Chapter 128: A God-Like Stride

Hundred Flowers City, the first rest stop in the northern sector of the Phoenix Nest for this year’s All-Star Extreme Challenge.

At this moment, the hundreds of thousands of living beings in this great city were completely bewildered. Along the tens of kilometers of massive streets, people stared blankly at the gigantic 3D screen hanging in the sky.

To the south, east, west, and even the north of the Phoenix Nest, people were unaware of the situation in the race segments leading up to the city. Following these events was too difficult and distant; only when all the successful martial artists gathered at the Phoenix Nest would every corner of the Martial Dance Civilization be able to witness the most intense competition highlights.

However, the northern region of the Phoenix Nest was divided into ten segments with ten rest stops. As the first stop, the people of Hundred Flowers City were naturally focused on the martial artists who would pass through their home. When Le Xiaotian had previously caused a stir, the city’s observers had captured the footage, uncovering his extraordinary nature.

On the massive screen, a lush, low-lying cluster of hills was displayed. The vast open space appeared deserted. Yet, the tremors vibrating through the ground were intense and real.

The martial artists were almost here!

As hundreds of thousands of eyes from different angles fixed upon the same magical screen, the world seemed to fall silent. The next moment, at the edge of the horizon, under the radiance of a billion rays of sunlight, a figure shot into the sky.

"Somadeya!"

The roar was like the howl of a dragon or the screech of a tiger. This image of Le Xiaotian sprinting and roaring became etched into the minds of hundreds of thousands of beings.

Pure white, exquisite headphones sat atop his head. Strands of black hair, matted by sweat, fluttered in the wind. His eyes, as black as the bottom of a pot, shimmered with a soul-stirring brilliance. His slightly flushed face held an expression of immense fury, like a tiger provoked. The gentle demeanor had vanished, replaced by the ferocious visage of a beast king.

His bronzed skin, glistening with sweat, delivered a powerful visual impact. Coupled with his defined chest, shoulder, abdominal, and leg muscles, and a physique balanced perfectly between lean and brawny, many women felt their hearts racing.

Bathed in golden sunlight, set against a backdrop of lush grasslands and swirling, eerie gusts of wind, the God of Dance leaped across the horizon!

In that instant, the hundreds of thousands of beings seemed infected by the energy. The anticipation in their hearts transformed into a collective, thunderous roar: "Somadeya!"

The powerful, surging wave of sound was earth-shaking, stunning even Le Xiaotian, who wore headphones. Stopping the music in his own world, his initial shock was quickly replaced by immense anger. Le Xiaotian had a rule: no one was allowed to interrupt him when he was listening to music; the God of Dance would turn hostile in a heartbeat!

However, just as he was about to lash out, he saw the scene ahead and comically recoiled, leaning his upper body back.

Ahead of him stood a majestic city wall, and behind it lay a sprawling complex of architecture that was impossible to take in at a glance. Most of the structures were made of stone, as reinforced concrete was not favored here. After all, the masterpieces that could withstand tens of thousands of years of history were not so-called skyscrapers.

Realizing he had reached Hundred Flowers City, he pulled off his headphones and muttered in confusion, "I just finished warming up, and I’m here already?"

He glanced at a group of bird-men above the city wall, his expression one of surprise. The true face of the Hongkun Heavenly Realm was finally appearing. Humans were not the masters; instead, the Heavenly Realm was filled with ten thousand races, and the true rulers had yet to emerge. He couldn't be sure if these were Winged People or Angels, as there were simply too many races with wings.

To verify his suspicions, he slowed his pace and looked back. As a rumbling sound drew closer, Le Xiaotian saw clusters of people appearing on the horizon. They had arrived.

*The God of Dance is first!*

Confirming this, he turned and slowed his pace, jogging toward Hundred Flowers City. Meanwhile, he pulled a metal rack holding bottled water from his large backpack. He took a bottle of "Beiming" mountain spring water, rinsed his mouth, and then poured the rest over his head.

As he neared the city gate, the hundreds of thousands of spectators seemed even more excited than he was. Feeling the impact of their crazy roars, screams, and cheers, Le Xiaotian was swept up in their enthusiasm. He threw his head back and laughed, "Haha, the God of Dance has arrived!"

As Le Xiaotian dashed into Hundred Flowers City and his feet hit the bluestone pavement, he asked the people lining the streets, "Is there anyone ahead of me? Am I the first one here?"

"You’re the champion! Roar!"
"You’re number one! Roar!"
"You’re the strongest! Roar!"
"Emma, you’re a cripple!"

The dancing, excited crowds confirmed the fact: in this segment of the race, he was indeed first!

Upon confirming this, Le Xiaotian’s face beamed with joy, and he continuously waved to the crowd in his signature God of Dance style. As he jogged slowly, people along the streets scrambled to ask, "Can we splash water on you?"

Everyone on Earth knew that splashing large amounts of cold water on the body immediately after intense physical exertion could be dangerous. Surely these people understood this, which was why they were asking.

Slowing down further, Le Xiaotian began to dance to a four-four time rhythm, roaring as he moved. As the rhythm caught on, the people happily splashed water from pots, pans, and buckets onto the first-place runner. Feeling this warmth, Le Xiaotian danced with even more gusto. He felt as if he had returned to the happiest days of singing, dancing, and flirting with Su Yun, Sun Yuzhen, and Chen Fang, rather than the version of himself that had become famous in Fama.

Suddenly, Le Xiaotian stumbled forward while dancing, his body swaying before he finally regained his balance.

"What the hell? Who did that?"

The crowd stopped their movements and turned back with him to look at the angry Le Xiaotian.

At the intersection of their gazes stood a little girl in blue. Her face was bright red, and she was holding a water hose.

*Seriously? Using a hose on me? You’ve got spirit!*

Waving his hand, Le Xiaotian laughed, "Don't be afraid, little sister. Brother is fine, brother is fine."

Seeing Le Xiaotian's sunny smile, the little girl seemed to relax, and her small hand reached back for the tap handle.

"Don't! Little sister, don't turn it on! Save it for the people behind me, blast them hard!"

"Haha!" The crowd burst into laughter again.

After narrowly persuading the little demon, Le Xiaotian turned back, looking full of vigor once more. Feeling the sensation of millions of water droplets washing over his body, he was inspired. He raised his hands, focused his energy, and with a solemn expression, began to sing the soprano part from the seventeenth measure of "Ocean Princess."

It was a chant-like performance, similar to the bel canto style on Earth, which had its own unique beauty. As he moved in rhythm, Le Xiaotian’s outstretched hands rose and fell with the soprano notes: "Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!"

The high-pitched, piercing, ethereal, sacred, grand, and yet delicate soprano notes rang out, and the people were instantly awestruck!

It was incredible!

The language understood by all living beings was the mimicry of nature. As the voice echoed, the people began to shout and sing along with Le Xiaotian.

Ten thousand people sang together, dancing and cheering, creating a harmonious and festive atmosphere. This scene was witnessed by the dozens of contestants who had just entered the city, and they naturally couldn't help but mock him.

"What’s he so proud of? This is only the first stop; we haven't even left Fama. If he’s happy about this, won't the martial artists from the seventh or eighth stop die of laughter?"

"Exactly, does this cripple think it’s a sprint? We’re conserving our strength. Charging like that is just stupid!"

"Right? He thinks he’s so great, but we’re just letting him win, aren't we, everyone?!"

"Yeah!"

In the midst of their sour collective response, one of the leading martial artists hadn't even finished speaking before he was sent flying backward. As he crashed to the ground a dozen meters away with a thud, the other martial artists turned around.

Standing there was the little girl in blue, still holding the water hose. Her expression was now one of regret, as if she realized she had done something wrong. With a look that was both aggrieved and shy, it was hard for anyone to blame her.