Chapter 928: A Miraculously Powerful Opponent
The challenger was an enormous brute, as buff as a ferocious lion. His golden mane gave off an aura of power and glory. He had popped out of nowhere, overwhelming the people around him.
“Just where did this brute come from?”
“He’s laid low all this time. Why does he suddenly want to flaunt himself?” The candidates of the first group began to heatedly discuss the situation when they saw the newcomer leap onto the arena. Clearly, everyone could tell from the imposing manner of this challenger that he was not the typical contender. Even Jiang Chen was caught slightly off guard when the brute hurtled into the arena from below. His incredible intuition as a cultivator prickled as a hidden wave of menace swept over him.
Ever since Jiang Chen had embarked on his martial journey, his instincts had always been very powerful. This brute might look impulsive, but if he could cause Jiang Chen to feel threatened, he was definitely going to be an extraordinary opponent.
“Who’d have thought that there were indeed people who’d concealed their true power?” Jiang Chen swept his gaze over the challenger’s figure. He was very sure of the fact that the new challenger must have hidden his potential during the formation challenge. With his power and potential, there was no way he wouldn’t be in the top thousand. Jiang Chen even had a feeling that he could possibly be in the top three.
At that moment, a shiver ran down Jiang Chen’s spine. His expression remained impassive, but he silently put up his guard. This brute had not hesitated to hide his potential and had chosen to issue his challenge at this time. This was definitely not a series of coincidences.
“Pill King Zhen, let me challenge you!” There was an august manner with which the brute spoke. His voice was as deep as the chimes of a grand bell.
Jiang Chen kept his gaze indifferent, “And who might you be, sir?”
The man laughed disparagingly, “There’s no need for questions. I only wish for a battle. A battle disregarding life and death, where we fight to our hearts’ desire.”
Disregarding life and death? Generally, this selection’s arena might occasionally result in fatalities, but everyone usually restrained themselves and took care to avoid deaths whenever it was possible. Although there were no rules that prohibited killing, no one would deliberately aim to murder another candidate.
“What, you too scared to accept the challenge?” The brute bellowed in laughter. As he stepped closer, power suddenly flared from his body. A wave of imposing pressure surged outwards, like a male lion who was about to break his iron tether and subsequently proceed to ferociously devour the people around him. Every movement that this person took along with his head of wild hair completely complemented his aura, exuding an omnidirectional intimidating feeling.
This flare of power instantly shot towards Jiang Chen like an earth-shattering force. Every spectator watching from below the arena immediately sucked in a breath of cold air. Where had this perverse power come from? This person’s potential obviously far surpassed that of the previous nine challengers. In fact, the combined power of those nine people might not even reach half of this brute’s.
In that moment, the arena was so silent that you could hear a pin drop. It was as though everyone had been suffocated into silence by the brute’s aura. Jiang Chen abruptly laughed, “Are you hoping to suppress me with your aura and win without having to fight?”
That brute replied arrogantly, “So what if I am? I don’t care if you’re the arena lord. Only if you can survive this next strike will you be qualified to accept my challenge!”
His tone was extremely violent, to the extent that he appeared like a tyrant. An unruffled smile appeared on Jiang Chen’s lips. “What a clumsy mental attack. You probably think your power is quite intimidating. But to me, you’re just a wimpy little brat throwing a loud tantrum.”
Wimpy little brat? When the challenger heard this, he merely laughed and nodded instead of growing angry. “Such clever eloquence. Then taste my attack now… ooooow…. ooooow….”
That brute’s voice suddenly exploded like a crack of thunder. He had unexpectedly dragged out the last word he’d uttered, “now”, shaking the air like the howl of a tiger or the wail of a legendary beast. In that instant, his voice formed a massive soundwave that crashed violently towards Jiang Chen like a tsunami.
The sky immediately turned dark as the light from the sun and moon was completely obscured. Even the spectators below paled drastically while activating their defensive abilities and covering their ears, not to mention the one in the arena. However, this soundwave was clearly not an ordinary strike. It attacked not only one’s hearing, but also one’s consciousness. This kind of sensation felt as if numerous wild beasts were pouncing on one’s consciousness in a flurry of teeth and claws, ready to destroy one’s mind at any time. The cultivators watching below weakened successively as they retreated one after another. At the same time, they sealed their consciousness to defend against the soundwave’s assault. Luckily, this sound wave was not directed towards them; the brunt of it was aimed at Pill King Zhen.
But even so, the soundwave still battered against them violently. If this was the case, wasn’t Pill King Zhen facing an imminent crisis akin to a small sailboat attempting to stay afloat amidst powerful ocean waves? Jiang Chen’s brows twitched as a look of astonishment entered his eyes. Obviously, no ordinary cultivator could refine the soundwaves of their voice to this extent. He thought furiously and finally decided that this person was definitely specifically targeting him.
Whose lackey is this? Some other disciple of Veluriyam Capital’s emperors? Or maybe even someone from the Ninesuns Sky Sect or the Eternal Celestial Capital? Various possibilities flashed across Jiang Chen’s mind. He twisted his body and activated his Golden Body of Demons and Gods, immediately shrouding himself in ten rays of golden light. At the same time, he swirled his sleeves around himself. His Featherflight Mirror swayed in the air, turning the space around him into a protective barrier. The soundwaves pressed down upon him like a tidal wave that was being continuously dissipated under the brilliant rays reflected from the Featherflight Mirror.
The strength of the sound waves lay in their focus. It lay in their sharpness, in the ferocity of their combined power. Once they were split apart, this kind of soundwave would be no different from an ordinary aerial attack. Jiang Chen suddenly burst into loud laughter. Instead of retreating, he stepped forward boldly, “Your insignificant attack stirred up quite an enjoyable breeze, didn’t it?”
What? Upon seeing this, the challenger widened his eyes. Disbelief shone from their depths.
The spectators below the arena were all dazed with shock. They could sense how fierce the attack was even as pure bystanders. Yet Pill King Zhen, who had stood in the eye of the storm, had withstood it without getting so much as a scratch on him? Moreover, he had stepped forward instead of retreating?
“You… you actually deflected my soundwave attack, Thunderous Lion Roar?” The brute also seemed to be slightly shocked. However, he immediately calmed himself and smiled, “I knew it. You possess a treasure that can greatly reduce the speed of any attack. It seems that compared to you, I have no advantage in terms of speed.”
Jiang Chen’s thoughts chilled. He had concealed the use of his Featherflight Mirror very ingeniously. From the perspective of outsiders, they would not have seen it at all. They would only have thought that he had used some particular method or special ability. But this brute had actually seen through him with just a glance? Nonetheless, Jiang Chen didn’t fall for his tricks. Who knew if the brute could be deliberately trying to bait him? Naturally, he would not admit to possessing the Featherflight Mirror so easily. He immediately sneered, “Stop making excuses for your incompetence.”
That brute’s smile disappeared, “Incompetence. Brat, that was just the appetizer. Don’t be so full of yourself this early on. Even if you have some kind of speed-reducing treasure, do you think that I can only rely on my speed to defeat you??” As the brute spoke, he flexed his palms. His hands abruptly transformed into a pair of sharp claws, similar to that of a male lion. “Brat, my strength lies in close combat!”
He sprinted towards Jiang Chen the moment he said that. There was not a trace of deception in his movements as he dashed straight at Jiang Chen. From his pose, he was obviously planning to engage in a head-to-head fight. This brute’s power was indeed terrifying. With every pump of his legs, it seemed as though an enormous mountain was crashing forward. Moreover, that pair of brightly glinting, keen claws was filled with a strong thirst for blood. Clearly, this fellow was definitely a bloodthirsty berserker. Nonetheless, Jiang Chen was truly not afraid of anyone in close combat. Especially after he had perfected the Golden Body of Demons and Gods, he had never doubted his own close combat ability.
Back at the Myriad Grand Ceremony, when he had fought tooth and nail with Xiang Qin of the Sacred Elephant Clan, he had given Xiang Sheng such a beatdown that the latter had no choice but to capitulate. This terrifying opponent today was obviously more powerful than Xiang Sheng, and not just by a little bit. But the Jiang Chen of today was a also different person compared to the Jiang Chen of the past. Back then, he had been a mere mortal sage realm cultivator, whereas presently, he had already advanced to the sky sage realm.
Golden light poured forth as Jiang Chen brandished his fists. His movements were as plain as day as he collided directly with those showy, sharp claws.
Bam! In that moment, the air seemed to have stopped flowing. The brute’s movements slowed. The deep crevices beneath his feet clearly indicated how powerful his earlier attack had been. However, at this moment, he actually stopped. Indeed, it wasn’t just him. Jiang Chen had also stopped.
Time seemed to have frozen. In the next heated instant, the two’s bodies shot away from each other. The brute stumbled ten steps back. Jiang Chen also did the same before he steadied himself. Hot blood frothed within their bodies. Only after breathing heavily could they suppress the rush of blood in their veins.
Just now, that straightforward collision had almost caused Jiang Chen to spit out blood. However, it seemed that his opponent had not gotten off lightly either. His face alternated between shades of white and red before it finally stabilized.
The brute sighed lightly. A look of astonishment made its way onto his face as he scrutinized Jiang Chen briefly. Evidently, he had never thought that someone would dare to fight him head-on. What’s more was that they had fought to a standstill! He also knew that if he had continued his assault just now, he would definitely have completely overwhelmed his opponent. However, his inner energy and blood had surged within him to the extent that he had no way to focus on a follow-up attack. By the time his inner energy had calmed down, so had his opponent’s.
They were still even at this point.
Jiang Chen was equally appalled. He knew better than anyone just how powerful his Golden Body of Demons and Gods was. Who would have thought that a direct hit had given him no advantage at all? On top of that, the terrifying strength of his opponent was absolutely on par with a genius disciple from any of the first-rate sects. He might even surpass that Cao Jin in terms of raw power. Back when he had killed Cao Jin, Jiang Chen had made use of the terrain and all kinds of lucky coincidences. Moreover, he had called on Long Xiaoxuan for help. But today in this arena, he obviously stood on equal ground with his opponent. Alarm bells clanged loudly in Jiang Chen’s mind.