Chapter 317 – Fabled Immortal Lotus Dojo
The Qinglong Sacred Area was one of the most powerful factions within the lower district, located in the north region. If departing from Jianghuang City, one would need to travel across over twenty countries before arriving at the destination.
At that instant, in the midst of thick clouds, a two-hundred-foot-long boat emitting a mystical glow was moving at a great speed, resulting in a continuous piercing sound, scaring and warning the flying beasts to stay a distance away.
The boat was an Emperor Weapon specifically prepared for the selection of the two Sacred Areas. It had no offensive capabilities, and was mainly used for transportation.
After chatting with the other geniuses, Qin Nan ignored Princess Miao Miao who was currently having a drinking party with the others, and the Longhu Ancestor Beast who was busy gambling with the geniuses, and returned to his cabin.
His cabin was slightly bigger than the rest, and there were three stalks of burning ambergris, capable of calming one’s inner being. Furthermore, in the middle of the cabin was placed a futon made of some sort of mystical jade that was useful for cultivating.
“Five days left until we arrive at the Qinglong Sacred Area. I must discover the secrets of my Inner Core before then.”
Qin Nan said to himself.
Although his Martial Spirit was now at the tenth-grade Xuan rank, allowing him to conquer the geniuses of the lower district, Qin Nan was not fond of bullying others by abusing his Martial Spirit. He would rather defeat them with his pure strength. Therefore, the priority now was to level up to the Martial Emperor Realm.
The participants of the trial at Jianghuang City alone at least possessed a Martial Emperor Realm cultivation; many of them had even reached the peak of the Martial Emperor Realm, not to mention the geniuses of the two Sacred Areas that he would soon encounter.
His current strength was still too weak, placing him at the bottom of the pyramid.
“What exactly are these three golden lines?”
Qin Nan stared at the three golden lines on his Inner Core while frowning his eyebrows. He had failed to come up with an explanation after spending the entire day before trying to figure it out. In the end, he had no choice but to seek help from Jianghuang. To his surprise, even Jianghuang was clueless as to the three golden lines.
“The Inner Core turned into this form after merging with a stream of Chaos Qi; should I continue merging it with more streams of Chaos Qi?”
A sudden thought came to his mind. Following this, he immediately controlled a stream of Chaos Qi to dissolve into the Inner Core. As expected, the Inner Core immediately devoured the Chaos Qi like a wild starving wolf detecting the scent of blood. Despite that, after waiting for a while, the Inner Core showed no reaction at all. The only noticeable change was that its aura had turned more ethereal and disordered.
“Let’s try giving you a few more streams!”
Qin Nan clenched his teeth and continued to merge the Chaos Qi with his Inner Core. When sixteen streams of Chaos Qi were dissolved into the Inner Core, a misty aura was emitted deep within it, which encapsulated the Core itself, causing it fall into a dead silence.
Qin Nan was stunned. It’s the same thing that happened last time.
“What the hell is wrong with my Inner Core? It won’t level up even after merging with the Chaos Qi! At this rate, how long do I have to wait to become a Martial Emperor?” Qin Nan frowned slightly as he harshly snapped at the copper mirror in his Divine Sense, “I listened to your words and merged the Chaos Qi with my Inner Core. Why are you as mute as a fish now after it’s behaving strangely? Tell me the reason at once; I’ll give you five streams of Chaos Qi!”
Currently, only ninety streams of Chaos Qi remained in Qin Nan’s body, but in order to discern the answer, he had no choice but to offer five streams of Chaos Qi.
The copper mirror did not answer his question. It only emitted a glow after a while, as the icy female voice was transmitted from above the Nine Heavens, “Yep.”
It then fell silent after uttering the word.
Qin Nan was startled; What the f**k does it mean by ‘yep’?
“Screw it!”
Qin Nan withheld the anger in his heart. This copper mirror was way too mysterious for the time being, and he had no idea how to deal with it. He would have plenty of chances to teach it a lesson when the time came. There was no point for him to overthink it under such circumstances, as the Inner Core would eventually trigger the Tribulation; it was only a matter of time.
In the remaining five days, Qin Nan immersed himself in cultivation, as he focused on mastering the Blazing Sun Golden Armor Body Technique and the Art of Heart-Calming and Demon-Expelling. However, Qin Nan felt melancholic after realizing something—it appeared that these two techniques had encountered some sort of barrier due to his Inner Core’s status, showing no sign of improving.
Qin Nan had no choice but to give up on practicing the techniques, and focus on raising his Martial Skill Mastery after requesting some Arcane Realm Stones from Princess Miao Miao.
With sufficient Arcane Realm Stones, in addition to Qin Nan’s extraordinary comprehension, he managed to improve his Arcane Realm to the Perfection Stage, leaving him only a step away from reaching the Force Accumulation Realm.
“Attention all disciples, we’ve arrived at the Qinglong Sacred Area!”
At that instant, Fang Jian’s sound was heard.
The entire boat turned lively as the geniuses all wore excited expressions, who could not wait to take a look at the marvelous Qinglong Sacred Area.
Qin Nan had long desired to join the two Sacred Areas. He swiftly went to the deck, but before he could see the scenery himself, a series of gasps could be heard. After witnessing the sight before him, he himself was utterly astonished.
From afar, he could see sixteen huge mountains standing firmly on the ground, covering an area of ten thousand Li, as if a huge ancient dragon was crawling on the ground. The sight alone resulted in an indescribable pressure impacting the souls of the disciples.
“Everyone, this is the Qinglong Mountain Range. Legends say that it was formed due to the remains of a Blue Atavistic Dragon after it died here, which was why it was named the Qinglong Sacred Area!” Fang Jian said with a smile, “Furthermore, these sixteen mountains are known as the sixteen Prime Peaks, each under the control of a Peak Leader! The First Peak of the Qinglong Mountain Range is named Duanmu Peak! The ultimate selection of the two Sacred Areas will be taking place on Duanmu Peak!”
After saying this, Fang Jian unnoticedly glanced at Qin Nan.
Qin Nan’s heart skipped a beat; So that Peak Leader Duanmu is this powerful, to be ranked first among the sixteen Peak Leaders.
Beside him, Princess Miao Miao wore an excited expression. I knew it; That old man Duanmu indeed possesses such authority. That means I wouldn’t need to be scared if I got myself into trouble.
Under the shocking gazes of the crowd, the boat slowly flew toward the First Peak. Despite the fact that the boat was two hundred feet long, it was like an ant standing before a giant compared to Duanmu Peak.
BANG!
The boat landed on the dojo on Duanmu Peak, resulting in a light crash.
However, the geniuses on the boat were rooted to the ground with shocked expressions on their faces, including Qin Nan himself.
The dojo was three hundred and sixty seven feet long and two hundred and twelve feet wide. Surrounding it, tiles of black jade were laid, which appeared to be the footpaths. As for the center of the dojo, a two hundred and twenty three foot long and one hundred ninety foot wide pond could be seen.
The surface of the water was filled with huge green lotus leaves, with blossoms of colorful lotuses. Although some of the lotuses were yet to blossom, the rest bloomed completely into lotus thrones, which were encapsulated within a white mist, as if it was a fairyland.
That alone was not shocking enough.
What astonished the crowd most was seeing disciples sitting with their legs crossed on the lotuses and the lotus leaves. Some of them had their eyes shut while their figures shuddered slightly as they were practicing their Martial Skills. The others sat with Xuan ranked Martial Spirits floating behind them, as if they were in the process of comprehending. Some even slept soundly, while a few meditated in the water while breathing at a steady pace.
In the lotus pool were at least thousands of disciples. Some possessed a cultivation of the Martial Emperor Realm, and some were Martial Ancestor experts. A few were even Martial Dominator geniuses. They were not separated according to their cultivation nor the ranks of their Martial Spirits, as they focused on cultivating in the pool.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is the best cultivating spot of Duanmu Peak, with the name Fabled Immortal Lotus Pool. Each lotus, lotus leaf, and the pool itself are magically formed by the Heavens and Earth, which appear to be one with the Dragon Vein of Duanmu Peak. By cultivating in the pool, it will boost one’s comprehension, spirit, realm, etc.—extremely useful.” Fang Jian smilingly said, “Furthermore, it’s free entry, as long as you are a disciple of Duanmu Peak, you are welcome to cultivate here!”
At that instant, the disciples finally collected their thoughts, as their eyes were engulfed in lustful flames.
This Fabled Immortal Lotus Pool was nothing ordinary; one would definitely benefit a lot after cultivating here for a day. Most importantly, despite the fact that it was the best cultivating spot, it was free entry!
The envoy of the Feiyang Sacred Area immediately blurted out, “For your information, our Feiyang Sacred Area also has cultivating spots on par with this Fabled Immortal Lotus Pool, and they’re all free entry too.”
He was utterly worried that these disciples would end up joining the Qinglong Sacred Area, resulting in a great loss to the Feiyang Sacred Area.
Qin Nan also had collected his thoughts at that instant, as he gazed at the Fabled Immortal Lotus Pool with a pair of fiery eyes.
Now that’s more like it!
Translator: XephiZ
Editor: DOCuinn
TL Note: ‘Qinglong’ (青龙) means blue dragon in Chinese.
Chapter 318 – Jiang Bilan, the Saintess
“Guys, follow my lead. Let’s head to where the trial will take place.”
Fang Jian said as he immediately led the crowd and proceeded past the Fabled Immortal Lotus Pool.
Along the journey, to their surprise, many of Duanmu Peak’s disciples greeted the crew with smiles on their faces.
“Welcome Junior Brothers, feel free to ask me any questions after joining Duanmu Peak.”
“HAHA, I can give you a tip or two regarding Martial Arts!”
“Ladies first!”
“……”
Even Martial Dominator Realm experts among the disciples greeted them with a friendly tone, causing the geniuses to be excited.
In their countries and their sects, most of the Martial Dominator Realm experts possessed great power and authority, and who did not bother to talk to them unless it was something important.
Fang Jian explained after seeing the confused looks on the crowd’s face, “Guys, allow me to explain to you all; the Qinglong Sacred Area is completely different to your sects or your clans. Although the competition between disciples is quite intense here, you will find less conspiracy. Not only that, there’s no ranking here in the Qinglong Sacred Area, and you won’t get bullied by a tenth-grade Huang ranked Martial Spirit even if your Martial Spirit is only ninth-grade Huang ranked. After all, this is the Qinglong Sacred Area. There are countless geniuses who are stronger than you, so most of the cultivators are quite humble here.”
The words astonished many disciples among the crowd.
In the Canglan Continent, the rank of one’s Martial Spirit was treated as the ultimate rule. If one’s Martial Spirit was not strong enough, despite being diligent and with the help of countless fortunate encounters, the person would not be able to reach a higher realm. As such, many of the geniuses with stronger Martial Spirits would be ruthless and take advantage of the weak.
Qin Nan nodded his head in agreement. He had no doubt been treated disdainfully most of the time because of the rank of his Martial Spirit.
“Well, this is the place where the selection will take place.”
Fang Jian halted his footsteps.
Before him was a spacious dojo, which was different compared to the Fabled Immortal Lotus Dojo. Over hundreds of rings were set up here, each ring built with some kind of ancient rock, resulting in a solid platform. Those below the Martial Dominator Realm would find a hard time damaging the ring.
“This is the dueling ground of Duanmu Peak, which will be the first round of the upcoming trial.” Fang Jian spoke, “When the rest of the participants arrive, you will be grouped into the Xiantian Realm, Martial Emperor Realm, and Martial Ancestor Realm before facing your opponents. We’ll try our best to assign you an opponent with a similar cultivation level, to ensure the fairness of the trial.”
“That being said, there is no such thing as being disqualified in the trial. Even if you are not chosen by anyone, the Qinglong Sacred Area will still allow you to be a disciple of the Sacred Area, but that would mean a lower status for you. Therefore, when the trial begins, try your best to defeat your opponents, since the envoys of the two Sacred Areas will be spectating the duels, and they might choose you during the selection phase!”
The eyes of the geniuses flickered with excitement, and they could not wait to participate in the duels.
The format of the trial was indeed fascinating, allowing the geniuses to display their talent and attract the attention of the envoys, which would result in a fairer competition and a better opportunity for the participants, preventing one from manipulating the results under the table.
“Tsk tsk, I’m afraid that at least more than ten Peak Leaders would be fighting for me, right?” The Longhu Ancestor Beast said with a proud expression.
“Hehe.” Princess Miao Miao let out a smirk and said, “Longhu, since we are both Martial Ancestors, I’m looking forward to facing you in the duel.”
The Longhu Ancestor Beast’s face instantly turned pale and he begged for forgiveness. He no longer dared to boast about his strength.
Qin Nan could not help but chuckle while seeing this, who exclaimed in his heart, As expected of the two Sacred Areas, they would not care if you are a beast or any other race, anyone is allowed to participate in the selection. Besides, the atmosphere and the facilities here in the Sacred Area are utterly impressive, causing one to be fond of the place.
In comparison with the Mystic Spirit Sect, leaving aside the strength of the disciples, the Sacred Area’s forbearance alone was already so much better.
“Here it is!”
Fang Jian suddenly let out a groan.
Shoosh!
A piercing sound could be heard as a middle-aged envoy of the Qinglong Sacred Area, who was followed by a young man, glanced at Fang Jian and smilingly said, “Brother Fang, this is the genius I’ve appointed; his name is Huang Zhiheng, please go easy on him.”
“Sure thing!” Fang Jian replied with a smile.
Appointed by the envoy!
The crowd’s attention was immediately focused on the young man’s figure, with a hint of admiration in their eyes. They finally realized the significance of being appointed by an envoy; not only would he be able to skip the trial and advance straight away, there was nothing for him to worry about either in the ultimate selection, as the envoy would surely recruit him into the Sacred Area.
That being said, those who were appointed by an envoy would possess extraordinary strengths, for example Qin Nan who was appointed by Fang Jian.
“Fourth-grade Xuan ranked Martial Spirit, eighth-layer Martial Emperor Realm cultivation…” Qin Nan glimpsed at Huang Zhiheng and nodded his head. His talent and strength was on par with Leng Jianxiong.
Shoosh! Shoosh! Shoosh!
Following this, countless piercing sounds were heard as the envoys of the two Sacred Areas and the appointed geniuses arrived at the scene.
These geniuses all possessed incredible strength and powerful Martial Spirits!
As time went by, the geniuses from Jianghuang City felt relieved. At least hundreds of envoys and geniuses had arrived. However, not every appointed genius was an unmatched talent for them. Some were relatively weak compared to the others, including one who possessed a cultivation of the eighth-layer Xiantian Realm and a tenth-grade Huang ranked Martial Spirit.
At that instant, the atmosphere of the place intensified, as a blurry figure soared across the sky and descended.
An uproar took place among the crowd, as the geniuses were startled.
“Peak Leader!”
Fang Jian was astonished as he immediately raised his head.
The blurry figure turned out to be a middle-aged man with a vague face. Beside him stood a white-shirted lady.
Qin Nan was shocked upon seeing the white-shirted lady.
“Fang Jian, this is the participant I appointed, who is also the Saintess of the Trading Alliance, Jiang Bilan.” The middle-aged man spoke with a hoarse voice without purposely unleashing his cultivation, but the words felt like claps of thunder to the crowd.
Appointed by a Peak Leader?
The Saintess of the Trading Alliance?
“I am Jiang Bilan; it’s my first time taking part in the trial. Pleased to meet you all.” Jiang Bilan reached out her finger and slowly unveiled the mask on her face, revealing an attractive face and a prominent nose. Together with her watery eyes, her slightly curled lips, and her outstanding physique resulting in an incredible charm, the crowd could not help but feel affection for her.
The geniuses were astounded.
“Humph!”
Princess Miao Miao rolled her eyes in a disdainful manner. She could never understand why they would end up seeing this b*tch no matter where they went.
Qin Nan wore a calm expression, but his eyes turned incredibly sharp.
Jiang Bilan!
So her name is Jiang Bilan!
And why would she take part in the trial despite her identity as the Saintess of the Trading Alliance?
“My friend Qin Nan.” Jiang Bilan’s eyes locked onto Qin Nan’s figure in the midst of the crowd, as she said in a gentle voice, “I’m quite unfamiliar with the environment here. Is it possible for you to answer my doubts?”
The geniuses instinctively glanced at Qin Nan.
Many of the geniuses who were appointed by the envoys were confused; Who was this guy and how did he earn the Saintess’ fondness?
Meanwhile, the geniuses from Jianghuang City wore mocking expressions, as they were familiar with the conflict that existed between Qin Nan and the Trading Alliance. Now that the Saintess is here, how would Qin Nan deal with the situation?
“Piss off!”
Translator: XephiZ
Editor: DOCuinn