Chapter 52: The Venerable One Observes the Ceremony
Chapter 52: The Venerable One Observes the Ceremony
“Lu Hangzhi!”
Having just dealt with Hu Wang, Lu Hangzhi heard the angry roar of another rival. It was Wang Yu, who couldn’t stand being talked about.
Wang Yu stood in the crowd, staring at him with a face full of envy and hatred, gnashing his teeth.
“If you hadn’t interfered, I would have been the one who entered the Golden Jade Hall as the top rank last year! And also! Why did you never respond to my repeated challenges?!”
“Challenges?”
Lu Hangzhi looked completely confused. “I didn’t know.”
“Impossible!”
Wang Yu instantly became furious and started cursing. “I sent dozens of challenge letters to the Golden Jade Hall! Did you not receive any of them?”
“…Um.”
Lu Hangzhi looked pained.
If they were sent to the Golden Jade Hall, they must have been either taken by his master or casually thrown into some corner by Xiao Mu or Xiao Ying.
“You won’t escape this time!”
Seeing that Lu Hangzhi seemed to remember something, Wang Yu felt even more indignant. He snorted coldly and turned to leave.
Lu Hangzhi smiled wryly helplessly.
Who did I offend to deserve this?
Noticing the gloating expressions from Xiong Qi, Yun Yi, and Sister Fuqin, Lu Hangzhi felt even more helpless.
At that moment.
Before announcing the start of the grand competition, the Supreme Elder introduced Revered Qin from the Two Realms Mountain, who had come to observe the ceremony.
The presence of a powerful cultivator at the mid Spirit Condensation Stage observing the ceremony caused quite a stir among the Inner Sect Disciples.
Lu Hangzhi frowned slightly.
A Spirit Condensation Stage Venerable One?
Were they planning to take Sister Jun and the others on the list and leave the sect for the Two Realms Mountain immediately after the Sect Grand Competition ended?
No.
Lu Hangzhi then recalled that his master Chen Ji had been looking gloomy and preoccupied ever since arriving at the Cloud Sky Chessboard…
His master should have already been prepared to send Sister Jun away, so he shouldn’t still appear so unsettled in front of others.
Lu Hangzhi had a bad feeling, thinking to himself that Revered Qin’s arrival probably wasn’t just about taking Sister Jun and the others away.
But everything would only be revealed after the Sect Grand Competition.
Supreme Elder Mo Li then announced the official start of the Sect Grand Competition. Lu Hangzhi felt the surroundings quickly change, and then he entered the Illusory Real World.
Nearly four hundred Inner Sect Disciples were transported into the trial space simulated by the Cloud Sky Chessboard.
As soon as his feet touched solid ground, exclamations of surprise arose from the high platform.
“This kid is really unlucky. He actually encountered a Fifth-Grade Monster Beast attacking him as soon as he landed… and it’s near the beast’s nest too…”
A wind came from behind.
Before Lu Hangzhi could even react, the Mirror Spirit Cat, which had absorbed an entire Fifth-Grade Monster Beast’s Inner Core, bristled all over and moved with the wind. It turned its head and let out a soul-staring gaze full of intimidation, instantly freezing the demonic serpent behind them.
A Third Grade Mirror Spirit Cat could pose a threat to a cultivator with Sixth Rank Cultivation, so it easily interrupted the threat from the Fifth-Grade demonic serpent, forcibly performing Soul Capture for 2 seconds.
Almost at the same time the Mirror Spirit Cat reacted, two metallic whooshing sounds rapidly cut through the air. Two Flying Swords shot out from the Qiankun Pouch, instantly hitting the frozen demonic serpent and easily leaving two terrifying gashes on its body.
The demonic serpent immediately woke up in pain! It let out a miserable cry, blood splattering from its abdomen…
Two more Flying Swords crossed paths as they slashed across the serpent’s belly from below.
Lu Hangzhi infused Magic Power into his feet, activating the Swift Movement Art. While controlling the Flying Swords to continue attacking and seriously wound the demonic serpent, he simultaneously created distance.
“Good combat awareness.”
On the high platform, the group of Elders who were watching Lu Hangzhi collectively sighed in relief and praised him one after another.
“The demonic serpent is fire-attributed. If he got caught in its breath attack at close range, even a Fifth Grade defensive spell wouldn’t last long… Indeed, he just dodged it.”
In the scene, Lu Hangzhi narrowly avoided a counterattack from the enraged demonic serpent, gracefully evading the range of the fiery sulphur breath attack. Seizing the opportunity, he directed the Flying Swords one after another into the serpent’s wide-open mouth, and they burst out from the back.
The demonic serpent’s head exploded, completely cutting off its life force. It fell to the ground with a loud thud.
Ten thousand Points were easily obtained.
On the high platform, the group of Elders were speechless.
So fast!
Although the demonic serpent carelessly revealed a fatal weakness, the entire process took less than ten seconds. From being ambushed to counterattacking, Lu Hangzhi’s series of actions were smooth and fluid, without any hint of clumsiness or panic, as if everything was under his control…
Most importantly, Lu Hangzhi didn’t use any extra spells the entire time. He only used the very common Sword Control Art, defeating a demonic serpent of the same grade with minimal Magic Power consumption.
This scene also caught the attention of another observer.
“Mid Fifth Grade.”
“Two thoughts moving simultaneously. Quite a promising seedling.”
Revered Qin offered his evaluation.
Mo Li was actually paying attention to the Sect Grand Competition and these mid Epiphany Stage youngsters for the first time. He chuckled upon hearing this, feeling greatly honored.
“For him to receive such praise from Revered Qin is his good fortune.”
“He did contract a good Spirit Beast, but even if his Spirit Beast hadn’t acted, I believe a Fifth-Grade Monster Beast wouldn’t have troubled him.”
“Indeed, this disciple is from our sect’s Golden Jade Hall. He naturally lacks no Spiritual Artifacts.” The Sect Master seated nearby interjected.
“Golden Jade Hall, so he’s Chen Ji’s disciple. No wonder he’s wearing the sleeve-hidden cosmos ring I gave Chen Ji before.” Mo Li couldn’t help but laugh.
“That kid Chen Ji really treats his disciples well. A mere Fifth Grade Inner Sect Disciple is actually wearing two Magical Artifacts.”
The group of Elders then noticed that besides the Magical Artifact ring on his finger, Lu Hangzhi also wore a rather nice-looking bracelet on his wrist, which occasionally glowed with the faint light of a Magical Artifact.
“Everyone says that Guyue Duxing, the only son of the Guyue Trading Company, is the biggest tycoon in the Inner Sect. But seeing this Golden Jade Hall disciple, I now understand what it means there’s always someone better.” One Elder couldn’t help but voice his jealousy.
“Who told you to focus solely on cultivation and never touch Artifact Refining… If you have the skill, go refine a few Magical Artifacts yourself?”
“…”
Chen Ji had quite a good reputation and popularity within the Xuanxin Sect.
Revered Qin didn’t speak again.
He had actually noticed that at the moment of the ambush, Lu Hangzhi closed his eyes and performed an action characteristic of a High Insight Stage cultivator…
One Flying Sword attacked;
One Flying Sword protected;
The Elders on the high platform only saw the two Flying Swords that made a spectacular display, overlooking the other two protective Flying Swords circling around Lu Hangzhi.
Attack and defense combined.
Clearly a capability possessed only by High Insight Stage cultivators.
“Interesting!”
A spark of interest lit up in Revered Qin’s eyes. He hadn’t expected that among the Xuanxin Sect’s Inner Sect Disciples, there was someone who had trained their Flying Swords to the realm of ‘using the sword to break spells’.
Using the sword to break spells meant invincible within the same stage!
Revered Qin originally had little interest in the Inner Sect Disciple competition, but now, he had different thoughts.
After killing the Fifth-Grade Monster Beast python, Lu Hangzhi casually tossed a Essence Spirit Fruit and a Mid-grade Spirit Stone to the Mirror Spirit Cat, then set off without stopping, rushing forward.
Since his goal was to win the True Disciple spot in this competition, his speed couldn’t be slow at all. He had to secure at least two hundred thousand points to be safe.
“Sorry.” As a mid Fifth-Grade Cultivator, his Spiritual Sense covered a wide area. With his elusive Flying Sword, Lu Hangzhi dashed ahead. The sword struck twice, blasting two cautious Fourth-Grade Inner Sect Disciples out of the Trial Space.
The two Fourth-Grade Inner Sect Disciples felt like crying but had no tears.
So unlucky!
They got attacked by a Flying Sword as soon as they entered. Which Senior Brother did this?
On the leaderboard, Lu Hangzhi was at the top with twelve thousand points, clear at a glance.
“Lu Hangzhi?”
“That Golden Jade Hall disciple who only joined the Inner Sect half a year ago?”
The two were speechless.
…
The battle continued.
Lu Hangzhi kept moving quickly. With one thought controlling two movements, then one thought controlling three movements, more and more Flying Swords flew out, and the attacks came faster and faster. He wildly collected points from Third-Grade and Fourth-Grade Inner Sect Disciples and Demonic Beasts and Monsters, and his points rose very quickly.
In just a few minutes, he drove over twenty Inner Sect Disciples out of the Trial Space, and his points broke thirty thousand.
During that time, only one Fifth-Grade Monster Beast, the alligator snapping turtle, blocking the way was hard to deal with. It hid in its shell, and the Flying Sword hacked over ten rounds without breaking through.
“Good material for Artifact Refining, but it’s a shame it’s just an illusionary simulated Monster Beast…”
Many people sighed quietly to themselves.
Others were speechless at Lu Hangzhi’s relentless attacks.
The Fifth-Grade alligator snapping turtle was known for its defense. Killing it was as hard as killing a Sixth-Grade Monster Beast. It really wasn’t necessary to waste time and Magic Power on it…
However.
With a miserable, despairing roar, the alligator snapping turtle’s shell was finally shattered by the Flying Sword. Four swords struck at once, cutting off the turtle’s limbs and taking ten thousand points.
“Huh?”
“That kid, he’s heading toward the forbidden area.”
“I get it! The alligator snapping turtle guarded the path to the Sixth-Grade Monster Beast’s lair. He’s aiming for the hundred thousand points… Wow, he’s way too bold! The competition just started. Challenging a Sixth-Grade Monster Beast now—isn’t he afraid someone else will take advantage?”
“Right! Look, the noise from killing the alligator snapping turtle already attracted nearby disciples. Wang Feng is going too…”
Fifth-Grade peak!
A hot candidate for True Disciple last time.
“Someone already took on the alligator snapping turtle this quickly? How reckless!” Wang Feng murmured as he rushed over. “Was it Xiong Qi? Or one of those two new guys?”
“Whatever! Since someone’s asking for trouble, it’s a good chance for me.”
After spotting the alligator snapping turtle’s body, Wang Feng slowed down, hid his presence, and moved toward the Sixth-Grade Monster Beast Ironback Frenzied Rhinoceros’s lair.
Right then…
“ROAR!!”
A thunderous beast roar came from the forbidden area. An invisible sound wave swept out in all directions, making trees tilt back.
Instead of being scared, Wang Feng grinned and sped up:
The other guy made a move.
It seemed a bit like that brainless Xiong Qi’s style.
Yet…
As he got closer to the fight, he suddenly heard a desperate, piercing shriek of pain erupt wildly, then fall silent.
It was over already?
But that was a Sixth-Grade Monster Beast!
Wang Feng was shocked, his eyes flickering. Without another word, he turned and left.
“Damn it!”
“Who teamed up with Xiong Qi?”
In his view, only two or more Fifth-Grade peak Cultivators could kill a Sixth-Grade Monster Beast that fast…
Such a low chance thing actually happened. Whoever ran into them would be unlucky.
He didn’t plan to tackle that tough challenge with no guarantee of points. If he missed becoming a True Disciple again, it would be a real joke.