Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1422 - 1422 0805 Second Encounter_2

Chapter 1422: Chapter 0805: Second Encounter_2 Chapter 1422: Chapter 0805: Second Encounter_2 Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Cheng Daoran was not the slightest bit panicked. In fact, the experience of being struck away by Qi Tian just now had even more concentrated his strength and focused his attention. He handled the Heavenly Tribulation with greater ease, always able to react in time when necessary, striking accurately and perfectly blocking or neutralizing the tribulation’s assault.

Just as Huang Liuyan had said, Cheng Daoran’s preparations were very thorough. Unlike the several people before him who thought they were well-prepared only to find themselves lacking when it mattered, Cheng Daoran was methodical from beginning to end. The artifacts and talismans he used were endless, and he never ran short of various elixirs. However, by the end, Cheng Daoran still found himself stretched thin, yet before he used up all his preparedness, he managed to block about seventy to eighty percent of the final tribulation’s power. The remainder, though it struck him and shattered the artifacts on his body, did not take his life.

Cheng Daoran had actually succeeded in his tribulation, becoming the only cultivator among all who had come here today to pass the Heavenly Tribulation. As the last wave of tribulation vanished, heavenly lights descended, enveloping Cheng Daoran. His injuries healed at a visible rate, his depleted vitality replenished in an instant, and his aura climbed higher and higher. Soon, he surpassed his original peak and soared to a new height. Even from ten miles away, those in Tribulation City could feel his aura—that of a Nascent Soul Master—powerful and domineering.

Cheng Daoran burst into laughter. He had known that he could succeed in his tribulation; indeed, God does not disappoint those with faith. Now he had finally become a Nascent Soul Master, revered by thousands. Clenching his fists, he could feel the surging, overwhelming power within him, certain that a single punch could reduce Qi Tian to dust.

Huang Liuyan was full of concern. She knew that Cheng Daoran might succeed in his tribulation, and though she had clung to a sliver of hope, that hope was now shattered, and worry once again filled her heart. She hurriedly tugged on Qi Tian’s arm, pleading for the last time, “Qi Tian, before Cheng Daoran comes over, you should escape quickly. I will block him for you for a while.”

Qi Tian said, “Sister Yan, can’t you have a little faith in me? Just watch, I said I could send Cheng flying once, and I can do it a second time. If needed, sending him flying three or five times is not a problem.”

The cultivators from the National Master Manor, who had been afraid to speak out initially, now felt empowered since Cheng Daoran had ascended to the Nascent Soul Stage. Someone immediately scoffed and said, “You really have a way of speaking without considering the consequences. Earlier, Brother Cheng was sent flying by your sneak attack. If you dare to face Brother Cheng directly, the one sent flying won’t be him—it will be you. If I were you, I’d kneel right now to show sincerity. When Brother Cheng comes back, apologize to him proactively and hope for his leniency. You still don’t realize the gravity of the situation and keep making bold claims. Wait until Brother Cheng returns; let’s see how you’ll end this.”

The other cultivators from the National Master Manor chimed in, echoing the sentiment. Not just them, but many of the over fifty thousand cultivators who had witnessed Cheng Daoran’s successful ascension in Tribulation City were eyeing Qi Tian greedily. They all wanted to seize this opportunity to strike at Qi Tian, thus presenting their allegiance to Cheng Daoran as a way to gain his favor. Before Cheng became a Nascent Soul Master, he wasn’t worth the effort, but now it was different. Cheng had ascended to a higher level, and it was precisely the time for them to curry favor with him.

Qi Tian’s lips curled into a slight smile. He stood with his hands behind his back as before, an expression of nonchalance on his face, and he calmly said, “Someone will indeed kneel, but it won’t be me—it will be Cheng Daoran. Believe it or not, in a moment, I will make Cheng Daoran kneel in front of Sister Yan to apologize.”

“Stop your bluster. What happened before is past; Brother Cheng is not what he used to be. His strength has increased so much, he’ll knock your teeth out. And you think he’ll kneel to Huang Liuyan? Do you even realize what you’re saying?”

Cheng Daoran flew toward Tribulation City, and from a distance, he heard the voices of Qi Tian and other cultivators arguing. He had expected to hear Qi Tian’s voice filled with fear, trying to curry favor, but to his surprise, Qi Tian was still speaking defiantly. Not only did he refuse to admit wrongdoing or show any signs of submission, but he even suggested that Cheng Daoran should kneel and apologize to Huang Liuyan. Did he have some misunderstanding about the power of a Nascent Soul True Person?

Cheng Daoran’s face was masked with frost. He felt his dignity had been greatly challenged, even more unbearable than when Qi Tian had sent him flying with one blow. He immediately increased his flying speed and arrived in front of Qi Tian.

Intentionally, Cheng Daoran flew slightly higher than Qi Tian, adopting a superior position as he looked down on him, looking down on the more than fifty thousand commoners of Tribulation City. At this moment, he truly felt as if he could swiftly take the fate of all living beings into his hands, supremely arrogant and unrivaled.

Cheng Daoran looked coldly at Qi Tian and said, “Qi Tian, I’ll give you a chance. As long as you hand over Huang Liuyan to me now and publicly promise to cut all ties with her, I can forget about the offense you’ve committed against me. I am broad-minded and willing to give young people a chance, it’s up to you whether you choose to take it or not.”

Cheng Daoran said this deliberately to appear magnanimous. In his view, a Nascent Soul True Person should speak in this manner. Whether he truly intended to let Qi Tian off the hook was another matter entirely. At worst, he could let Qi Tian go for now and find other ways to trouble him later.

Qi Tian smiled faintly and replied, “It seems you still haven’t learned your lesson, actually thinking that after a successful tribulation, you can stand over me and talk down to me. What a fool.”

Qi Tian’s words immediately enraged Cheng Daoran. He had only been pretending to be generous, but in reality, there had always been an undercurrent of anger within him, and now Qi Tian had readily ignited it. With a cold snort, he said, “You insolent boy, I’ll discipline you right now.”

Just as Cheng Daoran had confronted Qi Tian earlier, he charged at Qi Tian again, like a crazed bull. He chose this approach after careful consideration. Although his strength had increased drastically after his advancement, Qi Tian had not long ago sent him flying effortlessly, which showed that Qi Tian’s power was much higher than Cheng Daoran’s before his tribulation. In other words, it was very possible that Qi Tian’s power was about the same as Cheng Daoran’s after advancing to the Nascent Soul Stage. To defeat Qi Tian, Cheng Daoran would need to exert his full power with no reservations. This was the first battle since he became a Nascent Soul True Person, a pivotal battle to establish his morale and dignity. He could only win, not lose.

If he won, all would be well, but if he lost, he would become a joke for the whole world to see, no one would take him seriously anymore, and glances cast his way would be filled with pity, even seeing him as a clown or a pitiful creature.

As Cheng Daoran rushed over, Qi Tian’s expression became grave. He knew his own strengths and limitations; with his power, confronting a Nascent Soul Stage Cheng Daoran, he was definitely no match. However, Qi Tian never promised that he would personally fight Cheng Daoran at every turn. He had many subordinates, and bringing any one of them out could easily beat Cheng Daoran into crying for his father and mother.