Chapter 1874: Casual Suppression
The crowd's sighs were directed at both the Shadow Race divine ability users and at Fang Chen. They were all too familiar with the methods of the Shadow Race divine ability users. A sneak attack like the one just now would require an immense amount of effort for any of them to defuse. Yet, these few Shadow Race divine ability users had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of a weaker race's divine ability user, failing repeatedly. This proved that the strength of the person before them had indeed exceeded their expectations.
Several God Race divine ability users materialized behind Dai Congyun. "Dai Congyun, if you want to take first place this time, I see you will have to deal with this person first."
The gazes they directed at Fang Chen were filled with scrutiny and solemnity.
A surging battle intent seemed to surface in Dai Congyun's eyes. "His divine ability is indeed peculiar. It has actually piqued my interest, and I would like to experience it for myself."
***
High above within the pavilion in the void.
A Shadow Race Saint, his skin ink-black with three golden lines running down his torso, slowly turned his head to look at Fang Lie. "What's his divine ability?"
The Saints of the powerful races present all shifted their gazes toward Fang Lie, suddenly developing a bit of interest in the weak race before them. But in truth, that interest was not necessarily all that deep. The strength of a race depended primarily on its collective entirety, rather than a single individual. Even among weak races, there was always a chance to awaken divine abilities that had never been seen before. That was entirely normal.
Fang Lie shook his head. "I am not sure myself."
The Shadow Race Saint's brow furrowed slightly. "Even you do not know?"
The Southern God Race Saint smiled faintly. "Divine ability abilities vary greatly and have no fixed parameters. It is only normal not to know. This time around, the sixth-transformation first place might truly not belong to the God Race."
He smiled at the God Race Saint. "It won't be easy for the God Race to sweep all the competitions."
The God Race Saint appeared entirely calm and unruffled. "No matter. The God Race cannot monopolize every single benefit either; some opportunities must be left behind to give outside races a chance to stand out."
"However... if a brat from a weak race is allowed to secure a ranking higher than the Top Twelve Races in the Battle of the Saint Tower, I fear it will invite ridicule from all sides. I feel this child's ranking should stop right here," said the Gold Essence Race Saint flatly.
"Indeed."
The Saints nodded in agreement, including several Saints from the top twelve races. It was as though they had failed to notice that the nine human Saints were also present. Right in front of them, they casually decided that Fang Chen would not be permitted to advance any further.
Aside from Saint Wandao and Fang Lie, the rest of the Human Saints remained completely silent.
Saint Wandao smiled and cupped his hands. "Honored Saints, you're all seniors. Surely you wouldn't go out of your way to make things difficult for a junior?"
The Gold Essence Race Saint glanced at him and said indifferently, "It can hardly be called making things difficult. We are merely prioritizing the bigger picture."
He paused before adding, "None of us will personally intervene. Everything will proceed in accordance with the rules of the Battle of the Saint Tower."
Saint Long nodded. "Mm, as long as the rules are not broken, it is fine."
Saint Wandao spoke no further.
The Human Saints present could easily read between the lines; these powerful races simply did not hold the Human Race in any regard whatsoever. Even though the Human Race had produced a competitor who broke into the top one hundred, it still wasn't enough to make them worth winning over. And since they weren't going to win him over, what remained was a casual suppression.
"Things have become troublesome," Saint Wandao's voice transmitted directly into Fang Lie's ear.
"It is up to the kid himself. If he can hold out until the very end, it is his own capability. If he cannot, it does not matter. Today's achievement has already set an excellent example for the Human Race," replied Fang Lie.
At that moment, the most elite group among the Human Race were all gathered within their respective Inner Domains, watching the scenes inside the Saint Tower with complete concentration. Ordinarily, only the honorific names of Half Saints would be recognized by these elite existences. Yet now, a mere sixth-transformation divine ability user had already left an indelible impression on their minds.
***
After their sneak attacks failed to yield results, the few Shadow Race divine ability users tried to flee swiftly, only to be fixed in place by Fang Chen's immortal essence, unable to move a muscle. However, the one who had struck first suddenly realized that a tiny fraction of the immortal essence inside his body could now be mobilized.
The Shadow Race divine ability user immediately roared, "His divine ability has a limit! If you all do not attack now and allow him to defeat us one by one, first place will definitely be his!"
In the next instant, the divine ability users of the various races all reacted. With supreme tacit understanding, they launched a collective assault on Fang Chen.
As one divine ability user after another drew closer, the limit of Mortal World was shattered. Within a split second, their divine abilities were sequentially restored!
With the prior instructions from their respective Saints, their only target right now was Fang Chen. Aside from Dai Congyun and a few Southern God Race divine ability users who did not join in, everyone moved in.
Seeing that scene, the human divine ability users watching felt their breathing stall! Being besieged by a combined assault from such a group of geniuses from the powerful races left absolutely no hope of survival!
A look of pity surfaced on Dai Congyun's face. The person before him originally stood a chance to compete with him for the sixth transformation first-place title, but since the Saints above refused to let this weak race divine ability user stay until the end, his counterpart could only face elimination.
Dai Congyun thought to himself. "The Soul Race might accept him. When the time comes, he will also become a divine ability user of the top twelve races. There will still be opportunities to clash in the future. However... perhaps by our next clash, I will have already broken through the limit."
The few Shadow Race divine ability users who had suffered setbacks in front of Fang Chen were the most ecstatic right now. The black blades in their hands erupted with an exceptionally terrifying aura of destruction as they scrambled to be the first to thrust toward Fang Chen.
Seeing that, Fang Chen took a step backward and melted into the shadows, vanishing in a flash.
The combined offensive completely struck empty air, and the terrifying residual shockwave blasted them all back over a hundred feet.
Staring at the pitch-black crater gouged into the ground, one divine ability user asked in bewilderment, "Where did he go?"
"Was that not the Shadow Buddha Technique just now?!" A God Race divine ability user turned to glare at the Shadow Race divine ability users. "What is wrong with you people? Why is he able to use your race's divine ability ability?"
"How should we know!"
The few Shadow Race divine ability users exchanged bewildered looks. Then, swapping glances, they instantly melted back into the shadows.
***
High above within the pavilion in the void.
The Shadow Race Saint abruptly snapped his gaze toward Fang Lie, his eyes filled with intense scrutiny and suspicion.
"Perhaps it is merely a similar technique," remarked Fang Lie with a strange expression.
"A similar technique? My Shadow Race has dominated the Divine Realm for countless years and conquered infinite regions of the Qingming. We have never encountered any divine ability similar to my race's," said the Shadow Race Saint coldly.
"Those words are somewhat biased. Just because you have not encountered it does not mean it does not exist. Furthermore, the Shadow Buddha Technique is hardly a unique method. If it were to encounter the Radiant Buddha Technique, it would also suffer a setback," said the Southern God Race Saint as he smiled, his tone carrying a trace of mockery.
The moment his words fell, they watched as those few Shadow Race divine ability users were forcibly beaten out of the shadows. Immediately after, an existence with three heads and six arms stepped out from the darkness, catching the gathered divine ability users completely off guard!
The smile on the Southern God Race Saint's face instantly froze solid.
The Shadow Race Saint went blank for a brief moment before suddenly laughing out loud. "Three heads and six arms? This fellow couldn't possibly carry the bloodline of your Southern God Race, could he?"
The Human Saints looked at one another in silence. Even Fang Lie was secretly astonished. Could the legendary Reincarnation Immortal Sect truly possess such miraculous powers?