Xu Mu shattered the ghost mist barrier and descended from the sky.
He didn't know why he had done it. Nangong Huaitian had nothing to do with him, yet he had come, and with all his might.
One punch, like a fierce tiger released from its cage.
Zou Jie's eyes widened in alarm. With no time to think, he instinctively pushed a palm forward. The palm wind howled, creating thunderous waves that eventually condensed into a giant ghost hand, which slammed into the fist.
*Boom-crack!*
Xu Mu’s punch shattered the ghost hand, but his own body was forced back several steps by the terrifying impact, his right arm numb.
"Are you alright?"
Xu Mu stopped his swaying form, took a breath, and turned to ask Nangong.
"Mmm, I'm fine." Nangong Huaitian nodded, her complexion slightly pale. She hadn't fully recovered from the clone's ability yet, still in a daze.
After all, she wasn't like Xu Mu, who had lived with his soul frequently switching from childhood. Controlling a body with a clone for the first time was not that easy to recover from. This was one of the reasons Zou Jie had killed so many geniuses.
"It's you again, brat." On the other side, Zou Jie clutched his chest, blood seeping from the corners of his mouth, his gaze fixed on Xu Mu with intense malice.
Just moments ago, Xu Mu had shattered his awakened barrier, allowing Nangong Huaitian to escape. He himself had been severely injured.
Yes, Zou Jie blamed only Xu Mu, but he failed to notice that the instant Xu Mu charged forward, a terrifying flicker of emotion had also vanished from Nangong Huaitian's eyes. If Xu Mu hadn't arrived, Nangong Huaitian might have resorted to a desperate counter-attack.
"Die!" Zou Jie stared at Xu Mu, unable to suppress his rage any longer. He roared, and power surged between his hands. From high above, a colossal black sealing gate descended, intending to crush Xu Mu.
Xu Mu's expression turned grim. He stombled his foot in the "Gen" position, raising his hands as if to lift something. Unwavering, as the sealing gate descended, immense force like another mountain slammed down.
*Boom-crack!*
Xu Mu's face flushed red. His robes tore open in several places from the rushing blood energy. His legs bent, but he did not fall, for he had borne the weight of the sealing gate head-on!
"Hmph!"
After a few seconds of stalemate, Xu Mu, still supporting the sealing gate, leaped into the air. Then, like throwing a giant boulder, he hurled the gate towards Zou Jie.
A flash of surprise flickered in Zou Jie's eyes. He extended a hand, stopping the sealing gate mid-air. Then, he spoke mockingly, "You have brute strength, but sadly, no brains."
"This is my ability. You used it to smash me? What were you thinking?"
Xu Mu did not answer.
*Boom-crack!*
The next second, the sealing gate in mid-air shattered. Dark golden dao source bloomed from its cracks. Then, in an instant, Xu Mu's figure burst out, like a descending deity, bathed in golden radiance, purifying all darkness!
Zou Jie's mocking expression froze. Facing Xu Mu's punch, he had no time to react. He could only push out his ghost palm as before, but this time, Xu Mu’s punch was more powerful, unleashed with full force and imbued with dao source. The ghost palm shattered in an instant.
*Thump!*
Zou Jie protected his chest with both hands, his ghost armor artifact shielding him. He took the punch head-on and was immediately sent flying far away, almost falling off the staircase.
Seeing this, Xu Mu rotated his wrist slightly, intending to press his advantage. However, he noticed that during their struggle, the other geniuses on the fifty-eighth step had now ascended to this level. If he went after Zou Jie, Nangong would be in danger.
"Lucky for you."
Xu Mu stared at Zou Jie, coldly uttering the words, then leaped back, retreating to Nangong Huaitian's side, warily surveying his surroundings.
"We were fighting fiercely below, and didn't expect others to profit," Dongfang Yuchu glanced at Xu Mu, then at Nangong Huaitian, who was protected behind him, a hint of jealousy appearing in her eyes.
"Who are you? This is my woman. Get out of the way!" Yue Hengtian stepped forward, ancient cyan power flowing around him, radiating intense pressure towards Xu Mu.
"Young man, step aside quickly. The Saintess is not someone you can covet. She can only be my Empress." Zheng Fangxing, possessing royal blood, also stepped forward, his oppressive aura engulfing them.
Xu Mu remained silent, standing his ground. The blood energy surging within him was fully released. The beating of his Sacred Glazed Heart echoed like muffled thunder, simultaneously spreading the will of the Great Dao of Death to every corner.
The oppressive forces that met him were all cleared away. Even all the other geniuses on the fifty-ninth step were oppressed by Xu Mu's suffocating aura of death. Their faces turned pale, and their forward steps faltered, their minds regaining some clarity.
"Damn it, how many trump cards does this brat have? He's just a crude martial artist, why is he so strong?" On the other side, Zou Jie straightened his battered body, shattered by Xu Mu's punch. Sensing the powerful pressure in the space, his eyes were filled with ferocity and apprehension.
He had thought he had overestimated Xu Mu. If he couldn't defeat him without using that move, then based on Xu Mu's current power, even his trump card might not guarantee victory. After all, he couldn't be sure Xu Mu didn't have other cards up his sleeve.
"Miss Nangong, do not be alarmed. Since we met in the Medicine King Valley, we are friends. I will absolutely not let any harm come to my friend!"
At this moment, Ji Xuansu arrived belatedly, carrying a scroll, and stood before Nangong Huaitian, earnestly promising.
However, as he spoke, his face involuntarily flushed. Clearly, the excuse was clumsy, and even he didn't believe it. But what else could he do? Would he admit that he had fallen in love with Nangong Huaitian at first sight in the Medicine King Valley, had held it in for years, and had suddenly found his courage to become her protector?
Nangong Huaitian blinked in surprise, then said, "Uh, thank you."
"You're welcome." Ji Xuansu's heart pounded wildly. He turned his head unnaturally and then saw Xu Mu.
It was only then that he noticed there was already a person in front of Nangong Huaitian, and it was a handsome man exuding a powerful aura.
Who was he?
The question simultaneously arose in the minds of Ji Xuansu and Nangong Huaitian.
But the answer to this question had long since been found.
Zou Jie gazed at Xu Mu and cursed, "Mu Xu, you ungrateful wretch! I didn't even intercept you with Ye Gong downstairs, yet you come up to ruin my good deed."
"Did the Jiang family bring you here to compete just to meddle in other people's business!"
It was this remark that made Nangong Huaitian realize. In the second round of the Ten Thousand Races Alliance Assembly, Xu Mu had been chosen by Zou Jie, and they had fought to a draw.
The latter represented the Jiang family from the Land of a Hundred Clans, and his name was Mu Xu.
"Mu Xu, Mu Xu..." Nangong Huaitian murmured Xu Mu's alias to herself, then looked at the sword sheath in his hand. She felt something was amiss.
"What I do is none of anyone's business, and it seems to have nothing to do with you." Xu Mu stared coldly at Zou Jie, then turned to scan the crowd and said, "I will protect the person behind me. Anyone who moves against her again must get past me first."
"Who do you think you are!" Yue Hengtian immediately pointed at Xu Mu and cursed. Zheng Fangxing and Dongfang Yuchu were also enraged, their powers surging, but none of them made the first move against Xu Mu.
Ji Xuansu stared at Xu Mu blankly, his eyes filled with complex emotions. Then, he suddenly reacted and quickly turned, saying, "Me too. Anyone who wants to touch Miss Nangong will have to get past me first."
Seeing this, Dongfang Yuchu and the others, though angry, could not do much. Both Xu Mu and Ji Xuansu were very powerful. Coupled with Nangong, even if someone wanted to act, they couldn't.
Unless... they could join forces.
Zheng Fangxing turned his head and exchanged glances with Dongfang Yuchu. Their intentions converged.
"Yue Hengtian is out of the question, of course. This brute will definitely agree. The key is Zou Jie..." Dongfang Yuchu's gaze turned cold. Then he looked at Zou Jie and asked, "Mu Xu has a grudge against you. Shall we join forces to take him down?"
Zou Jie heard him, looked at Dongfang Yuchu, and considered joining forces to take down Xu Mu. It was a feasible plan, but it would be too humiliating.
Moreover, the most crucial point was, could the four of them easily defeat the three?
"Unless we add another person, the risk is too high and requires a desperate fight. I won't do it." Zou Jie shook his head and refused. He wanted to kill Xu Mu, but it was ultimately a matter of pride. He couldn't expose all his trump cards at this stage. How would he deal with Chen Changkong then?
Dongfang Yuchu nodded and then turned to look at the other geniuses nearby, asking, "Brother Li Guang, are you interested in joining? Let's eliminate Nangong's guard first, and then contend for her ownership."
Li Guang, a direct descendant of the Li family and a formation master, heard this, gave Dongfang Yuchu a calm look, and then directly stepped onto the sixtieth saint platform via a formation, without saying another word.
Seeing this, Dongfang Yuchu's face darkened. He wanted to rope in more people, but found that the remaining ones were all unfamiliar faces, except for Xuanyuan Shennian, who was somewhat familiar.
"Xuanyuan, any thoughts? After all, Nangong is also your rival. If we subdue her, you will be the undisputed number one genius female cultivator in the Land of a Hundred Clans."
Dongfang Yuchu asked Xuanyuan Shennian. Upon hearing this, she stopped walking, turned her head, and said calmly, "Even if she were here, I would still be number one."
"Also, Zheng Fangxing, you have royal blood. Please conduct yourself with dignity. You shouldn't tarnish the royal bloodline."
Zheng Fangxing's face immediately turned unpleasant. He looked at Xuanyuan Shennian and said with an unfriendly tone, "No matter what, I am a legitimate royal with traceable lineage. It's not for a woman who fabricated her ancestral lineage to tell me what to do."
Upon hearing this, Xuanyuan Shennian completely straightened her leaning posture and turned to face Zheng Fangxing, her voice icy as she asked, "Do you dare to repeat what you just said?"
"I'll repeat it ten times, and it will still be the same," Zheng Fangxing said, looking at Xuanyuan Shennian calmly. Then, a fiery glint appeared in his eyes.
In terms of looks, although Xuanyuan Shennian wasn't as stunning as Nangong Huaitian to shock the world, among the vast sea of immortal maidens in the cultivation world, she was definitely a beauty.
And in terms of her figure, Xuanyuan Shennian was far superior to Nangong Huaitian, especially her proud peaks that swayed precariously, seemingly ready to spill out, which shook his firm dao heart.
Sensing Zheng Fangxing's gaze, Xuanyuan Shennian's expression turned colder again. A light brown aura began to surge within her, forming a vortex. It was clear she was on the verge of an outburst.
"Actually, I just want to find a woman from a prominent family to marry and pass down my noble royal bloodline. Whether that person is Nangong Huaitian or not is irrelevant."
Zheng Fangxing said, then asked Xuanyuan Shennian, "Will you bear my child?"
Xuanyuan Shennian looked at Zheng Fangxing and asked:
"Do you have any last words?"
...