrived!)
Divine Lord Pang Yu suppressed his anger and said, "Then please, Senior Brother Lou, personally tie the noose yourself."
Lou Yunqu smiled and said, "Easily said, easily said. But before that, I still want to see how far the divine arts and techniques of the Imperial Heaven and Eternal Peace have progressed. Junior Brother Qianchong has been challenging here for six days and has killed quite a few young experts. Dare I ask if the Imperial Heaven still has any outstanding talents?"
Lou Qianchong said calmly, "In the first few days, I killed them using the divine arts and techniques of the Northern Heavenly Netherworld. But in the last two days, I have been using techniques learned from the practitioners of the Imperial Heaven."
Divine Lord Pang Yu’s heart trembled slightly as he looked at this young demon. He recalled that in the battle between Lou Qianchong and Yuhe just now, the techniques used were indeed those of the Imperial Heaven and Eternal Peace, not his own specialized divine arts.
Four days to learn techniques from the practitioners of the Imperial Heaven, and then use them to counter-kill the practitioners of the Imperial Heaven?
Such talent was terrifyingly high!
Even more shocking was that among those he had defeated was Pang Yu’s own disciple, Yuhe!
Before Qin Mu arrived at the Imperial Heaven, Yuhe had always been the top practitioner at the Seven Star realm in the Imperial Heaven, occasionally surpassed by Shu Yao, but that was rare.
After Qin Mu came to the Imperial Heaven, the top spot changed hands. By the time many young talents from Eternal Peace flocked to the Imperial Heaven, it was hard to say whether Yuhe could even hold second place, but her strength was certainly not to be underestimated—she was among the most top-tier practitioners!
For Lou Qianchong to defeat Yuhe using the Imperial Heaven’s techniques was nearly impossible, yet he had done it. This showed that his foundation was incredibly solid, even giving the impression that he had entered the Dao through divine arts!
Someone who entered the Dao through divine arts could understand the principles and structure of any divine art or technique at a single glance.
The first time Divine Lord Pang Yu had seen such a heaven-defying figure was the Eternal Peace National Master, who had a near-Dao-level understanding of all divine arts and techniques, a talent unmatched in his generation.
The second time he saw such a figure was Xu Shenghua, who emerged from the Town God Tower, radiant and peerless.
Aside from these two, Pang Yu had never encountered anyone similar.
Even the renowned Lord Qin, who controlled the largest sects in both Eternal Peace and the Imperial Heaven, did not possess such talent and brilliance. Qin Mu was proficient in many things—blade techniques, sword techniques, medicine, forging—all outstanding and top-notch. However, in divine arts, he had not reached the level of near-Dao.
Qin Mu had entered the Dao through cultivation techniques and sword techniques, excelling in many areas, but he could not claim the top spot in any single one. Sometimes, Divine Lord Pang Yu felt that if Qin Mu spent less time dabbling in miscellaneous things, his achievements might have surpassed his current level.
Yet it was precisely because of his dabbling that Qin Mu’s strength continued to grow, and even the Eternal Peace National Master and Xu Shenghua could not overshadow him. Instead, he often outshone them.
"How can one defeat someone who has entered the Dao through divine arts? And this person is also a disciple of a powerful figure from the Northern Heavenly Netherworld’s Imperial Seat..."
Just as Divine Lord Pang Yu was worrying, he saw many young practitioners rushing over. Having heard that a demon had come to challenge them, they came to answer the call. Among the crowd was a graceful man holding the hand of a girl beside him, with a small bundle on his back.
Pang Yu’s eyes lit up. "Young Master Xu."
Xu Shenghua smiled, but his smile carried a distant coldness. "Divine Lord."
Pang Yu’s gaze flickered. "Young Master Xu is the leading figure of Eternal Peace. Do you have the confidence to defeat the enemy?"
Xu Shenghua’s eyes fell on Lou Qianchong across from him, then shifted to Zhe Huali and Qi Jiuyi. "Not much. Their cultivation techniques are too advanced, carrying within them the ability to enlighten one to the Dao. The techniques I practice are just beginning and cannot compare to their inherited or master-taught techniques. My chances of victory are slim."
Divine Lord Pang Yu frowned. This young man was completely different from Qin Mu. He analyzed both sides from a detached, transcendent perspective, as if he were not a participant himself.
His detachment was so extreme that it felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Wang Muran’s eyes lit up. "You admit you’re no match for him? If I defeat him, will you admit you’re inferior to me?"
Xu Shenghua said, "When I defeated you in Little Jade Capital, it took twenty-three moves. Defeating Lin Xuan, the sect master, took five moves. So Lin Xuan is stronger than you. If you can withstand five moves from this Lou Qianchong, I will fight him."
Wang Muran was furious, and Lin Xuan, not far away, frowned deeply.
Although Xu Shenghua seemed to praise him, his way of complimenting others was truly grating.
"Xu Shenghua has spent too much time with Lord Qin, and it’s rubbed off on him. Even when Lord Qin is modest, he wounds people like this," Lin Xuan thought to himself.
Wang Muran sneered. "I heard that Lord Qin defeated you without using a single move—just by walking, he dragged you until you coughed blood."
Xu Shenghua sighed. "The stronger the opponent, the fewer moves I use. In my battle with Lord Qin, the outcome was decided without a single move. He is truly powerful, the most terrifying opponent I have ever faced. I have made great progress recently and would like to seek him out for another contest, but it’s rare to encounter him."
Wang Muran was speechless. He charged forward and shouted, "Lou Qianchong, dare to fight?"
Lou Qianchong looked at him. "State your name."
"Fight first, talk later!"
Wang Muran’s cultivation had advanced rapidly recently. The collision of Eternal Peace’s divine arts and techniques with the Imperial Heaven’s cultivation system had allowed talented individuals to make even greater progress. Wang Muran was among the most top-tier of these geniuses!
Moreover, Eternal Peace was extremely open in its techniques and divine arts. Practically all techniques and divine arts from Eternal Peace could be learned in the various academies and schools, and even the Imperial Heaven’s divine arts had been organized, with experts from the Imperial Heaven teaching and explaining them.
Over the past two years, Wang Muran had devoted almost all his time and energy to integrating the complex cultivation system of Little Jade Capital, and the results were immense. In this fight, his movements were as fast as lightning, his techniques as swift as thunder, and the power of each move was astonishingly great!
Lou Qianchong used the techniques he had learned over the past few days to block four moves but could not gain the upper hand. He frowned slightly and suddenly changed his techniques, becoming incredibly bizarre as he struck out repeatedly.
With his first palm strike, Wang Muran’s primordial spirit was knocked out of his body, only for Wang Muran to forcibly pull it back in.
With his second palm strike, Wang Muran’s primordial spirit was again shaken out of his body, each time farther away!
Lou Qianchong made a cutting motion, and a dark crack opened behind Wang Muran. Just as his primordial spirit was about to fall into the crack, Wang Muran roared, rapidly retreating and crashing into his own primordial spirit, merging body and spirit. Then he leaped backward, narrowly avoiding the crack, and landed beside Divine Lord Pang Yu, his face filled with shock and uncertainty.
Lou Qianchong did not pursue. He praised, "Not bad. You are the first to force me to use my true techniques."
Wang Muran calmed his racing heart and said to Xu Shenghua, "Five moves! Your turn!"
Xu Shenghua’s eyes flickered. He stepped forward and walked toward Lou Qianchong. "If I go up, it might only take one or two moves. Either I lose, or I win."
His steps suddenly became extremely heavy. With each step, the ground beneath him trembled, and lotus flowers bloomed one after another. The flowers slowly opened, their stamens trembling slightly, emitting various runes.
As he walked forward, the lotus flowers were left behind him. The more steps he took, the more lotus flowers appeared behind him.
After a dozen steps, the area behind him had become a world of lotus flowers. The runes emitted from the stamens arranged and combined, forming a void, and within the void was a fragrant world of flowers.
Lou Qianchong’s expression grew serious. Xu Shenghua’s divine arts had formed a complete system. The void world behind him contained divine arts that continuously evolved, making it impossible for Lou Qianchong to discern what technique Xu Shenghua was about to use.
This was because the void world was constructed from the most basic runes, and different sequences of these basic runes would form different techniques. It was nearly impossible to deduce his technique from the void world alone!
"Starting with a grand technique right away!"
Lin Xuan’s face showed surprise as he muttered, "Senior Brother Wang, Xu Shenghua’s mastery of divine arts has far surpassed both of us!"
Wang Muran snorted. "If I could fully integrate the techniques of Little Jade Capital, I wouldn’t be inferior to him."
Lin Xuan couldn’t help but say, "You should probably seek advice from Lord Qin. People call him the Junk King behind his back. His techniques are all about repairing, patching, and mending—repair for three years, patch for three years, mend for another three years. I heard he builds human body technique models, which should suit your taste."
Just then, Xu Shenghua’s technique erupted. In that instant, the technique was so dazzling and enchanting. The void world behind him surged forward, lotus flowers swaying, runes changing rapidly!
Lou Qianchong took a step back, and behind him suddenly appeared a vast, profound darkness, as if the Great Ruins had descended into night, roaring as it engulfed him!
Xu Shenghua was startled. Where the darkness covered, he could no longer find Lou Qianchong’s figure.
The darkness was like another dimension, eroding his energy, techniques, and body, seeping into him and contaminating his primordial spirit. His techniques struck the darkness, wreaking havoc and unleashing their power wildly, but they were quickly devoured by the darkness.
Xu Shenghua leaped backward, striking out with a palm behind him as he retreated. His fingers trembled, and behind him, countless palm and finger shadows appeared. The palm lines were like mountains and rivers, the palm center like the heavens, and the finger shadows like mountain peaks!
Lou Qianchong appeared behind him, seemingly made of black sand in the darkness, passing directly through his technique and striking Xu Shenghua’s back.
Xu Shenghua grunted and stumbled forward. A gate opened in the darkness, revealing a dim space. Inside the gate, a monster that was neither god nor demon waited, thrusting a steel fork at Xu Shenghua.
Xu Shenghua clasped his hands together, and the void world suddenly closed. Countless petals filled the sky, engulfing him.
The steel fork from the gate stabbed into the void world, clattering as it struck empty air. A petal landed on the fork, and the void world, along with Xu Shenghua, vanished.
"Oh!"
Suddenly, a voice shouted loudly, "Another fake Dominant Body!"
Lou Qianchong withdrew his technique, and the darkness receded. He frowned slightly, looking toward the source of the voice.
At the same time, Xu Shenghua’s figure suddenly reappeared, as if emerging from the depths of space. His face was somewhat pale, and he also looked toward the voice.
The city gate of Li City swung wide open. Qin Mu rode a majestic Dragon Qilin, looking smug as he left the city, clearly intending to take a stroll and show off. He shouted, "Pie! Giddyup!"
The Dragon Qilin said unhappily, "Lord, I am a Dragon Qilin, not a horse. Please don’t call me by my true name, lest that scoundrel Banguo Ce hears it and plots against me behind my back."
The Dragon Qilin moved swiftly, leaving trails of fire with each step. Before his voice reached the crowd, he had already carried Qin Mu to Pang Yu’s side and stopped steadily.
Only then did the sound reach everyone’s ears.
Qin Mu laughed. "It wasn’t in vain that I worked hard these past few days. Senior Brother Xu, Sect Master, Senior Brother Wang, you’re all here. Tell me, doesn’t my Dragon Fatty look impressive?"
Wang Muran curled his lips but said nothing. The deer beside him said, "Yoo-yoo, impressive. If this figure can stay the same for three days, I’ll pull off my antlers and stick them up my nose. Yoo—"
The Dragon Qilin glared at him.
Qin Mu didn’t mind. His gaze fell on Lou Qianchong, and he said solemnly, "The village chief is indeed well-traveled and wasn’t wrong. Now that I, the Dominant Body, have appeared, all sorts of fake Dominant Bodies are popping up, trying to steal my fortune and become the Dominant Body. Brother Xu, I’m not talking about you, don’t take it to heart... Brother Wang, shut up. You’re not a Dominant Body—you’re not even a fake Dominant Body..."
Lou Yunqu, Wei Qingpei, and the others sized up Qin Mu. Lou Yunqu said quietly, "Honored King, who is this arrogant youth riding some unknown creature?"
Fu Riluo smiled. "Doesn’t the Netherworld have the Book of Life and Death? Brother Lou, just use the Book of Life and Death to shine a light on him, and you’ll know."
—Brothers, double monthly tickets have arrived! From the 28th to the 7th of next month, one monthly ticket counts as two! The Tale of the Shepherd God has been at the top for 27 consecutive days. Don’t let it be overturned at the end of the month! Please vote for monthly tickets!