Chapter 398: Chapter 391: Locking Celestial Secret

At this moment, in the wide plain of the canyon, six figures stood at opposite ends of the border line.

Three figures stood on the Donghua side. One of them was an old man of average height, dressed in a green robe. His hair and beard were completely white, making him look ancient.

Beside the old man was a tall young man. He wore a pure white Martial Arts Uniform, and his shoulders were incredibly broad. Just standing there, he exuded a powerful, oppressive aura.

The last person was extremely burly, like a mountain. He was at least two meters tall, with a large, gleaming bald head and a constant smile on his face.

"It’s Principal Zhou!"

Xiangtian’s gaze was instantly drawn to the young man in the middle of the trio, his eyes shining brightly.

’Just as I thought, Principal Zhou is going to fight.’ This was the first time he would see Principal Zhou in action, and he was filled with anticipation.

"That white-haired old man... he looks like Chen Qingmu, the president of the Martial Arts Association? I think I’ve seen him before. He’s a big shot. But who’s the other guy? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him. Do you guys know?"

Fan Hua asked, puzzled.

"You’ve heard of the Secret Inspection Bureau, right? The Bureau has four most powerful combatants, known as the ’Four Symbols Form.’ These four have served as Guardians of Donghua’s four cardinal directions—east, west, south, and north—for many years. You could call them pillars of the nation."

"That last man is the Secret Inspection Bureau’s Guardian for the west and northwest regions, a top-tier expert known as the ’Western Xuanwu.’"

Just then, Zhuo Tong spoke slowly as he looked at Tu Junshan.

Xiangtian and Fan Hua looked at him, knowing that he came from a major school in the Northwest and was thus privy to certain secrets.

"I never imagined there were such unknown experts in the country... Pillars of the nation..."

Fan Hua said with a sigh.

"They’re all incredible big shots..."

Xiangtian exclaimed. Then, the group turned their attention to the three individuals on the Bosha Country side.

The appearances of these three were incredibly distinct.

One of them had his head wrapped in a white cloth turban. He was of medium height with sunken eyes. Bare-chested, he wore trousers in an ancient Bosha style. His skin was a dark, coppery bronze, and his deep-set eyes seemed to possess a power that made it difficult to look at him directly. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Beside this man was a short, incredibly emaciated old man who looked like a desiccated corpse. His entire body was wrapped in white bandages, making him look just like a mummy. He was hunched over, curled into a ball. Most importantly, he hadn’t walked here on his own; he was in a wheelchair and had been pushed onto the field.

’This... Can he even compete?’

Incredulous expressions appeared on the faces of Xiangtian and the others.

The last of the three was the one who had pushed the mummy-like old man onto the scene.

Among the three, this man looked the most normal. He was about 1.8 meters tall, with fair skin, deep-set eyes, and light brown irises. His build was neither muscular nor thin. He looked like an ordinary middle-aged man with typical features of the Ya’an people.

Standing on the field, Zhou Yuanjue’s gaze also swept over the three men.

First, there was the dark-skinned old man.

According to the data, this person corresponded to the god Shiva from the Bosha Teaching’s God Sanxiang. He was currently known in the Bosha Country Cultivation Realm as the "Wheel of Destruction." His real name was Ludi.

The other was the old man in the wheelchair. Although he looked decrepit, he actually corresponded to the Main God from the God Sanxiang, the creator god Brahma. In the Bosha Country Cultivation Realm, he was called "Venerable Brahma." His real name was Kekao.

The last one, the middle-aged man who looked like an ordinary person, corresponded to Vishnu from the God Sanxiang. He was known in the Bosha Country Cultivation Realm as the "Giant Spirit Snake King." His real name was Doram.

"Gentlemen, I wonder how you would like to proceed with this exchange?"

Chen Qingmu asked the three men on the other side of the border, his gaze calm.

"Chen Qingmu of Wither and Bloom, one of Donghua’s greatest protectors. It’s a shame we were unable to determine a victor decades ago. How about we remedy that regret now?"

"Decades ago, you say."

Hearing this, Chen Qingmu’s eyes narrowed slightly, a sharp glint flashing within them.

Decades ago, Donghua and Bosha Country had been at an impasse over border issues, even resorting to armed conflict. Relations between the two nations were incredibly tense, and the clashes from that time were not pleasant memories.

"Very well. Let us two settle the score first."

Chen Qingmu said flatly.

Since both had agreed, Zhou Yuanjue and the others had no major objections. Zhou Yuanjue and Tu Junshan tapped their feet and swiftly retreated several hundred meters away from the battlefield to watch from a distance.

On the other side, Ludi, the Wheel of Destruction, also slowly pushed Kekao away, leaving the battlefield to the remaining two.

"With so many people watching, aren’t you afraid of being embarrassed? After all, you were in a pretty pathetic state decades ago. Your Hand of Life and Death has no effect on me."

Doram glanced sideways at the numerous Donghua spectators nearby, a mocking smile playing on his lips as he spoke.

"Decades have passed. Do you think time has stood still?"

Chen Qingmu said flatly.

"Then let me see what you’ve truly got."

Doram said with a smile.

"I wonder how much youth you have left to keep."

Chen Qingmu’s eyes narrowed. He extended his thumb and slowly pressed a series of Acupoints on his body.

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!!

As the Acupoints were activated, a strange power hidden within his body began to rapidly awaken.

It flowed through his blood vessels, gradually filling his entire body.

"Hm?"

Doram’s eyes narrowed slightly. He could feel an immense change coming over his opponent.

It was like some long-dormant machine being restarted.

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!!

His heart beat faster and more violently. As a strange magnetic power was unlocked, Chen Qingmu’s body also began to undergo a tremendous transformation.

Visibly, under the rush of blood, the skin on his face tightened. His body, which had atrophied slightly with age, began to expand, and his bones made a series of cracking and popping sounds.

The most peculiar change was his hair, eyebrows, and beard. Before one’s very eyes, their grizzled white color was gradually replaced by a thick, deep black.

His body seemed to be growing younger.

At this very moment, he seemed to be reversing the flow of his own Vitality!

"Life and Death... That’s the old man’s special ability. He uses his Acupoints to lock away his Vitality, controlling his body’s withering and flourishing. When this Vitality is released, his body returns to its strongest, youngest state."

"In a sense, he has permanently locked himself in his peak state."

"He calls this ability ’Locking Celestial Secret.’"