Chapter 489 - 280: The White Jiao Settles for Peace, Standing Alone in the River

"Could it be... Tao Xinglie has had another breakthrough?!"

Li Changshan’s heart skipped a beat. He had faced Tao Xinglie many times in the past, but without exception, he had always lost, and each defeat came quicker than the last.

Now that Tao Xinglie dared to boast about winning in ten rounds, perhaps it wasn’t arrogance, but rather his strength had reached a new level.

The four eyes met.

The disdain in Tao Xinglie’s eyes was unhidden, seemingly affirming Li Changshan’s thoughts, deepening his despair and powerlessness.

Naturally, Li Changshan had prepared a trump card for this competition, figuring that even against Tao Xinglie and two others, he might stand a chance, with a thirty percent likelihood of victory. But this trump card absolutely could not be unveiled prematurely.

It was a unique move, its greatest effect could only be realized when used for the first time. If used in advance, once Tao Xinglie and the others were on guard, his chances would drop to zero.

Yet all of this was based on the past strengths of the three...

"People of the Tao Family, follow me!"

Tao Xinglie retracted his gaze indifferently, raised his hand, and the dozen or so figures behind him each displayed their methods, turning into shadows moving swiftly.

This scene seemed like an ’immortal method’ to ordinary folks, who gasped and marveled continuously.

Li Changshan snapped out of it, taking several deep breaths.

"Damn Tao Family!"

Li Yao cursed angrily, climbed the mountain with puffed cheeks, quickening his pace to move to the front of the crowd, and soon reached Li Changshan’s side to offer comfort.

"I’m fine... everyone, let’s climb the mountain."

Li Changshan shook his head, and in an instant, the Li Family members also turned into shadows and began climbing the mountain. Among them was Su Mu, also a shadow, but trailing behind, not hurried or slow, allowing the Li Family members to race ahead.

The steps of Bai Jiao Mountain were over half a zhang high each, making it extremely difficult for ordinary people to climb even if open to them. Moreover, the mountain was drenched in the blood of the White Jiao, containing a hint of Long Wei.

All cultivators stepping into it could feel their inner strength suppressed, whether it was spiritual qi, qi blood, or vast qi. Everyone was aware that this was the impartial Long Wei left by the White Jiao for anyone who entered the mountain.

The mountain had three hundred steps, the clouds from the dragon. Although Bai Jiao Mountain wasn’t tall, it was perpetually shrouded in mist. The baptism of Long Wei was highly beneficial for cultivation, leading to the mountain being open every three years. Everyone cherished such an opportunity.

Therefore, while climbing the mountain, unless one couldn’t endure it, everyone would use their own power as little as possible to resist this Long Wei.

As for the rapid movements at the foot of the mountain, those were performed for the public to see.

After walking for a while, Li Yao suddenly thought of Su Mu, looked back, but couldn’t find him.

"Huh, where is Wang Chan?"

"Could it be... he fell behind?"

A Li Family member breathed a bit heavily, wiping the thin sweat off his forehead with a look of surprise. Martial artists and Buddhist sect cultivators usually had stronger physiques than cultivators of other Dharma Gates.

As Daoist cultivators, they were still alright, but was Wang Chan, who was a martial artist, really so feeble?!

"Do we need to stop and wait for him..."

"No need, Wang Chan is here to participate in the big event. We’ll meet at the top of the mountain."

Li Changshan frowned; being chosen by the patriarch, even out of desperation, demonstrated Wang Chan’s extraordinary qualities. Otherwise, the patriarch wouldn’t overlook the other Fifth-Grade Cultivators in the family and specifically pick Wang Chan.

Such a person is certainly not someone who would fall behind, although dropping the ball at crucial moments still left Li Changshan dissatisfied.

...

"Junior sister, let’s stop for a moment and calm our hearts to feel."

In the mist, a man and a woman in spotless white scholarly robes steadily climbed, occasionally stopping to exchange a few words.

Upon hearing the call, the figure who had been joyfully half a step ahead paused.

She turned around, and the simple scholarly robe she wore couldn’t conceal her natural beauty. The woman appeared to be around sixteen, her tall figure and fair face slightly flushed, like warm jade covered in mist.

"Senior brother, Bai Jiao Mountain is indeed extraordinary, truly one of the three wonders of Donglai."

"Speaking of which, the White Jiao is said to have a deep connection with our academy."

"Is that so?"

The woman’s face showed curiosity, her eyes eagerly looking over. A man in a scholarly robe, roughly twenty-five years old, with features not particularly handsome but dignified, possessed a graceful air.

"Legend has it that a millennium ago, a passionate man emerged from the Inner Courtyard. When he first left the academy and traveled to Donglai County, he heard of a White Jiao in the great river. He sought it out, and in that battle... he was utterly defeated, thrown into the river’s heart by the Jiao’s tail, his attire shredded..."

"In the years that followed, the man sought the White Jiao annually, losing ten times... but it’s said there were more than ten battles, each ending in an overwhelming defeat..."

"Ah?"

The woman was stupefied, unable to speak for a moment.

"So, in fury, this senior returned to close himself off in the academy for ten years. On the day after ten years of solitude, he emerged to fight the White Jiao again... In that battle, he ultimately wielded his vast qi to reverse the river’s flow for three hundred li, completely subduing the White Jiao. He laughed to the sky: ’A gentleman’s revenge, ten years is not too late...’

"It was not revenge against the Jiao, but against his own shackles!"

To not be against the Jiao, but against one’s own shackles?!

Upon hearing this, admiration and awe emerged in the woman’s eyes, while the man’s tone rose with fervor.

"After that, the man’s momentum soared, achieving knowledge of destiny in one battle. By condensing the thousand-mile waters of Donglai into Life Characters... it’s said that after entering the Knowledge of Destiny Realm, the man even attempted to enlighten the White Jiao. Sadly, the Jiao failed in its Jiao Transformation into a dragon, ultimately falling in this mountain. What a pity."