Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

"Senior Brother Li, this Jiang Chen must not be allowed to live!"

Amid the crowd, Luo Qing drew close to Li Yunlong, a vicious glint in his eyes as he spoke flatly.

Li Yunlong nodded, a frosty light flickering in his eyes. "He may be strong, but if he runs into me, one strike is all it will take to kill him!"

The mighty Celestial Alliance had always been the undisputed overlord of the Saint Martial Sword Sect.

No one dared to provoke even an ordinary disciple of the Celestial Alliance, yet as soon as Jiang Chen joined the Saint Martial Sword Sect, he had killed the Little Sword Saint, Lu Ling, and then crippled the prodigy Lu Jie.

And now, in front of this massive crowd, he had slain five hundred Celestial Alliance experts and cut down Zhong Yi.

This was, without a doubt, a slap in the face to the Celestial Alliance.

As the number one disciple of the Celestial Alliance in the Outer Sect, if he, Li Yunlong, couldn’t eliminate Jiang Chen, his prestige would suffer. When he eventually entered the Inner Sect, he would be met with ridicule. This was something Li Yunlong could not tolerate. ’In my eyes, Jiang Chen is already a cold corpse!’

"’One strike is all it will take to kill him?’"

Luo Qing, Qiu Yunbo, Hex Junchen, and Sunx Yang exchanged glances.

They had all witnessed the fight between Jiang Chen and Zhong Yi, so they knew just how powerful Jiang Chen was. How could Li Yunlong be so confident he could fell him with a single sword strike?

Luo Qing’s expression changed suddenly. His eyes, a mixture of shock and disbelief, fixed on Li Yunlong. "Senior Brother Li, have you... have you already taken that step?"

A confident smile touched Li Yunlong’s lips as he gave a slight nod.

HISS—

Everyone sucked in a sharp breath.

They all knew exactly what "that step" meant. It was the heavenly chasm that separated a mortal from a Celestial Being.

To cross it was to become transcendent.

Heavenly Destiny... it means to wrest one’s destiny from the heavens themselves!

With Li Yunlong’s talent, stepping into the Heavenly Destiny Realm would cause his combat prowess to undergo a world-altering transformation. Moreover, upon reaching Heavenly Destiny, one’s Martial Soul Talent would undergo its third awakening, unlocking even more powerful Innate Divine Techniques.

’No wonder Li Yunlong was so confident he could kill Jiang Chen with a single strike!’

Luo Qing took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Congratulations, Senior Brother Li. Once this competition is over, you’ll be promoted to an Inner Sect True Inheritor Disciple!"

"Senior Brother Li is truly worthy of his reputation as a genius even the Holy Son holds in high esteem!"

"We are in awe of such talent!"

The others chimed in.

Li Yunlong’s face glowed with confidence. An icy light flashed in his eyes as they swept over Jiang Chen.

「On the high platform of the Earth Martial Hall.」

Zong Han’s face was as black as a pot bottom. He glared at the incessantly chattering Tower Guardian Elder. "Will you ever shut up?"

"A bet’s a bet. I’m waiting to see you swallow that stone table whole!" the Tower Guardian Elder said.

"I..."

Zong Han’s breath hitched, and he seethed with rage. But the Tower Guardian Elder was even stronger than him, leaving him powerless. He vented all his fury on Jiang Chen. ’It’s all this little bastard’s fault! If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be getting mocked by this old fossil!’

The Third Elder was in an exceptionally foul mood.

Before the Grand Elder left, he had given him one task: eliminate Jiang Chen.

He had thought that pitting Jiang Chen against Zhong Yi would guarantee Jiang Chen’s death. He never imagined that not only would Jiang Chen survive, but it would also cost the lives of five hundred Celestial Alliance experts and Zhong Yi himself.

’This time, I must get rid of him.’

Zong Han took a deep breath and announced in a booming voice, "Congratulations on passing the first round of eliminations. You will now proceed to the second round. The rules are simple. You will be grouped with the other top ten finalists from your previous arena. The last two people from each group left standing on the Blood Battle Arena will advance to the top one hundred. Now, I will announce the matchups..."

"Group One: The top ten from Blood Battle Arena Two versus the top ten from Blood Battle Arena Nine!"

"Group Two: The top ten from Blood Battle Arena Three versus the top ten from Blood Battle Arena Thirty-nine!"

"Group Three..."

The Third Elder announced the matchups, group by group. Soon, only the final group was left. His icy gaze swept over Jiang Chen, and a sinister smile played on his lips. "Group Fifty: The top ten from Blood Battle Arena One versus the top ten from Blood Battle Arena Thirty-two!"

BOOM!

The announcement sent the entire Earth Martial Hall into an uproar.

"Isn’t Li Yunlong from Blood Battle Arena One? He’s going to face Jiang Chen already?"

"Can’t you see? The Third Elder wants to eliminate Jiang Chen as quickly as possible..."

"With Senior Brother Li Yunlong making a move, Jiang Chen is a dead man for sure!"

"Serves him right! Anyone who offends the Celestial Alliance has a death wish!"

Li Yunlong was the undisputed number one disciple of the Outer Sect. In the eyes of the crowd, a confrontation between him and Jiang Chen meant certain death for the latter.

Jiang Chen’s eyes narrowed. ’The number one disciple in the Outer Sect, huh? I’m quite curious to see just how strong you really are!’

The second round of eliminations took place on a single Blood Battle Arena.

The first group’s battle began.

The battle on the arena was fierce, while the experts from the other forty-nine groups closed their eyes to rest, waiting for their turn.

Jiang Chen was regulating his breath when his nose twitched. Catching a familiar scent, he opened his eyes, a gentle smile spreading across his face. "Senior Sister Bai, long time no see. You’re more beautiful than ever!"

"How can you still be in the mood to joke around at a time like this?" Bai Ling said with a helpless sigh, her fine brows furrowed.

Jiang Chen feigned innocence, blinking. "I’m just happy to see you again, Senior Sister!"

"Oh, you..."

Bai Ling shook her head, exasperated. "I knew you were a magnet for trouble. How long have you even been in the Sword Sect? You’ve already managed to turn the entire Outer Sect on its head."

"They were the ones who came looking for me. I can’t just hide in my shell like a coward, can I?" Jiang Chen said with a shrug.

Bai Ling paused, remembering when she had first met Jiang Chen in Yandu City.

Back then, Jiang Chen had only been a kid at the Martial Arts Realm, yet he had dared to challenge the might of Lan Haichen. Now that his strength was on a whole other level, how could anyone expect him to rein in his temper?

Bai Ling gave a wry smile. "Fine, I know I can’t stop you. But when you get up there, you have to surrender before Li Yunlong even gets a chance to strike!" She paused, then continued, "You don’t understand how terrifying Li Yunlong is. He’s number one on the Spirit List and has suppressed even the likes of Yuwen Xunyi, leaving them unable to catch up. At your current level, you are no match for him!"

"Is he stronger than Lan Haichen?" Jiang Chen asked.

Bai Ling choked, at a complete loss for words. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

’Right.’

’No matter how strong Li Yunlong was, could he be stronger than Lan Haichen?’

’Jiang Chen was the kind of madman who didn’t even give Lan Haichen a second thought. Why would he fear Li Yunlong?’

Before Bai Ling could try to persuade him further, Jiang Chen gestured toward the Third Elder and the others on the high platform. "Besides... even if I wanted to surrender, I doubt they would let me."

"How could they not? This is the Outer Sect’s grand competition! As powerful as the Celestial Alliance is, they still have to play by the rules!" Bai Ling retorted.

Jiang Chen rolled his eyes. "If they really played by the rules, would the Celestial Alliance have dared to issue that Blood-colored Killing Order, publicly vowing to kill me?"

"..." Bai Ling opened her mouth but found she had no rebuttal.

Seeing the heavy atmosphere, Jiang Chen broke into a grin. "Don’t worry, Senior Sister Bai! Li Yunlong might be strong, but he’s not nearly strong enough to kill me."

"You... Ugh, just be careful! If it looks like you can’t win, surrender immediately. I’ll help you then." Bai Ling hesitated for a moment before adding, "After the competition, wait for me here. I’ll take you to see my grandfather!"

"Okay!"

Jiang Chen nodded firmly.

’Bai Ling’s grandfather... he was someone who knew what happened to his father.’

’Moreover...’

’I obtained Bai Changsheng’s Hall Master’s Order for the Tenth Hall, and fulfilling Bai Changsheng’s last wish means I have to go there anyway!’

The matches continued.

A full three double-hours passed before it was finally Jiang Chen’s turn.

Third Elder Zong Han glanced impassively at Li Yunlong. The latter gave a slight nod. Zong Han then continued, "The final group: the top ten from Blood Battle Arena One versus the top ten from Blood Battle Arena Thirty-two."

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

One after another, powerful figures landed on the Blood Battle Arena.

Normally, the top ten from one arena would band together to eliminate the ten from the opposing arena. But as soon as they stepped onto the Blood Battle Arena, the other nine cultivators who had qualified from Arena Thirty-two alongside Jiang Chen immediately shot across the stage to join Li Yunlong’s ranks.

Jiang Chen stood alone on the Blood Battle Arena. He rubbed his nose with a wry smile and looked at Li Yunlong. "What’s this? Planning to have all nineteen of you gang up on me?"

Li Yunlong smiled faintly, but it was a cold smile, and his voice was like ice. "Gang up? No, no, no. To deal with you, I alone am more than enough."

"You’re that confident?" Jiang Chen asked, taken aback.

’This Li Yunlong really is arrogant!’

Li Yunlong took two steps forward, speaking in a slow, deliberate cadence. "It is not confidence. It is the certainty that comes from possessing absolute power." He held up a single finger. "One strike."

"What do you mean?" Jiang Chen asked, his eyes narrowing.

Li Yunlong said flatly, "You are very strong, and you deserve the accolades that come with it. However, the Celestial Alliance’s authority is inviolable, which means you must die. So, I’ll give you a chance. If you can survive a single strike from my sword, I won’t kill you in this elimination round. I’ll even guarantee you a place in the top ten, letting you claim one of the prodigy seats and receive the honor you’ve earned. Then, when the final ranking tournament begins... I will kill you. Do you dare to face my one strike?"

Arrogant!

Insolent!

Confident!

Li Yunlong stood amidst the whipping wind, his expression utterly serene.

All eyes fell upon Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen’s eyes slowly narrowed to slits, a cold light glinting within them. He met Li Yunlong’s gaze without a hint of weakness. As their eyes locked, surging battle intent filled the air. Jiang Chen spoke, enunciating each word, "Why wouldn’t I dare?"