Chapter 323: Just a Clone? The Shocked Prince

The Dao Arena of Daoyuan Continent is an open and flat small world, serving as the largest platform for discourse and debate in the realm.

Located at the heart of Daoyuan Continent, some believe it formed naturally, while others contend it was created by a powerful ancient being.

The arena's territories are categorized by rank: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow. Heaven, Earth, and Profound tiers are reserved for first, second, and third-rank cultivators, respectively. The Yellow tier is for cultivators below the high ranks.

Earth Tier Arena No. 39 covers an area of a hundred miles, featuring viewing platforms both above and below ground. The viewing platforms in the sky are, naturally, the best observation points. Numerous small floating islands drift in the air. Each island is protected by a boundary monument array, impenetrable even by second-rank cultivators. Sometimes, combatants even pause on the protective barrier to rest, allowing spectators to observe their condition up close. Some floating islands can even move, adjusting their positions like warships. Ji Che's Island No. 1, known as the Coiled Dragon Viewing Platform, boasts the largest area. It offers a complete range of leisure and entertainment, from large-scale beast fighting arenas, sky-horse racetracks, and aquatic beast games, to indoor activities like Liubo, Pu, Gewu, and Doucao, as well as hot springs, drinks, and gourmet food.

When Zhao Xing arrived, he was transported by a dedicated cloud-path pleasure boat, because a duel was currently underway at Arena No. 39.

"Boom! Boom!"

Two martial artists were battling: one clad in black armor, wielding a blue scimitar and exuding an intimidating chill, attacked a flowing white-robed sword dancer. However, their aerial duel lasted only four breaths before they quickly vanished into an underground wind tunnel.

"As expected of an Earth-tier arena," Zhao Xing mused, "the combat terrain is diverse, allowing any profession to find an environment suitable for their skills." He had just passed through a wind tunnel area, where a subterranean cavern, roughly a hundred meters in radius, periodically blasted out strong winds and then rotated inward, creating immense suction. The two duelists earlier had been expelled by the wind tunnel, but its repulsive and attractive forces shifted in an instant. Combatants could be swept away by the wind tunnel before they even had time to stabilize or cast spells or martial arts, severely testing their adaptability.

"Arenas here are definitely not just flat grounds for straightforward clashes," Zhao Xing thought. "The environment is complex; encountering unfamiliar terrain might lead to defeat before one can even unleash their full power." Zhao Xing activated his Heavenly Eye to carefully survey his surroundings: "The focus during the Two New Eras is pacifying the barbarians. Many terrains here, including weather conditions and even vegetation, simulate the environment of the Southern Barbarian lands." Although these were friendly debates, the political inclination was clear: what kind of strong combatant couldn't defeat an opponent in the complex and harsh environment of the Southern Wilds? The Great Zhou sought true experts, not mere show-offs.

"Marquis Shenwei, we have arrived." As the pleasure boat docked at the palace square, a fair-skinned maid approached and softly informed him.

"Understood, please lead the way." Zhao Xing nodded.

Two beautiful maids led him off the boat and towards the palace ahead. Just as he stepped onto the stairs, before even crossing the threshold, a cheerful voice rang out.

"Elder Brother! You've finally arrived!"

Ji Che rose from the main seat in the grand hall, hitched up his robes, and quickly ran down. The pearl and jade crown on his head swayed, and his entire body emitted a gentle, milky white glow.

"Your Royal Highness, your subject bows." Zhao Xing was about to bow in salutation. The identities of all imperial princes had been publicly revealed in the 70th year of Yongzhi, as they had completed their respective stages of training. Ji Che, in particular, had been directly established as the Crown Prince.

"Elder Brother, what are you doing?" Ji Che held Zhao Xing's hands, preventing him from bowing. "This isn't a public occasion."

Just then, a white-bearded elder behind Ji Che reminded him: "Your Royal Highness is the Crown Prince. When Marquis Shenwei bows, Your Royal Highness should return the bow to maintain proper etiquette. How can you be so informal?" Zhao Xing glanced at the ritual master, Ji Wenchang, a Grand Minister of Rituals responsible for managing imperial ceremonies.

Ji Che, still holding Zhao Xing, nonchalantly responded: "The use of ritual should align with human sentiment. Sage Master Wen, when among his fellow villagers, was humble and appeared hesitant to speak. Yet, in the ancestral temple and at court, he spoke clearly and with utmost caution. At court, when speaking with lower-ranking officials, he was straightforward and cordial; when speaking with higher-ranking officials, he was respectful. Therefore, ritual must also consider the occasion and human emotions. Today, my elder brother and I meet in a private setting; our informal embrace is our own ritual."

Zhao Xing smiled inwardly upon hearing this.

Ji Wenchang cupped his hands and said, "Your Royal Highness omitted a line: 'When the ruler is present, one is reverent and composed.'"

Ji Che's expression soured at this. Although Ji Wenchang wasn't directly arguing with Ji Che, his latter statement was a subtle jab at Zhao Xing, implying that as a subject, he should observe the proper etiquette of a subject. Upon hearing this, Zhao Xing gently freed himself from Ji Che's hand, smoothed his sleeve, and still bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Royal Highness."

Ji Che, resigned, returned the bow, then pulled Zhao Xing to sit at the guest table. However, Ji Che was not one to be outdone. The moment he sat down, he turned to Ji Wenchang and the other ritual officials and said, "I have some confidential matters to discuss with Marquis Shenwei. Please, Grand Minister, take your people and withdraw for now."

Ji Wenchang's face showed helplessness. If confidential matters were to be discussed, it was naturally inappropriate for ritual masters, who regulated conduct, to be present. It seemed he had underestimated Marquis Shenwei's standing in the Crown Prince's heart. Even that subtle remark just now was deemed unacceptable. Ji Wenchang and the three ritual masters respectfully rose and bowed, saying, "Your subjects obey." They then led the ritual masters out the door.

As soon as they left, Ji Che changed from kneeling to sitting with his legs splayed, grabbed a cushion, leaned back, then removed his pearl and jade crown, casually tossing it aside, unbuttoned his collar, and let out a long sigh.

"Phew, they're such a nuisance," he grumbled. "I just came out to have some fun with my sister, and the Grand Minister has to bring people to record my every word and deed."

Zhao Xing also relaxed, reverting to their private interaction mode: "Well, the Grand Minister makes a living from this; you can't exactly make them jobless. By the way, Fifth Brother, did you come with the Eldest Princess?"

Ji Che shook his head: "Not Eldest Sister, it's Seventh Sister." Seventh Sister was Ji Yingluo, the 'Millennium Princess' who later created the 'worms'. Ji Yingluo was also eighty years old, but as a direct sister of the Emperor, she was destined to live a very long life, so she was still considered very young.

"Seventh Sister is playing in the Herb-Fighting Hall with the granddaughters of Duke Yang and Duke Wei."

Zhao Xing nodded slightly: "What's the deal with that Prince of Morse from the Western Sea you mentioned? How exactly is he arrogant? Why do you insist on teaching him a lesson?" Ji Che usually had a broad mind and would certainly not bother with a minor vassal prince in normal circumstances. The Western Sea vassal state was a mere speck. Let alone a prince, what if he were a king? Ji Che wouldn't even bat an eye.

"Para Jinke wants to marry Seventh Sister! A small nation, a barbarian subject, dares to have such thoughts!" Ji Che exclaimed excitedly. "Elder Brother, don't you think that's arrogant?!"

"Oh? Did he submit a formal state letter or memorial? I haven't heard anything about it," Zhao Xing wondered.

"Not exactly."

"So, did he make any arrogant boasts or display an insolent attitude?"

"Not really, he just showed continuous attentiveness for several months and even pursued her to Daoyuan Continent—isn't that obvious enough!"

Zhao Xing thought, "Alright, it seems the Princess Youruo incident from back then still left a psychological scar on Ji Che." The prince hadn't done anything wrong, merely shown some attentiveness a few times, and Ji Che completely lost his temper, finding the Prince of Morse offensive no matter how he looked at him. Originally, during the reigns of the Grand Ancestor and Emperor Wen, there was a precedent for such requests, and even a formal proposal wouldn't have been a big deal. The Western Sea vassal states were different from the Four Great King's Courts of the Southern Wilds; they had always submitted as subjects and offered tribute. Just thinking about it, Zhao Xing felt this genuinely couldn't be considered "arrogant." But for Ji Che, it was unacceptable. Just thinking about it? Thinking about it is damn well not allowed!

"Elder Brother," Ji Che straightened up, "You've come at just the right time. I can't personally beat him up, so please help me teach Prince Jinke a lesson and dispel his foolish notion!"

Zhao Xing nodded: "What do you want me to do?"

Seeing Zhao Xing agree, Ji Che immediately smiled: "Prince Jinke is at the Mid-Heavenly Fate Realm, and he brought five top masters from his country, all at the Perfected Heavenly Fate Realm. He boasts about their accomplishments to everyone he meets."

"I can't refute him because Imperial Father just praised them. His five masters did achieve some successes in their war against the Sith."

The Morse tribe was a vassal state of Great Zhou, but the Sith were not. They didn't submit to Great Zhou and even frequently attacked its vassal states, constantly expanding in the far western region, showing great ambition. That place was too far and extremely cold, making it impossible to cultivate or develop. To cultivate there, Li Boqian, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, would need to bring the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Divine Artifact and spend several centuries melting a portion of the glaciers. However, glacier melting could lead to uncontrollable consequences, such as the potential release of ancient frozen viruses. So Great Zhou had never intended to occupy that area, merely supporting a few vassal states and planting some flags.

Great Zhou was in a period of transition. The Morse tribe had distinguished itself in fighting the Sith, and Emperor Jing had just praised Prince Jinke. Ji Che couldn't openly express his dissatisfaction. It was even less possible for him to send his own top masters to beat up Jinke, so he had to find someone else. Since his younger brother had asked, Zhao Xing was naturally happy to oblige with such a small matter. He had come to spar with experts anyway; this was just a convenient detour. However, he still needed to inquire carefully about the opponent's background.

"Fighting isn't out of the question, but you need to tell me the approximate combat power of his warriors. I only brought a clone made of eighth-tier supreme-grade materials; I don't want to fail spectacularly. With a single clone entering the arena, the spells of my original school are essentially unusable, and the Hou Bian Method is also unavailable. I can only fight using celestial timing and geographical advantage methods. This clone was slightly modified, but its spell comprehension is probably only about 80% of my main body's. If they're too strong, I'll have to summon my main body," Zhao Xing said.

In any case, they were all on Daoyuan Continent; it wouldn't take more than a few days for his main body to travel, and comprehending the *Divine Soldier Dispatch Art* wouldn't be delayed by these ten days or half a month. Helping Ji Che out and strengthening their bond was most important!

"I've been ready." Ji Che gestured, and immediately a terrestrial mirror floated over from the side. "Elder Brother, take a look. These are the battle records of Jinke and his five warriors. Jinke himself only fought one match, but his five warriors have already fought over a dozen here."

Zhao Xing took the terrestrial mirror. Before he could even look, he heard cheers and sounds of frustration from outside. "'Ice King' under his command has won again," Ji Che snorted. Zhao Xing listened carefully and realized that in several distant halls, young lords and noble ladies were placing bets. It seemed this Ice King had won many matches, causing them to lose quite a bit of money. The money wasn't a big deal; it was mainly the loss of face. Ji Che smiled outwardly, but inwardly, he was cursing.

Zhao Xing understood immediately. As a prince of a vassal state, Jinke was somewhat ignorant. When people didn't send out their top masters and let you pick opponents to showcase your warrior's prowess, you actually kept winning, not giving the future emperor any face? Zhao Xing looked closely, simultaneously beginning his internal assessment.

"All five warriors are at the Perfected Heavenly Fate Realm. From these thirty-odd battles alone, the other three are second-tier experts above the standard, mastering a single first-grade true intent, having at least achieved mastery in one top-tier spell, and possessing rich combat experience. Their utilization of the environment shows that virtually all of them can easily distort natural laws." Distortion, not alteration—this is still within the second-rank's capabilities. "Only 'Ice King' and 'Kro King' can be considered first-rate in terms of strength," Zhao Xing mused. "Of course, they don't quite reach the level of peerless geniuses."

The second-rank standard corresponds to second-rank true intent, allowing for small-scale distortion of rules. Exceeding the standard, mastering a single first-grade true intent, and at least one top-tier spell or martial art to mastery, would qualify as second-tier. The first-tier involves mastering multiple first-grade true intents, and multiple powerful top-tier spells or martial arts to mastery, usually possessing one or two ultimate techniques, capable of surviving against first-rank cultivators. The super-first-rate, that's peerless geniuses, capable of cultivating a rule domain even at the second-rank. For example, Ye Yukong, over a hundred years after entering the second-rank, had already cultivated the Bright Moon Domain. Zhao Xing had not yet developed a rule domain, and he didn't know what would happen if he unleashed his full power.

"With complete Five Elements True Intent and mastery of multiple top-tier spells, even without a domain, my techniques are close to the Dao, and in actual combat, I might not be inferior to someone who has just comprehended a rule domain. If my main body were to bring the Myriad Law Clone, that technique is too powerful. It was once rumored that Xu Xing could, with the Myriad Law Clone, fight ten Li Boqians, creating an overwhelming advantage even with a slightly lower Dao comprehension. The level of Dao can be seen as internal cultivation. Spells are techniques, maneuvers, applications of the Dao of Heaven and Earth, transforming insights into powerful moves. You can't just compare stats; it still comes down to actual combat. This Ice King and Kro King are both first-rate martial artists. My clone should be sufficient." As for the other three, Zhao Xing didn't bother with them. For a prince from a small vassal state to visit a superior nation, bringing two first-rate experts was already quite impressive. Super-first-rate individuals? Even with Great Zhou's immense population, there wouldn't be more than fifty super-first-rate talents. How could a small country produce such individuals easily?

After observing for a moment, Zhao Xing concluded that while Ice King and Kro King might have been holding back, the possibility of them being super-first-rate masters was negligible.

"Elder Brother, what do you think?" Seeing Zhao Xing put down the terrestrial mirror, Ji Che couldn't help but show a look of expectation.

"No problem at all." Zhao Xing smiled slightly, "However, Fifth Brother, you can arrange a match with the other three warriors first, to let me warm up. It's been a while since I've fought."

"Alright, Elder Brother, please rest for a moment. I'll go arrange it right away." Ji Che showed his teeth and smiled happily. As for Zhao Xing, he secretly summoned his main body from Shangluo Academy. After all, he hadn't fought in a long time. If something felt off after three matches, he could still send in his main body. Losing to a strong cultivator from his own country was one thing, but what if he lost to a strong cultivator from a vassal state? Even if it was just his clone losing, it would be humiliating, and the shame would spread internationally. Zhao Xing estimated he wouldn't need his main body to fight the vassal state's experts, but he was accustomed to being prepared, so while Ji Che made arrangements, his main body also left Shangluo Academy.

Two and a half days later, Zhao Xing was arranged by Ji Che to attend the same banquet as Prince Jinke of Morse. At the banquet, Ji Che's intimate attitude towards Zhao Xing piqued Prince Jinke's curiosity: "Your Royal Highness, this official is remarkably spirited and has an extraordinary demeanor. May I ask which expert of the Heavenly Dynasty he is?"

"Jinke, this is Marquis Shenwei of our dynasty, Zhao Xing." Ji Che smiled, refraining from detailed introductions, fearing Jinke might know too much and then refuse to fight.

"Prince." Zhao Xing paused his chopsticks, a slight nod serving as his greeting.

This haughty attitude immediately caused several warriors beside Prince Jinke to frown slightly. A mere marquis, facing their prince, didn't even formally bow or offer a toast, just a nod? However, their dissatisfaction was purely internal. Just as they thought, Zhao Xing was merely a marquis; they were 'princes' (or kings) in their own country, so Zhao Xing wasn't qualified to provoke them into a challenge.

While they wouldn't challenge him, Zhao Xing intended to make them do so: "I hear that His Royal Highness has five valiant warriors who performed admirably in the war against the minor Sith state. Why not perform a sword dance to display their might and entertain His Royal Highness?"

At these words, Ji Che was instantly delighted, nearly bursting into laughter. Princess Yingluo, seated at the first position on the lower left, had a flicker of an unusual expression in her eyes. The other descendants of dukes and nobles, however, appeared to take it for granted, showing no reaction whatsoever, even waiting for the Prince of Morse to send someone forward to perform a sword dance. Because in their hearts, Marquis Shenwei, Zhao Xing, was absolutely qualified to say such a thing. Our Great Zhou's Marquis Shenwei asking you, a minor prince, to perform a sword dance for entertainment is already showing you respect; you should accept it graciously, right?

Prince Jinke's expression turned somewhat grim. As for the other five strong cultivators, a flicker of anger flashed in their eyes. They had heard too many compliments recently and had won battle after battle, making them a little overconfident. Suddenly, a marquis pops up, demanding that they, who were 'princes' (or kings), perform a sword dance for entertainment? It wasn't that they couldn't perform a sword dance for Ji Che, the Crown Prince of Great Zhou, but if Ji Che himself had said it, they would have considered it an honor. But a mere marquis, by what right? Such an arrogant stance truly showed he didn't hold them in any regard!

Beside Jinke, a blue-haired middle-aged man immediately spoke: "The grand hall is too confined for a proper display. Perhaps a spar in the arena would be more fitting for entertainment. This Lord Zhao, since he can be enfeoffed as Marquis Shenwei by the Heavenly Dynasty, must possess extraordinary abilities. How about a spar with my subordinate, Suo Xu?"

Zhao Xing feigned reluctance: "Alright then, just to stretch my muscles."

These words made Prince Jinke, Suo Xu, Ice King, and Kro King grit their teeth in irritation. A marquis, only at the mid-second rank, dares to say "stretch his muscles" against us? You're way too pretentious!

Ji Che feigned a dissuading tone: "Gentlemen, a friendly exchange is sufficient. Let's not damage goodwill."

Zhao Xing nodded: "Your Royal Highness, rest assured, I will show restraint."

At these words, Suo Xu truly couldn't hold back. His eyes blazed with fury: "Good, good! I, Suo Xu, shall certainly see how you 'show restraint'!" With that, he didn't even bother with formalities and directly rushed out.

"Departing without announcement, how rude!" Ji Wenchang frowned.

Prince Jinke, hearing this, could only maintain a polite smile and bow in apology to preserve his composure before Princess Yingluo. Inwardly, he was extremely displeased. Why didn't you say anything when Zhao Xing was rude? After bowing and saluting, Zhao Xing also quickly flew out of the grand hall.

Ji Che laughed, raising his wine cup: "Come, Jinke, let's continue drinking and watch the show!"

"Thank you, Your Royal Highness, for the wine." Jinke raised his cup and began to soften his stance: "If Suo Xu accidentally injures someone, I beg Your Royal Highness not to take offense."

"How could I?" Ji Che grinned. "Would I, the Crown Prince, be so petty? Drink, drink!"

Only then did Prince Jinke relax.

As Suo Xu and Zhao Xing flew out of the floating island's array, they were immediately randomly teleported by the rule array. Because the arena simulated battlefield environments, it accounted for all sorts of scenarios. The initial distance between combatants was not fixed; sometimes it was far, allowing spell-casters to set up in advance, and sometimes it was close, simulating an encounter and providing very little reaction time. Of course, as long as spellcasting professions were involved, the shortest distance would still be over three thousand meters. After all, mages wouldn't charge into the front lines for close-quarters combat, would they?

Whoosh! Zhao Xing and Suo Xu randomly appeared above the 'Wind Tunnel Area', separated by a distance of ten thousand meters. Suo Xu, a wind martial artist, couldn't help but sneer when he saw they were in the wind tunnel combat area.

"Boom!"

A cluster of cyan airflow emerged from his body, interweaving and circulating, finally forming a phantom of an ice sheep behind him. Without a word, Suo Xu immediately activated his Golden Body Dharma Aspect. He intended to defeat Zhao Xing as quickly as possible to show the future emperor of Great Zhou what a warrior of Morse could do! Ten thousand meters was not a great distance for a Heavenly Fate Realm cultivator. Suo Xu, bare-handed, took a step, and the cyan airflow beneath his feet suddenly twisted. The next moment, he had crossed a thousand meters.

"Utilizing the True Intent of Wind to distort rules, achieving the effect of 'Shrinking the Ground to an Inch'," Zhao Xing smiled slightly, calmly activating his cloud-sustaining technique. Ten thousand meters—even if he stood still, it would take Suo Xu ten breaths to close the distance. However, this individual was cunning. For the first eight thousand meters, he crossed at a constant speed, each step precisely a thousand meters. But for the final two thousand meters, he suddenly burst forth, crossing it in a single stride, rapidly catching up to Zhao Xing's figure.

"Fall down!"

The Golden Body Dharma Aspect, originally two zhang tall, emitted a hazy light and instantly grew to twenty zhang. "Swish!" As he threw a punch, the ice sheep roared skyward, dozens of cyan vortices emerged, and the cyan wind generated a powerful suction force. It pulled Zhao Xing's figure towards his fist.

"Hum~"

The figure dissipated, but Suo Xu's strike found no substance. "An afterimage? When did he leave the locking range of the Storm God Fist?" Suo Xu was startled. However, before he could locate Zhao Xing's figure, he felt a chill at his back.

"Boom!"

The Tri-Yin Thunder Seal struck Suo Xu's back, instantly knocking him from high in the sky to the ground. A large crater immediately appeared on the ground, and inertia caused Suo Xu to carve a long trench, sending dust flying. Under the premise of cloud cover, the Yin Thunder Method was practically unfathomable. Hidden within the thunderclouds, Suo Xu couldn't distinguish between natural thunder elemental energy and a spell. The Yin Thunder Method's core was 'Yin'—concealment, making it difficult to detect.

"A decent technique, but your reaction is a bit slow," Zhao Xing's voice resounded from within the clouds, commenting like a superior. In the distance, numerous floating spherical recorders spun, capturing the sounds and visuals of the battle and transmitting them to the terrestrial mirror.

Inside the grand hall, a hint of surprise flashed in Prince Jinke's eyes. Ice King and Kro King also looked towards the terrestrial mirror, surprised that Suo Xu had been completely crushed. In a single encounter, he was knocked into the dust.

"Rumble!" The ground shook violently. Sensing the surrounding battle, the subterranean wind tunnel immediately changed, generating a powerful repulsive force from below. Riding the strong winds, Suo Xu shot upwards.

"If that was your strongest technique, then you can concede," Zhao Xing said, looking down at Suo Xu from above. "You're not even enough for me to warm up." This was the truth. Among Zhao Xing's eighty-one Cloud Gates, eighteen paths each amplified the Rain Law 'Sky Eclipse' and the 'Profound Sky Thunder Law'. But the most significant amplification came from 'Ruler of the Horizon', because 'Ruler of the Horizon' was inherently a cloud technique! Zhao Xing possessed first-grade Five Elements True Intent and mastery of two top-tier spells. With the augmentation of his cloud-sustaining technique, Suo Xu had no chance of even touching him.

"Concede? Your thunder spell merely tickles me!" Suo Xu roared. "If you take one punch from me, you won't get up! Take this!" He continued to charge forward. Zhao Xing remained still, waiting to see if he had any stronger moves.

"Roar!" Suo Xu roared, his ice sheep dharma aspect behind him growing even larger, as did the scope of the cyan vortices. Aiding from the repulsive force of the wind tunnel, Suo Xu's speed was faster this time, and the power of his Storm God Fist was also greater. Unfortunately, the gap between the two was too wide.

"Nothing special," Zhao Xing felt that Suo Xu's attack had increased in power, but not significantly; it hadn't reached the level of a first-rate Heavenly Fate Realm cultivator. "Crack! Crack!" Suddenly, large quantities of purplish-black lightning appeared within the thunderclouds. Bolts of lightning pierced through heaven and earth, persisting once they appeared, instantly twisting together, one flash after another intertwining. Chilling Fiend Thunder Domain! Facing this unavoidable chilling thunder, Suo Xu could only endure it head-on.

"Crack, crack, crack!" The black lightning within the thunder domain twisted and churned. Suo Xu endured it for only three breaths before feeling his breathing constricted, his entire body in immense pain, and bone-chillingly cold, as if death itself had arrived. "Hum~" The protective rules within the Earth-tier arena activated. After determining Suo Xu was in mortal danger, an orange-yellow light flared around him, instantly teleporting him out of the thundercloud area and returning him to the floating island.

With lightning still flaring, Zhao Xing called out to a spherical terrestrial mirror recorder: "Your Royal Highness, I'm not fully satisfied yet. Why not let Prince Jinke's other warriors come down and try their luck?"

"Excellent!" Ji Che immediately put down his wine cup and looked at Prince Jinke. "Jinke, what do you say?" With words spoken to this extent, what else could he do? Prince Jinke immediately said, "As Your Royal Highness wishes." Then he looked at Ice King: "Yang Bing, you go." Yang Bing was Ice King's Great Zhou name.

"Yes." Yang Bing immediately rose, cupped his hands towards Ji Che, and flew out of the hall. Zhao Xing was not surprised to see Ice King flying over. Unless Prince Jinke was utterly foolish, he wouldn't send the other two, whose strength was similar to Suo Xu's, to continue losing. "The top-tier techniques of vassal states are indeed weaker. I dealt with Suo Xu easily. I wonder about this Ice King," Zhao Xing thought to himself. How could small vassal states have so many top-tier inheritances? One could count them on one hand, and ultimate techniques were non-existent. Of course, in recent years, the Morse Kingdom had acquired many more powerful techniques from Great Zhou, but top-tier core ones were impossible to obtain. Techniques like the Myriad Law Strawman or other ultimate top-tier spells would never be passed on.

With a layer of protective golden light emanating from his body, Ice King appeared ten thousand meters away. Zhao Xing's cloud cover also dissipated as the battle recommenced. They appeared above a desolate wilderness. "Hum~"

When the protective golden light vanished, Ice King immediately became transparent, like a crystal of ice, and finally disappeared completely into the air. "Hmm? This move actually has some tricks to it." Zhao Xing activated his Heavenly Eye technique, but surprisingly, couldn't see where Ice King had gone.

"Frost Martial Body, Golden Body completely transparent. He has mastered the first-grade True Intent of Water, 'Heavenly One True Water'. The combination allows Ice King to move without leaving any trace." Due to environmental factors, most martial artists in the Morse Kingdom followed the "Qi Sect path," believing the body to be the best weapon. Ice King was considered a rare advancement among martial artist professions. "As an ice martial artist, it was this concealment technique that allowed Ice King to easily defeat his opponents in his previous dozen matches." The Heavenly One True Intent perfectly complemented his martial skills and combat body, making him elusive and untraceable in the world, like one of the lost elements. To be able to forge a martial body with Heavenly One True Water, Ice King could indeed be called a first-rate master.

"His speed is also faster." Zhao Xing dared not be careless and immediately activated his cloud-sustaining technique. Through one of the eighty-one Cloud Gates, Zhao Xing's figure vanished into the clouds. Ice King frowned, as he too could no longer track Zhao Xing. "How can this be? I possess the Heavenly One True Intent, so the water in the clouds should theoretically reveal his whereabouts. How can he have completely vanished?"

While he was pondering, the clouds rapidly expanded, quickly covering the entire duel area. "What? Such a vast range?" Ice King was instantly startled. No matter which direction he looked, the clouds stretched endlessly.

"Every action leaves a trace! I've found you!" Ice King sensed carefully and immediately charged into a certain direction within the clouds. He prided himself on his powerful martial body and wasn't afraid even when entering his opponent's home ground. "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!" Streams of rhombus-shaped ice crystals appeared around Ice King, radiating immense destructive power as they swept towards Zhao Xing's position.

"He's genuinely capable. He can draw power from my cloud technique, absorbing my cloud energy to transform into ice crystal attacks." Zhao Xing watched the incoming ice shards, his body retreating behind a cloud gate. The next second, he reappeared from a cloud gate in another direction.

"Hmm?" Ice King frowned, realizing his attack missed. "What kind of cloud technique is this?" He felt that Zhao Xing was now very far away. With such a large span, he couldn't possibly attack his opponent. "Hum~" The eighty-one Cloud Gates immediately rotated, surrounding Ice King layer by layer.

"Shattering Ice Palm!" Ice King struck towards a cloud gate, a point of blue light emanating from his palm. The blue light instantly covered the cloud gate, then began to disintegrate it inch by inch, shattering one of the cloud gates. But in the blink of an eye, another layer of cloud gate reappeared in the original position. "Shatter, for me!"

"Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!" Ice King continuously unleashed palm strikes, attempting to break out after shattering a cloud gate. With each strike, he channeled frost power, distorting the space around the cloud gate, successfully fixing and shattering a gate. But there were too many cloud gates; no matter how many he shattered, Zhao Xing could instantly generate new ones. Moreover, the clouds were fluid, meaning eighty-one gates constantly surrounded Ice King, trapping him completely!

"Combine!" Zhao Xing began to compress Ice King's living space. "Poof!" Ice King punched through a cloud gate, attempting to break out, but no matter how he moved, in which direction he flew, or what evasion technique he used, he could never completely escape the Cloud Gate Array. Meanwhile, the energy-siphoning effect within the Cloud Gates was active, depleting his vital energy, while Zhao Xing continuously replenished his own. Both had mastered top-tier spells, but Zhao Xing's Dao comprehension was superior, leaving Ice King completely unable to break free. Soon, he was enveloped by the cloud gates. He fell into the 'Stacked Cloud Realm'.

"Swish, swish, swish!" Passing through one gate led to another cloud-filled space, and this room was filled with doors everywhere. "This