Chương 67: Cang Lian vs. Shang Jue, the Elder's Wrath

Shang Jue, the Elder's Wrath Shang Jue, the Elder's Wrath Looking at Yan Zhan's tense body, Chu Zhaoxue slightly turned her head, her clear and cold voice coming through the noise: "Don't worry, he knows what he's doing. Those four needles avoided the meridians, and the last needle was even more controlled."

As soon as he finished speaking, Cang Lian moved his mind slightly, and four steel needles were slowly pulled out from Yan Shuang's wrists and ankles, bringing out a trickle of blood, but without causing further injury.

Upon seeing this, Yan Zhan's tense shoulders gradually relaxed, and he sat back down in his chair.

"Canglian wins!"

The deacon announced the results in a loud, clear voice.

In a corner of the audience, Shang Jue stared at Cang Lian's retreating figure as she walked off the stage. The muscles around his eyes twitched slightly, and his previously nonchalant gaze instantly turned sinister and ruthless: "A mentalist—and his mental strength is even stronger than Yan Shuang's—no wonder that good-for-nothing Hong Pan failed miserably. Interesting, but that's all."

"Next match: Shang Jue versus Luo Xing!"

As the steward announced, a fleeting shadow of gloom crossed Shang Jue's eyes, and his confident, arrogant smile returned as he leaped onto the arena.

"Brother Luo, please!"

However, Luo Xing, who jumped onto the arena, showed no intention of making a move.

This young master from a prestigious family looked at Shang Jue, shook his head helplessly, and cupped his hands, saying, "Brother Shang, I concede defeat."

These words caused an uproar in the room.

This was a battle for the top three, and they surrendered without even lifting a finger?

"Oh? You admit defeat?" Shang Jue smiled, surprised, yet not surprised at the same time.

"Brother Shang possesses two national-level martial arts techniques, and his strength has been developed to the limit of internal force. In addition, he has also cultivated the 'Mixed Yuan Golden Body,' and his external martial arts have reached a state of perfection. Standing there, he is like a copper wall and an iron wall, impervious to swords and spears. I have no chance of winning at all, and fighting him would only make me a laughing stock."

Luo Xing gave a wry smile, then turned to look at Yan Shuang, who was receiving treatment: "As for Yan Shuang, I sparred with her before. Not only does she possess a national-level martial art, but she has also consumed the rare and precious Star Soul Grass," making her a mentalist even stronger than me. At the Inner Strength stage, I see no hope of victory."

Finally, Luo Xing's gaze fell on Cang Lian: "Brother Cang, your ability to defeat powerful enemies one after another, and even defeat Yan Shuang, shows that your strength is unfathomable. I am ashamed of my inferiority and will not embarrass myself by showing off."

Luo Xing casually shrugged and announced loudly, "I won't get involved in this battle for the top three monsters. However—if anyone disagrees with the top three rankings and wants to challenge them, they'll have to get past me first! I'll guard the gates for these three!"

After saying that, Luo Xing turned around decisively and jumped off the stage.

Inside the Tian Shu Pavilion, in front of the Spirit Communication Jade Wall.

"What a spineless coward! He gave up before even fighting. This kid is a disgrace to the Luo family!"

The Fiery Old Monster, seeing the scene on the jade wall, was so angry that he blew his beard and glared, then slammed his fist on the table.

"Ah, old man of the Fiery Blaze, you are mistaken."

Unlike the Fiery Old Monster's fury, Shi Jiugao picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, and a playful smile appeared on his lips.

"To do something knowing it's impossible is foolish. This little brat knows how to assess the situation; I think he's a promising talent."

A glint of light flashed in Shi Jiugao's eyes as he surveyed the assembled elders, arrogantly declaring, "Since Luo Xing has conceded defeat, it seems the leader of the Dark Force Group this time is destined to be my disciple, Shang Jue! The rest of you have all lost!"

"Not necessarily?" A glint flashed in Granny Jin Hua's cloudy old eyes, who had remained silent until now.

"The fight isn't over yet. Cang Lian versus Shang Jue—the strongest spear against the strongest shield—I think there's potential."

"A chance? Jin Hua is joking." Shi Jiugao put down his teacup, leaned back slightly, and looked arrogant.

"This little lad Cang Lian is indeed amazing, with powerful spiritual energy. But everyone, don't forget, in the face of absolute strength, fancy tricks are useless."

He pointed to the Shang Jue within the Spirit Jade Wall: "Leaving aside my disciple's other abilities, just considering this defense alone, my disciple cultivates the 'Primordial Golden Body,' which has been bathed in the true blood of exotic beasts. His skin is tough, his body is like metal, and his defense is invincible, comparable to wearing a humanoid armor! Those needles from that Canglian brat probably couldn't even pierce my disciple's oily skin!"

At this point, Shi Jiugao waved his hand, making a gesture as if to grab the treasures on the table, such as the purple-patterned crimson iron and the deep-sea icy crystal, into his arms: "Alright, you old folks don't need to struggle anymore. I'll gladly accept these treasures—"

"Amitabha! Wait a minute!"

A clear, cold Buddhist chant interrupted his actions.

Master Xuanku smiled slightly, looking at Shi Jiugao's smug expression, and said calmly, "Brother Shi, this isn't over yet. I remember that Old Crane has bet on Cang Lian. If Cang Lian wins, according to the rules, he'll get all the treasures from the Dark Force Group."

Shi Jiugao paused, then calmly sat down, looking confident and ready to collect the money: "In that case—we'll wait and see."

"Next match: Cang Lian versus Shang Jue!"

As the deacon's voice fell silent, the entire arena fell into complete silence, and everyone's eyes were focused on the center of the ring.

This is a true showdown of titans, a clash between a dark horse and a champion.

Cang Lian and Shang Jue leaped onto the arena almost simultaneously, standing three zhang apart.

Without any further probing, the moment their eyes met, a glint flashed deep within Cang Lian's eyes, and the hypnosis was suddenly activated!

At the same time, he exerted force with his feet and shot out like an arrow, unleashing a powerful "Trample" move from the Eight Formations of Military Formation, which slammed into Shang Jue's face.

However, faced with this sudden attack, Shang Jue merely smiled contemptuously, without even making any significant adjustments to his posture. He simply raised his right hand casually and lightly swatted at the powerful fist wind, as if swatting a fly.

"Bang!"

A muffled thud.

Cang Lian felt as if she had crashed into a rapidly moving iron mountain.

That seemingly casual palm strike carried an overwhelming force, sending him flying backward like a leaf caught in a whirlwind. He barely managed to regain his footing by leaving two prominent white marks on the arena with his feet.

Cang Lian's expression hardened slightly as she looked at the person opposite her with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.

Just a moment ago, his mental energy seemed to have crashed into a swamp, like a clay ox entering the sea, leaving no ripples.

Shang Jue dusted off his sleeves and said arrogantly, "Don't bother. I've taken the Soul Nourishing Pill, and my mental strength is no weaker than yours. Your little hypnotic tricks won't work on me."

"Divine Elephant Suppressing Hell Force?" Cang Lian took a deep breath. The force of Shang Jue's palm strike just now was heavy, domineering, and carried a terrifying aura that suppressed hell.

This feeling was exactly the same as the feeling conveyed by Jin Shiwu, the former prince of the previous dynasty, when he came to the Cang family to discuss martial arts with Cang Yao.

Shang Jue raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Oh? You do have some knowledge, actually able to discern the origin of the martial arts technique I've learned!"

He smiled confidently, his muscles bulging, and it seemed as if an ancient colossus was roaring behind him: "Since you know the techniques I've learned, you should know that you have no chance of winning! I possess the power of an ancient dragon and elephant, and have been bathed in the true blood of a strange beast, having long since forged an indestructible body. With your meager strength, you wouldn't even be able to tickle me! Before me, you are nothing but an ant trying to shake a tree!"

"Whether it's an ant or not, you'll only know after trying!"

Cang Lian no longer held back, his brow bulged, and his spiritual power erupted in full force.

shhhhhh!

Five specially made steel needles transformed into five cold beams, each carrying a sharp whistling sound that pierced the air, locking onto Shang Jue's vital points such as his eyes, throat, and heart!

Faced with this deadly attack, Shang Jue neither dodged nor evaded, but instead put his hands behind his back and a cold smile on his lips.

Ding Ding Ding Ding!

A series of metallic clangs rang out, sparks flying everywhere!

The psychic steel needle, powerful enough to pierce through steel plates, struck Shang Jue's skin as if it had struck ancient black iron. Not only did it fail to penetrate, but it was also scattered and bounced away.

"This is the Primordial Golden Body?" Cang Lian's expression changed for the first time.

This isn't just a physical body, it's practically a living alloy fortress!

"What? Haven't you eaten?"

Shang Jue smiled faintly, casually raised his hand, and gently clapped his hands in the air.

"Slap! Slap!"

The steel needles that had been flung away were bent and deformed by his casual slap and fell to the ground.

This perfect control over terrifying power is truly chilling.

With a thought, Cang Lian retracted the deformed steel needle, his expression more solemn than ever before.

"Out of ideas? Well, now it's my turn!"

Shang Jue suddenly became sharp, his previous lazy demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by a suffocating coldness.

boom!

He moved.

This movement was like a sudden clap of thunder.

Almost in a blur, Shang Jue's figure vanished into thin air, and the next moment he appeared in front of Cang Lian, his oppressive aura like Mount Tai pressing down.

"Too fast!" Cang Lian's pupils shrank suddenly. He didn't have time to think and instinctively used the "Heaven-Opening Force" to mobilize his whole body's strength and cross his arms to protect his chest.

Boom!

This punch was as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Cang Lian felt the bones in his arms groaning, and his whole body was like a sandbag being hit by a heavy hammer. He was sent flying backward again, his blood churning, and he almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Oh?" Shang Jue looked at Cang Lian with some surprise.

"You are only at the mid-stage of Dark Force, yet you were able to withstand my punch without breaking any bones. You are indeed quite skilled. It seems that the cultivation technique you practice is also quite extraordinary."

But the surprise in his eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by an even more intense cruelty: "However, this ends here!"

Before he could finish speaking, Shang Jue attacked again.

Cang Lian dared not take the attack head-on, so he used the "Dragon's Shocking Transformation" movement technique, his body twisting and turning like a dragon, trying to maneuver and entangle the enemy.

But Shang Jue's figure clung to him like a leech, and no matter how Cang Lian changed direction, that cruelly smiling face remained close by.

"Not bad movement technique, but unfortunately—too slow! Too slow! Too slow!"

Each word spoken was like a powerful punch delivered.

boom! boom! boom!

Cang Lian mobilized all the strength in his body to block, but he still felt as if he was being frantically bombarded by heavenly hammers.

My internal organs were trembling, and my whole body felt like it was about to fall apart.

It should be noted that his physique was a precious body modified by the Heaven and Earth Pearl, with an extremely profound foundation. However, when faced with Shang Jue's all-around crushing power, he felt immense pressure for the first time, even experiencing a sense of suffocation.

He possesses perfected internal strength cultivation, top-tier perfect movement techniques, strong mental power, a body of iron and copper skin, and terrifying martial arts skills.

This is practically a perfect monster with no weaknesses!

For a time, Cang Lian could only passively take the beating, facing constant danger.

Just as Cang Lian's old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet been generated, a sinister cold light suddenly flashed deep in Shang Jue's eyes.

His right hand was hidden under his sleeve, and a long, jet-black nail had appeared between his fingers.

The nail's surface faintly exuded a decaying, chilling aura, as if it came from the deepest hell.

"Hmph, the corpse energy extracted from the body of the century-old Corpse King—if it pierces even a little flesh, the corpse poison will seep into your bones, and in three months your whole body will rot and you will undergo corpse transformation." Shang Jue calculated with a sinister look in his eyes.

"At that time, only I will have the antidote. To save your life, I refuse to believe you won't obediently hand over the 'Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound'!"

Under the cover of a swinging punch, the pitch-black "Corpse King Nail" pierced Cang Lian's waist and ribs silently, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue.

In that instant, Cang Lian felt the hairs on his body stand on end!

An unprecedented sense of impending death surged through my head. It wasn't the fear of being defeated, but the fear of dying!

This chilling aura is even more malevolent than the bloodthirsty aura!

Without time to think, the instinct for survival drove Cang Lian to launch the most frantic counterattack.

"Since you want to play dirty tricks, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Cang Lian's eyes hardened, and a scarlet light suddenly burst forth from her waist.

That wasn't light, it was a needle!

A steel needle, entirely crimson, as if cast from fresh blood!

call out-!

The speed of this injection was terrifying to the extreme.

Shang Jue caught a glimpse of the red light out of the corner of his eye and couldn't help but sneer: "A mere trick, you can't break through my defense—" Before he could finish speaking, his pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints.

"ah-!!!"

A heart-wrenching scream instantly echoed throughout the entire arena.

The blood-red steel needle ignored Shang Jue's proud "Mixed Origin Golden Body" and easily pierced his indestructible skin as if it were tofu. It then penetrated his flesh and bone with unstoppable force and was deeply embedded in his marrow!

Immediately afterwards, a violent surge of bloodthirsty energy rushed in, wreaking havoc and destroying his bone marrow.

A flash of blood!

The steel needle, trailing a plume of chilling blood mist, pierced straight through Shang Jue's back, leaving a gaping hole in his back!

"Ah—!!" Shang Jue clutched his chest and staggered back, his eyes filled with disbelief and terror.

It's breached?!

His invulnerable body, bathed in beast blood and impervious to blades and spears, was actually pierced by a single needle?!

The entire place fell into a deathly silence, then erupted into a thunderous uproar.

"What are those blood-red steel needles?!"

"What terrifying malevolent energy! It can even pierce through Shang Jue's golden body?"

Inside the Tian Shu Pavilion, Shi Jiugao suddenly stood up, staring intently at the blood needle that had flown back into Cang Lian's hand, and exclaimed in shock, "That's—the Blood God Sect's supreme treasure, the Blood Soul Divine Needle?! How could such an evil object be on him?!"

"You audacious brat! In a friendly sparring match, you actually resort to such evil magical weapons to harm your fellow disciples!"

A loud shout, like a thunderclap, shook the entire Tian Shu Pavilion, causing it to buzz.

Seeing his beloved disciple's chest pierced and his fate unknown, Shi Jiugao's beard and hair bristled instantly, and he charged out of Tian Shu Pavilion like an eagle hunting a rabbit.

In mid-air, he was filled with rage, and his body surged with qi, which directly transformed into a huge gray qi hand that blotted out the sky. With the pressure to crush everything, it fiercely grabbed at Cang Lian on the arena.

"Old Monster Shi, you dare to attack a junior? Don't you have any shame left?!"

At the critical moment, a clear voice rang out.

Crane White Elder moved with lightning speed, striking first despite being behind, and pointed a finger out from mid-air.

A dazzling white finger strike, like a sharp sword, pierced through the air, instantly transforming the large gray hand into a chaotic mass of air currents.

"Old Crane, are you trying to stop me from cleaning up my own house?" Shi Jiugao paused, hovering in mid-air, staring at He Baiweng with a sinister gaze.

"What's going on? Why are you two fighting?" Swoosh! The sound of air being torn apart rang out one after another. The other elders also noticed something was wrong and flew over the arena with their qi.

Cang Lian felt the suffocating pressure above his head, and his heart turned cold, but he did not panic.

Taking advantage of the moment when the two elders were facing off, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he kicked Shang Jue hard in the back of the knee.

"Ah—!" Shang Jue, who was already seriously injured, screamed and knelt on the ground.

Cang Lian showed no mercy, stomping hard on his right hand, which had originally intended to launch a sneak attack, and grinding it down forcefully!

"You—" Shang Jue convulsed in pain, his five fingers loosened, and a long nail, as black as ink and emitting a chilling aura, fell to the ground.

Cang Lian bent down to pick up the nail, raised it high, and his voice, booming like a bell, resounded throughout the hall: "Elders, please open your eyes and see clearly! Who used such underhanded methods first? Who is trying to kill their fellow disciples?!"

Everyone's eyes immediately focused on the nail.

"That's... corpse aura?" An elder's pupils constricted, his expression changing drastically.

"Such dense, such vicious corpse aura! This is the Corpse King's Nail!" Once it enters the body, the corpse poison attacks the heart and soul, beyond even a god's salvation! Shang Jue clearly had the upper hand, why resort to such a ruthless method?"

"Once this kind of corpse energy enters the body, only a master of internal energy cultivation can remove it. Does he intend to kill Zhi Canglian?"

The elders looked at each other, their expressions suddenly becoming strange.

Although the arena is a battle to the death, it usually ends when the opponent wins.

The decision to do this is clearly aimed at eliminating the root of the problem, and the methods used are far too ruthless.

He Baiweng looked at Shi Jiugao: "Old monster Shi, now you see? This is the good disciple you called 'harmed'?"

Shi Jiugao's expression changed repeatedly, alternating between pale and flushed.

Although he is protective of his own, he is not someone who cannot distinguish right from wrong.

That King's aura was undeniable, and Shang Jue's actions had indeed crossed the line of the National Martial Hall.

However, before he could even formulate his words, Cang Lian dropped another bombshell: "It's not just the Corpse King Nails! This Shang Jue, seemingly righteous, is actually a thoroughly treacherous villain! He coveted the 'Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound' technique in my possession, and thus instigated Hong Pan to forcibly search my soul!" This is utterly demonic behavior, a heinous crime!

If I weren't mentally gifted, I would have been an idiot by now, my soul scattered! I request the Council of Elders to severely punish this person!

These words caused an uproar in the room.

Soul search?

That's a major taboo in the martial arts world!

Once it's used, it treats people like dirt, which is truly outrageous.

Chu Zhaoxue, who had remained silent until now, also changed her expression and looked at Shang Jue with a sharp gaze.

"Nonsense!" Shi Jiugao's face turned red and then pale as he shouted angrily, "My disciple is kind-hearted by nature, and I watched him grow up. How could he possibly do such a heinous thing? You are clearly slandering me!"

Although he spoke toughly, a sense of unease and doubt about Shang Jue flashed through his heart when he looked at Cang Lian's determined eyes.

But the next second, when he saw the terrifying blood hole in Shang Jue's back and the black blood flowing out, his reason was once again overwhelmed by anger.

"You little brat! That's just your side of the story! We all saw with our own eyes that you severely injured your fellow disciples with those heretical needles! If you were so vicious in front of everyone, wouldn't you have tried to kill our own people in the Martial Hall outside?"

Shi Jiugao disregarded everything else and swooped down like a roc. With a wave of his sleeve, a domineering aura sent Cang Lian flying several feet away.

He crouched down and immediately checked Shang Jue's injuries, then took out a pill and fed it to Shang Jue.

"Master—Master—" Shang Jue's mouth was full of blood, his eyes filled with resentment, staring intently at Cang Lian, "Kill him—I want to kill him—"

"Don't worry, my disciple, I will give you an explanation!" After confirming that Shang Jue's life was not in danger, Shi Jiugao slowly stood up, his gaze fixed fiercely on Cang Lian. Then, he looked around and his voice was icy cold: "Gentlemen, this matter is of a heinous nature! I propose that we convene an elders' meeting immediately! First, thoroughly investigate the origin of the 'Blood Soul Divine Needle' in this boy's possession! This is a treasure of the Blood God Sect.

If he is found to be privately possessing a demonic weapon without reporting it, according to the law, the divine weapon should be confiscated and he should be sentenced to a serious crime! Second, this boy's nature is like that of a demon; he ruthlessly kills his fellow disciples without the slightest mercy. I think it is very necessary for us to discuss whether to expel him from the National Martial Hall!"

After saying that, Shi Jiugao snorted coldly, picked up Shang Jue from the ground, transformed into a streak of light, and flew away from the arena without looking back.

The arena was left in a deathly silence.

"Cang Lian, are you alright?" A beautiful figure flashed by, and Chu Zhaoxue landed beside Cang Lian.

"General, I'm fine," Cang Lian said firmly.

"This is troublesome." He Baiweng also landed, looking in the direction Shi Jiugao had left, his brows furrowed.

"Although Shi Jiugao isn't a bad person, he's extremely protective of his own. This time, he's seized on the Blood Soul Divine Needle, and he'll definitely cause trouble at the Elders' Meeting. Your possession of the Blood God Cult's divine weapon without reporting it is indeed a fatal flaw, easily giving others ammunition to criticize you."

At this moment, the steward beside the arena looked at the mess on the ground, then at the expressions of the several powerful figures, swallowed hard, and hesitated before loudly announcing, "In this match—Cang Lian wins!"

However, there was little joy in the pronouncement of this victory.

Chu Zhaoxue said in a low voice, "Forget about the rewards for now. The most urgent thing is to figure out how to deal with Shi Jiugao's attack. He's insisting that you're hiding a divine weapon and have wicked intentions. If the Elders' Council really wants to convict you, even with my master and me protecting you, it will be difficult to protect you completely. I'm afraid—you really will be expelled from the National Martial Hall!"