Chapter 429: The Battle of the City, Begins

In the courtyard, the deities of the Xia Clan sat in small groups, eating, drinking, and chatting idly.

“The Battle of the Prefectural City has three rounds. Just the first ranking battle alone eliminated over thirty thousand participants,” Emperor Zi Lei sighed, shaking his head. “Out of thirty-two thousand, only the top thousand are chosen! A single starfield might have just a dozen or so who pass the preliminary selection. Statistically speaking, it’s entirely possible for all the god-level experts from a starfield to be wiped out in the ranking battle.”

“The Tianxiang Starfield I hail from was completely eliminated in the ranking battle during the last Ten Thousand Blossoms Feast, or so I’ve heard,” Yun Hai chuckled. “But I believe Dongbo has what it takes to make it into the top thousand.”

“Dongbo can defeat a Savage Witch Warrior in a single move. Making the top thousand shouldn’t be a problem,” Emperor Longshan added.

The Xia Clan deities all chimed in with their praises.

Dongbo Xueying laughed. “Alright, alright, no more flattery. You all seem more confident in me than I am in myself.”

“I believe in you too, Xueying,” Yu Jingqiu, seated beside him, said softly. “It’s just a shame the ranking battle isn’t open to spectators. We won’t be able to watch.”

“True.”

“Such a pity it’s not public.”

“What a shame…”

The Xia Clan deities shook their heads in disappointment.

The Battle of the Prefectural City was divided into three rounds. The first, the ranking battle, was not open to the public. However, the subsequent arena battles and survival battles would be.

Once the ranking battle concluded, the Anhai Prefecture would publicly announce the top thousand rankings. Those on the list would proceed to the next rounds, while those who failed would be eliminated. Of course, many god-level experts fought so fiercely that they perished outright in the ranking battle.

…

For deities, whose lifespans were vast, three days passed in the blink of an eye.

“Dongbo, Dongbo, the Patrol Commander requests your presence. The Battle of the Prefectural City is about to begin,” a soldier from the army came to inform him.

“Lead the way,” Dongbo Xueying said as he stepped out.

Yu Jingqiu and the other Xia Clan deities followed closely. Soon, they arrived at the Patrol Commander’s residence, where a bustling crowd had already gathered.

Since many god-level participants had brought along companions and friends, the place was packed.

“Sixteen god-level experts will accompany me. The rest of you must wait here,” the Patrol Commander Guan announced loudly. “The ranking battle is not open to the public, so none of us will be able to watch. Once it concludes, the rankings will be announced, and all will be revealed.”

“Understood.”

“Second Brother, be careful. If you can’t hold on, just surrender. Don’t throw your life away.”

“Commander, we’re counting on you.”

Voices rose from all directions.

Dongbo Xueying bid farewell to Yu Jingqiu, Yun Hai, Zi Lei, and the others. Then, along with the Seventh Plum Rain and fourteen other god-level experts, he followed Patrol Commander Guan as they set off.

…

Whoosh.

Streaks of light descended from the sky as one group after another arrived.

When Dongbo Xueying’s group landed, they looked around to see a sea of figures—almost all god-level experts, along with numerous Patrol Commanders.

“That elevated platform ahead is where the Prefectural Lord resides,” Patrol Commander Guan suddenly announced.

Dongbo Xueying and the others immediately looked up.

In the distance, atop a high platform, stood eight figures. At the very center was a kindly elder, and beside him sat another elder in thick robes with a snow-white beard. Below them were six imposing figures, each exuding an overwhelming aura.

“Hmm?” Dongbo Xueying recognized one of them instantly. “Lord White Sand?”

The plump Lord White Sand swept his gaze across the dense crowd below before locking eyes with Dongbo Xueying. He smiled and sent a voice transmission directly into Dongbo Xueying’s ear: “Dongbo, I’ve already told the Prefectural Lord and the others that you’ll definitely make it into the top hundred and advance to the final Divine Court Battle. Don’t disappoint me.”

Dongbo Xueying could only sigh inwardly. Lord White Sand seemed even more confident in him than he was in himself.

At that moment—

The snow-bearded elder’s gaze swept over and settled on their group.

The god-level experts from the Wushan Starfield, including Patrol Commander Guan, tensed up.

“Why is he looking this way?” Dongbo Xueying and the others wondered. Only the Seventh Plum Rain turned his head away. The thick-robed, snow-bearded elder chuckled before resuming his conversation with the Anhai Prefectural Lord.

“Your Highness, the Seventh Plum Rain,” Patrol Commander Guan asked with a smile, “do you know that senior?”

“No,” the Seventh Plum Rain, a handsome youth in white, replied coldly.

Patrol Commander Guan was taken aback but could only force a smile.

Most god-level experts wouldn’t dare speak to him so frostily, but this young lord had a second-level Heaven’s Will expert serving under him—clearly not someone to provoke.

“That elder…” Dongbo Xueying glanced at him from afar, quickly sifting through his memories for information. As the master of Red Rock Mountain, he was well-versed in the major figures of the Divine Realm. “To sit almost on par with the Anhai Prefectural Lord, he must at least be a fourth-level Heaven’s Will expert. There aren’t many of those in the Divine Realm. Judging by his appearance… could he be Monarch Snowblaze?”

“Impressive,” Dongbo Xueying mused silently. “Monarch Snowblaze ranks among the very top of fourth-level Heaven’s Will experts. He’s lived for an extremely long time, and his strength is likely comparable to my master, the Red Dust Sacred Lord.”

…

On the high platform above, the Divine Court Emissary stood and bowed to the Anhai Prefectural Lord. “Prefectural Lord, all the starfields have arrived. Shall I begin the proceedings?”

“Proceed,” the Prefectural Lord nodded.

The Divine Court Emissary stepped to the forefront of the platform, gazing down at the vast crowd below. His voice boomed, echoing far and wide:

“By the decree of His Majesty, I shall preside over the Battle of the Prefectural City, under the supervision of the Anhai Prefectural Lord.”

Dongbo Xueying and the others all looked up, listening intently.

“The preliminary selections in the starfields were merely a threshold to filter out the weaker god-level experts,” the Emissary declared. “The Battle of the Prefectural City is the true, bloody trial—one that will truly select the finest hundred god-level experts to proceed to the Divine Court, where they will compete in the final battles before His Majesty and the many mighty ones.”

“The Battle of the Prefectural City consists of three rounds. Today, we begin with the first—the ranking battle.”

With a wave of his hand, the Emissary summoned a scroll.

He tossed it into the air, and it rapidly expanded, stretching over a hundred million miles long, hovering high above like a celestial curtain.

The massive scroll slowly unfurled, revealing a world within—mountains, rivers, and landscapes, a realm unto itself.

“Each time, I will send in one thousand god-level experts,” the Emissary’s voice resounded in everyone’s ears. “Batch by batch, once all thirty-one thousand eight hundred and sixty-five participants have fought, the ranking battle will conclude. Your rankings will be determined by your achievements in battle, with the top thousand announced. All others will be eliminated.”

“As for the rules, you should already know them.”

“The use of World God artifacts, blood-forged divine weapons, and other special treasures is forbidden. Violators will be executed on the spot,” the Emissary stated coldly. “If you find yourself overwhelmed, simply shout your surrender, and I will teleport you out.”

…

Above, the Divine Court Emissary continued listing the rules in an icy tone.

As an envoy bearing the mandate of Bloodblade Divine Emperor, he feared no one—not even mighty ones. Any who dared disrupt the Ten Thousand Blossoms Feast would be challenging the Emperor himself!

“The Battle of the Prefectural City begins now!” the Emissary announced coldly. “The first batch shall enter.”

Whoosh.

An invisible force enveloped the area below. As a third-level Heaven’s Will expert, the Emissary effortlessly seized a thousand god-level experts. In an instant, a thousand figures were swept up, helplessly soaring toward the massive scroll in the sky. Upon contact, they vanished into its depths.

Dongbo Xueying and the remaining thirty thousand-plus god-level experts all watched as the colossal scroll loomed overhead.