Chapter 933 - Three Battles

No one saw the mysterious elder's appearance throughout the entire process.

After receiving the elder's instruction, the trio's lips twisted into a grim smirk.

"This time, we'll make sure the Heavenly Gate Peak is annihilated," Ji Yu said with a vicious glint in his eyes. He had long wanted to eliminate all the disciples of Heavenly Gate Peak.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

They hadn't killed them previously because of the mysterious elder's order to avoid provoking Elder Madman. After all, Elder Madman could have gone crazy if they had killed Jiang Le, Yu Zhibai, and Shen Rong, resulting in more trouble.

Crushing their dao heart and letting them descend into despair was more satisfying.

However, things were different now when the Heavenly Gate Peak had issued a life-and-death challenge. This meant only one party would walk away alive.

Time passed quietly as Liu Wuxie devoted himself to guiding his senior brothers atop the Heavenly Gate Platform.

Jiang Le made swift progress in the footwork technique. He was now capable of unleashing countless afterimages, making it impossible for his opponents to defend against him. He had even begun integrating a hint of dao technique into it, boosting his chances against Wu Sha.

Yu Zhibai also made significant progress in the Soul Forging Art. After sparring with Liu Wuxie briefly, he had reached the level where he could pose a faint threat to Liu Wuxie. Then again, it was under the condition that Liu Wuxie didn't use the Soul Shield.

Once deployed, no soul energy could shatter his defenses, not even an expert at the Earth Profound Realm.

Meanwhile, two days after receiving the technique from Liu Wuxie, Shen Rong also made tremendous progress. Whenever he threw his punch, it echoed like the roar of a divine beast, radiating an oppressive aura.

Most importantly, Shen Rong had wings sprouting on his back. Ever since he had awakened his bloodline, he could feel an intense aching on his back.

Today, a pair of kunpeng's wings had finally sprouted on his back. This had increased his strength dramatically, making him dozens of times stronger than he had been before.

If he faced Lu Ming again, who possessed the great stag bloodline, he was confident he could kill him with a single punch.

Han Feizi had been immersed in refining his artifact over the past few days. Under Liu Wuxie's tutelage, his skills had improved rapidly.

With that, everyone's strength in Heavenly Gate Peak underwent a drastic transformation. The life-and-death battle with the White Dragon Gate was only two days away.

They poured every moment into enhancing their cultivation. This upcoming battle wasn't just about personal survival—it was about upholding the honor of Heavenly Gate Peak.

If they lost, they knew the mysterious elder would kill them even if they managed to survive, so defeat wasn't an option for them.

Liu Wuxie did not neglect his own cultivation. Alongside guiding his three senior brothers in their training, he delved deeper into the Great Five Elemental Palm and devoted his remaining time to mastering the Spatial Dao Art.

However, his use of dao techniques was limited—he could only sustain three to four at most due to the constraints of his divine force. If he performed the Frost Dao Art, Golden Flame Strike, and Great Five Elemental Palm, he would have no capacity left to sustain a spatial technique.

All dao techniques demanded divine force, but Liu Wuxie's arts were far from ordinary—each one consumed ten to a hundred times more divine force than the average dao technique.

The stronger the technique, the greater the cost. Everything came with a price.

After several days of focused comprehension, Liu Wuxie gained deeper insight into the Spatial Dao Art. He could now control space within a radius of several meters. Within that domain, he was nearly invincible. But beyond that range, the technique's potency diminished sharply.

By the fifth day, the martial field was packed to the brim. Though Liu Wuxie wasn't the one fighting, word had spread fast that he had personally trained his senior brothers, and everyone wanted to witness the results.

Over the past few days of cultivation on the Heavenly Gate Platform, many had attempted to climb the walls of the Myriad Phase Cavern to spy on them.

Liu Wuxie had sent them all flying without hesitation, and even killed a few who refused to back down.

Since then, no one dared to sneak near the Heavenly Gate Platform ever again.

Nevertheless, news of Liu Wuxie training his three senior brothers spread like wildfire throughout the academy.

Likewise, Wu Sha's group of three also received personal guidance from the elders of White Dragon Peak. They were instructed on how to improve their combat prowess and cultivation.

When Liu Wuxie emerged from his thatched hut, his three senior brothers were fully prepared. They had undergone a drastic transformation over the past five days. Each radiated fierce energy and eagerness for battle.

"Junior Brother, let's get going," Yu Zhibai said, itching for the fight.

"Let's go!" Liu Wuxie said. He didn't call Han Feizi, who was still in the midst of refining his weapon.

After leaving the Heavenly Gate Peak, they sped toward the martial field together.

Not long after their departure, Elder Madman emerged from his own thatched hut. Holding a wine gourd, he scratched his withered hair lazily—then, without a sound, vanished into thin air.

The martial field wasn't far now. When Liu Wuxie had first arrived at the academy, it had taken him three days and nights to reach Heavenly Gate Peak from the martial field.

Now, they could cover the same distance in just two hours.

By the time Liu Wuxie reached the martial field, the four were momentarily stunned by the sheer size of the crowd. Tens of thousands of people had gathered. Aside from the seven peaks, there were disciples from the five institutions and three courts. There were even disciples from the Myriad Phase Cavern among them.

In the past few years, who didn't know that the Heavenly Gate Peak was full of trash? Yet, the so-called trash in their eyes had dared to challenge the strongest of the seven peaks. No wonder so many had come to watch.

"They're here!" someone yelled.

Everyone's attention shifted the moment they arrived. But it wasn't Jiang Le's group that drew the gazes—it was Liu Wuxie, whose fame had skyrocketed after his battle in Astral Moon Valley, where he had killed Liu Sheng.

"That's Liu Wuxie? He doesn't look like much," muttered a disciple from the Heavenly Monarch Court.

The Heavenly Monarch Court's disciples were known for their combat strength and were all battle maniacs. Even prodigies from the Myriad Phase Cavern wouldn't want to provoke them.

The Heavenly Martial Institution was ranked second in combat strength, behind the Heavenly Monarch Court, and disciples from the institution and court often clashed.

However, recently, rumors had circulated that the Heavenly Gate Peak had attained the highest combat strength, surpassing even the institution and the court.

Although the Heavenly Monarch Court and Heavenly Martial Institution were known for their combative nature, they had not produced many memorable battles recently.

In contrast, Liu Wuxie had fought numerous battles over the past year—often against opponents with higher cultivation realms. None of them had been weak; each one was formidable in their own right.

"I heard he even surpassed Lei Yao in rank," someone whispered in the crowd. "And Lie Yao declared yesterday that he'd kill whoever overtook him once he came out of seclusion in retaliation."

A wave of murmurs rippled through the surrounding disciples, but Liu Wuxie's expression remained unchanged. The chatter didn't faze him in the slightest.

As for Lei Yao, Liu Wuxie recalled that he had held a top-three rank for years, which was a clear proof of his undeniable strength.

At the center of the martial field, three platforms had already been set up. Wu Sha stood on the left, Ji Yu on the right, and Lu Ming occupied the center platform.

Among the three matches, the battle between Lu Ming and Shen Rong was expected to be the most intense. Both bore divine beast bloodlines, promising a clash that would be nothing short of spectacular.

"Junior Brother, we're heading out!" Jiang Le said. He couldn't wait any longer and greeted Liu Wuxie before dashing toward the platform.

Several elders were stationed around each platform to maintain order and prevent chaos.

After all, they feared Liu Wuxie might intervene if the Heavenly Gate Peak suffered losses. Additionally, they were there to maintain order in case any White Dragon Peak disciples were killed.

"Remember, forget everything else in the fight and focus. Leave the past defeat behind," Liu Wuxie adviced. He feared they might still carry the burden of their recent defeat.

After all, his senior brothers had just lost to them a few days ago, and their confidence could be affected during the fight.

The three nodded firmly. They had endured unimaginably brutal trials over the past five years, forging wills stronger than most of their peers.

Jiang Le, Yu Zhibai, and Shen Rong turned into three blurs and landed on the three respective platforms. When both parties met, their eyes blazed with rage.

"You've got some nerve. We spared you once, and this is how you repay us? I'll make sure you die today!" Wu Sha said, his voice booming across the martial field.

The buzz of conversation in the surroundings gradually faded as all eyes locked onto the platforms, not daring to blink.

"You three only won relying on despicable tricks previously. Today, we'll crush your schemes and trample on the White Dragon Peak!" Jiang Le's words instantly ignited fury among the White Dragon Peak disciples.

After all, Wu Sha's group of three wouldn't have succeeded without the backing of the White Dragon Peak's elders.

"How dare they humiliate the White Dragon Peak!" The White Dragon Peak disciples roared as they stepped forward.

However, the surrounding elders soon suppressed the commotion to prevent an all-out brawl.

Wu Sha's group of three narrowed their eyes. They had no idea how Jiang Le's group of three knew about the tricks they'd used.

"We beat you three pathetic weaklings before—we'll do it again!" Ji Yu sneered. His gaze locked onto Yu Zhibai as an overwhelming surge of soul energy erupted from him.

Though the battles had yet to begin, the tension had already spread, filling the entire martial field with murderous intent.

Several elders from the White Dragon Peak stepped forward. They looked at the three disciples of Heavenly Gate Peak with sneers curling on their lips.

Liu Wuxie swept his gaze around and captured the expression of every elder from the White Dragon Peak.

"Let's begin the fight!" Shen Rong said, not wanting to waste any time.

Lu Ming stood brimming with murderous intent, conjuring a colossal phantom of a giant stag behind him. The manifestation of his bloodline was not only powerful—it was shockingly pure. In that moment, it was clear why Shen Rong had lost to him in their previous encounter.

However, something else swiftly caught Liu Wuxie's attention. He sensed a presence in Lu Ming's body that did not belong to him.

"A dark spirit!" Liu Wuxie immediately realized that a dark spirit had possessed Lu Ming—most importantly, it was a giant stag dark spirit.

Dark spirits were invisible and couldn't be seen with the naked eye, but they were real.

Liu Wuxie had encountered one before—a year ago in Prosper City, when the Wang Clan's Wang Yue was possessed. He had destroyed the spirit, but Wang Yue died shortly afterward.

He hadn't expected to encounter another dark spirit so soon. He frowned as more and more beings had begun to emerge from the shadows ever since the True Martial Continent was perfected.