They only felt that Ye Xuan was bullying them far too much. He was plainly trying to drive those Essence Condensation Peak disciples on the martial platform to their deaths!
The Holy Son of the Ancient Desolate Holy Land was actually so overbearing, vicious, and ruthless. How despicable!
Yet this was the Ancient Desolate Holy Land, and Ye Xuan was its Holy Son.
Thus, however stifled or furious they felt, they could only endure it.
"Ye Xuan, we have no grudge against each other. Why must you-"
After a long while, another Essence Condensation disciple spoke through gritted teeth, utterly unwilling to accept this.
Squelch!
Yet before he could finish, another sound rang out, and his head went flying as well. He died instantly.
Ye Xuan sneered. "No grudge? What an enormous joke! If we have no grudge, why did a hundred of you join forces to fight me to the death?"
Silence.
Everyone was speechless!
The powerful figures from the various factions below could not help clenching their fists slightly, their teeth grinding audibly, but they forced themselves to hold back.
Speaking up now would only invite more humiliation.
Bang!
With a loud crash, a cultivator abruptly raised his fist and smashed it into his own dantian.
As Spiritual Qi surged in and out, his dantian instantly burst, and he collapsed limply.
He raised his head, gritted his teeth, and stared at Ye Xuan with venom all over his face. "Are you satisfied now?" he asked in a low voice.
That venomous voice made it sound as though Ye Xuan were persecuting an innocent.
Ye Xuan said indifferently, "Of course I'm satisfied. You can get lost! And don't look at me with that ridiculous expression."
"You came here to kill me, to step on me and make a name for yourself. You brought this upon yourself. You deserve no sympathy."
The man's face instantly turned ashen. Gritting his teeth, he staggered to his feet and left the martial platform.
Ye Xuan killed the man in spirit as well, leaving him not even a scrap to cover his shame.
He was weak, yes, but did he deserve sympathy?
Clearly not!
The others looked utterly grim as well. With someone taking the lead, they wasted no more words. One after another, they crippled their own cultivation in despair, then left the martial platform weakly.
Of the hundred challengers, only a dozen or so remained alive. All the others were dead.
Ye Xuan did not look at the elder of the Carefree Holy Land again. Instead, he looked at the crowd below and declared loudly:
"Does anyone else wish to challenge this Holy Son? My offer remains the same. Anyone below Golden Core can come up for a deathmatch! If you aren't afraid to die, come on. This Holy Son will take you all on."
The venue was deathly silent. No one spoke.
Had Ye Xuan not casually crushed a hundred Essence Condensation Peak cultivators, someone might genuinely have tried.
But after that slaughter, even Wheel Sea cultivators had to weigh their chances when Ye Xuan issued another challenge.
Ye Xuan was simply too ruthless, decisive in killing and utterly merciless.
Even if a hundred Wheel Sea cultivators could truly kill Ye Xuan, many of them would certainly die.
Who wanted to be one of the cultivators killed?
Seeing that no one responded, Ye Xuan continued, "Today is this Holy Son's investiture. I had no intention of slaughtering in all directions, but some people insisted on wanting me dead."
"Since that is the case, this Holy Son naturally cannot diminish the prestige of my title, nor that of our Ancient Desolate Holy Land."
"Now, this Holy Son will give you another half an incense stick's worth of time. If no one accepts by then, I will accept no further challenges."
Having spoken, Ye Xuan clasped his hands behind his back and walked to the center of the martial platform.
Sunlight fell upon him, making him look so dazzling, so striking, so carefree and unrestrained.
"Wow, the Holy Son is so handsome!"
"The Holy Son is so domineering! I like him so much!"
"If only I could marry the Holy Son!"
At this sight, some lovestruck women once again could not help crying out excitedly.
Their hearts beat even harder.
Even the hearts of many fairies from the Jade Lake Holy Land, as well as its Holy Maiden Shen Yao, stirred.
With peerless talent, wild and domineering, and the Holy Son of the Ancient Desolate Holy Land besides, such a figure was naturally very likable.
After all, what beauty since ancient times had not loved a hero? Who did not want her other half to look down upon the world, unmatched in splendor?
The sight left many people green with envy.
Especially those prodigies and monstrous talents who had earned some renown.
They dared not say anything aloud, but inwardly they cursed.
Pah! A cultured scoundrel!
Look at that show-off. How disgusting!
Ye Xuan paid no attention to any of that. He simply maintained his carefree, unrestrained persona, waiting for further challengers.
Half an incense stick's worth of time soon passed, yet no one else dared step onto the platform to challenge him.
Even Huang Sha, who had been so arrogant and overbearing earlier, did not speak again.
It was not that he dared not challenge Ye Xuan, but that he feared being humiliated.
He was going even crazier inwardly. When I killed people, I provoked the wrath of heaven and men alike. Things only settled down after the Carefree Holy Land was forced to send me into the Asura Battlefield.
Now look at this Ye Xuan. How many people has he killed in just one challenge? Why hasn't anyone said he should be punished and sent into the Asura Battlefield too?
How infuriating!
And that isn't even the most infuriating part. What are those brainless female cultivators all shouting about?
Didn't he just put on a holy robe and act cool? Is all this necessary?
Huang Sha truly was on the verge of going mad.
People really could not be compared. Doing so would anger a person to death.
Half an incense stick's worth of time soon passed.
No one else stepped onto the platform to challenge him.
Everyone gazed at that proud, solitary, outstanding figure on the martial platform, their eyes filled with fervor and admiration.
What was a Tianjiao?
Only such a figure deserved to be called a Tianjiao.
Yet Ye Xuan did not immediately leave the martial platform. His gaze swept across the venue.
When those disciples saw Ye Xuan's gaze sweep toward them, they all lowered their heads in fear, not daring to meet his eyes at all.
Seeing this, Ye Xuan sneered inwardly.
This was the respect strength brought.
Earlier, before he had made a move, every one of these people had clamored to challenge him.
Now that he had displayed his strength, they had all lost their nerve.
His gaze roamed before finally settling on one person. His calm voice plunged the entire venue into silence once more.
"You. Get up here!"
Those few short words were like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, exploding in everyone's hearts.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Countless people followed Ye Xuan's gaze, their eyes finally landing on a burly young man dressed in black.
At the sight of this young man, their hearts, which had only just settled, could not help trembling violently again.
Huang Sha!
It was actually Huang Sha!!!
Ye Xuan was challenging Huang Sha!
Indeed, the one Ye Xuan challenged was none other than Huang Sha.
His refusal to accept further challenges did not mean he could not issue one.
This Huang Sha wanted to kill him. Since that was the case, he would eliminate this future threat first.
He would use Huang Sha's life to bring today's investiture ceremony to a perfect close.
He would step on Huang Sha and ascend to godhood in a single battle!
Huang Sha also slowly raised his head, his gaze sharp as a blade as he stared at Ye Xuan.
He wondered whether he had misheard.
Ye Xuan actually wanted to challenge him?
When he came to his senses, he could not help breaking into a savage grin.
"It seems you've gotten full of yourself! Since you're courting death, I'll grant your wish!"
As he spoke, killing intent erupted from Huang Sha, and he was already walking toward the martial platform.
Fierce murderous intent radiated from him, while towering fury filled his heart!