Pill King Ce was a shrewd man, and he had done his homework. He knew that among the four great monarchs of Peacock Sacred Mountain, Cloud Ming Emperor possessed the strongest overall ability.
Though Pill King Ce's own strength was nothing to scoff at, claiming he could definitively surpass all four monarchs of Peacock Sacred Mountain was clearly out of the question.
At best, the gap between them was negligible — they were evenly matched.
When strength was this closely balanced, what separated victory from defeat was the warrior's mental fortitude. Pill King Ce intended to rattle his opponent psychologically, to plant a hairline fracture in his Dao heart.
Even the faintest crack, once formed, was something he could exploit.
Pill King Ce might not possess the greatest martial strength, but as a genius of the pill dao, he had an extraordinary talent and sensitivity for seizing opportunities in battle.
It was the instinct of a predator.
Unfortunately, Cloud Ming Emperor was having none of it.
He had heard Jiang Chen mention before that Pill King Ce's strength was actually a notch below Pill King Hui's. Though he didn't know where Young Master Zhen had gotten that assessment, his usual trust in Jiang Chen meant he harbored no doubts.
So when Pill King Ce launched his aggressive opening salvo, Cloud Ming Emperor did not lose his composure.
He had already settled on a strategy: first secure an unassailable position, then from that solid foundation, look for opportunities to seize the win.
This approach, while somewhat conservative, suited Cloud Ming Emperor's temperament perfectly. He had never been the type to charge in recklessly.
It had to be said, this strategy was remarkably solid — and it happened to be the perfect counter to Pill King Ce's approach.
Pill King Ce knew he held no advantage in raw martial power, so he had planned to seize the initiative with an aggressive opening, unleashing his full arsenal of moves right from the start.
Had Cloud Ming Emperor not already had a clear plan, and had he wavered between attack and defense, those opening gambits might very well have rattled him enough to crack his Dao heart.
Once Pill King Ce had exhausted his opening arsenal, Cloud Ming Emperor had largely figured out what his opponent was after.
But understanding was one thing — breaking through was another matter entirely. Pill King Ce might not be the most outstanding in martial strength, but his battle instincts were razor-sharp.
Every time Cloud Ming Emperor formulated a plan, Pill King Ce somehow anticipated it.
Back and forth they went, probing and testing. Both attacked and defended, and both had begun to grasp the depth of the other's reserves.
In terms of raw strength, Cloud Ming Emperor actually held a slight edge — though only by a thread.
But in battle experience and battlefield instinct, Pill King Ce appeared to have the advantage.
The result was a perfectly even contest. No matter how they probed or tried to lure each other into a mistake, neither could gain the upper hand.
Seeing the battle stall into a stalemate, Duomei Ming Emperor among the Peacock Sacred Mountain side sighed softly: "At this rate, it won't be easy for Cloud to win this round."
Zhensui Ming Emperor slammed his fist against the armrest of his chair. "I refuse to believe the Asura Dojo has hands this tough outside the Sun, Moon, and Star Emperors!"
"Speculating now won't change anything," Wild Fox Ming Emperor sighed. "If we can win this round, we still have a sliver of hope. But if we can't — even a draw would be a disaster for us."
Indeed, Peacock Sacred Mountain's current record of four wins, two draws, and four losses put them neck and neck with the Asura Great Emperor. But if this round wasn't a win, the remaining two rounds offered virtually no chance of victory.
Cloud Ming Emperor's match was therefore Peacock Sacred Mountain's last lifeline. At least in the eyes of the monarchs gathered here, this round was absolutely critical.
On the Asura Dojo's side, however, the mood was far more relaxed. Pill King Hui's earlier loss to the Peerless Great Emperor had been entirely expected — no surprise there.
On the faces of the Asura Great Emperor and Li Jiancheng, there was not the slightest hint of displeasure. That loss had clearly been part of their plan.
And judging by Pill King Ce's current match, a draw at the very least was a foregone conclusion.
"Master, the situation looks wonderful! If Pill King Ce can secure a draw in this round, we've practically won. You'll certainly handle that Zhen fellow, and when I face that delicate little beauty, I'll take her down without breaking a sweat — no suspense at all. Then our final record will be six wins, three draws, and four losses, far superior to Peacock Sacred Mountain's. The future lord of the Liuli Royal City will be none other than you, Master."
As Li Jiancheng spoke, his eyes burned with fervor. His gaze drifted toward Huang'er of its own accord.
He could barely contain himself. He wished Pill King Ce's match would end already so he could take the stage and display his martial prowess before Huang'er, sweeping this proud beauty off her feet once and for all!
Li Jiancheng had been rebuffed by Huang'er before, but he was far from discouraged. In his view, the girl had simply been brainwashed by that Zhen fellow and couldn't see reason yet.
Once he demonstrated overwhelming power and crushed those naive illusions, this delicate beauty would surely come around.
And then? She'd be his for the taking — throwing herself into his arms without a moment's hesitation.
In Li Jiancheng's eyes, the martial world was ruthlessly pragmatic. Especially female cultivators — they gravitated toward whoever was strongest.
Huang'er might be exceptional in bearing and temperament, but she couldn't possibly be an exception. Her devotion to that Zhen fellow was nothing more than being dazzled by his charms, swayed by his overhyped track record.
Li Jiancheng refused to accept it. Deep in his heart, he swore he would thoroughly conquer Huang'er through martial might, winning her complete and unwavering devotion.