CHAPTER 34: CHAPTER 34: THE CROSSBOW IS COCKED

"Are you sure you want to kill me today?" Nezha asked, not waiting for Ao Bing to reply, he continued, "Since you chose the time, then I will choose the place, so that this duel can be considered fair."

Ao Bing was momentarily stunned by these words, then burst into loud laughter: "Hahahaha, a duel? Do you really think this counts as a duel? A mere God Absorption Realm cultivator, a seven-year-old child, do you think you can contend with me, the Dragon Palace of the East Sea, just because you killed a minor Yaksha?"

As soon as Ao Bing finished speaking, aside from Nezha whose expression remained unchanged, everyone else was shocked.

The onlookers around, at this moment, knew who this sudden young child was and also knew where this gentleman in green came from.

Chentang Pass, being close to the sea, survives on the sea. Although not everyone is from a fishing village, everyone is clear about the custom of worshipping the Sea Dragon King, a knowledge ingrained since childhood.

Even if they are dissatisfied in their hearts, at most they would curse a few words while drinking, no one believes they or anyone could truly stop this from happening.

Until these past few days, a Nezha emerged in Chentang Pass.

Everyone knew that the third young master of the General’s Mansion was not only a fool but also mute.

But then one day, the fool suddenly began reading books, and the mute suddenly started talking.

In a small place like Chentang Pass, such strange news spread instantly through the streets and alleys, becoming a topic of conversation after meals.

There were all sorts of comments; some even claimed that the third young master of the General’s Mansion, Nezha, had been possessed by a demon.

Usually, such rumors, if left unattended, would settle down after a few days.

But this third young master was not one to remain quiet. It was said that on the day the Sea Dragon King was worshipped in the fishing village, he personally went there, stopped the worship, faced the Yaksha alone, and even made a three-day pact with the Yaksha.

By this time, when the people of Chentang Pass heard about this, they once again discussed Nezha after their meals.

Although they mocked the third young Master of the General’s Mansion for not knowing his own limits, like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, thinking that even though he could now talk he was still a fool, at the root of it, many secretly gave Nezha a thumbs up, and even harboring a somewhat unbelievable expectation for this official’s child.

Later, when the three-day pact was due, just when everyone thought Nezha would be confined inside the General’s Mansion by the General, not allowed to leave, and the Sea Dragon King’s ceremony would proceed as usual, or perhaps Nezha would indeed have the courage to meet the Yaksha but would be eaten on the spot by the Yaksha.

Not only did he arrive, but he also defeated the Yaksha with a thunderous method, and even killed all seventeen Great Witches who had been flaunting their power in Chentang Pass.

This was different from what the witches had previously proclaimed.

And it was different from what people had anticipated.

People either cheered or panicked, but no one could truly remain calm.

And now, someone from the Dragon Palace had come again.

It was Ao Bing, the Third Prince of the Dragon Palace.

Ao Bing stared at Nezha, his aura fluctuating, his face revealing two patches of blue scales, and he spoke very seriously, "I am a True Dragon from the sea, now cultivating Mystic Skills and spiritual energy, having transcended the Golden Core and stepped into the Immortal Realm. How dare you, a mere human cultivator in the God Absorption Realm, speak of battling me to the death?"

Hearing this, Nezha’s face showed great change, but inside he was secretly disdainful. The Immortal Realm, never heard of it, but looking at your spiritual aura, not only is it far less than Shi Ji, even if I were to reveal my golden light, you’re still inferior.

Moreover, in the book he had read, the Dragon Palace Third Prince, Ao Bing, in front of Nezha, was truly like a local chicken or a tile dog—bound by the Chaos Sky Silk, killed with a wave of the Qiankun Ring, even having his Dragon Tendons pulled out.

Nezha thought it made no sense for Ao Bing in this Fengshen World to be so strong.

His saying so was not without basis; his spiritual perception, or rather his intuition, was preventing him from fighting this battle with Ao Bing, but it was not due to fear, but rather some other, deeper aspects.

He chuckled, "Anyone can boast, but I do not wish to harm the people of Chentang Pass. Twenty li westward, there’s an open space in the mountains, devoid of people. Are you bold enough to come?"

Ao Bing responded with a cold sneer, "Afraid of you? Lead the way!"

With everyone’s eyes upon them, Nezha tapped the dirt road beneath his feet, stirring up a wisp of dust, and using the Earth Style, he soared straight into the blue sky, becoming a streak of light shooting toward the horizon, eliciting gasps of awe.

"An Immortal!"

"A true immortal!"

"Good heavens, the Third Prince of the General’s Mansion is not only not a fool; he is actually an immortal!"

"No wonder he could slay the Yaksha; earlier when Scholar Wang and I were drinking, he mentioned this and I thought it was fake news, not believing it."

At this moment, the ’well-informed’ Dongge stood up and said, "What’s there to be surprised about? I’ve long heard that all three sons of the General’s Mansion have taken immortals as their masters, naturally, they are somewhat divine."

Ao Bing just sneered upon hearing this, stomping his feet and leaving a dragon shadow on the ground. The sky dramatically changed, frightening the people in the alley to scatter and hide, flipping tables, stepping on shoes, and losing silver. Even smiling bashful young women were now frantically running about, unable to tell east from west.

This indeed aligns with the saying, "Clouds follow the dragon and wind follows the tiger."

But as swiftly as the clouds came, they left just as quickly, much like Nezha who had reached the horizon in the blink of an eye.

Just as Ao Bing left, two others in the street exchanged glances and also rose into the air, heading towards the horizon.

The spot chosen by Nezha was an open cliff, inaccessible and secluded, covered in scattered rocks with no vegetation, flanked by hundred-zhang tall sheer cliffs.

Hardly had he landed, three streaks of light quickly followed behind him. Mockingly, he said, "So, that’s how it is, you dare to come kill me because you called for help. What now, one by one or all at once?"

After Ao Bing landed, he turned around and saw that the two passersby had revealed their true forms, each standing twelve meters tall, clad in hard armor, wearing hard shells on their heads, and their hands hanging down holding large iron pincers.

Ao Bing’s expression was even uglier now. He turned back to look at the two behind him and gritted his teeth, "Did Father send you?"

It turns out, the Old Dragon King was well aware of his son’s temperament and feared he would cause trouble, so he had secretly sent two Crab Generals from the God Absorption Realm from the Dragon Palace to follow him in disguise.

The foul temper of the Third Dragon Prince was well known in the Dragon Palace, and neither of the Crab Generals wanted to provoke him. The Left General stepped forward, "Your Highness, rest assured, we are here under orders and will not interfere with your matters."

"Smart of you."

When it was time to take action, the two Crab Generals wouldn’t hold back, but they said this mainly because they thought they knew Nezha’s capabilities, merely at the God Absorption Realm.

Although he had slain the Yaksha Li Gen, in the Cultivation World, it’s quite common for someone from the God Absorption Realm to kill a cultivator in the Golden Core Realm.

But their Third Dragon Prince had already cultivated his Primordial Spirit and stepped into the ranks of an Independent Immortal. How could Nezha, no matter how demonically talented or capable of leapfrogging realms in killing, surpass this barrier of the Immortal Path?

Moreover, within the circles of shrimp soldiers and crab generals, the prevailing opinion was:

Nezha was able to kill Li Gen because Li Gen was complacent and careless, going out without carrying his Water Control Token, which typically accompanied him, and because Nezha ambushed him.

The Left General signalled with his eyes to the Right General, the two having worked together for many years as brothers, the latter caught on instantly, understanding his meaning.

Proud and arrogant, after slaying Nezha, the Third Dragon Prince would likely disdain to plunder a child’s corpse. As such, whatever magic treasures or wealth on Nezha, ultimately, it would still fall into their hands.

The two generals mulled over it swiftly, while not far ahead, Nezha and Ao Bing had already commenced their fight.

Updat𝓮d from freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.co(m)