The languid, elongated eyes, the instant they narrowed to a mere slit, erupted with an otherworldly, bizarre radiance entirely unlike before.

Demonic! Xue Tian exuded an aura of pure, unadulterated wickedness; incomparably demonic! Seductively beautiful! Beautifully wicked!

The long Iai-giri sword was slowly drawn from its scabbard bit by bit, emitting a hualala sound of scraping metal, like a legendary demon blade awakening.

Every martial arts master present simultaneously shuddered, a chill seeping out from their very bones. Never had they witnessed such a demonic being!

"My martial path..." Xue Tian unfolded the Iai-giri sword in his hand, dragging it loosely across the ground: "Do you know what it is now?"

The Martial Path of the Demon! Qin Fen couldn't help but raise his thumb in admiration. Xue Tian's martial path was indeed not one of emotion, but of inherent character! The Martial Path of the Demon—in this world, perhaps no one was more suited to the Dao of the Demon than Xue Tian.

Xue Tian’s very existence was a sheer anomaly! Qin Fen had seen countless genius warriors, yet he still felt that Xue Tian surpassed the definition of anomaly. That peerless learning ability was more terrifying than outright consumption; that inherent capacity to always mask his true martial path with Nù Zhǎn (Rage Slash)—from any angle, he was a true prodigy!

Goosebumps rose across Sun Jiulong's skin. The previous arrogance and dominance still flickered on his face, but countless layers of apprehension and fear had crept into his brows.

There were monsters like this too? Sun Jiulong's heart was filled with shock. Was this the true strength of Xue Tian, who was rumored to have destroyed the Azure Dragon Hall on Jupiter?

A split second between life and death! No time to react!

Sun Jiulong felt the pressure of the Martial Path of the Demon. He violently threw both arms out to the sides, letting out a roar that seemed to tear his throat apart as he looked to the heavens. The thick, violently throbbing veins in his neck writhed and expanded incessantly. In an instant, these swollen, pulsing veins covered every corner of his entire body.

Like small green snakes, the veins intertwined, forming a greenish-black iron net woven from them, twisting and churning against the muscles. At his spine, the sounds of bones dislocating popped and cracked repeatedly, like hundreds of popcorn machines simultaneously popping kernels.

Insect Warrior! Qin Fen watched Sun Jiulong’s body slowly transform, reaching a near-inhuman state.

"Hoo... hoo... hoo..."

Sun Jiulong bent over, his arms hanging down to the ground. A row of sharp canine teeth dripped white saliva, the entire figure resembling a world-destroying beast.

Little Hades, the Pluto King, frowned slightly upon seeing Sun Jiulong's appearance. He pulled a white handkerchief from his clothes and gently wiped the corner of his lips, remarking coolly, "Truly ugly."

Roar! Sun Jiulong let out a bestial bellow, turning his head to glare angrily at the impassive Little Hades.

Hades tucked the handkerchief back into his pocket, calmly watching Sun Jiulong and stating plainly, "What? Isn't it? An ugly thing!"

"I said," Xue Tian shifted his Iai-giri sword onto his shoulder and casually strode forward, "Your opponent is me."

Sun Jiulong suddenly turned back. His thick, pillar-like legs violently stamped the ground. The entire earth seemed to have tens of millions of tons of material buried beneath it. A force so immense erupted from under the ground toward the sky, the endless turbulence tearing at the massive debris blasted up into the heavens.

The martial arts masters quickly struck to shatter the stray gusts of energy flying towards them. The slightly weaker masters simply chose to retreat and evade. The bursting power triggered by the Insect Warrior stimulated the martial artist, transforming into energy strong as steel, and the main strike cleaved toward Xue Tian through the air.

Every spectator watching through the network was stunned silent. Was this the true might of a powerhouse? With a mere stomp of the foot, the man had completely vanished?

Fast! Sun Jiulong moved like a sudden thunderstorm, his speed nearly ripping apart space and time. His five claws, tipped with erupting black nails, were like an iron rake. He unleashed the White Tiger Claws technique from the Tiger Style Fist, slamming down with the momentum of a massive river surging eastward.

"Competing on speed?"

Xue Tian's teasing voice echoed in Sun Jiulong's ear. The opponent he was reaching for suddenly flickered and vanished! A thunderous explosion rang out precisely where he had been standing.

Divine Fist Way: Lightning Step! Qin Fen’s fastest footwork, perfectly executed before everyone by Xue Tian, the super-learning machine.

Behind him! The blue veins that served as Sun Jiulong's eyebrows twitched. The Insect Warrior's instinct made him spin and lash out a leg! The entire leg instantly resembled a Tiger's Tail swinging out—the Tiger Tail Kick! The most insidious move in the Tiger Style Fist, often used by the user in a moment of extreme danger to achieve unexpected results.

Sun Jiulong had transformed into an Insect Warrior. While perhaps not the purest human form, his proximity to a beast meant the Tiger Tail Kick was executed with a flawless, natural quality, carving an arc through the air like a battle blade sweeping across the sky.

Xue Tian did not draw his blade. He swayed his body, unleashing the Lightning Step again and again. Where he passed, it seemed as if dozens of bolts of lightning struck down continuously from the sky, turning the already messy ground into utter chaos.

In an instant! Xue Tian’s figure appeared in Sun Jiulong’s pupils—a frontal assault!

The Iai-giri sword erupted with the murderous demonic light it had concealed for so long. Sun Jiulong stood rooted, his body swaying uncontrollably. All top-tier martial artists knew that if he retreated to dodge at this moment, he would be relentlessly pursued and cut down by Xue Tian’s blade until death! Dodging the fatal strike was the best opportunity to counterattack!

"Counterattack? Do you still have a chance?"

Mid-battle, Xue Tian spoke without reservation. The Iai-giri sword in his hand flashed continuously, like a silkworm spinning threads. Its light circled and shimmered, creating beautiful light patterns in the air again and again. Each flash dragged forth fresh crimson blood and small chunks of shattered flesh. The Iai-giri sword, at this moment, was like a bloodsucking leech that never knew satiety! Sun Jiulong roared an earth-shattering bellow, his entire body's Gang Qi surging skyward, blood spraying outward like raindrops.

This was his final counterattack! The aura of slaughter climbed relentlessly, seeming as if it would tear open the net of demonic sword light.

"Going all out? Good! Let me show you my 'Thousand Miles Never Staying'!"

The demonic gleam of Xue Tian's Iai-giri sword surged. The blade swept in from above, below, left, and right, instantly enveloping Sun Jiulong.

Without a massive explosion of light, that cluster of sword light rapidly contracted, shrinking, and shrinking again! Xue Tian’s entire body shot out like a cannonball, appearing a hundred meters behind Sun Jiulong.

Blood sprayed from countless fissures across Sun Jiulong's body. Before the high arc of blood could even land, his body shattered with a hualala sound into pieces of flesh about the size of a thumb, scattering across the ground, making it impossible to tell that the owner of this heap was once a supreme powerhouse.

Di... wa...

People watching the fight through the network stared as Sun Jiulong suddenly turned into a pile of fragments mixed with congealed blood covering the ground. Many could no longer suppress the churning in their stomachs and immediately vomited violently.

Screams of terror rose and fell across the network. No one expected that the seemingly smiling young man, Xue Tian, would strike so brutally, slicing his opponent into pieces and creating such a gruesome scene.

"If you can regenerate from this, then I’ll admit you’re formidable," Xue Tian said, sheathing his Iai-giri sword without looking back, raising his head slightly to look at the distant Azure Dragon.

The martial arena fell dead silent. Sun Jiulong, the Insect Warrior, failed to reassemble his body; Xue Tian's blade had already shredded his heart and brain into fragments.

The martial arts masters who had previously surmised that the younger generation was only just qualified to challenge established figures like the Heavenly Emperor suddenly realized that these young people were not merely qualified to challenge them; they were truly capable of vying with the oldest generation of warriors!

The Grand Gathering of Heroes had just begun, and this group of youngsters was revealing their sharpest fangs!

"Next match: Lü Dongbin versus Yang Jian."

"I... forfeit."

Yang Jian smiled frankly. He had already been defeated by Lü Dongbin in a sparring match a few months ago. Although he had worked hard to improve these past months, there had been no significant results. In contrast, Lü Dongbin was flourishing, his entire state vastly different from several months prior; when he walked, it seemed he could harness the power of heaven and earth. This fight held no suspense.

Lü Dongbin’s smile held no surprise. Months ago, Yang Jian couldn't withstand three of his ferocious, powerful punches. Now, his strength had surged exponentially due to the Shengsi Dan (Life and Death Pill); Yang Jian couldn't even withstand half a punch.

Lü Dongbin focused his attention on Qin Fen. All his efforts were for this moment, to battle Qin Fen again at the Grand Gathering! This was not just for himself, but also for the companions who had been killed by Qin Fen that day.

Qin Fen felt Lü Dongbin’s gaze, nodded faintly, and said calmly, "I look forward to witnessing your 'Strongest Under Heaven' once more."

"Good!" Lü Dongbin’s confidence, boosted by months of improvement, reached its peak.

The first round of matches concluded very quickly, leaving many spectators somewhat dissatisfied.

Kirin raised his eyes to look at the victors and asked plainly, "You all, do you plan to rest? Or continue?"

Qin Fen lightly raised his hand in a gesture to continue. Xue Tian looked utterly unconcerned. Hades nodded with no expression on his face. Lü Dongbin stretched his shoulders, looking eager to fight. Shangguan Chuanqi also made a hand gesture to continue.

Song Wendong raised his hand high above his head. The massive Sky Thunder Warship, which had already disappeared from the sky, flew back and dropped the randomly drawn match roster.

Du Peng versus Du Hen! A battle between father and son!

Lü Dongbin versus Zhao Caesar! A battle between the newcomer and the old guard!

Solomon versus Xue Tian. Yang Lie Brooks versus Shangguan Chuanqi!

The five newly drawn matches once again captured everyone's attention. This list included a father-son confrontation, the first true match between the peak young generation fighters and the veteran powerhouse warriors, and two self-inflicted matches within Qin Fen’s own team.

"Yang Lie Brooks," Yang Lie Brooks stroked the broad battle saber at his waist, "This time, we can finally decide who is the strongest in the Americas."

"Still need to decide?" Yang Lie smiled confidently. "The title of the strongest in the Americas naturally belongs to me, Yang Lie, the Ice Dragon King!"

"Is that so? My blade can cleave the heavens; surely it can handle an Ice Dragon?"

While the two young powerhouses chatted, the Snake King, Du Hen, had already broken free from the hand Rulai had placed on his shoulder and slowly walked toward the center of the arena.

The Snake King from the Earth Military straightened his spine, which resembled a heavenly pillar. He tilted his head slightly, looking toward Du Peng, who was slowly approaching.

"I hate you."

Du Peng stood not far from Du Hen, his expression cold as iron as he slowly spoke, "Go down. Or I will kill you! Even though I promised my elder brother I would look after the Du family, I cannot suppress the urge to kill you."

Du Hen’s face, cold as frost, curled into a sneer. "Because your mother died by my hand? Actually, I hate you more. If it weren't for you, this disaster, Zhan Peng would certainly be among those competing for the Divine Beast Warrior position today."

"Your son..." Du Peng’s eyes instantly turned blood red, his rationality vanishing in that moment.

Who in this world does not love their own mother? Even their own grandfather, if they were the murderer of their mother, would be utterly unbearable!

"I'm seeking death? What about you?" Du Hen gently wagged his fingers. "Zhan Peng is unique. If I kill you today, it might guide that boy back onto the right path."

"Kill me?" Du Peng’s face contorted into a grimace. "Du Hen, I don't care how noble your ideals are; all I know is that in my eyes, you are my enemy!"

The bell signaling the start of the duel rang from the sky, interrupting their conversation. Without another word, Du Peng shook his body and directly transformed into his Dragon-Type Neo-Human form!

Du Hen unleashed his full nineteen-star strength, instantly enveloping his body with Earthly True Qi, giving Du Peng no chance to boost his power via the Neo-Human transformation. He flickered, carrying a mass of high-pressure energy straight to Du Peng, his arm muscles twisting and churning like a battle blade. He struck down with the Seven Star Immortal Thunder Cavalry Slash!

"Kill me? Come on, Du Hen!"

Du Peng rooted his legs slightly, assuming a low stance, and met the blow with his own Seven Star Immortal Thunder Cavalry Slash.

The two immense forces collided. First, the crushing explosion of colliding air currents sent dust and energy surging skyward. At that moment, the clear sound of colliding muscle and bone could be heard within the battle cluster, popping and cracking continuously.

Du Hen's arm was instantly numb and aching, and his body retreated ten steps. He felt the charging Du Peng, already deep into his Neo-Human transformation, rushing toward him. Simultaneously, Du Peng spread both arms, muscles whining audibly (sōu sōu sōu), unleashing the Seven Star Immortal Thunder Hundred-Splitting Fist, smashing down in a torrent of phantom blows.

Du Hen’s arm had not yet recovered. He tilted his body slightly backward and kicked upward violently with his right leg, transforming it into a curtain of leg shadows to meet Du Peng’s barrage of fists head-on.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang-bang-bang...

A series of rapid collisions shook the earth violently with every impact sound. Cracks several meters, even tens or hundreds of meters wide, continuously split outward across the ground.

Du Hen’s kicking right leg had long since lost all sensation. His supporting left leg felt like an iron pile being struck, sinking slowly into the ground under the continuous heavy blows, until it was buried up to the thigh joint.

The battle came as fast as it went.

The smoke and dust had not yet settled when chunks of exploding flesh flew out from the haze. When the dust finally cleared, people were shocked to find Du Hen’s left leg still buried in the earth. His right leg seemed to have hundreds of small bombs attached to its center, constantly exploding, exploding, and exploding again. If not for the recovery ability of his Bio-Beast, his right leg would have long since vanished.

"It's useless even if you have a Bio-Beast," Du Peng said, looking at the buried Du Hen. "Your Bio-Beast is too ancient, riddled with flaws. Even if the fusion is deep, to a Dragon-Type Neo-Human, it's still trash. The injuries I gave you are not something a Bio-Beast can heal. A mother’s vengeance is irreconcilable. I should have killed you, but because of my brother, I won't. But for the rest of your life, don't expect to stand up again. And one more thing."

Vegetative state! After undergoing the Neo-Human evolution, Du Peng had gained a profound understanding of ancient Bio-Beasts. Even with Du Hen’s deep fusion, there were countermeasures available to the Dragon-Type Neo-Humans.

"I will watch over the Du family for you, but you..." Du Peng took one last look at Du Hen. "Let it end like this."

"Perhaps this is the best ending for you," Rulai squatted down to pull Du Hen out of the earth, whispering softly into his ear, "Is it really that important for the Du family to produce a Divine Beast Warrior?"

"Is it really that important for the Du family to produce a Divine Beast Warrior?"

Not long ago, Rulai had privately asked Du Hen this question.

"Of course, the Du family must produce a Divine Beast Warrior! Since Zhan Peng chose Du Peng, and I have lost the ability to turn the tide, then let me help Zhan Peng and push Du Peng forward once more."

"Push?"

"Yes. I made various plans a long time ago. Since Du Peng has come this far, the methods I arranged previously can also be activated."

"You...?"

"I killed his mother. He must hate me enough by now, right? Compared to love, the emotion of hatred is easier to generate, and such extreme emotion can indeed help a person."

"You..."

"That's right. As long as someone from the Du family becomes a Divine Beast Warrior, I dare to bet everything, including myself!"

"That's why I dislike you. And because I dislike you, I left the army. I hate your method of stopping at nothing to achieve your goals."

"You're not much better than me. When you killed the Spear King, didn't you know his connections to others? Didn't you also choose someone alone a long time ago?"

"I'm not as noble as you. If someone wants to kill me, naturally I have to kill them."

"Hypocrite! That's why I hate you!"

The conversation from not long ago still echoed in Rulai’s ears, yet now he was faced with Du Hen, who had become a vegetable.

"Do you truly have no regrets?" Rulai asked softly, holding Du Hen—the Snake King who spoke little to others but never withheld words from him. Today, there was no response from him again.

"Worth it? Not worth it? That depends on the person." Rulai smiled faintly, recalling a phrase Du Hen had once spoken. Suddenly, he felt his own power, which had been sealed and stagnant for a long time without any progress, suddenly loosen!

There is more in the afternoon.