Chapter 76: Meng Chuan's First Appearance

Meng Chuan, watching from his position in the line, also marveled. It was no wonder he had such a great reputation; his strength was truly impressive!

After Chu Yong executed that strike, he calmly sheathed his blade and turned to leave. Another genius stepped forward, piercing through thirty-two layers with a single sword thrust.

Geniuses went up one after another, each only able to perform a single move, and each was remarkably focused and meticulous.

"Next, Yan Feng from Yuanzhou," the goat-bearded man called out.

No one present paid him much attention.

Yan Feng was tall and handsome, yet he had a distinctive pair of blood-red eyebrows. He was a man, but his name, 'Feng', meant phoenix.

He held a long black spear with a flowing red tassel.

"Break!"

Yan Feng suddenly surged forward, taking only three steps before thrusting his spear forward with both hands.

The spear struck like a dragon! The long spear transformed into a roaring flood dragon, relentlessly tearing through the layers of light. Its destructive range was so vast that, at first glance, it appeared comparable to Chu Yong's feat, astonishing everyone watching.

"One hundred eighty-two layers!" the goat-bearded man exclaimed, his voice rising a few octaves, as he curiously scrutinized the red-browed man.

"Yan Feng?"

"Yan Feng from Yuanzhou? Where did he come from? How is he so strong?"

"Among the more than seventy geniuses here, only Chu Yong and Yan Feng have broken through a hundred layers. One broke through one hundred ninety-one layers, and the other one hundred eighty-two. They are far stronger than anyone else present." Many people gasped in astonishment.

Even the numerous gods and demons found it hard to believe.

"Brother Gongsun, your Yuanzhou is too cautious. The intelligence records of Yuanchu Mountain have very little information on this Yan Feng, treating him as an ordinary genius," a god-demon remarked with a smile while looking at a scroll. They had also received a scroll with detailed information on every genius present for the viewing.

"I truly don't know," Gongsun Qi also chuckled. "You might not believe it, but from what I understand, this Yan Feng comes from an ordinary family, not a god-demon clan. When he was twelve, his hometown was invaded by demon beasts, and his parents died. He has been wandering the world ever since... This year, at nineteen, he returned to his hometown, displayed his strength, and came to participate in this Yuanchu Mountain entrance examination."

"How can someone from an ordinary family exhibit such powerful strength? His god-demon body is comparable to Chu Yong's, and the Chu family spent eight precious heavenly treasures to cultivate Chu Yong."

They discussed among themselves.

Marquis Nanyun smiled, "I recall that three thousand years ago, Senior God-Demon Kou Sheng consumed an 'Undying Grass' in his youth, and his eyebrows turned blood-red. This Yan Feng also has blood-red eyebrows; could he have also consumed Undying Grass?"

"Undying Grass? A single stalk of Undying Grass can indeed lay an incredibly strong foundation," King Donghe nodded.

"It's a bit wasteful for a mortal to consume Undying Grass directly; it only utilizes thirty percent of its medicinal efficacy."

"This Yan Feng's spear technique is quite extraordinary; it has already reached the peak of 'Spear Momentum,' just one step away from comprehending 'Spear Intent.' For him to consume Undying Grass wouldn't be a waste." These powerful god-demons casually commented. Most of them were Marquis God-Demons, rarely gathered here, primarily to escort the geniuses from various states to observe the trials.

They cared little for ordinary geniuses; their greater hope was for true peerless prodigies to emerge, individuals who could one day fight alongside them.

After Yan Feng, seven more participants took their turn before it was finally Meng Chuan's.

"Thirty-three layers, next, Meng Chuan from Wuzhou," the goat-bearded man announced. Many gazes in the arena fell upon Meng Chuan.

To those in the know, Meng Chuan was one of the top ten most renowned figures in this Yuanchu Mountain entrance examination. His single remarkable achievement was slaying two demon grand commanders, each with a single strike!

Marquis Nanyun watched from afar.

"Chuan'er," Meng Dajiang watched anxiously.

Meng Chuan, however, stepped forward calmly.

This was the Yuanchu Mountain entrance examination, so he naturally had to give it his all. Aside from refraining from using his Soul Power, he held nothing back.

"I've waited twelve years for this day," Meng Chuan thought, his mind and body instantly fusing. Over the years, repeated attempts at extreme bursts of power had made his meridians wide and resilient. In an instant, his True Essence surged fifteenfold. He commanded this immense True Essence with 'Blade Momentum,' combining it with his physical body, and further applied some of the techniques he learned from the 'Five Thunderfalls' form of the Thunder Extinction Blade. The lightning within his body became much denser, and streaks of lightning even appeared on his skin.

*Whoosh!*

A watery blade light instantly flashed, slicing through the layers of light. The light then receded, and the blade was already back in its sheath.

The draw and sheathing were so swift that, in a blur, it seemed as if he hadn't even drawn his blade.

"Strength is indeed not my forte," Meng Chuan sighed inwardly, glancing at the result, and then turned to leave.

"Seventy-nine layers, next, Qi Chou from Yuanchu City," the goat-bearded man announced as a new genius stepped forward to make their move.

The gods and demons, reviewing their scrolls, looked somewhat perplexed.

"Only seventy-nine layers? Brother Nanyun, wasn't it said he killed two demon grand commanders with a single strike each? With blade techniques of this power?" a god-demon inquired.

"Demon grand commanders have formidable physiques. Meng Chuan's blade technique is decent among human geniuses. But to kill a demon grand commander, it would likely take dozens of exchanges. A single strike? I'm afraid the power isn't enough."

Their discernment was exceptionally sharp.

"He only managed to slay two demon grand commanders consecutively by bursting with several times his usual strength at a critical moment to save that young girl, Liu Qiyue," Marquis Nanyun explained with a smile. "His normal strength doesn't reach that level."

"So that's how it is."

"He burst with power to save someone at a critical moment?" The gods and demons were somewhat disappointed. They hoped to find 'peerless prodigies' among the over three hundred geniuses, and Meng Chuan, who was on their candidate list, proved weaker than anticipated.

Soon, it was Yan Jin's turn.

"Twenty-six layers, next, Yan Jin from Wuzhou."

"One hundred thirty-seven layers!" a slightly higher-pitched voice announced. This was the third person to pass a hundred layers.

Yan Jin walked over.

"Yan Jin, impressive, you're better than me," Meng Chuan whispered.

"But I always lose to you in every competition," Yan Jin pouted, taking his place at the end of the line.

Meng Chuan still gave his all for the Yuanchu Mountain entrance examination, as too many people's hopes rested on him! However, he was well aware that without unleashing his 'Soul Power,' his body, cultivated with lightning, had speed as its greatest advantage, while his strength was merely average. Being able to break seventy-nine layers was already due to his solid god-demon foundation and peak 'Blade Momentum.'

There were many types of god-demon bodies.

Some excelled in strength, others in speed, and some possessed immense vitality...

For instance, Yan Jin's god-demon foundation was comparable to Meng Chuan's, and his sword technique was slightly less refined, yet his strength was significantly greater, allowing him to pierce through one hundred thirty-seven layers.

After all, choosing a 'Thunder God Body' meant accepting this outcome.

"The preliminary selection has three parts; the second part tests movement speed, which is my greatest strength," Meng Chuan silently mused, eager to fully demonstrate his capabilities in his most proficient area.

Geniuses took the stage one by one.

Each genius had their own strengths, which was why Yuanchu Mountain set a minimum threshold: as long as one could break through twenty layers, they could continue with the subsequent assessments.

As more and more geniuses stepped forward, each demonstrating their abilities, the onlookers grew increasingly amazed.

Geniuses capable of breaking through a hundred layers continued to appear.

However, three individuals surpassed one hundred fifty layers: Chu Yong, Yan Feng, and Dong Fang. Dong Fang's single axe strike, which broke through one hundred eighty-five layers, also astounded the entire audience. The thirteen-year-old boy known as Yuanchu City's top genius, Yan Chitong, also appeared, piercing seventy-three layers with a spear, which was quite impressive.

"Last, Ji Yuantong from Yuanchu City!" the goat-bearded man announced. The first part of the preliminary selection had reached its final genius.

Ji Yuantong was slender, yet he wielded a large hammer in each hand, his eyes cold.

"Ji Yuantong was previously recognized as Yuanchu City's top genius! However, Yan Chitong, at thirteen, comprehended 'Momentum,' snatching the title of genius from him."

"Three years ago, he burst onto the scene with astonishing talent, and since then, he has rarely left his residence. We don't know the extent of his cultivation now." Many discussed this. Yuanchu City was, after all, the Great Zhou Dynasty's largest city, so someone who once held the title of its top genius naturally attracted attention. He was also among the top ten most renowned participants in this assessment.

Ji Yuantong, with a cold expression, advanced with a hammer in each hand and then slammed one forward with immense force.

As he struck, black light emanated from his entire body. One hammer transformed into a phantom, crashing down violently onto the layers of light amidst an explosive roar.

The slovenly man controlling the light layers changed his expression. With a thought, new layers of light continuously appeared, extending the original two hundred layers all the way to three hundred.

*Boom!* The terrifying hammer force shattered numerous layers of light, leaving only the very last one intact.

The goat-bearded man opened his mouth, took a deep breath, and then announced, "Two hundred ninety-nine layers!"

The entire venue fell silent.

Meng Chuan and the other geniuses were utterly stunned. Two hundred ninety-nine layers? Was there such a monster among mortals? Meanwhile, the eyes of the gods and demons lit up as they all stared intently at Ji Yuantong.