Battle Challenge Arrives! Heroes from All Sides Gather in King's Canyon!

(Qian Renxue portrait)

At daybreak the next day.

Qian Renxue had once again disguised herself as Xue Qinghe and sat upright within the Eastern Palace.

Two figures silently entered the Inner Hall and respectfully bowed.

They were Snake Lance Douluo She Long and Porcupinefish Douluo Ci Xue.

Before Qian Renxue could speak, She Long said, "Young Mistress! King's Hall has actually taken the initiative to send us a challenge letter!"

Qian Renxue rose to her feet. "What!?"

She Long said, "King's Hall has set up an arena and invited sects from across the world to challenge it! Whoever defeats the arena champion will be handed the Divine Artifact reward from the Heavenly Ranking!"

Qian Renxue said, "I never expected the King's Hall Master to act this way! It seems King's Hall is about to become very lively."

"What did Grandfather say?"

Ci Xue replied, "The Grand Enshriner sent a message ordering Young Mistress to continue acting as the Tiandou Crown Prince and head to King's Hall to probe its stance."

"And keep him informed at all times. Because of this Divine Artifact, the Grand Enshriner may personally come!"

Xue Qinghe's gaze sharpened as she immediately rose.

"I'll go see Father Emperor now. We leave today. The two of you will accompany me."

"Yes!"

Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

Within the council hall, the atmosphere was as oppressive as the calm before a storm.

Sect Master Yu Yuanzhen's expression was dark as water. He swept his gaze over every elder present, whose faces were equally grim, before speaking in a low voice.

"You have all seen it. I never expected this suddenly emerged King's Hall to be so arrogant as to send a challenge letter directly to our sect!"

"According to the scouts, every force on the continent with even a little reputation is likely already setting out for the canyon where King's Hall is located."

"What do you think our sect should do?"

Yu Luomian, the second-in-command, was the first to lose his patience. He slammed his palm against the armrest, producing a muffled bang. With a cold snort, he spoke with disdain and suspicion.

"Respond? In my opinion, this Heavenly Ranking has been nothing but a play staged by King's Hall from beginning to end!"

"Its purpose is to step on the faces of the major sects—especially our Upper Three Sects—to rise to prominence and instantly become famous throughout the world!"

The moment these words were spoken, several elders who had long been holding back their resentment immediately voiced their agreement.

"The second-in-command is right! This ranking is certainly unfair. It is clearly intended to belittle our sect!"

"This is utterly outrageous! They actually placed our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the number one Beast Martial Soul in the world, outside the ranking, and even made eleventh place seem like charity! This is simply too much!"

"Those rumors outside, saying our sect has an undeserved reputation—they are truly hateful!"

Over the past few days, the rampant discussions outside had made these elders, who had always been proud and taken glory in their bloodline, feel deeply humiliated. Now, they seemed to have found an outlet.

Listening to everyone's indignation, the severity in Yu Yuanzhen's eyes steadily intensified. He abruptly rose to his feet, faint lightning flickering around him.

"Good! In that case, our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan should personally go and meet this so-called number one in the world!"

"Let us see what heaven-defying abilities they possess to dare claim the top spot on this ranking!"

"And let the continent know who the true top-tier sect is!"

By coincidence, far away atop the snow-capped mountains, the Clear Sky Sect was likewise filled with resentment and defiance.

The Seventh Elder had the most explosive temper, and at this moment, he was utterly furious, his beard and hair bristling.

"What bullshit Heavenly Ranking! They actually pushed our Clear Sky Sect, the number one Weapon Martial Soul in the world, down to a mere eighth place!"

"They must be blind!"

The Fifth Elder immediately echoed him with a gloomy face.

"Seventh Brother is absolutely right!"

"I say this ranking is a scheme set up by King's Hall to build its own reputation!"

"Now they have even sent the challenge letter to Moonlight Pavilion, which Moonlight Essence oversees. Their intentions are vile! They clearly do not regard our Clear Sky Sect with any respect!"

Tang Xiao, seated in the place of honor, did not hastily state his opinion. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the Second Elder beside him, who had kept his eyes closed in meditation, his beard and hair entirely white. His tone carried respect.

"Second Elder, what do you think?"

The Second Elder slowly opened his clouded yet sharp eyes.

He stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before speaking in an aged voice that carried unquestionable weight.

"No matter what, this Heavenly Ranking has already stirred the continent, and King's Hall has already been pushed into the eye of the storm."

"Whether it is true or false, dragon or worm, we must see it with our own eyes."

"Seventh, take several capable disciples with you to investigate King's Hall's true strength. See whether they truly deserve the top position on this ranking."

"That is exactly what I intended!"

The Seventh Elder immediately accepted the order and abruptly stood up. Powerful Soul Power fluctuations emanated from his body as a fierce glint flashed through his eyes.

"Rest assured, Second Brother! If they are nothing more than empty names playing tricks, I'll personally smash their signboard and let them know the consequences of fooling the heroes of the world!"

Seeing this, the Third Elder offered a timely reminder.

"Seventh Brother, remember to be cautious on this journey. Do not act solely on impulse."

"Understood!"

The Seventh Elder clasped his fists and accepted the order, but the blazing battle intent in his eyes showed that he could hardly wait to measure King's Hall's true worth.

Another day passed, and the once-desolate area outside the canyon had become exceptionally lively.

Numerous figures from all over the continent could be vaguely seen arriving.

At the open valley floor before the towering city gates of King's Hall, which stood like mountains and exuded ancient majesty,

A gigantic arena, entirely constructed from some strange metal and stone, had risen from the ground!

The arena stood roughly thirty feet tall and stretched over a hundred meters in both length and width. Around it were grand stands rising layer upon layer, enough to accommodate tens of thousands of spectators!

This colossal complex, seemingly crafted by the gods,

Had actually been completed in a single day and night by the two masters of Mechanism Art, Mozi and Lu Ban Master, using their miraculous techniques!

Its efficiency and craftsmanship left the first people to arrive and investigate utterly dumbfounded, giving them their most direct initial understanding of King's Hall's strength.

Even more astonishingly, whenever a larger and well-known sect arrived,

Workers dressed in standardized red or blue robes would step forward at the canyon entrance to receive them.

Their expressions were solemn and their movements orderly as they guided honored guests to temporary VIP lounges that, despite having been hastily built, did not appear crude in the slightest. Everything was perfectly organized.

The origins of these silent and efficient "workers" were even more astonishing.

They were the products of Lin Jiang's Hand of Creation Martial Soul's First Soul Skill, Divine Radiance · Creation!

They were the "minions" of King's Canyon!

In the rear courtyard of the Inner Hall, a stream babbled gently.

Lin Jiang sat on a green stone by the bank, holding a fishing rod with a leisurely air.

Daji stood quietly beside him, but her gaze suddenly sharpened.

Lin Jiang lightly lifted his wrist, drawing up the fishing line.

A plump silver fish leaped from the water and landed precisely in the bamboo basket nearby.

At the end of that slender fishing line, there was neither hook nor bait.

"Venerable One," Daji said, unable to hide her surprise, "with neither line nor hook, how did you catch a fish?"

Lin Jiang laughed heartily.

"Haha, only the willing take the bait. I wonder whether Jiang Taigong and the others in the Divine Realm enjoy such leisure as well."

"Those seniors must surely be awaiting the Venerable One's arrival in the Divine Realm."

"Enough about them." Lin Jiang casually cast the line back into the murmuring stream.

"Tell me, what 'fish' have arrived outside the hall?"