King of Creation
Chapter 614 - 607 Stepping Stone

Chapter 614: Chapter 607 Stepping Stone

Under Ye Zhen’s gaze, a figure suddenly squeezed out of the air in front of the statue.

That’s right, it was a sensation of squeezing.

It was as if a pair of invisible hands forcibly parted the air, and then, a figure emerged from behind the air, appearing abruptly and without warning on the meditation cushion in front of the statue.

In an instant, Ye Zhen was dumbstruck.

As a martial artist, he was all too aware of how terrifying this situation was!

Fleshly body teleportation, what kind of divine skill could this be?

"Greetings, Sect Hierarch!"

As the loud voice of salutation rose, Ye Zhen also understood who this person was who had appeared out of thin air, and he followed Tian Guizhang, Yao Sen, and others in paying respects.

Even Yua Hanjing, who had just entered the Ritual Altar and was glaring at Ye Zhen with red eyes, hurried a few steps forward to greet this mysteriously appearing Sect Hierarch in front of the statue.

"Mhm, not bad, has everyone arrived?" Sect Leader Jian Qianxiong of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect scanned the seven young martial artists already present, and that look gave Ye Zhen the sensation of being brushed over, chilling him to the core.

Surprisingly, Sect Leader Jian Qianxiong’s gaze stalled on Ye Zhen, and for a moment, Ye Zhen felt utterly exposed. Under Sect Leader Jian Qianxiong’s gaze, he felt as transparent as glass.

"You must be Ye Zhen, right?"

However, Jian Qianxiong’s words were not truly asking Ye Zhen but merely an opening remark, "The Sect Hierarch has always been curious, how a martial artist at the Peak of the Third Stage of the Soul Sea Realm could come so highly recommended by my left and right hands. I hope your performance today will not disappoint the Sect Hierarch.

Nevertheless, possessing the cultivation of the Peak of Divine Soul Fifth Realm at your current stage in the Soul Sea Realm is indeed impressive."

Upon hearing this declaration, all the high-ranking members of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect present turned their eyes to Ye Zhen, clearly surprised by the revelation of his Divine Soul Cultivation.

But Ye Zhen himself was struck with a chilling sensation, realizing that without any fluctuations of Divine Soul Power, Sect Leader Jian had seen through his Divine Soul Cultivation. Just how terrifyingly profound was the cultivation of this Sect Leader before him?

Ye Zhen dared to be certain of one thing — this Sect Hierarch was definitely more powerful than the Void King presiding over the Heavenly Spirit Auction House, and not by a small margin.

Before Ye Zhen could react, Jian Qianxiong asked again, "Has everyone arrived?"

"Response to the Sect Hierarch, one person is yet to arrive!" announced Grand Commander Jio Yuanxiu of the Sun and Moon Divine Guards.

In the Sun and Moon Divine Sect, Grand Commander Jio Yuanxiu undoubtedly held a most trusted position in the heart of Sect Leader Jian Qianxiong.

"Then let’s wait," said Jian Qianxiong casually, proceeding to inquire about the sect’s affairs in front of these young martial artists, though it was mostly about routine matters.

During this waiting time, Ye Zhen finally had the opportunity to take a good look at Sect Leader Jian.

Dressed in a pale moon-white robe, with his hair tied up high and held with a single black wood hairpin—his appearance was rather simple. He had high cheekbones, and his lips were pursed together, holding a faint smile. At first glance, he appeared quite warm and inviting, making one feel as if bathed in a spring breeze.

But don’t be fooled, this did not diminish the Sect Hierarch’s authority. Those narrow eyes contained an indescribable majesty, and wherever his gaze fell, no one dared meet his eyes.

As they waited, Feng Qingyue arrived late, made her greetings, and after a glance, retreated to the side. About a Hundred Breaths later, the newly appointed Third Commander Hee Yangxin arrived at the Ritual Altar with a tall blue-robed woman in tow.

The blue-robed woman had an ordinary appearance, but Ye Zhen paid her extra attention, primarily because she was the only female among the eight candidates. Aside from that, there was nothing remarkable about her—possessing a cultivation of the Second Stage of the Vein Forging Realm.

"Sect Hierarch, all are present and accounted for; we can begin!" declared Great Commander Jio Yuanxiu with a bow.

"Good, then let us begin. However, before we start, your Sect Hierarch has a few words for you, listen well!"

The expressions of everyone present turned solemn.

"Your goal, as I surmise, is the Spirit Returning Assembly, and the results of this year’s Spirit Returning Assembly will affect the qi fortune of our sect for the next five years, which is of utmost importance.

Therefore, in order to select the five most powerful among you, you can go all out in this competition. Use any killing moves or techniques that you have at your disposal. With the Sect Hierarch present, you will certainly not die on the spot," he said, exuding extreme confidence in a single sentence.

"However, there is one thing that is absolutely not permitted!"

"Those Secret Cultivation Techniques that can temporarily enhance cultivation and combat power but afterwards leave one weakened for an extended period are not allowed! The Spirit Returning Assembly which concerns the qi fortune of the Divine Sect is not something that can be won just by winning one or two matches. Today, we are to select the true strong," he continued, and then turning his gaze to Great Commander Jio Yuanxiu, Jian Qianxiong said, "Jio Commander, the competition today will be overseen by you!"

"Yes, I shall abide by the Sect Hierarch’s Imperial Edict!"

"Today’s selection is very simple, the most common point-scoring match. There are eight participants, each competing in seven bouts. The top five in the rankings will directly represent the Divine Sect at the Spirit Returning Assembly!

Additionally, if one has consumed a great deal of energy or has been injured in the previous bout, there can be up to two hours’ time allotted for recovery before the start of the next match!"

"At this point, Grand Commander Jio Yuanxiu’s voice suddenly intensified, "During the martial arts competition later, everyone should give it their all. Although the Sect Leader said he won’t let anyone be killed on the spot, that only refers to life-and-death situations!"

"Injuries resulting in vomiting blood, broken arms, or missing legs, the Sect Leader definitely won’t intervene in such matters lightly. Everything is for the purpose of selecting the strongest among the younger generation of the Divine Sect!"

As Ye Zhen listened, he was deep in thought.

Initially, with the assurance from the Sect Leader, Ye Zhen felt that today’s competition, no matter how perilous, would at most be fraught with danger but not disastrous. However, the few words from Jio Yuanxiu made Ye Zhen think that today’s competition might be even more perilous than he had imagined.

If it weren’t the case, then Yua Hanjing, an old-timer of the Divine Sect, wouldn’t have gone to the trouble last night.

"As for the order of the matches, you are still free to challenge anyone. After all, everyone will have to fight one battle!" Having said that, Jio Yuanxiu looked at the eight young martial artists present, and said with profound meaning, "Who will go first?"

The gazes of the eight young martial artists simultaneously moved around, sizing up everyone else in the arena. In an instant, waves of Divine Soul Power surged.

This freedom to challenge truly tested a martial artist’s insight. If one chose the right opponent, the fight could be very easy, allowing one to conserve strength for a final showdown with the strongest opponent.

But if one chose the wrong opponent, like picking someone who required an all-out battle from the get-go, then that would be unfortunate....

Almost at the same moment when Jio Yuanxiu’s voice fell, seven waves of Divine Soul Power swept over Ye Zhen one after another. In the moment of his astonishment, he immediately understood.

Clearly, they were treating him, a martial artist at the Third Stage of the Soul Sea Realm, as an easy target.

But what was bizarre was that while everyone was eyeing Ye Zhen, no one took the initiative to challenge him first.

After a brief thought, Ye Zhen understood why.

Every martial artist capable of standing here was among the best of the young generation, even a genius, and each had their own pride.

Although it was clear that the best strategy to conserve strength was to fight Ye Zhen first, their deep-seated pride prevented them from making that choice.

Even Sang Boquan, recommended by Vice Sect Hierarch Yao Sen and who held extreme contempt for Ye Zhen, still held his head high, his eyes filled with disdain.

In his view, Ye Zhen was just someone who could be dismissed at any time. After all, to them, not just a martial artist at the Third Stage of the Soul Sea Realm, even martial artists at the Peak of the Fifth Stage of the Soul Sea Realm were not taken seriously.

Even martial artists of the Vein Forging Realm at their same level were mostly not taken seriously.

To take the initiative and challenge Ye Zhen, who was only at the Third Stage of the Soul Sea Realm – that would be beneath them!

The look in the eyes of the others as they regarded Ye Zhen was more or less the same. The only exceptions were Nian Xinghe and Yub Hea.

Strangely, Nian Xinghe’s gaze towards Ye Zhen was very complex. He glanced at Fengh Qingyue now and then and then back at Ye Zhen, which was somewhat bizarre.

As for Yub Hea, brought by Yua Hanjing, his stare at Ye Zhen gave the latter the feeling of being watched by a venomous snake.

Sensing the way everyone was eyeing him like easy prey, Ye Zhen suddenly felt extremely irked and strode forward boldly.

"Since none of you has initiated the first battle, I, who am not skilled, shall take the liberty to seek guidance!"

"Ye Zhen, which one do you wish to challenge?" Sect Leader Jian Qianxiong, who was sitting upright, looked at Ye Zhen, the first to step forward, and suddenly became interested.

"I see Brother Sang Boquan holds himself in high regard, I’d like to correct that for him!" Ye Zhen answered earnestly.

Upon hearing this, Jian Qianxiong couldn’t help smiling, and the other high-ranking members of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect present also revealed faint smiles. Of course, Punishment Hall Elder Tus De was an exception.

"Seeking death!"

Sang Boquan’s expression suddenly darkened, and without any noticeable preparation, his figure shot up, crossing a distance of two or three miles in an instant, and arrived at the very center of the Ritual Altar.

The tip of the Silver Spear in his hand thrust forth, an unending tide of Spear Aura surged like waves, moving toward Ye Zhen.

"If you want Sang to think highly of you, you also need to have the strength that makes Sang regard you highly! Hurry up and embrace death!"

Ye Zhen smiled faintly, looking at Sang Boquan, "Each path to fame for a genius is paved with countless stepping stones, and you will be my first stepping stone in the True Spirit Domain!"

"A genius at the Third Stage of the Soul Sea Realm? Be careful not to sprain your ankle!" Sang Boquan scoffed coldly.

Seeing that the two had not yet started fighting but were already locked in a war of words, Sect Leader Jian Qianxiong suddenly looked around, "Ladies and gentlemen, who do you think will win between Ye Zhen and Sang Boquan?"

As soon as Sect Leader Jian Qianxiong said this, the focus shifted to Ye Zhen and Sang Boquan, with the other six young experts looking towards the high-ranking members of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect; they were also keen to know the opinions of the higher-ups in the sect.

Almost the moment Sect Leader Jian Qianxiong finished speaking, two sharp shouts rang out at the same time.

"Ye Zhen will win!"

"Ye Zhen will lose!" (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile phone users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)