Chapter 134: I’ll ask one more time—who else?

Heaven-Devouring Demon Art!

Chu Tian channeled the last sliver of his spiritual energy, instantly manifesting a swirling vortex of black mist before him. The vortex rotated slowly, resembling a profound and bottomless abyss, mysterious and boundless.

"This technique again?"

Seeing this, Situ Deng, who was watching from below the stage, saw his expression shift dramatically. Back in the underground palace, Wu Xingyan’s external avatar had nearly killed Chu Tian, but it was by deploying this very Heaven-Devouring Demon Art that Chu Tian had successfully blocked the lethal strike. This technique had left such a deep impression on Situ Deng that he would never forget it.

Since Chu Tian’s ultimate skill could parry Wu Xingyan’s killing blow, it could naturally handle Tao Yuanming’s, and might even allow him to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Situ Deng hurriedly opened his mouth, preparing to call out a warning, but he was a beat too late.

Tao Yuanming’s palm struck the black hole, passing clean through its center. The miraculous thing was that although his palm penetrated the vortex, it did not emerge on the other side; instead, it seemed to sink into the abyss, caught in some bizarre, distorted space. In an instant, the immense power behind Tao Yuanming’s palm vanished like a stone cast into the sea, swallowed by the void without a trace.

"This..."

Tao Yuanming was struck with terror. He felt his own power dissipate, and a formidable suction began to draw out his remaining energy. Chu Tian’s technique was so bizarre that he had never even heard of such a thing. Panic surged within him, and he attempted to pull back and create distance, but the powerful suction from the black hole held his right hand firmly in its grip. He couldn't even withdraw his hand, let alone retreat.

"Let go of me!"

Gritting his teeth, Tao Yuanming decided to press forward instead of retreating. He bypassed the black hole with his left hand and launched a punch toward Chu Tian. Even with his right hand trapped, his left hand remained a lethal weapon. Chu Tian tilted his head, narrowly dodging the blow. Yet, even as Chu Tian backed away several steps, the black hole did not dissipate; it continued to ravenously devour the true qi within Tao Yuanming’s body.

Tao Yuanming felt his strength rapidly ebbing away, more than half of his true qi vanishing in an instant. If this continued, his energy would be fully exhausted, his life force drained, and he would be reduced to a withered corpse.

"Mr. Chu, spare me!"

In his panic, Tao Yuanming cast aside the dignity of a senior master and begged for mercy from the younger man.

The next second, Chu Tian reversed his energy flow. The black hole dissolved into wisps of black mist and returned into his body. Chu Tian absorbed Tao Yuanming’s true qi, refining it for his own use. This caused his previously weakened aura to surge, restoring his strength in an instant and making him appear more powerful than before.

*Bang!*

Tao Yuanming took a punch to the chest and stumbled back several steps. His breathing became ragged as he spat out a mouthful of blood. However, he felt no immediate threat to his life; it was clear that Chu Tian had no intention of killing him, or else that strike would have been fatal. Chu Tian had indeed held back; he was a man who clearly distinguished between gratitude and grudges. He would kill those who deserved it, but he could not be bothered to finish off those who did not.

"Mr. Chu, I have lost."

Tao Yuanming sighed, his spirit appearing suddenly dejected. The entire arena was stunned by his admission.

"Old Master Tao has actually lost?"
"How... how is this possible?"
"Chu Tian was clearly cornered; how could he turn the tables?"
"Was that martial art just now devouring Old Master Tao’s true qi?"

The crowd was filled with shock and disbelief. Chu Tian, who had been on the defensive the entire time, had managed an instantaneous reversal. However, the most shocked of all was Long Jianfei. He had already declared his verdict, convinced that Chu Tian was doomed to fail, yet the reality was a stinging slap to his face.

"Patriarch Wan, since Old Master Tao has conceded, does Jiangbei intend to send anyone else to fight?" Chu Tian asked with a light laugh.

Although he had absorbed a portion of Tao Yuanming’s true qi to replenish his own, it was only a minor recovery and could not restore everything he had expended. Having endured a series of brutal battles, Chu Tian’s aura was still somewhat unstable; he had not yet returned to his peak state.

"There is no need. The Wan family concedes," Wan Tianyu sighed, choosing not to send anyone else into the arena.

In truth, Jiangbei still had more martial masters. If they continued to send them out and used a war of attrition to drain Chu Tian’s energy, he would eventually be forced to taste defeat. But the Jiangbei faction had already sent five consecutive masters, all of whom had been defeated by Chu Tian. To continue would be to lose all sense of shame in front of the public. Even if they won, it would be a hollow, dishonorable victory. It would not bolster Jiangbei’s prestige; instead, it would only tarnish the Wan family’s reputation. A leader who could not command respect would never be able to resolve the conflicts between the North and the South—it would be a hollow title. Rather than that, Wan Tianyu decided that conceding gracefully was the more honorable path.

"Very well. Since the Wan family has conceded, I hope you remember your promise," Chu Tian said with a solemn expression.

"Rest assured. As long as Qingxue Group promotes the spiritual liquid in Jiangbei, the Wan family will guarantee that their business operations proceed without issue." Wan Tianyu would not break his word; after all, this did not infringe upon Jiangbei’s core interests.

"Besides the Wan family, is there anyone else in Jiangbei who wishes to challenge me?"

Chu Tian scanned the gathered Jiangbei factions, but the heads of the various organizations remained silent. The Wan family was the uncrowned king of Jiangbei; since they had chosen to concede, it signaled the total defeat of Jiangbei. How could anyone else dare to challenge Chu Tian?

The silence from the Jiangbei side meant they had officially submitted. The leader of this North-South conflict would undoubtedly emerge from the Jiangnan factions. For the first time since their crushing defeat thirty years ago, Jiangnan could finally hold its head high!

"We won?"
"Jiangnan defeated Jiangbei?"
"Mr. Chu is truly the hope of Jiangnan! Inviting him to intervene was the most correct decision we could have ever made!"

The various patriarchs were beside themselves with excitement, their admiration for Chu Tian reaching its peak. Regardless of whether Chu Tian ultimately became the supreme leader of the North-South conflict, Jiangbei had been thoroughly defeated and had lost the standing to contest the throne. For all of Jiangnan, this was an unprecedented victory.

"I will ask one more time: is there anyone else?"

Chu Tian’s cold, piercing gaze swept across all the experts in the arena.