Eternal Heavenly Emperor

"""

Ling Tianhe's eyes widened in anger.

This kid was too arrogant. He was not only the top expert among the younger generation of the Ling Family but also the fourth-ranked core disciple of the Yunliu Sect.

What was Chu Hao compared to him? He had only entered the Inner Sect four months ago, and now he wanted to challenge him?

But the fact was, this guy indeed now had the qualifications to battle him.

What a monster.

Was even Cao Jingwen this terrifying back in the day?

Thinking of this, Ling Tianhe couldn't help but be stunned. He had actually elevated Chu Hao to the same level as Cao Jingwen? He had to know, Cao Jingwen was recognized as a monster, a genius so supreme that he could only look up to him, not daring to even think about surpassing him.

That was an opponent so strong it made people despair.

Impossible. Such geniuses in the entire Tianhe County only amounted to four. How could there be a place for a Lower World commoner?

Ling Tianhe took a deep breath, suppressing the unease in his heart.

He must defeat Chu Hao.

If he defeated this kid, his position as the first young expert of the Ling Family would be unshakeable. In the future, even Ling Yuerong and Ling Tianyun would have to avoid crossing paths with him. Just look, you two actually lost to a commoner from the Lower World. Luckily, the Ling Family still had him, otherwise, wouldn't people laugh to death?

But.

If he also fell, then he would be even more humiliated than Ling Yuerong and Ling Tianyun. Because now, all eyes in the Ling Family were on him, he was their only hope.

The bigger the hope, naturally, the bigger the disappointment.

He could only win; he could not afford to lose.

"I did indeed say those words," Ling Tianhe said calmly, "and you are only fit to be taught a lesson by me. Chu Hao, as a servant, you should have the consciousness of a servant. Do not foolishly think you can rise above your master."

Chu Hao laughed loudly, "Stop boasting. If you've got what it takes, bring it on."

Ling Tianhe drew his sword; the sword had three inlay slots embedded with ferocious beast inner cores, faintly crackling with blue electric currents.

A Three-Hole Treasure Weapon.

Chu Hao's pupils contracted slightly. In the hands of a martial master, there was no difference between a first-grade treasure weapon and an eighth-grade one, because even if they had a high-rank treasure weapon, they wouldn't have enough Star Force to unleash its full power.

If a martial master were to obtain a first-grade treasure weapon and forcibly activate it, the treasure weapon would instantly drain all the Star Force from the martial artist's body, even completely depleting their life essence.

That would be death.

Conversely, using a Low-Tier treasure weapon as a high-tier martial artist wouldn't work either. The surge of Star Force would cause the embedded ferocious beast inner cores to explode, rendering the weapon useless.

Therefore, for martial artists, a treasure weapon's rank wasn't the most critical factor; suitability was.

An eighth-grade treasure weapon with three slots was extremely lethal. Chu Hao knew well that eighth-grade treasure weapons were limited by their materials and generally could only embed three inner cores. Of course, one could make additional slots on a seventh-grade treasure weapon and embed martial master-level ferocious beast inner cores, forcibly downgrading it to the eighth grade, but which wastrel would do such a thing?

Previously, even Ling Yuerong's two-slot treasure weapon had given Chu Hao a headache, let alone now facing a three-slot one.

However, this treasure weapon wasn't the usual sword Ling Tianhe carried—Chu Hao had remembered what the other's weapon looked like from their many previous battles.

It seemed that the higher-ups of the Ling Family had been making moves to prevent an outsider like him from taking first place.

On the surface, this battle still seemed fair, but in reality, Ling Tianhe not only had a treasure weapon but also the best among eighth-grade ones.

Like adding wings to a tiger.

Chu Hao still had no intention of using the Red Shadow Sword; this great weapon no longer held much use for him after attaining the rank of martial master, as he hadn't learned any advanced sword techniques.

He adjusted his palms and assumed the stance of the Sky Wind Eight Styles.

He only mastered seven moves now, so he would conclude this fight in seven moves.

"Heh, a Three-Hole Treasure Weapon, the Ling Family truly has deep pockets." Chu Hao sneered, his sarcasm obvious.

Ling Tianhe's face turned red. He had a treasure weapon and Chu Hao had none; this was already extremely unfair, let alone him holding a three-slot weapon. But so what? There was no way he would let Chu Hao take the first place in the family tournament.

At any cost.

"Chu Hao, let me show you the power of the Torrential Rain Swordsmanship." Ling Tianhe raised his sword. He had thought it would be Ling Tianyun or Ling Yuerong standing before him, challenging him. He never imagined it would be Chu Hao.

But with a Three-Hole Treasure Weapon and a Human Level High-Grade Martial Technique, he had the final say.

"Watch my sword." He shouted loudly, man and sword becoming one as he lunged forth. Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Sword Qi filled the sky, like a torrential downpour.

This was the Torrential Rain Swordsmanship.

The Three-Hole Treasure Weapon started to unleash its power, all three inner cores glowing simultaneously, forming a blue electric light along the sword blade. Any slight touch would result in a numbing shock, rendering the opponent powerless.

One inner core represented one ferocious beast, and three meant the combined effort of three beasts. Though not simply additive, the power was immense.

Chu Hao let out a long howl and launched into the Sky Wind Eight Styles, attacking Ling Tianhe head-on.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The two ferociously clashed. With the protection of the Jade Wall Technique, Chu Hao's bare palms could directly resist the treasure weapon, leaving only a few cuts on his hands.

Both sides spared no effort, using their strongest moves right from the start.

Gathering Wind, Breaking Wave, Cloud Dispersal, Splitting Earth, Sky Collapse, Star Shatter.

Chu Hao unleashed six moves, feeling a faint pain in his meridians inside, accompanied by a sensation of wanting to vomit blood. It seemed that his meridians, though greatly strengthened by the Jade Wall Technique, were still somewhat lacking under such intense combat.

Electric currents had shredded his clothes, and charred marks appeared on his skin from the Three-Hole Treasure Weapon's slashes, as even the Jade Wall Technique couldn't completely neutralize the lightning's power.

Among the Six Elements of heaven and earth, lightning was the only elemental energy not belonging to the Five Elements, and its power was more formidable than the forces of the Five Elements.

Ling Tianhe fared no better. Under the dual attacks of the Sky Wind Eight Styles and Shocking Force, he was disheveled and wretched. Judging by appearances, the two seemed evenly matched.

But everyone could see clearly that Chu Hao was only at the Five Meridians Peak, while Ling Tianhe was at the Eight Meridians Peak. Moreover, one was empty-handed, and the other wielded a treasure weapon, and a Three-Hole one at that.

Isn't the result obvious?

But this matter affected the dignity of the Ling Family. So, even knowing it was unfair, all the Ling Family members pretended not to see and shouted for Ling Tianhe to cheer him on.

Having already lost face, losing the fight would only be a greater humiliation.

"One final sword," Ling Tianhe said solemnly. At this point, he had to admit that Chu Hao's martial arts talent indeed surpassed his. But he could not lose.

The final move of the Torrential Rain Swordsmanship was the most powerful but also had a significant drawback. If it failed to defeat the enemy, he would be left completely defenseless.

For victory, he had no retreat.

Chu Hao's palms performed the derivation, and the seventh move of the Sky Wind Eight Styles was ready.

"Hey."

Both let out a shout and charged at each other.

Sword and palm moved simultaneously, both using every last ounce of energy in this final strike.

Boom.

A powerful force wave surged out, causing the entire arena to collapse. It was the third arena destroyed today, and each demolition was linked to Chu Hao.

Dust filled the air, obscuring visibility.

Whoosh.

A cold wind blew through, clearing the dust and revealing the wrecked arena.

Chu Hao and Ling Tianhe both lay on the ground. Their chests rose and fell slightly, indicating they were still alive, but neither had the strength to get up again.

Was it a draw, with both sides severely injured?

"Whoever stands up first will be the winner," said a mighty Ling Family expert, a Warrior-level cultivator. His voice wasn't loud but echoed clearly in everyone's ears.

Chu Hao and Ling Tianhe both twitched, attempting to get up, but neither succeeded.

In this final clash, they had exhausted their strength and taken considerable damage.

Now it was not about strength, but willpower.

Under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands, both slowly moved their bodies, struggling to rise.

From lying flat on their backs to lying face down, and then to prostrating, they supported themselves bit by bit.

But now, both had lost the strength to stand up. They supported themselves with their hands, neither daring to let go. Releasing their hands could cause them to collapse and be unable to get up again.

Determination flickered in Chu Hao's eyes. Compared to Ling Tianhe, his resolve was stronger.

From the enslaved Lower World.

Millions of citizens became slaves, with countless women abducted as playthings. Even those selected as talents were poisoned and no longer controlled their own lives.

Anger. This anger drove him to shakily stand, finally straightening his back.

Seeing this, Ling Tianhe panicked and tried to stand as well. But in his haste, he only leaned forward and collapsed with a thud, fainting directly.

Silence fell around.

Ling Tianhe had lost too. This Lower World scoundrel had actually claimed what should have belonged to the Ling Family.

Everyone glared angrily at Chu Hao. This young man had shamed the Ling Family.

This was the Ling Family's disgrace.

Chu Hao looked at the crowd, slowly raised his right hand, and made a thumbs-down gesture.

This was an Earthly gesture. The Ling Family members didn't understand it, but given the context, they could guess it wasn't anything good.

The atmosphere became charged with fury. This kid was too hateful; not only had he shamed the Ling Family, but he also dared provoke them all.

"The first place in this family's tournament is... Chu Hao," announced the head of the Ling Family. Though the result displeased him greatly, he had no choice but to accept it.

Around, a chorus of boos erupted.

"""