Chapter 862: The End

Chapter 862 -860: The End

SWISH!

That fragment of the Grotto Heaven plunged directly into the Pocket World Divine Grinding Wheel.

In an instant, the grinding wheel emitted a piercing, skin-crawling screech, as if scraping against the barriers of the world itself with world-shaking force. A wave of tangible, terrifying power surged out from within, crushing the surrounding space until it shattered, yet somehow clung together. The sheer pressure of it could instantly grind a divine mountain to dust. An ordinary cultivator at the Middle Stage of Golden Immortal wouldn’t even have the strength to stand under such weight.

“Pocket World Divine Grinding Wheel, go!” Zhong Wanshang pointed a trembling finger.

BOOM!

The colossal golden grinding wheel burst with the light and shadows of a Grotto Heaven. Spinning violently, it tore through the sky and slammed instantly into the Celestial Refining Divine Tripod.

CLANG!

The explosive sound echoed like thunder, and the shockwaves erupted like a volcano, shaking heaven and earth. Within the restricted area, not a single inch of ground remained intact. The divine tripod was violently knocked into the air before crashing heavily back down.

“Unscathed?”

“Just what kind of divine tripod is that?”

The crowd stared in horror and disbelief.

Zhong Wanshang’s expression shifted slightly. It seemed he had underestimated the divine tripod.

“However, it’s impossible for you to remain inside without bearing the brunt of the impact,” Zhong Wanshang said, his gaze exceptionally resolute.

Whenever a treasure wielded by a cultivator sustained a blow, its master would suffer the resulting shockwaves. Yet, the unique nature of the Celestial Refining Divine Tripod exceeded everyone’s imagination—even Cang Feng couldn’t fathom it.

SWISH!

A figure suddenly dashed out from within the divine tripod and stood atop it. It was Xu Yang.

Hiding inside the divine tripod was the “shameless” tactic he had devised earlier. After all, who could possibly leave even a scratch on the Celestial Refining Divine Tripod? The ancient divine intent inside could neutralize eighty or ninety percent of any impact, not to mention the protection of the Lesser Immortal Realm.

“Huh?” Cang Feng raised an eyebrow, unable to conceal the surprise on his face.

As an expert in the Golden Immortal Extreme Realm, he immediately noticed Xu Yang’s condition. The young man showed absolutely no signs of having suffered from an impact. How was that possible? That tripod… Cang Feng looked at the divine tripod, his eyes filled with shock and awe.

“That’s impossible!” Zhong Wanshang’s face completely drained of color. Anyone could see Xu Yang’s pristine condition.

“Mr. Zhong, your strength is astonishing, and your decisiveness is truly admirable,” Xu Yang said sincerely as he looked at Zhong Wanshang. “However, I’m sorry to disappoint you.

“As an Alchemist, it’s perfectly normal for my tripod to be a little special.”

As soon as these words were spoken, a long silence fell over the Wind and Cloud Platform. The cultivators gaped in disbelief, thinking they had misheard. An Alchemist?

“An Alchemist?” Chen Yingchuan was the first to snap back to his senses, staring incredulously at Xu Yang. He was also an Alchemist?

Ninth Grade Immortal Foundation, sixth on the Dragon and Tiger List, a Dragon and Tiger Venerable, and on top of all that, an Alchemist? Good heavens. Was he even human? This was unprecedented. Truly unparalleled in all of history.

“Mr. Zhong, you detonated your Divine Weapon and successively unleashed Secret Techniques. Your current condition is far from your peak. You are no match for me,” Xu Yang said, looking at Zhong Wanshang.

A trace of bitterness flashed through Zhong Wanshang’s eyes. It was the truth. Detonating his flying needles had already caused him immense damage. Furthermore, wielding the Pocket World Divine Grinding Wheel had pushed him beyond his limits, naturally leaving him with severe backlash. Right now, he could exert at most sixty or seventy percent of his peak combat prowess. Yet, he was unwilling to resign himself to defeat.

“Fight!” Zhong Wanshang roared. With battle intent piercing the heavens, he charged at Xu Yang.

Xu Yang sighed softly and raised his blade, unleashing the Wind Tribulation Tiger Fiend.

ROAR!

CLANG!

BANG!

Zhong Wanshang was struck as if by lightning. He was knocked down in a single exchange, spewing blood as his aura plummeted drastically. Trembling all over, he offered a bleak, bitter smile. “I’ve lost.”

The Pavilion Master of Nine Heavens City’s expression dimmed as he let out a long sigh. Zhong Wanshang had not disappointed him, nor had he let down anyone from Nine Heavens City’s Heaven’s Edge Tower.

Detonating the flying needles and utilizing the Grotto Heaven fragment—each move had exceeded their expectations and was in no way inferior to Jia Chunyang’s performance. Yet, he still lost.

If one were to accuse Xu Yang of playing dirty, the claim wouldn’t hold water. To an Alchemist, their pill tripod was an intimate companion, worth no less than half their life. Since it was a treasure he commanded, the ability to hide inside and evade attacks was simply a part of his overall strength. The crowd found it incredible and utterly unbelievable, but no one felt the outcome was unjust.

Jia Chunyang also broke into a wry smile. It was over. Xu Yang was first.

The other Heaven’s Edge Towers had all suffered defeats in the first tier to varying degrees. No one could compare to Xu Yang. One man had fought eighteen consecutive battles and lost only once.

In fact, Jia Chunyang now felt that if Xu Yang had hidden inside the divine tripod during their fight, he inevitably would have believed he could break it or force Xu Yang out with sheer impact. Ultimately, he would have drained his strength for nothing, allowing Xu Yang to seize an easy victory.

“Truly worthy of being a Dragon and Tiger Venerable.”

“It’s despairing. I can’t even muster the slightest thought of catching up to him.”

It was the exact same despair they felt when facing the grueling trials of the Dragon and Tiger Venerable.

“Thank you for the match, Mr. Zhong,” Xu Yang said, offering a cupped-fist salute before slowly stepping down.

Meanwhile, Chen Yingchuan clenched his fists and let out an excited, thrilled yell.

AWOO!

His sudden howl gave the crowd a massive fright. This was immediately followed by an endless stream of curses. They were thoroughly convinced of Xu Yang’s prowess, but Chen Yingchuan, who had merely piggybacked off this monumental victory, incited such envy and jealousy that their eyes turned red.

“Chen Yingchuan really deserves to die.”

On the Scroll above, the final rankings were fully displayed.

First place: Celestial Sword City.

Second place: Daoyuan Ancient City.

Third place: Nine Heavens City.

No one paid any attention to the subsequent rankings.

The Pavilion Masters in the bottom six seemed to have long accepted their fate. Knowing nothing could change, they appeared exceedingly calm. Chen Yingchuan ignored the chorus of curses directed at him and instead basked in his smug triumph. He thought to himself, “If you’re so capable, why didn’t you get first place?”

The cultivators of Celestial Sword City’s Heaven’s Edge Tower were practically dancing with excitement, cheering in a chaotic uproar. As Xu Yang returned to their ranks, they looked at him with fervent passion and deep awe.

“All right,” Cang Feng spoke with a smile. His voice wasn’t loud, yet it carried an imposing weight that commanded the world. The chaotic noises and movements on the Wind and Cloud Platform instantly vanished without a trace. Everyone suppressed their stray thoughts and turned to look at Cang Feng.

“This Dragon and Tiger Battle has successfully concluded,” Cang Feng announced. “As a Dragon and Tiger Venerable, although Xu Yang comes from Celestial Sword City’s Heaven’s Edge Tower, he is an honor to all the Heaven’s Edge Towers and the main Pavilion.

“From this day forward, Xu Yang’s status within Heaven’s Edge Pavilion and all its affiliated towers will be second only to mine.”

As his words fell, the crowd remained solemn, voicing no objections. Over the course of the eighteen matches in the Dragon and Tiger Battle, Xu Yang had conquered everyone with sheer strength.

“Congratulations, Mr. Chen. Your affiliated Heaven’s Edge Tower has secured first place,” Cang Feng continued. “Regarding the corresponding resources, Celestial Sword City will have priority in making its selections.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Yingchuan was thrilled beyond measure. He bowed respectfully and said, “Thank you, Pavilion Master.”

Cang Feng waved his hand slightly and went on. “I know everyone is eager for the dual-color Grotto Heaven opportunity, so I won’t waste any more words.”

SWISH!

He flicked a finger toward the area outside the Wind and Cloud Platform. A spatial rift appeared out of thin air, rapidly expanding until it stretched hundreds of feet across. A thin layer of immortal light swirled around the opening, faintly revealing a vast world and a starkly demarcated black-and-white sky beyond it.

“The Grotto Heaven will remain open for half a month, precisely fifteen days. Once you enter, you will select the various grades of treasure pools based on your rankings,” Cang Feng instructed. “Selections will be prioritized from highest to lowest rank.

“Let’s begin.”

As Cang Feng’s words echoed, the impatient crowd soared into the sky under the leadership of their respective Pavilion Masters, rushing toward the rift. Besides formidable experts like Cang Feng and the Vice Pavilion Masters, those remaining on the Wind and Cloud Platform were cultivators from the various Heaven’s Edge Towers who were unqualified to enter. Only Celestial Sword City’s Heaven’s Edge Tower was an exception—they had brought thirty-five people, and not a single one was left behind, leaving everyone else incredibly jealous.