Chufeng Mountain's peak.

A figure clad in a Five-colored Cloud Robe, with narrow Liu Mei eyebrows and a somewhat feminine appearance, suddenly materialized.

East Sea Daoist—Ji Daoling!

As soon as he appeared, clouds around the mountaintop began to gather, transforming into a pavilion, a table, and a chair.

He sat alone within, beginning to close his eyes and replenish his spirit.

It seemed he was awaiting his opponent's arrival.

As the sun gradually ascended, faint mists extended ceaselessly from the pavilion, enveloping the nearby mountains and making the area resemble a celestial realm.

"How beautiful!"

"What a masterful Illusion Technique, it's almost to the pinnacle of 'using the false to cultivate the true," almost to the point where the false is true when feigning, and the true is false when faking—bringing the illusion to reality."

At the foot of the mountain, a long-bearded Daoist couldn't help but exclaim, "Our Water Moon Mirror Flower Sect excels in the art of illusions, but today, having seen this grandmaster from East Sea, I realize we are merely novices in the presence of a master."

His appearance was gaunt, yet his cultivation was high enough, having reached the Primordial Pill Realm, and he was the Sect Master of the Water Moon Mirror Flower Sect.

At this time, he brought several of his Divine Power Realm True Disciples along to witness the duel between two Primordial Spirits.

The old Sect Master turned to his disciples and cautioned them, "A duel of such high-level cultivators can be divine and overpowering, potentially damaging one's Divine Soul. There's no need to push yourselves; watch what you can. If you feel overwhelmed, showing signs of qi deviation, don't force it. Of course, you all carry our sect's treasure, the Water Moon talisman, so there shouldn't be a major issue... Lucky indeed you are, if it were a duel between Dharma Body Experts, even your Sect Master wouldn't dare to watch..."

Once a Dharma Body is completely nurtured, commanding an immortalized body, its deployment is said to devastate everything within ten miles, obliterating both man and beast alike.

However, neither the Primordial Pill nor Primordial Spirit stages are so terrifying; rather, as long as the contamination isn't intentional, those with cultivation can endure, although it's much easier to succumb to qi deviation.

With the old Sect Master's Primordial Pill cultivation, watching the duel was no issue for him, and he could even protect his disciples.

As for other nobility, naturally, they either had cultivators as protectors or magical treasures for defense.

Should there truly be fools, low in cultivation, without protection, seeking death on their own accord, then they must be left to their fate.

This Sect Master of the Water Moon Mirror Flower Sect took the opportunity to teach his disciples, "You see...This Ji Daoist friend arriving early at Chufeng Mountain and crafting such a scene with his illusions isn't just to show humility and caution..."

According to common reckoning, Zhong Shenxiu is considered a True Monarch, deserving the same respect as a Dharma Body. Ji Daoling's early arrival was appropriate, as arriving late would have been impolite.

But the old Sect Master pointed to the mists, "Observe... This continuously spreading mist is clearly the Fangcun Spirit Mountain's secret—the Hundred Transformations Thousand Illusion Cloud Mist True Method, which subtly allows a cultivator to control a small area around themselves, adding a slight virtual framework... Although in terms of range and power, it's said to be less than Xuanmen Orthodox's Yellow Heaven Miao Technique, it's still considered to have the upper hand in territorial advantage... Although Ji Daoist arrived earlier and seemed somewhat at a disadvantage in terms of momentum, he has taken full command of this aspect... If given another hour or two to set up, any Primordial Spirit arriving would probably be weakened by thirty percent before the battle even began."

This Primordial Pill Cultivator was clearly well-versed and explained intricately, mesmerizing not only his disciples but also gathering a circle of Loose Cultivators who had congregated unknowingly, all ears pricked up.

"Continue, please..."

"Such profound insight, elder."

"I am a retainer of the Sixth Prince, having met the elder before. My lord is desperate for such talent..."

...

Seeing this, the old Sect Master instead closed his eyes, adopting an inscrutable demeanor, and ceased to speak further.

As time ticked away, second by second.

Then one hour, two hours...

The sun reached its zenith, yet the mist enveloping the mountain top hadn't thinned in the slightest; instead, it had grown even denser as if it could keep spreading infinitely.

"Why hasn't Donghua True Monarch arrived yet?"

The old Sect Master's female disciple questioned skeptically, "At this point, even we can feel the pressure. If situated right at the summit, even a Primordial Spirit Practitioner would probably be weakened by thirty percent, wouldn't they? Is Donghua True Monarch conceding?"

"Not necessarily..."

The Old Sect Master also felt very puzzled.

He had never seen such a scene where points were given away at the start.

Luckily, at that moment, a team of Dragon Horses slowly arrived, bearing the Fourth Prince's convoy.

"Donghua True Monarch, I've waited for you."

The Fourth Prince slowly descended from the carriage and bowed again towards the inside of the carriage.

"How truly... dull..."

Zhong Shenxiu, seated cross-legged in the carriage, frowned.

To be honest, he was somewhat reluctant to accept this kind of dueling invitation.

After all, with his strength, to bully a Primordial Spirit Practitioner seemed a bit too much like bullying the weak.

Nevertheless, he held a title as True Monarch, a position comparable to a Dharma Body Expert.

But with the hosts being so earnest in their invitation, creating a situation where refusal would seem disrespectful, he had no choice.

With a sigh, Zhong Shenxiu stood up and with a wave of his sleeve, golden auspicious clouds rose from beneath his feet, carrying him to the summit of Chufeng Mountain.

The dense white mist was enveloped by the golden light of the auspicious clouds and immediately started churning unstably, revealing a pathway.

In the stone pavilion, Ji Daoling looked up and smiled, "True Monarch, why have you arrived so late?"

"It's still today, so it's not a breach of the agreement..."

Zhong Shenxiu revealed a faint smile.

...

Around the void, atop a cloud platform.

The Ninth Prince looked towards the peak of Chufeng Mountain, feeling somewhat restless, and turned to the Second Prince: "Second Brother... Can Ji Daoist really defeat that Donghua True Monarch?"

"Ji Daoling is the foremost Primordial Spirit Practitioner of our era, his Divine Power is unfathomable, there's no need to worry... Moreover, even if he can't defeat him, so what? Donghua True Monarch has been very prominent recently, and in terms of status and position, he could match the Teaching True Monarchs of major sects... If he struggles through a thousand moves against a Primordial Spirit Practitioner and barely wins, what then? It would still be a loss of face..."

"Moreover, it's not like we don't have a chance to win."

The Second Prince's lips, hidden beneath his mustache, curved slightly upwards, bearing a hint of a smile.

"Naturally, Second Brother, you think highly... We arrived early today, it seemed like showing weakness, but it was actually putting Donghua True Monarch in a difficult position..."

The Ninth Prince's eyes brightened, "If this goes well, perhaps it could lead to the court stripping that fellow of his True Monarch title..."

"That might not be very likely, as the court wouldn't act against its own fac,ast the two ancestors hold him in high regard... However, we could grant Ji Daoling a True Monarch title... Then, it would be an equal confrontation."

The Second Prince held the strategies in his mind.

"Fourth Brother..."

Inside the cloud chariot, Lord Qingyuan looked at the Fourth Prince and couldn't help but worryingly ask, "Today's battle, could there be danger for the True Monarch?"

"Sister, you needn't worry, the majesty of a True Monarch is not something you can envision..."

The Fourth Prince was also confident as he spoke: "Moreover... why did we arrive late today? It wasn't out of arrogance, but because Donghua True Monarch suddenly went into seclusion for half a day, seeming to have made another breakthrough, truly a joyful and congratulatory event..."

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