Ch. 1419 - The Duel List & The Blood Demon Tree

When Xu Zimo spoke, silence swept across the arena. His earlier display of ruthless power had terrified everyone, no one dared to respond.

“Boring,” Xu Zimo said, shaking his head slightly.

Just moments ago, he had eliminated twelve contestants in one go. Now only eight remained. And since only six would advance to the next round, that meant two more had to be eliminated before this free-for-all would end.

Someone else seemed to realize the same thing. While the others were distracted, he suddenly lunged, striking two nearby competitors and knocking them off the stage before they even realized what was happening.

By the time they hit the ground, the referee’s voice rang out:

“This battle royale is over. The next stage will be six contestants competing for three spots. The final three will represent our Chaos Fire God Realm and journey to the Chaos Fire Progenitor’s Ancestral Lands.”

The six remaining contestants’ faces lit up with excitement.

Among them, besides Xu Zimo, Xiao Anshan, and Shangguan Xian, were Army Breaker, Luo Ji, and a young man named Zhang He.

Army Breaker was the Holy Son of the Many Weapons God-Sect, a formidable fighter ranked third on the Myriad Flames Ranking.

Luo Ji, on the other hand, was the young city lord of Fire Beacon City. While talented, he wasn’t particularly exceptional among these prodigies, and he owed his advancement entirely to Xu Zimo. Had Xu Zimo not wiped out twelve people, Luo Ji would never have made it this far.

As for Zhang He, the crafty one, he had taken advantage of the chaos, pushing two people off the stage at the last moment to end the battle early. He seemed to be a rogue cultivator, unaffiliated with any major power, and not particularly well-known.

The next stage would be one-on-one duels.

Xu Zimo had already guessed that his opponent would most likely be Army Breaker.

Knowing how shameless the Chaos Fire God Realm had become, there was no doubt they would manipulate the matchups.

Army Breaker was good enough to be top three under normal circumstances, but fate was not on his side today.

Sure enough, after a brief rest, the match list was announced.

Xu Zimo vs. Army Breaker

Shangguan Xian vs. Luo Ji

Xiao Anshan vs. Zhang He

The moment Xu Zimo saw the list, he knew there was foul play involved.

Even Shangguan Xian, usually calm, was uncharacteristically angry. “The Chaos Fire God Realm doesn’t even bother hiding its shamelessness anymore.”

“They must be frustrated,” Xu Zimo said with a smirk. “They’ve done everything in their power, and still can’t stop me.”

“They just don’t want Xiao Anshan to face you,” Shangguan Xian nodded. “More precisely, they don’t want him to lose. That would shatter his Dao Heart.”

Xu Zimo chuckled. “Because of his Primordial Flame God-King Physique, Xiao Anshan has been nurtured by the Chaos Fire God Realm since childhood. You could say he’s never lacked for anything, resources, teachers, protection. With such a strong backing, combined with his talent and guidance, it’s no wonder he’s been regarded as invincible among his peers.”

“A flower grown in a greenhouse isn’t much to brag about,” Liu Huohuo said indignantly. “That’s exactly why the Chaos Fire God Realm wants to protect him from you.”

Shangguan Xian smiled. “A wildflower may be trampled but will always rise again. A greenhouse flower, once broken, can never stand.”

“Do you think the Chaos Fire God Realm will pull any other tricks?” Zhang Hengzhi asked worriedly.

“They shouldn’t,” Shangguan Xian replied. “The matter of the Chaos Fire Progenitor’s origin is far too important. At most, they’ll meddle with the pairings. In the end, it still comes down to true strength.”

The first match was between Xiao Anshan and Zhang He.

Xiao Anshan stood tall in a snow-white robe, his long black hair neatly tied in a topknot. His eyes were calm, almost detached, as though nothing in the world could disturb his composure.

Zhang He, on the other hand, was short and sly-looking, about one meter sixty, with yellowish skin and shifty eyes. Even his gait was sloppy and unimpressive.

“Poor guy,” someone muttered in the crowd. “To face Xiao Anshan in the first match? That’s bad luck.”

“I’d say he’s lucky,” another laughed. “If not for this, he wouldn’t have made it this far.”

Around the arena, people chatted and placed bets.

Other than Xu Zimo, no one believed anyone could challenge Xiao Anshan.

“Three moves,” one spectator said confidently. “That’s all it’ll take.”

Zhang He walked onto the stage and bowed politely.

Xiao Anshan returned the bow.

But just as he straightened up, Zhang He’s expression twisted, he suddenly exploded into motion, lunging forward and striking at Xiao Anshan.

Something small and dark shot from his hand, embedding itself in Xiao Anshan’s shoulder.

“Despicable! A sneak attack?”

“Shameless! Does he even deserve to stand here?”

The spectators roared in anger. Many saw Xiao Anshan as a role model, while others had bet heavily on his victory.

When they saw what Zhang He had thrown, however, their expressions changed to shock.

It was a seed, a seed of the Blood Demon Tree.

The Blood Demon Tree was one of the most sinister lifeforms in existence. Wherever it grew, rivers of blood would follow. It thrived on death, its roots drinking deep from human blood. Once its seed entered a person’s body, no matter how powerful they were, they would eventually be drained into a mummified corpse.

Zhang He ignored the crowd’s curses, smiling coldly. “You were careless. From the moment we stepped onto this stage, we were enemies.”

Xiao Anshan said nothing. His expression remained calm.

“I hate people like you, arrogant, self-righteous geniuses,” Zhang He snarled. “I may not be as strong, but I have plenty of ways to bring you down.”

“You walk the path of petty tricks,” Xiao Anshan replied. “True cultivation lies in refining the self, walking the righteous path openly.”

“Then deal with the Blood Demon Tree first, then we’ll talk,” Zhang He sneered.

By now, the seed had sprouted. Blood-red roots burrowed through Xiao Anshan’s flesh, drinking his blood greedily as crimson branches spread across his skin.

“You seem to have forgotten,” Xiao Anshan said calmly, “that among us of the Fire God Race, nothing restrains wood more than flame.”

He raised his hand, and golden fire erupted from his body.

The flames burned with a radiant, divine heat.

Within moments, the Blood Demon Tree’s roots and vines withered and turned to ash, the seed itself reduced to nothingness.

“That’s impossible!” Zhang He cried out, horrified. “I’ve tested it myself, the Blood Demon Tree is immune to fire!”

“You’re mistaken,” Xiao Anshan said, shaking his head. “It is only immune to ordinary fire. My Chaos Flame burns all things. Even the Blood Demon Tree cannot withstand it.”

Zhang He growled, his face twisting in anger and humiliation. His plan had failed completely.

With a snarl, he swung his right arm, and a blazing longsword materialized in his hand.

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