Chapter 512: Powerful Rival

The Cangyun Continent martial competition is fiercely competitive, and the battles are often brutal. In the past, deaths have also occurred.

Although a mis‑step that kills someone in a contest is unavoidable in Martial Cultivator duels.

After all, when two people are of comparable skill, they often resort to their trump cards, and a slip can prove fatal.

But any genius who can enter the competition is among the continent's elite. The Cangyun Alliance, valuing talent, has set a rule prohibiting intentional killing.

Its purpose is to prevent indiscriminate slaughter when realms are mismatched, and to preserve as many talents as possible for the Cangyun Continent.

Perhaps the slain youth before us could achieve a high ranking in the next tournament.

"How could we have known he was that weak! Who could have guessed before the fight that he couldn't even withstand my easy move! How can that be considered intentional killing?"

The other snake leader said, "According to the competition rules, if the opponent hasn't surrendered, an accidental killing does not violate the rules. That kid just now did not surrender!"

Both snake leaders are not only treacherous and ruthless, but also extremely cunning; they have participated in a previous tournament and understand the rules.

So when they struck, the Soul pressure was released at once. The youth couldn't even speak, let alone have a chance to surrender.

Moreover, the massive toxin carried by that black True Essence is extremely corrosive. If the youth's Divine Sense falters for even an instant, it would be fatal.

While everyone marveled at the double‑headed shadow snake's power, Ye Liuyun paid little attention to how the judges would handle the snake; instead, he opened his Divine Sense and observed the battles on the other four arenas.

In his mind, he kept hypothesizing how he would deal with an attack from a double‑headed snake.

After pondering, he still felt that he couldn't be certain he could fully withstand a single move; perhaps he would have to rely on his Physical Body to endure the toxin.

"The True Essence of this double‑headed shadow snake is astonishingly condensed!"

Ye Liuyun was somewhat surprised. He had rarely seen a peer whose True Essence was more condensed than his.

The more condensed the True Essence, the more energy it contains, meaning a higher True Essence Quality.

Of course, if Ye Liuyun reached the Tian Gang Ninth Layer, his True Essence Quality would certainly surpass that of the double‑headed shadow snake. But for now, he must fight the snake using his Tian Gang Liu Chong (Sixth Layer) realm, leaping a level.

But it is clear that the double‑headed snake can probably challenge across at least three layers.

Facing a contestant of Heavenly Proud level, Ye Liuyun truly felt immense pressure.

His Golden Pupil already detected that the double‑headed snake not only has a more condensed True Essence, but its Soul and Bloodline Power are also not inferior to his.

"It seems we previously underestimated the Heavenly Proud of the Cangyun Continent!"

Ye Liuyun originally thought that reaching the Tian Gang Liu Chong would allow him to sweep the Tian Gang Ninth Layer Martial Cultivators of the Cangyun Continent. He didn't expect that against a Heavenly Proud opponent, his cross‑realm advantage would no longer be obvious.

Watching the Heavenly Proud battles on the other arenas deepened his perception.

Among the Five Great Heavenly Proud, the strongest, titled the Frenzied Warrior, Yu Haotian, presided over the central arena.

Although he appears only twenty‑five or twenty‑six, his realm has already reached the Tian Gang Ninth Layer. Facing a Tian Gang Fifth Layer opponent, a single punch sent them flying.

The Bloodline Power unleashed by that punch seemed to Ye Liuyun even stronger than his own. This confirmed what Yao Xinghai had said earlier: Yu Haotian's Bloodline Power truly exceeds Ye Liuyun's.

Moreover, from Yu Haotian's physique, Ye Liuyun could tell he also possesses Body Refinement.

Jin Gang Meng Wentian, stationed at the western arena, holds the Tian Gang Eighth Layer realm, with Bloodline Power comparable to his own. When faced with a long‑sword attack, he transformed his entire right arm into a metallic form to block it. Then, with a single punch relying solely on Body Refinement, he knocked a Tian Gang Fourth Layer opponent to the ground.

"It seems this person's Bloodline Power can turn the whole body into metal. His defense is not inferior to my Buddha‑Demon Golden Body."

On the eastern arena, Lie Hongxia didn't even need to strike; merely unleashing her flame power forced the opponent off the stage.

Her opponent was a Tian Gang Second Layer martial artist, and she had no interest in even moving.

Ye Liuyun's Divine Sense faintly heard a phoenix cry within the flames she released.

"Is she refining the phoenix's Nirvana fire?" Ye Liuyun was uncertain. "If Qiong Qi were here, they'd recognize it at a glance. I wonder where that fellow has run off to now!"

Among the other four Heavenly Proud, the most enigmatic is Ming Tong Ding Hao.

Ye Liuyun deliberately used his Golden Pupil to observe his entire attack.

He could sense that Ding Hao primarily cultivates his Soul, and regardless of the strength of his defensive Soul, his offensive Soul far surpasses Ye Liuyun's.

Also using pupil techniques, a single glance from him drops the opponent instantly, without even a breath. This speed is at least twice Ye Liuyun's.

At this moment, Ye Liuyun grew increasingly alarmed. The various advantages he had relied on were suppressed when facing these Heavenly Proud, and in some aspects the opponents were even stronger than him.

"It seems this Cangyun Continent martial competition is exactly what I needed! Otherwise I always thought I was strong. Now I see I'm just a frog at the bottom of a well!"

He privately evaluated the Five Great Heavenly Proud and found that each of them is well‑balanced, with no particular weakness.

But against Ye Liuyun, they each have a clear advantage: realm. In other respects, Ye Liuyun and they each have strengths and weaknesses, and the gap is not huge.

"Realm, realm!"

Ye Liuyun felt anxious; now he can only cultivate by absorbing spiritual energy, and cannot accelerate any further!

At that moment, the judges conferred and issued the final verdict: "Double‑headed shadow snake, one warning; strip 10% of talent luck, deduct 50 points!"

As they spoke, a judge waved at the score projection above the double‑headed shadow snake's head, reducing its points to fifty. The golden light emitted by the projected number also dimmed noticeably.

The 10% talent luck was evenly distributed, merging into each talent's projected number in the Northern District. Everyone clearly felt the numbers above their heads brighten slightly.

"Ha ha, we gained some luck for free!"

Crown Prince Jin Yuanhao's number also emitted a brighter white sheen.