Chapter 460: Chapter 460: Battle Against the Black and White Tianzun
Word Count: 3,029 Words
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The moment Yan Tianzun spoke, the other Great Tianzun all wore expressions of interest, turning their attention toward Mo Yu as if anticipating a show.
Though Mo Yu’s face had darkened considerably, everyone present understood the logic. One naturally chose the softest persimmon to squeeze.
Those who could become Honorable Elders and Tianzun, which one of them wasn’t a once-in-a-hundred-million genius? In their respective eras, each had been a renowned elite expert capable of challenging opponents above their level without breaking a sweat.
But after reaching Dou Venerate, lifespans increased dramatically. This meant one’s opponents had also been elite experts of their generations. At the Dou Venerate level, age ceased to be a meaningful boundary. It had lost most of its reference value.
A single star’s difference became enormous. Mo Yu had never overcome the one-star gap between himself and Qiu Di despite decades of effort. The disparity remained painfully obvious, making him a natural target for challenges.
"So what happens when someone gets picked by multiple challengers?"
"No idea. In previous ceremonies, only the Black and White Tianzun have dared challenge the Nine Great Tianzun. Have you ever heard of any other Tianzun provoking them?"
The Hall of Souls Venerables began whispering among themselves. Even as members of the Hall of Souls, they were still human, prone to gossip when gathered together.
It was clear that though the Black and White Tianzun were two peak 6-star Dou Venerates, they could only target Mo Yu. Against Qiu Di, they wouldn’t even get a chance to make a move.
First Tianzun Ming Jin gripped his armrests and rose to his feet, his hunched form making him appear perpetually on death’s doorstep.
"Since both the Black and White Tianzun and Yan Tianzun seek to compete for the Ninth Tianzun’s seat, you shall battle each other. The victor earns the right to challenge Ninth Tianzun Mo Yu. After the winner recovers their Dou Qi, the Tianzun ranking match will proceed."
In any other major faction on the Dou Qi Continent, such a rule would certainly provoke dissent. When multiple challengers selected the same target, custom dictated that the challenged Tianzun should make a counter-selection.
But never forget—this was the Hall of Souls.
The Hall of Souls truly embodied the principle of might makes right. They needed no fairness and would not allow the Ninth Tianzun to choose a weaker opponent just to secure his position.
What the Hall of Souls demanded was absolute strength!
No ambiguity or compromise could be tolerated. The Nine Great Tianzun were simply the nine most powerful among all the Hall of Souls’ Tianzun.
No one objected to the First Tianzun’s words, not even Mo Yu himself.
As the lowest-ranked among the Nine Great Tianzun, he was destined to constantly face challenges from every Tianzun in the Hall. After all, joining the Hun Clan meant qualifying to enter some of their secret realms, possibly even gaining access to soul essence and the ability to cultivate the Hun Clan’s Dou Techniques and Soul Skills.
"That Yan Tianzun may be strong enough to defeat Zhai Xing Tianzun, but Zhai Xing was merely a 5-star Dou Venerate. The Black and White Tianzun are two peak 6-star Dou Venerates. Their combined strength probably isn’t much weaker than Mo Yu’s."
"Indeed. They’ve both cultivated powerful Dou Techniques, and I heard they obtained a Tian Class combination Dou Technique from an ancient ruin. When they execute it together, even someone with a Tian Class flying Dou Technique would struggle to resist."
Xiao Yan merely shrugged. He felt no concern. With his Tian Class flying Dou Technique, his confidence was absolute.
The First Tianzun waved his hand and the entire Heaven Hall space immediately distorted and expanded infinitely! In moments, the surroundings transformed completely into a boundless expanse of brilliant white. Everyone seemed to have shrunk as distances stretched immeasurably!
’So, this is the power of a Dou Saint. It far surpasses a Space Lock; it’s comparable to creating an entire small world!’ Xiao Yan thought as he surveyed his surroundings.
Legend claimed Dou Saints could create small worlds. The Small Pill Tower, Pill Realm, and Burning Flame Valley had all been created by Dou Saints, while a Dou God could create an entire realm!
Though the First Tianzun’s creation lacked the Pill Realm’s vastness and stability, the fact that he could achieve this with a mere gesture demonstrated the terrifying power of a Dou Saint.
Xiao Yan steadied himself and looked ahead. Not far away, the Black and White Tianzun stood in their contrasting Soul Robes. The pair stood motionless. The Black Tianzun appeared relaxed and confident with a faint smile on his face, while the White Tianzun stood rigid like a javelin, firm and unwavering.
The other Hall of Souls Venerables had retreated far away. Though they were all elites—some even Tianzun—today no one dared speak loudly or utter careless words. They could only serve as well-behaved spectators, for today might witness the birth of a new member of the Nine Great Tianzun.
The other Hall of Souls Venerables had retreated far away. Though they were all Honorable Elders—some even Tianzun—today no one dared speak loudly or utter careless words. They could only serve as well-behaved spectators.
Today might witness the birth of a new member of the Nine Great Tianzun!
Many gazed at Xiao Yan with reverence, even fear. After he had defeated Zhai Xing Tianzun without injury, some wouldn’t even dare breathe heavily in his presence, let alone speak.
A 3-star Dou Venerate appearing from nowhere, possessing a Tian Class flying Dou Technique and physical strength rivaling a Rank 8 magical beast, who had effortlessly defeated a 5-star Tianzun... such a terrifying figure had already reached heights that even Tianzun respected.
Now came the moment of truth: who would prove stronger between this Yan Tianzun, the Black and White Tianzun, and the Ninth Tianzun Mo Yu?
The Black and White Tianzun served as the gatekeepers to the Nine Great Tianzun!
Xiao Yan looked at the duo and grinned. "Aren’t you two ashamed to fight two-against-one?"
"Jie Jie Jie, we brothers have always fought as one. We never separate," Black Tianzun replied with a cold sneer.
The Hall of Souls had no rules. Even if a mob rushed forward to challenge, it would be permitted, provided they truly didn’t fear death.
Silence fell over the space as the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. All the Hall of Souls Venerables held their breath while Xiao Yan offered no further words. Apart from Mo Yu, the other Nine Great Tianzun had grown idle. Some yawned drowsily, others played with their hair, and a few had even begun cultivating.
They rarely challenged those ranked above them anymore. Even the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Tianzun—all 9-star Dou Venerates—understood that closing the gaps between them would prove immensely difficult. Without extraordinary fortune, these differences would likely persist for life.
Hall Chief Hun Mie Sheng, seated at the highest position, observed Xiao Yan with mild interest, muttering quietly to himself, "The Xiao Clan... I wonder if you can display the same brilliance as the Xiao Clan powerhouses of old."
Xiao Yan’s body suddenly erupted with terrifying Spiritual Strength as his aura shifted. A resounding hum emanated from the shadow beneath his feet, which began to writhe before enveloping his entire body.
Asura Descends!
His late Soul State Spiritual Strength pressed down like the depths of an ocean, bearing down on everyone present!
"Late Soul State?!"
"How does a 3-star Dou Venerate possess late Soul State Spiritual Strength?!"
The overwhelming might of the Asura Soul Reaping Technique permeated the arena, transforming Xiao Yan into something resembling a demonic asura!
As his Spiritual Strength merged with his body, his cultivation surged upward from 3-star Dou Venerate, finally stabilizing at 5-star.
"Only a two-star increase." Xiao Yan shook his head, clearly dissatisfied. He had expected his enhanced Spiritual Strength would allow the Asura Soul Reaping Technique to boost his cultivation by at least three stars.
Instead, he had barely managed two. He suspected that even using his three weakest Heavenly Flames with the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change would only grant him one and a half stars now. Advancement at the Dou Venerate level had become extraordinarily difficult.
"5-star Dou Venerate?!" A Hall of Souls Tianzun gasped sharply, nearly shrieking as he sensed Xiao Yan’s cultivation rocket upward.
"Good heavens! Late Soul State Spiritual Strength plus extraordinary physical strength... How does this guy cultivate?!" another Tianzun who specialized in soul cultivation spoke dejectedly. "No wonder Yan Tianzun could defeat that Old Ghost Zhai Xing as a 3-star Dou Venerate. It wasn’t just the Tian Class Dou Technique."
Nearby, Zhai Xing Tianzun’s face had turned deathly pale. Not all Hall of Souls Tianzun emphasized soul cultivation, not because they didn’t want to, but because enhancing Spiritual Strength was simply too difficult!
If Xiao Yan weren’t an alchemist capable of refining pills and medicinal liquids to boost his Spiritual Strength, he too would find advancement incredibly challenging.
"Asura Soul Reaping Technique... a Soul Skill created by Hun Lao Gui," Hun Mie Sheng’s eyes narrowed slightly, a strange smile appearing on his face. "But this is merely peripheral. The true Asura is the real nightmare."
Xiao Yan beckoned toward the Black and White Tianzun. "Coming together or one at a time?"
Even after witnessing Xiao Yan increase his cultivation with a Soul Skill, the Black and White Tianzun remained calm. Even with the enhancement, he was merely a 5-star Dou Venerate, while they were both at the peak of the 6-star stage, far above him.
The duo exchanged glances. Black Tianzun’s eyes focused as he nodded, then stepped skyward and spoke slowly, "Jie Jie Jie, let me see what makes this new Tianzun so remarkable."
"Don’t worry, I’ll show you clearly," Xiao Yan smiled in response.
The instant his words fell, Black Tianzun crossed through space. His speed was incredible; the moment he moved, countless afterimages stretched behind him in a long trail.
Black Tianzun excelled at speed!
With a thunderous boom, the peak 6-star Dou Venerate instantly appeared before Xiao Yan. His withered hand gathered a wisp of black energy and struck Xiao Yan’s torso with devastating force.
Xiao Yan smiled just before the impact. His entire body suddenly exploded, leaving Black Tianzun’s eyes to narrow in surprise. "A clone?"
Zzzzzzt!!!
The exploding illusionary body instantly transformed into countless silver lightning arcs that, upon closer inspection, resembled tiny silver dragons.
Lightning exploded instantly. The illusionary body had been like a thunder bomb that, once shattered, triggered a terrifying electrical storm.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A devastating lightning explosion blazed like an erupting sun, blindingly brilliant. A black shadow fled desperately from the sea of lightning, but in that split second of escape—
Xiao Yan appeared behind him, stomping heavily on Black Tianzun’s back. With a resounding crash, his foot carried mountain-crushing weight, sending Black Tianzun plummeting from the sky.
Black Tianzun’s body hurtled downward like a meteor, smashing into the ground of this temporary space. The impact shattered the surface, creating a massive crater that revealed the void beyond.
Many gasped at this sight. Xiao Yan’s illusionary body had been incredibly realistic! He had hidden himself in the void the instant he created the illusion. Such subtle manipulation proved his understanding of Spatial Strength had reached extraordinary heights!
Whether speed or power, both were flawless!
Swish!
The empty space behind Xiao Yan shattered as a pitch-black chain wrapped around him. His eyes narrowed as he strained against the restraint, but surprisingly needed half a second to break free. In that critical moment, Black Tianzun burst from the void and struck his chest, launching him a thousand meters skyward.
"Heaven-Encompassing Radiant Blade!"
White Tianzun’s face twisted with savage glee as boundless Dou Qi erupted from his palm, transforming into a blade as dazzling as the sun itself.
This wasn’t a Hun Clan technique; it belonged to the Ling Clan!
The sun-bright blade in White Tianzun’s hand trembled with afterimages before slashing downward through empty air.
BOOM!!
A blazing sun detonated. An enormous blade beam cleaved downward, even tearing a massive gash in the First Tianzun’s temporary small world. The power was simply terrifying!
"Jie Jie Jie, this is a Dou Technique created by Emperor Ling before he became a Dou God. We brothers obtained it only after killing our clan brothers." White Tianzun’s face contorted viciously. He didn’t bother with any one-on-one probing; his move was pure ambush.
The duo had long established their tacit understanding: Black Tianzun would lead the attack while White Tianzun appeared to be observing, but was actually preparing his technique, ready to strike at any moment.
"Emperor Ling, is it? Seems Emperor Ling fell short of Emperor Gu, or perhaps you’ve only grasped the surface. The Gu Clan’s God Seal Technique proves far superior." A black figure leaped from the shattered void.
The blade had struck Xiao Yan’s back directly, creating a wound so deep that bone was clearly visible. The injury wasn’t just a cut—the edges appeared melted by extreme heat, presenting a horrifying sight.
Yet bizarrely, the wound was already healing. Strands of energy containing milky-white starlight rapidly repaired the damage.
However, because the wound was so severe and contained an energy that hindered recovery, even the combined power of the Three Thousand Burning Flame and the Yin-Yang Twin Flame couldn’t heal it instantly.
All eyes turned toward Xiao Yan, who didn’t appear to have suffered a grievous injury at all!
He hadn’t even deployed any defensive Dou Techniques, taking both of the Black and White Tianzun’s attacks with his physical body alone. Yet despite these two strikes, he had nearly recovered completely!!
Looking up at the black and white figures hovering above, Xiao Yan’s expression grew somewhat solemn. As expected of those ranked just below the Nine Great Tianzun, their peak 6-star Dou Venerate strength was not to be underestimated.
A cold smile tugged at his lips. But to think he couldn’t win would be to gravely underestimate him!
A pair of black Heaven Phoenix Wings unfolded behind him with a soft whoosh.
The moment the Heaven Phoenix Wings appeared, even the Nine Great Tianzun’s expressions shifted. No one could deny their desire for a Tian Class flying Dou Technique.
Refining a flying Dou Technique to the Tian Class level required resources that could probably be exchanged for two Tian Class Dou Techniques!
Even Fourth Tianzun Xue He, who possessed a complete set of Low Tian Class Qi Methods, Dou Techniques, and Secret Methods, revealed a trace of envy. He alone lacked a Tian Class flying Dou Technique.
Of course, for an elite Dou Saint, it held limited use. While not completely useless, Dou Saints no longer pursued Low Tian Class techniques; they craved something of a higher grade.
"Those should have reached the level of an Ancient Heaven Phoenix," someone with a discerning eye muttered. "Jie Jie Jie, I’ll find a chance to go to the Beast Region and catch a Heaven Demon Phoenix to try and refine one myself."
"One probably won’t suffice. You’d need several with dense bloodlines."
"Jie Jie Jie, quite interesting indeed."
"Again!" Xiao Yan bared his teeth in a grin. His Spiritual Strength instantly solidified into a massive soul ruler, thick and heavy as a greatsword.
He roared like a true dragon. The Ancient Dragon Roar shattered space as he charged toward the Black and White Tianzun above. His Ancient Phoenix Wings beat powerfully; as the wings moved, a black soul followed, and as the heavy ruler descended, space inverted.
Xiao Yan attacked without fancy techniques, just a simple overhead strike with the soul ruler, his Spiritual Strength sweeping outward.
It was a soul attack, striking directly at the soul!
The speed was as fast as a shadowless blur. The velocity of the Tian Class flying Dou Technique even made the Eighth Tianzun, Qiu Di, inwardly startle. This speed was likely a sliver faster than his own!
The eyes of the Black and White Tianzun widened in alarm. Xiao Yan’s direct sweep unleashed an overwhelming and destructive Spiritual Strength!
No reasoning, no mercy—just annihilation of the opponent’s soul through direct collision!
A metallic clang rang out as the sun-bright blade blocked the attack. Blade met ruler in a clash of souls, Spiritual Strength splashing outward and causing spatial fluctuations as spiritual shockwaves battered the surrounding world.
Others might fear Soul Techniques, but not Hall of Souls Tianzun. They had all mastered methods to control their own Spiritual Strength.
White Tianzun blocked Xiao Yan’s assault while Black Tianzun instantly appeared behind him for an ambush. This had always been the duo’s usual tactic.
But this time, they had met their match.
Xiao Yan smiled coldly and shouted in his heart, ’Three Thousand Lightning Illusionary Body!’
With a crackling sound, a lightning figure suddenly emerged from Xiao Yan’s back. It punched toward the startled Black Tianzun, and terrifying lightning shot out like a thunder dragon to intercept the ambusher.
The Black and White Tianzun were shocked. They were both peak 6-star Dou Venerates; how could a 3-star relying on Secret Methods to boost his strength possibly contend with both of them?!
They were fighting two against one!
"Jie Jie Jie, getting distracted is a great taboo!" Xiao Yan laughed. At that moment, his Ancient Phoenix Wings suddenly ignited with black flames, transforming into burning black blades that slashed toward the White Tianzun before him!
White Tianzun steeled himself, frantically circulating his Dou Qi as a black fog erupted from his body to meet Xiao Yan’s strike head-on.
With a wet, tearing sound, even though White Tianzun’s black fog had been condensed from countless soul bodies capable of withstanding powerful attacks, it still couldn’t endure against Xiao Yan’s Tian Class flying Dou Technique!
The black flames of the Ancient Phoenix Wings instantly cleaved through the fog, striking White Tianzun’s body heavily.
White Tianzun was sent flying, scalding blood scattering through the air!
Down below, Venerable Qing Hai was so shocked his jaw dropped, because he knew that Xiao Yan’s greatest strength was his flames!
He hadn’t used his full strength yet. He was still holding back!