The two geniuses trembled, their eyes twitching, their hearts already swallowed by fear.
They knew exactly how strong Jiang Guang was. Although they were also in the mid-stage of the Spirit Transformation Realm, only by working together could they barely suppress him.
Which meant—even someone as strong as Jiang Guang was completely crushed by Jiang Xuan without a chance to fight back.
If the two of them stepped forward, the outcome would be the same—or even worse.
They exchanged a glance and, suppressing their fear, said with trembling voices, "We'll talk, we'll talk… Just spare our lives, please, Young Lord…"
"You don't qualify to bargain with me."
Jiang Xuan's cold voice echoed. In the next instant, he turned into a streak of divine light, flashing before them, one hand gripping each of their necks.
Crack!
Accompanied by the crisp sound of bones snapping, the two geniuses' life forces rapidly drained away in Jiang Xuan's grasp.
Mystic Dao laws flowed in his palms, forcefully invading their sea of consciousness, tearing apart their souls and reading their memories.
Soul Search.
Moments later, a glint of deep cold light flashed through Jiang Xuan's eyes.
"Jiang Qiankun..."
He slowly raised his gaze to the sky, where a projection of the leaderboard floated, recording each participant's score.
In just one incense stick's time, Jiang Qiankun had already accumulated 62 points, sitting in first place.
Jiang Haoming had 56, Jiang Feng 53, and Jiang Bei 49—closely behind.
Jiang Xuan's eyes grew deeper, his lips curling into a chilling smile. He turned and took to the skies, flying straight toward the heart of the trial grounds.
Half an hour later.
Jiang Xuan appeared above a massive canyon in the center of the desolate land.
Thick, eerie black mist drifted like flowing water, enveloping the canyon and obscuring all view of what lay within.
Even spiritual sense couldn't pierce through the haze.
A strange, indescribable pressure seeped into his heart, heavy and suffocating, as if something terrifying and incomprehensible dwelled deep within.
Frowning, Jiang Xuan felt an inexplicable unease, like his very soul was being suppressed by a higher-level lifeform.
Recalling the records of the True Dragon Egg, a bold guess surfaced in his heart.
"It's about to hatch…"
Excitement surged within him. Without hesitation, he plunged into the black mist and dove toward the bottom of the canyon.
Outside the great river, atop the divine tomb, Mountain Ancestor noticed the scene and revealed a surprised smile.
"Interesting little brat."
Buzz—
The divine tomb trembled slightly, and a mighty aura emerged, forming the figure of a burly ancestral phantom.
Ancient Ancestor, the strongest body-refining cultivator in Jiang Clan history since the Ancient Era.
It was said that his physical body had reached the divine realm, capable of tearing apart True Gods with bare hands and crossing galaxies without effort.
"Is this boy just lucky, or has he already learned the secret of the True Dragon Egg?" Ancient Ancestor muttered in surprise.
Mountain Ancestor chuckled, "He hasn't hunted a single beast since entering the wasteland—clearly he knew where to go."
"But... to even obtain such a secret is already his fortune. This is his destiny."
Ancient Ancestor raised a brow, deep in thought. "Could he be the one… the descendant with a bloodline purity of 95%?"
"If that's the case, we can sleep peacefully and await the coming of the Great Era."
They had buried themselves within the Divine Tomb to escape the erosion of time, preserving their vitality until now.
If they ever emerged, time's laws would instantly take hold—lifeblood would rapidly burn. Even if they did nothing, sealing themselves in stasis, they would at most live another three months.
They slumbered in the tomb like prisoners—for the sake of guarding the Jiang Clan.
They were not there to act as personal guardians to a single Young Lord.
After all, every generation of the Jiang Clan produced four Young Lords.
Having lived this long, they had seen not thousands, but tens of thousands of Young Lords. Among them, Jiang Xuan was not particularly outstanding.
Even if… he might succeed in subduing a just-hatched True Dragon.