"What… just happened?"
You Yushan was floating about in the air, looking dazed at the scampering blood tide. When he finally managed to return to his senses, he said to his two allies, "Wasn't that eldest young master's trump card?"
The two were still out of it by the looks of it.
Huangpu Qingtian had laid it on pretty thick with his boasting. That once Blood Crocs came into play, the tri-house alliance would be left in mangled pieces. They were so excited to see Zhuo Fan finally falling short in something, getting with the program of suffering like everyone else.
The boasting got them hyped as well, eager to see Zhuo Fan in tears.
That wasn't meant to be however, not when the sure kill method was running away at top speed.
The three sank into depression, followed closely by the sharp decline in Huangpu Qingtian's grandeur.
Even Heaven-shaking Dragon Lord got the same treatment as them. He boasted and flounced, sure, but do that in front of Soaring Demonic Dragon and you'd get bitch slapped.
[He had met his bane!]
Luo Yunhai's side was on the verge of breaking down at the sight of the savage beast tide. They felt the end coming, their future robbed.
But looking at it now, they knew the earlier panic was quite pointless. There was no need to fear, as long as Zhuo Fan was here!
The acting commander of the tri-house alliance shook his head at the casual Zhuo Fan, "Sigh, it seems even I don't know big brother Zhuo well. He shrugged the beast army of tens of thousand like it was nothing."
"Forgive me, friends. I have made the grievous mistake of doubting big brother Zhuo's abilities. With how Huangpu Qingtian can do it, it's quite obvious big brother Zhuo can do it too. It's a fallacy to think otherwise!"
Luo Yunhai gave a solemn bow to the vexed crowd.
It made sense though. Having gone through so many events with Zhuo Fan, there was one undeniable truth all of them should've figured out by now. Nothing was impossible for him.
If even he met with an impossible conundrum, then all hope was lost.
Huangpu Qingtian could control spiritual beasts? Humph, then so could Zhuo Fan. The basis? He was Zhuo Fan, of course.
In the blink of an eye, Zhuo Fan's fan club found its ranks greatly bolstered.
One had to admit that even a fan was right, sometimes. Just look at Xue Ningxiang, bouncing around with unbridled joy, "See that? What did I tell you?"
Chu Qingcheng shook her head. Although her love rival, she still found her innocence pleasing to the eye.
Xiao Dandan's eyes had hearts in them, watching Zhuo Fan with an intoxicated leer.
Zhuo Fan's cold tone gave her quite the scare back then, but with him striking the alpha male pose, she threw that fear out the window. Dying by his hand would be a dream come true at this point.
[I'd rather be a ghost by a hero's side than the wife of a lousy bum!]
The lust was strong with this one. Xiao Dandan simply wanted to gobble Zhuo Fan up. Dong Xiaowan saw the other's galls in envy.
They all fought over Zhuo Fan's attention, but not her. She was of low status and being unable to follow her heart left her in misery…
"These monsters are capable of anything!" Xie Tianyang glanced at Xue Ningxiang's red face with jealousy.
The others paused for a second then nodded unanimously.
One man controlled a beast tide while the other shooed it away with a wink. Could a human being ever do that?
The two became a beacon of shock and awe to every onlooker.
Zhuo Fan reigned totally supreme. He did have the upper hand and all…
Rumble~
Amidst the ever shaking earth from the fleeing Blood Crocs passing him by, Huangpu Qingtian's face twitched. His fists scrunched up and he spat through gnashed teeth, "Stop! I command you all to stop!"
Not one Blood Croc minded his rave. They had bigger things to worry about.
[You moron of elephantine proportions. You're merely a king on earth and can command some of us, but that man is an emperor over everyone. You don't compare!]
[Go home, wash up, and sleep tight!]
No Blood Croc who passed him showed any intent of ever stopping, even if he roared himself hoarse.
Roar!
Huangpu Qingtian was pissed. He released a dragon roar deep enough to resound even through the deaf Blood Crocs.
Zhuo Fan looked on with a quizzical look.
Only now did the Blood Crocs stop and look at him.
Huangpu Qingtian smiled in joy, having regained some semblance of his regality. But then the Blood Crocs lowered their heads again and scampered off like naughty children.
The man's eyes were bloodshot and his anger exploded.
He was a king and no one defied him. Especially not some mongrels!
Thump!
An iron fist lashed out and blood blossomed. The punch blew up the head of a Blood Croc.
"Stop or die!" Huangpu Qingtian wailed with his hand dripping blood.
Not that it had any effect. The Blood Crocs didn't give a rat's ass about his commands.
In a fit of anger, he blew up five more Blood Crocs but the beasts took it in a stride, running as fast as their legs could carry them.
As anger gave way to despondency, this king found himself dethroned, standing there in absent shock as the Blood Crocs streamed by…
"Why won't they listen? I am their king!" Huangpu Qingtian muttered under his breath in bewilderment.
All this while the Blood Crocs ignored him. He didn't strike a kingly figure anymore, but that of a beggar now that he had lost his throne. He was a nobody!
The rest of the Six Dragons and One Phoenix, foe and ally alike were watching it all in stunned shock. The day had finally come for the mighty Heaven-shaking Dragon Lord, Huangpu Qingtian, to be lost and despondent.
The defiance of his orders thwarted by Zhuo Fan's ability had a far greater impact on this proud and majestic king. It was too much for even him to bear!
The watchful shadow from the sides sighed, "These two are natural enemies. Yet each is a genius seen once every ten thousand years. The death of even one of them would be such a tragedy. Should I… take them both?"
He threw away that thought with a shake of his head and snickered, "He-he-he, nah. The world isn't big enough for both of them. Their fight is preordained. It's only a matter of time. The most sensible choice is to let them go at it and pick the winner, hi-hi-hi…"
No one knew such a creepy and uncertain element had snuck its way into the Esoteric Debate.
Zhuo Fan scratched his nose, feeling quite disappointed in himself, "Uh, Young master Huangpu, don't be so down. There's no shortage of people who had and will lose to me. By the looks of it, I seem to be the winner in this little wager of ours. Will you honor our deal?"
With all the Blood Crocs gone, Huangpu Qingtian raised his head to reveal a crazed pair of eyes as he snapped, "Humph, my word is gold. What do you take me for, a welsher?"
Huangpu Qingtian took out a vial from his chest. Zhuo Fan knew it to have the Brimming Sacred Pill.
Huangpu Qingtian was afraid Zhuo Fan would snatch his ring again so he hid it in his clothes.
Any cultivator out there had the means to store their things, be it rings or bags. It was arguably the safest place to keep, unlike on your own body.
But Huangpu Qingtian's thinking went the other way around. He chose the most important item to hide on himself. The most dangerous place was also the safest. It even caught Zhuo Fan off guard.
Zhuo Fan would never have found it even if he snatched all the storage rings.
Zhuo Fan laughed, "Ha-ha-ha, Young master Huangpu is so crafty. I never saw it coming. I was still of a mind you gave it to that cripple for safekeeping! "
"Humph, you take me for a fool to leave it on him after the first pill?" Huangpu Qingtian flicked and the vial flew at Zhuo Fan, "Humph, take it!"
Whoosh!
The vial shot through the air, leaving eerie sounds as it passed. Even space shimmered.
Zhuo Fan felt a sudden immense pressure slam into his shoulders just as it neared. It even made the likes of him stagger.
Startled, Zhuo Fan threw his hand forward to block it.
Thump!
The impact had him slide five meters and even found his arm that caught the vial numb.
He was shocked to find what a mere flick could do. No wonder Chu Qingcheng and the other two lost against Huangpu Qingtian even though they joined hands.
[This guy is a monster, a monster body cultivator!]
Besides Gu Santong, he would definitely be the most outstanding talent of the younger generation.
Zhuo Fan knew that even his Diamond Body was a far cry from Huangpu Qingtian's physique!
[Elder Li was right, this guy is a true monster, stronger than me.]
After this first true contact with Huangpu Qingtian, Zhuo Fan now realized the full extent of the power the head of Six Dragons and One Phoenix wielded…