Time flew by, and the ten-day deadline arrived as scheduled.
Ten days prior, Ye Xuan had already returned to the Xuan Alliance headquarters. During these past days, his sole task had been to care for the five little ones, completely immersed in the joy of fatherhood.
Yet, the five children had no idea what kind of existence their father had become!
Peak of the fourth level of Star Realm!
That's right, this was the realm Ye Xuan had broken through to naturally, having gained some insights while enjoying his role as a father. Now, Ye Xuan was only one step away from becoming a fifth-tier Immortal Lord. As for his combat power…
It was possible that even a seventh-level Star Realm cultivator might not be able to defeat Ye Xuan at this moment!
The Xuan Alliance's promotion ceremony had officially commenced.
Without a doubt, on this day, the Xuan Alliance would be the center of attention across billions of territories. After all, an advancement to the eighth rank was no small matter, even overshadowing the recent downfall of the Ziwei Immortal Kingdom.
Changes in power were common in a world that revered strength, and people were accustomed to it.
However, they were unaware that the instigator of the Ziwei Immortal Kingdom's destruction was none other than the current leader of the Xuan Alliance, Ye Xuan. If outsiders were to know, who knew what their reaction would be.
"Southern Yue Immortal Kingdom, arrived!"
"Nine Nether Sacred Land, arrived!"
"Glazed Immortal Kingdom, arrived!"
"..."
"Flowing Sand Gang, arrived!!"
...
One Immortal Kingdom and force after another arrived. After all, even the Southern Yue Immortal Kingdom and the Nine Nether Sacred Land were willing to join; it was obvious to every thinking person how powerful the Xuan Alliance was.
To maintain order during the promotion ceremony, the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise Sacred Lands jointly guarded the four gates of Haotian Immortal City. Simultaneously, the Four Symbols Battle Array was activated, ready to handle any unforeseen circumstances.
The Demonic Sect and other forces also performed their duties, ready to execute any troublemakers on sight!
Furthermore, to liven up the atmosphere, prior to the ceremony, Luo Tianyi arranged for four arenas to be set up, specifically for Dao Ancestor, Immortal, Grand Immortal, and Immortal Lord realms, for the various Immortal Kingdoms and forces to spar.
"Ice Palm!"
"Blazing Blade!!"
Boom~!!
On the Dao Ancestor level arena, ice and fire collided, with terrifying residual energy overflowing. It was evident that both combatants were prodigies from their respective factions, with combat power far exceeding that of their peers, providing a spectacular visual feast for the spectators.
Not only that!
The Immortal and Grand Immortal arenas were similar, with various forces displaying their skills.
Only the Immortal Lord level arena was sparsely populated. At the edge of the arena sat an old man, leisurely sipping fragrant tea. This person was none other than the Thunder King Shattering Heaven.
However, the Thunder King Shattering Heaven's strength had evidently advanced again, having reached the eighth tier of the Immortal Lord realm. In some respects, he was now invincible below the Star Realm.
Of course!
This was provided he didn't encounter a monstrous existence like the Alliance Leader. After all, Ye Xuan was an anomaly.
No, to be precise, he was an existence rarer than an anomaly!
As expected, Dugumuyun and Duguqingtian, who were visiting Haotian Immortal City for the first time, were accompanied by Dugujianchen and Dugu Xiaoyi, making them the four individuals from the Southern Yue Immortal Kingdom.
"Father Emperor, that person should be the Senior Thunder King that Master mentioned, right?"
Dugu Xiaoyi blinked her large, bright eyes as she gazed at the Thunder King Shattering Heaven, leisurely sipping his tea. Clearly, compared to the fierce battles on the other three arenas, his presence was out of place.
"Oh!"
Dugugingtian heard his daughter's words and turned his gaze. Lin Cangqiong and the strongest ancestor of the Nine Nether Sacred Land, Lin Changkong, also approached and their eyes fell upon the Thunder King Shattering Heaven.
"Since there's no one to spar with, I'll go first to warm up."
Dugujianchen clearly sensed a potent danger from the Thunder King Shattering Heaven, recognizing him as an excellent opponent.
Swish~
As the words fell, Dugujianchen had already appeared on the Immortal Lord level arena, his aura as an eighth-tier Immortal Lord peak surging, immediately drawing everyone's attention.
Peak eighth-tier Immortal Lord. At this strength, in ordinary factions, he would at least be the strongest ancestor of a seventh-rank faction, and a very powerful one at that.
"That's... Dugujianchen of the Southern Yue Immortal Kingdom!"
"Good heavens, when did he reach the peak of the eighth-tier Immortal Lord!!"
As the second ancestor of the Southern Yue Immortal Kingdom, although Dugujianchen wasn't as famous as Dugumuyun, he still possessed considerable renown.
It was not surprising that he was recognized now!
"Esteemed Thunder King, I have long heard your name!"
Dugujianchen looked at the Thunder King Shattering Heaven, who was sipping his tea. He had heard of his exploits, but his cultivation realm seemed even higher than what Xiaoyi had mentioned.
"Southern Yue Immortal Kingdom, Dugujianchen. We are, in a way, allies."
"I didn't expect the first match to have such a good opponent."
The Thunder King Shattering Heaven also felt the desire to spar. "Since you've come to the arena, let's have a fight."
The next moment.
Centered around the Thunder King Shattering Heaven, his eighth-tier Immortal Lord aura was unleashed. He held a long sword in his right hand, and lightning surged. Furthermore, his right arm was covered in dense dragon scales, which were clearly from the Azure Dragon Transformation Art's Azure Dragon Scale stage.
Evidently, the Thunder King Shattering Heaven took Dugujianchen seriously, as this person's combat power far surpassed that of his peers, and his strength was estimated to be capable of contending with ninth-tier Immortal Lords.
"Heh heh, the honor is all mine!"
Dugujianchen chuckled. The next moment, soaring sword energy permeated the void, and immense battle intent surged. However, there was no killing intent, as both were peak combatants of the Xuan Alliance and harbored no enmity; they merely wished to gauge each other's strength.
Hiss~
As Dugujianchen's voice faded, the next instant, their figures vanished from their original positions, as did the Thunder King Shattering Heaven.
Bang~!!
When they reappeared, their swords had already clashed. Now, with the Azure Dragon Scales covering him, the Thunder King Shattering Heaven's physical strength had greatly increased. The two, after their initial clash, separated instantly.
The Thunder King Shattering Heaven retreated over ten yards, while Dugujianchen retreated dozens of yards. However, the residual energy radiating outwards immediately forced the crowd to retreat repeatedly.
Gulp~
Dugu Xiaoyi watched the scene in the arena, covering her small mouth with her hand, her jaw agape. "This is... Senior Thunder King is so strong!!"
"Even Old Ancestor Jianchen is at a disadvantage in a direct clash~"
Dugugingtian and Lin Cangqiong exchanged glances. Good heavens, they had underestimated the Alliance Leader's capabilities, hadn't they? This person was undoubtedly Ye Xuan's capable subordinate.
Otherwise!
It would be impossible for him to possess such incredibly heaven-defying combat power. He was clearly inferior in cultivation to Old Ancestor Jianchen, yet he was consistently superior in battle; this said it all.
Dugumuyun narrowed his eyes, looking profoundly at the Thunder King Shattering Heaven in the arena. "This fellow... it's no wonder the Alliance Leader designated him as the guardian of the Xuan Alliance. I might not even be able to ascertain the victor if I were to fight him."
"What, Brother Muyun, you're saying..."
Lin Changkong, the strongest ancestor of the Nine Nether Sacred Land, heard Dugumuyun's words, his pupils suddenly contracting. "The Alliance Leader is truly... beyond the reach of ordinary people."