Clan Cultivation: Starting with Building an Island Immortal City

78: A battle of egos ignites suddenly.Crimson gold and brilliant colors, flames and flowing light, were distinctly separated on the wide river, yet they were locked together tightly due to an invisible battle of will.

”Sons of the Chi Jie Clan, look!”

At the bow of the crimson goldTower ship, a young man with golden hair, blue eyes, deep contours, and dressed in a gorgeous, off-the-shoulder exotic long robe was already standing.

He shouted loudly, his Mandarin carrying a peculiar foreign accent; it was Aldashir Hosrou, the Young Lord of the Chi Jie Clan.

He looked arrogant, surveying his surroundings:

”The Xuan Yu Clan’s Peacock Bright King’s carriage ahead is beautiful, but it’s slow and blocking the waterway. We are eager to go out to sea, how can we wait long? Why not ask them to retreat three paces and let us go first, to avoid delaying everyone’s journey!”

As soon as these provocative words came out, a low murmur and discussion immediately arose from the various boats around, whose occupants had been listening intently.

On the Xuan Yu Clan’sTower ship, a female guard in a green uniform stood by the rail, her eyebrows furrowed upon hearing the words, and her voice was clear but cold:

”Young Lord Hosrou, how unreasonable! This is the main waterway, and our clan’s carriage is going on duty by order of the council. According to the ’Port Regulations’, when encountering boats on duty or council envoys, all others must give way. You are merely going out to sea for leisure, yet not only do you not give way, but you want to cut ahead. What are your intentions? Do you wish to defy the authority of the council?”

”Hahahaha!”

Aldashir burst into laughter, and golden flames faintly rose around him.

”Rules are dead, people are alive! Our Chi Jie Clan has always only respected strength in its actions! I’ve long heard that the women of the Xuan Yu Clan are as capable as men, and seeing it today, you truly are sharp-tongued. Since neither of us convinces the other, what’s the point of just talking?”

He paused, his gaze burning as he swept over the PeacockTower ship:

”Why don’t we settle this with our hands? Let each of us send one person to fight in the middle of the river! Whoever loses will obediently retreat and give up the waterway! And let our brothers and sisters of the Hundred Clans of the Southern Border see whether your Peacock Spiritual Rhyme is profound, or our clan’s Huang Jie Sacred Fire is overbearing! Kong Yao, Lord of the Feathers, do you dare to accept the challenge?!”

With that last sentence, he called out her name directly, his voice shaking the river.

Li Yinglong and the others instantly understood:

This guy wasn’t after that bit of time; it seemed he felt he had lost Face because the Xuan Yu Clan had stolen his thunder, and his arrogance had flared up.

Such a small matter, yet he still wanted to contend and fight to show himself off; truly flamboyant.

On the top-floor observation deck of theTower ship, Kong Yao, Lord of the Green Feathers, slowly stood up.

There was no trace of anger on her exquisite Face; instead, the corners of her lips curved into a captivating yet cold arc.

”A jumping clown, incessantly noisy, disturbing the Saintess’s peace.”

”Saintess, please sit comfortably. Kong Yao will go and return shortly.”

She nodded slightly towards the main seat, then her figure flickered, like a weightless green feather, gracefully gliding across the river and standing steadily upon the waves.

Aldashir saw that the opponent had accepted the challenge, and that Kong Yao herself was making a move, and the Battle Intent in his eyes grew even stronger.

He let out a long laugh, and the crimson-gold light around him burst forth. He leaped from the bow of the ship like a small sun, crashing onto the river surface a dozen feet opposite Kong Yao.

Where his feet landed, the river water was instantly evaporated by the scorching heat, forming a shallow pit, and white steam hissed.

The nearby boats were startled and quickly moved away to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

Li Yinglong was quite speechless that the Xuan Yu Clan had directly accepted the challenge.

It truly matched the characteristics of the Southern Border peoples:

Fierce and decisive!

The two stood on the waves, each possessing a formidable Aura.

”Lord Kong, please begin!”

Aldashir launched his attack first, aiming for a preemptive strike.

He saw his figure suddenly sink, then shoot out like an arrow from a bowstring, performing the Chi Jie Clan’s movement technique—Blazing Prairie Step!

His entire being transformed into a winding, advancing crimson-gold stream of light, moving at an astonishing speed. The river surface beneath his feet was ploughed open by the scorching heat, leaving a trail of rising white steam.

Almost simultaneously with his movement, he fiercely threw out his right fist, roaring:

”Ram’s Horn Charge!”

”Aoo~ !”

With one punch, the winds and clouds stirred!

Surging Huang Jie Sacred Fire erupted from his fist, instantly coalescing into an enormous Huang Jie head, entirely composed of golden flames!

The flaming beast roared skyward, carrying the scorching heat that could incinerate all directions and an irresistibleImpact, crashing towards Kong Yao!

Facing this overwhelmingly powerful strike, Kong Yao neither dodged nor evaded.

Her slender fingers joined before her chest, forming a Profound Truth hand seal.

In the Void Realm behind her, light and shadow suddenly converged, and countless shimmering, iridescent light-feathers appeared out of thin air, instantly forming a magnificent light-feather barrier resembling a peacock fanning its tail!

”Boom!!”

The golden flaming Huang Jie fiercely collided with the iridescent light-feather barrier!

The anticipated earth-shattering explosion did not occur; instead, a crisp ringing sound, like ten thousand pieces of gold and jade clashing, erupted.

The light-feather barrier was actually composed of countless rapidly rotating tiny spiritual rhyme runes, cleverly guiding, dispersing, and dissolving the violentImpact and burning power!

It seemed that although both sides were fighting, they were also somewhat cautious and did not want to harm innocents.

Otherwise, with such power, this river channel would likely be directly destroyed by the aftermath of the battle.

Ultimately, the flaming ram’s horn and the light-feather barrier simultaneously ran out of energy, dissipating into nothingness and bursting into a sky full of dazzling light rain.

First round, evenly matched!

Aldashir’s pupils constricted. Without hesitation, he unleashed a barrage of punches, and concentrated fiery fist winds, like a meteor shower, enveloped Kong Yao.

However, Kong Yao’s figure had already blurred the moment he threw his punches.

Her clan’s Profound Truth—《Dance of a Thousand Illusory Rainbow Robes》—unfolded.

Her figure swayed slightly, and she seemed to float in the air like the flying celestial beings in Buddhist murals, instantly transforming into several graceful figures with different poses.

These illusions were not mere afterimages; each was solemn and dignified, imbued with the agile grace of a flying celestial. The spiritual light wrapped around their arms fluttered like ribbons, and they seemed to step on invisible lotus pedestals, gracefully weaving through the sky full of flaming meteors, untouched by any smoke or fire.

At the same time, the slender fingers of the illusions either pinched or flicked, like celestial maidens scattering flowers. Streaks of formless and insubstantial, yet imbued with the true meaning of evil-dispelling Buddhist chants, illusory feather Qi energy, struck Aldashir from incredible angles, accompanied by clear, piercing sounds.

The strength of the Lord of the Green Feathers was clearly above Aldashir’s.

This made him somewhat flustered for a moment.

But this person was arrogant and naturally refused to concede.

With a roar, the Huang Jie Sacred Fire within him erupted with full force!

”Sacred Fire Armor, condense!”

”Om~ !”

Brilliant golden flames instantly coalesced on his body, forming a set of ornate, seemingly solid, crimson-gold flame armor, making him appear like a flame war god who had stepped out of Western mythology.

”Ding ding ding ding ~”

Countless illusory feather Qi energies struck the Sacred Fire Armor, producing dense, crisp sounds, but were unable to break through its defense.

Just then, all the illusions suddenly converged inward!

Kong Yao’s true form silently appeared above and to the side of Aldashir.

She formed a hand seal, and the peacock light wheel behind her spun rapidly, emitting a heart-pounding pressure.

She pointed her fingers like a sword, gently tapping towards Aldashir, who was encased in flame armor below.

”Furious Aspect of the Bright King · Annihilation of Form and Emptiness!”

A beam of light, condensed to the extreme and shimmering with seven-colored glazed radiance, shot forth from her fingertip!

It pierced directly towards the core of Aldashir’s Sacred Fire Armor, where the energy was most concentrated, on his chest!

”Huang Jie Sacred Blessing!”

Aldashir’s hair stood on end. He let out a furious roar, pushing the Huang Jie Sacred Fire within him to its limit. He crossed his arms over his chest, and all the flames furiously converged forward, instantly forming a giant flame shield carved with the roaring head of a Huang Jie!

”Screech!!”

The seven-colored glazed light beam and the giant flame shield collided with a roar!

An incredibly dazzling incandescent light ring suddenly spread out!

The water surface beneath their feet instantly boiled and caved in!

The light beam and the shield remained in a stalemate for a breath.

Ultimately, the seven-colored light beam dissipated as its energy was exhausted, and the giant flame shield in front of Aldashir also flickered, with a clear hole now appearing on it.

He let out a muffled groan, his figure swayed slightly, and he took half a step back before steadying himself. His Face flushed and paled alternately, and the light of his Sacred Fire Armor also dimmed by a few points.

The victor was clear!

Kong Yao gracefully descended, still standing on the water, her breathing even.

”Thank you for the concession.”

She spoke indifferently.

Aldashir’s Face was grim, golden flames rekindled in his eyes, and his Aura became violent, clearly unwilling to admit defeat so easily.

”Enough!”

At this moment, a deep, ancient, yet astonishingly authoritative voice, like the muffled roar before the collapse of an ancient mountain, or the sound of a morning bell and evening drum that had been silent for ten thousand years, suddenly resounded through every inch of space, forcefully entering the ears and hearts of all living beings!

The instant the voice arrived, the violent fire elemental energy around Aldashir, which was about to erupt, seemed to be forcibly suppressed and smoothed down by an invisible giant hand, and his agitated Aura paused.

He grunted, a fleeting, abnormal flush crossing his Face; he had been forcibly interrupted in his cultivation by this voice imbued with the power of rules!

However, those around him showed no adverse reactions.

Clearly, the owner of the voice had achieved complete control over its release and direction, striking wherever desired.

A small, solitary boat, flying the banner of the Jianggu Council, silently broke through the water and drew near.

Only an old man in a simple black robe stood alone at the bow.

His Face was ancient and unadorned, his wrinkles like rock layers eroded by a thousand years of wind. His figure was not tall, yet he exuded a sense of profoundness, as if integrated with the entire river and mountains.

Exclamations of surprise rose from the crowd:

”It’s Elder Xuan Shi!”