"Kid Junting, thanks."
Xuan Zi, in his Taotie Divine Bull form, stepped onto the Immortal-Slaying Array Map. Paying no mind to the killing intent swirling around his lower half, he instead let out a heaven-shaking roar at the Sea God True Body high above in the firmament!
"Roar—Let's go again!"
Clusters of yellow clouds parted beneath his hooves, directly supporting his massive body. The Sea God True Body, meanwhile, hovered at its original position high in the sky, its trident pointed diagonally at Xuan Zi, its gaze indifferent.
"Truly, you won't give up until you hit a wall."
The trident suddenly swept in a circle. As large swathes of water vapor surged upward, a vortex formed centered on the trident's main blade, engulfing its way toward Xuan Zi's Taotie Divine Bull.
In response, the Taotie Divine Bull erupted with vast expanses of yellow light, instantly forming countless massive yellow orbs of light that transformed into a meteor shower, crashing into that abyssal vortex.
It blotted out the sky and earth, with no end in sight. It was as if the very sky was being torn asunder!
Yet, that abyssal vortex remained steadfast and unmoved, allowing the terrifying meteor shower to crash into it. Even the massive meteor shower formed by the yellow light dissipated into nothingness, like a clay ox entering the sea.
The next second, "Whoosh—" A golden halberd tip directly pierced through the abyssal vortex, stabbing viciously toward the Taotie Divine Bull's glabella. Carrying a terrifying momentum, if the bull's glabella were to be cracked open, what would await Xuan Zi would be his skull shattering into dregs.
Seeing this, Xuan Zi violently tilted the Taotie Divine Bull's head.
Clang—
Amidst the sound of the collision, the Taotie Divine Bull's pair of horns wedged directly into the gaps between the three halberd blades. Supported by the yellow clouds formed by the power of earth, it once again blocked this strike.
This block directly caused the two mighty experts at the center to fall into a stalemate. Chen Juntao's Sea God True Body tightly gripped the trident, locking it against the Taotie Divine Bull's pair of massive horns.
Both sides seemed to be locked in a contest of strength, yet neither could gain the upper hand. Even the radiance on their bodies flickered intermittently. Only streaks of black light constantly flashed past, and within them, the glimmer of stars could faintly be seen—it was clear that tears in space had been ripped open.
As the contest of strength dragged on, the frequency of the black light's appearance grew faster and faster. Gradually, a circle of blackness had filled the space around them, showing signs of spreading outward.
In mid-air, an ear-piercing tearing sound rang out. All the blackness suddenly collapsed, turning into countless black lights that scattered in all directions. Wherever the space-tearing black light passed, any lingering soul power dissipated the moment the black light flashed. This continued until Xuan Zi and Chen Juntao completely separated, falling into another standoff.
But the very next second, Chen Juntao made his move again. This time, however, his trident was held high above in the sky.
Instantly, the already heavily clouded sky became even more oppressive. Water elements continuously surged upward, converging toward him. This convergence served as a direct catalyst.
The torrential rainstorm that should have taken another five or six days to brew was, under the manipulation and guidance of Chen Juntao—the Sea God Douluo and Grand Priest—instantly transformed into a reality where "the storm is brewing" and "dark clouds threaten to crush the city"!
However, this was not the end. A layer of blue light spread out from Chen Juntao's Sea God True Body, seemingly radiating for thousands of miles, encompassing this entire patch of heaven and earth. In the very next breath, Xuan Zi's Taotie Divine Bull felt a significant suppression. It was as if he were no longer up in the sky, but had plunged into the deep sea. This place had thoroughly become the home ground of the Sea God Douluo.
Facing such a situation, Chen Junting, who was watching the battle from the sidelines, no longer felt optimistic about Xuan Zi's performance. To be accurate, he had never been optimistic to begin with. It was just that this time, Xuan Zi had held out for an even shorter time than he had estimated; they were now on a countdown.
"A domain, huh." Sensing the blue light radiating from the Sea God True Body, Chen Junting already knew exactly what it was. Clearly, that layer of blue light was Chen Juntao's domain, named: "Vast Sea"!
With the domain deployed, the already existing gap widened once more. "Looks like I need to be ready to step in at any moment." As for coordinating and testing his skills... there was no need to let this drag on any longer.
It actually wasn't easy for Shrek Academy to have a Limit Douluo overseeing them; after all, without one, looking across the entire world, Shrek Academy would be reduced to a quasi-first-rate power at best. As for true first-rate powers, there were only four, or perhaps five or six. That was if the Evil Soul Master organization and the Star Dou Great Forest were also counted... After all, on this continent today, possessing Limit Douluo combat power was one of the hard requirements to be judged a first-rate power.
"Big Brother Junting." ×2
"Hmm?"
Just at this moment, two familiar voices suddenly rang beside his ear. Chen Junting merely turned his head slightly and saw a Void Gate tear open right beside him, revealing three figures.
Temporarily ignoring the other two, Chen Junting simply glared at Gu Tianchen behind them. "You know exactly what kind of occasion this is, so how could you let the two of them—especially Dong'er—come up here?!"
Gu Tianchen shook his head slightly. "I was forced." His tone didn't sound the least bit aggrieved. Clearly, whether he was actually "forced" was open to debate.
Chen Junting shot Gu Tianchen another glare. "If they force you, you just do what they say?! Learn to say no, you idiot!"
Before Wang Dong'er and Huo Yuhao could even open their mouths, Chen Junting's next words choked their imminent remarks right back down their throats.
"And as for you two—you're just here to add fuel to the fire?" A touch of awkwardness instantly appeared on both their faces.
After that, however, Chen Junting didn't say much more. He just stared at Wang Dong'er with an incredibly serious gaze. "I'll ask you one last time: have you made your decision?" At this moment, it was as if all the previous words were just jokes, and now the real main event had arrived.
"I've decided! I won't hesitate anymore!" The firmness in her tone made Chen Junting view Wang Dong'er in an even higher light, building upon his already favorable assessment of her. If that was the case, then this battle didn't need to continue any longer.
"Since you've decided, we have conditions..."
Pitter-patter—
Before Chen Junting could finish speaking, a faint sound reached his ears. The moment he looked up, rainwater—which the Immortal-Slaying Array Map wouldn't block—quietly fell, splashing onto his face.
"It can't be suppressed any longer; it's raining?" Although there were only a few scattered drops, the reality was that this was the prelude to a torrential downpour. It was just that this rainstorm was being constantly compressed by Chen Juntao, and even continuously amplified under the stimulation of the Vast Sea Domain, enveloping a radius of a hundred miles centered on Shrek.
The oppressive air instantly affected the entire hundred-mile radius around Shrek City, making it difficult to breathe. Even the commoners with weaker physiques felt a suffocating tightness in their chests.
But the next second, everything changed!
Crack—
Rumble—
An abrupt flash of lightning and peal of thunder seemed to act as a signal.
The Sea God True Body's trident abruptly shot into the high altitude, plunging into the thick, heavy clouds. It transformed into a dazzling golden light that violently spread out. It seemed to dissipate, but in reality, it merged into the entire expanse of dark clouds!
Immediately after, Buzz—
The Sea God True Body raised its right hand high, slowly extending a single index finger toward the firmament above. In the blink of an eye, a blue pillar of light shot into the clouds, and terrifying energy surged violently within the cloud layer.
Whoosh—
In an instant, the winds howled and the clouds surged! Centered on that index finger, all the dark clouds spun rapidly like a whirlpool, then formed a funnel shape, constantly pouring toward the Sea God True Body's finger.
Seeing this, Xuan Zi instantly felt that something was wrong. Thus, the Taotie Divine Bull, standing on the yellow clouds, stomped down fiercely! The void was like solid ground, suddenly fracturing and shattering layer by layer like broken glass. Shockwaves surged toward the Sea God True Body, clearly intending to interrupt its attack.
But Chen Juntao simply used his free left hand to block...
Crash—
Above the firmament, "ocean waves" conjured out of thin air collided with the shockwaves. The moment they canceled each other out, the sky instantly cleared up. Within a radius of a hundred miles, there wasn't a single dark cloud left.
Only between Chen Juntao's index finger, there was a single drop of water glowing with a faint blue light. Not only did it look extremely mismatched with the massive body of the Sea God True Body, but it was also inconspicuous. However, this seemingly ordinary drop of water contained boundless power, enough to make Xuan Zi's expression drastically change in an instant.
The reason was none other than the fact that this ordinary drop of water was formed by Chen Juntao using his spatial power to condense and compress all the dark clouds from the firmament. Yet, this spatial power was purely used for compression, without any additional enhancements. And it was precisely this simplicity that proved just how terrifyingly powerful this drop of water was. This strength stemmed from its weight. A single drop of water, enough to crush mountains!
"Go!" With a flick of his finger, it shot out in a flash of lightning. Wherever the water drop passed, a deep black ravine was left in its wake, as if the space itself could not bear its weight.
Roar—
A brilliant yellow blossomed from Xuan Zi's body. His Taotie Divine Bull form transformed back into a human shape, though the bull horns on his head remained prominent. His palms instantly clapped together, and an intense willpower erupted from Xuan Zi. He thrust his hands forward, and the nine soul rings on his body unexpectedly lit up with dazzling flames, as if they were burning. Immediately after, a mass of yellow light gradually grew larger in his hands, actually transforming into a bizarre weapon that was thick at the top and narrow at the bottom.
If one looked closely, they would realize that the shape of Xuan Zi's weapon somewhat resembled a chicken drumstick...
It was precisely to maximize the power of this bizarre weapon that Xuan Zi, without dispelling his Martial Soul True Body, fused his physical body with the True Body, shrinking it down to a normal size.
Elder Xuan let out a furious roar. The muscles across his entire body suddenly bulged, making him look a whole size larger. He slowly swung the weapon in his hand, striking it directly against that ordinary-looking drop of water. Immediately after, "Whoosh—" the weapon flew out of his hands.
"Pfft—" Upon collision, the water drop seemed to stick to the "drumstick," instantly stagnating. In the sky, a suddenly overwhelming pressure descended from the heavens, heavy as a towering mountain range!
The Immortal-Slaying Array Map operated rapidly, joining forces with the auras released by the other experts from Shrek Academy and the Sea God Family below. A myriad of mixed colors formed a light shield that pushed upward, only barely managing to withstand that terrifying pressure.
However, the clash between the "drumstick" and the water drop only lasted for half a second...
Ding—
As a crisp sound echoed in the air, the thrown "drumstick" was completely pierced by the water drop, dissipating into nothingness. The water drop, however, continued its momentum unchanged, hurtling straight toward Xuan Zi.
Yet, facing this oncoming drop of water, Xuan Zi's expression didn't change in the slightest. The next second, an ancient, primeval aura slowly seeped out from his body. A low dragon roar resonated alongside it, and a layer of pale yellow flame surged up around Xuan Zi. The weathered, ancient aura and the endless majesty of the dragon clan made even Chen Juntao's heart tighten slightly upon seeing this.
As Xuan Zi proudly hovered in mid-air, the pale yellow flames around his body became increasingly vigorous. He transformed back into the Taotie Divine Bull, but its body underwent a bizarre transformation at this very moment. The original earth-attribute yellow gradually turned into a radiant gold. The earth attribute and the light attribute fused together perfectly. A vast number of golden scales grew out from his body, and the spiral bull horns on his head began to curve, taking on the shape of deer antlers.
The hooves of his four limbs gradually morphed into the shape of human hands, and a giant eye appeared under each of his armpits. His body shrank slightly, resembling a sheep; his face became slender, while his head grew massive. His mouth, in particular, was extraordinarily large, slightly parted to reveal tiger teeth as sharp as swords.
The body of a sheep, the face of a human, the teeth of a tiger, and the claws of a man. At this moment, Xuan Zi transformed into a Taotie once again. Only this time, it was achieved purely by using his soul power to purify his bloodline.
Facing that ordinary drop of water, "Roar—" The Taotie's gaping maw suddenly opened wide, letting out a heaven-shaking roar. A mass of intense golden light abruptly spewed out from the Taotie's roaring maw! Whether it was a coincidence or not, this move was a repeat of the same technique he had used against the Demon Empress last time. The golden light spread open in the air, transforming into a head over a thousand meters in diameter that was identical to the Taotie's own, and aimed at the utterly insignificant drop of water, it actually made a devouring, swallowing motion.
In an instant, the drop of water was swallowed into the giant maw. No matter its weight, it could not withstand this overwhelming devouring force. Similarly, this force also acted upon Chen Juntao. A terrifying suction force radiated out, threatening to swallow the Sea God True Body whole. Even a demigod could not resist it!
Faced with this situation, a helmet emerged from the chest of the Sea God True Body and slowly rose up.
Right at this critical juncture, Buzz—
The Immortal-Slaying Array Map beneath the Taotie and the Sea God True Body suddenly circulated, erupting with world-shattering killing intent. At the exact same moment, four sword intents abruptly burst forth. Four swords of slaughter unexpectedly positioned themselves in the four corners—east, south, west, and north—completely enveloping both combatants within.
"Immortal! Slaughter! Perish! Trap!"
Four words rang out as the sword array swayed! It was precisely this sudden maneuver that thoroughly interrupted the combatants' subsequent actions.
"Gentlemen, please stay your hands."
As Chen Junting's voice rang out, coupled with the threatening envelopment of the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array, the fiery anger in Xuan Zi's and Chen Juntao's hearts that had been ignited by the battle was completely extinguished.
As their Martial Soul True Bodies were dispelled, Chen Junting had already brought Wang Dong'er, strolling casually between the two of them like he was taking a walk in a courtyard. After nodding toward Xuan Zi, he looked at Chen Juntao.
"We are here to negotiate terms."
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