Starting as a Grandmaster, all of my cultivation techniques are at max level.

He had assumed that this newly promoted top-ranking disciple, when facing an elder like himself, would at least show a serious and cautious expression, if not nervous or wary.

But to my complete surprise, the other party was so outspoken and didn't take me seriously at all.

However, Mo Chongshan was a man of great composure. Faced with Xia Jin's mockery, he did not show any anger on his face. Instead, he buried the hint of ruthlessness deep in his eyes.

Mo Chongshan looked at Xia Jin, a sinister glint flashing in his narrow eyes. "I don't care how glorious you were in the First Heaven, or what means you used to climb up. But now that you're in the Second Heaven, you have to bow your head."

"If you admit defeat now, I can pretend nothing happened. You can continue being number twenty-three, and I'll continue being number twenty-two."

Xia Jin remained standing with her hands behind her back, her purple hair fluttering in the wind, looking at him with a half-smile.

Mo Chongshan's eyes gradually turned cold. He slowly raised his right hand, his five fingers loosely clenched, and a faint black mist swirled around his palm.

"You've probably heard about the rules of this fighting arena. As long as no one voluntarily admits defeat, no one outside can interfere. If I accidentally injure you severely, or even... accidentally kill you here, then you can only blame your bad luck."

"I'll give you three breaths to consider."

"one!"

"two!"

"three!"

"Looks like you really don't know what's good for you!! Then don't blame me for not giving you a chance!" Mo Chongshan sneered.

Xia Jin looked at Mo Chongshan quietly, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Up to now, you've wasted a full ten breaths of my time."

"Are all the top-ranking disciples of the Second Heaven like you, only good at talking?"

Xia Jin's words caused Mo Chongshan's lips to twitch involuntarily.

No one has ever dared to say such things to me before. It seems I won't be able to get my revenge until I've thoroughly tormented this kid today.

Mo Chongshan's eyes turned completely cold.

The ruthlessness that had been suppressed in his heart finally surfaced on his face. He stared at Xia Jin, his gaze sending chills down one's spine.

"Okay, very good."

He nodded, his voice low and terrifying: "Since you're so eager to die, then today I don't intend to hold back. You'll regret coming to this Second Heaven, and you'll regret challenging me, Mo Chongshan!!"

As he spoke, a chilling aura erupted from him, and his two long arms, which reached below his knees, slowly opened, plunging the entire fighting arena into darkness.

......

Meanwhile, in the main hall of the second heaven.

Mr. Gu, who was somewhat overweight, was comfortably lying on a grand chair. In the air in front of him, a scroll about ten feet long was floating, depicting the scene on the battle stage.

In order to watch the battle in peace, Mr. Gu made sure to close the palace doors tightly early this morning, refusing entry to anyone who wanted to enter, leaving them only able to watch helplessly from outside.

"Hehe, interesting, really interesting."

Mr. Gu stroked his mustache, then pulled out a wine flask from somewhere with his other hand and took a big gulp. Wine dripped from the corner of his mouth, but he didn't bother wiping it away, his small eyes fixed on the purple figure in the painting.

"A newcomer dares to talk to Mo Chongshan like that..." He clicked his tongue. "This kid is either really capable or he's got something wrong with his head."

He squinted, carefully examining Xia Jin in the painting.

"But to be chosen by the Fifth Palace Master's Heavenly Mirror, he can't be a fool. So..." He paused, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes, "...is he really capable?"

He took another swig of wine and muttered to himself, "But even if he's truly capable, it won't work. This Mo Chongshan is no ordinary person. This guy seems to have been in this Second Heaven for over a hundred years, yet he hasn't made a single move. His ambitions are certainly not small!"

"I wonder how long this newcomer can last against Mo Chongshan? Ten breaths? Or twenty breaths? But at most, it shouldn't exceed half a quarter of an hour."

Just as Mr. Gu was still wondering how long Xia Jin could hold out against Mo Chongshan, the two people in the painting moved.

Mo Chongshan suddenly shook his arms, and the thick black mist around him exploded instantly, completely enveloping the entire battle arena in the blink of an eye.

The screen was completely black; nothing could be seen.

"Oh? It seems this kid has really offended Mo Chongshan, otherwise he wouldn't have been so ready to kill right from the start?" Mr. Gu's eyes lit up, and he sat up straight, staring intently at the black mist.

The black mist surged, and the sound of air being torn apart could be faintly heard from within. It was the sharp, dense sound of palm winds tearing through the air, so loud it sent chills down one's spine.

"Mo Chongshan's palm technique has actually reached the fifth level?" A hint of surprise flashed in Mr. Gu's eyes. "No wonder he's been holding back all this time; he probably has his eyes on the top ten, or even the top five. That newcomer is in real trouble now..."

However, things did not go as Mr. Gu had expected.

Suddenly, a light shone from the center of the black mist that enveloped the entire battle arena.

The light started as a single point, but after only a moment, it expanded rapidly, transforming into an incomparably blazing sun, its radiance so dazzling that it was impossible to look directly at it.

"This!?" Mr. Gu, who was watching the battle, was forced to close his eyes by the blinding light and put one hand in front of him.

He didn't see that in the scene, the blazing sun, like the rising sun, instantly dispelled all the darkness. The black mist, like the remaining snow under the scorching sun, melted away at a visible speed.

It wasn't until the light gradually faded and the image became clear again that Mr. Gu opened his eyes and looked at the painting floating in front of him.

But upon seeing this, he dropped the remaining half-pot of wine in his hand to the ground with a "thud".

On the battle platform, a figure knelt on one knee.

It was Mo Chongshan, who had just been so confident.

He knelt on one knee, one hand supporting himself on the ground, the other clutching his chest. The sinister and ruthless look in his eyes had vanished, replaced by horror as he stared at Xia Jin.

How is this possible? How can this person be so strong?! I was planning to challenge Xing Ruoliu, who was ranked fifth, but I was defeated by a newcomer.

It was the kind of defeat where there was absolutely no power to resist.

Opposite him, Xia Jin stood still, her hands behind her back.

His long, light purple hair still swayed gently in the wind. He stood there quietly, his gaze indifferently fixed on Mo Chongshan, who was kneeling on the ground, as if looking down at an ant.

Inside the main hall, Mr. Gu's wine spilled all over the floor, but he was completely unaware.

"This... how is this possible? A newcomer is so powerful that Mo Chongshan is completely powerless to resist!?"

In the video, Xia Jin finally spoke.

"I knew it. What kind of person could be ranked twenty-second in the Heavenly Ranking? Sure enough, just as I guessed at the beginning, only the top five can probably bring me any amusement."

Mo Chongshan's body trembled violently, his lips moved, but he couldn't utter a single word.

For the first time, fear appeared in his eyes.

"Don't worry, out of consideration for our shared sect, I won't kill you!" Xia Jin looked at Mo Chongshan, whose eyes were dull and lifeless, and stepped into the void gate that suddenly appeared in front of him with a smile.