Chapter 438: The Four Contestants

"Osmanthus cake? I want some, I want some!" Bingbing exclaimed happily.

Bingbing broke the awkwardness, and Zhong Shan handed out the cakes to everyone. Shao Feihou took a box, Nie Qingqing took one, and Tian Ling'er also took one.

"No need," Zhao Tiansha said, raising an eyebrow.

"Hmm, it's delicious, really delicious!" Bingbing said, smiling from ear to ear. Seeing his daughter happy, Shao Feihou nodded to Zhong Shan in appreciation.

Zhao Tiansha watched coldly as Tian Ling'er, holding the osmanthus cake, felt a swirl of emotions but began to eat carefully.

In the distance, Xiaoyao Hou had already reached the seashore. He looked at the vast ocean before him, and with a sudden curve of his right finger, he pointed forward. Instantly, a red light shot from his fingertip deep into the ocean.

The group watched as a red glow emerged from the sea floor, revealing a massive fiery wheel slowly rotating, as if the ocean floor was set ablaze, creating a spectacular underwater volcanic eruption.

"What's that?" Tian Ling'er asked in slight amazement.

"Nirvana Fire Wheel, I didn't expect Xiaoyao Hou to master such a technique," Nie Qingqing said with a frown.

Nirvana Fire Wheel? Zhong Shan immediately thought of the legendary move attributed to Nie Fancheng. It seemed Nie Fancheng had indeed favored Xiaoyao Hou, even passing down this powerful technique.

The Nirvana Fire Wheel was known to be an incredibly powerful move, where the wheel symbolized the cycle of yin and yang. However, it seemed Xiaoyao Hou hadn't fully mastered it.

"Bubbling!" "Bubbling!"..... The sea in front of them began to boil furiously, creating large bubbles as the water temperature rose rapidly.

Boiling the sea with a single finger! What a monstrous technique.

Zhong Shan watched the sea coldly. This move had immense power, enough to threaten an Imperial Extreme Realm expert. If Xiaoyao Hou had used this move in their previous fight, the outcome might have been different.

However, Zhong Shan wasn't overly concerned. He could see that this technique required time, and Xiaoyao Hou hadn't yet achieved complete control over it.

The boiling sea was a grand spectacle. As the water boiled, fish floated belly-up to the surface, some already cooked.

Feeling triumphant, Xiaoyao Hou smiled slightly and then reached out to grab a large fish, about three meters long, that was remarkably heat-resistant and still alive.

He tossed the fish to his Imperial Extreme Realm subordinates and walked back, arrogantly saying, "I'm sorry for cooking so many fish. You can pick one here; I don't mind, hahahaha!"

Tian Ling'er felt a wave of disgust at Xiaoyao Hou's arrogance.

"Hmph!" Zhao Tiansha snorted coldly, clearly annoyed by Xiaoyao Hou's condescension.

Zhao Tiansha stood up and walked towards the sea.

Xiaoyao Hou had only boiled a portion of the sea, leaving large areas untouched. The temperature difference between the hot and cold parts of the sea caused water currents to change, leading to huge waves. The cooler water spread from the bottom, rapidly merging and displacing the hot water.

As the waves settled, the temperature of the sea quickly dropped, and the dead fish floated away while new fish were carried in by the currents.

Zhao Tiansha stood at the shore, coldly gazing at the ocean. The group watched from behind, and Xiaoyao Hou sneered, clearly looking down on Zhao Tiansha.

Zhao Tiansha's eyes narrowed as he prepared to demonstrate his own formidable skills.

Zhao Tiansha grasped the hilt of his sword, his fingers tracing a precise path, and his form momentarily tensed.

In the distance, Zhong Shan narrowed his eyes. This technique? Zhong Shan recognized it immediately.

The Sky-Splitting Sword Technique! It gathers power to its peak and releases it in a powerful burst of sword energy, a move that pierces through any defense.

"Shing~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"

A powerful white light flashed.

Zhao Tiansha's sword was drawn and then sheathed in an instant.

Everyone present couldn't help but be taken aback.

"What a powerful move. It can actually threaten an Imperial Extreme Realm expert," Nie Qingqing immediately commented in awe.

The surrounding Imperial Extreme Realm experts were stunned. It wasn't that they couldn't produce such power, but Zhao Tiansha's cultivation was only at the early Fusion Stage. Rumor had it he had just broken through before coming to the Great Li Dynasty. A Fusion Stage move that could threaten an Imperial Extreme Realm expert? What kind of monstrous technique was this?

Threatening an Imperial Extreme Realm expert was one thing, but the key was its effect.

With a single sword draw, the entire sea was cleaved in two.

At least a thousand miles of ocean split into a massive chasm, the water rushing to either side, creating an empty space that extended to the ocean floor.

The thousand-mile chasm was an awe-inspiring sight, with water on both sides like towering waterfalls, held back by the overwhelming sword energy, unable to close.

Too powerful!

One sword to split the sea! A thousand-mile chasm!

Immediately, on both sides of this massive chasm, the exposed ocean floor revealed countless sea fish, like a giant aquarium, all clearly visible.

Zhao Tiansha extended his hand and summoned a large fish, about a foot long, and tossed it to his subordinates. He then turned and walked back.

As Zhao Tiansha walked back, the ocean waters on either side surged back towards the center, creating a towering thirty-foot wave, stretching for a thousand miles, an incredibly majestic sight.

"Wow, Dad, you've met your match," Bingbing exclaimed in amazement.

Tian Ling'er, watching the dashing Zhao Tiansha, was filled with excitement and joy. She instinctively wanted to clap in delight but suddenly realized she was holding something—the osmanthus cake. She quickly popped it into her mouth to free her hands.

But as the sweet, soft cake melted in her mouth, Tian Ling'er's heart felt a sudden pang, as if the surge of emotion had been dampened. Osmanthus cake?

Tian Ling'er unconsciously glanced at Zhong Shan, feeling a mix of emotions she couldn't quite describe. Why was she feeling this way? Why couldn't she control her emotions? Could Zhong Shan's words really be true?

Xiaoyao Hou boiled the sea with a single finger!

Zhao Tiansha split the sea with a single sword!

Both were extraordinary feats. Catching a fish hardly justified such effort, but for these four, it wasn't just about the fish; it was about outdoing each other.

Boiling the sea with a single finger and splitting the sea with a single sword—both were impressive techniques, grand in scale, and equally matched. How would the remaining two fare?

"Dad, it's your turn. You must outdo them!" Bingbing urged Shao Feihou.

Shao Feihou looked at his daughter, smiling awkwardly. "Alright, alright, you sit here."

"Mm, I'll cheer for you!" Bingbing nodded obediently.

Shao Feihou stood up and walked out.

"Uncle, do you have any more…?" Bingbing asked Zhong Shan immediately after Shao Feihou left.

Seeing Bingbing's cute expression, Zhong Shan smiled slightly and took out five or six more boxes of osmanthus cake, saying, "All for you!"

"Thank you, Uncle!" Bingbing happily gathered the boxes of osmanthus cake in her arms. As she looked at Zhong Shan, her eyes sparkled as if she had thought of something.

Everyone turned their attention to Shao Feihou, knowing his intelligence and formidable strength. They were curious about what kind of spectacle he would create.

Shao Feihou walked to the seashore and suddenly took out a small bottle, pouring a purple liquid into the sea. He then put the bottle away and stood at the edge of the water.

"What is Shao Feihou doing?" Xiaoyao Hou frowned.

The purple liquid dissolved into the sea, disappearing quickly.

Suddenly, "splash," a fish leaped onto the shore.

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise. What was happening? How did a fish leap onto the shore?

No, it wasn't just one fish. The sea became alive with movement as more and more fish swam towards the shore, thousands of them. In no time, tens of thousands of fish were rushing towards the spot where the purple liquid had been poured.

The scene was magnificent. Within moments, the coastline was packed with fish, as if responding to Shao Feihou's call.

Fish were being pushed onto the shore. In no time, a large pile of fish accumulated.

"Wow, wow, wow!" Bingbing clapped her hands excitedly.

The spectacle of tens of thousands of fish was incredibly powerful and awe-inspiring. Although it lacked the flashy techniques of boiling or splitting the sea, the ability to summon so many fish was equally impressive.

Among the multitude of fish, Shao Feihou quickly selected a large yellow fish, scooped it into a bucket, and brought it over.

In the distance, the remaining fish slowly dispersed as the purple liquid was consumed.

What was that substance that made the fish so eager?

"Dad, fire stick, magic stick!" Bingbing mumbled through a mouthful of osmanthus cake.

Seeing the pile of osmanthus cake boxes in front of Bingbing, Shao Feihou shook his head with a wry smile and nodded to Zhong Shan in gratitude. This daughter was really a handful.

Boiling the sea with a single finger, splitting the sea with a single sword, and now the spectacle of tens of thousands of fish!

Today had seen so many miracles. The surrounding guards watched with wide eyes, knowing these stories would become bragging material when they returned to Lihuo Holy City.

Now it was the turn of Zhong Shan from the Great Luo Heavenly Dynasty. How would he compare?

Everyone looked expectantly at Zhong Shan, the most inconspicuous of the group.

When it was his turn, Zhong Shan stood up with a calm smile and walked to the sea.

Catching a fish? For this first four-way competition, Zhong Shan needed to achieve the best result to surpass the other three. This would enhance his stature in Ling'er's eyes.

Reaching the seashore, Zhong Shan gazed at the vast ocean and narrowed his eyes slightly, as if making a significant decision. He took a deep breath and slowly crouched down, gently stirring the water with his hand.

"What is he doing? Catching fish by hand?" Xiaoyao Hou mocked disdainfully.

Everyone watched Zhong Shan with puzzled expressions. What was he doing, appearing to use the most primitive method of catching fish by hand? What was he up to?