Chapter 415 - 392: Contemporary Celestial Prides: Who Will Rise and Fall?

In the square of Cyan Feather Mountain, the crowd was in an uproar.

Nearly everyone shared a common hatred for the enemy.

From Demon Slaughter Pass, Gu Peng had issued a challenge to the entire world, boasting that he would fight every last Celestial Pride of the Human Race!

What unbelievable arrogance!

This Golden Lion Demon showed absolutely no regard for the Nine Provinces Human Race. His actions were nothing less than a giant hand descending from the heavens to slap them squarely across the face.

As humans, who could possibly tolerate this?

But even if they couldn’t, what could they possibly do?

Someone muttered in a low, angry, and confused voice, "How can we just let this demon act so arrogantly? Our Human Race... it’s not like we don’t have experts. If the True Immortals and Martial Saints won’t act, can’t the Celestial Immortals or the Martial Sects make a move?"

Someone sighed. "This is a competition between Celestial Prides. What would it look like if the senior experts got involved? The whole world is watching. The Demon Race has their Demon Immortal Great Sages too. If it came to that, wouldn’t it be even more humiliating?"

Another person nodded. "Indeed. Humiliation would be one thing, but I’m afraid it would turn into one of those situations where you beat the junior, so the senior shows up, and when you beat the senior, the elder appears. It could escalate into an Immortal Level war, which would be a catastrophe."

A man slammed his right fist into his left palm and roared, "A war is a war! What’s there to be afraid of? Do they really think the Human Race has no fight left in us? Over seven hundred years ago, we drove all the demons out of the Nine Provinces Land! If these demons dare to come now, we’ll make sure they never return!"

"Exactly, exactly! If they want to come, let them come! If they want to fight, we’ll fight! Besides, are they the only ones allowed to invade the Nine Provinces? Are we not allowed to counterattack the Demon Race? If these demons really dare to come, we’ll take the fight right to them! We’ll tear through their Nine Celestial Demon Countries!"

Such heroic and impassioned words were immediately met with a wave of applause and cheers.

"Yes! Well said! That’s how it should be!"

"Indeed, indeed! Such heroic spirit! This calls for a drink!"

"Let’s go, let’s go! I’ve been in seclusion for a while, and my bones have gone stiff from sitting. Let’s go drink and loosen up! A mere Little Demon, what’s he worth? The Celestial Pride List is a different story once you get to the top ten. If that braggart Gu Peng really dares to challenge our Song Celestial Pride, he might just end up defeated and disgraced, just like that Fox Demon."

"That’s right! If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. Why should we worry so much? Let’s go, let’s go!"

The topic of conversation imperceptibly shifted, and some people walked off with their arms around each other’s shoulders, as if the matter of Gu Peng was truly nothing more than idle gossip.

But many more secretly shook their heads, their eyes filled with contempt.

’Heh. Such spoiled heirs. Utterly ignorant of their own limitations and the harsh realities of the world.’

’Since that Golden Lion Demon Gu Peng dared to claim he would challenge the entire top ten of the Human Race’s list, his strength must be on par with the very top of the Celestial Pride List.’

’A demon like that might be arrogant, but it’s because he has the power to back it up!’

’Can Song Zhao really handle Gu Peng’s challenge?’

Unaware of the storm brewing in the outside world, Song Ciwan remained in her seclusion cave. The Samadhi True Fire continued to refine her body; thirty years passed as if in a single moment.

A life entrusted to a fleeting spark, a heart unyielding through a thousand trials.

The Dao is both in the distant future and in this very moment!

Back in the Cyan Feather Mountain square, Liu Siye, holding his Official Seal, gradually recovered from the strange sense of foreboding that had gripped him.

He looked up at the sky above Cyan Feather Mountain. It was bright and clear, a vast expanse without a single cloud. For some reason, the anxiety that had just unsettled Liu Siye’s heart suddenly calmed at this moment.

He hung the Official Seal back on his belt and, with his hands behind his back, was about to return to the Steward Hall when he suddenly saw a figure flying toward him from the horizon, riding a length of long silk.

In Guangling City, not many people had the authority to fly. The one returning at this moment was an old acquaintance Liu Siye had seen much of recently: Yun Chong.

Yun Chong landed in a hurry, ignoring the various gazes directed at him from across the square. He stopped in front of Liu Siye and said, "Liu Siye, quickly inform Fairy Song in her seclusion cave! Gu Peng is on his way!"

Liu Siye was startled. "What? Isn’t Gu Peng still at Demon Slaughter Pass?"

Yun Chong said anxiously, "That he was at Demon Slaughter Pass was this morning’s news! By seven o’clock, Gu Peng had already reached Yong State. Duan Xinghun’s junior sister, Ji Qingfeng, challenged him and was defeated in a single move. If their master, Ye Lingguan, hadn’t intervened to save her, Ji Qingfeng would have been killed on the spot!"

"But even with Ye Lingguan’s intervention... it’s said that Ye Lingguan exchanged a single blow with Gu Peng and seemed to come out at a slight disadvantage."

Ji Qingfeng was famous only locally in Pinglan City; across the entire Nine Provinces, she was basically unknown.

However, her senior brother Duan Xinghun was a very famous Human Race Celestial Pride, and by extension, their master, Ye Lingguan, was also a renowned figure in the Nine Provinces.

Liu Siye was shocked. "Ye Lingguan is said to be a top-tier expert even among Celestial Immortals. How could he possibly have been at a disadvantage? How is that possible?"

Tushan Jing, number one on the Ten Thousand Spirits Celestial Pride List, had killed a Celestial Immortal before!

But Tushan Jing was in a league of his own. No one ever thought his level was the normal standard for a Celestial Pride. It was widely acknowledged that even the second-ranked Yun Liuguang was far from being his equal.

Although they were separated by only one rank, that was simply because there was nothing between first and second place.

It was definitely not because Tushan Jing’s combat strength was only "a little bit" stronger than Yun Liuguang’s.

Liu Siye rubbed the Official Seal at his waist and murmured, "But Gu Peng is only at the Demon Core Stage..."

The Demon Core Stage corresponds to the Human Race’s Divinity Transformation Stage. It was one thing for a Celestial Pride of the Demon Race at the Demon Core Stage to defeat a Human Earth Immortal by crossing realms, but to say he could even defeat a Celestial Immortal was just too unbelievable.

After all, while Tushan Jing was in a class of his own and could kill Celestial Immortals, he wasn’t at the Demon Core Stage—he was at the Demon King Stage!

The Demon King Stage corresponds to the Human Race’s Divine Refining Stage, also known as the Earth Immortal Realm.

Therefore, even Tushan Jing was only fighting across one major realm.

Surely it couldn’t be that Gu Peng’s potential and talent were even greater than Tushan Jing’s?

After all, in thousands of years, there had only ever been one Tushan Jing!

Seeing Liu Siye’s shock, Yun Chong sighed. "The prince I serve also finds this matter hard to believe, but Ye Lingguan did indeed take a step back."

Liu Siye gulped and said with difficulty, "That doesn’t necessarily prove anything."

Yun Chong said, "Let’s set that aside for now. In any case, Liu Siye, you must inform Fairy Song quickly. After all, Gu Peng is at the Mid-Stage Demon Core, while Fairy Song is still only at the Qi Cultivation Stage."

At these words, Liu Siye fell silent.

If Yun Chong hadn’t deliberately brought it up, most people would have subconsciously overlooked the fact that Song Ciwan was still only at the Qi Cultivation Stage.

After all, she was already tenth on the Ten Thousand Spirits Celestial Pride List. Was it even reasonable for her to still be at the Qi Cultivation Stage?

But the fact remained. After a moment of silence, Liu Siye suddenly exhaled and began to laugh. "That’s right. Fairy Song is only at the Qi Cultivation Stage, yet she’s already tenth on the Celestial Pride List. Chief Historian Yun, think about it carefully. Is there anyone else on that list whose potential and talent can compare to Fairy Song’s?"

"Don’t you worry, Chief Historian Yun. I’ll send a message to her seclusion cave right now..."

Before his voice had even faded, a long roar like muffled thunder echoed from the horizon. "Song Zhao, I, Gu Peng, have arrived! I know you are in Guangling City! Song Zhao, come out at once! I’ve come to borrow your reputation!"