Wei Zhenfang's question barely drew any attention.
Zhong Limeng slowly turned her head, thinking there might be some unexpected turn of events.
But upon hearing his words clearly, she couldnāt help but show a helpless expression.
What use was a mere ring in the face of ten thousand demonic corpses?
This elder, willing to assist without regard for consequencesāsuch righteousness and kindnessāshe would remember it for the rest of her life. But as things stood, fate could no longer be changed.
Wei Zhenfang, however, remained composed, smiling as he spoke.
"Young Lady Zhong, thereās no need to worry. A mere ten thousand demonic corpses are nothing worth mentioning! Just retrieve whatās inside the ring, and youāll see for yourself!"
A mere ten thousand?
Nothing worth mentioning?!
The disciples nearby finally turned their attention, their mouths twitching in disbelief!
Elder Weiās words were beyond audaciousāwas he spouting nonsense?
Fu Haotianās laughter grew even louder, nearly doubling over.
"āNothing worth mentioning,ā you say? Then why donāt you show this young master what ānothing worth mentioningā looks like? Hahaha!"
Hearing the mocking laughter, Zhong Limeng clenched her fists.
Yet, seeing Wei Zhenfangās unwavering confidence, as if he truly had some trick up his sleeve, she decided to give it a try. She reached into the ring as instructed.
With just a casual sweep of her spiritual sense, Zhong Limengās pupils suddenly trembled violently!
She stood frozen in place, as if struck by lightning.
"Thisā¦!"
"Thisā¦ thisā¦!"
Her voice shook, unable to believe what she was seeing. She pinched herself hardāthe sharp pain confirmed this was no dream.
When she lifted her gaze again, Wei Zhenfang was stroking his beard with an encouraging smile.
Taking a deep breath, Zhong Limeng steadied her trembling hands and channeled her spiritual energy.
In an instant, terrifying streams of light erupted from the ring, flooding the sky and enveloping the entire martial arena. The spectacle far surpassed anything seen before! šššį»įĘs
All murmurs and laughter ceased abruptly.
Tens of thousands of eyes turned upward, stunned by the radiance above.
When the light finally fadedā¦
The arena was so silent you could hear a pin drop.
The entire martial grounds were now piled high with demonic corpsesālarge and small!
A mountain of corpses towered so high it blotted out the sky, completely submerging the arena. The previous small hills of corpses were nowhere to be seen, and many more had spilled beyond the arenaās edges!
"Boom!"
Several thunderous crashes followed as more massive demonic corpses tumbled down the pile, sending disciples scrambling back in panic!
By the time the sheer scale of the corpses became apparent, the tens of thousands of disciples were petrified.
For several breathsā¦
Not a single sound could be heard across the martial grounds.
"Crack!"
On the high platform, a jade teacup toppled and shattered.
The crisp sound echoed through the arena, yet no one paid it any mind.
The seven great sect masters of the Heavenly Sects rose one after another, their eyes reflecting the horrifying sea of corpses!
Even the unshakable Heaven-tier experts trembled, their gazes locked onto the terrifying sight in utter disbelief.
Nanli Qingming was the most shaken, standing at the forefront of the platform.
Only after a long while did the seven masters regain their composure, exchanging hushed whispers filled with awe.
"This sea of corpsesā¦ there must be tens of thousands!"
"More than that! Likely close to a hundred thousand!"
"That giant demonic birdās aura is terrifyingāat least Heaven-tier second rank!"
"The ones that fell are even stronger, their bodies wreathed in dreadful killing intent. In life, they must have been at least third rank!"
"Everyone, look! That enormous skeletonācould it be the legendary third-rank demon, the Golden Thread White Bone?!"
"Tskā¦ In my ten thousand years of life, Iāve never seen so many high-ranking demonic corpses!"
The whispers from the platform spread through the silent arena.
The disciples below shuddered, waves of shock rippling through the crowd.
Just gazing up at the towering mountain of corpses was enough to send chills down their spines. Every single demonic corpse exuded a terrifying aura, nearly all of them high-ranking demons. Hearing the Heaven-tier expertsā words, the tens of thousands of disciples felt their backs drenched in cold sweat!
In an instant, the crowd retreated several zhang away.
From a distance, they stared at the horrifying sea of corpses, their faces filled with dread and fear.
Even from afar, the oppressive aura made them feel as if the heavens were collapsing. Only about thirty percent could still stand firm under the overwhelming pressure!
Shockā
A shock beyond imagination had plunged the entire Cangyun Heavenly Palace into dead silence!
Standing amidst the sea of corpsesā¦
Even though he had swiftly taken to the skies to avoid it, Fu Haotianās face was deathly pale, his lips trembling uncontrollably!
"Thisā¦ this canāt be!"
"How is this possible?!"
Even the powerful maidservant supporting him couldnāt hide her pallor.
The two staggered back through the air, landing at the edge of the arena, their hearts still pounding as they stared up at the mountain of corpses, not daring to take another step forward!
On the other side of the arenaā¦
Zhong Limengās eyes shimmered with radiant light.
Even though she had sensed the number of corpses earlier, seeing them with her own eyes still shook her to the core. She stood frozen, waves of overwhelming joy surging through her like a drought-stricken land blessed with sweet rain!
Amidst the stunned silenceā¦
Wei Zhenfang stood calmly at the edge of the corpse mountain, his gaze sweeping over the crowd with indifference.
"A speck of dust dares to challenge the brilliance of the moon?"
With his hands behind his back, his aged eyes exuded an imperious dominance!
The same words, spoken now by Wei Zhenfang, carried an earth-shaking authority. His tone and bearing radiated an undeniable pressure, surpassing Fu Haotianās arrogance a hundredfold!
Though he stood alone, his frail figure before the mountain of corpses seemed to expand infinitely, as vast as the heavens and earth themselves!
An unfathomable aura erupted, instantly cowing the tens of thousands present!
A single sentence, dripping with sheer audacityāyet not a single person dared to question it. The awe and reverence in the arena grew tenfold!
Under his sweeping gaze, none dared to meet his eyes.
Faced with the horrifying sea of corpses and such overwhelming presenceā¦
Fu Haotianās face flushed red, his stolen thunder leaving him speechless.
"Thisā¦ youā¦"
"This canāt beā¦ this is impossibleā¦"
The killing intent from the corpses pressed down on him, threatening to shatter his mind!
Seeing his pitiful state, Wei Zhenfang reveled in the thrill of his own dominance.
Grandson of the Supreme Elder?
Hah!
If even these demonic corpses terrify you, youāre nothing but an ant!
A mere speck of dust like you dares to compete with Lady Zhong, whom the senior has chosen?
The more he looked, the more disdain filled him. Wei Zhenfang felt an indomitable power surging through him. Wherever his gaze fell, none dared to meet itāas if he were the sovereign of this very world!
These so-called geniuses and experts trembled before him, and this was just a fraction of the seniorās power.
If they were to witness the seniorās true might, wouldnāt they be pissing themselves in fear?
The Cangyun Heavenly Palace? Nothing more than this!
With this thought, Wei Zhenfangās confidence soared.
His aura intensified as he cast a sidelong glance.
"Elder Song, do I even need to spell out the outcome?"
The presiding elder shuddered under his gaze, overwhelmed by the sheer audacity radiating from him.
Yet, faced with those indifferent eyes, he instinctively bowed in respect.
"Thisā¦ thisā¦"
The once-revered presiding elder was now caught in an impossible dilemma.
On one side was Zhong Limengās absolute victory, backed by terrifying means and connections.
On the other was the Supreme Elderās authorityāoffending him would make life unbearable.
Both were forces beyond his reach. Speaking up would only invite disaster.
Truly, when gods clash, mortals sufferā¦
The presiding elder was frantic, trapped between a rock and a hard place.
Had he known this duel would be so terrifying, he wouldāve never agreed to oversee it!
What cursed luck to be saddled with such a task!
Who couldāve imaginedā¦
Wei Zhenfang was merely a guest elder, possessing some cultivation but otherwise an unremarkable presence. Yet in the blink of an eye, he had become this terrifyingāwho knew what heaven-defying luck he had stumbled upon? With a mere gesture, he summoned a hundred thousand demonic corpses, shaking Fu Haotian to his core like an insignificant ant!
Such methods, such hidden power.
Truly, it was enough to send chills down oneās spine!
He had even crushed the techniques of the Grand Eldersāwhat did that make a mere elder like him?
The presiding elder dared not utter a word, utterly dumbstruck.
The tens of thousands of disciples didnāt dare breathe a syllable, trembling in fear and reverence.
The name Wei Zhenfang now shook the heavens!
Even the seven Celestial Rank experts on the platform were unsettled, their usual composure shattered.
When they looked at Wei Zhenfang again, wariness flickered in their eyes.
No one dared to declare who had won or lost.
Only the Celestial Palaceās master, Nanli Qingming, had a glint of clarity in his gaze, as if he had reached some decision.
After sweeping his eyes over the terrifying sea of corpses and cautiously studying Wei Zhenfangās domineering silhouette, the Palace Master finally took a resolute step forward.
"The winner of this Grand Ceremonyā¦ is Zhong Limeng!"
His voice rang across the heavens, decisive and absolute!