Chapter 190: Stars and Ice Birds, Practicing Different Paths of the Netherworld

A princess’s happiness should be a prince. Yet, such happiness is merely humanity’s longing for beauty. In fairy tales, what appears before the princess might just be an ugly frog.

At that moment, movement arose on the arena. Lan Laojun let out a long howl. With his cry, a giant gray eagle flew swiftly from afar—so fast it was hard to believe. One couldn’t help but admire the abilities of such a mystical beast. By the time his howl faded, the eagle was already circling above Lan Laojun, its massive wings blocking out the sunlight and stirring up sand and dust around him.

Amidst the chaos, Lan Laojun laughed loudly, “Good! Since you’re so eager to die, young master will fulfill your wish. After I deal with you, I’ll go take care of that blindman.”

Yu Chenxing looked up at the giant eagle circling above Lan Laojun and shook his head with a bitter smile. “Young master, why did you bring animals here? You don’t have to rely on beasts to get help.”

Lan Laojun sneered coldly, “I wonder how long you’ll keep being so arrogant. This eagle isn’t as simple as you think. It’s far faster than my sword. Better keep quiet and think about how to escape.”

Upon hearing this, Yu Chenxing exclaimed, “Ah!”

Lan Laojun looked at him triumphantly and asked, “Are you scared?”

Yu Chenxing shook his head. “It’s not fear. If this eagle is faster than your sword, that means… you’re not even as good as this beast. I’m just wondering—how can someone worse than a beast dare to fight me?”

Hearing this, Lan Laojun nearly fainted in anger. He snapped, “Dareful! You’re quite bold, speaking so freely. I wonder how much more you have to say.” As he spoke, he plunged his sword into the ground and quickly moved his hands in front of his chest. Though it was unclear what he was doing, no one dared take it lightly—including Yu Chenxing. Though he appeared calm, he was now far more serious, clearly ready to fight at any moment.

Below the arena, Qi Yue asked Ah Fei, “What is that?”

Ah Fei replied, “Miss, you don’t know? People of the Netherworld not only practice martial arts but also magic and cultivation. This young master seems to be preparing to control the ‘Eighteen Eagles’ as part of a powerful attack spell. As for cultivation, it’s usually used for self-defense, rarely for offense—opposite to magic.”

Qi Yue nodded, saying, “It seems quite complex. The Netherworlders practice many things.”

Liu Yi added, “Indeed, quite a few.”

Just then, changes occurred on the arena. As Lan Laojun gathered his vital energy, he quickly pointed his right fingers, and a blue light surged into the eagle circling above. With that blue light, the eagle’s body underwent unprecedented changes.

The massive eagle had stopped circling, standing upright with its wings fully spread, making it appear even larger. It didn’t seem to be flying but rather floating motionless in the air. As the blue light spread, the eagle’s body ceased to be gray and instead resembled something glowing. The blue light overshadowed the sunlight, instantly making the entire arena feel cold—the blue hue evoking a sense of chill.

Under that blue light, Lan Laojun’s face appeared fierce as he stared coldly at Yu Chenxing across from him. Yu Chenxing, dressed in a blue robe, had an even more striking appearance under the blue light. He smiled gently and said, “Well, sir? Does this thing glow?”

Just as Yu Chenxing finished speaking, the blue eagle’s body suddenly exploded into countless small eagles that flew in all directions before gathering back together. Each eagle couldn’t be seen clearly—only a blue bird was visible. Upon closer inspection, there were eighteen eagles, all much smaller than the original one.

At that moment, Lan Laojun used the energy of his fingers to channel the true essence connected to the eighteen eagles, causing them to fly swiftly above Yu Chenxing. The eighteen eagles circled at different heights and angles. Soon, Yu Chenxing’s surroundings were filled with blue ice birds, their cold aura spreading even beneath the arena, making those nearby feel as if they were in an ice cave.

Yu Chenxing’s frame clearly was frail; his blue robe fluttered in the wind, and he seemed unable to withstand the cold. Yet he still smiled and asked, “What is this?”

Lan Laojun, controlling the eighteen eagles, sneered coldly, “After being refined by the Eighteen Eagle Beast, they become Hell Ice Birds. Surprised? Haha. I’m curious to see if you’ll still have the energy to talk tough once I freeze you into ice.”

Yu Chenxing glanced at the circling ice birds and laughed, “Could it be the young master has some issues in his head? Thinking these little birds can freeze me into ice? That’s pure delusion!”

Lan Laojun laughed coldly, “Just watch.” As he spoke, he accelerated the rotation of his hands. The eighteen ice birds in the sky seemed to receive an order, diving downward from various directions and angles, their wings bent at the perfect angle as they shot toward Yu Chenxing like arrows.

The speed of these ice birds wasn’t particularly fast—perhaps even slower than Yu Chenxing’s. But with eighteen birds attacking from different angles at once, constantly circling and diving endlessly, Yu Chenxing didn’t know what would happen if hit by them. He knew, however, that he must not be hit.

For a while, Yu Chenxing could only dodge quickly. But soon he realized he was wrong. Though the ice birds didn’t hit him directly, each time they passed by, the edges of his clothes froze due to the cold aura. Although he didn’t feel cold himself, the increasingly thick ice gradually slowed his movements.

By this time, Lan Laojun no longer needed to control the ice birds; it seemed his orders had been given. Only when the man before him turned into ice would the ice birds stop attacking. Picking up his long sword again, Lan Laojun sneered coldly, “Let’s see what you can say now.”

Although Yu Chenxing was at a disadvantage, he refused to admit defeat and sneered, “Even such a trivial treasure dares to be shown off.” By now, Yu Chenxing’s dodging was no longer as panicked as at first; he had become somewhat familiar with the ice birds’ attack speed and angles. After several consecutive dodges, Yu Chenxing continued, “I’ll break through your Eighteen Azure Eagles right now. Don’t feel sad.”

As soon as Yu Chenxing finished speaking, he crossed his hands into a fist-like shape. With a soft chant, two short swords suddenly emerged from his arms—one white and as thin as a cicada wing, the other black and winding like waves, one longer and the other shorter. Without hesitation, Yu Chenxing swung his left hand forward, aiming at an approaching ice bird.

The white sword was extremely sharp. As it slashed through the air, two blades shot out in succession. Though their strength varied, they were far more powerful than a single blade strike. With a cry from the ice bird, its blue body shattered instantly, turning into blue stones that fell to the ground. Yet, something strange happened—as the ice bird shattered, a wisp of green smoke rose. The smoke, seemingly solid, gathered together and formed another deep-blue ice bird. But this time, the ice bird was almost transparent, giving off an indestructible impression.

At that moment, Lan Laojun burst into loud laughter, “Is your sword very sharp? Haha, then go ahead and slash! The more you attack these ice birds, the fiercer they become. Let’s see just how capable you really are.”

Indeed, the ice bird, now reduced to a transparent wisp of smoke, moved even faster, emitting an even stronger chill. Moreover, this green bird seemed unafraid of Yu Chenxing’s sword. Meanwhile, Yu Chenxing’s left hand had also been exposed to the ice bird’s coldness from wielding the sword. Despite his abundant vital energy, he couldn’t withstand the pressure of the cold, feeling his entire left arm stiffen and become unresponsive.

Yu Chenxing realized the situation was dire. He hadn’t expected this kid’s martial skills to be so mediocre, yet the spiritual beast he cultivated was so powerful. He had no time to think further. As he dodged, it seemed the situation could turn into ice at any moment.

The thousands of spectators below the arena gradually retreated as the cold aura from the ice birds on the arena seeped into their bodies. Some, unable to bear it, ran away, showing just how ferocious these spiritual beasts were.

At this point, Yu Chenxing took new action. After several quick dodges, he gained a little time. In that gap, he gently moved his arms, and the two strange divine swords disappeared back into his sleeves. Then, he performed another astonishing move that left the spectators in awe.

He suddenly threw a blue glowing object into the sky with his right hand. Upon closer inspection, it was only the size of a fingernail, emitting a faint light. As it was thrown, it stopped about ten feet above Yu Chenxing’s head. Within that blue glow, the object wasn’t very noticeable—its color overlapped, allowing one to see a similarly small object floating above it.

Then, Yu Chenxing’s steps began to change. Yet… the speed made his movements seem slow, though they were also hard to discern clearly. His body cast three shadows—fragmented yet real. His steps were complex, yet his posture was exquisitely graceful, as if he were dancing, conveying an indescribable beauty and a sense of elegance beyond the mundane world. If people hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, who would believe this was a martial art, and who would believe it was wielded by a man?

As Yu Chenxing’s steps changed rapidly, in an instant, a special pattern appeared on the ground—a complex shape formed by six straight lines. As he stopped at the center of this pattern, the six lines underwent significant changes. A blue glow shot out from the angle formed by each pair of lines. The six glows intersected swiftly. As those blue glows faded, a blue star-shaped mark appeared at Yu Chenxing’s feet, emitting a blue-white light that was breathtakingly beautiful.

Yu Chenxing quickly concentrated all his vital energy in his right arm, forming a fist, and shouted loudly, “Star Shield!” As the sound rang out, his right fist slammed down onto the stone platform below. As the fist penetrated the ground, another blue, fingernail-sized glowing object was instantly sent underground, right into the center of that special pattern. Due to the extreme speed and the fact it happened underground, no one noticed anything else in his fist.

At that moment, a blue straight line shot up from the ground and struck the blue light dot floating in the air. As the light dot solidified, six blue straight lines emerged from the six corners around Yu Chenxing, meeting the blue light dot in the air. The moment Yu Chenxing stood up, all the blue lines disappeared, and the blue light dot in the air expanded instantly. Deep blue covered everything around, as if the entire world had turned into night in an instant.

At the same time, countless lights emerged from the special pattern on the ground, with blue and white flashes, resembling the stars in the night sky. The deep blue glowing object in the air seemed like the soul of the stars, illuminating everything. The lights on the ground seemed to carry a breeze, causing Yu Chenxing’s clothes to flutter around him. His once neatly tied long hair became disheveled, but amidst that beautiful starry sky, he shone even brighter. If people hadn’t had preconceived notions, those below the arena would surely have thought he was a woman.

In an instant, the situation on the arena changed dramatically once again. Yu Chenxing, who seemed to be at a disadvantage, suddenly came up with a brilliant move. In that strange starry sky, he resembled a fairy descending from the clouds, with his robes fluttering; every movement of his made it seem as though he shouldn’t be in such a place. But back to reality, in the eyes of everyone, Yu Chenxing was still a man. At that moment, he smiled gently. Under the blue night sky, illuminated by the glowing lights, his smile became even more handsome and charming. He then said to Lan Laojun, “I really want to see how fierce your Eighteen Azure Eagles are.” With that, he raised his right hand, and a black beam of light spun out rapidly, carrying red and blue hues as it shot toward the flock of ice birds.

It was Yu Chenxing’s right-hand blade—a short black sword that moved like waves through the flock of ice birds. The red and blue gems on its hilt emitted beautiful light. In just an instant, several ice birds had their bodies shattered. Yet even so, those ice birds turned into transparent forms and became even more ferocious. The eighteen ice birds ignored the black sword circling in the air and rushed straight at Yu Chenxing.

Yu Chenxing smiled coldly and stretched out his right hand again. The black sword, as if possessed of a will of its own, stopped spinning and instead turned directly, plunging into his arm. At that moment, the eighteen ice birds attacked even more fiercely. But something strange happened—when they approached Yu Chenxing at a distance of about ten feet, they seemed to hit a wall. The deep blue light, mixed with white stars, violently sent the ice birds flying back dozens of feet away.

After all, these ice birds were spiritual beasts trained by Lan Laojun, inherently fierce. Clearly, the rebound force didn’t cause them much damage. So, soon, the eighteen ice birds gathered together again. But this time, they didn’t rush to attack. They simply circled around Yu Chenxing. Clearly, spiritual beasts had the ability to think, and it seemed they were making some decisions at that moment.

Meanwhile, Yu Chenxing also took action. He gently closed his eyes, stretched his arms out horizontally, and kept his feet together, forming a cross shape. As the light from below continued to rise, Yu Chenxing’s body gradually emitted blue light. At the same time, the light from below turned into rings of stars that slowly floated upward, enveloping Yu Chenxing tightly. His body slowly rose off the ground. The wind continued to blow through his hair, and the starlight continued to shine on him…

On the arena and among the spectators below, everyone was stunned. Perhaps this was the most beautiful killing art they had ever seen. Under the blue starry sky, dotted with stars, beautiful rings of light floated around him. The entire space was wrapped in blue and white, as if it were another world, detached from the mundane world.

As Yu Chenxing rose three feet above the ground, more and more star rings gathered around him, filling the space with blue-white light. The ice birds continued to circle, searching for an opportunity to attack. At that moment, Yu Chenxing suddenly opened his eyes wide, raised his right hand, and sent a blue beam from his fingers into the star soul above his head. Then he shouted, “Star Burst!” The voice wasn’t loud but was very clear. After the shout, the star rings converged, emitting a white light in an instant. As the light spread, no sound was heard. Soon, a huge white halo expanded outward from space, creating a powerful hurricane. At that moment, the stones on the arena surface were lifted into the air, and yellow dust was covered by the brilliance. The eighteen ice birds vanished the moment they touched the white halo, leaving no trace.

The massive halo only spread within the arena, up to a hundred feet away. Still, many people below were injured by the sand and stones carried by the halo. It was their own fault for not being skilled enough. As Yu Chenxing turned his right hand, the two blue dots in the sky and on the ground reappeared in his hand. In that instant, all the blue light and stars disappeared, as if they had never existed.

Yu Chenxing slowly walked up to Lan Laojun. Although Lan Laojun didn’t vanish like those ice birds, the white halo had inflicted severe injuries on him, leaving him unable to stand. Yu Chenxing smiled and said, “Young master, I heard you still have an ultimate skill unused. But… judging by your current condition, I doubt you can use it. It seems the Princess of a Hundred Flowers is out of your reach now.”

Lan Laojun tried to get up but couldn’t stand due to the severe internal injuries. He replied, “The victor takes all. Since you’ve won, it’s best for me to leave.” Clearly, he was trying to find a way to exit the arena.

Yu Chenxing crouched down gently, flipped his right hand, and a black broken sword appeared before Lan Laojun’s eyes. Under the sunlight, the short sword appeared gloomy and cold. Yu Chenxing slid the blade lightly across Lan Laojun’s face, smiled, and said, “If you want to leave, of course you can. But I have a principle: anyone who loses to my Chenxing Sword must leave something behind. I wonder… would you like to leave your eyes? Nose? Ears? Or tongue? Of course, your arms and legs work too.”

The cold blade emitted a murderous aura. The close contact filled Lan Laojun with fear. Hearing the unbelievable words from the man before him, Lan Laojun’s face turned blue.