"I remember that Zhu was the great god of the Heavenly South Desolate Domain, wasn't he?"
Han Xuanji's gaze sharpened slightly.
Good heavens, these ancient beings have all descended to earth!
The Eternal Deity are formed from the spiritual energy emanating from the Eternal Divine Tree, and the Primordial Eternal Deity are among the earliest and strongest beings, possessing immense power from birth, making them completely different from the later cultivation system.
This Wan Zhu is actually the reincarnation of the Primordial Eternal Deity "Zhu," no wonder he was able to break through the encirclement of first-rate forces.
He carefully recalled the battle he had just witnessed with Wan Zhu. This person's power did indeed carry an extremely ancient and strange aura, unlike that of ordinary cultivators.
At first, I just thought it was some kind of special constitution, but now it seems that it's also a kind of cheat code.
No wonder some of his opponents were often defeated before they even figured out his tactics.
This person also warrants attention.
Han Xuanji secretly noted it down, but no matter what, the other party couldn't possibly possess the power from their previous life.
If the previous "fate" was reincarnated because its predecessor perished and it was forced into this life, then what is the purpose of this "candle"?
"Find an opportunity to look up information about this."
Several thoughts flashed through Han Xuanji's mind, but he quickly returned to reality.
With the round of 16 underway, he will finally be playing a match himself.
According to the rules, the number one seed from each of the nine major factions will be drawn against the seven qualifiers. In this round, the rule of avoiding opponents from the same faction still applies. He could draw anyone but Ying Yuan.
The next round could very well be a civil war within the Sacred Court.
However, none of this matters, since Han Xuanji's goal this time is to achieve first place in order to ensure his value. Otherwise, the Immeasurable Saint Emperor probably wouldn't be so amiable next time they meet.
Han Xuanji watched the slowly rotating light spots on the light screen, waiting for them to stop.
The atmosphere in the entire Supreme Qian Dao Arena suddenly became tense.
The commotion on the nine high platforms gradually subsided, and countless gazes converged on the light screen above the center of the arena.
On the light screen, sixteen names slowly rotated, and with each rotation, a pair of opponents was drawn.
The first name drawn was Han Xuanji.
There was a moment of silence in the room, followed by a low murmur of discussion.
On the high platform of the Sacred Court, Mo Chenxiao paused slightly in the hand holding the wine glass, Leng Qianshuang also subconsciously sat up straight.
Han Xuanji himself didn't have any particular reaction; he simply finished eating the spiritual fruit in his hand and stood up.
On the screen, his name appeared next to his opponent's name.
Di Shengtian.
The number one seed of the Eternal Empire.
Han Xuanji raised an eyebrow slightly.
The Eternal Empire is the only one of the nine supreme powers that is based on a nation-state.
The empire's founder possessed exceptional talent, reaching the Saint King Realm Stage at a speed that broke historical records on the Eternal Continent. While his descendants were not as extraordinary as their founder, they were all top-tier geniuses.
Among them, the twelve most famous are the princes, corresponding to the twelve Emperor Bloodline currently in power in the empire.
Di Shengtian was born from one of the Golden Emperor Bloodline.
The Golden Lineage excels in both physical and Dao of the Mind, possessing Undying Golden Body and Golden Will. Among the twelve lineages of the Eternal Empire, they are known as the most troublesome and strongest in actual combat.
Di Shengtian's past strength is outstanding among all the Golden Princes.
Leng Qianshuang frowned and whispered to Han Xuanji:
"This opponent is not easy to deal with. The Golden Lineage excels in body refinement, possessing Immortal physical body and Golden Will grants them natural resistance to mental attacks. Their fighting spirit is unmatched by ordinary prodigies. They are not only skilled in close combat but also possess a variety of ranged attack methods. In short, their fighting style is extremely versatile, and their strength is considerable. Be careful."
Han Xuanji nodded, said nothing more, and slowly walked towards the central battle area.
The atmosphere in the Eternal Empire, however, was completely different from that in the Sacred Court.
Several high-ranking officials of the empire looked at the battle on the screen, and a hint of joy appeared on their faces.
In their view, drawing Han Xuanji was a godsend.
This young man, who came from a remote border region, may have some fame, but in their deeply ingrained mindset, he is ultimately just a figurehead.
Bloodline, background, and foundation—these are the things that truly determine the upper limit of a prodigy.
What did Han Xuanji have?
Does someone with the title of a disciple of the Nine Mysteries Holy Lord think he can contend with the descendant of the Golden King of the Twelve Emperor Bloodline of their Empire?
" Shengtian, this battle is entrusted to you. Bring victory back to the Empire."
A powerful member of the Golden Emperor Bloodline patted Di Shengtian on the shoulder, his tone full of expectation.
Di Shengtian stood up, bowed to the elders, and spoke in a clear and confident voice:
"I will not fail in my mission."
He turned and walked toward the battlefield, a calm smile on his face, his steps steady and his presence commanding.
The moment he stood up, a cheer erupted from the imperial platform, as if victory was already in their grasp.
However, some people rationally pointed out:
"I've heard that Han Xuanji is quite strong. He defeated the Young Emperor of the Ying Household family to become the number one seed. He's probably not a simple opponent."
Soon someone refuted him, saying:
"You don't know this? I have some inside information. Ying Yuan lost to Han Xuanji because he wasn't in good condition that day and wanted to hide his strength, so he deliberately lost. In reality, Han Xuanji was just lucky."
"Really?"
"A cousin of mine has connections with the Ying Household; I guarantee it."
There was much discussion among the crowd, but most people still had considerable faith in Di Shengtian.
Moreover, the people of the Eternal Empire could only place all their hopes on Di Shengtian, since he was already the only remaining member of the Eternal Empire, and the other two had already been eliminated.
However, only Di Shengtian himself knew that he was not as calm and confident as he appeared on the surface.
Others might not know Han Xuanji's strength, but how could he, as a contestant, not be aware of it?
Who is Ying Yuan?
After the Saint Emperor Taiqian, the Ying Household's Young Emperor dominated the rankings for three thousand years, and his background could be said to be even more noble than that of the Di Shengtian.
Even such a prodigy was defeated by Han Xuanji.
It would be ridiculous for anyone to believe that Ying Yuan lost because he was "in poor form".
Di Shengtian even suspected that the person who spread such rumors might have a grudge against the Ying Household.
How could a prodigy deliberately hold back? That would be an insult to the prodigy and a devastating blow to one's own Dao heart.
However, no matter what, Di Shengtian was the number one Eternal Empire and a descendant of the Golden Saint King, so he didn't feel that he was inferior to anyone.
After calmly analyzing the situation, he felt he had at least a 50% chance of winning today.
Di Shengtian took a deep breath, suppressing his turbulent emotions, and walked step by step to the center of the battlefield.
Han Xuanji was already waiting for him there.
This level of competition is not conducted simultaneously, but rather one match at a time.
The battle space is similar to the previous selection battle space; to maintain a fair environment, it is located in an open area.
The two stood in the center of the battlefield, quite a distance apart.
[ Di Shengtian: Eternal True God Perfection, Golden Saint King Bloodline, First Sequence in the Eternal Empire, and mastering a Golden Lineage Emperor Technique. He is incredibly powerful and greatly fears you.]
" Emperor Technique?"
Han Xuanji's heart stirred.
The so-called Emperor Technique are actually Divine Ability Secret Method at the Saint King level, which normally cannot be mastered by Eternal True God like them.
However, the other party possesses the Saint King Bloodline, enabling them to master and utilize it through clever means.
This should be the opponent's trump card; it hasn't been mentioned in any publicly available information.