Rise of Humanity
chapter-381

South Barren, Fiery Capital.

The strong individuals of the many barrens had all gathered here, turning the Fiery Capital into the center of attraction again. Even the dragon race had sent their own people as they were all interested in Zhong Yue and Long Yue's battle.

“Has Long Yue arrived?” shouted a magnate Qi Practitioner from Zhong Li Celestial Race.

A luxurious-looking war chariot then descended from the air, and a huge figure from the West Barren walked out. His appearance created a ruckus among the people.

It was a magnate Qi Practitioner from the Zhu Yan Celestial Race, and when he walked out from the chariot, the skies across the west became filled with multicolored celestial light.

On the other side of the Fiery Capital, the arrival of Qi Practitioner experts was accompanied by great fanfare. But a luxurious flying warship with phoenix carvings and enshrouded by fire still attracted the most attention.

Upon the warship's arrival, the many Qi Practitioners from the various clans and races as well as the clan masters of both Xia Clan and Zhu Rong Clan personally welcomed the people that were in it with great deference. Word soon spread that this warship was from the Kunlun Mountains and that those on board were the people of the phoenix race that lived within the mountains, in seclusion from the rest of the world.

It was very rare to see anyone from the phoenix race as the Kunlun Mountain was the steepest, tallest and the most mysterious celestial abode in the West Barren. It was sequestered from the world's view and was a place that subsisted within its own self-contained ecosystem.

Some rumors even claimed that the Kunlun Mountain was not a mountain, but a planet from another dimension!

This planet itself was called Kunlun and was purported to exist in a higher plane to the Ancestral Star.

And the entrance into this planet lied within the Kunlun Mountain; the mountain itself was a giant portal that allowed one to enter the planet and come into contact with the phoenix race.

Other than that, the phoenix race was said to be merely just one of the myriad of races that lived on that planet, and there were existed more races far stronger the phoenix race.

However, all of this was ultimately hearsay, legends uncorroborated by any evidence.

Nonetheless, the appearance of the phoenix race had undoubtedly elevated the atmosphere to a higher level, and there was news that there was even a female member of the royalty of the phoenix race on board the warship.

The last time the Fiery Capital was so lively was when the Heavenly Monarch's Residence appeared in the Lesser Void World, but this time, it was because of the upcoming battle between two rising stars of humanity and the demon race!

However, if it were simply just a battle between two young Qi Practitioners, it wouldn't warrant so much attention. It was all because Zhong Yue was the strongest Qi Practitioner in the human race's younger generation who had accumulated achievements most couldn't hope even to witness that made the battle very highly anticipated across the Ancestral Star.

And with his meteoric rise, there was no lack of people that wanted his life, whether it be to repay humiliations or to gain renown from being able to kill him.

On the other hand, the ruckus caused by the East Barren's Long Yue was much smaller, but it was nothing to dismiss. Long Yue had managed to kill Inner Core level Qi Practitioners when he was still at the Atman Body level and thrived to become the strongest of his generations. He fought with the young dragon Qi Practitioners in the Eastern Sea and from what leaked out from the dragon's Jiao Qingtu's mouth, it was also known that Jiao Qingtu had once lost to Long Yue.

Jiao Qingtu was the strongest among the Inner Core level in the Eastern Sea right now, and his defeat at the hands of Long Yue had definitely raised Long Yue's fame to another level.

Besides, Long Yue had also become the Gu Xia City's lord after Gu Hongzi passed the position to him!

“Long Yue has arrived!”

Suddenly, someone shouted as another warship advanced towards the Fiery Capital in the air while the banners of flying dragons attached to its frame flapped in the wind.

On top of the warship were the Li Dragons and Fish Dragons that were encircling as protectors, guarding the front were Inner Core monster Qi Practitioners that were in their true form. They all carried chains that connected to the warship as they pulled it forward.

There were also a few monster elders that stood on the bow of the warship and scanned the surroundings with cold stares.

In front of the elders stood Long Yue who had a serious expression on his face and carried a huge sword at his back. Also, behind him were four pretty human Qi Practitioners.

Around them were monster clouds and within the cloud was an ancient monster Qi Practitioner. It was Chief Di of the four monster chiefs!

Tian, Di, Xuang, and Huang ... these four old monsters were Shi Buyi's most trusted inner circle, and they had been silently protecting Xian Kong Saint City in the dark throughout all these years. When Shi Buyi was heavily injured by the old headmaster of Swords Gate, Feng Shang, it was also the four of them that fended Yan Yunsheng and Xiu Tianchen off of him.

Now, Di Shou left Xian Kong Saint City on a mission to find Long Yue's identity to see if both Zhong Yue and he were the same person. If his suspicions turned out to be true, then he would eliminate Long Yue on the spot, and if Long Yue and Zhong Yue were not the same person, then he would proceed with whole-heartedly guarding Long Yue's safety so as to prevent the monster race's brightest young star from being killed before he could mature.

The warship sailed into Fiery Capital, and the monsters pulling the warship turned into their alternate form – beast headed and human bodied – as they descended from the skies while the dragons all turned into handsome men and beautiful ladies that landed at the bow of the warship.

When Long Yue got down from the warship, the ladies all followed behind him closely.

"Is the human from the Zhong Shan Clan not here yet?" questioned Long Yue. His voice was still slightly immature, but his voice carried with it an imperious tone filled with an immense draconic aura that swept across the entire Fiery Capital, allowing everyone to hear his voice clearly.

“Eastern Sea’s Long Yue, such a loud voice, are you trying to provoke us from the South Barren?”

Suddenly, another voice sounded out as a white-haired young man walked towards the capital. It was Xia Chusheng from the Zhong Li Celestial Race, the Qi Practitioner that was first on the Warrior Board!

Right now, Xiao Chusheng had also reached the Inner Core level, and his strength was accordingly domineering as well.

"Long Yue, you have yet to appear in the Lang Ya Board, your reputation precedes you, but I wonder if your strength lives up to your name or not?"

Xia Chusheng then continued, "Instead of picking a day to fight you, how about we fight today. Let me see your true strength and decide if you are worthy of the seniors' time here today!"

Long Yue looked at him and replied calmly, "I've heard that Zhong Yue had already defeated you and that if it weren't for the Lang Ya Board, you'd be dead right now?"

Xia Chusheng's smile instantly froze on his face as Long Yue continued, "As someone who was defeated by Zhong Yue, you have no right to challenge me. You have also yet to enter the Godlike Board. I do not want to kill you, and neither do I have any interest in lowering myself to do so, now begone."

Xia Chusheng's face turned red, and when he regained his composure, he replied, "I will fight Zhong Yue and you! Zhong Yue might have beaten me previously, but he might not be able to win against me this time! Long Yue, fight me in the Lesser Void World!"

Long Yue kept his cool and replied shaking his head, "In the Lesser Void World, no one will die because of the Lang Ya Board's protection, and those who fight me must mentally and physically prepare themselves for death. You clearly don't have the resolve to die, so how could you be so audacious to challenge me? Listen to me and quietly leave my presence to save yourself from further embarrassment."

His words were as sharp as a sword as they effortlessly cut through Xia Chusheng's pride like tofu. In his anger, he unleashed his aura, and his white hairs floated up, each of them looking extremely sharp.

With Xia Chusheng's level right now, every strand of his hair was as powerful as a soul weapon; they could slice anything apart with ease.

Long Yue however, was not afraid of him, and when he looked at Xiao Chusheng with a cold stare, his red hairs spread everywhere and turned into ferocious Jiao Dragons that filled up the skies above Fiery Capital. In an instant, slithering dragons could be seen all over the skies, and they all danced and frolicked around with each other while emitting a fearsome aura.

Suddenly, the countless Jiao Dragons entwined around each other and turned into various soul weapon forms that merged to form a horrendous soul weapon!

Xiao Chusheng's face changed immediately as the skill displayed by Long Yue was obviously far beyond his level. He could only use his hair as a weapon, but on Long Yue's side, he could already turn his hair into Jiao Dragons that can, in turn, transform into various soul weapons.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Chusheng felt in incredible pressure that had erased any semblance of confidence he had of beating Long Yue.

However, after all his bluster, he would lose all face if he were to back out now. He would turn into a laughing stock all over the world!

Thus, he was left with no other choice but to fight Long Yue!

But it was at this time that an uproar occurred at the center of the capital. Then, the noise grew even louder as time passed and the Qi Practitioners that were anticipating Xia Chusheng and Long Yue's battle were all stricken with shock and disbelief!

……

"News from the across the sea said that Zhong Yue was disguised as Mister Mo Luo and appeared in the demon's Eight Barrens!"

"The old Demonic God, Demon Saint has been revived and killed five dragon elders to sacrifice them in his ritual. And then Zhong Yue even killed Demon Saint after an intense battle!"

"Zhong Yue summoned the Demonic God and killed the demon elders in one go!"

"The human from the Zhong Shan Clan was inflicted with heavy injuries in the Eight Barrens, and he is now known as Heavenly Demon Zhong by the demons. He had forced the revival of the demon ancestors of the eight demonic saint clans!"

"Zhong Yue has escaped from the Eight Barrens and returned to Great Wilderness. He is now rushing towards South Barren right now to honor his promise to fight Long Yue!"

….

In an instant, the ruckus caused by Xia Chusheng's challenge vanished like smoke as everyone asked their own seniors about the news they had just heard.

Every version of the news was just plain shocking, each of them seeming like hyperboles of the last!

An Inner Core human Qi Practitioner actually crossed seas into hostile territory, killed Demon Saint, caused heavy losses to the eight saint clans, and even killed the Demonic Gods summoned by the clan masters of the various clans!

Everything was just way too terrifying!

Who would have thought that after pursuing Zhong Yue personally and instead of killing Zhong Yue, these Demonic Gods actually let him slip away from their grasp!

Other than that, the demons even called Zhong Yue a Heavenly Demon Zhong; a Heavenly Demon was an appellation reserved only for the strongest and fiercest Innate Demonic God. This only went to show just how fearful the demons were of Zhong Yue if they had given him such title!

There was also various news that spoke about Zhong Yue's deeds that were just bald-faced lies, but nevertheless, that did not stop the growth of Zhong Yue's fame!

Very quickly, the totem pillars in Fiery Capital were all activated as everyone rushed to notify their own clans about the news they received and awoke even stronger individuals that had been in slumber!

“Are we still fighting or not?” asked Long Yue as he looked at Xia Chusheng.

Xia Chusheng's face, however, did not look good and suddenly, he retracted his hair back and walked away. He smirked, "Zhong Yue has already stolen the spotlight before he even showed up, what use if there fighting you now?"

At the same time, Jun Sixie also received the news, and she put up a surprised expression as she murmured, "No wonder he said he will greatly surprise us.... He actually went to the demons' territory and did so many things there…."

"This is bad. This brat knows nothing about keeping a low profile. Now there will be even more people that want his life! Will Elder Shui be able to cover him at this rate?"