The next round saw Ling Fan with good fortune, receiving a bye.
In an instant.
Only the last eight of the top hundred geniuses remained.
Ling Fan, Gao Qiu, and the Tai Xu realm's Gong Yuan, Yuan Wu Palace's Yuan Hong, Lei Xing Hall's Wu Tian, and Chang Sheng Pavilion's Zhuang Zhiyuan, four peerless geniuses of the Heavenly Court, were all present.
Ling Fan had just emerged from the Chang Sheng Pool.
Two venomous gazes shot towards him from afar.
Ling Fan followed the gazes and saw Gao Qiu grinning sinisterly, baring his teeth at him.
Gao Qiu transmitted his voice, "You'd best pray you don't meet me in the next match, or I will devour you alive in front of countless powerhouses! I'll show you what true agony is."
"Heh, I actually hope my next opponent is you, because I really can't stand seeing that disgusting face of yours lingering before my eyes. It's truly an eyesore."
Ling Fan sneered.
Gao Qiu's expression instantly turned grim, and he glared intently at Ling Fan.
At this moment.
The quasi-Heavenly Venerate powerhouse of the Heavenly Court glanced at the draw for this round.
He announced loudly, "For the top four match, the Vice Sect Master of the Qing Xuan Sect from Jin Province against... the previous Sect Master of the Qing Xuan Sect, Gao Qiu!"
When this pairing was announced.
It immediately drew the attention of countless people.
Because in a top four match, there was an internal battle between two powerhouses from the Qing Xuan Sect of Jin Province!
Furthermore, it was the current Vice Sect Master against the previous Sect Master.
This match was bound to attract attention from any perspective.
And the two combatants were no ordinary individuals.
One of them had consecutively defeated two peerless geniuses of the Emperor Venerate realm, one of whom was a super genius from the Heavenly Court's Tai Xu realm.
Gao Qiu also had an impressive record.
The crucial point was.
He was a reborn previous Emperor Venerate powerhouse.
This time, he had made a comeback and finally advanced further, entering the quasi-Heavenly Venerate realm.
"How come I heard that a great purge occurred in the Qing Xuan Sect, and all the Gao family powerhouses were thoroughly dealt with by the current Sect Master in conjunction with the Vice Sect Master!"
An Emperor Venerate powerhouse from a great province near Jin Province spoke up.
"Heh, then today's match will be interesting. Gao Qiu seems to be the old ancestor of the Gao family in the Qing Xuan Sect. Back then, the Qing Xuan Sect was also involved with that person... the Qing Xuan Emperor Venerate who founded the Qing Xuan Sect chose the wrong side..."
"Hush, hush! This is a forbidden matter, not even half a word can be uttered."
Someone nearby quickly reminded him.
"Yes, yes! This is the Heavenly Court, I almost made a grave mistake." The person quickly shut his mouth, giving the reminder a grateful look.
Amidst these discussions.
Gao Qiu was the first to descend onto a massive extraterrestrial star, which served as the temporary battlefield.
This extraterrestrial star was more than a hundred times larger than the previous ones.
This was to allow these peerless geniuses to unleash their full potential.
"Senior Sister Han, it's a pity you're not here to witness me avenging you."
Ling Fan sighed lightly and landed opposite Gao Qiu.
A rough storm suddenly swept across the desolate and barren surface of the extraterrestrial star.
Enemies meeting, eyes burning with hatred.
Two terrifying auras collided fiercely like two ancient behemoths.
The entire extraterrestrial star trembled.
Without any unnecessary words.
Gao Qiu bared his teeth and grinned sinisterly, launching a sudden attack.
Boom!
Endless destructive storm power condensed madly around him. Gao Qiu transformed into a peerless emperor embodying the ultimate mysteries of destruction. With a single step, the surface of the star beneath his feet instantly cracked, as if unable to withstand his wild and boundless might.
Quasi-Heavenly Venerate!
Boom.
The moment Gao Qiu unleashed his quasi-Heavenly Venerate pressure.
All the rules of this extraterrestrial star seemed to bow before his feet. Gao Qiu had already become the master of this extraterrestrial star's heaven and earth.
He simply threw a punch.
The next moment.
A terrifying destructive fist aura appeared out of thin air before Ling Fan.
Ling Fan's long hair was pulled perfectly straight backward.
"Heh heh."
Ling Fan remained unfazed.
He casually blocked upward with his hand.
This punch was neutralized by him.
"How is this possible! You were only equivalent to an Emperor Venerate before, and now you can rival a quasi-Heavenly Venerate?!"
Gao Qiu was shocked.
"An old fossil like you naturally cannot comprehend it."
Ling Fan smiled faintly, cupped his hand in the air, and a simple, ancient crimson cauldron appeared in his hand.
"This is... the Tian Yi Cauldron of the Tian Yi Sect! This is the supreme treasure of the Tian Yi Sect, how can it be in your hands?" Gao Qiu was shocked once again.
"The Tian Yi Sect has been destroyed by me."
Ling Fan said simply, and without further ado, holding the crimson Tian Yi Cauldron, he attacked like a peerless divine being traversing vast space and time.
Boom!
Terrifying flames erupted from the Tian Yi Cauldron. Countless quasi-Heavenly Venerate dao patterns rapidly lit up on the cauldron's body. A vast and ancient aura was reviving, as if it could burn heaven and earth. As Ling Fan raised the Tian Yi Cauldron and smashed it forward, the very laws of this extraterrestrial star were completely distorted by this strike. Gao Qiu snorted coldly, grabbed with his hand, and countless quasi-Heavenly Venerate dao patterns also appeared, imprinting the void and transforming into a world-shattering strike that collided with the Tian Yi Cauldron.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Ling Fan, wielding the Tian Yi Cauldron, clashed fiercely with Gao Qiu. Terrifying destructive storms and heaven-burning flame dao patterns intertwined, forming a deadly no-man's-land. In a tenth of a blink of an eye, they had exchanged countless blows. Those at the Heavenly Emperor, Half-step Emperor Venerate, and Emperor Venerate levels could not keep up with their battle, only seeing terrifying energy surging and churning. Only those at the quasi-Heavenly Venerate and Heavenly Venerate levels present could discern the danger and intensity of this battle.
Boom!
The two figures separated above the extraterrestrial star.
As they separated.
Rumbling sounds echoed.
The massive extraterrestrial star split in two from the middle. Countless molten lava erupted from its core, and boiling magma exploded, with rivers of fiery lava flowing across the star's surface, which was covered in battle marks.
"If I had known this would happen, I should have risked damaging my origin in that spatial rift and killed you, you little thief, back then!"
Gao Qiu felt the difficulty of dealing with Ling Fan.
He was now a legitimate quasi-Heavenly Venerate.
And Ling Fan was merely a half-step Emperor Venerate.
If Ling Fan were to advance further in the future, becoming an Emperor Venerate, or even a quasi-Heavenly Venerate, he would be even more terrifying, capable of crushing him like an insect with a mere flick of his wrist.
"You must die!"
Gao Qiu's gaze was as venomous as a viper's. Endless destructive dao patterns intertwined and circled him, his power reaching an extreme. As the endless destructive dao patterns flowed, a massive divine spear filled with the ultimate aura of destruction materialized in his hand.
This was the manifestation of Gao Qiu's Dao of Destruction.
It was also the source of his true power.
To kill Ling Fan, Gao Qiu was willing to pay any price.