Chapter 186: Challenge to a Duel
The withdrawal scope of the Immortal Alliance this time involved many Great Thousand Worlds, gathering a force that was undoubtedly terrifying.
However, compared to Myriad Heavens and Realms, the battlefronts opened this time were extensively wide, spreading across endless star domains.
Even if the Cultivators from Cangyun were to truly go to the battlefield, it would probably take the Immortal Alliance considerable time to organize.
Chu Zheng had no intention of sacrificing his life to fight for the Immortal Alliance. Plainly put, it was all about competing for Heavenly Fate and waging wars for the Immortal Path, which held no benefits for him personally.
The Qi Cultivators cut down tribulations and seized fate solely for themselves; he was plotting his own way out.
With the Star Capturing Heaven Method, no matter where he went, he could continue his cultivation, across the Myriad Heavens and Realms, or even the Chaos Sea.
The problem was he had already caught the attention of the Immortal Alliance, making it difficult to break free.
From the Incense Fire Spirit Body that Zhao Tingxian brought from the Chaos Sea, it was feared that he had long been prepared to break away from the Immortal Alliance.
After all, the Path of Incense Fire Spirituality was also considered an unorthodox lineage within the Immortal Alliance, belonging to different heavenly factions.
Even though Zhao Tingxian had become an Immortal Venerable, he was still being pursued.
Chu Zheng's rise was too swift, making it difficult for the Immortal Alliance to ignore him; how to extricate himself required long-term planning.
After all, he was no longer alone, but also the Taixuan Holy Master.
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Currently, there was no power of the Immortal Alliance left in the Cangyun Realm; as long as the major Holy Lands agreed collectively, Divine Infant Cultivators could take action.
The duel between Chu Zheng and Shang Zuling quickly spread from the major Holy Lands, and naturally, no one would obstruct it.
The fight between the descendant of the Immortal King and a monstrously talented freak, this battle would determine the most talented in Cangyun for the next hundred years.
The loser would have their Heavenly Fate taken away, while the winner would ascend to the heavens from then on.
Currently, the changes in the Heavenly Dao of Cangyun meant that the influence of changes in Heavenly Fate would be even greater.
This was nearly equivalent to holding the Great Tournament of Ten Thousand Sects ahead of its time.
The contest between two Divine Infant Realm Cultivators for the top position was an unprecedented fierce rivalry in the Hidden Dragon List for thousands of years. Find your next read on empire
This battle instantly drew the attention of the vast majority of Cultivators in the Cangyun Realm, except for those in the Southern Region of Cangyun, Cultivators from the other three regions started moving towards Taixuan City.
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A month passed in the blink of an eye.
Within this short period, Taixuan City was overwhelmed with people; a massive influx of Cultivators brought in a huge amount of Spirit Stone tax revenue.
The Taixuan Holy Land made a fortune, and many forces that had set up enterprises within Taixuan City also made a killing.
In front of the Sect Gate of the Taixuan Holy Land, a temporary martial arts arena was quickly constructed by Geng Yiyang, who personally refined it, embedding the universe within.
To outsiders, it seemed like a thousand zhang radius arena, but within the array, it encompassed a thousand miles of mountains and rivers.
The Immortal Tribulation Realm had already touched the mysteries of space, capable of opening up a Small World; such techniques weren't rare.
The silver moon hadn't set, and the sun hadn't risen yet; the sky was becoming light with the morning glow while the stars were still brilliant.
Chu Zheng took off his Taixuan Holy Master Robe and changed into a black vestment with red patterns, his hair bundled in a Golden Crown, flowing like a waterfall down his back. His eyelids slightly closed, he sat cross-legged on the arena, his aura calm as a sea-stabilizing needle, waiting for Shang Zuling to arrive.
Regarding this battle, he already had a conclusion in mind.
The reason he agreed to this duel was solely because his opponent was Shang Zuling.
He needed the Heavenly Fate entangled with Shang Zuling, and it was also to repay Shang Zuling a favor.
Without Shang Zuling, Geng Yiyang and several Great Mysterious Elders would have died in the previous battles outside the domain.
Fu Quanliang led many Taixuan disciples, along with elders, gathered in front of the Sect Gate, gazing at the arena.
Song Lingxue, Li Mingzhou, and other Martial Cultivators also secured a spot, able to stand in front of the Holy Land to watch the battle.
At this moment, whether it were the Taixuan disciples or others like Song Lingxue, they were somewhat nervous.
Shang Zuling had been famous for a long time, dominating the top position of the Hidden Dragon List since the beginning of this session's great comparison.
The words "descendant of the Immortal King" were exceedingly heavy, moreover, Shang Zuling's cultivation was still higher than Chu Zheng's, having reached the Middle Stage of Divine Infant.
The area around the arena was packed with people, and various colored Flying Boats and chariots hovered in the sky, banners filling it as far as the eye could see.
Aside from the Cultivators of the major Holy Lands, other Sects and noble houses were unfamiliar with the Hidden Dragon List; thus their initial reaction was that Shang Zuling stood a greater chance to win.
The viewing spots of the major Holy Lands were closest to the arena, and all the Holy Masters had arrived.
Currently, around the area alone, there were no less than ten Immortal Tribulation powerhouses gathered, and their thoughts differed greatly from those around them.
When Chu Zheng entered the Entry Path, he had relied on the Five Elements Sword Formation to execute a Cultivator at Soul Condensing Realm Perfection. Since he accepted the battle, he certainly had the confidence to win.
Moreover, the ranking of the Hidden Dragon List was often based on true strength.
Sometimes, there might be some misjudgements, allowing certain brilliant talents to rapidly improve their rankings.
Chu Zheng was the best example; in just over two years, he had jumped from over seven thousand to the top of the Hidden Dragon List.
The key issue was that after the ranking changes, it was rare for the talented to be defeated by those who followed—unless the later talents experienced a sudden surge in cultivation.
Just like Chu Zheng, now at the top of the Hidden Dragon List. When he stepped onto the top over Shang Zuling, Shang Zuling's cultivation had already reached the Middle Stage of Divine Infant.
Unless Shang Zuling advanced further into the Late Divine Soul Realm, this battle would not have much suspense.
Boom—
Amidst the surrounding discussions, a thunderous sound exploded in the sky as a chariot roared in, adorned with a battle flag bearing the character 'Shang'.