"Damn it!"
"Cursed be this!"
"We cannot allow this arrogant fool to succeed!"
"Brothers, restrain your weapons; do not let this scoundrel prevail!"
…
As the Seventh Prince unleashed his gun intent, gasps erupted from the spectators surrounding the arena. Each one channeled their true essence, firmly grounding their weapons.
Clearly, the Seventh Prince's arrogance incited the ire of everyone present, compelling them to assist Ye Tian in his plight.
However, all efforts proved futile. Except for a few inner disciples whose strength surpassed the fifth level of martial spirits, the outer disciples simply could not contain their weapons, which soared into the sky, converging upon the arena.
"Fools!" The Seventh Prince cast a disdainful glance at those struggling to suppress their arms, a cold smirk gracing his face.
Once his gun intent was invoked, it summoned the very forces of heaven and earth, transcending mere human power. Were it not for the Seventh Prince's insufficient strength and inadequate realm, even the elders of the Divine Star Sect would be unable to restrain their weapons.
"I wonder how Ye Tian will withstand this?" Some elders of the Divine Star Sect gazed curiously at Ye Tian in the arena.
King Nanlin's face was also filled with intrigue as he remarked with a smile, "Zang Lao, do you think this lad has any hidden cards?"
"We shall see shortly!" Zang Lao replied with a faint smile, offering no further answer.
Upon hearing this, King Nanlin was momentarily taken aback, then chuckled wryly, stroking his chin as he continued to observe the arena.
Not far away, Xue Yuhou and Liu Hongwu looked on with eager anticipation, well aware of Ye Tian's mastery of sword intent, thus remaining untroubled.
In the square, all eyes converged upon Ye Tian, who had become the focal point of attention. Yet, his expression remained remarkably calm, his gaze serene, seemingly unfazed by the weapons swirling above the Seventh Prince's head. He even set down the blood knife in his hand, appearing indifferent.
"Ye Tian, I shall grant you one more opportunity!" The Seventh Prince floated slowly upward, standing arrogantly in mid-air as he coldly gazed down at Ye Tian.
"Your words are excessive!" Ye Tian retorted icily.
Boom!
The Seventh Prince's expression darkened, and he ceased to speak. With a mere thought, countless weapons surged toward Ye Tian, resembling an unstoppable torrent, as if intent on drowning him.
"Boom!"
Ye Tian's eyes blazed with icy light, and a formidable aura erupted from within him. At that moment, he summoned the full power of ten blood pills, an unending stream of true essence pouring forth, forming terrifying defenses upon his body.
Clang, clang, clang…
The barrage of weapons descended, completely engulfing Ye Tian. The already chaotic arena transformed into a wasteland, as the onslaught of weapons buried Ye Tian into the earth.
The ground trembled and cracked, with terrifying fissures radiating outward from the arena's center in all directions.
The spectators hastily took cover, cursing the Seventh Prince's ancestors, for this detestable prince had evidently included them within the range of his attack. Otherwise, why had he not exhibited such ferocity in his earlier battle with Meng Shiyun?
Of course, it was also possible that the Seventh Prince feared Ye Tian's formidable strength, prompting him to unleash his full power this time.
Boom!
The relentless assault continued for an extended period, with Ye Tian buried beneath the earth not because he could not withstand the impact, but because the ground itself could not bear the force he unleashed.
At this moment, Ye Tian's true essence was dense and robust, continually surging from within him. The storage within the ten blood pills was astonishing; it was no wonder the Blood Demon Blade Lord could slay martial kings of a higher tier.
"With ten blood pills now formed, I no longer need to rely on sword intent; I am already among the elite at this level!" Ye Tian thought calmly as he resisted the torrent of weapons, his heart brimming with excitement.
He dared not claim invincibility among his peers, for the vastness of the Divine Continent was boundless; who knew what talents lay beyond? After all, the Da Yan Kingdom was merely a small place, and the talents here might be nothing more than ordinary in the wider world.
The ten blood pills stored an endless supply of true essence, providing Ye Tian with formidable endurance.
In terms of sheer attack power, Ye Tian, at the first level of martial spirit, could not compare to Meng Shiyun, who was at the fifth level. Of course, this was without the activation of sword intent.
If that were the case, why had Meng Shiyun fallen to the Seventh Prince?
It was because Meng Shiyun lacked sufficient true essence; although her explosive output was vast and her attacks formidable, without enough true essence to sustain her, she ultimately exhausted her strength trying to fend off the torrent of weapons.
Conversely, Ye Tian was different. With ten blood pills, his stored true essence was tenfold that of others, nearly on par with the true essence of a seventh-level martial spirit.
However, limited by his current realm, the true essence Ye Tian could unleash at once barely matched that of a third-level martial spirit.
Nevertheless, these weapons were merely crashing down, lacking substantial power. Ye Tian could easily maintain his true essence defense, continually channeling true essence into his external protective barrier.
Thus, until the torrent of weapons subsided, the protective true essence enveloping Ye Tian remained fiercely radiant, and he still had three blood pills' worth of storage remaining.
Slightly marveling at the potency of the ten blood pills, Ye Tian's gaze flickered as he shot upward.
At this moment, the arena had vanished, replaced by a mountain of weapons, burying Ye Tian's figure within.
All eyes were fixed upon the mound of weapons, eager to discern whether Ye Tian still possessed the strength to fight. Although the likelihood was slim, just the thought of the Seventh Prince's arrogance stirred their hearts, intensifying their anticipation for Ye Tian's potential comeback.
However, moments passed, and the mound remained still.
"Ye Tian? How could this be? Why hasn't he utilized his sword intent?" Liu Hongwu exclaimed, her face a mask of confusion and concern from the stands.
"Shh… Keep your voice down. Ye Tian is surely concealing his sword intent for a reason; we must be patient and wait!" Xue Yuhou whispered urgently beside her.
In truth, he suspected that Ye Tian was preserving his strength, for the world of martial artists was fraught with peril. Sometimes, retaining a hidden card was merely a means of safeguarding oneself.
Having roamed the Da Yan Kingdom in his youth, Xue Yuhou understood this well.
"Zang Lao, how can this lad's true essence be so profound?" King Nanlin, not far off, appeared puzzled. While others could not discern Ye Tian's condition, as a martial king, he could clearly sense that Ye Tian was still brimming with power, leaving him astonished.
"Every individual has their own fortuitous encounters. If your Seventh Prince had not experienced a stroke of luck, how could he have grasped sword intent so early?" Zang Lao replied nonchalantly, though a hint of regret flickered in his eyes.
"Indeed, sword intent is not easily birthed; it seems the heavens wish to leave me with a lifelong regret! Yet, even so, with this lad, the Divine Star Sect has hope for continuity!"
Zang Lao sighed softly, his gaze glimmering.
In the arena,
"Declare the victor! He must be unconscious!" The Seventh Prince, witnessing Ye Tian's inaction, secretly exhaled in relief. He descended and barked at a nearby referee, an elder clad in black robes.
The elder shook his head with a sigh, glancing at the unmoving mountain of weapons, preparing to announce the outcome of the contest.
But just at that moment—
The mountain of weapons trembled violently, and a towering figure soared into the sky, radiating an overwhelming aura that swept across the entire square. His piercing gaze fixed upon the Seventh Prince below, he coldly declared, "Is this your gun intent? I have experienced it; now it is your turn to receive my strike!"
Ye Tian stood suspended in mid-air, and before the Seventh Prince could recover from his shock, he unleashed a powerful palm strike downward.
Instantly, the three blood pills within him quivered intensely, erupting with three surges of profound true essence that coalesced in the sky into three colossal hands of true essence, descending forcefully upon the astonished Seventh Prince.
"Ye Tian is unharmed!"
"Did he just manifest three Stellar Hands at once? Am I seeing things?"
"It's truly unimaginable that he still possesses such rich true essence at this stage. Can he really be just a first-level martial spirit?"
"How could he possibly execute three Stellar Hands simultaneously? Even a perfected practitioner of the Stellar Hand technique would struggle to achieve that!"
"It's conceivable… I've heard of an inner disciple who could simultaneously wield two Stellar Hands, but that requires a profound understanding of the technique. It's hard to fathom that he is merely an outer disciple who has just entered the Divine Star Gate only three days ago."
…
Gasps of astonishment filled the air, with everyone engaging in animated discussions, many faces glowing with excitement and exhilaration.
Some onlookers reveled in schadenfreude, casting cold smiles at the Seventh Prince, who was being suppressed by the three immense hands of true essence. By now, it was clear to all that the Seventh Prince was destined to lose.
Indeed, this was the case; the Seventh Prince had already sustained injuries, and after unleashing his gun intent, he appeared somewhat fatigued. After barely fending off two Stellar Hands, he was struck by the third, causing him to spit blood and lose consciousness.
"Let us hope this lad remembers this lesson!" On the stands, King Nanlin withdrew his gaze, clasping his hands in salute to Zang Lao as he prepared to take his leave. He had lost interest in the ensuing matches.
"Ye Tian—" Zang Lao murmured softly before turning to depart.
"Lord Blood City, you have done remarkably well. Your efforts in nurturing a talent like Ye Tian are commendable," King Nanlin said with a beaming smile, patting Xue Yuhou on the shoulder in an encouraging manner as he passed by.
"It is my duty!" Xue Yuhou trembled with excitement, his face alight with fervor as he lowered his head respectfully.
"Indeed! Let us be off; I wish to have a thorough discussion with you!" King Nanlin nodded, then departed with a group of lords from Nanlin County, leaving the Divine Star Gate behind.
The other lords gazed at Xue Yuhou with envy, many approaching him to forge closer ties.
Everyone understood that with Ye Tian's presence, Blood Jade City would hold a pivotal position in Nanlin County, and the status of its lord, Xue Yuhou, would undoubtedly rise accordingly.