The Yandao Saint Fruit and Xuanshi Saint Fruit, only five thousand exist in the entire universe.
They take five hundred years to sprout and five hundred more to bloom and ripen.
After being consumed at the Hunting Heaven Feast, their pits are replanted, and a thousand years later, another five thousand grow.
A rustling sound came.
Upstream of Mingxi, banquet delicacies, housed in holy flowers, floated down with the current.
The first delicacy was the Yandao Saint Fruit.
The Yandao Saint Fruit resembled a spherical emerald bead, glistening and fragrant, glowing within the holy flower. The rules of heaven and earth swirled around it, forming an invisible vortex.
“Finally, I can taste the legendary Yandao Saint Fruit. I hope it helps me master the Star-Cutting Blade Technique.”
“Will it really extend my life by three thousand years? That gives me more time than others to reach the Divine Realm.”
“Instantly gaining a hundred million rules, my cultivation will soar.”
…
All the Great Sages’ gazes turned, burning with anticipation.
The ten chiefs upstream swiftly claimed the ten highest-quality Yandao Saint Fruits.
Then, the fruits flowed into the ten major tributaries, reaching Zhang Ruochen.
“Collect.”
With a wave, Zhang Ruochen used holy qi to retrieve two holy flowers containing Yandao Saint Fruits, which landed on his jade table.
He glanced at Xue Tu’s ashen face, saying, “Junior brother, I’ll hold onto your Yandao Saint Fruit for now. I’ll return it after the Gift Duel. No objections, right?”
Xue Tu had plenty of objections, strong ones.
Zhang Ruochen agreeing to duel Da Senluo Huang was no different from giving away the Yandao Saint Fruit.
“Arrogant, conceited, blindly confident. Zhang Ruochen, you’re courting disaster, why drag me into it? Who did I offend? I came to the feast just to eat one Yandao Saint Fruit. My three thousand years of lifespan…” Xue Tu sighed.
Given Zhang Ruochen’s formidable cultivation, Xue Tu’s faint resistance vanished, and he swallowed his frustration.
Nearby Great Sages cast sympathetic or mocking glances, pitying Xue Tu’s undeserved misfortune, duped by Zhang Ruochen.
Da Senluo Huang, a top-tier Death Clan powerhouse with great influence, promised benefits to two Death Clan Great Sages, securing three Yandao Saint Fruits.
To all cultivators, Da Senluo Huang’s victory was certain, and the two Death Clan Great Sages thought so too.
Thus, they were happy to do him a favour.
The Gift Duel between Da Senluo Huang and Zhang Ruochen drew all eyes. Many discussed it, some sneered, believing Zhang Ruochen would lose both his woman and his stake.
“Does Zhang Ruochen not know the feast’s rules? Daring to duel Da Senluo Huang? Does he think it’s about combat?”
“Da Senluo Huang is the Death Clan’s third-ranked powerhouse. Even in combat, Zhang Ruochen’s far behind.”
“Zhang Ruochen’s talent may be top-tier, but he’s too confident, merely reckless. He’ll never achieve greatness. In contrast, Yan Wushen is both brave and cunning, miles ahead.”
…
Gu Chenzi, Yi Xuan Great Sage, Xue Qi Great Sage, Yu Huang, and even Luo Ji sent mental messages to Zhang Ruochen, explaining the Gift Duel rules and urging him not to accept. But Zhang Ruochen ignored them, resolute in his decision.
Feng Hou was even more puzzled, having already explained the rules to him.
No matter how impulsive, Zhang Ruochen shouldn’t knowingly face certain defeat.
Da Senluo Huang smiled brightly, saying, “Great Sage Ruochen’s boldness is admirable! But you must understand, the challenger decides the duel’s terms.”
He paused, expecting Zhang Ruochen to show shock or regret, perhaps even back out. If so, he had ways to make Zhang Ruochen lose face and still force the duel.
But Zhang Ruochen didn’t flinch, calmly waiting for him to continue.
This unnerved Da Senluo Huang, finding it odd, but he relaxed, confident in his victory.
“For this duel, we’ll compete in archery.”
Da Senluo Huang drew a stringless divine wooden longbow, nine feet long, radiating cold. Clearly no ordinary weapon, it was shaped like dragon bone.
Gu Chenzi and Yi Xuan Great Sage, as if anticipating archery, exchanged glances and sighed, knowing Zhang Ruochen was doomed.
Da Senluo Huang majored in the “Way of the Arrow,” having fused a fourth-grade arrow saint intent—Extreme Penetration Saint Intent.
In the Hell Realm, below the Thousand-Question Realm, he was arguably the top archer Great Sage.
Even among Thousand-Question Realm Great Sages, few could match him in archery.
Zhang Ruochen’s primary holy ways had nothing to do with archery.
And archery required an exceptional bow.
Da Senluo Huang’s Icewood Divine Bow, crafted from a divine tree’s core, was among the finest materials, a priceless Triad Monarch Saint Artifact. Fully unleashed, it could shoot down stars millions of miles away.
Did Zhang Ruochen have such a bow?
Certain of victory, Da Senluo Huang smiled, “If Great Sage Ruochen lacks a bow, I can lend one. But I only have this Monarch Saint Artifact bow. I can lend you a Ten-Thousand Pattern Saint Artifact bow.”
“No need, I have one.”
To the astonishment of countless cultivators, Zhang Ruochen summoned the Azure Sky Bow and White Sun Arrow.
Holding the bow in one hand and the arrow in the other, his aura shifted, brimming with sharpness and confidence.
During decades of secluded cultivation, Zhang Ruochen’s mental power had studied countless texts, including detailed profiles of every feast attendee.
Know your enemy, know yourself, and you’ll win every battle.
He knew the Gift Duel rules thoroughly, feigning ignorance to lull Da Senluo Huang.
Thus, when Da Senluo Huang proposed archery, Zhang Ruochen was prepared.
A Great Sage mastering the Way of the Arrow to its peak would naturally choose archery.
“Seems Zhang Ruochen isn’t entirely unprepared. His bow and arrow aren’t ordinary, likely Monarch Saint Artifacts.”
“A bow and arrow mean he can rival Da Senluo Huang? Archery isn’t that simple.”
“Archery involves not just the Way of the Arrow but strength, vision, judgment, arrow intent… These require years of practice, aided by arrow rules and saint intent to reach perfection. Without a century in archery, Zhang Ruochen’s just asking for trouble.”
Da Senluo Huang, equally unconvinced of Zhang Ruochen’s chances, strode confidently to Yanhong Great Sage, saying, “For fairness, please set our shooting target, Yanhong Great Sage.”
Yanhong Great Sage, of the Bone Clan, was unaffiliated with either Da Senluo Huang or Zhang Ruochen.
Da Senluo Huang supported Prajna, Zhang Ruochen backed Feng Hou, making them Yanhong’s rivals.
Her setting the target seemed fair but was disadvantageous to Zhang Ruochen.
After all, Yanhong Great Sage had publicly vowed to kill him.
As she was about to agree, Yan Wushen stood, laughing, “Since Yanhong Great Sage is in a tough spot, let me set a challenging target for you two.”
Yanhong Great Sage was willing to aid Da Senluo Huang, but with Yan Wushen stepping in, refusing would slight him.
No need to offend Yan Wushen for Da Senluo Huang.
She said calmly, “Since Lord Yan is so interested, Da Senluo Huang, why not let him help?”
Da Senluo Huang couldn’t refuse, nodding with a smile.
Yan Wushen and Zhang Ruochen’s rivalry was known across the Heavenly and Hell Realms, so bias toward Zhang Ruochen was unlikely.
Yan Wushen produced a translucent crystal talisman, an inch long, exquisitely crafted, saying, “You’re both Great Sages; ordinary archery contests won’t challenge you. The target must be tough. This talisman is a low-grade interstellar messaging light talisman, capable of flying near light speed for a day, about hundreds of billions of miles.”
“I’ll activate it and send it out.”
“Whoever hits it wins.”
Da Senluo Huang wanted a tough challenge, but Yan Wushen’s was beyond difficult—impossible for any Great Sage.
“Lord Yan, once the light talisman passes its acceleration phase, no arrow can catch it. And no Great Sage can shoot hundreds of billions of miles,” Da Senluo Huang said.
Yan Wushen looked displeased, “If any Great Sage could do it, why test you?”
Da Senluo Huang said no more. He’d chosen the duel’s terms and the arbiter. Arguing further would seem indecisive and weak.
Besides, there was a chance.
If he caught the talisman during its brief acceleration phase, he could pierce it.
Yan Wushen added, “Fine, seeing your reluctance, I’ll lower the difficulty. I’ll send the talisman toward a barren asteroid above the Destiny Divine Domain.”
“If you can’t hit the talisman, whoever first pierces the asteroid wins.”
“Pierce, not hit.”
“And I won’t tell you which asteroid—you’ll have to figure it out.”
Without warning, Yan Wushen activated the talisman, sending it skyward.
The talisman became a light shuttle, streaking upward.
Before most cultivators could react, Da Senluo Huang and Zhang Ruochen drew their bows simultaneously, arrows aimed skyward.
Their reaction speed was astonishingly fast.
The talisman was too small, its speed too great.
And it grew faster each moment.
Da Senluo Huang, the Hell Realm’s top archer, fired a divine wooden arrow the instant Yan Wushen launched the talisman.
As if without aiming, he shot by instinct.
After firing, a confident smile spread across his face, certain of victory.
“I’m far inferior to Da Senluo Huang in archery,” Zhang Ruochen admitted.
He never aimed at the talisman, knowing it was impossible.
His target was Da Senluo Huang’s divine wooden arrow.
The moment Da Senluo Huang released, Zhang Ruochen unleashed his spatial domain, sensing the arrow’s spatial fluctuations in flight, then fired his White Sun Arrow.
