Chapter 269: Opponent

As the King of the Century Competition approached, discussions about the event intensified throughout the world of Gaia.

Besides the Six Extremities, all other member nations of the Human Alliance focused their attention on the impending battle.

While many of these nations were relatively weak, with few capable Astral Cultivators, every nation that had established itself and gained recognition from the Human Alliance boasted at least one Master Astral Cultivator in its ranks.

This time, every nation in the Human Alliance had to send at least one Master Astral Cultivator to the Special United Squad. These cultivators were crucial to the fate of the smaller nations; they couldn't afford to lose them.

Given that the Supreme Commander would be selected based on the victor of the King of the Century Competition, it was only natural for them to pay close attention to the event.

Amidst this heightened interest, profiles of the Martial Saints began to surface, gaining widespread recognition.

With only a few days remaining until the competition, the window for assassinating any of these Martial Saints had closed. Instead, numerous lists predicting the potential champions circulated everywhere.

At the top of these lists stood Li Pin, the unrivaled Martial Saint from Tianyuan, whose reputation had reached a fever pitch. He was in a league of his own and had already been unofficially crowned the King of the Century.

Following him were the ones blessed with unique talents, those who surpassed Extreme to become Supreme Martial Saints.

Among these exceptional figures, the highest-ranked was not Wang Liancheng, the former sensation from Tianyuan. Nor was it the deadly killing machine known as Ten-Thousand Slaughter, specially trained for this battle by Great Shang. Instead, it was Ao Haichuan, hailing from the war-torn Great Moon Country.

Prior to the turbulent period, the Great Moon had been a global superpower with a population of several billion and millions of square kilometers of territory. However, it missed the era of the Astral God. To maintain control, the royal family within the country made misguided decisions that suppressed Astral Cultivators, forcing them to flee.

As chaos descended, the Great Moon faced relentless assaults from ferocious beasts and demonic creatures, severely weakening its nation's strength. Eventually, the Astral Cultivators they had persecuted returned stronger than ever and overthrew the government.

Once a global powerhouse in terms of economy, population, and territory, with the potential to become the world's seventh extremity, the Great Moon had splintered into over three hundred warlord factions and territories.

Amidst ongoing conflicts, the warlords engaged in relentless battles, leaving the region in turmoil.

In such a harsh environment, the people of Great Moon had to master martial arts for self-defense, leading to a flourishing martial arts culture.

Despite the lack of high-quality resources to nurture top-tier experts, the sheer number of martial artists meant that a few extraordinary individuals would inevitably emerge.

Ao Haichuan was one such individual.

Originally the strongest Martial Saint in the Southern Great Moon, he was discovered and meticulously trained by the Solar Radiance United Empire. Today, it was rumored that his qi and blood had surpassed fifty-five, breaking the limits previously set for Martial Saints.

Of course, this achievement was attributed to the Solar Radiance's unwavering support.

It was rumored that in order to boost his qi and blood, Solar Radiance provided Ao Haichuan with a rare treasure capable of modifying the human body to become compatible with Astral Energy.

This treasure allowed him to refine the Essence-Gathering Pearls with remarkable speed, breaking past the original limit, while others struggled.

The person after Ao Haichuan was Tai Long, a top-tier martial artist genetically enhanced by the Star Alliance. After that was Xi Mi, a man from the East Sea's Thirty-Six Countries, known for sailing across the sea and whose fame spread far and wide.

Following them came Ten-Thousand Slaughter from the Great Shang and Meng Xueya from the Royal Empire.

As soon as this list was released, the names of these individuals spread globally.

In every corner of the world, save for the war-torn regions without televisions or internet, they had become unrivaled celebrities.

Not even the Astral Cultivators could eclipse their brilliance before the conclusion of the King of the Century Competition.

Among them, Li Pin was the most popular—young, handsome, powerful, and brimming with legendary allure.

These champions, alongside hundreds of other Extreme Martial Saints, would board ships the following day to Crimson Flame Island, located eight hundred miles off the Western Sea, where they would engage in a no-rules battle.

Only the last man standing would be crowned the King of the Century.

Dedicated satellites and equipment would broadcast the battle as best as possible. Additionally, to prevent any interference from Astral Cultivators, no such being would be permitted within a three-hundred-mile radius of the island.

***

As the list circulated, reactions were mixed.

In Tianyuan, morale soared.

The people who didn't know any better felt a collective pride swell in their hearts seeing Li Pin ranked at the top of the list.

Meanwhile, the seeded Martial Saints from other factions were gearing up, eager to soar to new heights in this globally watched battle.

Of course, many of them bore special missions. Some were tasked with assisting a specific individual, while others had orders to eliminate a target.

Though these missions could cost them their lives, they marched into the competition without regret, driven by the promises of their nations and the powers behind them.

***

At Misty Cliff Harbor, a coastal port in Great Shang where ships set sail for Crimson Flame Island, a tense scene unfolded inside a nearby mansion. The Legendary Mage, Cang Shengdao, was giving an intimidating, cold stare at the man standing before him.

The man, though silent, met his gaze with quiet defiance, resisting the pressure of his oppressive stare.

This scene... filled Cang Shengdao with a mixture of fury and helplessness.

After a long while, he finally said, "If no one had told me you were also participating in the King of the Century Competition, were you really planning to set foot on Crimson Flame Island without even equipping yourself with top-tier astral equipment!?"

"I've been training in martial arts since I was thirteen, for thirty years now! During this time, I've had the finest heavenly treasures, rare astral equipment, and mastered the strongest techniques and secret arts!

"I've refined more than one portion of the Nebula Essence that Ao Haichuan used. His qi and blood might only be fifty-five, but mine has already surpassed sixty. Martial Saints? Forget them! I can even fight Astral Cultivators head-on!"

The man said solemnly, "Why shouldn't I compete in the competition!?"

"This King of the Century Competition is unlike any before! Do you really think strength alone will secure your victory? Let me be clear with you, nearly every nation has cultivated several, even a dozen or more, kill squads. These groups aren't striving for Extreme Transcendence or aiming to become Astral Cultivators. Their only goal is to kill—eliminate any threats that stand in the way of their chosen champion!"

Cang Shengdao roared, "You're powerful, one of the strongest among the Supreme Martial Saints, but you can only handle one or two at a time. What happens when you're surrounded by three or four!?"

"Why would I let myself be surrounded? When my strength, speed, defense, and stamina far exceed any other Martial Saint, why should I stay and fight them all together?"

The man looked at Cang Shengdao. "If I've come to participate in this competition, it means I have enough confidence and resolve..."

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"What resolve do you have? To die!?" Cang Shengdao shouted in rage.

"For years, I've grown under your protection. You've invested so many resources in me; it's time for me to repay you, my elder brother. Even if the process is fraught with danger, I'm willing to take that risk."

The man's voice remained calm as he continued, "The King of the Century Competition is already underway. According to the unspoken rules, if you, as an Astral Cultivator, were to interfere with me now... even Great Shang couldn't bear the consequences. So..."

He glanced at Cang Shengdao and added, "For once, let me fight for you and Great Shang."

Cang Shengdao's eyes blazed with anger. "You...."

Luckily, he was just a self-proclaimed legendary figure in the Astral Palace system, if he had been a genuine one, in his fit of fury he would've blown the man before him off his feet.

However, soon, the anger subsided, and a deep sense of helplessness flashed in his eyes. He stared at the man for a long time. "If you must go..."

Cang Shengdao waved his hand.

Soon, someone carried a box into the mansion.

He opened the box. "Put these on...."

Inside... was a set of astral equipment.

"Rings forged from Power Stones, wrist guards made from Knight's Heart, and a necklace crafted from Emerald Jade..."

The man scanned over each piece, his gaze stopping on a weapon resembling the Rage Dragon Mace.

His pupils dilated. "Arbiter Spirit Weapon!?"

"Put it on!" Cang Shengdao commanded firmly.

"Such rare and precious astral equipment... giving them to a Martial Saint like me is such a waste. I..."

"Either wear it, or I'll have a team eliminate you the moment you step on the island. The choice is yours."

Cang Shengdao's tone left no room for argument.

Rare astral equipment were far more valuable than top-tier ones. However, even when equipped with them, a Martial Saint couldn't fully unleash their true power. The strength they gained wasn't necessarily much greater than top-tier equipment.

However... facing his elder brother's insistence, the man silently stepped forward and donned the entire set.

"Make sure you keep this on, especially...this." Cang Shengdao pushed a blue jade amulet that didn't look like a piece of astral equipment into his pocket and said seriously, "Carry it with you at all times, no matter what happens. Do not discard it. Understand?"

"What is this?"

"Don't ask questions."

Cang Shengdao looked at the man. "All teams from the Great Shang, including Ten- Thousand Slaughter, will be under your command!"

He paused for a moment. "I have only one request..."

"I will earn the greatest honor of the—"

"Come back alive!"

Hearing the man's words, Cang Shengdao couldn't help but raise his voice again. "Come back alive! Did you hear me?"

"Of course." The man gave a carefree smile. "I will earn the greatest honor of the King of the Century, so of course, I will come back alive!"

Cang Shengdao said nothing more. He simply watched him turn and headed toward the port.

There, beside the many ships, Great Shang's teams of Extreme Martial Saints were already prepared. Tomorrow, they will set foot on the island. The King of the Century Competition would then officially begin.