by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu
Recently, the Martial Hall Palace had been urging their disciples to grow, and the Battle of Towns was the reason why. Before the Battle of Towns, an internal competition would be held in the Martial Hall Palace to pick the 50 strongest disciples that would eventually be sent to the Battle of Towns.
With Xiang Shaoyun's strength, he did not need to participate in the selection process. But Zi Changhe still forced him to come out and show his face. Although he had maintained a low profile in recent months, he was still a cultivating freak receiving countless attention in the Martial Hall Palace.
He was the one who had caused the five stars illuminate the sky phenomenon when he first came. Not long after, he defeated the Wu Clan disciples, the Li brother and sister pair, and even the first elder's disciple, Ye Tianlong, was scared off by him with a mere shout. His numerous accomplishments placed a massive pressure on the other disciples.
On the other hand, the female disciples were completely smitten by Xiang Shaoyun. A large number of female disciples winked and smiled at him, trying to attract his attention and have something beautiful happen between them and him.
Xiang Shaoyun pretended he didn't see anything and merely sat at a corner daydreaming.
"Shaoyun!" a joyful voice rang out behind him.
When Xiang Shaoyun turned around, he saw Lu Xiaoqing standing there in a martial outfit, her hands clasped behind her back. She was looking at him with tenderness in her eyes and with a radiant smile on her face.
It had been a few months since he had last seen Lu Xiaoqing, and she looked even more graceful and beautiful now. She was like a blooming flower at the peak of her beauty.
Xiang Shaoyun smiled and said, "Lu Xiaoqing, you're participating in the selection as well?"
"Of course I am. My senior sister told me a spot has been reserved for you in advance. I want to fight alongside you, so I must enter the top 40 in the selection!" Lu Xiaoqing said, her battle intent soaring.
She had vowed to follow closely behind Xiang Shaoyun’s every step, not allowing herself to fall too far behind. If she stayed at the same spot, she would only find his figure gradually moving far away from her.
Chapter 110: Heading to the Golden River Valley
The ongoing selection filled the Martial Hall Palace with vibrancy. Numerous personal disciples and internal disciples gathered, battling each other to establish supremacy. Leng Han, Lu Xiaoqing, and Xia Liuhui were able to distinguish themselves from the numerous disciples and entered the top 50.
They were all the latest generation's outer disciples, and in a short one year, they had managed to enter the Astral Realm and even managed to advance a few stages consecutively after entering the Astral Realm. Ultimately, they distinguished themselves and became part of the top 50 disciples. One could say that their rise hadn't been easy at all.
Of the three, Leng Han was once the strongest outer disciple. But with Xiang Shaoyun's appearance, his fame was overshadowed. Even so, nobody found it surprising for him to achieve such a result in the selection.
As for Lu Xiaoqing, she had long caught the eyes of the eleventh elder, He Yinghua. Thus, her result wasn't too surprising either. The only person who shocked everyone with his performance was Xia Liuhui. He used to be an ordinary outer disciple, but after he followed Xiang Shaoyun, he had been on the rise with his cultivation level soaring like a rocket.
Currently, Lu Xiaoqing was at fourth-stage Astral Realm while Xia Liuhui was at late third-stage Astral Realm after consuming the silverhorn fruit. In fact, he was only barely able to enter the top 50.
And that was also a result of his good luck. If he had encountered a slightly stronger opponent in the selection, he wouldn't have been able to enter the top 50.
And thus, the new top 50 disciples of Martial Hall Palace were decided. They would be the ones representing the Martial Hall Palace at the Battle of Towns.
The Battle of Towns would not be conducted in arenas like the internal selection. Rather, the participants would be sent to some ancient ruins and made to fight over something. As for what that something would be, they would only know after they were there.
This time, the vice palace master, Tan Guanghua; the first elder, Jie Shi; and a few other elders would be the ones to bring the disciples over to the Battle of Towns. The party would be traveling to a place called Golden River Valley.
The Golden River Valley was a location under the control of the Cloud Margin City. This was a place where rivers converged and altered the terrain to form a unique dish-shaped valley. This valley was filled with gold-colored objects, such as golden plants and golden rivers. That was how the name of the valley came to be.
All locals of Cloud Margin City also knew that the Golden River Valley used to be the territory of an organization that used to be the strongest in the Cloud Margin City, and this organization even shared the same name as the valley.
But eventually, things changed drastically, resulting in the destruction of the organization, leaving a bunch of ruins behind in the valley. Over the years, many adventurers had explored the valley, but few of them had actually left the place alive. Ultimately when the Cloud Margin City deployed some experts to scout the area, they found that the valley had been taken over by a species called the gold serpent crocodile.
The gold serpent crocodile was an extremely ferocious beast, and a large amount of them could be found in the valley. Ordinary cultivators would only have a chance to enter the valley safely if a group of King Realm cultivators were to first enter and clear the way for them.
Naturally, not many King Realm cultivators were actually interested in doing so. Thus, the gold serpent crocodiles had been allowed to inhabit the valley. This time, the Battle of Towns was going to be held there. This signified that a war would start between the young elites and the gold serpent crocodiles.
Wu Town was quite far from the Golden River Valley, but fortunately, they could travel through the Wu River to shorten their journey. They would be able to reach it in about 10 days. For this, the Martial Hall Palace had deployed the largest ship they had. A large banner with "Martial Hall Palace" written on it was hung above the ship, and it fluttered wildly in the wind.
Rows of Martial Hall Palace disciples stood on the ship, all of them fully armed as if they were heading out to war. Because they were going to participate in the Battle of Towns, they had to show off their prowess and display how elite and well-trained they were. They were not going to leave outsiders with the impression that they were a disorganized mob.
Numerous people stood along the two sides of the river, looking at the Martial Hall Palace disciples with encouraging gazes. These young disciples taking part in the competition on behalf of the town were their hope. Everyone wished to see these youngsters win them honor and glory. The ship started to sail forth, and soon, it left Wu Town's territory.
At this moment, the vice palace master, Tan Guanghua, spoke, "After leaving Wu Town, we will be passing by Gateflag Town. There, Gateflag Academy disciples will also set off and head to the Battle of Towns with us. We've had conflicts with them in the past, but be sure to not do anything during this journey unless provoked. Our priority is to reach the Golden River Valley without any complications."
Wu Town and Gateflag Town were neighboring towns, and the Martial Hall Palace and the Gateflag Academy represented the strength of their respective towns. Thus, it was unavoidable that the two competed with each other. As time went on, their grievances for each other only grew.
"Vice palace master, what if they provoke us?" asked a disciple.
"We won't bother them if they don't provoke us, but if they dare provoke us, hmph. We will come back at them with twice the rage," said Tan Guanghua. He then added, "But of course, we must not be the party starting the conflict. If any of you decide to cause trouble during our journey there, don't blame me for what I will do to you."
After about four hours, the Martial Hall Palace's ship arrived near Gateflag Town. There, a massive ship was anchored
. A banner with "Gateflag Academy" written on it was hanging on the ship. A group of battle-ready youngsters could be seen on the ship as well. All of them were currently looking at the Martial Hall Palace disciples with taunting eyes.
"Brother Tan, Brother Jie, you sure are taking your own sweet time arriving here," a voice rang out.
Tan Guanghua replied, "My apologies to keep you waiting. I wonder if your party is ready to set out now?"
"Of course we are. How would we dare to let you wait?" the person replied before he said to his disciples, "Set off now."
"Gateflag Academy! Victory! Gateflag Academy! Victory!"
As soon as the order was given to set off, the youngsters on the ship started chanting in an orderly fashion. Their spirits were high, their momentum was boundless, and their confidence was fully displayed for all to see.
Some of the Martial Hall Palace disciples grew nervous at the sight. It felt like a declaration of war from the Gateflag Academy, and in terms of spirits alone, they seemed to be the weaker party. The two ships started sailing alongside each other.
"Brother Tan, Brother Jie, I have a suggestion. Since both our parties are participating in the Battle of Towns, why don’t we both work together to enter the top 10?" proposed the vice principal of Gateflag Academy, Luo Lin.
Luo Lin would be leading the Gateflag Academy's group in their trip to the Battle of Towns. He appeared to be a middle-aged man with a pair of sharp eyes that made clear the impressive strength he had.
"That's a decent idea, but none of us can be sure if the disciples can actually work together. Furthermore, there's also the question of the leadership of the alliance," Tan Guanghua said.
"Haha, that's not a problem at all. The stronger party will naturally be the leader. In any case, it would be hard for any of us to get into the top 10 independently. We might as well work together. That way, we will have a higher chance of succeeding," said Luo Lin with a confident smile.
Just as Tan Guanghua was about to give a reply, Jie Shi opened his mouth, "Don't fall for it. They probably came prepared."
Chapter 111: Battle Request
"You can't be afraid, right? It would be a shame if that is the case," Luo Lin said provokingly. Right after he said that, the disciples behind him roared with laughter.
"If you don't even have the courage for something like this, just go back to where you came. You will just die at the Battle of Towns."
"That's right. They don't even have the courage for that. How are they supposed to fight the geniuses of other towns? Just go back. You will only embarrass yourself there."
"Haha, maybe they are only hiding their strength and are not willing to waste time on us."
"Yeah, stop calling them cowards. These are the geniuses of Wu Town. What will we do if they decide to beat us up in their anger?"
The Gateflag Academy disciples jeered.
Looking at their taunting expressions, it was as if they wouldn't stop until they managed to make the Martial Hall Palace disciples fight. The Martial Hall Palace disciples were so infuriated they started shaking in fury.
"Bastard! Vice palace master, permission to battle, please. Let me teach them a lesson!"
"They are obviously trying to provoke us. What are we afraid of? Bring it on! They will be the losing side if we do fight!"
"Yes! Let us trample these Gateflag Academy trash!"
"How about we beat them into submission? That will teach them our actual strength!"
The Martial Hall Palace disciples were all hot-blooded youngsters. They naturally couldn't resist such provocation and started shouting as well. The disciples of the two parties bickered with each other.
"Shut up!" Tan Guanghua berated.
His loud and clear voice rumbled, entering the ears of every single disciple, including those of the Gateflag Academy. He looked at Luo Lin and said, "Luo Lin, is this the Gateflag Academy's attitude?"
"Hehe, they are a bunch of hot-blooded children. Don't mind them, Brother Tan. But then again, if the Martial Hall Palace is afraid of losing, just forget my proposal then," Luo Lin said. He was advancing by taking a step back.
In this situation, it would be hard for Tan Guanghua to not agree to the challenge. If he shirked from this, the Martial Hall Palace would lose all face. None of them could accept that.
"Fine, what do you propose? Don't tell me you will get all the disciples to fight for a winner. If we did that, I'm afraid we won’t have any disciples left to participate in the Battle of Towns," Tan Guanghua said.
"Of course we can't do that. We will send out our strongest disciple. Your party will do the same. The winner will lead the alliance during the Battle of Towns. What do you think?" Luo Lin proposed.
"No, that is not proper," the first elder, Jie Shi, interjected before Tan Guanghua could say anything.
"What's not proper about that?" Luo Lin asked.
"An individual's strength does not represent the strength of the group as a whole. How about this, we will fight three rounds. The side with two victories will be the winner," Jie Shi said.
"Yes, I agree," Tan Guanghua said. This would be a comparatively fairer method of selecting the leader. With this, the Martial Hall Palace could also avoid falling for the other party's trick.
Luo Lin hesitated slightly before agreeing, "Sure. Three rounds it is then. The loser will have to obey the winner!" He then shouted, "Fang Qing'er, Lin Yuan, Liao Hao, step forward!"
At that command, one young woman and two young men stepped forth. The young woman was extremely beautiful and alluring. Standing there, she looked like a bright peacock that overshadowed all other women, snatching all attention for herself.
She was Fang Qing'er, 18 years old this year and the number one genius female disciple of Gateflag Academy. Like Gong Qinyin, she also had a five-star physique. As she was two years older than Gong Qinyin, her cultivation level was higher than Gong Qinyin’s. She was already a Transformation Realm cultivator, a genius that the Gateflag Academy had kept hidden for the past three years. She was also the reason Luo Lin had made such a proposal to the Martial Hall Palace.
With Fang Qing'er, they were fully confident they could enter the top 10 this time. The other two, Lin Yuan and Liao Hao were similarly very powerful as well. They were also the geniuses of the Gateflag Academy. They were both handsome and heroic, and with their cultivation level of ninth-stage Astral Realm, they were both reliable disciples of their academy. Tan Guanghua and Jie Shi were not blind. The moment they laid their eyes on the three disciples, their faces fell.
"Transformation Realm! That girl is a Transformation Realm cultivator!" Jie Shi cried out in alarm.
"Yes, I know. Looks like we got tricked. Good thing you made your suggestion when you did. Otherwise, we will stand no chance," Tan Guanghua said with a frown.
"Mo Zhu, Lu Yanchao, and Chen Xin. Step forward," Tan Guanghua said.
Three Martial Hall Palace disciples stepped out. Mo Zhu was the proud disciple of Tan Guanghua and was a ninth-stage Astral Realm cultivator only one step away from the Transformation Realm. He also had a handsome appearance. Dressed in his white outfit, he radiated elegance and grace. He was the prince charming for many girls in the Martial Hall Palace.
As for Lu Yanchao, he was a rather low-profiled disciple. A disciple of Vice Palace Master Qing Xiuhe, he was similarly a ninth-stage Astral Realm cultivator. He was rarely seen in the Martial Hall Palace, as he spent most of his time cultivating alone. Lastly, Chen Xin was the eleventh elder, He Yinghua's disciple. She was beautiful and enchanting, comparable to Fang Qing'er the Gateflag Academy had sent out.
"Everyone is here. Do you want to start now or do you have anything else in mind?" Tan Guanghua asked.
"Regular fights are boring. Why don’t we increase the difficulty? Let's throw some planks on the river and get them to fight on the planks," Luo Lin suggested.
One had to admit that the difficulty of fighting in such conditions was extremely high. When the young disciples heard
that, their expressions changed. Battling on a plank floating on water was no easy task. One would have to control their strength while focusing on the opponent at the same time. This was a feat requiring one to do two things at once.
"Fine," Tan Guanghua agreed. It would be too late to back off now. They both tossed a plank each onto the river.
Liao Hao leaped off the ship and landed on the plank before shouting, "I, Liao Hao, will be first. Who of the Martial Hall Palace will face me?"
"I'll go first." Chen Xin knew she was the weakest of the three; thus she had offered to go first.
But before she could go, Jie Shi said, "We can't afford to lose this round. Lu Yanchao, you go. Don't hold back."
"Yes, first elder." Lu Yanchao cupped his fists before leaping off the deck onto the plank.
When the Martial Hall Palace disciples saw Lu Yanchao landing firmly on the plank without losing balance, they shouted, "Well done!"
"Remember, this is a friendly match. Stop accordingly when a victor is decided. Start now," Luo Lin announced.
Chapter 112: Repeated Defeat
The battle between Liao Hao and Lu Yanchao began. They were both ninth-stage Astral Realm cultivators and were able to properly balance themselves even when battling on a floating plank. They used everything they knew and battled intensely. At the same time, they held their punches so as to not accidentally fall into the river. They were evenly matched, and for now, it was hard to see which of them would be victorious. The people of both parties were nervously watching the ongoing party.
"Boss, who do you think will win?" Xia Liuhui whispered to Xiang Shaoyun.
Xiang Shaoyun said lazily, "They may look to be evenly matched right now, but if they are fighting on land, I am certain Lu Yanchao will win. But here...he is rather lacking when fighting on water."