A battle at the Earth Saint level truly surpassed everyone's imagination. However, as the two fought, they moved further apart and higher into the sky. Before long, their figures had shrunk to two black dots, gradually vanishing into the boundless expanse of the heavens.
This scene left every spectator thoroughly frustrated.
The younger disciples, in particular, wanted to summon their mounts and follow to watch the battle.
But each and every one of them was stopped by the powerhouses of their respective sects.
"Boss, don't you have a Golden-Winged Sword Bird? Come on, let's go take a look!" Tang Hong walked over, eyes blazing with excitement, clearly eager to witness the clash of Earth Saint powerhouses firsthand.
Jiang Chen merely smiled leisurely and gave a gentle shake of his head.
His comprehension was by no means inferior to those great figures of the Myriad Image Region. He understood perfectly well that Palace Master Dan Chi and Envoy Feng Beidou had formed an unspoken mutual understanding.
This battle, regardless of who won or who lost, concerned the dignity of Earth Saint powerhouses.
Therefore, neither party, whether victorious or defeated, wanted to be seen by the people below.
That was precisely why they had fought further and further away until they disappeared entirely.
They clearly wished to fight to their hearts' content in an environment absolutely free of disturbance.
At this point, anyone who rashly went to watch would offend both sides without a doubt.
The great figures of the Myriad Image Region were all as cunning as foxes; they naturally grasped the subtlety of the situation and stopped their disciples from rushing off to observe.
"Heh heh, Tang Hong, your comprehension is sharp too, but it still doesn't compare to Jiang Chen's. Palace Master Dan Chi and that Envoy Feng simply don't want to be disturbed by outside interference. Whoever goes to watch this battle will end up offending both powerhouses."
Elder Thousand Leaves walked over, offering his earnest counsel.
Tang Hong thought for a moment, then grinned broadly, gazing up at the boundless sky. He sighed: "When will I, Tang Hong, be as powerful as them someday?"
Jiang Chen smiled. "Everything is possible."
Over on the Myriad Image Region side, many were discussing this invisible battle.
By and large, most people favored Dan Chi.
In clashes between the strong, there wasn't much mystery. Whoever had the stronger momentum usually seized the initiative. Once the initiative was seized, the outcome became fairly predictable.
Feng Beidou might hail from the Heavenly Sect, but the Heavenly Sect was, after all, a massive organization. Although Feng Beidou held a high position within it, he was far from being the absolute peak.
The Heavenly Sect had quite a few people at his level. So even though Feng Beidou had obtained martial arts heritage from the Heavenly Sect, the resources he could command wouldn't be unreasonably abundant.
Dan Chi was different. He was the Palace Master of the Dan Qian Palace—the person who held the greatest say in all matters.
Therefore, how every resource in the Dan Qian Palace was distributed was essentially his decision.
It could be said that the finest resources of the Dan Qian Palace were guaranteed to go to Dan Chi first.
All this was perfectly justified. Dan Chi was the strongest in power, contributed the most to the Dan Qian Palace, and was the key reason the palace could stand alongside the top-tier forces of the Myriad Image Region.
So, at the level of Dan Chi and Feng Beidou, the distinction between coming from a first-rate sect like the Heavenly Sect and a fourth-rate sect like the Dan Qian Palace was no longer significant—or, in terms of resource advantages, the situation was actually reversed.
Feng Beidou, coming from the Heavenly Sect, had to share the sect's resources with countless peers at his level, and only received whatever was left after those stronger than him had taken their pick.
Dan Chi, on the other hand, could take what he wanted. The entire Dan Qian Palace's resources were at his disposal.
Elder Thousand Leaves wore a solemn expression as he gazed into the boundless sky.
Though the sky was cloudless for ten thousand li and nothing could be seen, the old man's eyes never once strayed, fixed upon that stretch of heavens.
His posture made it obvious that he was incredibly tense.
This unwatchable battle would determine the fate of the Treasure Tree Sect.
If Feng Beidou won, the Treasure Tree Sect would be reduced to a vassal of the Nine Suns Heavenly Sect from that day forward.
But if Dan Chi prevailed, the Nine Suns Heavenly Sect would henceforth not interfere with the alliance between the Treasure Tree Sect and the Dan Qian Palace.
Two completely different destinies.
"Jiang Chen, who do you think will win this battle?" Grand Tutor Ye had, without realizing it, come to regard Jiang Chen as a figure on a higher plane and now sought his opinion.
"Palace Master Dan Chi has at least seventy to eighty percent chance of winning." Jiang Chen had his own judgment.
Elder Thousand Leaves and Grand Tutor Ye exchanged a glance, the tension in their hearts easing slightly.
Seeing Jiang Chen so composed and unruffled, these two Void Realm masters couldn't help but feel admiration.
Compared to Jiang Chen's calm, their own state of mind as Void Realm masters fell far short.
Looking back at the spot where the earlier battle had taken only the remnant flesh and blood of Zhuiyang the Freak, Elder Thousand Leaves and Grand Tutor Ye were both overcome with a mix of emotions.
The once-invincible Zhuiyang the Freak had been obliterated just like that.
Though they had foreseen that Jiang Chen would one day settle scores with the Purple Sun Sect, they had never imagined the day would come so soon.
With Zhuiyang the Freak dead, the Purple Sun Sect was effectively finished.
About an hour later, a flash of light cut through the sky. An astonishing arc of brilliance streaked across the heavens like lightning and then descended sharply to the ground.
Everyone hurried to look, and it was Dan Chi.
Almost simultaneously, the inspectors of the Nine Suns Heavenly Sect seemed to have received some secret summons. Their faces changed drastically, and they rushed away in haste.