Chapter 156

Chapter 156: The First Battle of Sanctification

All eyes fell upon the bag of holding. Even Divine Sense could not penetrate it, clearly indicating it was crafted from special materials.

"This one goes first!"

Qi Wuhen stepped toward Yang Xuanzhan and thrust his right hand into the bag. After a few moments, he withdrew a white sphere with a single digit inked in black upon it.

"Number 66?"

Qi Wuhen’s eyes flickered slightly. "A truly auspicious number."

Soon after, one young prodigy after another stepped forward to draw their numbered sphere.

A short time later, the assignment was completed.

One hundred sixty participants in total.

"In the order of number assignments, from one to one hundred sixty, commence duels," Yang Xuanzhan announced the rules. "Win. Or die. On the battle platform."

"One and Two. Step up."

Whoosh! Whoosh!

A man and a woman remained upon the platform while the others stepped off. One stood tall and proud—a member of the Moon God Clan. Across from him, a practitioner from the Shadow Realm, wreathed in demonic energy surging to the heavens, yet adorned with a face of unexpected beauty.

No words were spoken. Magical power burst forth like a tempest, and the battle erupted instantly.

Those gathered around the platform watched with rapt attention.

"Esteemed Senior, are the rules… too brutal?" Ao Bing asked softly, anxiety etched upon his face as he looked at Ye Xu.

Win. Or die.

With Ao Lie newly sanctified, his strength remained low. His survival seemed bleak indeed.

"You fear for Ao Lie?" Ye Xu smiled softly.

Ao Bing nodded gravely.

"There is no need to worry," Lin Qianmo interjected. "Old Dragon King, the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace has stood for a million years. You cannot be ignorant of the power inherent within the bloodline of the ancestral dragon."

"As Qi Wuhen stated, even if Ao Lie cannot rank within the top ten, he can still stand within the top twenty."

Throughout all realms, the ancestral dragon’s bloodline remained a first-tier gift. Unless pitted against Nangong Zhandao, Ao Lie would not fall in a single strike.

"Father, I understand," Ao Lie reassured him with a smile. "If I truly face an opponent beyond me, I can always yield immediately."

The strongest contenders from the Yuan Realm, like Nangong Zhandao and Meng Feixian, would not truly pursue his life.

So he wasn’t overly concerned.

Nangong Zhandao apart, none could slay him instantly.

"Take care," Ao Bing insisted, his worry unrelenting. He planned to entrust the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace to Ao Lie… in the future.

Half an hour later, the battle on the platform ended.

The man from the Moon God Clan stood victorious.

However, he hadn’t come through unscathed either. It had been a narrow victory.

"Contestants three and four."

At the call, Ao Lie and another man stepped onto the battle platform.

Ao Lie’s gaze was solemn. Across from him stood a member of the demon clan — curved horns protruding from his head, a fierce visage with sharp fangs, eyes one green and one purple, and a long tail trailing behind him. It was unmistakably a genius of the Maha divine clan.

His aura was immensely powerful, having also reached the peak of the early stage of the saint realm.

In terms of raw cultivation alone, he far surpassed Ao Lie.

"The bloodline of the ancestral dragon within you is most nourishing," the Maha divine clan man bared his fangs in a ferocious grin. "Eating you would be worth at least a hundred years of cultivation for me."

Bang!

Without another word, he activated his magical power. A demonic battle spear appeared in his hand, instantly shattering the void. Darkness surged forth, plunging the heavens and earth into night.

"Be careful, Lie’er!"

Ao Bing’s expression was grave, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the movements on the platform.

Bang!

Ao Lie activated the Sacred Dragon Emperor Sutra, unleashing his magical power. A divine dragon erupted from within him. Instead of wielding a divine weapon, he clenched his fist and drove it towards the demon clan man.

Boom!

Vast energy surged like a mountain torrent, pouring out from his fist.

Clang!

The power radiated like a blazing sun, instantly tearing through the dark energy. Ao Lie’s fist smashed against the battle spear. The immense force erupted, sending the demon clan man flying backward.

"Such formidable physical strength?"

The demon clan man was astonished to find Ao Lie’s body had become incredibly powerful. With just his physical might, Ao Lie could suppress the demon clan man’s dark laws.

"DEVOUR HEAVEN AND EARTH!"

The demon clan man roared, suddenly opening his mouth wide. He snapped down fiercely, as if trying to swallow the entire world within his belly.

Then, the dark laws pressed down. Ao Lie’s surging energy was completely dissolved and refined within him.

"So this is the famed physique of the ancestral dragon? Nothing special after all."

The demon clan man scoffed scornfully.

Thump!

Just then, a loud thud echoed from within his belly, like the beating of a war drum.

"He’s dead."

The young man in linen stared at the platform, his expression unchanging.

Had the demon clan man faced Ao Lie head-on, Ao Lie might have needed considerable effort to kill him. But swallowing Ao Lie whole? That was seeking death.

"That bloodline of the ancestral dragon is truly extraordinary. A boy just entering the Saint realm can unleash such terrifying strength," murmured the young man in linen, his eyes blazing with fervor.

Bang!

The next second, the dragon roar shook heaven and earth. A five-clawed divine dragon shattered the demon clan man’s laws, tore him open with a slash to his belly, and suddenly appeared on the battle platform.

"No…"

This demon clan man’s internal organs were all ripped apart, but he still possessed a powerful vitality.

He transformed into a beam of demonic light and fled toward beneath the battle platform.

"I surrender!"

As he escaped, he shouted loudly.

Ao Lie froze for a moment. Hearing the demon clan man surrender, he did not continue chasing.

He shook himself and returned to human form.

"Hehe…"

Suddenly, the demon clan man who had already run away, seeing Ao Lie lower his guard, abruptly turned back. A primordial spirit flew out from his Purple Palace, with demonic energy steaming up.

Roar!

He transformed into his true demon clan form, with thick demonic energy. The demonic battle spear swept across the sky, slashing into Ao Lie’s Purple Palace, aiming to kill his primordial spirit in one strike.

"Senior, this is a breach of the rules!"

Ao Bing’s face showed a great change. This person had clearly surrendered, yet he launched a surprise attack. It was obviously against the rules.

Crack!

The demonic battle spear slashed into Ao Lie’s Purple Palace, but then a high-pitched dragon roar was heard. An ancestral dragon stretched out its claw and firmly seized the spear.

Bang!

Power burst forth, and the demonic battle spear was crushed completely.

Killing intent flashed in Ao Lie’s eyes. He became a streak of light and flashed across the void.

Roar!

The dragon cry arose. A divine light pierced through the demon clan man’s body, and the battle platform instantly fell silent.

A moment later, the demon clan man turned to dust and dispersed.

Ao Lie won.

Ao Lie’s gaze was cold. He hadn’t intended to kill, but this person violated the rules; he deserved to die.

"Brat, you dare to kill one of our clan’s members?"

The Great Emperor of the Maha divine clan stared with profound darkness in his eyes, almost ready to devour someone.

"On the battle platform, life and death are insignificant."

Yang Xuanzhan declared sternly, "Your clansman broke the rules first. Even if Ao Lie hadn’t killed him, he would not escape death."

"If there’s a next time, the Maha divine clan’s people can directly leave."

"You…"

The Great Emperor of the Maha divine clan glared as if fire would spurt from his eyes. A mere ant of a saint dared to speak to him in such a tone?

However, when he glimpsed Ye Xu out of the corner of his eye, he instantly calmed down.

This was Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s territory.

Mystic Law Sect was a lesson from the past. He had no wish to be cheated by Ye Xu.

"Sir, what you said makes sense."

The Great Emperor of the Maha divine clan snorted coldly. With his gaze passing over his disciples, he said icily, "If anyone dares to damage the rules again, this will be the consequence."