Cultivation: I Have a Golden Talisman

With a thunderous BOOM, the brilliant sword light filling the sky shattered on impact, bursting into a ball of fire.

Fang Cheng vaulted into the air, appearing above Luo Huangqiao in the blink of an eye. He let out a great roar, and the very atmosphere churned like a tidal wave, whipping their robes about. An immense, scorching power trapped Luo Huangqiao within a vortex, making it impossible for him to escape.

Fang Cheng gripped the end of his staff with both hands, mustering all his strength. He raised it high, roared once more, and brought it crashing down.

Luo Huangqiao’s expression was grim. He stretched out his hand, and a shield of blazing light materialized out of thin air, encasing him completely.

Nine Fire Dragons emerged from the shield of light, spewing violent flames outward.

A Second-Order Magical Artifact: the Nine Dragon Divine Fire Shield.

The Black Dragon Cloud-Riding Staff descended with the force of a mountain cleaver. A loud CRACK echoed through the air as the staff struck the Nine Dragon Divine Fire Shield, causing its brilliant light to cave inward as fire scattered in all directions.

This treasure was a powerful defensive artifact, a legacy of the Flame God Palace.

After blocking Fang Cheng’s blow, the nine Fire Dragons lunged forward, spewing flames so intense they could melt solid rock.

Fang Cheng’s expression remained indifferent. As his Qi Sea Magical Power surged, his entire body erupted in a brilliant, Red Gold radiance.

He threw a punch toward the nine dragons. Instantly, heavy, ancient, golden Flame Runes materialized across his body. An immense power surged from his fist, and wherever its light passed, the dragons’ flames were annihilated.

The nine dragons shattered.

Fang Cheng advanced again. With a single blow, he struck the Nine Dragon Divine Fire Shield, causing its light to dim and the entire barrier to waver violently.

Greatly alarmed, Luo Huangqiao hastily pulled a Talisman from his storage bag. He activated it at once, releasing a ball of protective light around himself.

Fang Cheng gave a cold sneer. The Cloud-Riding Staff in his hand flared with a brilliant black light as he brought it smashing down. After a tremendous BOOM, he finally shattered the Divine Fire Shield.

The staff’s momentum didn’t cease. It struck Luo Huangqiao on the head. Although the Talisman’s light protected him, the impact still left him dazed and sent him flying backward.

Seeing he was no match for Fang Cheng, Luo Huangqiao scrambled to fly back toward the Floating Cloud Pavilion.

But with a flicker, Fang Cheng moved faster than lightning, instantly catching up to the Flame God Palace Elder. He leaped up and brought his staff down. CRACK! His opponent’s skull was crushed. The brutal, residual force didn’t stop there, pulping the corpse into a mangled mess.

The spectators were stunned, their faces etched with shock. They hadn’t expected Fang Cheng to be so ruthless and savage, leaving his opponent no chance of survival.

One person frowned, sighing, "It was just a spar. Was it necessary to go this far?"

Others watched Fang Cheng thoughtfully, speculating about his origins.

From the duel, all they could discern about the expert recruited by the Immortal City was that his Magical Power was profound, his strength immense, and his Escape Light technique incredibly fast. As for his true lineage and origins, they remained a mystery.

In other words, he hadn’t even used his true abilities.

In truth, Fang Cheng had already mastered the Celestial Fire Body Forging Technique to the Perfect Realm. Combined with his Magical Power, which far exceeded that of his peers, he had elevated this Body Refining Technique to a terrifying level.

Furthermore, his years of cultivating the Yin Yang Heaven Escape Technique had granted his Escape Light a speed and agility that allowed him to look down upon all others at his level.

Although Luo Huangqiao was an Elder of the Flame God Palace, in terms of pure combat strength, the gap between him and Fang Cheng was simply too vast.

For Fang Cheng, this first battle had been nothing more than a warm-up.

He calmly collected Luo Huangqiao’s storage bag, then turned to the two remaining Flame God Palace Elders, whose faces were contorted with rage. "I wonder," he said, "which of you two would care to enlighten me next?"

Seeing this, the surrounding crowd watched with rapt attention.

It was a best-two-out-of-three contest. The Immortal City had now won the first round, making the second one crucial.

If the Flame God Palace wanted to win, they would have to send out their strongest contender.

"I will be your opponent."

A beautiful woman in lavish robes, Mu Xuanyu, rose to her feet.

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