Shrouding the Heavens: The Ultimate Daoist Venerable

Chapter 147 A Disagreement
King Yuanxiang actually closed his eyes and began to regulate his breathing, completely catching him off guard. Although he had expended some energy and suffered some minor injuries in the previous two battles, they had not had a significant impact on his physical body. The intervals between battles were enough for him to recover these basic losses.

In fact, his consecutive victories without taking breaks were a form of preparation. This process heightened his morale, allowing him to focus better and perform at his best; at the same time, it also created a psychological deterrent effect on his opponents.

Before Emperor Hengyu of later generations attained enlightenment, he faced challenges from others in the starry sky and killed twelve quasi-emperors, thus gaining invincibility and making no one in the universe dare to compete with him for the throne.

Speaking of which, among these twelve quasi-emperors are twin quasi-emperors from the Kunlun clan. It can only be said that no matter which timeline, the Kunlun clan is prone to attracting hatred and encountering powerful figures.

Although Yuan Xiangwang himself did not subjectively intend to build up his power, it still had an intangible impact on his own and others' psychology.

Chongxu's statement was, in fact, partly to interrupt the accumulation of this invincible momentum, and partly to adjust his own state.

Watching the battle, he felt panic and fear, but also an unprecedented excitement. The Yuanxiang King before him was undoubtedly a true young supreme being, and most likely stronger and more promising than the four demon supreme beings who had appeared before. To be able to clash with such an opponent was undoubtedly the best trial to prove himself.

At this moment, he had briefly set aside the honors and future he carried, focusing solely on this battle with the most concentrated and pure mind. After all, this might be the most important battle before he embarked on the ancient path of the stars.

Yuanxiang King quickly finished his meditation, recovering from the previous consumption that actually had little impact, and adjusting himself to his optimal state.

He stood up and said, "I thought you would take this opportunity to make a move."

Having cleared his mind of all distractions, leaving only the purest heart yearning for the Dao, Chongxu said, "Why do you say that? Do you think I am the kind of person who lacks martial virtue?"

Yuanxiang King stared into his eyes, but saw only pure fighting spirit. He immediately revealed a bright smile and said, "Because in my eyes, you are a person bound by countless shackles, unable to truly be yourself."

"You are just like the Demon Ape King and the Mad Lion King, suffocated by things like race, heritage, and the future. You dare to think but not to act, and you can't even follow your own heart. What does it mean for such people to abandon some of their personal principles for the sake of the burden they carry? Perhaps, when you do this, you will feel that you have made a great sacrifice and thus gain an unprecedented sense of satisfaction."

"Actually, I'm quite disappointed in the other demon kings. Just before the battle began, I told them that for the future of the demon race, I would be solely responsible for this conference, a decision that had already been approved by the Great Sage Xuantu. And yet, they simply abandoned their decades of preparation and expressed their approval."

"At that time, I really hoped that one of them would say to me, 'Who do you think you are, King Yuanxiang? What right do you have to tell me what to do? Great Sage Xuantu is powerful now, but I will surpass him sooner or later. His words cannot restrain me!'"

"But unfortunately, they used this high-sounding excuse about the future of the demon race to convince themselves, and then they really didn't go into battle."

“I thought you would do the same. After all, you had previously defeated King Feihua and Queen Baihe and then promoted it extensively to inspire your people, becoming a symbol of your clan.”

"Therefore, you should naturally have to temporarily abandon your principles for the sake of humanity's victory and use some less-than-honorable means to increase your chances of winning while I am healing. After all, you should already know that there is little chance of defeating me."

"But I seem to have misjudged you. You actually managed to put all that aside and just want to compete with me. Interesting, very interesting indeed."

Chongxu said, "Oh? You, the future leader of the demon race who came out of the Cave of Ten Thousand Demons, don't you care about the demon race at all?"

King Yuanxiang stood with his hands behind his back, sighing softly, "What races, futures, grand undertakings—all these things are utterly laughable. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, the Celestial Venerable Lingbao already told us that grand plans and grand undertakings, ten-thousand-year schemes, are nothing but a joke in the eyes of the Celestial Venerable. Only attaining the Dao is the true great undertaking." "They want to use me to achieve their so-called great undertaking of the demon race, and I also want to use them to achieve my ideal of attaining the Dao. It's just mutual exploitation, each getting what they need. Personally speaking, what demon race is there in this world? It's just an alliance of all races."

Yuanxiang King's words could be described as utterly rebellious. A young supreme being nurtured by the demon race with all their might was expressing that he didn't even really agree with the very concept of the demon race's existence.

The demon cultivators below the stage fell silent, unsure of what to think.

The Great Sage Qian Yuan said, "This prodigy cultivated by your demon race is truly unique."

The Great Sage Xuantu remained relaxed, saying casually, "What's the big deal? He's telling the truth. Our demon race is an alliance formed based on a common ideal. Although we are not of the same race, we are as close as if we were of the same race."

"As for the mutual exploitation, we hope he will attain enlightenment and change everything, and he also needs our support. Since the cooperation is pleasant, what's wrong with that? Don't you humans also concentrate your best resources on the most outstanding individuals, hoping that they can surpass their predecessors and thus gain more rewards?"

"It's just that you humans wear a cloak of benevolence and morality, while we are more direct."

The words of the Great Sage Xuantu immediately calmed the complex thoughts of the demon cultivators.

Chongxu on the stage shook his head and said, "It seems that we are ultimately not on the same page. I was able to let go of everything only because there is one person in my human race who can take on all of this for me, so I acted a little willfully."

"But I won't be like you, only thinking of myself and ignoring others."

Yuanxiang King said, "There's another person? Is it that Wuji? You actually have such a high opinion of him, then I'm going to get excited. After defeating you, I'll go and test whether he can really shoulder the heavy burdens you say he can."

With that, King Yuanxiang launched his first attack.

His inner energy was contained, and his entire body became like flawless white jade, radiating an astonishing aura. He took a step, and his whole body rushed out like an arrow released from a bow. Every step made the entire battle platform tremble, as if countless forces were gathered in one place, seemingly capable of destroying everything and unstoppable.

In the blink of an eye, he arrived in front of Chongxu, and threw a punch with his right fist, like a meteorite hitting the ground, bringing endless destructive power.

Chongxu neither dodged nor avoided, his palm shimmering with immortal light, where pure and turbid energies intertwined and converged, as if evolving the scene of the beginning of heaven and earth, and seemingly containing the wonder of yin and yang mutually generating each other.

This is the supreme secret technique of the Xuanqing Sacred Land, the Great Handprint of Purification and Turbidity, which is said to be an unparalleled divine power derived by its founder from observing the Taiji diagram of the Heavenly Venerable of Morality.

Chongxu not only mastered this method, but also obtained a pure and innate energy and a foul energy formed by the convergence of countless impure energies. He refined them into his palm, making this supernatural power even more advanced.

boom!
A deafening roar erupted, as if mountains and rivers were shattering and the void itself was shaking; the terrifying force spread outwards.

(End of this chapter)