【Blessed Land Challenge has been initiated. Blessed Land Thirty-One, the Master of Le River has issued a challenge. Do you accept?】
Today was the fifteenth of the fourth month, also the day when the Blessed Land Challenge opened once a month.
If Jiang Chen didn't accept the challenge before today ended, it would be considered a forfeit, resulting in a downgrade of his Blessed Land.
【Accept!】
In the Blessed Land of Lanke Mountain, ranked thirtieth, Jiang Chen soared into the starry river on his sword.
The Duel Platform aligned, and the fighting arena formed.
Before Jiang Chen appeared a monk with a blurred face, his kasaya embroidered with flowing light.
The monk pressed his palms together in a bow: "Stupid thing, come fight the Buddha!"
His posture was respectful, but his words were unrestrained.
This inexplicable fellow left Jiang Chen momentarily stunned. Fortunately, his hands were fast—two Flame Blossoms had already flown out.
"A monk should refrain from idle talk."
Jiang Chen surged forward, the thorny crown on his head flashing and vanishing in an instant, instantly stirring the wood energy within the monk's body—Dao arts Binding Tiger!
However, he only saw the monk stretch lazily in place, seemingly completely unaffected by Binding Tiger.
His mouth still grumbled: "Shut up, little brat. With all that hair, what would you know about being a monk?"
He pointed with two fingers, striking repeatedly, forcibly dispersing the Flame Blossoms.
Jiang Chen's long sword had already arrived, the blade surging with purple energy, boiling and violent.
Clang!
Two fingers glowing with golden light clamped onto the blade.
The monk continued cursing: "You're too weak—it's ridiculous. Facing the Buddha, do you dare hold back?"
His two fingers pulled back, dragging Jiang Chen along with his sword, right before him.
Then his fist descended.
Flowers bloomed in profusion, a hundred blossoms competing in splendor.
Dao art Sea of Flowers. Temporarily creating a hallucinatory battlefield to gain a terrain advantage.
That fist suddenly erupted with intense golden light.
The flowers withered, turning into nothingness. The entire sea of flowers conjured by the Dao art was shattered by a single punch!
The fist landed on Jiang Chen's chest without hesitation, but only lightly pushed him forward.
"Ah, Amitabha..." The monk softly chanted the Buddha's name, his tone devout and warm.
The next words came: "Weak one, the Buddha gives you another chance! Use all your methods!"
The Blessed Land Challenge was different from a match battle. Because he had inherited the Blessed Land left by Zhuo Lie, he faced opponents far above his current realm.
Jiang Chen instinctively moved to use his three original sword techniques, but suddenly heard Zhu Biqiong's voice from the Sea Angling Tower in his ear: "Fellow Daoist Jiang, there's a situation!"
When one was within the Grand Void Illusion, they didn't completely lose connection with their physical body in the real world.
The sensation was closer to the state when you were completely absorbed in something. Your mind was focused on that matter, paying less attention to the outside world, but any movement could still be captured in time.
Jiang Chen's thoughts stirred, and he directly admitted defeat, exiting the battle.
His realm was far inferior; even using the three sword techniques would mean defeat. Now that something was happening outside, though the Grand Void Illusion was excellent, his self beyond the illusion was the foundation—the boat that would ferry him across life's bitter sea.
"Hey, hey, hey, why are you running, you stinking turtle? Don't dare to bare your teeth at the Buddha?"
Suddenly, in the empty fighting arena, the monk stamped his feet several times in a row, cursing and showing his irritation and dissatisfaction.
【Successfully entered the Blessed Land of Lanke Mountain, becoming the Master of Lanke Mountain!】
Even the successful completion notification of the Blessed Land Challenge couldn't improve his mood.
...
The notification of being downgraded to the Blessed Land of Le River was dismissed by Jiang Chen. He pushed open the door and looked at the tense Zhu Biqiong outside: "What's wrong?"
Zhu Biqiong said nervously: "I have a Fortune and Calamity Orb on me, a treasure my elder sister left for me. It usually needs to be sealed, and can be used once a month. My sister told me to use it at mid-month. From a fortune perspective, this time is usually transitional, with more changes, and it can help me avoid danger. I just used it because I had nothing to do..."
She rambled on for a while before finally pulling out a crystal ball the size of a fist.
"Look."
She opened her palm, letting Jiang Chen observe.
"Red is fortune, black is calamity."
On the crystal ball, half remained translucent, while the other half had a wisp of black rapidly spreading and unfurling.
There was actually such a treasure that could detect fortune and calamity!
Zhu Biqiong's elder sister, who was lost in the Celestial Palace secret realm, really took excellent care of her.
"Such a great amount of calamity Qi, what does that mean?" Jiang Chen asked.
"It means great danger is approaching." Zhu Biqiong thought for a moment, then suddenly turned to run: "I should run first!"
Jiang Chen abruptly turned his head, looking in the direction outside the mine's main gate, and casually grabbed her: "Come back!"
"Calamity is imminent; there's no running. Go get Su Xiuxing, Zhang Hai, and Xiang Qian. I'll wait for you at the mine entrance."
"You..." Zhu Biqiong suddenly became coy, her small face turning slightly red: "Why are you holding my hand..."
"..."
What kind of time was this, and her mind was full of nonsense.
Jiang Chen flung her hand away, leaving only one sentence: "Hurry!"
His figure had already soared away.
At this moment, Zhu Biqiong no longer hesitated, because as Jiang Chen left, she had also sensed it—at the mine's main gate, a chaotic and oppressive aura was approaching.
The few dogs kept in the mine all began barking wildly in unison.
...
In Jiacheng, in the small courtyard Jiang Chen had once visited.
Xi Zichu remained composed, laying out wine.
Hu Shaomeng sat opposite him, his expression anxious: "It seems Jiang Chen has made up his mind to stay until the mine vein is exhausted. What's your plan?"
"What plan can I have?" Xi Zichu took a sip of wine, his expression playful: "Why not wait?"
"If you wait any longer, you'll get nothing!"
"Otherwise? Will you go kill him?"
Hu Shaomeng gritted his teeth: "If we join forces, it might not be impossible. Whoever gets the thing can hide within their own sect. What can the Chongxuan family do then? Will they start a war over a mere guest?"
Xi Zichu clicked his tongue: "I'm getting more and more curious now. What exactly is hidden in that Celestial Azure Stone vein that's worth this much to you? Even worth abandoning everything the Hu family has in Qingyang Town?"
Hu Shaomeng's expression instantly became guarded, appearing very alert.
"Whatever it is. You've placed your bet, you want to win, don't you? Are you just going to watch the Chongxuan family take it?"
"Hmm, what you say does make a lot of sense. So what do you want to do?"
"You gather the experts of the Xi family, and we'll directly storm the mine and surround and kill Jiang Chen. Remember, invite your family's Dragon Ascension realm experts. It would be best if the City Lord himself could act. Jiang Chen is no ordinary Heaven-Connecting realm cultivator—he defeated Qi Prince Jiang Wuyong. If he escapes, we're all finished. All with nothing!"
"If our Xi family's experts are all deployed, what will you use to compete with me? Have you somehow attached yourself to some powerful backer during this time?"
Hu Shaomeng remained calm: "First deal with the Chongxuan family envoy, then we'll each rely on our own methods. Isn't that the consensus we reached?"
"Though that's true, but..." Xi Zichu feigned thought, looking at Hu Shaomeng: "Why are you so anxious? Let me guess... hmm, the thing you're waiting for is about to appear soon? Today? Tomorrow? The day after tomorrow?"
...
From the Hu family mine, there was only one official road, leading directly to Qingyang Town. Not until the town was reached were there fork roads leading to the official road between Qingyang Town and Jiacheng.
Now, at the mine's entrance, a corpulent figure had walked the entire length of this road.
The person had appeared in some restaurant in Jiacheng and visited many places throughout the streets and alleys, but at those times had shown his true face.
Only now, a pig bone mask covered his face.
Because he had come to find an "old friend."
Naturally, he must use the "old face."
Le Wen