Translator: AnubisTL
Compared to the epic one-versus-one-thousand battle, the number of climaxes was far too few.
There was one at the beginning, but before the crowd could reach their peak excitement, Gu Feng extinguished it with a single kick, and then the one-hit knockout phase began.
At first, the crowd was screaming and howling at the top of their lungs.
However, after three hundred Heaven's Chosen were instantly defeated, the audience could only shake their heads with bitter smiles, their interest waning.
It wasn't until the 301st Heaven's Chosen stepped forward that Gu Feng was finally forced to use his second move, and the crowd got a small burst of excitement.
For the next hour or so, the atmosphere was extremely dull. Those proud Peerless Prodigies from major sects were like paper tigers in front of Gu Feng, utterly defenseless.
The Blazing Light Sect, Flower Sect, Sword Gate, and Tyrant Body Sect all suffered crushing defeats without even a hint of resistance.
Of course, there were still some noteworthy moments. For example, Ma Tianxu from the Sword Gate, carrying an Ancient Sword on his back, moved with steady steps, exuding an aura as sharp as a divine weapon, chilling to the bone.
It could still be remembered how he proudly drew his Ancient Sword, pointed it at Gu Feng, and with a single strike, all weapons seemed to bow in submission, emitting a mournful hum. The sheer grandeur of it almost made people wet themselves, but then... there was no "then."
His mighty strike hit nothing but air, as Gu Feng sidestepped and sent him flying thousands of meters with a single punch, crashing heavily into a mountain. His Ancient Sword remained embedded halfway up the mountain, and to this day, it still lies at the foot, unrecovered.
And then there was—
These were already among the better performers among the thousand Heaven's Chosen. At least, they managed to unleash some heart-stopping ultimate moves.
The entire challenge, up to this point, could only be described as lackluster.
Some spectators were drooping their eyelids, yawning, and if they weren't floating in the air, they might have fallen asleep on the spot.
Just as everyone thought this boring challenge was about to end, a major twist occurred.
The Vice-Principal of the Grand Harmony Academy, who was overseeing the battle and also the chief examiner of the grand exam, intervened.
With a single sentence, "I want to see a group fight," he dispelled the drowsiness that had filled the arena, reigniting the crowd's excitement and heating up the atmosphere once more.
"Hahaha, finally something exciting! I was about to fall asleep."
"Fifty against one, now that's interesting."
"..."
Amid the clamor of the audience, the 951st contestant silently retreated to his original position. His emotions were mixed—some relief, some ease, and some frustration.
He was relieved because he still had some time before his inevitable defeat.
He felt at ease because he wouldn't have to face Gu Feng, that terrifying cultivator, directly.
But he was also frustrated because he had already devised a strategy and was confident he could force Gu Feng to use his unprecedented eighth move. In this entire challenge where everyone was being suppressed, that would have been a small moment of glory.
Thinking of this, a single tear silently rolled down his heart.
As a Heaven's Chosen from the Tyrant Body Sect, he was confident that at the peak of the Innate Realm, he could remain undefeated against anyone. This was his strength and his pride.
But today, his pride was shattered, his belief in invincibility vanished, and the strength he once took pride in now seemed insignificant.
Feelings of dejection and loss welled up in his heart. Once a Peerless Prodigy, he now couldn't even imagine a scene of victory against a cultivator of the same realm. All he could think about was how to force his opponent to use his eighth move. It was downright absurd.
Fifty Heaven's Chosen gathered together, looking at each other with a heavy atmosphere.
There were no smiles on their faces; their lips were tightly pressed, and their brows were deeply furrowed.
Facing Gu Feng's challenge, they felt neither anger nor excitement, only a complex mix of emotions.
Gu Feng gazed eagerly at Ouyang Qi, who twitched the corner of his mouth before entering a state of deep concentration, floating motionless in the air, though his eyes kept darting toward the Elders of various sects on the city wall.
The Elders looked grim, exchanging glances. A Sea Condensation Realm Elder from the Tyrant Body Sect cleared his throat lightly.
"Ahem... Gu Feng's strength is indeed formidable, but after such a long battle, his energy must be depleted. Fifty against one is inherently unfair. Let him rest and recover for a while."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present couldn't help but smirk.
What a load of nonsense about letting Gu Feng recover! It was clearly an attempt to give the fifty Heaven's Chosen some time to regroup, seeing that they had lost their fighting spirit.
Perhaps even the Elder himself felt a bit awkward, as a faint blush appeared on his face.
And so, the intermission began!
Gu Feng returned to the sidelines, where several female cultivators from the Sunset Glow Sect descended to the ground. Some poured tea, others fed him snacks, and a few even massaged his shoulders.
"Sect Master, you've worked hard!"
"Sect Master, you're so handsome!"
"Would you like a disciple to accompany you tonight?"
"..."
The beautiful female cultivators chattered like a flock of birds, their voices as clear and melodious as bells, leaving everyone else envious and resentful.
How could someone so young hold such a high position, surrounded by beauties, and still possess such overwhelming strength?
Not to mention, he was incredibly handsome, with an endless supply of Spirit Stones, as if he were the heavens' favorite, the illegitimate son of the Dao itself.
As time passed, under the whispered encouragement of the Elders on the city wall, the fifty Heaven's Chosen regained some of their fighting spirit.
They began to gather together, discussing tactics.
Their eyes occasionally glanced upward, as if to make sure everyone knew they were receiving guidance from the Elders.
After about half an incense stick's worth of time, the fifty Heaven's Chosen turned simultaneously to face Gu Feng.
One of them spoke loudly, "Gu Feng, have you rested enough?"
As if they had actually allowed him to rest.
Gu Feng waved his hand slightly, and the female cultivators beside him shot up into the sky. He then stepped forward, grinning, "I've been waiting for you!"
The crowd's eyes lit up, burning with anticipation as they focused on the field, eager to witness an epic battle.
"The fighting spirit of the fifty Heaven's Chosen has returned. They might just break Gu Feng's myth of invincibility."
"Although the situation seems one-sided, the gap between Gu Feng and those Heaven's Chosen isn't so vast as to be hopeless."
"Gu Feng is also at the peak of the Innate Realm. How much stronger can he be? I think he'll lose this time!"
"At the very least, it will be an evenly matched battle. It won't be over in half an hour!"
"..."
Not only did the spectators think this way, but even the Elders on the city wall, and even Ouyang Qi, who was presiding over the challenge, shared the same view.
Gu Feng's true combat strength should be between the second and third levels of Spirit Nurturing. Facing fifty Heaven's Chosen at the peak of the Innate Realm, it should be a clash of titans, a spectacular fight.
"The rules remain the same. Anyone who falls outside the two-kilometer diameter range will be disqualified!" Ouyang Qi announced in a booming voice, and the battle officially began.
As soon as the fight started, the fifty Heaven's Chosen let out a simultaneous roar, their bodies moving at high speed.
Twenty of them positioned themselves around Gu Feng in four directions, closing in simultaneously.
Twenty more leaped into the air, positioning themselves in four directions, forming an aerial blockade against Gu Feng.
The final ten Heaven's Chosen arrived above Gu Feng's head.
Fifty Heaven's Chosen wove a massive net, their simultaneous roars filled with majestic Spiritual Power, illuminating the sky and dimming the sun.
Gu Feng stood on the ground, his body as straight as a spear planted between heaven and earth. His plain robe billowed in the fierce Spirit Wind, and his black hair danced wildly.
A faint smile curled at the corner of his mouth as he tilted his head back and unleashed the Jade Lion's Golden Roar!
Roar—
The deafening sound waves expanded invisibly, striking the fifty Heaven's Chosen who had laid the trap from all directions.
The roar was so astonishing that it caused all fifty Heaven's Chosen to momentarily lose focus. Even some weaker spectators were affected.
They felt deafened and dizzy, their Spiritual Power stagnating, and they fell from the sky like dumplings into a pot.
Before they could react, Gu Feng's body split into four, and four afterimages attacked in all directions simultaneously.
Hundreds of fist shadows erupted with the force of primordial beasts, causing the air to explode.
The fifty Heaven's Chosen, still disoriented, were struck by the overwhelming force.
Like scattered petals, their bodies shot in all directions—some falling into the crowd, others crashing into the mountains, and some slamming into the ground...
In just three breaths, the battle was over.
"Done and dusted!" Gu Feng clapped his hands, smiling naturally with ease.
The entire arena was as silent as a funeral parlor. Everyone tilted their heads, their pupils dilated, utterly dumbfounded.
It was truly like "wielding a kitchen knife to cut through electric wires, sparks and lightning all the way." Was it really necessary to be so exaggerated?
Where was the promised fierce battle? The evenly matched fight? The clash of heaven and earth?
None of it happened, completely wasting everyone's anticipation.
Were those Heaven's Chosen eating dirt? After all that planning, this was the result?
The Elders from the major sects on the city walls had faces as dark as coal. They flicked their sleeves and left, utterly humiliated.
The fifty Heaven's Chosen gazed at the sky, speechless, tears streaming uncontrollably.
The battle ended so quickly that it shattered their worldview and overturned their understanding of Innate Realm cultivators.
The gap in strength was simply too vast. In the face of Gu Feng's absolute power, they had no ability to resist.
The scene was too ugly; it would have been better to fight one-on-one!!
Ouyang Qi was also stunned for a moment. His pupils contracted slightly but quickly returned to normal.
His forehead darkened as he glared at the chuckling Gu Feng, then turned and left with a flick of his sleeve, leaving behind a sharp remark.
"Before the grand examination begins, no more deceiving candidates for their Spirit Stones!"
These words were like a sharp steel blade, piercing the chests of the thousand Heaven's Chosen, twisting and turning, completely breaking their defenses.
"If you're this strong, just say so!! We're not masochists; there's no need for us to foolishly challenge you. The key is that you acted all reluctant, forcing us to pay before accepting the challenge! You made us borrow money to challenge you... How unfair!!" the Heaven's Chosen wailed in their hearts.
Most of them would spend the next few years miserably repaying their debts, and to make matters worse, they were stripped of their examination qualifications.
It was like snow in June, more unjust than Dou E. [1]
The entire audience was also speechless. Watching Gu Feng's departing figure, they rolled their eyes, their lips twitching, screaming in their hearts.
"Vice-Prefect Ouyang is absolutely right. Gu Feng's actions are nothing short of outright fraud.
And those thousand Heaven's Chosen are just gullible fools, easy targets, and classic examples of what not to do."
At this moment, some of the Heaven's Chosen secretly felt relieved, grateful that they were poor and lacked the fervor to follow the crowd and challenge Gu Feng!!
Otherwise, they too would be saddled with a mountain of debt!
----
[1] "Snow in June" and "Dou E" both point to the Yuan‑dynasty zaju (classical drama) "竇娥冤" / "The Injustice to Dou E" by Guan Hanqing (關漢卿).
In the play, the virtuous widow Dou E is falsely condemned and executed. Before dying she utters three "heaven‑sent omens" that will prove her innocence:
It will snow heavily in mid‑summer (the sixth lunar month, roughly June/July).Her blood will fly upward onto the white banner.A three‑year drought will scourge the land.
The first omen—snow falling in the hottest month—became a set phrase 六月飛霜 / 六月雪 (liù‑yuè fēi‑shuāng / liù‑yuè xuě) for an upside‑down world where justice is so perverted that nature itself rebels.
(End of the Chapter)
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