The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 854: Devastating!

Devastating! . . .

The challenge stirred the spirits of everyone present, leading them to rise to their feet, eager to witness a face-off with this enigmatic Cha Chongxiao. His nonchalant response further fueled their curiosity. "So that's what a prime disciple looks like? Seeing it in person is far better than hearing about it," he casually remarked.

Cha Chongxiao wasn't content to stop there. He aimed to further provoke the crowd, fearing they might be hesitant to challenge him. His desire was to infuriate them, creating an environment where more disciples would come forward to fight him. With a smirk, he continued, "If you're all as weak as him, why don't you come together and save time? I'm a busy man, and I don't have hours to waste."

With that declaration, Cha Chongxiao remained on the stage, defiantly looking up into the moonlit sky, paying no heed to those around him. He was ready and willing to face anyone who dared to challenge him.

One by one, disciples approached him, their challenging spirits unwavering, only to meet the same fate: defeat at the hands of Cha Chongxiao. The morning stretched into lunchtime, and Cha Chongxiao had bested a total of one hundred and twenty-seven opponents. The other stages remained empty, as everyone focused their attention on the main stage. Disciples formed a line, waiting their turn to fight Cha Chongxiao.

Aware of Cha Chongxiao's overwhelming strength and the extent of his arrogance, they had decided not to let him off easily. Although they were not allowed to kill each other, their collective strategy was to wear him down one by one. In their eyes, Cha Chongxiao was an imposing adversary, but his arrogance was equally infuriating.

Little did they know that Cha Chongxiao viewed this as an opportunity to advance his cultivation. He would turn the tables on the other disciples, exhausting them in the process.

He refused to relent, continuing to taunt his challengers. "Are you really level nine? Are you sure? I'm only level eight! How can you be so weak? That's unbelievable! You're the prime disciples in your groups? Are you sure you didn't cheat? You really don't deserve your titles. Is there anyone stronger than this fool? Who can endure this any longer? Who's next?"

Cha Chongxiao's relentless onslaught persisted, and it seemed like there was no end in sight.

Zhan Yunfei, alongside another disciple, served as the judges of this competition. His initial feelings of jealousy and frustration intensified as he watched Cha Chongxiao single-handedly defeat over a hundred prime disciples, amassing fame and accolades.

Zhan Yunfei couldn't help but feel exasperated. [Why wasn't this formidable talent assigned to my group?] He observed as Cha Chongxiao seized the limelight, overshadowing the prestige of masters like Xiao Mufei and Fang Dalong.

As the final fight began, Zhan Yunfei was taken aback and abruptly intervened. "Wait! This isn't right!" His passionate objection puzzled the other judge, who questioned, "He accepted one-on-one challenges, and there was no suppression involved. What's the issue?"

Zhan Yunfei took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. "It's absolutely wrong! Cha Chongxiao… He's been fighting non-stop since his first match. He hasn't rested at all. It means he..."

Zhu Jiutian, Zhan Yunfei's partner and renowned as Cold Moon's Twin Wings, realized the gravity of the situation. He inhaled deeply and said, "That's true... He... He's unbeatable among the Spirit Origin Stage disciples!"

Zhan Yunfei concurred, "That's the truth. He has defeated over a hundred prime disciples consecutively. That's proof of his victory!"

Zhan Yunfei was perplexed by Cha Chongxiao's actions. He couldn't understand why someone so exceptionally powerful would continue to provoke and engage with fellow disciples. It seemed like an unnecessary waste of time.

However, Cha Chongxiao had a plan in mind. Suddenly, he shouted, "Such as it is!" The disciple who had just faced him was sent tumbling away like a ball.

A profound transformation was taking place within Cha Chongxiao. He faced the sky and began to bellow loudly. His voice grew thunderous and echoed through the area. The shout culminated in an explosive sound.

Zhan Yunfei realized what had occurred. "He kept fighting without rest to use these battles as a catalyst for his breakthrough. He's reached level nine of the Spirit Origin Stage now! If the other disciples had been stronger, he would have achieved this breakthrough much earlier."

Zhu Jiutian was in awe, and he could hardly believe what he was witnessing. He grasped Zhan Yunfei's arm and asked, "Old Zhan, are you certain he was only at level four when you first encountered him? How long has it been since then? About half a year?"

Zhan Yunfei remained stoic. Zhu Jiutian's words seemed to imply that he had made a grave mistake. Zhu Jiutian continued, "What a genius! Zhan, you've always been considered a shrewd person. How did you let someone like him slip through your fingers? If I were in your place, I'd have recruited him on the spot. Why did you let him go?"

Zhan Yunfei's expression darkened, and he warned, "Zhu Jiutian, you better be careful with your words. Say one more thing, and we're done."

Zhu Jiutian looked bewildered. "Wait, what? Do you want me to continue or stop? I'm confused."

In the midst of these discussions, Cha Chongxiao had achieved a breakthrough, ascending to level nine of the Spirit Origin Stage during the combats against all the other prime Spirit Origin Stage disciples.

He stood at the center of the stage, surrounded by swirling energy. All eyes were on him. It was a rare sight to witness a disciple achieving a breakthrough in the heat of combat, but it wasn't unheard of. However, breaking through to a new level after battling over a hundred cultivators was unprecedented, and Cha Chongxiao had achieved this remarkable feat.

As the news reached Yue Changtian, he was preoccupied with his fish. The creature had been devouring fish for over four months and appeared to be growing weary of the repetitive diet.

Yue Changtian mused, "It's eating less now, and the pace is slowing down. Is this a good sign? I'm not sure." He was puzzled by the changing eating habits of his pet.

The message about Cha Chongxiao's accomplishments left him shaking. "Cha Chongxiao broke through to level nine of the Spirit Origin Stage during the competition! He defeated all the other prime disciples competing for the honor of being the prime disciple..." The news had shaken him to his core.