"Ling Xiao, this ends here."
The moment those words left Huangfu Jiangyao's mouth, he raised his lightning saber and launched another assault at Ling Xiao.
This time, Ling Xiao's barrier power was completely unable to hold him back.
Huangfu Jiangyao's combat strength had undergone another enormous leap. When power existed on entirely different levels, no amount of skill could bridge the gap.
Seeing this, Ling Xiao spun around and leapt straight off the Combat Platform.
"I concede."
After tossing out those words, he walked directly into the crowd of the Seven Worlds Holy Mansion.
He showed not the slightest trace of dejection over his defeat. For him, it seemed this duel had never mattered in the first place.
Though Huangfu Jiangyao clearly wished to continue, Ling Xiao had already admitted defeat, so he too turned and jumped off the Combat Platform.
At that moment, every gaze in the arena converged on the white-haired youth.
Of the five Huangfu members, the other four had already announced their names.
So even without him speaking, everyone could put a face to the name.
This was Huangfu Shengyu.
Unlike the others, Huangfu Shengyu did not leap onto the Combat Platform. Instead, he walked up step by step from the stairs.
But as he ascended, he spoke.
"The Heavenly Lightning Bloodline is also known as the Heavenly-grade Bloodline."
"Heavenly-grade Bloodline holders are scattered throughout the martial cultivation world, yet those who truly understand the Heavenly-grade Bloodline are few and far between."
"The Heavenly-grade Bloodline, ranging from weakest to strongest, is divided into the Low Rank, Common Rank, Superior Rank, General Rank, and Saint Rank."
"The Low Rank is the Heavenly-grade Bloodline you are all familiar with — those mediocre ones are nothing more than the scraps of Heavenly-grade Bloodlines."
"It's only natural that you consider the Heavenly-grade Bloodline weak because of them. After all, ignorance is all you know."
"But what you need to understand is that if a Heavenly-grade Bloodline holder possesses Common Rank quality, they can already rival the bloodlines you take such pride in."
"Yet Common Rank is still the bottom tier among Heavenly-grade Bloodlines."
"If it reaches Superior Rank, then it stands above yours."
"As for the General Rank, even among Heavenly-grade Bloodlines it is exceedingly rare — the dragons and phoenixes among men."
"And I am of the Saint Rank."
By the time those words left his lips, Huangfu Shengyu had stepped onto the Combat Platform. As he spoke, a tremendous wave of oppressive pressure radiated outward.
"Seventh level Half God — he's actually a seventh level Half God?"
"Doesn't that mean… once his cultivation reaches the ninth level Half God, he'll still be able to boost his combat strength by an additional rank?"
The spectators' expressions grew extremely complicated. They had suspected that Huangfu Shengyu might be the strongest of the five, but they had never imagined he was this powerful — already at the seventh level Half God.
And his aura was truly incomparable to that of an ordinary seventh level Half God.
While the crowd marveled, Huangfu Shengyu extended his palm, and a bead drifted out, hovering above his hand.
It was a remarkable bead.
The beads the previous fighters had produced were each focused on one aspect — pure martial cultivation, bloodline enhancement, or barrier strengthening.
But the bead Huangfu Shengyu now revealed contained all of those powers combined.
"Ignorant martial cultivators."
"Today, I shall broaden your horizons and let you witness true strength."
"Anyone at all — I'll give you the chance to challenge me," Huangfu Shengyu declared.
Yet the moment these words left his mouth, the crowd exchanged uneasy glances.
The previous fighters had already demonstrated overwhelming power. In terms of bloodline alone, Huangfu Shengyu was unquestionably superior — the lightning runes, the lightning armor, the lightning wings, he could replicate all of it without issue.
On top of that, he possessed seventh level Half God cultivation. Who could possibly be his opponent?
Facing him in combat would simply be inviting humiliation.
"Who would've thought the dark horse of the Summit of Nine Heavens would be him."
By now, many were already convinced that the title of the Summit of Nine Heavens' strongest had been claimed by Huangfu Shengyu.
Whoosh— But just as despair settled over the crowd, a figure landed on the Combat Platform. It was Xianhai Shaoyu.
"Let me have some fun with you," Xianhai Shaoyu said.
"Sure." Huangfu Shengyu's expression was one of complete indifference.
But the words had barely left his mouth when Xianhai Shaoyu appeared directly in front of him.
A fist, hurtling toward Huangfu Shengyu.