Chapter 368 - 242: Power of Destiny

Meanwhile, the members of Biyou Palace, led by Bai Chen, also approached the Celestial Sacrifice Platform and occupied a relatively decent spot.

Of course, this prime spot was actually already taken.

But when these people saw so many Poison Cultivators from Biyou Palace sweeping over, they fled without a second thought. There was no need for warning glances or sharp words.

Who the hell would want to get close to a bunch of Poison Cultivators? They might meet an untimely, unnoticed end before the duel was even over.

Never mind the members of the Royal Family or the Righteous Sects; even the other Evil Sects, who were currently on the same side, were unwilling to get too close to the Poison Cultivators from Biyou Palace.

The only exception was Leng Jing of the Rakshasa Sect. He was unusually chummy and insisted on mingling with the Biyou Palace contingent.

Zou Feng glanced toward the spot where the Royal Family experts were gathered but didn’t see Gongsun Jinghong among them.

This surprised him. ’Didn’t we agree to get down to business when the duel on the Forbidden City Peak began?’

"Su Qingyu, what are you waiting for? Since you’re here, why not show yourself?"

Gongsun Xiang’s voice boomed from atop the Celestial Sacrifice Platform. He was clad in a Dragon Robe, wore a Crown, and held the Jade Seal.

This regalia wasn’t just to flaunt his imperial majesty at all times. The Dragon Robe, the Jade Seal, and his other accoutrements were all top-tier Magical Artifacts passed down through generations of the Royal Family.

In Zou Feng’s eyes, Gongsun Xiang looked remarkably young. Though actually over eighty, he appeared no different from a man in his twenties.

Rumor had it that Gongsun Xiang was obsessed with using Alchemy to achieve longevity. Coupled with the fact that he was a top-tier expert, it was only natural that he had ways to preserve his youthful appearance.

’But for him to shout like that now... does that mean Su Qingyu has already arrived?’

Sure enough, just a few breaths after Gongsun Xiang’s shout, a cloud of poisonous smoke suddenly billowed up from out of nowhere, quickly converging at the base of the Celestial Sacrifice Platform.

As the poisonous smoke mostly dissipated, the onlookers could see a pair of long legs step out. Their owner then began to walk, slowly ascending the steps from the very bottom of the Celestial Sacrifice Platform.

Even with the duel about to begin, the poisonous smoke that had constantly shrouded Su Qingyu’s body of late still hadn’t completely dispersed.

As such, Zou Feng still couldn’t see what Su Qingyu actually looked like.

But at this very moment, her feet alone were free from the poisonous smoke, clearly visible to all the onlookers.

After that, nearly everyone’s eyes were glued to those legs, watching them ascend the Celestial Sacrifice Platform with an alluring grace.

Zou Feng even felt like Su Qingyu was deliberately putting on a runway show, letting the spectators "feast their eyes" first.

Su Qingyu didn’t walk quickly. It would obviously take her some time to reach the top of the Celestial Sacrifice Platform.

Gongsun Xiang, however, was in no rush. He continued to stand there quietly, gazing at the slowly rising morning sun.

And as Su Qingyu drew nearer to the top, more and more of the poisonous smoke around her gradually faded away.

Soon, it wasn’t just her legs that were visible.

A slender, willow-like waist, and then... "an omen of great calamity"...

’Her figure is amazing, but the proportions are completely unrealistic.’ Zou Feng had only seen the like in the "cultured" anime from his previous life.

Even though her face was still hidden, her revealed figure alone exuded an incredibly potent Charm Power. The breathing of some of the weaker Martial Artists began to grow ragged.

Several Gang Qi Realm Martial Artists, who were clearly disciples of Righteous Sects, were instantly tempted to betray their masters and join Biyou Palace, just so they could see "Sister Palace Master" every day.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire crowd, and despite her unhurried pace, it didn’t take long for Su Qingyu to reach the top of the Celestial Sacrifice Platform.

The moment she stepped onto the top level, the poisonous smoke shrouding her face finally dissipated completely.

It revealed a face that was pleasant enough, but not stunningly beautiful.

But while not stunning, her features were captivating. The more one looked, the more pleasing her face became—a true "second-glance" beauty.

Su Qingyu had been famous for many years, and she hadn’t always been shrouded in poisonous smoke. As a result, many of the True Qi Realm experts present had seen her true face before.

These experts, who knew a thing or two about Su Qingyu, were clearly aware of how powerful her Charm Technique was. They all took a single, brief glance before quickly looking away.

"Alright, stop staring at that venomous woman!"

"Focus your Cultivation and guard your minds! It’s an Evil Art; don’t fall for it!" some of the True Qi Realm Martial Artists called out, reminding the weaker disciples of their respective Sects.

Atop the Celestial Sacrifice Platform, Gongsun Xiang, who had been admiring the sunrise, finally turned his gaze to Su Qingyu. "I have never understood," he said, "why you are in such a hurry to die."

Su Qingyu smiled. "You should know why."

"Absurd!" Gongsun Xiang sneered. "Instead of heading to the Eastern Land, you stay here in the Great Yan Realm. No matter what you plot, you will never be able to take that final step!"

Su Qingyu shrugged. "How will I know if I don’t try? What if the path of killing you actually works?"

"Utterly foolish!" Gongsun Xiang waved his hand impatiently. "Enough. There’s no point in talking to a madwoman like you!"

As Gongsun Xiang waved his hand, a True Qi Giant Dragon formed in an instant and hurtled toward Su Qingyu.

One True Qi Giant Dragon was just the beginning.

Gongsun Xiang continued to wave his hands, and more and more True Qi Giant Dragons appeared. In moments, the entire top level of the Celestial Sacrifice Platform was crammed full of them.

The sight made Zou Feng blink. ’Lu Mountain Hundred Dragons Dominator?’

As for Su Qingyu, she responded by moving like a weightless feather, weaving and dodging between the dozens of giant dragons with effortless grace.

It looked as though she was only dodging, not counterattacking. Yet after ten breaths, all of the dozens of True Qi Giant Dragons froze in place without warning.

After a moment of stillness, the bodies of the True Qi Giant Dragons, originally a brilliant gold, began to rapidly turn green before everyone’s eyes.

Once their bodies had turned a sickly emerald green, the dragons let out piercing wails and began to disintegrate, vanishing completely.

His attack having been neutralized, Gongsun Xiang’s face was filled with contempt. "The Poison Dao is, in the end, a petty path!"

Before the words had even left his mouth, he strode forward and threw a simple, unadorned punch straight at Su Qingyu.

This was the Emperor’s Shocking Heaven Fist, a Skill only those with Royal Family blood could cultivate.

This time, Su Qingyu didn’t just dodge. Instead, she lashed out with a kick.

"Foot Qi" filled the air, instantly forming a spinning "drill" of poisonous gas that shot toward Gongsun Xiang’s Fist Force...

The vast majority of onlookers watched the battle with bated breath, afraid to miss a single detail.

Zou Feng had also been watching with great interest, but a faint, barely-there voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

Zou Feng immediately glanced in the direction of the Imperial Palace.

After confirming it wasn’t his imagination, he quietly leaped down from the rooftop and slipped into the shadows of the eaves below.

The others from Biyou Palace were all engrossed in the battle and paid no mind to Zou Feng’s sudden departure.

Even if anyone had noticed, they would have just assumed he was moving to get a better view of the fight.

Thus, using all available cover, Zou Feng silently made his way to the vicinity of the Imperial Palace.

He hadn’t left without a word because he’d suddenly lost interest in the epic duel. It was because he had an epic duel of his own to attend.

The strange sensation he had just felt was clearly Gongsun Jinghong sending him a message.

No wonder he hadn’t seen Gongsun Jinghong among the Great Yan Royal Family’s experts. She was still in the Imperial Palace, waiting for him to engage in a ’fierce battle.’

’That made sense. After all, their dual cultivation duel couldn’t very well take place in a public area.’

Leaping into the Imperial Palace, Zou Feng moved with stealth.

Currently, nearly all of the Inner Palace experts had gone to the vicinity of the Celestial Sacrifice Platform to watch the battle. The Imperial Palace, except for the rear court area, was basically devoid of any True Qi Realm masters standing guard.

And the guards patrolling the grounds, of course, stood no chance of detecting Zou Feng, whose Body Skill was at the Peak of Perfection.

Thus, Zou Feng arrived at the entrance of Jinluan Hall without any trouble.

Relying on the connection from the Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill, he could sense that its other half, Gongsun Jinghong, was inside.

The moment before he stepped inside, Zou Feng’s expression turned odd. ’So, in a minute, I’m going to be with Gongsun Jinghong in the place where the emperor holds court and...’