The starlight's allure captivated all onlookers.

Zhang Lie's body transformed into a glaze of the dark cosmos, as though the Milky Way itself flowed through his body. His aura grew tremendously. However, neither cultivator struck.

The golden elephant and jade mantis beside them, disturbed by the ruckus they were making, had opened their eyes and were glaring at them.

"Haha..." Chi Lingkong of the flamedemons laughed as he approached. "Seniors, would you like to team up with me to deal with them? You'll be able to focus on your cultivation thereafter."

Chi Lingkong intended to get rid of them once and for all.

He turned to the other cultivators in the palace. "Friends, shall we strike as one?" Chi Lingkong smiled, beckoning to them all.

The golden elephant and jade mantis refused the request. They had no interest in being dragged into this fiasco. Let the other cultivators deal with Zhang Lie.

Zhang Lie punched forward in a burst of starlight, causing huge quantities of lightning to rain down from the heavens.

"I'll send you on your way!"

The lightning flashed and swept across the land.

Starlight shaded the sky.

Zhang Lie and Chi Lingkong's fight took place within the palace and without. Chi Lingkong was badly beaten and wounded all over. As he shouted, flaming feathers danced through the air and shone with blinding light, as though a dozen suns had fallen from the sky.

Black genetic energy burst forth from Zhang Lie, as though there were hundreds, thousands of dragons surging throughout his body.

"[Fists of the Silent Sea: Hundred Dragons Soaring]!"

A horde of dragons launched out of Zhang Lie's left arm as he expended half his genetic energy in one supercharged attack. Howling with the force of thunder, the hundred stellar dragons soared through the air.

They devoured the radiant suns and smashed into Chi Lingkong, who fell from the sky in a bloody heap.

"The flamedemons? Ha!" Zhang Lie scoffed at the fallen cultivator, then returned into the palace.Two wheels of light exploded in the sky with shocking might, a technique that Zhang Lie somehow found familiar.

Ethereal blue waves swept across the sky as ripples emanated forth, flecked with crystals of ice and [Mirrored Refraction]. Upon seeing the familiar energy, Zhang Lie smiled. There were two figures fighting in the air.

A cultivator shot up from the ground, his punch like the rising sun.

The other cultivator's sword flashed, the strike forming a long river through the skies. Genetic energy burst apart in a shower of droplets.

His combat armor shone with glimmering runes.

Zhang Lie shouted, "Yang Ze!"

The cultivator with the sword turned. His eyes brightened. "Captain!"

"Don't look at me—focus on your opponent!"

The moment Yang Ze's head had turned, the other cultivator began to attack rapidly, taking advantage of every opportunity to strike. However, Yang Ze easily dealt with his attacks and counterattacked.

Yang Ze and his opponent exchanged dozens of blows as his opponent was sent flying.

Yang Ze turned back to Zhang Lie and smiled. "What are you doing here, Captain?"

"I was headed in your direction to group up with you, but coincidentally found Xiaowu and ended up heading toward this holy land over here first."

As they spoke, Yang Ze's opponent shot toward him like a rabid dog.

Yang Ze coldly blocked, parried, and counterattacked. His right leg struck at the cultivator's chest and sent him flying into the roof of the palace.

His opponent struck once again, his eyes cold, killing intent billowing. He used a strange technique. Lightning covered his body, formless energy peeling away at time. Yang Ze suddenly grew old.

However, with [Mirrored Refraction], Yang Ze seemed to isolate himself from reality, his years falling away until he was his usual self once more. Then, he attacked.

Yang Ze kicked his opponent up into the air, then slapped at his cheek and knocked him flying.

"We can have a chat now," Yang Ze told Zhang Lie as he slowly landed by his side.

"Who was that?" Zhang Lie asked.

"Do you remember my opponent from the qualifiers?" Yang Ze replied."What, that Chang Sheng fellow?"

Yang Ze nodded. "That's him. Although I defeated him in the qualifiers, he doesn't seem to have suffered much mental damage. He used a specialized recovery pill in order to keep fighting and make it through the qualifiers. He was lucky enough to succeed—and now he's trying to cause me problems again."

Zhang Lie shook his head. "You should have been more vicious."

Yang Ze shook his head. "According to the information I picked up, except for the Stargod cultivator, that ninth Immortal King from the Hall of Immortals, and Heaven's successor, the rest of the opponents that members of Team Zenith fought all managed to make it through the qualifiers."

Zhang Lie seemed shocked. "Even Resplendent Sun?"

"I don't know about that. The Solarvines are supposed to be a proud race, so I don't think they'd show up."

"You dare chat with someone else while fighting with me?!"

Chang Sheng, who had been sent flying, had returned again in a fit of rage. The very air around him shook.

Blinding light exploded from the palace as it quaked. All the runes in the palace reactivated in order to defend against the attack.

The fight shocked everyone. Even the strongest cultivators that had reached the other eight holy mountains widened their eyes upon sensing the shocking attack.

Just then, a loud, powerful voice rang out. The sound of the voice alone caused the nine holy mountains to shake; it was akin to thunder.

"All fights in this land of inheritance shall take place on arenas following ancient custom."

The cultivators' ears buzzed from the magnitude of the voice.

With a whirr, Zhang Lie and Yang Ze were whisked into the air, where they landed on a huge, expansive arena.

At the same time, the half-crippled Chi Lingkong and Chang Sheng also appeared on the spot.

This battlefield was a floating arena suspended in the air.All cultivators who were gathered at the top of the nine holy mountains could clearly see the fight. Everyone was surprised by the sudden development.

Zhang Lie frowned. "Sun Xiaowu's still in the palace."

Before Zhang Lie could strike, Chi Lingkong took the opportunity to transform into a bolt of human lightning that shot forward in a burst of red lightning.

Zhang Lie countered with a punch, causing the lightning to dissipate and Chi Lingkong's body to explode in a shower of blood.

Zhang Lie stood tall over the arena, a shocking sight to behold. A young, promising cultivator had been killed just like that!