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

"Praise for killing?"

"Yes! It's a case of 'praise to death'!"

Chu Feng waved his arms excitedly.

Think about it!
What is Xie Yutang's identity? He is a direct descendant of the Xie family, one of the seven great noble families of the empire! The 'Little Sword Master'! A peerless genius renowned throughout the world!
He personally delivered the challenge to you and publicly announced the time and opponent! This seems like a huge favor, elevating you to a pedestal! But what's the reality?

Chu Feng took a breath, his eyes filled with indignation.

"He's putting you on the hot seat! He's making the eyes of the entire city, and soon the entire prefecture, and even the capital, focused on you! Under the spotlight, you'll be facing Huang Jianxiong's elder brother, Huang Jianchen! Can someone who can have Xie Yutang personally endorse and deliver a challenge be a simple character? He must be absolutely confident in defeating you, even... crippling you! When that happens, you'll fall harder than anyone else! Ruin and disgrace will be the least of your worries!"
He, Xie Yutang, intends to use this most 'open and aboveboard' method to utterly destroy you! And incidentally, he'll also vent his anger on behalf of those in the capital's aristocratic circles who dislike you!

Chu Feng's analysis was incisive, pointing directly to the core of Xie Yutang's actions: a calculated scheme! Open and aboveboard, yet utterly insidious!
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuan's lips curled into a cold smile.

He weighed the heavy storage bag containing spiritual materials and gold coins in his hand, then looked in the direction Xie Yutang had disappeared. There was no fear in his eyes, only a burning fighting spirit and... a hint of amusement.

"To praise someone to death..." Jiang Xuan's voice was calm but tinged with a hint of coldness.

"Since Xie Yutang likes to play games and wants to make it known throughout the city, and wants to put me on the hot seat... then I'll play along with him!"

He looked at Chu Feng, his tone serious.

"Chu Feng, do me a favor."

"you say!"

Chu Feng immediately replied.

"Use your connections in Yanxia City to help me find out more about this Huang Jianchen."

A glint of light flashed in Jiang Xuan's eyes.

The more detailed the better!
His cultivation level, his preferred martial arts techniques, his fighting style… all useful information! Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory!

"Okay! Leave it to me!"

Chu Feng nodded vigorously.

"I'll do it right now!"

Xie Yutang personally visited the Spirit Pattern Master Commune in Yanxia City and publicly presented a challenge to Jiang Xuan, an unknown young spirit pattern master, challenging Huang Jianchen, a member of the Huang clan in the capital, to a duel at noon three days later at the Yanxia City Arena!

This news spread like wildfire, sweeping through the entire city of Yanxia in just half a day, causing an unprecedented uproar!
Little Swordsman Xie Yutang! This name itself represents immense power and an undeniable level of attention!
He is one of the most dazzling stars of the younger generation in the empire, the goal that countless cultivators look up to, and the direct descendant of the Xie family, one of the seven superior clans!
His every move is enough to stir up countless emotions. Now, he's actually personally delivering a challenge to an unknown youth? This is simply unbelievable!
For the first time, the name Jiang Xuan truly entered the field of vision of the major forces in Yanxia City.

His background was quickly uncovered. He came from a small border town and had once caused a minor sensation by defeating local elites Qi Yunxiao and Yuan Shu with swift and decisive moves at the entrance of Yanxia Academy. He then joined the Spirit Pattern Master Commune... Apart from that, there was nothing else.

How did such a seemingly powerless young man come to have a blood feud with the powerful clans of the capital, even prompting the Little Sword Lord to personally intervene? This became the biggest mystery in everyone's mind!

His opponent was Huang Jianchen! Although very little specific information was available about him, it was known that he was the elder brother of Huang Jianxiong, whose cultivation had been crippled by Jiang Xuan, and that he also came from the Huang clan, one of the powerful families in the Forbidden City of the capital.

But the fact that "Xie Yutang personally endorsed and delivered the challenge letter" is enough to prove that this person is no ordinary person! His background and strength must be unfathomable!
What could have been a private feud that was resolved on a small scale was instantly escalated into a public showdown that shook the entire city of Yanxia and even attracted attention from higher levels, thanks to Xie Yutang's "personal endorsement"!

Tickets for the arena sold out in less than an hour after the news broke! Scalpers drove prices sky-high! Everyone wanted to witness this mysterious duel filled with the rivalries of top-tier clans!

In the western part of the city, inside a luxurious flower hall belonging to the Wen family.

Wen Mingxiu, Qi Yunxiao, Yuan Shu, and other local scions of wealthy families in Yanxia City gathered once again.

The atmosphere was heavy. Unlike the lingering fear they had experienced at the Purple Bamboo Courtyard last time, their faces now showed more complexity, anticipation, and a hint of... schadenfreude.
"Have all the messages been confirmed?"

Qi Yunxiao spoke first, his tone filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"Xie Yutang personally delivered the invitation! A public duel in the arena! Haha! Jiang Xuan has really bitten off more than he can chew this time! Let's see how he dies!"

Yuan Shu also sneered repeatedly.

"Serves him right! Let him be arrogant! He crippled Huang Jianxiong, did he really think everything would be fine just because Granny Feng was protecting him temporarily? Xie Yutang's 'praise to death' tactic is fair and square, but it's even more ruthless than killing him outright! When he's defeated or even crippled by Huang Jianchen in front of everyone...tsk tsk, just thinking about it is so satisfying!"

Wen Mingxiu frowned slightly and gently tapped the table, interrupting their excited discussion.

"Don't be too happy yet. Don't forget how Jiang Xuan crippled Huang Jianxiong with just two punches at the Purple Bamboo Villa! His strength is absolutely not to be underestimated!"

Her words instantly quieted the flower hall.

Qi Yunxiao and Yuan Shu's excitement subsided somewhat, clearly because they remembered Jiang Xuan's ferocious fighting power, which was like that of a demon god.

“Mingxiu is right.”

Another scion of a wealthy family chimed in, with a hint of worry in his voice.

"And have you considered... what if, I mean, what if... Jiang Xuan wins?"

"Won?"

Qi Yunxiao scoffed as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.

"What a joke! Who is Xie Yutang? Would he do something he's not sure of? Since he dared to praise Jiang Xuan so highly and personally endorse Huang Jianchen, it means he has absolute confidence in Huang Jianchen's strength! Jiang Xuan can win? Unless the sun rises in the west!"

"that is!"

Yuan Shu echoed this.

"Don't you even realize that Grand Commander Liu Wujun, Senior Grand Cultivator Yao Tuohai, Dean Wei Lingzhen of Yanxia Academy, and even Lord Du Dongtu, the leader of the Purple Feather Army... these are all truly important figures who can shake Yanxia City with a stomp of their feet, and they are said to be paying attention to this matter! They might even be present in person! Does Xie Yutang dare to play with fire under such high-level attention? He may be able to afford to lose face, but the Xie family cannot!"

The mention of these names brought silence to the flower hall once again.

The fact that these usually elusive and powerful figures were alarmed is enough to demonstrate the immense influence of this showdown!
Wen Mingxiu sighed, glanced at everyone, and said in a deep voice.

"Regardless of the outcome, this match has exceeded our previous expectations."

It's no longer just a feud between Jiang Xuan and the Huang family; it involves the reputation of the capital's powerful clans and may even affect the future of our Yanxia City.

She paused, her tone becoming serious.

"The most urgent task is not to speculate on the outcome here, but to do everything we can to find out Huang Jianchen's background! Who exactly is he? Why is Xie Yutang taking him so seriously? Just how strong is he? Only by finding out his trump cards can we assess the situation and make the right choices in the upcoming turmoil!" Everyone nodded in agreement.

At this moment, the name Huang Jianchen was more mysterious and more dangerous in their minds than Jiang Xuan.

After all, they had already witnessed Jiang Xuan's ferocity, but Huang Jianchen... someone who could get Xie Yutang to personally endorse him, how could he be an easy person? He was probably more than ten times more terrifying than his crippled younger brother Huang Jianxiong!
A storm, ignited by Xie Yutang himself, is sweeping across the entire Yanxia City, carrying the names of Jiang Xuan and Huang Jianchen.

Whether Jiang Xuan liked it or not, he had been thrust into the limelight and become the center of this storm.

If they win, they might be able to break out of the predicament; if they lose, they will be completely disgraced under the watchful eyes of the public and become a victim of Xie Yutang's upright and open scheme.

This is the power of "praise to death"!

Purple Bamboo Courtyard, Emerald Tea Pavilion.

In the elegant tea room, Liu Qingyan sat gracefully before the zither table, her delicate hands gently caressing the strings, but she did not play.

On the screen in front of her, the bustling scene of crowds scrambling for tickets outside the Yanxia City arena was clearly displayed, along with various discussions about "Little Sword Lord personally delivering the challenge" and "Jiang Xuan versus Huang Jianchen".

Granny Feng stood to one side, a hint of pleasure on her face.

"Miss, that Xie family boy's move was brilliant! He taught that slippery brat a lesson while also saving face for the family. Let's see how that kid gets out of there in front of everyone in three days!"

Liu Qingyan stared silently at the light screen. In the depths of her clear, autumn-water-like eyes, a barely perceptible hint of anger rippled outwards like a pebble thrown into a lake.

She parted her cherry lips slightly, her voice still clear and melodious, yet carrying a hint of coldness.

The aroma of tea wafted through the air at the Purple Bamboo Courtyard and the Emerald Tea Pavilion, yet it could not dispel the lingering melancholy in Liu Qingyan's eyes.

Granny Feng stood to the side, a hint of pleasure on her face. She was about to speak when she was stopped by Liu Qingyan's cold gaze.

"Xie Yutang... that move was indeed ruthless."

Liu Qingyan's voice flowed like an icy spring, carrying a hint of barely perceptible anger.

"The person he invited... Huang Jianchen..."

Her thoughts drifted back to the grand banquet held by powerful families in the Forbidden City in the capital last winter.

The magnificent palace was brightly lit, and the room was filled with the empire's most elite nobles, dressed in splendid attire and exuding confidence.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and lively conversation, it seemed as if the entire power and future of the empire were gathered here.

However, amidst this hustle and bustle, Liu Qingyan's keen eyes caught sight of an out-of-place figure in the corner.

He was a young man wearing a faded gray cloth robe, as quiet as a shadow in the corner. He had an unremarkable appearance, but kept his head down, drinking one cup of bland wine after another, as if all the noise around him had nothing to do with him.

No one spoke to him, and he didn't even glance at anyone.

At the time, she thought he was just some insignificant member of a collateral branch of the family and didn't pay him any attention.

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere at the table became increasingly lively.

Some suggested adding a martial arts element to the festivities and give the banquet a more heroic feel.

This proposal immediately garnered support from many talented individuals from powerful clans.

In an instant, the open space in front of the venue became a temporary martial arts arena, with various lights shining brightly, fists and palms clashing, and cheers and exclamations rising and falling.

Those geniuses who are usually arrogant and haughty are now putting in their best efforts, either showing off their family's unique skills or revealing their newly acquired supernatural abilities, vying for attention and creating quite a lively scene.

Just as the atmosphere reached its climax, the gray-clad boy who had been silent all along suddenly pushed away the wine cup in front of him.

The wine cups struck the table, producing a crisp yet unusually jarring sound that stood out starkly amidst the cheers.

He stood up, said nothing, and walked straight out of the hall.

This abrupt action instantly shattered the lively atmosphere of the banquet.

The crowd gasped, all eyes turning to him with astonishment, confusion, and, more than anything, annoyance at having their fun ruined.

"stop!"

A sharp shout rang out. A tall, imposing young man stepped forward and blocked the gray-clad boy's path.

He was dressed in the magnificent attire of the Lu clan, and was none other than Lu Guanxing, the outstanding young generation of the Lu family, a genius famous for his "Shattering Star Fist"!
Lu Guanxing, his face condescending with anger at being slighted, glared down at the gray-clad youth, his voice booming.

"Huang Jianchen! What do you mean by this? Everyone was in high spirits, and you just stormed off. Do you look down on everyone here, or do you think I, Lu Guanxing, am not worthy to sit at the same table with you?!"

The gray-clad youth, known as Huang Jianchen, stopped in his tracks.

He finally raised his head.

In that instant, Liu Qingyan's heart skipped a beat!
What kind of eyes were those? Calm, indifferent, like two bottomless, icy pools, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

But beneath this indifference, there seemed to lie a chilling coldness capable of freezing the soul and... a kind of ferocity that sent shivers down one's spine!

Huang Jianchen didn't speak, but only glanced at Lu Guanxing indifferently.

That one glance!
Lu Guanxing's angry expression froze instantly, as if frozen by invisible ice! A tremendous fear from the depths of his soul seized him in an instant!

next moment!
Huang Jianchen made a move!
No one saw how he made his move; it seemed as if he simply flicked his sleeves casually.

A thin, black lightning-like chain flashed and disappeared from his sleeve!
"Snap!!!"

A series of sharp, teeth-grinding cracking sounds, like popping beans, suddenly erupted!
Lu Guanxing's tall and strong body was struck head-on by an invisible giant hammer, and his chest visibly caved in!
His expression was still frozen in a moment of shock and fear when he was sent flying like a broken sack. In mid-air, he was spitting out blood mixed with pieces of his internal organs!

"Pfft!"

Lu Guanxing crashed heavily onto the gold brick ground several feet away, without even uttering a sound, and immediately fainted, his fate unknown!
The entire banquet hall was deathly silent! You could hear a pin drop! (End of Chapter)