Chen Jiuyang slowly sheathed his saber, looking at the corpse before him with indifferent eyes, and said:
"I told you, you picked the wrong person."
After killing Ban Zehoupu, a surge of powerful and pure life source flowed into Chen Jiuyang's body.
The golden dragon scale phantom in his sea of consciousness also shone brightly, adding a touch of golden energy.
...
"Boom!"
At the same time, after Chen Jiuyang killed Ban Zehoupu, clear spiritual rain descended upon Feng Province, Su Hang, and Long Jing in the Dragon Country.
"Spiritual rain..."
An old man within the red walls slowly looked up, a smile appearing on his face: "It has been many years since I last saw this."
Upon the appearance of the spiritual rain, people in the affected areas rushed onto the streets to welcome the nourishment and cleansing of the spiritual rain.
...
Soon, the news of the spiritual rain descending upon the three regions of the Dragon Country reached the ears of the Dragon Capital's Sword Wielders. He looked at Chen Jiuyang in surprise, "The first battle, and a kill that brings down spiritual rain. King Qian is already beginning to reciprocate our Dragon Country's national fortune..."
Immediately, his eyes lit up with joy, and his gaze towards Chen Jiuyang softened considerably.
...
Spiritual rain nurtures all things. It can cure diseases, turn weeds into spiritual herbs, make infants smarter and stronger, help martial artists clear hidden ailments, and provide more opportunities for breakthroughs in martial arts. The elderly who bathe in spiritual rain can extend their lifespan, and so on.
...
After killing Ban Zehoupu, Chen Jiuyang left the arena and returned to the waiting area.
Next was the second group of matches.
On the giant screen, the name and avatar of the person ranked first were displayed, followed by a fiery red national flag.
It looked quite pleasing to the eye.
The feeling of being first place, it seemed, was not bad.
What was the point of competing for domestic rankings?
...
The remaining four individuals on the Dragon Country's Martial Ranking were placed in the fourth, eighth, eleventh, and fourteenth groups, respectively.
In their subsequent matches, all four secured their first victory in the Martial Ranking competition, not disgracing the Dragon Country.
The Dragon Country's starting five matches all ended in victory, earning 5 points! They temporarily ranked first on the overall score board!
Apart from Chen Jiuyang and Yan Hongming, the other three did not have an easy time securing their first wins.
Especially Ye Tiannan, who had a gaping, horrifying wound on his shoulder.
Chen Jiuyang treated his injuries, frowning as he asked, "You didn't use your sword intent?"
Ye Tiannan grinned, chuckling, "This is only the first match, how can I easily reveal my trump card moves!"
Chen Jiuyang frowned, "Don't push yourself too hard."
"Everyone has their own limits."
Ye Tiannan looked at Chen Jiuyang with cold eyes and said, "Chen Jiuyang, don't look down on people too much. Not everyone is as powerful as you, but we are not as fragile as you imagine."
Chen Jiuyang pursed his lips, unsure of what to say.
When had he ever meant that?
After accepting Chen Jiuyang's treatment, Ye Tiannan went down to rest, and the second round of matches would soon commence.
The Dragon Capital's Sword Wielder sighed, "Everyone who can stand here and fight is a prodigy of their generation from various countries, but you are not among them. You are supreme."
"In the eyes of the outside world, King Qian, you are considered on par with King Yan. Your combat power surpasses your peers. This Asian Martial Ranking competition is merely a stage for your rise. Nothing here can stop you; the world competition is where you will truly shine."
"But for them, securing each victory here might require every ounce of their effort."
"The pressure they carry is too immense. They will gradually adjust."
Chen Jiuyang's victory in the first match was achieved with overwhelming dominance, and he emerged unscathed, causing countless people to begin inquiring about him.
But how could the information about the Dragon Country's King Qian be easily obtained? Only the limited data released by the Dragon Country's officials was available for them to learn from.
Before long.
The second match of the first round of preliminaries was about to begin.
This time, Chen Jiuyang did not wait for others to ascend the stage; he stepped onto it himself, his saber planted firmly, and declared loudly:
"Park Yoo-chan of South Goryeo, come down!"
Soon, the giant screen displayed a few words: "Dragon Country's Chen Jiuyang versus South Goryeo's Park Yoo-chan!"
Park Yoo-chan descended from the stage. This person wielded two daggers.
The referee announced, "Match countdown, ten, nine..."
Park Yoo-chan did not speak to Chen Jiuyang but instead tensed, an unnerving aura emanating from him.
"Two, one! Begin!"
The stone slab beneath Park Yoo-chan's feet immediately shattered. Park Yoo-chan, holding two daggers, charged towards Chen Jiuyang with lightning speed.
"Boom!"
The auras of both sides erupted. Chen Jiuyang raised his saber and met Park Yoo-chan's fierce assault.
"Interesting."
Chen Jiuyang narrowed his eyes. Park Yoo-chan's daggers moved in a rapid succession of attacks, surprisingly able to cleave through his robust, golden-like vital energy and engage him in a head-on confrontation.
He had not encountered a martial artist like this within the Dragon Country.
Such strength would make him a top contender in his own country.
Looking at it this way, Ye Tiannan and the others being fatigued in their first match was not entirely due to holding back.
There are always greater talents beyond what one knows.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Within mere seconds, Chen Jiuyang and Park Yoo-chan exchanged dozens of blows, the battle immediately entering a white-hot phase.
Though there was no mortal enmity, carrying the martial might of a nation was more terrifying than being mortal enemies.
While Chen Jiuyang was astonished by Park Yoo-chan's combat power, which allowed him to engage in a head-on battle for dozens of moves without being at a disadvantage, Park Yoo-chan was equally shocked by how terrifying the Dragon Country's Chen Jiuyang's combat power was.
Under his dense, storm-like offensive, Chen Jiuyang had blocked every single one of his moves, and throughout it all, he had remained standing in place, not moving an inch.
His formidable soul condensed into an ultimate skill and attacked Chen Jiuyang, but it was easily deflected by a casual saber strike from Chen Jiuyang.
This left him in utter shock!
The martial arts of South Goryeo were a fusion of Eastern and Western disciplines.
Chen Jiuyang's expression was calm as he spoke, "Your moves are quite good, but the force is too weak."
"Do you have any more moves?"
"If you have no more moves, then it's my turn to strike!"
Immediately, the phantom of Chen Jiuyang's Yan Sheng Saber surged, and he slashed at Park Yoo-chan.
"This saber strike!"
Park Yoo-chan's pupils contracted violently. He quickly brought his twin daggers to protect himself, intending to block Chen Jiuyang's strike.
"Boom!"
After a muffled sound, Chen Jiuyang revealed a hint of surprise, "He actually managed to block my strike. Truly, there are always greater talents beyond what one knows."
Few could withstand Chen Jiuyang's overbearing saber strike.
And now, on this stage, Park Yoo-chan had withstood Chen Jiuyang's strike, but the price paid was not small.
The twin daggers in his hands turned to dust, and numerous saber marks appeared on Park Yoo-chan's hands.
Park Yoo-chan's expression turned extremely grim. The strength of this Dragon Country's Chen Jiuyang was too terrifying; he was like a monster, far surpassing the combat power of his peers.
"Since that's the case, you are qualified to receive my true full-power strike."
Chen Jiuyang spoke with a hint of joy.
Chen Jiuyang's greatest gain after advancing to the sixth level of the Earth Realm was not his cultivation or the completion of his blood transformation.
It was the integration of the precepts into his martial arts, which allowed him to achieve mastery in the Yuan Dao martial arts!
"Boom!"
The saber phantom suddenly transformed, turning golden.
Chen Jiuyang's calm voice rang out:
"See All!"