Chapter 493: The Vision
It was hard to imagine. The very same people who had been coveting Mu Bingling and Mo Qing had, after Mu Chen revealed his power, bizarrely transformed their hostility and jealousy into reverence and admiration. That’s right! This was the eternal, supreme truth of the Extreme Martial Continent! Strength determined status. It determined everything!
"Mu Chen, do you have any objections to my judgment?"
Quite abruptly, after Long Xiaotian had admitted defeat, Dilaka turned to look at Mu Chen. At that moment, everyone’s gaze shifted from Dilaka to Mu Chen. But when they saw him, they were stunned. Mu Chen was staring at Dilaka with an incredibly strange look in his eyes—a look filled with fervor! Yes, a fervent desire for battle, a yearning for a challenge!
’This guy can’t be...!’
Seeing Mu Chen’s expression, everyone couldn’t help but gasp, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Shi Mu Hua flicked his folding fan open and shut, watching Mu Chen with a strange expression. The corner of his mouth twitched twice. "This guy can’t possibly want to challenge Great Elder Dilaka, can he?"
"N-No way..." the youth standing beside Shi Mu Hua and Jilal exclaimed in unison.
Challenging Great Elder Dilaka? This guy was definitely courting death! Never mind what kind of Martial Artist Realm Great Elder Dilaka had reached; just the terrifying Combat Skill he casually unleashed earlier was enough to show how immense the gap between them was! They weren’t just on a different dimension or a different level—you could say they weren’t even in the same world! There was simply no comparison!
Besides, who among those standing on the Peak of the Holy Mark would dare to look at Great Elder Dilaka with such eyes?! A challenge?! Even the most powerful Monarchs of the Four Great Dynasties had to lower their gaze to his feet and answer his questions in a humble whisper, let alone anyone else! This Mu Chen was simply an Outsider!
"What? Does that expression mean you have an objection?" Dilaka asked, seeing Mu Chen’s burning gaze locked with his own. For some reason, he had a strange premonition. ’He sensed that this young man didn’t fear and revere him like everyone else. Instead... it was as if he saw him as a target!’
Hearing this, Mu Chen let out a soft breath. With a flash in his eyes, the Star-Shattering Seal formed by the Shattered Star Lock Chain appeared, snapping shut on his arm with a CLICK. Instantly, the arm covered in the Netherworld Demonic Flame receded, and even the silver-white grooved patterns vanished without a trace. His face and hair, which had been blackened by the Demonic Flame, returned to their original appearance.
At Mu Chen’s will, the Profound Dragon Arm shattered with a BANG, revealing his original arm. A remarkably handsome young man now floated in the air. He looked at Great Elder Dilaka and declared, "I have no objections. But you are strong. Very, very strong. However, one day, I will reach your level and defeat you!"
Mu Chen’s words were forceful and resonant, and a confident smile touched his lips. But in the eyes of everyone else, their image of Mu Chen underwent an even more drastic change!
"Holy shit! Holy shit! I didn’t mishear that, did I? Did that guy just say he’s going to defeat Great Elder Dilaka?!"
"Fuck! You heard right. I thought I was hearing things, but now that you’ve asked, I know I’m not the only one."
"Fuck, this guy is insane!"
...
"Fuck! Badass! Mu Chen, oh, Mu Chen, this Prince is completely won over! He’s so fucking badass! Not even my old man would dare say something like that behind Great Elder Dilaka’s back, yet this guy says it right to his face! Shit, in my entire life, I’ve never admired anyone besides my own father. Mu Chen is the second person to earn this Prince’s admiration!"
Long Xiaotian, whose ass had just touched his seat, shot back up as if he’d sat on a bed of spikes the moment he heard Mu Chen’s words. His gaze fixed on Mu Chen with feverish intensity. His teammates sitting beside him looked at each other in bewilderment. This wasn’t the fearless Prince Xiao Tian they knew, the one who feared neither heaven nor earth!
"Fuck! So damn strong! Getting my ass kicked for an hour by a guy like that isn’t embarrassing at all! I love guys like him! Damn it, next time I’m free, I’ll let him beat me up again!"
From the Caesar Empire’s section, Guo Zijie, who had just been fully healed by the medics, also leaped to his feet. Completely ignoring the stares from those around him, he tilted his head back and muttered loudly to himself.
"So this is... the legend of the Xuanling Imperial Academy? So, so strong!" Imro said, his heart suddenly pounding with excitement as he watched the blue-haired man swaying in the air.
"Brother Mu Chen! That’s our Brother Mu Chen!" Little Tiger grinned, revealing his white teeth in a simple, honest smile.
Qing Lei and the others all smiled. They knew that to others, Mu Chen’s words might sound like unreasonable boasting. But in their hearts, Mu Chen was someone who never made empty promises. Once he set his mind on something, he would absolutely achieve it!
...
"Heh, interesting..." Dilaka chuckled. "I’ve lived for so many years, and not even Jiuye back in the day would have dared to say such a thing to my face. This boy’s future accomplishments will likely surpass my own!"
Hearing Dilaka’s words, Shan Qiuhen was utterly stunned. This was the highest praise he had ever heard Dilaka give. As for the Jiuye Dilaka mentioned, being his closest friend, Shan Qiuhen naturally knew all about him!
One could say that Jiuye was a complete and utter monster. Because he was... a seventeen-year-old Martial Venerable! And he came from the Demon Beast Forest!
Back then, Dilaka had absolutely treated Jiuye as his own grandson, providing him with the best resources, giving him the best help, and even saving the Elder Training opportunities granted by the higher-ups for him! And Jiuye indeed lived up to everyone’s expectations, successfully emerging from the Elder Training Secret Realm within a single year! After that, not only did Jiuye not become complacent or arrogant, but he also became even more diligent in his cultivation. His progress in the Martial Artist Realm could be described as a thousand miles a day! At that time, almost all the upper-echelon Elders of Holy Tomb Mountain predicted that Jiuye’s achievements would be incredibly high!
And at that time, Dilaka’s highest praise for Jiuye was, "Child, if you continue to work this hard, perhaps one day you might truly reach my realm!"
Upon hearing this, all of Holy Tomb Mountain was in an uproar. To reach Dilaka’s Martial Artist Realm! That was something countless Martial Artists dreamed of, yet on the entire Extreme Martial Continent, you couldn’t find thirty people who had truly reached that level!
"Another Dilaka has been born."
This was what the Holy Tomb Mountain Elders often said in praise of Jiuye back then. But today! In front of everyone, Dilaka had said something nearly identical! The words were similar, but the meaning they expressed was completely different!
"Surpass my own!"
’Did you hear that?! Surpass! Could Dilaka’s Martial Artist Realm be surpassed? The answer was definitely yes! But if Dilaka’s Martial Artist Realm were to break through even a little further, he would reach the legendary peak of existence on the Extreme Martial Continent. What in the world had this boy named Mu Chen done?!’
’Hmm... now things are getting interesting...’ High above the Peak of the Holy Mark, the silver-haired elder’s ears twitched, and he chuckled. ’That little fellow Dilaka actually gave another little tyke such high affirmation. Tsk, tsk... looks like I can’t go back on my word even if I want to! Fine, I’ll let him have the boy. It doesn’t matter whose disciple he becomes, as long as he’s from Holy Tomb Mountain. Besides, I don’t want to teach two at once. This kid is clearly a battle junkie. I’d rather choose that quieter little girl.’
However, just as the silver-haired elder’s thought faded, his jet-black Phoenix Eyes suddenly flickered. The profound stellar trajectories within them began to spin rapidly. Then, a fantastical vision appeared in the elder’s eyes.
It was a cosmos filled with countless stars. But in this boundless expanse, what appeared was not a vast sea of stars, but ferocious Magical Beasts! The eyes of these Magical Beasts were crimson, and they all stared berserkly at a golden region before them. From within that region, countless shrill screams and roars erupted!
The silver-haired elder’s brow furrowed deeply. He pressed his lips together and growled, "This is bad!"
...
Having returned to his original form, Mu Chen glanced one last time at Dilaka before lightly pushing off with his toes, leaping down from the sky and landing in the Xuanling Empire’s resting area.
Di Cang’s eyes glistened with tears. He stood up, clapped Mu Chen on the shoulder, and exclaimed, "Good! Good! Good! Mu Chen, you are the pride of our Xuanling Empire! I, on behalf of the entire Xuanling Empire, salute you!"
As he spoke, Di Cang actually gave Mu Chen a deep bow under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands of people! Seeing this, Mu Chen quickly sidestepped, avoiding Di Cang’s bow!
"Teacher! What are you doing?" Mu Chen’s tone was a bit stiff. He hurried forward to help Di Cang up and continued, "I am a citizen of the Xuanling Empire. How could I just stand by and watch the Xuanling Empire fall into decline and become enslaved by others? If I didn’t have the ability, then that would be one thing! But since I have the power to change the Xuanling Empire’s situation, then this is my responsibility! It’s what I ought to do! Don’t forget, my countless clansmen and family are in the Xuanling Empire! I could never watch them become someone else’s slaves!"
Hearing this, Di Cang snapped his head up, tears slowly streaming from the corners of his eyes. Seeing Di Cang’s face, Qin Garden was deeply moved. For so many years, this old man had always stood tall and unyielding! For every Imperial tournament, no matter how weak the lineup, he would personally lead the team to face the challenge! Even when utterly defeated in the end, he had never shed a single tear. But now, Qin Garden could see that Di Cang’s back was slightly stooped, and his shoulders no longer seemed so broad.
At this moment, he could finally choose to rest. His shoulders no longer had to bear that unbearable responsibility! These were, in the end, tears of joy!
But just as everyone was celebrating in joy and excitement, a voice suddenly entered Dilaka’s ears...