159: Chapter 159 The Disguised Demon

The next day.

At the Ten Thousand Dragon Gate's Qianlong Platform, the crowd was boisterous.

After two rounds of bloody elimination, those who remained were all the world's top geniuses.

And the enthusiasm of the Yan Country audience had already climbed to its peak.

Because out of the thirteen people who advanced, twelve were from Yan Country!

Dominating the rankings!

This was a glorious achievement never before seen by Yan Country!

Just as the atmosphere reached its climax, a powerful pressure descended without warning.

Everyone instinctively looked up toward the east.

A middle-aged man dressed in a black Shogun's uniform with a tachi hanging at his waist was treading through the air.

He didn't release any aura, but with every step he took, visible ripples spread through the void.

"Minamoto no Chiya!"

In the VIP seats, the Azure Nether Sword Emperor slowly opened his eyes and uttered a name.

Marshal Yan Tianjin's body also tensed up instantly.

One of the highest authorities of Sakura Country, the Shogun, Minamoto no Chiya!

A genuine Emperor Realm powerhouse!

What was he doing here?

This question surfaced in the minds of countless people.

Minamoto no Chiya ignored everyone and went straight to the seats designated for Sakura Country, closing his eyes to rest.

But his arrival added a hint of conspiracy to the already tense arena.

The host Gongsun Li's figure appeared once more; she took a deep look in Minamoto no Chiya's direction before announcing loudly.

"The Ten Thousand Dragon Gate Qualifiers, third round of the elimination tournament, officially begins!"

Buzz!

The giant light screen above the stage began to scroll frantically through the names of all the qualifiers.

All the Yan Country spectators held their breath, hands clasped in prayer.

The light screen's flashing speed slowed down.

Finally, two names were locked in and enlarged.

The bright red font stung the nerves of all the Yan Country spectators.

[Yan Country · Zhan Imperial Clan · War Without Injury]

VS

[Sakura Country · Ghost-Faced Noble · Cherry Ghost Maru]

The entire venue went silent for a moment.

Immediately after, cheers like mountain torrents and tsunamis broke through the clouds!

"God of War!!"

"The God of War will surely win!!"

"Crush that Japanese fellow! Uphold our national prestige!"

This was the only international match of this round!

All the pressure and expectations instantly weighed upon War Without Injury alone.

In a corner of the spectator stands, Lin Yuan finally opened his eyes, stuffed a piece of jerky into his mouth, and chewed slowly.

He looked at Cherry Ghost Maru, who was elegantly wiping a katana.

He glanced at Minamoto no Chiya in the distance.

Things were getting interesting.

"Hahaha! Good timing!"

With a wild laugh, War Without Injury's burly body suddenly sprang up and landed heavily in the center of the stage.

Boom!

The indestructible stage had two deep footprints stamped into it by him.

Without any probing or pleasantries, his soaring battle intent turned into a blood-colored beacon, piercing straight into the sky.

"God of War Heaven-Breaker Manifestation! Rise!"

Roar!

A thousand-zhang-tall blood-colored manifestation suddenly appeared behind him.

The manifestation was muscular, holding a giant axe, and emitting a terrifying baleful aura like a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

Carrying the giant axe on his shoulder, War Without Injury pointed from afar at the figure below still elegantly wiping the katana.

"Cherry Ghost Maru!"

His voice was like a thunderclap, exploding throughout the venue.

"Stop wasting fucking time and get up here! Have a satisfying fight to the death with me!"

Arrogant!

Too arrogant!

This overbearing posture that seized the initiative instantly pushed the atmosphere of the venue to its peak.

Cherry Ghost Maru slowly stood up.

He sheathed the wiped katana and bowed slightly to War Without Injury, his movements as elegant as if he were attending an aristocratic ball.

"As you wish."

With one step, his figure appeared at the other end of the stage.

With a morbid smile on his lips, he also activated his manifestation.

"Blood Moon Ghost King Manifestation!"

A manifestation also a thousand zhang tall rose from the ground.

The manifestation was half-human and half-ghost, a mix of beauty and hideousness, entirely blood-red, holding a crimson tachi, and surrounded by countless blood-colored cherry blossoms.

"Kill!"

War Without Injury had no patience for appreciation; his manifestation swung the giant axe, directly using the move 'Bloody Battle in All Directions'!

Buzz!

The massive axe glow turned into a 360-degree blood-colored ring, sweeping out and making the space sizzle as it was sliced.

Cherry Ghost Maru's Ghost King manifestation remained unhurried, swinging the tachi to slash out a blood moon.

Boom!

The blood moon collided with the axe ring, erupting in a world-shaking explosion.

However, no one noticed that War Without Injury's true killing move had long been prepared.

"God of War Heaven-Breaker Slash!"

Under the cover of the axe ring, the blood-colored manifestation's giant axe was raised high, carrying the power to split heaven and earth as it descended from above, striking directly at the top of Cherry Ghost Maru's head!

This strike was both fast and ruthless!

Cherry Ghost Maru's Ghost King manifestation hurriedly raised its blade to parry.

Clang!!!

The massive sound of metal clashing spread throughout the venue.

Cherry Ghost Maru's manifestation was forcibly slammed down from the air by this strike, his feet plowing two hundred-meter-long furrows into the stage before he barely managed to stabilize himself.

The arm he used to hold the blade was trembling slightly.

He looked quite disheveled.

"Good!!"

"The God of War is awesome!!"

"Keep fighting like that! Three more strikes and chop him into mincemeat!"

The Yan Country spectator stands instantly erupted in thunderous cheers.

In their eyes, the scales of victory had already begun to tilt.

War Without Injury was preparing to follow up on his success and take down his opponent in one go.

Just then, Minamoto no Chiya in the VIP seats gave a nearly imperceptible nod to Cherry Ghost Maru on the stage.

Cherry Ghost Maru received the signal.

He slowly raised his head.

The mask that had always worn an elegant smile instantly shattered.

Replacing it was a morbid, long-suppressed madness.

"Hehe..."

"Hehehehe..."

"Hahahahaha!"

He let out a burst of ear-piercing wild laughter, filled with bloodthirsty pleasure.

"Finally..."

His scarlet tongue licked his lips, his voice hoarse and excited.

"Finally, I don't have to pretend anymore!!"

Before his voice had even faded.

Boom!!!

A terrifyingly peerless black ghostly energy soared into the sky from within Cherry Ghost Maru's body!

His body underwent a violent transformation within the ghostly energy.

His skin turned bluish-black, fangs pierced through his lips, and in the center of his forehead, a third blood-colored ghost eye split open!

The [Blood Moon Ghost King Manifestation] behind him also demonized!

The manifestation's body expanded explosively, transforming into a terrifying form with three heads and six arms, its aura more than ten times more brutal than before!

What made everyone in the audience suffocate even more was Cherry Ghost Maru's cultivation aura!

That aura broke through the barrier of the Emperor Realm Three Stars and, without the slightest pause, climbed frantically all the way up!

Emperor Realm Four Stars!

Emperor Realm Five Stars!

Emperor Realm Six Stars!

...

The thunderous cheers of the audience came to a screeching halt.

The smiles on the faces of all the Yan Country spectators froze.

An ominous premonition enveloped everyone's heart.

That rising aura finally stopped at a peak that made everyone feel despair.

Ninth Star of Emperor Realm!

The entire venue was dead silent.

Extreme astonishment and horror were frozen on everyone's faces.

War Without Injury, who was about to charge, came to a dead stop.

The arrogance and battle intent on his face were replaced by a blank stare.

The terrifying pressure from the Ninth Star of Emperor Realm pressed down so hard that the God of War manifestation behind him began to tremble slightly.

In the corner.

For the first time, Lin Yuan, who had been lazily leaning against the back of his chair, slowly sat up straight.

His eyes were fixed on Cherry Ghost Maru, who had completely transformed into an evil ghost.

A cold arc curled at the corner of Lin Yuan's mouth.

"Interesting."