Chapter 68 - 65: Mo Qianqian Battles Ling Lan

CLANG!

A violent sound of clashing metal rang out. Everyone watched as Wanya was sent flying backward by the sheer force of the impact. Her body didn’t hit the ground until she was over sixty feet away, her feet stumbling as she retreated a dozen more steps before finally coming to a halt.

"How is this possible?"

In that instant, everyone was utterly stunned, their minds struggling to process the scene. A First Realm Seventh Layer against a Seventh Level of Spirit Xuan Realm—a gap of an entire major cultivation realm! How could Mo Qianqian send someone at the Seventh Level of Spirit Xuan Realm flying with such a casual strike? Even if his opponent were just an ordinary cultivator at that level... But Wanya was no ordinary cultivator at the Seventh Level of Spirit Xuan Realm; she was a genius ranked in the top twenty of the Hidden Dragon List.

The only ones present who remained relatively composed were those who already knew of Mo Qianqian’s true strength.

"You... what is your cultivation level?" Wanya asked, deep astonishment written all over her face.

"Second Realm First Layer!" Mo Qianqian answered truthfully.

"Second Realm First Layer? Aren’t you at the First Realm Seventh Layer?" Wanya couldn’t help but ask.

"That was many days ago," Mo Qianqian replied.

"What? It’s been less than ten days, and he broke through from the First Realm Seventh Layer to the Second Realm First Layer?" The crowd was astonished. They even suspected that Mo Qianqian was deliberately bluffing. To break through several layers in such a short time, not to mention crossing a major realm... This speed was simply unbelievable. Expressions of doubt appeared on the faces of many.

"You... alright, I admit defeat!" Wanya sighed, then directly stepped back.

"Wanya, did you do that on purpose? Are you helping Mo Qianqian?" Ling Lan shouted coldly.

"On purpose? Why don’t you try it yourself? His combat strength is so great that I can’t beat him. Do you expect me to keep fighting?" Wanya retorted.

"Is it real or fake? Why do I feel like it was a rigged fight? Even if he is at the Second Realm First Layer, someone at the Seventh Level of Spirit Xuan Realm wouldn’t lose this easily, right?"

"Could the Ten Thousand Spirits Pavilion be trying to help Mo Qianqian? Did they use the gambling match as an excuse to deliberately lose to him?"

"It’s highly likely. I heard the Qingcheng Ten Thousand Spirits Pavilion helped Mo Qianqian before. They might even be in league with him."

The crowd began to murmur with suspicion. The fight between the two had been far too simple. Neither of them had revealed any powerful trump cards. It was just a basic strike, a single clash. Wanya was knocked back and immediately admitted defeat. This was completely different from the thrilling battle of geniuses they had imagined.

Qin Long and Hou Xuanyun couldn’t help but exclaim in their hearts, "So that’s how it is!" Otherwise, it would be too difficult for them to accept that Mo Qianqian possessed such tremendous combat strength. After all, they were still planning to hunt him down today. If he really had such terrifying power, why did he run away? Wouldn’t he have just killed them all and been done with it?

"Wanya, this is the Ling Family’s business. If you dare to interfere, don’t blame us for showing no mercy!"

"That’s right! Our Ling Family and the Ten Thousand Spirits Pavilion mind our own business, but we must eliminate a disloyal and unrighteous scoundrel like Mo Qianqian. No one can stop us!"

"The Ling Family is unstoppable. Helping Mo Qianqian will do you more harm than good!"

A group of youths from the Ling Family shouted angrily one after another.

Wanya, however, calmly replied, "We lost the bet, and we will honor our promise to help Mo Qianqian once. But I really didn’t lose on purpose. If you don’t believe me, why don’t you try him yourselves?"

"Hmph, quite the cheap trick from your Ten Thousand Spirits Pavilion!" Ling Lan stepped forward directly, longsword in hand, deliberately releasing her aura at the Ninth Level of Spirit Profound Realm. "Mo Qianqian, let me see what you’re made of!"

With that, Ling Lan lunged toward Mo Qianqian with incredible speed. "Mo Qianqian, step out and meet your death!"

The crowd secretly thought to themselves, "She’s at the Ninth Level of Spirit Profound Realm! We don’t believe Mo Qianqian can still defeat her! Mo Qianqian is guaranteed to lose! The fight with Wanya was definitely rigged. Even if Mo Qianqian has truly reached the Second Realm First Layer, it is absolutely impossible for him to contend with the Ninth Level of Spirit Profound Realm!"

Qin Long and Hou Xuanyun also believed that Mo Qianqian’s bluff would certainly be exposed this time.

In truth, even the Yuling Sect Master frowned slightly. She had personally seen that Mo Qianqian was capable of killing an Elder at the Spiritual Mysterious Realm Eighth Layer, but against a genius at the Ninth Level of Spirit Profound Realm, the outcome was hard to predict.

Having won the bet and secured the Ten Thousand Spirits Pavilion’s promise of assistance, Mo Qianqian had no intention of holding back against his enemies either. Right off the bat, he activated the second move of the Vast Spear Technique!

"Righteous Qi Devouring Heaven and Earth!"

Mo Qianqian charged forward ferociously, his body radiating a dense, vast righteous energy. He embodied a world-swallowing aura, faintly exuding a majestic bearing that bespoke invincibility, fearlessness, and the absolute power to suppress everything past and present.

"I shall conquer the mountains and rivers!"

Mo Qianqian raised his spear to the sky with both hands and swung it heavily down toward the charging Ling Lan.

Ling Lan’s expression drastically changed. She unleashed an incredibly powerful strike, her body bursting with an unmatched, piercing momentum. Her terrifying sword struck with an unstoppable force, tearing through the air to slash upward against the descending spear.

CLANG!

An earth-shattering sound of clashing metal rang out. As the spear and sword met, a shockwave of energy exploded outward. Mo Qianqian’s spear smashed into Ling Lan’s longsword with such force that the blade flipped. The spear, pressing flat against the sword, crashed heavily onto Ling Lan’s shoulder.

SPLAT!

Blood splattered from Ling Lan’s shoulder, a chunk of it completely shattered by the impact. A large mouthful of blood spewed from her lips, and the crushing pressure forced her knees to slam heavily onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"What???"

At this moment, everyone’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief. The entire area instantly fell dead silent. One strike—just a single strike—and Ling Lan was smashed to her knees by Mo Qianqian, severely wounded? How was this possible? Ling Lan was an apex genius of the Ling Family, a Ninth Level of Spirit Profound Realm cultivator ranked thirteenth on the Hidden Dragon List! How could she be defeated by Mo Qianqian in a single blow?

The youths of the Ling Family were reeling, unable to accept the reality unfolding before their eyes. The members of the Yuwen Clan and the Lie Family were similarly dumbfounded.

Especially Lieqi.

He was only at the Spiritual Mysterious Realm Eighth Layer. Though confident enough to exchange blows with Ling Lan, he knew he was ultimately no match for her. Yet even Ling Lan couldn’t withstand a single strike from Mo Qianqian. If he had been the one to fight Mo Qianqian just now, wouldn’t he have been killed instantly?

"Now do you know why I stopped you?" An experienced old man beside Lieqi spoke up. "This is exactly how your brother lost back then. He didn’t think Mo Qianqian had the strength to fight him either.

"But the fact remains: Mo Qianqian will always exceed expectations.

"After your brother was defeated, he said one thing: ’You can underestimate anyone, but you must never underestimate Mo Qianqian!’"

Lieqi’s heart trembled. His brother was now ranked in the top five of the Hidden Dragon List, and his cultivation had long since surpassed Mo Qianqian’s. Yet, he had never sought revenge against him. It was hard to imagine that an arrogant genius like his brother would say such a thing.

If the old man had said this earlier, Lieqi would neither have believed it nor taken it seriously. But now, he believed it!

The person who was once ranked first on the Hidden Dragon List was absolutely not simple!