"With this little strength, you want to enter the Dragon Country Martial Ranking representative team and contend for the position of the Five Kings?"
"Heh."
"I'm about to use my third move."
"Are you ready?"
Chen Jiuyang's indifferent voice rang out.
Jiang Xingjin's eyes were filled with terror upon hearing Chen Jiuyang's words, and he desperately crawled towards the edge of the arena.
Chen Jiuyang's two punches not only crippled him but also utterly destroyed the pride he had cultivated for decades.
"A good-for-nothing like you... entering the Martial Ranking World Championship will only bring shame to our Dragon Country..."
"...Allow me, Chen, to send you on your way."
The indifferent voice erupted with a heart-pounding aura.
"Buzz!"
The Yan Sheng Blade, stuck in the ground, let out a hum and flew into Chen Jiuyang's hand, then a blade aura slashed towards Jiang Xingjin.
The massive blade-shaped phantom on the arena instantly vanished. Jiang Xingjin was desperately crawling out of the arena. Severely injured by Chen Jiuyang, he could no longer speak.
But no matter how fast he crawled, he couldn't outrun Chen Jiuyang's blade.
"Rumble!"
A vast and terrifying cold light surged forward.
"Bang—"
After a deafening roar, Jiang Xingjin, before he could even let out a scream, perished within the cold light, leaving no trace of his body!
A martial arts genius who had managed to break into the top ten of the Dragon Country Martial Ranking was thus brutally murdered by Chen Jiuyang in front of hundreds of thousands, even millions, of spectators!
This sent a shiver down many spines.
Jiang Haoran and the members of his family behind him wore extremely grim expressions.
The referee remained silent for a moment before stating, "Chen Jiuyang wins..."
"According to the Martial Ranking rules, Chen Jiuyang is temporarily ranked first in the qualifier matches."
Chen Jiuyang slowly sheathed his blade and looked at the referee, "For the top five ranking matches, do we choose our opponents ourselves?"
The referee nodded, "That's right. This has always been the rule of the Martial Ranking. Whether it's manual, computer AI, or spirit ranking matches, there will always be those who feel wronged. Therefore, for the top five, they can choose their opponents. This way, no one will have any complaints, and it also prevents unfair practices."
Chen Jiuyang's gaze was bright, and he revealed a chilling smile, "Excellent, excellent. This rule is very good."
"Referee, if I kill an opposing contestant, how will the ranking positions be handled?"
"..."
The referee was silent for a long time, then replied, "If a ranked contestant dies, participants from the third or second round will enter a revival match to fill the spot."
"Very good, very good."
Chen Jiuyang nodded with satisfaction. His sharp gaze swept across the entire arena, and his murderous voice spread throughout the venue:
"Within the top five of the Martial Ranking, I will not allow any member of the aristocratic families to enter."
"If one comes, I kill one. If a pair comes, I kill a pair."
"If you want to contend for this Martial Ranking throne, then come. I want to see how many lives you have that are enough for me to take!"
As Chen Jiuyang's words fell, many faces immediately turned ashen, veins bulging on their foreheads in anger, yet they dared not threaten Chen Jiuyang.
Some of their factions had participated in ambushing Chen Jiuyang, but not all the factions of the Martial Ranking contestants had been involved.
However, more ordinary martial artists heard Chen Jiuyang's words and were filled with excitement!
This is what a martial artist should embody – repaying kindness with kindness, and repaying grievances with uprightness!
All grudges and entanglements are to be settled on the Martial Ranking arena with life and death, forging karma!
Many also fell silent.
Chen Jiuyang's current combat strength was undeniable, almost surpassing the younger generation of martial artists in Dragon Country, with few able to contend with him.
"Excellent, excellent!"
Upon hearing this, the Chen family patriarch clapped his hands and laughed, his face flushed with joy.
How wronged and angry Chen Jiuyang had felt when he was ambushed, he was now that happy.
Karma cycles, retribution is unavoidable, unless one abandones the immense temptation before them!
"..." The referee's expression was aghast. This Chen Jiuyang had such a strong killing intent, daring to threaten the participating contestants of the Martial Ranking in public.
What if Chen Jiuyang killed too many people, causing vacancies in the top five positions of the Dragon Country Martial Ranking? What would happen then?
The Martial Ranking was meant to select ten contestants to represent Dragon Country in the world competition.
After the third round of matches concluded, he would have to inquire with his superiors.
The Martial Ranking had been held for so many years, and such a situation as Chen Jiuyang's had never occurred.
Chen Jiuyang sheathed his blade and returned to the spectator stands.
He quietly watched the remaining matches.
After several matches concluded, it was already afternoon.
The referee announced, "The third round of matches is hereby concluded. The top five ranking matches will be held tomorrow."
"Well... some contestants can prepare for the revival match..." The referee added this after looking at the current top five rankings.
Some people's expressions showed interest. There was such a thing?
Not every participating martial artist had been involved in the ambush of Chen Jiuyang. For example, martial artists from the demonic path were eliminated in the second round, as were martial artists from Shaolin Temple, Longhu Mountain Taoism, and people from other factions.
The winners of the third round were Chen Jiuyang from Feng Province, Yan Hongming, Xing Hongzhuo, Zai Hanzao, and Wu Xiuyuan.
Chen Jiuyang defeated Jiang Xingjin, Yan Hongming defeated Ye Tiannan, Xing Hongzhuo defeated Tang Jingxian, and Zai Hanzao and Wu Xiuyuan defeated Hong Jiangjin and Gu Suzhen respectively.
Xing Hongzhuo, a martial artist from an aristocratic family, caused an upset by defeating Tang Jingxian of the Sword Bearer Legion.
Ye Tiannan, who possessed half-dao sword intent at the Earth realm, was considered invincible among his peers, yet he still lost to Prince Yan's Sky Dragon City-Breaking Spear.
The Dragon Country's foremost visible combat power, Prince Yan's Sky Dragon City-Breaking Spear, lived up to its reputation!
Of the Five Princes' descendants and the Sword Bearer Legion, only Yan Hongming, the second prince, managed to enter the top five after the third round. Apart from Chen Jiuyang, who was a Marquis, the other three were from the sects and aristocratic families of the Dragon Country martial arts world!
This demonstrated the immense power of the sects and aristocratic families within Dragon Country!
They usually did not serve Dragon Country, only revealing their true strength in places of benefit like the Martial Ranking. Their intentions should be punished!
However, these three aristocratic family contestants entering the top five were not happy. Chen Jiuyang had vowed to kill those who had participated in ambushing him, and these three did not know if their families had been involved in this matter.
After the Martial Ranking concluded, they hurried back to the spectator stands to ask their elders from their families and sects.
The position of the Five Kings was very tempting, but they had to be alive to receive the enfeoffment after the Martial Ranking concluded!
Otherwise, if they were killed by Chen Jiuyang during the Martial Ranking competition, all that would remain would be a handful of dust.
Like Jiang Xingjin, who was on the arena and didn't even have a chance to surrender, being brutally killed alive, how tragic!
If they truly encountered Chen Jiuyang, they would rather forfeit. After all, they had already entered the top ten of the Martial Ranking, had a high chance of entering the Dragon Country Martial Ranking national team, and would receive the blessing of the Martial Ranking's fortune, increasing their chances of breaking through to the Heaven realm by several notches!
This situation led to joy for some and sorrow for others. Some people were truly anxious and couldn't sit still. They had already entered the top five of the Martial Ranking, and the Dragon Country royal positions were within reach. This was an opportunity that came once every sixty years, and they did not want to miss it!
In the midst of heavy snowfall, a group of enfeebled, white-haired elders, with their upper bodies bare and carrying thorns as a sign of penitence, knelt outside the Siheyuan of the Chen family in Longjing Shushan, merely to request an audience with Chen Jiuyang and seek his forgiveness!