Chapter 445 - 235: At This Moment, Jiang Che Is Their God!!

Voices of doubt and gasps of astonishment rose and fell.

But facts spoke for themselves.

Even though some stubborn few insisted that Jiang Che must have gotten lucky, hiding in some corner and barely hanging on, and that he would surely be the next one out.

But...

As time went on, reality slapped them hard across the face!

BZZZT—

The light flashed again.

This time, several experts at the Late-stage Fourth Layer of the True Master Realm emerged!

But among them, that figure in black was still nowhere to be seen!

Only then did the crowd realize in astonishment.

Inside the vast Array, at this very moment, only five people remained!

Only five!

Everyone held their breath, their eyes glued to the giant ranking Jade Disc.

The five remaining names hung high at the top of the list like five great mountains, exuding a suffocating pressure!

From Northic Divine Beast Mountain, Xiong Tong!

From the Southern Desolate Medicine King Valley, Nalan Ruoshui!

From Penglai Island, Long Yu’er!

From the Desert Mad Saber Sect, Lei Kuang!

And...

The name from the remote Cangzhou, the one with the lowest Realm, yet who had remained standing firm—

From the Cangyun Sect, Jiang Che!

"F-Fifth place?!"

"Jiang Che’s combat power... is actually on the same level as those four top prodigies?!"

At that moment, all of Xuanwu Plaza erupted!

Everyone’s eyes were filled with incomparable shock!

Keep in mind, during yesterday’s Divine Soul assessment, even though Jiang Che had worked a miracle, he had only placed ninth.

But today...

In this combat stage—the ultimate test of raw power with no frills or tricks.

He had actually... fought his way into the top five?!

This was no longer a miracle.

This was... a myth!

「Deep within the mists of the Asura Illusion Realm.」

"Die for me!!!"

Following a hoarse, furious roar, a violent arc of thunderous saber light swept out!

PSSSH!

The last Illusion Beast—massive in size, its aura at the Peak of the Fourth Layer of the True Master Realm—let out a sorrowful cry under the wrath-filled strike before dissolving into a cloud of black smoke.

Lei Kuang knelt on one knee, leaning on his heavy Nine-Ring Saber and gasping for breath.

He was already covered in wounds.

The special Treasure Armor from the Mad Saber Sect was in tatters, revealing a web of gashes beneath. Blood mixed with sweat dripped from his brawny, sinewed arms onto the ground.

Although the wounds and shattered armor were temporary illusions that would vanish once he was teleported out of the Array, the feeling of a life-or-death struggle was very real.

A full... thirty-eight of them!

Thirty-eight Illusion Beasts at the Peak of the Fourth Layer of the True Master Realm!

Although these Illusion Beasts had low intelligence and simple attack patterns, making them no match for a true human Martial Artist, they were still thirty-eight enemies of the same Realm!

The terrifying momentum of their charge alone was enough to make an ordinary Martial Artist at the Fourth Layer of the True Master Realm break down instantly!

It was only because he was Lei Kuang, relying on the Mad Saber Sect’s domineering Saber Technique designed for fighting multiple opponents, coupled with his own tenacious will, that he had managed to slaughter them all after paying a heavy price.

"Huff... Huff..."

Lei Kuang raised his head and wiped the blood from his face, a savage and conceited grin spreading across his features.

"Haha... Hahahaha..."

’Aside from that brute Xiong Tong and that freak Nalan Ruoshui...’

’Everyone else should have been eliminated long ago, right?’

He glanced around. Although he still couldn’t see anyone else, his heart was filled with conviction.

’This was a full thirty-eight Illusion Beasts at the Peak of the Fourth Layer of the True Master Realm...’

’I refuse to believe anyone besides those two monsters could have survived this deathtrap.’

’That broad from Penglai Island? Hmph, no matter how good her Body Technique is, she’d be done for under this kind of siege!’

A look of disdain crossed Lei Kuang’s face.

「Meanwhile.」

In another corner of the Array.

The same mist churned, and the same thirty-eight Illusion Beasts at the Peak of the Fourth Layer of the True Master Realm bared their fangs, charging with world-destroying momentum toward the seemingly tiny figure at the center!

However, faced with this overwhelming tide of beasts, Jiang Che’s expression remained as calm as still water.

He slowly raised his hand. In an instant, the terrifying True Qi in his body, boosted by a Twenty-Fifthfold Amplification, transformed entirely into majestic and domineering golden dragon phantoms that suppressed all before them!

"Twenty-five-fold..."

"Ten Thousand Dragons Prison Suppression!"

ROAR!!!

A draconic roar that shook heaven and earth exploded within the confined space!

Countless golden dragons made of True Qi descended from the sky like a divine punishment, instantly covering every inch of space for hundreds of feet around!

BOOM!

There were no screams, no struggles, not even the slightest pause.

Those thirty-eight menacing Illusion Beasts at the Peak of the Fourth Layer of the True Master Realm, the kind that had forced Lei Kuang to risk life and limb.

The moment they appeared, before they could even take a second step...

...they were instantly vaporized by the indiscriminate, devastating strike!

Not a single hair was left!

In that one instant, the once-crowded and chaotic battlefield became completely empty and clean.

Only the lingering golden afterglow still flowed slowly through the air.

Jiang Che slowly retracted his hand. He looked at the empty ground before him and nodded in satisfaction.

’This move really is effective for clearing out fodder.’

This was an area-of-effect attack he had comprehended from the Nine Heavens Azure Cloud Technique after breaking through to the Second Layer of the True Master Realm.

He hadn’t had a chance to use it before, but now it had finally come in handy!

Right now, Jiang Che’s breathing wasn’t even the slightest bit disturbed.

He assessed the situation internally.