A warmth blossomed in Ye Chen's mind, causing two sharp glints to burst from his eyes. He ruffled Zixiang's small head and said, "I'm heading out first."

"You need to come back quickly..." Zixiang pleaded with delicate sorrow in her voice.

Ye Chen nodded, his figure shifting instantly. He left the Demon God Palace, returned to the villa, and without pausing, hurried towards the arena area of the First-Grade Genius Hall.

"Although the Demon Suppressing Pagoda will certainly be detected and suppressed by the system during the arena battle, given the current situation, I can only fight head-on. Unless this fellow's state of mind has reached the third stage of the Saint Realm or higher, my mental strength can still barely contend. If all else fails, I can still deploy the Heavenly Beast Superman Mode!"

Despite this thought, Ye Chen felt a distinct reluctance to use the Heavenly Beast Superman Mode.

Having reached the fifth stage of Superman Mode, activating the Heavenly Beast Superman Mode would transform him into a Heavenly Beast. Given the extensive experience of the geniuses here, they would undoubtedly recognize the appearance of a Heavenly Beast. That would truly cause an uproar.

What kind of creature was a Heavenly Beast? There were only nine in the entire Ancient Continent! Even the Sovereign of the Blazing God Empire lacked the ability to capture one. If they knew he possessed the Heavenly Beast Superman Mode, he would certainly become a major focus of attention. While it might not lead to assassination and the plundering of his 100% fused Heavenly Beast genes within the Blazing God Empire, it was better to be cautious for safety's sake.

With these thoughts churning, Ye Chen's figure flashed like the wind as he rushed toward the arena.

To the west of the First-Grade Genius Hall lay the arena district. It was a expanse of mountains, yet strangely devoid of lush forests, appearing barren. Above, cloud-like energy platforms were suspended in irregular arrays, encircling the various fighting stages, serving as the spectator stands.

As for the so-called arenas themselves...

They were colossal peaks, some towering over ten kilometers high, their summits sliced flat to form natural fighting platforms. The soil of these mountains was incredibly dense, and the hardness of the stone and sand surpassed that of metal. Even powerful deities battling here would struggle to damage the platforms.

Presently, the edge of Stage Number 3 was swarming with people. On the cloud-like energy platforms sat numerous figures, almost all of them personnel from the Genius Hall headquarters.

Someone must have leaked the news, for the details of Ye Chen's impending battle with the purple-clad youth had spread through the entire Genius Hall like a hurricane. Ye Chen, recently catapulted to widespread fame following the sensational killing incident, instantly drew all eyes when it was learned he was set to fight someone from the Supreme-Grade Genius Hall. Everyone rushed over, their interest piqued, eagerly awaiting this cross-hall confrontation.

A person from the Supreme-Grade Genius Hall challenging someone within the First-Grade Genius Hall! This news was undoubtedly explosive and hugely sensational.

Consequently, the cloud-like energy platforms were packed with figures—nearly a hundred people, almost the entire contingent from the headquarters—who had made their way there. The air was filled with murmurs, everyone discussing in low tones, their gazes occasionally drifting toward the purple figure standing below on the mountain stage. This figure was tall and slender, his robes stirring slightly in the breeze, his expression cold and detached, standing like an aloof javelin at the center of the platform, radiating an aura of unparalleled dominance.

"If these two actually fight, who do you think will win?"

"Why are these two fighting? Oh right, that Purple Lightning is Hua Longtian's cousin. Looks like this newcomer is in trouble."

"Is that even a question? Purple Lightning will win instantly against the newcomer. That kid is too arrogant; it’s good to see his arrogance tempered."

The surrounding people whispered amongst themselves.

Just then, a sharp sound of air being torn cut through the distance. A streak of light shot over, trailing a long, cloudy tail as it whistled past. It abruptly plunged like a meteor, landing in the center of the stage. As the light dispersed, a dark figure emerged, standing immobile like a boulder.

It was, naturally, Ye Chen.

The moment Ye Chen appeared, every eye in the massive crowd fixed upon him. The previous low murmurs ceased entirely, as if the entire space had been frozen solid.

The purple-clad man’s expression remained cold as he stared at Ye Chen and sneered, "You haven't gone back on your word."

Ye Chen glanced at him and retorted, "I thought you would flee in terror."

"Hmph!" The purple-clad man snorted. "Let's begin. My time is limited; I have no leisure to play games with an ant like you. Whatever the stake you desire, I will match you to the end!"

Ye Chen’s brow twitched, and he sneered back, "In that case, I wager all of your Divine Points!"

The purple figure frowned, studying Ye Chen for a long moment before coldly laughing, "The amount of my Divine Points is not something you can easily estimate. I fear you don't possess enough points to cover the collateral!"

"Name your number," Ye Chen stated coolly.

The purple figure laughed scornfully, "I have a total of 3,200 Divine Points. Do you have that many to stake on this match!"

The entire crowd instantly fell into stunned silence.

3,200 Divine Points! Converted, that meant 320 opportunities to comprehend the Heavenly Dao Stele! Some spectators gasped, rendered speechless as they looked toward the purple figure. What did 3,200 Divine Points even signify? For people of their caliber, it would take over a millennium of diligent effort just to hope to earn that much! And now, this purple-clad youth dared to risk his millennium’s accumulation on a single gamble! It was a throw of a thousand years! Such a colossal stake was unprecedented, unimaginable, even within the First-Grade Genius Hall. Usually, even a person from the Second-Grade Genius Hall wagering 10 points was considered immense, and in the First-Grade Hall, the historical maximum bet was only 50 points.

Following the purple man’s declaration, everyone instinctively turned their gaze to Ye Chen, awaiting his reply. Some who had seen Ye Chen in the Mission Hall felt their blood stir, knowing that if Ye Chen dared to put up the thousands of points he’d recently acquired, they would witness an epic battle unlike any other!

Under the collective scrutiny, Ye Chen's expression remained cold and calm as he stated, "I wager."

The purple man's slightly arrogant expression instantly stiffened. Two sharp glints suddenly erupted from his eyes as he fixed them intently on Ye Chen, "Could it be you actually possess 3,200 Divine Points?"

Ye Chen glanced at him. "Naturally."

The purple figure couldn't help but study him closely, his brow furrowing deeply, a hint of killing intent flickering in his eyes, his expression as gloomy as still water.

As Ye Chen finished speaking, a wave of sharp inhalations swept across the entire venue. If the purple-clad man possessing 3,200 Divine Points was plausible—given he was from the Supreme-Grade Hall with powerful backing—it was utterly baffling that Ye Chen, a newcomer recently promoted to the Second-Grade Genius Hall, could possess such a vast sum. Based on their backgrounds, they had thoroughly investigated Ye Chen’s identity, knowing he came from a Spiritual Civilization and had joined the Second-Grade Genius Hall on a specific date. In total, he had been a member for less than three years. Where had he accumulated such massive Divine Points?

Just as the crowd was reeling in shock, a clock materialized in the air above the stage, and a cold voice resonated from within it: "Identities confirmed. Wagers have been impounded and deducted from respective systems."

Hearing this, all doubt vanished. Everyone looked at Ye Chen with disbelief, unable to comprehend how this person, new to the Second-Grade Genius Hall, held such an enormous fortune in Divine Points!

"I didn't expect you to hide so deeply," the purple-clad man said, his eyes icy and severe as he looked at Ye Chen. "Whatever your objective today, I will make you understand the true gap in our strength!"

Ye Chen looked back at him coldly, offering no response.

At this moment, two beams of light shot down from beneath the celestial clock, enveloping Ye Chen and the purple-clad man. A mechanical voice sounded: "Inspection commencing..."

Seconds later, the clock's mechanical voice announced: "Please disarm yourselves of any weaponry!"

"Hmph!" The purple-clad man scoffed, swiping his hand across his chest to shed his outer garment, and casually opened a spatial folding pouch, retrieving a set of plain clothes to cover himself.

Swish! Swish!

A gate suddenly opened at the base of the clock, and two sets of clothes floated out, landing before Ye Chen and the purple-clad man respectively.

"Please select your respective weapons," the voice from the clock instructed.

"Saber!" Ye Chen stated calmly.

"Sword!" The purple-clad man replied coldly.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two dark silhouettes drifted out from the gate at the clock's base, landing before Ye Chen and the purple-clad man. The battle saber that settled before Ye Chen was 2.2 meters long, its blade broad, seemingly forged from crystal, reflecting the shadow of the surrounding world, pulsating with a fierce aura as it plunged into the hard earth, its hilt trembling slightly.

Ye Chen’s eyes flashed. He swiftly changed out of his clothes, donning the fresh, plain set provided by the clock, then reached out, grasped the battle saber, and slowly drew it forth.

"Please prepare yourselves!" the voice within the clock stated mechanically.

Both Ye Chen and the purple-clad man had changed, feeling the weight of their weapons and seeking a familiar grip. They each retreated to opposite sides of the stage, establishing their distance.

"The match begins!" The voice from the clock boomed with excitement.

As the words fell, Ye Chen felt the very sky above the stage subtly sink, as if a mysterious power had enveloped his body. This force was gentle as flowing water, wrapping around him. Under this energy, Ye Chen clearly felt that the Demon Suppressing Pagoda in his mind was encased, rendering it completely useless. Furthermore, his Rune Space, the Civilization of Fire, and his spatial folding pouch were all cut off, inaccessible.

"Die!" The purple-clad man clenched his hand, a deep black light shining in his eyes. A potent aura erupted from his body, and streams of black energy floated out from his pores. His skeletal structure began to rapidly transform, fluffy downy feathers sprouted across his skin, and numerous fine slits split open on his forehead, within which were hidden dark gold eyeballs, gleaming with a cold, sinister light.