The Legend of Min Hong

As the outer court disciples within the stands were still clamouring over the presence of such an unorthodox pill, Zi Kun looked over to Chi Zheng and spoke;

"Are you still going to keep holding back? You would sooner or later have to use yours, you know…"

Chi Zheng heard Zi Kun and a crazed expression then climbed his face as he gritted his teeth and flicked his wrist producing another 'Demon Transformation pill' and immediately popped it into his mouth. 

Min Hong who felt a dangerous vibe coming from the Chi Zheng duo the moment they swallowed the pill retreated and put a significant distance between himself and the duo.

Argh!

A painful groan escaped the mouth of the duo as they held their stomachs and tugged in agony.

Then their auras began to surge as Chi Zheng's cultivation began to climb; 6 Star Dan Formation stage, 7 Stars, 8 Stars and climbed until it reached the Peak of Dan Formation stage.

But the energy from the pill was so demonic that Chi Zheng's eyes went blood-red as blood began to leak from the corners of his eyes, followed by his teeth actually elongating into fangs.

Then his muscles began to squirm and wriggle as his body began to swell, causing Chi Zheng to grow larger and broader till he reached a height of about 10 feet… 

Zi Kun on the other hand had his cultivation pulled up to the 8 Star Dan Formation stage as an arm almost five times his severed one grew out of his shoulders making him look extremely disfigured at 7 feet in height.

Then they both exploded with their Daos as wooden spike began to grow out of Chi Zheng's arms, shoulders and elbows making him look like a ten-feet-tall human cactus, displaying the shocking prowess of his Fourth Plane Wood Intent.

Then Zi Kun was actually clad in an armour of lightning as he wielded a sword made entirely out of lightning and with every step he took, thunder rumbled and lightning flickered in a two-foot radius from the point of contact.

Min Hong even in his bipolar state was smart enough to understand that he couldn't hold back anymore, so he simply… let loose.

Boom! 

Min Hong's Peak Emperor stage cultivation rippled into the surroundings as all 1,000 dragon tattoos roared to life attaching themselves to every part of his internal skeletal structure.

His muscles and bones tensed up and turned gold in colour as several ancient runes appeared on them.

Then his 'Dawn Sovereign' bloodline effect weighed down on the death ground as the gravity around the grounds tripled causing a spider web of cracks to streak through the entire death ground blasting away every shred of dust off the stage. 

Then came his body cultivator aura effect, which instantly suppressed the effect of the 'Demon Transformation Pill' within the Chi Zheng duo halting their eerie structural transformation in the process.

A Peak Dan Formation aura erupted next as Min Hong's aura attempted to surge past the Dan Formation stage, only to be blocked by that same mysterious barrier he sensed when he was cultivating. 

His aura pushed through the barrier and Min Hong felt that he could actually breach it and touch on the mysterious aura on the other side but he felt something was missing.

Like he was missing one tiny little detail, as the barrier maintained its stance over his cultivation as Min Hong felt his power was being hindered and restricted.

Pushing the situation to the back of his mind, he released his three Dao as they rose to their Second Plane Intent Level. 

When his prowess rose to this stage, the band holding Min Hong's hair snapped and instead of his hair falling, they actually began to float as Min Hong relished in the sensation of absolute and sovereign power coursing through his veins.

It was at this point that an Imperial presence leaked out from Min Hong's soul. 

Instantly, everyone within the arena saw their cultivation, aura and Daos supressed except for Min Hong's group who on the contrary, had their powers spurred and surged, as their blood boiled like soldiers who had their Emperor go into battle with them.

Long Sha looked to the stage in with reverence, servitude and deep respect.

The Mu twins subconsciously went down on one knee as Min Qing and Qing Tan actually stood from their seat and took the stance of maids in the presence of their lord.

Every disciple within the stands bowed their heads slightly as if in fear of looking at Min Hong and then suffering the Imperial consequence and punishment of such treasonous actions.

This was because, whenever an Emperor stands on his feet, every subject must lower themselves and bow!

Elder Feng who was overseeing the fight actually paid rapt attention to Min Hong as his thoughts and views of Min Hong subconsciously became more respectful.

In the blink of an eye, deep within Elder Feng's Dan area, one of his nascent souls opened its eyes as its aura rippled out trying to dispel the subservient emotions that has seeped into him, but despite all its efforts, it couldn't even match up to depth of the Imperial aura's grip over Elder Feng. 

Then his second nascent soul snapped its eyes open followed by the third and Elder Feng only recovered from that state when his four nascent souls combined to dispel the aura effects.

"I need to report this to the sect leaders… this boy is worth grooming and nurturing. Perhaps, he might be able to help us secure a top ten spot this time."

Elder Feng's eye shone brightly with anticipation and hope as he thought.

Back within the death ground, Min Hong flicked his wrist as his second 'Soul Slayer Blade' appeared in his grasp, and then;

Hum!

The ninjatos began to vibrate as Min Hong's power flowed through them as they began to release ripples of power which made everyone who looked at them to feel like they had an unsheathed blade right behind their necks with an intent to behead. 

Their souls also had a tingling sensation wash over them including Elder Feng's nascent soul as Min Hong gazed at the duo and spoke with the flattest and most nonchalant tone ever;

"Gentlemen, shall we?!"

He got his response as the Chi Zheng duo bolted towards him simultaneously.

Min Hong who everyone thought was going to defend before countering actually took was left standing once again but everyone on within the arena simply overlooked his dormant figure and looked knowing this time that it was nothing more a decoy. Then; 

Clang!

Chi! Chi!

Kraa!

The fighting trio slammed into each other causing a deafening explosion as lightning bolts scattered all over the stage as well as chunks of wood which stabbed into the death ground in multiple places before three figures bolted out of the point of contact.

Min Hong felt an electric numbing sensation in his arms and body before they were dispersed by the Chaos Qi within his body, there were also about four, 6-inches-long wooden spike which had sunk half of their length into his body.

He had three in his chest and one in his right thigh.

ZI Kun on the other hand had s glaring cut on his newly grown oversized arm but despite the healing effect of the 'Demon Transformation Pill', it was only healing at a snail's pace.

Chi Zheng was faring a little better from the deep gash Min Hong had torn in his chest, due to him comprehending a Wood Dao which had healing properties in its nature.

Min Hong removed the spikes in his chest and thigh as his physical body's healing and regenerative properties went to work, sealing his open wounds without so much as a single drop of blood spilling on the floor.

"What? Did you see that?!"

One outer court disciple who was so shocked by the outcome of the battle tugged the sleeves of the person sitting next to him as the person who was wearing a hood snorted in anger;

"Hmph!"

Slap!

With a wave of the hooded figures hand, the outer court disciple was sent flying from the impact of the vicious slap as he pitifully landed with his head stuck underneath a row of seats, while his legs which were dangling overhead were twitching intensely.

"If I am not mistaken, that should be regeneration, right?" 

Zhu Long who had just sent an 8 Star Dan Formation outer sect disciple flying with a casual slap thought to himself as he continued to watch the deathmatch…

Min Hong then vanished from the spot as the Chi Zheng duo executed their movement techniques and met midway once again;

Clang!

Shweein!

Splurt!

Puchi!

Several sounds of metal against metal as well as sword cutting through the air followed by blood splattering and stabbing sounds rang out successively as the trio entered a one-minute-long rumble.

By the time they separated, all of Min Hong's hair were standing upright like he had just been crazily zapped by electricity, whilst Chi Zheng had another deep gash across his chest, which crossed the one he got earlier as they were leaking blood seemingly unable to be healed…

Zi Kun on the other hand had several shallow cuts around his body as several lightning bolts flickered around his body, entering in and coming out of these cuts till they were charred stopping the bleeding in the process. 

But there was something else notable about the duo, they seemed to be getting easily worn out the more the battle went on.

After all, the effects of the 'Demon Transformation Pill' after the physical change was to boost the user's strength, stamina and cultivation.

But despite the fact that their cultivation aura was still stable and strong, how could they be looking or feeling exhausted?

"Tch. There's something unique about that blade…" Chi Zheng commented through his gritted teeth. 

"I have never come across a blade which could affect someone's soul." Zi Kun added.

Min Hong took another step preventing them from catching their breaths as they were forced to enter into another one-minute rumble with him once again.

After separating from each other, the trio only had several cuts, gashes and stabs on them, it was like they weren't going all out yet.

"Something is wrong here…" Elder Feng began to scrutinize once again.

"Anyone who takes the 'Demon Transformation Pill' should be would naturally be looking to finish their battle in time since this pill only has a five minutes window before the backlash occurs."

"But why are they still covered in shallow wounds?"

Then Elder Feng looked over at Min Hong and scrutinized him tightly, but the moment he peered into Min Hong, he received a backlash as his spiritual sense was gobbled up by Min Hong. 

Grunting slightly and staggering back in pain, Elder Feng revealed a shock expression as he thought;

"What a frightening lad. To actually be using a deathmatch of this magnitude as a whetstone for his cultivation…."

This was true…

Though, Min Hong had a breakthrough in his body and Qi cultivation, it was a power he had very little control over.

It was just like when he was battling Little Ming for the first time and had a breakthrough during battle making him slightly disoriented from using his own power. 

This time, Min Hong didn't have enough time in his hands to challenge the 'Pagoda of Ascension' which usually tempered and stabilize his cultivation.

He used the challenge of the Pagoda to boost his battle prowess and gain absolute control over his new cultivation, which was the other major reason he usually challenged the Pagoda immediately after breakthrough.

But since he was unable to do that this time, which was because of the amount of extra time he was forced to use creating nine different Qi altars, he unable to completely utilize his new found strength.

This was the reason why the Chi Zheng duo were only having shallow wounds; not because they were too strong or Min Hong couldn't end them in the blink of an eye, but because Min Hong was simply using the deathmatch to stabilize his cultivation base…