Chapter 763: One Win, One Loss

“Lin Langtian.”

When Sect Master Qian Tian’s majestic voice rang out, countless members of the Heaven-Earth Sect fell silent.

A low murmur of whispers followed almost at once.

Every gaze turned—some surprised, some curious—toward Lin Langtian, whose expression remained utterly calm.

Dong Kui, Luo Lin, and the other commanders blinked in disbelief.

They glanced at each other, lips twitching, but none dared voice any objections.

This was the Sect Master’s personal decision.

No one would challenge it.

Besides, in recent days Lin Langtian had defeated the Calamity Guards, destroyed Ten Thousand Demons Gate, and saved Blazing Fire Palace.

One feat after another had turned his name into a banner among the commanders.

Still, for all his success, the looks cast his way were tinged with scrutiny and doubt.

This would not be a clash of armies and battle intent.

This time, each commander would be standing on their own.

And that made many uneasy.

Lin Langtian himself remained composed, as if he had expected this outcome.

For someone to reach the position of Sect Master, Qian Tian could hardly be a fool.

Lin Langtian might not shine like a night pearl, but he was a sharp awl wrapped in cloth—its point still pierced through.

For the commander-level bout, no one was more suitable than him.

High above, the Sect Master’s gaze settled briefly on him.

Seeing that calm, unshaken expression, Qian Tian paused, then nodded inwardly.

“It seems our sect has gained an interesting new commander,” he murmured.

He had chosen Lin Langtian partly because of the reports of a rising star within the sect, and partly due to the Grand Elder’s private recommendation.

Though he still harbored doubts, the Grand Elder’s judgment had rarely been wrong.

Now, seeing Lin Langtian’s bearing, his confidence grew.

Jiang Yinlan shot Lin Langtian a complicated look, then stepped forward and cupped her fists.

“Sect Master, Commander Lin’s seniority is still shallow,” she said. “Would it not be somewhat risky to have him take the field?”

These three wagered battles meant everything to the Heaven-Earth Sect.

Those chosen would shoulder immense pressure.

If Lin Langtian won, it would be glorious.

But if he lost, the burden would be staggering.

For all her hopes of seeing him stand out in this war, she did not want him thrown into the storm’s very eye.

Qian Tian waved a hand dismissively. “It’s fine. He will do.”

If he had doubted Lin Langtian’s strength before, that composure had eased his concerns.

As Sect Master, he prided himself on his eye for people—and this one, at least, merited a wager.

Seeing the Sect Master’s decision, Jiang Yinlan could only fall silent.

Her eyes sought Lin Langtian again, slim fingers clenching at her side.

The Sect Master’s favor was both opportunity and burden.

If Lin Langtian shone here, he would cement his place in the sect—and with the Sect Master’s trust, his path might leap ahead overnight.

But if he failed, dashing those expectations… the road ahead would be much rougher.

With Jiang Yinlan’s unease hanging in the air, no one else dared to object.

Qian Tian’s word was absolute.

Thus, the mantle of commander-level combat fell squarely onto Lin Langtian’s shoulders.

“Hehe, it seems Sect Master Qian has chosen his people,” the Blazing Fist Gate Master said with a light smile.

His gaze swept the opposing trio.

The Grand Elder, whose strength had always been the hardest to fathom.

Lance King, armored and spear in hand, his still eyes hiding an ocean of killing intent.

In the Heaven-Earth Sect, Lance King’s power was widely acknowledged as the strongest among the Nine Kings.

If anyone was on the verge of stepping up to elder, it was him.

Finally, the Blazing Fist Gate Master’s eyes rested on Lin Langtian.

“Half-step Third-Grade Sovereign?” he thought, slightly startled. “Barely adequate for the stage… his odds against Song Zang can’t be more than thirty percent.”

After a quick calculation, his heart settled.

Victory felt almost assured.

Not that he allowed it to show on his face.

“Since we’re all decided,” he said aloud, “I’ll leave the order of the matches to Sect Master Qian.”

From his golden throne, Qian Tian glanced at the Grand Elder.

The old man stepped forward with a relaxed smile. “Then let’s start with the most troublesome match.”

He took a single step and appeared in the sky opposite the Dragon Might Sovereign.

“I’ve long heard that Dragon Might Sovereign once bathed in true dragon blood,” the Grand Elder said. “A rare talent indeed. It’s an honor to see you in person.”

The Dragon Might Sovereign smiled faintly and let his form ripple, vanishing like a mirage only to reappear directly in front of the Grand Elder.

“And I have heard that the Grand Elder has not acted in many years,” he replied. “Your strength is said to be unfathomable. Please enlighten me.”

“Gladly.”

The Grand Elder’s perpetually murky eyes suddenly cleared, shining with a sharpness that dazzled.

He flicked his sleeve.

The once-clear sky twisted and warped.

A crushing tide of spiritual pressure slammed down, heavy enough to break the heavens.

Bang, bang!

Every cloud in the nine heavens burst like shattered glass.

Jagged tears ripped through the air, exposing gaping black seams in space itself.

Space.

“Spatial control… Eighth-Grade Sovereign!”

Gasps erupted from every corner of the battlefield.

To manipulate space at will was a feat reserved for Eighth-Grade Sovereigns.

The Grand Elder had already stepped into that realm.

Behind him, the Second and Third Elders exchanged a wry look.

It seemed they’d been beaten to the breakthrough.

They had brushed the threshold, but true entry still eluded them.

“Worthy of the Grand Elder indeed…” Mu Honglian breathed.

All her prior knowledge had placed the three elders at Seventh-Grade.

This, clearly, was outdated.

Lin Langtian nodded slightly, eyes intent on the Grand Elder’s back.

The power he sensed radiating from the old man could truly tear the world apart.

Back on the Tianxuan Continent, as master of the Space Ancestral Symbol, he too had commanded space—but the Great Thousand World’s fabric was incomparably tougher.

Only those above the Seventh-Grade could hope to direct it here.

In the hush that followed, the Grand Elder smiled at the Dragon Might Sovereign and flicked his fingers.

Shards of twisted space gathered into clusters of inky-black serpents that vanished without a sound.

Boom!

A heartbeat later, the space around the Dragon Might Sovereign contorted wildly.

Rents split open in midair, ragged and dark.

Each crack yawned like a hungry maw and snapped shut toward him.

No roaring waves of spiritual power—just silent, lethal destruction.

Each tear contained enough force to shred a Fifth-Grade Sovereign to dust.

And there was no outrunning them.

One’s speed meant nothing against the tearing of space itself.

The Dragon Might Sovereign’s expression didn’t so much as flicker.

He merely raised his hand.

The air around him warped in turn.

More black fissures appeared, surging forward to meet the oncoming storm.

Sss, sss.

The faint scrapes of colliding space echoed above as the two seas of cracks met and disappeared into each other without a trace.

“Spatial control as well?!”

“The Dragon Might Sovereign is an Eighth-Grade Sovereign too!”

Shock rippled through the watching ranks.

No wonder he’d dared to challenge the Grand Elder.

“He really was hiding that much,” Mu Honglian muttered, brows knitting.

“It’ll be a fierce fight,” Lin Langtian said quietly.

“Interesting,” the Grand Elder chuckled. “It’s been a long time since these old bones moved. Let’s hope I’m not too rusty.”

“Please, Grand Elder,” the Dragon Might Sovereign replied, eyes narrowing.

The air around him exploded with spiritual power.

Boom!

He stamped down.

Rivers of light surged from his feet, twisting together into the shape of a massive dragon.

Its jaws snapped wide—and the shattered fragments of space ahead were sucked into its throat.

Then the dragon opened its mouth again and roared.

A torrent of power blasted forth, riddled with glittering shards of warped space.

Annihilating Dragon Breath.

The black storm punched through space itself, ignoring distance as it materialized in front of the Grand Elder.

The force contained within it was enough to destroy anything in its path.

Laced with strange sigils of power, it could make even a peak Seventh-Grade Sovereign’s scalp go numb.

Rare was even an Eighth-Grade Sovereign who would dare meet it head-on.

Yet the Grand Elder did not move.

He did not even lift a hand.

His stillness drew a murmur from both armies.

“Is he really going to take that?” someone whispered.

High above, Qian Tian sat motionless.

Not far away, Huang Kurong’s brows creased.

Boom!

The storm of dragon breath crashed down.

A soft smile curved the Grand Elder’s lips.

He formed a rapid seal, golden light flickering in the depths of his eyes.

His chest expanded as he drew in a breath—and the sky answered.

A colossal mouth of spiritual energy appeared above him and inhaled sharply.

Countless pairs of eyes widened as the torrent of dragon breath, heavy with spatial destruction, was sucked straight into that waiting maw and vanished.

Silence fell like a dropped hammer.

It was as if the attack had never existed.

“Too strong…” Mu Honglian whispered, hand covering her lips.

Lin Langtian’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the Grand Elder’s back, a realization stirring.

Whispers and exclamations spread like wildfire.

Even the three Domain of Chaos leaders couldn’t hide their unease.

For such a terrifying strike to be swallowed so casually…

There was only one answer.

“He’s not Eighth-Grade,” someone finally breathed. “He’s Ninth-Grade.”

The crowd fell into an awed hush.

Even the Second and Third Elders sucked in sharp breaths.

Who would have guessed that the Grand Elder, forever buried in sect affairs, had been hiding such depths all along?

“I concede,” the Dragon Might Sovereign said simply.

He cupped his fists to the Grand Elder and turned away, returning to his side of the field.

The first match belonged to the Heaven-Earth Sect.

Though the result surprised many, it did not utterly shock them.

The Grand Elder, after all, was still the Grand Elder.

It was the second match that left the battlefield reeling.

Lance King versus Crimson Slaughter King.

Five exchanges.

And Lance King, the mightiest of the Nine Kings… staggered back, heavily wounded and defeated.

(END CHAPTER)