Chapter 404 405: Admit Defeat
Geng Cheng tilted his head and asked, "You seem to have a problem with me?"
Chen Dong smirked coldly. "You said it, not me."
Geng Cheng pointed his Spirit Sword at Chen Dong. "Forget it. You have a problem with me, and I have a problem with you. Make your move!"
But Chen Dong replied with contempt, "You should just surrender."
The moment he spoke, the entire arena fell silent for a beat, then erupted into chaos. Even the highly-disciplined members of the Military Suppression Department were stunned, let alone the contingent from the Floating Shadow Realm.
"Hahaha, that's hilarious! I can't believe this backward world has someone so brazen."
"He doesn't think he can beat Geng Cheng just by glaring at him, does he?"
"When I tell my junior brothers and sisters about this, they'll laugh their heads off!"
Geng Cheng, however, wasn't laughing. He felt utterly humiliated. "Are you looking to get seriously hurt?" he asked coldly. "Or do you just want to die?"
Chen Dong said again, "I'm serious. Surrender now. If you don't, you won't get another chance!"
At that, the group from the Floating Shadow Realm once again burst into uproarious laughter.
"Haha, I heard there's a word in this realm, 'posing.' How perfectly descriptive!"
Chen Dong's words made even Leng Tong and Baili Qingcheng take a second look, sizing him up again.
Geng Cheng, however, was absolutely furious. A common Martial Artist from this world actually dared to look down on him.
That's right. In the eyes of those from the Floating Shadow Realm, this world's Martial Dao practitioners were just common Martial Artists who had no understanding of the true meaning of Daoist techniques. And now one was telling him he'd lose his chance to surrender? How could he possibly endure that!
He formed a hand seal for his Technique, and several cyclones shot toward Chen Dong. His third-tier Spirit Sword glinted coldly, moving even faster than before as it slashed straight for Chen Dong's forehead.
Chen Dong sighed softly. "You didn't surrender. Don't blame me for what happens next."
As the Wind Blade Sword Light converged on him, a cruel smile stretched across Geng Cheng's lips. 'I'm not holding back this time. If this brat survives, it'll be a lesson he never forgets. If he dies, he'll only have his big mouth to blame.'
The Wind Blade Sword Light got closer and closer. Seeing that Chen Dong still hadn't moved, everyone grew tense.
'Is he too slow to react? No, that can't be right. Judging by his aura, he has to be at least at the Internal Scenery Realm. This is impossible.'
With the Wind Blade and Sword Light just a few feet away, everyone had the same thought: 'This is bad. The man is courting death!'
Tian Sisi's hand twitched, but she lowered it again. 'In my experience, Chen Dong isn't the type to court death. He must have a plan.'
Geng Cheng stared intently as his attack closed in, his heart surging with savage joy. 'Die, you damn brat! Die!'
But the bloody scene he envisioned never happened. The attack passed straight through Chen Dong's body as if it were pure flame, punching a few small holes in a blazing inferno.
Heaven and Fire as One!
Chen Dong scattered like flames and vanished from his spot.
Flowing Cloudfire Transformation!
A crimson cloud billowed out from the flames and surged toward Geng Cheng.
'What kind of Daoist technique is that?' Everyone present was stunned, including the cultivators from the Floating Shadow Realm. 'Even the most advanced techniques in our Floating Shadow Realm aren't this flawless.'
From within the crimson cloud came Chen Dong's deep shout: "Phoenix True Fire!"
A majestic Fire Phoenix instantly materialized from the surging crimson cloud, letting out a piercing cry as it charged Geng Cheng.
Geng Cheng's expression turned to one of pure terror. The searing heat made his skin burn. A single thought screamed in his mind: 'I have to dodge this! I have to! If this hits me, I could die. Wind! I'll hide in the wind!'
Instantly, a hurricane kicked up, and Geng Cheng's figure also vanished.
The Fire Phoenix spread its wings and charged straight through the hurricane. The hurricane instantly stopped.
AAAAAHHH~!
Amid his agonized screams, Geng Cheng's body was flung through the air, draped over the Fire Phoenix's wing.
Chen Dong's body materialized from a wisp of flame. He hadn't dealt a killing blow. Geng Cheng lay on the ground, covered in severe burns, and had fainted.
'So what if he has a Top-Grade Spirit Root? Without a Golden Core, he's nothing more than a one-move opponent for me.'
Everyone in the arena was dumbstruck. Geng Cheng, the man who had defeated two top-tier Domain Lords in a row, was taken down in a single move. 'This Chen Dong is way too strong!'
Baili Qingcheng's brow furrowed. "This match... we have lost."
She turned to look at her martial nephews in the Foundation Establishment Stage, but they all looked miserable and shook their heads. Anyone who could defeat Geng Cheng that easily could defeat them, too. There was no point in going up just to get burned. Besides, their greatest strength—their Daoist techniques—was clearly a weakness when compared to Chen Dong's.
Leng Tong looked over at the Foundation Establishment Stage disciples from Mo Palace, but none of them seemed confident enough to step forward either.
'If the Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators are too scared to fight, are we supposed to send in someone from the Golden Core Stage? But we already agreed not to use Golden Core cultivators. What now?'
Baili Qingcheng's gaze fell upon a quiet, reserved Female Cultivator in their ranks. "Jie Yu, you're up!"
Even her fellow disciples from the Heart Slaying Hall didn't know much about this plain-looking Female Cultivator. She had been a last-minute addition when the traveling party was being selected. If it weren't for this mission, they wouldn't have even known she existed.
The Female Cultivator obeyed and bowed. "Yes, Senior Sister!"
The cultivators from the Floating Shadow Realm were taken aback. 'What did she just say? She called a Golden Core Stage expert "Senior Sister"? Is she also in the Golden Core Stage? No, her aura is definitely Foundation Establishment. There's only one other possibility... she and Baili Qingcheng have the same Master.'
In the sects of the Floating Shadow Realm, seniority wasn't determined by time of entry, as it was in the Wangyou Realm. Instead, it was based purely on cultivation level. Regardless of when they joined the sect, anyone in the Golden Core Stage was considered a generation senior to those in the Foundation Establishment Stage—unless they both shared the same Master.
Baili Qingcheng's Master was a Nascent Soul Great Power. For Jie Yu to have been accepted as a disciple by a Nascent Soul expert while still only in the Foundation Establishment Stage... she had to be special.