"Let’s go take a look," Monk Great Wisdom said.

Xu Zimo nodded and said, "Since we’re here to help the Stone Race, let’s settle this as soon as possible."

The group followed the crowd toward the place where the challenge was taking place.

This was the location of the Sacred Stone Mountain’s main gate.

Many stonefolk had already gathered, and the surroundings were especially noisy, with the crowd in heated discussion.

Xu Zimo found a high vantage point and looked toward the front.

In the distance, an equally dense crowd from the other side was approaching aggressively.

Leading the Feather Race was none other than the clan leader of their generation, Yu Feihuang.

He wore a white robe, his wings folded neatly behind him, and his entire body radiated an immense imposing aura, creating an invisible pressure.

His features were stern, with an expression that inspired respect without anger.

The edges of his white robe curled upward like clusters of white clouds, and the design of the garment was quite novel.

At his side were the Feather Race’s various cultivators and elders.

One could say that in attacking the Stone Race this time, the Feather Race had mobilized nearly their entire force, sending out all their strongest members.

They faced off against the Stone Race from a distance, and Yu Feihuang let out a hearty laugh.

The laughter echoed above the noisy crowd.

In an instant, it suppressed all conversation.

"Brother Shaoshuo, who will you be sending to fight today?"

The Stone Race’s leader’s full name was Shi Shaoshuo.

Hearing Yu Feihuang’s words, Shi Shaoshuo frowned slightly.

Elder Shi Po slowly stepped forward.

Wearing a brown robe, he had already reached his sixties.

Even his beard and eyebrows seemed to be the same brown color.

His eyes were deeply set, his nose was high and straight, and his long hair had long since turned white.

"I, Shi Po, am willing to fight today," Elder Shi Po said in a loud, resonant voice, each word firm and powerful.

"Not bad, Empyrean Meridian realm," Yu Feihuang nodded slightly.

"And who will you send?" Shi Shaoshuo asked faintly.

"As always, our Elder Yu Shaoqing will fight," Yu Feihuang replied.

Hearing this name, the crowd fell into a brief silence.

Especially the members of the Stone Race.

Only they truly understood how nightmarish this name was to them.

The challenge matches had been going on for nearly half a month.

At the start, the two sides had alternated wins and losses. But ever since Yu Shaoqing stepped into the arena, he had slain eight Stone Race elders in a row.

Not a single defeat.

His power and momentum were immense, his strength unfathomable, striking fear before the battle even began.

A light breeze swept through the land.

From the Feather Race side, a man dressed like a scholar slowly stepped forward, exuding a scholarly air.

The white robe he wore was slightly different from the others.

Embroidered on it was a black crow.

As he stepped out, faint black energy coiled around him.

"Yu Shaoqing, please give me your guidance."

…

The surrounding crowd instinctively stepped back, creating an open space for the two to fight.

"Who do you think will win?"

People began discussing in low voices.

"Yu Shaoqing, of course. He hasn’t lost a single fight yet."

"As a member of the Stone Race, naturally I’m rooting for Elder Shi Po. Yu Shaoqing may be strong, but Elder Shi Po is also one of our old, core elders. His battle experience is rich, he may not lose."

"You don’t understand. Our Stone Race has no one else left to send. Otherwise, Elder Shi Po wouldn’t be the one going up."

When the two took their positions, Elder Shi Po let out a soft shout.

A faint yellow spiritforce began to gather around him.

The two had no intention of testing each other, they immediately summoned their True Fate.

Behind Elder Shi Po, a colossal stone giant phantom gradually condensed and took shape.

This stone giant was entirely fiery red, with only its eyes a dark yellow.

It stood a hundred meter tall, its form stretching beyond sight, nearly blocking the view of the crowd.

Flames burned around its massive body.

Across from him, Yu Shaoqing’s expression remained calm.

His white robe rustled in the wind.

He slowly drew the long sword from his back.

The sound of the sword’s hum echoed faintly through the air.

Raising the sword, he let his right arm draw back half a step.

His figure flickered, turning into an afterimage that swept across the air.

In the next moment, he was already behind Elder Shi Po, his sword slashing toward the elder’s head.

But Elder Shi Po had clearly anticipated this, the flaming giant behind him let out an angry roar.

It blocked the strike in advance.

After the first exchange, the flaming giant went berserk, pressing Yu Shaoqing hard with attack after attack.

Each punch burst with burning flames.

Even the air seemed scorched, leaving faint afterimages.

Yu Shaoqing raised his sword to meet the blows.

His sword techniques were not particularly aggressive, but they carried immense force and deep mastery. Each move gave the impression of returning to the essence.

In the short term, the flaming giant’s dense attacks gave Yu Shaoqing no room to counter.

Seeing Yu Shaoqing on the defensive, the Stone Race clansmen were delighted.

"I told you, Elder Shi Po is a core elder of our clan, he can definitely beat Yu Shaoqing."

"Let’s not get careless, but if the attacks keep going like this, our chances are good."

"Go, Elder Shi Po!"

While the clansmen’s faces were filled with excitement, the Stone Race’s higher-ups showed no joy.

Different levels see different things.

"Elder Shi Po can’t hold out for long. Unless he has some hidden trump card," Monk Great Wisdom said on the side.

Xu Zimo nodded slightly, not refuting it.

From an outsider’s perspective, Yu Shaoqing was indeed being pressured. But there were two key points everyone was ignoring.

First, Yu Shaoqing was handling the attacks with ease, it was clear this assault wasn’t putting him under real pressure.

Each move of his was stable, without any sign of panic.

Second, Elder Shi Po had already activated his True Fate and was attacking with full force.

Yet his opponent, aside from drawing his sword, hadn’t even revealed his True Fate.

That was the truly suffocating part.

Xu Zimo could see clearly, Yu Shaoqing was in the God Meridian realm.

He wasn’t fighting seriously at all, as if mocking his opponent, or perhaps enjoying the feeling of hunting prey.

"Shocking the Heavens!" After failing to break through for a long time, Elder Shi Po seemed to grow impatient.

The flaming giant behind him let out an earth-shaking roar.

The flames in its hands blazed even fiercer.

Its momentum surged several levels higher.

Both fists shattered the void, smashing through every obstacle, crashing down toward Yu Shaoqing’s head.

At that moment, a flicker of black light flashed in Yu Shaoqing’s eyes.

It was only for an instant, but his gaze was filled with a chilling gloom.

"Farewell," he said with a faint smile, the corner of his lips curling.

When the flaming giant’s fists fell, there was a loud boom.

The earth began to shake like an earthquake, cracks splitting and spreading in all directions.

When the shrouding dust and mist gradually dissipated, the scene in the arena was both shocking and yet within everyone’s expectations.