Ranked seventh in the world, Hu Lei.
This man is a practitioner of the Magical Way, who stepped into the Innate Realm earlier than others, thus ranking seventh in the world. He is now in his seventies.
"Sect Master Hu, did you come here without an invitation? Just to watch the excitement?"
Chen Dengming responded lightly, stepping into the beam of light, intending to follow the pull of the invitation to ascend into the sky.
However, Hu Lei saw through his intentions. No longer bothering with polite probing, he bellowed, "Leave the invitation here!" Swiftly, like a large bird taking flight, he attacked, striking out with his palm. A strong and vigorous momentum emerged, like ten thousand thunderbolts, which was so imposing that it took away one's breath.
In this instant, Chen Dengming sensed a change in the current within the beam of light, causing the drawing power of the invitation in his arms to suddenly weaken.
"Scoundrel!"
Chen Dengming frowned, swinging his palm fiercely in response, and releasing a surge of immense True Qi.
"Rumble!" The ground quaked beneath his feet, and dust flew up with the flakes of snow.
The platform on the summit was suddenly filled with surging Qi, causing many stones and snowflakes to jump up and scatter around.
"What?"
Hu Lei grunted as he was forced to retreat.
He looked at Chen Dengming, standing firm like solid rock, with surprise and disbelief.
"You are also at the fifth level of the Innate Realm?"
Nangong Shuo, who had been observing the situation, relaxed slightly. "Only Innate Realm level five strength, comparable to Hu Lei, thankfully..."
Chen Dengming stared coldly at Hu Lei, and said in a calm voice, "Sect Master Hu, it will be difficult for you to snatch the invitation from me given that our strength is about equal."
Having said this, ignoring Hu Lei's gloomy face, Chen Dengming felt the pulling force increase again and was about to leap up to ascend.
A burst of laughter suddenly came from the other side, followed closely by an oppressive Qi.
"Why should Brother Chen push away others from miles away? Why not stay and spar with me!"
Nangong Shuo laughed while brandishing his sword, and an overwhelmingly sharp Qi suddenly came attacking, disturbing the Qi field within the column of light, causing the pulling force to be weakened and destabilized.
At the same time, the atmosphere changed above, the brilliance within the column of light began to dim, seeming like the path to ascension was about to close.
"You two are overdoing it!"
Chen Dengming had no patience left, raising his eyebrows, his eyes flashing with icy electricity. Out of nowhere, he released an exceptionally vicious killing intent, pulling out the big sword on his back, and striking with a single blow!
Bang--
An unbeatably powerful Broadsword Qi landed with a thud, splitting the air like water waves, the powerful impact creating wave after wave of shockwaves, rushing directly at a stunned Nangong Shuo.
"Seventh Stage of the Innate Realm!! Qingqiu Mad Dragon!"
Nangong Shuo watched as the violent and ruthless dozen feet long Broadsword Qi rumbled down towards him, especially alarmed by the sudden surge in Chen Dengming's imposing aura. He had no choice but to let out a roar, pulling himself together, rapidly took his sword and blocked with all his might.
Bang! --
In this rush, Nangong Shuo felt an overwhelming force pressing down on him, causing his legs to nearly buckle under the strain, shaking him back, his palm cracked, and the longsword in his hand vibrated violently.
This scene all happened in a flash. Most people on the summit only saw Hu Lei suddenly making a move against Chen Dengming.
The very next moment, the wind and snow exploded, sending Hu Lei retreating.
Then Nangong Shuo suddenly made a move, but he got driven back by the horrifying dozen feet long Broadsword Qi unleashed by Chen Dengming's strike.
This terrifying Broadsword Qi, which soared like a Green Dragon from the top of a snow mountain and landed firmly, shocking everyone present, caused even the skilled fighters half-way up the mountain to raise exclamations of "Qingqiu Mad Dragon!"
The Qingqiu Mad Dragon, the famous technique of Nanxun Blade King.
One strike releases thirteen feet of Broadsword Qi, similar to a Mad Dragon dancing on Qingqiu, absolutely domineering!
At the moment when Chen Dengming's strike inflicted injury on Nangong Shuo, how could he miss such an excellent opportunity! His movement technique was like a divine dragon breaking through the water, his cloak making an illusion, his blade intensified, following his form closely, striking diagonally at Nangong Shuo's side.
But at this moment, Hu Lei suddently rushed out with a roar, attacking once more, surrounding and attacking together.
Chen Dengming seemed to have anticipated this, and abruptly made a soft whistle.
With a turn of his body, a stream of dark light flew from his cloak with the turn of his body, fluttering like a black centipede in the wind, followed by a 'hiss, hiss' sound filling the sky.
A burst of dark rays, like a sudden rainstorm, shot towards the two of them.
Hu Lei and the other person immediately deployed protective energy around their bodies, and easily blocked all hidden weapons with their weapons.
However, within this fleeting moment, under the duo's ignorance, the "crazy gu" poison that had spread with the hidden weapon in the air had already been inhaled by them.
Amidst the confusing scene witnessed by many spectating the battle, they saw Chen Dengming rushing out of the pillar of light. His blade shone like threads of silk and his movements were like a fierce hurricane. He single-handedly fought against Hu Lei and Nangong Shuo.
This was exactly why Chen Dengming, Nanxun Blade King, held a reputation for his ferocity - he could ascend to the peak and overlook all other mountains. When he is silent, he is just, but when he takes action, it is truly shocking.
However, those with discerning eyes could tell that Chen Dengming's wild attack would not last for long. He managed to catch Nangong Shuo and Hu Lei off guard at first, but once they regain their strength, they would quickly stabilize the situation.
Particularly Nangong Shuo, whose cultivation was even more profound than Chen Dengming's, as long as he seized the opportunity, he could counter-attack.
Unfortunately, no one in this world had ever seen Chen Dengming use the "Crazy Gu". They were all ignorant about the power of this Gu poison, derived from the Immortal.
As time passed, about twenty to thirty moves had gone by.
Hu Lei, who was weaker in cultivation, suddenly became disarrayed, his eyes filled with crimson veins, his arms twitching.
In a flash, his broadsword transformed into a piercing light.
Chen Dengming's figure intertwined with it in an instant.
A line of blood instantly appeared on Hu Lei's forehead. His body immediately stiffened as the line of blood quickly ran down his nose, continuing down to his chin.
"Brother Chen, stop!! It's a misunderstanding, we can talk..."
Nangong Shuo was in horror, feeling an unforeseen numbness in his body, his inner power unresponsive as he shouted in panic and quickly retreated. But after retreating only seven or eight steps, his eyes were already bloodshot, his body twitching madly and he fell to the ground, suffering intense convulsions.
The few Nangong Family members who had just arrived were terrified, realizing that they had been poisoned.
But what kind of deadly poison in the world could, unknowingly, turn a grandmaster reputed to be immune to all kinds of poisons?
Several members of the Nangong Family were about to kneel and beg Chen Dengming.
But suddenly, ruthless light surged in Chen Dengming's eyes. The fierce momentum formed by the gust of wind raised by his blade was as deadly as iron. He slashed the air with his blade!
Superior martial arts, injuring the soul.
The few people were immediately horrified on the spot, unable to move in awe.
When they came to their senses again, they only noticed a black cloak floating in the sky ahead. Chen Dengming had already sheathed his blade and left, giving them a casual glance from above, looking at Nangong Shuo, muttering to himself.
"Life is fleeting like a white horse passing a gaping crevice... Why bother with the struggles for being the first under heaven, particularly over a hundred years?"
His words drifted down from above, landing in the eyes of many below who stared up in shock and bewilderment.
Two out of the eight grandmasters of the world, gone in the blink of an eye.
In the year 211 of Nanxun.
At the top of Ice Wind Forest, beneath Misty Cliff.
World's eighth Chen Dengming, dancing with the mad dragon atop Qingqiu, sliced down the seventh Hu Lei with his blade, dismissed the first Nangong Shuo in a flick of a finger, and demonstrated his mysterious and eerie poison.
So it turns out, the greatest asset of Nanxun's Blade King was not his blade skill.
Just as Shaoyu Feng once said.
The eighth in the world is not necessarily eighth and the first in the world is not necessarily first.
Inside the Shifting Array above Misty Cliff.
Shaoyu Feng and others who had managed to reach the top were all horrified as they watched Chen Dengming swiftly flying towards them, realizing the true strength of the eighth in the world.
The young boy from Nangong Family who had been invited, cried inconsolably, having witnessed Nangong Shuo's death.
The five immortals, equally, were looking down at Chen Dengming who was flying up, their eyes filled with curiosity and inquiry.
Of course, they were not curious about Chen Dengming's power.
Because such struggle among the innate was in their eyes, no matter how remarkable, could easily be swept clean with Daoism and magic artifacts and was simply nothing mentionable.
What made them curious was Chen Dengming's appearance and his used Gu poison.
"This man, looking at his bone age, is clearly in his 80s, yet he has the appearance of a man in his 20s or 30s. Is there a rejuvenating skill in the mortal world that yields such astonishing results?"
"The poison he just used should be one of the Gu poisons. Gu poison is a minor path in Immortal Techniques. It is considered to be rare and fascinating because it is seldom seen. Isn't it remarkable that this mortal is so skilled at it?"
As the five immortals discussed with interest, they felt surprised. Although this kind of Gu poison doesn't pose much threat to them.
But for some lower-ranked cultivators, if they are not prepared, it can pose a threat. It aroused some interest in all of them...