Chapter 626: Hao Jiuyou Defeats Little Mink
The Celestial Demon Mink clan, Ancestral Temple.
Today, in front of the Ancestral Temple of the Celestial Demon Mink clan, the true candidate for the next clan chief would be decided.
Before the Ancestral Temple lay a sacrificial plaza paved with ancient bluestone.
A lively atmosphere shrouded the sacrificial plaza in front of the Ancestral Temple, but beneath the clamor the mood was faintly strange, and the source of that strangeness came from the two clearly divided groups facing each other across the plaza.
On the left side, the one at the head was Little Mink, and behind him stood Wu Zhong and the others of the faction that supported him.
Opposite them stood the other group, led by Hao Jiuyou, and the supporters behind him were no fewer than those behind Little Mink, perhaps even enjoying a considerable advantage.
On the plaza, many gazes lingered on the two figures standing at the forefront of each side, and the looks falling on Little Mink were tinged with faint regret.
Many of those present were people of the same generation as Little Mink back then, and they knew very well who, in those days within the Celestial Demon Mink clan, truly held absolute prestige.
In those years, whether in talent or in prestige, Little Mink had been unmatched among the younger generation of the Celestial Demon Mink clan.
At that time, almost everyone believed that Little Mink would become the undisputed next clan chief of the Celestial Demon Mink clan, but that accident had completely changed the situation.
The clamor before the Ancestral Temple continued until more than ten elders appeared on the steps before the Ancestral Temple, and only then did the noise gradually die down.
At the top of the steps, the ten elders were headed by an elderly man in gray robes.
This person was the current Great Elder of the Celestial Demon Mink clan, Zhu Li.
Zhu Li's gaze slowly swept across the sacrificial plaza, and under his eyes, many members of the Celestial Demon Mink clan wore expressions of respect; when his gaze shifted onto Little Mink, he could not help but linger for two extra glances, and a hint of regret surfaced in his aged eyes.
"Everyone has been summoned here today for a purpose that, I believe, you all already know. The clan chief has been in seclusion for a hundred years, and the affairs of the clan must still be handled.
Now that the clan chief has yet to emerge from seclusion, the clan must therefore determine a candidate for the position of clan chief."
Slowly gathering in the emotions within his heart, Zhu Li looked around and spoke in a deep voice.
"As for the candidate, there are currently two main choices within the clan: A‑Diao and Hao Jiuyou. The support they each enjoy within the clan is almost neck and neck, and even after much deliberation in the Council of Elders, no conclusion could be reached."
"It is precisely because of this that we have ultimately decided to use the most primitive method: the victor will be king."
As Zhu Li's voice fell, the originally fairly quiet plaza broke into a low buzz of whispers, and many gazes shifted back and forth between Little Mink and Hao Jiuyou.
There was curiosity in their eyes; obviously, when it came to these two most outstanding individuals of the Celestial Demon Mink clan, they were also eager to know which of them was truly stronger.
"Do either of you have any objections to the Council of Elders' decision?" Zhu Li asked, looking at the two, Little Mink and Hao Jiuyou.
Hao Jiuyou smiled slightly at these words and said, "Although this method is fair, it is somewhat unjust to Big Brother A‑Diao. After all, the position of Young Clan Chief originally belonged to him. Even I spent a long time serving as Big Brother A‑Diao's follower.
Now that I am competing against Big Brother A‑Diao for the position of Young Clan Chief, it does seem a bit ungrateful. How about this, why don't I simply withdraw and let Big Brother A‑Diao have the position of Young Clan Chief?"
"Jiuyou, you must not say such things. You absolutely mustn't. The Young Clan Chief's seat has always been for the capable. If you feel guilty, then in the future you need only lead our Celestial Demon Mink clan toward an even more glorious strength. You must not disregard righteousness for the sake of personal feelings."
At this time, an elder supporting Hao Jiuyou spoke up urgently, as if only Hao Jiuyou was fit to sit on the Young Clan Chief's seat.
"In that case, I can only apologize to Big Brother A‑Diao." Hao Jiuyou's expression flickered repeatedly at those words before he finally sighed helplessly.
"Hypocrite."
Seeing this, Wu Zhong could not help cursing in his heart.
Hao Jiuyou clearly was determined to obtain the Young Clan Chief's post, yet he insisted on putting on the airs of a moral gentleman. Truly, his hypocrisy knew no bounds.
Little Mink's handsome face still showed no great fluctuation. He merely gave a deep look at that seemingly guilt‑ridden Hao Jiuyou, then smiled faintly, neither pleased nor angry.
"Thank you for your good intentions, Brother Jiuyou. I disappeared for a hundred years, and my cultivation has indeed been neglected quite a bit. However, there is no need for you to yield the position of Young Clan Chief to me. In fact, I very much want to know just how much stronger you have become compared to back then."
A faint, imperceptible contraction flashed through Hao Jiuyou's pupils as he stared at Little Mink's handsome face; even now, the radiance the latter had possessed in those years still caused his heart to palpitate slightly.
Hao Jiuyou's hands, hidden within his sleeves, slowly clenched into fists, and then he began to walk forward step by step, a thread of killing intent twining up in his heart with every stride.
As Hao Jiuyou slowly stepped into the center of the field, countless gazes converged upon him from all around.
In that generation of Little Mink's, the one who shone the brightest had naturally been Little Mink, without any doubt, while Hao Jiuyou back then had been merely a somewhat timid youth who trailed behind him.
Yet no one had expected that this unremarkable youth from those days would, a hundred years later, become the greatest threat to Little Mink in the struggle for the position of candidate.
"Hehe, Big Brother A‑Diao, we have not met for a hundred years. I hope to receive your guidance today." Hao Jiuyou cupped his fists to Little Mink with a smile.
"Guidance, is it? Then let me see whether you now possess the ability you claim." Little Mink's face was expressionless, but deep in his eyes a sharp intent slowly gathered.
"If neither of you has any objections, the candidate will be decided by a bout. But remember, this is only a spar. You must not take a life!" On the steps, Zhu Li looked down at the two facing each other, sighed inwardly, and then spoke in a low voice.
"Big Brother A‑Diao, when we exchange blows later, I hope you will show mercy."
Hao Jiuyou's face was full of smiles, but there was not the slightest trace of mirth in his eyes; instead, an icy coldness flickered there.
He wanted everyone to know that the brightest genius the Celestial Demon Mink clan had once possessed would now be trampled beneath his feet!
Boom!
The instant his words fell, a shocking aura suddenly howled out from his body, and vast Yuan Power surged around Hao Jiuyou.
Within that Yuan Power, the energies of life and death were perfectly fused, clearly marking him as a true expert of the Samsara Stage.
Little Mink stepped forward, and an equally powerful aura spread out, meeting and completely resisting the pressure from Hao Jiuyou. Then his hands slightly curved, and between his ten fingers, sharp arcs of purple‑black light flickered and leaped.
A cold gleam flashed deep within Hao Jiuyou's eyes. His fingers closed together, and his figure shot straight into the air.
As his palms moved, the vast Yuan Power of heaven and earth surged toward him like a flood, and under the condensation of that power, spheres of dark‑purple "stars" actually began to form within Hao Jiuyou's palms.
"Great Nine Star Palm?"
Around the plaza, many onlookers cried out in surprise at the sight.
Clearly, this "Great Nine Star Palm" enjoyed no small renown within the Celestial Demon Mink clan.
They had not expected Hao Jiuyou to unleash such a powerful killing move right from the start, a sign of his serious regard for Little Mink.
"The Great Nine Star Palm, huh?"
A slight ripple rose in Little Mink's eyes as well, and then he, too, stepped forward.
As his palm moved, purple stars also began to condense in his hand, clearly showing that he was using the same powerful martial art of the Celestial Demon Mink clan.
Buzz!
Violent Yuan Power roared through heaven and earth like a river.
In just over ten breaths, Little Mink and Hao Jiuyou had already each condensed nine stars in their palms.
Those nine stars looked brilliant, but anyone could sense the terrifying power contained within them.
An attack of this level would force even an ordinary Samsara‑Stage expert to temporarily avoid the edge.
With their attacks condensed, the two men locked gazes, each seeing a chilling sharpness in the other's eyes.
In the next moment, Yuan Power howled as two enormous light palms blasted forth. Within those light palms, the nine stars flickered and leaped, releasing astonishing might.
Boom!
The two light palms crashed together from the sky like meteors colliding, and dazzling radiance exploded outward.
The violent shockwaves of energy spread out in waves, like a raging tide.
Yet under that terrifying energy impact, the two figures remained absolutely still.
Their gazes were as sharp as eagles, locked tightly onto each other. In the next instant, both figures vanished at the same time.
Swoosh, swoosh!
In midair, the shrill sound of wind‑tearing rang out as two streaks of light darted and crisscrossed like ghosts.
Every time their palms met, they were wreathed in vast Yuan Power, each blow strong enough to crush mountains, a sight that made onlookers' hearts tremble.
Thud!
The two figures crossed in the sky, immense waves of Yuan Power sweeping out. Both of them were sent flying backward before their bodies shook once.
Two pairs of bat‑like wings, each a thousand meters wide, suddenly spread out behind them, blotting out the sky.
However, the two pairs of wings were different. Hao Jiuyou's wings were pitch‑black, while Little Mink's bore strange purple‑gold sigils, the mark of a far purer bloodline.
The two pairs of bat wings slowly flapped, stirring two immense hurricanes thousands of meters tall in front of them, one black, the other purple‑gold.
Rumble!
The entire sky twisted and warped under the tearing force of the two colossal storms, and even mountain peaks tens of thousands of meters away began to collapse.
At this moment, Little Mink and Hao Jiuyou both reached out and thrust their hands into their respective giant hurricanes. With a shake of their arms, the two gigantic storms immediately changed direction, like two dragons of wind howling madly as they shot forth.
Thud!
The two hurricanes, each saturated with boundless Yuan Power, collided in the sky. In that instant, even space itself was torn into jagged black fissures, and heaven and earth dimmed.
Crack, crack!
The two storms contained massive amounts of Yuan Power, but at the point of collision they remained in a deadlock.
Clearly, even in terms of the sheer density of their Yuan Power, it was difficult to declare either man superior.
"Who would have thought that even after having gone missing for a hundred years, Big Brother A‑Diao's strength would still be this formidable? Hao Jiuyou is impressive, but it still looks like he can't defeat Big Brother A‑Diao."
"That's right. If Big Brother A‑Diao hadn't been ambushed and gone missing a hundred years ago, no one in the Celestial Demon Mink clan today would be able to contend with him for the position of clan chief candidate."
…
As the fierce standoff raged in the sky, whispers like these rose one after another from below.
Gripping the black storm in his palm, Hao Jiuyou's face, which had once been filled with gentle smiles, had turned as cold as ice. In his eyes, icy malice and unwillingness churned.
"That bastard. For the sake of gaining this power, the price I have paid over this hundred years is beyond measure. How can I still be unable to surpass his pathetic hundred years of recuperation?!"
"I am the most outstanding one in the entire Celestial Demon Mink clan!"
A scarlet madness surged ever more strongly in Hao Jiuyou's eyes. In the next instant, the hand he had thrust into the black hurricane suddenly clenched.
In his palm, a strange sigil silently appeared.
The sigil coiled like a tangle of intricate roots, countless black rays spreading out and enveloping Hao Jiuyou's entire palm, from which an extremely sinister wave faintly emanated.
Sizzle!
The next moment, as Hao Jiuyou's palm clenched, dense black rays shot out from his palm, hidden within the storm.
Those rays wove through the black hurricane like a complex web of meridians.
At the same time, the power of Hao Jiuyou's storm suddenly increased by a large margin.
Bang!
At the point where the two storms collided, the collapsing of space clearly accelerated, and thunderous booms rolled out one after another, echoing through heaven and earth.
Ssssht!
As those black "veins" within the black storm spread outward, the collapsing of space at the point of impact quickened at once.
At one end of the purple‑gold storm, the originally wild and vast Yuan Power began, under the corrosion of the black storm, to dissipate bit by bit.
The stalemate was instantly shattered. The black storm, like a black dragon from the abyss, raised its head in a roar and crashed down savagely upon the purple‑gold storm.
Bang, bang, bang!
Under this ferocious assault, the purple‑gold storm, which had previously not yielded an inch, began shattering inch by inch.
Then, like a chain reaction, the mighty storm of Yuan Power stretching thousands of meters burst apart completely before countless stunned gazes.
Swoosh!
As the purple‑gold storm collapsed, Hao Jiuyou's figure streaked out like a bolt of black light, appearing before the equally startled Little Mink—who had been caught off guard by this sudden turn of events—in just an instant, and pressing his palm forward.
In Hao Jiuyou's palm, eerie black lines were densely packed, writhing like venomous serpents, giving off a chilling aura.
"Hmph."
Seeing Hao Jiuyou's relentless pursuit, a cold snort sounded in Little Mink's heart. He clenched his hand, and purple‑black radiance rapidly condensed in his palm. Gathering all the strength in his body, he threw a punch.
Seeing Little Mink take the blow head‑on, the corner of Hao Jiuyou's mouth curled into a faint, mocking smile, and the sinister light in his eyes grew even more intense.
Boom!
When fist and palm collided, a massive, visible shockwave of energy erupted, sweeping out across the sky with a deafening bang.
The might of the impact was so great that even the clouds overhead were completely shredded.
But under that terrifying shock, the faces of those below suddenly changed drastically.
Because they saw Little Mink's figure driven back a thousand meters, before he slammed brutally into a mountain cliff, sending great slabs of stone tumbling down.
An uproar of shocked cries swept across the crowd below. This clash had actually ended with Hao Jiuyou gaining the upper hand?
(END CHAPTER)
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