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ArabicThe Protagonists' Chat Group: Beyond the Boundaries — Chapter 337
Chapter 337: The Immortal King is Dumbfounded, How Can There Be So Many Prodigies Who Achieved Immortal Ascension Through an Alternative Path?
The methods Xu Que displayed under the guise of ‘Yang Jian’ were too sharp, too decisive. He killed his enemy with a single, seemingly effortless move, his brilliance unparalleled and dazzling.
It made one’s Divine Soul tremble.
Not to mention, he was currently using the appearance model of Jiao Enjun, a famously handsome actor from ancient Earth. The combination of peerless power and devastating good looks was potent.
[Inorin’s Note: Jiao Enjun is a real-world actor known for portraying characters like Erlang Shen (Yang Jian) and Li Xunhuan, famous for their heroic and handsome appearances.]
Countless people on the Emperor Pass wall felt their hearts stir, wondering where this sudden, heaven-defying expert had sprung from.
“Yang Jian… I’ve never heard of this person’s name before. Cultivating for only a hundred years, yet possessing such heaven-defying talent? Is this another case of alternative Immortal Ascension?”
[Inorin’s Note: ‘Alternative Immortal Ascension’ (Lèilèi Chéngxiān) refers to achieving immortal-level combat power without following the conventional path or realm progression, often seen as a sign of extreme talent or unique opportunity.]
Countless cultivators in Emperor Pass were astonished, murmuring amongst themselves.
It was the same on the foreign lands’ side. The shock was palpable.
Even the observing Immortal King looked at Xu Que with a distinct hint of surprise in his ancient eyes.
A peerless, arrogant aura emanated from Xu Que, shattering the surrounding universe’s fabric. He raised his Three-Pointed, Double-Edged Halberd, revealing an expression of utter disdain mixed with profound loneliness.
“Merely a facade! Just now, I heard you all barking like dogs, and I thought I had finally met a worthy opponent. But I didn’t expect you to be so vulnerable!”
Xu Que was extremely arrogant, his voice echoing across the silent battlefield.
Watching the System notification instantly harvest tens of millions of bragging points, he became even more arrogant, striking a pose.
The people from the foreign lands were instantly infuriated by his contemptuous display.
“I’ll fight you!”
One figure charged out, his entire body glowing. Chains of divine order emanated from his body, forming wings, making him look like a human-shaped True Dragon soaring above the Nine Heavens.
This was clearly another powerful prodigy from the foreign lands.
Boom.
Xu Que’s Three-Pointed, Double-Edged Halberd trembled slightly, then he swung it horizontally in a simple, dismissive arc.
Sparks flew like galaxies colliding, and Divine Might exploded outwards.
After one move… the foreign lands’ prodigy was instantly killed again, his body disintegrating into motes of light.
Xu Que nonchalantly dragged his Three-Pointed, Double-Edged Halberd across the ground, carving a deep scar in the desert floor, creating a beautiful finishing flourish.
Then, imitating the legendary Guan Erye, he disdainfully said, “Merely a commoner, fit only for display!”
[Inorin’s Note: Guan Erye refers to Guan Yu, a famous general from Earth’s Three Kingdoms period, known for his power and pride.]
His demeanor was arrogant to the absolute extreme.
Countless people on the Emperor Pass side erupted in cheers, their morale soaring.
The faces of the people from the foreign lands, however, turned ashen, filled with disbelief and humiliation.
They all could see that this ‘Yang Jian’s’ strength was extraordinary, far beyond the norm. Ordinary prodigies were no match for him at all.
This Yang Jian claimed to have cultivated for only a hundred years, placing him squarely within the ten-thousand-year limit for this type of challenge.
The foreign lands could only send out people who had cultivated for less than ten thousand years to meet the unspoken rules of this generational clash.
And with Xu Que’s displayed strength… even someone who had cultivated for a hundred thousand years might not be able to defeat him.
“Why does this Emperor Pass have another such prodigy? First Shi Jian, now this Yang Jian… Where did he come from?”
Countless people from the foreign lands were dumbfounded.
The Immortal King’s gaze also narrowed slightly at this moment, a thoughtful expression on his ancient face.
One Xu Que alone wasn’t enough to make him truly care.
However… the Stone King had suddenly recovered. Among the younger generation of the Stone Clan, a terrifying prodigy like Shi Jian was rising.
Now, there was another anomaly like Yang Jian.
The Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, having reached an extreme of decline, were now experiencing a reversal? So many abnormal events suddenly appearing… it clearly wasn’t normal.
It seemed his probing this time was indeed accurate. Something significant was changing.
…
Other Imperial Clan geniuses, spurred by pride and anger, challenged Xu Que.
But all were instantly killed by a single move, their bodies exploding, their divine abilities useless.
The situation instantly reversed. The positions of both sides were completely swapped.
Now, the people of Emperor Pass were excited and cheering.
The people of the foreign lands looked grim and silent.
After a long while, a sigh came from the depths of the foreign lands’ camp.
A young man, holding a simple three-foot sword, suddenly stepped into the Heavenly Abyss from the foreign lands’ side.
The destructive law power of the Heavenly Abyss instantly attacked him, but he erupted with a terrifying, piercing Sword Qi, forcefully carving out a narrow path through the chaos.
Then, battered but resolute, he crossed the Heavenly Abyss.
Countless people widened their eyes upon seeing this scene.
Even the Immortal King watching from the void was slightly surprised.
To be able to cross the Heavenly Abyss alone, even through the weakened path he had just opened… this strength… he’s got something.
When did my foreign lands produce such a sword genius? the Immortal King wondered.
He had opened a path in the Heavenly Abyss and used his Immortal King power to protect those initial foreign lands’ geniuses, sending them across.
Although he had opened a path, there were still countless chaotic law powers residual from the Sea of Laws on this path. Without an Immortal King’s protection, ordinary cultivators who forcibly walked the path, even Human Dao Supremes, could be killed by the law power.
But this person had forcefully walked through. The Sword Qi on his body… it was impressive.
…
“I was born in a great snow, and from a young age, I fought only to survive,” the man said, his voice calm and ancient, as he slowly walked out of the Heavenly Abyss. Endless Sword Qi emanated from him, cutting tiny rifts in space.
“Living beings have seven emotions and six desires. When thirteen emotions were combined, I understood my Sword Intent.”
He raised the simple longsword in front of him.
“Holding this sword, I named it ‘Dao Seeking’. What is Dao Seeking? To cut down all strong enemies in the world, leaving no rivals.”
“I, Dugu Qiubai, have cultivated for a hundred years, and I come for a battle.”
His voice grew louder, filled with an almost painful loneliness.
“I only seek a defeat!”
[Inorin’s Note: Dugu Qiubai (‘Seeking Defeat Alone’) is a legendary, undefeated swordsman character created by Jin Yong, famous in Wuxia literature.]
Astonishing Sword Qi raged, tearing apart the surrounding void.
Xu Que put on a facade of facing a formidable enemy, his expression turning serious. “What terrifying Sword Qi! It seems you are different from those wastes behind you!”
He pointed his halberd at Dugu Qiubai. “Only someone as handsome, dashing, and powerful as you is worthy of being my opponent!”
His expression was very solemn, as if what was about to happen was not a battle, but a sacred ritual between two lonely peaks.
“You’re not bad either…” the person from the foreign lands who called himself Dugu Qiubai spoke, his voice equally filled with profound loneliness.
“I have cultivated for a hundred years, and no one of the same realm is my enemy, no one of the same age can contend with me. Within the realm I can reach, I am invincible and undefeated!”
“Therefore, I named myself Dugu Qiubai.”
He looked at Xu Que with eyes that seemed to hold endless sorrow. “Today, I hope you can grant me a defeat…”
The two sang and harmonized, creating a palpable sense of invincible loneliness that radiated outwards.
Whether it was the people from the foreign lands or the people from Emperor Pass, they were all dumbfounded by these two pretentious masters.
However, Shi Jian and the others watching from the side looked extremely strange.
Xiao Yan took out a Huazi cigarette, lit it with a snap of his fingers, took a deep puff, and then exhaled slowly.
“This guy… how can he be so shameless?” he spoke with a tone of grudging melancholy.
The others beside him deeply agreed.
Without a single doubt, the “Yang Jian” and “Dugu Qiubai” on the stage were both Xu Que’s alternate accounts, likely created using some System ability.
He wanted to earn bragging points from the Righteous Path (Emperor Pass). He also wanted to earn bragging points from the Evil Path (Foreign Lands).
Lin Dong also took a deep puff of a Huazi cigarette beside Xiao Yan, then exhaled.
“If he hadn’t given me a cut of the bragging points earlier, I would have gone up and beaten him myself…”
“Can you even beat him?” Xiao Yan rolled his eyes.
Their cultivation had both reached the equivalent of the Heavenly Supreme Realm in their worlds. Their combat power was even comparable to the top Supremes in this Perfect World.
But compared to Xu Que… they were probably still a bit short. This guy not only had cheats from the chat group but also his own insane System assistance. It was simply unplayable without nerfs.
Listening to Xiao Yan’s words and looking at Xu Que showing off on the stage, Shi Jian subconsciously glanced at his Heavenly Dao Library interface.
[Strongest Acting Cool, Be Tough System (Collecting)]
[Progress: 0.000…1%]
Looking at that incredibly long string of zeros, Shi Jian felt a headache coming on.
The first time he met Xu Que, he had started collecting the ‘Strongest Acting Cool, Be Tough System’ (which was Xu Que’s System).
The good news was: the library’s code was superior. It could be copied.
The bad news was: the copying time was… a bit long.
Shi Jian looked at another copying page in the library.
[All Heavens Chat Group (Collecting)]
[Progress: 0.000…01%]
Another long string of zeros. He had used the library to collect the chat group the moment he joined. But now, the progress was still pitifully low.
“I hope it doesn’t succeed until I’m truly invincible,” Shi Jian set a mental flag, looking at the agonizingly slow progress bar.
…
The two on the battlefield seemed to cherish each other, two lonely masters finding their equal, but in reality, they were just boasting about themselves in different ways.
After a long, dramatic pause, the two finally made their move.
The scarlet divine sword in Dugu Qiubai’s hand trembled, and he instantly charged towards Yang Jian, becoming one with his sword.
Yang Jian’s Three-Pointed, Double-Edged Halberd met him. Sparks flew like exploding stars, and Divine Might was unleashed.
Xu Que held absolutely nothing back for the sake of earning bragging points. This had to be a peerless confrontation.
The instantaneous clash directly made the universe tremble, and the heavens collapsed and the earth caved in.
The surrounding people felt the terrifying might of their battle and were all amazed.
Such terrifying strength! Even a Supreme who had cultivated for a million years might be somewhat inferior.
It was hard to imagine that these were two beings who claimed to have cultivated for less than a hundred years.
Although it was him fighting himself, Xu Que truly used heaven-defying methods.
He forcefully fought until the heavens collapsed and the earth shattered. Both incarnations were splattered with blood, looking tragically heroic.
“Time is like a knife, cutting down all Prodigies!” Yang Jian shouted a grand slogan, his Heavenly Eye wide open on his forehead – the Eye of Origin, seeing through all illusions.
“Reincarnation of the old world, burying the ancient ages! Kill!” Dugu Qiubai also shouted, his Sword Light surging like a river of time.
Violent collisions, terrifying sounds, and bursts of blinding light enveloped the area, which completely boiled over.
The Immortal Kings of both sides remained silent, watching the exchange with serious expressions.
The foreign Immortal King didn’t know when such a prodigy had appeared in the foreign lands, but he was sure: this Dugu Qiubai had the potential for Immortal Ascension. Not only could he achieve Immortal Ascension, but in the future, he would very likely become an Immortal King.
It was the same on Stone King’s side. He looked at Yang Jian, wondering when Shi Jian had cultivated such a genius disciple?
Now that he had recovered his cultivation, it should have been his time to shine.
But he thought about the talents of Shi Jian and Shi Hao. Then he looked at Yang Jian. He inexplicably felt old and useless.
Boom!
Time fragments seemed to explode. The two reappeared, back in human form, covered in blood. Both had suffered extremely severe injuries, their bodies covered in cracks.
Fighting to this extent… Xu Que truly displayed the word ‘actor’ to the fullest.
Both bodies fought until their oil ran dry and their lamps flickered, clinging to their last sliver of health. This level of control was not something just anyone could achieve.
Stone King looked at the two exhausted figures and was the first to speak: “How about we call this a draw?”
The foreign Immortal King looked at Dugu Qiubai, then nodded slowly. “Acceptable.”
He then transmitted his voice to Dugu Qiubai: “From now on, you can be my disciple!”
The Immortal King clearly had the intention of cultivating Dugu Qiubai. He brought Dugu Qiubai back to the foreign lands’ side and then said no more.
After Xu Que’s ‘Dugu Qiubai’ incarnation retreated, Lin Dong eagerly stepped forward again.
“I am Lin Dong, cultivated for a hundred years. Which idiot among you wants to come out and die?”
Lin Dong’s battle intent boiled, one hand already itching for action, wanting to surpass Xu Que’s performance.
The foreign lands’ side instantly became enraged again.
Damn it!
The previous Yang Jian cultivated for a hundred years, and they couldn’t beat him, so they let it go.
Now another one, Lin Dong, who cultivated for a hundred years, popped out? And his words were so unpleasant!
Do you Emperor Pass people really think that cultivating for a hundred years makes you invincible?
A strong expert from the foreign lands, his eyes red with fury, instantly charged out.
“Trash! You’re seeking death!” He roared and rushed over.
“Great Desolate Sky Imprisoning Finger!”
Lin Dong, seeing someone accept the challenge, instantly uttered five big words.
And then… there was no ‘then’.
That person was instantly suppressed and killed by him, crushed into blood mist.
Seeing this familiar, invincible posture… the people of the foreign lands were dumbfounded again.
Emperor Pass was also dumbfounded!
Are there so many geniuses here? Cultivating for a hundred years… to be this terrifying?
“A guy who looks good but is useless,” Lin Dong sneered, imitating Xu Que. “No need for those under ten thousand years, a hundred thousand years, a million years… If you’re not convinced, come and try!”
“It’s fine if you all come at once!” Lin Dong disdainfully hooked his finger at the entire army of the foreign lands.
“Arrogant! I’ll kill you!” A foreign lands’ genius who had cultivated for a hundred thousand years charged out.
But he was still instantly killed by Lin Dong’s finger.
Several more foreign lands’ geniuses charged out, enraged, and were killed just as quickly.
The foreign Immortal King looked at this scene, dumbfounded once again.
Who can tell me? What exactly is going on with these Nine Heavens and Ten Lands? Another existence who achieved Immortal Ascension through an alternative path?
Something’s not right. Nine parts out of ten, something’s seriously not right.
He could tell that this Lin Dong also probably had the potential for Immortal Ascension.
Is this the last frenzy before the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands perish? A final bloom before death?
The situation was once again at a stalemate. On the foreign lands’ side… they couldn’t win!
“It seems your foreign lands are nothing special after all!” Lin Dong poured out trash talk to his heart’s content, enjoying the feeling.
Countless people in the foreign lands felt aggrieved, their teeth grinding.
Suddenly, at this moment, another sigh sounded from their camp.
“Liangchen likes to deal with those who think they are capable!”
[Inorin’s Note: Ye Liangchen is another famous character/meme in Chinese web culture, known for his extremely arrogant and threatening way of speaking.]
In the foreign lands, a figure walked out. Like Dugu Qiubai before him, this figure also crossed the abyss alone and arrived at the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands.
“If you think you have the strength to play with me, Liangchen doesn’t mind accompanying you to the end,” that figure said coolly to Lin Dong.
“Today, I will slay you. Remember my name — Ye Liangchen!”
“Bluster! Great Desolate Sky Imprisoning Finger!” Lin Dong knew this guy was Xu Que again, so he immediately went for a direct, in-your-face attack, aiming to end this farce quickly. Emphasizing brotherly harmony by beating him up.
With a boom, divine light bloomed.
“Arrogant! Daring to lay hands on Liangchen? You’re the first. Since you’re so confident, Liangchen doesn’t mind playing with you!”
Ye Liangchen formed a hand seal and also moved. The two instantly clashed.
This time, the two also fought with real blades and real guns, putting on an even grander show. After they made their move, their magic power surged, instantly shaking the eight directions and covering the sky.
The two constantly collided. The heavens overturned, and immortals cried and ghosts wailed.
Torrential blood rain fell between heaven and earth, and scenes of many gods and demons falling appeared. It was as if the end of the world had arrived. The universe shattered.
Xu Que’s overall strength was likely higher than Lin Dong’s. After all, he was the purest cheater in the group. After coming to Perfect World, he was like a mouse entering a granary, his strength advancing by leaps and bounds.
However, this Ye Liangchen was just one of his incarnations. Although it likely had its own System clone, it wasn’t strong enough to completely crush Lin Dong.
The two were, at most, evenly matched.
When they started fighting, it was truly an evenly matched battle. Grand divine mountains were overturned. Brilliant divine light erupted, and lightning roared.
This was a confrontation between supreme laws, and also a confrontation between physical bodies, constantly bleeding and deciding life and death.
After an intense battle between the two, they once again reached a state of mutual destruction, both collapsing theatrically.
The two Immortal Kings looked at each other and once again tacitly agreed to a draw.
Ye Liangchen, severely wounded, returned to the foreign lands.
Countless fervent gazes were cast upon him.
The female Supreme, Xiao Leng, saw his injured face and lovingly went to meet him, then gently kissed the wounds on his face.
The clan to which this female Supreme belonged was very peculiar, possessing unique healing methods involving life essence transfer.
After her kiss, the injuries on Ye Liangchen’s face, impersonated by Xu Que, recovered somewhat.
His eyes lit up, and he leaned closer to her ear, whispering with a roguish grin, “If this is how you heal… then actually, I also have some rather serious injuries on my inner thigh that need urgent attention…”