Stepping onto the arena.
Dongbo Xueying stood calmly, while opposite him, a gray-cloaked man with graying hair also ascended the platform.
“Greetings, Dongbo. I hope you’ll go easy on me,” the man named Yan Feng immediately bowed in courtesy.
Dongbo Xueying was momentarily taken aback before replying indifferently, “This is a life-and-death battle. There is no room for mercy. Do not blame me.”
Yan Feng chuckled awkwardly.
A joke.
To rank within the top thousand in the entire Anhai Prefecture’s selection battles meant that, on average, not even one such expert existed per starfield! How could one afford to be careless against such a foe? If he let his guard down and fell victim to a single misstep, what then?
“To think this kid, who has only cultivated for a little over two thousand years, shows not the slightest hint of arrogance even in a place like the Divine Court’s Myriad Flowers Banquet arena battles?” Though Yan Feng appeared embarrassed on the surface, his mind was already calculating. He had originally planned to exploit his opponent’s pride to seize a sliver of opportunity—after all, being within the top thousand meant his strength was nearly at the threshold of a World God.
He was far stronger than the red-haired man ‘Blood Cloud’ from before.
“Both fighters, prepare yourselves,” commanded a golden-armored general below the arena, activating the formation. A massive, enclosed barrier enveloped the entire platform like a dome. Within the arena, an hourglass containing time sand began its countdown.
“Begin!” the golden-armored general declared.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The man named Yan Feng instantly drew his blade.
Seven identical ‘Yan Fengs’ lunged from different directions, each wielding a unique saber technique aimed at Dongbo Xueying.
“Hmph.” Dark energy surged within Dongbo Xueying as he gripped his spear. With a single sweeping motion, the surroundings plunged into darkness and began collapsing. The overwhelming force instantly shattered all seven ‘Yan Fengs.’ This was no selection battle where opponents gradually increased in strength—this was a true life-and-death duel. Dongbo Xueying unleashed his full power from the outset, combining his Great Chaotic Void True Force with a secret technique.
A single strike plunged the surrounding space into darkness, crushing everything in its wake.
“I surrender!”
The real Yan Feng, still standing in place, trembled at the sight before him and immediately shouted his concession.
The area around Dongbo Xueying, spanning hundreds of miles, had completely collapsed and disintegrated. The sheer terror of that power was palpable even from a distance. Moreover, Yan Feng had already experienced it through his ‘Wind Shadow Clones’—though each clone possessed only half his true strength, all seven had been annihilated without even touching the spear.
What kind of monstrous power was this?
Far beyond the threshold of a World God.
“Yan Feng surrenders. Dongbo, victory!” the golden-armored general below announced loudly.
In arena battles, victory was decided either by surrender or death.
“He surrendered just like that?”
“They barely even fought!”
“That Yan Feng barely moved—just tested the waters and got scared?”
“Way too quick to give up.”
Countless spectators buzzed with discussion.
“Fool. Absolute fool. Surrendering without even a proper fight.” Among the crowd, a group of soldiers guarded a silver-robed youth—none other than the cold-faced General Ying. Three years had passed, and though his eyes had grown even more sinister and malevolent, he at least retained a semblance of composure.
“Isn’t there anyone strong enough to defeat Dongbo? Or at least make him suffer?” General Ying fumed.
His resentment toward Dongbo Xueying stemmed from the latter’s meteoric rise and youth. Everyone could see Dongbo Xueying’s boundless future, while General Ying was nearing the end of his life. His authority relied not on his own strength or potential, but on his father’s influence. The contrast only deepened his bitterness.
“Brilliant.”
“Incredible. Dongbo is truly unmatched.”
“He didn’t even have to fight seriously before his opponent surrendered in fear.” The Xia Clan deities and Yu Jingqiu watched joyfully from their secluded corner among the masses.
…
“Dongbo is indeed formidable. Yan Feng admits defeat,” the man on the arena bowed respectfully.
“Your skills are impressive as well. Your clone technique is quite remarkable,” Dongbo Xueying praised sincerely. It was the truth—each of the seven clones surpassed the limits of a Deity. Against a Fiendgod Soldier, Yan Feng could likely win within ten moves.
After exchanging words, both descended the platform and returned to their positions.
“Second match,” the Divine Court emissary on the high platform announced. “Zui Guke versus Cun Qing.”
Dongbo Xueying resumed his seat.
“Congratulations, Dongbo,” said the Seventh Plum Rain beside him.
“I faced the lowest-ranked opponent. It was relatively easy. I suspect yours will be similar,” Dongbo Xueying replied with a smile, his gaze shifting to the distant arena where Zui Guke and Cun Qing now stood.
Zui Guke wore a green robe, appearing elderly with a sword strapped to his back.
Of course, appearances were deceiving—his actual cultivation time was merely twenty thousand years.
The battle commenced swiftly.
And ended just as quickly—a near-repeat of the previous fight. But this time, the opponent, Cun Qing, perished.
A single sword strike sealed his fate.
“What a swift blade,” Dongbo Xueying murmured, his pupils contracting as he sensed the threat. “A terrifying sword.”
“Impressive,” the Seventh Plum Rain gasped.
Both were visibly shaken.
The Seventh Plum Rain herself was a master of the sword—her techniques were swift, precise, and flawlessly executed.
But Zui Guke?
His swordplay was simpler, reduced to a single, devastating strike. No complexity, no flourish.
Yet that one strike carried overwhelming power.
“World Sundering?” Dongbo Xueying whispered.
“Yes, World Sundering,” the Seventh Plum Rain nodded. “It carries the essence of the World Sundering Heart.”
Though they had reviewed the starfield preliminaries, Zui Guke had merely flicked his sword to shatter the Fiendgod Soldier then—revealing nothing of his true skill.
Now, in the arena, he had unveiled a glimpse of his prowess.
“His swordsmanship has been refined into a single stroke. No matter the opponent, it’s always that one strike—like cleaving heaven and earth. A single move, and the enemy falls,” the Seventh Plum Rain marveled. “Given his level, I suspect he’s on the verge of grasping the supreme ‘World Sundering Heart.'”
“A true master,” Dongbo Xueying conceded. Though he had ranked one place higher in the selection battles, the difference was marginal—perhaps due to his Ten Thousand Tribulations Indestructible Body.
He had to admit that, in terms of pure mastery, his World Heart far surpassed his opponent’s—he had even begun developing secret techniques from it.
But his achievements in the Chaotic Void Heart paled in comparison to Zui Guke’s progress in the World Sundering Heart. The contrast was stark.
“Seeing him casually shatter the Fiendgod Soldier in the preliminaries, I assumed he specialized in brute force. But his swordsmanship is even more fearsome,” Dongbo Xueying acknowledged. In a real duel, the outcome between them would be uncertain.
Soon, the third match began.
This round featured the third-ranked contestant—Jiu She. Unlike Dongbo Xueying and Zui Guke, whose cultivation spans were relatively short, Jiu She had trained for over five million years.
“Unbelievable.”
“This is…”
“He seems even stronger than Dongbo and Zui Guke!”
The moment Jiu She made his move, the crowd erupted in astonishment.
Dongbo Xueying and the Seventh Plum Rain were equally stunned.
As the battle began, countless duplicates of Jiu She materialized across the arena, each slashing downward with a palm strike. The sheer multitude of attacks annihilated the opponent’s space—and the opponent himself—before he could even utter a surrender.
Jiu She, clad in white with flowing silver brows, stood atop the platform and cast a faint, knowing smile toward Dongbo Xueying and Zui Guke below.
Ranking first in the selection battles didn’t necessarily mean true supremacy.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage