The crowd could only look on helplessly after hearing the young man's words.
He was absolutely right.
They were all top geniuses from various domains who had gone through the brutal elimination of the Ancient Trial Road. However, they were still nothing compared to people like Chen Fan and the First Dragon Lord.
“It looks like we don’t have a choice then. We can only wait.”
“That’s right. Even a ninth-level Divine Nascent realm might struggle to break through. Honestly, this display of authority feels a bit overwhelming."
“I wonder if anyone broke through the main gates?”
“Of course. The First Dragon Lord and the other apex geniuses have all broken through the Wooden Puppet Grand Formation. I have to admit that these people are really worthy of being called monstrous geniuses. They broke through the formation very easily. In the same cultivation level, they could definitely fight one against ten, or even a hundred.”
“Isn’t that a little too exaggerated?”
“Not at all! I arrived in the morning and witnessed a monster-class genius taking on the formation. Do you know who it was?”
“Who? The First Dragon Lord?”
“No, it was the Flame King, Xiao Yan. He’s currently in the eighth-level Divine Nascent realm, yet he easily broke through the Wooden Puppet Grand Formation. As expected of the man born with a fire spirit body. He’s so strong that it makes no sense.”
At the back, Chen Fan revealed a faint smile.
This test was rather interesting. It seemed to suggest that you could afford to be arrogant if you had the power, but without it, you'd best stay in line.
The True Martial Academy had opened the Ancient Trial Roads specifically to find these true monstrous talents.
Everyone wanted to make a name for themselves on the ancient road, hoping to catch the attention of the True Martial Academy’s higher-ups.
Yet, only a handful truly managed to earn great fame on the Ancient Trial Road.
Chen Fan understood that this so-called main gate test was just another filter to uncover any hidden talents.
I can’t be bothered waiting. I’ll just fight my way through from the main gate.
Chen Fan slowly walked toward the main gate.
Suddenly, someone shouted, “Hehe, interesting. I want to see just how impressive this Wooden Puppet Grand Formation is and if it can stop me, Nie Xiao!”
From behind, a man and a tiger rushed forward.
The man appeared to be in his thirties, tall and sturdy. His face was slightly tanned, his eyebrows raised, and fierce killing intent surged from his eyes, radiating an unshakable confidence that looked down on the world.
Under him was a white tiger demonic beast, overflowing with ferocity. It stood over twenty feet tall, its body glowing with a brilliant light. Its sharp claws seemed powerful enough to tear through space with a single swipe.
The crowd murmured among themselves when they heard Nie Xiao's name, their faces showing a mix of awe and fear.
“Nie Xiao? I’ve heard of him. He’s a famous figure on the Qian Road. Look at his aura. He recently advanced to the ninth-level Divine Nascent realm. I wonder if he could break through the Wooden Puppet Grand Formation.”
“Speaking of which, the Wooden Puppet Grand Formation at the main gate can also be considered a test. One can prove that they are strong enough by breaking through the Wooden Puppet Grand Formation even if they didn’t really earn great fame for themselves on the Ancient Trial Road.”
“That’s right. I don’t think he’ll have any trouble breaking through the Wooden Puppet Grand Formation."
“Come on, let’s go take a look.”
Nie Xiao might not have achieved the widespread fame of Chen Fan across the eastern continent, but he was still quite renowned. Many had heard of him and knew of his exploits on the ancient road.
He urged his demonic tiger mount to run toward the main gate. Chen Fan happened to be in front of him, but Nie Xiao showed no intention of stopping at all.
Instead, he flashed a savage grin and sped up.
The demonic tiger mount rushed forth fiercely, planning to run Chen Fan over.
The crowd gasped in shock, thinking this person was incredibly unlucky to cross Nie Xiao's path and wondering if he'd be crushed to death.
Yet, Chen Fan remained still, showing no sign of fear, allowing Nie Xiao and his tiger to crash into him.
Seeing Chen Fan standing his ground and ignoring them, Nie Xiao’s expression grew even more vicious.
“You’re seeking death!”
Nie Xiao and the demonic tiger turned into a streak of divine light and rammed into Chen Fan. Bursts of qi wave swept out one after another.
The crowd sucked in a breath of cold air.
Nie Xiao displayed sheer hubris atop his tiger, charging forward without concern. He didn’t care who was in his way, urging his demonic tiger to crash into anyone who dared stand before him.
As the dust and smoke settled, the crowd was stunned. Chen Fan, who should have been crushed to death, was not only still alive but had calmly sidestepped. He pressed his hand down on the white tiger's forehead, effortlessly halting its terrifying momentum.
“You’re asking to die!” Nie Xiao shouted furiously on the tiger’s back.
The demonic tiger under him was even more enraged. Lightning flashed in its eyes, its front paw seemingly turned into a bolt of lightning and clawed toward Chen Fan.
The tiger's claws were as sharp as a treasured weapon, and the lightning-infused strike seemed ready to slice Chen Fan in half like a block of tofu.
The crowd could barely track the demonic tiger's movements, and fear surged in their hearts.
So be it if Nie Xiao was powerful, but even its demonic tiger mount was in the eighth-level Divine Nascent realm, far surpassing the abilities of most onlookers.
Many believed the young man would face certain death.
What a pity. At such a young age, he'd already reached the seventh-level Divine Nascent realm. He had the potential for a bright future at the True Martial Academy, where he could continue his cultivation. Yet here he was, seemingly destined to meet his end at the city's main gate.
Many people felt pity for him.
After all, everyone who had made it this far to True Martial City had endured countless hardships and battles. However, this young man was about to be killed in front of the True Martial City’s gates. This was simply too unfortunate.
Even so, no one dared to step in and stop Nie Xiao.
Not only did they lack the strength to challenge him, but even if they had it, they wouldn’t risk provoking Nie Xiao.
In a split second, the demonic tiger's razor-sharp claws were about to slice Chen Fan in half.
But then, the crowd's expressions shifted to utter disbelief.
They saw Chen Fan moving his arm. With a single swift motion, his hand chopped off the demonic tiger's front paw.
“Roar!” The demonic tiger immediately let out a miserable cry. The nefarious qi around it erupted violently.
However, Chen Fan’s expression remained unchanged. He did not show a sliver of pity. In an instant, he delivered a palm strike to the demonic tiger's forehead.
This eighth-level Divine Nascent realm demonic tiger’s head exploded, blown up by Chen Fan’s palm force.
“My goodness, that’s an eighth-level Divine Nascent realm demonic tiger. He actually killed it with a single palm strike. Who exactly is this guy? He’s so terrifying!”
This scene shook everyone around him.
Chen Fan had casually killed an eighth-level Divine Nascent realm demonic tiger with a simple palm strike. If they were in that tiger’s place, wouldn’t they have met the same fate?
After all, most of them weren't even as strong as that demonic tiger.