He raised his hand and bit his finger, drawing blood, then smeared it across his brow."Crimson Abyss Awakening, Sovereign Blood Unchained!"
A crimson sun exploded behind him, turning the sky red. His skin cracked with lava-like markings, and a third eye opened on his forehead, pulsing with destruction energy.
"He unlocked the Abyss Eye already?"
"That’s the true sign of the Abyssal Sovereign Lineage!"
Their auras collided again.
Each clash shook the very foundation of the arena. Spatial cracks spread beneath their feet. Sword intent, flame essence, void qi, and demonic will warred in the air like dragons and tigers.
Mark raised both hands and began forming a forbidden seal.
"[Heaven Devouring Seal: Nine Heavens Suppression]!"
The sky darkened again, nine enormous chains fell from the sky, each forged from starlight and divine void metal. They rushed to bind Gin from all directions.
But Gin only laughed maniacally.
"You think I’ll let you seal me?! Break!"
[Abyssal Wrath: Sovereign’s Descent!]
A massive crimson claw, larger than mountains, descended from the crimson sun behind him, smashing the chains to pieces in an earth-shaking explosion.
Mark flew back, coughing blood.
But just as Gin charged forward...
He raised his finger, and behind him, a tenth chain shimmered into existence, unseen until this moment.
"A cultivator must have more than strength—he must have patience."
The hidden chain wrapped around Gin’s leg mid-attack and pinned him to the ground. Mark dashed forward, his hand glowing with Ancestral Void Qi.
Gin grinned wildly, blood dripping from his lips."You forced me to use that... You’re worth killing!"
Gin’s aura exploded.His bloodline surged a second time. The third eye on his forehead burned red.
"Crimson Abyss — Second Awakening!"
"W-What?! A second transformation?!"
"He has two stages to his bloodline?!"
Mark’s pupils shrank.
Gin slammed his palm into Mark’s chest. A crimson explosion engulfed the stage.
When the light faded—
The arena was half-destroyed.
Gin rose first, panting, covered in wounds. "I... win."
But as he took a step forward, Mark slowly stood, one hand still clutched to his chest.
"You forgot one thing... I haven’t used my divine artifact yet."
He reached into his robe.
From within, he drew a crystal-black gourd etched with runes.
The audience screamed:
"That’s the Void Devouring Gourd! An Emperor-tier Artifact!"
Gin’s face twisted in horror.
Mark opened the gourd.
A wave of void energy surged forth and swallowed Gin whole, spirit and body frozen in place within a stasis dimension.
The Grand Devil nodded. "They both exceeded expectations. But the match is decided."
Gin’s frozen form was gently retrieved by Universe Four’s elders, who bowed in silence.
Mark, though bloody and staggering, turned and bowed slightly to his fallen opponent.
"Next time," he said softly, "don’t hold back."
And so, as the next match approached... the crowd could only whisper:
"Bloodline monsters... forbidden techniques... divine artifacts... just how many monsters has this generation birthed?"
And high above, the Main God Suelo looked down from beyond the heavens.
A faint smile crossed his lips.
"Let the children fight... only then can I see who is worthy of inheriting the throne above the Divinity."
As the dust from the last battle settled, the crowd’s excitement began to boil once more. Not because of the next match, but because of the arrival of a young man in golden robes, descending arrogantly from Universe Thirteen’s viewing platform.
He hovered mid-air, hands behind his back, chin raised high, and spiritual qi flowing freely around him as if the heavens themselves bent to his will.
He landed in front of Mark, who was still catching his breath from the last battle.
"You call that a victory?""How pitiful. Just a frog in a well."
Mark frowned but said nothing. His wounds had not healed. Yet the golden-robed youth continued.
"You may have won the battle, but it was because your opponent was weak.""If I had stepped in, you would have knelt within ten breaths."
From Universe Thirteen, the name Wei Long echoed like thunder.Known as the "Golden Dragon Young Lord," he had the backing of a powerful Divine Clan and had crushed geniuses across five universes.
He turned toward the crowd and smiled, arms wide.
"Let me teach all of you what true cultivation looks like."
Before anyone could respond, a lazy yawn echoed from the Universe One platform.
A youth in black, barefoot, with messy hair and half-lidded eyes, slowly stood up and stretched.
It was Barseagle, once the captain of Ian, now a fighter walking the path of silent dominance.
"So noisy... I was enjoying the breeze," he muttered.
"And who are you, barefoot peasant? You dare speak while this Young Lord addresses the crowd?"
Barseagle blinked slowly.
"You talk a lot for someone I’ve never heard of."
Wei Long’s face darkened.
"Fine. I will grant you three moves before I crush you."
Barseagle scratched his head.
"Three moves? No need. One is enough."
Before Wei Long could respond, Barseagle flicked his finger.A pulse of raw physical strength, not even mixed with qi, shot forward like a bullet.
Ian’s eyes narrowed. ’Damn, when did Captain achieved this strength?’
Wei Long’s protective barrier, engraved with his clan’s divine dragon sigil, shattered like glass.
Wei Long flew backward, spinning three times in mid-air before landing face-first in the white marble floor of the arena.
The entire stadium went silent.
Even the wind paused.
"W-Wasn’t that Wei Long’s Heaven-tier armor...?"
"Did he just flick his finger?"
"Is that... Barseagle from Universe One? I thought he retired!"
Wei Long tried to rise, blood leaking from his nose.
"Y-You... dirty trick! You must have used a hidden treasure!"
"Yeah, it’s called hard work. You should try cultivating sometime."
A direct blow to the young master’s pride.
Wei Long’s face twisted with shame.
"You dared humiliate me before all the universes...! You think my Golden Dragon Clan will let you off?!"
"Didn’t you say I had three moves? I’ve only used one."
"Second move: Sit down."
A wave of qi pressure descended. Wei Long’s knees buckled. His spine bent. With a plop, he dropped into a kneeling position, his own body unable to resist the will of Barseagle’s cultivation base.
"Third move: Apologize."
"He’s doing it... He’s forcing a proud young master to beg for forgiveness..."
Barseagle’s voice turned colder.
"You slandered Universe One. You insulted my friend. And you dared act arrogant... in front of me?"
He took a step forward.Each footfall echoed like a divine drumbeat.
"If you don’t apologize, I’ll let Ian take over. Do you want that?"
Wei Long’s face drained of color.
Face-slapping sequence complete.
A classic scene repeated in every major cultivation novel ever written.
The audience exploded.
Even the Grand Devil gave a slight snort of amusement.
From Universe Ten, a cloaked elder muttered:
"Another hidden monster from Universe One...""They’re a nest of dragons now."
From Universe Sixteen, a frost maiden narrowed her eyes.
"I underestimated that barefoot one..."
From Universe Thirteen, a voice cried out in panic.
"Get the clan elder! Wei Long has been publicly disgraced!"
As Barseagle returned to his seat, Damon gave him a thumbs up.
Kaelra passed him a peach.