Nine Star Hegemon Body Art

Ah, I forgot about that. Having accepted the reward from the Heaven Overseer, Long Chen could only see it through. Hence, he paused his cultivation.

After tidying himself up, he walked out and found that the referees had been waiting a long time. From their expressions, Long Chen knew they were already feeling impatient.

Today marked the selection of the top thirty-two, marking the true beginning of the elite competition. Previously, the matches had been viewed as mere exhibitions, and now, the stakes were higher.

Sixty-four powerful experts would be halved to thirty-two. As all the competitors were Heavenly Chosens, the standard of every fight was different.

With such powerful participants, the head umpire’s direct oversight was mandatory to ensure fairness. After all, the rewards for the top thirty-two were very luxurious. To avoid any referees being biased toward their own disciples, the head umpire needed to be the one in charge.

Among Heavenly Chosens, the difference in power was not that great. Furthermore, it was forbidden for them to kill each other here. After all, they were Heavenly Chosens, and the loss of a single one was a large blow to the four divine clans.

Thus, if two disciples looked evenly matched and no winner emerged within the set time, the head umpire would need to make a decision.

As the disciple might be unconvinced by the result, an impartial judge had to give the ruling. All these reasons combined were why the head judge had to personally watch the fight for the top thirty-two.

“Respected Head Umpire, you’re out,” said one umpire expressionlessly. Long Chen’s lateness and lack of responsibility had clearly irritated them. They were all waiting for him.

Long Chen ignored him. This title was only temporary to him, merely a formality. Did they really think he cared about it? If they wanted to relieve him of his position, he would be happy to comply.

With the competition for the top thirty-two starting, there was another opening ceremony. To put it frankly, the real competition started now, so the referees had to move as an organized squad, led by the head umpire. When Long Chen led them to the competition grounds, he saw a sea of people around.

Last time, the front seats were mostly empty, reserved for the peak experts who hadn’t felt like coming to watch low-level battles. But now, everyone was here. Long Tianrui, Zhao Qingtian, Ye Lingxiao, Jiang Wuwang, Feng Fei, and the others were all present.

When Long Chen walked in with his black robes and golden scepter, leading all the referees, thunderous cheering came from the distance. The mercenaries almost went crazy when they saw him. He was a god-like existence in their hearts.

Qin Feng’s battle last time had shown everyone the power of the Dragonblood Legion. They knew this terrifying figure was nothing more than an ordinary member of Long Chen’s Dragonblood Legion. If that was the case, there was no need to question Long Chen’s power.

With the support of an expert like Long Chen, the mercenaries no longer felt the need to bow to anyone or suppress their anger. They resolved to leave the Heavenly Desolation Domain and journey to the High Firmament Academy.

Leaving their home was difficult, but they saw it as a chance to grow stronger, a path to freedom. They would no longer be timid and worried about anything. After conquering their fear of the outside world, they committed themselves to the pursuit of strength.

Before cultivating the Starry River of the Sky Art, leaving the Heavenly Desolation Domain would have been extremely uncomfortable for them. However, after mastering the technique, that feeling vanished, completely settling their worries.

Having decided to leave this painful place behind, they felt liberated. They cheered freely, unleashing all the emotions they had suppressed. Who cared if other people were unhappy with them? They didn’t care any longer.

Long Chen’s entrance sparked thunderous applause, far exceeding the reception for Zhao Qingtian and the others. Even Long Tianrui couldn't command such attention.

Zhao Qingtian and Ye Lingxiao felt jealous, and the disciples of the four clans were displeased. But unlike before, they didn't dare to reprimand the mercenaries.

They didn’t dare to bully the mercenaries anymore. A couple of days back, the mercenaries and disciples had clashed, and the latter were crushed. It was then that the disciples realized the mercenaries had undergone a complete transformation. Their power now rivaled, if not surpassed, their own.

Their cultivation technique was exceptionally domineering. Once they started fighting, they didn’t fear death. While these disciples were strong, they lacked the resolve to face death. Despite their superior power, they were subdued by the mercenaries’ imposing presence.

Luckily, the mercenaries weren’t as ruthless as Qin Feng; otherwise, the casualties from that clash could have been catastrophic.

Under the mercenaries’ thunderous cheering, Long Chen walked to the referee stands. Becoming the center of attention, even Long Chen couldn’t help but feel a bit proud.

“No matter where this guy goes, he always steals the spotlight,” Feng Fei remarked, her smile sweet.

Jiang Wuwang couldn’t help but smile wryly at her worshipful expression. As a man himself, he couldn’t deny feeling a twinge of envy. Moreover, Feng Fei didn’t seem to care about his feelings at all.

Long Tianrui, Ye Lingxiao, Zhao Qingtian, and the others could also hear Feng Fei’s remark. That was the only thing that provided Jiang Wuwang with a little comfort. At this moment, he noticed Ye Lingxiao and Zhao Qingtian’s murderous gazes.

One reason for their anger was Feng Fei’s instigation, but another was Long Tianrui’s lack of expression.

They all desired Long Tianrui’s attention, yet she hadn’t acknowledged them at all. Conversely, Long Chen consistently rejected Long Tianrui, leading them to blame their frustrations on him.

Long Chen didn’t even spare a glance for anyone as he walked directly to his designated position. With a swing of his robes and a light tap of his scepter, he took his seat. At that moment, Long Chen exuded the aura of someone accustomed to occupying the highest seat.

Once Long Chen sat down, the cheers gradually subsided, and a hush fell over the arena.

Simultaneously. thirty-two martial stages lit up, and a referee shouted loudly, “The elite competition of the four divine clans will now progress to the battles for the top thirty-two!”

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