Unrivaled Martial Emperor

Chapter 676 - True Martial City

The news of the battle between Chen Fan and Yuan Powang was like a storm that rippled across the entire eastern continent.

Chen Fan defeating the Third Dragon Lord, Seventh Young Master, and others had merely stirred a storm on the Gen Road and slightly rippled through neighboring ancient roads. However, his latest victory shook the entire eastern continent to its core.

The geniuses on the eight ancient roads all learned about a peerless genius known as Chen Fan. He defeated a half-step Heavenly Star realm expert with a mere seventh-level Divine Nascent realm cultivation!

Although it was a pyrrhic victory, it was still a win!

Chen Fan’s fame soared to unprecedented heights.

As the Ancient Trial Roads neared their conclusion, a fierce wave of competition surged through the eight ancient roads. Geniuses scrambled to leave their mark, desperate to score the last points that would decide their fate.

It was common knowledge that the True Martial Academy’s higher-ups were meticulously observing the events on these Ancient Trial Roads.

The more a genius managed to shake the heavens and etch their name into the road's history, the greater the opportunities they would receive once they entered the academy.

After a hundred years of silence, the eight Ancient Trial Roads fell into a frenzy.

Countless young geniuses set foot on the Ancient Trial Roads, making their way to the True Martial Academy.

Now, the trial was in its final stages. Everyone needed to grab this last opportunity to make a name for themselves.

Amid this chaos, one name stood out above all others: Chen Fan.

His fame eclipsed that of every top genius who had initially shaken the Ancient Trial Roads.

Chen Fan's journey could only be described as a ruthless march of slaughter, carving out a path of blood amidst countless dangers. With every kill, he grew more ferocious and more powerful. Ultimately, he reached a level where not even a half-step Heavenly Star realm expert could gain the upper hand against him.

No other genius had ever achieved such a feat on the Ancient Trial Roads.

In a manner of speaking, he had stacked the corpses of his enemies to reach the sky. The stack had countless geniuses and experts, their blood drenching the trial road.

This battle had elevated Chen Fan to a realm of unparalleled fear, allowing him to traverse the Shattered Star Domain in peace.

Many people had looks of panic on their faces when they saw Chen Fan and gave way to him as if avoiding a ferocious beast that could obliterate them with a single strike.

And why wouldn’t they? He wasn’t just a foe—he was a calamity they couldn’t afford to provoke.

A month later, Chen Fan walked out of the Shattered Star Domain and arrived at the True Martial City.

Even Heavenly Star realm experts would not dare to make a move now.

The True Martial City was the True Martial Academy’s territory. Making a move here was akin to challenging the True Martial Academy, which was—in turn—akin to sharpening the blade for your execution.

Even though countless eyes burned with desire for Chen Fan's martial arts secrets and treasures, they could do nothing but swallow their envy.

The True Martial Academy was located in the mountains. Past the mountain gates, countless spiritual veins crossed paths. Mist and cloud lingered in the air, with violet qi in the surroundings. It was like the realm of an immortal in the mortal world.

This group of mountains was known as the True Martial Mountain Range. Surrounding its vast peripheries were several cities that rose majestically from the ground, forming an unbroken circle around the entire range.

Together, these cities, along with the mountain range itself, spanned an area rivaling that of an entire empire.

All of this was the True Martial Academy’s territory; it did not belong to any nation. It was an autonomous realm, claimed the very day the academy was established.

Every hundred years, one city would awaken from its slumber, becoming a bustling gateway to the academy.

This was the True Martial City, the place where the academy welcomed its new disciples. It stood as a behemoth, exuding an aura so overwhelming that it made even powerful cultivators pale in comparison.

A figure stood just outside the True Martial City, sizing up this massive city.

“What an enormous city. Even the Great Chu Empire’s imperial city is a mere shadow in comparison. The difference is like that between a city and a village. As expected of an overlord-class force of the eastern continent.” Chen Fan sighed emotionally.

The sheer scale and presence of the True Martial City spoke volumes of the academy's unfathomable foundation. It wasn't just a city—it was a divine fortress.

The True Martial City was enormous. Its city walls alone stood several thousand feet tall, and its width was simply immeasurable; its end could not be seen at all. It was like a dormant, ferocious beast sprawled across the land, emanating an aura that struck fear into all who gazed upon it.

Numerous powerful figures stood at the city gates. Almost every one of them was in the fifth or sixth-level Divine Nascent realm. There were even seventh or eighth-level top experts, their towering auras bolstered by the presence of ferocious beasts at their side.

Chen Fan cast a glance over. There were dozens of such powerful experts here, and they were all waiting for something.

Had this assembly appeared in the Great Chu Empire, they would have been an unstoppable force capable of sweeping through the nation without opposition.

These people were all very young, all under fifty years of age. They represented the pinnacle of the younger generation—geniuses who had traversed the Ancient Trial Roads and earned their place here at the gates of the True Martial Academy.

Each of them stood as proof of unparalleled strength and talent.

Chen Fan kept a low profile, joining the ranks of these people indifferently, not catching any attention at all. After him, several people arrived one after another.

“When exactly will it open? So slow!” said a sixth-level Divine Nascent realm expert impatiently. “I’ll smash these damn gates if they don’t let me in soon.”

"By all means, try. But don’t drag us with you if you’re looking to die. Can’t you see those people hanging above the city walls? They tried the same thing, and now they’re nothing but a grim display, dangling there like dried fish,” said the young man next to him with a cold smile.

He pointed toward the city walls, where several figures hung lifelessly, a chilling reminder of the consequences of rash actions.

“Could it be that there’s something more to this? Why haven’t they opened the gates yet?” asked a puzzled martial artist.

“Of course. During the year-long recruitment for new disciples, the True Martial City’s city gates only open in the evening every day. If you arrive outside of that time, you’ll simply have to wait. There are still four hours until sunset. Just wait,” said someone, evidently knowing the rules of the True Martial City.

“Isn’t there any other way to enter the city earlier? Why must we wait a whole day for this?” said someone, dissatisfied.

“This is what’s called a show of authority. Who among us isn’t a top genius from our respective lands? Some of us would inevitably be arrogant, believing we can act however we please within the True Martial Academy. This is to keep us in check. You see those people hanging on the city walls? They’re idiots who think they are invincible. In the end, they were captured by the senior brothers from the Law Enforcement Hall and hung there as a warning to the others.

“Of course, there’s also a way if you don’t wish to wait here obediently. That is to fight your way in from the front. There’s a 108 Wooden Puppets Grand Formation at the main gate. If you can make your way through, then you may enter the city directly.”

The young man continued, “But that Wooden Puppet Grand Formation is no joke. Even a ninth-level Divine Nascent realm expert might not be able to break through. It’s designed to filter out the true geniuses from the rest.”

“People like us can also be called geniuses, but we’re only ordinary geniuses. Others are on an entirely different level—monstrous geniuses. In the same cultivation level, they could take on dozens of us. Take that Chen Fan guy, for example. With only seventh-level Divine Nascent realm cultivation, he defeated a half-step Heavenly Star realm expert. Can people like us do something like that? We can’t!

“That 108 Wooden Puppets Grand Formation is prepared for monstrous geniuses like Chen Fan. As for us? We’re nowhere near that level. So, just wait here obediently. It’s only four hours—it’ll pass before you know it.”