Chapter 431 ·Dragon-Tiger True Form
Chapter 431: Dragon-Tiger True Form
Chen Beiwu stood on the Life-and-Death Platform, quietly waiting, his expression calm.
Since Xiao Yu had already accepted the Life-and-Death Platform Struggle, there was absolutely no possibility that he would avoid it.
“True Martial!”
“True Martial!”
“True Martial!”
Looking at Chen Beiwu’s face, handsome enough to rival Pan An, and his bearing on the platform, the viewing cloud platforms suddenly erupted with nearly fanatical cheers.
Chen Beiwu followed the sound with his gaze and immediately spotted several cultivators from the Student Department shouting excitedly. There was even Tong Hui standing in the middle of the crowd, using professional equipment to record the scene.
‘How many Spirit Stones did Tong Hui spend hiring these people to cheer?’
Chen Beiwu slightly shook his head and did not pay much attention.
As the Head of Publicity of the Publicity Department, it was perfectly normal for Tong Hui to want to record a rarely seen Life-and-Death Platform Struggle.
“Sister Hua, handsome or not?”
Below the platform, Yu Zhaozhen looked at the white-robed figure on the platform, brilliant colors repeatedly flashing through her eyes.
“The Life-and-Death Platform hasn’t even started yet. What’s there to see?” Yu Zhaohua asked with a puzzled look.
“Aiya, Sister Hua, you don’t understand.” Yu Zhaozhen smiled sweetly.
Unlike those shameless women around them who valued appearance and strength, what she valued was the absolute confidence Chen Beiwu displayed at this moment.
“Whether I understand or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that the Life-and-Death Platform Struggle is about to begin!” Yu Zhaohua’s eyes moved as she looked toward the distant firmament.
A streak of escaping light rapidly swept past and landed on the Life-and-Death Platform, revealing Xiao Yu’s figure.
Chen Beiwu sized Xiao Yu up a few times, and the corners of his lips slightly rose.
As expected, under the influence of Calamity Misfortune, Xiao Yu had still failed to attain Two Origins Dao Attainment and advance to late-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch.
Otherwise, today’s struggle might truly have become a fight to the death!
On the other side, Xiao Yu’s expression was calm, but his heart was somewhat irritated.
To ensure that he possessed enough combat strength to crush Chen Beiwu, he had spent the past few days repeatedly attempting Two Origins Dao Attainment.
But at the final moment, he failed again!
Once was chance, twice was coincidence, but what about the third and fourth times?
The frustration of repeatedly failing and suffering setbacks caused the ominous premonition in Xiao Yu’s heart to grow increasingly intense, to the point that he subconsciously suspected his declining fate was related to Chen Beiwu.
But the next second, Xiao Yu threw this ridiculous thought out of his mind.
Even his father, Profound Origin True Venerable, could not control fate, much less Chen Beiwu, a mere newly advanced True Monarch.
The reason such a phenomenon appeared was most likely because his fortune clashed with that of a Child of Fate like Chen Beiwu, causing his Fate Pattern to be suppressed and preventing him from being favored by Heavenly Mandate.
At that moment, a ring of spatial ripples spread from the center of the Life-and-Death Platform.
Xiao Wangyu, Head of the Conflict-Stopping Department, leisurely appeared. An invisible pressure spread across heaven and earth, causing the expressions of the cultivators present to tighten as they completely fell silent.
“This old man is Xiao Wangyu. By decree of the Sect Master, I wield the Heaven-Tilting Ruler and am responsible for presiding over this Life-and-Death Platform Struggle.”
At this point, a short ruler roughly seven cun long appeared in Xiao Wangyu’s hand. He casually tossed it, and it transformed into an invisible defensive barrier that enveloped the entire Life-and-Death Platform.
“In accordance with the 《Iron Laws of the Yuqing Immortal Sect Life-and-Death Platform》, the rulings for this Life-and-Death Platform Struggle are as follows：”
“One, this battle is a life-and-death struggle, continuing until one side dies. Unless one party perishes, the struggle will not end.”
“Two, there are no restrictions on methods and no taboos regarding life or death, but the use of external objects is strictly prohibited, with Companion Beasts as the exception.”
“Three, once life and death are decided, the grievance is settled. After the struggle produces a result, no cultivator may use this matter as a reason to create further conflict. Violators shall be executed.”
After finishing the proclamation, Xiao Wangyu stepped forward and teleported outside the Life-and-Death Platform.
“Begin!”
As soon as his voice fell, contrary to everyone’s expectations, Chen Beiwu and Xiao Yu did not immediately erupt into battle. Instead, they remained motionless, facing each other from afar.
“I don’t understand.”
Xiao Yu stared tightly at Chen Beiwu：“It was merely a misunderstanding. With your aptitude and talent, sooner or later you would attain Four Origins Dao Attainment and reach perfected True Monarch. Why must you cling to that small misunderstanding and choose to fight me to the death, ending your life here?”
At this point, Xiao Yu paused slightly, his expression solemn：“Do you think you can kill me? Or do you think you won’t die here today!”
Yes, he did not understand.
From beginning to end, constrained by the sect’s rules, he had never intended to suppress and kill Chen Beiwu.
At most, he had wanted to smear his reputation, obtain the Primordial Origin True Qi he desired, then further frame Chen Beiwu and make him commit a grave crime, thereby eliminating a competitor in advance.
According to conflicts between second-generation cultivators, a smear campaign could be serious or trivial. Everyone simply relied on their own methods, fighting without breaking all restraint. There was simply no need to wager their lives and Dao paths in a deathmatch.
“You’re already standing on the Life-and-Death Platform. What’s the point of saying this nonsense now?”
Chen Beiwu retorted：“Make your move. From here on, it’s nothing more than you die, I live.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yu’s aura stagnated, then killing intent appeared in his eyes as the terrifying pressure of a mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch erupted.
“Good, good, good. What an arrogant brat!”
“Today I’ll see just how much ability you possess to dare boast that you can kill me!”
As he spoke, the Momentary Mustard Seed on Xiao Yu’s finger flickered with faint light. A vast, ancient, domineering aura instantly spread across heaven and earth, as though the King of Ten Thousand Beasts had descended.
“Roar!”
Heaven and earth darkened, and a colossal beast entered Chen Beiwu’s sight.
Its body was three hundred zhang long, resembling a hornless coiled dragon. Its head resembled that of a Chi Dragon, three long whiskers hung beneath its jaw, and its entire body was covered in dark azure dragon scales.
Four claws grew beneath its abdomen, each claw possessing three toes. A layer of pale azure mist swirled around the tips, emitting an incomparably intense life aura.
【Name】：Mystical Qi Azure Flood Dragon
【Attributes】：Wood, Water
【Bloodline】：Fourth-Tier Supreme Grade
【Cultivation Years】：More than two thousand years, less than four thousand years（Fourth-Realm Beast King）
【Mystical Abilities】：Mystical Qi Azure Rain、Dragon-Coiling Roar、Jade-Azure Scales、Water-Wood Heavenly Splendor True Domain……
【Introduction】：A mutated Spirit Flood Dragon born from water and wood transforming into spirit and then into a flood dragon. Its bloodline can be traced at its highest point to the Azure Sea Sunken Wood of the ancient era. Although it is not ranked among Heavenly-Gang Mystic Beasts, its bloodline rank far surpasses that of ordinary Fourth-Tier Mystic Beasts.
“A flood dragon born from transformed spirit?” Chen Beiwu’s eyes moved slightly.
A mutated flood dragon naturally nurtured by heaven and earth was extraordinary. In terms of bloodline and combat strength, even a Fourth-Tier Chi Dragon was far inferior.
At that moment, Chen Beiwu’s Divine Sense moved, and he abruptly turned around.
A gigantic tiger seven zhang long suddenly swept out from the shadow behind him.
Its head was ferocious, four fangs protruded from its mouth, and it emitted extreme cold. The vertical silver eye on its forehead contained an icy intent.
Chen Beiwu did not meet its gaze. Merely sweeping across that vertical eye with his Divine Sense caused him to feel as though his mind and Mana were being frozen and immobilized.
【Name】：Nether-Mystic Underworld Tiger
【Attributes】：Metal, Water
【Bloodline】：Fourth-Tier Supreme Grade
【Cultivation Years】：More than three thousand years（Fourth-Realm Beast King）
【Mystical Abilities】：Metal-Escape Water Shadow、Nether-Shadow Spike、Nether-Mystic Cold Eye、Mystic Yin Nether-Slaughter True Domain……
【Introduction】：A special Mystic Beast inhabiting the Nine Nether Mystic Underworld Pool. It excels at killing and escape arts and is a natural top-tier hunter, ranked twelfth on the Heavenly-Gang Mystic Beast Ranking. It is also the most representative Companion Beast of the Tianyuan Xiao Clan’s prodigious descendants.
“Boom!”
The Mystical Ability took effect. The Nether-Mystic Underworld Tiger’s paw descended, five streaks of cold light from its toes tearing through space as it viciously struck toward Chen Beiwu’s chest.
“Crack!”
“Pfft!”
The instant his protective True Qi collapsed, Chen Beiwu’s body stiffened. He spat blood as the enormous tiger paw tore him in half at the waist. Even his physical body, whose defense rivaled a Third-Tier top-grade Magical Treasure, exploded into a pile of mangled flesh, blood splattering across the Life-and-Death Platform.
“How is that possible!”
Seeing this one-sided suppression, several young prodigies watching from the cloud platforms cried out in shock.
However, no joy appeared on Xiao Yu’s face. Divine Sense comparable to that of a late-stage Nascent Soul erupted with a boom.
“This illusion of yours is quite good. Ordinary Nascent Soul True Monarchs would find it difficult to see through, but don’t even think of hiding it from my Heavenly Eye.”
At this point, Xiao Yu raised his head toward the sky and uttered one word，“Open”！
Golden radiance circulated and rushed toward the firmament. An eye faintly opened on Xiao Yu’s forehead, possessing the might to break falsehood, see truth, and illuminate all things.
Wherever his gaze reached, the pile of mangled flesh Chen Beiwu had transformed into suddenly disappeared. In its place, an incomparably sharp and terrifying threat abruptly attacked from behind him with lightning speed.
“Roar!”
At the critical moment, the Mystical Qi Azure Flood Dragon thrust its head forward. Azure light surged as it collided head-on with Golden Egg’s dragon claw, creating a shockwave that ravaged heaven and earth.
“Not bad eyes!”
Golden Egg lowered his gaze and met the Mystical Qi Azure Flood Dragon’s eyes, killing intent continuously gathering within his own.
Immediately afterward, the bodies of the two colossal flood dragons began visibly expanding, commencing an intense struggle between Fourth-Realm Beast Kings.
Although Golden Egg had fewer Cultivation Years and his cultivation was inferior to the Mystical Qi Azure Flood Dragon’s, relying on the formidable defense provided by the Three-Phase Indestructibility and Three-Phase Furnace, he exchanged injury for injury without falling into the slightest disadvantage.
At this moment, Chen Beiwu had already appeared on Xiao Yu’s right side. A seal descended—it was precisely one of the Primordial Origin Five Calamity Seals, the Primordial Origin World-Suppressing Seal.
Once this seal emerged, it evolved the Primordial Origin Heaven, one seal transforming into the momentum of Mount Buzhou, eternally suppressing heaven and earth.
As the most imposing seal among the Primordial Origin Five Calamity Seals, the Primordial Origin World-Suppressing Seal was majestic and vast, great skill appearing clumsy. It could use the momentum of Mount Buzhou to crush and imprison numerous Arts and Mystical Abilities of enemy cultivators.
In an instant, Xiao Yu’s aura abruptly dropped to its lowest point. His figure became difficult to move, and he could only watch helplessly as Chen Beiwu’s Primordial Origin World-Suppressing Seal smashed heavily downward.
If an ordinary mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch took this strike head-on, death would be difficult to escape.
But in the blink of an eye, the Nether-Mystic Underworld Tiger roared and stepped through the air on all fours. Its dark-blue fur resembled flowing crystal, rippling with strands of spatial fluctuation as it blocked Xiao Yu, unaffected by the suppression of the Primordial Origin World-Suppressing Seal.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
After suffering the heavy blow of the Primordial Origin World-Suppressing Seal, the Nether-Mystic Underworld Tiger’s neck collapsed and its head drooped. Yet relying on the Three Indestructibles possessed by a Fourth-Realm Beast King, it forcibly raised its head and slowly pushed back. At the same time, it spat a dark-blue pillar of light from its mouth toward Chen Beiwu’s heart.
“Na!”
Xuele activated the Myriad Transformations Mystical Ability, transforming into a water-attribute Heavenly-Gang Mystic Beast. Treating the dark-blue pillar of light as though it were nothing, she lightly slapped out and completely annihilated it.
Using the opportunity created by the Nether-Mystic Underworld Tiger, Xiao Yu activated a teleportation Mystical Ability and disappeared from where he stood.
The next instant, Crimson Nirvana Flame surged from Xiao Yu’s previous location, burning heaven and earth. Its extreme heat was sufficient to severely injure a mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch.
‘Dealing with a mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch who has opened the Heavenly Eye really is troublesome.’ Chen Beiwu frowned slightly and inwardly thought.
The cultivation path of Nascent Soul True Monarchs in the Southern Wastes differed from that of the Immortal Alliance and did not possess the Immortal Alliance’s Four Origins Dao Attainment.
Much less using the Ritual of Seeking Truth and Position to open the Heavenly Eye for the Nascent Soul.
It was precisely because of this that when Chen Beiwu faced mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarchs in the Southern Wastes, he did not find them particularly troublesome.
As long as Golden Egg, Iron Egg, and Xuele created a sufficiently suitable opportunity, a single Grotto-Heaven Calamity-Truth Finger could severely injure or even directly suppress and kill a mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch.
But Immortal Alliance True Monarchs were different, especially a second-generation cultivator like Xiao Yu who had been born into a Dao Venerable Immortal Family and cultivated numerous Secret Arts.
Although every Immortal Alliance True Monarch who successfully attained One Origin Dao Attainment opened the Heavenly Eye and gained the ability to break falsehood and see truth without exception, differences in a cultivator’s talent, foundation, Companion Beast, and Fundamental Art could determine the strength of the Heavenly Eye.
Without question, since Xiao Yu’s Heavenly Eye could see through Golden Egg’s Great Evolution Truth-Fixing, even if it merely sensed that something was wrong, it was still among the finest Heavenly Eyes in the Immortal Alliance.
Chen Beiwu was not surprised by this.
If Xiao Yu were so easy to kill, he could never have built the immense reputation of Law-Breaking True Monarch.
“If this is all you’re capable of, then die here today!”
Xiao Yu formed hand seals, killing intent surging in his eyes. A dragon and tiger flanked him, coordinating their Mystical Abilities and causing the spiritual activity of heaven and earth to tremble, making countless watching cultivators’ hearts sink as breathing became difficult.
Xiao Yu’s talent was not outstanding enough to cultivate the Yuqing Immortal Sect’s Thirty-Six Primordial Immortal Arts, so he could only cultivate the Xiao Clan’s pseudo Immortal-Grade Cultivation Method 《Yuqing Dragon-Tiger True Form Joint Refinement Profound Pivot Secret Record》.
But a pseudo Immortal Art was still an Immortal Art. Relying on the Fundamental Art and the Bestowed Final Scenery, Xiao Yu controlled the convergence of dragon and tiger, forcing Yin and Yang aside, manifested the Heavenly-Gang Dragon-Tiger True Form Dharma Aspect, and activated the Dragon-Tiger True Form Joint Refinement True Domain, allowing him to easily suppress late-stage Nascent Soul True Monarchs.
‘Mystical Qi Azure Spirit, Nether-Mystic Underworld Shadow, follow my will, dragon and tiger converge!’
As his thought fell, the Honorific Golden Core within Xiao Yu’s dantian and the Heavenly-Gang Nascent Soul within his sea of consciousness erupted with a boom.
One azure and one blue stream of Heavenly-Gang True Qi swept out, simultaneously enveloping the Mystical Qi Azure Flood Dragon and Nether-Mystic Underworld Tiger, erupting with vast pressure comparable to a late-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch.
‘Heavenly-Gang Orthodox Art, forge my Dharma Aspect!’
Xiao Yu’s figure blurred. Boundless radiance behind him surged madly as a towering Dharma Aspect descended with a boom.
It stood nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine zhang tall, majestic and imposing. Its head resembled a Demon-Subduing Heavenly Venerable capable of issuing decrees to execute evil.
Its right arm sealed heaven and earth, glowing with deep azure radiance, while an Azure Dragon could faintly be seen coiling around it and roaring.
Its left foot suppressed the Eight Wastelands. Beneath the sole, an Ink Tiger crouched, emitting endless domineering baleful aura and killing intent.
Heavenly-Gang Dragon-Tiger True Form Dharma Aspect, formed!
As the Dharma Aspect took shape, the Dragon-Tiger True Form Joint Refinement True Domain unfolded, completely enveloping the entire Life-and-Death Platform and emitting an aura that made Chen Beiwu’s heart palpitate.
One had to know that although Xiao Yu previously possessed a higher realm, he had never been able to make Chen Beiwu feel even the slightest threat.
But now, standing inside Xiao Yu’s Companion True Domain, Chen Beiwu’s Divine Sense and spiritual perception could clearly detect a killing intent that chilled his skin.
‘Finally getting serious?’
Chen Beiwu narrowed his eyes and manifested the Bestowed Final Scenery 【Great Sun Shining upon Five Qi Revolving Three Aspects Heaven-and-Earth Ascending Profundity Primordial Origin Chaos Scenery】.
Though all were mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarchs, True Monarch Shangyi, Blood Marrow True Monarch, and Bitter Soul True Monarch whom he had killed in the Southern Wastes were simply unworthy of carrying Law-Breaking True Monarch Xiao Yu’s shoes.
Fortunately, times were different now. After refining the Nascent Soul Nourishing Liquid, Chen Beiwu’s strength was far beyond what it had been back then.
The instant Xiao Yu manifested his Dharma Aspect, Chen Beiwu had also finished preparing his own killing move.
“Damn it, it’s the Heavenly-Gang Dragon-Tiger True Form Dharma Aspect!”
At the same time, outside the Life-and-Death Platform, Yu Zhaozhen could not see the specific situation inside the True Domain and could not help crying out in alarm.
The Tianyuan Xiao Clan’s Heavenly-Gang Dragon-Tiger True Form Dharma Aspect appeared to embody domination, but in reality its intent lay in freedom, interpreting Great Unfetteredness, and its might was extraordinarily powerful.
If Chen Beiwu were merely facing the Heavenly-Gang Dragon-Tiger True Form Dharma Aspect alone, it would still be manageable. But if he were careless enough to suffer the erosion of the Dragon-Tiger True Form Joint Refinement True Domain, at least half of his cultivation and combat strength would be stripped away, leaving him with the miserable fate of dying and perishing.