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

……

"clang--!"

The moment Tan Long finished speaking, the clear chimes that marked the official start of the duel suddenly resounded throughout the entire venue!
As the bell rang, Jiang Xuan moved.

He didn't make any earth-shattering starting move; he simply made a backhand sweep.

With a clear, resonant clang, a battle sword with an exaggerated design appeared in his hand!

The blade was as wide as a door panel, four feet long, and completely black, except for the edge, which gleamed with a chilling light that sent shivers down one's spine! Intricate and ancient spiritual patterns flowed along the blade, emanating a heavy and domineering aura!

"Wow! This knife... it's really imposing!"

"What kind of magical weapon is this? I've never seen such an exaggerated battle sword before!"

"It looks like it's of high rank! Could it be one of his new trump cards?"

Jiang Xuan's massive, wide-mouthed sword, which he was displaying in public for the first time, instantly drew gasps and speculation from the audience.

On the other side of the ring, the moment the bell rang, Tan Long's fear and cowardly demeanor vanished instantly! In its place was an expression of extreme focus, even tinged with a hint of ruthlessness!

He took a deep breath, and his inner energy erupted like a volcano! He clapped his hands together at his waist, and a pair of giant hammers, each the size of a millstone and gleaming with a brass luster, appeared in his hands!
"Brother Jiang Xuan! Watch out! Behold my move—'Twin Stars Falling to Earth'! One move will decide the outcome!"

Tan Long roared, his voice booming, a stark contrast to his previous cowardly demeanor! Crimson light surged wildly around him, and he seemed to transform into a volcano about to erupt, his aura rapidly and domineeringly expanding!

His sudden change, and the powerful aura he unleashed that far surpassed that of ordinary cultivators at the Human罡 Realm, stunned the audience who had been looking down on him, and they began to curse him under their breath.

"Damn it! That fatso was faking it all along?!"

"What a treacherous fellow! He deliberately feigned weakness to lull Jiang Xuan into a false sense of security before launching a sudden and ruthless attack!"

"As expected, none of those who made it here through the selection process are pushovers!"

Even Wei Lingzhen, Liu Wujun, and the others on the white jade platform, upon seeing the contrast in Tan Long's demeanor, couldn't help but show a hint of surprise in their eyes, followed by a knowing smile. Wei Lingzhen said softly.

"I underestimated this kid. He's not a coward at all. He knows how to hide his talents and is quick-witted."

No sooner said than done! The instant Tan Long's aura reached its peak, his arm muscles bulged, and he slammed the pair of brass hammers in his hands together!
"Boom-!!"

A deep, thunderous roar exploded! The two hammers did not separate; instead, they were tightly attracted to each other like magnets and began to vibrate violently at an extremely high frequency!

The air around the hammers was compressed violently, producing a piercing explosion. A shockwave with terrifying destructive power, visible to the naked eye, suddenly formed around the two hammers, like two roaring ferocious beasts, pressing down fiercely on Jiang Xuan who stood still!

This strike was Tan Long's trump card, containing all his spiritual energy and will, aiming to achieve victory in one blow!
Faced with this sudden and powerful all-out attack, Jiang Xuan still maintained a smiling expression, as if he were watching a performance that had nothing to do with him.

He even had time to add a comment.

"That's an interesting move."

Jiang Xuan finally moved only when the terrifying hammer-like shockwave was about to hit him and tear apart a few strands of hair on his forehead.

He didn't use any fancy footwork techniques, nor did he employ the profound and unpredictable [Nine Heavens Shaking Collapse Dao].

He simply twisted his wrist, changing the grip on the exaggeratedly large black sword from one hand to two. Then, facing the surging destructive shockwave and Tan Long, who was gritting his teeth and wielding his double hammers with all his might, he slammed the sword horizontally in an almost tyrannical and unreasonable manner!

Yes, it wasn't a chop or a slash, but rather like swatting a fly, using the incredibly wide blade to forcefully slap it away!

"Bang—!!!!!"

A louder, more muffled, and more teeth-grinding bang suddenly erupted!
There were no dazzling clashes of spiritual energy, no ingenious counters to techniques.

Under the incredulous gazes of everyone, the seemingly invincible hammer wind shockwave shattered and disintegrated like fragile glass the moment it came into contact with the black blade!
Tan Long, who was right behind him, felt as if he had been hit head-on by a mountain flying at high speed!

"Wow--!"

He let out a short, shrill scream. His obese body was completely out of control. Like a round, fat fly that had been swatted with all its might, he flew directly off the ground, tracing a "graceful" parabola. The blood spurting from his mouth left a long red line in the air.

Finally, with a loud "boom," it slammed heavily onto the powerful spirit pattern shield at the edge of the arena, then slid slowly to the ground like mud, its eyes rolling back, and it completely lost consciousness.

The pair of brass hammers in his hands had already flown out of his grasp.

With two loud thuds, it struck the arena floor, its light dimming.

At this moment, the entire Qingyun Square fell into an eerie silence.

Everyone stared in disbelief at the young man in blue robes on stage number 36, who was still holding a horizontal grip, wielding an exaggeratedly large sword, and looking completely calm and collected.

one move!
Just one move!
It's not even a technique, just the simplest and most brutal horizontal swing!
A powerful cultivator at the Human罡 Realm, who even knew how to conceal his strength and lull his opponents into a false sense of security, was just... swatted away like that?!
This method... is far too brutal and illogical!
After a brief silence, a more frenzied uproar and gasps erupted, like a volcanic eruption! Jiang Xuan used this almost overwhelming method to declare his strength and...uniqueness to the entire audience!
After a brief silence, the entire Qingyun Square erupted into an even more frenzied uproar and gasps, like a lake surface tossed with a boulder! All the spectators were stunned by Jiang Xuan's simple, brutal, yet visually impactful way of winning!

Below the ring, Tan Long collapsed to the ground, unconscious, but his face still showed extreme horror and disbelief.

He probably never dreamed that his carefully crafted feigned weakness and surprise attack would be so utterly vulnerable in the face of absolute power.

In the audience, countless people gasped and looked at each other in astonishment.

"I...I didn't see wrong, did I? This is...it's over?"

"One cut? Just one cut? Or was it a slap?"

"Tan Long's aura just now was quite strong! I thought he could actually hold his own against Jiang Xuan for a few moves!"

"A few moves? You're overthinking it! Didn't you see how it was like swatting a fly? The difference in skill level is just too big!"

"That was too fast! This highly anticipated match ended way too quickly! I haven't even had time to process it yet!"

Everyone was a bit stunned. They had thought it would be a fierce battle, at least forcing Jiang Xuan to reveal some of his true abilities, but they never expected it to end so abruptly and in such a ridiculous way.

This stark contrast is hard for many to accept at first.

On the white jade platform, Wei Lingzhen and Du Dongtu exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of helpless smile in each other's eyes.

Wei Lingzhen shook her head and sighed softly.

"This kid... still strikes with the same ruthlessness... hmm, decisive and efficient." Du Dongtu grinned, a hint of appreciation in his eyes.

"Hehe, it is a bit ruthless, but I like it! This is how you deal with people who try to be clever!"

Sitting upright in the main seat, Liu Wujun narrowed his eyes slightly and said nothing, but thought to himself.

"Tan Long's defeat was somewhat unexpected, but considering the fighting strength he has shown in the past, it is quite reasonable."

Those cultivators who had not yet taken the stage were even more distraught at this moment.

Although they failed to glimpse Jiang Xuan's true trump card and ultimate combat power, his absolute crushing presence alone was enough to weigh heavily on their hearts.

They understood that ordinary first-rate figures were probably no match for Jiang Xuan! To suppress him, they might really need top figures above the Earthly Realm to intervene!
Under the scrutiny of all sorts of complex gazes from the audience, Jiang Xuan on the arena slowly retracted his exaggeratedly large, jet-black sword.

He stood tall and straight in the center of the arena, his eyebrows sharp as knives and his eyes like lightning. He exuded a powerful aura of dominance and self-assurance, as if he had just done something insignificant.

Instead of stepping down immediately, he did something that surprised everyone.

He picked up the broadsword again, held it horizontally in front of him, and flicked two fingers lightly across the cold blade.

"Zheng——!"

The blade emitted a clear, melodious hum, its cold light swirling, captivating the soul.

Jiang Xuan's gaze swept across the entire area, a faint smile curving his lips, his voice clearly resounding throughout the square.

"The reason I was able to win this battle so easily is not only because my opponent... well, was quite cooperative, but also because of my newly acquired battle sword."

As soon as he said this, the entire room fell silent. Everyone pricked up their ears and looked curiously at the imposing giant sword.

Immediately, impatient audience members shouted at the top of their lungs from below the stage.

"Jiang Xuan! What's the origin of your knife? It looks really cool!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuan's smile widened, and he raised his battle sword, speaking loudly.

"This blade was painstakingly crafted by a spirit pattern master hired by 'Golden Jade Hall'! Its grade is as high as mid-level human level, making it an absolute divine weapon! It is incomparably sharp and indestructible! I, Jiang, find it very easy to use!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the faces of those who were surprised, confused, or enlightened, and continued speaking with an undeniable certainty.

"From this day forward, I will only use the 'Jin Yu Tang' weapon!"

"Jin Yutang?"

"Is it that newly opened trading company?"

"So that's how it is! He's promoting Jin Yutang!!"

"My God! To advertise for a business on the provincial examination stage in front of nearly 100,000 people? This... this is too outrageous!"

"Who is this Jin Yutang? How could they possibly get Jiang Xuan to endorse them?"

"Bah! For a cultivator to advocate for merchants at such a grand event is an insult to the dignity of cultivators! A disgrace to civilization!"

"Waaaaah... My Jiang Xuan brother, how could you do this... My image is ruined..."

As soon as Jiang Xuan finished speaking, the entire audience was stunned for a moment, and then erupted into an uproar that was even more intense than before!
The expressions on everyone's faces became incredibly varied! Some suddenly realized Jiang Xuan's intentions; some were amazed that Jin Yutang had such power that Jiang Xuan could personally endorse it; some old-school cultivators were indignant about this behavior, believing that it tarnished the seriousness of the assessment; and some young girls who regarded Jiang Xuan as their idol were heartbroken and could not accept that their idol would "make a living."

Inside the assessment area, Wen Mingxiu, Qi Yunxiao, and others who knew Jiang Xuan were completely dumbfounded. Wen Mingxiu frowned slightly and whispered.

"He...he actually did it..."

Qi Yunxiao's face was ashen, and he gritted his teeth.

"Shameless! Utterly shameless!"

But they couldn't help but wonder if the relationship between Jin Yutang and Jiang Xuan was anything but ordinary.

On the white jade platform, Liu Wujun's face instantly darkened, his brows furrowed, clearly extremely displeased with Jiang Xuan's "nonsense".

In the eyes of a high-ranking official like him, the provincial examination was a solemn matter of selecting pillars of the nation, and it should not be treated so lightly.

Dean Wei Lingzhen was more open-minded. He stroked his beard and chuckled, saying to Du Dongtu beside him.

"This Jin Yutang... he certainly has some skill. He managed to persuade this young man to make a name for himself in such a setting."

Du Dongtu crossed his arms and chuckled.

"Old Wei, don't rush to conclusions."

Jiang Xuan is a shrewd fellow; he won't do anything without a reason. The fact that he's promoting it so enthusiastically means that Jin Yu Tang must have something extraordinary about it. Maybe they really do have something good?

Upon hearing their conversation, Liu Wujun snorted coldly, intending to lash out, but he suddenly recalled the various pieces of information about Jiang Xuan—the enormous entity that might exist behind him, which even many powerful families in Yanxia City feared, and the fact that the third young master of Shidingzhai headquarters personally named him as the chief VIP at the centennial celebration of Shidingzhai… He swallowed back the rebuke that was on the tip of his tongue.

His face was grim, and he finally managed to squeeze out a single sentence through gritted teeth.

"After the assessment, investigate the background of this Jin Yutang!"

At this moment, the entire square's focus was completely drawn to Jiang Xuan's unexpected move, even temporarily forgetting that ninety-nine other duels were taking place simultaneously. A tsunami of mixed opinions swept across the entire square.

Jiang Xuan stood on the arena, listening to the various sounds around him, his expression as calm as still water.

He knew he had achieved his goal. After this commotion, regardless of whether the evaluation was good or bad...

The name "Jin Yutang" will be known throughout the entire Yanxia City today, and everyone will know it!
He didn't linger. He sheathed his giant sword, nodded slightly to the referee, and calmly walked off the stage, ignoring the still-boiling roar behind him.

After leaving the assessment site, Jiang Xuan did not return to the viewing area, but instead walked directly out of Yanxia Academy.

He has passed the first round of assessments. According to the rules, he needs to wait three days before proceeding to the second round. (End of Chapter)