Chapter 31: The Pinnacle of Jade Purity's Ninth Layer!

Qian Mo stared straight ahead, eyes fixed on Qi Hao holding the Frost Sword opposite him. A trace of disdain flickered in his gaze—brandishing a broken sword and pretending to be impressive before me? If the opponent were of the same level, or a cultivator weaker than himself, the frost covering the entire arena would indeed provide a significant advantage. Yet, Qian Mo’s cultivation was at the eighth stage of Out-of-Body, far beyond such tricks. Qi Hao’s frost blanketing the platform had no effect on him; instead, it limited Qi Hao’s own movements.

“Ha!” Qi Hao gripped his Frost Sword and let out a light shout. The frost on the ground, as if summoned by him, began to spread swiftly toward Qian Mo.

“Crack, crack...” Under the astonished gaze of the surrounding disciples, the frost visibly encased Qian Mo’s calves, climbing upward without pause. In the blink of an eye, Qian Mo stood on the stage transformed into an ice sculpture, calm and composed, his serene smile still visible through the crystalline ice.

“Wow!” Instantly, the disciples of Azure Cloud Gate erupted. What was expected to be a fierce contest between dragons and tigers turned one-sided from the very start—Qian Mo had no chance to resist before Qi Hao!

“Senior Brother Qi truly deserves his reputation as the foremost of Dragon Head Peak, so powerful.”

“Junior Brother Qian Mo was too arrogant. Facing Senior Brother Qi’s attack, he didn’t dodge or evade...”

“I think he was scared silly. Where is the arrogance he showed just moments ago?”

Qi Hao, sword in hand, looked somewhat surprised. He hadn’t expected Qian Mo to fail to withstand even a single move. His lips curled into a sneer as he scoffed, “So this is all?”

At the same time, regret tinged his heart. With Qian Mo unable to take even one move, there was no point in continuing the battle, and he dared not deal a fatal blow in front of so many witnesses. All the branch leaders sat watching from the high platform; he dared not be reckless, especially as he was the disciple of Dao Xuan, the head of Tongtian Peak.

Meanwhile, the branch leaders exchanged glances, equally baffled. It was their first time witnessing such behavior—refusing to dodge or evade an enemy’s attack. What strategy was this? Those who had high hopes for Qian Mo’s powerful Dao Body were deeply disappointed. They had anticipated witnessing its might, only to see it crumble so easily.

Dao Xuan, however, did not share their view. He barely understood his own disciple, let alone these others. He maintained a calm appearance, indifferent to their opinions.

Just then, Cang Song spoke, “Don’t be too quick to judge. Perhaps the real show is yet to come.” After all, Qian Mo was his master—how could he be defeated by Qi Hao in a single move?

It was rare to see Cang Song speak up for the other side, so everyone watched in silence.

“Let Nephew Qi Hao lift the ice seal,” Dao Xuan nodded slightly. Cang Song was about to signal this when suddenly, his smile froze—an unexpected change occurred!

“Crack, crack...” The surroundings quieted rapidly as everyone’s eyes turned toward the arena. The sharp sound of shattering was exceptionally clear.

A fissure appeared on the ice, spreading outwards until it resembled a spider’s web...

“Boom!”

As confusion swept through the crowd, the ice crystal exploded in an instant. Qian Mo stood on the stage, unscathed, a faint smile lingering at the corner of his lips.

“Merely superficial, all show and no substance.”

“You...!”

Qi Hao felt a surge of frustration at Qian Mo’s cutting remark. His freezing technique may not have been strong, but it wasn’t entirely useless. Yet the other had broken it so effortlessly—it was a slap in the face!

The crowd below erupted in curses once more, especially the disciples of Dragon Head Peak who had crafted imitation Frost Swords; their voices grew even louder.

On the high platform, Dao Xuan’s expression grew solemn, though inwardly he relaxed a little. Neither he nor the branch leaders knew how to react.

Qian Mo shook his head slightly, unwilling to continue the farce. Playing with such a weakling was pointless. If he truly wished to kill Qi Hao, he could do so with a flick of his fingers, but with the branch leaders watching, he dared not display too much power lest it affect his future tasks.

He formed a spell with his fingers, and a faint aura spread outward. Suddenly, terrifying spiritual energy began to converge around him.

On the platform, Dao Xuan rose abruptly, disbelief written across his face. He muttered, “Peak of the ninth stage of Jade Pure Realm!”

Cang Song clenched his fists—so it was true! His brow furrowed and his gaze locked onto the figure on the stage.

For the first time, a look of excitement appeared on Tian Buyi’s stern face. His entire body trembled uncontrollably—Qian Mo was the one he had rescued; if only he had brought him into his own sect!

The aura emanating from Qian Mo had naturally been sensed by all the branch leaders, and their hearts raced wildly. This was indeed the peak of the ninth stage of Jade Pure Realm, a notch higher than Qi Hao’s cultivation.

Three years. They remembered clearly—Qian Mo had only joined Azure Cloud Gate five years ago!

If anyone had told them a disciple could cultivate the “Tai Chi Mysterious Pure Dao” to the peak of the ninth stage of Jade Pure Realm in just three years, they would never have believed it. Yet the truth was now before their eyes; any debate was pointless. Four words echoed in their hearts: “Peerless genius!”

On the stage, Qi Hao gripped his Frost Sword, his gaze more solemn than ever, as if facing a formidable enemy. He sensed that Qian Mo’s aura was no weaker than his own.

Qi Hao clenched his teeth. Once proud of his exceptional talent, his self-esteem now suffered a thousand blows.

The disciples of Azure Cloud Gate were also stunned to silence; even the curses from Dragon Head Peak disappeared.

They had gathered basic information and knew Qian Mo had been in Azure Cloud Gate for just over five years, but never imagined such a handsome youth would possess such cultivation!

Qi Hao had spent a hundred years cultivating to reach the ninth stage of Jade Pure Realm, while Qian Mo had achieved the peak in only three years—the gap was obvious.

The disciples who had just been cursing fell silent, afraid of future retaliation.

At this moment, dense spiritual energy gathered at Qian Mo’s fingertips. He spoke calmly, “I took one of your moves just now. Now, why don’t you take one of mine?”

Before Qi Hao could reply, Qian Mo flicked his finger. The concentrated spiritual energy shot toward Qi Hao with lightning speed.

Qi Hao, worthy of being Dragon Head Peak’s foremost disciple, reacted quickly. He raised his Frost Sword before his chest, glowing with light, channeling his spell to block the attack with all his might.

The terrifying spiritual energy collided with the Frost Sword. A wicked smile played at Qian Mo’s lips.

“Bang!”

In an instant, an overwhelming force struck the Frost Sword. Qi Hao’s pupils contracted violently, terror and despair flashing in his eyes.

Before he could react, his body was lifted off the ground and sent flying uncontrollably.

“Pfft...”

Midair, Qi Hao’s face turned from pale to crimson. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his expression withered, and, clutching his Frost Sword, flew off the stage.

(End of chapter)