Chapter 322 – Another Rare Change to the Inner Core
…Meanwhile, on Duanmu Peak…
The entire dojo was encapsulated within a huge barrier, with the Martial Ancestor Realm experts battling against each other inside it.
Outside the barrier stood figures with powerful auras, who turned out to be the envoys of the two Sacred Areas.
In addition, on the top of Duanmu Peak stood six powerful presences, with Peak Leader Duanmu in the leading spot. Beside him stood two Peak Leaders of the Qinglong Sacred Area, and three Peak Leaders of the Feiyang Sacred Area.
Both the envoys and the Peak Leaders were immersed in a chatter as they shared their thoughts regarding the battles taking place in the barrier.
“Hmm? That guy is quite impressive; his saber is incredibly ferocious!”
“What’s with that little girl? Even I can’t see through her cultivation!”
“She already captured my attention before; attractive facial features, a noble aura, she surely possesses a formidable background!”
“……"
The envoy’s attention was gathered on Princess Miao Miao’s figure, as their eyes showed a hint of astonishment, despite wearing calm expressions on their faces.
This was because the people of the two Sacred Areas were classified into disciples, custodians, envoys, and Peak Leaders. A Martial Ancestor Realm expert like Princess Miao Miao would be assigned the role of a custodian in either of the two Sacred Area. Therefore, as envoys, they had no right to assign one to take the role of a custodian. Only the Peak Leaders had the right to do so.
The envoys could only pick those who were not selected by the Peak Leaders.
ROAR!
At that instant, a shocking cry of dragons and tigers was heard, causing the envoys to be startled.
It appeared to be from the Longhu Ancestor Beast, who unveiled its true form in his fight. His dragon head and tiger body combined resulted in an imperious sight.
“Not bad, the bloodline feels quite atavistic, and it belongs to the true dragon bloodline.” The eyes of Peak Leader Duanmu flickered with excitement. He was aware that Longhu Ancestor Beast was no ordinary presence, but he did not expect him to be this extraordinary, “He is quite destined with the Qinglong Sacred Area, I shall let him join the Duanmu Peak.”
The three Peak Leaders of the Feiyang Sacred Area felt like saying something. After witnessing how extraordinary the Longhu Ancestor Beast was, their first thought was to recruit him to the Feiyang Sacred Area. However, since the selection was held at Duanmu Peak, they had no choice but to give up.
“That little girl is not bad either; she will be joining the Duanmu Peak!” Peak Leader Duanmu spoke once again.
“No way! I won’t agree! She must join our Feiyang Sacred Area!” One of the Peak Leaders of the Feiyang Sacred Area could not wait any longer to oppose his thought.
“That’s right; she must join the Feiyang Sacred Area!” The other two Peak Leaders expressed their thoughts.
Are you kidding me; they could easily tell that this little girl possessed an extraordinary background, one that was not any weaker than the Longhu Ancestor Beast, or may in fact be stronger. Now that the Longhu Ancestor Beast was taken, they would not give up on Princess Miao Miao.
“Hehe! Remember that you are now in the Qinglong Sacred Area!” The other two Peak Leaders of the Qinglong Sacred Area burst out laughing.
“Enough!” Peak Leader Duanmu’s eyes glistened as he waved his hand and said, “There’s no point in fighting among us now. Let them choose their paths themselves!”
“Sure thing.” The three Peak Leaders of the Feiyang Sacred Area knew that they stood no chance, thus they could only nod their heads in agreement, as they began to ponder what condition they should offer later in order to recruit Princess Miao Miao to the Feiyang Sacred Area,
…Meanwhile, inside the barrier…
The geniuses focused on spectating the battles between the Martial Ancestor Realm experts. They could easily tell that the Longhu Ancestor Beast and Princess Miao Miao appeared to be much more stronger than the others, which caused them to discover a problem.
Weren’t these two the ones standing beside Qin Nan a moment ago?
“The Longhu Ancestor Beast, appointed by Peak Leader Duanmu!”
Fang Jian suddenly uttered a yell.
“MUAHAHAHA!” The Longhu Ancestor Beast burst out laughing with his arms akimbo after hearing the words, “That old man Duanmu is indeed insightful; recruiting me is the wisest choice he has ever made in his life!”
While the Longhu Ancestor Beast was immersed in being proud of his achievement, before the crowd could react, Fang Jian uttered another roar, “Six Peak Leaders of the two Sacred Areas are interested in appointing Princess Miao Miao. Princess Miao Miao, the six Peak Leaders invite you to have a chat with them so that you can make your decision!”
The words served as shocking explosions to the crowd, including the spectating envoys.
Being appointed by six Peak Leaders?
Are you kidding me; six Peak Leaders trying to appoint the same person!
The Longhu Ancestor Beast’s proud expression instantly stiffened.
“No need for that.” Princess Miao Miao waved her hand and said in a calm tone, “The old man Duanmu will do.”
“Acknowledged.”
Fang Jian nodded his head with utter respect. It was obvious that both Princess Miao Miao and the Longhu Ancestor Beast would have a brighter future than his, not to mention that they shared a close relationship with Qin Nan, thus it was a must to develop a good relationship with them.
The six Peak Leaders at the top of Duanmu Peak were stunned after seeing this, especially the three Peak Leaders of the Feiyang Sacred Area, who were slightly furious.
Damn it!
Peak Leader Duanmu must be cheating!
Otherwise, why would Princess Miao Miao choose Duanmu Peak straight away without asking any questions?
That being said, since what was done was done, they had no choice but to switch their focus onto appointing the other remaining Martial Ancestor Realm experts.
……
……
On the dojo, the geniuses now wore complicated expressions.
To be able to be appointed by six Peak Leaders at the same time served as a great indication that Princess Miao Miao’s talent and cultivation were exceedingly remarkable.
Furthermore, this girl was a friend of Qin Nan too!
If Qin Nan’s friends were both exceptional, would Qin Nan be ordinary himself?
“Qin Nan…”
Jiang Bilan’s eyes flickered. She was even more confused with Qin Nan’s background now. Is this guy really one who possessed a tenth-grade Huang ranked Martial Spirit?
BANG!
An explosion took place all of a sudden, which appeared to be a terrifying gust of wind being emitted from Qin Nan’s body, which felt like scorching flames as it struck the crowd, causing the geniuses to be utterly shocked.
“This is…”
The gazes of the geniuses landed on Qin Nan’s figure at the same time.
“Hmm?”
Jiao Zhe and Jiao Shiyi glanced at Qin Nan too.
They could only see Qin Nan’s skin turning red, as the sound of rolling flames like the cries of a beast could be heard from his body, causing the hearts of the disciples who possessed a relatively weak cultivation to skip a beat.
They could sense that for some reason, the strength of Qin Nan’s flesh was improved in a multiplicative manner, which was now extremely terrifying!
“This Qin Nan is indeed extraordinary. His flesh alone is on par with a third-layer Martial Emperor Realm presence!” While the crowd was immersed in a great shock, Jiao Zhe spoke at a slow pace.
On par with a third-layer Martial Emperor Realm presence!
The words were like a heavy blow striking the hearts of the crowd.
However, the rare occurrence did not stop there, as a succession of beast-like cries appeared in Qin Nan’s mind, each cry possessing a weird magical effect.
At that instant, the geniuses were startled, including Jiao Zhe and the rest. That was because they could feel the presence of his Divine Sense, which appeared to be quite powerful!
As everyone knew, only those whose Inner Core had survived the Tribulation would be able to become Martial Emperors, allowing one to possess Divine Sense.
However, why did this Qin Nan possess Divine Sense when his cultivation was only at the half-Martial Emperor Realm?
Translator: XephiZ
Editor: DOCuinn
Chapter 323 – The Burning Left Eye of the Divine God of Battle
The crowd became aware of the strange sight that was taking place on the dojo.
“Able to give birth to Divine Sense at a cultivation of the half-Martial Emperor Realm, I’m afraid not many people have managed to achieve that!”
“What do you mean not many people? It’s my first time seeing it!”
“Strange, very strange indeed; could it be that this lad has some extraordinary treasures or some sort of unique martial technique?”
“That still doesn’t make sense!”
“……”
The envoys were immersed in a chatter.
Although these Martial Dominator Realm experts were quite knowledgeable and had witnessed countless odd phenomenons in their lives, it was their first time seeing Qin Nan’s case, and they had never heard of it before either.
As for Qin Nan, he had no idea that he had once again become the limelight of the crowd. He was fully focused on managing his Inner Core.
Similar to the incident before, streams of golden light could be seen emitting from the Inner Core, which coiled around its surface, resulting in another three golden lines marking the surface. As a result, the Inner Core now had six golden lines on its surface.
Besides, Qin Nan also discovered that the moment his Inner Core had six golden lines marked on it, the Blazing Sun Golden Armor Body Technique and the Art of Heart-Calming and Demon-Expelling both had breakthroughs, reaching the Greater Success Stage. Even his initially hundred-zhang-wide Divine Sense was expanded, becoming two hundred zhang wide!”
“Bizarre, absolutely bizarre! My Inner Core now has three extra golden lines, which caused my strength and my Divine Sense to be on par with a third-layer Martial Emperor Realm presence, but it still feels dead, as if the connection between it and the Heavens and Earth was shattered, thus unable to trigger the Tribulation…” Qin Nan was utterly confused.
He had initially thought that the rare change of his Inner Core this time would be able to trigger the Tribulation, but it fell dead once again.
“Is it possible that my Inner Core would never trigger the Tribulation, although it’s going to keep improving?”
Qin Nan’s face turned dull.
After devouring the streams of Chaos Qi, his Inner Core continued to grow stronger and surpass ordinary people, but he was still unable to level up!
“F**k it! Since you like to devour the Chaos Qi to improve yourself, I’ll let you devour it all! I’m eager to know if you are able to reach the peak of the Martial Emperor Realm!”
Qin Nan clenched his teeth and controlled streams of Chaos Qi to dissolve into the Inner Core once again.
The Inner Core shuddered violently, before absorbing the Chaos Qi in a frenzied manner, a total of twenty streams in a row, before it fell silent after being shrouded in a grey mist.
Obviously, the Inner Core was once again trying to have a breakthrough, although there was no sign of the Tribulation being triggered!
“Phew!”
Qin Nan exhaled deeply and got rid of the thoughts in his mind, before his eyes sprang open.
He was stunned after his eyes were opened, seeing the geniuses surrounding him and their eyes staring straight at him, as if they were looking at some kind of ‘monster’.
“Qin Nan, that’s so sick!” Sima Kong immediately went up to him and blurted out, “Tell me quick, how the hell did you give birth to Divine Sense with just a cultivation of the half-Martial Emperor Realm?”
Qin Nan immediately came to a realization; apparently, the crowd’s attention had been attracted by the rare phenomenon taking place as his Inner Core was leveling up.
“Qin Nan, congratulations. It seems like your cultivation has improved once again.” At that instant, Jiang Bilan took a step forward wearing a blossoming smile on her face, as if she was sincerely joyful for Qin Nan’s sake.
Jiao Shiyi held his breath after seeing this. He had spent many years trying to pursue Jiang Bilan’s love, but she had never treated him like that before.
Qin Nan and Sima Kong both wore disgusted expressions.
How shameless could this Jiang Bilan be?
“Qin Nan, what’s with your expression? I see that you are seeking death!” Jiao Shiyi went enraged.
Qin Nan dares to show such a disgusted expression despite Jiang Bilan’s attitude toward him; this is ridiculous!
“Shut up!” Jiao Zhe lashed out a slap to Jiao Shiyi’s head, before he brought his fists together at Qin Nan, “My friend Qin Nan, sorry about that; my young brother here lacks some manners…”
Qin Nan’s eyes turned cold; this was the second time Jiao Shiyi had tried to stir up trouble with him.
At that instant, the duels of the Martial Ancestor Realm experts had come to an end. Eight Martial Ancestor Realm experts were selected by the Peak Leaders. The remaining were then appointed by the envoys to join the two Sacred Areas.
Fang Jian was clear on the situation taking place, as he immediately blurted out, “Ladies and gentlemen, the duels of the Martial Ancestor Realm experts have finished. Now, let’s move on to the duels of the Martial Emperor Realm experts! Number one hundred and twenty versus number one hundred and thirty; one hundred and thirty-one versus one hundred and thirty three…”
“Mind your manners!”
Jiao Zhe uttered a roar at Jiao Shiyi and gave Qin Nan an apologetic look, before his figure landed on a ring with a flicker.
“Qin Nan, I’m warning you; you better be more respectful toward Jiang Bilan!” Jiao Shiyi was about to make his way to his respective ring after his number was called. Before he took his leave, he said to Qin Nan with a cold tone, “Otherwise, when my brother is not around, I’ll surely make you pay!”
After saying this, with a kick, his figure flew into a ring.
On the other hand, Jiang Bilan wore a sorry look, but a hint of pride flickered deep within her eyes.
Qin Nan, weren’t you full of yourself?
Now that you have befoed Jiao Shiyi, regardless whether he’s able to defeat you, you won’t have a pleasant time here!
“This Jiao Shiyi is definitely a dumbass, too bad my opponent is not him, otherwise, I’d teach him a lesson on your behalf!” Sima Kong spoke with a furious look, but no one knew if he was serious about it.
Qin Nan glanced at Sima Kong without saying anything.
All of a sudden, a burning sensation could be felt coming from his left eye, and despite the fact that it was extremely faint, Qin Nan managed to detect it.
“Hmm?”
Qin Nan was startled; Why was the left eye of the Divine God of Battle reacting this way?
Following this, Qin Nan’s expression changed greatly as a sudden thought came up to his mind.
This burning sensation… Wasn’t it the same feeling from the Longhu Mountain Range?
Translator: XephiZ
Editor: DOCuinn
TL Note: Same as Li(里), Zhang (丈)here is a unit to measure distance. Its value varied over time, but I’ve always treated it as six-foot in the novel since its traditional Chinese setting, and back then people used it to describe the average height of a man, which is why husbands were called Zhang Fu (丈夫) in ancient times.
Chapter 324 – Dao-Seeking Fish
Last time the eyes of the Divine Battle Spirit acted strangely, and they led Qin Nan to discover the left eye of the Divine God of Battle. Now that it’s happening again, did that mean another body part of the Divine God of Battle was appearing?
“No no, the reaction is extremely weak, but it’s very close!”
Qin Nan calmed his thoughts as his eyes quickly scanned his surroundings.
Now that the duels between the Martial Emperor Realm participants were on, more people were crowding at the dojo, with disciples facing off with each other on over a hundred rings, utilizing their Martial Spirits, magical weapons, Martial Skills, etc., resulting in the dojo being filled with shockwaves and explosions.
“Could it be him?”
Qin Nan’s gaze was locked onto a dojo, on which stood Jiao Zhe and a genius.
Jiao Zhe wore a stern look on his face, “Friend, I try my best in every duel I face. I apologize in advance if I were to cause you injuries.”
Saying this, he slowly took out an ancient sword from his storage bag.
The ancient sword was extremely unique; its surface was carved with numerous intricate runes, and the razor-edge was filled with variously-sized gaps. The sword appeared to be an antique, but the aura emitting from the ancient sword was utterly terrifying.
“It’s the sword!”
Qin Nan’s breathing halted.
When the sword appeared in his sight, his left eye burned slightly fiercer, with a hint of intimacy, as if the sword was linked with his blood.
“I got it; this sword is somehow stained with the aura of the flesh of the Divine God of Battle, but an extremely weak one, which is why the left eye of the Divine God of Battle is triggered…”
Qin Nan immediately came to a realization, who made up his mind after taking a deep breath.
Either way, he had to obtain this ancient sword.
There existed a relationship between the sword and the flesh of the Divine God of Battle. It was highly possible that he would be able to find the remaining body parts of the Divine God of Battle through it.
That being said, Qin Nan did not make his move instantly. After all, this ancient sword was now in Jiao Zhe’s possession. Even though it was extremely important to him, it was not reasonable for him to rob it. The only choice now was to communicate with Jiao Zhe after the selection, and see if he were willing to trade it.
“Let’s take a look at the cultivation of the participants!”
Qin Nan took a deep breath and calmed his thoughts, before he glanced at Jiao Zhe, Sima Kong, and the others.
There was a reason why these people had been appointed by the Peak Leaders—Jiao Zhe, accompanied by a ferocious aura, ended up defeating his opponent with a single blow. Sima Kong on the other hand, flung his drumstick like a mace and knocked his opponent out by giving a blow to his head. Despite the hilarious sight, there was something worth mentioning about it; it appeared that Sima Kong’s chubby flesh had practiced some body-tempering technique, granting him such extraordinary strength.
Apart from Qin Nan’s observation, the envoys surrounding the dojo were secretly taking notes too while analyzing the talents of the participants, but they showed no sign of expressing their thoughts yet, as it was only the first round, which was aimed at having a brief understanding of their strength. The real deal was the upcoming second round.
“The duels of the Martial Emperor Realm participants have finished! The third phase begins now; the duels between Xiantian Realm cultivators…” After a slight hesitation, Fang Jian then read a list of numbers.
There were only a few Xiantian Realm disciples compared to the Martial Emperor Realm disciples. The opponent Qin Nan was facing was also a half-Martial Emperor Realm cultivator, but ended up being defeated with just a single punch, causing the envoys and the geniuses to let out a sigh, as they were unable to observe Qin Nan’s true strength.
After half the period it took for an incense to burn, the trials of the Xiantian Realm disciples came to an end.
“According to the rules of the selection, Martial Ancestor Realm experts are not required to take part in the second round!” Fang Jian uttered with a thunderous voice, “Martial Emperor Realm and Xiantian Realm cultivators are advised to take part in the second round. I’ll go through the rules; the trial this time is different than usual. The two Sacred Areas will be using a rare being of the Heavens and Earth, known as the Dao-Seeking Fish! It is able to smell the potential, talent, Martial Spirit, and personality, etc. of you, and decides whether to approach you or not. A higher number of fish indicates a greater hope to become a real expert in the future!”
Dao-Seeking Fish?
The geniuses were stunned; it was their first time hearing of such a fascinating being.
Qin Nan frowned slightly too, but he soon came to a realization. This Dao-Seeking Fish most likely has the same concept as the Potential Stone of the Martial Serendipity Pavilion, with a slight difference in terms of capabilities.
“We’ll now invite Peak Leader Duanmu to unleash the Dao-Seeking Fish!”
Fang Jian turned around and yelled while bringing his fists together.
BANG!
The crowd could only hear an explosion coming from the peak of the mountain, as if a giant hand that traveled over hundreds of li was striking downward, tearing the space above the dojo. Fish began to swim freely out from the gap, although they were currently in mid-air.
The fish were thoroughly crimson in color, and their eyes emitted a blue glow. On their gills were two long whiskers, while their scales were filled with countless runes, giving them a mysterious aura.
The gap vanished as nine hundred and ninety-nine Dao-Seeking Fish swam out from it.
“Such miraculous Dao-Seeking Fish!”
Apart from the crowd, Qin Nan’s eyes were filled with a surprised look too.
Although the Dao-Seeking Fish did not possess any cultivation, Qin Nan failed to see through them even with his left eye of the Divine God of Battle.
Fang Jian scanned the geniuses and smilingly said, “This Dao-Seeking Fish is fascinating indeed. I believe most of you would know the Imperial Exterminator, right? Let me remind you—the Imperial Exterminator managed to trigger six hundred and sixty-six Dao-Seeking Fish in his attempt, astonishing the two Sacred Areas!”
After saying this, Fang Jian swiftly added, “Of course, one’s Martial Spirit’s rank is important to attract the Dao-Seeking Fish, but that is not all that matters. Back when the Imperial Exterminator was a participant, there was one guy whose Martial Spirit was two grades higher than his, but he still lost to the Imperial Exterminator!”
The crowd was utterly astounded hearing this.
As expected of the Imperial Exterminator, making history by crushing the ultimate rule of the Canglan Continent!
“Ok, let’s start the trial.” Fang Jian said, “You guys decide on the order yourself. By the way, you won’t need to do anything in the trial, there’s no need to unleash your Martial Spirit. All you have to do is to walk closer to the Dao-Seeking Fish, and they will automatically swim to you.”
The trial began, but nobody moved among the geniuses.
No one was willing to take the first move without observing the situation first. It would serve as a great loss if they ended up triggering less Dao-Seeking Fish as a result.
“Well, if no one is trying, I’ll be first then. Let’s see if I can break the record left by the Imperial Exterminator!”
Qin Nan mumbled to himself, as his blood started boiling.
For this round, his opponents were no longer the participants around him, but the record left by the Imperial Exterminator!
However, as soon as he took a step forward, an indescribable feeling rose in his heart, a very strange one, as if he was being locked onto by a beast, but he could not feel any life-threatening danger around him.
“What is going on?”
Qin Nan stood behind the crowd and checked his surroundings, but he realized that even Jiang Bilan was not looking in his direction; she was busy observing the Dao-Seeking Fish.
“That’s weird…”
Qin Nan frowned slightly as he directed his gaze toward the dojo. With a glimpse, he froze.
The nine hundred and ninety-nine Dao-Seeking Fish continued to swim around in mid-air. The blue glow from their eyes and the crimson glow from their bodies combined together, resulting in a mystical sight. However, Qin Nan sharply discovered that despite the fact that the nine hundred and ninety-nine Dao-Seeking Fish were swimming in a disorganized fashion, their eyes were casting side glances at him!
Translator: XephiZ
Editor: DOCuinn
Chapter 325 – The Brawl Between the Great Authorities
At that instant, Qin Nan’s body tensed as his scalp turned numb.
Imagine a school of miraculous Dao-Seeking Fish swimming randomly in mid-air in front of the Peak Leaders, hundreds of envoys, and hundreds of disciples, all casting their side glance at you; how would you feel?
Qin Nan had always been sharp with his senses. This time, his instincts were trying to alert him of a great danger.
“Damn it, what the hell is happening?”
Qin Nan immediately gave up on the thought of participating in the trial, as his face was filled with an unpleasant look.
Why are these Dao-Seeking Fish staring at me, despite the fact that it’s my first time seeing them?
…Meanwhile, in the surroundings of the dojo…
The eyes of the envoys flickered as a chatter took place among them while they were spectating the trial.
“Have a guess, who’s going to be the King of Geniuses this time?”
“It should be Jiao Zhe i think, not only has he a seventh-grade Xuan ranked Martial Spirit, he also has a just and kind attitude, with a firm will. It would be a surprise if he doesn’t get first place.”
“I don’t think so; don’t forget about the Saintess of the Trading Alliance and that Pang Qiu. Both of them are quite mysterious too, and they might be able to turn the tables around!”
“It’s possible, so it’s hard to guess for now! However, it’s easier to guess if the King of Genius this year ends up triggering five hundred Dao-Seeking Fish!”
“Five hundred Dao-Seeking Fish? You gotta be kidding! Since the sect was established, no more than ten people have managed to attract five hundred of them!”
“……”
Besides the envoys, the six Peak Leaders at the top of Duanmu Peak had their eyes fixed on the dojo too.
“Peak Leader Duanmu, since you have taken two geniuses just then, and we didn’t even say a word, why don’t you give us this Jiao Zhe and Jiang Bilan? How’s that?” A Peak Leader of the Feiyang Sacred Area smilingly said.
The other Peak Leaders of the Qinglong Sacred Area let out smirks in their hearts after hearing the words.
Everyone knew that this Jiao Zhe was Jiao Shiyi’s brother, and Jiao Shiyi was deep in love with Jiang Bilan. If the Feiyang Sacred Area recruited Jiang Zhe and Jiang Bilan, Jiang Shiyi would be going with them too.
As for that Pang Qiu, he was brought here by the Feiyang Sacred Area, so he would no doubt join the Feiyang Sacred Area in the end.
“I don’t agree with that; I’m the one appointing Jiao Zhe. Feel free to take Jiang Bilan, but Jiao Zhe will be following us.” One of the Qinglong Sacred Area’s Peak Leaders said with a smile.
Old fox!
Since Jiang Bilan was the Saintess of the Trading Alliance, even after joining a Sacred Area, she would be busy with the Trading Alliance still. On the other hand, there was no doubt that Jiang Zhe would have a bright future.
The three Peak Leaders cursed in their hearts, but still wore calm expressions on their faces, “In my opinion, that won’t be idea——”
Before they finished talking, Peak Leader Duanmu burst out laughing and said, “Jiang Zhe and Jiang Bilan? Feel free to take them, but on one condition; we of the Qinglong Sacred Area will be picking from the rest of the geniuses first!”
The Peak Leaders were startled.
What did that mean?
Did Peak Leader Duanmu just give up on acquiring Jiao Zhe, Jiang Bilan, and Jiao Shiyi?
“Peak Leader, this…”
The other two Peak Leaders of the Qinglong Sacred Area immediately spoke, but halted their speech after seeing the stern look on Peak Leader Duanmu’s face.
The three Peak Leaders of the Feiyang Sacred Area wore suspicious looks.
Something’s not right!
This Peak Leader Duanmu was willing to give up three geniuses so he could choose the remaining geniuses first; why was that? Could it be that there’s a more terrifying genius hiding among the crowd?
As soon as the thought came to their minds, they immediately got rid of it. Only Qin Nan was quite interesting among the crowd, but they assumed Qin Nan’s Martial Spirit’s rank to be relatively weak, since he was only at the half-Martial Emperor Realm now, a huge difference compared to the other three geniuses.
“Peak Leader Duanmu, that’s what you said, don’t you go back on your words!” One of the Feiyang Sacred Area’ Peak Leaders could not help but burst out laughing, wearing a pleasant smile on his face.
“That’s for sure.” Peak Leader Duanmu glanced at the dojo and his eyes flickered, “Someone is having a go!”
The other Peak Leaders immediately directed their focus to the dojo.
…Meanwhile, somewhere ten thousand li away from the Qinglong Sacred Area…
A powerful figure bursting out with a terrifying aura soared across the sky at a great speed, causing the space he passed by to vibrate vigorously.
The figure turned out to be Peak Leader Luo from the Feiyang Sacred Area, who had been at the Mystic Spirit Sect too!
“Damn it! Damn it!” Peak Leader Luo wore a furious expression as he uttered a roar, “Eldest Brother, I’ll never forgive you! You dare to send Third Brother to stop me! You f**king piece of shit, when was the last time the Feiyang Sacred recruited a peerless genius! If you guys ended up acquiring Qin Nan, I’ll demolish your Qinglong Sacred Area!”
“HAHA, Fourth Brother, why are you so mad? Eldest Brother is only being concerned with Qin Nan’s wellbeing, the Qinglong Sacred Area suits him better!”
Behind Peak Leader Luo, Peak Leader Zhang who was wearing a robe displayed a pleasant expression on his face. Judging from the time, they should be at the Dao-Seeking Fish trial by now, right?
If the trial has begun, Eldest Brother will definitely recruit Qin Nan!
“Third Brother, f**k you three hundred and sixty-seven times!
Peak Leader Luo let out a roar without turning his head around, as he increased his speed further, causing the space to shudder violently like shocking explosions.
The truth was that there was a reason why Peak Leader Duanmu and Peak Leader Zhang from the Qinglong Sacred Area would cooperate in order to stop Peak Leader Luo from the Feiyang Sacred Area at all costs!
Just a while ago, the Trading Alliance had sent over ten ‘shadows’ to Luohe Kingdom, but they were intercepted these Peak Leaders. In the process, they became aware of a strange fact.
These shadows of the Trading Alliance seemed to be gathering information about Qin Nan!
Why were they searching for Qin Nan?
With this concern, the three Peak Leaders immediately investigated Qin Nan’s background.
Through it, the three Peak Leaders could no longer resist their urge!
Achieved one thousand steps in the Mind-Seducing Ancient Bamboo Woods, making history in the Mystic Spirit Sect!
Completed the fifth round of the Trial of the Martial Serendipity Pavilion, and obtained its secrets, the first one ever in history!
What was the Martial Serendipity Pavilion?
The three Peak Leaders were well-informed of it; even the two Sacred Areas did not dare to disturb it, which was also known as one of the forbidden areas of the lower district!
Apart from that, they had also received a message from Fang Jian.
Qin Nan with his mere half-Martial Emperor Realm cultivation completely crushed the Trading Alliance’s Ancient Dragon Auction; even the Six-Eared Divine Being failed to find any evidence!
Were all these possible for an ordinary person?
Even other eighth-grade Xuan ranked geniuses would not be able to achieve such outstanding results!
Therefore, the three Peak Leaders assumed that in the trial of the Dao-Seeking Fish during the selection of the two Sacred Areas, Qin Nan would possibly achieve a shocking result!
Maybe… he could even surpass Tang Qingshan!
As a result, the three brothers began to fight each other in order to recruit Qin Nan to their sect!
Translator: XephiZ
Editor: DOCuinn
Chapter 326 – Jiao Shiyi’s Turn
…Qinglong Sacred Area, Duanmu Peak…
The six Peak Leaders and the envoys gathered their attention toward the dojo.
After the crowd fell silent for a long period, a genius uttered a yell, “I’ll go first!”
The person was none other than Leng Jianxiong!
Leng Jianxiong took a few deep breaths to calm his thoughts, and under the crowd’s gaze, he slowly walked forward with firm steps.
He was clear about the situation; now that there were so many geniuses here, his talent alone was not enough to attract the attention of the envoys and the Peak Leaders. The best way was to display his courage by volunteering as the first participant, and acquiring an outstanding result.
When Leng Jianxiong arrived below the Dao-Seeking Fish, his footsteps came to a halt as he raised his head gazing at the Dao-Seeking Fish which were randomly swimming in mid-air. Following this, two hundred and thirty nine of them stared at Leng Jianxiong’s figure. After a slight hesitation, two hundred and eighteen of the fish swam toward him and danced around his figure, causing him to be surrounded by a combination of blue and red glows.
The crowd of geniuses wore blank expressions. They had no idea if the result was considered good or bad.
However, the surrounding envoys were immersed in a huge chatter.
“This young man is not bad; able to trigger two hundred and eighteen fish!”
“Although such result is not considered one of the best, it’s not bad indeed!”
“Yep yep, what’s his name? I suggest recruiting him to our peak!”
“What are you saying? This guy belongs to our Qinglong Sacred Area! Have you forgotten where you are standing on right now? Be careful not to be knocked out later!”
“……”
The envoys began to quarrel among themselves, and their faces reddened, as if they were about to start a brawl on the spot.
At the two Sacred Areas, most of them had reached the Martial Dominator Realm, which was the limit for most people. As such, they now focused on teaching disciples, to find the suitable successor and train him into an expert.
In the Martial World, wealth, status, power, and reputation were extremely important. However, the experts also emphasized recruiting outstanding disciples.
Fang Jian let out a smile and said, “Not bad, that result was quite spectacular. I recall your name to be Leng Jianxiong, remember to join Duanmu Peak later!”
“Thanks, Senior Brother!”
Leng Jianxiong wore an excited expression. He had made the right bet by volunteering himself!
The spectating envoys, especially the envoys from the Feiyang Sacred Area, were extremely furious. How nice of you Fang Jian, shameless to the max; trying to recruit the participant before anyone could express their thoughts, that’s cheating!
The crowd of geniuses on the dojo immediately collected their thoughts after seeing this, with a hint of admiration in their eyes.
“My turn, my turn, I’ll go second!”
“Let me do it first!”
“Shit, I’ll go third then!”
“……”
The initially silent dojo was lit up in the blink of an eye, as the geniuses quarreled with each other for a chance to go next in the trial.
Following the start of the trial, the participants realized that a result of attracting two hundred and eleven Dao-Seeking Fish was indeed spectacular, as most of them who possessed Xuan-ranked Martial Spirits only managed to attract just over a hundred Dao-Seeking Fish, uncomparable with Leng Jianxiong’s result.
That being said, geniuses like Hong Fu and the others also managed to trigger over two hundred Dao-Seeking Fish, causing the envoys to fight with each other to claim possession of them.
If anyone were to be near Duanmu Peak, the person would be shocked hearing the quarrel coming from the peak.
“It’s time for Brother Pang!”
When half of the participants had finished their turns, a loud roar could be heard, attracting the attention of the crowd.
The reason being that the person turned out to be Sima Kong!
Sima Kong was appointed by the Peak Leader; how many Dao-Seeking Fish would he end up attracting in this trial?
Under the crowd’s gaze, the fatty walked up in a reckless manner and arrived before the school of Dao-Seeking Fish as his expression turned serious, causing the crowd to feel tensed. Following this, the fatty let out a hideous smile on his face and raised the half-eaten drumstick in his hand, before saying in a seducive tone, “Hey there fishies, be kind to me, come to papa! I’ve got delicious drumstick for you! Fresh drumstick! A guaranteed delicacy! You will regret for the rest of your life if you don’t have a taste!”
After hearing the ‘thunderous’ words, the geniuses and the envoys were dumbfounded, resulting in the entire Duanmu Peak falling into dead silence.
What…What the f**k was he doing?
Was he trying to bribe the Dao-Seeking Fish with half a drumstick?
However, at that instant, a total of four hundred and eighty Dao-Seeking Fish turned around and stared at the fatty. Following this, four hundred and seventy-nine Dao-Seeking Fish began to swim toward his figure at a rapid pace, as they surrounded the fatty and danced joyfully.
The sight of it served as a shocking explosion in the hearts of the envoys and the geniuses!
Was…Was this a joke?
That shameless act was able to attract four hundred and eighty Dao-Seeking Fish?
That’s a total of four hundred and seventy-nine fish!
It was definitely an outstanding result, even for previous years’ trials!
“HAHAHA!”
Sima Kong stood with his arms akimbo, as he could not help but burst out laughing, “I f**king knew it; these ain’t Dao-Seeking Fish, it’s only a bunch of foodies! Your Brother Pang, I am f**king brilliant!”
The geniuses: “……”
The envoys: “……”
The six Peak Leaders: “……”
After a period of over ten breaths’ time, an uproar took place in the entirety of Duanmu Peak.
However, this time, the envoys did not quarrel with each other, nor did they fight with each other to claim possession of the fatty.
Such a wretched and disdainful guy, who would be willing to recruit him?
No way! Even if he managed to trigger five hundred Dao-Seeking Fish!
Qin Nan’s face turned dark too. At that instant, the Inner Core inside his body shuddered slightly, as if it was being awakened.
“Hmm?”
Qin Nan was startled. It seems like my Inner Core is about to level up again.
“Fatty, stop being proud of yourself here. The Dao-Seeking Fish is a mystical creature of the Heavens and Earth; I won’t allow you to disrespect them!” At that instant, Jiao Shiyi uttered a yell all of a sudden, “I shall show you that your result of four hundred and seventy-nine fish was nothing worth mentioning!”
Jiao Shiyi was not fond of the fatty and Qin Nan since the very beginning. Hence, he had already planned to crush the two in the trial of the Dao-Seeking Fish. Hence, he ran out of patience after seeing the disdainful act of the fatty.
“Humph!”
Sima Kong twisted his lips with an indifferent attitude.
“You…Humph!”
Jiao Shiyi’s face turned cold as he withheld the murderous intent in him. He let out a harrumph and started walking toward the Dao-Seeking Fish.
His entry immediately grabbed the attention of the crowd!
Translator: XephiZ
Editor: DOCuinn
Chapter 327 – Skyrocketing Cultivation
Although Jiao Shiyi was not as strong as his brother Jiao Zhe, he too was considered a highly anticipated genius as he was also appointed by a Peak Leader. Hence, he easily attracted the attention of the crowd with his entry.
That Pang Qiu managed to attract four hundred and seventy nine Dao-Seeking Face. Can this Jiao Shiyi beat his result?
Jiao Shiyi slowly arrived before the school of Dao-Seeking Fish and sat down with his legs crossed. The murderous look on his face was withdrawn all of a sudden, as his aura turned calm as a millpond, as if he had turned into a celestial being.
The rare change took the envoys and the crowd by surprise.
Even though this Jiao Shiyi was crazily in love with Jiang Bilan, they could not help but approve of his extraordinary talent. The way he could instantly control his thoughts had already surpassed many of the participants.
At that instant, a total of five hundred and thirty Dao-Seeking Fish turned around and stared at Jiao Shiyi. After a slight hesitation, a total of five hundred and nine Dao-Seeking Fish swam toward his figure while wagging their tails, spinning around Jiao Shiyi’s figure, as if they were dancing elegantly, causing the crowd to be astonished.
The surrounding geniuses wore a shocked expression on their faces; Five hundred and nine, Jiao Shiyi managed to trigger five hundred and nine Dao-Seeking Fish!
The spectating envoys’ faces shuddered violently, before an uproar took place among them.
“Five hundred and nine! That’s five hundred and nine Dao-Seeking Fish! It’s one of the best results even in previous years’ trial!”
“HAHA, Jiao Shiyi must join our Feiyang Sacred Area!”
“My ass, he belongs to our Qinglong Sacred Area!”
“F**k, are you looking for a fight?”
“……”
Although with his achievement, it was no longer the envoys’ concern to fight for his possession, they could not help but start quarreling with one another.
On the top of Duanmu Peak, the three Peak Leaders from Feiyang Sacred Area wore joyful expressions. They did not expect Jiao Shiyi to give them such a surprise.
“Peak Leader Duanmu——”
The other two Peak Leaders of the Qinglong Sacred Area almost ran out of patience. Such a genius would definitely have a bright future ahead of him. It would serve as a great loss if they didn’t recruit him into the Qinglong Sacred Area.
“It’s fine.”
Peak Leader Duanmu purposely wore a stern look and shook his head while uttering the words.
The three Peak Leaders of Feiyang Sacred Area wore a grin in their hearts. Their guess was right; this Peak Leader Duanmu had set his eyes on some other participants, but he had not expected Jiao Shiyi to be so outstanding.
…Meanwhile, on the dojo…
“Fatty, did you see that?” Jiao Shiyi’s eyes sprang open as his body emitted a remarkable yet icy aura, “Remember to mind your words when you’re talking to Bilan!”
“Humph! Who do you think you are? Do you think your result is brilliant? If I don’t see you as human, you’re not a human!”
Sima Kong snapped with a scornful attitude, before he took a bite of his drumstick.
“Humph!”
Jiao Shiyi’s face turned dark; this fatty was more shameless and stubborn than he had thought. He clearly knew that it would not get him anywhere if he continued to quarrel with him. He then glanced at Qin Nan and said, “Qin Nan, since you dare to humiliate Bilan with your words, I assume you to be quite confident in your talents. I’m eager to know how many Dao-Seeking Fish will you be able to attract! If you can’t even beat my result, please keep your mouth shut in the future!”
Nobody expected Jiao Shiyi to challenge Qin Nan at this time. Even Jiao Zhe could not stop him in time.
“You? What rights do you have to challenge me!”
Qin Nan let out a smirk.
This Jiao Shiyi kept on provoking him; did he really think that I’m one to be bullied so easily?
If it weren’t because these fish were staring at him weirdly, he would not hesitate to take his turn, and show him their difference in terms of talents!
“I don’t have the right? Then go ahead and prove me wrong; show the geniuses and the spectating envoys and Peak Leaders that you truly have the strength, instead of uttering boastful words here!”
Jiao Shiyi stood while holding his hands on his back; his gaze at Qin Nan was filed with provocation and battle intent.
This sparked the interest of the surrounding disciples and envoys. Judging from Qin Nan’s Inner Core, his talent should be quite extraordinary. How many Dao-Seeking Fish would he be able to attract?
The eyes of Peak Leader Duanmu standing on the top of Duanmu Peak glistened upon seeing this. Although he was confident that Qin Nan would make miracles happen here, he was eager to witness with his own eyes; What kind of result will Qin Nan achieve?
Qin Nan halted his breathing after being aware of the crowd’s gaze, as he glanced at the school of Dao-Seeking Fish.
It was as if the Dao-Seeking Fish were aware of his gaze, as they once again cast their side glance at Qin Nan at the same time while swimming freely around. It was as if there existed some sort of intelligence in their blue eyes.
Qin Nan could feel his hair standing on end, as his heart was filled with a great alertness, causing him to swiftly withdraw his gaze.
“What the hell do these Dao-Seeking Fish want from me?”
Qin Nan scolded in his heart.
Now that Jiao Shiyi had challenged him, how could he treat it like nothing; but at the same time, there was no doubt that something bad would happen if he were to walk toward the Dao-Seeking Fish.
“Screw it, who cares about the danger, since when am I scared of it?”
Qin Nan’s eyes instantly showed a hint of determination as he took a step forward in the direction of the Dao-Seeking Fish.
Who cares if there’s a terrifying surging flood in front of me, what has to be done must be done!
At that instant, a tremendous wave of energy exploded within Qin Nan’s body, causing him to be stunned. He then ignored the gazes of the crowd and sat down with his legs crossed while holding his breath.
The crowd of geniuses, the envoys, and the six Peak Leaders were stunned.
What’s going on?
ROAR!
In the midst of their doubts, blurry figures of beasts suddenly appeared behind Qin Nan’s figure, uttering a series of blasting roars, resulting in a spectacular sight.
Without any warning, a sprout of flames was ignited on Qin Nan’s palms, which was then spread to his entire body in the blink of an eye, causing his figure to be engulfed in a ferocious flame. At the same time, they could faintly see the silhouettes of an armor plate being drawn on top of the flame.
At that instant, the geniuses and envoys were dumbfounded. Even the Peak Leaders were astonished.
What’s happening?
Only the Divine Sense of sixth-layer Martial Emperor Realm experts were able to materialize phantoms!
And it appeared that the strength of his flesh was currently on par with sixth-layer Martial Emperor Realm cultivators!
That being said, Qin Nan’s cultivation was only at the half-Martial Emperor Realm!
Leaving that aside, at the start of the trial, Qin Nan’s cultivation had already had a breakthrough, which grabbed the attention of the crowd.
Now only a period for five incenses to burn has passed, and he’s about to level up again?
Leaving that aside, how did both his Divine Sense and flesh improve from the third-layer Martial Emperor Realm to the sixth-layer Martial Emperor Realm in one go?
What kind of f**king bullshit was this!
Translator: XephiZ
Editor: DOCuinn