He knew fully well that going up the stage would mean literally going to his death!
Who would be so foolish to go up the stage and challenge Huang Xiaolong?! Gu Xuanxu's heart already gave birth to fear, and his feet stepped back, intending to leave the venue.
However, he barely turned around when his path was blocked by a Holy Heavens Law Enforcement Hall's disciple.
Huang Xiaolong's cold gaze was fixed on Gu Xuanxu as he stated, "According to the agreement, once registered to participate in the battle stage challenge, no one is allowed to withdraw halfway. Hence, your only option is to get on to the stage."
Your only option is to get up on the stage!
Gu Xuanxu turned deathly pale.
The underlying meaning of Huang Xiaolong's words clearly meant that he could only go die on the battle stage!
Not only Gu Xuanxu, but even other participants such as the genius Holy Prince Chen Po from the Black Inferno Race, Scarlet Flame Holy Gate's genius Holy Prince Long Yi, and others paled, unable to hide the fear in their hearts from showing on their faces.
Fang Xing had the Sacred Emperor Saint Godhead, and he had cultivated the Boundless Sea, Golden Disk Palms. When he had gone up the stage to challenge Huang Xiaolong, he had ended up dead!
Sui Yunfeng, who had the Life Reversing Saint Godhead and the Black Serpent Rope that was comparable to a dao artifact, had gone up to challenge Huang Xiaolong and he had also ended up dead!
Sui Yunfeng's miserable dying screams still seemed to echo in the air.
Now, it was Gu Xuanxu's turn to go up to the stage to die!
After that, it would be the fourth person, the fifth person, the sixth person, and soon it would be their turn!
One foot on that stage and their ends would be tragic.
"Patriarch!"
"Sect Chief!"
Chen Huang, Long Yi, and the others looked at their own patriarchs and sect chiefs with pleading eyes.
Zhan Zhiyuan directed his words at Huang Xiaolong, "Huang Xiaolong, this rule was solely determined by you, and it is clearly unfair. Battles on the stage are up to each person's willingness. Hence, you cannot force others to go up!"
"That's right, even if you're the Holy Heavens' four Primal Ancestors' personal disciple, you cannot bully the weak like this." The Scarlet Flame Holy Gate's Patriarch Zhu Ye agreed loudly. "This is blatant unfairness, aiming to exterminate the Holy Princes we have spent blood, sweat, and resources to nurture!"
The Blue Whale Race and other forces also reprimanded Huang Xiaolong's unfairness.
Zhan Zhiyuan and these people's words reduced Huang Xiaolong to a tyrant, who bullied others by relying on his identity!
As he looked at their faces filled with indignant fury, while they clamored for fairness, Huang Xiaolong scoffed, "When all of you were scheming to grab my grandmist holy spiritual aura, why didn't you shout about fairness? When I was setting the battle stage rules during our agreement, and when you agreed to them, why didn't you clamor about fairness then? Now that the challenges have started, you're shouting that I am being unfair in my face?! And you are saying that I'm plotting to kill the genius Holy Princes you all have cultivated with resources?!"
Zhan Zhiyuan, the Scarlet Flame Holy Gate's Patriarch, and the others were choked by Huang Xiaolong's words, looking more than a little awkward.
Then, while others were debating, Gu Xuanxu blurred away in a flicker as he made an attempt to escape. However, would Gu Xuanxu succeed? In an instant, he was captured by one of the Holy Heavens Ninth Tribulation half-True Saint Law Enforcement Hall's disciples, and then he was mercilessly thrown onto the battle stage.
Naturally, one didn't need a crystal ball to predict Gu Xuanxu's ending.
Two minutes later, Huang Xiaolong had finished devouring Gu Xuanxu's complete dao saint godhead, saint bloodline, and saint physique.
Huang Xiaolong peered down on Li Chen from the battle stage and said, "Senior Brother Li Chen exerted a lot of effort to find this kind of talented disciple for me to practice my hands."
Li Chen's face was slightly distorted as he listened.
Huang Xiaolong then put Li Chen's presence to the back of his head as his gaze fell onto the Blue Whale Race's genius, Holy Prince Yuan Lin. Yuan Lin had drawn the token number four earlier.
Yuan Lin was bleak with despair, and the terror in his eyes was obvious to everyone.
Another two minutes later, the fourth challenger lost his life.
Soon, the fifth challenger, the sixth challenger….
An hour later, the outstanding genius disciples participating in the first round representing the Ancient Emperor Holy Ground, Beast Tamer Holy Gate, Black Inferno Race, Scarlet Flame Holy Gate, Blue Whale Race, and the rest of the thirty-nine forces were all reduced to supplements for Huang Xiaolong.
But Huang Xiaolong was feeling unfulfilled. Fang Xing, Sui Yunfeng, Gu Xuanxu, Yuan Lin, and the rest were all outstanding geniuses, which also meant they were a great supplement to him.
Merely thirty-nine people in the first round had already helped Huang Xiaolong's complete dao saint godheads to rise significantly in the ranks!
He had estimated that his three complete dao saint godheads had really entered the top thirty ranks.
'It's a pity that no one here has a saint godhead in the top ten.' Huang Xiaolong thought inwardly. If he could devour a complete dao saint godhead in the top ten, then his three complete dao saint godheads would definitely be able to rise a few places in ranks.
Huang Xiaolong flashed a brilliant smile at Duan Xuan, Shen Jiewen, Zhan Zhiyuan, Xie Bufan, Li Chen, and the rest, who were below the stage, "The first round of challenge has come to an end. Everyone can send up the subsequent disciples for the second round of challenge."
Duan Xuan, Shen Jiewen, Zhan Zhiyuan, and the others looked as ugly as they could.
Still send disciples up to challenge?
Huang Xiaolong was literally insulting and mocking them in their faces.
The Holy Princes standing by Duan Xuan, Shen Jiewen, and the other patriarchs' sides, all panicked, as they were afraid that their patriarchs would really send someone up to challenge Huang Xiaolong, and that someone would be them.
"Huang Xiaolong, according to the rules, we can choose not to send disciples to challenge for the second round after the end of first round," Xie Bufan stressed coldly as he glared daggers at Huang Xiaolong.
Huang Xiaolong grinned, "Yes, that's correct. Whether you send disciples for the second round of challenge solely depends on your decision, but don't you want this grandmist holy spiritual aura anymore?"
He pointed at the million-zhang long golden grandmist spiritual holy aura dragon coiling in midair.
Upon looking at the grandmist holy spiritual aura dragon in the air, desire flickered across Duan Xuan, Shen Jiewen, Zhan Zhiyuan, Xie Bufan, Li Chen, and the others' eyes. They would be lying that they were willing to give up on the grandmist holy spiritual aura.
But each of them were aware that sending their disciples up to challenge Huang Xiaolong was no different than letting them die for nothing.
Huang Xiaolong could tell that these people were moved by his words, and the grin on his face widened, "How about we do it like this? Each time, you can send ten disciples up to challenge me!"
"What?! Ten disciples to challenge at the same time!" Duan Xuan and the others blurted out in shock, simultaneously.
"Huang Xiaolong, for real?!" Shen Jiewen asked delightedly.
"Of course!" Huang Xiaolong smiled. "Other rules remain the same, but each time, you can only send ten disciples below Fourth Tribulation half-True Saint to challenge me at the same time. Also, I won't force any of you."
He wanted Duan Xuan, Shen Jiewen, and these people to feel hopeful. He wanted them to think that even though he was strong, ten disciples' collective strength would increase their chances of defeating him.
Since there was such a hope, Huang Xiaolong knew that Duan Xuan, Shen Jiewen, and the rest would take the bait.
As expected, Duan Xuan, Shen Jiewen, Zhan Zhiyuan, Xie Bufan, and the others agreed to send ten disciples for the second round of challenge almost immediately. Even Li Chen also sent out ten disciples.
"Wait!" Just as the disciples were about to step forward to draw lots, Huang Xiaolong stopped them.
Duan Xuan's heart hung high as he taunted, "Huang Xiaolong, you want to go back on your words?"
Huang Xiaolong smiled, shaking his head and said, "I'm afraid that after the second round starts, all of you would try to withdraw like just now, and you would accuse me of bullying the weak."
Duan Xuan's face reddened as he guaranteed loudly, "Absolutely not."
Shen Jiewen, Zhan Zhiyuan, and the rest also vowed they would not.
Thus, the drawing of lots began.
Lin Xiaoying was more anxious than ever seeing this, "Why is Thirteen so stupid? He's strong but does he really think he could fight one-against-ten?"