The smoke and dust from the explosion were blown away by a strong gust of wind, revealing the scene on the arena.
Two figures were visible, one lying down and the other kneeling halfway, both appearing extremely battered.
The floor at the center of the explosion on the arena had been melted into irregular shapes by the extreme heat, and one could still see the heat radiating from it.
The figure lying down was naturally Dong Qing. Lacking Gu Yuan's formidable physical body, even the most advanced defensive powers would melt away under such extreme temperatures. The heat generated by the explosion between Gu Yuan and Dong Qing was enough to melt spiritual energy itself, creating an effect of burning the void.
Gu Yuan, kneeling halfway on the ground, coughed repeatedly, spitting out specks of blood.
He slowly stood up, allowing the spectators to get a clear view of his injuries. His clothes were mostly burnt away, barely covering him. His once glossy black hair was completely incinerated, exposing a scalp as black as charcoal. He had extensive burns across his body, with large patches of muscle still steaming, clearly cooked. In some severe areas, blackened bones were visible, scorched to the core.
Gu Yuan managed to stand, looking at Dong Qing, whose entire body was burnt into a charcoal-like state. A mouthful of white teeth showed through his blackened face as he let out a hearty laugh that echoed through the arena.
What was this called? It was like killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of your own. But he could still stand, while Dong Qing couldn't. This was the difference. Sometimes, victory wasn't about a direct fight, but about who could withstand a massive explosion.
He walked laboriously towards Dong Qing, dropping pieces of charred flesh and blood along the way.
Looking at Dong Qing’s chest rising and falling faintly, a smile split his face, his bright white teeth starkly visible.
He waved at the referee, who understood. With a flash, the referee appeared beside Dong Qing and began the count.
“Three, two, one, Gu Yuan wins!” A whistle blast spread across the entire venue, instantly igniting the emotions of the audience.
The cheers converged into a single, unified roar.
“Gu Yuan! Gu Yuan! Gu Yuan!…”
Gu Yuan spread his arms wide, savoring his moment. Dong Qing, meanwhile, was being carried away by the arriving medical personnel for treatment.
This victory, coupled with the momentum Gu Yuan had accumulated since the start of the competition, surged into him like a force from nowhere, a power invisible to all beings in this world, descending from the distant heavens.
A long, drawn-out whale cry echoed through the arena. A blood-red colossal whale that covered the seas materialized behind Gu Yuan. With each whale cry, stars fell, transforming into streams of light that plunged into the endless deep sea beneath the whale, stirring up colossal waves!
This power instantly coursed through Gu Yuan’s body. Within his five internal organs, the Five Divine Lords erupted with myriad five-colored lights, enveloping his viscera. The burnt internal organs and the internal injuries sustained from the explosion were bathed in this five-colored radiance. The once charcoal-black organs began to shed their carbonized flesh, revealing the original organs radiating a crystalline luster. The internal injuries were healed one by one.
This was not the end. The Five Divine Lords within Gu Yuan’s body each stood up and stepped out into the external world. To the astonishment of the many spectators, they stood behind Gu Yuan and slowly merged, transforming into a figure clad in five-colored divine robes, wearing a divine crown, and exuding an aura of boundless majesty and nobility. His features bore a striking resemblance to Gu Yuan, about eighty percent similar!
The burnt areas on his body shed black fragments, revealing skin as fair as jade. These areas were then covered by five-colored divine light. The hair on his head, which had been burnt off, slowly grew back, flowing down to his waist, emitting a faint five-colored glow. The five-colored light covering his body began to condense, forming five-colored divine robes identical to the spectral figure behind Gu Yuan. His hair was tied up by the divine crown, and the entire person radiated an ineffable aura of nobility.
The moment that power descended, Gu Yuan was pulled into a mysterious realm. Here, he could perceive everything happening outside. The place was a vast expanse of hazy grey, exuding an aura of primordial chaos.
Boom!
A deafening sound, as if the heavens and earth were just beginning, or as if Pangu were splitting the cosmos, reverberated in his mind.
Gu Yuan saw a figure radiating a blood-red aura appear before him. Its face was identical to his own. Gu Yuan then understood that this was his Niwan Palace, also known as the Sea of Consciousness, the Purple Mansion.
This was different from his divine soul space, which had been forcibly formed by the Dao Yuan Celestial Scroll and was not naturally created. This place was where his divine soul would reside in the future, the most crucial position within him!
He hadn't expected that mysterious power to be so potent, directly elevating him to the Meridian Opening realm without any side effects. His foundation was also incredibly solid, reaching the limit of the Blood Qi realm.
Gu Yuan opened his eyes, a flash of five-colored divine light in his gaze. He looked down at himself, felt the presence of the spectral figure behind him, and a slight smile touched his lips. With a thought, the spectral figure dissipated, returning to his five internal organs and transforming back into the Five Divine Lords!
He waved at the audience and immediately stepped down from the stage.
“Alright, ladies and gentlemen, after a series of intense matches, the True Qi realm competition of the Martial Arts League has officially concluded! I hereby declare: the champion of the Tianxia Martial Arts League True Qi realm division is the student from First Martial Arts University in Tianyuan City, Zhongzhou Prefecture: Gu Yuan!”
In Tianyuan City, most residents heard the announcer declare the news and erupted in fervent cheers. Many young people were shouting slogans like “Gu Yuan is awesome!”
In the office of the Director of the Education Bureau, the familiar shouts of “Gu Yuan is awesome!” were heard, only to be drowned out by another, much louder roar.
At the Principal’s阁楼 of First Martial Arts University, the principal watched the announcer declare Gu Yuan’s victory, his mood so good it couldn’t be better. He even hummed a cheerful folk tune popular centuries ago. If anyone from First Martial Arts University saw this, they would find it incredible – was this really their usually stern and majestic principal?
Back at the arena, Gu Yuan directly received his rewards from the officials. As for the rewards for others? Unfortunately, those who lost their matches in the Martial Arts League received no rewards. Only those who emerged victorious to the very end were eligible. Since only the champion received rewards, information about them was scarce.
This system was much like a battlefield: only those who survived to the end were worthy of rewards!
Gu Yuan happily put away his rewards and immediately bid farewell to the officials. He returned to his dormitory to examine his gains. During this time, he hadn’t just been fighting; while watching other matches, he had also copied many advantageous destinies that would be useful to him, preparing to further strengthen himself.
As Gu Yuan rushed back to his dormitory at full speed, a voice suddenly echoed in his ears:
“Ding, your Myriad Worlds Cheat System has been delivered. Please check your inbox!”