Planning to Show His Hand and Establish Dominance—Just a Tiny, Tiny Bit Stronger Than You All
Planning to Show His Hand and Establish Dominance—Just a Tiny, Tiny Bit Stronger Than You All
“Young Master Changge is going to fight the Chosen Monk Jin Chan?”
The few elders before the mountain gate, after their initial shock, exchanged glances with one another, momentarily at a loss for words.
By all reason, Gu Changge was one of the current Ten Great Ranked Disciples, and the Chosen Monk Jin Chan before them was the same.
Shouldn’t a battle between the two of them be treated with the utmost~ caution?
After all, if things went even slightly wrong, it could easily shake their standing in the True Immortal Academy, leaving their position unstable.
“Is Young Master Changge serious about this?”
For the first time, an expression other than calm appeared on Jin Chan’s face as he stared intently at Gu Changge.
He had not expected Gu Changge to bare his edge to such a degree.
And right at the entrance of the True Immortal Academy, no less.
Jin Chan asked himself—had he ever offended Gu Changge? No, he had not. This was merely the first time the two of them had ever met.
“This Gu Changge is far too arrogant. He doesn’t regard any of the other prodigies at all—such conceit.”
Within the crowd, Ying Shuang clenched his fists, thinking to himself.
He grew ever more convinced that Gu Changge was the true Successor of Demonic Arts.
His purpose in making a move was most likely just to probe Jin Chan’s strength—or else to display his terrifying might before the eyes of the masses.
From now on, in the True Immortal Academy, it might well end up like the Skyward Schloss, with Gu Changge ruling everything with one hand.
“It’s merely a spar—we stop at first contact. Daoxiong Jin Chan, there’s no need to take it too seriously.”
Gu Changge still smiled with breezy nonchalance. “But if Daoxiong Jin Chan refuses, I certainly won’t force the matter.”
“Among the younger generation of today, there aren’t many left who can stir my interest in a fight.”
Though his words were spoken simply, they made everyone present feel their breath catch, as if an invisible mountain were pressing down upon their heads, crushing the air from their lungs.
Casual. Domineering!
And it was the kind of utter indifference that didn’t even regard the opponent as worth noticing!
They knew this was not Gu Changge being conceited—he truly had the confidence to say such words, leaving no room for rebuttal.
But at the same time, weren’t these words also a form of recognition?
To have stirred Gu Changge’s interest in a fight—that in itself was an immense honor!
“In that case, forgive my offense!”
Hearing this, Jin Chan knew this battle was unavoidable, and he sighed inwardly.
He had not come to the True Immortal Academy to vie for supremacy, but the Gu Changge before him put considerable pressure on him.
And soon, word of what was happening here spread.
Streak after streak of azure rainbows rushed over from every corner of the True Immortal Academy. Figures flickered into appearance across the mountain peaks, all coming to watch the battle.
It was no exaggeration to say that this was one of the most pinnacle clashes of the current younger generation!
A battle between two Ranked Disciples of the True Immortal Academy!
Weng!!
Deep in the horizon, chaotic mist billowed outward, and a golden avenue stretched across the sky. The figures of Elders arrived as well, equally full of anticipation for this battle—and deeply curious.
Many had guessed Gu Changge’s purpose. His taking the initiative to issue a challenge—wasn’t it a show of dominance?
Newly arrived, the True Immortal Academy as yet had no clearly established hierarchy of order.
By striking first, he was essentially announcing his strength to everyone else, telling them to know their place—to know who reigned supreme in the True Immortal Academy.
Of course, this was all speculation on the crowd’s part.
Atop a mountain peak stood a woman with fiery-red phoenix wings on her back, dressed in a long crimson gown, flames coiling around her arms.
She gazed over from afar, her countenance breathtakingly beautiful, bearing an innate nobility, like a peerless phoenix maiden carved from red Immortal Crystals.
She was none other than an ancient freak from the Phoenix Mountains—and one of the Ten Great Ranked Disciples—the Phoenix Lady!
It was said she had deep ties to the Celestial Phoenix; there were even claims that she was the reincarnation of a Celestial Phoenix.
“Gu Changge...”
She murmured those three words softly.
Then.
The phoenix wings on her back trembled, her figure blurred, and she departed the area.
“Gu Changge is taking the initiative to fight the Chosen Monk of Buddhist Mountain?”
Within a cave abode, a purple-robed man’s brows furrowed tightly. “Perfect. I can use this opportunity to probe the truth of the matter. How much of the rumors is real—one must see it with one’s own eyes.”
Thinking thus, his figure moved as well, leaving the place amid a vast surge of purple qi rising to the heavens, heading toward the mountain gate.
“Heavenly Monarch Ziyang—he’s actually going too?”
This sight drew the attention of many, who were quite shocked.
Heavenly Monarch Ziyang was the first Ranked Disciple to arrive at the True Immortal Academy, hailing from the Purple Mansion.
At the same time, he was an ancient freak sealed away until this era, who had once suppressed his entire generation, ranked number one in the Beyond.
And the Purple Mansion was one of the most mysterious immortal orthodoxies of the Beyond today, with an incomparably ancient heritage.
For a time, many such scenes played out across the divine mountains and immortal islands of the True Immortal Academy.
Before the mountain gate, it was even more lively.
Figures flickered everywhere, each with a powerful aura—any one of them would be a Young Prodigy capable of sweeping all before them in the outside world!
Among them, inner disciples and Unranked Disciples were the most numerous; many Ranked Disciples had yet to arrive at the True Immortal Academy.
For instance, the whereabouts of the two Successors of the Mortal Palace remained unknown, and the mysterious King of Six Crowns had yet to appear.
Beyond that, the remaining few Ranked Disciples were also quite mysterious, their traces hard to find.
“Who do you think will win this battle? I feel the Chosen Monk Jin Chan is very mysterious—before this, I’d never even heard any rumors about him. But since the True Immortal Academy named him a Ranked Disciple, he must have something extraordinary about him.”
“This battle is hard to call.”
“Not necessarily. Without resorting to other means, relying purely on his own strength, I think Young Master Changge is definitely a cut above. After all, he’s the only one who has ever contended against the Successor of Demonic Arts.”
“There are even rumors now saying Young Master Changge might be the Reincarnation of the Mortal One.”
“Sss! No wonder...”
Many were discussing it, and at this point they couldn’t help but suck in a cold breath, stunned.
“Young Master Changge!”
“Forgive me!”
While everyone was buzzing with discussion, Jin Chan, who had been sitting cross-legged atop the golden nine-headed lion all this time, made his move. His voice was calm.
Precious light suffused the air, Buddhist chants interwove—utterly sacred and resplendent.
From his very first move, he employed incomparably profound and mysterious Buddhist dharma. A divine halo emerged behind his head, as though he were an immortal Buddha.
Moreover, he dared not hold back—the strength he displayed had already reached the level of the Sacred Realm.
Ancient Buddhist dharma evolved, and an immensely tall golden Buddha avatar manifested, dazzling beyond compare.
Its terrifying aura caused the many young prodigies present to change color, feeling as though their bodies were about to split apart.
“So strong!”
“Sacred Realm power—so this is the might of this generation’s Chosen Monk? He’s already far surpassed the rest of us!”
They were horrified, their hearts and minds trembling!
Had such strength been displayed earlier, it would surely have shaken all sides.
Hong long long!
The enormous golden Buddha avatar came crushing down toward Gu Changge, as if to suppress him along with everything else.
“Daoxiong Jin Chan, are you looking down on me? If this is all you’ve got, then I’m truly disappointed.”
However, a smile still lingered on Gu Changge’s face, as though he didn’t care in the slightest.
Weng!!
He merely raised one palm slightly!
His other hand didn’t even move.
Then, he gently pressed it forward!
A rumbling sound erupted in the void, as if it were about to explode.
The next moment, the palm became utterly real, and the void collapsed in an instant.
Like the hand of the heavens itself, the aura of the Heavenly Path circulated around it, immortal radiance dense, wreathed in five-colored divine light and immortal mist!
The thousand-zhang-tall Buddha phantom, solemn and majestic, shattered in an instant beneath this single palm, vanishing directly into nothingness.
“What!? It shattered with one palm...”
“Simply despair-inducing—isn’t this way too powerful?”
This scene made everyone’s hearts tremble, involuntarily giving rise to dread.
“He cannot be measured by common sense.”
Even the Phoenix Lady and Heavenly Monarch Ziyang frowned slightly, secretly making comparisons, and discovered that neither Gu Changge nor Jin Chan had used their full strength.
Soon, Jin Chan struck again. From beneath his monk’s robes flew a golden alms bowl.
Buddhist light blazed brilliantly, illuminating all directions, imbued with Zen intent, as though it could purify all things.
It was an ancient Buddhist artifact, containing the might of the Sacred Realm, cascading down terrifying order divine light like an Astral River.
Gu Changge’s response was even simpler.
He merely flicked a finger, and a wisp of Sword Qi burst forth.
Yet it emitted a terrifying sword cry. In a trance, everyone seemed to see a peerless immortal sword slicing through the universe, its blinding sword light descending!
Everyone couldn’t help but shut their eyes.
The next moment, all they heard was a kacha, as if billions of rays of light bloomed—a crack had split open across the golden alms bowl.
Then, quickly, the crack spread, as if it were about to shatter entirely.
Had Jin Chan not seen things going badly and hastily recalled it, he would likely have lost an ancient Buddhist artifact today.
“Young Master Changge’s strength is formidable. Jin Chan is no match for Young Master Changge today.”
“I willingly concede defeat.”
Jin Chan’s expression shifted slightly, but he still sighed and chose not to continue attacking, conceding instead.
“Daoxiong Jin Chan is truly no fun at all.”
“But since you’ve put it that way, I naturally won’t strike again.”
Hearing this, Gu Changge seemed somewhat surprised, but the smile on his face remained unchanged.
Jin Chan choosing to concede was within his expectations.
At a time like this, with no enmity or grudge between them, who would unleash every last means and fight to the death?
He had merely wanted to probe Jin Chan’s strength, to gauge the feasibility of his subsequent plans.
Of course, while he was at it, he might as well establish his dominance—let everyone know that even among fellow Ranked Disciples, the gap between them was vast.
········(Seeking flowers)········
Gu Changge actually disliked the feeling of people thinking they could be mentioned in the same breath as him.
In the past, it was because he feared drawing attention to his cultivation and provoking unnecessary suspicion.
But now, with ancient freaks emerging one after another and the Successor of Demonic Arts being someone else entirely, no matter how strong his cultivation became, it would no longer draw attention the way it once had.
Even though he was still contending with the younger generation, it was time to make them understand that the gap between him and them was no small matter.
To put it plainly: cards on the table—I’m stronger than you all, and not by just a tiny, tiny bit.
Gu Changge didn’t think much of the True Immortal Academy’s various resources, but that didn’t mean he didn’t care about them.
The stronger one’s power, the more one naturally gained.
Hearing this, Jin Chan shook his head and said nothing more, his expression appearing quite calm.
There was no resentment or anger at his defeat, either.
He still had many means at his disposal, but he knew full well that even if he used them all, he would still find it very difficult to defeat Gu Changge.
He was too strong—strong down to the very marrow of his bones!
Today, speaking of it, was simply his bad luck—he just happened to run into Gu Changge. Had it been any other Ranked Disciple, Gu Changge would have said the same thing to them.
He simply wanted to establish his dominance, to make people wary, so that he could rule the True Immortal Academy with one hand from now on.
“This guy’s dominance and confidence aren’t without reason.”
“And you—you’ve ended up as the only Successor to be suppressed by another prodigy.”
Outside the mountain gate, Mo Lao, silent for a long while, spoke with a somewhat grave expression to Ying Shuang beside him.
For the first time, he felt the thorniness of the situation.
.........
He had thought that finding this era’s Successor of Demonic Arts would make things much simpler—but why did a Gu Changge have to pop up out of nowhere?
And with strength so absurdly powerful.
Ying Shuang’s expression was also quite unnatural. Gu Changge’s power truly filled him with despair.
He reckoned that even the former Prince Ying could not possibly be Gu Changge’s match.
This made him clench his fists, deeply unwilling. The one thing that gave him slight comfort now was that he was hidden in the shadows while Gu Changge stood in the light, unaware that he too had come to the True Immortal Academy.
This debt of vengeance—he would definitely repay it!
“This matter must be planned slowly and carefully.”
“Before that, I need to find a way to warn Gu Xianer about how dangerous Gu Changge is.”
“Though she was once so cold toward me, I’m not the type to stand by and watch someone die.”
Heavenly Monarch Ziyang frowned, his face heavy, murmuring in his heart.
He didn’t know who would win if he went all out against Gu Changge.
For the first time, he had no confidence—not the slightest bit of certainty. Gu Changge was indeed many times more terrifying than the rumors.
On the other side, the Phoenix Lady stared fixedly at Gu Changge, as if to etch him firmly into her memory. Then her figure flashed and quickly vanished.
“That Jin Chan sure is unlucky.”
Yue Mingkong murmured softly, knowing Gu Changge’s purpose.
“Not unlucky. To still be alive after fighting me—that’s already his good fortune.” There was something thought-provoking about Gu Changge’s smile.
Yue Mingkong glanced at him, feeling that he was scheming something again—could it be related to the Demon-Burying Abyss?
And soon, the result of this battle before the True Immortal Academy’s mountain gate spread.
It caused a great sensation not only within the True Immortal Academy but also set off earthquakes across the various skies of the Beyond.
The younger generation was naturally the focus of attention of every great cult and orthodoxy.
And the clash between Gu Changge and the Chosen Monk Jin Chan drew even more eyes.
The outcome of this battle was recorded by Photographic Stones and circulated among the ancient cities and marketplaces.
For a time, Gu Changge’s prestige once again reached a new peak.
Previously, many had felt his cultivation time was too short, that he couldn’t compare to those ancient freaks.
But today’s battle left countless people shocked, unable to calm down.
Even those ancient freaks would likely fall far short before him.
Many of the older generation felt that even they were probably no match for Gu Changge anymore. Unknowingly, he had already grown to a level that commanded the attention and wariness of the older generation.
And in the blink of an eye, several days had passed since this battle.
“Qing Xiaoyi really did join the True Immortal Academy after all.”
“The so-called Celestial Demonic Physique.”
“If my memory serves me right, that Flask is currently in her older brother’s hands.”
Within a magnificent palace very close to the region where Gu Changge resided.
Yue Mingkong murmured softly, many emotions flickering through her eyes.
Regarding Qing Xiaoyi, that figure of such legendary color, she actually had a deep impression of her from her previous life.
Her rise had shaken the various orthodoxies and powers of the Beyond—she was one of the True Immortal Academy’s two most accomplished disciples.
The other was a Wondrous Stone that the True Immortal Academy had sealed away for a very long age.