Outside the Black Thorn Forest, Mu Chen and the other four stood in the air with his brows slightly furrowed as he looked up ahead. On the hillside, Fang Yun was looking at him with a smile. Behind him, his four team members were also glaring at him with boundless Spiritual Energy fluctuations surging around them.
The direction that Fang Yun and his team were in happened to block the path that Mu Chen and his team would take to enter the Thorn Forest. If they wanted to enter the forest, they would have to pass through Fang Yun's direction.
From the looks of it, Fang Yun and his team had clearly been waiting here for a long time.
"Haha, Captain Mu Chen, you can't blame me for this matter. You can only say that your appetite is too big." Fang Yun smiled at Mu Chen.
Mu Chen's eyes narrowed as he said, "Looks like Captain Fang Yun doesn't intend to give way?"
Fang Yun gently shook his head as he stared at Mu Chen with a faint ferocious light flashing in his eyes. However, his face was still filled with a warm smile as he said, "Captain Mu Chen, I know that you're very powerful. However, after going through seven battles, you must have been exhausted by those captains, right?
Right now, do you still have 50% of your fighting strength? "
"Furthermore, even if you can preserve your fighting strength, your team members are already an arrow at the end of its flight. If you guys were to fight with us now, I'm afraid that your chances of winning aren't high."
There was no expression on Mu Chen's face. Behind him, Shen Cangsheng and Li Xuantong's eyes turned cold as they slowly tightened their grip on their spears.
"So, Captain Mu Chen, please hand over your Academy Plaques to me."
Fang Yun extended his hand towards Mu Chen as he chuckled, "Don't try to resist, because there are quite a lot of people staring at you guys. I'm afraid that you guys won't be able to withstand another round of exhaustion."
A light breeze blew past, but it was unable to disperse the frozen air.
Fang Yun's face was filled with smiles. However, iciness surfaced within his smile. His eyes did not back down as he stared straight at Mu Chen. Although the latter's reputation had already reached its peak after his battle with Ji Xuan, Fang Yun was also not someone who was easy to deal with.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to reach this step.
Sparks flew as their gazes met in midair.
"It seems like you guys aren't interested in my proposal."
When Fang Yun saw that Mu Chen had no intention of handing over his Academy Plaque, he could only smile helplessly. However, there wasn't much warmth in his smile.
"Since that's the case, I'll have to do it myself."
Fang Yun slowly raised his hand as a palm-sized divine cauldron floated in his hand. On top of the divine cauldron.
It was flowing with a dazzling spiritual light.
On the ice-cold bronze cauldron.
Ancient runes had vivid and lifelike dragon and tiger runes on it. Ancient dragon roars and tiger roars seemed to be ringing from the cauldron.
This Divine Cauldron.
It quietly floated above Fang Yun's palm. Although there weren't any frightening fluctuations radiating from it, Mu Chen could feel a dense feeling of danger coming from it.
Mu Chen's eyes slightly narrowed as he stared at the bronze cauldron in Fang Yun's hand, before speaking out in a soft voice, "Divine Artifact?"
In his hand was a Quasi-Divine Artifact, the "Black Tortoise Seal". However, he could faintly sense that the bronze cauldron in Fang Yun's hand might be even more formidable than his "Black Tortoise Seal".
If the Black Tortoise Seal was a Quasi-Divine Artifact, wouldn't that mean that the bronze Divine Artifact before him had already surpassed the level of a Quasi-Divine Artifact?
It had reached the level of a Low Rank Divine Artifact?!
A Low Rank Divine Artifact. That was the genuine category of a Divine Artifact, with unfathomable might!
"Haha. This is the Divine Artifact of our Nine Cauldrons Spiritual Academy, a Low Rank Divine Artifact."
Looking at Mu Chen, Fang Yun said in an indifferent tone, "Mu Chen, do you really think that no one in the Great Spiritual Academy Tournament can do anything to you just because you're able to fight with Ji Xuan?"
Low Rank Divine Artifact, the Dragon Tiger Cauldron.
As those words rang out, the faces of Shen Cangsheng and the rest uncontrollably changed. Although they had yet to personally experience the might of the bronze cauldron in Fang Yun's hand, just the word "Divine Artifact" was sufficient to fill their hearts with dread. That's because, in the Great Thousand World, a Divine Artifact was synonymous with power, no matter where it was.
Experts that possessed a Divine Artifact would have the strength to contend against experts that were stronger than them.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Just when Mu Chen and Fang Yun were confronting each other, whizzing sounds of wind resounded from the distant sky. From afar, several figures could be seen rushing in their direction.
Clearly, those were probably the teams that were coming for Mu Chen's group.
Those teams stopped when they were still a distance away from the forest. Numerous gazes were directed over from afar. When they saw that Mu Chen's group was obstructed by Fang Yun, their eyes were instantly filled with excitement.
Right now, Mu Chen's condition wasn't good. If he were to fight with a top-tiered team like Fang Yun's group, he would definitely have to pay a heavy price. At that time, those teams would have an opportunity to take advantage of.
"Fang Yun actually brought out the Dragon-Tiger Cauldron. Looks like he's also fearful of Mu Chen."
Some people had sharp eyes. With a glance, they saw the Divine Bronze Cauldron hovering above Fang Yun's palm.
"Mu Chen isn't someone that's easy to deal with. Even if he isn't at his peak, he would definitely be the most foolish person to underestimate him. Clearly, Fang Yun isn't one of them."
"Haha. Let's fight. The more vicious the better. It's best if both sides are heavily injured. Only then will we have a chance."
“”
Whispers resounded from afar. However, those gazes weren't good.
The faintly discernible silhouettes were naturally sensed by Mu Chen's group. Shen Cangsheng and Li Xuantong exchanged a glance. Their hearts couldn't help sinking.
Fang Yun smiled as he looked at Mu Chen's group. Shortly after, his hand seal suddenly changed. The Divine Bronze Cauldron instantly flew out from his hand. As spiritual light spread out, the cauldron expanded in size, instantly growing to a size of a few hundred feet.
Spiritual light spread out from the Divine Bronze Cauldron as an indescribable feeling of heaviness was emitted. Under the heavy ripples, even space seemed to have vaguely distorted.
"Go!"
Fang Yun's eyes were indifferent as the Divine Bronze Cauldron appeared above Mu Chen's group with a rustle. Thereafter, it was like a mountain as it pressed down with terrifying power.
Boom!
As the Divine Cauldron pressed down, the air instantly exploded. A shadow enveloped over and the terrifying pressure that came from the air caused the faces of Shen Cangsheng's group to drastically change.
The Divine Cauldron had yet to descend, but it was already so terrifying. The might of a Divine Artifact was indeed extraordinary.
Whoosh!
Mu Chen's gaze was cold as he looked at the Divine Cauldron pressing down. With a wave of his sleeve, a bright and resplendent spiritual light shot out. Akin to a rainbow, it smashed against the Divine Cauldron at lightning speed.
Clang!
A clear metallic sound exploded as the ear-piercing sound waves caused the air to explode. Energy ripples that could be seen with the naked eye spread out, covering a thousand feet.
Everyone raised their heads and saw two colossal objects. One was a gigantic dark-green stone seal, while the other was a gigantic Divine Bronze Cauldron.
At this moment, be it the stone seal or the Divine Cauldron, both of them were emitting frightening Spiritual Energy fluctuations as they violently clashed against each other. Every single time they clashed, it would cause a violent Spiritual Energy storm.
The stone seal was naturally the Quasi-Divine Artifact in Mu Chen's hand, the Black Tortoise Seal.
However, the Black Tortoise Seal, which had always possessed extraordinary might, had met a formidable opponent at this moment. Regardless of how much spiritual light it emitted, it was actually unable to force the Divine Bronze Cauldron back. On the contrary, as they clashed, the boundless spiritual light was slightly suppressed.
"Haha, a Quasi-Divine Artifact?
However, from the looks of it, there's still quite a bit of disparity between it and a genuine Divine Artifact, "said Fang Yun with a grin as he looked at the scene before him.
Whoosh!
Shooting an indifferent glance at Fang Yun, Mu Chen stomped his foot as his figure abruptly shot out. His target was Fang Yun.
Seeing Mu Chen rushing towards him, Fang Yun did not panic in the slightest. On the contrary, he sneered, "If you're in your best condition, I really wouldn't dare to go all-out against you. However, aren't you being too arrogant by daring to use such a risky move in your current condition?"
"Divine Cauldron Palm!"
Fang Yun's hand seal rapidly changed as boundless Spiritual Energy swept out from his body like a storm. In the next instant, it transformed into a gigantic bronze hand, with faint dragon and tiger shapes visible on the surface of the giant hand.
"Get back!"
Fang Yun barked as the gigantic bronze hand ruthlessly pressed towards Mu Chen along with a frightening power.
Fang Yun's first move was a ruthless one. He knew that Mu Chen had consumed a great amount of Spiritual Energy. If he were to forcefully clash, the latter would definitely not be his opponent.
Behind him, when Shen Cangsheng and the rest saw how ruthless Fang Yun's attack was, their faces uncontrollably changed. From the strength of Fang Yun's attack, that fellow's strength was definitely infinitely close to Third Grade Spirit Disaster.
If Mu Chen was in his best condition, there wouldn't be much of a problem. However, at this moment, he had consumed a great amount of Spiritual Energy, causing the fighting strength that he could display to be greatly weakened.
Rumble!
As the gigantic bronze hand pressed down, Mu Chen raised his head. However, contrary to Fang Yun's expectations, there wasn't the slightest trace of panic on his handsome face.
"You're still putting on an act at a time like this?" Fang Yun's gaze turned cold as a thought passed through his mind, causing the momentum of the gigantic bronze hand to grow even more violent.
"Even if my current condition isn't good, I'm afraid that someone like you won't be able to take advantage of me!"
A ridiculing smile finally appeared on Mu Chen's indifferent face as he abruptly formed a rather peculiar seal with a single hand.
Boom!
In that instant when Mu Chen's seal was formed, the entire region violently trembled. In the next instant, everyone could sense that the colour of the sky had turned a lot darker.
Rustle!
In the distance, the faces of the powerful teams drastically changed as they raised their heads and looked into the distance with astonishment in their eyes.
In the distant thorn forest, numerous thorn trees that were flickering with a serene lustre were swiftly withering. As those thorn trees withered, a pitch-black Spiritual Energy soared into the sky like a black tide.
That scene was akin to a black tide descending from the sky, as if it was the end of the world.
At the same time, Fang Yun's face drastically changed.