"Clang! Clang! Boom—"
A solemn, grand, and majestic melody began.
Yun Jingbai, Asia's top star, took the stage to perform, her voice soaring like a goddess:
"Salvation, it's too late! Can the waving banners still stand! Do not shed the tears of the weak for revenge, as long as the resolve is set! Vengeance is at hand! The entire world will focus on you!
Right and wrong lie with man!
Success and failure lie with heaven!
Your legend will be etched in history!
Glory! Power!
All within reach!
Heroes pursue legends, and will eventually return home!
Stand up, this is a battle for the nation!
At this precarious moment, will you appear!
The time has come for salvation!
The banners wave like blades, representing an unyielding will!
Heroes pursue legends, and will eventually return home!"
The grand and majestic song stirred everyone's blood, their eyes filled with fighting spirit!
"Number One versus Number Eight!"
"Chen Jiuyang of Long Country versus Kim Jong of Namgao Li Country!"
Chen Jiuyang walked onto the arena, his saber in hand.
On the other side, the one-armed Kim Jong also slowly ascended the stage.
"Both contestants, prepare!" the masked referee roared, "Ten seconds countdown, ten, nine, eight..."
"Boom!"
Black true qi flames instantly ignited around Kim Jong, and the nascent divine might began to take shape.
Chen Jiuyang narrowed his eyes. Was he planning to strike first?
From the preparation area, Han Lixuan roared, "Chen Jiuyang! Cut him down for me! Cut him down!"
Han Lixuan had been defeated by Kim Jong, but he had also crippled Kim Jong's arm, earning honor even in defeat.
A faint smile curved Chen Jiuyang's lips. He didn't need to be told; he would kill his opponent before him.
Why?
Because their corpses would pave his path to the True King Heavenly Realm.
"Two, one! Begin!"
The referee's roar fell.
"Boom!"
Kim Jong lunged forward, and the nascent divine might of black flames behind him surged towards Chen Jiuyang.
"Swish, swish, swish!"
The scorching, almost tangible true qi divine might rushed forward.
Chen Jiuyang felt the searing aura, a mocking smile appearing on his lips:
"You dare play with fire in front of me?"
Chen Jiuyang instantly drew his Yan Sheng Saber and swung it forward!
"Bang—"
Kim Jong's nascent divine might of black flames was instantly cleaved with a massive gap.
After this strike, Chen Jiuyang's offense did not cease. He slowly reached out with his other hand towards Kim Jong.
"Rumble!"
Chen Jiuyang's aura surged, igniting a faint golden qi and blood.
"Swish!"
He grabbed out with an ethereal palm, directly shattering and extinguishing the black flames around Kim Jong.
"!!!"
"Whoa!"
Many people suddenly stood up, their expressions changing drastically.
Even Kim Jong's face contorted.
What kind of monster was this Chen Jiuyang? With a mere casual grab, he had extinguished his nascent divine might technique.
Chen Jiuyang said calmly, "Kim Jong, let's fight hand-to-hand. Otherwise, you have no chance of winning this battle."
Many people raised their eyebrows. This Chen Jiuyang was so arrogant, but he indeed had the capital for such arrogance.
Saying this, Chen Jiuyang planted the Yan Sheng Saber into the ground.
He placed one hand behind his back and beckoned Kim Jong with the other: "Come!"
Kim Jong remained silent for a moment, his brow furrowed. He said coldly, "Alright."
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
Figures moved at lightning speed, and the two figures collided. They exchanged punch for punch, fist for fist, hand for foot, their blows creating constant 'bang bang bang!' explosions in the air.
Both were top-tier martial artists, their martial skills nearly equal.
Kim Jong's physique was also not inferior, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to freely unleash his nascent divine might with one arm missing.
After more than ten minutes of engagement, exchanging over a thousand moves, Kim Jong was covered in blood, and Chen Jiuyang had sustained minor injuries.
Chen Jiuyang was truly testing himself, his current cultivation having reached the late stage of the Earth Realm sixth layer, to see if his combat power had room for further advancement.
His qi and blood were like gold, almost perfect, but his punches, kicks, and stances were not as agile and smooth as before, showing a slight stiffness.
Chen Jiuyang's brow furrowed slightly: "The stronger one becomes, the greater the restriction of the Universal Heavenly Lock. It seems to truly be suppressing ordinary people from breaking through that line, reaching the extreme realm."
Even someone as powerful as Chen Jiuyang, with the blessings of national destiny and the Martial Rankings' fortune, found it this way. It was even more impossible for others to break through to the Heavenly Realm.
"Hoo hoo hoo!"
Kim Jong panted and asked, "Are we still fighting?"
He felt a sense of despair. He had used all his means and techniques against Chen Jiuyang, yet this young man before him was like an insurmountable mountain, always preventing him from seeing the summit, from seeing hope.
Whether it was speed, physical strength, true qi, divine soul, qi and blood, or even his cultivation techniques and combat skills, he was completely suppressed by Chen Jiuyang.
Chen Jiuyang slowly shook his head and said, "It's time to end this match. One final move."
"Alright!" Kim Jong separated himself from Chen Jiuyang, condensing all his internal true qi and divine soul, brewing his most powerful nascent divine might technique.
"Rumble!"
A figure resembling a fire god appeared behind him; this was the complete form of his nascent divine might.
"Drip, drip!"
As he unleashed this move, Kim Jong's facial features contorted, and blood seeped from the pores of his entire body. It was evident that forcibly using this move placed an immense burden on him.
But he had no regrets in his eyes, for he knew that if his strongest move could not even injure Chen Jiuyang, then no matter what he did, he would never be able to overcome this hurdle.
"I have seen your resolve to defeat me."
Chen Jiuyang sighed softly. With this move, Kim Jong would either die or be crippled, losing any chance of participating in the Martial Rankings World Championship.
Even so, Kim Jong had to use this move.
"Since that is the case, I will also respect you and use my full strength to face your move."
"Rumble!"
Chen Jiuyang's aura surged again, his faint golden qi and blood burning fiercely.
The Yan Sheng Saber in his hand vibrated gently.
"Jian Jin!" (Witness!)
The precepts were stacked!
"Dao Yi!" (Blade Intent!)
This strike, the power was further amplified!
Swish!
The blade's radiance shot up into the sky, a golden blade shadow enveloping everything.
"This strike is called 'Hanhai'!" (Shaking the Sea!)
"Rumble!"
As the words fell, the blade's radiance erupted, shining and flashing like a meteor.
Then, the strike descended towards Kim Jong.
Countless people were aghast. Could this truly be the combat power of someone in the Earth Realm? It was comparable to the Heavenly Realm!
"This strike!"
Kim Jong's eyes were somewhat dazed, and then he was engulfed by golden light.
"Bang bang bang!!!"
Terrifying explosions soared into the sky. Not only was the entire arena obliterated, but a horrifying blade trench also appeared in the ground!
And Kim Jong's figure? It was nowhere to be seen! Under this strike, he was reduced to dust, not even a corpse remaining!
"Phew!"
Feeling a surge of powerful life essence flowing into his body, forcefully pushing Chen Jiuyang's cultivation to the peak of the Earth Realm sixth layer!
Chen Jiuyang exhaled a breath of turbid air, his eyes flickering. One more step forward in cultivation, and he would reach the True King Heavenly Realm!
As for the Martial Rankings, he had easily entered the top four!