In the plaza of the Divine Star Gate, an eerie silence enveloped the crowd, all eyes transfixed upon the youth suspended in midair, enveloped in golden radiance, as if they were in the presence of a war god, their hearts racing with excitement.
The arena lay in disarray, yet Ye Tian stood proudly aloft, radiating a fierce golden glow. A robust layer of true essence enveloped his body, forming an impenetrable defense that thwarted Wu Ding's relentless assaults.
"I refuse to believe this!" Wu Ding bellowed, his heart brimming with rage and disbelief. With his second-level Martial Spirit prowess, he found himself utterly unable to breach Ye Tian's protective true essence—how could this be?
Yet, the reality was undeniable; as Ye Tian fully activated his azure martial soul, the surrounding spiritual energies surged violently toward him, compounded by the explosive force of two hundred false acupoints, resulting in an overwhelming reservoir of true essence within him.
As onlookers gazed upon the space where Ye Tian hovered, the spiritual energies of heaven and earth seemed almost tangible, the seething true essence resembling molten lava, rolling and pulsating with an immense aura.
"This is an assault on the Martial Spirit realm!" someone exclaimed, their heart racing with astonishment; such a commotion accompanying a breakthrough to the Martial Spirit realm was exceedingly rare.
"It's hard to fathom that such formidable strength is trapped within the confines of the Martial Spirit realm; it defies logic," another murmured, visibly perplexed.
"This is entirely normal; the more gifted one is, the more arduous the path to breaking through becomes. However, once they succeed, they are virtually unmatched at their level," remarked an elder clad in black from the Divine Star Gate, his eyes gleaming with admiration.
Even Zang Lao narrowed his eyes, a glimmer of brilliance shining forth as he sighed softly, "Among this batch of outer disciples, aside from your seventh master, none possess the same talent as this young man."
King Nanlin, pondering the elder's words, inquired, "Then, Zang Lao, who do you believe is superior, him or my seventh master?"
"It is difficult to compare; in terms of innate talent, your seventh master is indeed stronger, yet this young man possesses immense potential, and even I cannot fully discern the depths of his true capabilities," Zang Lao replied, shaking his head slightly.
"Your reasoning is sound, but I have a gut feeling that this young man may have some hidden trump cards," King Nanlin remarked, casting a deep gaze toward Ye Tian on the arena.
"Trump cards... perhaps!" Zang Lao also regarded the arena with a hint of anticipation.
In midair, the brilliance surrounding Ye Tian intensified, reaching a pinnacle before erupting in a wave of terrifying energy. The surging blood essence, like a signal fire, shot toward the heavens.
Wu Ding's complexion changed dramatically, causing him to retreat repeatedly, no longer daring to press the attack. A sense of dread suddenly welled up within him, leaving him profoundly unsettled.
In truth, the crowd surrounding the arena shared this sensation, as if they were confronting a fearsome ancient beast.
Roar!
At that moment, Ye Tian unleashed a roar that shook the very skies.
The blinding golden light grew increasingly radiant, transforming Ye Tian into a living sun, exuding a vast aura that illuminated the surroundings.
Yet, unbeknownst to all, Ye Tian was enveloped in profound agony; just moments ago, he had successfully condensed the ninth blood pill and was now striving to forge the tenth—this was the final step.
However, it was this very step that instilled fear within him, for the true essence required for the tenth blood pill was staggering. Even the slightest attempt at condensation unleashed a wave of terrifying energy that nearly shattered his physical form.
Ye Tian felt as though he were submerged in scalding lava, his body wracked with unbearable pain, enduring a harrowing trial where every inch of him ached.
"Why? My first layer of the Nine Transformations Battle Body has achieved perfection; why can I not sustain the tenth blood pill?" Ye Tian pondered, gritting his teeth against the torment.
"I will not yield! Either my body will explode, or the tenth blood pill will succeed!" Ye Tian's eyes burned crimson, consumed by madness.
This was the final step; he could not afford to give up. Should he succeed, he would forge the unparalleled Ten Meridians Blood Pill, rendering him invincible within the Martial Spirit realm.
"Ah..."
Ye Tian seemed to be in a purgatory of suffering, yet his azure martial soul continued to voraciously absorb the spiritual energies surging from the surroundings, transmuting them into true essence, gradually condensing the tenth blood pill.
The tenth blood pill, initially no larger than a grain of rice, began to swell like a sponge, voraciously consuming true essence.
As time passed, a faint blood light began to shimmer from the tenth blood pill, and a terrifying aura erupted from Ye Tian, causing the surrounding crowd to instinctively recoil, overwhelmed by a sense of dread.
"What is this..." On the arena, Wu Ding's pupils constricted, cold sweat beading on his forehead. The aura emanating from Ye Tian instilled a profound sense of pressure, causing his legs to tremble uncontrollably, his true essence within destabilized.
In truth, it was not only Wu Ding who felt this way; when Ye Tian successfully condensed the tenth blood pill, all inner disciples at the Martial Spirit realm in the surrounding crowd experienced a tremor within their true essence, their energy becoming disordered.
Those outer disciples below the Martial Spirit realm felt the terrifying aura radiating from Ye Tian, trembling in response.
"Ah..." Ye Tian roared, the tenth blood pill finally condensed, yet at the same time, a wave of terrifying energy struck his body with unprecedented force.
Several powerful elders from the Divine Star Gate witnessed the emergence of bloodstains on Ye Tian's body, their astonishment causing them to rise in shock.
"What is happening?"
"His body seems on the verge of collapse!"
"At merely the first level of the Martial Spirit realm, the aura he is unleashing surpasses that of a third-level Martial Spirit!"
The elders in black robes from the Divine Star Gate were all astounded.
Zang Lao also stood, his brow furrowed, two brilliant beams of light shooting from his eyes, before exclaiming in disbelief, "So this is it! This young man has encountered an extraordinary opportunity. Is our Divine Star Gate on the brink of witnessing a miracle? What a pity..." He sighed softly, a blend of anticipation and regret in his tone.
King Nanlin, perplexed, queried, "What is it, Zang Lao? Have you uncovered something?"
"Nothing of the sort; this young man is on the verge of success!" Zang Lao replied nonchalantly, closing his eyes to cease his observation.
King Nanlin's confusion deepened, his brow furrowing as he gazed intently at Ye Tian on the arena, musing, "Zang Lao must have discovered something; this young man is indeed peculiar, possessing such formidable energy at merely the first level of the Martial Spirit realm..."
"Will Ye Tian be alright? Uncle City Lord!" On the stands, Liu Hongwu wore an expression of deep concern.
"Fear not; he has already ascended to the Martial Spirit realm, surpassing even me now," Xue Yuhua replied, his face tinged with bitterness, reflecting on the days when he had guided Ye Tian's cultivation, only to now find himself eclipsed.
Indeed, geniuses are not to be compared with mere mortals... Xue Yuhua silently lamented.
...
Boom!
Accompanied by a surge of terrifying energy, Ye Tian's body gradually descended, the dazzling golden light surrounding him slowly receding.
"Ha..." With eyes like lightning, Ye Tian took a deep breath as boundless spiritual energy from the heavens and earth surged toward him, mending his somewhat damaged physique and replenishing his internal true essence.
In that moment, the azure martial soul sat at its center, surrounded by ten floating blood pills. They were interconnected, forming a blood ring that encircled the azure martial soul.
The azure martial soul communicated with the ten blood pills, channeling their power to create a massive vortex that voraciously consumed the surrounding spiritual energy.
Ye Tian felt an instantaneous surge in the speed at which he absorbed this energy, reaching a terrifying magnitude; the ten blood pills seemed like ten worlds, aiding him in storing vast amounts of true essence.
Despite being merely at the first level of the Martial Spirit realm, Ye Tian sensed that his true essence had far surpassed that of Wu Ding, who had reached the second level.
Within his body, the ten robust main meridians coursed with abundant true essence, flowing like the mighty Yangtze River, relentless and unstoppable.
He had finally succeeded!
A hint of joy crept onto Ye Tian's calm visage as he clenched his fist with determination, an overwhelming sense of power filling his heart.
In this moment, he felt an unparalleled confidence; that absolute strength imbued him with the assurance to face any adversary.
Casting a glance at the visibly tense Wu Ding across from him, Ye Tian curled his lips into a mocking smile and said nonchalantly, "What's the matter? Do you still wish to fight?" As his words fell, a formidable aura surged toward Wu Ding.
Wu Ding's expression darkened, his eyes filled with fury. This time, he refrained from uttering any further words and charged directly at Ye Tian. A colossal ancient cauldron, radiating a blinding light, descended upon Ye Tian with great force.
"Is this the extent of your abilities?" Ye Tian scoffed, showing no signs of preparation as he unleashed a punch directly at the giant cauldron. The terrifying true essence surged forth like the mighty Yangtze, crashing outward.
Boom!
With a resounding explosion, the cauldron shattered, and Wu Ding's complexion turned ashen, his body violently thrown back by the tremendous force, blood gushing forth.
"Ding'er!" An elder from the Wu family on the stands exclaimed in shock.
Others from the Wu family clenched their fists, their faces darkened as they glared at Ye Tian.
Everyone was left in awe; Ye Tian's strength was beyond description. The very Wu Ding they had regarded as the frontrunner had proven to be so easily vanquished.
"It seems the first place is his!" Nearby, Prince Thirteen, Lin Fei, and others expressed their astonishment.
Bai Yunfei's eyes brimmed with jealousy as he bit his lip, casting a resentful glance at Ye Tian.
The veiled Meng Shiyun appeared inscrutable, but one could only imagine her shock.
The Seventh Prince finally displayed a hint of seriousness, stating solemnly, "Good, this is the caliber worthy of being my foremost warrior!"
Bai Yunfei rolled his eyes at this remark; having often heard of the Seventh Prince's extreme arrogance, he now realized the truth—this was not mere arrogance, but an overbearing audacity.
Even Meng Shiyun shook her head in disbelief.
On the arena, Wu Ding's face was pale, his eyes darkened, yet he no longer engaged Ye Tian in battle. Ultimately, he cast a reluctant glance at Ye Tian before stepping down from the platform.
Soon, an elder clad in black announced Ye Tian's victory.
The surrounding crowd erupted in exclamations; this was an unprecedented turn of events. They had anticipated Ye Tian's elimination, yet the outcome was entirely unexpected.
In that moment, Ye Tian emerged as the frontrunner for the championship.