'But what I care about is exactly this "sooner or later". The Profound Heaven Instrunt is about to be taken away,' Su Chen muttered secretly. He glanced at Qing Cang and probed tentatively, "How about this: if the Royal Court continues to drag things out, we just won't let Your Excellency Lu Huai leave, what do you think?"
"Not let Lu Huai leave?" Qing Cang frowned, appearing hesitant.
"It would be one thing if it was just the Royal Court. If the other party plays dirty, we wouldn't mind using so underhanded thods either. But this involves the Profound Heaven Sect. Lu Huai hasn't done anything wrong, and being detained here for no reason would likely cause dissatisfaction."
Su Chen shook his head repeatedly, emphasizing, "It's not intentionally detaining him. That friend of mine isn't in the Bronze Sect, and it will take so ti for him to hurry back. Since Your Excellency Lu Huai agreed beforehand, he should at least wait until my friend uses it before leaving, right?"
"Besides, he's going to leave sooner or later anyway, so there's no rush right this mont."
Qing Cang was the one managing this matter, and Su Chen wanted to ensure it was foolproof, so he had to persuade his senior brother.
"Sooner or later, using the Royal Court's words to fob off the Royal Court... you..." Qing Cang shot him a glance, and after a mont of consideration, he nodded. "Let's see how the situation develops. If the Royal Court insists on dragging it out, we'll use this matter to argue with them."
"But we still have to be mindful of the Profound Heaven Sect; we can't drag it out for too long."
Seeing Qing Cang agree, Su Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Soon, the two arrived at Dragon Abyss. It had been so ti since the leaderboard opened, but the area around the arena was still bustling with activity.
There were Sect-Suppressing Army patrols everywhere, keeping things sowhat orderly amidst the chaos. The main thoroughfare was unobstructed, and most people were gathered in clusters, discussing animatedly. The rankings on the leaderboard had changed slightly compared to when it first opened. This was likely because so people held back and didn't go all out when establishing the initial ranking.
But seeing their ranks falling behind, or perhaps wanting to make a na for themselves, they were forced to show so real skills.
As they got closer to the arena, the surrounding crowd thinned out. These were all people with fairly high status in the Dust Star Sea, naturally isolating themselves from others.
"Qing Shi, Brother Su."
A voice called out, greeting the two of them. Su Chen looked toward the sound and found that it was actually that guy, Han Xingliu. Standing beside him were a few unfamiliar faces who were also looking his way, their gazes carrying a hint of scrutiny.
Su Chen nodded in response.
"Is that Su Chen?"
As Han Xingliu withdrew his gaze, he heard soone ask by his ear.
"Indeed..." Han Xingliu nodded, looking at the person who spoke. "His reputation has even reached Brother Xiao's ears."
The speaker had a slender and gaunt physique. Hearing this, he nodded and said, "Naturally, I've heard of him. That Wei Zhenghong is no ordinary figure either. To be defeated by soone a whole tier lower, how could I not take it to heart?"
"I fear he deliberately yielded to let him make a na for himself, right?" The person standing to Han Xingliu's right spoke up. His face was long and narrow, and his expression was gloomy.
Han Xingliu glanced at him and sneered inwardly, but since Su Chen was neither kin nor friend to him, he couldn't be bothered to argue on his behalf. He simply said indifferently, "Since he is here today, I'm afraid he intends to show off his brilliance. Let's wait and see."
The others didn't chi in, clearly not taking those words to heart.
"That's Xiao Linfeng. He ranks fifth on the Talent Ranking," Qing Cang's voice rang in Su Chen's ears. "He's not a mber of the Five Great Sects or the Royal Court; he cos from the Longriver Clan and is not a Star Seed either."
Su Chen couldn't help but be astonished. "Fifth?"
On the Prophet Society's Talent Ranking, considering identical talent and age, the top five all had Dual Divine Dawn Grade Talent, and Xiao Linfeng was the youngest among them. Such a figure, even if he wasn't a Star Seed, was bound to be able to contend with the Morning Star Tier in the future. It was just that his lifespan fell a bit short. He was not to be trifled with.
"Tsk tsk..." Su Chen sighed inwardly, then turned to look at the arena before them. Surrounding it in a circle were thirty-six entrances, with people constantly coming and going.
Right before the two was the entrance marked "Seven." Su Chen thought for a mont and said solemnly, "Senior Brother, don't move from here. I'll be back right after I grab first place."
Qing Cang gave him a baffled look. Since he had co with Su Chen, he naturally wouldn't leave halfway. Did that really need to be emphasized?
"Always acting so strangely." Qing Cang shook his head, watching Su Chen's back enter the arena. He then looked up at the preliminary leaderboard again and pondered silently, 'The True Martial Sect excels in artifact forging, and their classes lean towards weapon assistance. This He Muyang has a Dual Star-Amber Grade Talent, the advantage of weapons, and the first-mover advantage to claim first place on the leaderboard. If Su Chen underestimates him...'
While pondering, Qing Cang suddenly sensed sothing. He turned his head and saw a person standing not far away, looking right at him.
Soone from the Dark Moon Group?
Recognizing the insignia on the other party's clothes, Qing Cang nodded slightly in greeting.
Black Buddha revealed an appropriately subtle smile in response, but he was sowhat surprised inside. 'Why is this Qing Cang here too?'
'However, it doesn't matter. Whether he's here or not, he only has the power for a single strike.'
Black Buddha raised his head, looking toward the dazzling Starfire in the distance, when suddenly the noise around him grew louder.
"First place changed! First place changed!"
Soone suddenly cried out in surprise, their voice high-pitched. In the few hours since the preliminary leaderboard opened, the highest position to change was only 23rd. But this ti, the one that changed was the very top position.
"So fast?" Hearing the commotion, Qing Cang couldn't help but look up, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes.
"Qin Tianlin? This na sounds sowhat familiar; where have I heard it before?"
"How could it be a 6th-Tier?"
Qin Tianlin... Qing Cang kept his head raised, muttering softly to himself. The appearance of this na up there truly surprised him.
When did he gain this kind of strength? Just a short while ago, he couldn't even keep his position as the 6th-Tier Top Ranker.
If Qin Tianlin had advanced to the 7th-Tier and then reached this position, he wouldn't be so surprised.
But right now, below that na, the words "6th-Tier" were clearly displayed.
He actually... Qing Cang frowned slightly. Although Qin Tianlin was sowhat arrogant, that was just a minor issue. More importantly, due to so of the actions taken by the Qin Family and Qin Yun, he was already at odds with Su Chen like fire and water.
This wasn't a good thing...
Black Buddha stared intently at that na. 'That Zhou Yunyang actually kept his promise.'
'However, this person only has such strength because of the Sunless Embers. But what about Su Chen? I am truly curious.'
'It's a pity I can't take Su Chen away to study him carefully this ti.'
'But the person who carries the Sunless Embers and purifies the Mist Embers must be dealt with first.'
Discussions buzzed all around, and the number of people talking kept growing. "The Bronze Sect actually has a figure like this? How co we've never heard of him before? How does he compare to that Su Chen?"
"This person is a Divine Dawn Grade ranked 23rd on the Talent Ranking. If you haven't heard of him, it's just your own ignorance. Rumor has it that within the sect, he is subtly suppressed by Su Chen."
"Really? A figure like this can actually be suppressed? Then to what extent is that Su Chen formidable?"
"The gap shouldn't be that large, right? Information within the sect is extrely difficult to probe; it's all just spreading falsehoods."
"Qin Tianlin..."
In the distance, Han Xingliu's brows were tightly furrowed. Su Chen might still have so incredibly thin bloodline of a certain Ancient King, or perhaps a special constitution, but this Qin Tianlin had no Ancient King in his ancestry whatsoever.
Beyond the crowd, a bit further away, Qin Yun stared deeply at that na, his face devoid of any joy. 'Just what exactly did you do?'
At the sa ti, in a certain room inside the arena, Qin Tianlin was kneeling on one knee, panting heavily. He was covered in cuts and bruises, with blood sliding down his arm onto the arena floor.
"He Muyang is not inferior to a Star Seed even in the True Martial Sect. He's only lacking in forging a Holy Class, truly living up to his reputation..."
The battle had ended, and he was chugging Nutrient Potion into his mouth. Only after personally experiencing it did he know just how incredibly difficult it was to fight these ticulously cultivated 7th-Tier Professionals.
Even with the assistance of the Purple Flas and being able to use the Indestructible Vajra Holy Class, it was still an extrely arduous fight, to the point where he had almost failed.
Even though he had achieved victory now, Qin Tianlin estimated that he had already taken first place, yet his heart didn't feel the level of excitent he had imagined.
Because he realized that Su Chen was far more formidable than he had imagined.
He relied on the help of the Purple Flas within his body, and these Purple Flas originated from the Lost Starfire, seemingly related to the Solar Rank. Moreover, it had cost more than half of Fan Zhao's lifeforce to condense this single opportunity.
But how did Su Chen do it? Was it also so kind of one-ti thod?
No, before fighting Wei Zhenghong, he had already defeated Ding Ze. It was absolutely not a one-ti thod. Just what exactly was this guy...
"Stop thinking about it..." a familiar voice rang in his ears. "Once you get the Marrow of the Morning Star, I will help you uncover the secrets that guy is hiding."
"Help uncover them?" Qin Tianlin sneered, but he didn't refute, quietly waiting for his body to recover.
Although he only had one chance, he had succeeded this ti. Getting the Marrow of the Morning Star was naturally set in stone.
"Unless..."
"There is no unless!" The voice interrupted again. "He could defeat Wei Zhenghong, but he is completely not a match for Shen Yi'an, which is enough to prove that his limit lies exactly there."
"Relying on the power of a Holy Class, you can probably reach this level too. And for him to defeat you, he would need even greater strength. After all, he's still a 6th-Tier; it's impossible for him to elevate his power endlessly."
Being completely trounced by Su Chen once before had left Qin Tianlin with quite a bit of psychological trauma. Hearing the comforting words in his ear finally put him sowhat at ease. This entity had an extraordinary origin. He faintly guessed that it might be Spirit Shards left behind by a Solar Rank being after its death, so its insight was certainly there.
"Then I am relieved."
anwhile, in another room of the arena, the phantom image before him dissipated. Su Chen had just finished warming up.
The rules of the preliminary leaderboard and the Holy List were pretty much the sa. As a 6th-Tier Professional, if he wanted to challenge a 7th-Tier, he had to first defeat a 7th-Tier Professional.
He just took a little bit of ti, casually picked a guy ranked outside the top 100, and secured his qualification.
"Next is first place, He... Qin Tianlin?"
Bringing up the virtual screen, Su Chen looked up and froze. "Why is it this guy?"
He couldn't help but be astonished. This guy actually defeated He Muyang?
'Still a 6th-Tier...' He confird the other party's tier; he hadn't advanced to the 7th-Tier.
'It's the help of the Sunless Embers...' Su Chen thought to himself, the astonishnt in his heart mostly fading away.
"With the help of the Sunless Embers, reaching this level seems quite normal. To think this guy actually ddled again at the very last mont. Since that's the case..." His interest was piqued. "Let see just how you did it."
Su Chen didn't hesitate and imdiately selected Qin Tianlin as his challenge target.
Soon, a sowhat familiar, faceless figure was sketched out before his eyes. The combat style had no difference from before; right from the start, he transford into a giant Vajra with a terrifying aura.
Su Chen narrowed his eyes, waiting for the opponent's next move. 'If it's only this much, he wouldn't be able to defeat He Muyang.'
As expected, the mont after transforming into a giant Vajra, Qin Tianlin's body changed again, gradually shrinking and condensing.
The surface of his skin faintly surfaced with a dark gold color, vaguely resembling his Sovereign Vajra from before, and that aura rushing toward one's face was also restrained, becoming robust and heavy.
'Could this be...' Su Chen looked carefully, faintly picking up on a clue. 'Indestructible Vajra?'
'He can forge a Holy Class at the 6th-Tier too? These Sunless Embers are formidable.'
Bang!
An explosion sounded under Qin Tianlin's feet. His dark gold body rushed head-on. Although his body had shrunk significantly, it was also more agile, and a condensed aura rushed toward one's face. Small as it was, it was no less than a giant mountain smashing down head-on.
Su Chen, already in the Armant Physique state, simply raised a hand.
"Clang!" A sound of clashing tal exploded, like two blocks of iron colliding, sending blinding sparks flying.
The projection spoke no nonsense and didn't stop its movents. Resounding crashes continuously echoed between the two.
'His strength is about the sa as when I fought Old Wei previously. This guy is about to advance to the 7th-Tier, and combined with a Holy Class, he truly cannot be trifled with.'
After tangling with him for a mont, Su Chen roughly grasped Qin Tianlin's current strength.
If it were right after his job entry into the Sovereign Vajra, but before forging a Holy Class, defeating the opponent would still require so effort.
But now...
A sharp gleam flashed in Su Chen's eyes. Blood-red flas erupted around him, directly entering his full-power state, and he delivered a chopping strike with the edge of his palm.
"Clang!"
The sharp sound of clashing tal exploded. Qin Tianlin's fist had already smashed into the edge of his palm. The dark gold energy flow on his fist exploded into spiderweb-like cracks, and the joints of his five fingers emitted an overwheld creaking sound.
The projection felt no pain. Its knee violently smashed toward Su Chen's ribs, moving like lightning. If this were in the outside world, this single strike could shatter a giant mountain.
But Su Chen's left hand simply pressed down with the montum, precisely pinning the incoming knee. His right hand, wrapped in a dark red heat wave, had already landed on the side of Qin Tianlin's temple.
The Great Hamr was elevated to the 8th-Tier at this very instant. Muscles bulging, he unleashed his power!
A terrifying force erupted brazenly. Qin Tianlin's entire body was thrown horizontally into the air, and Su Chen grabbed his skull, smashing it toward the ground.
Boom!
The structural strength of this arena far exceeded that of his training room. With only a booming rumble, rolling air currents exploded, and energy electric arcs darted wildly.
The sound of "crack, crack" rang out. A single strike blasted Qin Tianlin's head into pieces, and the projection also quickly dissipated.
"Although the Holy Class is formidable, one must still rely on a strong foundation to unleash more power." Su Chen retracted his stance and quickly deactivated his various abilities.
It was his enhanced abilities, born from experiencing various body tempering thods, that had accumulated up to this point.
However, rumor had it that this guy was about to advance to the 7th-Tier, and by then, his strength would climb up another level.
"Sunless Embers... your grandfather truly treats you well..." Su Chen sighed with emotion secretly.
Qin Tianlin had already pushed the door open and walked out, having changed into fresh clothes. Although he hadn't recovered to peak condition, it was sufficient.
Closing the door, he looked up at the very top of the giant virtual screen in the center of the arena. His na sat high and mighty up there.
His mood beca increasingly pleasant. The younger generation of the Dust Star Sea, the Royal Court, and the Five Great Sects were nothing more than this...
Qin Tianlin walked straight out of the arena. Before he even exited the main doors, he noticed that the crowd gathered outside had grown significantly larger than when he entered. Everyone was looking up with expressions of awe and amazent.
At a glance, he spotted Han Xingliu and a few others. With their esteed status, no one dared to approach them. Their brows were tightly furrowed, and their expressions were grave.
Xiao Linfeng's eyes were narrowed, clearly harboring a bit of solemnity.
'Qing Cang is actually here too...' Qin Tianlin's gaze swept over Qing Cang, who was also looking up, seeming sowhat relieved and gratified.
'To actually see such an expression on Qing Cang's face, sure enough... one still has to speak with strength.'
Qin Tianlin scanned the surroundings, his mood becoming more and more joyful. Although Qing Cang didn't get along with his grandfather, there was no harm in trying to make contact.
Suddenly, he t soone's gaze. It was a middle-aged man, looking straight at him with a gaze that carried a hint of fervor. On the chest of his clothes was the insignia of a dark moon.
'Dark Moon Group...' He seed to have heard of this organization. They weren't considered small fry in the Dust Star Sea, and right now, they also appeared to hold him in quite high esteem.
Qin Tianlin stood at the entrance for a mont, his mood increasingly joyful, carrying what he thought was a subtle and reserved expression on his face.
Just as he was about to step out and welco everyone's amazent, he heard a voice coming from an unknown direction:
"The rumors are really true. Although this Qin Tianlin is formidable, he has always been suppressed by Su Chen. The seat for first place hadn't even ward up before changing hands."
What?
Qin Tianlin's face stiffened, a sense of unimaginable disbelief surging in his heart. He abruptly turned his head.
Following that giant screen, he looked upward, his pupils trembling. The noisy sounds around him seed to be gradually fading away.
In the short span of ti between him confirming his na at the very top and walking to the entrance, the three words "Qin Tianlin" had already changed from first to second place.
And the na above his was, impressively, none other than—Su Chen!
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