Chapter 328 – Jiang Bilan’s Conspiracy
The first reaction of the envoys was to take deep breaths.
“This guy is called Qin Nan, right? What exactly are the martial techniques he is practicing? How are they so powerful?”
“Half-Martial Emperor Realm! He’s only at the half-Martial Emperor Realm!”
“Tsk tsk, with his current cultivation, despite his slightly weaker Martial Skill mastery, it wouldn’t be a problem for him to face ordinary sixth-layer Martial Emperor Realm opponents!”
“……”
On the peak of the mountain, the three Peak Leaders of the Feiyang Sacred Area felt their hearts dropping.
With their experiences after roaming the lower district for many years, they could easily tell that Qin Nan’s Inner Core was something extraordinary.
Could it be that Peak Leader Duanmu has set his eyes on Qin Nan from the very beginning?
“Strange, very strange, since when did a genius like Qin Nan appear in the lower district; why haven’t we heard of his name before…” The three Peak Leaders of the Feiyang Sacred Area tried to organize their thoughts.
As for the other two Peak Leaders of the Qinglong Sacred Areas, their eyes glistened and their hearts were deeply impressed; As expected of Peak Leader Duanmu, to be willing to give up on Jiao Shiyi and the others, as his ultimate target was Qin Nan all along!
…Meanwhile, on the dojo…
The geniuses wore astonished expressions as they stared at Qin Nan with a hint of respect.
The initially conceited Jiao Shiyi was stunned on the spot, who no longer displayed the same attitude.
“Jiao Shiyi.” Jiao Zhe let out a sigh and spoke, “I won’t stop you from liking Jiang Bilan, but you should not be too full of yourself. Judging from Qin Nan’s current display of strength, you indeed don’t have the right to compete with him!”
Jiao Shiyi’s pupils contracted tremendously into the shape of a needle.
You are saying that I still don’t have the right to compete with Qin Nan after attracting five hundred and nine Dao-Seeking Fish?
However, as he thought of the rare sight that Qin Nan had triggered, the words were stuck in his mouth, unable to be spoken.
“Jiao Zhe!”
Jiao Shiyi took a deep breath and snapped, “Despite being my elder brother, why do you always want to control me? Fine, just like you said, I’ve no right to challenge Qin Nan, but what right do you have to teach me lessons?”
The words were like a heaven-shocking explosion.
Jiao Shiyi dared to talk back to his brother Jiao Zhe?
“Do you really think so?” Jiao Zhe wore a stern look, yet it felt imperious even without him turning angry.
Jiao Shiyi instinctively felt intimidated, but he knew the chance to be rare, thus he ended up biting the bullet and saying while clenching his teeth, “Jiao Zhe, it’s your turn to take part in the trial! If you are able to surpass me with your result, I’ll obey every single word you say in the future! If you fail to beat my result, then don’t you ever interfere with my decisions ever again!”
Normally, Jiao Shiyi would not dare to challenge Jiao Zhe.
However, it was different now, as he had managed to trigger five hundred and nine Dao-Seeking Fish. Even Jiao Zhe would not be sure if he was able to beat that result!
After all, it was not a matter of one’s Martial Spirit or one’s strength in attracting the Dao-Seeking Fish, everything about the person mattered!
“A real man keeps his words. Jiao Shiyi, you should be responsible for your own words once you speak them!”
Jiao Zhe spoke at a slow pace.
He was satisfied with everything regarding his younger brother, but for some reason, after Jiao Shiyi had met Jiang Bilan, he had completely lost his mind. Even when Jiang Bilan ignored his presence, Jiao Shiyi would still insist on his ways, and kill those who offended Jiang Bilan. Whenever Jiang Bilan asked for a favor from him, he would fulfill it at all costs.
Jiao Zhe was not too fond of Jiang Bilin himself, and he was not willing to interfere in Jiao Shiyi’s love affair either, but Jiao Shiyi’s behavior was beyond his acceptable limit.
As his older brother, it was extremely painful to see his younger brother suffer like this. However, despite all his efforts, he had failed to awaken his brother from his blind love.
“I, Jiao Shiyi, am a man of my word!”
Jiao Shiyi tightly clenched his fists.
“Very well!”
Jiao Zhe nodded his head, and without saying anything further, he started walking toward the Dao-Seeking Fish.
At that instant, the envoys and the Peak Leaders gathered their focus on his figure.
They did not expect to see Jiao Shiyi challenging his brother. That being said, they had high anticipation for Jiao Zhe; How many Dao-Seeking Fish would the famous Jiao Zhe attract?
The crowd could only see Jiao Zhe approaching the Dao-Seeking Fish, and similar to Jiao Shiyi’s actions, he sat down with his legs crossed while withdrawing his aura.
“Brother, I did not expect you to imitate my method!”
Jiao Shiyi wore a disdainful look.
If Jiao Zhe were planning to imitate me and communicate with the Dao-Seeking Fish, he would never surpass my result.
At that instant, the silent Jiao Zhe suddenly opened his eyes as he recited a continuous chant, “Since I was born, the lower district was flooded with wars, resulting in countless deaths. I was naive in my early age, not knowing the definition of human lives, but as I grew up, I witnessed how living beings died, and it hurts my heart, causing tears to roll down from my cheeks. Therefore, my purpose in becoming an expert is not to dominate the Heavens and Earth; instead, I only wish to see the world be filled with peace, and that’s the ultimate goal of my life…”
His voice was not loud, but it was as if the words had synchronized with the Heavens and Earth, resulting in a heavenly chant.
At that instant, the envoys and the Peak Leaders were utterly astounded.
Dao Heart!
Jiao Zhe had formed a Dao Heart!
What is a Dao Heart?
The life of a cultivator was filled with desires and dreams in pursuit of the path of an expert. When one’s goal was determined enough to be kept firm for the rest of the person’s life, the Dao Heart would be formed. The will of the person who formed the Dao Heart was impossible to be shaken.
Although Qin Nan never showed it, he had also formed his Dao Heart, but it was completely different than the one that Jiao Zhe desired.
Shoosh!
At that instant, among the Dao-Seeking Fish swimming freely in mid-air, five hundred and ninety-nine of them turned around and swam toward Jiao Zhe without any hesitation. They surrounded Jiao Zhe’s figure and danced elegantly, as if they were following the rhythm of Jiao Zhe’s chant!
Buzz!
At that instant, the envoys were utterly dumbfounded.
Five hundred and ninety-nine!
Jiao Zhe had attracted five hundred and ninety-nine Dao-Seeking Fish!
“How is this possible!”
On top of Duanmu Peak, the two Peak Leaders of the Qinglong Sacred Area and the three Peak Leaders of the Feiyang Sacred Area were shocked.
That’s a total of five hundred and ninety-nine Dao-Seeking Fish; less than ten participants were able to acquire such a result even in the previous years’ trial!
Those who had achieved a similar result had no doubt come to be named Peak Leaders, with well-known reputations in the entire lower district!
“HAHAHA!” At that instant, a bursting laugh took place all of a sudden, “Five hundred and ninety-nine Dao-Seeking Fish; it’s a surprise to see such a talented genius in the current selection! This genius shall be recruited into our Qinglong Sacred Area!”
The person turned out to be a Peak Leader of the Qinglong Sacred Area, who ran out of patience and came to the dojo after being notified of Jiao Zhe’s result!
“Don’t you dare!”
The three Peak Leaders of the Feiyang Sacred Area went enraged.
According to the deal, both Jiao Zhe and Jiang Bilan belonged to the Feiyang Sacred Area. Was this Qinglong Sacred Area regretful of their own words?
The three Peak Leaders could not care less if Peak Leader Duanmu was planning to acquire Qin Nan. We agree that Qin Nan is outstanding, but there’s no way he’s more talented than Jiao Zhe, right?
The entire Duanmu Peak was currently in a mess, as the two Sacred Areas were immersed in a tense situation facing each other. However, in the midst of the crowd, Jiang Bilan’s attention was never focused on Jiao Zhe’s figure, but her eyes had been staring at Qin Nan since a while ago, as she clenched her fists.
I must obtain it!
I must obtain the secrets on Qin Nan!
Translator: XephiZ
Editor: DOCuinn
Chapter 329 – A Bet
…Duanmu Peak, on top of the mountain…
The other two Peak Leaders of the Qinglong Sacred Area could no longer sit tight as they uttered a roar, “Feiyang Sacred Area, what do you guys mean? Do you guys really plan to acquire all of the geniuses?”
“Humph! Your Peak Leader Duanmu promised to give Jiao Zhe to the Feiyang Sacred Area. Are you going back on your words now?” The Peak Leader of the Feiyang Sacred Area snapped.
The two Peak Leaders of the Qinglong Sacred Area held their breaths; even the newly arrived Peak Leader was startled as he gazed at Peak Leader Duanmu.
“My words are as solid as a thousand gold. Jiao Zhe is yours!” Peak Leader Duanmu spoke in a calm tone. A result of five hundred and ninety-nine Dao-Seeking Fish was indeed impressive, but he was extremely confident that these bunch of Peak Leaders of the Feiyang Sacred Area will be regretful to the max after Qin Nan took his turn.
“Duanmu——”
The three Peak Leaders of the Qinglong Sacred Area were left speechless.
They could still accept giving up on Jiao Shiyi, but this Jiao Zhe was someone who had attracted five hundred and ninety-nine Dao-Seeking Fish; a rare talented genius, How could they give up so easily?
The words of the Peak Leaders were made clear to the envoys below too, who were immersed in a chatter.
“HAHAHA! Jiao Zhe belongs to our Feiyang Sacred Area!”
“What the f**k, how is that possible? Why would Peak Leader Duanmu give him to you guys?”
“What’s going on? Why would Peak Leader Duanmu give up on a genius like Jiao Zhe!”
“……”
In comparison to the uproar taking place at the Duanmu Peak, the dojo encapsulated within the barrier was relatively quiet. The geniuses were utterly stunned by the sight before them, and were left speechless on the spot.
“Jiao Shiyi, see that?”
Jiao Zhe slowly rose from the ground and spoke.
“I——”
Jiao Shiyi’s face turned pale.
He had not expected his elder brother to attract five hundred and ninety-nine Dao-Seeking Fish, ninety more than him!
What shall I do now; do I really have to obey every word Jiao Zhe says from today onward?
“I, Jiao Shiyi, am a man of my words, and I’ll never regret what I said!”
Jiao Shiyi’s figure trembled as he said while clenched his teeth, as if the words were forced out from the gap between his teeth.
It was impossible to imagine what his life would be without Jiang Bilan, but he had already uttered an oath just then. Despite the pain in his heart, he had no choice but to fulfill his promise!
“Bilan!”
Jiao Shiyi turned around and glanced at Jiang Bilan, but before he said anything, he realized that Jiang Bilan’s gaze was focused on Qin Nan’s figure, which made him feel that he was suffocating, as if his soul was being grabbed by a giant hand.
“Sigh!”
Jiao Zhe shook his head and let out a sigh after seeing this.
The crowd collected their thoughts and glanced at both Jiao Zhe and Jiao Shiyi with utter respect. Although they were not clear on the conflict between these two brothers, their results were enough to conquer the scene, causing them to feel slightly jealous.
“Damn it, my turn now!”
“Let’s see how many Dao-Seeking Fish I can attract!”
“……”
The geniuses turned incredibly passionate, as they took turns taking the trial with great anticipation.
As for Jiao Shiyi, he continued to stare at Jiang Bilan, whose gaze was locked onto Qin Nan’s figure.
On the other hand, Qin Nan had no idea of what was taking place right now, as he was immersed in his Dantian.
The grey Inner Core inside his body suddenly emitted streams of a golden glow, which coiled around the Core and at last, resulted in its surface being marked with nine golden lines. The whole Inner Core was now shining brightly with a mysterious aura, which felt like a golden core.
“This is…”
Qin Nan straightened his eyes.
It was because the aura of the Inner Core was finally completed, as it emitted a continuous force from his body and communicated with the Heavens and Earth.
The force appeared to be his Inner Core communicating with the Heavens and Earth, in order to trigger the Tribulation!
“I can finally level up now!”
Qin Nan turned joyful; his Inner Core had suffered a great amount, and it was finally time for hope to arrive.
The change of his Inner Core caused him to be immersed in a great joy. However, after opening his eyes, he was surprised to see Jiang Bilan staring at him, causing his feeling of joy to instantly dissipate.
“Jiang Bilan, what are you staring at me for?
Qin Nan snapped in a cold tone.
After seeing Qin Nan’s reaction, Jiao Shiyi’s face turned cold and was about to turn mad, but his words stuck in his throat after seeing Jiao Zhe’s expression, causing him to feel extremely anxious.
“Congratulations on improving your strength.” It was as if Jiang Bilan was not bothered by Qin Nan’s attitude, who let out a blossoming smile, “I’m utterly impressed seeing that you’re able to possess such extraordinary Divine Sense and flesh with a mere half-Martial Emperor Realm cultivation.”
“Piss off!”
Qin Nan snapped without mercy; he was getting tired listening to her words.
Jiao Shiyi’s figure shuddered violently after hearing the words. The aura in his body almost burst out due to his anger.
Jiang Bilan showed no sign of turning furious, but the smile on her face grew thicker as she said, “I know you hate me, but judging from your previous behaviors, you would be fighting me already. I’m not trying to be boastful, but with your current strength, there’s no way you could harm me.”
“What are you implying?”
Qin Nan’s eyes turned icy.
Just like what Jiang Bilan said, he was extremely annoyed by her. However, with her cultivation at the peak of the Martial Emperor Realm, and the Trading Alliance behind her, there was no way Qin Nan stood a chance against her unless he chose to use Tang Qingshan’s badge.
“We Trading Alliance not only trade treasures, but we are in charge of various casinos too.” Jiang Bilan said with a pleasant smile, “I believe you were aware of the bet taking place at the Martial Serendipity Pavilion, right? Since there is no possible way to resolve our conflicts in a short period of time, I believe you are feeling quite troubled now. I have a suggestion though, to settle our conflicts once and for all; what do you think?”
“Oh?”
Jiang Bilan continued, “Let’s use this trial of Dao-Seeking Fish as a bet. If I were to win the trial, you will tell me the secrets of the Martial Serendipity Pavilion. If I lose, I’ll give you benefits. As for what benefits, I’m willing to satisfy any requirement that I’m capable of!”
After hearing the words, the geniuses who were busy taking part in the trial were stunned.
What’s going on here?
Jiang Bilan was challenging Qin Nan to a bet?
Both Jiang Bilan and Qin Nan were the limelight of the trial. Now that the two were having a bet against each other, it instantly sparked the curiosity in their hearts.
Sima Kong blurted out screaming at that instant, “Qin Nan, don’t fall for it, this b*tch is trying to trick you——”
Before Sima Kong finished his sentence, Qin Nan’s eyes flickered as he waved his hand and interrupted, “It’s a good suggestion, but I don’t think you are able to satisfy my requirement!”
“Feel free to tell me.”
Jiang Bilan wore a calm expression.
She knew clearly that it was impossible to obtain the secrets of the Martial Serendipity Pavilion with violence. After all, Qin Nan possessed a formidable background. If that were the case, her only choice was to obtain them through a bet. If Qin Nan ended up going back on his words, she would then have the excuse to deal with him with brute force.
After witnessing the change of Qin Nan’s Inner Core, Jiang Bilan had assumed the reason behind the change to be the secrets of the Martial Serendipity Pavilion. As such, despite any requirement that Qin Nan demanded, she would accept it. After all, she was extremely confident in her own talents!
Qin Nan suddenly reached out his finger and pointed at Jiao Zhe, “I want his ancient sword!”
There was no doubt that Qin Nan could easily tell what Jiang Bilan was planning. Therefore, he decided to follow the flow and use Jiang Bilan to obtain the ancient sword, since it was quite difficult for him to ask Jiao Zhe to trade with him, so he might as well utilize the relationship between Jiao Shiyi and Jiang Bilan.
As for the trial of the Dao-Seeking Fish, although it would be dangerous, the fact that he could acquire the ancient sword and suppress Jiang Bilan’s smug attitude was a win for him.
“Hmm?”
Jiang Bilan, Jiao Shiyi, Jiao Zhe, and the others were stunned, as Qin Nan’s words took them completely by surprise.
Translator: XephiZ
Editor: DOCuinn
Chapter 330 – The Saintess’ Strength
Jiang Bian’s expression changed slightly. If Qin Nan were to demand anything else, she would try her best to fulfill it, but the ancient sword belonged to Jiao Zhe, and because of Jiao Shiyi, Jiao Zhe was not too fond of her. It would be extremely difficult for her to acquire the ancient sword. However, it was so hard to bait Qin Nan into her trap, thus she was not willing to give up on the rare opportunity.
“Cultivator Jiao Zhe, is it possible to trade your ancient sword with me? Don’t you worry, I’ll try my best to satisfy your request.” Jiang Bilan swiftly said, as her gaze landed on Jiao Shiyi’s figure, with a hint of anticipation.
Jiao Zhe was startled; he was only able to discover this ancient sword coincidentally, which had been accompanying him for many years, thus he treated it preciously. He would not be willing to trade it even if he was offered a great fortune.
However, Jiao Shiyi’s heart softened after seeing the look in Jiang Bilan’s eyes. Even though he knew the ancient sword was extremely important to Jiao Zhe, he clenched his teeth and said, “Brother, I hope you would agree to hand the ancient sword to Jiang Bilan. From today onward, I’ll listen to your words and mind my behavior.”
“This…”
Jiao Zhe’s eyes flickered with bitterness. Despite the fact that he was not willing to trade his ancient sword, he could only let out a sigh after seeing the look in Jiao Shiyi’s eyes, as he shut his eyes and said, “Saintess Jiang Bilan, I can give you this ancient sword, but on one condition—if you are able to trigger more Dao-Seeking Fish than me, I’ll then hand it over. If you are not able to surpass my result, I won’t be giving it away. If I’m giving it away, I hope it will be in good hands still.”
“Sure!”
Jiang Bilan accepted the condition without hesitation, as she then spoke to Qin Nan, “Qin Nan, with all these seniors being the witnesses, once the bet is confirmed, you shall not regret.”
“Don’t worry about that; but you shall bet with me after acquiring the ancient sword!”
Qin Nan calmly said as he cast a side glance at Jiao Zhe. Qin Nan was no doubt unimpressed with Jiao Shiyi’s behavior, but on the other hand, he admired Jiao Zhe’s personality. He felt slightly guilty since he was trying to abuse the complicated relationships between the three to acquire the ancient sword. Therefore, he made up his mind that he would return the ancient sword to Jiao Zhe after discovering the secrets within it.
“Fine!”
Jiang Bilan did not say anything further as her attractive figure approached the Dao-Seeking Fish at a calm pace.
The envoys were utterly excited after witnessing the bet between the two geniuses, causing the chatter among them to grow noisier.
“Interesting! Very Interesting! I’m not sure if this Jiang Bilan is able to beat Jiao Zhe’s result?”
“Beat Jiao Zhe’s result? Are you kidding me! Jiao Zhe has already triggered five hundred and ninety-nine Dao-Seeking Fish. She would need to at least attract six hundred Dao-Seeking Fish to beat him! How crazy would it be if she’s able to attract six hundred Dao-Seeking Fish!”
“Recalling the trials in previous years, the number of people who ended up attracting more than six hundred Dao-Seeking Fish is less than ten!”
“……”
The three Peak Leaders of the Qinglong Sacred Area felt troubled after seeing Peak Leader Duanmu’s firm determination, as they focused their gaze onto Jiang Bilan’s figure.
On the other hand, the Peak Leaders of the Feiyang Sacred Area were extremely joyful after recruiting two great talents. That being said, they were interested in the bet too; according to the previous deal, Jiang Bilan also belonged to the Feiyang Sacred Area too, thus they were eager to know her result.
Apart from that, they would like to see Qin Nan’s result too, as the three Peak Leaders were now convinced that Peak Leader Duanmu had made the sacrifice in order to acquire Qin Nan.
…On the dojo…
The geniuses stared at Jiang Bilan’s glamorous figure with their eyes filled with astonishment. They immediately held their breaths and fell silent, as they did not want to disturb her.
“Humph!”
Despite the crowd being careful not to disturb Jiang Bilan, Sima Kong let out a harrumph in a smug manner.
He disliked this bitch Jiang Bilan to the max; it’d be the best if she ended up triggering less Dao-Seeking Fish than him. He would definitely mock her for the next ten days!
The crowd wore an unpleasant look on their faces, but they were not insane like Jiang Shiyi. They chose to ignore Sima Kong’s presence as they redirected their gaze onto Jiang Bilan’s figure.
As Jiang Bilan approached the school of fish, her entire aura tremendously change. If the previous Jiang Bilan possessed a noble aura, resulting in her being quite attractive, her current figure possessed an indescribable charm, as if every body part was extremely seductive, causing one to lose control of their mind.
At that instant, it was as if she had become the only female in the world, possessing an outstanding physique and an endless charm, attracting the attention of the geniuses and even the envoys, causing them to go crazy for her.
“Bilan!”
JIao Shiyi instinctively yelled, as he felt his soul being dragged away by the aura, as if his body no longer belonged to him. Beside him, Jiao Zhe wore a surprisingly icy look, who let out a harrumph, causing Jiao Shiyi’s figure to stiffen as he was awakened. However, the passionate look in his eyes showed no sign of dissipating.
“Dao-Seeking Fish, are you willing to follow me and enjoy ourselves together?”
Jiang Bilan—who had transformed into a peerless beauty—uttered the words, and her voice felt like Tianshan Fists, extremely clear yet magical, causing one’s heart to ripple.
Among the school of Dao-Seeking Fish, a total of six hundred and sixty-five of them turned around. Their eyes filled with a passionate glow, as they uttered cries and sprang toward Jiang Bilan’s figure, as if they had gone crazy for her.
BANG!
At that instant, the six hundred and sixty-five Dao-Seeking Fish emitted a brilliant glow, resulting in a rare phenomenon that immediately shattered the barrier encapsulating the dojo. A brilliant beam was fired into the sky, flashing right in front of the countless geniuses, envoys, and the seven Peak Leaders!
At that instant, the crowd was utterly flabbergasted, leaving blank expressions on their faces!
Impossible!
Did Jiang Bilan just attract six hundred and sixty-five Dao-Seeking Fish?
In the meantime, in the Qinglong Sacred Areas, eight powerful auras sprang into the sky, which turned out to be eight Peak Leaders being startled!
Following this, the envoys in the Sacred Area all unleashed their auras in a bursting manner, which felt like a tower being lit up in the midst of darkness, which shone brightly on the entire Qinglong Mountain Range!
BANG!
The Qinglong Sacred Area was instantly lit up!
Translator: XephiZ
Editor: DOCuinn