Continuous Self-Destruction

It's Lu Ran.

He was dressed in white as snow, a smile on his lips, but his eyes seemed to be filled with ice.

As their gazes met, tiny electric sparks crackled in the void.

"Ants are always ants," Lu Ran transmitted, his voice like a viper's hiss.

"I hope you can still smile when your skin is peeled and your bones are removed."

Lu Chen dragged his thumb across his neck, his eyes filled with deep coldness.

The officiating officer stepped forward a few paces, composed himself, and addressed the entire crowd:

"The quadrennial Four Nations Year-End Martial Arts Tournament follows the same format as previous years. The seeded teams include the royal families of Great Yan, Great Qi, and Great Liang, Ruyi Xuan, the Blood Spirit Sect, Tianyu Academy, and ten other prodigies."

"Other participants must go through rounds of selection to enter the top ten and compete against them."

"The true top ten will be determined and rewarded."

"The first-place prize is the Azure Dragon Battle Formation from Heavenly Dao Academy, the second-place prize is the Heavenly Dao Academy martial skill 'Demon Sealing Slash,' the third-place prize is a Mid-grade Spirit Artifact..."

As the officiating officer spoke, the disciples from various participating factions were greatly energized.

Lu Chen shivered.

The Azure Dragon Battle Formation!

"A special reminder, the Azure Dragon Battle Formation was obtained by a senior from Heavenly Dao Academy in a certain secret realm. Although it's an incomplete formation, five Golden Core Realm cultivators forming the Azure Dragon Battle Formation can contend with Nascent Soul experts. It's very powerful."

Rustle rustle rustle...

The crowd below erupted.

Whether it was King Yan, the Purple Robe Elder from Tianyu Academy, the princes from various nations, or Old Ancestor Tianyan and others secretly watching from the battlefield, their expressions turned solemn.

Whichever force obtained this battle formation would rise rapidly!

A flicker of fervor flashed in Lu Ran's eyes. The battle formation was his, it had to be his.

"Please follow the guidance of your participant wristbands to ascend the stage for duels. The Year-End Martial Arts Tournament officially begins!"

Boom boom boom...

As the words fell, celebratory cannons roared, stages boomed like thunder, formations lit up, and figures ascended the stages guided by their wristbands.

The thirty-six arenas of the martial arts field were arranged like stars, humming with flowing formation patterns.

Lu Chen stood on the third arena, his black robe fluttering, the Soul Severing Saber pointed diagonally at the ground, its blade reflecting the sunlight with a cold glint like snow.

Opposite him, Zhu Jiuyin, clad in a flowing purple robe, had the Crimson Thunder Banner hovering above his head. Thunder and fire roamed across the banner's surface, emitting crackling sounds.

Lu Chen looked at his opponent and had a strange expression.

Wasn't this the first disciple from Tianyu Academy he defeated when he first arrived in Yanjing?

"It really is a small world!" Lu Chen smiled.

"Lu Chen, I will surely avenge the humiliation from last time today."

Zhu Jiuyin's eyes were bloodshot, and the pressure of a Golden Core fourth-layer cultivator erupted. He shook the Crimson Thunder Banner, and three bolts of lightning and fire condensed into the shape of pythons, lunging forward with the power to incinerate the heavens.

"Wow, you've improved quite quickly!"

Lu Chen wasn't mocking him; he was genuinely impressed by the rapid improvement.

He was originally at Golden Core second-layer. To have advanced two layers in such a short time was indeed good progress.

Despite his thoughts, he didn't hold back his attack.

He lightly tapped his toes, activating the Wind and Thunder Steps to their extreme. His figure moved like a phantom through the gaps in the lightning and fire.

The blade of his saber suddenly shifted. The phantom image of the Asura Furnace appeared behind him, its mouth emitting a surge of dark light, actually swallowing all the lightning and fire into it.

"Here you go!" he grunted. The furnace inverted, and the lightning and fire, mixed with malevolent energy, sprayed back out, transforming into a blood-colored thunder dragon that lunged straight at Zhu Jiuyin.

The Crimson Thunder Banner trembled violently. A crack appeared on its surface, torn by the thunder dragon. Zhu Jiuyin retreated several yards, blood trickling from the corner of his lips.

"You haven't improved much!" Lu Chen chuckled, his figure vanishing instantly.

The next moment, the tip of his saber was at Zhu Jiuyin's back. "Thank you for your Crimson Thunder Banner, it can be used again..."

Before he could finish, and just as the saber energy was about to pierce through, Zhu Jiuyin roared and, with a loud bang, detonated himself.

The wild, boundless energy directly sent Lu Chen flying backward, coughing up blood.

His face turned as pale as paper.

He truly hadn't expected the opponent to resort to such a move.

Self-detonation.

Damn it, was it really necessary just because he lost one match?

The Devouring Furnace expanded in front of him, swallowing all the chaotic energy.

Lu Chen looked up at Lu Ran, who was seated in the Tianyu Academy disciples' section, his eyes narrowing.

It was this bastard causing trouble from the shadows.

He spat on the ground, pointed his saber at Lu Ran, and said coldly:

"So the prodigy from Tianyu is just a coward. I don't know what trick you used to make them self-destruct against me. Guard your pathetic life with all your might."

Silence fell over the spectators. Lu Ran stared coldly at Lu Chen, not uttering a word.

It wasn't that he didn't want to speak, but that he couldn't. Otherwise, it would confirm the accusation that he had coerced a disciple of the academy into using such desperate measures against Lu Chen.

At the Tianyu Academy's seating area, the Purple Robe Elder clenched the armrest until it shattered, killing intent surging in his eyes.

"Who's next!" There were at least five thousand participants, if not eight thousand.

Each match was a single elimination, and the winner could challenge consecutively until they reached the top ten.

"I'll go!" As the words fell, Xiao Chen shot into the arena like lightning.

The pressure of his Golden Core fifth-level cultivation made the grand formation roar.

The Seven Star Sword Array suddenly expanded, pressing down on Lu Chen.

Vast spiritual energy condensed into a battle formation barrier, encasing the stage like an iron bucket.

"Seven Stars Annihilation!" Xiao Chen formed hand seals, and seven sword lights crisscrossed as they slashed down.

Lu Chen snorted coldly and vanished in a flash.

Just as Xiao Chen turned, the sword array trembled violently.

Then, with a thud.

As if struck by a mountain, Xiao Chen spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward.

Looking at Lu Chen again, Xiao Chen's heart was filled with terror.

A thunderous roar erupted from the crowd below.

Clad in white armor, with two divine and demonic heads on his shoulders, he exuded an aura of might and dominance.

Behind him, a terrifying, ten-foot-tall bloodline beast phantom manifested, radiating ferocious power and astonishing presence.

He stood upon the True Martial Domain.

The Seven Star Sword Array of Xiao Chen was ruthlessly suppressed within it.

The backlash from the battle formation caused blood to trickle from Xiao Chen's lips, severely reducing his mobility.

This powerful counter-suppression.

was another forceful strike against Lu Ran.

"Is it worth dying for someone so ungrateful?"

With every step Lu Chen took, Xiao Chen coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Xiao Chen gave a tragic smile and deliberately threw himself onto the blade. His dantian exploded with a roar, and a surge of violent energy spread out.

However, it was blocked by the True Martial Domain. The Devouring Furnace appeared, and the blast of energy vanished.

Gasps of shock erupted from the onlookers. Tianyu Academy had lost two formidable generals in a row, and a dark cloud hung over their seating area.

"It's just a tournament, but Tianyu Academy is truly willing to go to such lengths. I hope the rest of them self-destruct one by one. Let's see how many you have left!"

Lu Chen faced the Purple Robed Elder's furious roar.

"Don't lose heart, or the world will look down on you!"

This added remark made the Purple Robed Elder's face grow even more unsightly.

They couldn't even kill him with a self-destruction, the bastard.

"If you're scared, get off the stage!" the Purple Robed Elder coldly snorted.

Lu Chen smiled wryly. "I'm not getting off. I'm still going to kill people. Heh heh, continue. Who else from Tianyu Academy's pride will step up!"

This single remark stirred up a thousand waves, and a figure transformed into lightning, arriving on the stage.

"Lu Chen... Ah!"

Before the opponent could even speak, a sharp pain erupted from his back as a saber emerged from his abdomen.

The saber vibrated, and the man let out a scream as Lu Chen cut him in half.

Before the corpse could fall, it was engulfed by the Devouring Furnace.

The same Golden Core fifth-level cultivator couldn't evade Lu Chen's swift attack.

He was overwhelmingly powerful.