"You people's high-and-mighty Pope wouldn't even be able to stand before the Human Emperor's mighty Imperial Dragon Qi if he went to the Stone Kingdom Imperial Capital. He'd have no choice but to kneel and bow his head in submission!"
"And with just one finger, the Human Emperor could uproot your vaunted Spirit Hall and Spirit City, wiping them completely off the face of the earth!"
Hearing Su Chen's brazen words, the Platinum Bishop shook with rage. He pointed at Su Chen with a trembling finger, unable to get a single word out.
But it wasn't just him. Everyone in the hall was left with their scalps tingling at Su Chen's unabashed words.
A punch that shattered stars?
One finger that flattened Spirit City?
What kind of monster was this?!
By comparison, Xue Ye, the emperor of their Tiandou Empire, had so little Soul Power and authority that he wasn't even fit to wash this man's feet!
Watching the people below, stunned into questioning reality, their entire worldview shattered, and even forgetting to argue back, the smile at the corner of Su Chen's mouth grew ever wider.
Then he gently waved his folding fan and asked unhurriedly:
"Do you think the Human Emperors of the Ancient Kingdoms in the Eight Regions of the Lower Realm are already the pinnacle of power in this world?"
Everyone froze at his question, then instinctively swallowed.
Weren't they?
If someone could knock stars from the sky and kill a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast with a single roar, wasn't that the pinnacle? If not, what was?
Yet Su Chen slowly shook his head.
"Above the Eight Regions of the Lower Realm lies an even vaster world."
"That world contains Three Thousand Dao Provinces, where countless legacies and Longevity Families stand side by side."
"That place is known as the Upper Realm!"
"And the boundless Eight Regions of the Lower Realm, teeming with powerful figures and ruled by Human Emperors who suppress heaven and earth, are nothing more than a cage in the eyes of the giants of the Upper Realm."
At the word "cage," countless Spirit Masters and nobles who had always considered themselves exalted went deathly pale. They slumped in their chairs, their eyes blank.
The Eight Regions of the Lower Realm, with its territory stretching for tens of millions of miles, was only a cage!
Then what did that make Douluo Continent?
While the crowd was still trying to digest the world Su Chen had described, a young man in plain blue robes stood in a corner at the edge of the first-floor hall, his eyes lowered slightly.
It was Tang San!
He seemed calm, but his hands, hidden beneath his sleeves, clenched involuntarily.
He turned to look beside him.
Zhao Wuji, the deputy dean of Shrek Academy who had brought him here—the Immovable Bright King—stood with his mouth hanging open, frozen like a stone statue. Clearly, the word "cage" had left him utterly shaken as well.
Seeing this, a barely perceptible shadow crossed Tang San's eyes.
Teacher Zhao had completely forgotten the real reason they had come here—to establish their authority!
If Su Chen was allowed to keep bragging without restraint, who would ever take Shrek Academy seriously on Douluo Continent again?
With that thought, Tang San drew a deep breath and stepped forward, putting on a deferential expression as he asked:
"Mr. Su."
"You've described the Perfect World as so vast and wondrous, and even mentioned the many Primordial Remnants and Ferocious Beasts there."
"May I ask whether that world has any exceptionally powerful ape-like Ferocious Beasts?"
As he spoke, Tang San deliberately paused. He glanced sidelong at Zhao Wuji, then raised his voice:
"You said earlier that the Heavenly Horned Ant far surpassed the Titan Giant Ape. So how would an ape-like Ferocious Beast compare with the Titan Giant Ape, known as the king of the forest on Douluo Continent, or the Vajra Bear, famed for its supreme defense and strength?"
At that, the crowd, still immersed in shock, came back to their senses. Their gazes turned toward Tang San, then followed his words to Zhao Wuji, whose build was as imposing as a mountain.
Many in the hall were shrewd enough to hear the barbed challenge hidden in the blue-robed youth's words.
The Titan Giant Ape was the undisputed overlord of the Star Dou Forest!
And the Vajra Bear was Zhao Wuji's signature Martial Soul!
The boy was clearly trying to stir up trouble!
On the raised platform,
Su Chen's hand paused as he waved his folding fan.
Then he slowly lowered his gaze to Tang San, who looked respectful among the crowd below.
His eyes shifted to Zhao Wuji beside him.
With a single glance, Su Chen exposed him without the slightest hesitation:
"You want to use me as a weapon?"
Tang San's expression stiffened, and a flicker of panic showed in his eyes. Clearly, he hadn't expected Su Chen to call him out so bluntly. But he quickly forced himself to appear calm. "You've misunderstood, sir. Tang San was only curious..."
"Curious?"
Su Chen cut him off before he could finish. "Keep those nauseating, two-faced tricks to yourself."
"You're just trying to drive a wedge between me and Zhao Wuji, so he'll take your side and smash up my Listening Rain Pavilion, aren't you?"
Exposed in front of everyone, Tang San's face instantly turned the color of liver.
Zhao Wuji beside him also suddenly came to his senses!
That was right!
He'd come here to smash the place up today. How had this brat's story bluffed him into forgetting that?
Zhao Wuji's rugged old face darkened at once. His wide eyes fixed on Su Chen on the platform, his stance making it clear that he would strike at the slightest provocation.
But Su Chen didn't give the furious Zhao Wuji a second glance.
Looking down at Tang San, he spoke one word at a time:
"Since you asked, I'll make sure you understand before you die."
"Ape-like Ferocious Beasts are as common as cattle in the Perfect World. Zhu Yan, Demon Apes—they can all tear stars apart with their bare hands."
"But the most famous of them all has to be the Peerless Holy Fighting Ape clan from the Shrouding the Heavens era, which came after the Perfect World!"
At the words "Shrouding the Heavens," everyone in the hall froze again.
An era that came after the Perfect World?
Could Mr. Su really know the secrets of another epoch as well?
"Holy Fighting Ape?" Tang San froze at this, then gritted his teeth and pressed on, unwilling to give up.
"Then how would it compare to the Titan Giant Ape and the Vajra Bear?"
"How would it compare?"
"Tang San, I can tell you this with absolute certainty."
"Forget one Titan Giant Ape or one Vajra Bear!"
"Even if you added together every Soul Beast on Douluo Continent, or gathered ten thousand Hundred-Thousand-Year Titan Giant Apes and another ten thousand Hundred-Thousand-Year Vajra Bears!"
"Not one of them could withstand a single swing of the Holy Fighting Ape's staff."
"They wouldn't even be worthy of carrying his shoes!"
Hearing Su Chen's outrageous words, Zhao Wuji flew into a rage.
"You bastard, you're asking for death!"
The Vajra Bear was his innate Martial Soul. If he could endure such an insult, he wouldn't deserve to be called the Immovable Bright King!
With a furious shout, a brilliant burst of Soul Power erupted from Zhao Wuji.
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black!
Seven dazzling Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet, while the enormous phantom of a dark-gold Vajra Bear took shape behind him!
In an instant, the violent pressure of a Soul Saint swept through the entire first-floor hall.
The shock wave sent countless weaker Spirit Masters tumbling head over heels, their cries ringing out one after another.
Before you continue