“Stop! Stop! Brother Tai Shan, we don’t have any enmity with each other!” Yan Xiaolong out his hands up and tried to reason with Tai Shan. The latter actually stopped and considered his words. He seemed genuinely confused and serious as he thought over the matter. 

 

“Indeed, we do not. I even owe you some spirit stones...” 

 

Yan Xiaolong smiled. He felt relieved that he shared some of his spoils that day. 

 

“But... I already started beating you. If I take a step back... that would go against my Dao! Why stop now when I can get the job finished!?” 

 

Feeling more determined that ever, Tai Shan barraged Yan Xiaolong with punches and kicks, repeatedly creating cracks on defensive talisman. 

 

“What kind of mental gymnastic did he do to come up with that idea!?” Feeling wronged, Yan Xiaolong slapped another defensive talisman on himself to fortify the previous one. “Is this just fate? Am I destined to be enemies with this overpowered moron?” 

 

The friendship between Han Xiaoling and Tai Shan was deeper than Yan Xiaolong expected. Or perhaps, he expected too much intelligence in Tai Shan. Either way, the strength that Tai Shan was displaying left him breathless. Tai Shan’s spiritual qi countered his spiritual qi in a way that completely surpassed frigid-type spiritual qi. 

 

Frigid-type spiritual qi was opposite in nature to berserk-type spiritual qi. Moreover, the former was far easier to control because it lacked explosive power, thus giving Han Xiaoling a minor advantage over Yan Xiaolong. At the same time, it seemed to him that the Winter Empress’ Secret Art was actually the antithesis to the Immovable King’s Scripture. 

 

Tai Shan’s cultivation art, on the other hand, completely suppress every other spiritual qi around it. It was as if he controlled the most primordial of spiritual qi, where all marvelous energies came from. It was simply the bane of every other cultivation art. Every time he attacked, Tai Shan would directly absorb that berserk-type spiritual qi and converted it into his own power. 

 

“Tch! I wouldn’t be surprise if this kind of guy was lucky to find the legacy of the biggest, baddest ancestor in history!” Just as Yan Xiaolong thought that, Tai Shan closed the distance between them and unleashed a mighty punch. His fist was like a black hole as it absorbed the spiritual qi in the surrounding to a single, concentrated point. 

 

“Heaven-Shattering Earth-Crushing God-Slaying Devil-Butchering... Dao-Fist!” The punch landed on Yan Xiaolong and shattered the defensive talisman on him. Next, Tai Shan unleashed a kick. Yan Xiaolong quickly pulled out several more defensive talismans.

 

“Sun-Destroying Moon-Collapsing Sea-Toppling Mountain-Shaking... Dao-Kick!” Once again, a defensive talisman shattered. 

 

“Emperor-Shaming King-Humiliating Elder-Spanking Ancestor-Beating... Dao-Slap!” For some reason, this dao technique was particularly strong and destroyed the other defensive talismans. 

 

“Why won’t the portal just open up already!?” Despite so many things happening, only a fraction of second had actually passed. Yan Xiaolong looked at the pile of spirit stones and, based on his calculation, it would take a whole minute before the portal activated. 

 

Taking out a few hundred low-grade Heaven-tier defensive talisman, he prepared himself for the worst. He placed his finger under the ice hoop and tried to loosen it as much as he could. At some point during the battle, the ice hoop was actually tightening and squeezing his throat.

 

He looked back at Han Xiaoling and saw her left hand squeezing tightly. He was sure that she was controlling it somehow. At this rate, although he would not die from lack of oxygen, he would most certainly die from his neck getting crushed. Of course, the rules prohibited that, but that did not stop him from taking a moment to think. Although this was not a true life-and-death situation, the danger was real and it took some time for Yan Xiaolong to realize that. 

 

"The world of immortal cultivation involves killing, scheming, and dying. This isn't a game, it's a lifetime. In the dream world, it was simply about grinding experience. Now, I'm in the real world, and I can die. Death isn't all that scary, but it would be a waste to give up a lifetime so quickly." 

 

“A two-on-one. An enemy in the front and an enemy in the back. Hah... It’s not like this is my first battle. Before, it was just fun and games. Now, this is an actual fight. Did my brain become tofu after relaxing for a few years?” 

 

"Winning means living. Losing means... submitting to that psycho... If that happens... can I even cultivate Dao!?" 

 

Yan Xiaolong sighed to himself before taking out the Dragon Soul Chains. They flew and grabbed onto Tai Shan’s right leg. 

 

Without any hesitation, Yan Xiaolong ignited the chains and flung Tai Shan far away. Then, he turned around and took a step forward,  quickly arrived before Han Xiaoling. Hand at fast as lightning, he gripped her throat and squeezed it. With his other hand, he grabbed both of her wrists, locking her in place. 

 

Shocked, Han Xiaoling maniacally poured frigid-type spiritual qi into Yan Xiaolong, but it was negated by the defensive talismans. Her eyes widen, completely aghast at his sudden turn in demeanor and power. 

 

"Y-Y-You-" 

 

"You shut up!" Yan Xiaolong spat. "Play time is over! You have two choices: let go or die!" 

 

Berserk-type spiritual qi rolled around him, making his eyes glow red and vicious. His peak-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation base thrummed and suppress her cultivation base. Now that he was serious, there was no way for Han Xiaoling to make a comeback, not unless she was in the same cultivation level as him. 

 

In response, she gripped her hand even tighter. Instead of backing down, she felt the need to be even more domineering. "Well? What's... your next move!?" 

 

"Still playing, are we!?" Eight tentacles emerged from Yan Xiaolong's lower back. They crawled around Han Xiaoling's body and stuck to her with their suckers. "First Style: Extreme Pleasure!" 

 

"AHHHHH!!!"

 

"AHHHHH!!!" 

 

They both screamed as they trade yang and yin essences. However, one was screaming in delight while the other scream in pain. 

 

Han Xiaoling: "W-What is this!? What kind of heavenly dao technique is this!?" 

 

Yan Xiaolong: "Why is her yin essence so damn cold!?" 

 

He retracted the tentacles, fearing that her yin essence would actually be too much for him bear. In fact, his fragile tentacles were completely stiff. Unbeknownst to him, cultivating the Winter Empress' Secret Art actually improve Han Xiaoling's innate yin essence by manifolds. As for himself, he lost his innate yang essence a long time ago so it was not as strong, but still effective enough to bring pleasure instead of burning.

 

The unexpected situation left him a bit abashed, something Han Xiaoling noticed. Staring into his eyes arrogantly, she said, "Well? What the hell was that? Is that all you got, Yan Xiaolong? Or... do you dare kill me!?" 

 

"No... I don't!" Yan Xiaolong let go of her neck... and then smacked her hard on the head! 

 

The berserk-type spiritual qi came in waves as it vibrated through Han Xiaoling's head. Her spiritual qi flowed toward her head to help, but she eventually lost consciousness. The ice hoop returned to its normal size. 

 

Yan Xiaolong grabbed her ankles and spun a few times before letting her go, flinging her somewhere far, far away. He could sense Tai Shan returning, full of rage and ferocity. He only ignored him and sped toward the portal. To his delight the portal was glowing with myriad colors.

 

There was ten seconds left before the portal completely opened. Yet, things were far from over.

 

Whoosh! 

 

In the corner of his eyes, Yan Xiaolong saw a shadow blurred toward the portal. As he had expected, there were people lurking in the darkness and waiting for the right opportunity to strike gold.

 

It was a young man in green clothing with a sword by his waist. He was devilishly handsome and seemed to be the type to cause mischief where ever he went. He also had a peak-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation base. When he saw Yan Xiaolong, he chuckled coldly and moved even faster toward the portal. 

 

"Stay right there, Xiao Jianshen!" 

 

"Xiao Jianshen, feeling like dying today!?" 

 

Two more shadows appeared. One was a fan-wielding young man in blue robes that a five-clawed golden dragon imprinted on it. He carried a haughty and sophisticated air with him, which gave anybody the impression that he was an important person from an important place. To his side was another young man, built like a small mountain, with a more tyrannical and defiant aura. This person carried an humongous bone club with sharp teeth around it. 

 

They were Prince Jiang Wei and Daoist King-Slayer! 

 

Crack! Rumble! 

 

The mountain of black and yellow suddenly disappeared, allowing Su Meimeng to regain consciousness. Her vision was blurry, but she could still sense the presence of the other cultivators. In a moment of desperation, she took a step forward and accelerated toward the portal. Now, there were six people competing to enter the portal. 

 

In the briefest of time, the calm disappeared and the storm arrived!