"Beautiful, absolutely beautiful!" Yan Qingsang slammed his fist down hard on the chair beside him.
The sight was immensely satisfying. Others had never even dared imagine such a scene, but deep in Yan Qingsang's heart, he had always been hoping for a miracle.
And wasn't a miracle unfolding right now, in this very moment?
Perhaps the fate of this Hell Demon Sunflower would be the fate that awaited Xiahou Zong himself!
The Grand Holy Lord's eyes were gleaming brilliantly at this point, her expression one of utter fascination. One had to admit that even a seasoned senior powerhouse like the Grand Holy Lord could hardly remain composed.
The way Eternal Holy Land had been treated during this Genius Sword Conference — even a blind man could see it.
Though the Grand Holy Lord had said nothing, it was impossible that she harbored no thoughts about it. However, with the larger situation at stake, certain things were not easy to bring up for the time being.
But this Shao Yuan, who could fight Xiahou Zong to such a degree on the stage — even the Grand Holy Lord had never expected it.
This surprise had only made her more invigorated.
What the Grand Holy Lord saw was not merely a stalemate. She could even perceive a possibility — a possibility that no one had ever imagined before.
"Could it be that this Shao Yuan truly is a miracle bestowed upon the Holy Land by the heavens?" the Grand Holy Lord mused, and in that instant, her anticipation for the battle grew even stronger.
Before, she had been worried about Shao Yuan — worried that under Xiahou Zong's overwhelming pressure, he would crumble in just a few exchanges, perhaps even have his cultivation crippled, or worse, fall in battle…
She had considered every possible outcome.
But she had never imagined that Shao Yuan could deliver such a tremendous surprise.
"Perhaps my expectations of Shao Yuan should not be limited to how long he can hold on — but rather whether he can shatter Xiahou Zong's myth of invincibility?"
The thought flashed through the Grand Holy Lord's mind.
In stark contrast to her mood were the Xiahou family. Marquis Xiaoyao and Xiahou Zhen, though they were trying hard to appear calm, could not fully conceal the anxiety lurking behind their eyes.
Xiahou Ying was so anxious she kept stamping her feet, muttering under her breath as though cursing something.
Unlike either of these two families, the Imperial Household's reaction was entirely different. His Majesty the Emperor of the Divine Kingdom wore an expression of extreme gravity — clearly, what was happening on the stage had greatly shaken the Emperor's composure. His mood had grown exceptionally heavy.
"This Shao Yuan has been hiding his true strength, and hiding it deep at that. Could it be that all of this was arranged by Eternal Holy Land from the very beginning?" The Emperor could not help but let his thoughts spiral in that direction.
The geniuses of the other sects and great factions, watching this scene unfold, were speechless for a long time. When they placed themselves in Shao Yuan's position — if it were them facing Xiahou Zong, under his Eye Arts, they would probably have collapsed long ago. Never mind enduring all the way to the point where the Hell Demon Sunflower had been deployed.
Yet Xiahou Zong had kept unleashing technique after technique, and none of them had managed to wound Shao Yuan in the slightest. This time, the Hell Demon Sunflower had even been destroyed by Shao Yuan — something that had truly never happened before.
Ask yourself: among the younger generation, who could ever make Xiahou Zong look this wretched? Never before!
Even across the entirety of Myriad Abyss Island, there might not be a single person among the younger generation who could pull it off. And if there were, they could be counted on one hand — a mere handful at most.
In the Eternal Divine Kingdom, Xiahou Zong was universally recognized as the number one.
Was the myth of that number one finally about to collapse today?
Xiahou Zong's heart churned with turbulence. Layer upon layer of Scorching Sun Qi Shields stacked into one defense after another, keeping the Ice Fire Demon Lotus at bay.
Xiahou Zong was clearly trying to adjust his composure, to calm the shock roiling inside him.
"You brat — you actually destroyed my Hell Demon Sunflower? That Demon Sunflower Powder carries an incomparable venom. I refuse to believe you can withstand it!"
Xiahou Zong's expression was savage, his tone one of barely contained fury.
Xiahou Zong was undeniably powerful — his talent was extraordinary, his techniques unmatched. But he had one fatal flaw: he had never known defeat.
A person who had never failed meant a person who had never suffered a real setback. So the first time he encountered one, the psychological turbulence was inevitably far more intense than it would be for an ordinary person.
Even if he could exercise control and try to adjust, the shock of this first-ever taste of failure was not something that could be shaken off in an instant.
Jiang Chen was immune to all poisons — how could this trivial Demon Sunflower Powder possibly harm him? Besides, Jiang Chen's Ice Fire Demon Lotus had already transformed into his phantom body, while he himself had long since withdrawn from the combat zone. In the shadows, he had been preparing the Cloud Sky Golden Dipper Formation — there was no way the Demon Sunflower Powder could reach him.
"What? What did you say?" Xiahou Zong's voice turned sharp. "Go ahead and brag, brat. I refuse to believe you're not afraid of the Demon Sunflower Powder!"
Jiang Chen shrugged. "So you've already exhausted every trick you have?"
Jiang Chen's hands formed a series of seals as the Cloud Sky Golden Dipper Formation gathered its power once more. He spoke coldly, "Xiahou Zong, if that is the extent of your abilities, then the next moment, I shall come for your head."
The Cloud Sky Golden Dipper Formation was a sword formation of the Myriad Heavens grade — a legendary formation even in ancient times, with peerless offensive power.
Xiahou Zong was formidable, a genius — but only by the standards of this current era. Transplant him to the ancient era, and even if he were still a genius, he would certainly not be one of the very top.
What was more, Jiang Chen's experience and knowledge were vast, and he had encountered countless geniuses across the Myriad Heavens. Among the disciples he had taken in during his previous life, which one's talent could not surpass that of a mere Xiahou Zong?