Liu Tiandao's probing strike was clearly within Mandala's expectations. Otherwise, she would not have chosen to deal with these ants daring to challenge her only after suppressing the curse within her body.
Facing the enormous Heaven and Earth Manifestation above, Mandala sat upon the throne without making the slightest movement.
Only when the massive spiritual mountain was about to descend upon everyone's heads did the figure on the throne finally lift her head slightly.
She seemed to take a gentle breath, and in that instant, heaven and earth trembled.
The spiritual mountain that had been suppressing downward was directly wrapped by a beam of light and then swallowed whole by the figure on the throne in a single breath, leaving nothing behind.
In an instant, everyone between heaven and earth could not help but inhale sharply. The surrounding space nearly turned into a vacuum.
"Swallowing a spiritual mountain with one breath. This little girl really knows how to put on a show. That alone probably scared everyone senseless…"
Liu Bai sighed inwardly.
There was no helping it. The scene just now was far too shocking. He even saw the three leaders of the opposing forces retreat half a step subconsciously, clearly wondering whether they themselves could withstand a single breath from Mandala.
At this moment, Liu Tiandao's expression changed, his gaze turning deep and solemn.
To receive his attack so effortlessly while showing no signs of chaotic spiritual energy meant one thing clearly. The Great Heavenlaw Domain Lord was not in the weakened state he had imagined.
"How could this be…"
Liu Tiandao's eyes turned cold. He firmly believed the intelligence he had painstakingly obtained could not be wrong. The Great Heavenlaw Domain Lord should have been suffering from the eruption of hidden injuries during this period, leaving her extremely weakened. Yet the current situation clearly contradicted that.
"Could it be that Palace Master Liu wishes to personally test this seat?"
As Liu Tiandao's expression shifted, Mandala's hoarse voice sounded once more from the throne. When her voice spread, it directly caused space itself to twist.
"Heh heh, do not misunderstand. I merely wished to test how much the Great Heavenlaw Domain Lord's strength has improved over the years."
Liu Tiandao waved his sleeve and smiled faintly.
Soon after, his gaze swept across the vast battlefield as he continued, "However, a war of this level is somewhat excessive for someone of the Great Heavenlaw Domain Lord's status to personally intervene in. The Sky Profound Palace has deep ties with the Hundred Battles Domain, so if the Great Heavenlaw Domain Lord intends to overwhelm others by force, my Sky Profound Palace will not be able to stand by idly."
Although matters had deviated from his expectations, Liu Tiandao would not allow Mandala to completely sweep away the Hundred Battles Domain.
"Then today, this seat would like to see whether your Sky Profound Palace truly has such capability."
Mandala let out what seemed like a cold laugh from atop the throne, showing not the slightest hesitation despite the Sky Profound Palace's intent to intervene.
In negotiations, whoever yields first inevitably loses the upper hand.
Liu Tiandao naturally understood this and merely smiled lightly.
"The Great Heavenlaw Domain Lord need not say such words. We both know that in the current situation, even if you wish to intervene, I will certainly stop you. And even if your Great Heavenlaw Domain manages to destroy the Hundred Battles Domain, how many of your people will be lost in the process?"
"Why not have everyone sit down and discuss a solution acceptable to both sides to resolve today's conflict?"
After speaking, Liu Tiandao shifted slightly to the side, gesturing for the Sword Concealing Elder and the other two to step forward.
Seeing this, the Sword Concealing Elder of Myriad Sword Valley immediately clasped his hands toward the Great Heavenlaw Domain Lord with a smiling expression and said, "Since neither side intends to fight to the death today, yet this matter cannot allow the Great Heavenlaw Domain to leave empty handed…"
"Under such circumstances, the Hundred Battles Domain is willing to propose a wager. This would reduce casualties on both sides while still determining a victor. The losing side will compensate the winner with one million Sovereign Spiritual Liquid and one thousand cities. What does the Great Heavenlaw Domain Lord think?"
"One million Sovereign Spiritual Liquid and one thousand cities?"
As soon as these terms were spoken, an uproar erupted across the sky. Even the Three Emperors showed subtle changes in their expressions. One million Sovereign Spiritual Liquid was not an insignificant amount even for the Great Heavenlaw Domain.
As for the one thousand cities, their value was even more astonishing. Even if the Great Heavenlaw Domain ceded them, it would still feel painful.
Liu Bai, however, sneered inwardly. It was obvious that the three great powers had already prepared their retreat.
If Liu Tiandao had confirmed that Mandala was truly severely injured, then there would be nothing more to say. The destruction of the Great Heavenlaw Domain would have been imminent. But since the Great Heavenlaw Domain Lord's strength remained intact, they had no choice but to implement their second plan.
And the wager was precisely the method that minimized losses for the higher ups on both sides.
Although the compensation seemed tempting, even the losing side would only suffer some pain without damaging its foundation. It was entirely within an acceptable range.
As for the one thousand cities, while the number seemed enormous and even significant for the Great Heavenlaw Domain, the three great powers actually held the advantage. The Hundred Battles Domain was vast, and not all of it belonged to the three great powers. Regions such as Demonic Lightning Mountain and Thunder Flame Plain still existed in abundance. Handing those over to the Great Heavenlaw Domain would cost them little.
Although this proposal tempted the Three Emperors greatly, Liu Bai was starting to feel anxious.
If things continued like this, he would truly gain nothing from this decisive battle.
At this moment, Mandala finally spoke again, her calm voice echoing out.
"How will the wager proceed?"
Hearing these words, the three leaders let out long sighs of relief. The Sword Concealing Elder smiled and replied, "That is simple. The wager will consist of three matches, at the Emperor level, the King level, and the Commander level. Whichever side wins two out of three will claim victory and receive the compensation. What does the Great Heavenlaw Domain Lord think?"
"Why make things so complicated? The three of you can fight together, and we Three Emperors will take you on directly. Would that not be more straightforward? Or do you lack confidence?"
The Sky Vulture Emperor said with a faint smile.
He made this suggestion out of caution, fearing the other side might be scheming. He was confident that the three of them could defeat their opponents, and the more divided the matches became, the greater the chance of unforeseen variables.
"Heh heh, that would be rather dull. On such an occasion, there should always be some space left for the younger generation."
The Sword Concealing Elder replied with a smile.
Among the three great powers, the Corpse Mountain Old Ghost of the Demonic Corpse Sect spoke too eerily for such a setting, while the Devil Compassion Sovereign was not a talkative person. Thus, all negotiations naturally fell to the Sword Concealing Elder.
At this moment, Liu Bai was frowning when he suddenly sensed a gaze land upon him.
However, when he looked over, the gaze had already vanished. The only thing before his eyes was Mandala seated upon the golden throne.
In other words, she had been the one looking at him just now.
The fact that he could sense her gaze meant she had done so deliberately.
Was she giving him some kind of hint?
As Liu Bai was still puzzled, Mandala finally spoke once more.
"This is too boring."
The Sword Concealing Elder's heart tightened slightly, but he still smiled and said, "Then may I ask what idea the Great Heavenlaw Domain Lord has in mind?"
"Let us still divide it into three levels as you suggested. However, there is no need for one on one matches. Instead, we will use a challenge format. The winner may directly continue to challenge. There will be no limit on the number of challengers. As long as the challenger is willing, they may continue to challenge the opposing side until they are defeated."
"This… what if the winner does not wish to continue challenging after winning?"
The Sword Concealing Elder frowned. He could not understand why the Great Heavenlaw Domain Lord would propose such a strange condition.
"If they do not wish to challenge, then they do not need to. It will be counted as a victory. Likewise, anyone who does not dare to accept a challenge may directly refuse."
This time, even the Three Emperors were confused. It felt as though their Domain Lord's conditions were somewhat unusual.
What they did not see was that Liu Bai, standing nearby, was already filled with delight. Was this not specifically designed for him? At the same Commander level, Liu Bai did not believe he would lose. And if he did not lose, would he not be able to keep challenging endlessly?
"This is acceptable. However, the number of challengers should be limited. Otherwise, it would never end. I suggest a limit of ten people."
After some hesitation, the Sword Concealing Elder finally said.
"Very well." Mandala waved her hand. "Send out your three participants from the Hundred Battles Domain. This seat would like to see what confidence you possess."
Hearing this, the Sword Concealing Elder smiled, and the three participants from the Hundred Battles Domain stepped forward.
Just as Liu Bai remembered, the Emperor level battle was still handled by the Devil Compassion Sovereign, whose strength was the greatest among the three. The King level battle was once again taken up by the Spiritual Corpse King of the Demonic Corpse Sect, though it was unknown whether he would still use the mutually destructive method from the original story. As for the Commander level, it was now taken by Lin Qingfeng of Myriad Sword Valley.
Although there was a slight difference in timing, for a Sovereign level expert, three or four years was not enough to break through a major realm. Thus, the strength of these three was nearly identical to when the story first began.
As for why Lin Qingfeng replaced Qin Bei this time, it was because with three matches, Myraid Sword Valley could not stay completely uninvolved and reap the benefits without sending anyone.
After all, at this point, Lin Qingfeng of Myriad Sword Valley, Mo Mo of the Demonic Corpse Sect, and Qin Bei of Great Compassion Sky all possessed similar strength. However, Lin Qingfeng had the greatest reputation, which was why he was ultimately chosen.
Moreover, Liu Bai was no longer someone easily overlooked like Mu Chen in the original story. Whether it was the Great Heavenlaw Domain side or the Hundred Battles Domain side, everyone had already heard of Liu Bai's ferocious battle record.
It was said that the destruction of the Demonic Lightning Sect was largely due to this person, and even the Demonic Lightning Sect Master Qin Tiangang had died at his hands.
Although most of the credit should have belonged to the Nine Nether King of Nine Nether Palace, the fact that Liu Bai could kill the heavily injured Qin Tiangang with a single strike at the Third Grade Sovereign level was already astonishing.
Looking at the three representatives of the Great Heavenlaw Domain, the Devil Compassion Sovereign and the Spiritual Corpse King were fine, but Lin Qingfeng's expression was extremely solemn.
Even though the youth standing before him looked no more than twenty years old, Lin Qingfeng did not dare to underestimate him in the slightest.
"The participants are decided. Let us begin." Mandala waved her hand and said, "We will start from the lowest level."
The Sword Concealing Elder naturally had no objections.
At this moment, Liu Bai no longer felt the previous frustration. Instead, his mood was excellent.
He stepped directly into the battlefield and clasped his hands toward Lin Qingfeng opposite him.
"Great Heavenlaw Domain, Nine Nether Palace, Liu Bai!"
"Hundred Battles Domain, Myraid Sword Valley, Lin Qingfeng!"
After announcing themselves, Lin Qingfeng lightly stomped his foot. The space behind him immediately twisted as a vast Sovereign Sea faintly appeared. Majestic spiritual energy fluctuations swept across heaven and earth.
Seeing the Sovereign Sea behind Lin Qingfeng, the crowd was filled with astonishment. They did not expect Lin Qingfeng to have reached the peak of Third Grade Sovereign. He truly deserved his reputation as the most renowned Commander level expert of the Hundred Battles Domain.
"Liu Bai, I have heard of your reputation and know that you are very strong. But defeating me will not be easy!"
As his voice fell, Lin Qingfeng formed a sword with two fingers and pointed directly at Liu Bai. Instantly, immense spiritual energy surged out from his Sovereign Sea, finally forming a gigantic sword thousands of meters tall above his head. The sharp sword aura surrounding it tore space apart.
"One Sword Opens Heaven!"
With Lin Qingfeng's furious shout, the gigantic sword slashed downward. Before the sword light even landed, a trench tens of thousands of meters long appeared on the ground, and even space itself was split open by a massive crack along the sword's path.
"So strong!"
At this moment, all Commander level experts of the Great Heavenlaw Domain cried out inwardly.
If they placed themselves in Liu Bai's position, they would most likely be unable to block such a terrifying strike.
"Excellent. Even when hunting a rabbit, a lion uses full strength. Moreover, Liu Bai's abilities are strange. Using overwhelming offensive power to resolve the battle quickly is the correct approach."
The Sword Concealing Elder nodded in praise.
According to the intelligence he possessed, Liu Bai not only had a powerful and strange Celestial Body, but was also an extremely formidable Spiritual Array Master. Against such an opponent, the best strategy was to finish the battle swiftly and never give him time to deploy his true methods.
At this moment, Liu Bai looked at the gigantic sword descending from the sky, and a trace of invisible lightning instantly flashed through his eyes.
In the next instant, Lin Qingfeng, who was fully driving his spiritual energy, suddenly heard a clap of thunder. Immediately afterward, he felt the spiritual energy within his body reverse violently. The surging power rushed backward through his meridians, instantly shattering them into chaos.
This was clearly the effect of the Nether Demon Heart Lightning.
Under normal circumstances, Nether Demon Heart Lighting alone would not be enough to directly cause a Third Grade Sovereign at peak strength to experience spiritual energy reversal. However, Lin Qingfeng was currently pushing his attack to the extreme, giving the Nether Demon Heart Lighting the perfect opening. In a single moment, it heavily injured this so called strongest Commander of the Hundred Battles Domain.
That violent reverse surge of spiritual energy even destroyed his internal organs. If not for the powerful vitality of a Sovereign expert, Lin Qingfeng would have already suffered deviation and died on the spot.
This sudden scene left everyone completely stunned, frozen in place for a long time.
Apart from a few people like Jiu You who knew the truth, everyone else now looked at Liu Bai as though they were staring at a ghost, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.
...
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