Chapter 439: The Ranking Battle (Part 2)

Chapter 439: The Ranking Battle (Part 2)

Hoo! On the high platform, the originally empty space rippled with waves, followed by a figure in crimson armor, exuding an overwhelmingly destructive aura, like a scorching hot star.

Crimson Sun True God!

Next, several powerful figures appeared, standing alongside Moonwing True God, the other high-ranking True Gods.

The Ranking Battle was the day to assess the results of the Divine Flame Palace members, and these high-ranking True Gods naturally took it seriously.

"Very good, almost everyone is here on time."

"The Ascended Ranking Battle is a round-robin tournament, with 1 point for a win and no deduction for a loss... The final ranking is determined by the final score, which decides the allocation of resources for the next five years."

"There are too many Demigods, so the battle is divided into two stages."

"The first stage is to enter the Divine Flame Tower and kill 'Divine Flame Warriors'. The more you kill, the higher your score... The ranking after the first thousand is determined by the score."

"The top thousand will then enter the second stage of the battle, determining the final ranking of the top three hundred, the top hundred, the Holy Son quota, and the first place."

"Do you understand?" Crimson Sun True God's voice rumbled.

"Yes," nearly ten thousand people in the Divine Flame Hall responded in unison, even those with powerful soul wills like Li Yuan and Jing Kui were no exception.

The gap between Demigods and True Gods was indeed astonishing, difficult to surpass.

"Good."

"Proceed with the Demigod Ranking Battle," Crimson Sun True God said in a deep voice, "In order, each batch of a thousand people, the first batch is for those ranked 1-1000, prepare to enter."

Hoo! Crimson Sun True God waved his hand.

"Rumble~"

In the void above the grand hall, a space vortex with a diameter of over a kilometer appeared, rippling with countless flame currents, unfathomable, leading to an unknown destination.

"Is this the entrance to the Divine Flame Tower?" Li Yuan looked on curiously.

He only knew the rules of the Ranking Battle but had never seen the actual combat footage.

At this moment, Jing Kui, He Feng, Dong Pan, Yue Shan, and many other Demigods entered the space vortex, disappearing into the flame currents...

Whoosh~

On the other side of the vast space vortex, a huge light screen appeared, directly displaying over nine thousand names, including Li Yuan's.

For new Demigods like Li Yuan and Qi Xia, who had just advanced, their treatment was based on their previous Ascended-level identities, but their ranking on the Demigod list was determined by the order of their breakthrough.

Li Yuan, naturally, was at the very end of the list, with the number '9373'.

"Let's begin."

"Scores are appearing, everyone is starting to challenge the Divine Flame Tower."

"Look, Jing Kui's score is skyrocketing."

Everyone looked up at the huge light screen, where the first thousand names were flashing with their scores.

"1314 points!"

"1460 points!"

"1580 points!"

"Amazing, Jing Kui is incredible, over a hundred points in a second? Has he slaughtered over a hundred Divine Flame Warriors in a second?" Thousands of Demigods in the grand hall were stunned.

They knew that Demigod Holy Sons like Yue Shan, Dong Pan, and Bai Feng had just surpassed 800 points, yet Jing Kui's score had already soared to nearly 1600 points, clearly indicating that Jing Kui had opened up a significant gap with the other Holy Sons.

"Over three thousand! 3023 points, Jing Kui has entered the fourth level of the Divine Flame Tower."

"This speed is too fast." Many Demigods trembled in their hearts.

Jing Kui's strength was acknowledged by all, and in the previous Ranking Battle, he had entered the sixth level of the Divine Flame Tower, eventually scoring over 5800 points... but his speed of slaughter today far surpassed that.

However.

The battles within the Divine Flame Tower were not disclosed, and only those with high enough authority could probe, so no one knew what method Jing Kui had used.

Li Yuan continued to fixate on the points flashing on the light screen.

"According to the information I gathered earlier..."

"Successfully clearing the first floor represents a combat power equivalent to a 50th-level Void Deity." Li Yuan thought to himself, "Clearing the second floor would mean possessing the strength of a 51st-level Void Deity."

"And so on."

"If one can completely clear the sixth floor, it signifies a combat power of a 55th-level Void Deity, which is the minimum threshold for reaching the peak of the Void Deity Realm." Li Yuan held his breath, "Jing Kui, after five years, how far can you push?"

Demigods, due to their foundational limitations, found it extremely challenging to burst forth with peak Void Deity strength, indicating that their comprehension of the Laws must reach an astonishing level.

Time passed.

On the massive light screen, after surpassing 5,000 points, Jing Kui's points refreshed at a slower pace, indicating that his killing speed was also decreasing. The difficulty of the sixth floor had skyrocketed, but his killing speed still far surpassed that of the other Demigod geniuses.

At this moment, the 'Dong Pan Demigod', ranked second, had just broken through 4,000 points.

"Jing Kui has reached 5,800 points."

"5,850 points."

"5,900 points!! Just a little more and he'll break through the sixth floor. He only needs to defeat the last hundred Sacred Flame Warriors."

"5,932 points!"

"5,966 points!"

At this moment, not only the Demigod geniuses in the Grand Hall but also the True Gods on the high platform, including Crimson Sun True God and Moonwing True God, felt a hint of tension, and their hearts held a bit of anticipation.

Could he make it?

"His points are stuck."

"He's stuck at 5,988 points."

"Could Jing Kui be defeated?" All the Demigod geniuses could only stare at the points on the light screen.

Only the seven True Gods on the high platform, with their high enough authority, could sense the battle scenes within the Sacred Flame Tower.

"Only twelve Sacred Flame Warriors remain."

"This signifies the ultimate test of the sixth floor of the Sacred Flame Tower. Only by defeating the strongest Sacred Flame Warrior can one enter the seventh floor." The six True Gods watched intently.

If Jing Kui could break through to the seventh floor, it would be like entering a whole new world, an absolute cause for great celebration.

"Is Jing Kui being suppressed? Is he about to lose?"

"No."

"He's unleashed his power! Jing Kui has erupted, and his sword techniques! Such formidable sword techniques, combining the Law of Lightning and the Law of Space... How could his might surge to such a level?" The six True Gods, sensing the scene within the Sacred Flame Tower, were all astonished.

They never expected this.

After demonstrating his formidable strength earlier, Jing Kui still had a terrifying killing move hidden.

No wonder even the Heaven God Ta You valued this young generation.

Sixth Floor of the Sacred Flame Tower:

Jing Kui held a divine sword, his body radiating endless lightning. Each sword strike was like a thunderbolt from the heavens, his speed reaching the extreme, and his sword techniques' might was also at its peak.

He seemed like an incarnation of lightning.

"Roar!" "Roar!" The hundred-meter-tall Sacred Flame Warrior roared furiously, his power was terrifying. Each stomp of his feet caused the void to tremble, and each punch he threw could shatter countless lightning bolts.

He was breaking the law with sheer force!

However, even with his ferocious attacks, he couldn't touch Jing Kui's body... Jing Kui's sword techniques were like lightning itself.

His movement was as swift as lightning, flashing through the trembling void, as if he had created countless illusions, making it impossible to predict his flight path.

"Swoosh!"

Streaks of sword light howled, precisely piercing the Sacred Flame Warrior's body. Each sword strike injured the warrior.

As the sword strikes accumulated, the warrior's injuries worsened.

"It's time to end this."

Jing Kui's eyes turned cold, and he swiftly thrust his sword, like an electric snake, along the freshly torn wound. In an instant, it attacked the Sacred Flame Warrior's body, unleashing a terrifying might.

It was like the final straw that broke the camel's back.

"Boom!"

This sword directly pierced the core of the Sacred Flame Warrior's body, and his massive form exploded into nothingness.

"Victory!"

"The seventh floor!" A smile appeared on Jing Kui's lips, and after a brief rest, he entered the seventh floor.

The difficulty of the seventh floor soared again.

After killing hundreds of Sacred Flame Warriors, Jing Kui was completely surrounded by them. The layer of flame light on his body gradually dissipated... In the instant it completely disappeared, he vanished from the seventh floor.

Defeat!

...

In the Divine Flame Grand Hall, even Jing Kui's name dimmed slightly when they saw his points.

Hua!

Jing Kui fell from the massive spatial vortex, landing directly on the ground, and closed his eyes to recover.

The previous battle had exhausted him significantly.

Inside the Grand Hall, an eerie silence prevailed, and almost everyone couldn't help but look at Jing Kui.

Although these Demigod geniuses hadn't witnessed Jing Kui's battle, they knew of his formidable strength from his points.

"6,134 points!"

"Is this the level of a peak Void Deity?"

Li Yuan sighed inwardly, "Even the Alliance Lord Dong Fang might not dare to claim to be stronger."

Of course, this was just an assessment based on the strength he displayed when he left Dong Fang.

Time passed.

One by one, the top thousand Demigods fell, and most struggled to surpass 3,000 points.

Finally, when all one thousand were defeated, less than 400 people reached over 3,000 points... Moreover, the point rankings of the top thousand were not significantly different from the final rankings of the ranking battle five years ago.

"He cleared the sixth floor."

"Jing Kui has reached the peak of the Void Deity Realm? How is this possible!"

"The gap between us and Jing Kui hasn't narrowed; instead, it's grown even wider!" Yue Shan, Dong Pan, Bai Feng, and the other Demigod Holy Sons returned to the Grand Hall. When they saw Jing Kui's score, their faces changed.

Since everyone's methods were different, the point rankings might not entirely reflect their strength.

For example, the second-ranked Dong Pan had a final score of 5,564 points.

Yue Shan, on the other hand, had surged to the fourth rank! There were 22 people with scores over 5,000 points and 94 with scores over 4,000 points.

However, if the point gap in the Sacred Flame Tower was too large, it often indicated that the strength gap was difficult to surpass.

And without a doubt, Jing Kui, through his actions, had proven his status as the 'First on the Demigod Ranking', far surpassing the other fifteen Holy Sons.

...

"From the 1001st to the 2000th rank on the Demigod Ranking, enter the Sacred Flame Tower," Crimson Sun True God directly ordered.

Time passed.

Batch after batch of Demigods entered the Sacred Flame Tower, but the later the entry order, the weaker the overall strength.

After the 5,000th rank, not only did the Demigods struggle to reach 3,000 points, but even achieving 2,000 points became increasingly rare.

Just half an hour later, it was time for the Demigods ranked 8001st to 9000th to enter the Sacred Flame Tower.

This batch of Reserve Members.

Due to many being new Half-Gods who had just entered Perception Star Ancient City, quite a few Half-Gods stood out, with their points directly surpassing 2000.

There were even several Half-Gods who were close to 3000 points, directly breaking into the top 1000.

This was also considered quite eye-catching.

Jiang Shan eventually scored over 2700 points, which wasn't the most dazzling, but given his age, it was still quite astonishing.

This score represented that his strength was incredibly close to the middle-stage Void Deity Realm.

"2300 points!"

"Haha! Success! Success!" Jiang Shan was incredibly excited, as reaching the predetermined goal was already quite an achievement.

He felt that his chances of becoming an Inner Disciple of the True Gods were increasing.

Thinking of this, Jiang Shan couldn't help but turn to look at Li Yuan not far away, secretly thinking, "I wonder how many points Xu Yuan can score. 3000 points? 4000 points?"

Time passed.

As this batch of Half-Gods completed their trials, the first stage of the Half-God Ranking Battle was nearing its end, with only the last 300-plus Half-Gods left to challenge.

In the grand hall, almost all the Flying Heavens and Half-Gods couldn't help but look towards Li Yuan.

Among the last batch of Half-Gods, the most dazzling was undoubtedly Li Yuan.

Adding to Li Yuan and Bai Feng's bet, it became even more attention-grabbing.

"What do you think? How many layers can Xu Yuan pass?"

"He just broke through to the Half-God Realm, even though he's already an Eight Star Vein, but his Origin Power cultivation is definitely not enough. I estimate he'll struggle to even reach 2000 points."

"Since he dares to bet, he should at least be able to score 3000 points," many Half-Gods and Flying Heavens whispered among themselves.

Most people still believed that Li Yuan should be able to score over 3000 points, which was a benchmark representing middle-stage Void Deity Realm strength.

But 4000 points? Even Yue Shan, Yang Di, and Jiang Shan, who had the most confidence in Li Yuan, didn't dare say that Li Yuan would definitely reach that score.

After all, only 94 people had surpassed 4000 points so far.

Finally, in the silence, the Crimson Sun True God spoke in a deep voice, "The remaining Half-God Reserve Members, enter the Sacred Flame Tower."

Whoosh! Whoosh! Li Yuan, Qi Xia, Ji Yan, Wu Beihong, and other newly entered Half-Gods and newly advanced Half-Gods transformed into streams of light and rushed into the Sacred Flame Tower.

Instantly, almost all the Half-Gods and Flying Heavens turned their gazed towards the last name on the giant light screen on the other side—Xu Yuan.

Even Jing Kui was no exception.

"Xu Yuan."

"Let's see how many layers he can pass." The Crimson Sun True God, Moonwing True God, and others directly observed Xu Yuan's battle situation in the Sacred Flame Tower.

...

In the first layer of the Sacred Flame Tower, a vast hall stretched nearly a hundred kilometers.

"External objects are not allowed. Hiding in Cave Heavens is prohibited. Violators will be eliminated!"

"Protective forces on the surface are exhausted. Eliminated!"

"Kill all Sacred Flame Warriors within one quarter of an hour. This is considered passing, and you can proceed to the next layer."

"Kill one Sacred Flame Warrior for one point." Li Yuan appeared in the hall, his mind echoing with detailed rules.

Whoosh!

Li Yuan glanced at the numerous Sacred Flame Warriors in the vast hall.

"【Target Life Level: 50.0】" Li Yuan used Divine Palace Probe and got the result he wanted.

All the Sacred Flame Warriors were humanoid, exuding a powerful aura, each standing ten meters tall, their surfaces resembling fire-red rocks, and emitting faint flames. They held various weapons.

"They don't seem like ordinary warriors."

"It seems they are energy warriors formed by array formations. The so-called Sacred Flame Tower is probably a massive array formation." Countless thoughts flashed through Li Yuan's mind.

Before he could think further—

"Buzz! Buzz!"

In the vast hall, 1000 Sacred Flame Warriors suddenly moved, their eyes fixed on the black-robed figure in the center of the hall—Li Yuan!

Boom! Boom! Boom! The 1000 Sacred Flame Warriors transformed into terrifying streams of flame, rushing towards Li Yuan like lightning.

Their flying speed instantly surged, reaching over 30 kilometers per second.

Boom!

Li Yuan took a step forward, his aura expanding to ten meters tall, exuding a powerful and domineering presence. Following him were nine dazzling yellow dragons, enveloped in strands of extremely refined earthy-yellow energy currents, roaring as they charged in all directions.

Ninefold Star Technique, 'Universal Divine Body'!

Ninefold Star Technique, 'Heaven and Earth River'! Nine Dragon Armored Armor!

Three methods unleashed simultaneously, creating a massive domain like a small world, completely enveloping the hall with a diameter of less than 100 kilometers.

The 1000 Sacred Flame Warriors were completely submerged.

"Hmm? Are these Sacred Flame Warriors this weak?" Li Yuan's eyes flickered with doubt, as these warriors, whose life levels indicated the Void Deity Realm, were much weaker than he had imagined.

"I understand."

"It's the comprehension of Laws. These Sacred Flame Warriors have weak law comprehension, possessing only brute strength." Li Yuan understood everything.

Void Deities, in addition to powerful Origin Power, could also manipulate the profound mysteries of the Laws, allowing them to unleash tenfold or even a hundredfold the power of their strength.

If one couldn't manipulate the fluctuations of Laws—

Even a newly advanced Void Deity could easily defeat these 1000 Sacred Flame Warriors, let alone Li Yuan.

"My life level is already at 47.1. With the eruption of two Star Techniques, it's enough to crush these Sacred Flame Warriors." Li Yuan's thoughts moved.

The surging earthy-yellow energy currents, like rivers, frantically slammed into the bodies of the Sacred Flame Warriors.

Especially with the nine yellow dragons swirling around, Li Yuan had almost completely comprehended the essence of the Nine Dragon Armored Armor, and his Origin Power was strong enough to fully unleash the power of the nine dragons... With the support of the Heaven and Earth River domain, each dragon's strength could rival that of a low-level Void Deity.

Boom! Boom!

Under the dual pressure of the nine dragons and the Heaven and Earth River domain, in a very short time, the 1000 Sacred Flame Warriors were almost completely annihilated.

"Second layer," Li Yuan thought, and the nine yellow dragons flew back into his body as he entered the second layer.

...

In the Sacred Flame Grand Hall.

"Xu Yuan has broken through 2000 points."

"So fast?"

"Passing the first layer is normal, but how did he pass the second layer so quickly?"

"In terms of killing efficiency in the first two layers, aside from Jing Kui, even Yue Shan, Yang Di, and Dong Pan couldn't surpass Li Yuan." Nearly ten thousand Flying Heavens and Half-Gods were shocked.

Li Yuan's killing efficiency was indeed astonishing, surpassing everyone's imagination.

"How could he be so fast?" Bai Feng's face also changed.

At this moment, many Flying Heavens and Half-Gods had only one thought—Xu Yuan, the unparalleled genius acknowledged by countless True Gods.

How far could he go in his first attempt at the Sacred Flame Tower?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end