Second Level of the Extreme War Mountain.

"Kill this trash poser! Overestimating yourself, ptooey!"

"Since he's arrived, he thinks he's invincible! Who does he think he is, Heavenly King Jin? Heavenly King Wei? Hahaha!"

"Ayo! Don't compare him to Heavenly Kings, he's barely worthy enough to carry my servants shoes."

The crowd was riled and filled with vigor, flinging insult after insult targeted at a single person on a wide combat platform. This location was called the War Fate Platform, and it was designed for low-level disciples of the Extreme War Mountain to fight according to the rules of Imperial Combat. After all, not every fight needed a high-level figure to establish a barrier and oversee the battle.

Typically, life and death battles weren't common within Imperial Combat. It usually involved wagers set by both parties, and these wagers were mostly harmless and done out of pride or contest. The extreme cases of death battles were few and far between.

Even Gu Hao hadn't killed Miao Yu, but wagered their temporary freedom. After all, if he went too far, he'd inevitably be targeted by her faction until his head was claimed. That would be too troublesome. In the end, she took her own life, so he wasn't at fault nor would anyone seek revenge.

A sore loser was treated as such, a loser.

There were numerous bodies surrounding this platform, mixed with all sorts of disciples, including Mortal Common and Earthly Elites. They were quietly observing this in idle interest, interest that was drummed up by the specific circumstances.

On the platform and the focus of all their gazes were a bloodied figure, drenched in blood. With sword in hand, he struck over and over, and each time, he'd be blasted away by a casual strike of his opponent. Despite each devastating blow dealt, he kept rising like a zombie, his aura of slaughter and sword was endless, but it served very little in this battle. With a cultivation base at the Eighth Stage of the Qi Condensation Realm, he faced an Astral Core Realm expert.

While some might consider this brave, most would believe this an act of a fool.

A young man arrived amongst the crowd, curious at the gathering, pushing his way until he found his friend. His bright eyes looked at the platform and winced a little after observing the bloodied figure slide across the platform after receiving a blast of astral force.

There were faint sounds of bones fracturing, likely even breaking. It was quite heart-shivering.

"What's happening here?" The young man's eyes floated to the opponent, a Mortal Common Disciple who seemed relatively unharmed. He stood upright with a smirk on his face. He effused an aura of ease and relaxation, as if a lion toying with a rat.

"Oh? You're finally here! You missed a good show. Now, it's almost over...haaa…" The young man's friend sighed.

"Hm?"

"Oh yeah. You see that figure up there, bloodied and beaten by Ji Yu? He's a Nascent Dust disciple that was recently inducted. Supposedly, Ji Yu took a liking towards a Nascent Dust female disciple, and wanted her to act as a dual cultivation partner. This was obviously to her benefit, but she refused."

"Just that? Ji Yu doesn't seem like the type to harp on a female of that low ranking, right?" The young man asked in confusion. Dual cultivation provided most of the long term benefits to her, not to Ji Yu. If she refused, why insist?

The friend agreed with a heavy nod, "He was not only willing to take her as a dual cultivation partner, but even compensate her after, or allow her to be one of his wives after. But she was quite fiery, and insulted him."

"Insulted him? What…"

"Yeah! She attacked his character, and so he used his power of authority on her, and then this man on the platform got into a heated dispute that ended in him challenging Ji Yu to a life or death challenge. It was quite wild, gotta say."

"Is that it? That seems very little to throw your life away. After all, Ji Yu can't do much to her because of the rules. If she complained with evidence, Ji Yu could be executed." The young man only became more confused, but since he wasn't here from the very beginning, he felt there were missing pieces to this puzzle. After all, his friend was merely speaking from his perspective. There was bound to be holes and inconsistency, as well as bias.

On the stage, Ji Yu kept his grin and said, "If you surrender, kowtow before me in forgiveness, I'd consider sparing your life. What do you say?" The wisp of laughter in his eyes was utterly undisguised.

However, the bloodied figure was unyielding and struck again with a wave of sword qi. Ji Yu shook his head, waving his palm casually causing a surging wave of astral force to shatter the qi and smash into the figure's body once more.

Woosh!

His body was like a ragdoll as he was sent to the edge of the stage with a horrific thud of flesh and concrete. It was sickening, nearly causing a few people to lose their lunch. It truly seemed that that blow had dealt a devastating strike that should've brought this event to its end, but the bloodied figure still trembled erratically signaling some traces of life remained.

"Let's end this," Ji Yi withdrew his spear, a first-rank astral weapon. Within those eyes flashed a hint of killing intent, and he slowly walked towards the figure, each step was like a resounding drum that called forth death in all its inevitable gloom.

Slowly, the figure lifted its beaten and battered body upwards, using its forearms and legs to do so. After barely rising, it lifted its head to reveal a set of eyes.

Shuu!

Ji Yu froze. His eyes abruptly flashed with fear and uncertainty. Those eyes were like a god of death, intent on killing everyone and everything at any cost. Despite the dripping blood, the distorted figure, the weakened aura, the intensity of that glare was beyond conceivable imagination.

A sudden sensation of deadly crisis suffused Ji Yu's mind and heart. His fear turned into anger which became irrevocable, irredeemable rage! He gripped his spear and dashed forward, its tip was thrust forth intent to puncture the figure's skull.

Shuu!

Ji Yu felt time seemingly stop. It wasn't an actual expression of temporal control, but it was as if everything had frozen in his mind. From the right hand of the bloodied figure, he saw a dim light flicker incessantly! He saw that dim light expand, expand endlessly stretching from horizon to horizon!

His mind, soul, and body was visibly shaken as he lost control of his ability to go awry. But he noticed none of this as a figure that seemed to embody the laws of heaven and earth, tyrannical, imperious occupied his every sense; a true hegemonic existence that seemed to be supreme across all creation!

Shiing!

This delay was but a moment, a single second, but Ji Yu was directly before the bloodied figure with his spear thrusting forward but it had noticeably slowed, losing its lethal might and momentum. This opportunity was grasped to its fullest! With his sword in hand, the bloodied figure slashed! A swing of his sword launched an exceptional sword qi that embodied the sword and slaughter!

Before the crowd could revel in the defeat and subsequent death of the figure, a head flew! It flew upwards and spun, twisting in the air, while its expression was filled with fear and shook!

Thud!

When it finally landed, the headless corpse dropped to its knees before the bloodied figure and blood gushed endlessly from its neck. It rained a sanguine shower that gave the atmosphere a bitter, vicious, and heart-shaking air!

"YAHHHH!" A roar of triumphant, a roar suffused with all the pent-up emotions of escaping death, of defeating the impossible, of overcoming the world!

The resulting silence was shocking! The crowd had eyes of disbelief, uncertainty, confusion, and awe! Did they just witness…

The young man who had just arrived dazedly said, "It seems that Nascent Dust disciple actually won. Wow, to be so careless." He had just arrived, so he felt like a true spectator, so he hadn't felt the impact of the entire scene. While it was an exceptional feat, he felt Ji Yu was being too careless not ending his enemy instantly.

But his friend's mouth was large enough to fit a baseball and then some! "He...did it?"

"Long Chen...actually did it?"

The crowd was still gathering its bearings when the bloodied figure fell to its knees, dropping its sword, breathing air as if it was the sweetest nectar in this world. However, underneath that visage of crimson, a warm and elated smile tugged on his lips! He softly muttered, "I will protect them all!"

Two women hastily arrived on stage after the end of the competition. They were beautiful, natural nation-toppling women that drew the attention and envy of everyone present. They were Wu Baozhai and Lin Ziyan!

They grabbed his figure, as if he might disappear if he let go. Lin Ziyan directly embraced Long Chen, placing his head comfortably between her bosom. Her face was filled with tears and they continued to fall. "You...idiot! You didn't need to do this for me." While those words were said, an indescribable happiness emerged in her heart that solidified her feelings.

Wu Baozhai held him too. "You're always acting without considering our opinions!" She softly chided with a half-hearted tone, her tears similarly flowing. However, she knew that Long Chen had proven something today. Not just to himself, but the entire world.

With this feat, he declared to the world that he was a man that could achieve the impossible! Soon, his name would resound within the entire sect; the entire planet; the entire astral territory; the entire starfield!