Within Xia Feng Academy, a purple light pillar surged up from the Power Monument, thrusting into the nine layers of clouds above, rumbling with a long, unceasing roar.
The resplendent purple light illuminated the vast sky, dyeing all the clouds completely purple. Purple radiance blotted out the sky, spreading across half the firmament.
The moment this purple light appeared, whether it was within Xia Feng Academy or among the countless commoners and residents of the entire royal capital, everyone at this moment looked over from afar, staring dumbly at that purple light pillar, utterly stunned, their faces filled with expressions of disbelief.
Purple radiance reaching the heavens!
What did this represent? It represented that someone had struck the Power Monument, the monument testing strength within Xia Feng Academy, producing the highest color of purple radiance. Only with a force exceeding sixty-five thousand jin could one strike out this seventh kind of brilliance on the Power Monument.
Similarly, this represented the terrifying potential of an individual.
Looking across the thousand-year history of Xia Feng Academy, how many students had appeared who could strike out such purple radiance?
It could only be described with four words—
Countable on one's fingers.
To be able to stay in Xia Feng Academy, one had to be at least under twenty-four years old. But how many people could reach this step before the age of twenty-four? It could basically be described as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
In the thousand-year history, including the Crown Prince and Ye Chen, only a handful of six people had appeared, and almost each time they were separated by about two hundred years, hailed as a genius appearing once every two centuries.
As for the other four people in history, without exception, they achieved extraordinary and transcendent accomplishments. Two of them nearly stepped beyond the Martial God realm, almost reaching the legendary Heavenly God realm, hailed as the strongest Martial Gods beneath the Heavenly Gods.
Of the other two, one was the current headmaster of Xia Feng Academy, very old in years, over a hundred, overseeing all the geniuses of the entire Xia Feng Kingdom, holding a high position of great authority, his cultivation profound and unfathomable.
And the last one was the supreme ancestor of the current kingdom, also existing for hundreds of years, rumored to have already taken the final step, entering the ranks of the legendary Heavenly God realm.
It could be said that everyone in history who could strike out purple radiance on the Power Monument was without exception an extraordinary, peerless figure.
It also proved the terrifying potential of Ye Chen and the Crown Prince. As long as no accidents occurred, they would inevitably stand at the pinnacle of the pyramid, atop the highest peak of the Xia Feng Kingdom in the future.
It must be said that this generation of the younger generation was extraordinary. There were actually two people who could strike out purple radiance on the Power Monument—one was the Crown Prince, and the other was the one who had now appeared.
"Quick, let's go see who exactly struck out purple radiance on the Power Monument. After the Crown Prince, another peerless genius has appeared in our Xia Feng Academy. Who in the world is it?"
At this moment, almost everyone within the academy was stirred into action, rushing like lightning toward the location of the Power Monument.
Within the royal capital, numerous gazes also looked toward Xia Feng Academy from afar, and many people likewise hurried toward Xia Feng Academy.
At the same time, beneath the Power Monument, everyone on the training ground was completely dumbfounded, staring blankly upward at the vast purple light emanating from the Power Monument. Like a purple giant dragon, it roared as it charged into the boundless clouds, becoming the sole existence between heaven and earth.
In the silence where a dropped pin could be heard, the clear sounds of gulping could be heard one after another.
"It's... purple radiance!"
Xia Mang and the others stared dumbly at the purple light pillar radiating from the ten-zhang-tall Power Monument, their minds a complete blank, not yet having reacted to anything, utterly stunned.
All because this was simply too shocking, shockingly unprecedented.
Purple radiance—only those with strength exceeding sixty-five thousand jin were qualified to produce it. But now Ye Chen had actually achieved it, reaching the same level as those few great figures in history and the Crown Prince.
Not to mention him, even others felt the same.
If not for the fact that the Power Monument could not possibly make an error, they would surely have doubted its authenticity.
How could this youth before them possess such peerless strength, causing the Power Monument to display the purple radiance rarely seen throughout history?
"Purple radiance... only the Crown Prince reached this step two years ago. In the entire thousand-year history of the academy, only five people have appeared. But now, including Ye Chen, a sixth person has appeared." The red-clothed woman, in addition to being shocked, couldn't help but suck in a cold breath as she looked at the youth beneath the Power Monument.
Among those present, probably only Vivian was the calmest, having already been mentally prepared. In the Demonic Beast Mountain Range, she had witnessed just how powerful Ye Chen was, how he had single-handedly taken on and killed the terrifying Xiantian demonic beasts, the Xiantian Giant Crocodile and the Furious Mountain Bear, one after another.
The Xiantian Giant Crocodile alone was judged to have strength not less than fifty thousand jin. The Furious Mountain Bear was even more terrifying; without sixty thousand jin of strength, it would be difficult to subdue.
Seeing a leopard through a bamboo tube, one could thus know just how strong Ye Chen was. His strength was at least sixty thousand jin. Although striking out purple radiance surprised her somewhat, it wasn't beyond imagination.
However, she believed that everything before her would inevitably be thoroughly recorded in the annals of Xia Feng Academy's history, remembered by future generations.
"Purple radiance. I never thought I'd see it again just two years later. The last time was left by the Crown Prince. I originally thought the next time would be in another two hundred years, but I never imagined it wouldn't take two hundred years, only two years, for it to appear. Unbelievable."
After the initial shock, many in the crowd exclaimed repeatedly. Clearly, the appearance of purple radiance gave them an unprecedented sense of awe.
"Although it's very surprising, it also reminds me of the news that was widely circulated some time ago—the super expert from the Yellow-tier Academy whom the Thirteenth Prince valued and briefly fought to a draw, leaving him dejected. Wasn't that precisely Ye Chen?"
Someone suddenly brought up this matter, drawing the attention of others. Looking again at the black iron student badge on Ye Chen's chest, didn't all these things already prove Ye Chen's strength?
It was a pity that the impression of Ye Chen back then was too vague. Only a few people saw that incident, so not many could guess who it was. It wasn't until now that they truly remembered who it was.
Thinking of this layer, everyone suddenly felt somewhat relieved. After all, the Thirteenth Prince was also a super expert within Xia Feng Academy. If Ye Chen could fight the Thirteenth Prince to a draw, naturally his strength was also superbly powerful.
Looking again toward the Power Monument, Ye Chen was already completely submerged by the vast purple light radiating from the monument, leaving only a faint, indistinct figure flickering in and out. But everyone clearly seemed to see an invincible king descending to the mortal world, standing amidst the purple radiance, looking down upon the eight directions, proudly overlooking all under heaven.
"Ye Chen, the former peerless genius, has now returned, and has become even stronger, even more invincible."
This was everyone's sigh.
The former Ye Chen was just this dazzling and eye-catching. Now he had once again burst onto the scene, proving his heaven-endowed talent of that year, proving he was not a waste.
Within the purple light, Ye Chen stood proudly alone, his posture tall and slender, his black hair rising without wind, dancing wildly in the sky. His gaze was infinitely profound, like a king, exuding a terrifying sense of majesty that made one involuntarily want to submit.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sounds of breaking wind were unceasing. Figures swiftly arrived, appearing on the training square in front of the Power Monument. Each one's aura was abundant and extremely powerful; at the very least, they were all Xiantian experts. They were other elite students from the Heaven-tier Academy, and even instructors and elder figures from the academy. At this moment, they had all been startled and rushed over.
The elite students of the Heaven-tier Academy were naturally extremely shocked, but the instructors and elders lost their usual dignity. Looking at the young figure before the Power Monument, they couldn't help but become excited.
"Purple radiance, purple radiance again. Heaven blesses our Xia Feng. This generation has actually produced two peerless geniuses of the purple radiance level in succession."
The elders couldn't help but become excited. For them, who taught students, how could they not wish to see a peerless genius born within the academy? That would be a figure who would lead the entire academy to even greater glory.
The Thirteenth Prince arrived at the scene. His handsome face first filled with shock, then relaxed as he chuckled lightly, "Ye Chen, as expected, it's you who caused this commotion. I was thinking, aside from you, who else in the academy could possibly strike out purple radiance?"
These words offended quite a few elite students of the Heaven-tier Academy. Many wanted to refute, but when the words surged to their lips, not a single word could be uttered.
Although it was cruel, they had to admit this fact. Unless it was that transcendent Crown Prince, otherwise within the academy, only Ye Chen could truly reach this step, because he had already achieved it.
However, the Thirteenth Prince also had this possibility; it's just that it had never been verified.
Ye Chen gave a faint smile, not denying it, because facts were the best proof. Being modest would instead be seen as pretending, so why bother?
Then he looked at Xia Mang and said, "Five hundred thousand gold coins. Hand them over."
His faint words were filled with domineering arrogance, directly demanding. But Xia Mang's face was pale and bloodless, not daring to resist at all, because the strength Ye Chen had displayed could truly defeat him in two or three rounds, perhaps even less.
He recalled the words Ye Chen had said to him earlier—
"Is being ranked two hundred ninety-sixth so impressive? Not worth mentioning!"
At the time, he felt Ye Chen was too arrogant, looking down on everyone, even provocative. But now it seemed the other party simply had the qualifications to be arrogant and contemptuous. It was just that he himself had been kept in the dark, being played with by the other all along.
Handing over the Purple Pattern Gold Card, Ye Chen didn't even glance at him. He directly took out his own Purple Pattern Gold Card, aligned them, and swiped. A stream of light flashed. The five shining golden stars on Xia Mang's Purple Pattern Gold Card completely disappeared, while Ye Chen's gold card gained five more golden stars, totaling nine golden stars, with only the ninth star slightly dimmer.
At this moment, he had a total of eight hundred seventy thousand gold coins on his card. This wealth could be considered an astronomical figure.
Looking at the Purple Pattern Gold Card in Ye Chen's hand, the Thirteenth Prince also couldn't help but sigh lightly. Nearly nine hundred thousand gold coins—this was no small sum. Even he might not possess so much.
Glancing again at the pale-faced Xia Mang, he just shook his head faintly, equally disdainful.
Boom!
Suddenly, a powerful, abundant aura appeared, shaking the vast purple radiance until it nearly scattered.
Countless people's expressions changed drastically, all looking over. They saw only a terrifying figure appear, exuding a startling aura.
This was a man who appeared to be only around forty years old. His face was resolute, in the prime of middle age. His physique was tall and burly, his robust muscles appearing powerful and strong, as if containing the force of ten thousand jun. Standing there in the distance, he was like an ancient ferocious beast, giving people a sense of terrifying oppression.
Just the imposing might emanating from his body nearly scattered the vast purple radiance, causing everyone present to change expression, feeling immense pressure.
Martial God!
Almost simultaneously, everyone in their hearts knew the other's strength. Aside from a Martial God existence, who else could possess such supreme aura and imposing might?
"Martial God Gu Yang!"
Seeing the newcomer, someone couldn't help but exclaim. Because there weren't many Martial God powerhouses in the Xia Feng Kingdom, almost countable on two hands. And Martial God Gu Yang was an extremely powerful Martial God powerhouse, famous throughout the world. Several nearby great kingdoms knew of his reputation, so recognizing him wasn't strange.
Who would have thought that the situation of purple radiance reaching the heavens from the Power Monument would actually startle even this super powerhouse into coming.
"Martial God?"
Ye Chen's eyes focused as he looked over. This was the second Martial God he had faced up close, aside from Martial God An Yang.
At the same time, Martial God Gu Yang also looked at Ye Chen. Even a terrifying aura slowly bloomed from his body, pressing over invisibly. Not to mention Ye Chen, even others' expressions changed drastically, feeling immense pressure, as if the air had been sucked away, making it hard to breathe.
Was this targeting Ye Chen?
But Ye Chen's expression remained unchanged, calmly facing the imposing pressure of a Martial God.
Seeing this scene, everyone showed shocked expressions. Although they didn't know the main target, just a tiny fraction of Martial God Gu Yang's aura and pressure made others feel immense oppression. Even the floor of the training ground developed thick, spreading cracks.
As the main target of the aura, Ye Chen was actually unharmed, his expression calm and unperturbed. This made many people unable to help but feel horrified.
Martial God Gu Yang, who had made the move, was even more surprised. Although he had only intended to test Ye Chen's strength and hadn't used his full power, when such terrifying Martial God imposing might spread out, it wasn't something a Xiantian realm expert could easily withstand.
But he sensed that his pressure was like surging, turbulent waves, while Ye Chen was like a reef in the sea. No matter how he crashed against it, it remained unmoving, stable as a mountain.
This youth was too extraordinary, truly worthy of being a peerless genius who could strike out purple radiance.
Just as Martial God Gu Yang wanted to use even stronger imposing might, two powerful auras swept across the sky, startling him. The Martial God realm imposing might on his body receded like a tide.
Subsequently, two Martial God realm existences from Xia Feng Academy appeared, descending at this location. But they clearly held a trace of hostility toward Martial God Gu Yang.
"Greetings, two Supreme Elders!"
The academy's instructors, elders, and students all hurriedly bowed in greeting. These were two Supreme Elders of high status and authority. In terms of identity and position, they were extraordinary figures second only to the old headmaster.
The two Supreme Elders nodded indifferently, then looked at Martial God Gu Yang and said solemnly, "We don't know why Martial God Gu Yang has come. This is Xia Feng Academy. If it's not necessary, please don't barge in casually."
This was clearly an order to leave.
Martial God Gu Yang seemed not to hear the meaning in the words, standing motionless. "Nothing much. I just saw the purple radiance reaching the heavens and specially rushed over. I only wanted to see who exactly it was, to actually make the Power Monument display purple radiance."
The two Supreme Elders couldn't too obviously drive the other away, as Martial God Gu Yang was also an extremely powerful expert. They tacitly allowed his presence.
The appearance of three Martial God realm existences, usually as elusive as dragons, caused continuous exclamations among those present. But for everyone, it was also within expectations.
For them, they probably wanted to take Ye Chen as a disciple. After all, such a peerless genius, if guided well, achieving beyond the Martial God realm in the future wouldn't be too difficult.
In this world, the master-disciple relationship was no worse than that between parents and relatives. In many cases, it was even more solid, because the act of betraying one's master and annihilating one's ancestors would be despised by everyone, who would rise up and attack.
Sure enough, afterward, the three Martial Gods all looked at Ye Chen. Their faces, usually carrying the pride of Martial Gods, were unusually piled with smiles. They chuckled, "Little friend, truly extraordinary. To be able to strike out purple radiance at such a young age is truly remarkable."
"Looking across ancient and modern times, only a handful of people can reach this step. Little friend is truly remarkable."
Everyone was dumbfounded. They originally thought these Martial God realm existences were lofty and aloof. Who would have thought that when it came to flattery, they weren't the least bit hesitant. Truly, one cannot judge a book by its cover.
"Little friend, could you become this old man's disciple? I will definitely guide you to become a generation's Martial God."
"Pah! Is a Martial God so impressive? Follow me, and I'll make you a Heavenly God, directly becoming the number one under heaven."
"They're all old fogies. Follow me. I, Gu Yang, am one of the few Martial Gods in the empire. Looking at your robust physique, I'll temper your body for you. As long as you're willing to work hard, becoming a Martial God is inevitable, and there's also a chance for Heavenly God." Martial God Gu Yang patted his chest confidently.
"No! This is a student of our Xia Feng Academy. Outsiders cannot lay a finger on him." The two Martial God elders united against the outsider.
The others present couldn't help but feel jealous of Ye Chen. Three lofty Martial Gods were actually fighting over him, disregarding their dignity. They truly wished they could step forward and replace him.
Old Yan drifted out, clicking his tongue and sneering, "These few unimpressive fellows dare to take Little Chen as a disciple? Even I don't have that qualification. Heh heh."
Facing the three Martial Gods fighting to take him as a disciple, Ye Chen felt not the slightest bit of joy, because he simply looked down on them. Moreover, so-called Martial Gods were fundamentally unqualified to become his master.
Suddenly, Ye Chen's expression moved as he looked into the distance, his gaze sharpening into needle points.
He saw only a graceful, beautiful figure walking over lightly, her body like drifting willow catkins, delicate and moving, her brows and eyes smiling, attracting many gazes.
Yang Yi!