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And at the same time, they sensed that the source of this pressure was none other than the silver-haired werewolf before them.

Indeed, this pressure was Chen Xuanfeng's "Presence."

Every Sword Saint possessed their own "Presence"—a natural influence on the world from the immense energy perpetually circulating within their bodies, like how oceans and mountains affect the climate and ecology around them. It was an innate trait, not something acquired through training. Each Sword Saint's "Presence" differed in nature and scope depending on their power. Chen Xuanfeng's two opposing combat energies, each with complex attributes—the Holy Grail Battle Aura, embodying holiness, time, and space, and the Nine-Headed Dragon Battle Aura, a fusion of darkness, demon, dragon, and life—had led him to speculate what form his "Presence" might take before he ascended to the Saint realm. He had envisioned possibilities like the Saint Ice Thorn Aura, spanning over a kilometer in diameter, or shadowy manifestations of black and white dragons, or even a cycle of light and darkness akin to the Taiji of his past life. Yet, upon truly attaining the power of the Saint realm, he found his "Presence" was unexpectedly simple and direct. The entanglement of too many attributes seemed to cancel each other out, stripping away all distinct traits. In the end, Chen Xuanfeng's "Presence" manifested as the conversion of the energy tides from the "Star-Sea Abyss" into formless spatial pressure, projected across dimensions to where he stood.

He named it "Void Tide."

Now, Chen Xuanfeng channeled his will into the "Void Tide," using its oceanic force to impose overwhelming pressure upon his enemies. While the "Presence" alone could not crush these warriors among the beastmen's strongest, it was more than enough to disrupt their formations and combat rhythm.

Though not everyone understood the mysteries of the Saint realm, Chen Xuanfeng now faced the most elite warriors of the Beast Alliance—especially the demon beastmen, who had once served as Samantha's royal guard and received direct instruction from both Samantha and the "War Saint" Leimen. Even if every Sword Saint's "Presence" was unique, they recognized what this power signified.

"A Sword Saint…" one demon beastman Sword Emperor uttered hoarsely.

Beria turned and asked, "What did you say?"

"He… he's already a Sword Saint," another demon beastman Sword Emperor confirmed.

Beria and his followers paled. Some tried to rally morale, wanting to say things like, "Sword Saints aren't invincible—if we unite, we can win!" But Chen Xuanfeng's next action silenced all such words before they could be spoken.

Casually drawing the Sword of Divine Punishment from his waist, he raised it skyward, unleashing a thousand-meter-long Platinum Lightning sword beam that nearly pierced the clouds. Then, the silver-haired werewolf swept the blade downward, carving a chasm across the valley—one that split the mountains on either side—before the lion warriors.

"If anyone wishes to challenge me, step across this line… and die."

His icy words froze all resistance. Had Chen Xuanfeng faced beastmen unfamiliar with Sword Saints, they might have fought valiantly. But these warriors, though mighty, had long been humbled by the legends of Samantha and Leimen, witnessing the boundless power of Saint Masters too many times. Instinctively, they thought, "We are no match for a Sword Saint," and thus, their fighting spirit crumbled before Chen Xuanfeng.

In the end, Beria chose to surrender in humiliation without a fight.

The outcome, along with the news of Chen Xuanfeng's ascension to Sword Sainthood, spread through the Beast Alliance in the shortest time possible.

Unsurprisingly, every remaining candidate withdrew from the competition with their followers. None dared oppose the second beast Sword Saint after Leimen—especially one hailed as the "Celestial Saint," seemingly even stronger than the "War Saint" Leimen. Of course, ordinary folk couldn't discern the exact difference between top-tier Saint Masters, but one thing was clear: Chen Xuanfeng's weapons surpassed Leimen's. The Sword of Divine Punishment, capable of unleashing Platinum Lightning to sever all things, and the Tiger Soul Saber, which could cast the supreme dark magic "Apocalypse's Birth," together outmatched Leimen's Soul-Eating Sword. Moreover, rumors spoke of the White Wolf Sword Saint's secret techniques combining blade and saber.

Thus, no one challenged Chen Xuanfeng—and consequently, no one discovered that he could only use half his power at the moment. Had Beria's forces fought with everything they had, they might have given Chen Xuanfeng some trouble. But they gave up, and those who came after lacked both the strength and courage to try. Of course, had Chen Xuanfeng brought his full retinue, he could have won the selection—but then he wouldn't have achieved the overwhelming victory without fighting.

Naturally, if even the second round's follower battles saw no challengers, who would dare face him in the third round, where candidates dueled personally?

Thus, setting the record for the fastest selection in history, Chen Xuanfeng received the right to the Beast King's crown from the Pontiff of the War Deity Temple.

All that remained was the coronation.

Heroic Werewolf Scroll, Chapter 101: Eightfold Light Anchors the Beast City

Back then, Samantha had scoured ancient records and combined coronation rites from past dynasties to design his own enthronement ceremony when he declared himself emperor. But Chen Xuanfeng had no such concerns—the Beast King's coronation had been repeated for centuries, and the War Deity Temple handled it with practiced ease, requiring no input from him. Aside from the tedious rituals, there was little to complain about.

The coronation took place at the "Sacred Colosseum," which, though always the stage for grand spectacles, had seen little use this time. This was where past Beast Kings had issued or received challenges—where victors were gloriously crowned and the defeated bled into the dust. It was here that Catherine's father had been slain by Samantha, and nearly ten other Beast Kings had met their end. Yet, the number of lion warriors crowned here was more than double the fallen. In short, it was a place stirring complex emotions for any Beast King.