# Chapter 2137: Tiered Forces
"What powerful flames, I wonder what kind of fire was used to refine them." Lin Feng's heart trembled as he saw the flames that were like wind and clouds. Although his interference had played a significant role in burning two Emperor realm figures, if the flames of Rufeng and Ruyun hadn't been so domineering and fierce, they wouldn't have been able to kill the enemy. Indeed, all kinds of martial cultivators had their unique aspects. The Array Dao of the Heavenly Array Mysterious Mansion was like this, and the flames of these alchemy masters from the Danxiao Continent were also like this—very powerful.
The other two Emperor realm figures suddenly stopped in their tracks, their faces instantly turning pale. Two Great Emperors had actually been killed. Although they were only guards in the Dan King Clan, not as talented as those with true Dan King Clan bloodline, they were still Emperor realm figures of Shenxiao City, and their strength was by no means ordinary. Yet, two Great Emperors had been killed so quickly.
"Go back and tell Wang Sheng that if he has any tricks, he can bring them out three days from now. These despicable schemes of killing people for treasure are truly low and vile." Rufeng said coldly and contemptuously. The two Emperor realm figures exchanged a glance, then turned and stepped away. They had misjudged the opponent's strength, which had led to the death of two Great Emperors. If they insisted on continuing to fight, they would likely be unable to escape a similar fate.
At this moment, many people around were witnessing the killing battle, sighing inwardly. These few genius figures from the Danxiao Continent truly dared to challenge the Dan King Clan of Shenxiao City. Not only were they skilled in alchemy, but their combat strength was also terrifying.
Rufeng and Ruyun turned back and came to Lin Feng's side, a hint of surprise in their eyes. "Lin Feng, your Array Dao is incredible. Being able to mobilize the power of laws to form a formation in such a short instant—I'm afraid your attainments in Array Dao have already reached the master level."
Having such attainments in Array Dao was equivalent to their own attainments in alchemy. It was already extremely impressive at this level, with outstanding talent. Clearly, the Lin Feng before them, who had a Demon Emperor as a mount, was not just a simple figure from a large family force. His own talent was beyond doubt. Just his attainments in Array Dao alone were enough to secure a very bright future.
"Your flames are also quite domineering." Lin Feng responded with a smile, which was undoubtedly an admission that his attainments in Array Dao had indeed reached the master level. In his eyes, this didn't seem like such a remarkable achievement.
"I didn't expect Brother Lin Feng's Array Dao to be so powerful." Yaoyao also said with a smile. "It seems that this time we can successfully recommend a spot for the Ye Clan."
"En. Since Brother Lin Feng has master-level attainments in Array Dao, his talent goes without saying. With his own strength combined with Array Dao power, he should at least be able to be successfully recommended to the four major forces. As for whether he can obtain the qualification to participate in the Nine Heavens Gathering, I'm afraid he'll need to work harder. It's the same for us. The once-in-a-century Nine Heavens Gathering has always been a gathering place for geniuses. Ordinary monstrous talents can't even obtain the qualification to participate."
Ruyun wasn't joking. This wasn't just about Lin Feng; it was the same for them. How many genius figures were blocked outside the gates of the Nine Heavens Gathering, not even having the qualification to participate in the battle? This might sound ridiculous, but it was actually very normal. This was, after all, a stage for the geniuses among geniuses.
Take Wang Sheng, the four of them, and the two strong figures from the Heavenly Demon Thunder Clan who had fought outside the tavern earlier—they were all considered genius figures. However, looking at the entire Shenxiao City, could they stand at the top level? Not necessarily. Perhaps they couldn't stand at the very top tier; maybe they were in the second tier, or perhaps even further behind.
And what about the people coming from other parts of the Shenxiao Continent, as well as the top geniuses from the other eight continents? Were they inferior to the top tier of Shenxiao City? The answer was clearly no. The top genius figures from the other eight continents and from places outside Shenxiao City on the Shenxiao Continent were, of course, also at the very peak level.
Ruyun and the others were very confident in their own strength, even more confident in their alchemy skills, but they were by no means arrogant. They knew that in terms of combat power, they couldn't rank at the very top tier of their Danxiao Continent. Since they couldn't stand at the highest level in Danxiao Continent, they certainly couldn't do so in the entire Nine Heavens.
The group left the area and headed in a certain direction.
The Ye Clan of Shenxiao City was an ancient saint clan of Shenxiao City, belonging to the third-tier forces.
At the very top tier of forces, the Divine Temple had already made it clear to everyone: the four major forces that were in charge of the Nine Heavens Gathering. They stood at the pinnacle of the Eastern Domain of Shenxiao City, thus possessing this qualification, recognized by the Fate Temple. The Divine Temple couldn't possibly make a mistake, which meant that the comprehensive strength of these four major forces was undoubtedly at the peak of the Eastern Domain of Shenxiao City. And the forces chosen by the Divine Temple would certainly not dare to be duplicitous; they would inevitably go all out to do this job well. As a reward, the four families could have some additional specific quotas to participate in the Nine Heavens Gathering, as well as free access to the inner city of Shenxiao City to observe the process of the Nine Heavens Gathering.
However, the number of people coming to Shenxiao City was enormous. If it relied solely on the four major forces to complete this task, it would inevitably be extremely difficult, and it would be hard to take care of everything comprehensively. Thus, the ancient saint clans below were established to conduct the first round of selection. Only those who were qualified could enter the review of the four major forces. These selectors were the third-tier forces.
As for the second-tier forces, they themselves possessed terrifying strength, but they had not been recognized by the Divine Temple, yet they were unwilling to lower their status to act as subordinates for the four major forces. Therefore, a vacuum appeared. The Heavenly Demon Thunder Clan and the Dan King Clan forces were all second-tier forces.
At present, the Ye Clan had many strong individuals, but most of them were at three levels: High-rank Emperor realm, Great Emperor realm, and Heavenly Emperor realm. Heavenly Emperor realm figures were quite rare; most were at the High-rank Emperor realm and Great Emperor realm. And why did the Nine Heavens Gathering hosted by the Divine Temple only require people at these three levels? Why didn't it need other Martial Emperor realm figures? Because even if you hadn't reached this level, you would still have a chance a hundred years later. Even for genius figures, if you hadn't reached High-rank Emperor in a hundred years, then a hundred years later, you should still be within the Heavenly Emperor realm strength range. Very few people crossed into Saint Emperor. If someone became a Saint Emperor in a hundred years, perhaps they could go find the Divine Temple on their own.
"It's so lively. I believe the other ancient saint clans doing the selection are also like this." Lin Feng entered the Ye Clan. There were many strong individuals, all with extraordinary auras. People who dared to participate in the Nine Heavens Gathering would certainly not be too weak.
"Brother Rufeng, you're back." At this moment, a young man walked over, smiling at Rufeng and the others. His smile was free and easy, with a very strong affinity.
"Brother Ye, let me introduce you. This is a friend I've made, Lin Feng. He also wants to participate in the Nine Heavens Gathering, so I thought I'd recommend him to the Ye Clan." Rufeng smiled at the young man in front of him, then introduced him to Lin Feng: "This is Ye Ning of the Ye Clan."
"Since Brother Rufeng recommends him, I naturally trust Brother Lin Feng. However, I need to explain to Brother Lin Feng first. No matter who comes to my Ye Clan, they must undergo a common screening before we can recommend them to the four major forces. This is to be responsible for this Nine Heavens Gathering. I hope Brother Lin won't take offense."
"This is only right and proper. Brother Ye, just follow the rules." Lin Feng responded with a smile. Naturally, he wouldn't take offense over such a small matter. The Ye Clan was responsible for the first round of screening, so they naturally had to conduct a selection for those who came to the Ye Clan before recommending them to the four major forces, who would then conduct their own assessment. Only then would one be absolutely qualified for a spot in the Nine Heavens Gathering.
"Thank you for your understanding, Brother Lin." Ye Ning cupped his hands to Lin Feng, then smiled and said, "Come. Now that more and more genius figures are arriving at the Ye Clan, everyone can gather together and freely discuss martial arts. Coming from various continents of the Nine Heavens, everyone must have their own insights. If we can share our views on martial arts, it will undoubtedly be very beneficial."
"Alright, let's go." Rufeng nodded. Ye Ning led the group to a vast martial arts arena. In front of them, many people were sitting cross-legged, seemingly occupying the entire arena. Seeing this, Ye Ning smiled and said, "A stage for geniuses to exchange ideas. This is a kind of atmosphere."
A sharp glint flashed in Lin Feng's eyes as he looked at the seated crowd. Indeed, they were all extraordinary figures. Only a stage like the Nine Heavens Gathering could bring about such a grand spectacle in the ancient saint clans of Shenxiao City. Over a hundred genius figures sat together, freely discussing their views on martial arts. Occasionally, when there were contradictions in their discussions, some would walk to the center of the arena to verify their points with each other. Many of those who lost would leave on their own.
"Lin Feng, the Ye Clan encourages us visitors to exchange ideas, but in reality, it's also a process of allowing us to continuously eliminate ourselves." Rufeng transmitted his voice to Lin Feng. Lin Feng naturally understood this principle. With so many genius figures gathered together, many of them were proud and arrogant. If they disagreed on certain points, who would be willing to submit? They would inevitably have to test each other's combat strength before they would stop.
For example, if he and Rufeng and the others were strangers sitting up there, with Rufeng talking about flames and alchemy while he talked about Array Dao, wouldn't they want to try their hand at fighting?
"Brother Lin Feng, since it's your first day here, you must come up and sit." Ye Ning said with a smile. Lin Feng nodded, going with the flow, and quietly found a spot to sit down. Rufeng and the others also walked up and sat beside Lin Feng. As for the Demon Emperor, it crouched behind Lin Feng, quite docile, as if it had no temper.
"In martial arts, it's the essence, energy, and spirit that are decisive. If the essence, energy, and spirit are strong, then naturally, talent is good, cultivation is smooth, and breakthroughs in realm come without obstacles. If the essence, energy, and spirit are not gathered, and the mind is distracted, how can one strengthen their martial arts or break through realms? Those with strong spiritual will can even directly erupt and amplify their combat power."
At this moment, from a certain direction, someone spoke slowly. His voice wasn't very loud, but it was enough for everyone on the entire arena to hear clearly. This was his insight into martial arts.