Chapter 496 - 19: Divine Power

Chapter 496: Chapter 19: Divine Power

The people gathering were, in fact, the various prodigies who had traveled from Tian Nan City to witness the battle.

As geniuses who stood at the pinnacle of the younger generation in their respective domains, each of them possessed an arrogance that was second to none.

Regarding Shen Changchuan’s combat record and achievements, while most of the prodigies felt some recognition and admiration, a larger part of them thought, ’I could do that too!’

After all, in their own Small Domains, they were peerless geniuses of their generation, with few who could stand as their equal!

Unlike the low-level Cultivators within Dawan City—who looked up in awe, their hearts filled with reverence to the point of near submission—these prodigies felt more of a soaring excitement and the desire to fight him themselves.

They all saw him as an equal.

"Who do you think will win?"

Before Shen Changchuan had even appeared, someone spoke up.

And debates over who was stronger had been an enduring topic since time immemorial.

The question immediately caught the attention of the surrounding prodigies from the Outer Realms.

"I think Xuan Guangdao definitely has the upper hand. After all, he’s been in Cultivation for sixty years, and his Cultivation Realm has already reached the Soul Emergence Eighth Layer Peak. I also heard that not long ago, his North Sea Azure Dragon Saber—the Divine Seed he condensed when he first broke through to the Soul Emergence Realm—underwent an evolution. His strength is now easily comparable to someone at the Soul Emergence Ninth Layer Early Stage!"

"A few years ago, he severely injured a Demon Cultivator at the Soul Emergence Ninth Layer Early Stage. If that Demon Cultivator hadn’t been a master of escape techniques, he would’ve surely died!"

"In comparison, Shen Changchuan, who only rose to prominence less than twenty years ago, is ultimately a bit too young. His combat record can’t compare to his opponent’s either."

someone speculated aloud.

Upon hearing this, the surrounding prodigies all nodded.

Most of them agreed with this assessment.

This was only natural.

Setting aside the fact that a longer Cultivation time builds a deeper foundation of strength, the difference in their Cultivation Realm alone was immense!

You have to understand, Shen Changchuan was only at the Soul Emergence Seventh Layer, but his opponent, Xuan Guangdao, was already at the Soul Emergence Eighth Layer Peak—comparable to the Soul Emergence Ninth Layer!

Who among them wasn’t a prodigy of their own domain? Who wasn’t capable of fighting opponents in higher realms?

The gap between their Cultivation Realms was simply too vast!

And so, all the prodigies present basically already had a clear idea of how this battle would end.

"A pity I was a step too slow. Otherwise, this battle should have been my chance to become famous!"

someone said with regret.

Among the Thirty-Six Small Domains of the Southern Great Domain, the Tian Nan Domain’s younger generation had been at the very bottom for years due to a past calamity.

In the eyes of many prodigies from the Outer Realms, the young geniuses of the Tian Nan Domain were basically just stepping stones for padding their combat records.

In fact, it wasn’t just these geniuses from the Outer Realms who thought so; even the local Cultivators within Dawan City felt the same way.

...

"Still not coming out?"

High in the sky, seeing no one emerge from the city below, Xuan Guangdao frowned slightly, his great saber resting on his shoulder.

BOOM!!!

The next moment, an incredibly terrifying aura erupted from his body.

Like a roaring tsunami, it descended from the heavens, rolling down to crush Dawan City below!

That terrifying, oppressive force enveloped Dawan City and the area for several miles around it, making every single person within feel as if a great mountain was pressing down on their shoulders!

The weaker ones turned pale as paper, crushed to their knees by the pressure!

He was trying to use this method to force Shen Changchuan out from below!

Xuan Guangdao’s burly figure hovered high in the sky, his gaze fixed on the small city far below.

The oppressive aura emanating from him grew even stronger.

That aura, apart from the sheer power emanating from his high Realm, also contained an air of invincibility. It was the air of a man who had dominated countless prodigies in the Dongping Domain to stand as the undisputed number one of his generation!

Merely by standing there, he generated a pressure so tangible it seemed to warp the very void.

It was enough to intimidate even the other prodigies from the Outer Realms watching from high above!

"This Xuan Guangdao’s strength... he really lives up to his reputation!"

a prodigy whispered, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

At this very moment, looking at Xuan Guangdao gave him the feeling that he was gazing upon the master of a stormy ocean, a being who could, at will, unleash boundless tsunamis capable of overturning heaven and earth!

This was an illusion, created when the aura of his Divine Technique merged with the void and resonated with the Celestial Secret Aura.

However, while it may have been an illusion, one thing was certain:

when Xuan Guangdao finally drew his saber, he would be capable of unleashing a tempest that could roil the very heavens!

"What’s going on? Why hasn’t Shen Changchuan shown himself yet? Could it be that he’s scared?"

someone said with a frown, a trace of doubt in their eyes.

"It’d be normal if he were scared. After all, this Xuan Guangdao isn’t someone your average Inner Sect Disciple from an Immortal Sect can handle..."

The prodigies high in the sky whispered amongst themselves, conversing in low voices.

Some already showed looks of disappointment on their faces.

Perhaps that Shen Changchuan had been scared into hiding, and this battle wasn’t going to happen after all.

Still, Xuan Guangdao’s purpose in coming here to provoke a fight was, ultimately, for the Xiangshan Sect Gate Ruins.

If Xuan Guangdao could manage to force the information out of him, then this trip wouldn’t be a complete waste.

"Are you going to keep hiding?"

High above in the nine heavens, Xuan Guangdao’s brows furrowed tightly as he gazed at the small city below, from which no one emerged.

The reason he had come to issue a direct challenge was not just to gauge the strength of the so-called "number one of the Tian Nan Domain’s younger generation," but more importantly, to force him to reveal information about the Xiangshan Sect Gate Ruins.

Before coming here, what he had said in that tavern in Tian Nan City was, for the most part, what he truly thought.

He couldn’t be bothered to waste too much time in the Tian Nan Domain.

He wanted to complete his Sect mission quickly, then return to his Cultivation and prepare for the Immortal Sect’s Grand Competition eight years from now. That was what really mattered.

But now, that Shen Changchuan was "hiding" and had no intention of showing himself.

What should he do next?

After a moment’s thought, Xuan Guangdao decided to apply a little more pressure.

And so, he gripped the large saber that rested on his shoulder.

VMMMM!

The blade’s edge vibrated, its hum echoing between heaven and earth.

In that instant, phantoms of a raging sea appeared in the void high above. Torrents crashed and rolled back against the sky, kicking up plumes of white spray!

This was the aura created when Xuan Guangdao drew upon a mere trace of his Divine Power, transforming it into an even more terrifying pressure that came crashing down upon Dawan City!

But that wasn’t all!

Xuan Guangdao gave the great saber in his hand a gentle downward swing.

Instantly, the surrounding phantoms of endless tsunamis and torrents seemed to be drawn by an invisible force.

The vast currents converged,

forming a translucent saber that pierced through heaven and earth. It clove through thousands of feet of empty space as it slashed down toward Dawan City below!