Chapter 550: Today, I Stand Here, Battling All Who Come (1)

This was a vast wilderness, with sparse vegetation. In one corner, a large spread of food was laid out on the ground, and more than ten powerful figures were gathered, eating and drinking heartily.

Twelve Void Refiner/Elysian Field powerhouses, each with extraordinary auras, could only sit on either side of the true main individuals partaking in the feast—three Amethyst Cradle cultivators. One of them, about ten meters tall and covered in black scales, looked humanoid but was more beast-like, clearly not a true human.

The other two, one in a golden robe and the other in silver, were both human and extremely handsome. Despite their striking appearances, these Amethyst Cradle cultivators subtly deferred to the black-scaled powerhouse as their leader.

"Teng Duo, are we just going to sit here eating and drinking?" The golden-robed youth asked gruffly, a note of impatience in his voice. "The other teams are frantically searching throughout the mainland. If they find Ming Jian first, we'll miss out on all the merits and rewards."

"That's right!" The silver-robed youth added in a shrill voice. "We two brothers came to you because you were among the first to arrive at Battlefield 36 and know it best. We were counting on you to lead us to Ming Jian, not just sit around."

"Jin Ming, Yin Ming." Teng Duo, the black-scaled cultivator, tore a large piece of meat with his teeth and took a big swig of immortal wine before responding calmly. "Why are you in such a hurry to find Ming Jian?"

"Yes, the other teams are all frantically searching for Ming Jian, but has anyone found him in over ten years? They're all fools." Teng Duo shook his head disdainfully. "I'm feasting because I don't want to waste my effort."

"So, we just wait here?" The golden-robed youth frowned, his concern evident.

"Wait?" Teng Duo shook his head slightly. "You should know that the entire Eldritch-Immortal Battlefield is under the effects of invisible restrictions. Even some powerful talisman artifacts, ethercrystal weapons, and other special items can't be used."

Jin Ming and Yin Ming both nodded.

Numerous rules and constraints were implemented on entry-level battlefields. It was similar to how the stars and planets in outer space war zones were all artificially created. How could ordinary stars withstand fights between these powerhouses?

"Let me be frank," Teng Duo continued. "Over these years, I've carefully observed Ming Jian's movements. I'm certain he must have detected me in the past."

"However, his soul is extremely strong, with perception and detection methods far surpassing mine. He must have purposely avoided me. And it’s not just me—Yan Dan and An Heng were likely deliberately avoided by him too." Teng Duo's gaze swept over the two youths. "What does this mean? It means he's not absolutely confident that he can defeat us."

Jin Ming and Yin Ming both nodded.

"Though he killed Feng Sheng, Feng Sheng wasn't a match for us two. Since he doesn’t dare fight you either, his strength should be on par with yours at most," Jin Ming said in a low voice.

They all knew Teng Duo's strength—he was definitely among the top ten, or even top five, in the Fourth Immortal Hall. He was an extremely formidable individual.

"So, there's no need to run around aimlessly. Just sit here." Teng Duo said with a smile. "Whether we encounter Ming Jian or not is purely up to luck."

"One possibility is that he initiates a battle not far from us. Another possibility is that he actively comes looking for us. However, I doubt he’ll dare to come after us," Teng Duo said confidently. "With the three of us joining forces, plus a group of Void Refiner and Elysian Field powerhouses, he'll just take a detour if he encounters us."

"So, it's up to luck." Teng Duo continued wolfing down his meal, seemingly unbothered.

Jin Ming and Yin Ming exchanged a glance, sensing that something was off.

Luck? Purely relying on luck? Wasn’t this just giving up?

Teng Duo naturally sensed the change in their emotions and snorted coldly to himself.

Giving up? He had no choice. Anyone faced with this situation would give up.

A goal within reach could ignite one’s fighting spirit; but after tracking Ming Jian for years and being constantly toyed with by him, his confidence was long gone.

Teng Duo had already made up his mind. After muddling through this trial mission for a few more months, he would just return to the Immortal Court. Whoever wanted those unattainable rewards could go for it.

Yin Ming had just arrived recently and was still full of fighting spirit. "Teng Duo, I feel like just waiting isn't very..."

Boom!

The world suddenly changed colors. Streams of earthy yellow qi intertwined with green light crashed down like a tidal wave. Countless vines grew out of thin air, lashing down like giant snakes.

"Get lost!"

"Seeking death." Before Teng Duo, Jin Ming, and Yin Ming—the three peerless geniuses—made a move, the eight Void Refiner Eminences who had been sitting quietly on the side erupted into action.

A barrage of immensely powerful arcane arts manifested simultaneously.

Fire dragons and lightning covered the sky! Huge earthen shields rose up, along with surging waves of power.

The eight Void Refiner Eminences coordinated their attacks well, easily shredding the vines and blasting apart the descending domain thousands of li wide.

They all stood up, glaring angrily at the sky.

Above them, giant snake-like vines coiled around a figure in blood-red robes, who looked down upon them like a heavenly god.

He was like a divine sword spanning heaven and earth, his sharp eyes sweeping over Teng Duo, Jin Ming, Yin Ming, and the other twelve Void Refiner/Elysian Field powerhouses.

A deathly silence fell over the battlefield.

"Who are you?" Teng Duo stood up, narrowing his eyes. His long tail trailing on the ground beneath his body shook with barely contained fury.

"Aren't you looking for me? I'm here." The figure in blood-red robes, Wu Yuan, flashed them a brilliant smile.

"Ming Jian?" An Elysian Field powerhouse's pupils constricted in shock.

"It's Ming Jian? Yes, it can only be Ming Jian."

"Celestial Body Dao at the True Intent stage, Longevity Dao at the Domain stage—only he could withstand the arcane arts of us eight Void Refiner Eminences." The dozen or so powerhouses from the Immortal Court camp felt as though they had awakened from a dream, their eyes blazing with excitement but also wariness.

Roaming the battlefield for over ten years, Ming Jian's reputation was forged through bloodshed, alongside the over three billion ethercrystal laurels he had acquired in the process. Innumerable Void Refiner and Elysian Field cultivators had fallen by his hand.

Who didn’t know his name?

Even though their leader, Teng Duo, was one of the Immortal Hall’s top-tier geniuses, the twelve Void Refiner/Elysian Field powerhouses were still extremely nervous.

This was a reputation earned through slaughter. In the vast macrocosm, which supreme powerhouse hadn’t forged their illustrious name through killing?

"Jin Ming, Yin Ming, what did I say? Sometimes, there’s no need to try so hard. See, luck is on our side." Teng Duo grinned, his earlier doubts seemingly forgotten.

Jin Ming and Yin Ming exchanged another glance, speechless. What would the other teams, still running around searching for Ming Jian, think if they saw this?

"Ming Jian!" Teng Duo fully straightened up, his scales flexing, making his body appear larger as he looked up at Wu Yuan. "I really didn't expect you to deliver yourself to our doorstep. Very good, it seems you're quite confident."

𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"As a show of my respect for you, I will personally remove your head." Teng Duo stared intently at Wu Yuan, licking his chin with his tongue. His eyes brimmed with killing intent, his entire body tense with anticipation.

"Teng Duo? A top ten genius of the Fourth Immortal Hall?" Wu Yuan also revealed a smile. "Too bad. If all the top ten geniuses joined forces against me, I might feel some pressure."

"But just you alone, plus the two rookies beside you and a bunch of weaklings? Killing you won't be very satisfying." Wu Yuan shook his head slightly, as if disappointed by the lack of challenge.

"Courting death."

"Damned Ming Jian."

"Today, we kill him." Jin Ming, Yin Ming, and the twelve Void Refiner/Elysian Field powerhouses instantly flew into a rage. They knew Wu Yuan was powerful, but they were also confident in their own strength.

"What, not convinced?" Wu Yuan revealed a cold smile. "Then show me your strength. If your strength is insufficient, you can all die."

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Without further words, a series of sharp flying swords appeared around Wu Yuan.

Then, like a cosmic explosion, earth-yellow qi streams billowed out, entwining with those terrifying flying swords.

"Kill!" Teng Duo roared. Green lights materialized around him, which then erupted. Huge throwing knives manifested, flying toward Wu Yuan.

Rumble~

The sword domain and knife domain instantly collided. Countless throwing knives and flying swords, each carrying their respective Dao profundities, clashed like two worlds colliding.

The terrifying shockwaves radiated for tens of thousands of li, as if threatening to destroy heaven and earth.

Crack~ Boom! Boom!

In just one exchange, the powerful knife domain Teng Duo had deployed showed signs of collapse.

“How is this possible?" Teng Duo couldn't believe it.

As a cultivator with a second-degree immortal root and mastery of the Wind Dao at the third-level Dao Field stage, augmented by powerful throwing knives and arcane arts, he believed his domain was nearly unbeatable.

"Nothing is impossible." Wu Yuan's eyes were icy, his expression unshaken.

He had only employed the first-level True Intent stage of the Celestial Body Dao, paired with the ninth-level Domain stage of the Longevity Dao. In terms of Dao application, he was slightly outmatched by Teng Duo.

But his first-degree immortal root mana, nine lifebound flying swords, and 720 first-grade spirit flying swords, combined with Wu Yuan's terrifying Yuan Soul, more than compensated for the gap.

If this couldn't suppress the opponent's domain, it would be nothing short of a joke.

"Suppress!" Wu Yuan's internal essentia and mana burst forth, flooding each flying sword with immense power.

The clash between the sword domain and the knife domain quickly tipped in Wu Yuan's favor.

"Arcane arts!"

"Attack! Bolster Teng Duo's domain, and crush Ming Jian's sword domain." Jin Ming, Yin Ming, and the others were stunned by the sheer force Wu Yuan had unleashed. They never imagined Teng Duo would be on the brink of defeat after just one exchange. But they didn’t hesitate.

While only one domain could exist in a given space, the power of arcane arts could be stacked. A torrent of various arcane arts merged with the collapsing knife domain, hammering Wu Yuan's sword domain in a desperate attempt to turn the tide of battle.

For a moment, the tide of battle seemed about to turn.

Celestial Body! Longevity! Everlasting Earth and Wood!

With a mere thought, Wu Yuan unleashed another formidable arcane art.

Within the sword domain, ethereal great trees sprouted from thin air. Each tree seemed capable of anchoring space itself. They fortified Wu Yuan's sword domain, which stood firm under the onslaught, showing no sign of crumbling.

The two sides were locked in a tense stalemate.

...

The Voltari Temple Voidrealm had a coverage spanning the entire macrocosm.

In a secluded space within the voidrealm, nearly a thousand Astral Lords and Archimmortals, and even two Astral Monarchs had gathered. These were the immortals overseeing the battlefield, their eyes fixed on the battle unfolding in the light screen projection.

It was a clash at the level of Amethyst Cradle and Void Refiner cultivators.

Initially, these Astral Lords, Archimmortals, and Astral Monarchs watched with calm detachment. But as they witnessed Wu Yuan deploy his expansive sword domain while simultaneously casting one powerful arcane art after another—single-handedly suppressing three Amethyst Cradle-phase geniuses and eight Void Refiner Eminences working in concert—their expressions shifted.

"This is absurd."

"It must be a first-degree immortal root, and nine lifebound flying swords. Could he have established the legendary innate first-degree immortal root?"

"Deploying the sword domain while casting arcane arts requires an enormous amount of soul power. How strong must his soul be?"

"Where on earth did he come from?"

"His Dao comprehension isn't exceptionally deep, but in terms of combat prowess, how many hundreds of millions of years has it been since the Voltari Temple has seen such a monstrous Amethyst Cradle cultivator?"

Not only were the Astral Lords and Archimmortals shocked, but even the two Astral Monarchs exchanged glances, both displaying a trace of astonishment.

They had witnessed countless peerless geniuses. But one with such a solid foundation? This was unprecedented!

Even if the Voltari Temple's most monstrous prodigies in history with innate first-degree immortal roots were present, they would likely be suppressed by Ming Jian given the same level of Dao comprehension.

"It’s turning into a melee."

"It's starting."

"In a melee, he will be at a great disadvantage." The Astral Lord Archimmortals watched with rapt attention, their tension palpable.

If they lost this battle, it could be said that the entire Voltari Temple would be powerless against this Ming Jian on the entry-level Eldritch-Immortal Battlefields.