Chapter 548: The Third Challenge

Soon, Qing Zhangtian, Chinizi, Zi Ling, Jiang Shuishui, Ma Long, and the others also learned about Shi Mu’s challenge. Naturally, they each had different responses to the news.

Some were happy and hoping that Shi Mu would die in the Enchanted Road. However, some were worried about Shi Mu. Others were indifferent or disapproved of such a course.

After the news broke out, those who had a good relationship with Shi Mu, such as Qing Zhangtian, gradually came over to him, hoping to persuade him to give up on the challenge.

Of course, Shi Mu did not change his mind. When their arguments proved ineffective, they had no choice but to leave.

Zi Ling had visited Shi Mu on the last day before his challenge began. Seeing Shi Mu, she did not try to convince him to give up. Instead, she spoke with Shi Mu regarding the Enchanted Road. Eventually, she mentioned that she would like to face the Enchanted Road one day as well, which left Shi Mu somewhat speechless.

In the midst of their discussion, three days quickly passed by.

In the Xuanling Tower, somewhere above the huge square, there was a black platform in the center of the square. When Shi Mu arrived, thousands of people had gathered around it.

At first glance, the crowds were taken aback as it was entirely different from the championship. Everyone whispered and discussed among themselves, making the atmosphere extremely lively.

It was no surprise that they were not coming to fight themselves but to witness the excitement. Additionally, the top disciples competing on this day had a lot more experience compared to the championship. Naturally, it would attract everyone.

The appearance of Shi Mu immediately caught everyone’s attention as they stretched out their necks to catch a glimpse of him.

He had been keeping quite a low profile ever since he became a disciple of Qinglan and did not attract much attention. Hence, his image was quite mysterious in the public’s eyes.

For the past few days, Shi Mu had been in retreat at his residence. Apart from a few acquaintances, no one was allowed to visit him. Everyone was naturally curious to see who Shi Mu was and if he was brave enough to challenge the top three disciples in one go.

Shi Mu turned a blind eye to his surroundings as his body flickered and arrived in the middle of the platform.

On the top of the ring stood an old man who seemed to be in his late stage of Heaven Rank cultivation with a horn protruding from his forehead. Apparently, he belonged to a demon race.

“Are you Shi Mu?”

The horned old man looked at Shi Mu from head to toe. His face showed a hint of a sly smile.

“Yes, I am disciple Shi Mu,” Shi Mu said calmly.

“Well, you seem just fine. Since you have reached this point, I will not say much to you. You fully understand the requirements of the Enchanted Road, correct?”

“Yes, I understand clearly,” Shi Mu assured him.

“That’s good. The rest of you, please come up to the stage!” The horned man waved his hand as he spoke.

Suddenly, three figures appeared out of thin air and arrived at the center of the ring. They were none other than Long Zhanye, Ling Feng and Yun Xiao.

Long Zhanye stood in the middle with Ling Feng on his left and Yun Xiao on his right.

As soon as the three top disciples appeared, a heated discussion erupted among the onlookers. The atmosphere at the scene was heated up and their eyes went from Shi Mu to the three disciples.

These top three disciples were famous as they had been at the forefront for more than three years. Each of them had their own group of friends as the crowd cheered for them.

Long Zhanye and Yun Xiao both were unfamiliar with Shi Mu. They looked at him with curiosity and started to talk among themselves.

However, when Ling Feng glanced at Shi Mu, his face was light and smiling.

Shi Mu’s eyes swept across and he nodded in greeting at Ling Feng.

The horned old man announced to the crowd, “Silence! A hundred-year disciple named Shi Mu has applied to challenge the Enchanted Road. According to the rules, one must defeat the top three disciples in the Qinglan List in order to qualify for entry. My name is Jin Dao and I will be the one who presides over the battle!”.

As soon as he spoke, the noisy crowd suddenly quieted down.

“This battle will last for three days. The first round will be held today! Shi Mu and Yun Xiao, both of you please stay on the stage. Long Zhanye and Ling Feng, you may now leave the stage first,” Jin Dao said to the fighters.

“I hope I will still see you standing here after two days!”

After Long Zhanye said this to Shi Mu, he suddenly transformed into a ray of golden light and flew down from the platform, landing nearby.

Ling Feng also nodded at Shi Mu before leaving the platform.

“The battle begins now!”

Jin Dao announced at the top of his lungs as he waved for a ray of light to appear. A blue light curtain suddenly lit up around the ring, covering it in all directions.

Shi Mu took a deep breath and looked at Yun Xiao, standing close by.

Yun Xiao looked over as well. They stared at each other intensely, but it seemed that they did not plan to immediately start battling yet.

“You’re Shi Mu? You’ve barely even reached Heaven rank, yet you are eager to challenge the Enchanted Road? You really have a deathwish!” Yun Xiao said loudly.

“I have my own plans, so there’s no need for you to trouble yourself,” Shi Mu said coldly.

“Hmph!! Before you can challenge the Enchanted Road, you’ll have to pass through me!” Yun Xiao’s face turned cold and he began his attack.

His body swayed, leaving behind purple residual images as he charged straight at Shi Mu.

“What incredible speed!” Shi Mu’s heart skipped a beat as this was the first time he had seen someone so much faster than his previous opponents.

Woosh!

Shi Mu’s eyes and body started to glow and flaming wings emerged from his back. His body shook slightly as he left behind an afterimage and disappeared out of sight.

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The red and the purple shadows chased after each other as their velocity gradually increased.

Under the ring, everyone was mesmerized, barely able to keep up with their movements. Even their afterimages gradually blurred and the cheers did not die down.

Qing Zhangtian was perturbed. He had always prided himself on his speed, but seeing the two of them in the ring battling each other, he was not expecting such competition. At that point, it seemed he may very well have been bested.

“Not bad. You are able to keep up with my speed! You do have some skills up your sleeve!” The purple afterimage stopped instantly and Yun Xiao’s figure could be seen within.

“You ain’t that bad yourself either.” The red shadow flashed and Shi Mu emerged.

“You arrogant snob!”

Yun Xiao’s face was cold as a purple light flashed in his hand and a purple fan appeared.

This fan seemed to be made from the feathers of an exotic type of falcon. There were nine quills and all of them were covered with charm runes, exuding an incredible aura.

The might of this feather fan had surpassed the scope of any other spirit weapon. It was a magical weapon with immense power.

“The Yuanzhen Fan!! It’s Yuan Xiao’s prized possession!”

Under the platform, everyone exclaimed in surprise.

Shi Mu’s face was undaunted as he held on tight to the Wishful Steel Staff in his hands.

“Don’t think just because you can match my speed that we are equal! Take this! Heavenly Wind Formation of the Yuanzhen Fan!

Yun Xiao shouted as the purple fan in his hand shined. The nine quills opened up and instantly pointed at Shi Mu.

Woosh!

A large purple tornado erupted from the tip of the fan. It had a crystalline, mottled hue and made a whistling sound as it moved.

Due to the extreme strength of the tornado, many around the platform were hit by a gust of wind. It was upon Shi Mu in a blink of an eye.

Shi Mu was shocked. He waved his arms and the staff in his hand started to emit ripples of white waves.

“Spirit Snake Trench!”

He shouted as the Wishful Steel Staff in his hand stirred. The white wave in front of him suddenly rolled up the staff, turning into a huge white tornado.

The two tornadoes collided.

Peng!

Shi Mu’s white tornado broke down and fell toward the Heavenly Wind Formation of The Yuanzhen Fan.

The purple tornado was like a giant clam. It slammed into Shi Mu and he was sent flying, crashing into the blue barrier of light around the ring.

However, Shi Mu had already covered his entire body in his golden scales before he slammed into the barrier. Thanks to the scales, he was not injured.

With a booming sound, the purple tornado continued to chase after Shi Mu.

Shi Mu’s eyes were cold and he released a ray of black light from the Wishful Steel Staff.

“Art of Total Annihilation!”

Instantly, a thick black shadow slammed into the purple tornado.

Boom!

The purple tornado burst apart.

Shi Mu stomped his foot loudly against the ground, and cracks began to appear on the ring’s protective barrier.

With that, he pushed himself forward, leaping into the air. His body was like a meteorite as he flew toward the clouds. Still clutching the staff, he slammed into Yun Xiao in an instant.

“Azure Falcon Technique!”

The black light on the steel staff glowed brightly as it rippled through space, and extremely strong pressure was building in the ring.

Yun Xiao was preparing the second phase of the attack of the Heavenly Wind Formation of the Yuanzhen Fan. At that moment, his face has changed greatly as he was left with no choice but to attack again. In his hand, the feather fan was glowing a bright purple. In a flash, it became a fan-shaped shield, guarding him from the front.

Bang!

The long black staff bombarded the feather fan. The endless black and purple lights burst apart and strong gusts of wind swept across the sides as a large pit formed in the ground below.

The blue barrier of light nearby trembled violently almost to the breaking point.

In midair, the horned old man’s face changed greatly as he waved his hand.

A cluster of blue lights flew out of his hand, which seemed to be a token. It integrated into the blue barrier and it immediately stabilized before collapsing.

Not only that, but a layer of blue light had also appeared on the ground as well.

Around the ring, everyone was dumbfounded.

The strength of these two disciples was beyond comprehension. With their power colliding, it had created huge momentum, almost ruining the ring entirely.

This led those around to recognize Shi Mu’s strength as a new disciple. Those who were in the same batch as Shi Mu in the trials of disciples closed their mouths and held their breath in disbelief.

Qing Zhangtian, Chinizi and the others had conflicted feelings. They had been part of the same batch as Shi Mu when they entered the Holy Land of Qinglan together. Their strength was somewhat similar back then.

However, they had suffered a huge blow, as their loss in the championships had scarred their self-esteem a little. Seeing him in this fight, it was obvious that they were far behind Shi Mu.

On the other hand, Zi Ling seemed to be enjoying the battle. At times, she would even wave her small hands and clap with joy.