Chapter 191: Imperial Decree (Part 7)

Ye Da made his move. The extraordinary phenomenon of his Starfall Divine Body manifested in his fingertips, and with a single strike, his killing intent was palpable, determined to make this madman pay the price!
The prodigy who dared to challenge Su Chen was naturally no ordinary person. Since his birth, he had never encountered an opponent. Even some self-proclaimed great geniuses had fallen to him. He drew his sword, gathering a sharp, heaven-slaying sword intent, leaving everyone in awe. This sword strike was truly stunning.
"So it's a successor of the Heaven-Slaying Sect. This time, there's going to be a good show!"
Someone recognized the young man's identity. The Heaven-Slaying Sect was also a lineage that had produced emperors, and the Heaven-Slaying Sword Scripture was one of the ten greatest sword scriptures of the era.
The battle between Ye Da and the successor of the Heaven-Slaying Sect shook the heavens and earth, enough to shatter mountains and rivers. However, in this exchange, their clashes did not affect the banquet. Their mastery of power had reached its pinnacle.
Su Chen was overjoyed.
The Jade Pool Banquet was indeed a wonderful place. Even on the Emperor's Path, the successor of the Heaven-Slaying Sect would be considered a genius, possessing the potential of a Heavenly King—a rarity among all races. If he could be subdued, they would undoubtedly become his right-hand men in the future.
After a year of guidance from Su Chen, Ye Da's cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds, and his combat power had multiplied. However, facing the most outstanding geniuses of the human race, he still lagged behind. Covered in wounds, he remained undeterred, which moved many onlookers.
Ye Da had lost, standing before Su Chen with a face full of shame, saying, "My lord... I've lost..."
Su Chen nodded, his eyes calm and unwavering, showing neither joy nor anger. He said calmly, "Losing is losing. Defeat is not shameful. The current Great Emperor has experienced countless defeats, yet still became an Emperor. Learn from your lessons, hone your character; defeat is not truly defeat."
Su Chen did not punish Ye Da. He knew Ye Da was no match for the successor of the Heaven-Slaying Sect. He was merely using this opportunity to hone Ye Da. A good sword needs careful polishing, and Su Chen was the swordsman, while the successor of the Heaven-Slaying Sect was the whetstone he had chosen.
Ye Da was deeply moved.
At the banquet, the gazes of some of the prodigies towards Su Chen shifted from calm to shock and admiration. True seekers of the Dao never fear defeat. Not every Great Emperor can sweep through everything; most Great Emperors have nemesis, and have been defeated by them many times.
The Holy Maiden of Yaochi glanced at Su Chen with a hint of surprise. This imperial prince of the Ye family... was no ordinary person. His understanding of those seeking the Dao far surpassed his peers. Before he embarked on the Emperor's Path, no one would have believed he would fail! Being able to see through the nature of victory and defeat meant his achievements would be remarkable.
Unfortunately,
the successor of the Heaven-Slaying Sect couldn't see through the nature of victory and defeat, nor did he care to. His Heaven-Slaying Sword Intent reached its peak, directly challenging Su Chen: "Victory is victory, defeat is defeat! I am invincible, I will fight all enemies in the world, and step into the Supreme Realm!"
Faced with the young, arrogant, and aggressive words of the Heaven-Slaying Sect successor, Su Chen merely smiled. Over ten thousand years, he had been an observer, a spirited individual, and even a leader of an era. He had witnessed countless changes in the power structure of the myriad races, countless geniuses, and countless individuals like the Heaven-Slaying Sect successor. Su Chen didn't argue with him. People who have experienced different ages naturally have different states of mind; neither is inherently good or bad. People always mature from youth.
However, in the eyes of the successor of the Heaven-Slaying Sect, Su Chen's nonchalant smile seemed like a mockery, as the Heaven-Slaying Sword Intent was unsheathed at its peak.
It possessed the spirit of a mortal drawing his sword to challenge the heavens.
This was the thought in the minds of everyone present. They didn't know why they had such a thought. Facing the Heaven-Slaying Sect successor's sword, Su Chen remained unmoved. The aura around him transformed into a terrifying torrent, halting the successor's advance.
Here, you could see an unparalleled genius, like a mortal, struggling to move forward with his sword.
And Su Chen was the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao.
The Heaven-Slaying Sect successor arrived before Su Chen, lightly thrusting his sword towards Su Chen's brow. That unparalleled spirit manifested in that single sword strike.
"A fine sword!"
Su Chen exclaimed in admiration.
Under Su Chen's All-Encompassing Heavenly Eyes, he could naturally see the aura of the Heaven-Slaying Sect successor's sword strike. What kind of figure was the Heaven-Slaying Emperor, the creator of the Heaven-Slaying Sword Scripture?
The sword's essence dissolved, and in Su Chen's eyes, a floating golden sword appeared, formed from countless runes. The Heaven-Slaying Sect successor suddenly trembled, feeling an unparalleled terror. Those golden eyes were like the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao, sacred and inviolable.
He... was terrified, filled with fear. How could a mortal defy the Heavenly Emperor?
"Stab it down!"
The chilling voice, like a divine decree, exploded in the Heaven-Slaying Sect successor's mind, jolting him awake from his hesitation. Without hesitation, he thrust the sword in. The blade gradually turned to dust, all the Heaven-Slaying Sword intent slowly eroded. This scene caused the Heaven-Slaying Sect successor to collapse helplessly to the ground, his eyes lifeless.
"If you can comprehend your own path, come and seek me."
Su Chen spoke to the disillusioned successor of the Zhan Tian Sect. This defeat was both an opportunity and a calamity.
Talent was not lacking in the successor; what he lacked was his own path, and time. The world would not wait for him to grow!
If he could comprehend it, humanity would gain another Heavenly King-level prodigy, a future quasi-emperor seed.
Many prodigies watched as the successor's Dao heart nearly collapsed. They didn't know what he had witnessed in that final scene, but at this moment, the strength of the Ye family's imperial son was undeniable, even though he was still young!
Su Chen remained calm, a composure that drew frequent glances from the Holy Maiden of Yaochi.
"Chi Yao knows that you all came here for reasons other than for Chi Yao."
The banquet resumed its lively atmosphere. One of the prodigies chuckled, "What are you saying, Fairy Chi Yao? Perhaps it was for the divine medicine before, but now, what does the divine medicine matter compared to Fairy Chi Yao?"
Another prodigy spoke up, "I see. So, there's one less competitor for the divine medicine?"
"Ahem, actually, one can have both fish and bear's paw."
"..."
Amidst the laughter and conversation, the Holy Maiden of Yaochi pursed her lips, then smiled, "I'm very pleased that you all value me, but I still have my own self-awareness."
"This is a leaf from the Immortal Tree."
The Holy Maiden of Yaochi held out her palm, within which strands of law converged, forming a jade-like leaf imbued with the essence of law. She continued, "Those of you only need to gain the approval of this leaf to be qualified to proceed to the Immortal Tree and obtain the divine fruit's fortune."
The many prodigies exclaimed in surprise, "The legendary trial of the Immortal Tree, is it really that simple?"
The Holy Maiden of Yaochi smiled without answering.
Whether it's simple or not...that depends on the person!