70: Great Confucian scholars will debate the scriptures for me.

The word "Suppress," uttered by Lin Chen, was plain and unremarkable, devoid of any worldly aura.

However, when this word fell into this deathly ghost city, shrouded in murderous intent and betrayal, it seemed to transform into the final decree issued by the gods of the Nine Heavens against the sins of the Mortal world!

Words spoken, the Law follows!

Boom—!!!!

At this moment, the human emperor seal slowly rotating in Lin Chen's palm erupted with an unprecedented, brilliant golden radiance, enough to rival the blood moon in the firmament!

This golden light was not mere brightness.

It was order, it was Law, it was protection, it was Legacy, it was the magnificent Divine Might of human civilization that had remained unyielding through the ages!

The golden light poured down like liquid mercury, instantly covering the entire ghost city.

Bearing the brunt of it was the Myriad Slaughter Shadow-Severing Array, suspended above the people of the Purple Cloud Holy Land, constructed from the heart's blood and resentment of hundreds of Myriad Sword Pavilion Disciples!

"Crack... Crrrack... Bang!!"

There was no earth-shattering collision of energy, no deafening, violent explosion.

That inescapable net of death, woven from countless blood-colored Sword Qi, let out a moan of unbearable strain the instant it touched the golden divine light, just like an ice sculpture scorched by the blazing sun. The negative Laws of slaughter, resentment, and madness contained within each streak of blood-colored sword light were instantly purified and evaporated by that surge of imperial Dragon Qi!

In merely a single breath!

That terrifying sword array, capable of strangling any Cultivator below the Nascent Soul stage, shattered inch by inch like a pricked blood-colored bubble, turning into specks of light that dissipated into nothingness!

"Pfft—!!!"

The hundreds of Myriad Sword Pavilion Disciples who had set up the array, connected by their mental intent, were all struck as if by a heavy hammer, violently spitting out mouthfuls of blood! The longswords in their hands lost all spirituality, emitting a series of mournful cries, and what's more, the blades themselves were covered in spiderweb-like cracks!

The array was broken!

Shattered completely in an instant by a single word, a single glance, and a single seal!

And this was merely the beginning!

After crushing the sword array, the golden divine light did not diminish in power, continuing to seep into the ground.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—!!!"

Those black-purple poisonous vines, which had been raging with monstrous ferocity just moments before, binding the people of the Purple Cloud Holy Land, seemed to encounter their most terrifying natural enemy upon sensing that supreme, yang-strong imperial Dragon Qi! They let out incomparably shrill shrieks, twisting frantically as they tried to retract back into the ground.

However, under the suppression of the human emperor seal, all sinister and treacherous things had nowhere to hide!

Wherever the golden light passed, the poisonous vines on the ground, like snakes splashed with concentrated sulfuric acid, writhed and dissolved violently, finally turning into pools of foul-smelling black pus, completely losing all vitality and toxicity.

Hua Jieyu and her ten Junior Sisters suffered an even more terrifying backlash! Their prized poisonous blood and natal toxins began to erode their own Meridians and Divine Souls under the purification of the human emperor's Divine Might!

"Ah—! My face! My cultivation!"

Amidst shrill screams, they fell to the ground one by one, their skin rapidly festering, their auras withering at a speed visible to the naked eye, suffering heavy injuries in an instant!

In the blink of an eye, the inescapable net and double death-trap set by the two Sects were completely dismantled by Lin Chen in a manner akin to a "miracle," sweeping away the resistance like dry leaves in an autumn wind!

The entire deathly ghost city fell into a deathly silence.

Only the golden specks of light drifting across the sky remained, along with that figure who had descended from the heavens, like a god walking among Mortals.

"Human... emperor... seal..."

The Extinction Sword Crone's wrinkled old face had completely lost its color, pale as paper. Her body trembled uncontrollably; it was an absolute suppression originating from the level of life itself, an instinctive fear that "evil demons" could not suppress when facing the "Sacred Dao"!

She wanted to flee!

The dignity of being a Nascent Soul Old Monster, the fury of avenging her Disciples, the shamelessness of twisting right and wrong... all of this seemed so ridiculous in the face of an absolute threat of death!

However, she found her body seemingly suppressed by billions of ancient sacred mountains; even moving a finger had become a luxury! That figure bathed in golden light, clearly just floating there calmly, gave her a sense of insignificance and despair, like "Heaven" watching an "ant."

Lin Chen's gaze slowly swept across the entire scene.

His eyes were very calm.

No anger, no murderous intent, not even a trace of emotional fluctuation.

It was just like... an adult watching a group of brats who had just destroyed his sandcastle and were still feeling smug about it.

It was a kind of pure, deep-seated... indifference.

This indifference made the Extinction Sword Crone, Hua Jieyu, and the others feel more chilled to the bone and terrified than any angry roar or vicious curse ever could!

"You... you cannot kill me!"

Under extreme fear, the Extinction Sword Crone finally found her voice. She screamed, once again unleashing the Myriad Sword Pavilion's "Sect talent" for twisting right and wrong.

"Lin Chen! This is all a misunderstanding! It's the Purple Cloud Holy Land! They were the ones who provoked us first and harmed our Pavilion's Disciples! We... we were just forced, victims rising up to resist! As the leader of the Righteous Path, holding the human emperor's holy item, you should be even more capable of distinguishing right from wrong and upholding justice for us 'weak' ones!"

Lin Chen didn't even want to speak after hearing this; this person was simply shameless to the extreme. He knew full well that this Extinction Sword Crone was targeting him specifically, and that he was a member of the Purple Cloud Holy Land.

But under this threat, in the Extinction Sword Crone's eyes, he, Lin Chen, had been directly decoupled from the Purple Cloud Holy Land. Was this what they called "There are always great scholars to debate the scriptures for me"?

"Right! Right!" Hua Jieyu, after a moment of daze, immediately understood. Following that, as if grasping at the last straw of hope, she hurriedly chimed in, "Holy Son Lin, please see clearly! We in the Hundred Flowers Valley were also forced! It was Luo Bingli and the others, relying on their numbers, who forcibly 'captured' us and coerced us into leading the way! We... we were only forced to play along with the Myriad Sword Pavilion! We are also victims!"

This utterly shameless rhetoric left even some of the Purple Cloud Holy Land Disciples, who had just escaped and were still shaken, stunned, and nearly laughed in anger.

However, Lin Chen didn't even twitch an eyebrow.

He couldn't even be bothered to expose their ridiculous lies.

He only slowly raised his right hand and, toward the hundreds of Myriad Sword Pavilion and Hundred Flowers Valley Disciples below, gently made a grasping motion in the air.

"Noisy."

Hum—!

In an instant, an invisible, irresistible force of imperial Dragon Qi turned into a tangible cage, enveloping everyone except the Extinction Sword Crone and Hua Jieyu!

"No—!"

Amidst their terrified and desperate screams, golden divine fire ignited from the void, and the cage instantly turned into a furnace!

There were no screams, no struggles.

Hundreds of female Cultivators, who could be considered Prodigies in the outside world, were completely "evaporated" within a few short breaths under the purification of that golden divine fire, along with their physical bodies, Divine Souls, and all the resentment and sin they carried, turning into the purest Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and dissipating into this ghost city.

It was as if they had never existed.

After finishing all this, Lin Chen cast his indifferent gaze back toward the Extinction Sword Crone and Hua Jieyu, who had long since collapsed to the ground in terror, wetting themselves.

"As for you two..."

His voice remained calm.

"Death is too cheap for you."

He flicked his finger, and two golden runes containing the Origin power of the human emperor seal instantly submerged into the space between their eyebrows.

"I have crippled your cultivation and left an 'Imperial Dao Brand' in your Divine Souls."

"From now on, you will be reduced to Mortals, suffering the pain of your Divine Souls being scorched by imperial Dragon Qi day and night. At the same time, any demons or monsters will view you as 'Tang Monk meat,' hunting you endlessly."

"Get lost."

"Return to your Sects and tell everyone that I did it."

"I am waiting for them to come."

As his words fell, the supreme pressure suppressing the two of them quietly dissipated.

The Extinction Sword Crone and Hua Jieyu felt as if they had been granted amnesty; not daring to say a single word of threat, they scrambled and crawled, fleeing toward the outside of the ghost city like madwomen, their backs filled with wretchedness and endless terror.

Lin Chen just let them go like that.

Because he knew that for Cultivators who valued face and strength more than life itself, letting them live on in endless humiliation and pain was far more cruel and effective... as a punishment and deterrent than simply killing them!

This "Death Feast" that took place in the "Death Gate" ghost city came to a dramatic end in a way that no one had expected.

The process and outcome of this battle were also spread throughout the entire 【Dragon Bone Wasteland】 at a storm-like speed via the "eyes" of other Sect teams that had been hiding in the shadows, hoping to reap the benefits of the struggle!

For a time, the entire Secret Realm fell completely silent!

Every Prodigy participating in the grand competition, regardless of how unruly or arrogant they had been before, fell into a long, deathly silence upon hearing the news.

A single word, shattering the double killing formation!

A single glance, suppressing a Nascent Soul Old Monster!

With a wave of his hand, incinerating hundreds of Golden Core Cultivators!

This... is this the power a Golden Core Stage Cultivator can possess?!

Damn it, even if it were a legendary ancient god Reincarnation, it wouldn't be this outrageous, right?!

This was no longer a "battle" or a "competition," but a… dimensional strike from a higher life form!

Consequently, a bizarre and even comical scene unfolded during the rest of the 【Dragon Bone Wasteland】 grand competition.

Although the trials continued, every subsequent battle became utterly dull and flavorless.

When the Purple Cloud Holy Land team appeared, "We... we of the Crimson Flame Divine Palace, concede!"

The Crimson Flame Divine Palace was the top Body Refining Sect in the Eastern Wasteland, known for its violent and overbearing fighting style.

Their Saintess was a woman nearly two meters tall, with smooth, toned muscles and an explosive strength radiating from her entire body.

Yet, at this moment, looking at the white-clad figure in the distance—surrounded by others like the moon among stars, yawning in sheer boredom—her bronze face was filled with wariness and bitterness, and she chose to forfeit without hesitation.

Are you kidding? Fight that monster?

Although the Crimson Flame Divine Palace's Body Refining techniques were claimed to be impervious to all Laws and indestructible, she had no doubt that in front of that legendary 【human emperor seal】, their prideful Physical Body would be as fragile as paper!

"Tianyin Pavilion, concede."

"Shenfeng Valley, concede."

"We... also concede."

One match, two matches, three matches...

Whenever they encountered the Purple Cloud Holy Land team, whether the opponent was a renowned powerful Sect or a newly emerged dark horse, everyone without exception chose to... concede immediately, instantly, and without hesitation!

They didn't dare to contend with them at all!

They couldn't even muster the slightest desire to fight!

Gradually, Lin Chen lost interest in even showing up.

Most of the time, Luo Bingli and Xiao Qingxue led the team.

As for him, he lay on a luxury reclining chair set up temporarily at the team's camp, sunning himself under the pale "moon," occasionally listening to the System's reward notifications triggered by the cultivation improvements of Luo Bingli and the others, bored to the point of... falling asleep.

In the end, this grand 【Hidden Dragon Grand Competition】, which had gathered all the top Prodigies of the young generation in the Eastern Wasteland, came to a close in a way that was extremely "boring" and "comical," yet one that no one dared to object to in the slightest.

Lin Chen and the Purple Cloud Holy Land he represented, with an attitude of "bored to the point of yawning," ascended to the top spot of the 【hidden dragon list】 without any suspense.

According to tradition, the next event was the grand awards ceremony.

The giant plaza in the center of Qianlong City was packed with people, yet it was so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

All the surviving Sect teams, as well as countless Cultivators of Qianlong City, had gathered here.

Their gazes subconsciously converged on the white-clad figure standing alone in the center of the plaza, filled with awe, fear, curiosity, and admiration.

Lin Chen stood there, his face still wearing that calm and indifferent expression, even with a hint of impatience.

He just wanted to get the rewards quickly and then go see that so-called 【Central Continent Sacred Domain】.

Just then, "Hum..."

A terrifying pressure, gentle as water yet vast as the sea, slowly enveloped the entire Qianlong City without warning.

Under this pressure, everyone felt as if their minds had been gently stroked by a soft hand, and all tension and distracting thoughts were instantly smoothed away.

Immediately after, a mature woman dressed in luxurious purple palace attire, with a graceful figure, stunning beauty, and a dignified and noble aura, slowly appeared on the high platform, accompanied by ripples in space.

As soon as she appeared, she instantly drew everyone's gaze.

She was too beautiful.

It was a mature charm that had been refined by time, merging power and wisdom; every smile and frown carried an irresistible allure.

What was even more startling were her Phoenix eyes, deep as a sea of stars, which seemed capable of seeing through people's hearts.

"Greetings, City Lord!"

On the plaza, whether they were Elders of the major Sects or guards of Qianlong City, everyone knelt on one knee in unison, their voices filled with heartfelt respect and fervor.

The City Lord of Qianlong City, Long Yan!

A legendary woman who had been famous for hundreds of years, possessed unfathomable strength, and was said to have long since stepped into the Soul Transformation stage!

However, this legendary City Lord, who ruled the number one majestic city of the Eastern Wasteland and held immense power, did not pay attention to the crowd kneeling below after appearing.

Her gaze fell on Lin Chen immediately.

Then, under the incredulous gaze of everyone, a smile that was extremely kind and extremely humble appeared on her dignified and noble face.

She walked with lotus steps, descended from the high platform in person, and arrived in front of Lin Chen.

"Saint of the Purple Cloud Holy Land, Lin Chen, you are truly a dragon among men, a peerless Prodigy rarely seen in ages."

Long Yan's voice was gentle and pleasant, full of magnetism, making one feel as if bathed in a spring breeze.

Her posture was set extremely low, even carrying a hint of the... deference a Junior would show a Senior.

"In this Hidden Dragon Grand Competition, you outperformed all the heroes and took the top spot, which is well-deserved. This is your reward."

As she spoke, she flipped her jade hand, and a golden token radiating rich spatial Law power, along with an ancient Storage Ring, slowly drifted in front of Lin Chen.

"This 【Sacred Domain Token】 is the only credential to the 【Central Continent Sacred Domain】; please keep it safe, Saint."

"In this ring, besides the rewards originally set for the grand competition, there are some small gifts from me personally for you, Saint. It is not much, just a token of my appreciation."

Her words were extremely kind, and her posture was extremely humble.

Lin Chen swept it with his Divine Thought; his face remained calm, but a ripple stirred in his heart.

The items in that Storage Ring were far more than just "small gifts"!

Millennium-old Spirit Medicine, piled up like mountains!

Top-Grade Spirit Stones, numbering in the hundreds of millions!

There were even several Dao-tier Magic Treasures radiating terrifying auras, and one... supreme Divine Pill capable of helping people break through the Soul Transformation Bottleneck—the 【Nine Orifice God-Breaking Pill】!

And the smile on Long Yan's face became increasingly sincere.

"Saint Lin's ascent to the top spot is the glory of our entire young generation in the Eastern Wasteland. To celebrate this event, I have set up a banquet at the City Lord's Mansion tonight, specifically to hold a 'Celebration Ceremony' for you, Saint."

"At that time, all the prominent figures of the Eastern Wasteland will be present to witness your supreme demeanor, Saint."

She made a warm invitation to Lin Chen, her beautiful Phoenix eyes full of anticipation.

"I hope you will do me the honor, Saint."

The entire plaza was deathly silent.

Everyone was shocked beyond measure by City Lord Long Yan's "humility" and "generosity."

This was a supreme honor!

It was the ultimate recognition and solicitation of Lin Chen by the Qianlong City Lord, and even the forces behind her!

Lin Chen was infinitely glorious!

"Since the City Lord has extended such a warm invitation, how could I, Lin Chen, refuse?"

"I will certainly arrive at the banquet on time tonight."