257: Chapter 257 Pure Violence and Absolute Crushing

Within the stone passageways beneath Shura City, the thick, lingering scent of blood seemed to have grown even more pungent.

Zhou Wannian leaned quietly against the cold rock wall, his eyes slightly closed. Unlike the other surviving Cultivators who seized every moment to swallow Medicinal Pills or meditate to recuperate, he stood in an extremely relaxed posture. His slender fingers idly toyed with the Blood Battle Bone Token representing his qualification. The edges of the token lightly scraped against his fingertips, producing an extremely faint, rustling sound.

Tiezhu's cold, mechanical voice surfaced punctually in the depths of his Sea of Consciousness.

"Report, Host. The fourth round of draws is about to commence. After the brutal elimination of the first three rounds, only twenty-five contestants remain. Among them, two targets have reached the 'Extremely High' threat level. The first is Blood Dripper, the leader of the Blood Weeping Tribe native to the Shura Realm, whose Blood Dao Law receives a home-field advantage here. The second is the final trump card secretly arranged by the Heavenly Court Special Envoy Gongshu Tian, codenamed 'Barbarian Sovereign'."

"Pull up the detailed data on that Barbarian Sovereign." Zhou Wannian's eyelids didn't lift as he issued the command calmly in his heart.

A towering, iron-pagoda-like phantom rapidly sketched itself in his Sea of Consciousness. Tiezhu's voice continued reporting: "Target bone age exceeds one hundred thousand years. Not a human Cultivator, but an ancient desolate beast descendant whose consciousness was stripped away by the Heavenly Court using a secret method and forcibly infused with the Origin of the Gengjin (Metallic) Law. Its Physical Body strength rating has already broken through the Early Stage Taiyi barrier, reaching the terrifying level of Middle Stage Taiyi. This weapon was specifically refined to destroy all enemies with pure physical power within forbidden-magic Domains."

A faint, almost imperceptible sneer tugged at the corner of Zhou Wannian's mouth.

Gongshu Tian had indeed grown impatient. Having failed to probe with the Mirage Law and shadow assassins earlier, he now simply tore off all pretense and directly threw out a pure physical monster. The opponent's plan was quite clear: since they couldn't see through whether Zhou Wannian was a Body Cultivator or a master hiding his Divine Sense, they would use absolute physical power to crush him. If Zhou Wannian truly was a Body Cultivator, facing a Middle Stage Taiyi desolate beast's Physical Body would mean certain death; if he used other Laws to preserve his life, his identity would be completely exposed.

A very simple open scheme, but often the most effective.

"A pity he encountered me." Zhou Wannian stored the bone token in his sleeve and slowly straightened up. He twisted his neck, producing a series of crisp, popping sounds from his bones. Ever since remolding his Physical Body in the Xisha Pool and absorbing the Taiyi Blood Jiao's inner core, the power accumulated within his body had been like a long-suppressed active volcano. Even he himself didn't know the current limits of his Physical Body.

Since you want to see pure violence, I'll let you see your fill.

The heavy, ancient war drums once again reverberated through the Shura Blood Arena.

Accompanied by a tremendous rumbling, the Dragon-Severing Stone Gate slowly rose. Zhou Wannian strode forward, unhurriedly entering the enormous Colosseum bathed in bloody sunlight.

The arena had undergone a complete transformation. The Formations that originally divided it into fifty sections had all been withdrawn, merging back into a single super blood-colored arena over fifty thousand zhang in diameter. The defensive light curtain surrounding the arena was as thick as a mountain, flashing with blinding dark-red runes, clearly activated to its highest defensive state.

The Gray Immortal Elder presiding over the blood battle hovered in mid-air, his turbid eyes gleaming with undisguised fanaticism and bloodlust.

"Top 25 Advancement Battle, the draw begins! The rules remain unchanged—fight to the death!"

On the enormous blood-colored light screen in mid-air, twenty-five names began to rapidly scroll. The roars of the million spectators of Shura City seemed capable of shaking apart the gray clouds in the sky.

A moment later, the light screen suddenly froze.

Zhou Wannian slightly raised his head, his gaze falling on the two names at the very top of the screen.

Zhou Wannian, versus, Barbarian Sovereign.

In the VIP seats at the highest point of the stands, Gongshu Tian lounged lazily against the white jade chair back, toying with an exquisite wine cup in his hand. When he saw the matchup list on the screen, a trace of triumphant coldness flashed in the depths of his eyes.

"Lord Luohou." Gongshu Tian tilted his head slightly, looking at the stern-faced Luohou beside him, his tone carrying a hint of mockery. "This match likely won't have as many surprises as the previous ones. Barbarian Sovereign's Physical Body is such that even this Envoy's taiyi grade Magic Treasure finds it difficult to leave a mark. That lad surnamed Zhou, even if he possesses heaven-defying luck, can only be crushed into paste before absolute power."

Luohou shot a cold glance at Gongshu Tian, his voice like the grinding of two pieces of raw iron. "Special Envoy Gongshu seems rather fixated on that Human Race individual. However, on the Shura Blood Arena, any blind confidence is foolish."

Gongshu Tian snorted coldly and said no more, merely locking his gaze tightly onto the azure figure below.

On the arena.

Following the guidance of the Formation, a figure of suffocating enormity crashed down like a meteorite onto the other end of the arena.

BOOM!

The entire fifty-thousand-zhang arena trembled violently. The hard Blood Glaze Stone ground was stamped with two massive pits several zhang deep. Shattered stones shot through the air, and dust billowed.

As the dust gradually settled, the monster named Barbarian Sovereign finally revealed its true form.

It was a terrifying giant standing a full five zhang tall. Its body wasn't covered in any armor but was instead covered in thick, rough keratin layers resembling dark golden rock. Thick, coiling green veins like sinuous Dragons bulged across its skin. With every breath, visible streams of white, scorching-hot air erupted from its nostrils and mouth. Its eyes were a deathly gray, devoid of any emotional color, like a cold machine that knew only slaughter.

Before this monster, the slender Zhou Wannian seemed like an ant beneath an elephant's foot.

"ROAR!"

Barbarian Sovereign let out a savage roar utterly unlike a human sound. No opening words, no superfluous movements. Its thick legs powerfully kicked off the ground, the terrifying recoil instantly pulverizing the stone slabs beneath its feet into powder.

Its massive form transformed into a dark golden afterimage. With a sharp, air-rending whistle, it charged towards Zhou Wannian like an out-of-control heavy siege engine in a wild, headlong assault!

Too fast.

This terrifying speed, completely incongruous with its massive size, drew gasps of disbelief from countless Gray Realm Cultivators in the stands.

In merely half a breath's time, Barbarian Sovereign had already crossed ten thousand zhang, appearing right in front of Zhou Wannian. Its fist, larger than Zhou Wannian's entire body, wrapped in the compressed power of the Gengjin (Metallic) Law, descended like a collapsing Mount Tai, smashing viciously towards the crown of Zhou Wannian's head!

The moment this punch was thrown, the space around Zhou Wannian even showed slight distortions—an anomaly caused by extreme physical power reaching a certain critical point and forcibly compressing space.

Unavoidable. And must not be avoided.

If he dodged, relying on this monster's speed and endurance, the subsequent attacks would be an unending storm, tearing the opponent apart completely.

Facing this punch capable of instantly blasting a Golden Immortal at the Peak of Great Perfection into a bloody mist, Zhou Wannian did not retreat half a step.

He slowly raised his head. On that perpetually calm face, a trace of extreme, arrogant curvature finally appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He not only refrained from using the true word treasure wheel, he didn't even seem inclined to draw the void-splitting ruler.

He simply, almost instinctively, clenched his right hand into a fist. Then, from below, facing the descending dark golden mountain, he lightly, almost weightlessly, swung upwards.

Under the horrified gazes of a million spectators, two wildly disproportionate fists collided violently in mid-air.

THUD————!!!

No dazzling light explosions, only a dull, terrifying impact sound that seemed to strike deep into the Souls of everyone present!

Immediately after, a visible white ring-shaped shockwave, centered on the point where their fists met, spread outwards in all directions like a tidal wave!

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

The Blood Glaze Stones on the arena floor, which were claimed to withstand bombardment from taiyi grade Magic Treasures, shattered and flew apart like fragile ice under this pure physical shockwave. Within a radius of tens of thousands of zhang, the ground was instantly scraped clean by a full layer!

The violent gale whipped Zhou Wannian's green robe, making it flutter and snap loudly.

Everyone unconsciously held their breath, their eyes fixed unwaveringly on the epicenter of the impact.

In their view, even if that green-robed Body Cultivator wasn't dead, he would undoubtedly be smashed into a pulp by this punch.

However.

As the dust stirred up by the shockwave gradually settled.

A collective, ghost-like gasp of astonishment erupted from the spectator stands.

Zhou Wannian remained standing quietly in his original spot. His feet were now sunk into the hard stone floor, buried up to his knees. Yet, his seemingly slender arm held firm, without the slightest tremor, catching the massive, dark-golden fist of the Barbarian Sovereign.

He hadn't retreated a single step!

How was this possible!

In the VIP box, Gongshu Tian abruptly stood up, the wine cup in his hand unconsciously crushed into a lump of scrap metal. His eyes bulged, filled with profound shock and horror.

"That's the Physical Body of a Middle Stage taiyi grade desolate beast! Combined with the Origin-level empowerment of the Gengjin (Metallic) Law, the power of that punch is something even I wouldn't dare to receive bare-handed! Who is this nobody? How can he!" Gongshu Tian roared frantically in his heart.

At the center of the arena.

For the first time, a flicker of something akin to confusion appeared in the Barbarian Sovereign's deathly gray eyes. This mindless weapon could not comprehend why the tiny insect before him wasn't shattered. Instead, it felt as if an even more vast, more terrifying power than its own was awakening within that small frame.

"Not bad strength," Zhou Wannian looked up, meeting the Barbarian Sovereign's ferocious gaze directly. His tone was as flat as if commenting on the evening's meal. "Pity, it's only 'not bad'."

Before his words fully faded.

Zhou Wannian's right arm, which had been pressed down, suddenly lifted upward.

It was this seemingly simple lifting motion.

*Crack!*

A crisp sound of bone fracturing spread clearly across the silent arena.

The Barbarian Sovereign's arm, a hundred times harder than refined steel, was forcibly bent backward at an exaggerated angle by Zhou Wannian's single hand!

"ROOOOAR!"

The Barbarian Sovereign let out a pained bellow. Though lacking consciousness, the extreme agony of its Physical Body could not be blocked. It frantically swung its other intact left fist in a sweeping arc towards Zhou Wannian's temple.

"Too slow," Zhou Wannian's eyes turned cold.

He pulled his feet free from the ground, his figure not retreating but advancing instead, directly charging into the wide-open guard of the Barbarian Sovereign.

Since you want to brawl, let me teach you what true violent aesthetics really are.

*Thud!*

Zhou Wannian's shoulder slammed solidly into the Barbarian Sovereign's chest.

This impact used no immortal spiritual power whatsoever. It was the pure explosive force of a Middle Stage taiyi grade Peak Physical Body, tempered by the Taiyi Blood Jiao inner core.

What a terrifying force it was.

The Barbarian Sovereign's massive, five-zhang-tall body was actually sent flying off its feet. The thick layer of dark-golden chitin on its chest instantly shattered, deeply caving inward.

But Zhou Wannian's assault had only just begun.

The moment the Barbarian Sovereign's feet left the ground, Zhou Wannian's hands clamped onto the bone spikes on its chest like iron pincers. His waist twisted with explosive force, and he lifted the monstrous creature, weighing hundreds of thousands of jin, cleanly over his head.

"Get down!"

With a low shout, Zhou Wannian exerted force with both hands and hurled the Barbarian Sovereign's enormous body towards the ground as if swinging a ragged sack!

*BOOM!!!*

The entire Shura City seemed to experience an earthquake.

At the arena's center, a massive crater, a hundred zhang wide and bottomlessly deep, was smashed open.

The Barbarian Sovereign lay at the crater's bottom, countless bones shattered within its body. Gushing black blood spewed from its mouth. Yet, being a Middle Stage taiyi grade monster, its formidable vitality kept it struggling to rise.

Zhou Wannian stood at the crater's edge, looking down at the monster below.

Though his green robe was dust-stained, his composure remained unshaken. He slowly raised his right foot.

Then, he stomped down heavily.

*BOOM!*

This stomp was like a heavenly pillar toppling.

A visible shockwave pierced straight through the Barbarian Sovereign's chest, pulverizing its heart along with the Metal Origin core that sustained its life!

At the crater's bottom, the Barbarian Sovereign twitched twice. Its deathly gray eyes completely lost their luster. Its massive body rapidly stiffened, transforming into a cold mountain of a corpse.

Dead silence.

Silence as deep as death itself.

The Shura Blood Arena, filled with a million spectators, was now so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

Everyone's jaws hung agape, their gazes dazedly fixed on the not-so-tall, green-robed figure at the arena's center who seemed capable of holding up the heavens with one hand.

Pure physical collision.

No dazzling Spells, no treacherous assassinations.

Just the most primitive, most savage method, used to beat a Middle Stage taiyi grade terror of a monster into a bloody pulp.

This was a true Shura! This was a true monster!

*Gulp.*

Someone, somewhere, swallowed hard.

Immediately after, the entire Colosseum erupted into the most frenzied, most hysterical cheers and roars in its history.

"Zhou Wannian! Zhou Wannian! Zhou Wannian!"

Countless Gray Immortals madly chanted this name, the fanaticism in their eyes almost igniting into flame. In the Shura Realm, strength was the only truth. And the power Zhou Wannian had just displayed had utterly conquered these bloodthirsty beings.

In the VIP box.

Gongshu Tian slumped dejectedly into his chair, his face as pale as gold leaf.

His trump card, the Barbarian Sovereign he himself would have struggled to defeat, had been pummeled to death by his opponent in the most unimaginable way.

"How is this possible... Pure physical strength? Is he truly just a Body Cultivator? And a peerless Body Cultivator whose Physical Body has reached the Middle Stage taiyi grade Peak?!" Gongshu Tian felt his worldview violently shaken.

If his opponent was truly a Body Cultivator of that caliber, then all his previous schemes and suspicions had become a colossal joke.

Lord Luohou sat beside him, watching Zhou Wannian below receiving the adulation of the crowd. A profoundly deep glint flashed in his eyes.

"That is not mere physical power," Luohou marveled inwardly. "At the moment of impact, I clearly sensed an extremely subtle spatial fluctuation. He wasn't resisting with brute force; he compressed the surrounding space onto his fist in an instant to offset the Barbarian Sovereign's power. This person's mastery of Laws has reached a miraculous level."

These fools from the Heavenly Court have no idea what kind of monster they've provoked.

On the arena.

A pillar of blood-red light descended from the sky, enveloping Zhou Wannian.

Zhou Wannian did not raise his arms in triumph like a victor. He merely calmly withdrew his right foot, pulled a white silk handkerchief from his sleeve, and meticulously wiped away a speck of dust from the back of his hand.

Then, he raised his head. His gaze traversed the vast distance, landing precisely on Gongshu Tian in the VIP box.

Though separated by layers of Formation barriers, Gongshu Tian felt that gaze solidify into a tangible sword, piercing straight into the depths of his Soul.

Zhou Wannian said nothing.

He merely tilted his head slightly in Gongshu Tian's direction, a curl of undisguised mockery lifting the corner of his mouth.

As if asking: Is this your trump card?

Gongshu Tian's hands clawed into the white jade tabletop, his nails even drawing blood. An unprecedented sense of humiliation and rage completely drowned his reason.

"Fine! Well done, Zhou Wannian!" Gongshu Tian gritted his teeth, forcing the words out syllable by syllable. "You have successfully provoked this Envoy."

Since those trash couldn't handle you.

Then, for the upcoming finals.

this Envoy will take the field personally!"