An hour later, all the battles in every other arena had finally concluded.
At last, the time had come for the ultimate showdown.
Because Jiang Chen's display of destructive power in his previous fight against Young Master Liuxiang had been so overwhelming, the organizers had equipped this pinnacle match with an even more reinforced arena.
This arena was typically reserved only for battles between Emperor-level powerhouses.
Yet here it was, opened up for this decisive confrontation.
The arena was twice the size of the previous ones, and its various defensive restrictions were incredibly sturdy and solid. A single sweep of Jiang Chen's gaze revealed pillars lining every side of the arena, densely inscribed with all manner of runes and seals — clearly reinforcing the arena's defenses.
Only with such fortifications could the arena withstand the devastation wrought by these genius fighters.
Standing at one side of the arena, Jiang Chen — who had already racked up countless consecutive victories — had grown completely accustomed to the rhythm and atmosphere of the Martial Tower's battles. His mood was utterly relaxed.
No matter who this opponent was or where he came from, Jiang Chen's mind was as still as water. He had only one thought: to knock his opponent off the stage.
If this opponent truly had come for him, and Jiang Chen sensed even the slightest trace of killing intent, he would not hesitate to do what he had done before — slay him right on the arena floor.
Mie Chenzi's figure landed on the arena just like his name — silent as a mote of dust, without the faintest sound.
The final battle for this edition of the Genius Rankings, and the last mystery to be resolved, would be unveiled on this very stage.
This ultimate showdown had left the entirety of Glass King City in a state of disbelief.
Because neither of the two martial artists standing on this pinnacle arena was a scion of any of Glass King City's great noble houses.
None of the house heirs who had been widely favored before the Genius Tournament had managed to fight their way to this stage.
The two protagonists on the arena were: one, the Pill King Zhen, who had previously made his name through alchemy in Glass King City; the other, a wandering cultivator named Mie Chenzi, whose name had never been heard before.
Mie Chenzi was of below-average height and unremarkable in appearance. From any angle, he seemed like just another ordinary person in this vast world.
No dazzling sharpness. No heroic flair. No arrogance or bluster.
The impression he gave was of a speck of dust on the yellow earth.
And yet, this very person had reeled off eight consecutive victories in the first interval of the Genius Tournament's ranking battles, ultimately arriving at this final arena to contest the top spot with Jiang Chen.
For some reason, Jiang Chen felt very little surprise as he looked at the opponent before him.
The first time he had taken notice of Mie Chenzi, he had sensed that this man would become a formidable rival.
And just as he expected.
"Pill King Zhen, I have been looking forward to this battle for a very long time. I simply did not expect that this fight — taking place at the very end of the ranking battles — would become the grand finale of the Genius Rankings."
Mie Chenzi spoke slowly, neither rushed nor dragging, giving an impression of extreme composure.
Clearly, in this moment, Mie Chenzi's heart was free of all turbulence. All he wanted was this fight.
Jiang Chen's sword-like brows arched slightly as his Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil locked onto Mie Chenzi. He said flatly, "Whether you've been looking forward to it or have other designs — in this battle, you don't stand a chance."
The moment Jiang Chen spoke, his tone carried an unprecedented dominance.
Mie Chenzi gave a faint smile, his expression unchanged. "So confident? All I know is that the path of martial arts is one where mountains beyond mountains rise, and people beyond people surpass. Your string of victories, sir, is simply because you have yet to face a truly powerful opponent. This battle — I will end your legend."
Jiang Chen laughed. "Perhaps my winning streak will end, but whoever ends it — it won't be you."
Mie Chenzi threw his head back and laughed. "Quite the arrogance! I'll grant that you have the capital to be arrogant. But this time, your arrogance before me is nothing but a joke."
As he spoke, this unremarkable-looking Mie Chenzi's aura surged dramatically.
On his face — which had seemed entirely ordinary — an inexplicable glow of power suddenly shone forth, instantly raising his presence to a level where he could match Jiang Chen as an equal.
The two geniuses had already exchanged several rounds of verbal sparring through this verbal exchange alone.
Clang!
In a flash, Mie Chenzi's arm gave a slight flick, and a piercing streak of light shot out like a bolt of lightning appearing out of nowhere, slicing across the void of the arena.
In the next instant, a blade had appeared in Mie Chenzi's hand.
A blade filled with bone-chilling killing intent!
The moment the blade appeared, Mie Chenzi's bearing transformed once more. The man who had seemed so unremarkable a moment ago now resembled an ancient god of slaughter who had broken free of his seal and awakened in the mortal world.
And the blade in his hand was like an ancient, savage beast caged for tens of millions of years — its temperament vicious and ferocious, its aura of slaughter practically uncontrollable, giving the impression that it could devour the entire world.
Jiang Chen's Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil blazed at full power, his Seven Apertures Spiritual Resonance fully activated. In that instant, his five senses and six perceptions entered a state of subtle spiritual communion.
Entering this state allowed Jiang Chen to see every movement of Mie Chenzi with crystalline clarity.
Mie Chenzi's arm moved slightly, and the savagely intense blade swept out a razor-edged arc of light — like a clap of thunder from a clear sky, a bolt from the blue — slashing toward Jiang Chen.
As the blade's edge cut through the air, the void itself shivered, and countless threads of spatial order were severed in its wake.
Jiang Chen's divine eyes flickered. The Flying Feather Mirror, hidden within his sleeve, swept forward with a gentle motion.
Sssssssss!
The mirror's radiance struck the blade's edge. That razor-thin slash, which had seemed capable of penetrating any defense, was hit by the light and came to a dead stop, as though it had collided with some kind of mysterious force.
A piercing screech rang out. The blade's energy shattered, and its sharp edge scattered in every direction.
This slash had been executed with extraordinary stealth by Mie Chenzi. Its most formidable quality was that once the blade-light was launched, it concealed itself within the void, making it nearly impossible for ordinary observers to discern from which angle the attack was coming.
But with Jiang Chen's Seven Apertures Spiritual Resonance fully active, his five senses and six perceptions were exponentially more powerful than those of an ordinary martial artist, allowing him to track the trajectory of Mie Chenzi's blade-light with perfect clarity.
Though the blade-light was fast — comparable to a falling meteor — the Flying Feather Mirror had always excelled against high-speed attacks.
Under the Flying Feather Mirror's influence, all speed was slowed.
Unless the opponent's speed exceeded Jiang Chen's reaction time.
Unfortunately, while Mie Chenzi's strike was stealthy and fast, it was not yet fast enough to surpass Jiang Chen's speed of reaction.
The blade-light shattered, and its scattered remnants crashed against the arena's perimeter.
The pillars around the arena emitted sharp clacking sounds under the impacts, and faint scratch marks — left by the residual blade energy — were visible across their surfaces.
The spectators below all drew in a sharp breath at the sight.
This arena was far more powerful than the previous ones. Its defensive restrictions were several times stronger than those of the other stages.
And yet the residual energy from Mie Chenzi's scattered blade-light had been enough to leave scratches on it — faint, perhaps, but astonishing nonetheless.