C17 Intentionally Letting Him down

As Cao He Xuan soared onto the platform, the other officials' children began whispering among themselves. Seated on the jade steps above, Yan Chen and Yan Nantian slightly furrowed their brows. Cao Yi was a former subordinate of Chen Dou, and they certainly did not wish to see Cao He Xuan triumph in the contest.

Wang Xuan Yang, sitting nearby, seemed to read Yan Chen's mind, his eyes resting on his son, Wang Yun Tian. Having only recently reached the Spirit Convergence Stage, it would be quite a challenge for him to take on ten of the Imperial Guards.

On the platform, Cao He Xuan had unsheathed his long sword, facing the ten Imperial Guards who encircled him with icy stares.

"Cao He Xuan is no match for these ten Imperial Guards," Chen Dutian murmured, shaking his head in resignation. He sensed that among the guards, two were formidable fourth-level Spirit Convergence Stage fighters, and with Cao Yi being a close confidant of Lord Protector Chen Dou, Yan Chen certainly did not favor Cao He Xuan becoming the commander of the Tiger Army.

As expected, shortly after Chen Dutian's comment, amidst the clashing of swords, Cao He Xuan was swiftly defeated. A guard kicked him off the platform, and he landed with a thud, coughing up blood.

"Cao He Xuan, at the third level of the Spirit Convergence Stage, has been beaten. We shouldn't go up there and make fools of ourselves!"

"I bet that martial technique was designed for Jiang Dao Chen. Who else could take down ten Imperial Guards?"

"Don't be so sure. Ling Zechuan from the Wei Yuan General's Mansion is here too, and they're all at the fifth level of the Spirit Convergence Stage. It's anyone's game at this point!"

After Cao He Xuan was carried off by the imperial guards, the officials' children resumed their hushed conversations.

Chen Dutian, however, noticed Wang Yun Tian emerging from the crowd and approaching the edge of the platform. With a swift leap, he stood atop the arena.

"Cao He Xuan couldn't best the ten Imperial Guards, and this guy has just entered the Spirit Convergence Stage. He's asking for trouble!" Pang Yuan scoffed with a roll of his eyes, his voice dripping with contempt.

"That's hardly a certainty!" Chen Dutian let out a cold laugh as he noticed that the ten Imperial Guards who had just sparred with Cao He Xuan were being swapped out on the platform.

Wang Yuntian, who had only recently reached the Spirit Convergence Stage, stood little chance against the original ten. But the new group, with the strongest among them at the ninth level of the Awakening Stage, was clearly there to give Wang Yuntian an edge.

Chen Dutian wasn't the only one to pick up on this; the high-ranking ministers seated on the jade steps saw it too, crystal clear. The Great Generals, in particular, furrowed their brows in apparent dissatisfaction.

Yet, in the presence of Yan Chen and Wang Xuan Yang, they kept their objections to themselves...

The fight between Wang Yuntian and the ten Imperial Guards was already underway. As a scion of the Tutor's family, Wang Yuntian had long since honed his martial skills, and now, with the power of the Spirit Convergence Stage, he outmatched the ten guards. In the brief span of half a cup of tea, under the astonished eyes of the onlookers, all ten Imperial Guards were defeated on the platform.

"Wang Yuntian has successfully advanced!"

The Minister of Rites announced from the jade steps, and a eunuch in fine garments quickly fetched a chair, inviting Wang Yuntian to sit at the edge of the steps.

"This... Wang Yuntian must be incredibly lucky. He's just entered the Spirit Convergence Stage and yet managed to defeat ten Imperial Guards. So why did Cao He Xuan lose earlier?"

"I must be seeing things. Wang Yuntian seemed to have executed a martial skill. Could the ten Imperial Guards have deliberately thrown the match?"

"Keep your voices down. Offending the Grand Tutor is something you can't afford!"

Wang Yuntian sat smugly in his chair, utterly ignoring the whispers around him. With his father's covert "assistance," the position of commander of the Tiger Army was as good as his.

Shortly thereafter, another set of ten Imperial Guards took to the stage as the martial contest continued, with everyone speculating about when Jiang Da Chen and Ling Zechuan would make their appearance.

Meanwhile, Chen Dutian's attention was drawn to one of the ten Imperial Guards on the platform—a warrior at the Third Level of Spirit Convergence.

"Brother, it looks like the Second Prince has his eyes on you. Could he want you to join the martial contest?" Pang Yuan nudged Chen Dutian with his elbow and murmured.

Turning his gaze towards the jade staircase, Chen Dutian indeed caught Yan Beichen smiling and nodding at him. After a brief moment of thought, Chen Dutian confidently stepped out from the crowd and made his way directly to the edge of the arena.

"Chen Dutian wants to enter the martial competition? Has he been kicked in the head by a mule?"

"The capital's most notorious playboy thinks he can defeat those ten Imperial Guards? If he does, I'll write my name backwards!"

"Don't be so sure. The Marquis of the Deer Cauldron, Qin Fan, met his end at his hands. And Li Huaien, as arrogant as he was, got run through by Chen Dutian's sword."

"That kid didn't even have a Martial Opening before. Rumor has it he was enlightened by a divine figure in a dream, but his strength probably caps at the Awakening Realm. Beating ten Imperial Guards? Impossible!"

The crowd was abuzz with comments about Chen Dutian, yet Yan Chen and Wang Xuanyang on the jade stairs wore looks of grave concern.

Leaping onto the stage with a casual air, Chen Dutian folded his arms and sized up the ten Imperial Guards, shaking his head. "If you were all at the third level of the Spirit Convergence Realm, I might have thought twice about stepping up here!"

"Hmph, Master Chen, be warned—we won't pull any punches in the arena!" One of the guards at the third level of the Spirit Convergence Realm sneered, unsheathing his sword with a swift motion.

"Trying to cross swords with me? You're not ready for that," Chen Dutian said with a dismissive sneer, a taunting smile spreading across his face. He channeled his spiritual energy, allowing it to flow through his meridians, and with a light step to the side, the guard on his right suddenly winced as he realized his sword had been expertly taken by Chen Dutian.

"Sword Sweeping the Wind and Clouds!"

As Chen Dutian saw the other guards closing in, their swords ready to cut off his escape, the expert before him lunged, aiming for his chest. With a fierce cry, Chen Dutian's robust spiritual energy burst forth, cascading down his arm and enveloping the blade.

A flash of a sword shadow, and Chen Dutian soared into the air, a blinding cold light radiating outward. Beneath the shadow of his blade, the chests of five Imperial Guards at the Awakening Stage were instantly penetrated.

The formidable Empyrean God Emperor had struck to kill!

In his past life, numerous unparalleled warriors had fallen to his sword. Chen Dutian had never so much as furrowed his brow, and dispatching these few Imperial Guards left him utterly unmoved.

"Hiss..."

The crowd, witnessing the spectacle in the arena, collectively inhaled sharply. A hush fell over the expanse in front of Cloudwatch Palace, so silent one could hear a pin drop.

With a single sword strike, Chen Dutian, once derided as a worthless scion, had just displayed a level of fearsome power. When had he acquired such formidable strength?