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

"Although Yue Zhongtian suffered a crushing defeat this time, if he can learn from it and realize that there are always people more capable than him, and that there is always something beyond his understanding, it may not be a bad thing for his future cultivation."

After a brief silence, the entire venue erupted in a deafening uproar!
"My God! Bare-handed! In one move! That's Yue Zhongtian, a late-stage Earthly Realm cultivator!"

"He crossed two minor realms and still managed to kill them instantly! Is Jiang Xuan even human?"

"That's too strong! It's ridiculously strong!"

"So he wasn't using his full strength with the knife at all!"

"Now who dares to say that his promotion of Jin Yutang is damaging to his own reputation? With that kind of power, he can do anything with confidence!"

A cacophony of exclamations, adoration, and discussion erupted, and everyone looked at Jiang Xuan with awe and fervor.

This battle completely changed many people's impression of Jiang Xuan.

He went from being a "possibly strong but eccentric genius" to a "monster of unfathomable strength who should never be provoked"!
Jiang Xuan ignored the commotion below the stage. He stepped off the stage and slowly approached Yue Zhongtian, who was limp as a rag doll.

Yue Zhongtian barely opened his swollen eyes and saw Jiang Xuan, his eyes filled with fear and despair.

Jiang Xuan looked down at him, his tone flat and emotionless.

"The bet is ten thousand gold coins. I'll send someone to collect it later."

Yue Zhongtian's lips trembled; he wanted to say something, but no sound came out.

Jiang Xuan continued.

"As for revenge... I'll wait. But next time you provoke me, the price won't just be gold coins."

After saying that, he stopped looking at Yue Zhongtian, whose face was ashen, and turned back to the assessment area.

In this battle, the power of the "Nine Shaking Heavens Collapse Dao" was first revealed to the world. Although it was not used at full strength, it was still earth-shattering!
Jiang Xuan's name, along with that domineering and unparalleled punch, was deeply imprinted in the hearts of everyone present.

Xue Shaolin, Li Hao, Liu Yu and other top experts no longer dared to underestimate them in the slightest.

They truly regarded Jiang Xuan as one of their strongest opponents in this provincial examination!

Jiang Xuan did not leave the assessment area, but instead found a corner to quietly adjust his breathing.

He knew that, as was customary, the cultivators would not be given much rest time after the second round of assessments.

Soon, the even more brutal third round of assessments—"The Six Top Contests"—will begin.

The so-called "Six Cultivators Battle" is to place six cultivators on the same arena for a free-for-all battle!
Only the sole winner who remains standing on the stage can advance!

The rules are simple, but they are extremely bloody and test your overall strength!

Not only do they have to face attacks from multiple enemies, but they also have to be wary of sneak attacks from behind, and they may even face temporary alliances and betrayals.

Jiang Xuan was well aware of his current strength and "arrogant" style of behavior.

In the upcoming "Six-Fold Challenge", he is very likely to become the target of everyone's attacks and be prioritized by the other five.

But he felt no fear; on the contrary, he felt a faint sense of anticipation. A true strongman fears no challenge!

Night fell quietly amidst the fierce and brutal duel.

When the final bell rang, marking the end of the second round of assessments, the competition officially concluded.

Of the 2,600 who advanced, 1,400 were eliminated again!

Now, only the last 1,200 people remain, who can continue to strive for higher rankings.

The attrition rate is astonishing!
A closer look at the remaining cultivators reveals that the number of cultivators at the Human Gang Realm has drastically decreased, with less than one in ten remaining.

The vast majority of those who remained were at the Earthly Rank, and there were even a few exceptionally powerful Heavenly Rank experts!
The level of competition has risen to a new level.

Jiang Xuan's gaze swept over the remaining crowd and spotted several familiar figures.

Wen Mingxiu, Yuan Shu, and others have disappeared, clearly indicating they have been eliminated.

This is not surprising; given their strength, it's already a stroke of luck that they made it past the first round.

When his gaze swept over a certain corner, he paused slightly, his eyes filled with coldness.

He saw someone who surprised him—Lian Fei!
He stood not far away, his eyes filled with a mixture of deep-seated hatred, profound fear, and barely concealed jealousy.

The hatred for killing one's father is irreconcilable, and Lian Fei has always wanted to tear Jiang Xuan to pieces.

The gap in reality was like an insurmountable chasm, and the strength Jiang Xuan displayed filled him with despair.

More importantly, Yao Tuohai and his daughter Yao Qingru had given him stern warnings.

Do not provoke Jiang Xuan before you are absolutely certain of success, lest you alert him or get yourself into trouble.

This suppressed hatred made him clench his fists until they turned white and grit his teeth as he looked at Jiang Xuan.

Jiang Xuan naturally saw the undisguised killing intent in Lian Fei's eyes, and he sneered inwardly.

He had already taken note of this potential threat.

Seeing that Lian Fei was just staring at him but didn't dare to make any move, Jiang Xuan suddenly felt a little bored.

He casually waved in his direction, as if to greet him, but it was more like a silent mockery.

This simple action became the ultimate provocation in Lian Fei's eyes!

He felt a surge of heat rush to his head, his face instantly turning red, and he wished he could rush up and fight Jiang Xuan to the death.

But in the end, his remaining rationality and Yao Tuohai's warning overcame his impulse, and he could only angrily turn his head away and no longer look at Jiang Xuan.

"If given the chance, this child must not be allowed to live."

Jiang Xuan withdrew his gaze, having already made up his mind.

He never liked leaving any potential problems behind.

The night was dark.

However, inside the Yanxia Academy, it was as bright as day, with huge spirit-patterned lamps illuminating the entire area as if it were daytime.

Almost none of the 100,000 spectators left; on the contrary, they were even more excited because the most thrilling and chaotic "Rokuga Tournament" was about to begin!
"when--!"

The melodious chimes pierced the night sky, and the third round of assessments officially began!
The elder presiding over the ceremony resounded throughout the hall.

"The third round, the top six contenders! The 1,200 finalists will draw lots immediately and be divided into 200 groups of six people each! They will take to the stage in two batches, with 100 groups in each batch, and engage in a free-for-all battle on 100 stages at the same time!"

There's only one rule. The last one standing in the ring advances! Time limit: one incense stick's time! Now, draw lots!

The atmosphere instantly became extremely tense! A chaotic brawl ensued!
This means that there are many variables, and strength, luck, mindset, and even temporary alliances are all crucial!
Jiang Xuan followed the crowd to draw a lot, and glanced at the lot he received.

[Character A, Group 9.]

This means he was among the first to step onto the stage, in ring number 9.

Soon, the information of the other five people in the same group was also revealed through the formation. Jiang Xuan's gaze swept over them, and his heart sank slightly.

Of the five people in the same group, four were at the Earthly Rank Realm: Liu Kesheng, Wu Cen, Zhai Xiuyuan, and Chen Cheng.

These four people were not enough to worry Jiang Xuan. The one who truly put pressure on him was the fifth person—Le Zhiyou!

One of the top students of Yanxia Academy, whose cultivation level has reached the Heavenly Gang Realm!
He is one of the strongest in the entire assessment!
Of the entire ninth group, only Jiang Xuan appears to be at the Human Gang Realm cultivation level!

"Trouble..."

Jiang Xuan frowned slightly.

In this chaotic battle, he, with the lowest cultivation level, would undoubtedly become the most conspicuous "easy target," and would most likely be eliminated by others first.

What's more, there's also the formidable Lezhiyou, which is eyeing the market with predatory intent.

He could almost foresee that once he stepped onto the stage, he would likely face a combined attack from five people!
When Jiang Xuan, Le Zhiyou, and the other five people stepped onto the No. 9 arena at the same time, it caused a huge uproar in the audience!

"Look at arena number 9! It's Jiang Xuan!"

"My God! His teammates... no, his opponents include Yuichiro!"

"Le Zhiyou? That genius from Yanxia Academy who reached the Heavenly Realm?"

"It's over! Jiang Xuan is in danger now! There's one Heavenly Gang Realm cultivator, four Earthly Gang Realm cultivators, and he's the only Gang Realm cultivator! How can he possibly fight like this?"

"They'll definitely team up and take us out first! Such bad luck!"

"Haha, serves him right! Let's see how arrogant he is now!"

Qi Yunxiao, Yuan Shu, and others who had already been eliminated couldn't help but gloat when they saw this scene from the audience.

On the white jade platform, Dean Wei Lingzhen sighed softly, expressing her regret.

"What a pity... Jiang Xuan is a gifted young man who could have gone much further. Unfortunately, he was unlucky and encountered a formidable enemy like Le Zhiyou too early, and in the midst of a chaotic battle... I'm afraid he will have to stop here. The clash of the strong should have been left for later."

General Du Dongtu's expression was stern as he spoke calmly.

"Luck is a part of strength. The path of a cultivator is full of thorns. If one cannot even cope with this kind of adversity, how can one talk about climbing to the top?"

Prefect Liu Wujun gazed intently at Arena No. 9 and spoke slowly.

"This child is still young. Even if he fails this time, he can try again next year. It may not be a bad thing for him."

In his words, he seemed to have already concluded that Jiang Xuan would have difficulty advancing this time.

Inside the assessment area, top geniuses such as Xue Shaolin and Li Hao, who had not yet taken the stage, were also paying close attention to the situation on stage number 9.

Yun Zitong, a girl with a cool and aloof demeanor, shook her head slightly.

"Jiang Xuan is strong, but he is surrounded by five people, including Le Zhiyou... His chances of survival are slim."

Yu Wenjing, another renowned teenage prodigy, nodded in agreement.

"Unless he has the absolute strength to dominate the entire field, it will be difficult."

Xue Shaolin crossed his arms, his tone tinged with regret.

"I thought I'd have a good sparring match with him later, but it seems like that's not going to happen. But... I still have a feeling that this guy might actually have some trump cards up his sleeve."

He had a vague intuition that Jiang Xuan might not have shown his full strength.

Wen Mingxiu stood in the crowd, looking at Jiang Xuan on the stage with mixed feelings. Although Jiang Xuan had defeated him before.

But at this moment, he inexplicably felt that the boy who had created so many miracles would not be eliminated so easily.

The atmosphere on the stage was tense and ready to fight.

Jiang Xuan clearly felt that the other five gazes locked onto him almost at the same time!
The four Earthly Realm cultivators had undisguised hostility and eagerness in their eyes, as if they had already made him their primary target for elimination.

Jiang Xuan's expression remained calm and composed, showing no sign of panic.

Only within his body, the "Storm Millstone" forged by the "Minor Underworld Divine Art" and the "Ten Thousand Paths Devouring Heaven Technique" was spinning at an unprecedented speed.

A vast and pure spiritual energy surged and roared through his meridians!
His pores opened and closed slightly, and a sky-blue spiritual energy flowed around him. Although it was not dazzling, it exuded a majestic aura as heavy as a mountain and as deep as the sea!

This aura was actually on par with the combined pressure emanating from the five people opposite, and in some aspects it was even more refined and pure!

Lezhiyou held a simple, black longsword with a dark blade that seemed to devour light.

Liu Kesheng opened a large bronze umbrella engraved with tortoise shell patterns. The umbrella rotated, emitting a thick defensive aura.

Wu Cen wielded a giant golden axe the size of a door panel, its blade gleaming coldly, its power immense and its force heavy.

Zhai Xiuyuan swung a pale white chain made from the bones of an unknown monster; the chain links collided, producing a chillingly crisp sound.

Chen Cheng held a uniquely shaped short brass axe in each hand, the blades curved like the moon, exuding an eerie sharpness.

Although the five of them outnumbered each other and their cultivation level was at least at the Earthly Gang Realm, they also had Yue Zhiyou, a powerful expert at the Heavenly Gang Realm, to support them.

But facing Jiang Xuan, whose aura was strange and whose battle record was formidable, no one dared to underestimate him in the slightest.

Everyone was on high alert, adjusting themselves to their peak condition.

"when--!"

The bell tolled suddenly, signaling the start of the melee!
Almost at the same instant the bell rang, Lezhi moved!

Without the slightest hesitation, the black longsword emitted a deep hum as it slashed out!
"Annihilation Slash!"

A black sword beam, extremely refined and exuding an aura of destruction, moved silently yet incredibly fast, aiming straight for Jiang Xuan's throat!
Wherever the sword's light passed, the air seemed to be sucked away, leaving behind a faint black trail!

The other four Earthly Realm cultivators also coordinated perfectly and launched their attacks simultaneously!

Liu Kesheng slammed the bronze umbrella in front of him, and the umbrella surface shone brightly.

A thick, earthen-yellow light wall instantly materialized, not only protecting itself but also subtly blocking Jiang Xuan's retreat route on one side!
Wu Cen roared, and his golden giant axe, with the force to split mountains and shatter rocks, cleaved horizontally in half!

With a flick of his wrist, Zhai Xiuyuan sent the long, white bone chain viciously wrapping around Jiang Xuan's legs!

Chen Cheng twisted his body strangely, his two axes crossed, drawing two chilling arcs of light, aiming straight for Jiang Xuan's back!
The five of them joined forces and with one strike, sealed off all of Jiang Xuan's escape routes, aiming to defeat him in one fell swoop!
Faced with this siege that could instantly drive any Earthly Realm cultivator to despair.

Jiang Xuan's eyes showed no fear, but instead ignited a fierce fighting spirit!

Instead of dodging or avoiding, he chose the most direct and forceful way to respond!
"Mountain collapse!"

Jiang Xuan let out a low shout, and the boiling spiritual energy within his body seemed to find an outlet, pouring all of it into his right fist!
He took a step forward, and the arena floor trembled slightly as he took the initiative to meet the most powerful black sword light head-on!

The azure light on his fist had reached its peak.

As if holding a miniature blue sun, it unleashed a fierce and devastating force, capable of crushing mountains!
"boom!!!"

The fist clashed fiercely with the black sword light!
There was no earth-shattering roar, only a muffled, extremely deep explosion!
The sword light that could easily kill a late-stage Earthly Realm cultivator shattered instantly under Jiang Xuan's punch, which contained the essence of the "Nine Shaking Heavens Dao," transforming into countless fireflies! (End of Chapter)