Twenty-Four, Warlord of the Stone

  Xun Daozi turned his head to take a look, and on the ground was a pile of broken stones. He raised his hand with some doubt, looking at it in surprise. He couldn't believe that this casual punch had shattered a large stone pillar, yet his hand didn't feel anything. In his heart, he felt quite strange: how did he have such great strength? His fist was also so hard. That stone pillar must have weighed several thousand catties, and its texture was dense, not something that should be easily broken.

  Actually, this was also unknown to Xun Daozi himself. When he transformed, he received the 99th Great Heavenly Tribulation Baptism, obtaining the power of the tribulation thunder to strengthen his body. His physical strength had long surpassed that of ordinary Honghuang cultivators and even the Witch Clan. In the Wudao Cave Mansion, he ate countless millions of years' worth of accumulated Nine Dragon Snow Jade Pine Nuts. Each million years, a pine nut would form, and consuming it according to the correct method could grant one the power of the nine dragons. Although Xun Daozi didn't know the correct consumption method, the sheer quantity was overwhelming, and he ate all the accumulated pine nuts from countless millions of years. Even if he only gained partial efficacy, his strength at this point far surpassed that of the Nine Dragons. Of course, this referred to ordinary dragon clans. Dragon clans were renowned for their robust physical bodies, and Xun Daozi also had the mutated Zhou Tian Gong constantly strengthening his physique. At this point, Xun Daozi's physical strength already far exceeded that of ordinary Witch Clan members, and his power was unimaginable. However, he had never truly tried it out, so he didn't have a true understanding of himself. At this moment, excitedly smashing a stone pillar weighing several thousand kilograms was nothing to him.

  Xun Daozi looked at his own fist that had shattered the stone pedestal, and with an even more intense excitement, a strong sense of combat rose up in his heart.

  At this time, Shi Yong beside heard the sound of Shi Duan being smashed, turned his head and saw a pile of broken stones beside Xun Daozi, while Xun Daozi was holding his fist and looking at him with an uncontrollable excitement on his face, but his whole body emitted a strong fighting spirit.

  Shi Yong's heart was also slightly shocked: he didn't think that this Xun Daozi still had some strength, and even the hard stone was easily crushed with one punch. Even if his tribesmen wanted to smash this hard stone, it wouldn't be easy. Seeing his battle intent rising, it seemed like he also wanted to come down and fight, so why not let him fight Shi Bao now and see how strong he really is?

  Shi Yong thought of this and immediately spoke up: "Dao Zhang, what do you think of my brother's martial skills?"

  Xun Daozi laughed and said: "Indeed a true hero! I admire you."

  Shi Yong also laughed and said: "Why doesn't Daozhang come down and give us some guidance?"

  Xun Daozi was also slightly moved by the words, but he still said: "You are all brave warriors with high skills, I don't need to show my ugliness."

  Shi Yongdao said: "Why be modest, Master Dao? I observe that you must be a highly skilled scholar. Given this opportunity, I hope you won't hesitate to instruct me."

  Xun Daozi hesitated for a moment: What I can do now is just 'Shangqing Sword Manual' and 'Tai Chi Fist', although I have fought with some wild beasts, but real combat has never been experienced. Why not take this opportunity to test how much my 'Shangqing Sword Manual' has mastered, can it really be used in actual combat? Can the 'Tai Chi Fist' that has been practiced for a long time be used in actual combat? This should be a rare opportunity.

  "Alright! Then I'll make a fool of myself. I hope you all won't laugh at me."

  Shi Yong saw Xunzi nodding in agreement and immediately stood up, making a polite gesture.

  Xun Daozi also stood up and gave way to Shi Yong.

  Shi Yong took big strides towards the center of the field, Xunzi also followed behind him walking towards the center.

  Two men, one in front of the other, came to the center of the stage and stood still. The people around them looked at Shi Yong and Xun Daozi with curiosity, wondering why they had come down to the stage.

  Shi Yong ignored the puzzled gazes around him and opened his mouth to say to the scar-faced big man, "Shi Ba, you are a brave warrior in our tribe, with few enemies within. Today is a joyous occasion as we have the arrival of Daoist Zidian at our residence. Daoist Zidian is an extraordinary person, and I wish to invite him to instruct my brothers on martial arts. Would you be willing to engage in a match with Daoist Zidian, so that our tribe members can witness his divine skills?"

  Shi Ba glanced at Xun Daozi, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes, and immediately replied: "Good! Let me experience the superior skills of the Taoist priest."

  Xun Daozi had just heard Shi Yong's words and was thinking to himself: This Shi Yong is so boastful, it seems he wants me to lose face. Just as he was thinking this, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of a hint of disdain in Shi Ba's eyes, and his heart couldn't help but stir up a sense of competitiveness: He actually looks down on me like that! I am a disciple of Yuan Shi, if I were to lose to this unknown witch tribe member, wouldn't it be a loss of face for the Three Purities? If my masters were to find out, they would surely look down on me, and in times of great calamity, they might not even bother to protect me. It seems that this battle must be fought with all my might, I must emerge victorious, and cannot afford to lose face.

  Upon hearing Shi Ba speak, Xun Dao bowed his head and said: "I dare not, I just want to exchange moves with you, hoping to learn some of the Wu tribe's powerful techniques."

  Shi Ba listened to Xun Daozi's words, his eyes showing even more disdain, and he didn't say a word. He simply stood casually in the middle of the room, making a beckoning gesture towards Xun Daozi.

  Shi Yong saw and turned around to walk out of the field.

  Xun Daozi saw Shi Bao standing there casually, seemingly not taking himself seriously. Xun thought to himself: "I don't know any powerful martial arts techniques either, why not use the 'Upper Clear Sword Manual' to fight him? The sword manual that can reach the heavens shouldn't be something an ordinary person can handle." At this time, he didn't have a sword in hand, and the 'Heart Protecting' sword couldn't be summoned. He usually practiced sword techniques empty-handed, so he decided to try using his empty hands to wield a sword.

  Thinking of this, Xun Daozi also made a "Shang Qing Chi Jian Jue" starting pose, his left hand pinched the key, his right hand held an imaginary sword and pointed quietly at the scar-faced strongman - Shi Bao. This was Xun Daozi's first real battle, and he still felt a little nervous in his heart, but his face remained extremely calm.

  Shi Ba saw Xun Daozi make a gesture, but didn't attack. Instead, he seemed to be waiting for Shi Ba to make the first move. This made Shi Ba feel a bit angry, as he was always the one who let others take the initiative. He never thought that someone would actually want him to make the first move. It looked like he needed to teach Xun Daozi a lesson. Unconsciously, Shi Ba clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes, but his eyes still flashed with cold light.

  But then Shi Ba's eyes suddenly opened wide, and with a loud thud, his nearly two-zhang-tall body sprang up like an arrow, charging towards Xun Daozi, whipping up a fierce gust of wind, and his massive fist smashed down on Xun Daozi without any flourish.

  Xun Daozi saw Shi Bao charging towards him like a mad wind, and compared to his own massive shadow, it brought a violent pressure. Xun Daozi had a feeling of being swept up by the storm. However, his eyes were still fixed on Shi Bao as he approached, trying to suppress the tension in his heart, silently reciting that this was just a sparring match, like practicing swordsmanship every day, nothing to worry about.

  But when Shi Bao was still nearly two zhang away from him, Xun Daozi could no longer bear the tension in his heart. He raised his hand, and the first move of "Shang Qing Sword Manual" stabbed towards Shi Bao. Unknowingly, whether it was due to tension or excitement, Xun Daozi's sword move unexpectedly matched the sword intent of "Shang Qing Sword Manual". Although there was no sword in his hand, he stabbed out a series of sword energies. Although it was just one sword move, it was like stabbing out thousands and tens of thousands of swords. The sword energies carried the unrestrained and unbridled sword intent of "Shang Qing Sword Manual", which was like a stormy sky, stabbing towards Shi Bao who was charging over like a mad wind.

  Shi Ba was filled with rage, his momentum like a thunderbolt, wanting to knock the detestable Taoist priest to the ground with one punch, letting him taste the feeling of being knocked down and see the power of my Wu tribe.

  Shi Ba, with a fierce gust of wind, quickly approached Xun Daozi. The scars on his face grew more sinister, and with over 10 feet of distance left, his massive fist was about to smash into the detestable Taoist's head. Yet, that detestable guy still hadn't moved, and Shi Ba couldn't help but fantasize about the sensation of his fist smashing into Xun Daozi's head.

  Just then, Shi Ba instinctively felt a sense of danger and was startled in his heart. He instinctively slowed down for a moment and reined in the force with which he had been charging forward.

  Just as Shi Ba slowed down his momentum, he saw Xun Daozi move, raising his hand to stab at him. This one stab made Shi Ba's face turn pale with shock. He only felt a shocking sword intent rising up, and wave after wave of unmatched sword energy stabbing towards him. His body's instincts told him that if these sword energies hit him, his body would absolutely be unable to withstand them, and he would lose his life.

  Shi Ba was now anxious, regretful and slightly relieved. He regretted underestimating Xun Daozi, not thinking he would be so formidable. The relief came from the fact that he had slowed down his forward momentum a bit earlier, gathering himself and gaining some flexibility to react. He was also relieved that Xun Daozi's attack had come a little too early, giving him room to react; if it had been launched at a slightly closer distance, he would have been left with no choice but to wait for death, completely losing any chance of reacting.

  Shi Ba instantly retracted his forward momentum, using all his might to retreat backwards. As he retreated, he transformed into a bear-headed leopard with wings on its ribs, its two feet touching the ground with claws at the tips. Its two front arms were thick and clawed, waving back and forth as it emitted rays of light to deflect the sword energy. At the same time, Shi Ba was extremely agile, dodging and weaving to avoid attacks, letting out a series of roars from his mouth.

  After Xun Daozi stabbed out that one sword, he saw Shi Bao suddenly stop his forward charge and instead retreated with all his might. As he retreated, he transformed into a monster with the head of a bear and the body of a leopard, with wings growing from its ribs. It dodged and weaved continuously, and Xun Daozi didn't stab out a second sword. He withdrew his hand and stood still, quietly watching Shi Bao as he desperately dodged and weaved.

  This was the first time Xun Daozi had used the "Upper Clear Sword Manual" in battle, and he didn't know its true power. Moreover, he couldn't control the sword energy, and hadn't expected it to be so powerful. But this was just a test, if he accidentally hurt someone, that would be bad. He also didn't know whether Shi Bao could dodge it.

  Although Xun Daozi's face was calm, his heart was also filled with anxiety.

  Shi Ba barely escaped the sword aura by retreating over twenty feet, but still couldn't completely avoid it. He only managed to dodge the vital areas, and now stood on the ground with a lingering fear in his heart, having broken out in cold sweat. The entire scene was also extremely pathetic, with the wounds caused by the sword aura being shocking to behold.

  The onlookers around them also gasped in unison, no one had expected such a turn of events. With just one move, Shi Ba, who rarely met his match among their kin, nearly lost his life. This was too terrifying. Everyone's eyes widened in incredulity.

  In no time, the surroundings suddenly erupted in a burst of applause. The Witch tribe was a race that revered fighting and also worshipped the strong. Xun Daozi had demonstrated great strength in his battle with Shi Ba, earning the respect of the Witch tribe's people. Of course, this was under the condition that Shi Ba did not suffer any real danger to his life. If Shi Ba were injured or killed during this trial, it was likely that the entire Witch tribe would rise up and kill Xun Daozi in revenge. At this time, however, Shi Ba had only suffered minor external injuries, which for the Witch tribe was nothing worth mentioning, and he would be fully recovered within half a day.

  At this time, Shi Yong, who was standing outside the field, was also shocked. He had seen Xun Daozi casually smash a stone pillar made of Gangshi with one punch, and he suspected that Xun Daozi was not simple, but he didn't think it was so fierce. At this moment, seeing Xun Daozi make his move, with his eyesight, he knew that the move was extraordinary, and the fighting spirit in his heart was stirred up, and he couldn't help but rise up the idea of fighting Xun Daozi.

  As soon as he made up his mind, Shi Yong lifted his leg and was about to step into the arena...

  It's weekend, wish you all have a great weekend!