The Nine Ultimate Arts of Grand Xia

The Nine Ultimate Arts of Grand Xia...

The announcements of the matchups electrified the crowd, filling them with anticipation.

Chen Wang versus Zhan Chen. When they took their places on the Vermilion Bird arena platform, all eyes were fixed on them.

Great Solar Chen Wang, ablaze with fiery power, seemed like a living volcano. Even his bones and blood vessels resembled molten lava, turning him into a blazing figure. The manifestation of a colossal ball of flames danced on his back, sending shivers down the spines of onlookers. The temperature around him soared to unbearable heights.

Opposite him stood Zhan Chen, a figure bathed in pure gold. His golden body glistened under the sunlight, captivating the spectators. It was a showdown between an unstoppable force of fire and an unyielding golden form.

Chen Wang's voice cut through the tension. "No matter how powerful you may be, your journey ends here. No one will obstruct my path."

A menacing golden gleam filled Zhan Chen's eyes, an almost lethal intensity. In his grasp, the Heaven Punisher Sword, a golden blade that symbolized divine retribution, gleamed with an ominous radiance.

The two contenders inched closer to each other, an overwhelming energy radiating from Chen Wang, his body enveloped in fiery light. In the skies above, their Vermilion Birds clashed fiercely.

"Chi."

Zhan Chen initiated the attack, a sword beam cleaving through the air. Infused with the Mandate of Sword, the Heaven Punisher Sword embodied the wrath of the heavens itself, capable of determining life and death with a single strike.

"Peng..." Chen Wang vanished, Astral Light surging in all directions.

He, too, chose Stellar Transposition, one of the nine ultimate arts. Stellar Transposition was relatively easy to master in a short time, with proficiency directly correlating with combat strength. This was a common trait among all the ultimate arts.

Chen Wang's Great Solar Universe Art, like the black-robed figure's Chaotic Art of the Heavenly Devil, was incredibly powerful due to years of cultivation. Contenders who had recently learned the ultimate arts, however, were limited by their inexperience. This explained Emperor Azure's loss to the black-robed figure, who had focused solely on perfecting a single art, granting his attacks unmatched potency.

This subtle detail answered why Emperor Azure, proficient in several of the nine ultimate arts, fell to the black-robed figure, who had dedicated himself to mastering just one. The concentration paid off in pure, unadulterated strength.

Indeed, Emperor Azure's defeat held a more profound reason: he was not a practitioner of several of the nine ultimate arts but had devoted himself to mastering a single one—the Formless Heart Sutra.

The Formless Heart Sutra, which had previously fallen into the hands of the Hua Clan, was the path to domination for Hua Taixu, making him unparalleled among Yuanfu cultivators.

Unlike the other ultimate arts, the Formless Heart Sutra lacked a physical form. It allowed its wielder to directly grasp the "heart" and essence of various techniques, granting them a rudimentary ability to mimic others. Emperor Azure's proficiency in the Formless Heart Sutra paled in comparison to Hua Taixu's, as he had practiced it for only a few days.

The Nine Ultimate Arts of Grand Xia were as follows: Great Solar Universe Art, Chaotic Art of the Heavenly Devil, Heavenly Swordplay, Golden Dragon Battle Art, Stellar Transposition, Formless Heart Sutra, Seal of Life and Death, Bloodcurse Imprint, and Thunder God Slash.

Not everyone could master all nine ultimate arts. For instance, the Great Solar Universe Art was only suitable for those with a fire affinity, while the Chaotic Art of the Heavenly Devil was perilous due to its severe backlash, discouraging most from attempting it, despite its formidable power. Among the nine arts, only the Thunder God Slash rivaled its might, with the Stellar Transposition being the easiest to learn. The Seal of Life and Death and the Bloodcurse Imprint required individuals with specific characteristics or constitutions, and their mastery came with immense difficulty, but the power achieved was unimaginable.

The difficulty of mastering certain arts was balanced by the extraordinary power one could wield upon becoming proficient.

Chen Wang had chosen Stellar Transposition because he had unwavering confidence in his own attacks. The other ultimate arts didn't align with his strengths, and Stellar Transposition gave him the flexibility to engage or withdraw instantaneously as needed.

In an instant, Chen Wang reappeared before Zhan Chen. His terrifying Great Solar Palm Imprints carried an overwhelming force, crashing into Zhan Chen's body like a mighty storm.

The scorching lava-like flames, reminiscent of the sun's inferno, turned Zhan Chen into a molten liquid. Yet, Zhan Chen remained unfazed. Did Chen Wang truly believe he could defeat him in a single strike?

Chen Wang may have underestimated him considerably.

A malevolent laughter danced in Zhan Chen's eyes as he rapidly reformed, his liquid body turning into a gleaming golden puddle on the ground. It seemed that the unstoppable power of Chen Wang's sun flames had no effect on Zhan Chen's indestructible golden form. At that moment, a figure shot forward, a sword slashing through the void with lightning speed.

Chen Wang clenched his fists and reached out, the collision creating a thunderous boom that resonated through the arena. His arms seemed nearly severed from the force of the impact. In a fit of rage, his injured arm transformed into molten magma, latching onto Zhan Chen once more. As the golden exterior melted away again, Zhan Chen's form rapidly retreated, utterly unscathed.

With a swift "swish," Zhan Chen reappeared behind Chen Wang, a heavenly sword descending from the skies. This sword was infused with celestial energy and the Mandate of Gold. As it descended, it left golden scars rupturing the space it passed through.

An immense surge of Astral Light engulfed the area. Chen Wang, sensing the impending danger, executed Stellar Transposition, vanishing and reappearing at the far end of the arena platform. He gazed at Zhan Chen, perplexed by his adversary's seemingly indestructible body.

Could Zhan Chen truly be invulnerable?

Each attack appeared to affect only the exterior of his golden body, leaving him impervious to harm.

"I'm eager to see how many times you can pull off that parlor trick," Chen Wang smirked, soaring into the air and releasing his Astral Soul. A colossal sun materialized above his head, enhancing his power. He vanished and reappeared before Zhan Chen once more, gathering the Great Solar Energy in his palms before unleashing it, incinerating everything in his path. Zhan Chen countered with his intricate Heavenly Swordplay, their clashes growing increasingly intense, a cacophony of explosive sounds filling the air.

"These two seem unbeatable. Zhan Chen has endured ten explosions, while Chen Wang has withstood five slashes. Just how powerful are they?" The spectators furrowed their brows, astonished by the ongoing spectacle. They hadn't expected Zhan Chen to hold his own against Chen Wang to this extent. With such a display of strength, even if he lost to Chen Wang, Zhan Chen's chances of securing a spot in the top three were incredibly high.

"I'm curious to see how long you can keep this up," a smug voice echoed from above. Zhan Chen's golden form shattered once more under the relentless onslaught of Chen Wang's attacks. Although Zhan Chen was formidable, he fell just short of Chen Wang's level of power.

In the end, under Chen Wang's relentless barrage, Zhan Chen was forced off the arena platform.

As expected, Chen Wang emerged as the victor.

While Chen Wang clearly exhibited superior strength, Zhan Chen's resilience and strange abilities had extended the battle significantly.

If the others had faced Zhan Chen, could they have defeated him? That remained a mystery.

In the second battle: Si Qiong versus the enigmatic black-robed figure.

This battle was another eagerly anticipated spectacle that had the crowd on the edge of their seats. When Mu Feng had squared off against Si Qiong earlier, it had sent shockwaves through the audience as they discovered Si Qiong's proficiency in soul attacks. Apart from Mu Feng, whose mastery of venom arts was exceptional, no one else had come close to inflicting as much damage on Si Qiong.

BOOM!

A thunderous roar echoed as the black-robed figure ascended to the arena platform. He wasted no time and unleashed his full power the moment he set foot on the stage. He understood that Si Qiong's strength was overwhelming, and his soul attacks were formidable.

Si Qiong, tall and confident, exuded an aura of sharpness.

"Chaotic Art of the Heavenly Devil? Just the Five Slashes of the Underworld won't be enough to challenge me," Si Qiong stated calmly, displaying his profound knowledge of the nine ultimate arts. He knew that when cultivated to its limits, the Chaotic Art of the Heavenly Devil was an unrivaled technique. However, the black-robed figure was only at the Yuanfu stage, unable to fully unleash the terrifying potential of this art.

The Nine Slashes of the Underworld operated in a specific way. Each subsequent slash was more potent than the previous one, and when all eight slashes were executed, their collective power coalesced into a devastating strike, capable of shattering the earth and obliterating everything in its path.

BOOM!

The aura of devilry shrouded the heavens, darkening the sky. Lightning flashed through the demonic clouds, resembling the roar of a dragon.

A devilish saber materialized in the black-robed figure's hand, exuding a malevolent might that made it seem as if a demonic dragon were sealed within. Undeterred by Si Qiong's reputation, the black-robed figure advanced.

Fighting someone skilled in soul attacks? The black-robed figure needed to end this swiftly. If his soul suffered damage, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Si Qiong's lips moved, and a strange melody's sound waves drifted from his mouth—an eerie Soul Suppressing Melody.

The black-robed figure's silhouette flickered as he launched the first slash, shattering the sound waves. He wasted no time and followed it with a second slash aimed at Si Qiong's face.

BZZZ! Astral light erupted as Si Qiong disappeared, reappearing directly above the black-robed figure. His mastery of Stellar Transposition was highly proficient.

SWISH! Si Qiong's finger jabbed forward, releasing a sinister, black qi that pierced through the void and slammed into the black-robed figure's body.

Simultaneously, the third slash was unleashed, crashing forward with tremendous force.

Astral Light erupted once more as Si Qiong vanished from sight. This time, he reappeared behind the black-robed figure, his lips still moving as he thrust forward with another finger attack.

The black-robed figure let out a scream of agony, but his devilish saber continued its course, twisting to deliver a horizontal slash.

However, Si Qiong vanished once more. This marked the third consecutive usage of Stellar Transposition in rapid succession. The spectators couldn't help but gasp in amazement—Si Qiong's power was simply astounding. The continuous use of his art must have drained an enormous amount of Astral Energy from his Yuanfu. Although the distances he covered were short, no one should be able to sustain the consumption rate of Stellar Transposition for this long.

For his next attack, Si Qiong thrust out with five fingers, like a claw aiming for the black-robed figure's head.

Yet, suddenly, the black-robed figure's silhouette dissolved into nothingness. Where he had stood, only a long, black robe remained.

"Hmm?" Si Qiong frowned, and then, a hand emerged, grabbing onto him. A chilling underworld energy, bone-penetrating in its coldness, surged into him.

BZZZ. Si Qiong's other hand slashed out like a saber. Fresh blood sprayed into the air before the black-robed figure finally retreated. Si Qiong quickly moved backward only to witness the black-robed figure dash off the platform and vanish from the stage. He reappeared, sitting cross-legged on the ground.

"His soul has been damaged."

The hearts of the spectators tightened involuntarily. An injury to the soul was exceptionally difficult to heal. The black-robed figure had suffered damage to his soul and had lost to Si Qiong.

Si Qiong had shown himself to be terrifying beyond measure, undoubtedly capable of rivaling Chen Wang in the battle for the top rank!