X-Dragon Era

As the discussion continued, the time for the competition had arrived. Ming Xuan stood up with a serious expression, said goodbye to all his companions, and mounted the Peacock Dragon with a heavy heart, heading toward the mountain peak.

For as long as he could remember, Ming Xuan had always relied on the Five-Colored Divine Light as his ultimate strength. But today... he had reluctantly learned something from Xin Yun—the doctrine of invincible artifacts!

Although the Five-Colored Divine Light was incredibly powerful and capable of countering most artifacts, there still existed many treasures in this world it could never suppress—for instance, supreme artifacts, those inseparable from their wielders, the Five Heavenly Flags, or the Exquisite Treasure Pagoda of Heaven and Earth. Facing such opponents would undoubtedly bring great hardship.

Moreover, even for detached artifacts, not all could be nullified. Take the Sky-Overturning Seal for example—it might not be so easily dealt with. After all, the Sky-Overturning Seal's sheer power was astounding; it was akin to using a paper bag to contain a massive lead ball—a futile attempt.

Lost in thought, Ming Xuan finally arrived above Nine Summit Mountain and entered the arena for the finals. Seeing Ming Xuan's grave expression, He Shan, dressed in all-black not far away, sneered. In his eyes, Ming Xuan was undoubtedly intimidated by him. What He Shan never considered, however, was that Ming Xuan's unease stemmed not from He Shan, but from Xin Yun.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" At last, with three thunderous rumbles resonating through the air, the competition began. Subconsciously activating the Peacock Screen, Ming Xuan refrained from taking immediate offensive action, instead continuing to deliberate about his strategy. Yet no matter how he pondered, he could not devise an effective solution.

The treasure-nullifying capability of the Five-Colored Divine Light essentially worked by weaving a pouch of light. Whenever an artifact approached, the light pocket would instantly envelop it. However... if the artifact's power was overwhelming, the light pocket might fail to hold it and could even be torn apart by the force of the impact!

Additionally, the treasure-nullifying effectiveness of the Five-Colored Divine Light was directly tied to his personal strength—the stronger Ming Xuan became, the more powerful its nullification power would be. If an artifact's power exceeded his own, it couldn't be nullified, even if the artifact was detached. Otherwise, he would indeed be invincible!

Standing cold and motionless atop the Peacock Dragon, Ming Xuan contemplated deeply. The resplendent Peacock Screen unfolded completely, casting radiant waves of Five-Colored Rainbow Light that enveloped both him and the Peacock Dragon in a dazzling glow.

Observing Ming Xuan's seemingly imposing stance, the man in black decided not to confront him immediately. In his view, it was better to first eliminate the others interfering in the arena and then focus all his energy on the climactic battle with Ming Xuan. Otherwise, an early clash between them might allow others to take advantage of the situation.

It had to be said—He Shan's power was truly formidable. His strength and talent were no less than the likes of Xin Yun and others. His mount, the Bat Dragon, was especially fearsome. When unleashed, it could instantly fragment into a massive swarm of palm-sized Bat Clones that overwhelmed opponents like an unending plague.

It's worth noting just how terrifying those Bat Clones were, particularly their sharp fangs, which could tear through nearly anything. Even diamond barriers stood no chance—they were bitten through as easily as cracking an eggshell!

The most challenging aspect was that these bats were exceedingly small and unnervingly agile in flight. Unless struck with attacks at the speed of light, these elusive creatures were essentially immune to most forms of assault.

What made them even more maddening was their relentless nature. Once the Bat Dragon fragmented, it could multiply into thousands upon thousands of Bat Clones. As long as even one remained alive, it could instantly reform into its true form and then disband again. This process was virtually endless!

Under He Shan's control, the gigantic Bat Dragon transformed into a surging black storm of bats, spreading across the arena like a shadowy flood. Despite the combined efforts of the other seven competitors to fend off the swarm, their attempts proved largely ineffective. Before long, the exterior of their diamond barriers was completely overrun by the Bat Clones. With a series of crisp cracking sounds, the supposedly invincible diamond barriers were promptly chewed to pieces.

Faced with the relentless gnawing of the bat swarm, some attempted to resist, even resorting to artifacts. However... as powerful as some artifacts were, they had little effect against the bats. Before the artifacts landed, the swarm would disperse; once the artifacts passed, the bats would converge again. At best, a few bats could be killed, but their sheer numbers rendered any effort futile.

What followed required no further elaboration. Without the protection of their diamond barriers, no living creature could withstand the devouring onslaught of the millions of Bat Clones. In mere seconds, the seven competitors' fates were sealed—the swarm dissipated, leaving behind only shadowy fragments that reformed mid-air, converging to reconstruct the Bat Dragon's true form. With a satisfied lick of its maw, He Shan let out a roaring laugh and declared, "Kid, it's time for just the two of us. Well... are you ready?"

Jolted awake by He Shan's words, Ming Xuan finally returned to his senses, recalling the situation at hand. Shaking his head, he betrayed little enthusiasm for the battle. Having become acutely aware of his greatest weakness, there were now numerous matters demanding his contemplation.

Taking a long, measured breath, Ming Xuan said impatiently, "Cut the nonsense. I don't have time for idle chatter. If you're going to attack, then come at me with everything you've got."