Chapter 735: Main Peak 2

Chapter 735: Chapter 291: Main Peak 2

Complete silence descended upon the Seven-Star Platform.

All that could be heard was the whistling wind and the ragged breathing of the crowd.

The next moment, a thunderous uproar of shock and astonishment erupted like a long-dormant volcano.

“He won! Brother Chen won again!”

“Even Brother Zhang Baicheng, a True Essence Second Layer expert, was defeated! This… How is this possible?!”

“Not even the Mystic Sun Lineage’s Great Sun Heaven-Burning Spear and Divine Secret Technique could stop him?”

“My god! Brother Zhang Baicheng lost too! He’s a master at the True Essence Second Layer!”

“He broke through two challenges and defeated two True Essence Realm masters in a single day! What terrifying power!”

The voices of the crowd merged into a massive wave of sound, surging skyward and seeming to make the very clouds tremble.

The area for the True Martial Lineage’s disciples erupted. Many were so excited their faces flushed red, finally releasing all the frustration from being suppressed by the Nine Heavens and Mystic Sun Lineages.

Qu River watched Chen Qing, his expression growing inexplicably complex.

He had originally thought Chen Qing joined the True Martial Lineage to be his subordinate.

But now, the young man’s rate of growth was simply unbelievable.

Qu River let out a long breath. In any case, this was a good thing for the True Martial Lineage.

In stark contrast to the True Martial Lineage’s elation was the dead silence in the sections for disciples from Nine Heavens Peak and Profound Sun Peak.

The faces of those from the Nine Heavens Lineage were grim. Lu Chenming’s severe injury and defeat had already brought them shame. Now, seeing Chen Qing take down even Zhang Baicheng, their shock was beyond words.

Zhong Yu’s expression was dark.

Chen Qing’s meteoric rise had far exceeded his expectations.

Lu Chenming’s loss could be excused; he had only just entered the True Essence Realm and his foundation was unstable. But Zhang Baicheng’s defeat was undeniable proof of Chen Qing’s terrifying power.

This was a major complication for him and for the Nine Heavens Lineage’s plans.

The playful smile on Yanchi’s face had vanished, replaced by an unprecedented gravity.

A shift in the ranks of the True Inheritors was a direct threat to his own standing.

The disciples of the Mystic Sun Lineage looked as though they had just been jolted from a dream, many still unable to accept what had happened.

“This… How can this be…”

The smile had long vanished from Luo Chengxuan’s face.

Zhang Baicheng was his close friend and one of the Mystic Sun Lineage’s most prominent True Inheritors. Such a crushing defeat felt personal.

He stared at Chen Qing, a mixture of shock and an indescribable sense of dread in his eyes.

After all, Zhang Baicheng was the eighth, and he was the seventh.

‘If Chen Qing keeps climbing the ranks, doesn’t that mean he’ll be a threat to me?’

Luo Chengxuan forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his heart, struggling to calm himself.

Ruan Lingxiu’s beautiful eyes were wide, her lips slightly parted. Her stunning face was a mask of pure shock, as if she had forgotten to breathe.

With this battle, the True Inheritor rankings had shifted. Chen Qing was now eighth, and she… was now tenth.

This seemingly small change sent massive waves crashing through her heart.

‘Perhaps… the True Martial Lineage is truly going to rise again because of him?’

All the True Inheritors present were lost in complex thoughts.

Down below the stage, Shen Xiuyong and Qiao Hongyun were ecstatic. Chen Qing’s grand display of power meant he would finally establish a firm foothold in the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect.

Meanwhile, Wan Shangyi, Wu Anren, and the other True Successor Candidates had deeply mixed feelings.

They stared at the platform, all fighting spirit drained from their faces.

Today’s battle had drawn a clear line between them and Chen Qing. It wasn’t just a difference in rank, but a difference in tiers—a chasm of despair.

Now, the ones feeling uneasy weren’t the True Successor Candidates like them, but the higher-ranked True Inheritors.

The hearts of some of the spectating Elders were also churning with turmoil.

‘That powerful True Essence… It’s definitely not as simple as Cultivating Three True Astrals!’

“Chen Qing!”

Luo Ziming turned and departed, heading for Nine Heavens Peak.

On the high platform, the presiding Elder, Gong Nansong, slowly lowered his hand. His gaze fell upon the web of cracks covering the stage and the weakened Zhang Baicheng, his own heart in turmoil.

He took a deep breath and channeled his True Essence, his voice booming across the entire area and silencing the clamoring crowd:

“In this match, Chen Qing is victorious!”

“According to Sect rules, Chen Qing is now the Eighth True Inheritor!”

After the announcement, he immediately waved for the disciples of the Mystic Sun Lineage to come forward and help the injured Zhang Baicheng down for treatment.

With the help of his fellow disciples, Zhang Baicheng struggled to his feet. He glanced at Chen Qing across from him, a bitter smile touching his lips. He still managed to cup his hands in a salute, his voice hoarse. “Junior Brother Chen… Impressive Cultivation, and a fine Spear Technique! I… am in awe!”

Without another word, he turned and left dejectedly, surrounded by his fellow disciples.

Though defeated, he maintained the grace of a veteran True Inheritor. Despite the frustration and bitterness in his heart, he knew this loss wasn’t because he was weak, but because Chen Qing was simply a monster.

Chen Qing stood with his spear withdrawn and gave a slight nod in the direction of Zhang Baicheng’s departure, a gesture of respect.

Just then, the crowd of onlookers parted to make way for a figure who approached at a slow pace.

The man appeared middle-aged, with an ordinary face and dressed in the simple robes of a Main Peak Elder. He didn’t exude any powerful aura, but the moment he appeared, everyone from the presiding Elder Gong Nansong to all the other Elders and Stewards below the stage straightened up, bowing in unison.

“Elder Luo!”

Their voices were filled with heartfelt respect.

Chen Qing’s heart skipped a beat as he immediately guessed the man’s identity. ‘The First Elder of the Main Peak, Sect Leader Jiang Lishan’s eldest disciple, the legendary genius who now lives in seclusion… Luo Ping!’

“True Inheritor Chen.”

Luo Ping walked to the edge of the platform and gave Chen Qing a slight nod, a peaceful smile on his face. “Congratulations on reaching the True Essence Realm and on your successive victories. The younger generation is truly formidable.”