Chapter 434: First Battle Canglan VS Cangfeng

Seeing Ling Jie's deeply struck and faith-shattered expression, Hua Minghai felt a pang of pity and quickly comforted him, saying, "You don't have to be so pessimistic. I've witnessed Big Brother Yun's strength myself. While he might not be able to defeat those abnormal cultivators from the Divine Phoenix Sect, dealing with the other five nations won't be a problem for him… Yes, indeed, he can even fight ten people by himself! Imagine the prestige! How astonishing it will be for a Profound Practitioner of the Azure Cloud Nation to take on ten opponents at once! The Azure Cloud Nation will gain immense prestige from this! Big Brother Yun's name will resonate throughout the Seven Nations, renowned across the world! And you… well, and I, will be witnesses to all of this!"

At Hua Minghai's words, Ling Jie's spirits instantly lifted, and his mood brightened. He nodded vigorously, "Yes! Yes! Brother Hua, you're right! Big Brother, you must give it your all! Ahhh! Just thinking about Big Brother defeating ten people alone and slapping the faces of everyone who looks down on the Azure Cloud Nation… I'm so excited I can barely control myself!"

"Yes! That's the right attitude," Hua Minghai nodded in satisfaction, then looked towards the arena, his gaze growing heavy.

The process and outcome of the match were minor concerns…

But the matter of your phoenix bloodline… how will you resolve it? You specifically came to participate in this Ranking Tournament, presumably because of your bloodline, didn't you?

"By the way, Brother Hua, is your name really 'Little Flower Yan'? I always feel like your name… seems fake."

Hua Minghai turned his face, stared at Ling Jie, and said very seriously, "I didn't realize… you had a little bit of intelligence after all."

Soon, the nine participants from the Divine Phoenix Sect had completed their tests. Besides the first, Feng Feibai, who was a Level 5 King Profound Realm cultivator, the other eight were all Level 6 King Profound Realm.

The tenth person from the Divine Phoenix Sect stepped forward at this moment. His expression was as serene as water, with a subtle smile, and his brows conveyed an inherent nobility. His attire differed from the other nine; his flame-like phoenix robe was embroidered with dazzling golden phoenix patterns, and golden embroidery on the phoenix robe was the emblem of a direct heir to the Divine Phoenix Imperial Family.

As he stepped forward, the seating area of the Divine Phoenix Empire finally erupted in its first commotion, with gasps of surprise echoing through the air.

"That's… the Fourteenth Prince!"

"Wow! The Fourteenth Prince is actually participating in this Ranking Tournament himself!"

"I heard the Fourteenth Prince possesses unparalleled talent. Other princes, even the Crown Prince, are far inferior to him. He is arguably the foremost young talent in the Divine Phoenix Sect! He had already entered the Sky Profound Realm when he was just ten years old."

The commotion drew Yun Che's attention to the person referred to as the "Fourteenth Prince." Though also a prince, the feeling he gave Yun Che was almost worlds apart from the Thirteenth Prince, Feng Xichen. It was an ingrained nobility and an unconcealed arrogance, along with a… deeply unsettling sense of oppression.

This person…

Feng Xiluo – Twenty-two years old – Level 8 King Profound Realm.

*CRASH!*

The cheers generated by the previous nine top talents from the Divine Phoenix Sect combined could not compare to the uproar that swept the entire arena at this instant. Not only the profound practitioners from the six nations, but even those from the Divine Phoenix Empire were dumbfounded, unable to believe their eyes.

A mid-King Profound Realm cultivator around twenty-five years old, while incredibly impressive, was still completely acceptable to the people of the Divine Phoenix Empire.

But a late-King Profound Realm at twenty-two… a High Overlord at twenty-two! Even in the Divine Phoenix Empire, teeming with masters, it was almost a myth!

Feng Xiluo's gaze was calm, and he smiled faintly, receiving the gasps and worshipful gazes as if he were a divine child without a ripple of emotion. Yun Che's gaze fixed on him for a moment, and his brows subtly furrowed…

This person's strength… was actually comparable to Feng Chihuo, whom Yun Che had only managed to kill by exhausting all his trump cards and almost losing his own life!

Even within the Divine Phoenix Sect, Feng Chihuo held a considerably high status. And his age was at least a hundred years… but this Fourteenth Prince was only twenty-two years old!

This was undoubtedly the most terrifying talent Yun Che had ever witnessed on the Sky Profound Continent.

"Indeed, remarkable. The Fourteenth Prince has actually achieved another breakthrough," exclaimed Feng Feiran, the Third Elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect. "Such talent is truly astonishing. It seems the Fourteenth Prince has the potential to become an Overlord by forty… and in a century, he will surely become an Emperor."

"Third Elder is right, Fourteenth Brother's talent is indeed world-shaking, a rare sight even in our Divine Phoenix Sect, something I, as his elder brother, feel ashamed to fall short of," Feng Ximing said with a mix of awe and humility.

Looking at the other princes, some maintained calm expressions and nodded in agreement, but deep in their eyes, a carefully hidden jealousy flashed.

"Not bad," the usually strict and unsmiling emperor, who was incredibly stern with his son, also slowly nodded at this moment, a smile of appreciation appearing on his face.

"Oh, it seems the Divine Phoenix Sect has produced an extraordinary genius this time," Ji Qianrou said with a smile, playfully tracing her slender fingers.

"Hmph! He's only worthy of being called a genius among these Seven Nations," Ye Xinghan sneered, then narrowed his eyes, comfortably enjoying the affectionate caresses of the two women beside him. His gaze occasionally drifted towards Feng Xue'er, an intensely burning fire of desire in the depths of his eyes.

"What a pity, he's not my type. Otherwise, I could have brought him along when drinking with Little Empty… Mhm."

Ye Xinghan wisely shut his mouth, refusing to say another word.

The ten profound practitioners from the Divine Phoenix Sect also descended from the Phoenix Platform and entered the waiting area. On the arena, Feng Feiyan's solemn voice resonated: "The profound practitioners from the Seven Nations are all in position. While profound strength level is the most important indicator of a profound practitioner's power, it does not fully represent one's strength! On the Sky Profound Continent, there are billions of profound practitioners, and countless can challenge those above their level! The final ranking of the Ranking Tournament will depend on the true strength of each nation's profound practitioners… and it will be based on the combined average strength of a nation's ten most elite profound practitioners!"

"The order of battle will still be randomly assigned by the Profound Stone. During combat, all participating profound practitioners must not leave the central area, nor may they use any illicit drugs that temporarily boost their strength in a short period; otherwise, their eligibility will be directly revoked. During combat, falling to the ground for more than ten breaths, falling unconscious, surrendering, or being knocked off the Phoenix Platform will be considered a defeat. Combat ends when all participants from a nation have been defeated. On the Phoenix Platform, you may use any weapons or protective gear, but poison and hidden weapons are forbidden. You may employ any strategy or means, no matter how despicable, because equipment, intelligence, and adaptability are also components of your overall strength!"

"Without further ado, the 39th Seven Nations Ranking Tournament officially begins!!"

Feng Feiyan's voice echoed through the entire arena. As his voice faded, he extended his palm, and a ball of flame landed on the Profound Stone.

The Profound Stone immediately glowed a fleeting crimson, and three dark red characters slowly appeared: Canglan Nation.

One of the contenders for the first match was the Canglan Nation, which ranked second in the previous tournament.

"Excellent, getting on early means more time to recover later," the profound practitioners of Canglan Nation all looked up at the Phoenix Platform, their faces filled with confidence and pride. In the battle of the six nations, with the Divine Phoenix Empire not participating, they had no reason to lose to anyone… Only their Canglan Nation was truly qualified to ultimately challenge the Divine Phoenix Empire and then ascend the Primeval Profound Ark.

"Let's go."

The ten Canglan Nation profound practitioners leaped up simultaneously onto the Phoenix Platform, each with arrogant eyes and a formidable fighting spirit. At the same time, they looked towards the Profound Stone, awaiting their first opponent.

"Canglan must win!"

"Whichever of the other five nations becomes Canglan's opponent will face a nightmare!"

"Canglan! Bring on your opponents!"

"Waaahhh… Young Master Lianhua is so handsome!"

The deafening cheers from the Canglan Nation vibrated through the arena. In the Canglan Nation's seating area, the Canglan Nation Lord and the overlords of the Profound Realm shifted their expressions, becoming both expectant and solemn. This was a battle concerning Canglan Nation's status and honor for the next twenty-five years. Though they, having ranked second in the previous tournament, still held absolute confidence, they also carried considerable pressure… they absolutely could not lose before facing the Divine Phoenix Empire in the end!

Soon, the name of another nation for the first round was displayed on the Profound Stone.

Azure Cloud Nation.

The cheers throughout the arena paused briefly, and then the atmosphere instantly changed.

"Holy crap! It's actually Azure Cloud! What's the deal with that?"

"I was looking forward to seeing our Canglan show off… but this is pointless; anyone can just fart and blow them away."

"Hahahaha! Canglan Nation has such good luck, they get to play against a nobody right from the start."

The moment Yun Che saw the words "Azure Cloud," his eyes narrowed, and he directly leaped up. Immediately, a wave of uproar swept in from all directions.

"Look, that kid's going up. One person against ten, tsk tsk tsk, how impressive!"

"Damn it! To actually face the Azure Cloud Nation right away. So boring. Just kick that kid named Yun Che down quickly, let's get to the next match!"

"Don't even say it, though that kid's strength is trash, his nerve is truly extraordinary. If it were me, I'd never have the guts to make such a fool of myself. I bet he'll be taken down in three breaths at most."

"Three breaths? Do our top talents from Canglan Nation need three breaths to deal with that kid? One move is all it takes! If that kid were smart, he'd just surrender obediently, otherwise… if one of our Canglan geniuses happens to strike a little too hard, losing half his life would be light."

"Yun Che… cheer up! Show them what you've got!!" Scattered voices also rose from the arena, cheering for Yun Che, but these sparse and weak sounds were instantly drowned out by the roar of the Canglan Nation.

"Ugh, this is so boring. I wanted a thrilling and exciting fight to show off our power… but it's this kid," a Canglan profound practitioner across from Yun Che said irritably, crossing his arms and casually glancing at Yun Che before not bothering to look a second time.

The postures of the other nine profound practitioners were largely the same; some didn't even give Yun Che a proper look after he stepped onto the stage.

"The first match of the 39th Seven Nations Ranking Tournament, Canglan Nation versus Azure Cloud Nation… battle begin!"

Feng Feiyan directly gave the command to start the match, but after his voice fell, neither side assumed a combat stance. Yun Che stood in place, expressionlessly looking at the Canglan Nation profound practitioners in front of him. The ten participating profound practitioners from Canglan Nation stood there lazily, looking utterly miserable. Not to mention getting into a combat stance, their eyelids were drooping, too lazy to even open them.

"What do we do? Who's going?" a Canglan profound practitioner asked, "I'm definitely not going, anyway."

"Damn it! Why are you looking at me? I'm definitely not going. For six years, I've been too lazy to abuse weaklings below the Sky Profound Realm."

"I traveled all this way to meet the world's heroes and show off our might. Fighting this guy would be an insult to my strength… whoever wants to go, go. I won't fight him even if it kills me!"

"Uh… Junior Sister Ji, how about you?"

"Hmph! Worthless men like you aren't worthy of my taking action."

The ten Canglan Nation profound practitioners pushed and shoved, none willing to step forward and fight Yun Che, as if fighting him would be an immense insult to them… all ten going at once was even more impossible. If they really did that, it might be circulated later that… Canglan Nation defeated the Azure Cloud Nation's only profound practitioner with ten against one… they couldn't afford such a loss of face.

At this moment, Yun Che's state could roughly be summarized in one sentence:

Silently watching a bunch of idiots showing off.