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

As the last bandage slid off Shen Jinghong's right hand and gently floated to the ground, Xia Jin's gaze was fixed on that hand.

On the back of Shen Jinghong's right hand, there was a golden eye tattooed.

The golden pupil in the center of its eye stood upright, as if it were gazing at something.

"There are so many strange things in this Mirage Realm, what is this thing again!?" Xia Jin stared at the eye, a sense of unease rising in her heart.

Those eyes seemed to have a life of their own; even though it was just a tattoo, they kept blinking.

Shen Jinghong slowly raised her right hand, presenting the back of her hand with the golden eye tattooed on it to Xia Jin.

"I'll give you one last chance. Surrender now, and I might spare your life. Otherwise, you'll face the consequences."

Xia Jin stared at the golden eye and smiled.

"I'm the kind of person who never regrets anything."

"So, don't waste your breath. If you have the guts, just kill me!"

"However, I don't think you have that chance!!"

As she spoke, a powerful aura also surged out of Xia Jin's body.

A sun mark slowly appeared between his eyebrows.

Immediately afterwards, three enormous halos of light appeared simultaneously behind him.

The three beams of light slowly rotated, making Xia Jin appear like a deity descended to earth.

On the high platform, the pupils of several city lords contracted simultaneously.

"What exactly is the relationship between this kid and that supreme being of the demon race!?" Pei Linhai's lips twitched involuntarily, but he quickly shook his head. "Impossible. This kid is just one of us humans! How could he possibly be related to that one! Perhaps, it's just a coincidence in the cultivation technique he's using."

The other city lords clearly shared the same thoughts as Pei Linhai, their expressions shifting from initial surprise to shaking their heads in denial.

Only the Grand Master seemed to still look at Xia Jin with some doubt and uncertainty.

After all, he had already obtained some information about Xia Jin from the Third Palace Master before bringing him to this Mirage Cloud Realm. This kid had undergone this change since entering the Divine Realm. However, he hadn't paid much attention to it before.

Now it seems that the Grand Hall Master has developed a slight suspicion.

Could it be that Xia Jin really received the inheritance of that demon clan member when he advanced to the Divine Realm?

On the arena, Shen Jinghong's eyes blazed with even more fighting spirit after seeing the sun mark between Xia Jin's eyebrows and the three halos behind her.

"Good! Good! Good!"

"That's more like it!"

Shen Jinghong took a deep breath and looked down at his right hand. The golden eye seemed to sense his fighting spirit and slowly opened.

His golden pupils opened wide, and a dazzling golden light shot out from his eyes, shining directly onto the giant sword in front of him.

The already enormous heavy sword began to expand the moment it was illuminated by the golden light.

One inch, two inches, one foot, two feet...

The blade of the giant sword grew larger and wider at a speed visible to the naked eye. The blade, which was already the size of a door, was now more than twice as big, standing in front of Shen Jinghong like a real city gate.

Golden patterns appeared on the sword.

The sense of oppression was more than twice as strong as before.

Xia Jin felt the oppressive aura emanating from her, but the smile on her face remained unchanged.

He simply watched Shen Jinghong quietly, and the heavy sword that had grown to the size of a city gate, his gaze becoming increasingly calm.

On the high platform, the voices of several city lords rose again.

"Lord Yuan, who do you think will win this battle?" Teng Qingya, the Lord of Jinhui City, glanced back and forth between the two on the arena before asking Yuan Wangshu, the Lord of Shuangyue City, who was standing beside him.

Yuan Wangshu pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Shen Jinghong is, after all, at the fifth level of the Immortal Ascension Realm. Even if both sides have their own trump cards, the difference in their realms is undeniable. I think the ultimate winner will still be Shen Jinghong!"

"What you said makes some sense," Teng Qingya nodded. "I also think Shen Jinghong will win."

Their conversation naturally reached Pei Linhai's ears.

He didn't reply, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing a barely perceptible smile.

That smile carried an air of unwavering confidence.

For a moment, everyone on the high platform except the Grand Hall Master thought that Xia Jin was bound to lose.

The head of the hall sat in his chair, saying nothing.

His gaze remained fixed on Xia Jin, and a thought suddenly occurred to him.

This kid probably has some tricks up his sleeve.

Otherwise, given his personality, it's impossible that he wouldn't feel even the slightest bit nervous, let alone wary, after witnessing Shen Jinghong display such terrifying strength.

That calmness wasn't feigned; it came from a genuine sense of confidence.

"Lord Jun, what do you think?" Pei Linhai suddenly turned his head, looking at the Grand Hall Master with a half-smile. "You don't actually think that kid has a chance of winning, do you?"

The Grand Hall Master smiled slightly and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "The outcome is still undecided; anything is possible. City Lord Pei, let's wait and see."

Pei Linhai gave a light snort, said nothing more, and turned his gaze back to the arena.

On the arena, Shen Jinghong gripped the heavy sword that had grown to the size of a city gate, exuding a violent aura.

Golden light flickered in his eyes, as if resonating with the golden eye on his right hand.

Shen Jinghong's voice became somewhat low, "Since you refuse to admit defeat, then don't blame me for being impolite."

Xia Jin didn't speak, but slowly lifted her foot.

step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

Instead of dodging and avoiding him as before, he walked straight toward Shen Jinghong.

He raised both hands at the same time, his palms turning over.

A nearly transparent flame silently appeared in the palm of his left hand.

In the palm of his right hand, a ball of white flames burned fiercely, with blue light dancing within the flames.

Xia Jin raised her head, looked at Shen Jinghong, and smiled slightly.

"Come on, go all out. Let me see just how powerful you really are!"

A violent glint flashed in Shen Jinghong's eyes.

Without uttering any more words, he gripped the massive greatsword with both hands and raised it high.

"boom!"

The giant sword slashed down.

This sword strike was simply a powerful split that cleaved Mount Hua.

But before the sword arrived, its terrifying aura had already pressed down. The stone slabs on the arena floor shattered under the pressure of this sword force, and the fragments flew to both sides, leaving a deep trench in the middle of the arena.

Xia Jin did not back down.

He raised his hands, the transparent flame in his left hand and the white flame in his right hand simultaneously meeting the attack, crossing them above his head to block.

"clang!"

The giant sword slammed into Xia Jin's crossed hands, and a terrifying force traveled through his arms and spread throughout his body, causing his bones to crack continuously, as if they were about to break at any moment.

His feet sank directly into the ring floor in an instant, with rubble reaching above his ankles.

But he persevered.

There was no retreat.

At the same time, two balls of flame erupted in his hands, spreading upwards along the blade of the greatsword, attempting to bypass the sword and penetrate Shen Jinghong's body directly.

However, just as the two flames were about to touch Shen Jinghong, the golden eye on his right hand glowed again.

A golden light shot out from the eyes, instantly enveloping the entire sword.

The two flames were unable to advance an inch under the suppression of the golden light and were forcibly forced back.

Xia Jin's pupils contracted slightly.

"What kind of method is this?" he wondered to himself.

He had never encountered a situation where his flames were so easily dispelled. That golden eye, seemingly born to be the nemesis of fire, was able to directly extinguish his flames.

Shen Jinghong sneered, and swept his greatsword horizontally, slashing at Xia Jin's waist once again.

Xia Jin had no time to think and abruptly retreated, barely dodging the sword. However, the aftershock of the sword still grazed his side, leaving a long gash in his robe.

"What, you're surprised already?" Shen Jinghong's voice carried a hint of sarcasm. "I told you, even if I went all out, you might not survive."

The greatsword fell like a storm, each strike carrying ever greater power. And as the golden eye continued to glow, his sword grew faster and heavier, seemingly tireless.

Xia Jin dodged left and right, barely avoiding most of the attacks, but the aftershocks of a few swords still struck his body.

A trickle of blood slowly seeped from the corner of his mouth.

His arms were so numb from the shock.

However, Shen Jinghong's situation was not much better.

Or rather, something was off about his condition.

As the golden eye continued to glow, Shen Jinghong's eyes grew increasingly red, his breathing became more and more rapid, and his entire being exuded a violent and bloodthirsty aura.

His attacks became increasingly fierce, but his techniques became increasingly crude and disorganized.

It was as if something was eroding his reason, causing him to gradually lose control of himself.

Xia Jin frowned, dodging Shen Jinghong's attacks while observing his condition.

"Something's not right. If this continues, this guy will probably lose his mind sooner or later."

His gaze fell on the golden eye on Shen Jinghong's right hand, and a guess suddenly came to his mind.

That eye was probably more than just a secret technique to enhance strength; it was a double-edged sword. While granting Shen Jinghong immense power, it was also constantly eroding his sanity, gradually causing him to lose his reason.