Chapter 642: Chapter 258: Change of Master, an Unexpected Turn, the Ring Defense Ends

"The winner of this challenge match is Xiao Chen!"

Even after the judge’s voice rang out, many of the Cultivators remained in a daze.

They were all still lost in what they had just witnessed, unable to pull themselves away.

For the vast number of Loose Cultivators present, in particular, the day had completely shattered their worldview.

In their minds, a Great Magic a thousand zhang long had always been the ultimate achievement, something many could only dream of.

And yet, just moments ago, they had witnessed with their own eyes as Xiao Chen smashed it to pieces with his bare hands.

A long moment passed.

It was only when other Sect Disciples began their challenge matches that the crowd finally began to discuss what had happened, their voices rising in a clamor.

The Loose Cultivators were utterly astonished, and the eyes of many shone with pure adoration.

This was especially true for the younger Cultivators, who had seared the scene from moments ago deep into their minds.

"They always say Sword Cultivators are unrivaled in their offensive power, but I never imagined Xiao could actually withstand one of their Sword Techniques head-on!"

"From now on, Elder Xiao is my new role model! When I get back, I’m going to start on the path of Body Refining!"

"I heard the price of Golden Core Sea Fish meat has dropped quite a bit lately. This is the perfect chance to buy some and see if I have any talent for Body Refining."

Some who were already fathers immediately placed their hopes on the next generation.

"I never realized Body Cultivators could be this powerful! If I have another son, I’ll definitely train him in Body Refining from childhood so he can one day follow in Elder Xiao’s footsteps."

"Heh heh, my son just turned thirteen. I was on the fence before, but now I’m decided. When I get home, I’m having him start Body Refining."

The Sect Disciples, however, were focused on Xiao Chen’s surprisingly youthful appearance.

"Shattering Magic with sheer power, with Qi Blood that could pierce the heavens... Xiao has most likely achieved Great Success in his Body Techniques!"

"Exactly. And what’s more, he looks so young. He can’t be more than fifty."

"Doesn’t that mean he’s even younger than Di Lang True Monarch?"

"Gasp... Don’t tell me we’re going to see a True Monarch under the age of fifty in a few years!"

"Sigh... It took me twenty years just to bring my Swordsmanship to the Minor Achievement Realm. I really have no idea how people like him manage to cultivate."

"It’s embarrassing to say, but I’ve already spent nearly fifty years just on the Refinement of my True Essence. At this rate, I’m probably still a good twenty years away from Golden Core Great Perfection. There’s just no comparison. No comparison at all!"

The disciples from the Major Sects were deep in heated discussion.

Only the disciples of the Celestial Spirit Sect remained almost entirely silent.

As a sect that specialized in Body Refining, they were busy scouring their memories for anything from the sect’s ancient records.

’Wait... can a Body Cultivator really become this powerful?’

"I remember now!"

Someone suddenly spoke up. "Back in his day, when he was at the Middle Stage of the Golden Core Realm, Ancestor Kaijiang once shattered a six-hundred-zhang Fire Dragon with sheer force. If we extrapolate from that, maybe something like this is possible?"

Master Kaiyue shook his head. "What Xiao faced was a Sword Technique. And it was a thousand zhang long!"

The jump in power from the Middle Stage to the Late-stage of the Golden Core Realm wasn’t nearly enough to account for such a massive difference.

"It makes no sense... Hey, have you guys heard the rumor?"

Another disciple suddenly asked, "There was a rumor going around that Xiao isn’t actually human!"

"He’s probably a Great Demon who has taken human form. That would explain his incredible strength."

Initially, this disciple had dismissed the rumor as nothing more than a joke.

But now, conventional logic could no longer explain how Xiao Chen, who was supposedly also a Body Cultivator, could pull off something so outrageous.

It had reached the point where the theory was starting to sound a little more credible.

Some Demon Beasts have true forms hundreds of zhang long. Their Qi Blood is naturally far more abundant, making them innately superior to Body Cultivators by a huge margin.

Hearing this, many of the Celestial Spirit Sect disciples nodded slightly, seemingly agreeing with the idea.

"Don’t speak nonsense!"

Master Kaiyue shot the disciple a glare. "The True Monarchs are sitting right there in the stands. How could a Great Demon in human form possibly appear here?"

"Besides, this is a good thing!"

His tone shifted as he began to encourage his juniors. "The fact that Xiao can cultivate to such a Realm just goes to show how profound the potential of Body Refining is, doesn’t it?"

"We all have two eyes and a mouth. Are you really so much worse than he is?"

"Go back and redouble your training! Even if you can’t match Xiao, achieving even half of his power would be a great accomplishment."

As the most senior disciple of the Celestial Spirit Sect, Master Kaiyue’s words carried a great deal of weight.

After listening to him, many of his juniors did indeed feel their fighting spirit rekindle.

But they didn’t know that as Master Kaiyue said these things, he was full of doubt himself.

His juniors were mostly at the Early or Middle Stage of the Golden Core Realm. They still had room to grow, so they couldn’t grasp the full implications.

But he, a cultivator at the Great Perfection stage of the Golden Core Realm, had already faintly touched an invisible barrier that kept him trapped in this realm.

Master Kaiyue had a premonition that the moment he broke through that barrier would be the time of his Nascent Soul Formation.

’But the problem is, if I’ve already reached the absolute limit of this realm, how is the gap between Xiao Chen and me still so vast?’

’Does that even make sense?’

’Xiao... no, Elder Xiao... Could he be a Nascent Soul True Monarch who’s deliberately suppressing his Realm just to mess with us?’

Compared to the theory about a Great Demon Transformation, Master Kaiyue felt this possibility was far more likely.

’It was even possible that Xiao Chen and the True Monarchs in the stands knew one another.’

However, he soon had no time to dwell on these thoughts.

By the afternoon of the third day, the disciples from the Major Sects were growing restless.

If they couldn’t win control of the arena soon, they would truly become nothing but a stepping stone for Chongzhen Temple.

Therefore, the Nascent Soul True Monarchs in the stands began to secretly send voice transmissions to their True Disciples below, ordering them to challenge for the stage and not forgetting to offer a few pointers.

With their sharp eyes, despite having watched only a few rounds of Magical Combat, they had already discerned a few crucial details.

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