Northern Plains.
Two figures streaked through the air, unleashing killing moves one after another, sending waves of qi crashing and thunder rumbling across the sky.
The male Immortal specialized in the Light Path. He wore a white robe, stood tall and lean, with a long shovel-shaped face and eyes no bigger than soybeans.
The female Immortal was clad in black-gold armor, a half-mask covering part of her face. Every movement she made carried an overwhelming sense of dominance.
Beyond the two combatants, over a dozen Gu Immortals watched from the sidelines.
"Brother, hurry up and kill that wretched woman!" Liu Luo, a female Immortal among the spectators, shouted, her eyes locked on the battlefield.
Beside her stood several elder Gu Immortals of the Liu family.
On top of that, many Gu Immortals from the Northern Plains' Golden Tribes had come to watch — Chanyu Xiong of the Chanyu family, and Gong Tongkuai of the Gong family.
The fighting male Immortal was none other than Liu Chang, a renowned Seventh Transformation powerhouse of the Northern Plains' Righteous Path.
And the female Immortal was Hei Loulan.
Hei Loulan had been operating under the alias Black Moon, challenging powerful cultivators wherever she went. After defeating Chen Cheng and Yin Wuque in quick succession from the very start, she went on to challenge one strong wandering Immortal and Demonic Immortal after another, suffering not a single defeat. Her reputation soared, and the entire Northern Plains took notice.
Liu Chang and Liu Luo, the brother-sister duo, had previously failed to recruit Yin Wuque, and during that process they had clashed with Hei Loulan.
Seeking vengeance for the prior grudge, Liu Chang publicly challenged Black Moon.
The moment the news broke, it sent shockwaves through the Northern Plains' Gu Immortal community.
And so, the battle before them had come to pass!
Immortal-level killing move — Pony Light Gallops Through the Gaps.
Liu Chang activated the killing move, condensing a miniature horse's spectral form beneath him that carried him darting through the high skies in every direction.
This movement technique was exceptional, allowing Liu Chang to maintain a constant distance from Hei Loulan at all times.
Having suffered greatly at Hei Loulan's hands in their previous encounter, Liu Chang wisely chose a long-range tactics for this battle.
"That's it, Brother! Make that wretched woman suffer chasing after you — just beat her to death like this! Hahaha!" Liu Luo shrieked continuously, egging Liu Chang on, her laughter grating on the ears.
But just then, Hei Loulan's figure dissipated where she stood.
It was an afterimage!
"When did this happen?!" Liu Chang was shocked, realizing he'd been tricked, and instinctively tried to dodge.
But Hei Loulan's true body had already materialized behind him.
Boom boom boom…
Fist shadows tumbled and flew like a torrential downpour, engulfing Liu Chang completely.
Liu Chang let out a roar, desperately activating his defensive killing move as blow after blow rained down upon him.
Liu Luo's laughter cut off abruptly.
Hei Loulan's flurry of attacks was ferocious and explosive, making even the Righteous Path Gu Immortals watching from the sidelines tremble.
"Excellent!"
"Well done!"
"She finally caught that cunning Liu Chang!"
The wandering Immortals and Demonic Immortals among the spectators erupted in cheers, their praise ringing without cease.
Among them, besides Chen Cheng, Wu Guang, and Yin Wuque, there were quite a few others.
Some had been defeated by Hei Loulan personally, while others had heard of her exploits and voluntarily followed along.
"Master Black Moon has gained the upper hand." Wu Guang transmitted with a smile, communicating privately.
"Don't you think Master Black Moon has become even stronger than before? Come to think of it, as she's been constantly challenging opponents, her combat power has been surging dramatically during the process. Brother Wu, haven't you noticed?" Yin Wuque sounded somewhat unsettled by the thought.
Wu Guang pondered for a moment, then shook his head slightly and replied via sound transmission: "Of course I noticed. But how could anyone improve at such a terrifying pace? I suspect Master Black Moon was simply hiding her strength before, or perhaps she had been in secluded cultivation all along. As she accumulated more battle experience and synthesized her various methods, it merely gives the impression of her combat power soaring."
Yin Wuque nodded and was about to speak when the battle shifted again.
Gu Immortal Liu Chang truly deserved his reputation as a powerhouse renowned throughout the Northern Plains. After a strenuous effort, he finally managed to break free, escaping the range of Hei Loulan's assault.
Hei Loulan naturally refused to let him go and immediately gave chase.
To her surprise, Liu Chang suddenly halted, turned to face her, and let out a sinister laugh: "Black Moon, you've fallen for my trap!"
Immortal-level killing move — Dazzling Radiance!
In an instant, a blinding burst of light erupted, engulfing the entire battlefield.
The watching Gu Immortals hastily shut their eyes, and Hei Loulan instinctively closed hers as well.
But when she opened them again, her vision was still nothing but a vast expanse of white.
Hit by the Dazzling Radiance killing move, her vision was instantly reduced to blankness — she could no longer see a thing.
"Damn it — Liu Chang actually mastered this killing move."
"No wonder he had the nerve to publicly challenge Master Black Moon!"
"This technique is the Liu family's signature method. Unless one employs a specialized counter-move unique to the Liu family, a Gu cultivator who is hit by it will find recovery extremely difficult."
The expressions of numerous wandering cultivators and Demonic Immortals darkened as the atmosphere immediately grew heavy.
This was because the battle was far more than a simple clash between Liu Chang and Hei Loulan.
In the current climate, this contest carried far deeper political significance.
As a rootless and sourceless Black Moon Immortal, she represented the faction of wandering Immortals. Liu Chang, naturally, represented the Northern Plains' Righteous Path.
Ever since the great Destiny War, the Northern Plains' Eternal Life Heavenly Court had been actively consolidating the Northern Plains' Gu Immortal community.
Powerful independent cultivators like Yin Wuque, whether from the wandering or Demonic factions, were being aggressively recruited by the Golden Tribes, and the manner of recruitment was anything but gentle.
A few wandering Immortals had joined willingly — that was hardly worth mentioning. The real issue was that the majority of independent and Demonic Gu Immortals did not wish to submit, yet they were few and powerless, unwilling to offend the Northern Plains' Righteous Path too severely. Many harbored their anger in silence.
In this situation, Hei Loulan's emergence was like raising a banner for these Gu Immortals.
Her fearlessness in challenging opponents everywhere and her utter disregard for the Golden Tribes' authority gave these wandering and Demonic Immortals tremendous inspiration.
Especially now, with the Snow Mountain Blessed Land destroyed and towering Demonic Path figures like Old Ancestor Xue Hu vanishing without a trace, the independent and Demonic cultivators desperately needed a leader.
It was precisely for this reason that Hei Loulan had earned the voluntary allegiance of people like Wu Guang and Yin Wuque. Many wandering and Demonic Immortals had come to observe this battle of their own accord, lending their presence as support.
Now that Hei Loulan had been struck by the killing move and lost her sight, the tension and worry among these Gu Immortals were entirely genuine.
Liu Chang retreated calmly, a smile spreading across his face.
Immortal-level killing move — Radiant Revival.
The injuries on his body began to heal, albeit slowly.
Immortal-level killing move — Shimmering Waves.