Chapter Seventy-Four: Hao Dan's Epic Duel with Wu Qigong 1

"Young Lord Haodan, your words are entirely correct!"

At that moment, a voice rang out from outside the tent—it was none other than Grand Minister Zhong Hui. After escorting General Guan Longfeng to the rear for urgent treatment along with the Six Heroes of the Cavern, Zhong Hui had hurried to seek audience with King Wu of Shang. Yet, upon hearing Haodan’s remarks from outside the camp, and seeing the young lord return, he could not contain his excitement.

King Wu of Shang glanced at him, a questioning look in his eyes. Zhong Hui, well aware of his intent, nodded gravely. Then he spoke, "Before the armies clash, it is customary to send forth champions to duel—this tradition dates back to the days when the Yellow Emperor battled Chiyou. First, it serves to embolden our commanders before the conflict, and second, to sap the enemy's morale. We have already lost the first round; the next two we absolutely cannot afford to lose. We allied the lords of the Nine Provinces and planned for this day for more than a decade—now we must not allow a single misstep, lest all our years of plotting come to ruin!"

"Minister Yi—has there been any reply from the other side?" King Wu, well aware of the stakes, felt the lack of a guiding hand and could not help but ask where Yi Yin was.

"Minister Yi is within the camp," Zhong Hui replied. Noticing Su Moran among those present, he offered thanks, "We owe much to Su of Qingqiu, who sent us word by carrier pigeon and pledged to aid Shang in its crusade against Xia. Without his message and his oath, we would not have had such confidence to come to Mingtiao!"

Su Moran rose and cupped his hands. "Once, Young Lord Haodan saved the Empress of my tribe and lent his strength to Shang’s cause. That is why today, we stand together—not only for the alliance, but for the very survival of our people!"

"In that case, today's battle is one we simply cannot lose," Zhong Hui declared solemnly.

King Wu made his decision without hesitation. He addressed Haodan gravely, "Then, Haodan, you shall take the field in the second round. If you cannot overcome your foe, withdraw quickly—I have my own countermeasures."

"I understand, Father," Haodan replied, barely able to contain his excitement.

King Wu continued, "For the third round, I must ask the Grand Elder of Qingqiu to send forth a champion from the Nine Barbarians. Even if we are defeated in all three rounds, we must fight the million-strong host of Great Xia to the bitter end!"

Su Qianshu fell silent for a long while, not responding. At his side, Xiao Bailing could no longer remain still. She had once sought out the Lord of Tongtian at the Immortal Gate, intending to sever all ties with the Celestial Realm. Now, if Haodan was to be entangled in mortal affairs, she was determined to protect him at all costs. She had failed to dissuade him during the battle at Yangyi; now, she was ready to risk everything. Whatever Haodan decided, she would stand with him—even if it meant becoming the enemy of the world.

She stepped to Haodan’s side, her cheeks flushed, sharing a silent smile with him. Then she cupped her hands and declared, "Regardless of the outcome of the second round, I shall fight in the third!"

King Wu frowned. "This... I fear it may not be appropriate?"

"Lady Bailing, you are not a mortal. It may be improper to ask you to fight," Zhong Hui interjected.

"On the contrary," he immediately corrected himself, "it is perfectly appropriate." Of all those present, he best understood the current crisis. As the chief military and political officer of the alliance, he had to consider the grand strategy. If Xiao Bailing was willing to fight, she was the ideal candidate for the alliance.

He glanced around and added with a smile, "Your Majesty, let us place the greater good above all."

King Wu bowed gratefully. "At this moment, we have no other options. We must trouble you, Lady Immortal."

Xiao Bailing smiled sweetly at his words, but her expression quickly darkened with solemnity. "In the days to come, should unforeseen events occur, I beg Your Majesty not to be surprised. Some things concerning me are difficult to explain. After all, I am here for Haodan, and if events unfold as I foresee, I implore Your Majesty not to intervene. When the war between mortals and immortals breaks out, it will far surpass the scale of today’s battle."

Zhong Hui and King Wu were both astonished—such words suggested an earth-shattering conflict yet to come.

Su Moran observed coldly from the side. "The fate of all living things hangs in the balance. When the time comes, the immortals of the Celestial Realm will not stand idly by. The witches of the Seven-Star Tower are themselves descendants of the ancient shamans; their reach is limitless, their schemes unfathomable, and their power exceeds all those here. Even if we gave our all, we could not hope for victory."

Su Moran's words struck Zhong Hui and King Wu like a thunderbolt.

"Then, when that time comes, what are we to do?" Zhong Hui could not help but ask.

Xiao Bailing smiled again. "Capture the cities of Great Xia and rescue the people within. As for everything else, it is beyond mortal strength to resolve."

King Wu frowned. "With the great battle imminent, we have no assurance of victory."

"We do what we must—Heaven is watching," Xiao Bailing replied lightly. With those few words, she took Haodan’s hand and left the camp.

…

The appointed hour arrived. Once more, the armies gathered at the banks of the Mingtiao River.

Grand Tutor Ranlong issued his order: the undefeated General Wu Qigong of Xuanwu Pass accepted, spurring his crimson horse onto the wooden raft in the center of the battlefield. He was clad in scarlet robes, armored in the shell of the Northern Tortoise, and wielded the seven-headed viper pincers. Brimming with vigor, he shouted, "Rebels of the Shang Alliance! Who among you dares face me? Hmph!"

As his words echoed, a youth descended lightly to the raft, seeming to step on air as he landed.

"I am Haodan, adopted son of King Wu, leader of the Shang Alliance! I am honored to meet the General in battle!" Haodan bowed with clasped fists.

Wu Qigong burst out laughing. "Where did this brat come from? You’ve learned a few tricks and now boast of challenging me? Best step down—if I beat up a child, won’t the world’s heroes laugh at me?"

Haodan met his mockery without flinching. "It seems to me the General is simply afraid and seeks excuses. If you are defeated by me, your honor will be forfeit before your own soldiers!"

"You sharp-tongued whelp! If you’re so eager, let’s settle this in battle!" Wu Qigong, thoroughly provoked, brandished his seven-headed viper pincers and charged.

On the Xia side, the soldiers and commanders roared approval—surely their undefeated general would not let them down.

"General Xuanwu! The undefeated Wu Qigong!"

The thunderous cheers swept across the field towards Haodan. He smiled confidently. These mortals, he thought, had no idea that the young man before them once ascended the Nine Heavens and fought the immortals of the Celestial Sect. Though his divine power had yet to awaken, his experience alone ensured he was not inferior to Wu Qigong.

Wu Qigong leapt from his mount, scarlet robes billowing, descending like a god of war. Haodan, unhurried, gestured with his right hand. The spirit of the Eastern Sovereign had already merged with him. He silently recited an incantation: "The Bell becomes the Golden Blade."

He had used this move against the Ten Lords of the Nine Heavens and the Sword Immortal of the Celestial Sect. Haodan now possessed myriad supreme arts: the Imperial Seal, the Divine Art of Taiyi, the Gaze of Space, the Supreme Body, the Heavenly Bloom, and in his current state, the Thousandfold Blade. He also commanded the Nine Syllable Incantation, divine powers of heaven and earth, and the eighty-eight techniques of the Mysterious Gate. Yet, this was not the time to reveal them all against mortals. He needed to conserve his strength, for if the witches of the Seven-Star Tower joined the battle, he would need to face them without reserve. Clearly, today’s situation had been orchestrated in every detail by those very witches.

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, but he had no time for distraction. No matter the karma of his previous life, he would not forsake his convictions in this one. He would fight for all living things—for the alliance of Shang!

Gripping the golden blade, Haodan appeared perfectly ordinary to the watching crowd—there was nothing remarkable about his weapon at all.

Wu Qigong lunged with his seven-headed viper pincers straight for Haodan’s chest. Haodan did not dodge or retreat; he calmly raised his blade and met the attack with a single, horizontal sweep.

Wu Qigong, seeing Haodan’s nonchalance, felt a flicker of pride and malice—soon to prove his undoing. Just as their weapons met, the seven-headed viper pincers began to buzz and shake violently. Wu Qigong gripped tighter, but the weapon trembled as if about to shatter.

With a sudden crack, the pincers splintered in his hand—completely and inexplicably destroyed. Wu Qigong barely managed to steady himself, nearly suffering a disastrous defeat in a single exchange.

The onlookers erupted.

"That boy used demonic arts! Why did the General’s weapon suddenly shatter?"

"That was close! Lucky our General is quick. If that brat had pressed the attack, who knows what might have happened!"

Both sides were stunned. Among the Shang alliance—King Wu, Zhong Hui, the rulers of Youshen and Youshi, the lords of the Nine Provinces—all watched in shock and doubt. How had the adopted son of King Wu acquired such strength, and why had the king never mentioned it before?

Haodan, still gripping the golden blade, smiled at Wu Qigong and said nothing.

Wu Qigong, shaken to the core, realized he had badly underestimated his opponent. The uproar from the crowd only deepened his humiliation. His composure slipped; he recited an incantation, "The Seven Venomous Serpents Array!"

His white hair bristled, his eyes turned red, his face twisted with malice. He gestured rapidly. "A moment ago, I was careless. You may dabble in unorthodox arts, but this array is a true discipline of the Golden Rooster Peak—a grand technique of the Golden Rooster School. If you possess any immortal power, step into my array!"

The array was formed from the fragments of the shattered seven-headed pincers. That mortal-grade weapon, when faced with the Eastern Emperor’s bell, had been instantly crushed, like an ant before a king. The fragments turned to smoke and merged into the raft below, releasing seven colors—red, orange, blue, green, purple, cyan, and yellow—each emanating a chilling, sinister, and terrifying aura, as if they bore the darkness of the Nine Hells, closing in on Haodan.

He regarded the impending maelstrom and shook his head, smiling as he stepped forward. "This array shall be broken by me—and you shall fall by my hand!"

…

What comes next? Let us wait and see in the next installment!