Chapter 278: The First Prodigy, The Heavenly Dipper Battle

The newcomer was a red-haired young man dressed in a crimson robe.

Seeing Ye Fan had just slain a person from the Blackwater Region, he assumed Ye Fan's combat strength was depleted from the battle. He abandoned his own arena and attacked directly, the longsword in his hand gleaming with a faint blue watery light as it thrust straight toward Ye Fan's heart.

"Despicable!"

The prodigies of the Heavenly South Region shouted and cursed!

The prodigies of the Blackwater Region in the plaza scoffed. "This is a life-or-death struggle to begin with, what's so despicable about it? If he's afraid of dying, he can just flee the arena!"

"Exactly! If he's truly a prodigy, he will naturally be able to hold the prodigy arena!"

Ye Fan raised his eyes, showing not a hint of fatigue. He had merely consumed some mana; his physical strength was completely undiminished.

Facing the incoming longsword, he neither dodged nor evaded. His right fist, wrapped in faint golden spiritual light, collided head-on with the blade.

"Clang!"

Before he could recover his wits, Ye Fan had already closed the distance, his fists smashing forward like roaring thunder.

The red-haired young man gritted his teeth, repeatedly executing sword arts to clash forcefully with Ye Fan.

He relied on the fierceness of his cultivation method, intending to suppress his opponent with rapid attacks. Little did he know that Ye Fan was a body cultivator, someone who excelled the most in prolonged battles.

With every collision between fist and sword, Ye Fan's body remained as immovable as a boulder, while the counter-shock caused the red-haired young man's qi and blood to churn violently.

In the span of a few dozen breaths, golden radiance and watery shadows intertwined on the arena, accompanied by the endless sounds of brutal collisions.

Ye Fan's breathing remained steady, the power of his fists undiminished.

"Impossible!" the red-haired young man roared. Burning his essence blood, he unleashed a killing move, his longsword cleaving straight toward Ye Fan's head.

A cold glint flashed in Ye Fan's eyes, and the golden radiance around his body surged. His left fist parried the longsword, while his right fist gathered all his bodily strength and smashed ruthlessly into the red-haired young man's chest.

"Bang!"

With a loud explosion, the red-haired young man's body burst apart like a torn rag, instantly turning into a mist of blood that dissipated within the arena's protective barrier.

Ye Fan withdrew his fist and stood tall. Though his clothes were stained with blood, his expression was completely normal.

He then brushed his hand over his storage pouch, swallowed a pill, and began to restore his mana.

Ye Fan had slain three people in a row. Aside from his Earthly Fiend Thirty-Sixth Arena, the Earthly Fiend Fortieth Arena was occupied by Xu Deyue, and the Earthly Fiend Seventy-Second Arena was occupied by Xu Mingxian.

On the Heavenly Dipper Third Arena, Xu Deling saw Ye Fan's consecutive victories, and a faint smile touched the corners of her lips.

Yan Longzi sighed softly. "To think the Xu family members actually managed to ascend the prodigy arenas, and under the disruptive circumstances caused by the Blackwater Region no less. If not for that, wouldn't it have been possible for all of them to ascend the Heavenly Dipper Arenas?"

Yan Kuangtu challenged the Earthly Fiend Seventy-First Arena, facing a Heavenly South prodigy.

After a bitter struggle, he ultimately suffered defeat.

His current combat strength was only comparable to someone who had comprehended ten to twenty percent of a lesser divine ability. There was still quite a gap before he could claim a prodigy arena.

If he devoted himself to quiet comprehension in the future, he might be able to grasp his lesser divine ability to the extent of forty or fifty percent.

Cang Daoling had combat strength approaching level four, but he failed in challenging two people consecutively, and these were already the very last few prodigy arenas.

If the Blackwater Region prodigies had not arrived so suddenly, he would have had hope of securing a rank on the Prodigy Roll.

Three Blackwater Region prodigies challenged Xu Mingxian in succession, but Xu Mingxian had set up illusory arrays and mist formations early on, playing them in the palm of his hand with the shifting dao of reality and illusion.

Then, binding them with his Five Elements Battle Array, he easily killed them.

When Xu Mingxian killed them, he concealed the actions with clouds and mist, laying down divine sense restrictions.

Foundation Establishment cultivators were unable to pry into it, but cultivators at the Golden Core stage and above generally understood how he had killed the Blackwater Region prodigies.

Perfected Tianya let out a soft sound of surprise in his heart. 'To think a prodigy of array dao was hidden among our Northwest Region's prodigies. I have never seen him use any array tools. Could it be he can condense formations out of thin air?

'But without an array eye, and condensing a formation in such haste, wouldn't the opponent be able to break it easily?

'And that restriction technique... why does it carry a trace of Senior Brother Zhang Fan's style?'

Tyrant Blade also took notice of Ye Fan and Xu Mingxian, looking thoughtful. 'An Eighth-Layer Foundation Establishment body cultivator, and the other is a long-extinct array cultivator?'

Sword cultivators used swords to fight!

Array cultivators likewise relied on formations to fight!

Rather than being like ordinary array masters who could only set up formations or prepare them in advance to lure people in and trap them to death.

'However, it is a bit superficial, as if he has only just entered the dao of array cultivators.'

A gleam of murderous intent flashed through his eyes.

An array cultivator who grew to maturity was far more terrifying than a sword cultivator!

Of course, they were also far rarer!

Xu Deyue occupied the Fortieth Prodigy Arena. A Blackwater Region prodigy from below the stage challenged her, only to be killed in a dozen or so moves. The defending champions of the two adjacent Blackwater Region arenas behind her also challenged her, and they too were killed.

"This woman possesses at least level-five combat strength!"

After that, no one else went up to challenge Xu Deyue.

A few minutes later.

Xu Deyue challenged the Earthly Fiend Number One Blackwater Region prodigy.

Xu Mingxian seized the opportunity to occupy the Fortieth Prodigy Arena, immediately setting up formations in secret, waiting for someone to jump in.

On the Earthly Fiend First Arena.

On one side, sword light crisscrossed, as cold as the night water; on the other side, crimson-black flames burned furiously.

Next came the collision between cold dao seals and demonic flame palm arts.

Half the arena was engulfed in flames, the other half blanketed in frost.

The two sides battled for roughly thirty minutes. Xu Deyue proved slightly superior. Although that Blackwater prodigy wasn't killed, he was heavily injured and fled the arena.

"This fairy is a dark horse! With her strength, she has hope of ascending the Heavenly Dipper Arenas!"

"Not necessarily. She had such a bitter fight against Earthly Fiend Number One. The top thirty-six of the Heavenly Dipper definitely aren't weak. I'm afraid her chances are slim."

"Ah, someone is challenging the Earthly Fiend Fortieth Arena again!"

"Mist again?"

"A formation?"

When the mist dispersed, only Xu Mingxian remained standing, while the Blackwater Region demonic cultivator had already fallen.

Those who had given up defending their arenas to attack Xu Mingxian, Xu Deyue, and Ye Fan were almost all killed, and their positions were subsequently taken over by Heavenly South prodigies.

However, soon after, more Blackwater prodigies stepped up to challenge them.

The Earthly Fiend arenas suddenly became incredibly lively.

Ye Fan had one final chance to challenge, and he intended to test the waters of the Heavenly Dipper Thirty-Sixth Arena.

Seeing Ye Fan arrive, the purple-haired demonic cultivator said coldly, "Overestimating your strength."

However, after a few exchanges, he realized Ye Fan's strength was not to be underestimated. Although the power of Ye Fan's attacks was only at the level of a fifty-percent lesser divine ability, he was exceptionally durable.

He assumed it was due to that armor dharma tool.

"Since you're looking for death, don't blame me! I originally wanted to reserve my strength to launch a surprise attack on the top thirty arenas later!"

A vicious glint completely overtook the purple-haired demonic cultivator's eyes. The demonic qi around his body surged dramatically, and a crescent moon demon blade appeared in his hand.

In an instant, the crescent moon demon blade emanated a dark purple glow.

The demon blade slashed out several three-meter-long demonic flame blade auras, sweeping toward Ye Fan like a tidal wave.

The spiritual pressure of that domain far exceeded any previous attack, reaching the combat strength of a seventy-percent lesser divine ability.

Many onlookers were thoroughly shocked.

"That Ye Fan is too conceited. I'm afraid his fate is unpredictable now!" someone lamented.

Ye Fan gritted his teeth and met the attack with his fists.

However, the power of the demonic flame blade auras was too intense. Ye Fan's fist momentum was directly shattered, leaving him to rely solely on his dharma tools and his own physical body to defend himself.

Although he managed to block it, the armor on his arms became covered in tiny, spiderweb-like cracks.

"Hmph, once your armor shatters, let's see what you use to block!"

Several minutes later.

Ye Fan's armor gradually disintegrated, and his gauntlets were also damaged, exposing his bare hands beneath.

"Ye Fan!"

"Husband!"

Xu Mingxian and Xu Deyue cried out in alarm.

Xu Deling also furrowed her brows tightly, her eyes filled with worry.

Xu Chuan repeatedly performed daily divination calculations, but whether it was due to the numerous almighty experts present or the qi mechanics of the Prodigy Roll, he was completely unable to divine any information.

The cracks on the scarlet-gold armor spread.

Moments later.

It shattered apart with a "bang", the fragments of the gauntlets scattering across the arena to reveal the bronze-colored skin beneath.

That skin gave off a cold, hard luster, with faint golden spiritual light flowing between the muscle fibers.

"This physical body..."

The onlookers revealed odd expressions.

The purple-haired demonic cultivator looked thoughtful and immediately slashed out several more blade streaks. Ye Fan crossed his arms to block them.

The blade streaks only left a few shallow cuts on his arms.

"You really cultivate a body tempering method!"

The purple-haired demonic cultivator's pupils contracted slightly. "Furthermore, your physical body has reached an extremely strong level. I'm afraid it's no weaker than a Tier 2 Peak Demonic Beast."

"Monk Jin Chan, compared to him, whose physical body is stronger between the two of you?" Lin Qingfeng asked curiously.

"Having never competed, this poor monk does not know." Jin Chan pressed his hands together and chanted a Buddhist proclamation, but his eyes remained fixed on Ye Fan, his pupils shrinking slightly.

"To be able to train his physical body to such a degree, I presume the body tempering method he cultivates is no inferior to our temple's secret inheritance, the Golden Body Art."

The onlookers also let out continuous exclamations of surprise.

"Dual Cultivation of Dharma and Body, and to have reached such a level of minor accomplishment... I don't know how many years it's been since I last saw such a thing," a Golden Core Stage immortal cultivator sighed while stroking his beard.

"Daoist Friend Green Wood, your Heavenly Azure Prefecture truly produces talents in abundance," Qingxuan said, looking toward True Lord Green Wood.

"True Lord Qingxuan overpraises. Opportunities in the world are innumerable; it is impossible for them all to be controlled by anyone. Otherwise, wouldn't all of our Nascent Soul powers be able to endure forever without decline?"

"That's true. Our Profound Moon Ancestor also rose from humble beginnings, founding our sect and walking step by step to this day."

"Ye Fan, his combat strength has reached seventy percent of a lesser divine ability, and you're already injured. Retreat for now!" Xu Mingxian, his brows locked in a deep frown, sent a voice transmission.

"Father-in-law, I am confident I can preserve my life. Please let me be willful this once."

Hearing this, Xu Mingxian ceased his admonitions.

Xu Deyue deeply understood Ye Fan's thoughts and said nothing more, though her eyes revealed a trace of worry.

Ye Fan's strength had increased rapidly, but he had never encountered a truly worthy opponent who pushed him to go all out.

The opponent's murderous intent was chilling, and so was his own.

This was a true life-and-death struggle!

For someone who had comprehended seventy percent of a lesser divine ability to kill someone at fifty percent was not difficult.

However, to kill a body cultivator whose combat strength rivaled a fifty-percent lesser divine ability was very difficult!

His physical body was incredibly tough, but his bones were even tougher!

"It seems you indeed possess the potential of a top-tier prodigy. What a pity you haven't truly matured yet. Killing you will surely make the people of Heavenly South lament for quite a while."

Ye Fan did not waste words. He charged forward, his dual fists blasting out consecutively, every punch carrying the sound of tearing through the air.

"Overestimating your strength!"

The purple-haired demonic cultivator sneered coldly at the sight, his crescent moon demon blade smoothly slashing out a few times.

Although it didn't cleave Ye Fan's fists to pieces, it left him bleeding profusely, his white bones exposed.

Ye Fan remained utterly fearless.

After being knocked back, he continued to press forward indomitably, as if he felt no pain whatsoever.

In just a moment, his arms and hands were covered in slashes, making it look as though he were suffering the torture of a thousand cuts.

There was not the slightest trace of fear in Ye Fan's eyes. Instead, they grew brighter and brighter, as if he were gaining some sort of enlightenment.

The ancient body cultivators fought the heavens and battled the earth. Those who created body tempering methods originally did so to forge physical bodies strong enough to physically butcher demonic beasts.

While his armor's defense had been strong previously, it had also restricted a body cultivator's true potential.

At this moment, with every physical collision, he felt his body being tempered. His battle intent soared, and as he swung his fists, the power of the Brahma Sacred Fist grew increasingly stronger.

Seeing Ye Fan's miserable state, the crowd assumed he would last at most another fifteen minutes.

Yet, an hour passed, then two hours, and he still stood tall upon the prodigy arena.

"Is this the terror of an ancient body cultivator?"

"Rumor has it that in a test of endurance, no one can match them. Seeing it today, it truly lives up to its reputation!"

On the Heavenly Dipper Arena, golden radiance and demonic qi intertwined.

Although Ye Fan looked like a blood-soaked man, he grew more courageous the more he fought. His imposing aura gradually drew even with that of the purple-haired demonic cultivator. In stark contrast, the demonic cultivator's eyes were now filled with wariness, and even a trace of fear and anxiety.

"Impossible, I cannot possibly lose!"

The purple-haired demonic cultivator deployed a secret art that burned his essence blood. Even if it meant destroying his chances for further advancement, he had to slay this person!

Seeing the purple-haired demonic cultivator's qi mechanics explode in power, Ye Fan's battle intent also steadily climbed.

"Bring it on!"

He laughed wildly and clashed once again with the crescent moon demon blade in the demonic cultivator's hand.

Dozens of exchanges later.

"Why haven't you lost yet!"

"Why haven't you fallen!"

"Fall for me!"

The purple-haired demonic cultivator roared continuously.

Ye Fan fought madly without collapsing. His aura climbed yet again, and so did his battle intent.

As long as he wasn't dead, he could fight on indefinitely!

The next moment, a stroke of inspiration hit him, as if he had comprehended something profound.

In a flash.

He merged his battle intent, his aura, and his state of mind into the Brahma Sacred Fist, unexpectedly causing the technique to leap straight into the grand accomplishment stage of its second stance.

"Severing Heaven!"

Ye Fan let out a mighty shout, his twin fists gathering all his bodily power and battle intent. The golden fist radiance expanded several times over as it smashed viciously toward the purple-haired demonic cultivator.

The first punch sent the crescent moon demon blade flying.

The second punch shattered his mana barrier, the golden radiance piercing straight through his body, causing him to vomit blood and fly backward, heavily wounded.

The third punch arrived before the purple-haired demonic cultivator even hit the ground, Ye Fan closing the distance to obliterate him into a mist of blood!

"Excellent!"

The crowd erupted in exclamations of awe!

However, as if overcome by weakness following his explosive outburst, Ye Fan dropped to one knee. The faint golden light on the surface of his skin dimmed until it was almost invisible.

After all, the injuries inflicted by the purple-haired demonic cultivator earlier could not be ignored. Had it been anyone else, they would have died long ago.

"Kill him!"

On the plaza, a Blackwater Region demonic cultivator yelled loudly.

As if reminded, someone on an Earthly Fiend Arena immediately abandoned his stage and flew toward the Heavenly Dipper Thirty-Sixth Arena.

"Despicable!"

"Shameless!"

"Detestable!"

Curses and insults rang out endlessly.

"Striking when he's weak to take his life, isn't that just common sense!"

The demonic cultivator laughed heartily. To be able to slay such a prodigy, even if he was just taking advantage of someone's peril, would still allow him to make a name for himself!

The crowd assumed Ye Fan was dead for sure this time.

But an event that left everyone utterly dumbfounded occurred, something that even the assembled Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators had not foreseen.

That demonic cultivator was actually blocked by the prodigy arena's light screen.

"Why is it like this?! Isn't it only when two people are already inside that others can't enter the arena?!" the demonic cultivator roared in furious disbelief.

The Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators were equally astonished.

Rumble, rumble—

Accompanied by a reverberating sound.

In the very center of the Heavenly Dipper Thirty-Sixth Arena, a golden stone stele rose up.

"The Prodigy Stele!" The group of Nascent Soul cultivators exclaimed in shock.

Everyone present was left wide-eyed and tongue-tied.

The prodigy convention hadn't even ended yet, but the Prodigy Stele had appeared early!

Was it because of the Ancient Prodigy Tokens that had been integrated earlier?

Above the Prodigy Stele, several lines of golden ancient text emerged.

[With an Eighth-Layer Foundation Establishment body, fighting relentlessly without end, surpassing one's own limits, and experiencing an epiphany in battle intent during combat—worthy of being a prodigy!]

"He's been acknowledged by the prodigy arena!"

"The very first prodigy has appeared!"

The Nascent Soul cultivators of the several top-tier forces also revealed smiles.

With such a change, it was certain that the Prodigy Roll was gradually recovering. Integrating the Ancient Prodigy Tokens had indeed been effective.

Xu Chuan, Xu Mingxian, Xu Deyue, and Xu Deling all displayed faint smiles.

Seeing that there was no opportunity, that demonic cultivator turned around to return to his own Earthly Fiend Ninth Arena, only to realize his home had been stolen.

And the one who had stolen his home was none other than Xu Mingxian.

"You're courting death!"

In a fit of wild fury, he charged into the Earthly Fiend Ninth Arena.

Thick mist surged up.

Minutes later, only Xu Mingxian's figure emerged alongside the fallen demonic cultivator, whose storage pouch had vanished without a trace.

Xu Mingxian flicked his finger, incinerating the corpse.

"Exactly what is this person's strength?"

"I don't know. He conceals himself in heavy mist every time he fights, and he even blocks divine sense from prying."

"The Golden Core and Nascent Soul seniors definitely know."

A Mid-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator from the Blackwater Region reminded the prodigies on the arenas not to challenge Xu Mingxian, as the stage he occupied had already been layered with heavy formations.

It was like his personal lair. Although the formations weren't overwhelmingly strong individually, at the Foundation Establishment stage, unless the absolute top prodigies barged in, anyone else would basically find no way out alive.

Life and death were entirely subject to his single thought.

The prodigies of the Blackwater Region felt a chill in their hearts.

Sure enough, the one thing the world never lacked was geniuses!

Seeing Ye Fan gain the prodigy arena's acknowledgment and secure a prodigy slot, many were moved and began challenging upwards one after another.

However, Ye Fan was an exception after all.

Some died, some frantically fled their arenas, and some managed a grueling victory only to be killed by the next challenger.

Several people from the Heavenly Azure Prefecture who had previously occupied Earthly Fiend arenas were injured in the chaotic brawls. Left with no choice, they temporarily vacated their stages, waiting for a chance to snatch them back later.

The Heavenly Dipper arenas, on the other hand, saw little change. They still maintained a strategy of stillness conquering movement.

As long as they maintained this until the end, they would naturally secure a seat on the Prodigy Roll as well.

Once Xu Deyue recovered, she challenged the Heavenly Dipper Thirty-Fifth Arena.

The moment she left, Xu Mingxian entered the Earthly Fiend First Arena. A Blackwater Region prodigy had originally wanted to claim it, but upon seeing Xu Mingxian step in, he immediately abandoned the thought.

This opponent was also a Blackwater Region demonic cultivator. Unlike the one who fought Ye Fan, however, this person had not hidden his strength.

His divine ability power was on par with Xu Deyue's, both operating at the level of a sixty-percent lesser divine ability.

Yet, Xu Deyue was capable of seven-thread divine sense manipulation, with her divine sense functioning seamlessly as one.

She executed sword arts with one hand and the Cold Heaven Seal with the other, even finding the spare capacity to deploy a defensive dharma tool. Although this consumed mana and divine sense, her divine sense was inherently formidable, allowing her to handle it with extreme ease.

Under her tempestuous assault, the opponent only managed to hold on for about fifteen minutes before being slain.

He had originally wanted to retreat, but having revealed this trump card, Xu Deyue naturally wouldn't let a Blackwater Region prodigy escape like in her previous battles.

She used her defensive shield to block his path of retreat. After a few attempts, he was forced to fight Xu Deyue to the bitter end, ultimately dying by her hand.

"What exquisite methods!" many people praised.

To achieve such a degree of multitasking manipulation was not something just anyone could do.

High up in the sky.

Qing Feng said coolly, "This old man has said before, until the very end, it is too early to talk about winning or losing."

"Daoist Friend Tyrant Blade, look how little time has passed, and the situation has already reversed."

"If not for those three juniors stirring up trouble, relying on the other mediocrities to turn this situation around would be nothing but a pipe dream!"

"Prodigies emerge in every generation, and ultimately, they are the prodigies of our Heavenly South!"

"It's a pity. Although the potential of those three is quite good, their foundation is too shallow. In the cultivation world, only those standing at the very peak possess the right to speak.

"A single top-tier prodigy is worth dozens of ordinary prodigies!

"Let us see, in this prodigy convention, which of our two sides will seize the title of the number one prodigy!"

Seeing that no one was coming to challenge him, Xu Mingxian shifted his gaze toward the Heavenly Dipper Arenas.

The thirty-third and thirty-fourth arenas were both occupied by Heavenly South Region prodigies.

Unless necessary, he did not wish to challenge them.

Finally, his gaze landed on the Blackwater Region prodigy occupying the Heavenly Dipper Thirtieth Arena.

After a moment of thought, he flew toward that arena.

However, the instant Xu Mingxian entered, the opponent immediately unleashed a terrifying palm strike, dense with demonic qi and wreathed in blue nether flames.

Xu Mingxian narrowly dodged it, realizing his true nature must have already been exposed.

But he had anticipated this. As he dodged, he brushed his hand over his storage pouch, sending a two-pattern demonic tool flying toward the opponent.

"With just this unrefined demonic tool, what can you possibly do to me?"

He continued his assault on Xu Mingxian, but Xu Mingxian simply spat out a single word lightly, "Detonate!"

Boom!

The top-grade dharma tool instantly exploded!

It was as if it sought to blow the entire prodigy arena to pieces.

Caught entirely off guard, the black-haired middle-aged man was heavily wounded and blasted completely out of the Heavenly Dipper Arena, despite blocking with a mana barrier.

Though Xu Mingxian had prepared for it, he was still caught in the shockwave of the explosion and sustained minor injuries.

He immediately consumed a pill, then began setting up his formation lair.

"You can do that?!"

"A two-pattern dharma tool is worth thousands of spirit stones at the very least! He just blew it up like that?!"

"I feel like he's even more unscrupulous than those guys from the Blackwater Region."

"This is called fighting evil with evil!"

"But, wouldn't detonating it like that damage his own divine sense as well?"

The Blackwater Region prodigy on the Heavenly Dipper Thirty-Second Arena seemed to have thought of this as well. Taking advantage of his injury, he immediately charged into the Thirtieth Arena.

But over a dozen breaths of time had already passed.

Xu Mingxian's formations had been completely set up.

After rushing in and seeing the thick mist rising, he cried out in alarm, "Not good!"

But by this time, it was already impossible to escape.

Without an understanding of formations, trying to break out of a Tier 2 Low-Grade Mist Formation was not something that could be done in a breath or two.

Five Elements Chains lunged at him.

Although he had the ability to shatter them, the chains came endlessly.

Furthermore, the power of an illusion continued attempting to drag his divine sense into it, forcing him to remain highly vigilant.

Unable to find Xu Mingxian anywhere, he could only hurl streams of curses.

But why would Xu Mingxian pay him any heed? Little by little, he grinded him to death!

"Fool!" A Mid-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator from the Blackwater Region cursed inwardly.

"Haha, advancing one spot for nothing. Many thanks to this Daoist friend."

The Heavenly South prodigies on the Heavenly Dipper Thirty-Third and Thirty-Fourth Arenas smoothly advanced one spot. They weren't pedantic; moving up a rank was always a good thing.

Xu Deyue, on the other hand, didn't care.

Keeping her position in the Heavenly Dipper Arenas was enough.

Pushing further forward held too much danger and was unnecessary.

As for the others, even though they knew of Xu Mingxian's method, they wouldn't dare imitate it.

Leaving aside wasting a top-grade dharma tool for nothing, if it failed to kill the opponent, the opponent could just recuperate and come back to kill them later.

But whenever Xu Mingxian occupied an arena, there was never a precedent of it being taken back.

The Blackwater Region prodigy who had originally occupied the Heavenly Dipper Thirtieth Arena recovered from his wounds. Relying on his seventy-percent lesser divine ability level combat strength, he figured that even if he couldn't win, he could at least escape.

In the end, an hour later, he too became a cold corpse, eventually incinerated to ash.

Even the occupants of the top thirty arenas were slightly startled.

Xu Mingxian glanced at the prodigies ahead of him and murmured inwardly, 'This is far enough.'

Not long after.

From the Heavenly Dipper Third Arena, Xu Deling departed. Her entire body ignited with faint golden flames as she charged straight into the Heavenly Dipper Second Arena.

"Since none of you are moving, allow me to lead the charge!"

The pressure of the Flame Phoenix radiated from her body, her eyes completely transforming into faint golden phoenix pupils.

Cupping her palm, a cluster of fire rocketed into the sky. It expanded against the wind into a massive Flame Phoenix several dozen feet in size that let out a resonant cry before diving toward the young demonic cultivator.

"The top-tier prodigies have started fighting!"

Someone shouted, and everyone immediately stopped paying attention to the Earthly Fiend arenas, casting their gaze over instead. Even the Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators did the same.

The occupants of the other Heavenly Dipper arenas also paid incredibly close attention.

The strength of the top three—or rather, the top eight—prodigies were all remarkably close. Only through actual combat could it be determined who was stronger and who was weaker.

The young demonic cultivator was incredibly haughty, his eyes perpetually cold.

But his strikes were absolutely not weak. He wielded a demonic path true flame that was no inferior to Xu Deling's phoenix fire.

A black demonic flood dragon and a golden flame phoenix clashed constantly in midair, radiating ripples of power that far surpassed any previous confrontation.

It was enough to easily defeat any prodigy ranked after thirty.

The strength of the two was neck and neck. Xu Deling possessed the three-pattern dharma tool, the Six Flames Fan, while the young demonic cultivator wielded a battle saber of the exact same grade.

The two fought a grueling battle without pause, clashing again and again.

The Blackwater Region prodigies ranked ninth and tenth in the Heavenly Dipper finally issued challenges to the seventh-ranked Buddha's Child and the eighth-ranked Lin Qingfeng.

However, their strength was somewhat lacking by comparison.

But it wasn't that easy for Jin Chan and Lin Qingfeng to kill them either; the two managed to escape the arenas.

"Amitabha. What a true pity. I could not grant this benefactor release to be reborn into the Paradise of Ultimate Bliss!"

"Stinking bald donkey, don't get so smug!"

The two returned to their own arenas.

Zhang Xuanzhi charged into the ninth arena.

"A mere twelfth-ranked nobody like you dares to come looking for cheap scraps?!"

However, Zhang Xuanzhi cultivated a sealing and trapping type of demon-suppressing secret art. He locked the opponent inside the prodigy arena, using the secret art to suppress him completely.

After a fierce battle, he actually slew him!

The crowd was in an uproar!

"Benefactor Zhang's methods are remarkable. This poor monk is filled with admiration!"

Zhang Xuanzhi replied calmly, "Daoist Friend Jin Chan overpraises. If you two had fought to the death earlier, I believe Daoist Friend would have inevitably emerged victorious."

Buddha's Child Jin Chan smiled faintly and only chanted a Buddhist proclamation, choosing not to answer directly.

Witnessing Zhang Xuanzhi's methods, the Blackwater Region prodigies ranked lower down were all filled with dread, not daring to make a move lightly.

At this moment.

The Blackwater Region prodigy from the fifth arena leaped over to the third arena.

The rest all turned to look.

"The top three are not for you people of the Blackwater Region to occupy!"

Before his voice even faded, Luo Yu transformed into a streak of white shadow and also plunged into the third arena.

The two sides immediately engaged in a grand battle.

"This poor monk shall also test the methods of this Blackwater Region benefactor ahead."

Jin Chan leaped into the sixth arena.

"Then the fifth arena belongs to me, Lin." Lin Qingfeng leaped into the fifth arena.

For the time being, no one coveted the seventh and eighth arenas they had just vacated.

There was still a definite gap in strength between the top ten prodigies and those behind them. Even if someone managed to snatch the spot temporarily, it wouldn't bring any benefits.

Unless they encountered a situation where the occupant was heavily injured or dead.

The battles between these several parties were all incredibly intense, their combat fluctuations practically neck and neck.

Xu Deling fought the young demonic cultivator for a long time. Though the power of their dharma tools and divine abilities were on par, the young demonic cultivator's blade dao was utterly tyrannical and fiercely courageous, showing a clear trend of gradually suppressing Xu Deling.

"How could this be?! The Phoenix Heavenly Maiden is going to lose! Is that young demonic cultivator truly so terrifying?!"

A southern rogue cultivator murmured, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"That young man is your disciple, yes? I can see a trace of Daoist Friend's shadow in his blade dao," Qing Feng said nonchalantly.

"He's just an inept disciple; I've made Daoist Friend Qing Feng laugh," Tyrant Blade smiled faintly. "Once he defeats that little girl, I will have Wufeng challenge that female disciple of your Azure Cloud Sect.

"We'll see how her sword dao compares to my disciple's blade dao."

A few minutes later.

Xu Deling's eyes suddenly closed slightly. The spiritual light around her body abruptly retracted, but the power of her divine sense surged wildly.

A faint silver glow surfaced at her glabella. A stream of formless divine sense detached from her body, condensing in midair into a hammer that sparkled with a silver radiance.

That silver hammer was only in a semi-ethereal state, yet it exuded a piercingly sharp soul pressure. It was exactly the "Divine Sense Materialization" secret art!

Left with no choice, Xu Deling brought out her bottom-of-the-box trump card—the Divine Sense Materialization secret art.

By the time Wufeng sensed it, the ethereal silver hammer had already smashed into his sea of consciousness.

Xu Deling had crossed into the Golden Core tier of divine sense long ago. With her powerful divine soul, the divine sense secret art she condensed naturally carried the might of a Golden Core Stage cultivator's strike.

Wufeng let out a muffled groan, his eyes abruptly losing focus. Due to Xu Deling's strike, his sea of consciousness was thrown into turmoil, and his divine soul suffered trauma.

Seizing the opportunity, Xu Deling raised her right hand and unfurled the Six Flames Fan. The face of the fan ignited with raging flames as she swept it ruthlessly toward Wufeng.

A faint blue light screen flashed across his body.

With a resounding "boom"!

The next instant, the light screen shattered. The flames, enveloped in residual forceful winds, smashed brutally into Wufeng, sweeping him entirely out of the second arena.

The sudden twist of events left everyone completely astounded.

"What just happened?! How did the Phoenix Heavenly Maiden turn defeat into victory?!"

"It seems the Phoenix Heavenly Maiden executed some sort of spell art. Just now, I saw a silver light flash at her glabella."

The crowd fell into widespread discussion.

Wufeng's divine soul was also unusually strong, not much inferior to a cultivator who had newly entered the Golden Core stage. The moment he flew out of the prodigy arena, he regained clarity. Halting his body in midair, he stared at Xu Deling on the second arena.

"If Daoist Friend is unwilling to accept this, why not come back in and take another hammer blow from me? Let's see if you still have a dharma tool to block my attack this time."

Wufeng's expression was grave. If the dharma tool gifted by his Honored Master hadn't activated autonomously to block the Six Flames Fan just now, even if he hadn't died, he would have been severely injured, forcing him to withdraw from this battle of prodigies.

"Wait," Tyrant Blade suddenly sent a divine sense voice transmission. "This little girl is indeed outstanding. Her physical body, dharma tools, and bloodline are all top-tier, and her divine soul is a notch stronger than yours.

"Although your divine soul is also comparable to the Golden Core stage, it hasn't truly transformed, and your divine sense hasn't advanced to Golden Core divine sense.

"Compared to her, you fall short.

"Her comprehension of this Golden Core tier divine sense secret art is still relatively superficial. Were it not so, she could have slain you relying solely on her powerful Golden Core divine sense and this secret art.

"As for her various foundations, her only lacking area is that she doesn't possess a divine ability dharma art that perfectly resonates with her dharma tool.

"She will definitely seek to compete with the Azure Cloud Sect's girl. Just stay on the sidelines and watch for now."

"Yes, Honored Master," Wufeng replied.

Xu Deling swallowed pills to restore her mana while watching the battles on the other arenas.

On the third arena, Luo Yu was still slightly superior to the Blackwater Region prodigy, but securing a kill proved very difficult.

On the sixth arena, Buddha's Child Jin Chan's cultivation method possessed a restraining effect against the demonic path, and his physical body was stronger, allowing him to suppress his opponent. However, the opponent seemed to possess a special bloodline; even under suppression, he was surprisingly not much weaker than Jin Chan.

Once Xu Deling's mana returned to its peak, she cast her gaze toward the First Prodigy Arena.

Lu Qingxue sensed Xu Deling's gaze and looked back.

"In our last battle, I lost by a hair because I didn't want to use my trump cards so soon. This time, you and I shall battle again to see who is stronger!"

Without hesitation, Xu Deling charged into the First Prodigy Arena.

Ye Fan watched this with growing excitement.

Xu Chuan smiled and shook his head, though his eyes were full of gratification. "She's far too high-profile."