by Mars Gravity
Normally, seven people sat behind each plaque. But for Blue Wind Imperial Palace, there was only a pathetic number of four.
“It’s nine. It is about to start.” Qin Wushang spoke softly.
Suddenly, a loud and clear sound of screeching swords could be heard from midair. Everyone lifted their heads instinctively and saw that there were suddenly a hundred swords about three hundred metres above them. The floating swords seemed to have a mind of their own and started dancing around in the sky. The screeching sounds of the swords broke the silence of the skies and the sounds were extremely sharp. After circling the stage for a few rounds, they halted in midair above the main seat, and arranged themselves neatly. Below the floating swords, a white bearded elder walked out slowly, greeted with cusping fists, and spoke in a clear voice: “This old one is Heavenly Sword Villa’s Sword Baptizing Pavilion’s Elder Ling Wugou. I am glad to meet all the heroes and outstanding youths today. I represent our Villa to thank everyone for turning up at Heavenly Sword Villa. This year’s Blue Wind Ranking Tournament…”
“Ling Wugou’s nickname is ‘Scarless Sword’. Even though he looks like any normal elder, he is rumored to be at the eighth level of the Sky Profound Realm already. I’m no longer considered an opponent for him. He has already hosted several years of the tournament and is fair and just. He does not joke around and even within the Heavenly Sword Villa, he is a well respected figure. Even Ling Yuefeng has to show some respect towards him.” Qin Wushang whispered to Yun Che and Xia Yuanba.
“Wah! Stronger than Palace Chief Qin?” Xia Yuanba opened his mouth wide with a face of shock. Ever since he entered Blue Wind Imperial Palace and found out that Qin Wushang was the legendary “Sky Profound Realm”, he treated him as if he were a deity.
“Haha, in Blue Wind Empire, there are many people stronger than me.” Qin Wushang laughed: “I am only in the third level of the Sky Profound Realm and am far below Ling Wugou. Even if there were ten of me against one of him, I would not be his opponent. When reaching the Sky Profound Realm, every level is as hard as ascending to heavens. The time and effort needed is far beyond what is required to pass through ten whole levels of Spirit Profound Realm. Furthermore, the bottom half of the Sky Profound Realm and the top half of the Sky Profound Realm is two different worlds. Below the fifth level, they can be found at any flourishing sects. Above the fifth level, they are scarce even in the major sects. They are the true powerful experts… The famous ‘Frozen Cloud Seven Fairies’ are all above the fifth level of the Sky Profound Realm. Not counting the Frozen Cloud Asgard Mistress and the experts in secluded cultivation, the ones whose profound strength is in the top half of the Sky Profound Realm in Frozen Cloud Asgard are only those seven.”
When he finished, Ling Wugou’s usual pre-match brief had almost already finished too. Suddenly, his voice grew higher and each of his words were deafening: “This year’s Blue Wind Ranking Tournament’s witness comes from Profound Sky Continent’s Four Great Sacred Grounds —— Mighty Heavenly Sword Region’s Elder Ling Kun! With Elder Ling Kun’s strength and birthplace, I believe no one would doubt Elder Ling Kun’s qualifications and authority.”
When the four words “Mighty Heavenly Sword Region” came out, everyone was instantly stunned; especially those who had been to the tournament before. The hearts of those who have heard of the legendary “Mighty Heavenly Sword Region” beat faster as they all gasped… Mighty Heavenly Sword Region was one of the legendary Four Great Sacred Grounds! When hearing this name, even all the Sect Masters all felt an invisible form of pressure.
If someone from the Sacred Grounds came to stand as witness, what kind of level would he be at… Who would dare do anything funny during the battles?
It has long been rumored that Heavenly Sword Villa and Mighty Heavenly Sword Region had some relationship and the Elder that came this time also bore the Ling surname. This inevitably proved something to the people.
“Mighty Heavenly Sword Region? What kind of a place is it?” The surrounding audience’s reaction made Xia Yuanba very curious.
“…A place a thousand times stronger than Heavenly Sword Villa… Don’t ask any more questions.” Yun Che whispered.
“Ahh!?” Xia Yuanba eyes grew wider than an ox.
When Ling Wugou shouted, a green attired middle-aged man stood up beside him and nodded slightly. At the moment he stood up, as if attracted by an invisible force, all eyes were instantly gathered upon him… He looked to be about forty to fifty years of age, with an average built and expressionless face. Even though everyone appeared to be able to see him, they could not sense his presence at all. It was as though he was an imaginary illusion.
As he sat down, everyone’s eyes seemed to be repelled away as they all fell on different places. Instantly, everyone’s heart were filled with a deep respect and fear… It was no wonder he came from one of the sacred grounds. The level this Ling Kun was at, was completely incomprehensible by anyone there.
Chapter 205: Ranking Tournament: Profound Strength Assessment
“Now, let this old man declare the prize of this Ranking Tournament.”
Ling Wugou’s words, made everyone focus their gaze back onto him again and listened earnestly. The prize for every single ranking tournament was different. They only heard Ling Wugou read on: “Third place in the ranking tournament’s individual rankings, will receive one ‘Purple Striped Dragon Heart Pellet’. Second place in individual rankings, will receive three drops of ‘Purple Veined Marrow Quenching Fluid’….”
As Ling Wugou said till here, the audiences below was already filled with cries of shock. The names of “Purple Striped Dragon Heart Pellet” and “Purple Veined Marrow Quenching Fluid”, was like a thunder striking through the eardrums of everyone present on the seats. Because, these were all godlike medicine that were difficult to obtain even with immense wealth. The former was rumored to be made by refining the power of True Dragon Profound Cores, and could let all of the profound entrances of those who took it be opened for the next month, increasing their cultivation speed by several times! The latter, could refine one’s bone marrows and brain, enhancing their physical and mental prowess by a great extent, allowing one to obtain permanent benefits. These two medicines were both incomparably famous and precious, and it was almost impossible to purchase them no matter how great the amount of money one had. Especially to the younger generation, the “Purple Striped Dragon Heart Pellet” and “Purple Veined Marrow Quenching Fluid”” were completely and genuinely medicines of miracle.
All of the participating disciples present, including those disciples of the top-notch sects were already staring with their eyes stiff, as gulping sounds continually came from their throats.
However, the conditions to acquire one of these two kind of medicines were extremely harsh… Rising up to the top three places amongst one thousand and five hundred tip top talents, really was harder than trying to climb up to the heavens.
“… First place in individual rankings, will receive a Sky Profound Artifact, Dragonscale Armor, that originates from the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region.”
“WHOAA”
The moment the prize for the first place was announced, the entire audience immediately clamored as if hot oil in a pan, and couldn’t die down for a long while.
Sky Profound Artifact… Dragonscale Armor!!
“As expected from the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, it really is a show of hands that makes it hard to keep calm even if one wished to.” Xiao Sect’s Sect Master Xiao Juetian said with a face full of shock: “I had heard that this Dragonscale Armor was made by a dragon scale from a true dragon. While being incomparably tough, it also possesses a certain amount of reflective properties toward foreign profound energy. With the Dragonscale Armor on hand, it’s comparable to having one… no, several more lives! Lei’er, this time, you absolutely must expend one hundred and twenty percent of effort. For this Dragonscale Armor, you must try your best even if it’s Ling Yun you face, and mustn’t de
clare forfeit from the start.”
“Yes!” Xiao Kuanglei forcibly nodded his head in response.
“There are only three protective armors of the Sky Profound rank in the entire Blue Wind Empire. Moreover, none of them could match up to this Dragonscale Armor.” Burning Heaven Clan’s Great Elder Fen Moli also could no longer stay calm. However, he wasn’t as optimistic as Xiao Juetian, and his expression quickly became insipid again: “However regrettably, this Dragonscale Armor is merely used to dazzle our eyes. With Ling Yun here, who could win against him. From what I see here, this may be a great gift that Ling Kun brought from the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, as a mean to instigate our eyeballs while taking advantage of this situation. In the end, it’ll still be something of their possession.”
Ling Wugou’s declaration continued: “Top ten forces in the ranking tournament, after the tournament, will be qualified to explore ‘Heavenly Basin Secret Realm’ in teams.”
“The top ten forces in the ranking tournament, after the exploration of ‘Heavenly Basin Secret Realm‘, will have the opportunity to see the ‘Demon’ Sealing Ritual carried out personally by Elder Ling Kun of the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region with their own eyes.”
“Demon Sealing Ritual? What’s that?” Yun Che puzzledly asked in Qin Wushang’s direction.
Qin Wushang thought for a bit, and said: “I am not very sure either. Counting this time, I’ve been here three times altogether, yet I have never heard of this sort of ‘reward’. But the word “Demon”, I have heard of. It was rumored that an hundred years ago, Mighty Heavenly Sword Region had sent a ‘Demon’ to Heavenly Sword Villa, and sealed it under the Imperial Sword Terrace. That gigantic sword at the center of the Imperial Sword Terrace, exists precisely to seal that ‘Demon’. Perhaps this seal needs to be reinforced once in awhile, or perhaps the reason why this Ling Kun came to Heavenly Sword Villa, was not to witness this session of Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, but to reinforce that seal instead… Of course, this is only a guess.”
The matter of Heavenly Sword Villa having a demon that was sent here by the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, Yun Che had heard Cang Yue mentioning it arbitrarily before as she introduced the Heavenly Sword Villa to him. His gaze swept across the surroundings, and found that most people were all whispering to one another with confused expressions… Clearly they all didn’t know what the so-called “Demon Sealing Ritual” was.
“The time hath come. Now, this old man declares; this session of Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, officially begins!”
The enormous Sword Discourse Arena immediately became quiet. One could only see the figure of Ling Wugou waver; he had already flown up into the air. Leaving a line of hazy grey phantom, he landed on the dead center of the Sword Discourse Arena in the blink of an eye. There, a gigantic Profound Assessing Stone already stood in place.
“This session’s Ranking Tournament, has a total of five hundred and thirteen sectoral forces to be ranked, and involves one thousand five hundred and thirty five participating disciples. The age of every single participating disciple must not be younger than sixteen, and must not be over twenty. Anyone not within this age range will be immediately kicked out. Now begins the lot drawing of the Ranking Tournament. Before the number is drawn, one must be tested for age and profound strength, and then let everyone know the names of younger generation’s outstanding individuals as well… Now, participating disciples called on by this old man, come up immediately for profound strength assessment and lot number drawing.”
In every single session of the ranking tournament, the profound strength assessment had always been an essential process. However, what this profound strength assessment truly tested for was not profound strength, but was instead age. After all, the ranking tournament had an extremely tight restriction toward the participating disciple’s age.
“Skyblade Clan’s Li Badao, Ji Hong, Ye Changqing!”
The three whose names were called by Ling Wugou immediately walked down from the seating, and put their palm on the profound assessing stone one by one. The resulting age was respectively 19, 20, and 20; the respective profound strength ranks were Spirit Profound Realm rank three, Spirit Profound Realm rank two, and Spirit Profound Realm rank two. Afterwards, they drew their own Ranking Tournament numbers on the side, and returned to their seats.
“Thunderbolt Mountain’s Wu Mu, Wu Feiran, Wu Qingyun!”
“Skyriver Cloud Pavilion….”
“Moon Worshipping Sect…”
“Divine Cloud Isle…”
…………
Waves after waves of participating disciples, with sects as units, came up and carried out profound strength assessment as well as the number drawing. Same as previous sessions, most of the participating disciple’s age all grouped at 19 and 20. 18 years olds were already very rare, and 17 extremely so. As for sixteen… Nearly half of the disciples had already gone up, but there still wasn’t even one.
Moreover, over ninety percent of these participating disciples, had a profound strength centralized between the first level of the Spirit Profound Realm and fifth level of the Spirit Profound Realm. Ones that surpassed fifth level of the Spirit Profound Realm didn’t even reach one tenth. To be able to step into the Spirit Profound Realm under the age of twenty, even if it was in the Imperial Capital of the Blue Wind Empire, one would be considered as the genius within geniuses. Even for the Blue Wind’s number one Profound Palace, there were merely three people, including the foreign Fen Juechen. For those small cities like Floating Cloud and New Moon, one wouldn’t even dare to imagine it. But in here, it could only be reduced to ordinary. And for young profound practitioners of fifth level of the Spirit Profound Realm and above, they would be the prodigies blessed by heavens within prodigies blessed by heavens, as well as the top level group of the ranking tournament.
As for True Profound Realm… At least until now, there hadn’t been even a single one.
“Xiao Sect’s Xiao Kuanglei, Xiao Zhen, Xiao Nan.”
The moment the name “Xiao Sect” was announced, the entire audience abruptly became quiet again. The Four Major Sects that inspired awe in the Blue Wind Empire, finally begun to enter the stage!
The three participating disciples of Xiao Sect walked out from the seating area, and walked toward the center of the Sword Discourse Arena shoulder by shoulder. Even the way they walked was different from the disciples of the other sects. In between their brows, there brimmed a prideful air that almost seemed to be natural.
Xiao Kuanglei, 20 years old, Spirit Profound Realm level nine.
Xiao Kuanglei was the first to take the profound strength assessment. As the result was shown, a burst of exclamation came from below the stage. Especially those disciples who was usually prideful and referred to as “number one prodigy” in their own regions; they immediately became wide-eyed and slack-jawed, and couldn’t believe their own eyes.
‘At a mere age of twenty, he was actually already at the ninth rank of Spirit Profound Realm, and was only two steps from entering the Earth Profound Realm, how was this possible’, was what they yelled within their trembling hearts.
The exclamation that sounded beside the ears made Xiao Zhen emit a cold snort, as he took a step forward and pressed his hand onto the Profound Assessing Stone.
Xiao Zhen, 20 years old, Spirit Profound Realm level nine.
This time, those young disciples who were already wide-eyed and slack-jawed stared their eyes even wider. They had only heard the awe-inspiring name of the Four Major Sects with their ears before; yet this time, they had used their eyes, and genuinely witnessed the dreadfulness of the Four Major Sects.
Xiao Nan was last.
Xiao Nan, 18 years old, Spirit Profound Realm level six.
Even though Xiao Nan’s profound strength was the bottom of the three, he was after all two years younger than Xiao Kuanglei and Xiao Zhen. This age coupled with this profound strength rank, the shock factor was not in the slightest weaker than the previous two.
Not long after, Burning Heaven Clan’s three participating disciples also went up on stage at the same time.
Fen Jin, 20 years old, Spirit Profound Realm level nine.
Fen Juebi, 20 years old, Spirit Profound Realm level eight.
Fen Yuange, 19 years old, Spirit Profound Realm level seven.
“Fen Jin is the eldest grandson of Burning Heaven Clan’s Great Elder Fen Moli, and is also the number one disciple for Burning Heaven Clan in this tournament. As for Feng Juebi, his aptitude is inferior to that of Feng Juecheng, and cannot become the number one main character for Burning Heaven Clan in this Ranking Tournament.” Qin Wushang explained on a whim.
“Frozen Cloud Asgard’s Shui Wushuang, Wu Xuexin, Xia Qingyue.”
Amongst the Four Major Sects, Frozen Cloud Asgard had the lowest number of disciples. Because when Frozen Cloud Asgard chooses their disciple, not only was it restricted to females, they also had extremely strict requirement for aptitude, talent, as well as appearance. And hence, if one were to talk about the average strength of disciples, even Heavenly Sword Villa couldn’t match that of Frozen Cloud Asgard. At the same time, every single one of the Frozen Cloud Asgard’s disciples were as beautiful as blossoming flowers; the number one beauty “Chu Yuechan” who had made countless young and talented men infatuated, had precisely came from Frozen Cloud Asgard.
As expected, when Frozen Cloud Asgard’s three females came out, the entire surrounding was immediately filled with the echoing of continuous gulping. The young disciples that had the ability to arrive to this place have already established themselves as the pinnacle of their territories, so it could be said that they had all kinds of beautiful women at their disposal. But how could ordinary women compare to the quality of Frozen Cloud Asgard’s female disciples. They had natural ice auroras floating around them that enhanced their dreamy atmosphere even more. The last young woman’s face was covered by a veil so there was no way to see her true face. The gazes of the young disciples all concentrated upon Shui Wushuang and Wu Xuexin’s beautiful faces and figures, staring for so long that their wide eyes had almost become vertical, as if their spirit had left their bodies.