The Heavens: Man Covers the Heavens, Refines Treasures to Become an Emperor

"Is that all you've got?"

Changsun Hen sneered.

"The grandson of the Iron-Blooded King is nothing special."

Ning Meng shook his slightly numb arm and grinned.

"It's just a warm-up, what's the rush?"

Before he finished speaking, he charged towards Changsun Hen, his fists glowing with a faint golden light—the Ning family's ultimate technique, the Vajra Subduing Demon Fist.

Changsun Hen neither dodged nor evaded, his right hand forming a claw, five beams of azure energy condensing at his fingertips, meeting Ning Meng's fist head-on.

"Azure Claw!"

It was another head-on clash. This time, Ning Meng was forced back five steps, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Changsun Hen only took half a step back, clearly gaining the upper hand.

Jiang Xuan, who was watching from the sidelines, sensed something was wrong.

Ningmeng's strength shouldn't be this weak. Is this guy plotting something?
"Ning Meng, do you know why I came to the Bloodthirsty Camp?"

Instead of pressing his advantage, Changsun Hen stood still, looking down at Ning Meng from his elevated position.

Ning Meng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his smile undiminished.

"What? The eldest son of the Changsun family actually has the leisure to chat with me?"

"I came here to utterly defeat you."

Changsun Hen's voice was icy.

"I'll make it clear to you that the Ning family will never be as good as the Changsun family. Your grandfather was defeated by my grandfather back then, and today you will be defeated by me."

Everyone realized that this was not just a contest between two trainees, but also involved the grudges between the two major military forces of the empire.

Ning Meng's smile finally faded, and his eyes sharpened.

"I see. Then let's see who loses today!"

Ning Meng's internal energy suddenly surged, and his body was surrounded by pale purple lightning.

He held nothing back and unleashed his full power with his family's secret technique, "Thunder Prison Scripture," instantly doubling his speed and closing in on Changsun Hen.

"Thunder shakes the eight directions!"

A barrage of punches rained down like a storm, each one carrying the power of thunder.

Changsun Hen's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly used his movement technique to dodge, but he was still grazed by several punches, tearing his sleeves and revealing several bloodstains.

"interesting."

Changsun Hen was somewhat surprised, then sneered.

"But that's not enough!"

He formed a hand seal, and nine cyan sword shadows appeared around his body, which were the "Nine Azure Swords" secretly passed down by the Changsun family.

"go!"

Nine sword shadows roared out, drawing mysterious trajectories in the air and completely breaking Ning Meng's fist techniques.

Three of the sword shadows were aimed directly at Ning Meng's vital points, forcing him to retreat repeatedly.

A sword flash pierced Ning Meng's left shoulder, drawing out a spray of blood.

Ning Meng let out a muffled groan and staggered, seemingly already exhausted.

"it's over."

Changsun Hen said proudly, his hands forming a seal again, and the remaining six sword shadows merged into one, transforming into a three-zhang-long cyan giant sword, which slashed down at Ning Meng.

"Azure Sky Slash!"

Before the giant sword even arrived, its sharp sword energy had already carved a deep trench in the ground.

Everyone held their breath, as if they could already see Ningmeng's crushing defeat.

Jiang Xuan clenched his fists, almost rushing into the arena.

But at that moment, he noticed a sly glint in Ning Meng's eyes.

"wrong!"

Alarm bells rang in Jiang Xuan's mind.

Just as the giant cyan sword was about to strike Ning Meng, a sudden change occurred!

"Heavenly Thunder Ring!"

Ning Meng suddenly roared, drawing a peculiar arc with both hands in front of his chest. Instantly, purple lightning surged around him, forming a lightning halo with a diameter of two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters), firmly blocking the cyan giant sword.

"What?!"

Changsun Hen's expression changed drastically.

"How could you possibly unleash the Heavenly Thunder Ring? That requires at least the cultivation level of the mid-stage True Martial Realm!"

Ning Meng did not answer; his expression was solemn as he pushed the lightning halo with both hands.

An unbelievable scene unfolded: the giant cyan sword began to shatter inch by inch!
"impossible!"

Changsun Hen frantically channeled his inner energy, trying to maintain the sword shadow, but it was too late.

"break!"

With a roar from Ning Meng, the lightning halo expanded suddenly, shattering the cyan giant sword completely.

The force remained undiminished, and the lightning halo slammed heavily into Changsun Hen's chest.

Changsun Hen spat out a mouthful of blood, his body flew backward, and crashed heavily to the ground ten feet away. He struggled for a few moments, but ultimately could not stand up.

The audience was silent.

Everyone looked at this scene in disbelief.

Changsun Hen, one of the four geniuses, was actually defeated?
Moreover, he was defeated by Ningmeng, who are generally considered to be slightly weaker.

"Ahem."

Ning Meng coughed violently a few times, his face as pale as paper.

He barely managed to stand up, looked at Changsun Hen who was lying on the ground, and grinned.

"Looks like I won today."

After saying this, Ning Meng's legs suddenly went weak, and he sat down heavily on the stone pillar behind him, panting heavily, with large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

This comical scene stands in stark contrast to his earlier imposing demeanor.

"Hahaha"

It's unclear who started laughing first, but then the whole room erupted in laughter.

"Is Ning Meng just playing dead after winning?"

"He was so powerful just a moment ago, and now he's completely collapsed! It's hilarious!"

Even Jiang Xuan couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle.

However, Ningmeng did not win this battle easily.

Forcibly using the "Heavenly Thunder Ring" with only the cultivation level of the early True Martial Realm would inevitably come at a huge cost.

"quiet!"

The instructor's voice suppressed the laughter.

"Ning Mengsheng has qualified for the Stone Pillar position. Changsun Hen is eliminated."

Several medical staff quickly entered the scene and carried the unconscious Changsun Hen away.

Ning Meng sat on the stone pillar, weak but unable to hide the smugness in his eyes.

"Ningmeng, you've been hiding your true intentions well."

Jiang Xuan walked to the stone pillar where Ning Meng was and looked up to speak.

Ning Meng chuckled.

"There's no other way; to deal with this arrogant guy, you have to give him a surprise."

"You had this planned all along?"

Jiang Xuan raised an eyebrow.

"Deliberately feign weakness to lure him into using his full strength, then deliver a decisive blow?"

Ning Meng blinked.

"you guess?"

Jiang Xuan shook his head and chuckled.

This guy seems honest and simple, but he's actually very cunning. We'll have to be careful in the future.

Just as the two were talking, the students who had not yet obtained the stone pillar began to get restless.

Their gazes lingered among the thirty stone pillars, and eventually many of them settled on the obviously weakened Ningmeng.

"Looks like you're in trouble."

Jiang Xuan said in a low voice.

Ning Meng looked around and saw those menacing gazes, and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"This is a disaster."

According to the assessment rules, any student can challenge and seize the stone pillar before the one-hour time limit expires.

Although Ning Meng defeated Changsun Hen, he had almost exhausted his true energy and was now at his weakest.

"Hey, Jiang Xuan!"

Ning Meng suddenly shouted loudly, and his voice echoed across the square.

"I'm dying, you have to help me guard this stone pillar!"

This sudden plea for help stunned everyone present.

Even Jiang Xuan raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting Ning Meng to pull such a stunt.

"You certainly know how to pick your time."

Jiang Xuan shook his head and chuckled, but there was no sign of refusal in his eyes.

Although he and Ning Meng were not exactly sworn brothers, they often exchanged ideas and skills and could be considered friends.

"Hehe, you're just killing time anyway."

Ning Meng grinned, revealing a row of white teeth.

"Besides, I snatched this stone pillar from Changsun Hen. If I just lose it like this, wouldn't all my efforts have been wasted?"

A chorus of boos erupted from the audience.

"Shameless!" "They actually hired outside help!"

"Isn't this against the rules?"

Ning and Meng turned a deaf ear and became even more self-righteous.

"The assessment rules don't say you can't ask someone to help guard the pillar!"

Jiang Xuan shook his head helplessly, but still leaped up and landed steadily next to the stone pillar where Ning Meng was.

This move immediately made the eager trainees hesitate.

Jiang Xuan's strength is well-known. If he lends his hand, seizing Ningmeng's stone pillar will face a huge challenge.

"Shi Yu!"

Ning Meng then turned to look at the burly young man on another stone pillar.

"If two people challenge me and Jiang Xuan at the same time, you'll have to intervene too!"

Shi Yu frowned.

"What's it to me?"

"How can it not be your business?"

Ningxia and Inner Mongolia are perfectly justified.

"The three of us joined the camp in the same batch, so we're practically family! Besides, if I get my stone pillar stolen, you might be the next target!"

Shi Yu snorted coldly, but his eyes darted around, clearly weighing the pros and cons.

He said in a gruff voice.

"Fine, but this is the last time!"

Ning Meng's plan was utterly shameless. If all three of them were challenged at the same time, he could have jumped off the stone pillar and let Jiang Xuan and Shi Yu help him take it back.

In this way, although the process was tortuous, the result was that he was able to retain his qualification.

"Those Ningmeng people are truly shameless."

Some people in the audience were whispering among themselves.

"But it didn't violate any rules."

The other person reluctantly admitted it.

Just as everyone was discussing this, a clear, cold voice suddenly rang out.

"Aren't you three going too far?"

All eyes turned to the source of the sound: Zhao Yin, the genius student with the Purple Sun Physique.

He stood on his stone pillar, his white robes fluttering in the wind, his handsome face carrying a hint of coldness.

"Oh, what brings you here, Zhao Datian?"

Ning Meng raised an eyebrow and asked, his tone tinged with provocation.

Zhao Yin ignored Ning Meng and stared directly at Jiang Xuan.

"Jiang Xuan, are you sure you want to participate in this shameless charade?"

Jiang Xuan smiled calmly.

"How can it be considered shameless to lend a helping hand to a friend in need?"

"What a friend in trouble."

Zhao Yin sneered.

"Then I will repay them in kind today."

Before he finished speaking, Zhao Yin flashed away from his stone pillar and headed straight for Jiang Xuan's location!

"Zhao Yin challenges Jiang Xuan!"

This announcement immediately invigorated all the trainees.

"This is going to be good!"

"Zhao Yin actually abandoned his own stone pillar?"

"He's trying to teach Jiang Xuan a lesson!"

Ning Meng clearly did not expect things to develop this way.

"Hey, Zhao, you genius, what do you mean by this?"

Zhao Yin ignored him and fixed his gaze on Jiang Xuan.

"Jiang Xuan, do you dare to fight?"

Jiang Xuan frowned, not understanding why Zhao Yin held a grudge against him.

Although the two were both trainees of the Bloodthirsty Camp, they did not interact much on a daily basis.

"Brother Zhao, what do you mean by this?"

Jiang Xuan asked calmly.

"I don't believe I've offended you."

Zhao Yin's expression was gloomy.

"Stop playing dumb! Today I will prove to everyone that you, Jiang Xuan, are nothing but a worthless good-for-nothing with a hollow reputation!"

Jiang Xuan laughed instead.

"I see. Brother Zhao, do you feel I stole your thunder?"

"court death!"

Zhao Yin's sore spot was hit, and his face immediately darkened.

From the sidelines, Bai Lingxi watched this scene with a knowing look in her eyes.

She understood Zhao Yin's motives; this proud genius couldn't tolerate anyone receiving more attention than him, especially in front of her.

"Zhao Yin, are you sure you want to do this?"

Bai Lingxi spoke softly, her voice clear to everyone's ears, though not loud.

"Giving up the stone pillar already in their grasp just to challenge Jiang Xuan?"

Zhao Yin turned to look at Bai Lingxi, his eyes burning with passion.

"Lingxi, I just don't want to see anyone undermine the fairness of the assessment. Besides..."

"I also want to prove that some people are simply not worthy of being compared to you!"

Bai Lingxi frowned, but did not say anything more.

Jiang Xuan understood the implied meaning and couldn't help but chuckle.

"So, Brother Zhao's true intentions weren't what they seemed."

“Stop talking nonsense!”

Zhao Yin roared angrily.

"Today I will surely defeat you!"

Before he finished speaking, a dazzling purple light suddenly burst forth from Zhao Yin's body!

The light was intensely hot, almost unsettling.

As the purple light swirled, Zhao Yin seemed to transform into a purple sun, illuminating the entire square.

"The Purple Sun Physique!"

"Seventh-tier talent attribute!"

"My God, is this the legendary Purple Sun Physique?"

Gasps of surprise rose and fell from the audience. The innate attributes of cultivators in the Empire were divided into nine grades, with grade one being the highest and grade nine the lowest.

Those with innate attributes cultivate at a speed far exceeding that of ordinary people, and their ability to comprehend techniques and refine martial arts is also exceptionally gifted.

Of the 42 trainees in the entire Bloodthirsty Camp, only Bai Lingxi and Zhao Yin possessed innate attributes.

Zhao Yin's "Purple Sun Physique" ranks seventh, which, while not top-tier, is still a talent that is one in ten thousand.

At this moment, he unleashed his full power, his momentum soaring like a rainbow, as if he could truly melt mountains and rivers and incinerate all things.

Bai Lingxi stood on the sidelines, her starry eyes filled with a strange light.

As the undisputed number one genius of the Bloodthirsty Camp, she possessed a higher-level talent attribute than Zhao Yin, but at this moment, her gaze was fixed on another person.

Jiang Xuan.

He stood opposite Zhao Yin, holding the Azure Wave Battle Blade, its blade gleaming with a faint green light under the purple glow.

Faced with the terrifying aura that Zhao Yin unleashed, he remained calm, even with a faint smile on his lips.

"How about deciding the outcome with one move?"

Jiang Xuan suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but it clearly carried throughout the entire venue.

Wow,
The whole place was in an uproar.

"Is he crazy?"

"How dare you be so arrogant in the face of the Purple Sun Physique?"

"Is Jiang Xuan out of his mind?"

A murmur of discussion arose, and everyone was shocked by Jiang Xuan's proposal.

Even Xu Sanqi, sitting on the instructors' bench, frowned and lingered his gaze on Jiang Xuan for a while longer.

Only Shi Yu, one of Jiang Xuan's few friends, noticed the glint in Jiang Xuan's eyes—a look he only showed when he was absolutely certain.

"interesting."

Bai Lingxi murmured to herself, for the first time showing genuine interest in this duel.

In the center of the arena, Zhao Yin's eyes flashed with coldness. Purple light swirled around him.

He never expected Jiang Xuan to look down on him so much; it was an insult to his innate attributes.

"good!"

Zhao Yin sneered.

"Since you're so eager to die, I'll grant your wish!"

Before he finished speaking, the spirit sword in his hand suddenly burst forth with a dazzling purple light.

Seven sword shadows appeared out of thin air, arranged according to the Big Dipper constellation, with the seven star phantoms guarding him.

Rolling purple energy gathered on the sword, and the temperature of the entire plaza suddenly rose. (End of Chapter)