Great Villain: Starting by Humiliating the Son of the Heavenly Fate

Seeing the reactions, another spectating cultivator explained, "To naturally prevent cheating."

"Who knows if those cultivators who appear to be spectators might be bribed and intervene in secret?"

"That's right, this is the most foolproof method."

"Tsk, I wonder if that guy has been bought off?"

"Don't overthink it. Daoist friends of Dao Comprehension realm and above, let's proceed."

Amid the murmuring, streaks of radiant light ascended, heading towards the exclusive viewing area prepared by the Ageless Spirit Heavenly Sect.

This area was situated far from the Immortal Martial Grand Assembly venue, making it completely impossible for anyone to secretly assist.

Those cultivators remaining in the circular audience seats, with the strongest among them only reaching the Inquiring Journey realm, were separated from the competition stage by a formation. They couldn't possibly assist the participants in cheating.

Soon, everything was ready.

The host's booming voice echoed throughout the venue once more, "Announcing now, the Immortal Martial Grand Assembly officially begins."

"The first event is a test of combat prowess! For fairness, this event is divided into two major phases. The first phase is a standard test of combat strength."

With a commanding tone, he directed, "Now, all participating prodigies, please enter the competition field!"

With a rustling sound, thirteen competing cultivators leapt up, passing through the formation passage, and entered the vast arena.

"Why is there one missing?" a voice whispered.

"Where is the Holy Son of Purple Heaven Holy Land?"

One by one, the cultivators frowned as they looked towards the stage.

Suddenly, a figure appeared out of thin air amidst the group of prodigies, as if he had been there all along.

It was Jiang Chen.

"Ha!" one prodigy gasped.

"What a formidable technique!" another marveled. "I didn't notice any anomaly at all!"

"Is that the Holy Son of Purple Heaven? There's no aura emanating from him; it's impossible to gauge his strength!"

"Such an imposing presence; my hand, it's trembling!"

Shock gripped the hearts of the prodigies, a bead of cold sweat forming on their foreheads.

Some cultivators showed defiance, their eyes filled with disdain. One of them snorted, "Hmph!"

Another chimed in with contempt, "All show and no substance! Just posturing!"

Yet deep down, even these cultivators harbored significant apprehension and unease.

Outside the stage, the cultivators in the circular seating area buzzed with chatter, their gazes fixed on Jiang Chen.

Meanwhile, Jiang Chen didn't even spare a glance at the surrounding so-called geniuses. He had already assessed them using his Villain's Eye. All of them were mere passersby, devoid of any supporting characters.

This suggested that no protagonist would emerge during this Immortal Martial Grand Assembly, which put Jiang Chen in a good mood.

Just then, the host's voice reverberated across the venue once again, "For the first phase, to ensure the contestants remain unharmed, we've specially constructed fourteen steles to gauge true combat strength. Each minor realm's combat power is divided into a hundred segments."

He continued lucidly, "All steles are open for the prodigious contestants to choose from. Contestants, give it your utmost and strike the stele. You're free to use any method, save for weapons."

Subsequently, fourteen towering steles ascended from beneath the stage, positioning themselves around the circumference of the circular platform.

These steles, each reaching hundreds of meters in height, were made from unique materials robust enough to endure multiple strikes from individuals of the Dao Palace realm.

A formation inside each stele gauged the potency of the blows.

"The competition begins now!" declared the host.

One by one, the prodigious contestants approached their chosen steles, their faces taut with concentration as they mustered their energy.

Only Jiang Chen stood still, composed and unhurried.

"Boom!" An unknown prodigious cultivator took the initiative, slamming the stele with utmost power.

The stele didn't budge but radiated a soft glow which materialized into words— "Orchid Stone Domain, Wu Xiaoman, True Combat Power, Late-stage Dao Comprehension realm, Thirty-Seven Segments!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Successively, the other contestants stepped forward, launching their most forceful attacks against the steles.

Even those of the Inquiring Journey realm gave their best. Knowing their odds were slim against the stronger contestants, a higher score was their only advantage.

In no time, all thirteen contestants had completed their turns. Their combat capabilities spanned from the Early-stage Dao Comprehension realm up to the Early-stage Dao Palace realm, with a few nearing the Middle-stage Dao Palace realm.

Now, only Jiang Chen was left to take action.

"How strong is Jiang Chen, really? We're about to find out," one spectator remarked.

"I'd wager he's at the Middle-stage Dao Palace realm at best."

"I'm guessing it's the Late-stage Dao Palace realm; anything beyond that seems unlikely."

As whispers and speculations filled the air, Jiang Chen didn't even bother approaching the stele. He merely raised his hand and delivered a slap.

"Bang!" With a resounding crash, the stele broke apart on the spot, leaving no opportunity to showcase any results.

"What... What just happened?" a cultivator exclaimed, wide-eyed. "How can he possess such might?!"

"He demolished the stele in one strike! That's a stele that can endure the force from someone in the Late-stage Dao Palace realm!"

"His fighting prowess must be beyond the Late-stage Dao Palace realm, edging towards the Transcendence realm!"

"We clearly underestimated him. So the tales were true, Holy Son Jiang Chen did decapitate a demon race being from the Transcendence realm!"

"He's on another level, absolutely peerless! All hail the Holy Son of Purple Heaven as the foremost in the world!"

Every pair of eyes fixated on the fragmented remains, completely taken aback, their expressions a blend of shock and awe.

Those who had earlier cast doubts on Jiang Chen now looked visibly embarrassed, as if they'd received a stinging slap to the face.

On the stage, the prodigious contestants stood frozen, utterly dumbstruck.

Some were tempted to question the authenticity of Jiang Chen's stele, but they lacked a basis for such doubts. After all, Jiang Chen had made his choice only after everyone else had picked theirs!

"Stay composed; there's more to come!" A voice from the crowd encouraged.

"Get a grip!"

"This is just the beginning!"

Cultivators from different regions shouted their support, backing the prodigies representing their areas.

Hearing the support, competitors like Peng Shi swiftly recovered their confidence.

...

Meanwhile, deep within the northern seas of Ageless Spirit Heavenly Island, Bo Lang, Jiu Xiaoyin, and several others hid inside a formation.

Spies kept them updated on the competition's proceedings, and Jiang Chen's remarkable display took them by surprise.

For Bo Lang, Jiu Xiaoyin, and the others, Jiang Chen wasn't really on their radar. Their knowledge of him was limited to his name and the story of his clash with Long Tianlu.

However, they found it hard to accept the tale of Jiang Chen's triumph over Long Tianlu.

In the minds of Bo Lang, Jiu Xiaoyin, and their group, Long Tianlu's downfall was probably due to the formidable backing of the Purple Heaven Holy Land.

This notion partly explained their reluctance to directly challenge the Purple Heaven Holy Land.

"This Jiang Chen, even if he didn't truly defeat Long Tianlu, is no doubt skilled," Bo Lang mused.

Jiu Xiaoyin chimed in, "The circumstances of Long Tianlu's demise are unclear. But given this, it's conceivable Jiang Chen leveraged the power of the Purple Heaven Holy Land."

"Indeed, with the support of the Purple Heaven Holy Land's Supreme Elder and their secret weapon from the Transcendence realm, it's possible he was the one to take down Long Tianlu."

Members of their assembly now regarded Jiang Chen with a mix of surprise and newfound esteem.

Yet, their admiration was soon overshadowed by dismissive smirks from other dominant figures of the demon race.

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