I Am Overlord c1-962

by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu

  The seventh elder, Sha Hanbiao, spoke up, "We are selecting a good match for the young lady for the hall master's sake, and we are also doing this for the young lady's well-being. How can you call us picking her a good match an act of disrespect?"

  "We'll need to ask the young lady about that," said Old Urchin as he looked at Tuoba Wan'er.

  Tuoba Wan'er said, "Elders, you have worked hard for the Holy Hall, and you have worked untiringly for my affairs as well. You are all indeed the pillars of the Holy Hall. However, shouldn't we wait for the hall master's decision when it comes to selecting a son-in-law for the Hall?"

  The first elder said, "The hall master commanded that the young lady would need to get married before 40 years old. Therefore, we need to select a son-in-law. This is a task entrusted to me by the hall master."

  Tuoba Wan'er's eyes rippled when she heard that. With a sigh, she said, "I'll have to trouble the first elder, then."

  Helplessness was thick in her voice, and she probably wasn't feeling very well at the moment. Children of influential clans like this never had freedom when it came to their marriage.

  "Before the hall master entered seclusion, he told me that the son-in-law needs to be a young hero capable of going through the three trials he had personally created. Only someone who can pass the trials can be the Holy Hall's son-in-law. The third elder has recommended you, Xiang Zixuan as a candidate. Are you willing to take the trials?" asked the first elder.

  Xiang Zixuan agreed unhesitatingly, "I am willing."

  "Then let's not delay this. Get Xiang Zixuan going already," urged Hu Yanbo impatiently.

  He did not want to give Old Urchin any chance to mess this up.

  Alas, Old Urchin was firm in his intention to make things difficult for Hu Yanbo. He said to the first elder, "That kid is the third elder's choice, while this kid is my choice. I believe he has the qualifications to be the Holy Hall's son-in-law."

  "Haha, with that tiny bit of strength he has, is he not embarrassed about wanting to be the Holy Hall's son-in-law? Old Urchin, are you sick?" Sha Hanbiao roared disdainfully.

  "What about his strength? What's important is the fact that the young lady likes him, and he likes the young lady. That alone is enough," said Old Urchin firmly.

  What? Since when did she start liking me, and since when did I start liking her? He is obviously pushing me into a pit of fire! Xiang Shaoyun complained inwardly.

  He had never imagined that the task Old Urchin had for him was to snatch the bride. If this was a joke, it was a bad one.

  More importantly, Tuoba Wan'er was also winking at Xiang Shaoyun as she said, "Yes, I like Shaoyun."

  The instant she said that, Xiang Zixuan's gaze locked onto Xiang Shaoyun. If glares could kill, Xiang Shaoyun would have instantly died.

  The other elders also looked at Xiang Shaoyun in astonishment, causing him to feel like he was sitting on a pincushion. He really wanted to shout loudly that this had nothing to do with him.

  Unfortunately, he did not dare to do so. If he dared to say that, even Liang Zhuangmin and Wu Zhijun would suffer Old Urchin's wrath.

  "You hear that? The young lady likes the kid, and he likes her as well. He is also an individual of great talents. I personally think they are a match made in heaven. Excellent, this is it, then," said Old Urchin, his hands waving around excitedly.

  "What a joke. This concerns the young lady's marriage, and this also concerns the Holy Hall. How can we be so casual about it?" an elder objected unhappily.

  "That's right. Old Urchin, stop creating trouble. This kid will never get our approval," objected a different elder.

  A few more elders voiced their objections as well. They clearly had a bad first impression of Xiang Shaoyun. Some were even calling Xiang Shaoyun a boy that still stank of his mother's milk. Finally, the insults crossed Xiang Shaoyun's bottom line.

  He stood up, smiled, and addressed all the elders, "Am I really that bad, seniors?"

  "If you're smart, you should get lost," a displeased voice rang out.

  Seated opposite Xiang Shaoyun, Xiang Zixuan formed a sneer on his face. Inwardly, he thought, Truly a kid that doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth. But why is he surnamed Xiang as well? And why does he resemble that statue so greatly? Is he related to the clan?

  Looking at the elder who had spoken, Xiang Shaoyun replied, "Yes, I am quite smart. I am only a third-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator right now, but I'm only 23 years old. I wonder what your cultivation level was back when you were 23, elder?"

  "Impudent! You think you can disrespect everyone just because of the little talent you have? Do you want me to kill you with a slap?" the elder replied furiously, standing up like a cat whose tail was stepped on.

  In fact, this elder was someone who had only gotten some achievements at old age. During his youth, he had suffered. Only during his old age when he had stumbled upon a fortuitous encounter did his strength manage to grow to his current level. Thus, what Xiang Shaoyun just said was akin to rubbing salt on his wound.

  "Truly an ignorant kid. Have you not heard of young prodigies dying untimely deaths?" said someone else with disdain.

  In their eyes, it was completely ridiculous for Xiang Shaoyun to be acting so arrogantly before them.

  Although Xiang Shaoyun's feat of reaching this cultivation level at his current age was nothing less than stunning, it was not like they had never seen such geniuses before. A genius needed to first grow, and not all geniuses could grow to reach their potential.

  More importantly, none of them knew Xiang Shaoyun. They knew nothing of his origin, and they did not know his relationship with Old Urchin. Thus, it was understandable why they were unwilling to see him fight for the son-in-law's position.

  "Sigh. Looks like fellow seniors really don't like me. But my feeling for the young lady is genuine. Dear seniors, please do give me a chance," Xiang Shaoyun pleaded earnestly.

  Just a moment ago, Xiang Shaoyun was behaving unyieldingly. But suddenly, his attitude took a 180-degree change. He was evidently someone that was strong in appearance but weak in reality.

  "Don't worry. With me here, you will be given a chance," said Old Urchin with an admiring gaze. He looked at the first elder and said, "First elder, both of us have the right to recommend a candidate. What do you think about letting both of them take the trials? The one to get through the trials shall be the son-in-law."

  "Fine, since Old Urchin and the young lady approve of him, I will give him a chance," said the first elder with a nod. He looked at Xiang Shaoyun and Xiang Zixuan as he said, "Listen well. To be the Holy Hall's son-in-law, you need to get through the three trials put in place by the hall master himself. If you fail, you will lose your qualification."

  Chapter 795: Facing the Trials Together

  And thus, Xiang Shaoyun became a prospective son-in-law. Of course, this wasn't something he wanted to do, but he had no choice but to play along with Old Urchin and muddle the waters, so to speak.

  That was the only way Old Urchin would allow him to survive after all this was over. Old Urchin might seem sloppy all the time, as if he would never be serious. In truth, for people at his level, killing one or two people was nothing.

  More importantly, Xiang Shaoyun himself also did not have any good opinion of Xiang Zixuan. In fact, he even found his competitor somewhat annoying.

  "Hold on, I don't mind him facing the trials, but what kind of an organization is the Holy Hall? Without any sort of background, this kid will not be a qualified match for our young lady," said Sha Hanbiao.

  With that, a series of objections rang out from the elders yet again. One could say that most of these elders were supportive of the third and seventh elders.

  "Hehe, who says that I don't have a background?" Xiang Shaoyun smiled. A lofty look covered his face as he said, "This young master is a core disciple of the Dragon Phoenix Academy, the chief disciple of the grand elder."

  "Dragon Phoenix Academy?" The expressions of
many elders shifted as they heard that.

  The Desert of Despair was one of the nine major cultivation grounds of the Dragon Phoenix Academy.

  Thus, the academy had long gotten in touch with the Holy Earth Hall. Although the connection did not run deep, the Holy Earth Hall had long known that the Dragon Phoenix Academy was not an organization to be underestimated. They were greatly influential even in the entirety of the dominion.

  They had not imagined that this kid actually possessed such a background.

  At this time, Xiang Zixuan sneered, "The Dragon Phoenix Academy is only an academy, recruiting geniuses from the entire dominion. However, they would only train their disciples for 100 years. After that, the disciples would disperse and go their separate ways."

  He was telling the elders that Xiang Shaoyun was merely trying to scare them with his background, but he would have nothing after the period of 100 years was up. Sure enough, many elders voiced their agreement with his statement.

  "You blind fools. You know very well what kind of a place the Dragon Phoenix Academy is. Every single disciple coming out of that place will be a giant among men with boundless prospects. It is the most sensible choice to match the young lady with him. In the future, our Holy Hall will also be able to reach new heights through this union," Old Urchin said.

  The other elders were about to say something, but the first elder interjected, "Stop arguing. Let both of them face the trials. The trials won't be passed so easily."

  With the first elder making his stand, the others shut their mouths. In the Holy Hall, the first elder was the strongest man after the hall master. Even Old Urchin had to show him some respect.

  The elders brought Xiang Shaoyun and Xiang Zixuan to the Holy Hall's rear court. That was where the first trial was.

  Xiang Shaoyun couldn't help asking Old Urchin through voice transmission, "Senior Urchin, will this be dangerous?"

  Would a trial set by the hall master be something simple? Xiang Shaoyun couldn't stop himself from wondering about that. It was impossible for him to not feel any nervousness when facing such a trial.

  "Of course it will be dangerous, but it won't kill. Don't worry," said Old Urchin confidently.

  Suddenly, Xiang Shaoyun had a feeling that the more serious Old Urchin was, the more unreliable he was.

  Soon, they all arrived at the rear court. The first elder pointed at a room and said, "This is the first trial. Two hours later, the one capable of leaving the room will be considered to have passed."

  "Are they going one by one or together?" asked an elder.

  The first elder replied, "They will go together."

  Both Xiang Shaoyun and Xiang Zixuan stepped forth. When the two stood together, the former looked more handsome and graceful, his unyielding bearing intersected refinement, making him look even more impressive. The latter carried a ferocious air around him, and there was an overbearing look in his eyes that seemed incapable of attracting anyone's affection.

  Both were elite prodigies, both with their own pros and cons. Thus, it would be up to their own selves whether they could display their potential and get through the three trials.

  "Stop overestimating yourself. The Holy Hall's young lady is not someone you can touch. If you're smart, piss off. I can allow you to live," threatened Xiang Zixuan through voice transmission.

  "Those are big words. Let's speak after you get through the first trial," said Xiang Shaoyun, who really couldn't be bothered with bickering with this fellow. He walked straight toward the room.

  "Good. I hope you don't die before knowing what happened later," said Xiang Zixuan with a sneer as he approached the room as well.

  After the two entered, the elders remained outside, waiting for the result. Although they were all individuals with power and status, they still placed great importance on matters concerning the Holy Hall's future son-in-law. All of them wanted to see if the two youths could smoothly pass the first trial.

  At this time, Old Urchin called out toward Hu Yanbo, "Hu Yanbo, interested in making a bet with me?"

  "What bet?" Hu Yanbo asked.

  "Of course, we're betting on which of the two will pass the trial," answered Old Urchin.

  "Ok, I'm in. I'll bet on Xiang Zixuan's success."

  "Looks like you're very confident about him. Then I can only place my bet on Xiang Shaoyun."

  "Of course. What are you placing as the bet?"

  "Well, let's have a friendly bet of one spirit crystal. What do you think?"

  "Hehe, you must be joking, right?"

  "Wow, you're quite smart! I was joking! A stalk of saint medicine, how about it?"

  ...

  Inside the room, Xiang Shaoyun and Xiang Zixuan had yet to encounter any difficulties. A phantom appeared before them and said, "Welcome to my first trial."

  The appearance of the phantom was unclear, and the only thing they saw was a lofty and imposing figure facing them with his back.

  Just from looking at that back, they felt some sort of pressure crushing down on them. It was as if they were having an audience with someone of immense power, causing them to inevitably start feeling nervous.

  "Greetings, lord hall master," the two greeted at the same time.

  "So, both of you are the challengers? It looks like the elders look highly upon you," said the hall master. "This trial is simple. Those capable of withstanding my clone's presence for an hour will pass. I hope you don't disappoint me."

  As he said that, an incorporeal presence pressed down at Xiang Shaoyun and Xiang Zixuan. The two felt like the weight of an entire mountain was bearing down on them, making even standing straight hard.

  Like a housefly that had been swatted, Xiang Shaoyun was smashed heavily onto the ground. His organs were displaced from the impact, and blood started dripping out of his mouth.

  On the other hand, Xiang Zixuan handled it much better. His posture was bent, but he was still on his feet.

  Chapter 796: First Trial

  Xiang Zixuan was a first-stage Soul Foundation Realm cultivator. With his talent and strength, he was comparable to the top disciples of the four academies. Thus, it was completely understandable that he could withstand the hall master's force of presence.

  The hall master's clone was only exercising a tiny portion of the main body's power to test the son-in-law candidates. This was meant to be a test, and the clone's power level naturally wouldn't be too high.

  The pressure he gave off was at the level of a fifth-stage Soul Foundation Realm cultivator. Facing it with his cultivation level of first-stage Soul Foundation Realm cultivator, Xiang Zixuan proved that he had strong foundations.

  As for Xiang Shaoyun, he was suffering miserably. This level of power was completely out of his league, and he found himself smashed into the ground.

  This was the kind of sensation he felt when he had first entered the Martial Hall Palace's Hall of Gravity. At that time, he had encountered something similar and was faced with a pressure he couldn't withstand.

  With his body slightly bent, Xiang Zixuan sneered, "An idiot asking for suffering."

  He erupted in strength as he started contending against the hall master's clone in a battle of willpower. However, the pressure became stronger, reaching a point beyond his limits as well.

  Why is this pressure growing stronger? Damn it! Xiang Zixuan grumbled inwardly.

  Meanwhile, Xiang Shaoyun was having a terrible time sprawled on the ground, feeling like his body was going to burst apart from the pressure. However, he found that the physical pressure wasn't the worst. The mental suppression was even more fatal.

  The mental suppression was subjected to his very soul, making it hard for his soul to offer any sort of retaliation. Learning that, Xiang Shaoyun immediately used his soul power to withstand the mental pressure.

  This was the scariest kind of suppression, but he was an owner of a filthless soul. His soul had reached the level of a third-stage Sovereign. Moreover, he had the Nether Dragon Soul Headband protecti
ng his soul. Thus, he was more than capable of withstanding the pressure on his soul.

  After successfully blocking the mental pressure, Xiang Shaoyun felt much better. It even caused the pressure on his body to reduce greatly. The suppression became less unbearable, and he quickly used a drop of lightning liquid to heal his injuries.

  The healing made him feel even better. He was about to stand back up when he saw Xiang Zixua’s back bend lower and lower. A massive amount of sweat was pouring out of him. It was obvious he wouldn't be able to last much longer.

  "I will hang on!" Xiang Zixuan roared as purple lightning started cackling around his body, allowing him to straighten his back somewhat. But that did not last long as he was smashed heavily onto the ground shortly after.

  "Impossible! A mere clone is trying to suppress me? Soul foundation, rise!" Xiang Zixuan howled indignantly and released his soul foundation.

  A layer of translucent soul foundation appeared. It emanated a unique aura, and with formidable soul power, it withstood the hall master's pressure, allowing him to slowly get back on his feet.

  The soul foundation was something formed by soul power and astral energy. It was a crystallization of a cultivator's accumulation.

  Xiang Zixuan's soul foundation was several times bigger than the soul foundation of a regular first-stage Soul Foundation Realm cultivator. From that, it was obvious he was several times stronger than those of his rank, capable of easily punching above his weight.

  Once again, he was back on his feet. However, he had exhausted a massive amount of soul power by doing so. It was unknown if he could still last an entire hour after this.

  Glancing at Xiang Zixuan, Xiang Shaoyun thought, The Xiang Clan was once the strongest ancient clan of the Western Desert. Although it has declined since Xiang Dingtian's death, which had caused the clan to be besieged on all sides, the clan must have recovered decently after 10,000 years of recuperation.