Great Villain: Starting by Humiliating the Son of the Heavenly Fate

"Hmph!" A scornful sound broke the silence. It came from a demon at the Dao Palace realm. "The only reason he had a chance was because he depended on the strength of the Purple Heaven Holy Land. Only with their help could he team up with their Supreme Elder to defeat Long Tianlu."

He sneered as he continued, "Now that the Purple Heaven Holy Land is far away, and without Ji Mingxiu and the others, he won’t have that support. How much trouble can Jiang Chen really cause?"

"True," another demon growled in agreement.

"Jiang Chen is doomed to fall before us."

"Geniuses... Ah, I love nothing more than crushing the human race’s prodigies."

The eyes of the demon race’s top leaders glinted with malice, their faces twisting into cruel smiles.

...

At that moment, the voice of the host echoed through the arena, "The first phase of the competition has ended!"

"Here are the scores from our competing prodigies: Jiang Chen with 999 points... Wu Xiaoman with 637 points..."

He paused for a moment, letting the scores sink in with the audience before continuing, "Next, we will move on to the second phase of the combat prowess competition: a battle contest where each participant’s True Combat Power will be adjusted to the same level."

"Each cultivator will face the remaining thirteen opponents. Winners will receive 300 points, while losers will be awarded points based on their performance!"

"We will now begin the drawing to determine the pairings."

After his announcement, a device for the draw was brought out on the platform.

"Suppressed to the same realm?" a cultivator watching the competition wondered out loud.

"That rule seems really fair!" another agreed, nodding.

"It’s a big advantage for prodigies from lower realms!"

"If everyone’s at the same level, it really shows who has the best natural combat skills!"

"This competition is definitely well-organized!"

A murmur of approval spread through the crowd, with many spectators nodding in agreement, their faces showing that they were all on the same page.

By suppressing the realm, the advantages that cultivators like Jiang Chen had would be greatly reduced.

Next, the thirteen competing cultivators stepped forward for the drawing.

Although it was called a drawing, its main purpose was simply to determine the order of the matches.

Each cultivator would face all the others one after the other.

Soon, the drawing was finished.

"Jiang Chen!" Wu Xiaoman, a prodigy from the Dao Comprehension realm, whispered, her face pale.

She let out a deep sigh, Of all people, the first match is against Holy Son Jiang Chen!

Even knowing that Jiang Chen’s realm would be suppressed for the duel, she still felt that her chances of winning were very slim.

Next, the formation split into seven sections, each one set up as a separate battleground for the competition.

"Begin the battle!" At the host’s signal, the second phase of the combat prowess competition began.

"Please advise!" From a kilometer away, Wu Xiaoman called out to Jiang Chen, her face serious.

Knowing her chances of winning were slim, she was still determined.

"Please!" Jiang Chen responded, having adjusted his realm to match Wu Xiaoman’s. His voice was calm, without any hint of arrogance.

Wu Xiaoman’s Origin Power surged, and she turned into a whirlwind, charging toward Jiang Chen in the blink of an eye.

Myriad Changes Everlasting Sword Technique!

With his fingers forming the shape of a sword, Jiang Chen flicked them gently, unleashing a powerful sword Qi that created a violent storm of energy.

"Ah!" Wu Xiaoman cried out as she was thrown backward, but she wasn’t injured.

Quickly recovering, she charged at Jiang Chen again.

"I’ll let you score a few points," Jiang Chen said with a slight smile, engaging Wu Xiaoman briefly with only his Myriad Changes Everlasting Sword Technique.

Then, taking advantage of a perfect moment, he thrust forward with sudden force, sending Wu Xiaoman flying into the air.

Hum! Hum!

The formation’s defense mechanism activated, surrounding Wu Xiaoman with a protective barrier to ensure she wasn’t harmed.

"Jiang Chen vs. Wu Xiaoman, Jiang Chen wins!" The host’s voice echoed across the arena. As the audience took in the result, Jiang Chen, remaining calm, turned and walked off the platform.

"Jiang Chen earns three hundred points, Wu Xiaoman one hundred!" the host continued.

The following battles took place one after another.

As Jiang Chen faced the remaining twelve cultivators, he always allowed his opponents to score a few points, never fully defeating them.

This approach not only preserved the dignity of the other cultivators but also made the demon race members feel overconfident.

Before long, all the matches were finished.

Jiang Chen won all thirteen duels, earning a total of three thousand nine hundred points.

...

Meanwhile, deep within the northern seas of Ageless Spirit Heavenly Island, news of the competition’s progress kept reaching the demons.

"This Jiang Chen is truly impressive," remarked a demon at the Dao Palace realm, nodding in admiration. "Even with his realm suppressed, he continues to win. The techniques he uses are unique, and he hasn’t even shown all his strength. His combat abilities are undeniably powerful."

"Hmph, no matter how strong he is, he’s still at the Late-stage Dao Palace realm," another demon sneered.

"The more impressive his victories are, the harder it will be for human cultivators to bear his defeat. I can’t wait to see his downfall."

"Hahaha, we should make him suffer longer. The more pain he feels, the greater the blow to the humans!"

The demons laughed cruelly, delighting in their dark plans.

...

By now, the Immortal Martial Grand Assembly had begun its second competition: the comparison of Innate Talents.

"With my unique bloodline, I’m sure I’ll take the top spot in this round!" an eager prodigy from the Dao Comprehension realm declared. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

Many of the other competitors shared his excitement.

Each participant in this grand assembly had been chosen as the top prodigy from the Immortal Martial Continent, recognized as the best in their fields!

While some might not be as strong in combat, they were all incredibly confident in their talents and natural abilities.

One by one, the thirteen contenders began to demonstrate their talents. Jiang Chen was set to go last. While each cultivator achieved impressive scores, a clear ranking started to form. Those at the bottom couldn’t hide their disappointment, while the top scorers stood with confidence.

Finally, it was Jiang Chen’s turn. All eyes turned to him.

Without hesitation, he placed his hand on the special artifact designed to measure aptitude and innate talent.

Boom!

Suddenly, a brilliant flash of light exploded from the artifact, causing its readings to soar off the charts!

"What?!" A cultivator exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief. "Could Jiang Chen’s innate talent really be this extraordinary?!"

"I knew he was incredibly talented, but this... How deep must his aptitude and innate talent be to produce such a result?!"

All around, cultivators stared in utter astonishment: their eyes wide and their mouths hanging open, as if they might drop their jaws at any moment.

The other prodigious participants were even more stunned, their gazes blank and their lips trembling.

The impact of Jiang Chen’s display was so overwhelming that it seemed to break their confidence, leaving them nearly defeated.

The host then stepped forward, signaling the start of the third competition: the Willpower assessment.

For this challenge, a special artifact would apply intense mental pressure on the contenders.

The level of pressure was adjusted according to each participant’s cultivation base.

The longer a contestant could withstand the strain, the higher their score would be.

Though many competitors were mentally rattled by Jiang Chen’s earlier display, they remained determined.

Even if winning first place seemed impossible, securing a respectable rank still promised valuable recognition.

The third competition began shortly after.

One by one, the cultivators succumbed to the immense pressure. Only Jiang Chen remained unshaken, as if the pressure had no effect on him.

This display left the onlookers in awe.

Having already secured first place and not wishing to drag things out, Jiang Chen quickly ended his round.

The final competition was about to begin: Wisdom!

This round centered on Yin-Yang Go, a popular strategy board game on the Immortal Martial Continent. In this game, the only asset a competitor had was their intellect, which would guide them to victory on the gameboard.

Many cultivators felt confident about this round, as it had nothing to do with their aptitude, realm, or combat strength.

Some even secretly strengthened their resolve, eager to outshine Jiang Chen!

...

As the final competition was about to begin, deep within the northern seas of Ageless Spirit Heavenly Island, Jiu Xiaoyin spoke in a cold voice, "Once the competition ends, the Dao protectors will return to the venue. We must set our trap and capture all those gifted talents before then."

Bo Lang’s face, filled with ruthless determination, darkened. "Not just the prodigies," he added. A murderous glint flashed in his eyes. "The countless human cultivators are like fish waiting for their fate. Perfect for the kill."

With a commanding tone, he ordered, "All divisions, move forward with the utmost stealth!"

"Yes!" The demons and demonic cultivators replied in unison, then silently made their way toward the Immortal Martial Grand Assembly venue.