“Victor, Dou Mian of Chu!”

As the Heavenly Pride blade descended, Yu Xi’s voice resounded at the opportune moment.

A warm, clear light flowed, enveloping Gan Chang’an’s form, shielding his body and soul, and nurturing his life force.

At this juncture, Dou Zhao still held the Heavenly Pride blade, the blade still embedded in Gan Chang’an’s forehead.

Fresh blood cascaded like a waterfall.

The crimson and white hues blurred Gan Chang’an’s visage.

Yet, the blade could not advance another inch.

Instead, it gradually began to withdraw.

It wasn’t that Yu Xi couldn’t effortlessly extract the blade, but he had a dual task: first, to preserve Gan Chang’an’s life and prevent the injury from worsening, and second, to protect Dou Zhao, ensuring his “stop” did not inflict any harm upon him.

This was the impartiality expected of the host of the Yellow River Assembly’s main event.

Sensing an unyielding force, Dou Zhao confirmed that cleaving Gan Chang’an in twain was now an impossibility. Thus, he raised his hand, drew out the Heavenly Pride blade, and gave it a light shake.

The crimson and white matter clinging to the blade’s body detached.

Though he hadn’t claimed his opponent’s life, he had finally secured victory.

For the people of Chu, engaging in battle with the Qin was perhaps a more significant contest than vying for supremacy.

At this moment, Gan Chang’an, a universally acclaimed Heavenly Pride renowned throughout the Qin, was left disoriented, his spirit dimmed, his body a broken frame. His head was half-cleaved! Only under Yu Xi’s protection did he escape death.

And Dou Zhao stood upon the martial platform, the Heavenly Pride blade held in reverse grip in one hand, his gaze fixed upon the direction where the Chu people were gathered in the spectator stands, his arms spread wide!

He uttered not a single word, for he needed to say nothing.

In the spectator stands, the Chu people, clad in garments of varied and splendid colors, began to sing the sacrificial anthem of Chu in unison.

“Wielding Wu spears and clad in rhinoceros armor, chariots with locked hubs and connecting short weapons.”

“Banners obscure the sun and foes are like clouds, arrows fall crisscrossed and warriors vie for the forefront.”

From Ye Lan’er to Xiang Bei, to every single Chu person who had come to witness the ceremony.

Some wept hot tears, some their voices hoarse.

Some’s faces were flushed and ears burned, some tightly clenched their fists.

Together, they sang aloud—

“Heaven’s time is resentful and majestic spirits are enraged, fierce slaughter exhausts and abandons the original wilderness.”

The battle in the river valley was too tragic; millions of Chu people had lost loved ones.

Children without fathers, wives without husbands, elders without children…

They craved vengeance…

They yearned to wipe away their shame!

The people of Chu sang together, their hearts broken by the sacrificial song—

“Sincere in both bravery and martial prowess, finally firm and strong, not to be bullied.”

“Body already dead and spirit with spirit, soul and soul resolute and become ghost heroes!”

Dou Zhao suddenly sheathed his blade, and the Chu people in the spectator stands also fell silent.

He murmured softly: “Body already dead and spirit with spirit, soul and soul resolute and become ghost heroes!”

This world-renowned Heavenly Pride, who had pressed down upon Gan Chang’an of Qi, that pair of brilliant eyes, unbeknownst to him, had already shed two streams of hot tears.

Who could forget the nation’s shame?

Compounded by familial enmity!

Among those mourning on the plains of the river valley was also the soul of his own uncle!

Now, can they rest?

This is merely the beginning…

This is merely the beginning!

The people of Qin certainly gritted their teeth and gnashed, while the people of Chu were undeniably ecstatic.

But joys and sorrows do not intersect.

For the others present, the battle itself held greater importance.

The world knew the Dou Zhan Seven Styles to be unparalleled in strength.

Yet, those who had truly witnessed this “first killing technique to appear in this world” were few and far between.

They knew of its strength, but it was difficult to comprehend just how potent it could be.

In this battle, Dou Zhao had employed six of the Dou Zhan killing methods in total.

Among them, Heaven Punishment held the might of heaven, Human Calamity drew upon the qi of disaster, Flesh Sack Defeat disintegrated flesh and blood, Divinity Extinguish decayed the spirit through light, Body Soul Decay suppressed the divine soul, and Sever Nature saw directly into the heart of my intent.

One could say, each style possessed a power that ghosts and gods could hardly measure.

Indeed, it was the strongest killing method Jiang Wang had witnessed in his life.

Gan Chang’an’s Karma Blade, though also a world-class blade technique passed down from a True Monarch powerhouse, appeared inferior before these Dou Zhan Seven Styles.

What concerned Jiang Wang even more was that even with Dou Zhao’s immense strength, the fierce power of the Dou Zhan Seven Styles, and his determination to kill, he was unable to end Gan Chang’an’s life before True Monarch Yu Xi.

This was sufficient to demonstrate the difficulty of such a feat when Yu Xi was prepared.

Therefore, he absolutely could not allow Yu Xi to perceive his killing intent.

Without attracting this True Monarch’s significant attention, and while simultaneously managing eight battles, perhaps he would have a moment of oversight.

At that moment, with a single blow of the Bu Zhou Wind, the divine soul would shatter. What immense price might Yu Xi have to pay for a single Lin Zhengren?

Jiang Wang pondered in silence, his gaze shifting as if nothing had occurred.

The battle between Dou Zhao and Gan Chang’an had concluded, but several other battles were still ongoing.

Jiang Wang’s eyes swept across the platforms, and he discovered that one battle had ended even earlier than Dou Zhao’s.

That was a man with long hair tied in a bundle, eyebrows like autumn blades, and eyes full of radiance.

This person wore a sword at his waist, simple, plain martial attire, his body erect, standing in the center of the martial platform designated with the character Bing, quietly observing the battle on the platform to his left.

And not far in front of him, only a pool of blood remained; his opponent must have already been carried away for treatment.

Jiang Wang had known previously that this was the knight-errant from Wei, Yan Shaofei.

The opponent he had defeated so early was Ge Fei of Yue.

It was said that this Yan Shaofei had humble origins, neither a famous teacher nor many resources, having relied on himself to grow step by step. He was extremely famous in Wei, with many supporters, a figure of heroic stature.

That he could reach this point, defeating Ge Fei of Yue, a scion of a renowned family, and firmly secure a position among the Yellow River Assembly’s four strong, was of course testament to his exceptional strength. However, in the eyes of many, it was also due to fortunate circumstances. After all, not everyone could be so lucky as to avoid encountering the Heavenly Prides of the overlord nations all the way through.

If the Heavenly Pride of Jing’s Wai Lou Border hadn’t forfeited, he should have been assigned to face him during the sixteen-strong stage…

Without spending too much time observing this individual, Jiang Wang followed Yan Shaofei’s gaze and also looked towards the battle on his left.

That was the battle between Chong Xuanzun and Na Liang, the Heavenly Pride from the country of Mu.

On the platform, Chong Xuanzun’s sun wheel hung high in the air, its light covering everything.

He remained clad in white, his form appearing and disappearing abruptly under the effect of the Chong Xuan Secret Technique, exceptionally eye-catching.

Most gazes in the spectator stands were also focused on his body.

And the slender Na Liang, with a pair of sharp iron claws on his hands, was half-bent, continuously launching attacks.

On the platform, he was actually pressing Chong Xuanzun!

His movements were far from graceful.

He simply bent his legs, then leaped. So simple as to be almost ridiculous.

But witnessing the speed of his jumps, no one could laugh.

He had barely lifted off on his tiptoes when his iron claws were already descending upon Chong Xuanzun.

His claw technique was also far from pleasing.

Like a hungry wolf pouncing on prey, it possessed only the most primitive ferocity, without a trace of beauty.

But he darted back and forth like lightning within the illumination of the sun wheel, his iron claws once again sending the sun wheel flying.

Chong Xuanzun, who, by matching the divine abilities of Chong Xuan with the Chong Xuan Secret Technique, could instantaneously probe his surroundings a thousand hundred times, Chong Xuanzun, who could move freely while surrounded by Bao Bo Zhao, Chao Yu, and Xie Baoshu…

Was actually finding it somewhat difficult to evade!

1. “Wielding Wu spears and clad in rhinoceros armor, chariots with locked hubs and connecting short weapons…” — “Nine Songs · National Mourning” by Qu Yuan

2. I hope to make every battle at the Yellow River Assembly wonderful, worthy of the name of this gathering of Heavenly Prides from various nations.

The design of every battle, the conception of every divine ability, every move, the shaping of every Heavenly Pride’s character…

To be able to do this much, I have already tried my best.

Tomorrow’s update will be as fate dictates.

Genius in one second: m.173kxs