At this moment, Qin Heng’s face was ashen.
He had finally realized that the Heavenly Dao Palace had not come to start a war; they had come to show off their strength, and now, they had proposed a challenge that the Long Night Saint Dragon Palace could not refuse.
The seven mountain roads were open for a month, and it was impossible to secure them all, but if conditions were set through a duel of apprentices, it would be very hard for him to refuse.
To refuse would mean the Long Night Saint Dragon Palace was admitting defeat, and the blow to the apprentices would be huge.
There was less than a month until the big battle with Xingluo Palace, and now, if their confidence were crushed by the Heavenly Dao Palace, how would they fight?
Since Ma Daoming dared to be so arrogantly confident, it was likely that He Jia was indeed unbearably strong, and he even said he’d resolve Baili Que within three moves—could Qin Lao manage?
If he couldn’t, not only would he have to allow He Jia to challenge the Qilong Mountain Road, but the blow to the apprentices’ morale would be even greater.
Qin Lao was the Chief Inner Palace Student of Golden Dragon Mountain.
At the same time, he was currently the highest-ranked apprentice expert within the Long Night Saint Dragon Palace.
If even he couldn’t make He Jia take a single step back, such a blow and its consequences would be more than the students of the Holy Dragon Palace could bear.
Watching Qin Heng’s continually changing expression, Ma Daoming chuckled mischievously, "What’s the matter, Vice Palace Master Qin, you don’t have confidence? Are the Holy Dragon Palace’s apprentices really that trashy?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Lao, who was straightforward, couldn’t contain his anger, his eyes turning bloodshot.
He yelled at Qin Heng, "Father!"
The apprentices from each Dragon Mountain stared intently at Qin Heng, wishing they could fight immediately and blast He Jia away.
Caught in a dilemma, Qin Heng let out a wry smile to himself and then, with a cold face, raised his head and said, "Fine, I accep—"
Before he could finish, suddenly, an ordinary voice rang out.
"Vice Palace Master Qin, for such a minor character from the Long Night Heavenly Dao Palace, there’s no need for Senior Brother Qin to take action. I, a little apprentice, am enough."
As soon as these words were spoken, the spirits of everyone present were shaken as they instinctively looked over.
They saw a Thunder Winged Dragon Snake flying in from the direction of Demon Dragon Valley.
Standing on it was a man dressed in apprentice’s clothes, his face wearing a slight smile—it was Sikong Jing.
In an instant, Qin Heng, Huo Yanmei, and others had a flash of light in their eyes.
Sikong Jing had actually come, and he wanted to challenge He Jia of the Heavenly Dao Palace?
At the same time, all the apprentices also noticed Sikong Jing.
Qin Lao’s gaze flickered; he knew Sikong Jing had killed Lei Zizhen with a single palm strike, and he was a genius whom his father Qin Heng valued highly, certain to surpass him in the future, but he probably wasn’t a match for him at the moment.
Thinking this, Qin Lao was just about to say something.
But at that moment, someone preemptively snorted coldly, "Little apprentice, what’s the point of you joining the excitement? Get lost."
The person speaking was riding a dragon next to Qin Lao, dressed in white—Chen Tong, the Chief Inner Palace Student of Cloud Dragon Mountain.
And it wasn’t just him; many disciples of the Holy Dragon Palace also showed a look of disdain. Was this a time for a little apprentice to butt in, and to say he alone was enough?
Did he want to make a mess and embarrass himself?
However, just then, the expression on the Cloud Dragon Mountain Master’s face changed drastically as he shouted, "Chen Tong, shut up!"
Damn it, how dare Chen Tong publicly scold Sikong Jing? Was he tired of living?
Moreover, I still want to strive to bring Sikong Jing under Cloud Dragon Mountain’s wing.
If things go well, this little apprentice will be Cloud Dragon Mountain’s Chief, and saying such unreasonable things now—isn’t he harming others?
Chen Tong hadn’t expected to be scolded by the Master, "Master, this little apprentice—"
"I told you to shut up!"
Master Yun firmly interrupted, then turned to Qin Heng and said, "Vice Palace Master, I also think that what this little apprentice said makes sense. For such trash students from the Long Night Heavenly Dao Palace, our apprentices are more than enough."
Upon hearing this, all the students who did not recognize Sikong Jing were bewildered. What nonsense was Master Yun talking about?
Five days ago, during the rebellion at Thunder Dragon Mountain, aside from a few students, all the participants were high-ranking elders.
And because Qin Heng intended to deliberately conceal Sikong Jing’s existence, apart from a few students, no one knew the role Sikong Jing played in this incident, let alone that he killed Lei Zizhen with a single palm strike.
Therefore, students like Chen Tong simply could not understand Master Yun...
At that moment, Huo Yanmei also remarked indifferently, "Indeed, this student from the Heavenly Dao Palace looks very poor; I support letting an apprentice make the move."
Following that, many institute masters and elders expressed their support for Sikong Jing to make the move.
"Have you all gone mad?"
That’s when Ma Daoming could no longer hold back and blurted out a curse.
The Masters and Elders of the Holy Dragon Palace were calling He Jia trash and waste to his face; how could he tolerate this?
They had come to the Long Night Heavenly Dao Palace to strike at others, not to be struck down.
"Or is it that you want to save the last bit of face, which is why you’re letting a little apprentice take action?"
With Ma Daoming’s second sentence, the students from the Night Saint Dragon Palace who were confused had a sudden realization, perhaps as the opposition said, the Masters knew He Jia was too powerful, and to save face, they had an apprentice fight first.
At this time, He Jia spoke from on high, "Elder Ma, why bother caring?"
"Whether it’s an apprentice or one of their Inner Palace Students, none can make me take a step back, and all I need is to cross seven mountain roads, as long as I achieve my goal, that’s enough."
"Let them perform as they wish, to me, it’s just a joke."
His tone was light and indifferent, utterly disregarding the students of the Holy Dragon Palace.
"That’s right, as long as the goal is achieved..."
Upon hearing this, Ma Daoming calmed down, mocking as he urged, "Qin Heng, hurry up and make a decision."
Gazing deeply at Sikong Jing, Qin Heng slowly said, "Then it will be you; take care!"
With a faint smile, Sikong Jing rode on the Thunder Winged Dragon Snake and flew towards the Divine Spaceship of the Heavenly Dao Palace, then landed on it without a care, facing the disdainful He Jia, and spoke, "So it’s to make you take a step back, is it?"
"You’re not qualified to ramble, make your move!"
He Jia, with his hands behind his back, still had that look of utter disdain, believing he wouldn’t need even one hand to deal with Sikong Jing.
At this moment, a group of students dressed like those from the Heavenly Dao Palace couldn’t stop their mocking laughter in the distance.
"Senior Brother He, just blast him to death."
"No, no, we’re in the Holy Dragon Palace, after all; killing him would be a bit indecent. Just shaking him into a vegetative state will do."
"Hahaha, what a pitiful little apprentice."
The surrounding students from the Heavenly Dao Palace laughed heartily, completely dismissing the Holy Dragon Palace.
However, Sikong Jing remained unfazed, his eyes narrowing slightly. The Emperor Beheading Technique circulated within his body, and his heart in the Dantian throbbed violently, fueling the True Qi fiercely into the four Dragon Veins.
Because his True Qi was only stored within these four Dragon Veins, there was no evident display of energy on his body.
His realm remained a mystery to everyone for the moment...
All of a sudden, he made his move!
Sikong Jing seemed to strike at He Jia without any True Qi circulating, his fists hitting the latter’s chest, and then time seemed to freeze at that moment; He Jia’s True Qi flashed as it was about to fling Sikong Jing away.
But Sikong Jing did not even flinch, and his fists did not blast He Jia away either.
To the onlookers, Sikong Jing’s fists might as well have been made of cotton hitting He Jia, utterly useless.
Students from the Heavenly Dao Palace surrounding them laughed and said, "I’m dying of laughter, that strength wouldn’t even tickle, right?"