Chapter 265: Ranking Soars, Tianshi Sect Also Takes Notice of Zhao Xing?

"Sir Liu, someone is looking into your apprentice." In a fragrant, quiet private room on the Biyou warship, Princess Youruo walked up to Liu Tianning.

"Investigating my apprentice?" Liu Tianning frowned. "Who is it?"

Princess Youruo handed him the letter. "It's Meng Kun and Gu Changqing from Kunyuan Academy. They were sent by the imperial court to prepare the arena."

Liu Tianning opened the letter. "What do they want?"

Princess Youruo smiled. "They're interested in him. Meng Kun and Gu Changqing want to transfer Zhao Xing. Since they aren't stationed in Pinghai Province, they can only arrange the transfer through Kunyuan Academy."

It's difficult to manage official transfers within a province if you're not based there.

Only the Seventy-Two Daoist Academies have branches across all nineteen provinces, making transfers through their channels much more convenient.

"They're in Daoyuan Province, but they're interested in my disciple?" Liu Tianning's brow relaxed. As long as they weren't trying to harm Zhao Xing, there was no issue.

"Meng Kun sent someone to find me," Princess Youruo said. "He mentioned that Zhao Xing comprehended their deployed Qi-Drawing Dungeon in the First Heaven, achieving mastery of high-tier spells. He also said that working at the Dragon Horse Stables is a waste of his talent..."

Princess Youruo rested her chin on Liu Tianning's shoulder. "In short, they believe Zhao Xing is a genius of the Geomancy Faction and want to take him from me."

"Don't they know Zhao Xing is my student?"

"They do," Princess Youruo murmured, wrapping her arms around Liu Tianning's waist and whispering in his ear. "But they don't care. They just see Zhao Xing as a promising talent for the Geomancy Faction and even pleaded with me."

Liu Tianning frowned, not because Meng Kun and Gu Changqing were interested in his student, but because Princess Youruo was licking his ear and her hands were starting to wander.

"I don't care what they think," Liu Tianning said, turning and placing the letter on the table. "But they can't use force. Zhao Xing must want the transfer himself."

Princess Youruo shadowed him, flicking her sleeves before sitting down beside Liu Tianning. "You're quite open-minded. Aren't you afraid that young Chen An might be swayed to join the Geomancy Faction and abandon your Myriad Laws Strawman cultivation?"

"He won't."

"You have quite a lot of confidence in him." Princess Youruo's slender fingers held the letter. "It says here that if Zhao Xing goes, he'll immediately become a Master of Preaching at the Genchuan Branch, can become a Doctor of Classics within five years, and is guaranteed to be a Vice Dean within twenty years."

Liu Tianning chuckled. "Shared aspirations are the most unshakable bond in this world, far more reliable than promises of high office or lavish rewards."

"Whether he goes or not, he will absolutely not abandon the cultivation of the Myriad Laws Strawman."

The Myriad Laws pursue the ultimate truth of the Dao, a threshold others can't even enter. Zhao Xing has already begun this path; how could he possibly abandon it?

Take Pang Xianyun, whom he defeated two years ago. Even if he, a third-rank cultivator, switched to the True Self Faction and resumed research, he might not achieve much.

As for what faction Zhao Xing truly belongs to?

Liu Tianning didn't care, as he had no factional ideology whatsoever.

On the contrary, he detested academic cliques and factional disputes.

It was only because his past actions were irreparable and relations couldn't be mended that Liu Tianning didn't unify the three factions himself.

"So I'll do as you say?" Princess Youruo asked. "Are you really not concerned at all?"

"Why should I be concerned?" Liu Tianning smiled. "It's a good thing for a disciple to be recognized."

"However, I won't allow anyone to interfere with his path, unless he chooses it himself."

"Alright, alright, I understand." Princess Youruo snuggled into Liu Tianning's arms, rubbing against him. "I'll send someone to clarify things with them shortly."

On the Genchuan Fubo Ship.

Meng Kun received the news. He frowned as he looked at the letter his subordinate handed him.

"Lord Meng, did the princess refuse?" Gu Changqing saw Meng Kun's expression and guessed the matter would be difficult.

"She didn't exactly refuse," Meng Kun said, handing the letter to Gu Changqing. "However, she won't allow us to use our connections to make it happen; we must first get Zhao Xing's personal consent."

"This is new," Gu Changqing remarked, looking intrigued after reading the letter. "Princess Youruo values him highly."

Liu Tianning wasn't really an obstacle. After all, Liu Tianning was only a fourth-rank official, and even with his ability to defeat a third-rank, his official position was still lower than Meng Kun's and his own.

Furthermore, Liu was a junior, and in terms of influence, the True Self Faction's power wasn't as great as the Geomancy Faction's.

If they wanted a transfer, with Princess Youruo's permission, it would be as good as done.

"It seems the rumors are true; Liu Tianning and the princess are very close."

"You and I shouldn't speculate on such matters," Meng Kun said. "Since the princess has taken this stance, we'll talk to Zhao Xing after the competition ends."

Meng Kun wasn't interested in gossip; he had no such hobbies. His sole focus was on promoting the Geomancy Faction.

His greatest wish was to see the Geomancy Faction flourish even more than the Chronomancy Faction during his lifetime.

Meng Kun was also a staunch advocate for war.

As the Geomancy Faction's Master of Agriculture, he naturally wished for as much land as possible! If he could cultivate land across all four seas and eight wildernesses, and witness all the ley lines and soils in the world, he would die without regrets.

"Once the competition is over, I'll speak with him personally," Gu Changqing said.

"Very well, I'll leave it to you, Changqing," Meng Kun replied.

Old Master Zhao had no idea that simply comprehending the Qi-Drawing Dungeon could catch the eye of a Geomancy Faction grandee.

At this moment, he was still hunkered down in the Crescent Mountain area.

His food supplies were entirely sufficient, especially after comprehending the eleventh rotation of the Boundless Dungeon; the influence of the Qi-Drawing Dungeon had become very minimal.

Whether it was him, the Lynx, the Azure Lion, or the Illusory Goat, within the Boundless Dungeon's range, they no longer needed to eat daily.

Of course, if they moved elsewhere or engaged in mobile combat, they would still be affected.

But having comprehended the eleventh rotation, his condition was already much better than when he first arrived.

Another fifteen days passed, marking the fiftieth day in the Grand Arena.

Zhao Xing had another breakthrough. The Boundless Dungeon technique, building upon the eleventh rotation, 'Starlight Boundless,' advanced further to the twelfth rotation, 'Boundless Vortex.'

After comprehending it, Zhao Xing floated to the surface.

His feet shifted slightly, and bursts of light erupted from beneath him. Then, the surrounding land seemed to turn into flowing water, giving birth to ripples.

A shadow spread from under his feet, quickly covering an area of over six hundred square meters around him.

"Shhh, shhh," the ground suddenly vibrated, and ley lines began to spin like currents of water.

All the sand and stones seemed to resonate.

"Woof woof!"

The Azure Lion Dog quickly bit the Illusory Goat's neck, carrying it in its mouth and flying out of the shadow.

The Lynx, meanwhile, held a supply box and walked upright.

Because if they didn't leave, all these supplies would be shattered!

Everything around him was turning into desert.

Originally, this was barren land with stones, but now, everything was imperceptibly desertifying, spinning around Zhao Xing as its center.

The vortex occasionally contracted and expanded, turning everything it touched into dust!

Zhao Xing opened his eyes, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"'Starlight Boundless' counteracts the effects of the Qi-Drawing Dungeon."

"'Boundless Vortex' is completely different."

"It retains the convergent power of the Boundless Dungeon but also possesses formidable offensive capability. Combined with Pure Essence Soil, everything within the spell's range is pulverized."

"Though its visible range has decreased to just over six hundred square meters, within this area, it disregards vertical distance."

Zhao Xing looked up at the sky, then waved his hand. A hundred-pound stone nearby was thrown a hundred meters into the air.

Three hundred meters, five hundred meters, eight hundred meters, one thousand meters, two thousand meters...

The stone was continuously carried by the fierce wind until it hovered at three thousand meters.

Then, Zhao Xing withdrew the fierce wind.

The stone began to fall.

It only fell twenty meters.

With a thought, Zhao Xing pointed towards the stone. "Shatter!"

"Buzz!"

The shadowy vortex beneath his feet immediately expanded.

The massive stone, two thousand nine hundred and eighty meters high, instantly shattered into dust.

Zhao Xing conducted multiple tests, even taking out a five-tier armor and throwing it into the air.

The five-tier armor came from a supply box; supply points provided equipment, not just food.

Yet, at three thousand meters high, the five-tier armor still crumbled into dust!

"At three thousand meters high, its effectiveness remains constant; it only begins to weaken above four thousand meters," Zhao Xing thought.

The two Dungeon transformations he comprehended had completely surpassed the scope of mastered high-tier spells. Especially this 'Boundless Vortex' technique, its power was already approaching one-third of a first-rotation top-tier spell.

Its power was secondary; the primary advantage was the spell's range and its consistent effectiveness below four thousand meters, a feature not found in ordinary high-tier spells.

In a normal Boundless Dungeon, the convergent power decreases the higher one goes.

However, the Boundless Vortex maintained constant power, as if it were a fundamental truth of heaven and earth.

If high-tier spells leverage the forces of heaven and earth and utilize their rules, top-tier spells begin to violate those rules and cannot be judged by common sense.

A top-tier fire spell could even burn underwater!

"Withdraw!"

After testing, Zhao Xing retracted his Pure Essence Projection.

"This technique of mine is still a bit clever, utilizing the Houtu sand grains within the Pure Essence Soil. If I continue to comprehend 'Houtu Reversion' from the Three Great Secret Manuals in the future, its power might increase further."

"However, it ultimately still has a layer of separation. Having to first cast a Pure Essence Projection means it's not as good as a true top-tier spell."

"Woof woof!"

After Zhao Xing retracted his Pure Essence Projection, Xiaotian ran over, signaling that the poisonous mist was approaching from behind.

It would reach this area in at most an hour.

"It's already the fiftieth day," Zhao Xing said, looking at the ground mirror.

Name: Zhao XingStage: Grand Arena (Day 50)Points: 689,500Rank: 9421

"Even by staying put, I've entered the top ten thousand."

Zhao Xing smiled faintly.

With 10,000 survival points per day, he had 500,000 points from survival alone, plus the hundreds of thousands of points gained from eliminating others previously, and those from competitors who starved and whose points were proportionally distributed to him.

Just by staying hidden, he had entered the top ten thousand.

"Only ten days left. It's time to actively eliminate others."

"Aotian, Xiaotian, Huantian, it's time for you all to stretch your muscles."

The three war beasts had only fought two battles in fifty days; the rest of the time was spent eating, drinking, sleeping, and resting.

The Lynx had even gotten fat!

"Let's go!"

Zhao Xing activated his full power, flying towards the central area with his three war beasts.

He made no attempt to conceal his presence, flying directly through the sky.

Soon, as he entered the 'Dragon City Ruins' in the central area, sixteen figures immediately darted out from a collapsed building.

"Huh? On the fiftieth day, there's still such a weak fifth-rank Beastmaster alive?"

"Hmph, seeking death, daring to fly in the sky?"

"Netherflame Tiger, bring them down for me!"

Of the sixteen figures, only five were human; the other eleven were war beasts.

Upon hearing their masters' commands, these war beasts emerged from the ruins and immediately launched an attack on Zhao Xing.

"Four people, with strong killing intent. They must fight frequently; their points are probably much higher than mine," Zhao Xing sneered.

"Attack!" The four cast spells simultaneously. A seemingly weak fifth-rank like Zhao Xing was the perfect target for easy points.

The last ten days were prime time for accumulating points.

"Boom!" "Boom!"

Two wolf-type war beasts, treading on thin air, transformed into golden streaks of light and charged towards Zhao Xing.

From two other ruins, a red and a purple beam of light shot out, targeting the Lynx, the Azure Lion, and the Illusory Goat.

Eliminating the Beastmaster himself had the same effect as killing all his war beasts.

"Whoosh!"

Zhao Xing moved sideways to dodge, easily evading the pounces of the two wolf-type war beasts.

With his mastery of high-tier wind magic, Zhao Xing's speed and agility made it very easy to evade attacks.

"Fizz, fizz, fizz," the Lynx swung its claws, directly cleaving the lightning beam. The Azure Lion, meanwhile, directly withstood the onslaught of the fire spell.

When it emerged from the fiery red beam, it was already in its second form, its entire body ablaze with red flames, and its size had doubled.

"Divine Beast bloodline?"

"Only those with a Divine Beast bloodline can easily achieve the second Pure Essence transformation."

"The Azure Lion Dog, a bloodline of the ancient divine beast Suanni?" The four men's expressions changed. "That's outrageous! A nascent fourth-rank Bloodthirsty Fire Hawk unleashed its innate secret technique, and it just tanked it?"

But they soon witnessed something even more astonishing.

After batting away the lightning, the Lynx swiftly charged down into the ruins.

"Whoosh!"

Fast, incredibly fast. Not even a blur could be seen; it was as if it flickered, instantly landing beneath the massive ruined leaning tower.

"What, this cat too..."

The two middle-aged men below the ruins immediately changed color and tried to flee.

"Boom-crack!"

The Lynx swung its claws, two claw marks imbued with lightning power slashing through the air. The Thunder-Splitting Claws immediately sent these two Beastmasters out of the Vast Sea Grotto-Heaven.

"Too tough, run!"

The people in the other two directions fled frantically with their war beasts.

"Running? Leave your points behind!"

Zhao Xing pointed a finger, and a chilling wind suddenly emerged from the ground beneath the two fleeing individuals.

The sudden chilling wind instantly stiffened the bodies of the two Beastmasters.

"Thud." After they fell to the ground, a blue light flared up.

"Chilling Wind is still effective," Zhao Xing smiled faintly. The Chilling Wind of Malevolence, mastered at high-tier, had a very potent attack effect on life souls.

Since they couldn't cultivate their life souls, many late fourth-rank Beastmasters here still had life souls only at the fifth-rank.

Equipment was also forbidden, so they had no defense against the chilling wind unless they also possessed similar spells to block it.

"Once struck by the chilling wind, they can't even issue commands, their thoughts become sluggish, and they can't even attempt fusion... Uh, one hasn't been eliminated?"

Zhao Xing realized he had been proven wrong.

A blue light had indeed flared up just now, but among the two who fell, one was struggling to get back up.

A war beast beside him had vanished, replaced by two horns growing from his head and his entire body encased in a thick, leathery hide, like armor.

"Pure Essence Fusion, with a powerful life soul from a Rhinoceros Beast?"

Zhao Xing looked at the man.

The young man, stared at by Zhao Xing, trembled all over. While it was true that the Rhinoceros Beast had a strong life soul, he was still severely injured by the Chilling Wind of Malevolence even after fusion.

Seeing Zhao Xing's war beasts so decisively eliminate the others, he couldn't help but be shocked: "The dog has the bloodline of the ancient divine beast Suanni, that cat is even more miraculous, and even the Illusory Goat actually possesses a divine beast bloodline."

"This person himself actually knows such powerful high-tier chilling wind spells?"

"It's over, I've met my match. This person is playing the pig to eat the tiger... What do I do?"

In a flash, he quickly said, "Brother, I overestimated myself."

"However, I only have survival points. You won't gain much by eliminating me."

"If you spare me, I'll tell you who has a lot of points!"

Zhao Xing said indifferently, "Do I need you to tell me? The leaderboard makes it clear at a glance."

"It's not the same. The leaderboard only shows names; you might not know who's who, or where they are." The young man, still in his fused state, quietly recovered his essence and stabilized his life soul.

"I, however, can tell you where the strong competitors are. For example, 'Yadrol,' the Beastmaster from Ten Thousand Beast Island, already has 2.25 million points!"

"He's been active in the eastern district of Dragon City Ruins, occupying a favorable position."

As the poisonous mist circle contracted, some people anticipated the central area in advance, using supplies or materials to set up formations, naturally increasing their chances of survival.

"Besides Yadrol, in the southwest of Dragon City Ruins, there's also..."

"Go on," Zhao Xing said. "Why stop?"

"You have to promise to let me go," the young man said. "Then I'll tell you what I know... Ugh!"

Mid-sentence, he felt his heart throb, his eyes bulge, and scales suddenly grew on his body. His fusion was dispelled, and then his entire being was engulfed in blue light.

"Dawdling," Zhao Xing said, retracting his hand.

He knew the mastered-level Heaven's Eye technique and could use the Five-Finger Heavenly Decree to deduce his own fortune; he didn't need anyone to tell him who was strong or weak.

"Hmph, he was indeed lying." Zhao Xing glanced at the ground mirror.

The latest notification showed that he had eliminated a participant and gained 350,000 points!

In other words, the man had just lied!

"Trying to be clever in front of me," Zhao Xing said, collecting the essence crystals dropped by the opponent.

Name: Zhao XingStage: Grand Arena (Day 50)Points: 1,070,000Rank: 7264

"My rank instantly climbed over two thousand spots."

"It's still easier to earn points now," Zhao Xing licked his lips. "Let's go, continue fishing!"

Zhao Xing and his three war beasts continuously patrolled the outskirts of the Dragon City Ruins.

He was a fifth-rank, and his war beasts were also fifth-rank, making him appear like an easy target.

However, when someone actually attacked, they were swiftly dealt with by Zhao Xing.

He kept baiting and counter-killing.

In just five days, Zhao Xing eliminated over a hundred people!

His points were also rapidly accumulating.

Outside the Vast Sea Grotto-Heaven.

On the Wind's Whisper Cloud Ship.

"Whoa, Old Heng, look, Zhao Xing's rank is climbing so fast," Geng Shouchang said, handing the ground mirror to Heng Yuan. "In five days, he's entered the top three thousand."

"Before entering the Dragon City Ruins, he was still around the ten thousandth rank."

"This Zhao Xing is indeed a talent," Heng Yuan chuckled. "His combat experience is extensive, and he handles complex battle environments very deftly."

"Indeed, I've been watching him these past few days," Geng Shouchang said, pointing at the ground mirror. "Look at the battle yesterday; this kid found a formidable opponent, 'Jiang Huo.'"

"First, he used the Heaven's Eye technique to observe, and upon discovering the opponent's war beasts feared cold, he immediately cast the Beginning of Winter solar term, followed by the high-tier Ice Seal spell, effectively forcing Jiang Huo, a fire-element Beastmaster, to flee from his own prepared ground."

"Excellent," Heng Yuan nodded. "That was the only time he used fusion in five days. After fusing, he only needed the Seasonal Transformation technique to deal with Jiang Huo and his three fire-element war beasts. From the results, his combat power clearly surpassed his opponent's."

"However, he remained cautious. After performing a Pure Essence Fusion with the Azure Lion, he enhanced his defense, speed, and spell power."

Geng Shouchang nodded, "The Ice Seal spell and the Greater Cold solar term weakened the enemy's war beasts, while the Chilling Wind of Malevolence interfered with Jiang Huo's life soul, preventing him from unleashing his full strength."

"Jiang Huo charged out but couldn't see anyone because Zhao Xing was hidden within the Mist Concealment spell."

"Jiang Huo didn't even know where to flee."

"Finally, using the Seasonal Transformation technique, he literally 'exhausted' Jiang Huo to defeat."

"Jiang Huo was a mid-fourth-rank Beastmaster, and his points were already in the top thousand, yet he still lost to this kid."

"He didn't lose unfairly," Heng Yuan smiled. "He wasn't facing a Beastmaster at all, but a Master of Agriculture genius proficient in numerous high-tier Chronomancy spells!"

"Every single Chronomancy spell he used was at high-tier mastery. Jiang Huo never imagined a battle scenario like this."

When Jiang Huo usually trained, he primarily chose Beastmasters as opponents.

Who in their right mind would consider a Master of Agriculture as an imaginary enemy?

They're not even in the same league!

However, he encountered an anomaly like Zhao Xing, who crossed disciplines to practice beast taming.

As a result, Jiang Huo, despite having the strength to survive until the end, unexpectedly stumbled at the last hurdle.

"He truly lives up to being Liu Tianning's student," Heng Yuan praised.

"What does this have to do with Liu Tianning?" Geng Shouchang said. "Zhao Xing didn't even use his Myriad Laws Clone; he purely used our Chronomancy Faction's spells. He's a genuine Chronomancy Faction genius!"

"Old Geng, what do you mean?" Heng Yuan, being astute, immediately understood the implication of Geng Shouchang's words.

"You don't know yet?"

"Know what?"

Geng Shouchang looked around and, seeing Sima Yunhai wasn't present, immediately lowered his voice.

"Those two, Meng Kun and Gu Changqing, were planning to poach Liu Tianning's talent a while ago."

"What? Is that true?" Heng Yuan exclaimed in surprise. "Are those two out of their minds? Aren't they afraid Liu Tianning will challenge them to a Dao dispute?"

Among high-rank Masters of Agriculture, Liu Tianning's reputation was considerable, especially in recent years.

Shangluo Academy had already confirmed Liu Tianning's candidate status and began building momentum for him.

Aside from the publicity, Liu Tianning's own strength was formidable.

Two years ago, he defeated Pang Xianyun so thoroughly that Pang Xianyun was metaphorically 'transformed.' No Chronomancy Faction Master of Agriculture in Daoyuan Province didn't know of 'Liu Myriad Laws.'

As a third-rank Master of Agriculture, Heng Yuan knew even more.

That battle left everyone speechless.

Liu Tianning allowed Pang Xianyun to make the first move, using all his spells. Yet, not a single one of Liu Tianning's seven Grand Avatars was defeated.

Then Liu Tianning defeated Pang Xianyun with a single move.

"You probably don't know the temper of that young man, Liu Tianning," Heng Yuan said. "Back then, for the sake of his childhood sweetheart, he caused heads to roll."

"A person's nature doesn't change. A century ago, when Liu Tianning went berserk, it was difficult to contain him. It took several ruling kings, including King Rahu, to resolve the matter."

"Now you want to poach his disciple? Old Geng, I think that's a terrible idea."

Geng Shouchang said, "Old Heng, you're wrong. How can recruiting talent be called poaching?"

"What's more, Liu Tianning himself didn't say anything."

Heng Yuan asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"

Geng Shouchang chuckled, "Liu Tianning made it clear that he won't allow anyone to interfere with Zhao Xing's promotion or transfer."

Heng Yuan nodded. "He's an Imperial Transporter for two prefectures, a Military Inspector, and I hear he also holds a position in the Imperial Hunting Bureau. His authority already covers most of Pinghai Province, so he has good reason to say that, and it's reasonable."

Geng Shouchang said, "But he also said he wouldn't influence his disciple's decision. This means that if Zhao Xing agrees, it's possible for him to join our Xuantian Academy."

"Serving as an official is serving, no matter where."

Heng Yuan chuckled, "Liu Tianning is quite magnanimous, which is true; he was like this even when he was young."

Geng Shouchang nodded. "Precisely."

"Look at all the Chronomancy spells he knows, and his solar term talismans have even reached the 'fixed realm' of mastery. He is clearly meant for the Chronomancy Faction's path!"

"For Zhao Xing to go to Shangluo Academy and follow the True Self Faction would be a complete waste of his prime years."

"Even if he reaches the first-rank when he's old and frail, what good would it do?"

Geng Shouchang didn't deny the True Self Faction's combat strength, of course, mainly because Zhao Xing had already cultivated the Myriad Laws Strawman.

If one couldn't cultivate the Myriad Laws Strawman, the Chronomancy Faction's combat strength was far superior to the True Self Faction's.

So why say Zhao Xing was wasting his prime?

Primarily, achieving great success in the True Self Faction was very time-consuming, not to mention the auxiliary True Self Faction Masters of Agriculture.

If one pursued a combat path, those who achieved fame were mostly old-timers, with Liu Tianning being an exception due to his youth.

But how many such exceptional cases like Liu Tianning existed?

"In the same amount of time, if Zhao Xing dedicated his energy to the Path of Chronomancy, he could reach third-rank, or even second-rank, within a hundred years. With the True Self Faction, he might not succeed even by the age of four or five hundred."

"Such a genius, forced to toil at Shangluo Academy, would truly be a waste."

Heng Yuan smiled. "You have a point; it would indeed be a pity for such talent."

He knew Geng Shouchang's urgency also stemmed from other factors. Geng Shouchang was very old and had at most a hundred more years to live.

Additionally, Geng Shouchang hailed from Tongyou County in Dayuan Prefecture, Pinghai Province, while Zhao Xing's hometown was Nanyang County in Dayuan Prefecture. The two counties were adjacent, so they could be considered fellow provincials.

"You mean to recruit Zhao Xing?"

"Exactly," Geng Shouchang nodded. "Given his performance in the Path of Chronomancy, if he joins Xuantian Academy, he might well become a pillar of the Chronomancy Faction in the future."

"I'm just worried Brother Yunhai might..." Heng Yuan hesitated. In terms of seniority and status, Sima Yunhai was higher.

If he objected, it would indeed be difficult to proceed.

"I will find a way to persuade him."

On the fifty-eighth day of the Grand Arena, the poisonous mist had shrunk to the outskirts of the Dragon City Ruins.

"Roar!""Bellow!""Screech—""Bang!" "Rumble!"

At this point, the Dragon City Ruins were extremely crowded.

There were roars and the clash of spells everywhere.

Almost every moment, someone was eliminated.

"The battle has become quite fierce. Only now does it truly feel like a Grand Arena. Without real skill, it's very difficult to pass this stage," Zhao Xing thought.

Blue lights, signaling elimination, were flashing everywhere.

He no longer dared to make a move.

Because in such fierce competition, one wrong move could lead to his own elimination.

"I started taking action on the fiftieth day. Five days later, after nearly a hundred battles, I finally encountered an opponent, Jiang Huo, worthy of me using Pure Essence Fusion."

"However, in the following three days, I fought a total of twenty-three battles but used Pure Essence Fusion fifteen times. Only by doing so could I be reasonably confident of not being defeated," Zhao Xing mused.

Pure Essence Fusion could increase speed, defense, evasion, stamina, and life soul.

Naturally, fusing with different war beasts yielded different effects.

Fusing with the Illusory Goat enhanced his life soul, increasing his resistance to illusions, and allowed him to use the Illusory Goat's innate talents: Life Soul Reversal, Demonic Eye Labyrinth, and Five Elements Sensory Blurring.

Fusing with the Azure Lion Dog increased his defense, endurance, and resistance to fire spells, as well as enhancing the power of his fire spells.

He could also use the Azure Lion Dog's innate secret techniques like Flames of Destruction, Suanni's Power, and so on.

Fusion with the Lynx, on the other hand, boosted his defense, stamina, speed, endurance, strength, and essence, providing almost all-around improvements except for the life soul.

Because the Lynx had consumed too many spirit essences, the enhancement gained from fusing with it far surpassed that from the Azure Lion.

Of course, his speed and evasion were particularly outstanding.

Especially when using the Lynx's innate secret technique, Wind and Thunder Escape, after fusion, his speed among fourth-rank cultivators was unmatched.

Precisely because of this, in the twenty-three battles Zhao Xing fought over those three days, he eliminated his opponents fifteen times. In the other eight instances, his opponents, knowing he was formidable, voluntarily withdrew.

Of course, this also had to do with Zhao Xing's peculiar nature.

He appeared to be a Beastmaster, but turned out to be a Master of Agriculture, and one proficient in all three factions.

At this moment, Zhao Xing occupied the eastern part of the Dragon City Ruins, a dilapidated palace building.

Above him, a dark red cloud floated, covering a five-li radius.

Underground, a Boundless Dungeon existed, which could be switched from 'Starlight Boundless' to 'Boundless Vortex' at any time.

Around him stood fifty Myriad Laws Strawman clones; some were visible, others concealed.

Twenty-four solar term talismans also floated in the sky, ready to alter the environment at any moment, turning it into his home ground.

Around the dilapidated palace, there was also a set of Formless Killing Array.

This was set up by Yadrol, who had been defeated by Zhao Xing the previous night.

"As of now, my only unrevealed trump card is plant soldiers, but I don't need to deploy them," Zhao Xing thought.

He now held the initiative and was defending his position. Unless everyone attacked him, he wouldn't need to resort to the 'Plants as Soldiers' technique.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"

Suddenly, three streaks of light flew in from the distance.

One of the streaks was black, chasing two other streaks of light, one red and one purple, ahead of it.

They quickly entered Zhao Xing's territory.

A chase and a flight—this clearly meant the battle had spilled into his territory.

Zhao Xing was about to intervene and snatch the opportunity, his hand already raised, but then he paused.

"Hmm? Aren't those Wang Zhaozhao and Lin Ziyue, the fourth-rank Beastmasters under the old witch?"

"Are they being hunted?"

"Soul Beast Controller? The one chasing them is 'Fei She,' ranked three hundred and ninety-four?"

Zhao Xing's gaze fell upon the black streak of light.

On the surface, it appeared to be a person chasing without any war beasts accompanying them. In reality, war beasts were everywhere behind this individual, but they were all soul bodies!

Zhao Xing wasn't the only unusual one; Fei She was a rare Soul Beast Controller, somewhat akin to a hybrid of a Beastmaster and a Priest.

"A human's true life soul is relatively pure, but a beast's true life soul is chaotic. To be able to command the souls of war beasts, this person's strength is extraordinary," Zhao Xing mused.

Fei She was clearly exploiting a loophole. He only had one physical war beast, but dozens of war beast souls.

This was because he wasn't a proper Beastmaster; his identity as a Priest outweighed his Beastmaster status.

The spells he cast were all Priest spells!

Lin Ziyue and Wang Zhaozhao both had snake-shaped beast souls wrapped around them, and their aura was becoming increasingly weak.

He should still help the old witch's people, especially since Fei She might not spare him either.

So Zhao Xing made his move.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

A dozen Myriad Laws Clones appeared, and Zhao Xing's main body also unleashed the Chilling Wind of Malevolence, precisely blowing away the large snake life souls possessing Wang Zhaozhao and Lin Ziyue.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

Sensing the abnormality, Fei She immediately slowed down.

Lin Ziyue and Wang Zhaozhao, meanwhile, descended.

"Zhao Xing?" Lin Ziyue was incredulous that a fifth-rank Zhao Xing had saved them.

Wang Zhaozhao had seen Zhao Xing's name on the leaderboard, as he was now ranked six hundred and seventy-five!

Moreover, in the past few days, Zhao Xing had made a name for himself in the Dragon City Ruins, though they couldn't connect the name with the face they were now seeing.

"Fei She!" Zhao Xing ignored the two women, instead staring coldly at the man in front with the green snake-head helmet. "Stop! Or don't blame me for being impolite!"

Fei She, ranking among the top three hundred, was undoubtedly a formidable individual.

However, this was his territory. If Fei She dared to enter, he would ensure he never left!

"Hmm?" Fei She stopped. Through the snake-head helmet, his eyes glowed faintly.

"Master of Agriculture spells... You're Zhao Xing, I know you," Fei She said hoarsely. "You defeated Yadrol, so you're quite talented."

"However, I've been chasing these two for a while. Since they're in your territory now, let's split the elimination points, one for each of us."

"You hand over one, and I'll leave."

Wang Zhaozhao and Lin Ziyue's expressions changed.

Zhao Xing's gaze was cold as he stared at Fei She. "I told you to scram. Didn't you understand?"

Hand over one? Not to mention these two were under the old witch, and he had to help them for her sake.

Even if they were strangers, Zhao Xing couldn't show weakness at this moment.

Hand over one, and Fei She would demand a second, perhaps even try to eliminate him.

"Zhao Xing, you're too arrogant! Don't think just because you've gained some fame these past few days that you're something special!"

"You can try taking one step in! See who dies, you or I."

Zhao Xing's Myriad Laws Clones all raised their hands simultaneously.

Seeing this, Fei She couldn't help but fall silent.

Running into Zhao Xing