Upon the Bing-numbered martial stage, victory and defeat were now determined.

In the spectator stands, Ye Lingxiao couldn’t help but utter a soft “Eh?” “Garuda Breaking Array Sword Finger!”

His surprise mirrored that of Chen Siwu, precisely.

Deng Qi’s repertoire was simply too vast.

Earlier, the Small Non-Phase Plucking Flower Sword Finger, a technique merging the Dao and Buddhism.

Now, this Garuda Breaking Array Sword Finger, again combined the profundities of Buddhism and military strategy.

Furthermore, there was that initial killing method employing Geng Metal sword qi, its origin utterly unknown.

Yet, his footwork throughout the bout was equally exquisite and unparalleled!

Ye Lingxiao could only vaguely surmise it resembled the Great Five Elements Mixed Heaven Step!

This secret art first required gathering the winds of the five elements as its foundation for cultivation, a single step that barred the way for countless individuals. And the cultivation process itself was exceedingly complex; even in the era of its renown, few succeeded.

He had thought it lost to the ages…

Where did the State of Mu unearth such a person?

The foundation of a hegemonic nation was naturally beyond doubt; possessing numerous recondite techniques was not surprising.

But human capacity had limits. Blindly pursuing a breadth of combat methods would inevitably lead to shortcomings in one’s cultivation.

The Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Canon, at the very least, constituted a complete set, with inherent connections allowing for unified study of the Grand Dao.

The mysterious Geng Metal sword qi killing method, the Small Non-Phase Plucking Flower Sword Finger, the Garuda Breaking Array Sword Finger, the Great Five Elements Mixed Heaven Step, and the like – all undoubtedly powerful, yet utterly disparate, like wind and horse, difficult to blend seamlessly.

When powerful individuals nurtured the next generation, they would assist in planning a systematic killing method, rather than allowing them to cultivate haphazardly.

As a dominant force in the world, the State of Mu would certainly not permit their own heavenly prodigy to make such errors.

Unless…

For this heavenly prodigy named Deng Qi on the stage, learning these killing methods required minimal energy expenditure. It was entirely possible to do so without affecting his cultivation progress!

From this perspective, then, the strength of this Deng Qi from the State of Mu likely far surpassed what was revealed.

Ye Lingxiao suddenly found himself very curious, how many more killing methods this individual could unveil in the subsequent battles.

Speaking of which…

He cast a somewhat gleeful glance at Jiang Wang.

This kid was in perilous straits!

The performance of the State of Mu’s heavenly prodigy, Deng Qi, had left a multitude of spectators agape.

Had this individual merely displayed some potent divine ability, even if it were Heavenly Mansion level, with Chong Xuan Zun as a precedent, it wouldn’t have been so shocking.

However, this individual had simply and continuously employed terrifying killing methods, using a sword finger to directly shatter Yin Wen Hua’s Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword.

As the most treasured personal secrets of cultivators, divine abilities indeed held infinite potential. And often, upon cultivating the divine ability seed, one could wield considerable power.

Regardless of the angle, divine abilities possessed supreme value.

Many thus regarded divine abilities as their fundamental reliance, believing them to represent everything.

A strong divine ability meant a strong cultivator.

Yet, in truth, this adage was not entirely accurate.

The same divine ability, in the hands of different individuals, manifested differently. Sometimes, it could even be said to be worlds apart.

Furthermore, divine abilities were highly dependent on talent, sometimes opportunity, luck, and experience – not one could be missing.

Save for treasures like divine ability fruits, there was almost no possibility of definitively obtaining divine abilities. Just like the Qi State’s Heavenly Mansion secret realm, it merely awakened the potential for divine abilities that the cultivator already possessed, turning “possible” into “inevitable.” If there was no inherent possibility, then there was no inevitability.

And those lacking talent, it was almost impossible for them to emerge from the Heavenly Mansion secret realm alive…

Since divine abilities were so heavily reliant on talent, then were those lacking opportunity, without luck, inherently incapable of obtaining divine abilities, destined to be weak?

History had already produced countless powerful individuals who declared a resounding “No” to this notion.

Just as some individuals were born with Dao veins, born onto the extraordinary path, were they destined to be high above, transcending the world?

But first, there was the path of forcefully opening pulses with qi and blood, countless cultivators desperately striving to become extraordinary. Later came the great rise of Pulse Opening Pills, the Tian Yuan Great Pill opening pulses, offering potential not inferior to innate Dao veins.

Even in the matter of opening pulses, among cultivators who utilized the most ordinary Pulse Opening Pills to open their pulses, there were those stronger than cultivators with innate Dao veins!

When the Pulse Opening Pill was born, that declaration—

“The fate of humanity is not dictated by talent!”

Throughout the long years, this sentiment had always permeated the history of humankind.

Thus, “Man can conquer nature.”

Those endlessly emerging secret techniques, Dao methods, and killing methods were precisely humanity’s supplement, pursuit… nay, even surpassing of divine abilities!

There was the Wolf Diagram, a divine ability that wore away the characteristics of divine abilities, achieved through divine favor.

There was also Divinity Extinction, a killing method that required grinding away divine ability seeds to cultivate.

Of course, this was not to deny the power of divine abilities.

But Dou Zhao’s singular Fighting War Golden Body was still not inferior to Chong Xuan Zun’s Five Mansions Five Divine Abilities.

True power lay in knowing that divine abilities were not the sole path. One must *use* divine abilities, not be *used* by them.

The spectators in the stands, each harbored their own thoughts.

Only Jiang Wang, standing on the Geng-numbered martial stage, felt a different mood.

Watching the bout conclude, Yu Xi had already announced the result, and Yin Wen Hua was being carried down from the Bing-numbered martial stage.

Jiang Wang, observing Deng Qi about to descend the martial stage, couldn’t help but speak, asking: “Do we know each other?”

Deng Qi turned his head, allowing him a clear view of the profound engravings on the bronze mask.

With a slightly peculiar voice, he said: “The main competition’s second round is about to commence. Is it not a bit late to come probing for connections now?”

Jiang Wang smiled: “My apologies for the disturbance.”

Thereupon, he too stepped down from the martial stage.

As Deng Qi had said.

Soon, the list of the top eight would be decided; who would meet whom was possible. It did indeed resemble probing for connections.

But…

But, ah…

He had just watched the fight of this heavenly prodigy from the State of Mu, and the more he looked, the more familiar it became.

Although the various killing methods this individual employed were all things he had never seen or heard of.

Yet, looking at this person, he felt a profound sense of intimacy. Wearing a heavy bronze mask, bearing the background of the State of Mu, a dominant power in the world, yet the figure in his memory… slowly overlapped.

Every movement, even the gait, held a hazy shadow.

Although reason told him it was impossible, he couldn’t help but wonder…

Could it be?

How he wished a miracle would truly occur!

As he descended the martial stage, two loud bangs echoed almost simultaneously!

Jiang Wang spun around abruptly, his gaze first drawn to the left.

Unfolding before his eyes was a scene of unrestrained power.

The actually quite handsome Huang Sheli, at this moment, held a demon-subduing pestle in one hand, maintaining his striking posture.

Suspended in mid-air, his yellow robe billowed, his momentum arrogant and fierce!

And before the crimson-gold demon-subduing pestle, the State of Liao’s Yelu Zhi had half his face caved in!

A clear light resisting the demon-subduing pestle, clearly indicating Yu Xi’s intervention.

Jiang Wang then looked to the right, only to see, amidst a scattering of mechanical fragments, the fallen figure of the State of Wei’s Dong Guo Bao.

Fallen to the ground, the individual was like an exploded blood bag, fresh blood flowing everywhere, leaving only a shriveled skin sack!

Thoroughly dead.

This was the first heavenly prodigy to perish in battle in this session of the Yellow River Assembly’s main competition!

Not far from the shriveled skin sack.

Chu Men supported his knees with both hands, panting violently.

“Top… top eight!”

Zizi zizi…

Dong Guo Bao’s skin sack was also melting in the fresh blood.

(After writing and updating yesterday, I spent an hour modifying the first chapter of this book, primarily addressing the issues of weak opening immersion and some readers being pulled out of the story. I streamlined Zuo Guanglie’s fight and enhanced the visual sense. Of course, the plot points and such remain untouched and do not affect the later text.

Just wanted to mention this to everyone.

This modification caused many chapter comments to shift position and resulted in the loss of over three hundred chapter comments, which I regret. Some of the chapter comments I genuinely enjoyed.)