I proved immortality through the imperial examination.

Chapter 193 War King

Prince Duan sneered and flicked open his sleeves.

In an instant, the spiritual energy in the world surged back, as if ten thousand rivers were rushing forth, drawn by him alone.

He stomped his foot, and the protective runes suddenly lit up, his entire body transforming into a stream of light.

Before the physical body even arrived, a sharp aura pressed down, like a long sword slicing through the void.

Xue Xiang felt a tightness in his chest, and his breath almost stopped.

In that instant, he didn't even see the Prince Duan's movements clearly. He only saw countless spiritual lights converge into a golden greatsword, which slammed down.

--quick!

So fast it's almost invisible to the naked eye!

The speed and power of a Nascent Soul cultivator at the Great Perfection stage were fully revealed at this moment.

Xue Xiang took a deep breath and stomped heavily on his foot. The immense force he exerted was enough to crack the mountain peak, but the mountaintop was protected by more than ten array plates.

The mountaintop remained unharmed, the protective array activated by the array plate withstanding Xue Xiang's immense force.

In an instant, the runes on the more than ten array plates flickered simultaneously, as if they were about to collapse at any moment.

This horrific scene drew everyone's attention.

Prince Duan instantly realized something was wrong, but the attack had already been launched, and there was no reason to stop.

boom!
The golden broadsword slashed down, striking Xue Xiang squarely in the left shoulder blade.

Unexpectedly, Xue Xiang had already gathered all his strength to the limit, and his raging, enormous demonic body actually managed to destroy the golden broadsword.

He only had a small scratch on his shoulder.

The air suddenly became quiet.

The next instant, his figure suddenly shot up!

A blur streaked through the air as his true form closed in on Prince Duan.

"boom--!"

The force of the punches was like thunder; a pair of fists, swift as lightning, slammed out and landed squarely on Prince Duan's chest.

The moment Xue Xiang's giant fist smashed out, Prince Duan could clearly see that Xue Xiang's fist was not imbued with any spiritual power; it was simply a pair of fists carrying terrifying power.

For a split second, Prince Duan almost burst out laughing.

What is there to fear in such a physical combat method?

The moment Xue Xiang's fist made contact with his chest, Prince Duan felt a sharp pain in his body, and his spiritual energy shield was automatically activated.

The next instant, Prince Duan found his physical body beginning to accelerate uncontrollably, soaring into the sky.

"This is impossible!"

Prince Duan simply couldn't believe that any monster in the world could unleash such terrifying power.

Prince Duan leaped into the air at high speed, and the spiritual energy shield on his chest shattered with a crack as soon as it lit up.

He even had to summon his nascent soul and release its power to brace himself against his physical body from behind in order to avoid flying out of the barrier.

Otherwise, it would be a huge joke.

Even so, he couldn't hold back. His blood and qi were violently shaken by the punch, and cracks appeared in his crystal body.

With a whoosh, he spat out a mouthful of golden blood.

The raging figure gradually stabilized.

One punch.

With just one punch, Prince Duan was sent flying!

The mountaintop was deathly silent for a moment, then erupted into a thunderous roar.

The roars from the demon race almost pierced the sky.

"it is good!"

"Bear King Kong!"

"This is the true hero of my demon race!"

Many demons had bloodshot eyes and were hissing and roaring.

Some pounded their chests heavily, their blood churning;
Some raised their heads and let out a long howl, their voices echoing through the valley.

The suppressed grief and indignation were transformed into a wild cheer in that instant.

Shouts erupted one after another, like waves crashing against the shore, even causing the protective runes to tremble.

Discussions within the human faction also surged like a tide.

"How is that possible? His Highness Prince Duan has reached the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage, and his spiritual energy shield will automatically appear when attacked. But even if Prince Duan does not activate his spiritual energy shield, there is no reason why his physical body, which is at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage, could be breached!"

"This Bear King Kong is simply incredible."

"How did he manage to shatter the crystal body of a Nascent Soul cultivator with a single punch?"

Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, Prince Duan felt his blood churning in his chest. The punch he had just received had displaced his internal organs, and his crystal body was beginning to crack.

After regaining his balance, his face turned ashen, his eyes grew cold, and a sense of apprehension arose in his heart.

Deciding to cease close-quarters combat, he took a deep breath and, in a booming voice, recited:

"Where the blue clouds break, a solitary peak stands."

A myriad of streams rush forth, churning up angry waves.

Sword energy soared to the sky, its cold light illuminating the sun.
The universe surged, blood forming a tide.

The sound of poetry resonated, the literary spirit soared, and heaven and earth echoed in response.

Suddenly, a solitary peak appeared high in the sky, piercing the heavens, with a rushing torrent cascading down its foot, its roar like thunder.

As the poem progressed, a towering sword light shot up from the mountain peak, its chilling gleam illuminating the surrounding landscape, as if tearing the sky apart.

As the last sentence fell, a crimson tide suddenly rose between heaven and earth, surging and surging, merging with the sound of waves to transform into a vast sea of ​​blood, carrying mountains and sword energy, pressing down together.

Prince Duan stood in mid-air, his sleeves fluttering in the wind, his literary aura soaring to the heavens, and the imagery continuously layering upon each other.

Sword light, the sound of waves, mountains, and a tide of blood converged into a terrifying offensive, as if the heavens and earth were pressing down on Xue Xiang.

Before the Prince of Duan could even finish speaking, the demon race started making a scene.

"Prince Duan is shameless! He's bullying the weak!"

"For a Nascent Soul Grand Perfection cultivator to fight a Core Formation cultivator, and to resort to poetry to manifest his skills, would be a huge joke if word got out."

"How magnificent is the Xiong Jingang!"

"........."

Prince Duan ignored the clamor of the demons and continued chanting.

Seeing that the poems he presented had piled up into overwhelming imagery, completely enveloping Xue Xiang.

At this moment, all eyes in the room were fixed on Xue Xiang.

"It's over. No matter how strong Xiong Jingang's physical body is or how powerful he is, he can't withstand the imagery attack manifested by literary energy."

The ape-man sighed softly.

"Regardless of the outcome of this battle, we must reclaim the Bear King Kong."

The scorching sun and fiery winds blew like wisps of smoke as the order was given.

The group of powerful demons surrounding him all nodded solemnly.

At this moment, regardless of which faction or alliance the great demons belonged to, they all regarded Xiong Jingang as a great hero of the demon race.

"Pity."

Pang Weiyi whispered, "This fang is definitely an anomaly among demons, and its bloodline must be extraordinary."

Unfortunately, lacking a sense of proportion and failing to understand the art of advance and retreat, they are destined to meet their end here in bitterness.

An elderly man in a long robe said, "Should we remind Prince Duan not to spare this wicked villain's life, lest he cause trouble in the future?"

Pang Weiyi shook his head, "When it comes to decisiveness, Prince Duan is second to none."

Don't worry, this demon won't leave the arena alive.

As he finished speaking, the poem recited by Prince Duan was nearing its end. Terrifying images overlapped and formed a giant, coiled serpent in the sky.

It was about to shake off the giant snake's head.

Xue Xiang, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke up, "Where can we look towards the Central Plains?"

boom!
boom!
boom!
With just one sentence, not only were the humans stunned, but the demons were also in an uproar. With just this one sentence, the literary aura trembled in all directions.

A shadowy pavilion rises from the flat ground, its eaves soaring, its brackets layered upon each other. Before the pavilion's shadow is fully formed, the wind arrives first, carrying the cool chill of the river water, and slants against one's cheek.

"It has stirred up the literary spirit!"

The ape-man shouted, "It's not an act, it's real, it's real! He posted this line first, it's not plagiarism!"

Plagiarized sentences can hardly elevate the quality of writing.

"The scenery from Beigu Tower is breathtaking."

Xue Xiang continued reciting.

After plagiarism multiple times, Xue Xiang has gained real experience.

When facing battle, one can simply copy the Tang and Song poems from previous lives and let them manifest their imagery without hindrance.

Xue Xiang was only responsible for copying. After he finished copying, the poems spread throughout the world. The place names and personal names in the poems that were not found in this world were naturally analyzed by great scholars.

Some people dissect the deeper meaning behind these arguments, and even though it's nonsense, these so-called experts can still make it sound plausible.

At this moment, the three characters "Beigu Tower" landed, and the tower's shadow instantly became half solid.

The brick seams are fine, and the metal eaves make a soft tinkling sound, like a wind chime being awakened from an old dream.

The previously empty platform downstairs now has a trickle of dark water, seeping from Xue's feet towards the front.

These two lines immediately broaden the scope of the scene.

Among the demon race, few are proficient in literature.

However, there are many great scholars among the human race here.

Everyone frowned.

Prince Duan was furious and urged the giant serpent formed from literary imagery to slam down.

The Beigu Tower suddenly rose higher, pressing firmly against the snake's jaw, rendering it unable to move.

So many events of rise and fall throughout history, so many stories, so many...

The word "悠悠" was drawn out, as if adding a layer of old dust to the sound of the wind.

"The endless Yangtze River flows on and on."

This sentence has just been uttered.

Pang Weiyi crushed the scepter in his palm.

Several elderly scholars, who were sitting comfortably in rattan chairs, suddenly stood up.

A deafening roar erupted from the void, and white waves surged from all around the arena, swirling into a thousand piles of snow. The river rushed and crashed against the snake's body.

Iron cavalry charged out from the waves, spears and halberds raised, piercing straight into the armored scales.

The giant serpent roared, its body crumbling inch by inch. First, its neck scales shattered, then its torso broke, and finally even its chilling serpent eyes were submerged by the river tide, turning into countless fragments of light that scattered across the sky.

The air was thick with scholarly energy, the buildings stood majestically, and the river surged mightily. All eyes, both on and off the arena, were fixed on the scene. Xue Xiang's chest burned with fervor, his aura soaring like a rainbow, his voice ringing out continuously:
"In his youth, he commanded ten thousand troops, and the battles in the southeast never ceased."

Armored figures, gleaming and rolling across the river, rose in formation in the blink of an eye. Spears and halberds gleamed coldly, their points forming a line, their blades aimed directly at Prince Duan.

"Who among the heroes of the world can rival them? Cao Cao and Liu Bei!"

The eaves of the city tower trembled, and two cold, sharp beams, like halberds, slanted and tore through the sky. The river roared in unison, the iron cavalry shouted in unison, the war drums thundered, and the air surged to the heavens.

Prince Duan raised his golden sword and slashed down, the blade light shooting out ten zhang, forcefully cleaving through the vanguard. But in the next instant, the waves closed, the broken formation rose again, and the blade light was completely swallowed up.

"If I had a son, I'd want him to be like Sun Zhongmou!"

As soon as the four characters were uttered, the three images of "building," "river," and "army" suddenly merged, transforming into a massive vortex. As it spun, it generated immense pressure that swept towards Prince Duan.

Prince Duan's eyes were as hard as iron. With a flick of his sleeve, the afterimage of a giant snake, the light of a golden sword, and the iron cage appeared one by one, covering the sky and the earth.

But each attack, the moment it touched the ground, was crushed by the whirlpool and turned into quicksand. The shadow of the city wall stood firmly, the river surged ever more fiercely, and the iron cavalry charged relentlessly, pressing down on the surrounding land with a humming sound.

Prince Duan's gaze turned icy, and he let out a low growl as his nascent soul suddenly emerged above his head. The infant figure was naked, its limbs crossed, and flames erupted from its aperture, instantly rising dozens of feet high. As the fire ignited, the edges of the vortex were scorched and twisted, and the vanguard of the iron cavalry turned into embers.

A roar erupted in the arena; the demon race cheered, while the human race held their breath.

The infant fire surged, and Prince Duan's aura suddenly rose, managing to withstand the oppressive force.

But the whirlpool did not dissipate; instead, it spun faster and faster. The river, carrying flames, pressed in, the shadows of buildings loomed overhead like mountains, and the clanging of iron cavalry echoed incessantly.

Although the infant fire was strong, it was only a temporary obstruction, and the flames were gradually swallowed up by the river waves.

Prince Duan's brows furrowed, and the infant's shadow trembled in the flames. On the arena, the imagery of the poems continued to compress, layer upon layer, with the force of a collapsing sky, driving Prince Duan into a deadly situation.

Xue Xiang's barrage of words, piling up to a climax, had already set the demon camp ablaze.

"Did you see it? Did you see it?!"

"Never before has a demon race been able to suppress the human race with poetry! Today, the world is created anew!"

"Hahaha! Demons can also control literary energy! The pride of the human race should be shattered!"

Countless powerful demon warriors raised their arms and shouted, their voices surging like a raging torrent.

Someone tore open the armor plate on his chest with his bare hands, blood splattering everywhere, and roared to the sky: "Youxiong Jingang has lived up to my demon race! He used poetry to fight the human king, making Prince Duan vomit blood!"

The firelight reflected in their eyes, and madness and hot tears welled up together.

An old demon stood leaning on a cane, his face trembling, yet he still roared in a trembling voice: "Ancestors above! Today, the shame of our demon race standing shoulder to shoulder with the human race is washed away! From now on, the path of literature is not the exclusive domain of the human race!"

The demons pounded the ground frantically, cracking the rocks. Someone drew their sword and slashed at the air, their shouts drowning out the wind and thunder: "Youxiong Jingang! The Demon Clan's Scholar!"

Someone roared at the top of their lungs, "What is Prince Duan! If he dies here today, it is the will of Heaven!"

A wave of cheers swept across the area, even shaking the mountains. The demons' ecstatic joy made the entire arena seem about to collapse.

The array plates surrounding the arena roared and throbbed under the sound waves, as if even heaven and earth were witnessing it—

This is a moment unprecedented for the demon race.

They looked at Xue Xiang with eyes that went beyond mere support; they were filled with fanatical devotion.

A demon collapsed to the ground, pounding its chest and head, roaring, "Demon Poetry Soul! Demon Poetry Soul!"

In an instant, the outcry was overwhelming, as if it could overturn the very sky.

In contrast to the uproar in the demon race camp, the atmosphere in the human race camp was as if it had fallen into the dead of winter.

"This is outrageous! How could such an anomaly emerge from the demon race..."

"Judging by the solidity of this imagery, it's clearly a masterpiece. This is just too much..."

"What masterpiece? It's utter nonsense. What Cao Liu? Who are Cao Liu? Cao Dahua of the Former Han Dynasty? Liu Xiushi of the Former Qin Dynasty?"
As for Sun Quan, after searching through numerous historical records, no one knows who he is referring to.

"Brother, let's face reality. If we can't understand the literary tradition and the Heavenly Dao, we can just read more books. Are we going to question the literary tradition and the Heavenly Dao?"

"........."

Amidst the discussions, the imagery woven from Xue Xiang's recitation of poetry also came to an end.

Overwhelmed by the imagery, Prince Duan's face turned pale, and his chest heaved violently.

The nascent soul fire that sustained him against the compression of literary imagery flickered and nearly went out.

Whoosh, the imagery shattered.

Having caught his breath, Prince Duan grabbed a handful of pills and gulped them down his throat.

"Bear King Kong! Die!"

Prince Duan roared and flicked his long sleeves, unleashing a burst of light as his infant wheel attacked Xue Xiang.

In an instant, everyone held their breath.

Even the usually composed Scholar Pang clenched his fists.

He knew in his heart that this was probably the best opportunity.

Within a short period of time, Xiong Jingang recited two excellent works in succession, and the score dropped infinitely below zero.

As the infant wheel attacked, Xue Xiang cast a teleportation talisman, his figure soaring a hundred feet, and loudly chanted, "

The moon of Qin and the pass of Han
The Long March has ended, but the soldiers have not returned.

But if General Li Guang were here,
"We will not allow the barbarian horses to cross the Yin Mountains."

As the poem ended, the heavens and earth roared.

Suddenly, a cold moon rose high in the sky, its light as bright as frost; then came the border fortress towers, iron cavalry galloping across the land, and the dust of a long journey rushing towards us.

As the last two lines resounded, a heavily armored warrior emerged from the moonlight, his spear like a dragon, cold and menacing. With a flick of the spear tip, a vast killing intent struck the infant wheel.

(End of this chapter)