The night sky morphed into a raging sea. Waves surged forward, sounding like peals of thunder, like stampeding hooves. The universe itself seemed to shake, as though the stars were shifting positions.

The surface of the stellar sea frothed with waves, layering and texturing it. Auroras hung in the air, veiling the night sky.

From afar, stellar dragons seemed to roar. The pitch-black dragons were like the night sky made manifest. Thunder and lightning crackled in the air.

Dragons unfurled their wings amidst a storm of lightning. The auroras stretched on for thousands of miles, so beautiful they captivated the gathered hunters.

Zhang Lie struck. An underworld river hurtled into existence, roaring into the sea. The sword energy roiled like black waves, like a meteor shower, causing the very stars to shake.

The entire night sky shifted as a thousand stellar dragons descended, as though a crack had broken in firmament. A flood that could destroy the world itself rained down on the lava.

The sea had morphed into a boundless battlefield. The sea breeze was as a horn to action, and the serpents, thousands of courageous soldiers heeding its call.

The netherworld sea completely suppressed the nascent greenery and melted it all.

Grass and wood interwove to form a huge tree blazing with lightning and fire, a bulwark against the netherworld sea, but it was quickly destroyed. Sword energy whittled at it; stellar dragons tore and bit at it.

The flamedemon cultivator screamed in agony.

Zhang Lie's starlight manifested as pinpricks of light in the air all around him like fireflies. Vitality condensed from the netherworld sea and formed trees of starlight. The stellar dragons wrapped around them and shrouded the bark in a stellar veneer.

The roots of the stellar trees extended throughout the battlefield, draining away the vitality of the fallen flamedemon cultivators.

If Chi Lingkong were still alive, he would surely have regretted pursuing Zhang Lie and chasing him into the palace, confident in his superiority and ability to take Zhang Lie's life. However, not only had he fallen, his kin and brethren had paid a heavy toll on his behalf.None of the flamedemons could have expected that they, who had the power to control life and death within the trial grounds, would have ended up the inferior party, humbled by this young man. The hunters became the hunted.

The two flamedemons brandished their weapons for a final showdown.

"[The Boundless Blade: Dragon's Wrath]!"

Guicang unleashed a barrage of sword energy in the form of a stellar dragon.

A dragon's howl shook heaven and earth, shattering the flamedemons' advances and destroying their weapons.

One flamedemon transformed into a stork with scarlet feathers, blazing with firelight, but it was useless.

"[First Form: Parting the River]!"

Bright sword energy radiated from Zhang Lie like brilliant rays of sunlight, illuminating the entirety of the world.

A frightening force descended, energy rumbling and rippling around him. As Zhang Lie swung the blade in his hand, he tore apart the roaring flames.

The outcome of this battle was not in any doubt. With a clean snick, the final flamedemon was beheaded in a roar of despair.

No other cultivator remained in the arena. Zhang Lie's gaze swept proudly over the young proteges atop the nine holy mountains, all of whom subconsciously retreated upon meeting his gaze.

Some of the proteges were angered by their own subconscious response. They were the most brilliant members of their clan, and their pride and arrogance refused to submit to another. They had to be the strongest no matter where they were.

One cultivator gritted his teeth and descended onto the battlefield, furious because of his embarrassment.

He was soon joined by more and more of the cultivators atop the mountains. Unlike Zhang Lie, who had slaughtered mountains of corpses to make his way through the realms of the dimensional world, these young proteges had led sheltered lives free of despair and failure.

None could climb above them; the top was reserved for them and them alone!

Cultivators descended on the stage, intending to challenge Zhang Lie for dominance.Zhang Lie raised his sword up high, unconcerned about the challengers. He would be able to clear the chaff with just a single swing.

Just then, golden light filled the air. The palace where Sun Xiaowu had been meditating was completely overwhelmed by the golden light, which cast a burnished tint on all nine of the holy mountains. A golden fist slammed into the arena from the palace, sending all the cultivators who had been rushing onto the arena flying.

Sun Xiaowu appeared beside Zhang Lie.

"You've worked hard, Captain."

Sun Xiaowu shone in dazzling golden light. A dense layer of runes surrounded him like a suit of battle armor. Above his head shone a complicated golden rune, itself formed of dense runic script. It was abstruse and difficult to comprehend. Zhang Lie didn't know what Sun Xiaowu had intuited.

On the other hand, Yang Ze, who was almost finished dealing with his opponents, was startled to see Sun Xiaowu appear.

"Where did you come from, Sun Xiaowu? With all these special effects radiating off you, too..."

Sun Xiaowu ignored Yang Ze. "Let's attack together. I'd like to test out my newfound strength."

"Very well!"

Time suddenly sped up in the vicinity of Zhang Lie as he thrust forward with Guicang.

"[Shadow and Light]!"

Zhang Lie's body split into hundreds of thousands of afterimages. The sword strikes bloomed like rain, like vibrant silver flowers.

Sun Xiaowu raised his right hand. Golden runes spun more and more quickly all over his body."[Goldenscale Palm: Split]!"

Golden radiance struck. Sun Xiaowu's palms brimmed with golden light as a dense layer of golden scales covered his skin.

Sun Xiaowu's right arm glowed with resplendent light, shocking all the cultivators in the vicinity.

An aura of intense strength emanated from Sun Xiaowu's body.

Sun Xiaowu took a step forward, then punched with all his might, generating a dominating wave of genetic energy. The heavens themselves shook from the blow, and the arena almost collapsed. A wave of golden light swallowed up all the cultivators in sight.