The disciples had just begun to scatter when they saw Long Chen take out Blooddrinker and open a cut on his hand. His blood dripped onto his badge.

The Elders’ expressions all changed. They immediately realized Long Chen was about to do something extremely crazy.

DONG!

The sound of a bell reverberated throughout the air, freezing all the exiting Elders in their tracks. Only the Xuan Master’s figure was already gone, and nobody knew when he had left.

“Que Xinyan, I, Long Chen, use my status as a core disciple to issue you a life and death battle. Using my blood to ring the bell, I ask everyone to bear witness.” Long Chen’s saber was propped on the ground, his blood completely covering his badge. He had activated the battle pact mechanism inside the badge.

Before the trial, the disciples had all been introduced to the Xuantian Dao Sect’s rules. Within those countless rules, there was one that said if disciples had irreconcilable enmities, they could initiate challenges to each other. However, there would be no suppressing of the weak. Challenges had to be between people on the same level.

Inner sect disciples could only challenge inner sect disciples. They couldn’t challenge outer sect disciples.

The first thing Long Chen did after obtaining his core disciple badge was to issue a challenge, and it was no ordinary challenge. By using his blood to ring the bell, he had issued a life and death challenge. Only core disciples were qualified to issue life and death challenges. This kind of challenge represented that their enmity had reached the point of either you die or I die.

Core disciples were all important pillars of the Xuantian Dao Sect, and so the bell had to be tolled for a life and death challenge between them. It signified that the entire sect’s attention had to be focused at such a time.

“Long Chen, don’t be foolish-!” Li Changfeng’s expression changed.

“Hahahaha! Good, you have guts, Long Chen! I accept!” However, before Li Changfeng could finish speaking, Que Xinyan had already bit his thumb and allowed his blood to drip onto his badge.

DONG!

The sound of a bell once more rang out, but this time, two pillars of light descended from the sky, enveloping the two of them.

In that instant, their bodies became illusory and isolated by the light pillars. This was all in accordance with the triggering of a life and death challenge. Once it was confirmed and approved, the two of them would be transported to the life and death stage.

All the disciples present were stunned. This turn of events had happened too suddenly. Before they could understand what was happening, the two of them were enveloped by those light pillars.

But the Dragonblood warriors understood Long Chen, and they knew he wasn’t capable of accepting things as they were. He had to get revenge for those disciples.

“Senior apprentice-brother Long Chen…” The other disciples who had followed him also understood. But they had never expected Long Chen to care so much. That matter was already over, and Long Chen had already done more than his share for them. Even if things were left like this, they would be eternally grateful to him.

The matter was already over, and those people were already dead, but Long Chen was unable to put down the killing intent in his heart. He had to get revenge for those people, or he wouldn’t be able to rest.

Even Hua Shiyu, Wang Zhen, and the others were startled. Long Chen was definitely a madman. Madmen were too frightening. He refused to wait even a single night for revenge.

Hu Guishan and Fan Song sneered. In their eyes, Long Chen was simply looking to be killed. He had no idea just how powerful they were. There was an uncrossable divide between them.

Han Yunshan, Wei Changhai, and Yan Mochen were all delighted as they had enmity with him. Han Yunshan had even been tormented by Long Chen and wished to cut him into a thousand pieces.

“Hall Master Liu Cang, two core disciples have initiated a life and death challenge. What are you still hesitating for?” sneered Luo Fan sinisterly.

He hadn’t expected there to be such a turnaround. This fortune had come too suddenly. With Long Chen taking the initiative to kill himself, he was already impatient.

The two of them had already finished the formalities. All they needed was Liu Cang’s approval and the life and death martial stage would be opened.

Now seeing Liu Cang standing there silently, Luo Fan couldn’t help but urge him. He longed to see the sight of Long Chen being killed.

Liu Cang suddenly smiled. In the beginning, he had also been shocked by Long Chen’s actions. He wasn’t able to understand what Long Chen was thinking, and just as he had been wondering if he should permit them to fight or not, a voice rang out in his head, allowing him to relax. He took out a foot-long chessboard.

Thousands of runes were revolving over that chessboard, making it a dazzling sight. This was a tool to control the Xuantian Dao Sect’s thousands of trial and cultivation regions.

Seeing that, a trace of envy appeared in Luo Fan’s eyes. The reason the Elder Hall possessed so much authority was because they controlled so many resources. As for the Law Enforcement Hall, they only had the authority to enforce the laws of the sect. Although they were an important department, their prestige was not as high as the Elder Hall’s.

“It is not permitted to initiate life and death challenges for the first three months after joining the sect. But since you have so much anger, I will permit you to fight. However, you may not kill your opponent. If you agree, the battle can advance. If you don’t, then the challenge will be revoked. If you still fight in private, you will receive a heavy punishment,” declared Liu Cang.

In reality, these were not Liu Cang’s words, but the words of someone above him. He was just following their instructions.

“Disciple accepts!” shouted Que Xinyan.

“Disciple also accepts!” said Long Chen.

“The two of you better take note. Don’t try to harbor any evil thoughts and accidentally kill your opponent. If you do, you will be expelled from the Xuantian Dao Sect,” warned Liu Cang.

“Don’t worry, I won’t kill him. Killing him would be letting him off too easily,” said Que Xinyan, a sinister expression on his face.

Long Chen didn’t say anything. Wasn’t it just being expelled? Then it was fine.

Seeing that two of them had no objections, Liu Cang activated the chessboard. The scene before everyone changed as they appeared in front of a huge martial stage, with Long Chen and Que Xinyan standing in the middle of it.

...

Within an underground palace at the core of the Xuantian Dao Sect, the Xuan Master was sitting on a prayer mat, an ancient chessboard in front of him. The chessboard was covered in pieces, and the white and black pieces were in a deadlock. The Xuan Master looked at the chessboard, a white piece in his hand. Even after a long time, he was unable to place it.

In the end, he placed the piece in his hand in an unremarkable corner. An aged voice rang out.

“A meaningless move.”

The voice had come from in front of the Xuan Master. It was like someone was sitting in front of him on the other side of the chessboard. But it was impossible to see anyone.

“I don’t believe so. Whether it has meaning or not, what should be done should be done. Without taking a few steps, how will I clearly see the whole situation?” said the Xuan Master lazily.

“Are you saying you don’t believe me?” said that ancient voice, a bit of dissatisfaction in its voice.

“This little one doesn’t dare. For that little fellow, you pulled me out of seclusion. You know, I had just begun to grasp a bit…” said the Xuan Master helplessly.

“If it wasn’t something so important, why would I pull you out? The Reincarnation Mirror has already issued a warning that the person who caused it to crack back then has arrived. I already warned Liu Cang and them not to make things easy or hard for Long Chen. But that little fellow has a terrifying origin. The Reincarnation Mirror only saw the tip of the iceberg before it also broke apart. He’s most likely a Divergent. Now that he has come to the Xuantian Dao Sect, it could be an immensely good thing, or it could cause the entire sect to be destroyed. So I need you to be serious,” warned that ancient voice.

“If you’re going to watch me so closely, why not just do it yourself?” The Xuan Master bitterly smiled.

“What nonsense, I’m also at a critical juncture and need to go into seclusion. How do I have time to watch over him?” snorted the voice.

“Then since you’ve left this matter to me, just let me handle it. Don’t stare at me like a hawk. I have my own style of handling things, and there’s no need for you to worry,” said the Xuan Master.

“Fine, I’ll leave it to you.”

That ancient voice stopped speaking, leaving behind only the Xuan Master staring at the chessboard.

It was unknown how many years this game had been going on. Things were in a complete deadlock, and no matter what move he made, it wouldn’t change things.

“Once a deadlock is broken, I’ll have to spend some time thinking of the next arrangement. Victory or defeat is unpredictable…” sighed the Xuan Master after a long time.

Atop the martial stage, Long Chen and Que Xinyan glared at each other, their killing intent for the other not at all concealed. The air was taut.

“Can senior apprentice-brother Long Chen win?” asked one disciple worriedly.

“Starting today, you’ll have to remember not to call him senior apprentice-brother Long Chen. Call him boss, because boss already treats you as brothers. Senior apprentice-brother Long Chen doesn’t sound mighty or domineering enough. Secondly, you’ll have to remember that boss is an undefeatable battle god. At the very least, in the same realm, he won’t lose to anyone,” said Guo Ran.

Guo Ran understood Long Chen the best. He knew that at the beginning, Long Chen had merely felt some pity for these disciples. He hadn’t been thinking too much about it, and he had just been planning on helping them out a bit.

But as they cooperated and formed bonds of trust, choosing to give their lives to their companions during the crisis, his feelings had changed. He had thought of the beginning of the Dragonblood Legion.

People’s emotions were strange things. It was unknown when his feelings had changed exactly, but Guo Ran knew that Long Chen was already planning on leading these hotblooded men.

“Many thanks, boss Guo Ran. I understand,” said the disciple gratefully.

“What the fuck, there’s only one boss. You can’t call me that, or I’ll be beaten. If you want to praise me, you can call me Handsome God,” said Guo Ran.

“...”

“Stop talking. Boss is about to attack.” Gu Yang cut the two of them off. They hastily looked toward the martial stage.