Chapter 171

Chapter 171: Chang Li, It’s Up To You…

Shen Dao Chen had already been enraged by his fight with Daoist Wu Wei, and now the sudden team-up caught him off guard.

When he realized what was happening, he had already retreated step after step to the arena’s rim.

One more step and he would fall off and be eliminated.

It was the first heart-stopping moment since the match began.

Cultivators around the arena cried out again and again: “Is the first to be eliminated really Shen Dao Chen, the Sect Master of Flying Cloud Sect?”

Faces in the Flying Cloud Sect section looked like they had swallowed something foul. This was the last sight they wanted.

Shen Sang Ruo, however, knew it would not be that easy to eliminate Shen Dao Chen.

Sure enough, Shen Dao Chen gave a cold snort and steadied himself in time. His aura exploded outward in full.

He had been the Sect Master of the number one sect for years. He did have real skill.

At Mid Divine Transformation, even facing two Early Divine Transformation opponents like Daoist Wu Wei and Immortal Maiden Azure Luan together, he was still hard to handle.

Fighting one against two, he forced his way from the edge back toward the center more than ten steps.

Another wave of cries rolled across Fengling Terrace.

Over there, Elder Fu was also racing in.

Daoist Wu Wei and Immortal Maiden Azure Luan looked grim. If Shen Dao Chen and Elder Fu joined up, the two of them would surely lose.

Daoist Wu Wei set his jaw and traded a firm look with Immortal Maiden Azure Luan; her face was just as serious.

So they had to eliminate the hard-to-handle Shen Dao Chen before Elder Fu could enter the fight, even if it cost them both their spots.

Their job was to clear Immortal Lord Chang Li’s path. They placed all their bets on Immortal Lord Chang Li.

If Shen Dao Chen fell, Elder Fu alone would not be much of a threat to Immortal Lord Chang Li.

Of course, if they could eliminate Elder Fu too and leave only Immortal Lord Chang Li and Master Ling Xiao on the arena, that would be best.

Daoist Wu Wei’s eyes turned ruthless as he looped his cane around Shen Dao Chen’s swinging whip and then grabbed the whip with his bare hand.

He yanked along the whip and charged straight toward Shen Dao Chen.

Shen Dao Chen’s face changed as he tried to pull the whip back, but Immortal Maiden Azure Luan lifted Daoist Wu Wei with Wind Domain, keeping him from being flung away by Shen Dao Chen’s brute strength.

Even so, the barbs on the whip tore Daoist Wu Wei’s palm until it was dripping blood. His expression did not waver as he kept rushing at Shen Dao Chen.

Seeing this, Immortal Maiden Azure Luan ignored Elder Fu closing fast behind her and poured all her strength into the wind to help Daoist Wu Wei.

It was too late for Shen Dao Chen to drop the whip and cut his losses.

He gathered great amounts of spiritual power to defend, but even that could not stop Daoist Wu Wei’s self-sacrificing charge.

With a curse from Shen Dao Chen, Daoist Wu Wei slammed into him hard, and the two of them tumbled off the arena together.

As he fell, Daoist Wu Wei shouted with a grin: “You’re still too green, little punk!”

He called out toward his allies: “I’m leaving it to you!” Then, ignoring the pain raging through his body, he actually smiled.

Immortal Maiden Azure Luan let out a breath; her face eased a little.

The crowd exploded. Shen Dao Chen had actually been eliminated by the two of them working together.

Now the arena was two against two.

No one stayed surprised for long, because their eyes were drawn at once to Elder Fu rushing up behind Immortal Maiden Azure Luan.

Elder Fu clenched his teeth, his face extremely ugly. If he had failed to protect Shen Dao Chen, then he would eliminate this female cultivator.

He gathered all his spiritual power into the bracelet at his wrist, strengthened it, and then focused it into his fist.

A faint yellow glow shone from his knuckles, proof that this punch was not something anyone could take lightly.

Immortal Maiden Azure Luan had spent all her strength to help Daoist Wu Wei. Right now she was in a gap where her spiritual power had not yet recovered.

By the time she sensed Elder Fu drawing close, only a few meters separated them.

She knew that even if she used the last of her spiritual power to defend, she could not avoid being knocked off the arena.

She frowned slightly, emerald eyes fixed on the blow racing toward her.

The spiritual power in her hands flickered bright and dim, just like the shadowed light in her eyes.

When Elder Fu’s fist was about to land, Immortal Maiden Azure Luan finally moved.

The watching cultivators all thought she would shield her chest with spiritual power, and Elder Fu thought the same.

But her gaze sank as she took the punch with her body and flung the last of her spiritual power straight at Elder Fu.

Once she was eliminated, only Immortal Lord Chang Li would remain on the field for her side.

[This is the last thing I can do for him,] she told herself.

Her choice worked. Elder Fu had not expected her to be so ruthless to herself. He could not dodge and took the full blast of her strike; his face turned pale.

A huge crash hit Immortal Lord Chang Li’s ears. He snapped his head around, only to see a blue figure fly off like a kite with its string cut.

Immortal Lord Chang Li’s pupils shrank as he cried: “Azure Luan!”

Shen Sang Ruo and the others had just lifted Daoist Wu Wei when they saw Immortal Maiden Azure Luan blasted away; their eyes widened.

Shen Sang Ruo bit her lip, pulled out the Luan Feather Fan, and rode the wind into the air, while Ye Huai rose on sword flight.

Mouth opening and closing without sound, Immortal Maiden Azure Luan formed the words toward Immortal Lord Chang Li: “Chang Li, it’s up to you…”

The two of them caught her together, and Su Xi Yu hurried to feed her a pill.

Immortal Lord Chang Li’s eyes burned red, and Elder Fu suddenly felt a killing intent like a blade.

Earlier, while Daoist Wu Wei and Immortal Maiden Azure Luan were eliminating Shen Dao Chen, Immortal Lord Chang Li had been using all his strength to pin down Master Ling Xiao, keeping him from interfering.

The two of them had been holding each other in check, neither able to break free.

But now Immortal Lord Chang Li erupted with power like never before and shattered the balance they had held until now.

He caught Master Ling Xiao’s attack with one palm, then still had strength to strike for Elder Fu. Growling through his teeth, Immortal Lord Chang Li spat: “You asked for it.”

With just one blow, he knocked the Early Divine Transformation Elder Fu off the arena; Elder Fu could not endure it and spewed a mouthful of blood.

Song Wei Yan shouted in delight: “Nice!” The word finally loosened the knot in his chest a little.

Seeing this, Master Ling Xiao burned with anger that Immortal Lord Chang Li had torn free from him and eliminated someone from Flying Cloud Sect.

His aura rose several levels; a cluster of fire dragons appeared around him and chased Immortal Lord Chang Li without pause.

But Immortal Lord Chang Li was still in his fury. With a cold look and a flick of his sleeve, he blocked them all.

The dragons burst and vanished. Amid the falling sparks, the two men stood facing each other. When their eyes met, sparks seemed to fly again.

For a heartbeat, time felt still.

In Master Ling Xiao’s cold eyes there was still that arrogant scorn of someone who thought he controlled everything.

Immortal Lord Chang Li lifted his chin slightly. His chest rose and fell, the calm after anger, while the tight knit of his brows showed hard resolve and deep rage.

Only the two of them remained on the arena.

They both understood very well that what came next would be their true duel.