At the central plaza of the Heavenly Spirit Area, atop a massive arena stage.
The first battle of the semi-finals was about to begin. The combatants: one was Lei Gangyang of the Purple Sun Sect, once the undisputed number one in the Heavenly Spirit Area trials. The other was the worldly prodigy, Jiang Chen!
This fight was the more suspenseful of the two semi-final matchups.
Because in the other semi-final, Shi Yunyun faced Long Juxue — an upset there was virtually impossible.
Although Jiang Chen was also challenging a higher-ranked opponent from a lower position, he had once single-handedly crashed the Summit Conference and exchanged blows with Lei Gangyang himself without coming off worse.
This was why the outside world still held a sliver of confidence in Jiang Chen.
If one had to pick the more suspenseful of the two semi-final battles, everyone chose Jiang Chen. No matter how you looked at it, he had a far better chance of pulling off a miracle than Shi Yunyun of the Flowing Cloud Sect.
Lei Gangyang was tall and imposing, clad in golden armor and yellow robes that radiated tremendous power. His bald head only sharpened his fierce appearance.
His face was chiseled as if carved by blade and axe, all sharp angles and hard edges. Had it not been for Long Juxue's meteoric rise, Lei Gangyang would have been the undisputed pillar of the younger generation across all four great sects.
"Jiang Chen, I'll admit it — your rise was sudden, and you truly earned the legend of a nobody fighting his way to the top. But this legend ends today."
Lei Gangyang brimmed with overbearing authority, his words carrying unquestionable weight.
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "Every opponent who's stood on this stage against me has thought the same thing. And yet here I am, still standing."
"Hmph — that's because they were all incompetent!"
Lei Gangyang let out a resonant shout, spiritual energy erupting from his entire body. Crimson mist billowed outward, shrouding the arena in a swirling haze of red — like a sea of flames.
And Lei Gangyang stood within it like a phoenix reborn from the inferno.
"Jiang Chen, I forgot to mention — I was born with the Flaming Thunder Spirit Body. My natural talent is hardly inferior to any Innate Spirit Body. And my Dao Heart is unshakeable. The ultimate champion of this ranking tournament will be me. You? You're nothing but a stepping stone on my path to greatness!"
"Stepping stone?" The corner of Jiang Chen's mouth curled into a cold laugh. "On that, we're in complete agreement. You, Lei Gangyang, are nothing but a stepping stone on my path to crushing that bitch Long Juxue. Drawing me as your opponent — that's just your bad luck!"
Neither yielded an inch. Their auras blazed like two peerless divine weapons bared of their sheaths, forming a tense standoff on the arena stage.
At a moment like this, every word, every gesture carried profound weight.
Words that seemed like mere verbal sparring were actually part of building momentum.
Both fighters were trying to use words to amplify their aura, merge with the greater current of the fight, and suppress their opponent.
Unfortunately, after testing each other in this regard, they both discovered that neither could overpower the other!
Lei Gangyang laughed, his dominance radiating outward. "Jiang Chen, I underestimated you. Since I can't crush you with aura alone, then let's return to the true essence of martial arts and settle this with raw strength!"
"Hmph — so be it!" Jiang Chen refused to show any weakness. "Lei Gangyang, I'll give you three free strikes."
"So arrogant!" Lei Gangyang raised an eyebrow.
"Three strikes aren't enough? Then ten!" Jiang Chen replied with a faint smile.
Lei Gangyang's expression darkened. "Jiang Chen, if you think you can provoke me with words, you're far too naive."
"To defeat you, why would I need to provoke you with words?"
Jiang Chen clasped his hands together, channeling his qi. His bearing radiated naturally as his feet rooted firmly to the ground, standing tall like an immovable mountain. In an instant, he gave Lei Gangyang an impression of absolute invincibility.
"In that case, take my first punch!"
Seeing Jiang Chen's dismissive attitude, Lei Gangyang's fury ignited. He threw a single punch, and the faint sound of wind and thunder tore through the air toward his opponent.
In their previous battle at the Summit Conference, Lei Gangyang had been quite frustrated. Because Jiang Chen had been positioned on top of the wall while he attacked from below, he had been at an inherent disadvantage.
But now, on equal footing in the arena, Lei Gangyang refused to believe that Jiang Chen could still resort to trickery.
This punch carried the sound of wind and thunder, yet it also seemed like a blazing sun hanging in the sky. As it surged forward, it carried with it a tremendous wave of searing heat—like a volcanic eruption—making the surrounding void seem as though it were about to catch fire.
The spectators below all cried out in alarm.
"It's the Great Sun Thunderclap Hand!"
"The sound of wind and thunder, the force of a blazing sun. The Great Sun Thunderclap Hand is one of the Purple Sun Sect's top five martial techniques. It's perfectly suited to Lei Gangyang's body of flame and thunder—it's practically tailor-made for him!"
"He's going straight for his ultimate technique from the very first exchange. Looks like Lei Gangyang is aiming for a quick, decisive victory."
"Of course. Lei Gangyang has his sights on the championship, and his next opponent is Long Juxue. A swift finish is definitely the best outcome. A drawn-out fight would only waste spiritual energy and do nothing but harm his chances in the title match."
"What a shame for that secular freak, Jiang Chen. If his semifinal opponent had been Shi Yunyun, he might have actually had a shot at the finals!"
"Hmph, a secular freak making it this far is already outrageous enough. If he actually made it to the finals, where would that leave the dignity of us sect geniuses?"
"True! If Long Juxue and Lei Gangyang end up meeting in the final, at least the two strongest fighters will be battling for the championship. The Purple Sun Sect will be the biggest winner in the end!"
Eight or nine out of ten spectators were favoring Lei Gangyang.
After all, Lei Gangyang was at the Heavenly Spirit Realm, and before Long Juxue's meteoric rise, he had been the undisputed number-one genius of the Heavenly Spirit district—no one could challenge him.
Lei Gangyang had once been the one in whom the Purple Sun Sect had concentrated all of its fortune.