The Great Ruler

In front of the Hall of Welcoming Guests, Mu Chen and Liu Qing stood in confrontation. Their eyes were sharp as blades, and the powerful spiritual fluctuation that was emanating from their bodies caused the surrounding air to vibrate and buzz.

Liu Qing looked at Mu Chen, who did not appear weak, and was astonished. He did not understand where Mu Chen got his confidence from, as he was only a mere Fifth Grade Sovereign.

However, Liu Qing didn’t think much more about that at the moment. Instead, he focused on what he needed to do right now, which was to take him down in ten rounds or less! He would show this kid the gap between the two sides, and that he should also not involve himself in this incident with Nine Nether!

“I sure hope you have some skills! Otherwise, you are just some dumb kid that has tarnished the noble bloodline of our Royal Highness Nine Nether!”

After Liu Qing said this, he looked seriously at Mu Chen, but said no more. His hands were clenched, and suddenly, a fiery and violent spiritual fluctuation burst from his body. A heat wave rolled, causing the temperature between the sky and the earth to rapidly increase.

Boom!

When the temperature between heaven and earth rose, the soles of Liu Qing’s feet suddenly stamped, causing the earth to tremble. It was as if there were flames, which were exploding under Liu Qing’s feet! Cracks spread out in the hard bluestone ground, and his figure unexpectedly turned into an afterimage, bursting out into the space.

Liu Qing was so fast, he could hardly be seen by the naked eye. He quickly appeared to the right of Mu Chen. At the same time, he bent his two fingers together, as if they were blades, and a crimson red spiritual energy gathered there, causing his fingers to redden. A scarlet flame flickered in his fingertips, as it whistled out. Even the space itself was warped and evaporated by such a high temperature.

Once Liu Qing made his move, he was relentless and showed no mercy. If a Sixth Grade Sovereign was hit by Liu Qing’s strike, half of his body would be pierced through by the high temperature, resulting in a bloody wound. So, you can only imagine the damage Liu Qing’s attacks could do to a Fifth Grade Sovereign…

“Haha. Liu Qing’s Scarlet Flame Spirit Finger is getting increasingly skilled.” When Heavenly Sparrow Elder saw Liu Qing’s thunderbolt move, he nodded with satisfaction.

On the other side, Mandela, the three kings, Nine Nether and the rest all watched with cold demeanors, none replying. They knew of Mu Chen’s capability, and were keenly aware that he was no ordinary Fifth Grade Sovereign.

At that moment, the scarlet red fingers, like a shadow, were reflected in Mu Chen’s dark pupils. In the next instant, he abruptly bent his fingers, pointing in their direction, without hesitation.

When his own fingers shot out, it seemed that there was a golden light that was emitting on the surface of his body. Then, a dragon’s roar reverberated throughout the space, followed by a purple and a gold dragon symbol, both emerging on his fingers, as golden light bathed the entire space.

“Dragon-Phoenix Body, Golden Dragon Symbol!”

Mu Chen’s two fingers, as if they had been made of gold, had pierced through the void directly, then collided with the scarlet fingers! Suddenly, a spiritual shock wave broke out, and the ground on which the two men were standing collapsed directly, causing the hard bluestone slab to shatter and turn into ash.

As they clashed, Liu Qing’s eyes froze in a fierce gaze. The violent force emanating from Mu Chen was much stronger than he had imagined.

Moreover, Mu Chen’s two fingers were unexpectedly strong. After all, Mu Chen was a Divine Beast, so his fingers were sharper than ordinary Divine Artifacts. Generally speaking, even those of the same rank of Sovereigns, who specialized in refining their human physiques, found it difficult to withstand Mu Chen’s blows.

“This guy’s physical body is so strong! I can’t believe that you can stand up against me!”

Liu Qing frowned after he said this, then immediately let out a cold hum, his aura as fast as lightning, transforming into numerous afterimages. These afterimages then circled around all of Mu Chen’s vital parts, each emitting a piercing cry.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Yet, even in the face of Liu Qing’s intense attack, Mu Chen matched him tit-for-tat. As golden light surged forth, the silhouettes of the fingers also swept out of the sky, clashing harshly with the afterimages that charged towards him.

Boom! Boom! Crash!

The collision culminated in an explosion of spiritual energy, and as the wind raged, it cut deep traces onto the ground. However, every trace was different, as Liu Qing’s marks were filled with rage and fervor, showing signs of melting, while Mu Chen’s traces were sharp and smooth, like knives’ edges cutting into tofu.

Dong!

The wind was so strong, when the last remnant of the shadows collided with one another, a violent shock wave burst out, causing the two close figures to stagger backwards. Mu Chen was dragged along the ground for ten feet, before he was able to steady himself. He looked at Liu Qing, who was in front of him, and the latter’s eyebrows were wrinkled tightly, as if he was in pain.

“It’s no wonder that you are known as the top character among the young generation in the North Territory! That was really something.” Liu Qing slowly raised his palm, only to see shallow wounds on the back of his hand. With a shake of his palm, red flames emerged, and the scars quickly disappeared! This showed the superhuman recovery ability of a Divine Beast’s physique!

Mu Chen looked at him and smiled. There were drops of blood trickling down his finger, but when the golden light surged forth, the blood on his fingertips disappeared completely. His Dragon-Phoenix Body was obviously no weaker than a Divine Beast’s!

In the previous battle, with the help of the Dragon-Phoenix Body’s strength, Mu Chen could withstand Liu Qing’s violent blows. And yet, he was also surprised at the latter’s capability.

According to his estimation, Liu Qing was already at the top of the rankings of a Sixth Grade Sovereign. This meant that, if he was placed among the Lords, he would only be a little weaker than Lord Asura! Such an opponent was intimidating indeed!

Liu Qing stared at Mu Chen with narrowed eyes. After the previous battle, the contempt in his eyes had dissipated. After all, the fact that Mu Chen could clash with him, while only being a Fifth Grade Sovereign, showed that Mu Chen was no ordinary person!

Although Liu Qing had only been testing the waters in their meetings before, it was now apparent that Mu Chen had not put in his all at that time either!

“Interesting…” Liu Qing murmured to himself.

Then, his eyes, which were burning with a desire for combat, surged, locking onto Mu Chen. His clothes then suddenly billowed out, despite the lack of wind. As they rustled about, a fierce and fervent spiritual energy, like a volcano, erupted suddenly from his body.

The majestic spiritual power surged and gathered behind Liu Qing, coalescing into a huge scarlet red bird. On the body of the giant bird, a blazing flame was burning, and even the clouds above the sky were evaporated under such a high temperature.

Liu Qing’s body suddenly appeared on the back of the red giant bird, while flames condensed in the center of his palm. In a flash, they had turned into a crimson spear.

He clasped the spear in his palm, and in that instant, Mu Chen could clearly feel that Liu Qing’s momentum was becoming increasingly overwhelming. Whenever Liu Qing directed a glance towards Mu Chen, it made his skin prickle with its intensity.

Mu Chen surmised that the massive red bird should be Liu Qing’s Divine Beast form, yet it was vastly different from Nine Nether’s Nine Netherworld Bird form. So, if Mu Chen’s speculation was right, this Divine Beast form was actually the Nine Nether Flames Sparrow!

Although the Nine Nether Flames Sparrow was not as rare as the Nine Netherworld Bird, the species were also quite powerful Divine Beasts in their own rite. Once summoned, they possessed the ability to burn the sky and boil the sea…

At that moment, the Nine Nether Flames Sparrow fluttered its wings, and the whole sky seemed to be set ablaze, turning scarlet red. The Nine Nether Flames Sparrow and Liu Qing seemed to meld into one, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth began to boil.

“Execute your Sovereign Celestial Body, or you will not have another chance.” Liu Qing looked down at Mu Chen, commanding him.

The Divine Beasts have not cultivated the Sovereign Celestial Body, because they have the form of a Divine Beast, which was too similar. Now that Liu Qing had transformed into his own Divine Beast form, his combat effectiveness would surely soar. So, if Mu Chen did not use the Sovereign Celestial Body, it would be nearly impossible to compete with him.

“As you wish.” Mu Chen replied with a smile. He then used his hands and conjured a seal quickly. Suddenly, a brilliant golden light burst out from his body. Then, after a few breaths, a huge and incomparable Sovereign Celestial Body appeared behind him.

The Sovereign Celestial Body stood between heaven and earth, with a golden sun floating behind it. The huge body, which was covered with mysterious and ancient gold symbols, was the Great Solar Undying Body!

“I have never seen such a strange Sovereign Celestial Body.” Liu Qing could not help but be astonished, as a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Now that he had summoned the Divine Beast form, the confrontation should be over quickly, yet the fact that Mu Chen could have pushed him to this point, revealed that Mu Chen was quite capable.

Nevertheless, it was evident that Heavenly Sparrow Elder intended to ruthlessly humiliate the boy, so it should be made clear to him that his abilities are still far from qualified to form Bloodline Bonds with His Royal Highness Nine Nether! After all, such mediocre people should never jeopardize the promising future of His Royal Highness Nine Nether!

At this point, Liu Qing’s gaze became increasingly sharp. He raised the spear that was burning with scarlet red flames in his hand slowly, locking his gaze onto Mu Chen’s figure.

When his eyes locked onto Mu Chen, the slender teenager seemed to raise his head, and the returned gaze from his black eyes pierced through the space, showing not the slightest fear. Mu Chen had come so far these years, and had been in all sorts of life and death situations, so for Liu Qing to actually think that he could make him submit was utterly ridiculous in his mind!

Thus, their two sharp gazes collided in mid-air, and in the twinkling of an eye, fiery sparks flew forth and tensions rose…