185: Chapter 185 First Steps onto the Battlefield - Halberd Dominating the Universe

"Then let us finish this quickly," the Heavenly Dao said, its tone icy.

Jiang Chen's lips curled slightly. No matter how many people there were, could they truly shake absolute power?

The next instant, his voice thundered, resounding throughout the heavens:

"Those who wish to participate in the Heavenly Pride Competition, ascend the Chaos Battle Platform!"

Before his voice had even faded, he and the Heavenly Dao struck simultaneously. Beneath the battle platform, a colossal ladder reaching the heavens appeared out of thin air. Each step was coiled with supreme pressure, as if bearing the weight of the Great Dao—only those with Hunyuan cultivation and a heart as firm as iron could hope to climb it.

"There are no rules on the battle platform. Life and death are not considered. You may fight or retreat; admitting defeat means elimination. The fighting continues until only one remains!"

"So as long as one person is alive at the end?"

"Hiss—"

Upon hearing this, the entire crowd erupted in an uproar.

"Damn, that's way too wild! I thought we were going to draw lots for matches!"

"What rules could possibly exist in the eyes of those two big shots? They only care about the results."

"That's fine, it saves time. Better than dragging it out in agony."

"A free-for-all with no rules? Tsk, a bloodbath... how thrilling."

The crowd chattered incessantly. Although they felt the rules were brutal, no one dared to voice dissatisfaction—this was a game set by Jiang Chen and the Heavenly Dao together; who would dare to question it?

"Begin." The Heavenly Dao's voice cracked like freezing ice, piercing through the void.

In an instant, the prodigies from both sides soared into the air, rushing toward the towering ladder.

On the steps, the pressure was like a tidal wave; one wrong step meant the collapse of one's Dao foundation and the annihilation of one's soul. Without Hunyuan cultivation, it was impossible to even stand there.

On the side of the Myriad Races, over thirteen thousand prodigies stepped into the air, all of them Quasi-Saints. Leading them were the ten great prodigies, including Zhu Long and Wen Tian, whose aura swallowed the universe.

The Di Dao camp, however, had only a thousand or so people, sparse and scattered, less than one-tenth of the opposition.

The two leading them were none other than Emperor Huangtian and the Willow Deity—the named disciples personally accepted by Jiang Chen, possessing a transcendent status among the younger generation and enjoying high prestige.

Human prodigies like Li Qiye, Dugu Baitian, Fusu, and Bai Qi stepped out one after another, followed closely by Di Xin, Emperor Li Shimin, Wu Zetian, and Liu Che—the rulers of the four great ancient human kingdoms, their presence majestic and their pressure like a tide.

The Shura King of the Shura Race emerged with a cold gaze, and Wu Shisan and Di Jiutian of the Pangu Clan also arrived side by side; all were peerless prodigies who shook the past and present.

In a flash, the heroes gathered, a grand assembly descending upon the Chaos Ladder to step onto the Chaos Battle Platform leading to the peak of the chaotic void.

Hundreds of millions of cultivators below looked up, their gazes burning. The strongest beings nurtured by this generation's Great Wilderness cataclysm had all appeared, each one famous throughout the universe and resounding through the nine heavens.

So many peerless monsters competing on the same platform was a rare sight through the ages; this battle would surely be recorded in history!

As the prodigies stepped onto the ladder, the previously boisterous crowd suddenly fell silent, their breathing almost stalling. Even the Three Pure Ones and the Twelve Ancestral Witches, and even the Saints of the Great Wilderness locked in confrontation, held their breath, watching intently.

This battle would decide the ownership of the Four Seas!

The victor would control the Four Seas, holding the dominance for the next four cataclysms in their grasp. The struggle for the grand trend was already destined to be unavoidable. These prodigies were not just fighting for themselves, but for the Heavenly Dao or for Jiang Chen, carrying the will of the Great Dao as they battled at the peak!

On the Chaos Ladder, Emperor Huangtian and Zhu Long were far in the lead. The former was at the seventh level of the Hunyuan Golden Immortal, the latter at the late stage of the Quasi-Saint; their cultivation levels were almost neck and neck, making them the two most elite individuals in the world today.

"In this battle, you will undoubtedly lose!" Zhu Long climbed the steps, his voice thundering across the firmament, his arrogance running wild.

Emperor Huangtian chuckled, his eyes indifferent: "I hope you can still say that after you step onto the battle platform."

Zhu Long cast a side glance, arrogance shooting from his eyes, and said coldly: "If it weren't for that scoundrel Zu Long stealing my origin back then, forcing me into slumber until now, why would the Great Wilderness need Jiang Chen to reign supreme? And how could the Dark Turmoil run rampant across the world!"

"Heh." Emperor Huangtian sneered and shook his head. "What a waste. You couldn't even escape being devoured. Do you know how Zu Long died later on?"

"You—!" Zhu Long's pupils contracted, his killing intent surging, and the baleful aura around him churned like an abyss.

Emperor Huangtian couldn't be bothered to look again, snorting coldly: "Talking to such an ant just dirties my mouth."

Before his voice had finished, his figure flashed, his speed suddenly increasing. In an instant, he bypassed Zhu Long, taking the lead and leaving everyone in the dust!

A hundred years passed in a flash. Emperor Huangtian was the first to reach the summit, standing upon the Chaos Battle Platform, and bowed respectfully toward Jiang Chen, who sat high upon the Chaos Throne.

Jiang Chen nodded slightly, then glanced at the Heavenly Dao, a mocking curve appearing on his lips: "It seems the geniuses on your side are nothing special after all."

"Hmph!" The Heavenly Dao's face was dark, dark clouds gathering in its eyes. In the single act of climbing the ladder, its side had already fallen behind.

The spectators below instantly erupted into chaos.

"Awesome! Worthy of being the Holy Father's direct disciple; this Shi Hao is truly heaven-defying!" Tai Xuan, one of the three thousand humans, exclaimed.

"Hahaha! That goes without saying! When has the Holy Father ever misjudged anyone? Just look at Senior Ming He!"

"What are you so proud of?" A powerful being of the Myriad Races sneered. "The number of prodigies on your side is less than one-tenth of ours; the outcome is not yet decided!"

"Pfft!" Chi You sneered, his dominance exposed. "Three Corpses Enlightenment? It's just like that. One of my Pangu Clan can take on ten of yours!"

"Just hard-talking. When the battle starts, we'll see the truth!"

The powerful beings of both sides instantly engaged in a verbal war, curses flying everywhere; the scene became chaotic and unbearable.

On the right side of the battle platform, the Three Pure Ones looked at Emperor Huangtian's figure, nodding frequently, unable to hide the appreciation in their eyes.

Meanwhile, Hao Tian and the other Saints of the Great Wilderness all had livid expressions, silent as the abyss.

Suddenly, a flash of black light appeared, and a long halberd materialized out of thin air in Emperor Huangtian's hand. A fierce, baleful aura shot into the sky, as if it could tear heaven and earth apart!

It was none other than the tianhuang halberd—forged from the spine of the Fierce Beast Emperor Shen Ni, specialized for slaughter, and ranked as an innate supreme treasure!

The pupils of the Saints of the Great Wilderness contracted sharply!

"An innate supreme treasure?!" Zhunti cried out in shock, his face full of horror.

The other Saints were also incredibly shocked, staring at the fierce halberd in disbelief. No one had expected Emperor Huangtian to possess such a heavy weapon!

Even they, the Saints, did not possess a single innate supreme treasure in their hands!

The Heavenly Dao's face turned completely cold, and it looked coldly at Jiang Chen: "You are quite generous."

Jiang Chen chuckled, his expression nonchalant: "It's merely an innate supreme treasure; I have plenty."

He truly didn't care. With the universe cauldron in hand, he could revert things to their innate state; as long as the resources were sufficient, refining a few innate supreme treasures was nothing more than a simple effort.

Emperor Huangtian held the tianhuang halberd, standing in the center of the Chaos Battle Platform. His black hair fluttered, rising without wind, and the battle intent around him surged like a tide, rolling and churning as if heaven and earth were trembling because of it.

Just at this moment, Zhu Long arrived through the air, stepping onto the platform in one stride, his killing intent directed straight at Emperor Huangtian.

"Fight!"

Before his voice had finished, golden light exploded in his hand, and a golden battle blade with flowing time emerged. The blade's light tore through space and time, with faint signs of time flowing backward—this slash was not aimed at the physical body, but at the River of Fate!

"What terrifying Laws of Time!"

Nuwa's pupils contracted, her expression changing drastically. She could see clearly that the Laws of Time cultivated by Zhu Long had reached perfection. Even more terrifying was that golden blade; although it was only a top-grade innate spiritual treasure, it contained the origin of time, and in resonance with Zhu Long, its power approached that of an innate supreme treasure!

Seeing this, the originally grave expressions of the Saints of the Great Wilderness finally relaxed. Zhu Long was the leader of the Myriad Races' prodigies; although he was only at the late stage of a Quasi-Saint, his combat power surpassed many powerful beings who were half-steps into Enlightenment. His origin was heaven-defying, sharing the same source as Zu Long, and he was effectively the last Innate Magic God to be born, carrying monstrous destiny, born to be the ruler of troubled times.