Chapter 677 - 181: I Will Break Through This Divine Power Realm Arena in One Incense Stick’s Time

Chapter 677: Chapter 181: I Will Break Through This Divine Power Realm Arena in One Incense Stick’s Time

"This Demon Suppression Guard from some remote, backwater city is wildly arrogant and astonishingly fierce!"

"Hmph. You need the strength to back up that kind of arrogance. It looks to me like he has a death wish!"

At this moment, in the vast Martial Arts Arena, thousands of pairs of eyes were locked onto the Divine Power Realm stage.

Meanwhile, on the Acupoint Realm stage...

BOOM! BOOM!

Two geniuses from major sects were locked in a heated battle, their fight a spectacular display of crisscrossing Sword Qi and flying sparks.

However, even though they fought with all their might, the two, who should have been the center of attention, discovered to their dismay that practically no one in the stands was watching them.

Everyone’s head was craned toward the empty Divine Power Realm stage next to theirs.

"..."

The two combatants exchanged a look, each seeing the utter frustration and speechlessness in the other’s eyes.

’How did this match turn into nothing more than a backdrop for that guy on the other stage?’

「On the Divine Power Realm stage.」

As the center of everyone’s attention, Chu Fan did not strike a defensive pose or taunt his would-be challengers, as everyone had anticipated.

SHING!

He casually sheathed his Long Saber and, as if no one else were present, leaped onto a large stone and sat down cross-legged with an imposing air.

He closed his eyes to rest and meditate.

It was as if he weren’t on a stage surrounded by a pack of wolves, but simply relaxing in his own backyard.

Such a disdainful attitude made many of the hot-blooded youths below the stage grind their teeth in fury.

The stands were abuzz with discussion, everyone guessing who would be the first to take the plunge.

However...

Time trickled by.

The time-keeping incense stick had already burned down by a third.

No one made a move.

The incense burned past the halfway mark...

Still, no one went up to the stage.

If Chu Fan had merely defeated the fearsome Kong Yang of the Seven Kills Sect in one move, some of the proud, ambitious geniuses from the great sects and Noble Families—those also capable of fighting above their Realm—would surely have stepped forward. For the sake of fame, they would have been unable to resist challenging him, or even using him as a stepping stone.

However, the brutal scene Chu Fan had created earlier was still vivid in everyone’s memory.

He hadn’t just defeated her—he had butchered her!

And the one he had butchered was no random nobody, but Zhang Yingying of the great Zhang Family, a cultivator at the peak of the Acupoint Realm!

The sharp CRACK of her bones snapping, the ruthlessness of a single punch that destroyed her Dantian—everyone had seen it clearly. The memory was bone-chilling.

If a peak Acupoint Realm cultivator was beaten like a dog, what chance did they, who were only in the Divine Power Realm, possibly have? Going up on stage would be nothing short of suicide.

In the face of such an absolute gap in strength, pride and fame were nothing compared to their own lives.

The elders of the major sects were also secretly using voice transmissions to restrain their impulsive disciples: "Do not provoke that madman! He possesses true Killing Techniques and is utterly ruthless. Conserve your strength and compete for the other spots!"

And so, a ludicrous scene unfolded in the Martial Arts Arena.

Chu Fan sat alone in the center of the stage, surrounded by hundreds of Martial Artists who were eager to challenge him but dared not advance. They all simply stared at one another, at a total loss.

Finally, the incense stick burned all the way down, the last ember extinguishing in the censer.

Not a single person had stepped onto the stage!

Qingyangzi glanced at the pile of ash from the burnt-out incense and couldn’t help but throw another look at Chu Fan, his expression one of surprise.

To subdue one’s enemy without a fight. This was truly a first for the Divine Power Realm selection in the entire history of the tournament.

He cleared his throat and announced loudly, "The allotted time has passed. There were no challengers."

"I declare that Chu Fan of the Demon Suppression Bureau has successfully defended the stage! He will advance to the Acupoint Realm bracket!"

ROAR—!!

The verdict was given, and the entire arena erupted!

Although everyone had anticipated this outcome, it was still incredibly shocking to witness.

One man, suppressing all the geniuses of an entire Realm. With such a display of power, Chu Fan’s name would surely spread throughout Qing Province after this day.

It was an understandable result, of course...

If Kong Yang of the Seven Kills Sect hadn’t reacted fast enough to shout the three words, "I give up!" in time, he would have likely been split in half by Chu Fan’s saber, a strike as relentless as the Nether River of the Other Shore.

With such a precedent, who would dare gamble with their life?

On the high platform, Qingyangzi turned around, about to confer with the assistant judges beside him. They needed to add Chu Fan’s name to the list for the upcoming Acupoint Realm matches and conduct a new draw for the first-round pairings.

According to procedure, this would take some time.

However, just at that moment, Chu Fan, who had been sitting cross-legged on the large stone, slowly opened his eyes.

He didn’t walk toward the rest area to await the new draw, nor did he pay any mind to the awestruck gazes directed at him.

He stood, dusted off his rear, and walked straight toward the Acupoint Realm stage, where a match was still underway.

One step. Two steps.

His pace wasn’t fast, but it was firm and powerful.

On the Acupoint Realm stage, two geniuses had reached the climax of their duel. One used a sword, the other a hammer, and both were about to unleash their ultimate techniques to determine the victor.

Suddenly, they both felt the stage tremble.

A figure, as if taking a leisurely stroll, walked directly onto the stage and stopped at the edge.

"..."

The two combatants, who were preparing to risk it all, froze. They forcefully halted their attacks and leaped backward in unison, staring in stunned disbelief at this sudden intruder.

Before they could even speak to question him, Chu Fan’s gaze swept across the entire arena, over the two stunned opponents on the stage and the crowd of Acupoint Realm elites below.

He spoke again, his voice still calm, but now it carried an unquestionable dominance. "Don’t bother with the trouble of a new draw."

"Chu Fan of the Demon Suppression Bureau—"

"I will continue to defend the stage. Here, in the Acupoint Realm bracket!"

"Who dares to face me!"