Chapter 1000: The World-Sundering Sword

The Red-Crowned Crane King's opponent was a hulking giant from the bear race, a titanic figure that towered over his opponent at seven meters in height, with thick dark-golden fur and a bright golden V-shaped pattern on his chest. His body radiated an intense bloodline aura that made the very air around it grow denser.

Before the battle began, earth-attribute experts from the Ancestral Court had already leveled the battlefield. Even with defensive arrays built into the platform, the destructive power of Great Demon Kings was too much; the previous fight had left serious marks.

"Prepare!" came the crisp and melodic voice of the Rainbowglaze Nymph Emperor.

The aura of both fighters instantly surged.

The Golden Bear King spread his arms wide, and his already-massive body swelled further, growing to more than fifteen meters in height. A fierce golden flame of life energy erupted from within him, and golden light blasted out of his eyes. The atmosphere on his side of the platform seemed to compress from the density of his power.

In contrast, the Red-Crowned Crane King released no wild aura. Instead, sword intent rose skyward, razor-sharp and unshakably upright. Though he was by far smaller in stature compared to the Golden Bear King, the crane now felt monumental, as if heaven and earth had aligned behind him.

As he sat in his VIP pavilion, Tang San narrowed his eyes. He recalled that this Red-Crowned Crane was one of the top-seeded contestants, likely ranked fifth or sixth. He was considered one of the most serious contenders for the throne.

Even the placement of the crane demon's VIP pavilion, in a better position than the Golden Mammoth Ning Chen'en's pavilion, said a lot. After all, the Sword Saint Demon Emperor was ranked lower than the Golden Mammoth Emperor, yet his clansman placed ahead of the latter's designated successor. That alone spoke volumes about the Red-Crowned Crane King's power.

Given how Tang San had once guided the Sword Saint Demon Emperor, he could sense that the Red-Crowned Crane King must have inherited some true essence of swordsmanship, the kind that could elevate one to greatness.

The Golden Bear King's aura was blazing hot, his blood energy like fire lighting the sky. But the true experts watching knew the truth: this match was already decided. The crane was a first-tier bloodline, a seeded favorite; the bear, a virtual unknown. At the level of Great Demon Kings, luck played no role, apart from deciding who faced whom. Every contestant here was the pinnacle of their clan's bloodline power and cultivation resources, and lower-tier clans could only go so far.

As for why Tang San was ranked so low in spite of his clan's wealth and his personal strength... that was because he lacked a known pedigree. Only the Emperors knew that he was actually a capable fighter, and for whatever reason, it seemed they had decided not to release this information to the public. Moreover, the difference at this level was qualitative, not just quantitative. Even beating a powerful Great Demon King wasn't enough; only the absolute best of the best stood a chance here.

If the first match had been an appetizer, this one—featuring a seeded contender—was a main course in any menu. Not only was the Red-Crowned Crane King a seeded fighter, the Golden Bear King's strength was also clearly superior to the two contestants from the first fight. The bear race served under the Behemoth clan and had always been known for brute power and resilience; they were one of the fiercest combat-oriented races on the continent.

"Begin!" announced the Rainbowglaze Nymph Emperor.

Instantly, light flared.

The golden V-shaped mark on the Golden Bear King's chest lit up, and an enormous beam of golden energy exploded forth, surging toward the Red-Crowned Crane King. Simultaneously, a ring of earth-yellow light spread from beneath the Bear's feet, covering the entire arena in an instant. It was a gravity control domain!

All out from the start. The Golden Bear King knew his opponent was one of the strongest; like

almost

all participants, he had studied the list carefully. Against such an opponent, there could be no hesitation.

The Red-Crowned Cranes' offensive power was renowned, but their physique and defensive abilities were nothing to write home about. If he was to win, it would have to be in the opening strike.

Yet the Red-Crowned Crane stood calm. He made no motion to defend himself; all he did was draw his sword and swing it once.

The blade had been sheathed on his back, between his wings. As it was drawn, the entire arena lit up for a brief moment. For a single instant, the world turned black and white.

The hearts of everyone watching skipped a beat.

There was no flourish. No resplendent manifestation caused by the activation of a divine item. Just one sword strike.

The gravity domain was cut apart. The golden beam was split. Heaven and earth were divided with a single stroke of the sword.

An earth-rending slash!

The Golden Bear King stood still. He was completely motionless, but if one looked closely, his eyes were full of fear.

At the tip of his nose, a faint white light glimmered. The skin on the tip of his snout sported a slight cut—barely a few millimeters in depth, but centered with terrifying precision right in the middle of the snout.

"The match is over. Contestant number three wins," announced the Rainbowglaze Nymph Emperor, its voice tinged with genuine surprise.

For a battle between top-tier Great Demon Kings to end in an instant was something no one had expected. Only now was the public witnessing the strength of a real contender for an Emperor's throne.

Nodding to himself, Tang San opened the contestant rankings again. His version wasn't the official Ancestral Court list, but a private compilation the Grand Elder of the Blue Gold Tree clan had put together for him, a power ranking based on intelligence purchased from all over.

Indeed, just as he had judged, this Red-Crowned Crane was ranked fifth. His technique was known as the World-Sundering Sword.

Out of all contestants, nymphs and demons together, he was fifth. And with just one move of his sword, he had justified that rank.

One sword to split the heavens and earth—this was the essence of swordsmanship.

What surprised Tang San most was that the sword intent of the Red-Crowned Crane King differed from that of the Sword Saint Demon Emperor. This meant that the crane demon had forged his own path.

That sword was not just technique, and it was not just power. It was spirit, mind, and soul united. And the only reason it had not ended the Golden Bear King's life on the spot was that the swordsman had held back.

A powerful strike was not always to be feared, but one delivered with such perfect precision and control? That was a whole different story.

The Red-Crowned Crane King nodded politely to his opponent, and his sword was nowhere to be seen. No one had even noticed when it returned to its scabbard.

The Golden Bear King was no longer frozen stiff, but he was now trembling. For a moment, he had truly felt the cold touch of death. He felt that if he had taken just half a step forward, the small cut on his nose would have reached the back of his head.

He bowed deeply, clasping his fist—not just out of respect or courtesy, but out of reverence. Had his opponent not shown mercy, he would have been deader than the platform he stood on. Even the Rainbowglaze Nymph Emperor might not have been able to save him.

In the waiting area, many contestants were gasping for breath.

That sword... Who could possibly block it?

That strike... Its power might already rival that of an Emperor's casual strike. And that's with him being merciful and restraining his power.

So strong... This one... is terrifying.