Royal City, training field.

Located in the northern part of the Royal City, this place spans several kilometers and is very open, making it a good place for a fight. After Jingtai signaled Zhang Yantong, he immediately instructed people to notify the other Divine Envoys.

No matter what, this battle concerned the position of a Royal City Commander, so the other Divine Envoys had to be informed. Opposition was, of course, out of the question.

After all, the Emperor had spoken, and his word was law.

Two of the other three Divine Envoys arrived. Except for Xiao Jing, the Sky-Rank Divine Envoy who was absent, Zuo Tiancheng, the Earth-Rank Divine Envoy, and Wu Tianxi, the Yellow-Rank Divine Envoy, came in person to see what kind of skills the Demon Blade Chen Yuan, the champion of the Ascension Battle, possessed.

Zuo Tiancheng wore a brown robe, his face solemn and unsmiling. Wu Tianxi, on the other hand, had a smile on his face, stroking his beard and whispering to Zhang Yantong:

"Brother Zhang, what exactly is going on?"

Although the internal factions of the Sky Patrol Department were numerous, under the pressure of the Imperial Oversight Department, the Divine Envoys put aside their past disputes and, at least on the surface, were quite united.

There was no such thing as irreconcilable animosity.

Zhang Yantong's eyes flickered, and he glanced imperceptibly at Jingtai, who was sitting in the main seat. He opened his mouth slightly and transmitted his voice, "Earlier, His Majesty was preparing..."

He recounted the events of the day in detail.

Wu Tianxi snorted coldly:

"That Cao eunuch is really going too far!"

This vacant Royal City Commander position was within the jurisdiction of their Sky Patrol Department, but the old dog Cao even wanted Yang Yuanqing to take the post. Unfortunately, he could only curse silently.

They knew very well who was behind Cao Zhengxian, and they were aware of whose instructions were being followed. Otherwise, could Cao Zhengxian alone encroach upon the power of the Sky Patrol Department?

Were the four Divine Envoys just there to eat and do nothing?

They only regretted that the Grand Commandant was still in seclusion. Otherwise, even if His Majesty wanted to push this matter forward, it would be extremely difficult. The status of an unmatched True Lord in the court was second to none.

"When the Grand Commandant emerges from seclusion, he will definitely let this eunuch know what the Sky Patrol Department truly is!"

"Chen Yuan is not bad."

Zuo Tiancheng nodded slightly upon hearing this, turning his gaze to a figure in the center of the training field, with a hint of appreciation in his eyes. Regardless of anything else, this courage alone was worthy of respect.

"Indeed not bad. Brother Zhang, why don't you give this person to me to train? Name your conditions." Wu Tianxi chuckled.

"No need. Brother Wu should take care of his own affairs first."

How could Zhang Yantong be willing to give such a good seed to others?

He was still counting on Chen Yuan to win over Jiang He and had high hopes for him.

In addition to the Divine Envoys of the Sky Patrol Department, Jingtai thought for a moment and summoned several princes and princesses to his side, preparing to let them watch the battle as well.

Jingtai had a total of nine sons and three daughters. Although it couldn't be said that they were all outstanding, he was, in all fairness, quite fond of several of his sons.

For this reason, Jingtai had been on the throne for more than thirty years and had not yet established the position of Crown Prince. Even though officials from the Ministry of Rites frequently submitted memorials, he had not directly appointed one because the matter of the Crown Prince was too important.

This caused much speculation in the court.

"This subject greets Father Emperor!"

"This subject greets Father Emperor!"

Four figures bowed in salute, one daughter and three sons, causing the Divine Envoys and Cao Zhengxian to turn their attention to them. Chen Yuan's gaze in the training field also moved, as if in contemplation.

He didn't recognize these princes and princesses, but he had heard some rumors.

The eldest princess, Pingyang, was accomplished in both literary and martial arts. People said that if she weren't a woman, she would have the greatest chance of becoming the Crown Prince.

The eldest prince, Sima Qian, was born to the noble consort. He had achieved some success in martial arts and was rumored to be close to the Core Formation Realm. It was even said that if it weren't for the suppression of the national fortune, he would have been able to form his core long ago.

Although he was a prince and not the emperor, he was still subject to some suppression under the national fortune, but not as severe as the emperor.

The second prince, Sima You, was born to the current empress. He had been taught by great scholars since childhood, was well-mannered and virtuous, and was said to have the qualities of a wise ruler.

The fourth prince, Sima Ke, was born to the same noble consort as the eldest princess, Pingyang. He also had many supporters in the court and had dabbled in both literary and martial arts, but he was not as outstanding as his two elder brothers.

These were the most outstanding among Jingtai's nine sons and three daughters. The rest of the princes and princesses either lived in the deep palace for a long time, were still young, or had too humble of a background.

Their influence in the court was minimal, and they basically depended on these elder brothers.

"Rise."

Jingtai nodded slightly. The princes and princesses stood respectfully beside him, with the eldest prince, Sima Qian, on his left and the eldest princess, Pingyang, on his right.

"I have summoned you here today to let you know what it means that there is always someone better, and there is always someone stronger. Chen Qing is only in his twenties, yet he has gained great fame in the martial world, defeating all the heroes and reaching the top. Your talents are worlds apart from his. You should take Chen Qing as your goal in the future."

"This subject obeys the decree."

The eldest prince, Sima Qian, immediately bowed in agreement.

The eldest princess, Pingyang, looked at Chen Yuan with a solemn gaze. Clearly, she was no stranger to this name. Even in the capital, they had heard of him long ago.

He could be said to be the strongest of the younger generation.

The second prince, Sima You, had a calm expression and a smile on his lips, praising,

"This subject has indeed heard of the name of Divine Envoy Chen. Few in the world can compare."

The fourth prince, Sima Ke, narrowed his eyes, his gaze constantly shifting over Chen Yuan, wondering what he was thinking.

Cao Zhengxian said in a low voice:

"Your Majesty, when shall we begin?"

"Hmm...right now, then."

Jingtai waved his hand.

After all, the Royal City was not a casual place, and not everyone was qualified to come and watch. The Divine Envoys were superiors and should come, and the princes were deliberately summoned by Jingtai.

Apart from that, the entire training field seemed very empty except for the martial artists guarding nearby.

Cao Zhengxian gazed at Chen Yuan and Yang Yuanqing and announced loudly:

"By the Emperor's decree, begin!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the field suddenly became somewhat solidified. Everyone's gaze converged on the two men standing in the center of the training field, as if sizing them up.

Yang Yuanqing snorted lightly, took a step forward, and hovered in the air. His red robe fluttered in the wind as he stared at Chen Yuan and said:

"Today, I, Yang, will see what skills you, the Demon Blade, possess that you dare to be so arrogant!"

Chen Yuan looked up at him and moved accordingly:

"My skills aren't that great, but it's not a problem to eliminate a eunuch like you!"

"You're courting death!"

As soon as Yang Yuanqing heard the word 'eunuch,' his expression instantly turned angry. A sacrificial spirit sword at his waist was instantly unsheathed, and he controlled it with his mind, turning it into a stream of light that stabbed towards Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan's expression was calm and unhurried. He slowly drew out the Emperor Slaughtering Saber. The few lines of poetry left on it had already disappeared. He had made preparations before entering the capital.

'Dragon's Roar!'

The long saber swept across the sky, its blade light flowing, and collided with the long sword. With just one blow, the top-grade spirit sword flew back. Yang Yuanqing reached out and summoned,

The long sword entered his hand, and its hum continued.

The confrontation officially began!

Yang Yuanqing was at the Solid Core Realm and possessed considerable strength. A powerful aura surrounded him. If it had been before, when he had just broken through, it would have been almost impossible for Chen Yuan to defeat him.

But after the transformation of Yin and Yang energy, his cultivation had already climbed to the peak of the Void Core Realm. Coupled with his 'Dragon-like Blood Energy' physical cultivation, it was more than enough to deal with the Solid Core Realm.

With a divine weapon in hand, unparalleled techniques, a remarkable physique, and experience in life-and-death battles that far exceeded that of martial artists of the same level, it would be unbelievable if he still couldn't fight beyond his level.

Without any preamble, Yang Yuanqing and Chen Yuan moved at the same time. Waves of sharp sword energy enveloped an area of ​​a hundred zhang, exuding intense killing intent.

Terrifying saber rays were all swept away.

As soon as he made a move, Yang Yuanqing attacked with all his strength. Although he seemed to look down on Chen Yuan on the surface, these were all caused by jealousy and Jingtai's reprimand.

In essence, he was not stupid. Otherwise, he would not have been able to serve beside Jingtai for so many years.

Therefore, he did not dare to be careless about Chen Yuan at all and had already regarded him as a Solid Core Realm expert of the same level. In fact, this was indeed the case. The strength that Chen Yuan displayed was not inferior to Yang Yuanqing at all.

The void rumbled incessantly, like thunder.

But there was no change in the sky above. It was not that their confrontation could not stir up some celestial phenomena. The main reason was that there was a great array guarding the Royal City.

In addition, with several Soul Refining experts present, they could disperse some celestial phenomena with a casual arrangement. Even the range of their confrontation was confined within two hundred zhang.

Anything exceeding this range would be instantly annihilated.

The more Yang Yuanqing fought, the more serious he felt. There was even a hint of ferocity on his face. He had already attacked with all his strength, but Chen Yuan... was as calm as if he were taking a leisurely stroll.

No matter how many sword energies Yang Yuanqing unleashed, Chen Yuan could sweep them all away with a single slash.

"Didn't they say that Chen Yuan had just broken through? How could he have such strength?" Wu Tianxi couldn't help but say as he looked at the two figures confronting each other in the void.

All they could sense was the difference between the Void Core and Solid Core Realms. They couldn't feel anything like the peak, but the strength that Chen Yuan was currently displaying was enough to shock people.

After all, the Ascension Battle had just been held last month, and Chen Yuan had broken through at most after the Ascension Battle.

Now, fighting the Solid Core Realm with the Void Core Realm without being at a disadvantage, and even faintly taking the upper hand, was indeed somewhat unbelievable.

Zhang Yantong said indifferently:

"You ask me, who do I ask?"

Wu Tianxi's words were choked back, and he didn't say anything more.

Zuo Tiancheng, who was beside him, said in a deep voice:

"It is indeed unexpected to fight the Solid Core Realm with the Void Core Realm, but Chen Yuan's core formation is, after all, an anomaly. He has defeated all the heroes in the world and is not afraid to fight Yang Yuanqing. If he didn't have such strength, it would be strange."

"That's true."

Jingtai tapped his fingers rhythmically, and a hint of appreciation flashed in his eyes as he looked at Chen Yuan. As expected of someone he valued, with such talent,

Not to mention Transforming Yang, even becoming a True Lord in the future was not without hope.

"What does Eldest Brother think of Divine Envoy Chen?" The fourth prince, Sima Ke, suddenly changed the subject.

"Extraordinary talent."

The eldest prince, Sima Qian, said in a deep voice.

He felt that with Chen Yuan's strength, among the Void Core Realm, apart from those who had formed their cores with anomalies, no one else was Chen Yuan's opponent.

"The Bright Moon Rising from the Sea, that was the anomaly when Divine Envoy Chen formed his core. It's quite poetic."

As the princes talked, Cao Zhengxian, who was sitting on the side, didn't look so relaxed. He originally thought that Yang Yuanqing would be able to defeat Chen Yuan, so he had spoken in agreement at the time.

He never expected that the situation would be like this.

With the strength that Chen Yuan was displaying, it would be difficult for Yang Yuanqing to cope.

The princes continued to watch the battle, and the confrontation in the void reached its most intense moment. Yang Yuanqing's eyes turned cold, and he formed a hand seal. Swift and extremely fast sword energies rushed towards Chen Yuan.

Evil-Slaying Sword Scripture!

This was a technique extremely suitable for eunuchs to cultivate in the palace, and it was also the sword technique that Yang Yuanqing mainly cultivated. The speed of those sword energies was the fastest Chen Yuan had ever seen in his life.

Even Bai Changqing, the strongest senior brother of the Shu Mountain generation, didn't have such speed. It could only be said that each had their own strengths.

Seeing Yang Yuanqing's sword energy suddenly speed up, Chen Yuan's eyes narrowed, and his body shook. A booming sound like the roar of tigers and leopards resounded within his body.

Then, he raised his right arm and threw a punch.

"Boom!!!"

A bursting sound erupted, and all the sword energies were instantly annihilated. Waves of heat swept out towards the surroundings.

The void was somewhat distorted under the refraction of the sunlight.

Chen Yuan's physical body was so strong that he was only half a step away from the 'Indestructible Vajra' Realm. The terrifying power he could unleash was enough to annihilate these sword energies.

After throwing a punch, Chen Yuan did not hesitate. He held the Emperor Slaughtering Saber with both hands, and wisps of baleful aura instantly condensed in his eyes, as if there was some red light. He slashed out fiercely.

Yang Yuanqing waved his sleeve, and sword energies gushed out, but this was not enough to annihilate the saber ray. Seeing that the saber ray was about to slash down on his face, he immediately abandoned his sword.

He formed a hand seal with both palms and shook his fist.

'Vajra Child Cover!'

In an instant, streaks of light golden astral energy covered Yang Yuanqing's body. The saber ray that Chen Yuan slashed down also landed with a bang. The void seemed to freeze completely at this moment.

Jingtai casually said:

"Yang Yuanqing's Vajra Child Skill is quite similar to Cao Gong's."

Cao Zhengxian smiled faintly and echoed:

"Yuanqing's talent for cultivation is indeed extraordinary. One day, he may not be able to surpass this old servant."

"Boom!!!"

This time, the booming sound far exceeded the previous one. A trace of scarlet blood spilled from the corner of Yang Yuanqing's mouth. Fortunately, his Vajra Child Cover, which he had painstakingly cultivated for decades, was not broken by Chen Yuan.

However, his saber ray shattered inch by inch.

Before Yang Yuanqing could say anything, Chen Yuan took a step forward and continued to attack, not giving him any chance to breathe. A dragon's roar shook the sky, and a booming sound exploded above the nine heavens.

He swung his saber down fiercely.

Seeing such a swift attack, the expression on Yang Yuanqing's face revealed an unprecedented seriousness. The top-grade spirit sword suspended in the air responded to the dragon's roar with a sword hum.

"Sword Lotus Destruction!"

Streaks of illusory sword energy erupted instantly, covering a hundred zhang of the void, directly condensing into a huge lotus flower, even engulfing Chen Yuan.

Yang Yuanqing's face turned pale. The solid core in his dantian rotated frantically, constantly consuming his power. Even the sword fingers in his hands trembled slightly. With his current cultivation, it was still somewhat difficult to condense such a huge sword lotus.

But if he didn't, how could he defeat Chen Yuan?

This was the only chance, Yang Yuanqing thought, gritting his teeth, and said in a cold voice:

"Annihilate!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his sword fingers flicked, and endless sword energy within the sword lotus frantically vented on Chen Yuan's body.

Zhang Yantong took a deep breath and looked at the situation in the field with a solemn gaze, while the worried look on Cao Zhengxian's face gradually dissipated, revealing a somewhat confident demeanor.

The princes, on the other hand, had flickering eyes, guessing whether Chen Yuan could withstand this move. If he could, then this battle would basically declare his victory.

If he couldn't, even with so many Transforming Yang True Lords present, it would be inevitable that he would suffer a serious injury.

Within the lotus flower formed by sword energy, the dragon's roar continued, sweeping away the constantly surging sword energy. A trace of solemnity finally appeared on Chen Yuan's face after the battle.

Break it, he had to forcibly break this lotus sword formation. Otherwise, even if he had a thousand methods, it was impossible for him to remain safe and sound under the sword energy forever.

Taking a deep breath, Chen Yuan's blood energy instantly surged in his body, and all the baleful aura, vitality, and power in his body condensed into one. The next moment, a blood-colored true dragon roared out from his saber.

This was his strongest strike without using the dragon soul, condensing all his own power.

As for the 'Dragon Transformation' move, he did not choose to use it in front of so many experts. With the strength of these people, they could probably see the difference between the dragon soul and the strength of energy.

A commoner is not guilty, but he is guilty of possessing a treasure.

With his current strength, holding a five-tribulation divine weapon, it was hard to guarantee that it would not attract anyone's attention. He still needed his strength to be stronger before he could reveal the Emperor Slaughtering Saber without any scruples.

Moreover...

This sword lotus formation didn't seem to require him to use all his means.

The dragon's roar shook the void. Outside the formation, Yang Yuanqing, who had a sneer on his lips, heard this dragon's roar, and his face changed drastically. As expected,

Immediately afterwards, an unparalleled powerful force directly bombarded the sword lotus.

"Boom!!!"

With such terrifying power, the sword lotus reached its limit and shattered with a bang. A blood-colored true dragon soared into the sky and slowly dissipated in the void.

Yang Yuanqing's face turned pale instantly, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

In the void, a figure with an expressionless face walked out slowly, returning the Emperor Slaughtering Saber in his hand to its scabbard. The next moment, Chen Yuan moved instantly, rushing straight at Yang Yuanqing with terrifying power.

Feeling that fierce gaze, for no reason, Yang Yuanqing only felt a chill in his heart. He quickly mobilized the little remaining power and once again condensed a golden shield to protect himself.

But Chen Yuan did not have any expression. Getting close to Yang Yuanqing, streaks of fist energy were constantly thrown out.

Drawing streaks of fist shadows in the void, it was somewhat mixed with personal grudges.

More than ten fist energies directly shattered his Vajra Child Cover. Then, Yang Yuanqing's face panicked, and he hurriedly blocked with both arms, preparing to mobilize his power again.

But Chen Yuan would not give him another chance.

Fist after fist, he frantically vented on Yang Yuanqing's body, hitting him so hard that he retreated repeatedly, from the void to the ground, like a tireless machine frantically bombarding.

"Pfft!"

Yang Yuanqing's body had been stained red with blood, and he couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of old blood. His aura had dropped to the extreme. With the last punch, Chen Yuan's eyes turned cold, and he directly bombarded Yang Yuanqing's arms.

The sound of bones cracking resounded constantly. Even though Yang Yuanqing had also cultivated his physical body, he had reached his limit under such terrifying bombardment, like a kite with a broken string, and crashed to the ground with a bang.

He even smashed the ground a bit, causing it to crack. He lay in the center, the cracks around him like a spider web, constantly spewing out blood foam.

"You dare to act fierce, you mere eunuch?"

Chen Yuan looked down at Yang Yuanqing condescendingly and said indifferently in a low voice.

The surroundings were instantly silent, as if frozen.

Cao Zhengxian, not far away, darkened his face, let out a long breath, turned his gaze to Jingtai, and said in a low voice:

"Your Majesty."

Jingtai glanced at him and said:

"Alright, stop."

————

Don't raise the book, brothers!!!!