Wu Baozhai and Xue Yifei both stared in Tian Yinwu's direction and while their outward expressions were calm, their eyes glinted with a barely perceptible light of astonishment. The Astralis Sacred Fruit was taken away right beneath their eyes! Despite their direct intervention!
Truthfully, the two didn't care in the slightest about the Astralis Sacred Fruit. The value of the fruit wasn't in the fruit itself but the prestige gained from obtaining it. This was why neither Wu Baozhai nor Xue Yifei came to blows for it despite both wanting it. The fruit simply wasn't worth an iota of their refined starforce.
"Tian Yinwu." Wu Baozhai frowned slightly, exuding a tyrannically imposing aura of the Imperial Heaven wafted out from her slender physique. She had sent this to Xue Yifei via spiritual transmission so that no one else was aware. In the eyes of almost everyone, Xue Yifei and Wu Baozhai had likely decided ownership of the fruit. Due to this, the atmosphere grew tense as people awaited the results.
If it was Wu Baozhai, Xue Yifei's sporadic loyalists would wait for the order to besiege the Eternal Monarch Saintess. If it was Xue Yifei...everyone wished it wasn't Xue Yifei. Those seeking favor from Xue Yifei could assist her while those who've yet to side with her could act and fairly try to seize the treasure if it was Wu Baozhai, but not if it was her. While a chaotic battle might unfold, they could still try! That gave them hope.
Xue Yifei's hazel eyes glinted. Then, she smiled. "She obtained the fruit," her words were airy, light, and direct while pointing at Wu Baozhai. The Eternal Monarch Saintess was already ready to jet off to retrieve the fruit when Xue Yifei's words rang in the air, her expression changing slightly as a blank, shocked pair of eyes stared at the Dragonborn Saintess.
Before Wu Baozhai could question her, Xue Yifei revealed a gloriously beautiful smile rife with knowing amusement. "Get it for me." After giving out this four- word instruction bearing the weight of an Imperial Edict, she stepped forward and lightly tapped her foot on the tree branch as she propelled herself with her physical body. She was fast!
Regardless of her speed, no one dared to stop her! She was the Dragonborn Saintess, but her world- renowned status as Wei Wuyin's sole officially- recognized concubine and the temporary Empress of the Neo-Dawn Starfield was sufficient to put the fear of heaven into each of them! Touch her? Stop her? They'd rather fight the devils of ancient myth!
"..." Wu Baozhai's expression instantly darkened as Spiritual Senses descended upon her en masse. The air crackled as a ragingly thunderous storm of spiritual strength erupted where she stood. This Spiritual Strength was from Realmlord, Timelord, and even Starlord Chosen-level cultivators. Moreover, these individuals were from both sides of the conflict pond, essentially all of the Chosen present!
Thousands!
Tens of thousands!
"Ha!" Wu Baozhai didn't waste time nor tried to convince them of what really happened; her Imperial Heaven Aura was directly unleashed! A heavensuppressing storm contested the Spiritual Strength of tens of thousands of Chosen-level existences!
A single valiant woman faced the ferocious might of tens of thousands of Chosen! The Eternal Monarch Saintess! Wu Baozhai might be intelligent, but she was of Wu Yu's Grand Monarch Lineage, and her will was as imposing as Heaven itself, her bloodline burned hot with arrogance and imperialistic authority, and her pride was unable to be stepped on!
Fight?
Tens of thousands?
"Not enough!" Wu Baozhai rushed toward the crowd of gathering Chosen all with the intent to take her down!
Xue Yifei could feel the earth-shakingly explosive shockwaves from behind her, but she didn't look back not once nor even had a wrinkle of a frown on her beautiful expression, utterly calm and relaxed. She was fully aware that Wu Baozhai would figure out her intent if she hadn't already. If so, she expected thanks later.
No longer paying the cataclysmically developing battle behind her any attention, her hazel eyes reflected Na Xinyi's swift figure as she flew directly toward Tian Yinwu! The Extreme Yin Saintess was incredibly energetic and quite clearly pissed. She had moved faster than she did!
"Xinyi..." Xue Yifei couldn't help but worry as she recalled Wei Wuyin's warnings. Before the third stage of the Chosen King Competition, there were a few figures to avoid, and one of those was none other than the Seventh Imperial Prince of the Imperial Clan, Tian Yinwu!
She touched her sash that tightly hugged her slender waist. It was light grey, exuding no type of aura, but when she grazed it lightly, faint esoteric runes manifested. They emanated the auras of time, space, gravity, and light. She took another step forward and her entire figure warped outright, vanishingly entirely as if merging with space itself.
Na Xinyi wore an utterly indifferent expression, but her eyes exuded a wisp of infuriated anger, almost palpable. Her speed was mind-boggling, so much so that those who wanted to seize the fruit were still tensely staring at her illusory afterimage as she long since left. By the time her image began to dissipate, she was already halfway to Tian Yinwu!
Tian Jianghan was astonished by Na Xinyi. "The Extreme Yin Saintess!" While he was normally lazy, even he felt a string of desire tug at his heart and nether regions at the mere sight of her. Moreover, her Yin Aura was beyond stimulating. As a cultivator, a male cultivator, every mortal cell in his body wanted a taste.
"..." Tian Yinwu, however, lifted only a single left brow curiously. His beautifully handsome face had a faintly thoughtful expression as the light of calculation surged in his eyes. While he was undergoing a series of considerations, Tian Jianghan uncharacteristically remembered that the Extreme Yin Saintess was single, and she was once betrothed by Imperial Edict to a competition's winner, but she challenged the Imperial Clan's pride, dominating and rejecting them all!
Tian Jianghan hadn't participated during that time, nor had Tian Yinwu, but the stories left him curious. He had his pride, and the Imperial Advisor clearly wanted to shamelessly exhaust Na Xinyi with numbers and send out the big shots after, but he refused to do so. Given his lazy and prideful personality, this was expected by everyone.
But now, after seeing her, his heart couldn't help but form a wisp of blaze. He remembered that the Imperial Edict and the challenge conditions were still in effect; the itch to challenge Na Xinyi was unbearable. Moreover, there was no unfairness here!
"I'll talk to her," Tian Jianghan said to Tian Yinwu. The latter was taken aback, giving Tian Jianghan a look. Before he could say a word, the Fifth Imperial Prince was already moving. He jumped forward!
Na Xinyi was focused on Tian Yinwu, her Spiritual Sense bore down with honed focus, unwilling to suffer a loss at his hands. But just as she was about to make her move, Tian Jianghan shot forward with a leaping move, his eyes glinting with a familiar light that she had seen thousands, no, millions of times before.
He used sword rays to tether his existence to the air, directly moving in her path. As he did, the world shook slightly as a sharp aura pervaded the air.
Na Xinyi halted her flight, her eyes glancing at the surroundings. "Sword Heart Intent?" She softly said with a little bit of surprise. Sword Heart Intent was a profound level of Intent that could allow one to become a true Sword King, and rarely, if ever, was it on a mortal!
Tian Jianghan had hidden himself thoroughly! He was a peerless genius of the sword!
"You..." Tian Jianghan was taken aback by Na Xinyi's sharp insight, realizing that his trump card was instantly exposed despite his attempts to hide it. If it was anyone else, they wouldn't have been able to figure it out so easily, but Na Xinyi was intimately familiar with Ethereal-type World Heart Intents.
It took a while for him to regain himself as he shook his head, "Of course. You're the Extreme Yin Saintess, so trying to hide this bit from you was likely never going to work." He praised, remembering once again that Na Xinyi was often spoken of in the same breath as Tian Yinwu and Wei Wuyin. In truth, he never felt she was worthy enough for such a right. Both of those existences were simply TOO outstanding! But, if she was placed on that level, she should be able to do at least this much, right?
"..." Na Xinyi didn't reply to his praise, only indifferently saying: "Move."
Tian Jianghan's lazy expression perked up as he subconsciously exuded the aura of a swordsman. "Forgive me for this, but I'd like to see the strength of the Extreme Yin Saintess myself!" As he said this, his bearing grew explosively as Sword Heart Intent flared!
The desperate chase between Lin Ming and the Chosen and the ferocious fight between Wu Baozhai and the Chosen came to an abrupt stop as sword light flashed across the sky. The tiny-sized planet of Everworld was unable to bear the impact of the Sword Heart Intent's worldly influence. Across the planet, on trees, the ground, lakes, and the air itself, sword scars manifested without warning!
These were converted sword energy!
The eyes of all the Chosen turned to Tian Jianghan.
Na Xinyi was utterly indifferent as a cold light glistened in her eyes. With two outstretched fingers, she formed a sword of Yin. The killing intent roiling from those two fingers was earth-shattering!
Tian Jianghan's heart shook slightly, but his Sword Heart Intent flared intensely, ferociously shattering the influence of the killing intent.
"Die." Na Xinyi didn't even have the slightest emotion as all eyes fell on her. She swung her two fingers from afar, and the stretch of sky grew illusory!
Tian Jianghan's eyes widened uncontrollably! His pupils constricted as sword light flashed wildly from his body, but as they reached a few tens of feet from him, they grew increasingly illusory and weak as if their substance was being depleted! The sword of Yin felt as if it was slicing across creation, eliminating the growth of the world itself, returning it to its purest form of insubstantial form!
Tian Yinwu frowned slightly, taking a step forward at this critical moment.
ROAR!!!
A draconic roar exploded into the sky, shaking the illusory sky as the substance of the world returned!
Xue Yifei's slender figure stood before Na Xinyi, the sword of Yin at her throat. There were small, intricately beautiful scales of blood-red color blocking the sword!
"Are you trying to destroy this entire world?" Xue Yifei questioned with a flat tone.
Na Xinyi's eyes narrowed.
Tian Jianghan was behind Tian Yinwu, who held out a single hand toward Na Xinyi's direction, gazing at the Extreme Yin Saintess with genuine interest.
"Gargh!" Tian Jianghan's spewed out a mouthful of blood that was lacking in vitality. It was the blood of the dead! His countenance was incomparably pale and ghostly, seemingly as if he just escaped from purgatory itself.
Tian Yinwu's eyes brightened. What a profound Yin Force! It had negated yang, vitality, and substance! This was very different from siphoning or absorbing, the Yin Force was directly eliminating the yang properties of creation via overwhelming Yin!
Tian Yinwu thought for a moment, and then he brought out an Astralis Sacred Fruit. With a simple toss, he threw it toward Na Xinyi.
Na Xinyi's eyes barely moved as she used a wisp of Spiritual Force to bring the fruit to her, keeping it floating by her side for all the see. Only then did she remove her sword of Yin formed from her fingers from Xue Yifei's neck.
Na Xinyi gave Xue Yifei a deep look, and then openly sighed. She understood some things, but she didn't like having anything stolen from her. She quietly sent out an apology to Xue Yifei, mostly because she couldn't stop her attack before touching her, as she had appeared literally out of nowhere, and then flew back toward the apple tree without any further words.
Xue Yifei watched Na Xinyi leave without a fuss, feeling relieved inside. There was a reason why Everworld suppressed various powers such as Worldly Domains, and that was for the sake of self- preservation. If she allowed Tian Yinwu and Na Xinyi to fight here, the Chosen King Competition would end then and there as the planet collapsed.
At the very least, they'd have to wait for the third stage.
Xue Yifei then turned toward Tian Yinwu; she held out her hand, causing countless eyes to focus on her and noticing Tian Yinwu finally! The Seventh Prince!
Tian Yinwu gave a small smile that dazzled the hearts of all spectators. He brought out another Astralis Sacred Fruit and threw it over. Xue Yifei caught the fruit, smiled in return, and promptly left without complicating the situation further.
While all this went down, Lin Ming who was haggard looking as exhaustion flashed across his face was wide-eyed as rage flashed through his expression!
"Tian Yinwu!" He growled with a bestial tone as he realized the one responsible for taking his Astralis Sacred Fruit! He decided to rush over and claim his fruit!
But just as he was about to move, the apple tree began to glow with bright golden light!
San Yongli's expression darkened as she increased her shoveling with her cultivation base, not caring if it disturbed the world! She needed to find that root! But time was closing, and while she kept digging, the world didn't wait for her as the bodies of the Chosen began to exude bright silvery light amidst the radiant gold glow!
The first stage was over!
San Luoyang's expression was unsightly as he realized San Yongli didn't have enough time to dig for the Astralis Root. He tried to interface with the Ever-Key to delay the spatial shift, but Na Xinyi's lingering Yin Force seemed to have affected his control!
He was astonished. What type of power could do that? Not letting himself get distracted by marveling in shock, he decided to grab the Ever-Key, directing showcasing the 3D design of Everworld, and hurriedly concentrated on the base of the tree.
"The main root is gone?" Instantly, he realized why San Yongli couldn't find the root. But he acted fast, locating the secondary Astralis Root, the root meant to be a contingency for if the main root was harmed somehow. While significantly smaller and weaker, it'll have to do!
He exerted his cultivation base as the Ever-Key dragged out the root, directly causing the ground beneath San Yongli to break apart, revealing the root!
San Yongli's eyes glowed as she reached out, grabbing it anxiously, and then feeling the power of space wash over her! In the nick of time, she had seized the root!
But San Luoyang's expression was incomparably dark; the implications of his actions today will likely affect several Chosen King Competitions in the future...
"Haaa..." He sighed heavily in his heart as blood leaked from his lips.
"You must make it to the third stage," San Luoyang gently said as he weakly sat. The Ever-Key's influential power grew considerably weaker in the second stage. He couldn't help but any longer.
Now, it was all up to her.
