C19 Just One Move!

Yan Beichen seemed eager to speak further, but Yan Chen, clearly impatient, waved his hand dismissively and declared, "The leader of the Tiger Army must possess the talent of a great general and have exceptional personal strength. Beichen, step back. I have my own decisions to make!"

Without any influence, Yan Beichen found himself voiceless. The ministers seated nearby showed no inclination to support him. With a heavy sigh, Yan Beichen resigned himself to his seat.

On the stage at that moment, Chen Dutian's hands were enveloped in a swirling white light. Jiang Daichen, standing five steps away, noticed the hue of the spiritual energy and frowned deeply, remarking, "Young Master Chen, we truly underestimated you before. To think you're actually a sixth-level Spirit Convergence Realm cultivator!"

Previously, Chen Dutian was the acknowledged wastrel of the capital, with everyone aware that both he and Pang Yuan lacked the Martial Arts Apertures necessary for cultivation in this lifetime.

Yet now, as if he had transformed into someone else, he possessed the formidable strength of the Spirit Convergence Realm's sixth level. Jiang Daichen was far from convinced by his tales of divine instruction.

"It's not too late for you to realize this," Chen Dutian said with a serene smile, as an intense aura began to emanate from him.

Jiang Daichen drew his sword with a grave expression, unleashing a torrent of spiritual energy that instantly cloaked the blade.

Chen Dutian, however, just chuckled and shook his head. "You're too weak. Even with your martial skills, you're no match for me!"

With those words, a glint of icy determination flashed in Chen Dutian's eyes. He propelled himself into the air, the white light around his right hand coalescing into a fist.

"Warring Heaven Sword!" Jiang Daichen bellowed, his previous underestimation of Chen Dutian gone. His sword thrust forward in a frenzy, with beams of light flashing forth, causing the air itself to quiver subtly.

"One move will be enough to finish you!" Chen Dutian proclaimed, utterly dismissive of Jiang Daichen. The fist shadow from his right hand grew larger and larger, hurtling directly towards the dazzling sword light.

Boom!

A thunderous roar shattered the silence, and the gleaming sword lights were instantly obliterated by the overwhelming fist shadow.

"This... This can't be!" Jiang Daochen inhaled sharply, his eyes wide with terror as he saw the fist shadow not only persist but also bear down on him relentlessly.

"Heaven Destroying Sword!"

Jiang Daochen bellowed once more, his long sword erupting with a blinding cold light. Over ten sword shadows whirled and thrust toward the plummeting fist shadow.

Yet, Jiang Daochen's sword technique was merely a low-grade martial skill, paling in comparison to Chen Dutian's "Rushing Thunder Fist." The gap between them was simply too vast.

The "Rushing Thunder Fist" was a martial art that Chen Dutian had mastered in his previous life within the infernal Burning Sky Flaming Land. With each punch, he could harness the thunderous power of the heavens and earth. Once fully cultivated, combined with the Burning Sky Thunder Flame, he could effortlessly vanquish an Apotheosis Realm warrior.

Although Chen Dutian currently possessed only the sixth level strength of the Spirit Convergence Stage and could only execute the first form of the "Rushing Thunder Fist," it was already more than sufficient to handle Jiang Daochen, who was at the fifth level of the same stage.

Crack!

The fist shadow descended slowly, and Jiang Daochen's sword began to show multiple fractures. The sword shadows, meanwhile, had vanished into the air in an instant.

Thud!

Jiang Daochen felt an immense force bearing down on him, his legs shaking uncontrollably before he collapsed to his knees on the platform.

His sword now reduced to dust, the fist shadow remained unyielding, relentlessly pounding Jiang Daochen.

The once-proud fifth-level Spirit Convergence practitioner, Jiang Daochen, had failed to withstand even a single strike from Chen Dutian after executing his martial skill. Onlookers Ling Zechuan and Wang Yuntian were utterly dumbfounded.

"Am I hallucinating? Jiang Daochen is a fifth-level Spirit Convergence expert. How has he fallen to Chen Dutian so easily?"

"You're not mistaken; Jiang Daochen didn't stand a chance against a single move from Chen Dutian!"

"Incredible. Chen Dutian took down Jiang Daochen with just one move. Could it be that he has already reached the Astral Wandering Stage?"

"Jiang Daichen has already fallen. It's doubtful that Ling Zechuan will stand a chance against Chen Dutian soon. The commander's position in the Tiger Army is surely Chen Dutian's for the taking!"

Murmurs spread through the crowd as they watched Chen Dutian on the stage with eyes wide in astonishment. Yan Chen and the ministers seated on the jade steps all furrowed their brows, particularly Wang Xuanyang, whose eyes occasionally flashed with a cold, murderous glint.

They had never imagined that Chen Dutian, once dismissed as worthless, possessed such formidable strength. Lord Protector Chen Dou was already a Skyflight warrior. If the Chen Family were to produce another warrior of the Skyflight realm, it would be a presence more fearsome than the half-million-strong Red Banner Army.

"You've lost!" Chen Dutian, his fierce aura now subdued, approached Jiang Daichen and looked down at him with a cold voice.

Jiang Daichen, kneeling on the stage, was ashen-faced, drenched in sweat, with a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth, shaking uncontrollably.

"You... just wait. I, Jiang Daichen, will one day have my revenge!" Jiang Daichen slowly lifted his head, glaring at Chen Dutian through gritted teeth.

In full view of the audience, he, Jiang Daichen, was kneeling before someone he had once scorned as trash, utterly disgracing the Jiang Family.

"Really? Let me be clear: you are fated never to be my equal in this lifetime!" Chen Dutian said with a dismissive smile, then leisurely descended from the stage.

Not far off, Ling Zechuan and Wang Yuntian exchanged uneasy glances. The Minister of Rites, trembling with apprehension, stepped forward to the jade stairs and declared, "Lord Protector's heir, Chen Dutian, advances!"

"This Chen Dutian... appears to be quite formidable," Yan Chen remarked coolly, observing Chen Dutian seated below the jade stairs.

Wang Xuanyang, beside him, dabbed the sweat from his brow, glanced at the Second Prince sitting across from him, and then nodded, adding, "There's truth to the saying: a tiger does not father a dog. Chen Dutian is indeed fit to lead the Tiger Army."

A fleeting glimmer of murderous intent passed over Yan Chen's face. Lord Protector Chen Dou, with the Tiger Tally that commanded the 500,000-strong Red Banner Army, already wielded considerable power. Yan Chen was adamant about not entrusting an additional 50,000 elite Tiger Army troops to Chen Dutian.

After a brief respite, no longer than the time it takes to sip a cup of tea, Chen Dutian cast a glance at Ling Zechuan, who still looked tense a short distance away, and let out a mocking chuckle. He then leisurely made his way back to the platform.

Ling Zechuan's brow was furrowed as he steeled himself and followed. Confronted with Chen Dutian's calm demeanor, Ling Zechuan inhaled deeply, quelling the dread within him, and with a swift motion, drew his sword.

"Jiang Daoyun has already fallen to me, and you stand no chance either. It would be wise for you to concede defeat now," Chen Dutian said coolly, standing on the platform and looking down at Ling Zechuan with scorn.

"Hmph, just because you defeated Jiang Daoyun doesn't mean you can beat me! Don't hold your breath waiting for me to surrender voluntarily," Ling Zechuan retorted, cornered with no retreat. The thought of yielding to Chen Dutian was a blow to his pride he could not bear.