Chapter 736: Seven-Star Tower

“Young Master Jiang, since Coastal City is near the Azure Sky Sea, we have a great number of Demon Beasts. Even first-class and second-class factions frequently send people here to buy Demon Beast materials. That’s why, even though Coastal City is only considered a third-class power, our City Lord is actually on very good terms with many first and second-class factions!”

As Beitang Fengyun led the way, he explained, “Within Coastal City, besides the City Lord being the sole dominant power, there are also the Four Great Clans: Dongfang, Ximen, Beitang, and Nangong. Each clan possesses strength on par with the Heaven’s Edge Sea Pavilion!”

Jiang Chen nodded to himself.

He hadn’t felt it so clearly outside the city, but now that he was inside.

He could sense that the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was incredibly dense—several times richer than even the Azure Sky Sea.

And this was just the edge of the Holy Sanctuary Mountain Range!

Jiang Chen couldn’t help but be amazed.

‘How terrifying must the Spiritual Qi be in the places closer to the Heaven-Reaching Divine Peak? If I could relocate the Heaven-Soaring Saint Sect here, we could definitely cultivate more powerful experts.’

At the thought of the Heaven-Soaring Saint Sect.

A flicker of concern crossed Jiang Chen’s eyes. ‘I wonder how everyone is doing… I hope the Ice Emperor hasn’t taken his anger out on them.’

“Everyone, hurry and look! Another reckless fool is trying to get into the Seven-Star Tower!”

“Hahaha, that’s the tenth one this month. Most of them are just country bumpkins from the other four continents, each one delusional enough to think they can live in the Seven-Star Tower. What a joke!”

“I hear this one’s from the Eastern Continent! Let’s go check it out!”

“The Eastern Continent? Isn’t that the abandoned land whose Ancestral Vein was severed long ago? A place without even a single Demigod?”

The murmurs from the crowd caught Jiang Chen’s attention.

His eyes lit up.

Gai Shi wore a playful smirk. “Boss, did you hear that? Someone from our Eastern Continent is here. Who do you think it could be?”

“It might be Arhat and the others,” Jiang Chen said with a smile. “It’s rare to run into someone we know. Let’s go check out this Seven-Star Tower too.”

“Alright!”

The group followed the crowd toward the Seven-Star Tower.

On the way, Beitang Fengyun explained to Jiang Chen and the others that the Seven-Star Tower was an inn established by the City Lord of Coastal City.

The entire tower had thirty-six floors, with ten rooms on each.

To stay there, one had to challenge an expert already residing in the Tower. A victory meant you could take their place and their room.

“The City Lord is usually in seclusion, but he holds a banquet every year for the geniuses who manage to secure a place in the Seven-Star Tower,” Beitang Fengyun said. “With the Holy War approaching, he’s looking for promising candidates to participate. When I was last back with my clan, I heard that the City Lord has prepared a wealth of resources and treasures for this Holy War, all to cultivate powerful new talents here in Coastal City. If even one of them distinguishes themselves in the Holy War and catches the eye of a high-level faction, it would be the same as strengthening Coastal City’s own power!”

Jiang Chen nodded to himself. ‘The City Lord of Coastal City is certainly resourceful.’

‘People fight for validation, just as Buddhas vie for incense.’

By establishing the Seven-Star Tower, he effortlessly attracted top-tier masters. Then, by bestowing favors upon them, he was essentially investing in the experts of the future.

‘No wonder he’s on good terms with all those first and second-class factions!’

Before long…

They arrived at the Seven-Star Tower.

The Seven-Star Tower stood a thousand feet tall and covered a vast area. By now, a huge crowd had gathered in front of it.

In the midst of the crowd.

A young man with a body of rippling muscle, veins coiling like dragons across his skin, stared grimly at a middle-aged, white-haired man. In a deep voice, he announced, “Arhat of the Eastern Continent, here to issue a challenge!”

“Hahaha!”

The white-haired man sneered. “Trash from a place like the Eastern Continent dares to challenge me, the White-haired Sword Emperor? You’re courting death!”

Arhat frowned. “Enough talk. We’ll know who’s superior after we fight!”

“You’re right. One fight is all it will take. You can make the first move,” the White-haired Sword Emperor said nonchalantly.

Arhat said in a deep voice, “Where is your Profound Weapon?”

“You’re not worthy of me drawing my Profound Weapon!” The White-haired Sword Emperor was the picture of confidence, his indifferent gaze sizing Arhat up like an ant. He clearly didn’t consider him a threat.

“You go too far!”

With a furious roar, Arhat’s body was enveloped in a golden True Essence Light. The surging power of his fists transformed into a raging sea, blasting toward the White-haired Sword Emperor.

“Huh? It’s Arhat! He’s actually reached the Middle Stage of the Emperor Realm. Looks like he’s made a lot of progress lately!” Gai Shi exclaimed with surprise, spotting Arhat in the crowd.

Jiang Chen nodded, then sighed. “He managed to reach the Emperor Realm in a spiritually barren place like the Eastern Continent. Now that he’s in Zhongzhou, his cultivation is bound to improve… But he’s too rash. The White-haired Sword Emperor provoked him on purpose. He’s about to lose.”

As if to confirm Jiang Chen’s deduction.

After a series of furious attacks, the True Essence within Arhat’s body grew chaotic, causing his assault to falter for a moment.

A glint flashed in the White-haired Sword Emperor’s eyes. He laughed heartily. “You’re wide open! Is this the so-called genius from the Eastern Continent? In my eyes, you’re nothing but trash! Lose!”

A sharp longsword suddenly appeared in his palm.

A flash of sword light swept out.

BOOM…

Arhat was sent flying, coughing up blood, severely wounded by the sudden strike. His aura instantly withered, and a look of dejection crossed his face. “I… I’ve lost!”

“Haha, it’s not over yet!”

The White-haired Sword Emperor, however, showed no signs of stopping.

He dove, appearing before Arhat in a flash. A Sword Qi Lotus materialized, its petals bursting forth. Each petal was a razor-sharp blade of Sword Qi, which formed a Sword Qi Storm that instantly enveloped Arhat. Amid the destructive POUNDING of the storm, gruesome, bloody wounds blossomed across Arhat’s body.

Amid screams of pain, Arhat crashed heavily to the ground, his pale face showing anger as he glared at the White-haired Sword Emperor. “I already admitted defeat, why won’t you stop?”

“Admit defeat? I don’t recall hearing that!” the White-haired Sword Emperor sneered. He pointed his sword toward Arhat’s Dantian. “The Eastern Continent is nothing but an abandoned land with a severed Ancestral Vein. How dare trash like you set foot in Zhongzhou? Your very presence is an insult to its sanctity. Trash like you has no right to live. Just die!”

SWISH!

An incomparably terrifying beam of sword light shot toward Arhat.

It was sharp, furious, and powerful, carrying with it the force to sunder heaven and earth.

If this strike landed, Arhat would surely die.

The onlookers watched with deep scorn.

Arhat closed his eyes in despair. ‘Is this how I die? But… I only just arrived in Zhongzhou…’

Just in the nick of time…

A sharp glint of light flashed past. With a BANG, it shattered the sharp Sword Aura. Following it came a voice that Arhat found deeply familiar…

“Who gave you the right to kill someone from my Eastern Continent?”