That person’s arrival was out of nowhere. But when he took out his sword, everyone felt that their concept of time was severed by it. Their heads were blank as they simply stared lifelessly at the sword.

The sword slashed down. Ye Qingkuang suddenly let out a mad roar, and his aura exploded. His Heavenly Dao energy formed a huge barrier around him, and he hastily retreated at the same time.

When that sword fell, all people saw was a cold flash of light, and yet it also seemed like nothing had happened. That misconception made it seem like that sword had both moved and not moved. It was impossible to remember what that sword had just done.

Ye Qingkuang appeared a thousand meters away. The middle of his face had been sliced open, and there was a straight bloody line going down his face. It wasn’t deep, but blood poured out from his wound.

Everyone was deathly silent. Ye Qingkuang was an Empyrean, but he had been injured. Everyone, including Ye Qingkuang, stared in shock at the newcomer.

A light sound rang out as that person slowly sheathed his sword. The sound wasn’t loud, but it possessed a great impact to their ears. That attack had looked completely insignificant and natural, and yet it had injured an Empyrean.

“You were actually able to use Heavenly Dao energy to resist my Sword Qi. As expected of an Empyrean,” said that person lightly, a bit of shock in his eyes.

“Who are you?!” Ye Qingkuang wiped his face. His Heavenly Dao energy circulated, and his injury vanished. His divine item, the Steel Coiling Dragon Staff, appeared in his other hand.

He felt a sensation of terror toward this sword-wielding man. Just now, he had almost been slain. Just thinking about it made him afraid.

“Long Chen’s subordinate, the Dragonblood Legion’s fourth captain, Yue Zifeng.”

This man was Yue Zifeng. When Long Chen had created the Dragonblood Legion, there had been three hundred and sixty members split into four groups led by four captains.

Long Chen had decided to have Gu Yang, Li Qi, Song Mingyuan, and Yue Zifeng be the captains. Wilde was like a child and couldn’t command others, while that little fellow Guo Ran was too frivolous. He liked showing off too much.

“Long Chen’s subordinate, the Dragonblood Legion’s fourth captain, Yue Zifeng…”

These words resounded through the air, backed by Yue Zifeng’s spiritual yuan. Each word was like a blade piercing everyone’s ears. With the impression left behind by his unstoppable sword, his voice seemed to pierce their souls.

“How terrifying. A captain is already so powerful? Just how strong is the Dragonblood Legion?” Everyone was intimidated by Yue Zifeng. His sword was too marvelous, too shocking, too terrifying.

“Isn’t your Dragon Slaughtering Convention’s goal to kill my boss and my Dragonblood Legion? Why would you refuse us at the door?” asked Yue Zifeng coldly.

“Hmph, fine. Tomorrow, I’ll put you in your place, and I won’t give you a second chance to sneak attack me,” snorted Ye Qingkuang. Strangely, despite overflowing with battle intent a moment ago, he now returned to the city.

In any case, he was truly shameless. Yue Zifeng’s attack had been a direct, head-on one, but somehow he managed to call it a sneak attack.

Yue Zifeng smiled indifferently and didn’t bother with him. He cupped his fists toward Xia Yunchong, Xia Youluo, Bao Buping, and Chang Hao.

“I’m not very eloquent. I hope you won’t mind.”

“Not being eloquent is the right thing. Being skilled at killing is better. Brother, this sword of yours is quite amazing. Do you still remember me? We fought together once on Devil Spirit Mountain.” Bao Buping was very friendly, and he even patted Yue Zifeng’s shoulder.

“This isn’t the place to talk. Let’s enter the city first and see what they have inside,” said Chang Hao impatiently.

Now that Chang Hao said this, the other four nodded. They walked into the city, quickly reaching the inner city gates.

Once they entered the inner city, Xia Yunchong snorted, “It seems the Grand Han has completely given their capital away. These city walls are new. Each of these bricks has the fluctuations of formation runes. The capital is definitely a nest of dragons and tigers.”

Bao Buping, Chang Hao, and Yue Zifeng didn’t understand anything about formations, but having grown up in the Grand Xia’s imperial family, Xia Yunchong had been taught many things from a young age. He saw through some clues.

Although the walls looked old, the formation runes still let out some faint fluctuations that couldn’t escape Xia Yunchong’s senses.

“Whatever. In any case, Long Chen will definitely handle them. I believe in him,” said Bao Buping confidently.

After how Long Chen had led them in Devil Spirit Mountain, Bao Buping and Chang Hao had been completely won over by his intelligence and methods. Their confidence in him was practically blind. They felt that no matter what trap the other side had, it would be nothing to Long Chen.

Once they were inside the inner city, Yue Zifeng took the lead. Countless gazes turned to him, filled with hostility as well as curiosity.

Those who could enter the inner city were essentially at least rank nine Celestials. It was rare to find a single rank eight Celestial.

“I didn’t think there were so many geniuses in the Eastern Xuan Region. Why didn’t the old man tell me? Fuck, it couldn’t be that he intentionally let us brag so we would be slapped in the face now? How evil!” grumbled Bao Buping. He thought of when he had said big words in front of the old man. It seemed the old man’s expression had become a bit odd at that time…

“My imperial father said that the change in the world is silently starting. Heavenly geniuses are rising. We’re about to enter the great era. The Martial Heaven Continent’s karmic luck is erupting, causing heavenly geniuses to be born like spring bamboo. Before, not even one in a hundred rank eight Celestials would advance to rank nine Celestials. Now, as long as a person’s talent isn’t terrible, there’s an over fifty percent chance of them advancing to rank nine Celestials,” said Xia Yunchong.

Just as he finished saying this, he looked at Yue Zifeng with some shock. Only now did he realize Yue Zifeng was like Long Chen. There weren’t the slightest Heavenly Dao fluctuations coming from him.

“What’s this great era? Our family’s old man also mentioned it, but when we asked him about it, he ignored us,” said Bao Buping.

Xia Yunchong said, “The so-called great era refers to a period in the Martial Heaven Continent’s rise and fall. There are a total of five great eras recorded in history. Each time, it came right before the Martial Heaven Continent faced calamity. On the verge of destruction, the continent gives birth to geniuses to fight it. Rumor has it that the great era is the Martial Heaven Continent’s way of protecting itself.”

“Protecting itself?”

Xia Yunchong nodded. “If we consider the Martial Heaven Continent to be a living entity, it will need to react when its life is threatened. Of course, what I’m saying is only legend and folklore. No one knows whether or not it’s true. But personally, I feel like the chances of this being true are high. That’s because the five great eras always began before a dark era, when there was a danger to the Martial Heaven Continent. Each time there is a great era, heavenly geniuses rise. During this era, a peerless expert needs to lead them all against the danger. Those peerless experts are all given a resounding and domineering title: Sovereign.”

Hearing this explanation, Yue Zifeng, Bao Buping, and Chang Hao were all enlightened. This was their first time hearing these ancient secrets.

“In all of history, there were five great eras and five Sovereigns. Now that heavenly geniuses are bursting into existence, it shows that the great era isn’t far off. Think about it. Just how rare were rank nine Celestials a few years ago? Empyreans only existed in legend. Now, they’ve all appeared. We’ve managed to catch this great era,” said Xia Yunchong.

“Hehe, our luck’s pretty good. Then let’s see just who in our generation gets to be Sovereign. I wonder whether I’ll have a chance?” wondered Chang Hao.

“Yes, you definitely will. I trust my eyesight,” said Bao Buping confidently.

“Really? How can you tell?” asked Chang Hao.

“Just from your name I feel like you have the style of a Sovereign,” said Bao Buping.

“My name?”

“Think about it. Your name is Chang Hao. A man who dares to Hao, and Chang Hao at that. If you aren’t the Sovereign, who else could it be?” Bao Buping wiggled his eyebrows with a wretched smile.[1]

“Fuck, you’re just messing around!” raged Chang Hao. He finally realized what Bao Buping was saying. He was splitting his Hao into two parts.

Xia Yunchong was speechless as he understood, but Yue Zifeng and Xia Youluo didn’t react.

The five of them continued onward under the gaze of countless experts, and they quickly reached the central plaza. There was a huge execution stand there, with Cloud bound to it. There was a cold ax-head over its head. It was a divine item.

“Cloud!”

When Yue Zifeng saw Cloud’s current state, his eyes turned icy-cold with killing intent. Now that he saw Cloud in person, he noticed that its state was even more miserable than what the photographic jade revealed. Yue Zifeng clenched his fists tightly, and the veins on his forehead bulged. These people had gone too far. They were tormenting Cloud.

“Let’s save Cloud now.” Bao Buping and Chang Hao both had explosive tempers. When they had first met on the battlefield, Cloud had been like a divine stead, fighting alone against Gui Yan’s Ghost General. Just how majestic had it been? Now it had fallen into its current state, and that immediately provoked their fury.

“Since everyone here has come for the Dragon Slaughtering Convention, then find a good seat for yourself. Don’t make any stupid moves, or you might draw a killer to yourself…” Just at this moment, a cold shout rang out from the distance.

[1] The Hao character 昊 is composed of an upper and lower part, 日 and 天. 日天 is kind of like fuck the heavens. Very domineering. Definitely the style of a Sovereign.