In the five continents of the Immortal Realm, each continent houses an Emperor's Palace. These palaces are also considered powers, classified as super-powers. Of course, these are internal designations; an Emperor's Palace is simply an Emperor's Palace, aloof and supreme.
Despite their high status, Emperor's Palaces still recruit powerful individuals from all sides to serve them. Ba Wang, a practitioner of ultimate strength, was once personally recruited by the Yellow Emperor.
The Yellow Emperor, one of the Five Celestial Emperors, personally invited Ba Wang to cultivate within the Emperor's Palace. Faced with such an immense opportunity, no one expected Ba Wang to refuse. Not only did he refuse, but he also declared, "No one can command my strength to submit."
A bold claim. A practitioner of ultimate strength, difficult even for a Celestial Emperor to subdue. And today… this conqueror, this powerhouse who had not emerged for a century, was engaged in a great battle.
"Rumble." His fists, his Fangtian Huaji, could shatter all things.
"Open." Chen Fan finally decided to unleash his full power. This individual was too strong, giving him a sense of danger greater than that of the Angler.
"Ching." Ten swords were unleashed. During the earlier sneak attack, these ten swords had consecutively claimed the lives of dozens of Titled Emperors. They had been unstoppable.
This time, however, they failed. A clear clang, as Ba Wang met the Amatsukami no Murakumo-no-Tsurugi with his fist, leaving only a white imprint upon it.
"Is that all?"
Boom. Another punch. The void trembled, the air exploded, and the sonic boom preceding his fist sent Chen Fan flying backward. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Ba Wang expressed his dissatisfaction, "If this is all you have, you are unworthy to be the City Lord of Freedom City."
"Heh heh." Chen Fan stopped his advance. Wiping the blood from his lips, he shook his slightly numb hand. He strode through the air, step by step, closing in on Ba Wang.
He spoke, "I dislike the name Freedom City. I like swords. What do you think if I renamed Freedom City to Sword City?"
Ba Wang did not attack immediately. Instead, he watched Chen Fan's steadily increasing aura and nodded, "Before now, Freedom City was called Qingcheng, renamed to Freedom City by Yi Fu. If you like, you can naturally rename it to Sword City."
The prerequisite was that Chen Fan must become the City Lord of Freedom City. Only then could the name be changed.
"That makes sense." Chen Fan smiled. "Then it's settled. Freedom City will be renamed Sword City after this battle."
"Ching." The sword, unleashed again. Ten rule Daos merged into the sword's body.
"Humph." The eleventh rule emerged… Life. This sword, Daos flowed through it. The Dao of Life merged with the Dao of Death.
"Boom." Though only one more rule was added, its power increased exponentially.
"Good." Ba Wang's eyes brightened. He unleashed another punch. The collision of fist and sword, amidst a thunderous roar, sent a destructive storm spreading outwards.
"Sword Lotus." The Dao sword crisscrossed, tearing through the eight directions.
"Ba Wang Fist." One was the apex of strength. The other was the progenitor of all Daos. Their exchange was truly a battle of the century.
...
"Impressive." At this moment, even the Dream Monk uttered a sigh of admiration. The Angler was a man of few words, at least to others. With individuals of equal standing, he could engage in conversation. The Dream Monk's admiration, he agreed with, "City Lord Chen possesses the aura of a Celestial Emperor."
"Mm." The Dream Monk also agreed. At this point, the Dream Monk rubbed his hands and said, "Too many small bugs, I don't really like it."
"..." The Angler also disliked it. "We don't need to deal with them."
"Sigh." The Dream Monk sighed, "I really want to eat some meat."
As he spoke, a trace of crimson in the Dream Monk's eyes was suppressed. He desired meat. But this was another's battlefield. The meat would be for Chen Fan and Ba Wang. If he were to intervene, it would be excessive. The strong disdained to steal the food of others.
...
Around the battlefield, many onlookers watched.
"Kill him, kill him." Someone prayed. As for whom they wished to be killed, they did not specify. This was the behavior of those who enjoyed chaos.
"Tsk tsk, that punch is amazing."
"Mm, that sword is also good, it has my style, haha..."
"What a splendid fight."
"..." The voices of unrestrained critique were not low. And Chen Fan and Ba Wang in the arena, like actors, were performing for the spectators. Perhaps their performance was too brilliant, they failed to notice that the battlefield was shifting towards them.
In the arena... Chen Fan and Ba Wang's battle was considered evenly matched. Ba Wang broke all techniques with strength. Chen Fan returned all Daos to their origin. Both their attacks were extremely fierce, with no holds barred.
"Good." Ba Wang laughed heartily, "I haven't felt this exhilarated in a long time. Chen Fan, you are qualified to be the City Lord of Freedom City. No, it should be called Sword City now." He acknowledged Chen Fan's strength. "Next, I will show you my strongest punch."
"Senior, my sword is also sharp. Shall we compare?"
"Alright." Both were fighting with great enjoyment. So, let's begin.
"Humph." Above Chen Fan's head, a river of rules appeared. The surging river water cascaded down, flowing and integrating into the Amatsukami no Murakumo-no-Tsurugi. Eleven rule attributes merged into the sword, its aura growing stronger and stronger. It was as if a seven-colored celestial river was descending from the sky, a boundless galaxy. This sight made Ba Wang's eyes gleam. He glanced at the river of rules, feeling that it was somewhat different from the rules he cultivated.
The Angler and the Dream Monk also looked on in surprise. Ba Wang was also building up the atmosphere.
"Boom." A world-shattering aura suddenly surged from his body. A colossal giant phantom, reaching towards the heavens, appeared. It had a face almost identical to Ba Wang's and was a hundred feet tall.
"My Dao is the Dao of Invincibility."
"Senior, I am coming." Chen Fan, with the seven-colored galaxy above his head, shouted loudly.
"I am coming too, haha." Ba Wang laughed. Both their auras were too powerful. The surrounding spectators held their breath, preparing to witness the ultimate collision.
"Tsk tsk." The Dream Monk licked his lips, "These fools."
The Angler also spoke.
"Boom." Finally, Chen Fan unleashed his sword. This sword, carrying the power of the seven-colored galaxy, did not strike towards Ba Wang, but rather towards the south. Ba Wang simultaneously unleashed his punch. As he punched, the fist of the hundred-foot giant behind him descended like a comet.
"Boom." This punch was aimed north.
"What's going on?" The spectators to the north were stunned. Looking at the comet-like fist descending from above, they couldn't react immediately. "Did he miss?" But immediately after, terrified cries erupted from around them.
"Oh no, Ba Wang is going to kill us." By the time they realized, it was too late.
Boom. The fist was like a meteor. Instantly, the earth shattered. Where the fist landed, it covered all the spectators to the north of the battlefield. Without even a scream, they were all crushed into mincemeat by the comet's fist.
To the south... the galaxy flowed. Every drop of water from the galaxy was a sword. Ching ching ching. Sword light bloomed, obliterating flesh and soul. The spectators who had been enjoying the show and making casual remarks were instantly annihilated in their countless numbers. The spectators to the north and south were all wiped out.
To the east stood the Angler and the Dream Monk. No one else dared approach them. To the west was the direction of Freedom City, where two young masters from the Emperor's Palace were observing.