Below the strategic pass, figures appeared one after another—all Trialists, among them no small number of Hundred Strong Trialists. Over forty Hundred Strong Trialists had gathered here, with numerous other Trialists behind them. The crowd was massive, numbering at least over five hundred, blocking the path of the three top experts.
"What do you think you're doing? Get out of my way!"
The three top experts shouted anxiously, unable to care about anything else at this moment. They didn't understand why these Trialists weren't afraid of their status. The Martial God Dao Weapons in their hands immediately took action, terrifying fluctuations rippling out as they attacked the assembled Trialists, trying to carve out a bloody path.
"Attack!"
Someone among the Trialists shouted a command. Hundreds of True Yuan powers blasted forth, sending the three awakened Martial God Dao Weapons flying. Their divine energy dissipated, unable to awaken again.
The three top experts themselves were sent flying, coughing blood, their clothes tattered and torn, suffering severe injuries. But they were even more shocked and furious as they looked at the scene before them. Why did these people dare to block their path? Did they really not fear offending the superpowers of the three empires' Martial God Halls?
At this moment, a beautiful, ethereal woman stepped forward. It was Hai Qingxue, though her expression now seemed utterly impassive. "You three, if you wish to pass through the final strategic pass, please hand over all the identity tokens on your persons. Otherwise, do not blame us for blocking your passage.
"..."
Wasn't this just plain robbery? The three top experts' faces flushed red with anger. When had they ever fallen to such a miserable state? Ye Chen was one thing, but these people they saw as mere riffraff now dared to act like this too? This was truly rebellion.
"You're deliberately seeking death! Once we reach the finish line, none of you will escape! Every single one of you will be dealt with!"
The three top experts roared threats, but they had no choice. They could only attack again. However, perhaps because they were threatened by the three, the Trialists' attacks became even more terrifying. Countless True Yuan powers bombarded them, blasting the three experts until they coughed blood continuously, a truly pitiful sight. Some even revealed killing intent due to the danger.
Long Tenghua almost wanted to howl in grief at the heavens. When had they ever fallen to such a state?
"Do you really not fear opposing our three empires and the Martial God Hall?" At this point, Yang Shaoqi still didn't forget to shout threats, hoping to intimidate these people into retreating.
"Apologies, but we are all forced into this, compelled," Hai Qingxue said.
But these people clearly all wore expressionless faces. Was it really just a matter of being forced?
The top experts roared in fury, brandishing their Martial God Dao Weapons, wanting to kill a few to establish a bloody deterrent. But obviously, the other side had overwhelming numbers, with many Hundred Strong Trialists among them. They continuously attacked, blocking the experts' path, driving them almost to despair.
Ye Chen sneered coldly. "Apologies, these people were all threatened by me. The identity tokens on them were all taken by me. I promised them that as long as they acted to restrain you, I would return their identity tokens and ensure each of them qualifies with the required fifty points for the trial."
Earlier, at the eighth checkpoint, Ye Chen had mentioned the 'King Slaying Plan' to Hai Qingxue and others. The target was to eliminate these Self-Proclaimed King super experts. Though it seemed utterly insane at the time, they had agreed.
At the twelfth checkpoint, he had similarly gathered many Hundred Strong Trialists and announced the plan. To get these people to agree, he promised to provide enough identity tokens for everyone and to shoulder all the responsibility himself, claiming he alone had taken everyone's identity tokens and forced them to act this way.
He also had them gather numerous Trialists to block the path of the four top experts. It was precisely because of this that so many Trialists agreed.
Or perhaps, many more Trialists agreed due to long-term oppression from the superpowers.
Naturally, with Ye Chen's strength, he didn't need to gather Trialists; he alone was enough to carry out the King Slaying Plan. But his goal was far from simply slaying kings. He wanted to humiliate these Self-Proclaimed King super experts from the superpowers, to make the superpowers understand that back when a single Tianqi Empire dared to lead a pursuit to besiege the Xia Feng Kingdom group, Ye Chen could now lead even more people to directly slay kings. It wasn't that being a Trialist from a superpower made you something special.
The three top experts were filled with hatred. They never expected to stumble at the very last step. They couldn't help but let out long roars, calling for the powerful experts from the various superpowers within the strategic pass to appear and rescue them.
Boom—
One immense aura after another rapidly appeared. They were powerful Heavenly God experts, their imposing might and blood energy piercing the clouds. One terrifyingly powerful figure after another appeared in the void, causing the entire majestic and grand final strategic pass to tremble.
All the Trialists were shocked. Were they really going to charge into the Trial Path?
"You juniors, do you all seek death, to have your entire sects and factions annihilated? You actually dare to besiege the princes and young talents of our various powers like this? One day, our four superpowers will rule the world and come to demand retribution from each and every one of you!"
Seeing this scene, the Heavenly Gods who had come from the four superpowers immediately darkened their expressions, roaring in rage. Their voices shook the strategic pass, scattering the clouds at the horizon.
Especially the Heavenly God expert from the Tianqi Empire. Seeing Yang Shaoqi's miserable state with one hand severed, his eyes turned red. He roared, howled, his divine might overwhelming the heavens, as if about to tear through the strategic pass and descend.
But at this moment, supreme Dao rules suddenly descended. A layer of heavenly curtain appeared, isolating the strategic pass from the desert, as if separating two different worlds. Even powerful Heavenly Gods could not shake it.
This was the rule of the Trial Path—those not of the younger generation could not appear on it, lest they disrupt the rules. Only the experts of Tian Du Academy possessed special Dao talismans allowing entry.
Seeing the heavenly curtain was unshakable, this Heavenly God shouted, "Brat, release my clan's prince immediately!"
Ye Chen's expression remained utterly unperturbed. Still holding Yang Shaoqi by the neck with one hand, he met the Heavenly God's gaze. "Are you threatening me?"
This Heavenly God's expression darkened. He said coldly, "Brat, if you dare not release him, you will make an enemy of the entire Tianqi Empire."
"To be honest, I'm really scared." Though he said this, Ye Chen's expression looked anything but fearful; it seemed more like he had nothing to fear. With a swipe of a palm blade, *shick*—he severed Yang Shaoqi's other arm. Blood spurted.
Yang Shaoqi screamed in agony but couldn't struggle free, nor did he dare. With his cultivation sealed, if he were dropped from mid-air, even if he didn't die, he'd be crippled.
Everyone was stunned. Ye Chen was truly insane, daring to act right before that empire's Heavenly God. This was truly audacious beyond measure.
"Brat, if you have the guts, reach the finish line! This old man can kill you with one hand!" The Heavenly God raged, his imposing might overwhelming, but he was isolated. Even a powerful Heavenly God could not shake this heavenly curtain—it was a Dao barrier set down by a Supreme Divine Spirit. Only a true Divine Spirit could move it.
Ye Chen sneered. Naturally, he wouldn't be foolish enough to reach the finish line and let the other party attack. He casually tossed Yang Shaoqi onto a sand dune in the desert, then strode toward the other three experts, golden radiance flowing around him as he began to act.
"Ye Chen, you can't do this!" Long Tenghua and the others shouted, their faces filled with terror. Not a trace of the demeanor befitting Self-Proclaimed King super experts remained; they directly fled.
But under Ye Chen's direction, the numerous Trialists bombarded them with streams of True Yuan power, forcing them back. Helpless, their anger was now mixed with even greater terror because Ye Chen was approaching. They could only be forced into battle.
Boom—
Though the battle seemed fierce, stirring up vast clouds of sand and dust that blotted out the sky, the outcome could not be changed. The three top experts were far from Ye Chen's match. Though they had reached the Half-Step Martial God realm, cultivated Primordial Spirits, and even wielded Martial God Dao Weapons that could allow them to battle Martial Gods, they were only equivalent to early-stage Martial Gods who had just stepped into that domain. They could not contend with Ye Chen.
It didn't take too long—just several dozen to a hundred exchanges later—for Ye Chen alone to knock away their personal Martial God Dao Weapons, then suppress the three top experts. All three coughed up mouthfuls of blood, with over a dozen bones fractured throughout their bodies, their bodies and minds severely wounded, filled with boundless terror.
This was probably the first time they had encountered someone as terrifying as Ye Chen.
Ye Chen then struck, sending them flying one by one. Each lost their combat ability, their cultivation sealed. Thus, all four top experts were subdued by Ye Chen alone, no longer possessing their former lofty demeanor. This deeply intimidated everyone present.
Because of Ye Chen's peerless combat power.
The Heavenly God experts of the four superpowers in the strategic pass felt more helpless than angry, because the Dao barrier blocked them. They could not enter the Trial Path to help the young talents of their respective powers, only watch helplessly as everything unfolded before their eyes.
This drove the four of them mad with hatred. They truly wished to break through the barrier, charge into the desert, and kill this young great demon king Ye Chen to vent their boundless fury.
"Four people working together couldn't deal with one person, yet you dare call yourselves Self-Proclaimed Kings? You're nothing but four pieces of trash."
On the strategic pass, a disdainful cold snort rang out, like thunderclaps exploding, causing the entire pass to tremble. A fearsome figure stepped forward—a remarkably handsome and heroic young man clad in golden battle armor.
He was very young, appearing only in his early twenties, but an awe-inspiring level of pressure emanated from him, shaking the strategic pass. He stood in the void, looking down from a high position at the distant Ye Chen, and said lightly, "What Unrivaled King? An ignorant fool daring to call himself a king. Today, I shall suppress you."