Chapter 639: I, Jiutian Liu, Will Personally Seat You Upon the Throne
Hearing Jiutian Liu’s proposal to end the battle, Zhang Yu didn’t immediately agree.
“Jiutian Liu is barely holding on,” Zhang Yu thought. “But his offer to end the fight is likely a final probe.”
“If I show even the slightest eagerness, any hint of impatience, any indication that I want to end the battle… that would only give him confidence, letting him know I’m also nearing my limit.”
Zhang Yu felt his nearly paralyzed body and naturally wanted to end the fight quickly.
But he understood that in moments like these, urgency was his greatest enemy.
Not only must he avoid showing urgency, Zhang Yu needed to act in the opposite manner.
“Jiutian Liu!” Zhang Yu laughed heartily. “I admit, I underestimated you.”
“My four dragon beasts alone aren’t enough to defeat you.”
“Now, take one of my attacks!”
His severe injuries had drastically deteriorated Zhang Yu’s physical condition, leaving him almost completely immobile.
Yet this body, despite its near-death state, was also incredibly resilient. This allowed Zhang Yu to channel the Heavenly Sun Radiance God’s flames within him, using their explosive power to forcibly propel his dying form.
Boom!
Amidst the surging flames, Zhang Yu abruptly stood up, taking a single step forward. His entire being shot forth like a blazing arrow, propelled by the Eternal Sun Radiance Flame, his fist hurtling toward Jiutian Liu.
Simultaneously, the dragon beast’s power, the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power, the Heavenly Sun Radiance God… every ounce of power Zhang Yu could muster flowed ceaselessly from the Great Sky Sacred Law Sword Formation, converging into this final, desperate strike.
Pouring every last shred of his remaining strength into this attack, Zhang Yu’s Primordial Qi Invisible Great Handprint collided violently with Jiutian Liu’s.
Bang!
Zhang Yu was ultimately blocked, but the Primordial Qi Invisible Great Handprint was torn asunder by the force of the impact.
A massive shockwave erupted around Zhang Yu, yet it seemed to him like a mere breeze, leaving him completely unscathed.
Watching this unfold, Jiutian Liu’s heart sank.
His earlier private message, feigning a desire for peace, had indeed carried a hint of probing. Had Zhang Yu shown excessive eagerness, Jiutian Liu might have risked everything.
But now, witnessing Zhang Yu’s unwavering resolve — even dragging his supposedly critically injured body into battle — Jiutian Liu’s will to fight dwindled further. The sharp decline in his support rating only intensified the crushing pressure he felt.
Under this mounting pressure, Jiutian Liu could no longer endure. He abruptly shouted, “We are both students of Myriad Laws. Continuing this fight will only benefit outsiders!”
“Junior Brother, I have witnessed your strength and witnessed your talent. You truly deserve to claim the championship.”
“Since Brother Dao is dead, I, Jiutian Liu, am willing to help you ascend to the throne.”
With these words, Jiutian Liu summoned the Nine Heavens Nine Earths Hazard-Avoiding Divine Shuttle and vanished from the battlefield in an instant.
Seeing this, Zhang Yu let out a long sigh of relief. His body relaxed, and he felt himself on the verge of collapsing.
Zhang Yu strained every muscle, desperately holding on.
“Just a little longer.”
“If I can hold out a bit longer, I might be able to negotiate a higher advertising fee.”
In the next instant, streams of divine light descended, enveloping Zhang Yu’s body and carrying him toward the waiting area. His spirit finally relaxed.
“It’s finally over.”
As the battle concluded, Zhang Yu felt an overwhelming fatigue wash over him. His Magic Power and vital energy were nearly depleted, and the strain on his muscles and bones was unbearable, leaving him utterly unwilling to move even a finger.
Amidst a series of explosive sounds, the wounds he had desperately tried to contain suddenly burst open, releasing droplets of blood that radiated an intense chill.
When Jiutian Liu returned to the waiting area and saw Zhang Yu collapsed on the ground, bleeding profusely from his injuries, a deep sense of regret flashed across his face.
Though Jiutian Liu hadn’t yet suffered the full backlash of Qi Luck, his Immortal Dao Potential had plummeted drastically.
Seeing Zhang Yu’s condition, Jiutian Liu couldn’t help but think, “Damn it! He was faking it all along!”
“He must have been at his limit too.”
“If I had held on just a little longer, if I had pushed myself harder, if I had endured for just a few more minutes…”
Jiutian Liu could almost see the moment of his desperate comeback, the moment his support, after plummeting to its lowest point, would surge back with overwhelming force.
But he quickly dismissed the fantasy.
“In the end, I couldn’t do it.”
“Under the final pressure, Zhang Yu endured, while I crumbled. That’s why I lost to him.”
Jiutian Liu sighed softly. Though he hated to admit it, Zhang Yu now possessed a stronger resilience to pressure, a more unwavering fighting spirit, and a dao heart far more unyielding on the path of the Immortal Dao.
“If I had to say who between us has a better chance of competing with Kuang Tianqing… it would undoubtedly be him.”
Meanwhile, Zhang Yu returned to the waiting area to find that Kuang Tianqing and Wen Wuya had already finished their battle and arrived.
“Kuang Tianqing and Wen Wuya… have they already determined a victor?”
Zhang Yu immediately pulled up the livestream replay to review the battle.
As the fight began, Wen Wuya soared into the sky, vanishing into the clouds.
Moments later, a barrage of flying swords erupted from the clouds, hurtling toward Kuang Tianqing, who stood thousands of meters away.
At that moment, Wen Wuya’s mind flooded with exquisite sword techniques. Where the flying swords pierced the air, sword qi surged, Sword Intent soared, and the sword’s momentum grew increasingly sharp and unbreakable.
“These… when did I learn these sword techniques?”
As the intricate sword techniques surged through his mind, a flicker of confusion crossed Wen Wuya’s face.
He recognized the techniques, yet he had no memory of ever learning them — nor could he recall which company or university’s sword arts they belonged to.
“These techniques are completely unlike anything I’ve ever learned in this life.”
“It’s almost like the legendary memories of a past life, or ancestral wisdom. Could it be that I…”
While Wen Wuya pondered, his flying swords clashed with the enemy.
Kuang Tianqing, currently the strongest student in the Ten Greats League.
Her earth-shattering aura, even perceived through the flying swords, instantly snapped Wen Wuya’s focus back to the present. He realized just how dangerous, terrifying, and crucial this opponent was.
This battle was so crucial that Wen Wuya had to abandon all distractions and pour his entire spirit and will into the fight.
As he fought with all his might, the sword techniques surging through his mind fueled his excitement and exhilaration.
Each strike was flawlessly executed, each blade unstoppable.
The heavens guided his sword qi, and the Spirit Realm resonated with his Sword Intent.
He saw every movement and every flaw in Kuang Tianqing’s defenses with perfect clarity.
At that moment, Wen Wuya felt a profound certainty:
“In the Foundation Establishment Realm, I am unmatched.”
“This battle holds only one question.”
“Have I truly become invincible in the Foundation Establishment Realm?”
“Kuang Tianqing… can you withstand me?”
The sword in his hand and the sword in his heart both sought the same answer.
When Wen Wuya’s blade shattered Kuang Tianqing’s formidable defenses, he received the first answer:
Foundation Establishment cultivators could not withstand him.
But when Kuang Tianqing pressed a finger against his blade, shattering his flying sword inch by inch, Wen Wuya received another answer:
Kuang Tianqing had transcended the Foundation Establishment Realm.
The destructive power of a shattered Golden Core erupted from Kuang Tianqing, crushing flying sword after flying sword.
Wen Wuya understood: Kuang Tianqing had repeatedly broken through to the Golden Core Realm, only to destroy her Golden Core each time, maintaining herself in a state beyond Foundation Establishment but short of Golden Core.
Compared to her past battles where she and Dao Qiankun had forced each other to advance to the Golden Core Realm, this combat method was clearly a step above.
“She’s become even stronger.”
“This year’s Ten Greats League isn’t just about us honing ourselves, absorbing investments, and unleashing our Immortal Dao Potential. Everyone has been growing stronger.”
“As one of the strongest contenders, Kuang Tianqing has pushed herself even further, becoming more formidable and unfathomable.”
As Wen Wuya pondered this, Kuang Tianqing had already walked through the storm of swords, step by step, until she stood before him.
Rubbing her aching brow, Kuang Tianqing said calmly, “You’ve lost.”
Wen Wuya sighed, realizing the gap between himself and Kuang Tianqing had only widened after this battle.
“Dao Qiankun is dead. Who in the Foundation Establishment Realm can defeat her now?”
Wen Wuya couldn’t think of anyone.
Zhang Yu, who had watched the entire battle, also couldn’t imagine how anyone could defeat Kuang Tianqing.
“The power of a shattered Golden Core…” Zhang Yu murmured inwardly. “Is this woman still improving her strength?”
Frowning slightly, Zhang Yu turned his attention to another ongoing match.
On the arena floor, Yan Xiang of Netherworld University had conjured a vast army of Corpse Demons. These creatures soared through the skies, burrowed beneath the earth, and spewed Thunderfire. Some even wielded profound martial dao techniques. Each Corpse Demon bore an advertisement link on its body.
When Zhang Yu clicked on one, he was taken to a page displaying various talent resumes.
Clearly, Yan Xiang’s Corpse Demons had been refined from the remains of elite martial artists. A rigorous traceability system allowed users to trace each organ and fragment of flesh back to the original warrior’s achievements, date of death, duration of use, degree of wear and tear, and remaining shelf life.
This legion of academic overachievers, instantly mobilized by Yan Xiang’s on-site adjustments, unleashed astonishing combat power, swarming Tian Shengong’s forces.
Faced with this onslaught, Tian Shengong’s giant puppet transformed into a colossal fortress, disgorging a swarm of low-grade puppets.
Zhang Yu blinked in surprise, initially failing to grasp Tian Shengong’s strategy. But understanding gradually dawned on him.
Within Tian Shengong’s fortress, components manufactured by the Extreme Tiger Group were swiftly assembled into low-cost puppets tailored to the battlefield conditions.
Meanwhile, in Yan Xiang’s blood pool, pre-fabricated bodies of elite martial artists were awakened on the spot, immediately joining the fray.
“That Tian Shengong fellow is mass-producing semi-finished puppets to exploit the Corpse Demons’ weaknesses and counter battlefield changes, using them to wear down Yan Xiang’s expensive pre-made Corpse Demons.”