Ye Yunfei naturally refused to fall behind and charged towards one of the sitting mats.
"Scram!"
Suddenly, a roar rang out as a tall, skinny man with a dazzling treasure bottle floating above his head unleashed a terrifying divine aura, attacking Ye Yunfei.
Whoosh!
Not wanting to drag out the fight, Ye Yunfei waved his hand, sending out a sword ray. With a resounding clang, he sent the treasure bottle flying from above the man's head.
"You're seeking death, brat!"
Enraged, the man formed hand seals, recalling the treasure bottle, which instantly enlarged to the size of a mountain peak—massive and heavy as it pressed down towards Ye Yunfei.
Boom!
Ye Yunfei didn't dodge or evade. Instead, he threw a punch, his fist swelling rapidly to collide head-on with the treasure bottle.
This man was a Perfected Heavenly Emperor with formidable combat prowess, capable of crushing ordinary Perfected Heavenly Emperors.
Clang! Clang...
Ye Yunfei swung his hand, unleashing several sword rays in quick succession.
The man was forced back step by step, roaring in fury, his expression utterly grim.
The power of Ye Yunfei’s sword rays was simply too terrifying. After just a few exchanges, the man was driven far away.
In a flash, Ye Yunfei darted toward a sitting mat, on the verge of taking his seat.
Rumble...
A golden war halberd descended from the sky, slashing toward Ye Yunfei’s head.
Clang!
Ye Yunfei blocked the golden halberd with a Heavenly Emperor-grade longsword in his hand.
The wielder was a tall, slender man clad in battle armor, brandishing the golden war halberd as he struck at Ye Yunfei.
Rumble...
Ye Yunfei and this man clashed, their clash reverberating with thunderous bursts of energy.
At this moment, the battle atop the altar was exceedingly fierce, filled with the glint of blades and swords as countless young beings desperately fought over the five sitting mats, none willing to yield.
Some beings had already perished in the violent struggle.
"You might have impressive combat strength, brat, but if you dare compete with me for this mat, there’s only one outcome—death!"
The tall, lanky man brandished his golden war halberd, bellowing fiercely with divine valor.
This man, too, was a Perfected Heavenly Emperor with formidable fighting power.
Clang! Clang! Clang...
Swinging a longsword, Ye Yunfei battled fiercely with the man, their weapons colliding repeatedly amid an endless barrage of deafening clashes.
Boom!
Mid-fight, Ye Yunfei suddenly unleashed a wave of Mental Force energy, invading the man’s body.
"Damn it! What kind of energy is this? I can’t even sense it, let alone resist it!"
The man gasped in shock and anger.
Whoosh!
A streak of sword light swept horizontally, severing the man’s right arm on the spot, and the golden war halberd in his hand clattered to the ground.
Panicked, the man stumbled backward repeatedly.
Swish!
With Ye Yunfei's incredible speed, he flashed to a position right before the sitting mat, ready to take his seat.
"This mat is mine."
A cold, detached voice rang out, accompanied by a surge of overwhelming energy pressure.
A tall, handsome man with long hair cascading over his shoulders appeared beside Ye Yunfei, his gaze icy and pitiless, aiming a white longsword directly at Ye Yunfei’s brow.
Rumble...
The two immediately engaged in combat.
The man wielded the white longsword, its blade gleaming like piercing light, cold and ruthless.
He swung the blade forward, cleaving through the void like a bolt of white lightning.
Ye Yunfei countered with his own longsword, executing the Seven Thousand Swords United Into One technique, sending sword strokes slashing toward his opponent.
"Haha... I’ve secured a mat!"
At that moment, another being burst into loud laughter. After intense combat, he had finally forced back six or seven opponents through sheer strength and successfully seized a sitting mat, seating himself upon it.
"Get off!"
A tall man nearby, gripping a blood-red war spear, raised it and lunged at the seated being.
Hum!
Suddenly, a shimmering light from a Formation barrier emerged from the mat, blocking the spear.
"Haha... Fantastic! So this mat comes with an innate Formation! Once you take a seat, you’re protected! Now I can finally focus on comprehending and cultivating!"
Seeing this, the being on the mat was thrilled.
"So that's it! Sitting on a mat triggers its protection—outsiders can't attack!"
The other beings witnessing this shared the same thought.
Clang! Clang...
Ye Yunfei continuously executed Seven Thousand Swords United Into One, forcing the long-haired man back step by step.
Meanwhile, two more beings had taken notice of the mat Ye Yunfei was targeting and charged forward.
Rustle...
The Soul Nourishing Tree suddenly materialized above Ye Yunfei’s head, radiating powerful circles of Soul Power that spread in all directions.
Forbidden Soul Art!
Boom...
Ye Yunfei unleashed Mental Force, launching a wide-ranging assault.
Whoosh-whoosh...
A torrent of sword rays surged forward like a downpour.
Immediately after, he activated the Time Reversal Art, releasing vast quantities of temporal energy and laws that spread outward from his center.
Boom!
Hun Lao emerged to assist, using a secret technique that twisted space to immobilize surrounding beings.
"Master, I’ll help you too!"
Hu Miao cried out, conjuring illusions one after another—illusionary realms floating in all directions like shimmering bubbles.
Through the combined efforts of Ye Yunfei, Hun Lao, and Hu Miao, several beings in the vicinity were instantly locked in place.
In a blur, Ye Yunfei flashed and sat upon the mat.
"Damn it!"
The long-haired man trembled with rage.
"This brat’s strength is overwhelming, and his techniques are utterly bizarre!"
The other two attackers were similarly horrified and furious.
Nevertheless, with Ye Yunfei already seated on the mat, the three beings knew they couldn’t stop him anymore. They glared venomously at him before dashing off toward other mats to rejoin the frantic scuffle.
"At last, I can calmly meditate and cultivate. I hope this Ascension Platform will bring me surprises."
Ye Yunfei murmured to himself.
He then settled into a state of profound meditation.
Meanwhile, the battle atop the altar raged on ferociously, as powerful young beings contested fiercely for the remaining mats.
Most of these young beings were from the Main World, with only two or three hailing from the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds.
It was an exceptionally rare scene—so many elite young talents locked in a frenzied scramble.
Energy bubbled atop the altar, battle intent soared to the heavens, and radiant light of all hues glittered brilliantly.
Seated cross-legged upon his mat, Ye Yunfei remained utterly indifferent to the surrounding conflict as he gradually sank into a profound state of enlightenment.
"So this is Immortal Realm-level energy and laws... Truly far more profound than those of the Heavenly Emperor realm!"
Not long after, Ye Yunfei gained fresh insights and spoke softly to himself.