Tang Yimo’s words were not loud, yet they rang across the cyan-brick plaza like iron striking stone, resounding with unshakable resolve.
The Upper Realm attendant laughed. Beneath the swirling mist, his face seemed to mock Tang Yimo’s overconfidence.
If Overlord’s leapfrog victory had surprised him, where did this youth get his courage?
The previous Transcendent and this one were on completely different levels. Though both were Tribulation Transcendents, the gap between them was vast.
“Young man… quite the guts.”
The attendant smiled, hands clasped behind his back.
Since the stake had already been placed in the previous match, no new bet was needed.
His figure blurred and vanished from the plaza, robes fluttering as he reappeared atop the ancient warship.
“Second individual battle—begin.”
Silence fell.
On every warship hovering above the Five Phoenixes, eyes gleamed with amusement.
This match would be far more interesting.
No one had expected the Star-Moon Saint Lord himself to take the stage against a Ninth-grade world.
Embarrassing?
Of course.
But compared to losing twenty strands of origin dao essence, what was face worth?
For a Seventh-grade world, losing twenty strands would set development back centuries.
Face or centuries of progress—which mattered more?
The answer was obvious.
Beneath the radiant Buddhist light, Venerable Joyous couldn’t help but sigh.
“Even the two of you might not have full confidence against the Star-Moon Saint Lord, right?”
He glanced at Saint Master Tuoba and Saint Master Qingling.
Both were also Seventh-grade Saint Lords.
“Against him, our chances would be slim… Star-Moon sits in Blood Evil Heaven, which is stronger overall than Pingyang Heaven. Every world there grew through conquest. The Star-Moon Saint Lord is powerful.”
Tuoba’s gaze was grave.
Qingling inhaled deeply. “Most importantly… he possesses a special constitution.”
“If I remember correctly, the Star-Moon Saint Lord has the Star-Sand Constitution. Not top-tier, but the combat boost is terrifying.”
“At the very least, he ranks among the stronger Saint Lords.”
Venerable Joyous narrowed his eyes.
“This battle… will be hard to win.”
“If the previous matches still had surprises and a chance of victory, this one is a guaranteed loss. The Five Phoenixes will have to concede this round.”
He spoke.
No one argued. All eyes turned to the plaza.
The atmosphere grew heavier.
On the Five Phoenixes’ side, faces paled.
Everyone sensed something wrong. Star-Moon’s contestant was no ordinary expert.
Mo Tianyu scratched his sparse beard, belly exposed to the wind.
“Something feels off…”
He squinted. “Little Tang really needs this old man to divine for him right now.”
Muttering, he formed a hand seal. Three bronze coins shot out, spinning around him in golden light.
He slapped them into his palm, fingers pressing down, calculating.
But the moment he finished—
Mo Tianyu’s expression changed.
“Oh no… this hexagram…”
“Great fortune?!”
He snapped his head up, staring at the plaza, eyes filled with deep worry.
This time, he was truly anxious.
…
The battle did not begin immediately.
The Star-Moon Saint Lord floated in the air, a middle-aged man with an indifferent face. His wide robes fluttered. A crescent moon glowed at his brow. His eyebrows were so faint they seemed barely there.
His eyes were deep as the starry void.
He stared down at Tang Yimo with cold detachment.
“Young man… arrogance requires capital.”
He spoke from on high, looking down on Tang Yimo.
As the Saint Lord of Star-Moon, he was confident.
If other Transcendents could be leapfrogged, he—peak Tribulation Transcendent—could not.
Even the arrogant Overlord from before—he could suppress with absolute certainty.
Tang Yimo released the bandage from his teeth. A strand of hair fell across his forehead, then whipped back.
His figure blurred into afterimages.
BOOM!
The air exploded.
“Too slow.”
The Saint Lord floated calmly, watching as if an ant were showing off.
Slow?
Tang Yimo’s eyes sharpened.
His speed surged.
Air rippled in circles. Afterimages trailed behind him.
In an instant, he appeared before the Saint Lord.
A devastating punch smashed forth.
Tang Yimo’s bandaged fist carried mountain-splitting force.
BOOM!
The air itself seemed to shatter.
Yet…
The Saint Lord did not move.
A disdainful smirk curled his lips.
A single grain of star-sand fell.
Then his entire body dissolved into countless grains—like a fountain of clear water.
Tang Yimo’s fist struck the sand, scattering it.
No damage.
Tang Yimo frowned.
Suddenly—
The sand swirled behind him, reforming into the Saint Lord.
Cold. Ruthless. Murderous.
“Your Five Phoenixes are quite arrogant…”
“Suppressing my Star-Moon cultivators—feeling proud?”
He stood with hands behind his back. Star-sand formed a massive palm.
It slammed down.
A muffled roar shook the air.
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Tang Yimo’s heart jolted. He spun, unleashing a flurry of punches that collided with the palm in continuous explosions.
Star-sand scattered, but each grain became a blade, slicing across his cheeks.
BOOM!
Immense force struck.
Tang Yimo was smashed into the plaza. Cyan bricks shattered, forming a deep crater.
The Saint Lord flicked his wide sleeve as if swatting a fly.
Weak.
Far too weak.
He now wondered how Star-Moon had lost the previous matches.
“No more wasting time. Kill this one, then another from the Five Phoenixes. We reclaim the staked essence. Not a wasted trip.”
The Saint Lord raised his chin slightly, hair whipping in the wind, faint eyebrows cold and stern.
The gap between Unity and Tribulation was vast.
Tang Yimo had only just entered Unity Realm.
Even someone like Du Longyang, half a step from a primordial spirit flower, would struggle against a Transcendent.
What gave Tang Yimo the courage to fight?
From his wide sleeve, a palm emerged.
Countless grains of star-sand fell, forming a massive sandy hand.
It slammed down.
BOOM!
From stillness to explosive motion, the strike detonated with terrifying force!
Tang Yimo felt pressure like a mountain.
Suddenly—
A frenzied aura erupted from the shattered plaza.
Tang Yimo’s hair whipped wildly. Power and blood qi surged within him.
“First vein—open!”
Veins bulged.
“Second vein—open!”
Two veins unleashed.
Tang Yimo threw a punch.
Demonic qi exploded around him!
BOOM!
The sandy palm shattered. Tang Yimo shot through like a black shadow, charging the Saint Lord.
With veins opened, his combat power skyrocketed—speed, aura, pressure—all surging.
Uproar rippled through the spectators.
No wonder a mere early Unity expert dared step onto the stage.
He was no ordinary Unity expert.
From the ancient warship, a soft “oh?” of surprise drifted out.
“This Five Phoenixes… is truly strange. This man’s technique is some kind of amplification secret art.”
The voice within the ship spoke leisurely.
The attendant bowed respectfully.
“Unfortunately, even such amplification cannot defy the heavens.”
…
The Star-Moon Saint Lord watched Tang Yimo grow frenzied.
“So this is your trump card.”
He spoke.
But that was all.
Tang Yimo’s robes flapped wildly. His body seemed to swell.
BOOM!
He was faster now, leaving sonic booms in his wake.
His knee struck out, sweeping toward the Saint Lord.
Early Unity against peak second-stage Unity—no fear!
Beyond the Five Phoenixes, spectators on the warships were briefly shocked.
But the surprise faded quickly.
They all knew Tang Yimo couldn’t change the outcome.
The realm gap was not so easily crossed.
Overlord had third-sequence Dao Intent, Upper Realm prodigy-level talent, and a primordial spirit flower—that was how he leapfrogged.
Relying on a secret art to leapfrog? Delusional.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Tang Yimo unleashed hundreds of punches in an instant.
Each aimed at the Saint Lord.
But the Saint Lord didn’t move. Star-sand formed shields, each grain blocking Tang Yimo’s strikes effortlessly.
He was completely at ease.
Tang Yimo remained calm.
The Eight Veins Demonic Technique amplified strength, body, and speed to terrifying degrees.
The more veins opened, the stronger it became.
Tang Yimo glanced at the unruffled Saint Lord.
His eyes sharpened.
“Third vein—open!”
BOOM!
An invisible shockwave exploded from his body, scattering several grains of star-sand.
Hmm?
The Saint Lord blinked.
Tang Yimo’s aura surged again!
“This secret art… can still grow?!”
Rip!
His skin turned blood-red as blood tide surged, boiling across his surface.
“Fight!”
Tang Yimo roared. His body became a black streak, power like shifting mountains.
He was blasted backward, crashing into the plaza.
Bricks exploded.
The rebound launched him forward like a meteor—pure, extreme black formed by sheer speed.
He slammed into the star-sand shields.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The shields trembled, shedding grains.
The Saint Lord’s gaze finally turned serious.
“This secret art… is strange.”
“But still not enough.”
Tang Yimo’s cold, demonic face glanced at him.
He said nothing. After opening the demonic veins, he became a machine that only knew battle.
“Enough. It ends now.”
The Saint Lord exhaled.
He no longer wished to waste time.
He raised a hand and pushed forward.
Primordial spirit trembled. Star-sand boiled.
His body dissolved inch by inch into countless grains glowing with starlight.
Star-Sand Constitution!
A special physique!
Even in his youth, the Star-Moon Saint Lord had been a genius!
Star-sand surged like tidal waves, crashing toward Tang Yimo.
No matter how he dodged, he was struck.
Finally, like a drowning man, he was slammed into the plaza.
Crack… crack…
Each grain carried mountain-like weight. The plaza groaned with cracks.
“Explode.”
The Saint Lord’s calm voice rang out.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions erupted within the star-sand.
Some bricks were pulverized.
Under such force, Tang Yimo would be reduced to dust.
“It’s over.”
Sighs rose from the spectators.
As expected—a one-sided slaughter.
The star-sand reformed into the Saint Lord.
Cold. Arrogant. Disdainful.
He didn’t even glance at the plaza.
He raised his head, hair whipping, looking toward the Five Phoenixes.
As if saying: Next.
“Who are you pretending for?”
A low, hoarse voice—like a beast’s suppressed roar—rang out.
BOOM!
The Saint Lord, floating with hair flying, gazing at the Five Phoenixes—
Was suddenly smashed by a black shadow.
Terrifying force cracked his sandy cheek, grains falling.
The figure struck once, then fell freely onto the sand-covered plaza like a boulder into a lake, sending waves crashing.
Pure black demonic qi swirled around him like a tornado.
BOOM…
With Tang Yimo at the center, black demonic qi laced with blood erupted from the plaza like geysers!
Like thunder from a clear sky!
Ten zhang. Twenty zhang. Thirty zhang!
Demonic qi tornadoes shot skyward!
“Fourth vein—open!”
Tang Yimo’s robes whipped wildly.
His body swelled circle after circle.
The shockwaves from his skin alone seemed to shatter the air.
But…
Still not enough!
His skin turned purple. Black patterns crawled across his body, making him increasingly monstrous.
Fifth vein—Demonic Frenzy!
Star-sand fell from the Saint Lord’s face.
For the first time, his expression grew grave as he stared at the demonic figure on the plaza.
“What kind of secret art is this… that an early Unity expert can erupt with such power?!”
Suddenly—
The figure at the center of the demonic storm looked up.
Crimson eyes burned with boundless killing intent.
“Those who offend the Five Phoenixes seek to harm my sister and my mother!”
Images flashed in Tang Yimo’s mind—Ye Shoudao, Jiang Li, and the others fighting for their lives.
That desperation to win.
All eyes converged on him.
Many sighed.
But soon, those who understood shook their heads.
“This technique’s cost is too high… it turns him into a demon, burning away massive lifespan. The price outweighs the gain.”
But the Star-Moon Saint Lord no longer thought so.
He was serious now.
He refused to capsize in a ditch.
A Saint Lord fighting personally was already humiliating.
Losing to a mere Unity expert? Star-Moon would become the laughingstock of the Nine Heavens.
He had thought the first match would make Star-Moon famous—defeating the only high-martial world of the Void Heaven was like sweeping an entire heaven.
Now all that glory might vanish. He only wanted to remain undefeated.
BOOM!
The plaza caved into a massive crater. Sand and stone flew.
Tang Yimo became a shadow—like a god or demon streaking across.
The Saint Lord shifted in mid-air, forming star-sand shields.
But each shield was violently shattered by Tang Yimo.
Their battle reached a strange equilibrium.
At this moment, Tang Yimo possessed Tribulation Transcendent-level combat power!
No—
An ordinary Transcendent would be beaten to death by him!
“This technique pushes physical power to the extreme!”
From the ancient warship, the Upper Realm envoy spoke gravely again.
The attendant’s eyes were solemn.
But even so, defeating the Star-Moon Saint Lord was impossible.
The Saint Lord landed on the plaza.
Frenzied Tang Yimo crashed down. Every brick seemed to leap from the impact.
Star-sand fell from the Saint Lord’s face piece by piece.
His eyes turned white. The crescent on his forehead burned hotter.
Vast energy surged from his body.
His primordial spirit floated out, forming a flower!
Not only that.
His golden body blazed—he was half a step from condensing a golden body flower.
This power stood at the absolute peak of Tribulation Transcendents!
The Saint Lord’s pale eyes locked onto Tang Yimo.
Frenzied Tang Yimo was burning lifespan.
He was too fast—even the Saint Lord’s eyes couldn’t track him.
But he didn’t care.
He formed seals with both hands.
Countless star-sands glowed with stellar light, forming layer upon layer of tidal waves around him.
Each wave carried world-ending might.
The plaza’s bricks were obliterated, ground flat.
This was the most destructive battle yet.
PFFT!
Even in frenzy, Tang Yimo bled from nose and mouth, hurled away by the star-sand waves.
Outside the arena.
Overlord’s gaze sharpened.
“Not enough… still not enough.”
Lu Jiulian’s smile had vanished.
Back when Tang Yimo was not yet Unity, his frenzy state had pressured even him.
Now as a Unity expert, frenzied Tang Yimo was naturally far stronger.
But…
The Star-Moon Saint Lord had a primordial spirit flower and was half a step from a golden body flower!
This combat power was nearly unmatched below Ascended Immortal.
If Tang Yimo were a Transcendent opening frenzy, he could crush the Saint Lord.
But he was only Unity Realm.
Again and again, he was sent flying.
Tang Yimo bled profusely.
His body seemed ready to crack apart.
His eyes turned completely black.
“Not enough!”
Blood poured from his mouth and nose.
He crouched low, teeth gritted.
If frenzy wasn’t enough…
Then go further!
“Sixth vein—open for me!”
BOOM!
A pillar of demonic qi shot from Tang Yimo into the heavens.
Flesh exploded. His skin seemed to burn with flames.
A heart-stopping pressure made even the Saint Lord’s hair stand on end.
Damn it!
From calm confidence to growing horror—
What had the Star-Moon Saint Lord experienced?!
Were all Five Phoenixes cultivators monsters?!
“This man doesn’t want to live?!”
The Saint Lord could feel Tang Yimo’s lifespan draining away rapidly.
A little longer, and Tang Yimo would die from lifespan exhaustion.
BOOM!
The plaza cracked open.
A black lightning bolt streaked forth.
“Star-Sand Shields—rise!”
The Saint Lord roared.
Countless star-sands stacked, forming nine hundred and ninety-nine shields before him.
They blocked the black lightning’s path.
But explosions rang out endlessly.
Every shield shattered!
The Saint Lord coughed blood.
Ruthlessness filled his eyes.
CLAP!
His hands slammed together.
The shattered star-sands suddenly surged.
They formed two mountain walls before him, crashing together.
BOOM!
His arms exploded into star-sand.
“Rise!”
Even he seemed to lose control!
Countless gazes turned grave.
Star-sand gathered.
Tang Yimo’s demonic figure was crushed between them.
A massive star formed of star-sand rose, hovering above the Five Phoenixes!
Just when everyone thought it was over—
BOOM!
Dust exploded from the star.
A head with flying hair and gushing blood burst out.
Arms followed, pushing against the star as if to break free!
Countless memories flashed through Tang Yimo’s fading consciousness.
He remembered protecting his sister as a child, taking beatings again and again.
He remembered guarding Southern Prefecture.
His peaceful cultivation and life in the Five Phoenixes.
Once, he only wanted to protect Tang Guo and his mother.
Now…
He wanted to protect the entire Five Phoenixes!
“Those who offend the Five Phoenixes seek to harm my sister and my mother!”
“Even if you are a Saint Lord—I will still kill you!”
“Even if it makes no sense!”
“This is my Dao!”
BOOM!
Cracks spider-webbed across the star.
“Seventh…”
Before he could finish—
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
BOOM!
The star-sand star shattered completely.
A black lightning bolt shot out.
It streaked downward.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The plaza split into a massive chasm.
The Star-Moon Saint Lord was terrified!
What kind of secret art was this?!
A madman?!
He frantically stacked countless star-sand shields around himself.
All the sand that had suppressed Tang Yimo now piled onto him.
He encased himself in a star.
The black lightning arrived!
One punch—heavily struck the star.
Smoke and dust shot skyward!
The world fell silent.
Cold sweat slid down the Saint Lord’s cracked, sandy face.
A bloodied, mangled fist…
Had shattered half the star and countless layers of shields.
It stopped inches from his face.
The world went deathly still.
