Chapter 634: Used it, then give it back

Yu Qingxuan began to feel nervous. Among the Four Lords, only the Eastern Lord remained undefeated.

"Bai Chu, it's all up to you!"

Yu Qingxuan took a deep breath. At this point, he no longer cared whether the Four Lords would remain in the Continental Demon Race for further training. His concern was the prestige of the Northern Sea Demon Race. The Northern Sea Demon Race had always prided itself on being superior to the Continental Demon Race; their younger generation, especially, was considered far superior. Yet, the outcome was a crushing two consecutive losses to their opponents. If even Bai Chu lost, the Northern Sea Demon Race would truly suffer an immense loss of face.

The Eastern Lord, Bai Chu, slowly raised his head. His eyes, which had been closed, slowly opened. His gaze was calm and indifferent. It was the calmness of invincible solitude, of having no worthy opponent to fight. Even Ling Shu's impressive two-win streak failed to stir any fighting spirit in him.

"Three moves."

Bai Chu crossed his arms over his chest and uttered the two words indifferently. Then, he took a step forward. In an instant, behind him, intertwined black and white light condensed into a vague, ten-zhang tall Dharma Idol.

Jiang Fan felt a slight surprise. This Dharma Idol was remarkably similar to his own 'True Spirit Art of Brahma Sage'. He wondered about its power.

Ling Shu's breath hitched. The power of the Four Lords' leader made her feel awestruck, even from across half the main hall. His approaching strides gave her the oppressive sensation of a fierce lion closing in. This person was undeniably terrifyingly strong! Otherwise, the Demon Emperor wouldn't have promised her substantial rewards regardless of the outcome.

Still, she gathered her courage and attacked Bai Chu! She raised a hand and pointed, unleashing a torrential downpour of green spiritual light from within her. It engulfed the approaching Bai Chu, covering him entirely. Immediately after, explosions erupted everywhere. Ling Shu didn't stop after her first move. From her palm, she conjured another green light-and-shadow sword, ten zhang long. She raised it high and brought it down fiercely. Empowered by her Core Formation eighth-level demonic energy, this sword strike unleashed a power that caused even the four Deputy Envoys and many other Core Formation eighth-level demon experts to tremble with fear.

Boom!

As the long sword struck down, the ground itself quivered. One could imagine the damage Bai Chu, who had been attacked, must have suffered.

However, the smoke from the explosion was swept away by a powerful current of air. It was Bai Chu, stepping out completely unharmed. He still maintained the posture of arms crossed over his chest. In fact, anyone observant enough would notice that Bai Chu's approaching steps had not paused even once. Those seemingly powerful attacks had not affected him in the slightest.

Even the Demon Emperor couldn't help but look solemn, murmuring: "The Northern Sea Demon Race has given birth to an extraordinary being."

The five Demon Kings also saw the truth. This youth would at least reach the peak of the Core Formation ninth-level in the future. If he possessed great fortune, breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm would be effortless for him. This was because his cultivation had already reached the Core Formation eighth-level, and he was at its peak. He could break through to the Core Formation ninth-level at any moment! Yet, he appeared to be only around twenty years old. Given time, it was unimaginable how high his potential ceiling would be. And Ling Shu, it seemed, had no chance of winning.

Bai Chu continued walking towards Ling Shu, stating calmly, "You have one more move."

It was then that everyone present realized with a start. The 'three moves' Bai Chu mentioned meant he was allowing Ling Shu three moves!

Ling Shu immediately felt humiliated. "Who asked you to concede moves?" she retorted. "Regardless of winning or losing, she must fight with dignity!"

Bai Chu nodded slightly. "Very well," he said. "Then, our sparring session ends now!"

No sooner had his words fallen than the black and white Dharma Idol behind him moved. The Dharma Idol drew back its right fist, then unleashed a seemingly ordinary punch. This seemingly unremarkable punch, however, contained a trace of celestial power. The air boiled and churned, and strong winds wildly vibrated. It was as if this single punch could bore a hole through an entire mountain.

The Demon Emperor's expression changed, and he decisively ordered, "Ling Shu, withdraw!"

Ling Shu also realized the extreme danger. She immediately pulled back. But it was still a step too late. This incredibly powerful punch shattered the air and flew straight towards Ling Shu's chest. Ling Shu's face paled, and she hurriedly gathered countless spiritual lights in front of her, trying to mitigate some of the punch's force. However, her spiritual light was instantly pierced through by the punch's force. The punch's force, almost undiminished, ruthlessly struck her.

Seeing this, the Demon Emperor's expression changed, and he instantly decided to intervene and rescue her. But before he could, a small, vibrant five-colored mountain suddenly descended from the sky, positioning itself in front of Ling Shu.

Boom!

Despite the immense weight of the Five-Magnet Origin Mountain, it was slightly displaced by the impact. One must know that this mountain was so heavy that even a Core Formation ninth-level expert could only barely suppress it. It was unimaginable how many pieces Ling Shu's body would shatter into if she had taken the full force of that blow.

Ling Shu showed the expression of one who had narrowly escaped death and hastily declared, "I surrender!" That strike was simply too terrifying. It far exceeded the limits of what the younger generation could withstand. Her small face slightly pale, she hid behind Jiang Fan, full of lingering fear. Breathing shallowly, she said, "Thank you, big brother. Big brother saved Ling Shu's life."

Jiang Fan said nothing more. He raised his hand and, with a gesture, the Five-Magnet Origin Mountain shrank back to palm-size and flew into his hand.

A collective sigh of relief filled the hall. The Demon Emperor also cast a look of approval towards Jiang Fan. With a smile in his eyes, he said, "Alright, the sparring between both sides ends here. Let's just consider it a loss for our Continental Demon Race." Losing to a Bai Chu of such caliber was not shameful at all. As far as he knew, Bai Chu was an invincible presence among his peers throughout the Northern Sea Demon Race territory. Not to mention those of his own generation, even the older generation of Core Formation eighth-level experts were no match for him. That innate Dharma Idol was truly too powerful.

Yu Qingxuan's face was grim. They had won, but the victory was far from satisfying! Ling Shu had surrendered without suffering a single injury. What was most frustrating was that Bai Chu's powerful strike had been easily blocked by a junior. This prevented Bai Chu's immense strength from being fully demonstrated. The invincible demeanor of the Northern Sea Demon Race seemed almost non-existent. In short, they found it hard to stomach. They couldn't spit it out, nor could they swallow it. Mu Ziyu and the other three Deputy Envoys shared the same feeling. If the Demon Emperor had intervened, it would have highlighted Bai Chu's unparalleled invincibility, showing that only the Demon Emperor himself could save someone from his attack. However, being saved so effortlessly by Jiang Fan, a peer, gave the impression that Bai Chu wasn't all that strong.

But since Ling Shu had already surrendered, the sparring match was declared over. Compared to the Northern Sea Demon Race's discontent, the Continental Demon Race felt much more pleased. They all began to praise Ling Shu profusely. Terms like "heroine," "valiant woman," and "glory of the demon race"—clearly borrowed freely from human terminology—were showered upon her without reservation.

Ling Shu's face glowed with pride. Her red lips pressed together slightly, and her expression became unnatural. She had never imagined that she would have such a glorious day. All of this was thanks to the necklace Jiang Fan gave her. She touched the stone hidden inside her clothes near her chest. She naturally understood where her suddenly doubled spiritual power came from.

"Big brother, Ling Shu loves your gift so much," Ling Shu said shyly, leaning close to Jiang Fan. Yet, she couldn't help but feel smug inside. *Humph, humph.* Human elite, Demon Race's son-in-law, Liu Li's man? Didn't he still fall for me? He even willingly gave me such an amazing gift.

Jiang Fan nodded and extended his hand. "Now that the sparring is over, please return it to me."

Ling Shu froze, her beautiful eyes blinking in surprise. She seemed a little caught off guard. This gift... wasn't it given to her?