Thinking of this, Li Shouzheng shouted, "Li Beiwu, what you can do, I can do too!"
Following this shout, Li Shouzheng leaped onto the river surface like a roc spreading its wings, entering a whirlpool.
A powerful suction force attacked him. Li Shouzheng mobilized his entire body's vital energy to prevent himself from sinking.
Although it was a bit strenuous, he managed to do it.
"Hmph, not only can I do it, but I can do it better than you!"
Li Shouzheng punched his own nose, shouting arrogantly at Chen Xiao.
The people around were stunned. These two had such profound strength. Others avoided the whirlpool like the plague, yet they deliberately walked into danger!
Moreover, they could remain still within the whirlpool. This strength truly showed that even among Saint Sons, there were differences!
Seeing that he had regained some of the attention, Li Shouzheng's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes revealed pride.
This was his stage, and he would not let anyone steal his thunder.
However, in mid-air, Xu Weizhou looked at this Saint Son of the Earth Sect and felt a great headache, "Why are you joining in the fun? He can stand in the whirlpool, but it's not just by maintaining his vital energy!"
In Xu Weizhou's opinion, Li Shouzheng's actions were no different from seeking death. However, he did not intervene, as that would break the rules.
Besides, he estimated that with Li Shouzheng's cultivation, he wouldn't be able to hold on for long. Once he couldn't endure it, he would come ashore.
His focus remained on Chen Xiao, and he secretly pondered, "What is going on with this black-robed man? Why are the four elemental forces having no effect on him at all?"
"No! It's not that there's no effect; he's clearly absorbing the four elemental forces!"
Xu Weizhou was shocked by his own discovery. He wondered if he was mistaken.
...
As a powerful figure in the Dao Integration realm, Xu Weizhou's eyesight was far beyond that of ordinary people. He was naturally not mistaken.
Chen Xiao was indeed absorbing the four elemental forces, though he himself didn't quite understand what was happening...
Of course, he wasn't absorbing the four elemental forces like he absorbed spiritual energy.
In fact, the ones truly absorbing the four elemental forces were the golden mist in his mind.
That is, the dark golden substance that enveloped his intent after he broke through to the seventh realm.
That golden mist greedily absorbed the four elemental forces, becoming increasingly condensed.
It had gradually transformed from a misty state to a jelly-like colloid.
Chen Xiao was completely bewildered. He didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing.
Because the more intensely this substance enveloped his intent, the harder it was for him to comprehend it.
From this perspective, it was not a good thing.
However, his brain simply couldn't resist the temptation of these four elemental forces... it was like a person who had been starving for days suddenly being presented with a grand feast.
He had to devour it greedily, regardless of the potential consequences of overeating.
Therefore, it wasn't Chen Xiao who wanted to absorb these four elemental forces now.
It was the greedy desire that drove him to keep absorbing.
Time ticked by, and after half an hour, apart from Chen Xiao and Li Shouzheng, no one else remained on the river.
The Saint Sons and Saintesses had either successfully crossed the river and reached the small island in the lake,
or they had voluntarily surrendered, losing their qualification to compete in the Heavenly Pride Battle.
Of course, a large number of them had also perished and remained there forever.
At this moment, Li Shouzheng was at the end of his rope.
He gritted his teeth, his body trembling uncontrollably, looking as if he was about to collapse.
"Saint Son Senior Brother, if you can't hold on, don't force yourself. If you keep this up, you'll lose your life!"
Li Miaozhen shouted to the Saint Son of the Earth Sect in the whirlpool.
Veins bulged on Li Shouzheng's forehead. He knew he was reaching his limit.
But seeing that Chen Xiao was still holding on... his damned competitive spirit was stirring.
"No... I'm still far from it... He, he's not dead yet... How can I die..."
Every word Li Shouzheng uttered seemed to exhaust all his strength.
He gazed at the figure shrouded in the black robe, his eyes filled with unwillingness.
However, facing Li Shouzheng's actions, Chen Xiao could only express his speechlessness... Comparing with me? Are we the same?
In fact, Chen Xiao himself didn't know what his current situation was...
The dark golden mist in his mind, after turning into a jelly-like colloid, became even more condensed and solid with the influx of the four elemental forces.
It now felt like a piece of thick solid wood.
Finally, Li Shouzheng couldn't hold on any longer, and his body began to slide down rapidly.
"Save, save me..."
In the blink of an eye, the river water reached Li Shouzheng's neck, and he began to cry for help.
However, who could save him now?
The Saint Sons and Saintesses had either landed or withdrawn. Who would be willing to lose their qualification to compete just to save him?
Let alone others, even Li Miaozhen, the Saint Son's own junior sister, was unwilling!
Moreover, even if they wanted to save him, they would need the ability to do so...
Not everyone could stand freely in the whirlpool like Chen Xiao.
And Chen Xiao, being no saint, was naturally too lazy to save this person who had been provoking him!
The river water had already submerged Li Shouzheng's mouth and nose, and death awaited him.
However, at this moment, a beam of green light descended from the sky, pulling Li Shouzheng out of the river.
That beam of green light was none other than Xu Weizhou.
He placed the Saint Son, who had turned into an ice popsicle, onto his flying sword, preparing to take Li Shouzheng away, as Li Shouzheng had lost his qualification to compete.
"Wait, you can do that?"
Just as Xu Weizhou was about to leave with his flying sword, Chen Xiao suddenly asked, "So many people died just now, and you were indifferent. Why are you saving him when he's about to die?"
Xu Weizhou was stunned. His rash intervention to save Li Shouzheng's life was indeed against the rules.
"Rules are dead, but people are alive. Li Shouzheng is our Earth Sect's Saint Son, so I naturally wouldn't stand by and watch him die."
Xu Weizhou's tone was calm, speaking a rather shameless statement as if it were a matter of course.
Chen Xiao sneered, "Because he is your Earth Sect's Saint Son, you have to save him? What about others? As far as I know, everyone present is a Saint Son or Saintess from various sects. Is this fair to those who have already died?"
Chen Xiao's questioning was also the sentiment of everyone present.
It was just that they lacked the courage to question it, as the one saving was a powerful figure in the Dao Integration realm.
"Are you questioning me?"
Xu Weizhou's eyes turned cold, his gaze sharp and chilling.
"That's right, I am questioning you. Is this fair to those who have died?"
Chen Xiao raised his voice and asked loudly.
"Fair? Heh... Young man, remember my words, this world is fair, but for some people, it will be even more fair."
Xu Weizhou's tone remained calm, as if he were stating some truth.
"Heh, well said, 'even more fair.' A bunch of despicable villains, truly despicable and shameless..."
A deep and authoritative voice came from below. However, this statement did not come from Chen Xiao.
The voice came from a deeper place.
Chen Xiao heard it clearly; the voice came from underground.
And the moment the voice sounded, Chen Xiao felt that the four elemental forces that had been furiously surging into his body suddenly stopped.
As the four elemental forces ceased to surge in, the whirlpool disappeared, and the water surface transformed from rolling waves to calm and peaceful.
The flames on the water surface gradually vanished, the arcs of electricity became fewer and fewer until they disappeared, and the wind blades whistling through the air also abruptly stopped.
Everything returned to its original state.
However, there was a sense of strangeness, a silent strangeness.
"Who was speaking just now?"
Xu Weizhou stared at the ground and questioned coldly.
"It was me!"
A muffled voice came from underground, deep and powerful, carrying dominance and authority.
As he spoke, the entire ground began to tremble. 138 Reading Network
"Who is hiding underground? Are you afraid to show yourself?"
Xu Weizhou frowned deeply.
When did someone hide underground in this plaza? He hadn't noticed anything at all.
Moreover, he, a powerful figure in the Dao Integration realm, had someone hiding right under his nose without him noticing? This was too strange!
As he frowned and pondered, the voice sounded again, "Heh, don't rush. Do you think I don't want to come out? I've been waiting for this day for five hundred years..."
"Five hundred years?"
Xu Weizhou suddenly thought of something and immediately felt a sense of dread.
Could it be him?
The person did not give Xu Weizhou much time to think. With a loud bang, the ground exploded, and a dark figure shot out from underground, soaring into the sky!
"Hahahaha!"
"Hahahahahahahaha!"
"Hahahahahahahahahaha!"
Waves of arrogant laughter echoed throughout Hou Tu City.
"Five hundred years, I'm finally out!"
The figure shouted as if venting, "These five hundred years have been so difficult, so difficult!"
The figure flew wildly in the air for several laps before finally hovering in front of Xu Weizhou.
This person was over two meters tall, with a head of scorched long hair that reached his waist, messily spread behind him.
His facial features were sharp, and his eyes were deep, but when combined, they gave a particularly ferocious impression.
What was most strange was that there was a mountain peak pattern on his forehead.
And that mountain peak pattern was exactly the same as the one embroidered on the robes of the Earth Sect disciples.
"So, so you're still alive..."
Xu Weizhou looked at the person, dumbfounded, his face showing disbelief.
"Heh, Xu Weizhou, it's been five hundred years, and I didn't expect your cultivation to still be so low, utterly unbearable to look at!"
The person said contemptuously.
Everyone who heard this was stunned. If Dao Integration was unbearable to look at, then what were they? Were they not meant to live?