Chapter 222: How much effort did you put in?
The calamitous dragon, who was leisurely touring the mountains and waters and heading toward Qingyun Mountain, also noticed the uninvited guest on the mountain path. His thick eyebrows couldn't help but raise slightly, and a playful smile appeared on his lips. He, too, walked straight forward without swerving or avoiding.
The two were unyielding; their left arms suddenly collided, producing a muffled sound. Under the tremendous force, both stepped back half a step and their gazes met.
"So, you are Yi Chengzi, fifth on the Dragon Tiger List?"
At that moment, the calamitous dragon remembered the face of the person below the Demon Lord on the page he tore from the Dragon Tiger List, and he couldn't help but speak in surprise.
"You recognize this poor Daoist? Who might you be? Your armor is not bad."
Yi Chen had now begun to take the tall young man in front of him seriously. He couldn't figure out who this person was. He had previously only spared him a brief glance, not taking a good look, but now he realized this person was no simple character.
The man's teal armor hid deep within it a trace of a Water Dao pattern. It was this armor that had allowed him to slip past Yi Chen's discerning abilities unnoticed.
What surprised him even more was that under his discerning ability, he still couldn't find any weaknesses in this tall young man. Every move he made had an inexplicable rhythm to it, blending with the surrounding environment.
With cultivation at such a level, it was as if one foot had already stepped across the threshold into the realm of a True Monarch, even stronger than Xu Wuxie by a narrow margin.
Neither of them answered the other's question directly.
"I'm in a good mood today, fellow Daoist, so you had better step aside. I don't want to make another move," the calamitous dragon said with a frown, kindly advising.
Although they had collided a moment ago and each retreated half a step, this was merely because he hadn't been serious. Now, with a beautiful scene before him, he truly didn't want to ruin it.
"Such confidence, fellow Daoist?" Yi Chen's fists felt a bit firmer.
"Not that I belittle the world, but merely my ability's height."
"Not that I disdain Central Continent, but..."
Just then, the calamitous dragon's expression suddenly changed and his voice came to an abrupt halt.
He looked up sharply, and a great expanse of shadow fell, covering half of his form.
Before him suddenly stood a three-meter-tall Daoist, cold and merciless eyes focusing on him.
Yi Chen patted his own left shoulder, speaking out, "Come on, bump into this. If you can make this Daoist retreat half a step today, I'll let you pass."
If he had not sensed that there was no malice in this person, Yi Chen would've thought about chopping him down.
Moreover, the way this person had referred to Central Continent had made him concentrate his gaze.
"Good! Good! Good!"
"It seems I was mistaken, I've finally found someone decent. With such cultivation, how could you be content to place beneath the Demon Subordinate Ye Fengdi?"
"My life moves like a whirlwind, looking down on all the talents in the world."
"As the calamitous dragon vies to be the Heavenly Master, with his spear he challenges all heroes in shame."
"Calamitous dragon from the Wuding Divine Sect of Eastern Continent, please enlighten me, fellow Daoist."
The calamitous dragon, excitement in his eyes, couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Suddenly, a cyan light swirled around his palms, and with a strong push against Yi Chen's shoulders, he attempted to engage in a battle of strength.
A tremendous force surged toward Yi Chen's shoulders but then disappeared without a trace as if a clay ox had plunged into the sea.
As if rooted to the ground, he remained utterly unmoved.
"Fellow Daoist has remarkable cultivation. I've used seventy percent of my power, how much did fellow Daoist use?" The calamitous dragon's face revealed a trace of shock. Although his Wuding Qing Wang cultivation body was known for its balance and not brute strength, not just anyone could withstand it.
Central Continent truly remained the same as before, enduring through disasters, but its essence preserved.
That Demon Subordinate Ye Fengdi really was an ignoramus. He could not fathom how such a counterfeit had been ranked above this man. However, considering the vastness of Central Continent, he could understand a few impure fish sneaking in among the ranks.
"Thirty percent," Yi Chen grinned, overstating his effort by ten percent.
"Fellow Daoist, do not boast and deceive me with words," the calamitous dragon said, anger appearing on his face as he stimulated his divine power further, exerting ninety-nine percent of his cultivation body's energy. Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire
"Now, fellow Daoist, how much strength have you used? Don't force yourself and damage your cultivation body."
"Now there's a fifty percent chance." Yi Chen pondered for a moment and once again underreported by twenty percent. Seeing the tall young man's face slightly redden, he couldn't help but find it quite amusing.
Huo Long immediately stopped as he saw this.
Although he did not believe that the tall Daoist before him had only used fifty percent of his strength, the man's power was indeed immensely vigorous. With a single exertion, he realized he was indeed outmatched.
"I wonder how many people in Central Continent have a cultivation level like Brother Dao's?" Huo Long suddenly spoke up, and at this moment, a green long spear had already appeared in his hand.
This spear was simple and unadorned, except for the spearhead which was as crimson as blood, filled with an aura of slaughter.
The Sect Master said that the unity of the three lands was the future trend. If the younger generation of Central Continent was this fierce, they would need to carefully reassess their strategies for the time when the three lands unify.
Yi Chen looked towards the long spear and raised his eyebrows. He discovered that it was yet another Dao artifact, containing a wind attribute Dao mark within. They really were like a dog with a hoard of valuables.
A Dao artifact is a special magical treasure, crafted through particular methods. Some are created by True Monarch realm experts who spend a long time infusing the treasure with mana, imprinting their own understanding of the Dao within, forming a Dao artifact.
This method is time-consuming and often requires the efforts of several generations. Even then, whether it succeeds is left to fate.
Besides that, there is another method where True Monarch experts willingly give up their lives, sacrificing themselves to refine the treasure by directly infusing their Dao into the magical treasure.
This method is quick and has a very high success rate; it's just a bit of a waste of True Monarchs. Generally, only those with a high level of dedication to their sect would do this.
As for innate spirit artifacts, they are even harder to come by, which is one of the reasons Yi Chen was so keen to subdue Jizi.
The treasure contained two Dao marks, clearly making it no ordinary item. While it was damaged and its power greatly diminished, its foundation was indeed excellent.
"Among those whose cultivation is similar to mine, Brother Zhang Huyi from Dragon Tiger Mountain should be counted as one. However, I've had some insights recently and advanced a small step in strength. At this point, my cultivation should be a tad higher than his."
"I wonder what position you hold in the Eastern Continent? How did you come across the sea?" Yi Chen's eyes swiveled as he began to fish for information.
He recalled what the Envoy of Freedom from the Yun Family who had been sent to attack him along with the woman and child had said.
The world is vast, the Eastern Continent even more so, with its multitude of capable individuals. There's an empire called Great Qin, whose strength surpasses that of the Da Yue dynasty, along with Dao Sects like Fangxian Dao Sect, Zhaohua Dao Sect, and the Subhuti Zen Monastery among other giants.
The sudden appearance of someone from the Eastern Continent made him inwardly vigilant.
Could there be more to the Dao Sect's plan to form an alliance than meets the eye?
"I rank third on the Tianjiao List of the Eastern Continent. As for why I came to Central Continent, it was due to an accident."
"Though Brother Dao's physical strength is inferior to mine, brute strength is not my forte. I would like to request instruction with this spear in hand," Huo Long bowed slightly towards Yi Chen, his eyes blazing with excitement, like a hunter that had spotted his prey.
"That wouldn't be good. What if I accidentally killed you, Dao friend? This armor of yours..."
"Then I'll give it to Dao friend as a gift," Huo Long replied with a cold smile, having never met someone even more arrogant than himself.
Yi Chen cracked a smile as the Extreme Origin flowed and covered the Holy Halberd in his hand. With a raise of the long halberd, beams of light trapped him inside like a cage, with an overwhelming domineering will charging straight towards the skies.
"Just as I wished, I wouldn't dare ask for more."
"Halberd One: Breaking Formation"
Under the state of Supreme Extreme, Yi Chen's body was covered in flashing purple patterns, drawing incessantly on the Dragon Tiger Divine Pattern's power, pumping it through his body. His presence was filled with an unrivaled wild and domineering spirit, his majestic physique, purple hair and eyes, full-body Dragon Tiger tattoos, and the protruding purple patterns all around him.
For a moment, he seemed like a Demon Lord descending from the heavens.
"Wind Binding!"
"A Drifting Leaf!"
Seeing this formidability, Huo Long was suddenly shocked. With an angered shout, a ring of green light burst forth from his green long spear, rushing towards Yi Chen with the intent to bind him.
His long spear turned into a green dragon, intercepting Yi Chen's Breaking Formation Halberd move.
However, the green ring of light, on which he placed great hopes, had no effect at all. As soon as it wrapped around Yi Chen, the purple patterns shook and effortlessly dispersed it.
"How is this possible!"
Huo Long couldn't help but cry out, hastily retreating.