Supreme Emptiness

Chapter 2205: Chapter 2249: Heavenly Announcing Arena

Lost in thought, Jiang Fan took out a Space Storage Device and looked inside.

A complete, ancient arena came into view.

Compared to the arena in front of him... it was exactly the same!

This was the arena obtained by the ancestors of the Jian Family. It was said to have come from beyond the heavens. From it, the Jian Family comprehended many Cultivation Techniques, which allowed them to become a prosperous aristocratic family in Taicang State, second only to the Three God Sect and the Seven Great Teachings.

Jiang Fan had even comprehended a Heavenly-level Invisibility Technique from it—the ”No-Self Dust-Cleansing Technique.”

To think that the trial for the Sword Saint’s legacy was being held on an identical arena!

His mind raced as he asked Fuyun Great Sage, ”Sis, there seems to be something special about that arena.”

Fuyun Great Sage crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes at him.

”I’m not blind.”

With just a casual glance, anyone could see the arena’s antiquity and the ancient charm it held. Moreover, it was being used as the arena for the trial.

How could it *not* be special?

A look of yearning appeared in her eyes as she spoke.

”The Daqian Divine Kingdom unified the heavens. Reflecting on the chaotic eras of the past, when various worlds were ruled by powerful families who exploited All Races and forced the masses into world wars for their own selfish interests...

”This led to worlds crushing each other, plunging lives into misery, and causing civilizations to sink into darkness and gradually become desolate.

”After the establishment of the Divine Kingdom, they were determined to reform. To give the lowest beings in the world a way out and break the monopoly of powerful families over the world, they implemented many measures.

”One of those measures is the arena before us.

”The Divine Kingdom set up nine hundred and ninety Heavenly Announcing Arenas across Daqian.

”Anyone with strength, regardless of their status or the level of their cultivation, could showcase their skills on the arena.

”If they performed exceptionally well, the results would be reported directly back to the Imperial Family, and they would subsequently receive intensive cultivation from the Imperial Family.

”Even if their performance was lacking, they could still learn a portion of the martial arts left behind by their predecessors in the arena.

”That was a great era where a lowly ant could transform into a dragon, regardless of bloodline or status.”

Jiang Fan’s gaze wavered. Even though he had already caught glimpses of that era’s magnificent atmosphere through countless legendary anecdotes in the library, he was still deeply moved by her words.

How fortunate the sentient beings of ten thousand years ago were to encounter a nation that treated every life fairly, to meet a group of pioneers who pitied the common people at the bottom.

He thought of the Ancient Saint of Cloud Desolation.

The brand new Cultivation System she created offered a fast cultivation speed, far superior to bloodline inheritance. Therefore, those powerful families gradually abandoned the path of bloodline inheritance. Instead, they joined beings of ordinary origins on the fair path of comprehending the Heavenly Dao.

However, this method could still be exploited by the powerful families. That was because the realms before the Nascent Soul descended into madness—including Qi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, and prior to the Nascent Soul Eight Orifice Stage—still required massive amounts of resources.

Ordinary people were still unable to compete fairly with the powerful families.

The Heavenly Announcing Arena reduced the gap between the two sides to a certain extent. Commoners with excellent Talent would be directly and intensively cultivated by the Daqian Divine Kingdom, ensuring that hopeful individuals would never be suppressed by powerful families to the point of being unable to rise.

Meanwhile, those with average Talent could also reap benefits from the arena, gaining martial arts that allowed them to live better lives in the world, peacefully raise children, and give birth to more future and hope.

The two were mutually complementary.

The Cultivation System designed by the Ancient Saint of Cloud Desolation targeted the upper echelons. The Heavenly Announcing Arena served as a supplement to her system.

Jiang Fan only just realized this. He murmured in his heart, ”Could the Ancient Saint of Cloud Desolation and the founders of the Daqian Divine Kingdom be the same kind of people? Their ideologies seem completely identical.”

He wondered where the Ancient Saint of Cloud Desolation was now. She had been angered into leaving by him back then, and there had been no news of her since she left Central Earth.

”Ugh, whatever, she’s an inexplicable woman!” Jiang Fan suppressed the annoyance in his heart and looked at the arena once more.

”Sis, is this so-called trial just them individually stepping onto the arena to fight the phantoms inside and test the strength of their Sword Dao?” Jiang Fan asked.

A glint of sharp light flashed in Fuyun Great Sage’s eyes. ”How do you know? Don’t tell me you’ve seen other Heavenly Announcing Arenas?”

Back when the Daqian Divine Kingdom was destroyed by an unknown power, the nine hundred and ninety Heavenly Announcing Arenas scattered across the lands were attacked simultaneously.

The vast majority were turned to ashes. Most of the surviving ones were dilapidated. Only two were still usable: one in the Divine Capital, and the other right here in the Martial Vault.

It couldn’t be that Jiang Fan also had one, right?

Jiang Fan thought for a moment, then nodded and said, ”I have one on me.”

He couldn’t speak about the Ancestral Dao, as it involved his own safety. However, the arena only involved profit. If there were benefits to be had, he was more than happy to share them with Fuyun Great Sage.

”Ah?” Fuyun Great Sage cried out in shock!

This sound immediately drew many gazes, including those of all the Sages present.

Long Xu Sage’s eyes revealed surprise. His gaze darted between her and Jiang Fan as he asked, ”Fuyun, what are you so surprised about?”

Jian Wuchou’s eyes also flickered with speculation. What could cause a Three Calamities Realm expert to lose her composure like this?

Jiang Fan was equally surprised. For Fuyun Great Sage to react so strongly, could the Heavenly Announcing Arena be even more valuable than he imagined?

”We were just gossiping, saying that a certain patriarch has an illegitimate child.” Fuyun Great Sage quickly covered up, adding, ”The shocking part is that he only has one! I thought they’d be everywhere!”

The crowd looked at each other in dismay, wondering if this was even worth being shocked over.

Shaking their heads, everyone’s attention refocused on the slowly descending arena.

Fuyun Great Sage secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Then, she grabbed Jiang Fan’s shoulders with both hands and sent a vicious voice transmission, ”Junior, hand over the fortuitous encounter!”

Speechless, Jiang Fan used Mute Zen to send a voice transmission back, ”Don’t you want to see the Mixed Element State Wine Festival anymore?”

Fuyun Great Sage bared her teeth and replied, ”I don’t want him, I don’t want him! What a trashy man, this old lady doesn’t want him anymore. I’m going to rob you!”

It wasn’t that she was ruthless; it was truly because Jiang Fan had far too many treasures on him.

Jiang Fan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He sent a voice transmission, ”After the trial ends, I’ll let you use it for a bit.”

Hearing this, Fuyun Great Sage finally withdrew the burning fervor from her eyes. She poked him in the forehead and huffed, ”At least you have some conscience, kid!”

”Don’t worry, Sis won’t use it for free. I’ll give you some Top-grade Spirit Swords when the time comes.”

Oh?

Jiang Fan’s eyes suddenly lit up!

If there was anywhere in the myriad heavens and worlds that still had surplus Top-grade Spirit Swords, it was undoubtedly the Martial Vault, which managed the Divine Weapons of the Divine Kingdom!

He hurriedly said, ”Thank you, Sis!”

A sly gleam flashed through Fuyun Great Sage’s eyes.

These swords were specifically collected over the past half month. She had originally planned to give them to Jiang Fan when they parted ways. Now that she could use his Heavenly Announcing Arena for free once, she had made a profit.

RUMBLE—

The Heavenly Announcing Arena above their heads descended with a whistling howl.

A mysterious, ancient aura swept out like a torrential flood.

In a daze, one could faintly see indistinct figures fiercely fighting on it, unleashing Cultivation Techniques, Divine Skills, and weapons they had never seen before.

The dense throng of experts all revealed looks of intense desire.

”For the Heavenly Announcing Arena, only those who step into the Sage realm are qualified to go up once and comprehend the Divine Arts from the Daqian Divine Kingdom era.”

”I almost comprehended a Heaven Level Technique back then, but unfortunately, time was rushed, and I missed the opportunity.”

”I heard someone even comprehended a Quasi-Immortal Technique and became invincible among peers of the same realm.”

Let alone ordinary people, even Three Calamities Realm experts like Long Xu Sage and Jian Wuchou were staring at the arena with looks of regret.

It was evident that they had also failed to find the Divine Skills they desired on the arena. And with their chances used up, they would never be able to step onto it again.

Jiang Fan’s eyes flashed with astonishment. No wonder Fuyun Great Sage was so excited; it turned out that the people of the Martial Vault could only use it once.

In that case, the value of the Heavenly Announcing Arena was hardly inferior to the Peace Monument!