Day and night tour

Chapter 444 Who Dares to Fight?

Zhou Xuan remained calm and composed, speaking as if he were having a casual chat, and began to recount his "plan to kill the enemy" with great ease.

He said, "What means will I use to kill you? Naturally, the sword techniques of Wuwen Blade. Today, the Butcher protected Pisces for me, and I promised him that I would demonstrate the sixteen sword techniques of Wuwen Mountain for him."
If swordsmanship is merely a display of skill without any real intent to kill, wouldn't it become nothing more than acrobatics? Boring, utterly boring.
"With Master Zhao becoming a victim of my blade, helping me to consecrate this sword, only then can this swordsmanship truly reveal its power, thus giving the butcher a perfect end."

When Zhou Xuan spoke, his tone was as light as a feather, as if Zhao Jinjia's head was already in his grasp.

Zhao Jinjia, on the other hand, seemed to have heard the funniest joke, unable to even maintain a serious, stern expression.

"Wow, although Master's cultivation is not quite enough, his imagination for a good life is truly unmatched."

Zhao Jinjia said arrogantly.

It's no wonder Zhao Jinjia was so confident in himself; the difference in their lineage was simply too great.

Although the "Knife Tomb Arena" suppresses one's cultivation level, preventing Zhao Jinjia from reaching the Nine Incense Sticks level, he is still very close to it, just one thin layer away.

Logically speaking, he now represents the strongest level within the eight incense sticks.
As for Zhou Xuan? He only has the cultivation of the Six Incense Sticks. Even if he were a Heavenly God who could perform spirit writing, he would only have the combat power of the Eight Incense Sticks. He is far, far inferior.

When facing someone of lower cultivation level than himself, Zhao Jinjia would strike with full force. He adopted a posture of "high moral character," slightly raising his left palm, and said...
"Master, I know you possess the divine art of spirit writing, which allows you to increase your combat power by the equivalent of two incense sticks in a short period of time."

You are a young man, and also a junior member of my Taoist lineage. I, Zhao Jinjia, am a man of honor. You are free to use spirit writing.
I won't do anything until you start using your spirit medium.

"You mean you'll give me three moves?"

Zhou Xuan said with a smile.

"That's understandable."

"Then... thank you very much."

Zhou Xuan reached out, and the bone fang flew out of thin air and landed in his hand. He then slashed fiercely at his right hand.

A deep, bone-revealing bloodstain appeared on his palm.
Such a gruesome wound caused onlookers to feel a visceral pain just by looking at it.

But this pain did not cause Zhou Xuan to show any contorted or grimacing expressions.

He remained calm, his expression showing not a trace of emotion.

The calm beneath the bloodshed made Zhou Xuan seem extremely strange, even somewhat "perverted and deformed".

When he turned his right hand down, palm facing down, blood dripped down like rain. He watched quietly, as if each drop of blood were a priceless work of art. This "bloody calm" was even more pronounced.
This only served to highlight the strange twisting of Zhou Xuan's mind.
"When the blood flowers leave the body, they are more beautiful than snow in winter."

Zhou Xuan's heartfelt sigh caused Zhao Jinjia, who was closest to him, to involuntarily shiver.

A chill represents fear.

It's impossible for a normal person not to feel fear when they see someone whose primal instincts are erupting.

Zhao Jinjia hurriedly touched the golden armor on his skin, only then did he calm down.
This layer of golden armor is now equivalent to the thickness of his life.

"What a pervert."

Zhao Jinjia felt uneasy. He decided not to keep his promise to "give up the move." Zhou Xuan's aura was like a venomous snake coiled behind him, cold and eerie.

Even knowing that the snake couldn't kill him, and even knowing that the snake hadn't actually opened its mouth, he couldn't bear the feeling any longer.

"Divination using the divination method of Dunjia".

Zhao Jinjia suddenly shook the tortoise shell in his hand.

Inside the armor were nine green coins. The sound of the coins striking the tortoise shell seemed to form an invisible net, enveloping Zhou Xuan.

"He really didn't make a move?"

Zhao Jinjia closed his eyes and sensed Zhou Xuan's every move.

After all, Zhou Xuan was caught in the web, like a flying insect caught in a spider's web.

Every movement of a flying insect in its web—whether it flaps its wings, turns over, or struggles—is detected by the spider.

But Zhou Xuan, this "flying insect," remained completely still within the large net, like a static sculpture.

Are you divining my fate?

Zhou Xuan raised his eyes and casually glanced at Zhao Jinjia.

"Tic-Tac-Toe" formation.

Zhao Jinjia did not answer, but instead stepped out in an orderly fashion according to the "star positions", setting up one of the most powerful formations in the well country.

Although Dunjia, Xunlong, and Tianyan are all orthodox Taoist practices and involve talismans, formations, and so on, they still have different focuses.

After Zhao Jinjia stepped out twenty-eight star positions in succession, a large well appeared on the arena.

"The character '井' (well) has two horizontal lines and two vertical lines, which is like a prison in the human world. Zhou Xuan is trapped in the well, and it will be difficult for him to get out."

Wan Zangshan, who was also knowledgeable in some battle formations, offered this assessment of the battle.

The Daoist with the Far Eyes comes from the Heavenly Eye Temple. His Heavenly Eye can see into the near future without using any magic.

At this moment, the purple eye on his palm blinked sharply, staring intently at Zhou Xuan.

He noticed that Zhou Xuan, a young man whose lineage was not particularly high, was strolling leisurely in the "well-shaped formation" as if he were visiting a park.

"Something's not right. This rising star shouldn't be underestimated."

His third eye blinked sharply again, and those visions from the future shattered like glass.
At this time,
Zhou Xuan's spirit writing was just completed, and his combat power soared, reaching the level of the Eight Incense Sticks.

Eight sticks of incense—anywhere in the Kingdom of Jing, that would make him a master among masters.

But here, there are still quite a few people with nine incense sticks, and eight incense sticks is still too much to bear.

Zhou Xuan's powerful combat strength and the aura he exuded did not amaze the crowd; on the contrary, it reassured the others watching the battle.

"As expected, his limit is only the combat power of eight incense sticks. Then we can rest assured."

"Eight incense sticks. Even if Da Nuo is the king of the realm, he is nothing more than this."

"It's a pity that Zhao Jinjia beat him to it. He killed Zhou Xuan and took the body with him, making a fortune for himself."

"They're all just ordinary people."

The Daoist with the farthest gaze sneered inwardly and said, "I'm just glad I didn't leave the arena, otherwise, my fate would be uncertain."

He had barely finished speaking when
Zhou Xuan then moved, his body shining like stars, using the Star Transformation Technique from the Star Laws.

His body is ethereal, allowing him to evade attacks that are as solid as physical objects.

This magnificent "well-shaped formation" is formed by the immense power of the stars, mercilessly crushing those trapped within.

Zhou Xuan was already in an illusory state, like light and shadow, water ripples, dust and other intangible things. How could such a huge force crush him?
Zhou Xuan walked step by step toward Zhao Jinjia.

Zhao Jinjia was in charge of the formation. He only saw Zhou Xuan approaching him step by step, and immediately felt a chill run through his body.

"He can actually walk freely inside the well?"

"You really don't learn your lesson, Master Zhao. Your disciple Zhao Qingxiao once used the Well Formation. Guess how he died?"

"Your tic-tac-toe formation can trap anyone, but it can't trap me, Zhou Xuan."

The distance between Zhou Xuan and Zhao Jinjia was still decreasing. When Zhou Xuan was only about ten feet away from Zhao Jinjia, he suddenly activated the "Divine Speed ​​Armored Horse".
For him, a distance of ten zhang was merely a blink of an eye.

Zhou Xuan suddenly appeared in front of Zhao Jinjia, his right hand transforming into a "star" and smashing down.

Within the laws of the stars, there is both "Star Transformation," which etherealizes the body, and "Star Body," which strengthens the physical body's rigidity.
The full force of that punch sent a chill down Zhao Jinjia's spine.

Fortunately, he had already laid out a "divination net" for Zhou Xuan, and he foresaw Zhou Xuan's attack in advance, so he managed to dodge it without injury. However, the powerful force of the punch knocked off half of his eyebrow.

He covered his brow, feeling both angry and terrified.
Yun Ziliang, who was watching the battle, sneered and said, "Zhao Jinjia, your nickname is Golden Armor Taoist. From now on, you'll have to change your name to Half-Armor Taoist."

Li Changxun then said, "Grandmaster is really joking. Zhao Jinjia is going to die on the stage today, so what future is there?"

"Yeah... I'm still living in a daze." Yun Ziliang said, feigning annoyance.

"Hmph, with my divination net covering Zhou Xuan, I will be invincible."

Zhao Jinjia was very unhappy, but at the same time he gained a little confidence. He had managed to dodge Zhou Xuan's fierce attack once, so why couldn't he dodge it a second time?

"That was a really good shot."

Zhou Xuan was not annoyed that his punch missed. He had just punched the well wall of the "well-shaped formation", creating a crater in the otherwise flawless formation.

Zhou Xuan put on the Dao Ancestor mask and used the "Daoist's Inaction" technique, plunging his hand deep into the well-shaped formation to continuously absorb the energy within.

In just a few moments, the well walls around him turned completely pale.

"The Way is non-action; I'll borrow your power for a moment."

Zhou Xuan absorbed enough momentum and used it to condense into a blade.

The blade is decorated with patterns resembling great rivers.

These patterns are not static; they truly have a sense of movement. If you get close, you can even hear the sound of a "rushing river."

"The first of the sixteen stances is the stance of the great river."

Zhou Xuan threw the blade into the arena, where it hovered, and then charged towards Zhao Jinjia.
Zhao Jinjia made a decisive move, cutting off one of his fingers and using the wound to write many complex characters in a grid pattern.

These words were not very understandable to Ji Mu Dao Ren and Yun Zi Liang, but Wan Zang Shan could understand them clearly.

"It is the 'Sukhavati-kosa,' a seductive and perverse scripture written with the theme of male-female love."

Wanzang Mountain was the most wicked of all Taoist sects, and its understanding of heretical doctrines and scriptures surpassed that of other sects. "Zhao Jinjia, you've studied quite a wide range of things, even heretical scriptures?"

Yun Ziliang, having taken a liking to the spectacle, quipped.

"What kind of righteous sect are they? They know more heretical doctrines than I do."

Wan Zangshan said this.

Zhao Jinjia felt somewhat ashamed, but since the Well-Shaped Technique was ineffective, he desperately wanted to kill Zhou Xuan, so he had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure and use the "Joyful Evil Scripture" in front of everyone.

Immediately, a burst of joyful cries of "Ya ya oh oh" echoed from within the tic-tac-toe formation.

These sounds were the most primal and alluring sounds in the world. Zhao Jinjia had thought that these sounds would be enough to corrupt Zhou Xuan's mind.

But Zhou Xuan not only remained unaffected by the bewitching charms, he became even more calm and composed.

"Zhao Jinjia, even the most beautiful operas can't bewitch me, so your damned 'Happy Evil Classic' is even less likely to seduce me."

Zhou Xuan was already in front of Zhao Jinjia, but his attack missed again.

Zhou Xuan, just like last time, absorbed the momentum and condensed his blade.

This time, the blade that Zhou Xuan conjured was the second of the sixteen stances—the Thunderclap Stance.

The situation then took a turn from grim to comical.

Zhou Xuan, like a hunting cat, chased Zhao Jinjia, who was like a mouse, through the "well-shaped formation," chasing him back and forth.

Those watching the spectacle also figured out what was going on.

“I have a feeling that every time Zhou Xuan’s attack misses, it’s not because he can’t hit, but because he doesn’t want to.”

"The divination net is shrouded in Zhou Xuan, so it's normal that he can't hit it, right?"

"Ma Tianying, don't forget what Zhou Xuan said at the beginning... He said he would use the Sixteen Formations of Jing Kingdom to kill Zhao Jinjia, but what is Zhou Xuan doing now?"
It's nothing more than constantly gathering the momentum of the blade.

These words jolted everyone awake. The onlookers suddenly realized that Zhou Xuan controlled every inch of the situation on the arena.
Although his lineage was of a lower rank, it was he who manipulated his opponents, not Zhao Jinjia.

"My goodness, this esteemed gentleman, who's at the age of eight or nine, is treating Zhao Jinjia, who's practically at the age of eight, like a monkey."
If it were me, I couldn't bear such humiliation. I would have committed suicide on the spot to avoid this inhuman disgrace.

The Earth Child was very strange and eccentric.

Meanwhile, the Daoist Ji Mu rode on a purple cloud and flew to Wan Cangshan's side, solemnly saying, "Chief Wan, Zhao Jinjia is going to die in your place. Your old life was given to you by Grand Master Zhao."

If Zhao Jinjia hadn't been half a step ahead, the one gambling with Zhou Xuan now would be Wan Zangshan.

Wan Zangshan looked at the fifteen blades already suspended on the arena and broke out in a cold sweat.

With just one more sword strike missing, Zhou Xuan's sixteen stances would be complete. He imagined those sixteen blades, so sharp they could eclipse the sun and moon, just a hair's breadth away from striking him.
Cold sweat began to pour down his forehead once again.

"Fortunately, fortunately."

Wan Zangshan said.

The Daoist Ji Mu then asked, "Chief Wan, do you still dare to look down on Zhou Xuan's low level of incense offerings?"

"No... Alas, who could have imagined that Zhou Xuan, having mastered the Valley Scripture and possessing the Star Laws of the Third Realm, could indeed make up for the gap in the number of offerings?"

Wan Zangshang originally wanted to give a straightforward answer, "I dare not look down on Zhou Xuan anymore," but as the leader of the Ba people, he did not want to boost the morale of others, so he changed the subject.

"Zhao Jinjia, the final move, Flowing Wind and Returning Snow."

Zhou Xuan then transformed the momentum he had drawn from the zigzag formation into snowflakes.

The drifting snowflakes, alone in the air, solidified into a cold, sharp blade.

Since then,

The sixteen postures have now taken shape.

Staring at the knife hanging in mid-air, Zhao Jinjia was horrified, and his fear reached its peak, his flesh and blood churning.

"Butcher, I'm not fighting anymore."

The dignified leader of the Dunjia Sect, faced with the oppressive force of the Sixteen Formations, chose to surrender.

But none of the onlookers laughed at him.
They put themselves in Zhao Jinjia's shoes—if they were in Zhao Jinjia's shoes, the situation wouldn't be much better.

"The Zhou family's Da Nuo is truly a monster."

This was the consensus in everyone's mind.
The butcher, however, said coldly, "The outcome is not yet clear; we cannot abandon our pieces and admit defeat."

"Isn't it obvious? I can't defeat Zhou Xuan."

Deep within Zhao Jinjia's bones lay the blood of "cowardice and fear of death," and now Zhou Xuan's blade had awakened all that cowardice within him.

Zhou Xuan stood in the center of the "well-shaped formation" and said, "Zhao Jinjia, I have absorbed all the power contained within your well-shaped formation. Now, it looks magnificent, but it has become a rotten and empty shell, just like..."

Zhou Xuan stomped his foot on the ground, and a dragon-like aura rose from the well.
The dragon's momentum soared into the air, then suddenly exploded, creating a "strong wind from all eight directions." The wind spread outwards, covering the "well formation" with dense, fine patterns.
And then,
The well could not withstand the weight and collapsed with a crash.

One of the most powerful formations in the Jing Kingdom was easily broken by Zhou Xuan.
Having lost his biggest offensive weapon, Zhao Jinjia disregarded his pride and shouted at the butcher, "I lost, I lost! Did you see that? I'm leaving the ring!"

"Zhou Xuan has not yet made a real move, and the outcome is still uncertain."

"It's already quite clear."

Seeing that the butcher was still refusing to let him leave the ring, Zhao Jinjia simply leaped into the air, intending to escape from the arena.
But as soon as he stepped off the arena, a hurricane swept out from the Knife Tomb, like invisible hands, pulling him back.

"I'm leaving, I'm not playing anymore."

Zhao Jinjia hadn't forgotten that he and Zhou Xuan had signed a life-or-death duel; whoever died on the stage would truly be left without a trace.

“Master Zhao, there’s no rush to leave.”

Zhou Xuan pointed his right hand towards the sky, and the sixteen sword techniques began to merge together.
The sixteen blades merged into a single, dull gray blade, its color somewhat resembling that of the butcher's pig-slaughtering knife.

“You have laid a divination net on me. With my perception, it would have been very easy to break this net, but I do not intend to do so.”

“With this net, you can sense my every move in advance. Now, I’m going to use this net to sever your 150 years of cultivation.”

The black sword fell into Zhou Xuan's hands.

He strode forward with powerful strides, the wind and clouds shifting beneath his feet, man and sword becoming one, transforming into a surging tide that swept towards Zhao Jinjia.

Zhao Jinjia sensed Zhou Xuan's blade strike in advance and barely dodged it once again.

This time, however, he was clearly in a worse state; his once handsome face was now slashed by the blade's energy.
Fortunately, he was protected by golden armor, so the sword energy did not penetrate his flesh, but left a snow-white mark on his face.

However, this time, Zhou Xuan's attack with his sword was not a one-hit wonder. His attacks came one after another, layer upon layer.

"The force of thunder, the force of falling flowers, the force of wind and rain."

One swift blade after another, one after another, relentlessly attacked Zhao Jinjia.

Zhao Jinjia possessed a divination network that allowed him to sense Zhou Xuan's movements in advance, but—Zhou Xuan's blade was too fast.
Even though he had anticipated it, he wasn't fast enough to dodge it.
After the three strikes, the surging blades no longer missed their mark; each strike landed squarely on Zhao Jinjia's body.

"when!"

"when!"

"when!"

Zhao Jinjia was protected by golden armor. He continuously withstood the sword strikes, but even if the sword strikes couldn't penetrate the golden armor, the blunt impact alone had already taken away ninety percent of his life.

Li Changxun grew increasingly excited and asked Yun Ziliang, "Grandmaster, the Great Master should have a way to remove his armor, so why didn't he?"

Yun Ziliang solemnly said, "Xuanzi is determined to go his own way and show his true fighting spirit—so what if you have armor and nets? I will cut you down with a single sword."

"With that kind of imposing presence, those people in the sky no longer dared to try and steal Pisces."

Zhou Xuan's blade had already made fifteen cuts, and he felt the force of the blade penetrate Zhao Jinjia's flesh with the fifteenth cut.

"The Golden Armor, this magical artifact, also has its limits, and now, its limits have been reached."

Zhou Xuan raised his sword again.

The sixteenth move: Flowing Wind and Returning Snow.
The blade's strike was like a dense blanket of snow in winter, so precise and relentless that there was no way to escape it.
Both light and shadow were severed.

Both the protective golden armor and Zhao Jinjia's body were cut in half.

Half of his body lay at Zhou Xuan's feet, while the other half slid to the side of Wanzang Mountain.

Wan Zangshan sighed, gently stroking Zhao Jinjia's open eyes until they closed, and said, "Master Zhao, Daoist Jimu was right, you died in my place."

The butcher's voice rang out: "In the first round, Zhou Xuan wins. Zhao Jinjia's body belongs to Zhou Xuan."

"The second match, Wanzang Mountain, will be a challenge against Zhou Xuan."

"..." Wanzang Mountain.

Wan Zangshan waved his hands repeatedly: "I'm not fighting anymore, I can't win."

"You stepped into the ring not long ago, and you must fight in the second match..."

The young butcher said.

"..." Wanzang Mountain.

(End of this chapter)