Immortality and cultivation: Heaven rewards diligence, and success is inevitable.

The visitor was Chen Xiaofeng, an elder of the Chen family.

"Oh dear, Junior Brother Zhenyue, long time no see. Why do you look so gloomy today?" Chen Xiaofeng's words were full of sarcasm. He had come here just to see the Fang family make a fool of themselves.

The two had a past feud.

"I'm thinking, should we have a spar before Tan Zhonglong's meeting begins?" Fang Zhenyue said in a deep voice, his words calm but revealing his killing intent.

Upon hearing Fang Zhenyue's words, Chen Xiaofeng's expression changed three times before he finally spoke:

"This Dragon Gathering is for young people, so there's no need for us to steal their thunder." With that, Chen Xiaofeng quickly ran off.

He was terrified that he would actually fight Fang Zhenyue. In the past, when the two fought, Chen Xiaofeng was always at a disadvantage and was beaten badly.

After he slunk away, the Fang family members regained their spirits and put on smiles.

On the other side, beside the Dragon Abyss Sea, stood a man and a woman.

The woman's name was Long Yunshuang, and she was in the late stage of the Golden Core realm.

She was dressed in a silver-white outfit with dragon patterns embroidered on the cuffs, her long hair tied up in a crown, and her face as cold as ice.

The man's name was Long Yuntian. He was at the peak of the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, with a burly build, and appeared to have cultivated a body-refining technique.

Further away, at the Chen family's seat, a young man in white stood with his hands behind his back.

This person was none other than Chen Xuanji.

He wore a white Taoist robe with golden flame patterns embroidered on the hem, and a long sword hung at his waist with a dark gold scabbard.

He didn't deliberately release his aura, but just standing there, it was like a mountain pressing down on everyone's hearts. Late stage of Golden Core.

His gaze swept across the entire room, lingered for a moment on the Fang family's seats, and then he smiled.

That wasn't mockery or a sneer; it was a very calm, confident smile.

It's as if it's saying, "You've come, that's good."

On the other side of the stage, members of the Wei family surrounded one person.

If Jiang Shi were to meet this person, he would be extremely surprised.

This person is none other than Wei Wushang of the Wei family! Unexpectedly, he has now broken through to the Golden Core stage!

Soon, Long Yuanhai stood up and announced the start of the Dragon Assembly.

The rules are simple: draw lots to determine the winners and losers are eliminated.

Chen Xuanji will not participate in the draw and will directly defend his position.

The final winner must fight him in a final battle; the winner will obtain the strange fire.

Fang Jiuyue sat in her seat, her fingers gripping the hem of her clothes, her knuckles turning white.

The drawing of lots begins.

Fang Han was the first to go on stage, and his opponent was Chen Xuanji.

"Fang Han was the first to appear! There must be some shady dealing involved!"

The entire audience erupted in uproar!

This is no coincidence; everyone knows it is no coincidence.

Fang Han gripped the slip of paper tightly, his knuckles turning white.

Chen Xuanji walked up to the stone platform, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked at Fang Han.

"The Fang family? Come on over."

Fang Han had no way out, so he leaped onto the stone platform.

The group stopped discussing and looked at the stone platform.

Fang Han made the first move!

Without wasting words, he formed hand seals, unleashing a torrent of water-based true energy.

An ice dragon materialized from his palm, ten zhang long, with distinct scales and a chilling aura.

The ice dragon roared as it charged toward Chen Xuanji, and wherever it passed, tiny ice crystals condensed in the air, shimmering coldly in the sunlight.

This move was not weak; although Fang Han was impulsive, his skills were not bad.

With his mid-stage Golden Core cultivation, he had already mastered ice-type divine abilities to a minor degree. Even ordinary mid-stage Golden Core cultivators would have to give way to this attack.

However, Chen Xuanji was not an ordinary mid-stage Golden Core cultivator.

He didn't move, dressed in white with gold patterns, standing with his hands behind his back, not even lifting his eyelids.

The ice dragon rushed in front of him, baring its fangs and claws, before he raised his right hand and gently tapped it with his index finger.

Thirty-six sword energies shot out from his fingertips, not as an attack, but as a formation.

The golden-red sword energy is distributed in six directions, with six lines forming a group, creating a six-pointed star.

The sword energies were connected by golden fire essence, like a burning net, enveloping the ice dragon in the middle.

Sky-Locking Formation.

The ice dragon crashed into the array wall, and the golden fire true essence exploded, burning a large hole in the ice dragon's head.

It struggled to rush forward, but with each step it took, the barrier tightened a little more.

The golden fire essence scorched the ice dragon's body, causing the ice to shatter and steam to billow out.

In less than three breaths, the ten-zhang-long ice dragon was burned into a cloud of mist and dissipated into the air.

Fang Han had not yet had a chance to cast his second spell.

Chen Xuanji's Heaven-Locking Formation did not stop; the thirty-six golden-red sword energies changed direction and enveloped Fang Han.

Fang Han was trapped in the formation, with countless golden rays shooting in from all directions, blocking all his escape routes.

He tried to break through, but as soon as he took a step, sword energy attacked automatically, shooting from six directions simultaneously.

The first sword strike slashed through his left arm.

The second one brushed past his shoulder.

The third strike hit his protective true energy, causing him to take a step back.

The fourth, fifth, and sixth sword strikes—the sword energy grew denser and denser, and Fang Han's protective true essence began to shatter under the continuous attacks.

Chen Xuanji stood outside the formation, hands behind his back, without even drawing his sword.

"The Heaven-Locking Formation has six key points." His voice wasn't loud, but everyone present heard it clearly.

"You need to defeat six of them at the same time, otherwise the formation will automatically repair itself, but you can't do it alone."

Chen Xuanji even had the audacity to offer Fang Han some pointers, though these weren't genuine pointers, but rather an insult!

Fang Han gritted his teeth, enduring the sword energy attack, and charged towards one of the array's cores.

Fang Han gritted his teeth, enduring the sword energy attack, and charged towards one of the array's cores.

He summoned a low-grade spiritual artifact shield and held it in front of him. The shield was struck by the sword energy, trembled violently, and cracks appeared.

Fang Han rushed to the front of the formation and struck out with his palm. His icy true essence slammed into the formation's core, but the core remained completely still.

The sword energy from the other five array points shot out simultaneously.

Fang Han's shield shattered, and he was sent flying, falling into the pool.

From beginning to end, ten breaths.

Chen Xuanji sheathed his sword energy, and the Heaven-Locking Formation dissipated.

He didn't even glance at Fang Han in the pool, but turned to face the spectator stands, his gaze sweeping across the entire arena.

"Is this all the Fang family is capable of?"

The entire room fell silent; no one dared to utter a sound.

This Heaven-Locking Formation not only defeated Fang Han, but also shocked everyone. Chen Xuanji didn't even need to use his fourth tribulation, nor did he draw his sword. He easily dealt with the mid-stage Golden Core cultivator of the Fang family with just his second tribulation.

This is the strength of the Chen family's number one genius.

Fang Han climbed out of the pool, soaking wet, with blood still seeping from the wound on his left arm.

He lowered his head, walked up to Fang Tianxing, his lips moved but no sound came out.

Fang Tianxing patted him on the shoulder.

"You're just one level below, it's not your fault."

Fang Zhenyue's expression remained unchanged, but his face grew increasingly gloomy. He knew that this time, the Fang family would face a crushing defeat.

Fortunately, he arrived, so Chen Xuanji didn't dare to kill him!

In the distance, Chen Xuanji walked back to the Chen family's seat, took the tea offered by the servant, and took a sip.

"There are still two people in the Fang family," he said to the person next to him, his voice not loud, but the Fang family members could hear him clearly.

"I hope the next one will allow me to draw my sword."

Long Yunshuang leaned against the pillar, watching all of this with a blank expression.

Fang Han's strength did not attract her attention!

"So this is the second tribulation of the Nine Tribulations Secret Manual, the Golden Fire Tribulation—the Heaven-Locking Array?"

The people below were buzzing with discussion, all talking about the battle that had just taken place.