Jiang Chen and Bai Longtian were both taken aback after hearing Shun Long's invitation for a spar, while Xingyi's eyes widened in surprise, before a look of unconcealed quickly astonishment covered her face.
Whether it was back in the Holy sect or when they were traveling throughout the central region, it was extremely rare for Shun Long to ask Jiang Chen or Bai Longtian for a spar, and the same went for her and Liu Mei as well.
Although every single one among them could be considered a genius with enough talent to enter the top 10 in the Martial Roll of Honor of the Holy sect, Bai Longtian and the others all knew, that in terms of talent, the gap between themselves and Shun Long was practically insurmountable.
The few times that Bai Longtian and Jiang Chen had sparred with Shun Long to truly test themselves, they found themselves rendered completely helpless against him.
Although Jiang Chen, Bai Longtian, and Xingyi, all cultivated unique-level Daos, and Liu Mei's Dao of Death was even a supreme-level Dao on par with Shun Long's Dao of Time, all of them intrinsically understood, that they stood no chance against him in a one-on-one spar.
In fact, even without his Dao of Time and just his Dao of Space alone, Xingyi and the others eventually realized that it was almost impossible to touch even the hems of Shun Long's clothes during those spars!
Still, although those spars could barely be called spars and were more like one-sided beatings instead, they were still beneficial to Jiang Chen and the rest as it allowed them to draw out the full extent of their latent talent without holding back!
In fact, Jiang Chen was the only one who came close to touching Shun Long during those spars, when he trapped him inside his 'Kingdom of Darkness'!
After a moment of brief hesitation, Bai Longtian nodded his head at Shun Long before asking in a somewhat uncertain tone
''Brother Shun, what should we do with sister Liu? Won't we interrupt her cultivation if we fight here?''
However, Shun Long merely shook his head and didn't even glance in Liu Mei's direction, as he answered confidently
''Don't worry. The qi barrier around Mei'er is no weaker than the one protecting this entire 'Five-elements protective formation'! Even a peak rank 9 Dao King can't break it by themselves!''
Bai Longtian and Jiang Chen both nodded their heads and prepared to begin, while Xingyi retreated further back in the distance to watch their sparring match, with her bright emerald eyes sparkling with excitement.
However, right before they could start, Shun Long who was stretching his arms in front of him suddenly added in
''Ah right. I nearly forgot to say this! Jiang Chen, Longtian, rely solely on your physical bodies for this spar. Of course, aside from using your qi cultivation, you are free to go all-out.''
Jiang Chen and Bai Longtian were both taken aback when they heard that, but neither of them hesitated or questioned Shun Long as they quickly began the fight.
Bai Longtian was the first one to take the initiative, his body suddenly emitting a bright golden color that covered him from head to toe, before he shot towards Shun Long at full speed.
Although Bai Longtian was still an early sixth stage body refiner, both the strength and speed of his physical body could still rival quite a few middle-stage Dao Kings back in the Holy sect! Regardless of how miraculous Shun Long's 'Monarch's Eternal body' may have been, it couldn't directly contend with such an attack while it was still at the peak of the fifth stage! Shun Long would either have to use his black dragon's bloodline, or rely on some other trump card if he wanted to take it head-on.
And yet, contrary to Bai Longtian's expectations, Shun Long merely smiled lightly and simply clenched his right fist as he sent a punch forward, before asking in a playful manner
''Longtian, are you going easy on me? Didn't I tell you to go all-out?''
At the same time that Shun Long's words echoed in the air, his fist also met with Bai Longtian's, producing a deafening sound akin to a tiny explosion, before Bai Longtian's figure was sent flying back for more than 10 meters(33ft) until it came to a halt.
The fight had only just started, yet Bai Longtian could just gaze at the smile plastered on Shun Long's face with a dazed look on his face, before he asked in a voice filled with surprise
''Brother Shun, you actually broke through?''
It was obvious that Shun Long's mood was extremely joyful at this moment, and from the aura coming from his body, Bai Longtian, Jiang Chen, and Xingyi could all tell that he had finally stepped into the sixth stage of body refinement.
Indeed, Shun Long was feeling extremely happy right now. After all, the cultivation of his physical body had been stumped into the peak of the fifth stage for far too long! Even after becoming a peak rank 3 Dao King, his body cultivation was simply lagging too far behind to prove of any assistance to him in his latest fights!
With that same smile on his face, Shun Long nodded his head and felt the immense power coursing through his entire body as he explained
''I just broke through and haven't had the chance to test out my current strength just yet. So... both of you, come at me with everything you've got!''
Nodding his head, Jiang Chen who was watching everything in the distance didn't wait for Bai Longtian to launch another attack on Shun Long, and instead, he kicked the ground once, as a dense, aura of darkness quickly blanketed his entire body as he immediately shot forward.
Unlike Bai Longtian, it was obvious that Jiang Chen wasn't planning on going easy on Shun Long! In the next moment, his fingertips suddenly bent forward, taking a shape similar to a bird's talons, before they made contact with Shun Long's fists!