The Last Battle

The Last Battle...

"Your move," Qin Wentian's calm voice rang out, as if Si Qiong had been a mere fleeting presence, unworthy of his attention. Throughout the entire ordeal, he had never regarded Si Qiong as a genuine adversary.

In the grand scheme of the Heavenly Fate Rankings, Qin Wentian had emerged as the unrivaled dark horse. He had journeyed to this point, securing the right to challenge Chen Wang.

This match would determine the top two positions on the Heavenly Fate Rankings, the ultimate showdown to ascertain who truly stood at the pinnacle. It was a battle of titans, the final and deciding clash.

Qin Wentian, with his resplendent Astral Souls, the colossal Purgatory Vermilion Bird looming behind him, and his devilishly handsome countenance, exuded an air of regality. He seemed like the undisputed sovereign of this world.

He stood nonchalantly, casting a disdainful glance at the spectators, a trace of arrogance gleaming in his eyes.

The mighty Si Qiong, who couldn't endure even a single blow and had to rely on a life-preserving treasure, had long ceased to be of concern.

At this moment, Si Qiong's face contorted grotesquely, cycling through hues of purple and crimson. His participation in the Heavenly Fate Rankings was initially driven by the desire for Grand Xia's secret art. Since he was already here, he had aimed for the number one spot. Little did he anticipate that he would end up in third place.

What was even more agonizing was that the most humiliating moment of his life had transpired during his last bout on the Vermilion Bird arena platform.

One strike, that's all it took. He had broken the rules, yet Qin Wentian hadn't even spared him a glance. The humiliation was unbearable, a situation Si Qiong had never experienced before.

Now, none of the spectators had any interest in him. Punishment for breaking the rules became a trivial matter, as nobody cared. The arena had always been a place where the victors were celebrated as kings while the defeated were forgotten.

Despite his earlier brilliance, the audience now fixated solely on the figure standing triumphant at the end. Only one person mattered—the individual who occupied the top position.

Surveying the crowd, Si Qiong could sense the pitying looks directed at him. His defeat was so devastating that he couldn't recover from it.

He yearned to challenge Qin Wentian once more, to scream his frustrations at the heavens, but he was powerless. All he could do was watch in silence as the man who had bested him issued the ultimate challenge of the ranking battle to Chen Wang.

Chen Wang tilted his head, gazing intently at Qin Wentian. The attack that had sent Si Qiong flying from the platform had even Chen Wang, the mighty one, feeling a trace of unease.

The figure standing on the stage undeniably possessed the capability to challenge Chen Wang.

Three Astral Souls, all from the 5th Heavenly Layer, seemed almost too astounding to believe. Even Chen Wang couldn't deny that, throughout the vast expanse of Grand Xia, he had never encountered someone like Qin Wentian.

Representatives from various transcendent powers watched in silence, their hearts tumultuous. From the beginning of the ranking battle, nobody had paid much attention to this seemingly insignificant figure. But now, he had become the most brilliant presence on the platform, his talent outshining even that of Chen Wang.

Even if he were to be defeated by Chen Wang today, the chasm in their innate abilities would remain insurmountable.

"What manner of beast is he?" Bailu Jing's voice quivered as he drew in a deep breath. Words couldn't capture the essence of Qin Wentian; only 'monster' seemed apt.

Bailu Yi could only smile wryly. How could she have foreseen this astounding performance by Qin Wentian? At the tender age of twenty, he stood at the zenith of the Heavenly Fate Rankings alongside Chen Wang. This outcome was beyond anyone's imagination, including the White Deer Institute's. Even more astonishing was Qin Wentian's mastery of Divine Inscriptions, elevating him to the rank of a fourth-ranked Grandmaster when he was only nineteen.

The Ouyang Aristocrat Clan members were similarly dumbstruck. Only Ouyang Kuangsheng wore an exuberant expression, while Ouyang Ting found herself in a state of disbelief.

Bai Fei from the Pill Emperor Hall, who had secretly admired Zhan Chen for his martial prowess and charisma, now watched in shock as he fell to Qin Wentian's hands. The young man she had once despised was now radiating like a blazing sun, outshining even Zhan Chen.

Upon witnessing Qin Wentian's three Astral Souls and his challenge to Chen Wang, Bai Fei couldn't help but shake her head. Perhaps she was the crow in this scenario, clearly belonging to a different world. The pace of change in this world had been staggering. In just five short years, the entire landscape had shifted. The young man from a humble nation had risen to the Heavenly Fate Rankings, becoming a prominent figure of the era. There was no comparison to be made.

Shu Ruanyu's gaze also fixated on Qin Wentian, her expression at a loss for words. An absurd notion surfaced in her mind: what if, during her abduction by Qin Wentian all those years ago, they had been intimate? She immediately scolded herself for entertaining such thoughts. However, she couldn't ignore the undeniable impact that event had on her.

Chen Wang's figure advanced onto the platform, his steps firm and resolute as he approached Qin Wentian.

A profound silence hung in the air as the two formidable contenders locked eyes. This was the ultimate showdown, a battle that would determine who would ascend to the coveted position of the number one ranker in the Yuanfu realm.

The spectators, once certain of Chen Wang's unrivaled prowess, now found themselves questioning their earlier assumptions. The staggering revelations brought forth by Qin Wentian had left them in awe. Could Chen Wang truly halt this rising star, who was hailed as peerless among those of the same level?

Anticipation swelled among the onlookers as they eagerly awaited the commencement of the battle.

Chen Wang, opting for silence, erupted into flames, his body engulfed by a fiery aura. Bathed in the radiant starlight that bathed the arena, the spectators marveled at his two fire-type Astral Souls. The first was the Flame King Astral Soul, while the second took the form of a Magma Giant Astral Soul. Both exuded the explosive might of volcanic eruptions. Chen Wang's third Astral Soul was an incarnation-type, enabling him to summon clones with power equal to his own, multiplying his combat capabilities.

The combination of these Astral Souls pushed Chen Wang's fighting prowess to the very limits of the Yuanfu realm. His strength was so formidable that he could challenge recently ascended Heavenly Dipper Sovereigns.

Formerly, Chen Wang was renowned for his extraordinary offensive power. Now, his adversary, Qin Wentian, demonstrated strength that left the heavens astonished.

"BOOM BOOM!"

Two additional incarnations formed beside Chen Wang, radiating auras that, when combined with Chen Wang's own, sent shivers down the spines of the audience.

Yet, in that very moment, a colossal column of astral light descended upon Qin Wentian, heralding the emergence of an immense figure from the shadows.

A deafening roar filled the arena as a powerful gust of wind whipped through. The formidable Golden Primal Ape, with its tyrannical demeanor, unleashed chaos upon the stage.

The ground trembled under a barrage of thunderous impacts as countless demonic beasts emerged at Qin Wentian's summons. Within the legacy found in the formation world, he had acquired the true souls of several demonic beasts, establishing a profound connection with them. This allowed him to summon these beasts to his aid.

Furthermore, now that Qin Wentian had reached the ninth level of Yuanfu, the astral warbeasts he summoned were at the pinnacle of the Yuanfu Realm, almost reaching the level of half-step Heavenly Dipper Sovereigns. His ability to summon these creatures across cultivation levels was a testament to his exceptional talent. However, his current limits still confined him to summoning only Yuanfu-level astral warbeasts, unable to call upon Heavenly Dipper-level beings.

Chen Wang's incarnations swiftly engaged the summoned beasts in fierce combat. Their clashes shook the entire platform, sending shockwaves rippling across its surface. Meanwhile, Qin Wentian and Chen Wang maintained an unwavering gaze upon each other, their focus solely on the imminent clash.

To them, there was only one adversary worth acknowledging.

"I'm curious to see just how strong you truly are," Chen Wang declared, his body ablaze with scorching sun flames, resembling a Flame Divinity Wargod.

"As you wish," Qin Wentian replied calmly, stepping forward to meet Chen Wang. His arms radiated boundless strength.

Simultaneously, both combatants launched punches, magma against demonic force, their fists colliding in a spectacular clash. Chen Wang's sun flames sought to incinerate Qin Wentian, but he remained unfazed.

"You lack the power to accomplish that," Qin Wentian stated composedly, retracting his fist before delivering another forceful punch.

"BOOM BOOM BOOOM!"

Their collision unleashed a tempest of destruction, with Qin Wentian and Chen Wang at its epicenter. The relentless shockwaves rippled outward, while the summoned astral warbeasts and Chen Wang's incarnations engaged in a ferocious battle.

Chen Wang's body was scorched by flames, while Qin Wentian's internal organs felt on the verge of being crushed to pulp. Their respective Mandates wreaked havoc upon each other's bodies.

"Peng..."

Another intense collision sent Chen Wang staggering back several steps, his incarnations retreating in unison. Merging back into his body, he transformed into a towering magma giant, his eyes filled with loathing as he glared at Qin Wentian, his only desire to crush him into oblivion.

"Rumble!" Qin Wentian's body underwent a dramatic transformation as the third stage of the Fiend Transformation Art took hold. His physique grew significantly taller and infinitely stronger, rendering him the image of a demon overlord.

"Peng peng...."

The heavens shook and the earth quaked as the astral warbeasts descended upon Chen Wang, assaulting him relentlessly. Ignoring their own injuries, they were determined to deal maximum damage to their formidable foe.

Chen Wang, armed with second-level Mandates at the Advanced Boundary and cultivated in the Great Solar Universe Art, further enhanced by his flame-type Astral Souls, possessed unimaginable power at the Yuanfu Realm. But Qin Wentian's strength was on par. With uncertainty shrouding the outcome, they opted for a direct showdown of sheer power.

"BOOOOOM!"

Finally, an explosive sound reverberated through the arena as one of Chen Wang's colossal magma arms shattered from the relentless onslaught. The crowd watched in awe, wondering if this was a sign or a foretelling of the battle's outcome.