Chapter 430 ·Life-and-Death Struggle
Chapter 430: Life-and-Death Struggle
“Senior knows Law-Breaking True Monarch Xiao Yu?” Chen Beiwu noticed something was off.
“Xiao Yu is a Nascent Soul True Monarch of the Tianyuan Xiao Clan. Naturally, this old man knows him.”
The old man smiled calmly and looked at Chen Beiwu with interest：“You brat are quite bold, even daring to offend the Tianyuan Xiao Clan.”
Chen Beiwu’s gaze narrowed slightly as he corrected：“Senior, Xiao Yu alone cannot represent the Tianyuan Xiao Clan.”
Suppressing and killing Xiao Yu and targeting the Tianyuan Xiao Clan were two entirely different matters and could not be lumped together, even if the former would offend some Xiao Clan cultivators who valued the family’s reputation.
“You brat are indeed not bad, clearly distinguishing gratitude and grudges.”
Hearing this, Chen Beiwu’s expression remained unchanged as he quietly waited for what came next.
The old man paused, picked up the bamboo rod beside him, and lightly tapped the clay basin：
“However, there is something you should also know. This old man is Xiao Wangyu. According to the clan genealogy, I am the granduncle of Xiao Xuan, an elder of the Xiao Clan, so I can also be considered that child Xiao Yu’s great-granduncle.”
Hearing this, the Guarding-the-One Mirror within Chen Beiwu’s Spirit Platform flickered with light, suppressing the surprise in his heart while his expression revealed nothing.
He knew that the Tianyuan Xiao Clan was one of the Immortal Alliance’s top cultivation families, one of Yuqing’s Four Dao Venerable Immortal Families, with influence spread throughout the entire sect.
But no matter what, he had never expected that even Xiao Wangyu, Head of the Conflict-Stopping Department, who symbolized sect rules, absolute neutrality, and transcendence from worldly affairs, would also be a member of the Xiao Clan and even related to Xiao Yu.
“Since that is the case, this junior has one question to ask.”
Facing a Divine Transformation cultivator directly, Chen Beiwu showed no fear and straightforwardly said：“Senior is responsible for presiding over the Conflict-Stopping Department. Would you break the sect’s Life-and-Death Platform struggle rules for Xiao Yu?”
“Naturally not.”
Xiao Wangyu slightly shook his head. His tone was calm, yet weighty as a thousand jun：“Rules are the foundation of the sect’s existence. This old man will never allow anyone to break the sect’s rules, even if that person is a Nascent Soul True Monarch of the Xiao Clan.”
Chen Beiwu did not fully believe Xiao Wangyu’s words, but he believed that under countless watching eyes, it would be difficult for the latter to deliberately show favoritism toward Xiao Yu.
“To ensure the fairness of the Life-and-Death Platform, this old man needs to ask you several questions in advance.” Xiao Wangyu said in a businesslike manner.
Chen Beiwu did not refuse and answered each question one by one.
“Good. The Life-and-Death Platform struggle you initiated conforms to the sect’s rules. This old man will initiate the procedure accordingly. As for the exact time of the struggle, Xiao Yu’s side will need to confirm it.”
After speaking, Xiao Wangyu raised his eyes and glanced at Chen Beiwu, reminding him：“Brat, it is better to resolve enmity than deepen it. If you take a step back now, it is still not too late.”
“No need.”
Chen Beiwu cupped his hands and took his leave without the slightest hesitation.
Watching Chen Beiwu’s figure disappear, Xiao Wangyu smiled.
The younger generation was truly formidable!
This brat’s temperament was almost exactly the same as True Venerable Changqing of Dongming’s, while his talent and fate surpassed that old fellow’s by another level. No wonder he had entered his tutelage.
Thinking this, Xiao Wangyu picked up the fishing rod and resumed fishing, suppressing the thoughts in his heart.
After a thousand years, the Life-and-Death Platform struggle had once again been activated.
At that time, regardless of whether the cultivator left standing on the platform was Chen Beiwu or Xiao Yu, a storm sweeping through the sect’s younger generation would inevitably arise.
……
Yuqing Immortal Sect, Feather Immortal Pavilion.
A Communication Jade Talisman from the Conflict-Stopping Department streaked through space and appeared before Xiao Yu.
Xiao Yu frowned and swept over the jade talisman with Divine Sense.
“Boom!”
The next second, the jade talisman shattered. An incomparably violent True Monarch pressure suddenly erupted, sweeping up all the expensive high-grade tea sets and cultivation implements within the cultivation chamber.
“Life-and-Death Platform struggle? Such enormous courage!”
Xiao Yu released a series of chilling cold laughs, his eyes filled with killing intent.
“You, a mud-legged nobody who crawled out of some insignificant place, were lucky enough to enter the Evergreen Lineage, obtain some opportunities, attain the Dao as a True Monarch, and establish some nonsensical honorific of True Martial, and now you want to kill me?”
“Good, good, good, excellent!”
Xiao Yu clenched his fists, a cruel smile splitting across his face：“This True Monarch was just worried about having no reason to completely deal with you. Since you dare seek death, then don’t blame this True Monarch for using this opportunity to take your Heavenly Mandate, your Golden Core, and everything you possess on the Life-and-Death Platform!”
Within the quiet chamber, the killing intent lingered for a long time.
Only after a long while did Xiao Yu take a deep breath and forcibly suppress the distracting thoughts in his heart.
He was not stupid. He knew Chen Beiwu would not throw his life away for nothing.
Since Chen Beiwu dared directly initiate a Life-and-Death Platform struggle, he must have at least fifty to sixty percent confidence in crossing realms to suppress and kill him.
It was precisely because he understood this that the fury in Xiao Yu’s heart surged even more violently.
This meant that in Chen Beiwu’s heart, even though he possessed mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, he was still considered a weakling and no match for him at all.
At this thought, Xiao Yu unhesitatingly took out a divination star disk, forced a drop of essence blood from his fingertip, then slowly traced through the air with one finger, resonating with the star disk and drawing a stellar divination diagram.
The next instant, at the center of the divination image, the star representing Xiao Yu suddenly dimmed and was enveloped by an incomparably dense blood mist.
Very soon, an indescribable sense of great terror rose from Xiao Yu’s heart as a warning.
“Blood sea devours the star, an omen of great calamity?”
Xiao Yu’s pupils contracted slightly, revealing disbelief.
How could this be possible!
He was a mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch, while Chen Beiwu was merely a newly advanced True Monarch who had not even undergone Fetal Breathing and Sitting in Oblivion.
Yet the divination showed that once he stepped onto the Life-and-Death Platform to struggle, the one who would most likely die was him rather than Chen Beiwu.
‘I must have calculated it wrong!’
Xiao Yu instinctively rejected his own deduction and divination.
There was no other reason. Chen Beiwu had forged the Primordial Origin Golden Core, causing all traces of the past to vanish while future ties were self-determined, placing him beyond calculation and granting great freedom. All methods of deduction became ineffective against him, and even Divine Transformation True Venerables could not divine him.
Although Xiao Yu was currently calculating himself, the divination was connected to Chen Beiwu, so some inaccuracies were naturally bound to appear.
However, the unease in Xiao Yu’s heart was like a poisoned thorn, firmly lodged within him.
“Could it be that I should refuse this Life-and-Death Platform struggle?” Xiao Yu frowned deeply, his expression ugly.
According to sect rules, when the strong initiated a Life-and-Death Platform struggle against the weak, there were numerous restrictions. The sect needed to investigate and verify the grievance first, and only after intervention and mediation failed could it be initiated.
Even so, the cultivation of the party initiating the Life-and-Death Platform struggle could not exceed the responder by more than two minor realms（below Golden Core, including Golden Core）, or one minor realm（Nascent Soul True Monarch and above）, and the responding party possessed the unconditional right to refuse.
Of course, if the initiating party was willing to wear a “Spirit-Binding Ring”, suppressing both their own cultivation realm and the Cultivation Years of their Companion Beast to one minor realm below the responding party, then the responding party could not refuse the Life-and-Death Platform struggle.
By the same logic, when the weak initiated a Life-and-Death Platform struggle against the strong, there were very few restrictions, almost none at all.
Because unless they were driven into desperate straits with no other choice, almost no weak cultivator would risk voluntarily initiating a Life-and-Death Platform struggle against someone stronger.
Apart from this, the sect could also use this method to screen out true combat prodigies, allowing talented disciples suppressed by second-generation prodigies from cultivation families to overturn the strong from below while also providing another upward path for resolving grievances.
Thinking this, hesitation flashed through Xiao Yu’s eyes.
Chen Beiwu was merely a newly advanced True Monarch, while he was a mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch who had cultivated deeply within the True Monarch realm for many years.
If he refused this Life-and-Death Platform struggle, not only would he need to bow his head and yield before Chen Beiwu, but even the family’s honor and the reputation he had built over the years through resources, connections, and schemes would all be destroyed overnight.
“Buzz!”
At this moment, a Divine Sense avatar silently descended upon Feather Immortal Pavilion.
“Interesting. Could it be that Law-Breaking True Monarch is afraid, terrified of a mere newly advanced True Monarch?”
Profound Origin True Venerable’s Divine Sense stirred. Seeing through the hesitation in Xiao Yu’s heart, he returned the very words Xiao Yu had once spoken.
Hearing this, Xiao Yu’s throat tightened, and he did not answer.
“Now that the Immortal Alliance’s rules have drastically changed and combat prodigies are being promoted, as a Dao Venerable Immortal Family, how should the talented descendants of my Tianyuan Xiao Clan behave? You should understand your father’s meaning and not make things difficult for me.”
After speaking, Profound Origin True Venerable gave Xiao Yu a deep look, and his Divine Sense avatar slowly dissipated.
Once a piece was placed, there could be no regret.
Since Xiao Yu had chosen to act against Chen Beiwu, then he needed to be prepared for the backlash.
In any case, no matter what happened, the Tianyuan Xiao Clan had no one who would lose courage before battle and disgrace the family name.
If such a person existed, then that person was not his son!
Hearing this, Xiao Yu took a deep breath, revealing the resolve of one prepared to burn his boats.
Father’s reminder was right. If he retreated even once, he would become a laughingstock and have no place to stand within the clan!
Let alone competing for a sliver of hope toward Divine Transformation in the future tides of the Immortal Alliance.
So what if the divination showed great calamity?
Until the very end, who would fall into whose hands was still unknown!
……
There was no wall in the world without cracks.
As a leading figure of the Yuqing Immortal Sect’s younger generation, every action of Chen Beiwu was watched, let alone something as major as initiating a Life-and-Death Platform struggle.
After only one night, the news that the sect’s Life-and-Death Platform had opened spread like a stone thrown into a still lake, creating countless expanding ripples.
“Have you heard? The sect’s newly advanced True Martial True Monarch seems to have initiated a Life-and-Death Platform struggle against Law-Breaking True Monarch?”
“Where did this fake news come from? True Martial True Monarch is the Yuqing Chief Disciple, with such exalted status and limitless prospects. How could he possibly struggle against Law-Breaking True Monarch for no reason!”
“Indeed, this news is far too fake. Law-Breaking True Monarch is a peak mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, holds the True Intent of ‘Dragon and Tiger Both Broken’, and has few rivals among mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarchs. How could a newly advanced True Monarch possibly contend with him?”
“Don’t speak nonsense if you don’t understand. There’s no smoke without fire. Could something like this possibly be false?”
Hearing this, Shen Yuanbao, who had been traveling through escaping light, frowned slightly, hurriedly descended, stopped a group of whispering Foundation Establishment cultivators, and began asking for information.
Meanwhile, Zhu Ming Grotto-Heaven.
Yu Zhaohua and her younger clanswoman Yu Zhaozhen were strolling and chatting.
Suddenly, a jade talisman flickered into existence.
Yu Zhaohua swept it with Divine Sense, and a strange light appeared in her eyes.
“What is it?” Yu Zhaozhen’s voice carried the softness unique to a young woman.
“Nothing much. The Dao Companion you have your eyes on is about to step onto the Life-and-Death Platform.” Yu Zhaohua said with a complicated tone.
“What!”
Yu Zhaozhen’s eyelid twitched, anger appearing in her eyes.
She had finally found an excellent prospective partner whose appearance, talent, character, and potential were all exceptional, only for someone to actually set their sights on him.
“Was the Life-and-Death Platform struggle initiated by Law-Breaking True Monarch Xiao Yu?”
As Yu Zhaozhen asked, she opened her phone and ordered her subordinates to investigate the situation thoroughly.
“No. Chen Beiwu initiated the struggle.” Yu Zhaohua said with a complicated expression.
Based on her understanding of Chen Beiwu, if he did not have seventy to eighty percent confidence, he would absolutely never act so recklessly.
“Ah?”
Yu Zhaozhen froze.
The Dao Companion she had chosen was this domineering?
A newly advanced True Monarch who, not long after establishing his honorific, already dared fight a mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch to the death. Such boldness far surpassed the second-generation cultivators within her clan.
“What do you say, shall we go watch the battle together?” Yu Zhaohua raised her head and looked toward the sky, her gaze deep.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, she wanted to know exactly how large the gap between herself and Chen Beiwu had become.
“Of course.” Yu Zhaozhen agreed without hesitation.
……
Similar situations continuously occurred in every corner of the Yuqing Immortal Sect. Even the prodigies of the Four Dao Venerable Immortal Families were all alarmed.
Tianyuan Xiao Clan, Truth-Seeking Cave.
“Interesting. This future master of mine whom I have yet to meet certainly possesses considerable boldness. He does nothing until he acts, and once he does, it shocks heaven and earth.”
Xiao Li smiled：“No wonder Master was unwilling to meet me before. So it was because of this.”
“Young Master, the clan’s descendants are all discussing this matter. Will you not reconsider?” the blue-robed cultivator tactfully reminded.
“That Nine Revolutions Restoration Pill of mine wasn’t given away for nothing. Why wouldn’t I take Chen Beiwu as my master?”
Xiao Li glanced at his subordinate and said dismissively：“Besides, Xiao Yu isn’t even a ranked direct descendant of the main lineage. If he dies, then he dies. What’s the big deal.”
“Compared to Xiao Yu falling, I’m more afraid that Master will die on the Life-and-Death Platform before even transmitting the Taiyi Five Directions Foundation-Laying Marvelous Method to me.”
“Though this time really is somewhat strange. According to the sect’s records, before a Life-and-Death Platform struggle is opened, the sect’s upper ranks always intervene in advance. I wonder what happened this year.”
At this point, Xiao Li took out his phone and sent Chen Beiwu a message expressing concern while tactfully reminding him that Law-Breaking True Monarch possessed formidable strength.
Of course, to avoid exposing intelligence concerning the clan’s Heavenly-Gang Mystic Beast, he did not reveal anything too specific.
At the same time, Chen Beiwu looked at the numerous messages of concern and intelligence popping up on his phone, his expression calm.
He would never underestimate any opponent, especially a powerhouse whose cultivation realm surpassed his own.
To put it plainly, if the Life-and-Death Platform struggle did not have rules forbidding both sides from using external objects such as pills, Magical Treasures, Talismans, and formations, his confidence in suppressing and killing Xiao Yu would drop by another twenty to thirty percent.
‘Seeking Truth and Position, successfully attaining One Origin Dao Attainment, opening the Heavenly Eye for the Nascent Soul and gaining the ability of illumination, breaking falsehood and seeing truth, vaguely perceiving one’s own karma—that is a mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch.’ Chen Beiwu inwardly thought.
Four Origins Dao Attainment, Seeking Truth and Position, one origin for each layer of heaven.
It was precisely because of this that the gap between early-stage and mid-stage Nascent Soul was like a heavenly chasm.
A mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch who had opened the Heavenly Eye could rely on the ability to break falsehood and see truth to easily defeat three early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators who had yet to attain One Origin Dao Attainment.
But true peerless prodigies of the Immortal Alliance could erase this gap through Companion Fundamental Immortal Arts, Companion Beasts, and Mystical Abilities.
“Roar!”
“Woof!”
“Na!”
“Ying!”
Seeing the gazes of the four little fellows, the corners of Chen Beiwu’s mouth slightly rose.
With Golden Egg, Iron Egg, Xuele, and Zhi Ling beside him, along with the Heavenly Fortune Violet Dragon and violet fate suppressing his fortune, he would definitely suppress and kill Xiao Yu this time!
“Buzz!”
The next second, his phone vibrated, displaying a message from the Conflict-Stopping Department indicating that the exact time of the Life-and-Death Platform struggle had been set for the morning of the day after tomorrow.
Chen Beiwu closed his eyes, steadied his breathing and mind, and adjusted his condition together with Golden Egg and the others to the absolute peak.
Very quickly, two days passed in the blink of an eye.
Chen Beiwu opened his eyes, glanced at the information Eldest Senior Brother had given him, took one step forward, and instantly disappeared.
Yuqing Immortal Sect, Life-and-Death Tower.
Because the news had spread too widely, cultivators throughout the entire Yuqing Immortal Sect had been alarmed.
The Life-and-Death Tower, normally deserted, had now gathered more than a thousand cultivators, packed with people.
It was no exaggeration to say that the scene could be described as Foundation Establishment cultivators being worse than dogs and Golden Core cultivators walking everywhere. Even Nascent Soul True Monarch lecturers, usually elusive as divine dragons whose heads were seen but tails were not, had become utterly ordinary.
The next instant, a burst of cheers and clamor suddenly erupted among the crowd.
Jiang Chuan slightly raised his eyes and saw his Junior Brother take one step, instantly appear upon the Life-and-Death Platform, then close his eyes and quietly wait.
Instead, Law-Breaking True Monarch Xiao Yu, the responding party, had yet to appear even after a long time.