The person who arrived was none other than Han Xuanji.
The moment he stepped into the martial arts arena, all eyes were fixed upon him.
He wore no ostentatious attire, only a simple cyan robe, his hair tied up casually, his pace unhurried, and his expression as calm as still water.
Of course, it only appeared to be a simple cyan robe.
In reality, it was a Ninth-Rank eternal dao artifact with astonishing defensive capabilities, though Han Xuanji had deliberately concealed its extraordinary nature. This was the power of the System; even the True Gods present could not discern any flaws in it.
Naturally, Han Xuanji would not be foolish enough to speak of fairness; he had brought along every good thing he possessed.
Of course, an Eternal Sacred Artifact would be too astonishing, so he naturally would not bring it out, nor would he know how to use it properly.
Behind Han Xuanji, Hun Qianxue and several Hun Family guards followed silently, ready to protect him at any moment to prevent any accidents.
Han Xuanji stepped into the martial arts arena. Only then did he discover that the arena was far larger than he had imagined.
The center was a vast open space, the ground paved with special stone and engraved with dense defensive formation patterns capable of withstanding attacks from the True God Realm.
Surrounding it were layers of spectator stands, which were already packed to capacity. The soldiers of the Huben Legion, dressed in uniform black armor with blades hanging at their waists, sat as still as pine trees, exuding an aura of murderous intent.
In the front rows of the stands were people from the major factions of Qianhun City, such as Elders and Disciples from the Five Elements Tower, officials from the City Lord's Mansion, scions of various influential families, and many busybodies who had come upon hearing the news.
Han Xuanji scanned the area and spotted several familiar faces in the crowd.
Wang Ping was sitting in a corner, waving his hand vigorously at him, his expression more nervous than his own.
Li Tiantong had also come.
He stood in the back rows of the stands, dressed in a grey robe, his expression steady, though a hint of worry was hidden in his eyes.
Hun Jiuge, who had brought Li Tiantong earlier, sat beside him, his back straight as a board and his eyes filled with anticipation.
Hun Qianling had not come; after all, she was still in the Life and Death Ravine and could not get out so quickly.
Han Xuanji withdrew his gaze and continued walking toward the center of the martial arts arena. His footsteps were drowned out by the sound of discussion. He walked to the center of the grounds, stopped, turned around, and faced the seat at the very top.
There, a person was sitting.
The Commander of the Huben Legion—He Guanshan.
This was Han Xuanji's first time seeing this legendary powerhouse. He looked like a man in his middle years, with a resolute face and a touch of scholarly elegance between his brows; he did not look like a battle-hardened general, but rather like a scholar well-versed in literature. He wore a deep cyan robe, with no blade at his waist and no Magical Artifact in his hands. He sat casually on the chair, one hand resting on the armrest and the other propping up his chin.
He seemed like an easygoing person, yet his aura made Han Xuanji feel an invisible pressure.
It was an indescribable feeling, as if the person sitting there was not a man, but a towering mountain or a vast ocean.
His very existence seemed to make the surrounding air heavy. Han Xuanji felt a slight chill in his heart. He knew that there were varying levels of strength among True Gods.
"A top-tier expert among True Gods... I fear he is on par with the True God Heiyan I encountered before. According to the System's detection, he is also an expert in the Path of the Physical Body, though it cannot be seen from his appearance alone."
Han Xuanji quickly made a judgment in his heart.
On the Eternal Continent, there are countless paths. Although cultivating the Way of Laws is hailed as the most correct path, it does not mean that other paths are weak. True top-tier True Gods have already merged their Divine Body, Divine Soul, and Divine Domain into one, possessing the power to shatter the heavens and split the earth with every movement.
He Guanshan was clearly such a top-tier powerhouse. Compared to Hun Qianxue, he was much stronger, and there were likely few people in the entire Hun Family who could rival him now. Just as Han Xuanji was about to speak and inquire, an invisible pressure radiated from He Guanshan, surging toward the center of the arena like a tidal wave.
It was not a deliberate attack, but a natural sensation.
Just as a Mortal would feel fear standing on the edge of a ten-thousand-foot cliff, one would instinctively feel terror and pressure when standing before a top-tier powerhouse.
This pressure was formless and intangible, yet it struck directly at the Divine Soul, enough to cause those with insufficient cultivation to lose their composure.
Hun Qianxue, standing beside Han Xuanji, frowned and subconsciously took a step forward, wanting to block this pressure for him.
Hun Qianxue had not expected He Guanshan to be so lacking in martial virtue, using his status as a True God to bully a Cultivator at the Eternal Dao Lord Realm.
Wasn't this display of dominance a bit too excessive?
Hun Qianxue was already considering whether he should explode at this old schemer.
At this moment, Han Xuanji raised his hand and gently stopped him.
"I can handle it."
His voice was very soft, yet very firm.
He did not offer much explanation, instead turning back to give Hun Qianxue a look.
"?"
Hun Qianxue looked at Han Xuanji, and then suddenly realized.
After hesitating for a moment, he withdrew his step. Regarding the sudden pressure from He Guanshan, Han Xuanji was not the least bit surprised; instead, he turned to face the pressure head-on. His breathing did not falter, his heartbeat did not accelerate, his complexion remained normal, and his gaze was calm. The pressure that would have caused an ordinary Eternal Dao Lord to kneel fell upon him like a gentle breeze, failing to stir up the slightest ripple.
All of this was thanks to the sublimation of his mental will after Signing In at the Qianmeng Pavilion. It was a mental will at the True God level. The essence of pressure is the externalization of a powerhouse's will, using one's own will to suppress the other.
And those at a lower Realm who wish to resist this pressure can naturally only rely on their mental will.
He Guanshan's goal was naturally not to crush Han Xuanji, but rather to test his limits.
If a top-tier True God were to exert their full pressure, it would be enough to make an Eternal True Lord struggle to wield their power.
But Han Xuanji was different.
His determination was like cold iron tempered over billions of years; it could not be destroyed by ten thousand tribulations, and it only grew stronger through a thousand hardships.
What was mere pressure to him?
Not only did he not retreat, but he walked two more steps forward against the pressure.
Then, he raised his head and looked directly into He Guanshan's eyes.
"Han Xuanji of the Hun Family, greetings to the Commander."
His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone present.
On the stands, there was silence.
He Guanshan did not speak, only watching him quietly, his gaze as deep as an abyss.
The pressure increased silently by a few degrees, like a solid giant hammer slamming into Han Xuanji's mind.
Han Xuanji's expression did not change; a slight arc even curled at the corners of his mouth.
Three breaths.
Five breaths.
Ten breaths.
...
After a long while.
He Guanshan suddenly laughed.
The pressure vanished into thin air amidst the laughter, as if it had never existed.
"Not bad, you have passed my test."
He Guanshan lowered his right hand that had been propping up his chin and nodded. His tone was flat, yet carried a hint of approval:
"Your will is indeed the strongest among the younger generation that I have ever seen."
As soon as these words were spoken, the spectator stands immediately exploded into an uproar.