Eight Eliminated

Eight Eliminated . . .

The atmosphere grew dense with Ruthless's malevolent energy. He was shrouded in devil qi, forming an ominous armor that made him appear as a true devil king, an embodiment of terror.

With a swift and eerie sound, Ruthless thrust his long spear forward like a bolt of black lightning. Despite the distance between him and Sorrowless, the spectators witnessed the spear pierce through the very fabric of reality, appearing before Sorrowless with daunting force. There were no chaotic disruptions in the space as the spear traversed it, almost as if this single weapon ruled the entire world. Ruthless had concentrated the full might of his devilish power into this spear.

Sorrowless retaliated by summoning a colossal golden palm imprint with lightning speed, clashing head-on with the spear strike. The impact produced a thunderous explosion. Astonishingly, the spear not only penetrated the golden palm but also continued its trajectory, piercing into Sorrowless's body.

The audience observed with fascination. An immortal king explained, "Devil cultivators often wield stronger attacks. Their cultivation path is grueling, and the slightest misstep can plunge them deep into the abyss of the devil path. They risk losing their sanity, becoming mindless instruments of destruction, eternally condemned. Consequently, there are significantly fewer devil cultivators compared to immortal cultivators."

Sorrowless, his face solemn, unleashed a furious roar, conjuring a multitude of golden buddhas. Simultaneously, they launched palm strikes at Ruthless. Yet, Ruthless was now engulfed in scorching devilish light. His body expanded, transforming into a devil, and a heaven-shaking spear materialized in his grasp. A primordial devil's visage loomed behind him, emanating overwhelming power.

Ruthless advanced with an icy countenance, his movements silent and undetectable. Another spear thrust forth, but at the moment of its release, the boundless devilish light converged, spawning thousands of devil spears that hurtled towards Sorrowless.

Sorrowless chanted Buddhist mantras with great speed, gathering golden light to shield himself. His defense was formidable, but under the relentless barrage from Ruthless, the devilish head behind him trampled upon his golden buddha form, causing cracks to fissure. As the onslaught persisted, the protective golden body shattered.

The spectators marveled at the brutality of these attacks, characteristic of devil cultivators—relentless and savage, showing no mercy until their opponent was vanquished.

"Such brutality! Is this the hallmark of a devil cultivator? Proficient in savage assaults, they know no restraint until their foe is defeated," one observer remarked.

"Indeed, a worthy disciple of the Undefeatable Devil King. Impressive! His Highness Dongsheng Ting made a shrewd move by placing Ruthless and Hua Taixu among the top twenty. They serve as formidable challenges for the other participants. Defeating either of them would be an arduous task," an immortal king declared with a smile. Dongsheng Ting's eyes gleamed with intelligence; the two he had selected for the top twenty were both fifth-level ascendants and renowned figures.

In the end, Sorrowless was defeated. The formidable monk from the Western Desert Prefecture had suffered two losses and was now eliminated. It wasn't due to his lack of strength, but rather the absence of weak opponents. Both adversaries he had faced were exceptionally fearsome.

"Yan Zimo of the Mo Prefecture, you have one more chance remaining," announced Dongsheng Ting as the two previous combatants left the platform.

Yan Zimo had already lost one round to Ye Qianchen, the top ranker of the Qian Prefecture.

The moment had arrived for Yan Zimo to step onto the stage. He possessed the coveted initiative authority, granting him the privilege of selecting his opponent. However, the weight of this choice pressed heavily upon him. It was his last chance to prove himself, and the pressure was immense. Among those who hadn't fought yet, only Hua Taixu remained undefeated.

Yan Zimo pondered intensely, unsure of whom to challenge. The list of winners was daunting: Gusu Tianqi, Feather King, Jun Mengchen, Qin Wentian, Zi Qingxuan, Ye Qianchen, Cang Ao, Dugu Xishan, Qin Ta, Ruthless, and Mo Wen. He had to win against one of these eleven competitors, and there were no guarantees that all of them would advance to the next round.

Summoning his courage, Yan Zimo declared, "Zi Qingxuan."

Surprisingly, he chose to challenge Zi Qingxuan from the Cloud Prefecture. As she stepped onto the battlefield, divine falcons enveloped her in their radiant glow. At the outset of the battle, a multitude of divine falcons took flight, launching a frenzied assault on Yan Zimo. Zi Qingxuan, feeling slighted by the choice, unleashed her overwhelming strength, drowning Yan Zimo in her savage attacks.

The outcome was swift and decisive—Yan Zimo was defeated and eliminated from the competition.

Following his exit, the top ranker of the Rock Prefecture, Bashan, took his place on the platform. Bashan had already suffered defeat at the hands of Cang Ao and was left with no margin for error. His only chance at redemption lay in winning his next battle.

Bashan's opponent was Qin Ta of the Heavenly God Race. Regrettably, there was little hope of victory for Bashan against a member of this formidable race. Both fighters excelled in arts that granted them overwhelming attack and defense, but Qin Ta was like a deity descending to the mortal realm, utterly subduing Bashan.

After Yan Zimo's departure, the top ranker of the Mo Prefecture, Bashan, was eliminated as well. Such was the brutal nature of this selection test.

Next up was Gu Hong, the top ranker of the Yue Prefecture. In a prior match, he had lost to Dugu Xishan, the top ranker of the Blazing Sun Prefecture. As Gu Hong surveyed the remaining participants, he struggled to muster any confidence in victory. The defeats of two powerful geniuses before him weighed heavily on his mind.

Ultimately, Gu Hong chose to challenge Ye Qianchen, the top ranker of the Qian Prefecture. Ye Qianchen was displeased with this choice and, as he stepped onto the platform, an overwhelming torrent of sword qi emanated from him. He moved with the grace of a shadow, each strike of his sword a deadly precision attack, ensnaring Gu Hong in an abyss of impending doom and forcing his surrender.

Three consecutive top rankers had been eliminated, leaving the crowd in awe.

Su Feng, the top ranker of the Thunder Prefecture, was next to face the crucible. The pressure he felt was palpable, and his journey had been one of despair. Despite making it to the top twenty, despair loomed large. Nevertheless, he had to give it his all.

"I choose Hua Taixu," Su Feng declared, his options dwindling. Having conceded to Zi Qingxuan in a previous challenge, and considering the overwhelming strength of the other winners, Su Feng could only hope for a glimmer of opportunity by facing the mysterious Hua Taixu.

"Hua Taixu," Qin Wentian pronounced, directing his gaze towards the slender figure gracefully ascending to the platform. Hua Taixu retained his trademark handsome appearance, resembling an elegant young master whose attire was impervious to the taint of dust.

Yet, something had profoundly changed about Hua Taixu. His demeanor now exuded an aura of extraordinary depth. His eyes, clear but bottomless, seemed to defy boundaries. The restrained aura he emanated only served to deepen the enigma surrounding him. His depths were immeasurable.

With a light touch, Hua Taixu gently landed on the platform, seemingly unaffected by gravity's pull. His gaze rested upon Su Feng, displaying no discernible emotions. This unchanging demeanor unnerved Su Feng. Hua Taixu appeared shrouded in a mysterious mist, an elusive enigma.

A thunderous "RUMBLE" erupted as Su Feng wasted no time unleashing his formidable aura. With a resolute stomp, he moved like lightning, surrounded by an aura that concealed his form. Suddenly, ten thousand colossal elephants materialized, charging toward Hua Taixu. In mere moments, Su Feng realized that Hua Taixu's illusory forms surrounded him. He couldn't discern which was the genuine Hua Taixu.

"BREAK!" Su Feng bellowed in frustration as the ten thousand elephants surged forward, obliterating an illusionary Hua Taixu. Yet, almost instantly, another Hua Taixu replaced the one just vanquished, mirroring the same posture, calmly gazing at Su Feng. His gaze was both clear and inscrutable.

Su Feng's fury intensified as he launched increasingly frenzied attacks, annihilating countless illusionary Hua Taixu forms. However, it proved futile. No matter how many illusions he destroyed, Hua Taixu continued to stand there, unfazed, calmly observing.

"ARGH!" Su Feng felt himself teetering on the brink of madness. An overwhelming power enshrouded him as he reached maximum speed, opting to dismantle the countless Hua Taixu illusions with his bare hands.

"Chi chi chi..." Hua Taixu's illusory forms disintegrated one after another, only to be swiftly replaced. What was real? What was illusion?

The spectators watched in astonishment, their disbelief mirrored in their wide eyes as they glanced at the Myriad Incarnations Immortal King. She wore a satisfied smile, clearly pleased with the spectators' shock.

"Hua Taixu has truly inherited the essence of the Myriad Incarnations Immortal King. His illusion art can unravel his opponent's psyche by merely standing still," the spectators marveled.

The battle on the platform sent shivers through the crowd. Hua Taixu stood motionless, yet Su Feng didn't target him. Instead, he unleashed his attacks on nothingness, obliterating his surroundings. Apparently, what the spectators saw differed from Su Feng's perspective. The moment Hua Taixu appeared on the platform, Su Feng had been ensnared in an illusionary landscape.

"His eyes serve as the gateway to his illusion-scape," many spectators deduced.

"Returning alive from the samsara world... Just his eyes alone can surpass many geniuses."

Su Feng's assaults grew increasingly frenetic. His momentum reached a crescendo, annihilating all the illusions in a single strike. Yet, he was fated for defeat because he couldn't even perceive the fact that Hua Taixu was simply standing right before him.

In the end, Su Feng's mind teetered on the brink of collapse as he let out a furious roar and voluntarily surrendered. It was only then that clarity returned to him. Hua Taixu still stood at his original spot, his aura concealed, and his eyes, as always, gazed calmly at Su Feng.

Agonized groans escaped Su Feng's lips, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. His face turned pallid, and he felt his heart shatter into pieces.

"So, that's why... that's why..." Su Feng muttered as he descended from the platform. In this test at the immortal banquet, he had undeniably failed—a profound and complete failure.

"What a pity. Let's hope he recovers soon," the spectators lamented. Su Feng's plight was genuinely disheartening. It wasn't that he lacked strength; rather, his opponents were all more formidable than him. How could he not suffer such a setback?

"Let's hope Su Feng can overcome this and use his defeat as a forging experience to strengthen his inner resolve," sighed an immortal king. Watching the potential of a talented junior crumble was a situation they were unwilling to witness.

Hua Taixu left the battle platform, and according to the sequence, it should have been Hua Taixu and Ruthless's turns. However, they had already been challenged and had emerged victorious in their respective matches.

At this point, the top twelve positions were firmly established. Eight participants had been eliminated, leaving these twelve: Gusu Tianqi, Feather King, Jun Mengchen, Qin Wentian, Zi Qingxuan, Ye Qianchen, Cang Ao, Dugu Xishan, Qin Ta, Mo Wen, Ruthless, and Hua Taixu.

All of them had tasted victory, and now, two more had to be eliminated from this elite group to determine the final top ten ranking. The task of choosing who should falter was an almost insurmountable challenge because every single one of them was a peerless genius in their generation!