“One hundred and eight.” “One hundred and seven.” “One hundred and six.”
Accompanied by the resounding voice of the Divine Court’s envoy, a large number of divine-level experts were struggling to hold on. The difference between the 80th and 110th rankings might seem like a gap of thirty places, but in terms of actual strength, the disparity wasn’t that significant. Many divine-level experts had already reached their limits, doing everything they could to buy time.
Some relied on speed and agility, others on combat prowess, and some on illusions and deception…
Yet, the monstrous beasts were equally adept at traversing the void, moving through shadows, and attacking in overwhelming numbers!
“One hundred and three.” “One hundred and two.” “One hundred and one.”
“Almost there.”
“Hold on.”
“We must hold on.”
Many divine-level experts had already begun to sustain injuries.
“The top one hundred have been decided,” the Divine Court envoy’s voice finally carried a note of joy.
“I surrender.” “I surrender.” “I surrender.”
The moment the envoy announced the top one hundred, those barely clinging on immediately conceded, one after another being expelled from the spherical cage. In the blink of an eye, over twenty divine-level experts emerged, each wearing expressions of relief and joy—they had held on until the end.
“Just a little more, just a little!” A white-haired elder, ranked one hundred and first, reformed his bisected body midair, his eyes filled with frustration. “Why? Why couldn’t I hold on just a little longer?”
“I lost.”
“Ah.”
“Failed to make the top hundred.”
Several others had fallen just short, drowning in regret.
Meanwhile, those who succeeded descended with faces alight with triumph.
“Congratulations!”
“Hahaha, Brother Li, we’ll head to the Divine Court together! The Divine Court Battle is the safest—with luck, we might even become disciples of a mighty figure!” Those who had qualified for the Divine Court Battle were overjoyed. The Starfield Preliminaries, the Prefecture Selection, and the Divine Court Battle—of these, the Divine Court Battle was the safest, with no risk of casualties whatsoever!
Moreover, participating in the Divine Court Battle offered countless opportunities.
Becoming a disciple of a mighty figure? Learning from a Four-Heavens Realm God? Attaining a high rank within the Bloodblade Divine Court? Entering the Bloodblade Tavern?
Taking part in the ‘Divine Court Battle’ was a mark of status! Even the lowest-ranked participants would directly receive the Tenth Rank within the Bloodblade Divine Court. What did the Tenth Rank signify? The generals of garrison and patrol legions typically held only the Ninth Rank. The Tenth Rank, at the very least, was equivalent to a deputy commander—second only to the leader in a third-tier legion.
—
On the high platform, seated at the highest positions, the Snowpeak Monarch and the Anhai Prefecture Lord both wore faint smiles.
“The top one hundred from Anhai Prefecture heading to the Divine Court have been decided,” the Snowpeak Monarch stroked his snow-white beard, chuckling. “They seem quite impressive. That young man called the ‘Lone Drunkard’… his swordsmanship already carries the essence of the Heaven-Splitting Divine Heart. To have created a sword technique secret skill at this level—I estimate he’ll master the Heaven-Splitting Divine Heart, a First-Class Divine Heart, in as little as a day or two, or at most a thousand years.”
“Truly worthy of being the personal disciple of Lord Yu,” the Anhai Prefecture Lord nodded in approval. “To have cultivated for just over twenty thousand years—his talent is remarkable.”
There was still a difference between mastering a First-Class Divine Heart in under ten thousand years versus over twenty thousand, but the gap wasn’t overwhelmingly vast.
“That Dongbo isn’t bad either,” the Snowpeak Monarch remarked. “Though his studies seem rather scattered—at least four Second-Class Divine Hearts. Among them, the Star Divine Heart and the Void Divine Heart appear to be his strongest, having already cultivated the ‘Great Chaotic True Force’ and the ‘Myriad Tribulations Primordial Body’ to divine-level perfection. The Extreme Point Penetration Divine Heart and the Space Divine Heart seem slightly weaker. But regardless, compared to that Lone Drunkard, he still falls short.”
“Indeed, he still has some way to go before mastering a First-Class Divine Heart,” the Anhai Prefecture Lord agreed.
“That Jiushe, however, is the strongest in terms of power,” the Snowpeak Monarch chuckled. “A pity he’s been cultivating for nearly six million years—far too long.”
The Anhai Prefecture Lord nodded. “In terms of strength, Jiushe is first. But in the eyes of the mighty figures… Dongbo would likely be the favorite. Dongbo is far too young! Having cultivated for just over two thousand years, yet achieving such mastery in four Second-Class Divine Hearts. Moreover, it’s obvious at a glance that some of the flaws in his secret skills are almost laughable—clearly, he’s had no guidance from a mighty figure, not even a Four-Heavens Realm God.”
“Indeed. To cultivate independently for over two thousand years, reaching such heights in four Second-Class Divine Hearts without guidance,” the Snowpeak Monarch mused. “Once he receives proper instruction, his progress will surely skyrocket. If I were to take a disciple, I’d choose Dongbo without hesitation.”
“Naturally,” the Anhai Prefecture Lord agreed. “Jiushe has the highest strength, but Dongbo has the greatest potential!”
“In this survival battle, who do you think will take the top three?” the Snowpeak Monarch asked.
“Jiushe is undoubtedly first. As for the Lone Drunkard and Dongbo… the Lone Drunkard’s attacks are more powerful, and his secret skills are more refined! Only his survivability is slightly weaker. Dongbo’s abilities are more varied—strong in defense but lacking in offense…” the Anhai Prefecture Lord analyzed. “The Lone Drunkard should be second, Dongbo third.”
The Snowpeak Monarch nodded.
With their discerning eyes, they could deduce much just from observing the secret skills employed. It was clear Dongbo Xueying had never received guidance from a mighty figure, making it easy to predict the outcome of the battle.
“Hahaha,” the Snowpeak Monarch laughed. “I agree with you. But that thieving little rat… he’s going to lose big this time.”
The Anhai Prefecture Lord also smiled. “That little rat swept the board last time, taking all the treasures we offered. This time, he wanted to do it again… but alas, he’ll likely lose everything.”
—
Below, the six figures—White Sand City Lord, Qin Army Master, Mo Cloud City Lord, Venomous Ying Realm God, Ronghai King, and the Divine Court envoy—remained oblivious to the conversation between the Snowpeak Monarch and the Anhai Prefecture Lord.
The six of them were eagerly watching the battle unfold.
After all, a massive wager was at stake.
“Only thirty remain!” the Divine Court envoy announced loudly before turning to his companion with a grin. “Brother White Sand, do you see how formidable Jiushe is? The Lone Drunkard’s swordsmanship is also incredibly powerful—he’s the personal disciple of Lord Yu, trained under his guidance… Tsk, just his sword technique secret skills alone surpass Dongbo’s.”
“Dongbo will likely take third,” the yellow-robed Venomous Ying Realm God grew increasingly confident as she observed the battle within the spherical cage. She shot a glance at the White Sand City Lord. “Brother White Sand, remember—five-to-one odds!”
“Don’t celebrate until the very end,” the White Sand City Lord stroked his beard, though inwardly, his heart trembled slightly. “Brother Dongbo is still too young. It seems he’ll be the first to lose.”
—
The Lone Drunkard, clad in a green robe, moved gracefully through the cage, a sword in hand.
*Swish.*
As he walked, his entire being seemed to merge with his blade—a force capable of splitting heaven and earth, piercing through all obstacles. Each step brought him directly beside a monstrous beast, and with a single stroke, he cleaved them in two. His swordsmanship was deceptively simple—whether slashing, cutting, or thrusting, each movement appeared basic, yet carried the power to rend the world.
Unstoppable. His swordplay seemed minimalistic yet flawlessly refined, a testament to his mastery of the profound laws. The true ‘First-Class Divine Heart’ was within his grasp at any moment.
—
A white-haired man in white robes, his long eyebrows fluttering, exuded an air of detached pride.
Countless copies of him appeared throughout the spherical cage, standing at every point on its surface. The moment a monstrous beast emerged, every incarnation struck out with a palm, reducing the creature to dust.
Even now, with fewer than thirty participants remaining, he could still annihilate his foes in a single move.
—
At this stage, only the Lone Drunkard and Jiushe could still achieve one-strike kills.
Dongbo Xueying, if he unleashed his most powerful penetrating technique—’Starfall Annihilation’—might also manage it. But he primarily relied on ‘Chaotic Vortex Crush,’ supplemented by other spear techniques. Clearly, he was treating this survival battle as a rare opportunity to temper himself, striving to refine his ‘Chaotic Vortex Crush’ secret skill and master the Chaotic Divine Heart sooner.
His spearplay alternated between techniques, occasionally employing the Extreme Point Penetration secret skill ‘Stellar Barrage’ to slay the beasts. ‘Stellar Barrage,’ combined with the Great Chaotic True Force, possessed formidable piercing power, enough to penetrate the monstrous beasts. Only rarely did he resort to ‘Starfall Annihilation.’
“Only twenty-some left?” Dongbo Xueying mused inwardly. “Truly, none can be underestimated.”
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