Boom!

Just as Lin Zhengren closed in on Zhang Linchuan, about to unleash his Dao technique,

Zhang Linchuan exploded.

This was not an exaggerated description, but an objective observation.

Lightning, brewing for an unknown time, detonated within him.

His hair stood on end, black scorch marks appeared everywhere, and arcs of electricity flickered.

Correspondingly, Lin Zhengren, who was almost touching him, was immediately caught in the blast. He was thrown backward, twitching on the ground.

This was the first time Lin Zhengren had looked so dishevelled since the beginning of the competition.

And the cause of all this was an Upper Grade Rank B Dao technique – Thunder Strike.

The unexpected twist was that Zhang Linchuan’s target was himself, not Lin Zhengren.

When Lin Zhengren interrupted his Rank A Dao technique, he didn’t even attempt to maintain it. Instead, he instantly triggered the instantaneous Dao technique etched within his Tongtian Palace, directing it straight at himself.

This was an incredibly risky, even insane, move. If Lin Zhengren hadn’t chosen to attack so aggressively, or had been even slightly slower, Zhang Linchuan might have become the only cultivator in this Three Cities Dao Conference to be defeated by his own Dao technique,

the laughingstock of the entire event.

Fortunately, he gambled and won, carving out a near-impossible chance of victory for himself.

Thunder Strike caused mutual harm. However, Lin Zhengren was still new to the Sixth Rank, and his abilities hadn’t reached their peak. Zhang Linchuan, who had long mastered lightning techniques, recovered several breaths earlier.

Zhang Linchuan formed hand seals with lightning speed, attempting to seize this fleeting opportunity to utterly defeat his opponent.

But suddenly, his expression froze.

He realized that his Tongtian Palace was empty!

This next Dao technique could not be completed.

Only then did he notice a translucent little grass, swaying in the wind, growing about five steps ahead of him.

He recognized it – a Yuan-Attracting Grass, a Lower Grade Rank C Dao technique.

Its effect: To increase Dao Yuan consumption within its area of influence.

Its drawback: It did not discriminate between friend and foe.

However, Lin Zhengren had already opened his Heaven Gate, and could constantly replenish his Dao Yuan from the surrounding world. Zhang Linchuan, still before the Heaven Gate, could only rely on the Dao Yuan stored within his Tongtian Palace to fight.

One, two, three… Zhang Linchuan counted, his face growing increasingly grim. Unbeknownst to him, Lin Zhengren had planted a full nine Yuan-Attracting Grasses within the arena. He reasoned that, if it hadn’t been for Thunder Strike, he would have planted even more.

Despite holding a significant advantage, despite having victory within reach, Lin Zhengren had still laid down such precautions.

What a prudent, what a cautious fellow!

Under the influence of nine Yuan-Attracting Grasses, Zhang Linchuan’s Dao Yuan was completely depleted.

The chance of victory flashed and vanished.

Lin Zhengren recovered, leaping to his feet.

“I’ve lost,” Zhang Linchuan said hoarsely.

He had no chance of winning now, and wouldn’t give Lin Zhengren the opportunity to torment him.

Maple Forest City missed its chance at a three-peat victory, and missed the most important prize, a place in the National Dao Academy.

But no one present blamed Zhang Linchuan.

To throw Thunder Strike at himself – such a brutal act!

Especially coming from a guy who cared so much about his appearance, just look at his charred state. Who could say he hadn’t given it his all?

Even Dong A didn’t say anything. He couldn’t say that his disciple hadn’t tried.

In truth, Zhang Linchuan hadn’t been entirely without opportunity. If he had been willing to collapse a Dao Vortex, he could have temporarily gained a large amount of Dao Yuan, and seized that opening to defeat Lin Zhengren.

But if he did that, even if he won the battle, he would be demoted back to the Eighth Rank and would be stuck there for the rest of his life.

What would be the point of entering the National Dao Academy then?

Although the honour of Maple Forest City’s Dao Academy was important, he couldn’t risk his future for it.

The referee announced the results.

“The winner of the Three Cities Dao Conference for the past five years is Lin Zhengren, a Sixth Rank Ascending Dragon Realm cultivator from Wangjiang City Dao Academy!”

Next year, he would be a new student at the National Dao Academy, his future bright.

Maple Forest City, with two runner-up victories, maintained its reputation.

Only the Three Mountains City Dao Academy failed to score in this competition.

Jiang Wang saw that Zhao Tiehe, Yang Xingyong, and the others had red eyes.

But that was competition.

…

In the Three Fragrances Pavilion,

Miss Miaoyu was in front of the mirror, delicately applying rouge with her pinky finger.

Behind her, a black-robed old man knelt, pleading, “Saintess, please take action! Otherwise, our people will all die!”

“I told you not to be greedy. You all lost your minds when you heard about the Nether Candle. What’s the use of begging me now? The shadow of the Gate of the Underworld has been sent to the Yun Kingdom, what do I have to fight Wei Quji with?”

“We were foolish, but the White Bone Messenger also agreed…”

“Heh,” Miaoyu laughed. “Then ask him to act.”

The black-robed old man was speechless, only kowtowing repeatedly.

“If I show myself, Wei Quji will immediately move to suppress me. Not to mention Dong A, watching like a hawk. We have no chance.” Her voice was part grievance, part reproach: “Who told you not to leave the shadow of the Gate of the Underworld for me?”

The black-robed old man gritted his teeth. “It wasn’t easy for our White Bone Path to accumulate power. Are all these fellow Daoists just going to die in vain?”

“Alright, alright, don’t make a fuss in here. I have already prepared a contingency plan. By my calculations, the Nether Candle should have been safely delivered. As for those fellow Daoists…”

Miaoyu paused, closing the rouge box.

“Let them die then.”

…

Because of strict defenses and proper dispatch, the chaos in Maple Forest City was quelled as quickly as it started.

In the end, the news of the Nether Candle’s appearance was too sudden, and the White Bone Path didn’t have time to make more solid preparations.

The meaning of the Nether Candle to the White Bone Path was so great that they couldn’t refuse it. And Wei Quji and Dong A had joined forces, already laying down a dragnet.

The outcome had been decided before the start – none of the people the White Bone Path sent this time would survive.

But this didn’t mean the battle was lost, because the White Bone Path was prepared to be completely destroyed. As long as they managed to obtain the Nether Candle, the White Bone Path wouldn’t consider it a loss.

…

On the Qingmu Main Road, the peddler with his carrying pole was still proceeding leisurely.

He was already familiar with this city, as if he had been born and raised here. Wei Quji setting up an ambush was something he had expected, but he hadn’t expected the offensive to be so swift, the preparations so thorough.

He understood that the fellow Daoists who came this time were likely doomed. But he wouldn’t die.

Although it had happened suddenly, he knew this city very well. He knew where the city guards would focus their main forces if they fully deployed their defenses.

He could avoid them with ease.

There was a small path to the left, and this small path led to a bathhouse.

He planned to take a bath, to wash away the dust. He could leave his carrying pole with the bathhouse worker, because Master Song was honest, and wouldn’t touch his things.

Who would have thought that such a precious Nether Candle would be casually left with an ordinary bathhouse worker?

He could even take a nap in the bathhouse, and wait until the situation calmed down before leaving the city triumphantly.

In short, he wouldn’t die.

But he saw a bald head, just as he stepped onto this small path.

Perhaps he was from the Buddhist sect? But the face of this bald man was too ferocious, and didn’t fit with the image of a Buddhist at all.

“I smell a strange scent,” this bald man said. And he licked his lips.

The peddler suddenly felt an intense fear, and he gathered his Dao Yuan, preparing to fight.

That was when he realized that his heart was gone.

The whole world fell into eternal darkness.

“Saintess, is that the scenery at the bottom of the River of Forgetfulness?” He thought at the last.