The Heavens: Man Covers the Heavens, Refines Treasures to Become an Emperor

Huang Jianchen stopped in his tracks, remained silent for a moment, and then uttered two words without turning his head.

"As much as possible."

Xie Yutang's eyes turned cold.

"It's not just a matter of trying, it's a must. I will be there in person to watch the game."

Huang Jianchen did not respond further and continued walking out.

Just as he was about to walk out of the hall, Xie Yutang's voice rang out again.

"Tomorrow, I will have three more even more ferocious beasts sent to you."

Huang Jianchen didn't even pause this time. He simply turned his back to Xie Yutang, raised his hand, and waved to indicate that he understood.

Xie Yutang watched his retreating figure disappear through the doorway, his eyes deep and unreadable, lost in thought.

……

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, the weather was clear and the sky was blue.

As usual, Jiang Xuan awoke from his meditation, his eyes clear and his breath deep and focused.

He washed up, ate, and then slowly practiced the "Six-Character Sword Technique" in the courtyard. His movements were smooth and fluid, and his breath became increasingly in harmony with the "Flowing Light" battle sword in his hand.

Xue Jin lay on the rocking chair, looking at his calm and composed appearance, and couldn't help but tease him.

"Kid, today is your big day, everyone's watching. Aren't you nervous at all? Aren't you afraid of embarrassing yourself in front of tens of thousands of people?"

Jiang Xuan sheathed his sword and stood calmly.

"A battle is a battle; looking back and forth will only disturb your mind."

Xue Jin scoffed.

"Okay, you have a good attitude."

"I can't be bothered to watch your kid fight. Just don't come crying to me with a bruised and swollen face."

Jiang Xuan smiled, said no more, put the "Flowing Light" battle sword into its specially made sheath, slung it behind his back, straightened his clothes, and then went out with a flourish.

Stepping out of the courtyard and onto the street, one can immediately feel an atmosphere completely different from usual.

Almost everyone was talking about the upcoming gladiatorial duel, and the crowd was clearly converging towards the gladiatorial arena in the center of the city.

Along both sides of the street, the huge spiritual light screens were repeatedly broadcasting news about the duel, making the atmosphere even more intense.

Jiang Xuan mingled in the crowd, listening to the surrounding discussions and watching the bustling scene, but his heart remained unmoved, and he simply thought to himself.

"Xie Yutang, if I lose today, you will surely be very happy."

The arena is located in the eastern part of Yanxia City, covering a vast area of ​​over a hundred acres. The huge circular grandstand rises in tiers, capable of accommodating tens of thousands of spectators at the same time. Even before today's highly anticipated duel has begun, the arena is already packed with people. A sea of ​​heads, a cacophony of noise that roars like a tsunami, making everyone's eardrums buzz.

The two sides in the battle are: on one side, Jiang Xuan, a mysterious young man from a poor family who has already gained a legendary status in Yanxia City and is qualified for the provincial examination; on the other side, Huang Jianchen, a member of the Huang clan from the Forbidden City, who was personally invited by Xie Yutang, the Little Sword Lord.

In addition, Xie Yutang's high-profile act of sending out invitations a few days ago has already pushed the heat of this duel to its peak, so it's no wonder that it has attracted so much attention.

The stands are divided into regular seats and a ring of private boxes above. The boxes offer excellent views and are equipped with soundproofing arrays to isolate internal and external noise, exclusively for distinguished guests.

In one of the private rooms, Wen Mingxiu, Qi Yunxiao, Yuan Shu, and other scions of wealthy families from Yanxia City gathered together.

Through the wide windows, they looked down at the huge, empty arena below, their faces displaying various expressions.

"I didn't expect that even Mr. Liu would come in person, from the next private room."

Qi Yunxiao's gaze swept over another more elegantly decorated private room not far away, his tone tinged with excitement.

"It seems that today's show is destined to be a sensation throughout the city!"

Yuan Shu chuckled sinisterly.

"Since Lady Liu has come in person, she must want to see Jiang Xuan suffer a crushing defeat, right? To lose face in front of a beauty like that, just thinking about it makes one feel satisfied!"

The other disciples echoed this sentiment, their words filled with anticipation for Jiang Xuan's impending embarrassment.

Wen Mingxiu sat by the window, listening to her companions' undisguised gloating. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and a sense of disgust welled up in her heart.

Although she also hoped that Jiang Xuan would suffer a setback, it would seem rather narrow-minded to so openly wish for someone else to suffer a crushing defeat.

In the other private room, Liu Qingyan sat quietly by the window, her clear eyes gazing at the crowd below, which resembled a boiling ocean, her beautiful face bearing a hint of barely perceptible melancholy.

Grandma Wind stood beside her and whispered.

"Miss, since you're here, just enjoy the show."

If that kid can withstand a few moves, that'll be considered a skill.

Liu Qingyan gently shook her head, her voice soft yet firm.

"I just hope he... won't lose too badly."

She didn't know why she had such expectations for a boy she had only met twice. Perhaps it was because she didn't want to see Xie Yutang's almost bullying scheme succeed so easily, or perhaps it was because Jiang Xuan was the only hope for restoring the Ancient Law Spirit Ocarina.

As time went on, the private rooms gradually welcomed truly important figures.

Dean Wei Lingzhen of Yanxia Academy and Du Dongtu, the leader of the Ziling Army, arrived together and entered their private room.

Mu Wansu, the manager of Shidingzhai, also quietly took her seat surrounded by servants, her beautiful eyes sparkling with curiosity and scrutiny.

The figure of the great cultivator Yao Tuohai also appeared at the window of another private room, his face calm and expressionless.

Chu Feng, the manager of the Spirit Pattern Masters' Commune, arrived at his private room early, nervously rubbing his hands and glancing at the entrance passage from time to time.

Xie Yutang, along with a group of aristocratic scions from the Forbidden City, occupied the best seat in a private room. He sat expressionlessly in the main seat, as if the deafening clamor below had nothing to do with him. Only occasionally would a resolute, cold glint flash across his deep eyes.

He was convinced that Jiang Xuan would be defeated today.

An unprecedentedly frenzied atmosphere permeated the entire arena. The people of the empire have always been martial, and they were especially enthusiastic about such a duel between top young talents.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Three heavy and long-lasting war drumbeats resounded throughout the arena like muffled thunder, instantly silencing all the noise!

As the drumbeats echoed, the heavy curtains surrounding the arena slowly parted, revealing the massive, incredibly sturdy arena in the center, constructed of special stone. Simultaneously, a semi-transparent, spirit-patterned light barrier rose from the edge of the arena, forming a huge hemispherical shield to prevent the aftershocks of the battle from injuring the spectators.

All eyes instantly focused on the entrance passages on both sides of the arena.

The first person to emerge from the east passage was a graceful figure.

Dressed in simple blue cloth, with a tall and straight posture, his face still bearing a hint of youthful naiveté, yet his eyes were calm and his steps steady. A jet-black, menacingly designed battle sword was slung across his back. It was Jiang Xuan!
"That's Jiang Xuan? He looks so young!"

"I heard he's only fourteen years old and already qualified for the provincial exam!"

"To be able to kill so many cultivators in the rainy night, one's strength must be considerable. It's a pity... the opponent was a member of a powerful family in the Forbidden City."

"He seems quite calm..."

Jiang Xuan's appearance drew everyone's attention and sparked discussion.

Most people looked at him with curiosity, sympathy, and a hint of pity.

In Qi Yunxiao's private room, a burst of barely suppressed, excited laughter erupted.

"Here it comes! The show is about to begin!"

"Let's see how many moves he can last!"

"The Huang family won't be polite to him!"

In the private rooms reserved for the scions of powerful families, the young men from the Forbidden City wore relaxed and smug smiles, as if they could already see Jiang Xuan being trampled underfoot. Xie Yutang remained expressionless, simply picking up his teacup and taking a small sip.

Just then, a figure slowly walked out from the west entrance of the passage.

When everyone saw his face clearly, a low murmur rippled through the room.

He was a young man dressed in ordinary black outfit. He wasn't particularly tall, and his face was so plain that it was almost dull. He would never have attracted any attention in a crowd.

He possessed no dazzling aura, nor the arrogance often associated with gifted children; he simply walked silently, seemingly out of place in the spotlight.

"Is that Huang Jianchen? He looks... quite ordinary."

"Could there be a mistake? This guy doesn't look like a genius from a powerful aristocratic family at all."

"The Huang family of the Forbidden City... only sent this one person?"

Many people were greatly disappointed, and the discussions were filled with doubt.

However, some sharp-eyed individuals, as well as the important figures in the private room, all became serious the moment they saw Huang Jianchen.

Liu Qingyan stared intently and confirmed that the seemingly ordinary figure was Huang Jianchen, who had severely injured Lu Guanxing at last year's banquet. Her heart tightened slightly.

Dean Wei Lingzhen paused slightly as he stroked his beard, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

"This young man... is as silent as an abyss, possesses profound inner strength, and is not simple."

Du Dongtu crossed his arms and grinned.

"Interesting. This murderous aura... it can't be hidden at all. He's a ruthless character."

As dusk fell, a strange light flashed in Su Mei's eyes, and she murmured to herself.

"Returning to simplicity? Or... the ultimate restraint?"

Yao Tuohai's gaze was deep, and he nodded slightly, clearly recognizing Huang Jianchen's extraordinary nature.

Chu Feng was so nervous in the private room that his palms were sweating. Although he couldn't figure out much, he instinctively sensed an unsettling aura emanating from Huang Jianchen.

On the arena, Jiang Xuan's gaze also fell on Huang Jianchen opposite him. The opponent looked ordinary, but his keen senses detected a faint but dangerous aura, as if a lurking beast was hidden beneath that ordinary appearance.

Huang Jianchen raised his eyes, his indifferent gaze sweeping over Jiang Xuan without any emotional fluctuation, as if he were looking at an inanimate object.

"Boom--!"

The final war drumbeat struck like a thunderclap in everyone's hearts, crashing down with a deafening roar!

Just as the echoes of the war drums faded, Huang Jianchen's previously indifferent eyes suddenly burst forth with a ferocious light that seemed to tangible! An intense, overwhelming, and bloodthirsty killing intent, like a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, erupted from his body like a flood bursting its banks, sweeping across the entire arena!
At this moment, he was no longer that ordinary, dull boy, but rather a killing god who seemed to have crawled out of the deepest hell! His body was surrounded by a visible dark red aura of malevolence, making people tremble with fear at the sight of him!
"hiss--!"

"What a terrifying momentum!"

"This... how many people must have been killed to generate such killing intent?!"

"I...I can't breathe..."

The entire audience was horrified! All the previous doubts vanished instantly, replaced by endless shock and fear! Many viewers with weaker cultivation levels turned pale and almost suffocated under the terrifying killing intent!
The excitement on Qi Yunxiao and the others froze on their faces, replaced by a hint of fear. Chu Feng, Liu Qingyan, and the others felt their hearts sink at that moment.

However, facing this bloody killing intent that surged like a raging torrent, Jiang Xuan on the other side of the arena remained calm and composed, as if what was coming towards him was not a chill that could freeze his soul, but a gentle breeze.

Only within his body, the "storm millstone" was already running wildly at an unprecedented speed. The pure and domineering spiritual energy was like a suppressed volcano, surging and roaring in his meridians, ready to erupt!
The echoes of the war drums still reverberated in the air when Huang Jianchen moved! He didn't charge forward, but instead swung his arm sharply—

"Hey!"

A dark shadow, like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, instantly tore through the air with a piercing shriek. At a speed too fast for the naked eye to follow, it crossed the distance between the two and fiercely attacked Jiang Xuan's face!
That was a bizarre whip about five zhang long, completely black, made of some unknown material, and covered with fine barbs!
The battle broke out in the blink of an eye before anyone could fully react!

Huang Jianchen moved with lightning speed, and the five-zhang-long whip he swung out was called "Yinling". It was a rather mysterious spiritual weapon passed down by the Huang clan. Although its grade was only at the upper level of the human level, its power far exceeded that of other weapons of the same grade. The whip was made of some kind of exotic beast tendons mixed with special metals, making it extremely tough.

The barbs covering it gleamed with a cold, eerie light, and when swung, they emitted a series of ghostly wails like the sobs of wronged souls. This contrasted with the tangible, bloody, and ferocious aura surrounding him, making him appear even more like a god of death descending to earth, with overwhelming ferocity!

The power of this whip was swift, ruthless, unpredictable, and fierce! Wherever the whip passed, the air was whipped and made to explode. The power and speed it displayed far exceeded the scope of ordinary cultivators in the Gang Realm, causing the entire audience to gasp in astonishment!

Jiang Xuan's pupils suddenly contracted; his opponent's strength and strangeness far exceeded his expectations! Almost the instant the whip reached his body, the jet-black "Flowing Light" battle blade in his hand appeared. Without any fancy moves, he simply and casually slashed in the direction the whip came from!
A jet-black blade of light, condensed to its extreme and as fast as a streak of light, suddenly shone like lightning tearing through the darkness!

"what?"

This seemingly casual strike was actually incredibly precise, slashing at a specific point in the flow of whip power, eliciting gasps of surprise from some of the more discerning viewers.

"boom--!!"

The Yin Spirit Whip and the Flowing Light Battle Blade clashed violently! A deafening, terrifying roar erupted! The violent energy rippled outwards from the point of impact, striking the spirit-patterned light barrier surrounding the arena, causing the semi-transparent barrier to ripple violently! (End of Chapter)