"Xiao Ming suddenly showed up—could it be he’s going after him?"

"Isn’t this...a bit against the rules?"

"Xiao Ming’s strength is second to none, no one can stop him; but if he angers Can Sutian..."

For a moment, the Martial Artists of the Spirit Realm were both pleased and anxious—on one hand they hoped Xiao Ming would teach Xu Yang a harsh lesson, restoring lost face; on the other hand, they feared agitating Can Sutian into madness again, uncertain how many would die as a result.

"Xiao Ming, what are you trying to do?"

Stone Jade’s expression grew ugly.

Xiao Ming’s arrival gave her a bad feeling.

Enrage Can Sutian?

Xiao Ming couldn’t possibly be ignorant—and with so many powerful onlookers in the shadows—yet still, Xiao Ming had appeared.

Xiao Ming shot Stone Jade a flat glance. "It’s none of your business."

"Losing to a nobody from Daqian... You siblings are getting more and more useless."

"You..." Anger flashed briefly in Stone Jade’s eyes; she clenched her fists in fury.

Many people slowly lowered their heads.

"Daqian’s number one genius?"

Xiao Ming stood with hands behind his back, aloof and above, looking down at Xu Yang like a proud Immortal, his lips curled in a sneer: "Dare you take one blow from me?"

The faces of every Daqian Martial Artist changed drastically.

Who was Xiao Ming?

The Spirit Realm’s number one prodigy!

True Monarch Middle Realm!

The aura alone was terrifying.

No matter how strong Xu Yang was, there was no way he could be a match.

He wouldn’t even last a single move.

Xu Yang wiped the blood from his lips, grinned: "No, if you want a fight, I concede!"

Hearing this, everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

Stone Jade, too, relaxed, just worried Xu Yang would stubbornly resist Xiao Ming.

This fellow was indeed aggravating, but his strength left nothing to be said—without question, he was number one!

"Hahaha! Coward."

"Weren’t you arrogant just now? Now you don’t even have the guts to fight?"

"Let alone a fight, he doesn’t even dare take one move from Mr. Xiao? Hmph—so much for you."

Some in the crowd instantly seized the chance to mock and jeer.

Xu Yang acted as if he didn’t hear.

"You refuse? Then you won’t leave here so easily today." Xiao Ming shook his head lightly.

Xu Yang’s brow creased deeply. "I already passed the hunt. Or are the so-called rules set by your Spirit Realm pure nonsense?"

"Hahahaha!"

Xiao Ming laughed madly up at the sky.

A few moments later, the laughter came to an abrupt halt!

He said with mocking amusement, "Xu Yang, you want to talk rules with me?"

"Come now, those hidden within you—are they fake?"

"If you let them out now, my Spirit Realm will send out someone to face them, determine superiority and life or death alike. None of this will concern you, and you can leave in peace!"

"Or—take it all upon yourself!"

At these words, utter astonishment crossed everyone’s faces.

"He’s got more people hidden on him?"

"He...he really did break the rules."

Li Wang’s eyes lit up.

Treasures that can conceal people are not uncommon; the Spirit Realm has plenty as well.

The key is—the rules!

Now it’s Xu Yang’s turn to be cornered.

Xu Yang’s expression suddenly turned especially unsightly.

Let Gu Jun, Jian Chuan, Liou Yunfeng and the others out?

By now it was obvious—the Spirit Realm would send powerful opponents against the strongest among them.

To put it bluntly: if you’re Myriad Manifestations Realm Perfection, they’ll send someone just as strong, perhaps even a True Monarch-level Myriad Manifestations practitioner.

If you’re True Beginning Realm, they’ll send someone at the Peak of True Monarch!

How can you possibly contend?

"Kid, let this old man out."

"You can’t handle this guy—he’s too strong."

Jian Chuan and Gu Jun said in unison.

Xu Yang gave no reply; he stared coldly at Xiao Ming. "What do you want?"

Xiao Ming glanced at the Inverted Five Elements Heaven-Slaying City, his eyes inscrutable. "You humiliated my Spirit Realm, and took the best Spirit Crystals from within too. If you won’t fight, and won’t take one blow from me..."

"Let me give you another way."

Xiao Ming’s sinister smile sent chills down everyone’s spine, making their hairs stand on end.

Suddenly, he curved his palm and flipped it up.

Swoosh!

Brilliant five-colored spiritual radiance flashed forth.

A dazzling five-colored little bowl appeared out of thin air in his hand.

Shi Haoting’s pupils contracted; he swallowed nervously: "Yu, isn’t that the thing that guy used during his breakthrough?"

Stone Jade nodded gravely.

"This is the Five Elements Heaven-Trapping Bowl I used to break through to True Monarch. It made my breakthrough all the harder—once successful, my transformation was even greater; it endured the full force of my cultivation and the baptism of the Spirit River!"

"If you can escape from it, this ends here!"

Having spoken, Xiao Ming played with the spirit bowl in his hand, staring at Xu Yang with amusement.

"Tch, so it really is the Five Elements Heaven-Trapping Bowl he used when breaking through. That’s a supreme artifact, specially refined for Xiao Ming by a mighty lord of the Five Elements Celestial Realm!"

"He used it while breaking through to True Monarch, but even then, he was stronger than most True Monarchs, and the bowl underwent the Spirit River’s baptism—now it must be terrifying beyond measure."

"And he expects someone to break out of that thing? Dream on!"

"Even if you don’t die in there, you could be trapped for years—then you’re as good as finished."

Even the Spirit Realm Martial Artists felt a chill at heart.

Stone Jade’s face turned all the heavier. "Even with Shi Hu’s help, I’d have a hard time getting out myself!"

Shi Haoting went pale. "That’s the end, then?"

"Damn it, where’s Can Sutian?"

"Is he just going to stand by and do nothing?"

Shi Haoting couldn’t understand it.

Stone Jade just sighed.

If Xiao Ming dared show up, plus with people hidden in Xu Yang, Can Sutian’s intervention would only make things even messier, not settle anything.

Xu Yang took a long look at the spirit bowl, knowing he had no alternatives left.

"Can you explain exactly what this bowl does?"

Xu Yang gave Xiao Ming a broad, fearless smile.

When his words fell, everyone was left completely dumbfounded.

Even Xiao Ming was slightly taken aback.

You really don’t treat yourself as an outsider, do you?

Xiao Ming chuckled in surprise, then replied coolly, "No harm in telling you. This bowl embodies the restrictive, enclosing force of the Five Elements, linked to the very fabric of heaven and earth; inside, it’s the ultimate snare—no cracks, no escape."

"Of course, you won’t be attacked while trapped, but you’ll be cut off from the outside world and your strength will slowly drain away. With your cultivation, as long as you don’t go mad, you might survive for several decades inside."

A wave of chills swept over the crowd!

A peerless prodigy—trapped for decades?

That’s a fate worse than death!

"To escape, it’s quite simple!"

"Rely only on absolute strength to shatter it!"

"Only absolute power—no shortcuts!"

Xiao Ming grinned broadly, his eyes full of disdain and mockery.

"Much obliged!"

Xu Yang clasped his fists in salute, and under countless strange gazes, walked to the center.

Xiao Ming curved his palm once more.

Swoosh!

The Five Elements Heaven-Trapping Bowl flipped, falling down like lightning, instantly appearing above Xu Yang’s head.

Xu Yang tensed every muscle, mind perfectly still!

Before the spirit bowl even sealed him in completely, he felt himself severed from any sense of the world!

An inescapable constraint spread in every direction—endless, boundless, all-encompassing!

BOOM!

The ground for ten thousand feet around shook violently.

Amid the billowing clouds of dust, a gigantic spirit bowl, dozens of yards across, landed overturned on the earth.

Xu Yang—vanished completely from everyone’s sight.