A total of thirteen Empyreans had awakened their manifestations. The experts present were all shocked.

“They really did manage to awaken their manifestations!”

Those thirteen experts were all people who had been sitting on top of the divine pillars at the start. That meant that they had definitely absorbed a certain amount of the Grand Dao energy before Long Chen had broken the pillars. That had become the foundation for their awakening.

The other disciples that had been on the divine pillars were envious, as well as angry. If Long Chen hadn’t broken their pillars, perhaps they would also have awakened their manifestations. Then they would be standing on this battlefield, not hiding as a spectator.

It was an uncontestable fact that if Long Chen hadn’t ruined things, there would have been more people to awaken their manifestations. By breaking the pillars, Long Chen had spread the Grand Dao energy amongst over a million experts. With each person absorbing their share, the people with the special treatment had obtained much less.

These thirteen people had clearly reached the cusp at the time, and so even once the Grand Dao energy had dispersed, they had still managed to awaken their manifestations in a month.

Although there were many others who had reached the cusp thanks to being on the divine pillars, they were still the tiniest bit away from awakening their manifestations.

It was just this little bit that caused an immense difference between their combat power, making it so that they could only watch.

“Long Chen might be in danger today,” sighed someone. The fact that Long Chen could defeat Xiong Tianba and Leng Wufeng was already shocking enough, but that Lu Zichuan of the Yin Yang Sword Sect was truly terrifying. Those dual black and white swords in his hands were the Yin Yang Sword Sect’s inherited divine weapons. To be able to injure Long Chen in one blow, there was definitely something special about them.

If Long Chen was only facing Xiong Tianba, Leng Wufeng, and Lu Zichuan, then even if he couldn’t beat them, he should be able to escape with his life. But now, Di Feng, Xie Luo, Yan Wei, and the others had joined in. A full thirteen Empyreans with awakened manifestations were surrounding Long Chen. He might not even have a chance to run.

“Long Chen, your arrogance has come to an end,” said the expert from the Flame Divine Palace.

“Your reign of slaughter ends here. Do you think you can destroy the Martial Heaven Continent? Your retribution has come,” said a Righteous expert. 

This expert was wearing the robes of the Righteous path, but those on Pill Valley’s side claimed to be the true Righteous path, a separate entity from the Martial Heaven Alliance.

Long Chen also hadn’t expected so many people to have awakened their manifestations. But seeing them act like executioners, his surprise became anger. “I can’t be bothered to waste words with you all. If you want to fight, then come. I don’t know how many idiots like you I’ve killed. Do you think awakening your manifestations makes you unrivaled? Even one against thirteen, I’m not the slightest bit afraid.”

Long Chen actually took the initiative, attacking an ancient race expert with Evilmoon.

“Even a trapped beast dares to act arrogant!” sneered that ancient race expert. He extended a hand, and a copper furnace appeared before him. Divine runes flowed along it, and golden light ignited. This was a divine ring with a very mysterious origin.

He pointed the opening of the furnace at Long Chen and slammed it. A ring of light shot out of it, and when it reached Long Chen, it instantly contracted, wanting to bind Long Chen.

Spacetime felt like it had frozen. It was compressed by some kind of special power, and Long Chen was the focus of it.

“Be bound!” shouted the ancient race expert. Thousands of threads of light came from the ring, wrapping around Long Chen like a cocoon.

“Break!” Black light exploded out of Evilmoon, destroying the light ring and the threads.

After destroying the light ring, Long Chen didn’t feel any joy. Instead, he was shocked. Empyreans that had awakened their manifestations even had their divine items blessed by the Heavenly Daos. Their attacks resonated with the Heavenly Daos, giving them even greater power.

Breaking this attack had not been easy. No wonder it was said that only Empyreans that had awakened their manifestations were true Empyreans. The difference was truly immense.

A blood-colored spear pierced toward Long Chen, emitting an evil air. It was like fiends were roaring along with it.

It was Xie Luo. His manifestation was unleashing rays of divine light that fell on his body, and when they did, a fiendish aura would soar.

“Long Chen, let us settle our enmities today.” Xie Luo’s spear was like a devil, a fiend desiring to swallow all lives in the world.

BOOM!

Evilmoon met the spear. A powerful ripple surged out. They were actually evenly matched, and both sides retreated three steps.

“How is it? Now that I’ve awakened my manifestation and received the recognition of the Corrupt God, I can control a trace of the Corrupt God’s power. Just keep acting arrogant!”

Xie Luo and Long Chen raised their weapons once more. Xie Luo was the most sullen of everyone present as he had lost to Long Chen multiple times. Long Chen had already become a heart-devil to him.

The only reason he had managed to awaken his manifestation with his Dao-heart in its current state was because of the blessing of the Corrupt God. Otherwise, his cultivation road would have been severed by Long Chen.

The Corrupt path’s geniuses all had a statue of the Corrupt God nourished in their spiritual spaces upon reaching the Sea Expansion realm. By worshipping it with their sincere faith, they could obtain even greater power.

This was also the preparation for an Empyrean with an awakened manifestation. A true Empyrean would be able to have the Corrupt God appear within their manifestation and bestow them with divine power.

At first, that statue didn’t give them much power. It merely contained their faith energy. But upon awakening a manifestation, they would be able to draw out the statue’s power to support them.

Although it was only the slightest trace of the Corrupt God’s power, anything relating to gods could not be judged normally. Just the slightest trace of this power was enough for Xie Luo to fight against Long Chen once more.

This encouraged Xie Luo. As a peak heavenly genius, he had been suppressed by Long Chen for too long. First, he had been unable to defeat Long Chen even when fighting alongside True Immortal Jiaoqi and Huo Lieyun. Then Leng Yueyan had come and almost killed him. After capturing Leng Yueyan, just as she was to be sacrificed and her talent bestowed upon him, he was almost killed by Long Chen. Moreover, he had already been at the Life Star realm while Long Chen had been at the Soul Transformation during that battle. That had almost shattered his Dao-heart. Even fighting across realms, Long Chen had almost killed him.

Then during Long Chen’s tribulation, all the peak heavenly geniuses had attacked Long Chen, only to find that they were no longer on the same level as him. Of the three of them that had first attacked him, True Immortal Jiaoqi was eaten by Wilde, and Huo Lieyun who had condensed a Flame Devil Body was consumed by Long Chen’s flame dragon.

The reason that he, Xie Luo, had managed to survive wasn’t because he was stronger than the other two. It was because Long Chen hadn’t had the time to kill him. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say that Long Chen no longer viewed him as a threat.

That kind of disdain was a hundred times worse than the humiliation of being defeated. He, the number one genius of the Corrupt path, had actually been viewed as a minor character. After that battle, Xie Luo had almost gone insane.

Hence, now that he was fighting evenly with Long Chen, he was releasing his suppressed rage. He was finally qualified to regain his former glory.

His spear seemed to be possessed by a devil, howling as it attacked Long Chen. His attacks contained his grief and fury. All his emotions were contained within his spear.

With an explosive sound, Evilmoon blocked Xie Luo’s spear, but this time Long Chen didn’t retreat. He was now holding Evilmoon with one hand. The only difference was that Evilmoon’s two dragon marks had lit up. An evil aura also came from it, one that was even more intense than Xie Luo’s. Long Chen was finally using Evilmoon’s power.

“Have I given you too much face?”

Long Chen snorted and raised his left hand. It swung through the air in a natural and beautiful arc, slapping Xie Luo in the face.

Xie Luo had been convinced that since he had managed to fight evenly with Long Chen in the first attack, this stronger attack would injure Long Chen. But as a result, his attack was easily blocked by Long Chen, and before he could even recover from his shock, Long Chen’s hand struck his face.

A sound rang out like a shattering vase. Xie Luo’s cheek caved in, and blood spurted out. His teeth flew out in every direction.

The power of that slap was truly immense. It actually broke the divine light protecting Xie Luo. If his manifestation hadn’t activated to protect him in that last moment, this slap would have caused his head to explode.

Long Chen’s slap made everyone jump in shock. Just as they had thought that Long Chen was doomed, he suddenly counterattacked. Looking at Evilmoon and sensing the power surging out of it, everyone’s hearts shook. They had actually forgotten that before this, Long Chen hadn’t activated Evilmoon’s power.

“Those who wish to kill me better be prepared to be killed by me.”

Long Chen’s gaze was cold. The power of his dragon blood surged into Evilmoon. Black qi surged out of it, and it was like a devil was opening its eyes. A chilling killing intent enveloped them.