Xue Tian laughed happily, sheathing his saber with a grin. He nudged Ya with his elbow. "Hey, man," he said with a slight grimace, "Mind moving over? Lend me this spot for a moment?"

"I say, Hades," Xue Tian looked up at the Little King of the Underworld. "Can you spot me some room?"

Hades remained silent, raising a hand to grab Bull Taurus's arm, and the two departed from the center of the martial arena. Xue Tian, master of the Demonic Dao, versus Shangguan Chuanqi, the Sun King—even Hades, a practitioner of the Slaughter Dao, was extremely eager to witness this clash.

The vast martial arena instantly cleared! Two young men, utterly disregarding the rules of the Heroes' Assembly, stood facing each other in the center of the sand.

It was only then that the crowd realized: the Heroes' Assembly had completely descended into chaos! The younger generation of martial artists not only ignored the established powerhouse, Emperor Quan, but even disregarded the etiquette of the Divine Beast practitioners. This meant the initial projections for the Assembly had completely veered off course. No one could have predicted that in the short time since the Heroes' Assembly began, these audacious youths would cause the entire event to spiral out of control.

At this moment, the countless viewers connected online fell into a tense silence, not daring to make a sound. Even the Martial Arts Masters held their breath, forgetting to breathe. Yang Lie and the others also focused their attention with absolute intensity, staring fixedly at the situation in the arena.

A true clash between the powerful rarely involved protracted three-day battles or thousands of rounds of stalemate.

A single move could decide victory, half a stance could determine life or death—nothing about that was strange! A mere blink of an eye, and the fight could be over.

"In this fight, I don't want to leave any regrets. I will certainly go all out."

Shangguan Chuanqi's usually arrogant face held a rare smile. The True Fire of the Sun erupted from his body in a roaring surge, instantly igniting the air within a hundred-meter radius. Leaping flames cast a red glow, baking the atmosphere until it was exceptionally dry.

Kylin glanced sideways at Zhuque Shangguan Shengyu beside him, gave a slight thumbs-up, and smiled faintly in praise. "You've raised a fine son. You have me beat on that point. He possesses pride, yet he isn't arrogant or conceited enough to look down on his opponents."

Shangguan Shengyu’s eyes curved upwards in a subtle smile. Receiving praise from one of the oldest Divine Beast practitioners was still a moment of great honor.

"Of course, facing the Sun King, I also don't want to leave any regrets," Xue Tian said, his body trembling slightly. The Super Nano Combat Suit clinging to him fell to the ground with a soft sound, revealing a terrifying collection of battle sabers.

As over a hundred sabers were exposed, the loudspeaker of the Sky Battleship, which hadn't been shut off, carried the collective gasp of every spectator across the Federation. No one expected that the Furious Saber Xue Tian was concealing so many weapons.

The eyes of the Martial Arts Masters twitched repeatedly. Was the surrounding saber aura emanating from all hundred blades, or was it truly spilling forth from Xue Tian's own body? Or perhaps the blades had long since merged with the man himself.

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang...

As Xue Tian’s body swayed slightly, the hundred sabers hummed. Even the saber experts among the Martial Arts Masters felt their own blades tremble within their sheaths, producing a chorus of metallic resonance.

"This battle between you and me," Xue Tian said softly, extending a single index finger, decisively stating, "One move will suffice!"

As the words fell, the hundred sabers attached to Xue Tian shot up from his body, soaring into the sky where they converged to form a dazzling saber dragon!

At that exact moment, the broad, heavy saber resting on Brooks’ leg began to shake violently, as if fighting for control against Brooks himself.

"You want in too?" Brooks looked down at his cherished blade and smiled faintly. "Then by all means..."

A saber cry bloomed from the broad war blade. Instantly, it transformed into a silver dragon that shot into the heavens, joining Xue Tian's saber dragon.

The Martial Arts Masters who had brought their own sabers didn't even have a chance to speak. Their weapons had already autonomously detached from their control, flying into the air to join the long, winding silver dragon circling above.

Over a hundred blades collided in the air, emitting sharp ding-dang sounds, their might greater than the war drums of an ancient battlefield. Looking up, it resembled the Milky Way across the night sky.

Shangguan Chuanqi’s sword-like eyebrows twitched rapidly, a trace of caution and surprise entering his gaze. His eyes remained fixed on the Iai sword in Xue Tian's hand—the one weapon not yet unleashed—which he knew was the true key...

Clang! Just as everyone assumed the swarm of aerial blades was merely the prelude to a grand technique, and that the Iai sword in Xue Tian's hand was the real decisive strike, even that blade left its sheath and flew into the firmament, merging with the other sabers.

Qin Fen watched the spectator gallery with a slight smile. If the pinnacle of the Demonic Dao, Xue Tian, could have his combat methods so easily foreseen, he wouldn't be worthy of that title.

Shangguan Chuanqi’s expression became more guarded. Xue Tian’s actions were completely unexpected. His invincible Iai sword, capable of sweeping aside everything, had also joined the river of blades.

"Since I cannot decipher it, why must I try?" Shangguan Chuanqi’s words held a touch of self-mockery. "When has Shangguan Chuanqi ever needed to care what others think?"

In a moment of clarity, a sharp glint flashed in Shangguan Chuanqi's eyes. His entire body became like a blazing red sun. The high-speed charge created a hurricane that tore across the endless flying sand. He lightly shook both arms; this was Shangguan Chuanqi’s signature technique, the "Setting Sun River of Stars." In his rapid advance, his body appeared light and almost weightless, yet every fiber was infused with power. Capable of uplifting mountains and breaking rivers in an instant.

Xue Tian summoned his saber arts, driving his feet deep into the yellow sand. He twisted his wrist, commanding the river of sabers from the sky to rush around his body, swirling rapidly to form a protective halo of bladed light.

In an instant of flashing light, Shangguan Chuanqi landed on the sand, his movement like a swift bird among the clouds, so light he seemed utterly weightless. Until the very moment he stood before Xue Tian, he completely ignored the revolving ring of blades and brought his fist down toward Xue Tian’s head, unleashing a dazzling, brilliant, and overwhelming surge of combat power. His punch traveled along the central axis, aimed straight for Xue Tian’s skull.

Even Qin Fen, who had mastered the strongest defensive divine arts among the younger generation, wouldn't dare meet Shangguan Chuanqi’s earth-shattering punch with his head without defending.

Xue Tian faced the True Fire of the Sun, which threatened to ignite his hair, without flinching. His eyes, narrowed into slits, shone with an eerie light. The protective river of sabers, spinning at high velocity, all turned to intercept Shangguan Chuanqi’s fist.

Hiss-hiss-hiss-hiss-hiss-hiss-hiss-hiss...

Before the battle sabers could even make contact with the "Setting Sun River of Stars" fist, they instantly vaporized without a trace.

Shangguan Chuanqi was no ordinary martial artist! Even the new metals, without Xue Tian personally channeling his internal energy to resist, were more fragile than ordinary leaves or paper when facing Shangguan Chuanqi's True Fire of the Sun.

In the turn of an eye, the once imposing river of blades vanished completely! Yang Lie's eye twitched involuntarily. What was Xue Tian planning...?

Hiss-hiss-hiss... Hiss-hiss-hiss...

The instant the blades vaporized, Xue Tian’s eyes burst forth with an eerie, excited light, matching the True Fire of the Sun without the slightest inferiority. The white vapor resulting from the vaporization was inhaled fiercely by Xue Tian, passing instantly through his nostrils, his pores, and his skin, being completely absorbed into his body.

The battle sabers! Brooks’ arm trembled slightly, then his entire body shook. Staring at the attacking Xue Tian bathed in light, he finally understood everything.

"So that's it," Brooks clenched his fists. "He used Shangguan Chuanqi's True Fire of the Sun to refine a hundred sabers, merging the essence of the blades with the True Fire, and then absorbed that essence—which had nearly merged with his very bloodline—into his own body, transforming it into usable power! Has Xue Tian become this terrifying? I know this method, but I only ever considered it theoretically sound. The practical application possibility was zero. What kind of monstrous talent is this!"

The moment Brooks and several other experts grasped the truth, Xue Tian's bare hands, though still flesh, emanated a cold light that pierced the True Fire of the Sun! He cleaved through the scorching airflow with one palm strike, landing heavily upon the "Setting Sun River of Stars."

Fist met palm, creating a thunderous explosion. The air, already compressed and torn, continued to erupt in chaotic bursts. Both figures were thrown rapidly backward, separating from each other.

In this instantaneous exchange, even the Martial Arts Masters couldn't clearly perceive what happened; they only felt a blur before the figures separated. As for the ordinary viewers watching via satellite relay, all they could witness were the residual effects of the battle.

As soon as they separated, Xue Tian tapped the flying dust on the ground with his toe. Before the sand could settle, he shot out like a thrown knife, closing the distance to Shangguan Chuanqi. He transformed his palm into a blade, his entire body radiating saber energy, his eyes alight with an eerie, excited smile. With a relaxed stride, he lowered his body slightly, dropped his shoulder, let his elbow sink, then violently straightened his spine. His core let out a resounding tremor. His left hand gently stroked his right, which was now shaped like a blade, transferring the strength of the left hand into the right arm while maintaining the right arm’s high speed and stability. He became a battle saber aimed straight along the shortest line of sight, ready to slice through a thousand armies.

"A thousand blades are one strike, one strike is a thousand blades!" Azure Dragon's eyebrows shot up. Watching the strike that nearly synthesized the essence of his own years of martial arts experience on Jupiter, he repeatedly praised it. After only a few days apart, the power of the same move had increased by more than just a small fraction!

Swoosh!

Where the blade hand passed, not only was the air utterly cleaved, but space itself seemed to be genuinely torn, leaving a distinct, vertical rift in the flow of energy across the six points!

With such imposing might, transforming a palm into a blade to create such a devastating impact—it was impossible without transcending some sort of ultimate martial limit.

With this single palm strike alone! Kylin had to admit: Xue Tian facing a Divine Beast would absolutely not be at a disadvantage! This was the strength of a Divine Beast practitioner! The eerie saber aura was not some common Heavenly Gang Qi; it was the unique, solitary Qi belonging only to Xue Tian!

Shangguan Chuanqi’s face tightened, but his eyes showed no retreat or fear. He twisted both arms upward and pushed, employing his unique 'Lifting the Sun Boat Eastward!'

How strong is the power used to lift the sun? Shangguan Chuanqi, bursting with his ultimate technique at the edge of life and death, collided head-on with Xue Tian's "A Thousand Blades is One Strike, One Strike is a Thousand Blades." The air pressure generated by the clash of these two forces seemed capable of exploding the air in the entire martial arena. The earth’s vibration traveled far beyond immediate sight.

How great is the power of a Divine Beast? The earthquakes in several cities on Jupiter were the simplest answer.

The Martial Arts Masters in the arena suddenly erupted forward, blocking with their arms crossed over their chests, sent flying backward! This collision had surpassed ordinary levels of power. No one expected that the peak youths possessed such capabilities.

The impact along the central line, meeting the force of the upward deflection, surpassed the ultimate clashes of any previous Heroes' Assembly.

In that instant, two favored sons of heaven displayed expressions at extreme opposition: one eerily excited, the other grimly cautious. This contrast made the experts who weren't blown back feel a sudden surge of excitement.

Many simply closed their eyes, intending to permanently etch this scene into their minds. Recalling it later would undoubtedly offer more than just minor benefits to their martial path. The warriors who hadn't retreated felt that coming here truly was worthwhile!

Pfft!

Blood bloomed from Shangguan Chuanqi’s shoulder blade, a splash of crimson. He staggered back several steps, watching Xue Tian, who stood motionless on the spot with an eerie smile in his eyes, with a grave expression.

One second... two seconds... three seconds...

After three short seconds, Shangguan Chuanqi lightly raised his arm and gave a thumbs-up. "You won."

"You weren't bad either," Xue Tian retracted his eerie smile, returning to his usual lazy demeanor.

"It's a pity," Shangguan Chuanqi sighed lightly. "A pity I couldn't witness your strongest form. I wonder if anyone else among the younger generation can force out your true fighting potential this time?"

His strongest form? Several experts unfamiliar with Xue Tian stared wide-eyed, unable to believe what they heard. That terrifying strength just now wasn't even his limit?

"The strongest state? What is Shangguan Chuanqi talking about?"

"The Xue Tian just now wasn't at his peak?"

"How is that possible? He's so young!"

The Federation members watching online were in an uproar. No one had expected that this Xue Tian still held back his true power.

"Well, that's..." Xue Tian smiled. "I still have to thank you. Without your True Fire of the Sun to help me refine my blades, even if I used my internal energy to shatter them and absorb the saber essence, I would still have fallen short."

Shangguan Chuanqi stared at Xue Tian for a long time before saying quietly, "It seems you too have undergone some extraordinary encounters."

Xue Tian smiled. "Don't you have some as well?"

Shangguan Chuanqi continued to gaze at Xue Tian, pondering for several seconds. A trace of determination flashed across his eyes, and he lightly cupped his fist. "After the Heroes' Assembly, I hope we can find time to discuss the Dao privately. I believe we both stand to benefit from such an exchange."

"Sure! But..." Xue Tian pointed at Qin Fen, Yang Lie, and the others. "When we chat, bring these fellows along. If you do, you'll find you gain far more than what you give away."

"Is that so?" Shangguan Chuanqi smiled but didn't reply. He thought to himself that ever since he obtained a liquid metal sphere and received guidance from a powerhouse stronger than Kylin in that strange mental space, he achieved his current strength. Could Qin Fen and the others' understanding of the Martial Dao surpass the expert from his mental space? (To be continued)