In the Hanging Hall, Chu Yu, King of Chujiang, and Tai Long, King of Taishan, both rose to their feet, their expressions grave. Only the people from their two families, Chu Tian and Tai Yu, remained in the arena.
Yet even with the two joining forces, Chu Yu and Tai Long felt no relief. On the contrary, their eyes were filled with tension and worry. Ning Xuanyuan's strength far exceeded their expectations. Today, the youth who had spent ten years in seclusion in the ancestral land had revealed the bearing of an emperor and soared into the heavens!
He had crushed Qin Lang, Song You'er, and Yan Chen with overwhelming force. Who among the younger generation in the entire Asura Domain could match such a record?
"Father Emperor, no wonder you think so highly of this imperial brother of mine. To possess such strength at his age, he truly is a peerless monster," said a young man seated beside the Asura Emperor, his voice soft.
The young man had a commanding bearing and handsome features, with an air of natural authority about him. A smile touched his lips, making others feel as though bathed in a spring breeze. He carried both a soldier's iron-blooded bearing and a prince's refined nobility.
He was the Asura Emperor's legitimate son, Prince Ye Xuankong. Of the Asura Emperor's many children, he was the most gifted. His cultivation had already reached the peak of the Heaven and Earth Realm, only one step away from the Sage Realm.
Unlike the other princes, however, Ye Xuankong had been sent into the army by the Asura Emperor at a young age. He had been stationed at the Myriad Heavens Battlefield ever since and seldom returned to the palace. He had made a special trip back today because the Blood Purgatory was opening and the Blood Scion was to be chosen.
In fact, this was not Ye Xuankong's first time seeing Ning Xuanyuan. Their last meeting, however, had been ten years ago, when Ning Xuanyuan was only six.
"Mm." The Asura Emperor nodded and pondered briefly before saying, "Make preparations after you return. In a while, I intend to send him to the Myriad Heavens Battlefield."
"What?" Ye Xuankong froze, then frowned and looked at the Asura Emperor. "Father Emperor, isn't it a little too soon to send him to the Myriad Heavens Battlefield?"
The Asura Emperor shook his head slightly, his gaze fixed on Ning Xuanyuan in the arena below. "For someone else, perhaps. But he's different."
"Does it strike you as normal that a six-year-old child could survive alone on the Myriad Heavens Battlefield?"
Ye Xuankong's eyes flickered as he recalled the scene from years ago, and for a moment he was speechless.
"This child was born blessed with fortune. He is a Child of Heavenly Fortune. Otherwise, I would never have granted him the status of a prince, much less allowed him to compete in the Blood Heir Contest."
The Asura Emperor paused and glanced at Ye Xuankong. If not for Ning Xuanyuan, Ye Xuankong would have become the Asura Blood Scion ten years ago.
Ye Xuankong seemed to guess what the Asura Emperor was thinking. He smiled faintly and said frankly, "Father Emperor, I told you long ago that I have no interest in the throne. You needn't keep dwelling on it."
The Asura Emperor nodded. He naturally understood Ye Xuankong's character. In fact, if Ye Xuankong had not needed to hold the fort at the Myriad Heavens Battlefield, given his nature, he would probably have left the Asura Domain long ago to roam the Ancient Domains, free as an idle cloud or a wild crane.
After a pause, the Asura Emperor continued, "I'm sending him to the Myriad Heavens Battlefield mainly so he can temper himself and cultivate. With you watching over him, I can rest easy."
"Now, monsters are emerging from every great ancient clan across the eight domains. Even those ancient lineages that have remained hidden from the world are showing faint signs of movement."
A glint flashed in the Asura Emperor's eyes, and his expression turned sharp. "A turbulent age is coming, and winds and clouds are gathering over the Ancient Eight Domains. Naturally, our Asura Domain must contend as well."
Boom!
A black mountain came crashing down. Its immense force whipped up a gale and a surging wave of air, churning the sea of blood below into towering billows. Its crushing pressure was suffocating, and ripples spread through the surrounding void.
The mountain shook ghosts and gods; the five prisons suppressed heaven and earth!
Tai Yu's imposing presence was terrifying as he pressed both hands down through the void, seeking to suppress Ning Xuanyuan beneath the mountain.
At the same time, a streak of spear light shot toward Ning Xuanyuan like lightning.
The spear light was like a dragon, destroying all through the ages!
Ning Xuanyuan stood in the air, a curve of interest playing at the corner of his mouth.
He did not even look at the terrifying spear light. Instead, he looked up at the sky. "You can only bring out one prison of the Tai Clan's Five Prisons God-Suppressing Art. That's it? You actually have the nerve to bring it out and make a fool of yourself?"
Crack!
As he spoke, Ning Xuanyuan reached out with his left hand and caught the destructive spear light in his palm. Terrifying power shook wildly in his grip, but could not advance an inch.
"Shatter!"
The next moment, Ning Xuanyuan let out a clear cry, curled the fingers of his right hand, and punched. In that instant, the Qi and blood within him roared, and light blazed around him. It was as though a brilliant sun had appeared in the void, dazzling beyond measure.
Boom!
A beam of fist light tore through the air and met the descending mountain head-on.
The instant they collided, an earth-shaking explosion rang out. The thousand-zhang mountain was pierced straight through by the fist light, then burst apart with a thunderous crash.
"What?!"
Countless people stared, their expressions frozen in horror. That punch had not been some profound cultivation art, combat skill, or secret technique. It was pure physical strength!
He had met the Tai Clan's supreme divine ability head-on with physical strength alone. How was that possible?!
"I'll show you what the real Five Prisons God-Suppressing Art looks like!"
Ning Xuanyuan stepped forward, and five towering mountains appeared above his head. Linked together, they blotted out the sky and sun, casting a shadow like dark clouds over the entire Shura Blood Purgatory.
Pfft!
Pfft!
Many people turned pale in an instant. They spat blood and staggered, the terrifying force of suppression descending from above throwing their Qi and blood into disorder and sending their spiritual power out of control.
"What?!"
In midair, Tai Yu's expression changed drastically, and his body went rigid. Bearing the brunt of the attack, he was suppressed so completely that he could not move. All he could see was the shadow of the mountain growing larger and larger!
In another direction, Chu Tian's figure also emerged. His eyes were filled with horror, and his body shook violently. He too was within the range of the suppression, and his treatment was no different from Tai Yu's. Both were pinned in place, unable to move.
We're really going to die...
The same thought rose in Chu Tian's and Tai Yu's minds. Neither of them could withstand this attack!
"Your Highness, show mercy! We surrender!"
Tai Long and Chu Yu shouted at the same time. Had the Asura Emperor not been present, the two would likely have rushed out to save them long ago.
Ning Xuanyuan, however, paid no heed to their cries. His arm swept sharply downward, and the five towering prisons roared down, suppressing heaven and earth!
We're dead!
Chu Tian and Tai Yu shut their eyes at the same time, despair on their faces. Tai Long and Chu Yu were both deathly pale, their bodies trembling.
But the scene everyone imagined did not come to pass. After the five prisons descended, Tai Long and Chu Yu were sent flying like cannonballs, crashing heavily into the stone pillars. They were covered in blood, but they had not been killed.
Clearly, Ning Xuanyuan had shown mercy.
Their eyes were filled with fear, their bodies trembling and their chests heaving. They had truly taken a trip to the gates of hell just now.
"Boring."
Ning Xuanyuan stood in the air, looking down at the five people on the stone pillars as he spoke indifferently.
"I told you, you're better off kneeling. Why wouldn't you listen? Did you have to get a beating from me before you'd feel comfortable?"
Only now did the countless people surrounding the Shura Blood Purgatory come to their senses. They stared at Ning Xuanyuan in shock.
He had suppressed five young kings by himself, and Ning Xuanyuan had clearly not used his true strength. Just how terrifying was his combat power?
At such a young age, with such talent, he would probably count among the finest monsters of the younger generation in the entire Ancient Eight Domains.
In the Hanging Hall, Tai Long and Chu Yu both breathed a sigh of relief, gratitude showing in their eyes.
In the contest for the position of Blood Son, even death in battle was commonplace, much less when Ning Xuanyuan was a prince. And after this battle, he would be the Asura Blood Son, truly second only to one person, the future Asura Human Emperor. What could they say? What did they dare say?
"Thank you for showing mercy, Your Highness," Tai Long and Chu Yu said gratefully to Ning Xuanyuan, both cupping their fists.
Ning Xuanyuan waved a hand. He held no grudge against Qin Lang and the others, and their statuses also mattered. The five great blood clans were the pillars of the Asura Domain. Whether for public or private reasons, he had neither the need nor the reason to kill them.
"From this day forth, Ning Xuanyuan is the Asura Blood Scion of our Asura Domain!" The Asura Emperor's voice rolled out from his throne, echoing in all directions and spreading throughout Blood Prison City.
"We pay our respects to the Blood Scion!"
As soon as the Asura Emperor finished speaking, everyone but him rose and faced Ning Xuanyuan, either dropping to their knees or bowing.
Ning Xuanyuan rubbed the back of his head. Now this is quite a show, huh?
After everyone had paid their respects, the Asura Emperor looked down. By now, Qin Lang and the others had been carried down from the stone pillars and had recovered considerably after receiving treatment.
The five no longer showed any trace of their former arrogance. Their gazes were filled with awe as they looked at Ning Xuanyuan.
In the world of martial arts, the strong were respected. Ning Xuanyuan had proven his standing with his strength, so how could Qin Lang and the other four still feel any resentment? They all understood that, on the surface, Ning Xuanyuan's realm was the same as theirs, perhaps even slightly lower. But in truth, his strength had already reached a level they could only look up to.
Refuse to accept it? Challenge him? They could not even bring themselves to entertain such thoughts.
"You five will follow the Blood Scion from now on and serve as his personal guards," the Asura Emperor said solemnly, looking at Qin Lang and the others.
Qin Lang and the others' eyes flashed. Personal guards?
Studying alongside the crown prince was not always a demotion. Judging by the strength and talent Ning Xuanyuan had displayed today, he would surely ascend the throne one day. When that time came, the five of them would probably rise straight through the ranks as well.
"As you command."
Qin Lang and the others hurriedly kowtowed and voiced their assent.
"Personal?" Ning Xuanyuan blinked, his gaze wandering over the five before finally settling on Song You'er. His expression suddenly grew a little strange.
"Um, personal? Isn't that a bit much? I'm still just a widdle boy, after all~ I'm so young~" Ning Xuanyuan turned to look at the Asura Emperor, his eyes as pure and innocent as could be.
The Asura Emperor: "..."
Song You'er: "..."
Qin Lang and the others: "..."
Ye Xuankong rested a hand against his forehead, his expression a sight to behold.
This kid is kind of interesting.