Cao Yueying looked at Qian Duoduo, “I just didn’t expect it would be you. However, I’m relieved now; Golden Toad is a friend, not an enemy.”
Qian Duoduo stopped, “I ruined your chance to become a Ten Pillar Chief. Don’t you hate me?”
“I hated, I raged, I was annoyed. But that’s all in the past,” Cao Yueying said seriously. She had tried for several months to regain her Pillar Chief position but hadn’t succeeded. Her anger, resentment, and annoyance during that time were understandable.
“As for your fans—I won’t say anything about them.”
“Those busybodies have nothing to do with me. The Ten Pillar Chief, that childish idea, I’ve already let go of,” Cao Yueying said with a smile. “If I still fail in the Sect’s Heroic Talent Battle, what’s the point of being a Ten Pillar Chief? The assessment is just a means, not an end.”
Qian Duoduo nodded in deep agreement.
“Since you’re the first in our Lu Dong selection battle, you must be careful of Lu Xi’s Xiong Jun. They are too formidable.” Cao Yueying stopped and handed Qian Duoduo a Jade Slip. “Their selection battle has also been held; this contains information on their top ten.”
After speaking, she stepped onto her red Flying Sword and flew away.
Qian Duoduo quickly got onto his Flying Sword as well, weaving left and right, and burrowed into Mengyuan Mountain, returning to his Immortal Cave. After carefully reading the Jade Slip Cao Yueying gave him, his heart pounded. The ten Lu Xi Xiong Jun listed on it were all as abnormal as Dugu Yunshan.
There was a Jianjian Peak Xiong Jun named Su Dalin, who buried himself in a ten-thousand-year-old ancient tree and gained its recognition. If his body was injured, he could heal himself without needing Medicinal Pills or rest, truly an unkillable cockroach.
Among the Wen'an Peak Xiong Jun, there was a pair of siblings, Nangong Qinglong and Nangong Nizi. Nangong Qinglong was a Sword Cultivator, using his body as a sword, and had now cultivated to the point of using his fingers as swords. Nangong Nizi was the most difficult Soul Cultivator to Cultivate; she could launch attacks silently, and by the time you noticed, your Soul was already injured.
Beast Tooth Peak had a Xiong Jun named Caizhu, who ranked first in the selection battle. He had actually successfully cultivated one of the Refining Spirit Sect’s ten Mystic Arts, the Hundred Ghosts Grinding Mill. As his cultivation grew, the Hundred Ghosts Grinding Mill summoned more ghosts. Each ghost’s cultivation was as high as its master’s!
How could they fight? Palace Lord Dajiu even told him to get into the top ten. Qian Duoduo felt a headache coming on.
After thinking for a long time, Qian Duoduo gritted his teeth: “No matter what kind of Cultivator you are, I’ll refine my own implements. If it can be solved with Magic Treasures, I won’t use anything else. If their attack is strong, I’ll make more defensive implements. If their defense is strong, I’ll make more offensive implements. Since I know your strengths, if I still can’t figure out a way, then I’m a fool!”
He had plenty of money; he could afford the Materials. He had the Materials, so he could refine Magic Treasures.
Lu Xi Xiong Jun, just you wait!
…
The day of the final battle finally arrived.
For this Sect’s Heroic Talent Battle, the Sect Leader specially set the competition location on Preaching Mountain and even allowed Outer Sect Disciples to watch. Few, if any, Inner Sect Disciples, let alone Outer Sect Disciples, had ever been to Preaching Mountain.
As soon as the news broke, the Outer Sect Disciples were almost frantic.
As soon as the nine bell tolls signaling the start of the final battle fell, shouts of “Victory!” immediately echoed from the Five Immortal Mountains, and streams of people headed towards the newly opened Preaching Mountain passage.
Huang Guiren firmly forbade Qian Duoduo from accompanying him, telling Qian Duoduo to fly quickly by himself and arrive at Preaching Mountain first, so as not to be weaker in Aura than Lu Xi’s three peaks.
As he said, in the sky, orange-robed figures flew towards Preaching Mountain, one faster than the other.
Qian Duoduo took out his Golden Rooster Sword, poured in his Spiritual Qi, and rushed towards Preaching Mountain.
In front of the Purple Firmament Great Hall, a Martial Arts Stage was erected. The Martial Arts Stage was three hundred zhang long and two hundred zhang wide, ancient and elegant, seemingly made from a single piece of Material. On both sides of the stage, there were ten stone-like cushions.
Qian Duoduo thought to himself, this was very likely a Magic Treasure.
The Martial Arts Stage was carved with Formation patterns around its perimeter, and the ground outside the stage was covered with Formations.
The open area around the Martial Arts Stage could accommodate over a hundred thousand people.
On the terrace outside the Great Hall, a viewing platform had already been set up with dozens of seats, where some Elders and Clan Chiefs of various Families were already seated.
On the east side of the viewing platform, Dugu Yunshan, Cao Yueying, Deng Feihong, Xu Fa, He Shi'an, and others had already arrived.
On the west side of the viewing platform stood ten unfamiliar Orange Robe Disciples, looking coldly and disdainfully at the east side.
The one with a greenish face and spiky hair was Su Dalin.
Standing side by side, looking eight or nine parts alike, were the Nangong siblings. Nangong Nizi was indeed beautiful, with a gentle demeanor, tall stature, wearing a lotus crown, and a red mark on her smooth forehead. Her stunning beauty could rival Yu Yixiang, Cao Yueying, and Wang Meiruo.
Wearing a dark crown, black boots, and with a string of ancient coins hanging from his waist, the one standing at the very front should be that Caizhu…
As Qian Duoduo walked, he matched the Lu Xi Xiong Jun to their descriptions in the Jade Slip Cao Yueying had given him.
Reaching the very front, Qian Duoduo stood to Dugu Yunshan’s right, directly facing Caizhu.
—The Xiong Jun from Lu Dong and Lu Xi were all in place.
The atmosphere on site immediately began to heat up. The eyes of the Lu Xi Xiong Jun gleamed, emitting waves of Killing Intent. Dugu Yunshan and the others also showed no weakness, their eyes flashing back at the opposite side.
Seeing Caizhu glaring at Qian Duoduo with his dark eyes, Qian Duoduo closed his eyes, not meeting his gaze. If this kind of eye-killing counted as a score, he could compete, but if not, why bother?
Qian Duoduo released his Spiritual Awareness towards the Martial Arts Stage, wanting to determine if the Martial Arts Stage was a Magic Treasure, and if it was a Magic Treasure with an Artifact Spirit, like a Burial Instrument.
Through his Spiritual Awareness, he first heard the verbal sparring of the spectating Disciples.
“Lu Dong is bound to lose! All ten of the top Xiong Jun in the Sect’s Heroic Talent Battle are from our Lu Xi.”
“You Lu Xi can wait to get diarrhea! Senior Brother Dugu alone can sweep you all.”
“Dream on! Sweep? Your Lu Dong has always been swept away. How many of you got Senior Dan Artifacts in the selection battle? I heard only three. While we have twelve.”
Hearing this, Qian Duoduo broke out in a sweat. In the Burial Instrument, among their Lu Dong participating Disciples, only Dugu Yunshan obtained a Senior Dan Artifact through his personal ability. Qian Duoduo and Cao Yueying only obtained Senior Dan Artifacts by fighting as a team.
And Lu Xi had a full twelve people who obtained Senior Dan Artifacts. Although he didn’t know their process, they absolutely crushed Lu Dong in terms of numbers.
Qian Duoduo had no confidence facing just one Dugu Yunshan. Now, facing ten… The final battle would definitely be tough!
Qian Duoduo stopped listening to these discussions and pushed his Spiritual Awareness further, slowly approaching the Martial Arts Stage.
Before his Spiritual Awareness could touch the Martial Arts Stage, the Martial Arts Stage suddenly grew hot, burning his Spiritual Awareness with pain, and he quickly retracted it. The grade of this Martial Arts Stage was not something he could probe.
Just then, eight Temple Guard Disciples walked quickly out of the Purple Firmament Great Hall, followed by Sect Leader Niu Jinshui, and Palace Lords Tang Honggong, Ping Yundan, Chu Wannian, Shang Wutui, and Zhu Erkang.
Niu Jinshui stood in front of the viewing platform, his eyes sweeping over the more than one hundred thousand Disciples present.
The entire venue immediately quieted down, and the sound of the distant waterfall also diminished significantly.
“This Sect’s Heroic Talent Battle, in addition to competing in Spiritual Qi, will also compete in Artifact Refining. The Martial Arts Stage used this time is the Sect’s most precious treasure, named the chess instrument. People who enter it will Incarnate as chess pieces. Lu Dong and Lu Xi will each be one side. The specific rules, you will naturally know once you are on the stage.”
After Niu Jinshui spoke, Qian Duoduo saw that the faces of the five Palace Lords were all uncertain, clearly taken by surprise—previously, all matches were decided by drawing lots, but now they were divided into two sides.
“In the ultimate battle, the two sides of Xiong Jun will compete in seven rounds, with the first to win four rounds being victorious. The ranking of the winning Xiong Jun will be determined by the chess instrument.”
Hearing this, Qian Duoduo immediately understood that the chess instrument also had an Artifact Spirit.
“This competition is being watched by all the Grand Elders of the Sect. All you Xiong Jun, what are you waiting for? Get on the stage!”
