Chapter 431: Rank A Wrestling Ring
There were three other places like this Wrestling City in the Ancient Desolate Land. They were on the other three main islands of the other groups.
"Strange, there are more than a dozen cities on Longyang Island. Why is everyone heading to the Wrestling City?" Xiao Chen could not understand when he saw so many cultivators heading for that particular city.
"I really don't understand. Wrestling City had not organized Rank A matches on such a large scale for ten years."
"Hehe, it does not matter. Rank A duels are a great opportunity to earn money. If we can win ten matches in a row, we will earn five thousand Medial Grade Spirit Stones. If we win twenty in a row, they will give us an Inferior Grade Secret Treasure."
"I heard that the rewards have increased this time. I wonder if that is true? If it is, that will be a large sum."
A cultivator who passed Xiao Chen chatted excitedly. From what they said, he figured out why they were going to Wrestling City.
Xiao Chen's expression became sullen. He looked to the sky, at the cultivators rushing to Wrestling City. He muttered to himself, "The news has traveled very fast. It looks like, in the first round, there will be many famous cultivators from the Ancient Desolate Lands."
The full moon hung high in the sky, and stars flickered. The bright moonlight outshone the light of the stars, making them hard to see.
Within Wrestling City, in a residence, the four people in charge from the Heavenly Extermination Union led the two hundred odd geniuses, hosting a banquet in their honor.
Starting tomorrow, this group of cultivators would begin a cruel selection, fighting high-intensity battles for six days.
Hence, the organizer had decided that, before this happened, they would host a banquet to help them relax. At the same time, they would make use of this opportunity to answer some of the cultivator's questions.
Within the hall, Old Li sat in the middle. Next to him were his three assistants. A long table sat before the four.
Long tables had also been placed along the two walls on each side. Wine and food filled the tables. Behind each table, there were three or four cultivators.
Everyone chatted with each other and relaxed. The atmosphere was lively.
"Senior Li, I heard that, in the next Five Nation Youth Competition, the people ranked highly in the Tianwu Rankings will have a chance to go to the upper realm."
From the right side, a young cultivator set his wine cup down and looked respectfully at Old Li as he inquired.
The moment he spoke, the hall immediately fell silent. Everyone focused their gazes on Old Li.
The so-called upper realm seemed to be a mysterious place to everyone. Rumors stated that the Three Holy Lands were similar realms.
No one knew what kind of place that realm was. According to rumors, on the Tianwu Continent, only a Martial Emperor was strong enough to break through the void and witness the upper realm.
Without reaching the Martial Emperor Realm, if one wanted to see it, they would only encounter an opportunity from events like the Five Nation Youth Competition.
Of course, not every Five Nation Youth Competition would offer such an opportunity. Only when the era flourished with geniuses would they gain the interest of the upper realm, resulting in such an opportunity.
However, in the past several thousand years, there were no stories of someone qualifying to enter the upper realm during the Five Nation Youth Competition.
Only those in the first Five Nation Youth Competition during the Thunder Emperor's era had an opportunity to reach the upper realm presented itself.
However, four thousand years was a long time. Most stories from that time had become legends. Now, the young cultivators could only guess what had happened and could not verify the authenticity of such things.
However, there were some clues hidden within the upcoming round of the Five Nation Youth Competition. Not only would the various nations and powers of the Tianwu Continent send people, but the powers in the Shallow Seas of the Boundless Sea would also send participants. If there were no chances to enter the upper realm, such things would not happen.
When Old Li heard the question, he smiled gently, "I know about this matter. The older generation Supreme Elders in the sects behind you know as well. Since they have not told you, naturally, I will say nothing."
"Why?" confusion swept through the crowd as they asked.
Old Li shook his head and said, "It is not time yet. This is currently the budding period of this era of geniuses. Your generation has not matured yet. Telling you now will only harm you and have no benefits.
"I can only advise you to, advance with all your might. The fortunate ones will certainly be in for a big surprise."
Towards the back on the right side, Jin Wuji and Ding Fengchou sat behind a table. Jin Wuji felt somewhat suspicious as he said, "That is strength. Why are his words the same as Master's? First Senior Brother, you are the apple of Master's eye. Do you have any inside news?"
Ding Fengchou took a sip of wine, and a deep look flashed in his eyes. It was very mysterious.
Ding Fengchou set his wine cup aside and shook his head. He said, "I am not sure either. Don't overthink this. If your strength or talent is not sufficient, reaching that realm will not benefit you."
The banquet continued. In the meantime, someone asked about the detailed rules of the Rank A Wrestling Rings. Old Li answered all of the questions without hiding anything.
"When we reach the Wrestling Rings, this old man will no longer be in charge. Let me tell all of you this first; if there is any danger, please pull out and do not force yourself. As for the rules, they will use the standard rules of the Wrestling Ring. You do not have any special privileges. You just have to think of how to obtain sixty victories."
"Dong! Dong! Dong!"
Just at this moment, urgent footsteps came rushing over. An attendant outside the hall held an engraved card and quickly walked over to Old, whispering something in his ear.
Old Li's expression changed slightly. He instructed, "Go down and bring him to me. Let me see for myself."
The assistants at the side were astonished when they saw the engraved card. They said, "That is Elder Huang's engraved card. Who is he recommending?"
Old Li put the engraved card away, and a sullen look crossed his face. He said indifferently, "It's that brat we debated so heavily on. I want to see why this Old Huang has vouched for this insignificant Inferior Grade Martial King repeatedly."
When the outstanding talents in the hall saw Old Li's expression, they could not figure out what was happening. However, they sensed that something big was about to happen.
The atmosphere immediately became very strange. The hall became extremely quiet. Everyone's gazes fixed on the entrance of the hall. They wanted to see who had offended Old Li.
Mu Xinya whispered to Jiang Zimo, "Do you think the person you spoke of is here?"
Jiang Zimo whispered back, "It's hard to say. However, if it is really him, I cannot do much. This Elder Li is not from our Myriad Fiend Palace's faction."
"Ta! Ta!"
Soft footsteps came from outside the doors. Xiao Chen, who wore blue robes, stepped into the hall with the Lunar Shadow Saber in his hand.
Xiao Chen swept the hall with his eyes, scanning everybody's faces. He saw a few that were familiar.
There was Xia Xiyan who he had once fought with, Jiang Zimo who he had once met, and the girl with silver hair beside Jiang Zimo seemed familiar, but Xiao Chen could not recall where he had seen her.
His two friends, Jin Wuji and Ding Fengchou, were also here. When he felt Jin Wuji's malicious gaze, he ignored the cultivator.
The atmosphere in the hall seemed odd, but Xiao Chen did not think much about it. He looked up to Old Li in front and cupped his hands in respect, "Junior Xiao Chen greets Senior."
Old Li ignored Xiao Chen's words and said unhurriedly, "Personally, I have always thought that Cultivation Realm was the foundation of a cultivator. Back then, I had suggested the requirement of Medial Grade Martial King. I want to know; what is an Inferior Grade Martial King like you doing here? Seeking death?"
Xiao Chen's face sank, and he remembered the words of the old man from the Heavenly Extermination Union. It seemed like he was not very lucky. The old man before him was a member of the faction against him qualifying for the Ancient Desolate Tower.
"Go back to where you came from. Entering the Wrestling Ring requires you to sign a life-and-death contract. Come back when you are a Medial Grade Martial King. It will be too unfortunate if you fall here at such a young age.
"Don't think that, after becoming famous in the Great Qin nation, you have outstanding talent and can ignore the rules. The Great Qin Nation is the weakest amongst the five great nations."
When the people below heard Old Li's words, playful expressions appeared on their faces. It turned out that this person had used his connections to enter, trying to compete with them for spots.
Unfortunate, his backer did not seem to have any power here. Not only did Elder Li not allow it, but he also humiliated him.
An intelligent young cultivator in the crowd saw that Older Li did not like Xiao Chen. He immediately picked up from where Elder Li left off and mocked, "An Inferior Grade Martial King wants to fight for spots to the Ancient Desolate Tower against us? You overestimate yourself."
The others instantly chimed in, "Indeed, go home. If you die in the Wrestling Ring, there will be nothing left for you."
"This is not the Great Qin Nation. You may be a genius there, but you are nothing here."
Xiao Chen maintained a calm expression. He would not respond to the surrounding people's words, but he did commit them to memory. He looked directly at Old Li and said, "Cultivation Realm is indeed the foundation of a cultivator. However, combat experience, Marital Technique, and Cultivation Techniques are equally important. In fact, they might even be more important."
Old Li snorted coldly and said, "You think you are qualified to speak to me? I do not need you to teach me what is important. Scram!"
Jiang Zimo could not bear to continue watching. He said, "Senior Li, as far as I know, Elder Huang has an engraved card. He is within his rights to recommend someone."
Old Li seemed to fear Jiang Zimo's identity somewhat, so he gave no rebuttal. Jiang Zimo's words were also correct.
However, back then, he was the one who suggested setting Medial Grade Martial King as the requirement. He had also done his best to prevent an invitation from being sent to Xiao Chen. If he agreed to let Xiao Chen participate, he would feel very uncomfortable in his heart.
If Old Li could persuade Xiao Chen to leave, he could claim that Xiao Chen left of his own accord. Elder Huang could do nothing to him.
However, given the situation, Xiao Chen was very patient, and Jiang Zimo had spoken up for him. It was no longer possible to chase Xiao Chen away.
Old Li's gaze focused on Xiao Chen. Suddenly, a countermeasure came to him. He smiled gently and said, "Very well; I will give you a chance. Since you say that combat experience and Cultivation Techniques are more important that Cultivation Realm, choose a cultivator in his hall. If you can obtain a victory in ten moves, I will give you this chance. Let's show everyone how exquisite your combat techniques are."
The hall fell silent. When they looked at Xiao Chen, they took joy in his misfortune. Clearly, this person had offended Old Li.
It was impossible for Xiao Chen to defeat any of them in ten moves. The weakest cultivator here was a peak Medial Grade Martial King.
Chapter 432: He Who Shames Will Be Shamed
Everyone present was a genius of a great sect. They would lack high-ranked Martial Techniques. Regarding combat experience, they did not think they were inferior to Xiao Chen.
Jin Wuji said happily, "This brat finally has his day. The anger in my heart has soothed a little by the Ancient Desolate Pass Elder humiliating him."
A girl beside Xia Xiyan whispered, "Senior Sister, who is this person? Why is an Inferior Grade Martial King here to join the excitement?"
Xia Yiyan's expression had not fluctuated much. She said, "Xiao Rou, don't think this way. He is not an ordinary Inferior Grade Martial King."
A slight trace of killing intent flashed in Xiao Chen's calm gaze. He looked at Old Li and said, "Might I ask for Senior's great name?"
Old Li said indifferently, "This old man is Li Xiuzhu. If you are afraid, you should leave. If you stay, that means you agree to my request."
Li Xiuzhu…Li Xiuzhu…. Xiao Chen memorized this name firmly in his heart. He swore that he would pay back this humiliation a hundredfold in the future.
Xiao Chen's expression did not change as he said, "As you wish. I hope you will not regret your decision."
Liu Xiuzhu smiled coldly and said, "I will feel regret? This old man has seen many geniuses. I have seen many ignorant fools like yourself. Even if I give you ten years, you will never be a threat to me."
"Bang!"
Li Xiuzhu slammed his hand down on the table. He snorted coldly and said, "Anyone who defeats him will immediately pass the first round!"
The moment Li Xiuzhu spoke, the hall erupted into chaos. Many people headed for Xiao Chen, trying to arrive first.
By being able to skip the first round, they could save a lot of their strength. Furthermore, they could glimpse the trump cards of others without revealing their own.
There were many benefits. They would have a massive advantage in the second round. No one would mind this opportunity.
"Xiu!"
However, one person rushed ahead of the others. It was the Heavenly Sword Gate's Jin Wuji. His gaze had always fixed on Xiao Chen.
The moment Li Xiuzhi spoke, Jin Wuji's figure flashed forward, immediately appearing across from Xiao Chen.
Ding Fengchou's hand hovered in the air. He had tried to hold back Jin Wuji. Unexpectedly, Jin Wuji exploded forth in an instant, not even allowing him the chance to react. So, he withdrew his hand.
"I cannot even stop him. How stupid. Never mind; since you want to offer yourself up as a stepping stone, go ahead."
Ding Fengchou downed his wine in one gulp, shaking his head as he mumbled to himself. However, this was a good opportunity to see how much Xiao Chen had grown.
Jin Wuji emitted killing Qi from his body relentlessly. He laughed maniacally and said, "Xiao Chen, you did not expect that you would end up like this today. Back then, when you sneak-attacked and trampled on me, you had not expected that I would personally crush your hopes one day."
Jin Wuji laughed happily. Back when Xiao Chen had trampled on him, he could not even retaliate. It had been a nightmare for him.
After that, when he cultivated, the image of Xiao Chen always appeared in his mind, causing him to fail.
Jin Wuji knew this was a heart demon. Xiao Chen had become his heart demon. If he did not resolve this, the heart demon would always exist. His strength would halt and possibly regress.
Today, all Jin Wuji had to do was last ten moves, and he could end Xiao Chen's hopes of entering the Ancient Desolate Tower. This was undoubtedly a good chance for him to get rid of his heart demon. This was definitely worth rejoicing.
Jin Wuji drew his sword and smiled. He had a sinister expression as he said, "White Robed Bladesman, today, I will make you realize that, without a sneak attack, you would have no chance against me."
Xiao Chen flipped his hand, and the Lunar Shadow Saber appeared in his right hand. He said indifferently, "What a joke! You really think that you lost only because it was a sneak attack?"
Seeing Xiao Chen take out the Lunar Shadow Saber from the Universe Ring, Mu Xinya's expressions fluctuated. She muttered, "It's really him. Song Que was unable to kill him with that palm strike that day."
Ever since Xiao Chen had stepped into the hall, Mu Xinya's gaze had never left the cultivator. He had felt similar to that person in her memories.
He was calm, decisive, unhurried, had an expression that would not change in any situation, and unyielding regardless of the situation.
When Xiao Chen took out the Lunar Shadow Saber, the saber that Mu Xinya remembered, she finally verified Xiao Chen's identity.
"Senior Sister, do you think this Xiao Chen can win?" Xia Xiyan's Junior Sister asked.
Xia Xiyan felt uncertain as she responded, "It's hard to say. His overall power is definitely stronger than Jin Wuji's. However, it is too difficult for him to defeat Jin Wuji in ten moves. Even I have no confidence in doing so."
Most of the cultivators present had similar views. They thought that Jin Wuji would gain a great benefit, skipping the first round entirely.
Li Xiuzhu had a faint smile as he watched from above. His only expectation of Xiao Chen was failure.
Such an ignorant cultivator would not climb very high in the future.
"Chi!"
Within the hall, a resonant sword hum echoed suddenly. Jin Wuji could no longer resist and made the first move.
Jin Wuji pointed his sword at Xiao Chen as it trembled. The air rippled like water.
The sharp state of metal spread out from the edge of the sword. Before the sword moved, wind had already arrived.
An extremely sharp sword intent headed for Xiao Chen. It tore through the air and struck Xiao Chen's forehead. It clearly intended to disturb Xiao Chen's state of mind and break him.
The state of metal only had one attribute: an extremely pure sharpness. Given Jin Wuji's aura, he had comprehended his state of metal to Great Perfection.
"He has no more chances. Jin Wuji's state of metal has reached Great Perfection. Although it has not reached Consummation yet, it would be impossible to defeat him in ten moves," Xia Xiyan sighed.
The others watching also shook their head. From the very start, this fight had not been fair. Now, Xiao Chen had no chance at all.
Li Xiuzhu's frown faded, and he relaxed completely. He smiled as he muttered, "The result is clear already."
When Xiao Chen felt that sharp sword intent, with a thought, he used a Qi that he had never used before.
Since the time Xiao Chen had condensed his Martial Spirit, he had experienced failure, torment, confusion, worry, and all sorts of twists and turns. However, he never lost that sharpness within him. That was the Qi that belonged to a bladesman.
"Dang!"
A metallic clanging sound resounded in the air like blades clashing.
The sword intent JIn Wuji had sent out had been blocked instantly. The state of metal in the sword intent vanished.
"Saber intent?"
A few people in the crowd wondered doubtfully when they heard the melodious ring and felt the Qi from Xiao Chen.
Saber had evolved from swords. Hence, saber intent was derived from sword intent. However, it was harder to form than sword intent.
If one were to assign a probability to it, the odds of successfully comprehending sword intent were one in a hundred thousand. However, for saber intent, it was one in a million.
Furthermore, in the past thousand years, there were no stories of anyone comprehending saber intent under the age of thirty.
Even the ten great bladesmen of the Ancient Desolate Land had only comprehended saber intent after they reached forty. Such outstanding bladesmen only existed in the generation of the Thunder Emperor.
If they wanted to search for other examples, they would have to look back to the Tianwu Dynasty or the Ancient Era.
Ding Fengchou's expression relaxed slightly. He said, "Fortunately, it is not saber intent. It is merely some Qi. However, if some Qi can block Jin Wuji's sword intent, how powerful would a completely formed saber intent be?"
The other people in the hall heaved a sigh of relief as well. If it were truly saber intent, that would be too shocking.
Jin Wuji is not weak. If I have to fight him under normal circumstances, we will have to exchange at least a hundred moves.
If I want to defeat him in ten moves, I have to catch him off guard and attack with a spurt of energy, allowing him no time to react.
Fortunately, I have a Saber Technique that can attack with a great spurt of energy, the Rushing Thunder Chop.
Although it is not highly ranked, I can make up for the difference with my Essence and states. It is more than sufficient to deal with Jin Wuji!
After smashing Jin Wuji's sword intent, Xiao Chen took advantage of the moment his opponent was caught off guard. He quickly raised his right foot and stomped.
"Bang!"
Xiao Chen merged his Vital Qi and Essence into this stomp. He held nothing back and sent out 350,000 kilograms of force. The ground cracked.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The entire hall started to shake. All the wine cups on the wooden tables shattered.
The crack in the ground quickly extended towards Jin Wuji. As the ground cracked, a sharp shockwave shot upwards for half a meter.
As the crack in the ground extended, it sped towards Jin Wuji like a sharp knife intending to split him in half.
Jin Wuji's expression became one of shock. He had not expected Xiao Chen to make such a move.
This was the so-called 'catching Jin Wuji off guard.'
Jin Wuji's body swayed as the ground shook. When he saw the shockwaves, he quickly dodged to the side.
The shockwave brushed past Jin Wuji and continued for Li Xiuzhu. Li Xiuzhu merely stomped on the ground expressionlessly, and the sharp shockwave dissipated.
At the same time, the ground also stopped cracking right before the fissure reached Li Xiuzhu's table.
"Xiu!"
Jin Wuji had just stabilized himself but had no time to catch his breath as when he saw Xiao Chen rushing at him with the Lunar Shadow Saber in his right hand. His gaze looked as sharp as an eagle's.
"Dong! Dong! Dong!"
Xiao Chen's footsteps sounded like the roar of thunder. He moved as fast as lightning. A strong wind blew as he dashed forward, forcing Jin Wuji to squint.
Jin Wuji had a bad feeling. He pushed off the ground and retreated.
You think you can run? It's already too late.
Xiao Chen snorted coldly. He placed his hand on the saber hilt and drew, "Drawing the Saber!"
It seemed like a bolt of lightning had emerged from the scabbard. It was very dazzling, hurting everyone's eyes.
In the time for a spark to fly, Jin Wuji's sword spun quickly and guarded his chest, blocking the saber.
"Dang!"
Sparks flew when the weapons clashed.
As Xiao Chen rushed forward, he raised his momentum to the limits. As for Jin Wuji, after retreating, his momentum harshly fell.
Jin Wuji felt his arm go numb, and his sword trembled. He nearly dropped his sword.
"Arclight Chop!"
Xiao Chen activated the Blood Flame Shoes, and his speed increased again. Soon, he reached Jin Wuji's side. The Lunar Shadow Saber sent an arclight that flickered with relentless electricity.
Chapter 433: Rushing Thunder Saber Technique
Retreat!
The arclight sealed off all possibilities of counterattacking; there were no weaknesses. So, Jin Wuji had to retreat once again.
I cannot retreat anymore. If I keep retreating, I will lose all my momentum, Jin Wuji thought anxiously. I have to go on the offensive and control the rhythm again.
Jin Wuji swung his sword and prepared his killing move. However, just as he was about to make his move, he saw Xiao Chen rushing at him with his saber.
If Jin Wuji did not retreat, Xiao Chen would slash him in the chest. He would cut him in half, and he would die without a corpse.
Retreat!
How hateful! Jin Wuji was utterly depressed. He dispersed his killing move and retreated once again.
Xiao Chen's figure paused in the air, and he watched Jin Wuji retreat below. It looked as if he were frozen.
"Rushing Thunder Chop!"
In the next instant, thunder roared behind Xiao Chen. It shook the dust from the roof as his momentum increased again.
Xiao Chen's saber hacked down as it carried the boundless might of thunder.
Jin Wuji wore a horrified expression. This saber felt like lightning; there was no opportunity to dodge at all. Xiao Chen's aura locked down on him as though he had predicted where he would land.
A sword light flashed, Jin Wuji exhausted his Essence without holding back. He quickly sent out multiple solid walls made of swords, trying to block the saber strike.
However, Jin Wuji had already exhausted his momentum. No matter how strong the sword walls were, it would be useless against Xiao Chen at his peak momentum.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The sword walls crumbled like dead branches on a tree. The intense shockwaves spread into the surrounding. All the watching cultivators quickly defended themselves.
"Pu ci!" The force of the saber entered Jin Wuji's body. He vomited a mouthful of blood and grew very pale.
"Rushing Thunder Second Chain Chop!"
After Xiao Chen landed, he did not hesitate. The accumulated lightning-attributed energy from four moves exploded forth in an instant. The saber lit up with a resplendent electric light.
Jin Wuji did his best to block, but the saber strike knocked him flying. His clothes were tattered, and blood flowed from his wounds.
Jin Wuji lay miserably on the ground. The electric light on his body had yet to scatter, crackling relentlessly.
The hall became incredibly quiet. All the cultivators who had mocked Xiao Chen earlier were stunned.
Xiao Chen had not even used ten moves. He only used five to defeat Jin Wuji utterly. Even if they counted that first stomp, that was only six moves.
"Bang!"
Li Xiuzhu flushed with anger. He smashed his palm on the wooden table and shattered it. When he watched Jin Wuji climb to his feet arduously, his gaze filled with disgust.
"Trash, you cannot even deal with in Inferior Grade Martial King. How are you qualified to participate in his selection? Scram!"
Li Xiuzhu punched the air and struck Jin Wuji heavily. He vomited another large mouthful of blood and was blasted out of the hall. After that, he rolled down the steps before coming to a stop.
Li Xiuzhu glared at Xiao Chen. Then, he stood expressionlessly before leaving the hall without a word.
Liu Xiuzhu left piqued. His three assistance followed after him. Naturally, this banquet had ended on an unpleasant note.
Within the hall, all of the outstanding talents looked towards Xiao Chen. They no longer dismissed him as before. They now saw him as a strong competitor.
They all wore depressed expressions. There was yet another competitor to worry about. Clearly, that was not a good thing.
However, there were about ten people whose eyes lit up with a blazing fighting spirit. They were not afraid of a challenge. The more competitors they had, the more excited they became.
"Pei Shaoxuan, what do you think?" the Holy Fire Manor's Young Manor Lord, Leng Yun, looked at the Beast Taming Abode's Pei Shaoxuan as he asked indifferently.
Pei Shaoxuan played with the scarlet ring he wore on his index finger. He said softly, "He is very strong. However, there is no need to be astonished. If you can catch Jin Wuji off guard as well, you can also defeat him within ten moves."
Leng Yun nodded and said, "Naturally, I understand this principle. Unfortunately, it is hard to seize the initiative against someone whose cultivation realm is higher than yours. This is where he displays his brilliance."
Pei Shaoxuan stood. Before he left, he said, "A hundred battles all have to be fought with strength. He might be able to catch someone off guard once or twice. However, if he wants to continue fighting, his foundational strength is the most important. I'll see you tomorrow."
All of the outstanding talents in the hall discussed the earlier fight before they left. The banquet had ended there was no reason to remain.
Xia Xiyan led her Junior Sister over and congratulated Xiao Chen, "Congratulations. It looks like I have another competitor for a spot in the Ancient Desolate Tower."
Xiao Chen smiled gently, "Miss Xia, you praise me too much. If I fight against you, my odds of winning are only fifty percent."
"Hmm! My First Senior Sister had comprehended sword intent at the age of sixteen. Now, she is a Superior Grade Martial King. Her Cultivation Technique is a peak Earth Ranked Cultivation Technique, and her Martial Techniques are peak Earth Ranked Martial Techniques. Within the same generation, she is not inferior to anyone. You overestimate yourself."
When Xiao Rou, who stood beside Xia Xiyan, heard Xiao Chen claim to be about equal to Xia Xiyan, she felt somewhat dissatisfied.
In Xiao Rou's opinion, even though Xiao Chen was strong and managed to defeat Jin Wuji in six moves, he mostly relied on tricks.
If it were not for that stomp delaying Jin Wuji and forcing him back over and over again, there was no way Xiao Chen could defeat Jin Wuji within then moves.
Xiao Rou had not considered Xiao Chen's tactics as a form of strength.
Xiao Chen looked at Xiao Rou but was not angry. He could tell that she only defended First Senior Sister like a little girl defending her idol.
When Xia Xiyan heard Xiao Rou's words, she glared at Xiao Rou before saying apologetically, "I'm sorry., This girl always speaks without thinking. Don't mind her."
Xiao Chen smiled faintly in response.
"I shall take my leave first. I'll see you tomorrow."
Seeing that Xiao Rou was about to say something else, Xia Xiyan pulled her to the side and quickly took her leave.
Xiao Chen sheathed his Lunar Shadow Saber. He did not intend to linger and was about to leave. The fight in the Wrestling Ring tomorrow was the true battle. This was only an appetizer.
"Brother Xiao, please wait a moment."
Just as Xiao Chen reached the doors of the hall, Jiang Zimo stopped him and walked over with Mu Xinya.
Although Xiao Chen did not know the cultivator well, Jiang Zimo had helped him once again, displaying intentions of friendship.
This was especially so after Jiang Zimo had risked offending Li Xiuzhu. Compared to those who tried to pander to the old man, such a friend was even more precious.
Xiao Chen stopped and turned. Then, he cupped his hand and gave thanks, "Thank you, Brother Zimo, for speaking up for me, helping me fight for this chance."
Jiang Zimo smiled gently and said, "It was just a small matter. I am not afraid of Li Xiuzhu. He does not dare act against me."
Jiang Zimo seemed very confident. It appeared as though a large power supported him, a power that even Li Xiuzhu feared.
Xiao Chen did not continue with the niceties and asked directly, "Why are you looking for me? If it is something that I can help you with, just say it."
"I shall remember that. For now, there is nothing," Jiang Zimo said with a smile before pointing to the silver-haired girl beside him. He said, "She is the one looking for you. I shall take my leave first."
After Jiang Zimo left, Xiao Chen suspiciously examined the silver-haired girl before him. Although she seemed familiar, he could not recall seeing her before.
"Have we met before?" Xiao Chen probed.
Mu Xinya looked at Xiao Chen. A bitter smile appeared on her exquisite face. "Tell me this; will you kill me again?"
Xiao Chen felt astonished. When he heard Mu Xinya's voice, he finally recalled who this silver-haired girl was.
Back in the Heavenly Saber Pavilion, for the sake of rescuing the Heavenly Wolf King, she had pretended to be the human girl, Mu Xinya. They had spent more than a month together.
No wonder the moment I entered the hall, this girl's gaze had never left me. She must have recognized me.
Xiao Chen recalled the previous events clearly. The expressions of those miners begging him appeared in his mind.
However, Xiao Chen had a different view of the matters of the past. Those miners were people the Heavenly Saber Pavilion sacrificed on purpose. It was hard to differentiate who was in the right or wrong.
Xiao Chen collected his thoughts and shook his head, "I won't. Let's not mention the past again. Everyone has their own beliefs. It's just the angles which they look from are different."
When Mu Xinya heard this, she heaved a sigh of relief. She asked, "Can we talk?"
Xiao Chen nodded, and the two flew out.
---
Outside the hall, Jin Wuji's clothes were tattered as he lay miserably on the ground. Occasionally, a light flickered on his body.
The bones in Jin Wuji's chest were indented. That was the result of Li Xiuzhu's punch. As a Martial Monarch, his punch was far more destructive than Xiao Chen's attacks.
Furthermore, when considering the injuries Xiao Chen had caused, without the aid of Medicinal Pills and half a year to recuperate, it would be difficult to recover to his peak state.
To these geniuses, wasting half a year was a cruel matter. It would result in a gap that they could never close.
When the passing cultivators saw this, they felt that he was very ill-fated.
Fifteen minutes ago, everyone envied him. As long as he could withstand ten moves, he would easily clear the first round.
However, fifteen minutes later, an Inferior Grade Martial King had defeated him in six moves. His reputation had taken a great hit.
Then, Li Xiuzhu had injured him further, destroying his qualifications to participate in the selections. This was such a tragic sight. He had experienced disaster after disaster.
The crowd had learned a big lesson; never to underestimate someone with a lower cultivation realm than you in the future. That person might be another Xiao Chen.
The miserable Jin Wuji was the best example.
Ding Fengchou slowly walked to Jin Wuji and sighed. Jin Wuji was now a cripple. He had lost the rights to stand amongst the first-rate geniuses forever.
This era of geniuses was just budding. This was an age were geniuses came forth in great numbers. This was undoubtedly a tragedy for him.
"I told you long ago; you should know yourself well. If you do not have sufficient strength, do not use the name of the Heavenly Sword Gate to flaunt your might. You had asked for it."
Ding Fengchou placed his hand on Jin Wuji's chest. He circulated his Essence, and the electric light in Jin Wuji's body quickly moved towards Ding Fengchou's palm.
Chapter 434: Mu Xinya Fell in Love?
Ding Fengchou raised his palm, and a ball of lightning-attributed Essence floated below his hand. The unconscious Jin Wuji immediately felt more comfortable.
"Bang!"
Ding Fengchou casually tossed the ball of electricity onto the ground. It exploded and created a deep pit, sending dust into the air.
"What a strong lightning-attributed energy. This person might cultivate a Heaven Ranked Cultivation Technique. Otherwise, he would not have such surging energy as an Inferior Grade Martial King."
Ding Fengchou frowned slightly and muttered to himself, "This is only the remnant energy. If this were his full power, it would be even stronger."
Ding Fengchou had incredible insight. Even though it was only some remnant energy, he could make a rough estimation of Xiao Chen's strength.
"Ding Fengchou, I told you long ago not to bring trash here. Now you have embarrassed yourself." Beast Taming Abode's Pei Shaoxuan laughed as he walked over.
Seeking death! Ding Fengchou's expression chilled. His use two fingers as a sword and pointed them at Pei Shaoxuan.
"Xiu!"
The long sword at Ding Fengchou's waist hummed and quickly emerged from its sheath. Under Ding Fengchou's control, it flew towards Pei Shaoxuan with a surging sword intent.
"Wu! Wu!"
The air rang out with sword hums. Water-like ripples spread out from the sword. Space seemed to blur.
Pei Shaoxuan's expression changed. He had not expected Dong Fengchou to attack. He quickly formed hand seals.
Circular formation markings appeared behind Pei Shaoxuan. A realistic ape with muscles and skin like metal appeared before him and blocked the strike.
"Bang!"
The moment the ape appeared, a huge bloody hole appeared on its chest. The sword had pierced through it, and it died on the spot.
"Hu chi!"
Clearly, Pei Shaoxuan had not expected the attack to destroy the Steel Ape with strong defenses in an instant.
Pei Shaoxuan quickly did his best to dodge. However, the sword still slashed a wound on his right shoulder. Blood gushed from the wound. Soon, his entire right shoulder was covered in the scarlet liquid.
"Pei Shaoxuan, on account of your First Senior Brother, I will not kill you now. Watch what you say in the future. It is not your turn to disrespect the people of the Heavenly Sword Gate."
"Ka ca!"
Ding Fengchou waved his hand, and the sword returned to its scabbard. He picked up Jin Wuji's body and did not bother looking at Pei Shaoxuan before leaving.
As Pei Shaoxuan looked at the other party's face, revealing a hateful glare. His hatred of Ding Fengchou had begun long ago.
During their first encounter, they fought each other over natural treasures. Pei Shaoxuan received severe injuries, and Ding Fengchou snatched all of the treasures. He had always viewed it as an extraordinary shame and humiliation.
Otherwise, Pei Shaoxuan would not have eliminated Jin Wuji in such a miserable fashion during the previous Five Nation Youth Competition.
Pei Shaoxuan withdrew his gaze and stopped the bleeding on his shoulder. He knelt down and pointed at the bleeding Steel Ape lying into a pool of blood with the finger wearing a scarlet ring.
"Chi! Chi!"
The ring flashed red, and it sucked in the Steel Ape's corpse and blood.
"Ka ca! Ka ca!" The ring emitted bone-chilling sounds and looked quite odd.
---
The moon hung high in the sky like a silver plate illuminating the world. Xiao Chen and Mu Xinya sat on a rooftop in the city.
Even though Mu Xinya had asked if they could talk, she had done most of the talking.
Xiao Chen, more or less, understood what happened after Mu Xinya left the Heavenly Saber Pavilion. After she inherited the Heavenly Wolf King's strength, her strength had rapidly soared.
Now, Mu Xinya was a peak Superior Grade Martial King. Most importantly, she would not encounter any bottlenecks. As long as she faithfully continued to absorb the Heavenly Wolf King's strength, her strength would soar; her potential was limitless.
When Mu Xinya fought an enemy, she could draw from the Heavenly Wolf King's energy and even challenge a half-step Martial Monarch.
Furthermore, it was not like how Xiao Chen had managed, needing an opportunity to flee.
Because of Mu Xinya, the Heavenly Wolf Race, which was in a precarious position, had gained a large number of resources from the Myriad Fiend Palace, and the overall strength of her clan had increased.
"Ye Chen, did you know that the month in that underground world was the most relatively ordinary moment of my life?"
Mu Xinya looked up at the bright moon as the moonlight illuminated her silver hair, adding a layer of radiance and looking like an illusion.
"Ha ha…however, I cannot stop. The burden of my clan falls on me alone. There are twenty spots for the Ancient Desolate Tower, and I must obtain one."
Xiao Chen smiled faintly and said, "Then, I wish you success. Out of the twenty spots, I have to obtain one as well."
Mu Xinya smiled embarrassedly, "Let's work hard together, then. After that, we can work together in the Ancient Desolate Tower once again. The tacit understanding we have might even reach a level no one else has ever reached before."
"I'm going now. Thank you for accompanying me for so long. I finally can dismiss the worry I have held on to from that time."
Mu Xinya waved her hand, and her exquisite figure jumped off of the rooftop and into the distance.
Xiao Chen got up and watched the distant Mu Xinya. He sighed gently, "There are more than a thousand peak geniuses. This group alone has people like Ding Fengchou, Jing Zimo, and Mu Xinya, geniuses amongst geniuses. These twenty spots are going to be difficult to obtain."
However, regardless of the situation, Xiao Chen had to obtain one. There were a total of nine floors in the Ancient Desolate Tower. In the past, the genius Thunder Emperor climbed to the seventh floor before he rose to prominence.
In the past years, although there were not many who managed to climb to the fifth floor, without exception, they all had gained great benefits.
Some had obtained an increase in their cultivation; some found ancient Heaven Ranked Martial Techniques, or even Heaven Ranked Cultivation Techniques.
There were people who were stuck at bottlenecks in the comprehension of various Martial Techniques. They had made breakthroughs in the tower, massively increasing their combat prowess after they left.
None of these stories were exaggerations. Without the Ancient Desolate Tower, the cultivators of the other four nations would find it hard to enter the top fifty of the Tianwu Rankings.
------
The second day, the sun had just broken through the darkness. The radiance of dawn shone on every corner of Wrestling City.
The two hundred-odd outstanding talents from various places had gathered in the hall of the residence Li Xiuzhu had led them to.
Xiao Chen stood in the corner of the crowd, waiting calmly for Li Xiuzhu's arrival. This was only the first round of the selection. He believed that he could pass it with his strength.
After a long time, Li Xiuzhu emerged from the back. Aside from his three assistants, there was also an unknown cultivator beside him.
That person wore tight cultivator robes. Muscles bulged throughout his body; he looked very strong. He seemed to be forty-odd years old and was a half-step Martial Monarch.
A faint scar on his right cheek gave him a fierce and tough appearance. His eyes were dim and without light, giving the same impression as a gloomy forest.
Li Xiuzhu looked for Xiao Chen's figure in the crowd. He smiled coldly before he withdrew his gaze. He said, "Let me introduce this person to everyone. This is the City Lord of Wrestling City, Gao Yangyu. We are no longer governing the following matters. After six days, I will return to pick up the people who have obtained sixty victories.
"I will bring those who meet the standard to Desolate City and meet up with the other three groups to proceed with the second round of selection. For those who fail, you will have to return home."
After Li Xiuzhu spoke, he departed with his three assistants, handing everything over to Gao Yangyu.
Gao Yangyu looked at the crowd calmly. Then, with the flip of his hand, he took out stacks of contracts before distribution them to the crowd.
Xiao Chen took the contract and examined it. It was a life-and-death contract. The main contents were: 'I participate in the Rank A wrestling ring willingly, and my life or death is unrelated to Wrestling City.'
"Let me say this first; Wrestling City is not connected to the Heavenly Extermination Union. They do not have any authority over us.
"In fact, news of you undergoing the first round of selection in the Rank A wrestling ring had only reached me one week ago. I will not give any of you special privileges. You are all the same as the other cultivators in the Rank A wrestling Ring. Life and death are in your own hands. If you want to participate in the wrestling ring, you have to sign this contract."
Gao Yangyu's statement was calm and firm.
Li Xiuzhu had explained most of this to the crowd already. All of the outstanding talents present had calm expressions. They signed the contract without hesitation.
Perhaps people would die in the Rank A wrestling ring. However, everyone here was an outstanding talent of their region. They were all very strong. No one believed they would actually die.
After signing the life-and-death contract, Xiao Chen joined the back of the queue and was the last to hand over his contract.
Gao Yangyu looked at the name on the life-and-death contract and could not help but glance at Xiao Chen. A hard-to-trace killing Qi flashed in his eyes.
Xiao Chen felt this killing Qi. His expression did not change as he slowly moved to the back.
Xiao Chen had no grievances with Gao Yangyu. Logically, he should not have any murderous intent for Xiao Chen. The only explanation was that Li Xiuzhu had given him some instructions.
This old man really seems to have a problem with me, Xiao Chen thought to himself. I have endured this before and will keep an eye out.
After Gao Yangyu collected all the contracts, he smiled faintly, "Very good. No one backed out. I shall wish you all good luck, then."
Gao Yangyu activated the ring on his right hand and space fluctuated intensely. A door of light appeared in the hall.
"Let's go!" Gao Yangyu took the lead and stepped through the doorway of light.
No one here was an ordinary cultivator, and they knew that this was the rarely-seen Transportation Gate. There was nothing to make a fuss over. They all followed Gao Yangyu, one after another.
Xiao Chen was still the last one to cross the threshold. When he stepped through the doorway of light, he felt a mysterious force pulling him forward. Every sensation vanished.
If felt like, for an instant, an eternity had passed before Xiao Chen regained control over his movements.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"
Just as Xiao Chen regained his footing, earth-shattering roars resounded in his ears.
Xiao Chen looked up and discovered that he and the others had appeared in a vast wrestling ring. The circular wrestling ring seemed to be at least ten thousand square meters.
Spectator stands surrounded the Wrestling Ring. There were several ten thousand seats filled to the last. It looked very lively.
Gao Yangyu summoned the crowd and pointed in a direction, "Later, there will be a thousand Demonic Beasts coming out from that cage. There are a total of two hundred iron medallions on the Beasts' bodies. You have to kill the Demonic Beasts and obtain an iron medallion before you qualify to compete in the Rank A wrestling ring."
Chapter 435: A Thousand Rank 7 Demonic Beasts
The crowd looked to where Gao Yangyu pointed. They only saw a dark space behind a metal barrier. Within the darkness were countless scarlet eyes.
A strong aura seeped from the dark space, and bestial roars echoed throughout the arena, making one tremble in fear.
"Damn it! They are all Rank 7 Demonic Beasts!"
When someone felt the ranks of the Demonic Beasts, their expression changed. They seemed rather horrified.
Gao Yangyu smiled faintly and said, "That's right; they are all Rank 7 Demonic Beasts. Furthermore, they are extremely hungry Rank 7 Demonic Beasts."
A Rank 7 Demonic Beast was not very scary. Everyone here could deal with one easily. However, even if they split a thousand Rank 7 evenly amongst themselves, each cultivator would have to fight four Rank 7 Demonic Beasts. Furthermore, snatching the iron medallions would also serve as a distraction. The danger was extraordinary.
Xia Xiyan's expression turned grave. She whispered to Xiao Rou, "Don't get separated; stick close to me."
Although Xiao Rou was strong, she had no experience. This time, as she participated in the selection, the Thousand Sword Pavilion had other intentions for her. They wanted to use this as experiential training. At the same time, they wanted to see if she would be lucky enough to earn a spot in the Ancient Desolate Tower.
However, no one expected there to be so much danger at the very start of the selection.
The other people present began to look for partners. Under such circumstances, being alone was very risky.
Jiang Zimo and Mu Xinya extended an invitation to Xiao Chen, but he shook his head in rejection.
Xiao Chen knew that the other party had kind intentions. However, he had the advantage of speed and was not afraid of such situations. There was no need to owe Jiang Zimo another favor over this.
Gao Yangyu was very pleased with the atmosphere. After he silenced everyone, he said, "After you obtain the iron medallion, anyone here can challenge you, as long as their cultivation is lower than half-step Martial Monarch. You must defeat them and obtain sixty victories."
"Open the barriers!"
Without giving the crowd too much time to react, Gao Yangyu leaped out of the wrestling ring and waved his hands.
The meal barrier holding the thousand Rank 7 Demonic Beasts immediately opened. Thunderous footsteps resounded as all of the Demonic Beasts rushed out.
The Demonic Beasts salivated as their eyes gleamed scarlet, and they launched themselves into the crowd.
There were all sorts of Demonic Beasts. Some crawled on the ground, and some flew in the air. Some were wind-attributed, some were fire-attributed, and some were ice-attributed. There were all sorts of Demonic Beasts.
Suddenly, they all rushed at the crowd. A black Qi rushed into the sky, covering it. Their aura was frightening.
The crowd did not hesitate at all. They urgently retreated. At this point, no one dared test might of the horde of Demonic Beasts.
When the extremely hungry Demonic Beasts caught a whiff of the humans' aura, they grew even more ferocious. No one would be foolish enough to test them now.
"Retreat!"
Everyone executed their Movement Techniques and moved quickly to the back, scattering.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
However, there were simply too many Demonic Beasts. The wrestling ring was only large enough to hold the Demonic Beasts without giving them too much space. Soon, cultivators and Demonic Beasts began to fight.
Four Beasts surrounded Xiao Chen. There was one several-meters-long Scarlet Metallic Snake as thick as an elephant's leg with metallic scales, two Flame Wolves covered in black Qi and walking on their hind legs, and an extremely ferocious Lightning Ox.
"Hu Chi!"
The Scarlet Metallic Snake moved very fast, taking the initiative to attack. It opened its huge jaws and shot towards Xiao Chen, trying to swallow him whole.
"Xiu!"
Xiao Chen pushed off the ground and activated the Blood Flame Shoes. His speed instantly reached Mach 3.5 as he moved in an arc.
Xiao Chen's figure flashed, and he landed on the Scarlet Metallic Snake's head, stomping hard when he did.
"Dang! Dang!"
When the huge force struck the Scarlet Metallic Snake's head, it gave off a loud, metallic ring. He had kicked its upper body into the ground.
"Rumble…!"
A deep pit appeared in the ground. Cracks extended from it into the surroundings.
Xiao Chen hovered in the air. His sole felt somewhat numb. He sensed that the Scarlet Metallic Snake had not received any fatal damage.
The Rank 7 Scarlet Metallic Snake specialized in defense. Its scales were as hard as Superior Grade Frost Iron. Weapons could not penetrate it, and it was difficult to deal with.
"Chi!"
A purple bolt of lightning flew towards Xiao Chen. The Lightning Ox had attacked as well. The two Flame Wolves, covered in black flames, rushed over alongside the bolt of lightning.
Xiao Chen smiled faintly and pulled his palm in. The purple lighting transformed into a whirlpool that spun on his palm, becoming a ball of purple flames.
Without the protection of states, Xiao Chen could collect as much lightning-attributed energy as he wanted.
Xiao Chen leaped into the air, moving back instead of forward. Then, he punched the two Flame Wolves. The purple flames on his hand slowly spread and encased the two Flame Wolves.
The Demonic Beasts were very intelligent. The two Flame Wolves had planned to take advantage of the moment Xiao Chen blocked the lightning, attacking.
Unfortunately, Xiao Chen was not afraid of the lightning. He pulled it in with the flip of the palm. The attack, which the two Demonic Beasts stored power for, would forever remain at this stage.
"Boom!"
The purple and black flames clashed relentlessly on the Flame Wolves. They exploded with intense heat, and the Flame Wolves were knocked to the ground.
After tumbling across the ground for a while, the Flame Wolves crawled to their feet miserably. Their fur was burnt to a crisp, emitting black smoke.
"Roar! Roar!"
When the Lightning Ox saw that the lightning it was so proud of had not damaged Xiao Chen, it angrily pressed forward with its colossal body.
The bodies of Demonic Beasts were, for the most part, stronger than cultivators'. When clashing using their physical bodies, humans usually suffered a disadvantage.
This was a move that many Demonic Beasts liked to use. If they used it well, they could even cause the cultivator internal injuries.
Unfortunately, the Lightning Ox faced Xiao Chen. He clenched his fist, and the image of a tiger and dragon spiraled around his arm, roaring ferociously.
"Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon!" Xiao Chen shouted and crossed his arms, receiving the Lightning Ox's mad charge head-on.
"Bang!"
A loud crash resounded, but Xiao Chen did not move. The Lightning Ox bounced back at the same speed it crashed into Xiao Chen with.
"Dragon Hisses Tiger Roars!"
Xiao Chen leaped up. When he landed next to the Lightning Ox, he punched it with the power stored by the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"
As Xiao Chen punched, the roars of the tiger and dragon rang out. The sound was ear-splitting. Intense explosions echoed within the Lightning Ox's body.
"Hu chi! Hu chi!"
The Lightning Ox struggled as its entire body exploded with electricity. A purple light radiated as boundless electric sparks jumped across its body.
When the electric light surged, Xiao Chen's hair and clothes fluttered. There even seemed to be some arcs of electricity jumping between them.
Xiao Chen felt no fear. He punched the Lightning Ox with his right fist. As the tiger and dragon roared, he continued pummelling it.
The Purple Thunder Divine Incantation circulated rapidly, and he constantly absorbed the electric light with his left hand. The electricity became a whirlpool, spinning rapidly.
After a while, Xiao Chen's fist had shattered all of the Lightning Ox's internal organs. The electric light finally faded.
The Scarlet Metallic Snake and the Flame Wolves took advantage of this opportunity to launch themselves at Xiao Chen. The three Demonic Beasts used their best moves.
The Scarlet Metallic Snake's long tail slammed down with a huge force. The two Flame Wolves' paws lit up with black flames, leaving a black comet tail as they swung their paws.
Xiao Chen turned around and looked at the fierce purple flames in his palm. Suddenly a thought occurred to him.
Can I use this purple flames to cast the Life Bestowal Spell? In theory, the Life Bestowal Spell can use anything as a focus. When it is at Great Perfection, it can even use the air.
Since Xiao Chen thought of it, there was no problem trying it out. He used his Spiritual Sense to split a strand of purple flame and quickly molded it into an electric flame eagle.
"Hu chi!"
Xiao Chen's right hand made hand seals as he continued to exhaust the Mental Energy in his sea of consciousness and the Essence in the Qi whirlpool.
Using energy to cast the Life Bestowal Spell resulted in double the exhaustion. It was due to Essence and Mental Energy merging.
"Life Bestowal Spell!" Xiao Chen shouted, and the electric flame eagle instantly came to life. When it spread its wings, its wingspan reached ten meters.
The eagle crashed towards the descending snake tail. There was a shattering sound. The harder-than-Frost-Iron scales had shattered. The entire snake tail broke off.
"It really is possible. Furthermore, its might is so impressive." Xiao Chen revealed a happy expression.
In the spectator stands, when Gao Yangyu saw this, his expression changed, "This move seems to merge Mental Energy and Essence. How did this brat do it?"
The Mental Energy of Martial Kings could not bear the berserk nature of Essence. This was something that only Martial Monarchs and above could grasp. Even a half-step Martial Monarch like himself had only a small grasp on it.
The Lightning Ox was dead, and the Scarlet Metallic Snake was severely injured. Xiao Chen only had to deal with the two Flame Wolves. Victory was almost guaranteed.
If Xiao Chen were not unlucky, there would be one iron medallion within each of the Demonic Beasts.
However, Xiao Chen's performance was not the most impressive, but someone else's.
The many cultivators in the spectator stands focused on the battle below. They observed and tried to figure out who to pick as their opponents.
Chapter 431: Rank A Wrestling Ring
There were three other places like this Wrestling City in the Ancient Desolate Land. They were on the other three main islands of the other groups.
"Strange, there are more than a dozen cities on Longyang Island. Why is everyone heading to the Wrestling City?" Xiao Chen could not understand when he saw so many cultivators heading for that particular city.
"I really don't understand. Wrestling City had not organized Rank A matches on such a large scale for ten years."
"Hehe, it does not matter. Rank A duels are a great opportunity to earn money. If we can win ten matches in a row, we will earn five thousand Medial Grade Spirit Stones. If we win twenty in a row, they will give us an Inferior Grade Secret Treasure."
"I heard that the rewards have increased this time. I wonder if that is true? If it is, that will be a large sum."
A cultivator who passed Xiao Chen chatted excitedly. From what they said, he figured out why they were going to Wrestling City.
Xiao Chen's expression became sullen. He looked to the sky, at the cultivators rushing to Wrestling City. He muttered to himself, "The news has traveled very fast. It looks like, in the first round, there will be many famous cultivators from the Ancient Desolate Lands."
The full moon hung high in the sky, and stars flickered. The bright moonlight outshone the light of the stars, making them hard to see.
Within Wrestling City, in a residence, the four people in charge from the Heavenly Extermination Union led the two hundred odd geniuses, hosting a banquet in their honor.
Starting tomorrow, this group of cultivators would begin a cruel selection, fighting high-intensity battles for six days.
Hence, the organizer had decided that, before this happened, they would host a banquet to help them relax. At the same time, they would make use of this opportunity to answer some of the cultivator's questions.
Within the hall, Old Li sat in the middle. Next to him were his three assistants. A long table sat before the four.
Long tables had also been placed along the two walls on each side. Wine and food filled the tables. Behind each table, there were three or four cultivators.
Everyone chatted with each other and relaxed. The atmosphere was lively.
"Senior Li, I heard that, in the next Five Nation Youth Competition, the people ranked highly in the Tianwu Rankings will have a chance to go to the upper realm."
From the right side, a young cultivator set his wine cup down and looked respectfully at Old Li as he inquired.
The moment he spoke, the hall immediately fell silent. Everyone focused their gazes on Old Li.
The so-called upper realm seemed to be a mysterious place to everyone. Rumors stated that the Three Holy Lands were similar realms.
No one knew what kind of place that realm was. According to rumors, on the Tianwu Continent, only a Martial Emperor was strong enough to break through the void and witness the upper realm.
Without reaching the Martial Emperor Realm, if one wanted to see it, they would only encounter an opportunity from events like the Five Nation Youth Competition.
Of course, not every Five Nation Youth Competition would offer such an opportunity. Only when the era flourished with geniuses would they gain the interest of the upper realm, resulting in such an opportunity.
However, in the past several thousand years, there were no stories of someone qualifying to enter the upper realm during the Five Nation Youth Competition.
Only those in the first Five Nation Youth Competition during the Thunder Emperor's era had an opportunity to reach the upper realm presented itself.
However, four thousand years was a long time. Most stories from that time had become legends. Now, the young cultivators could only guess what had happened and could not verify the authenticity of such things.
However, there were some clues hidden within the upcoming round of the Five Nation Youth Competition. Not only would the various nations and powers of the Tianwu Continent send people, but the powers in the Shallow Seas of the Boundless Sea would also send participants. If there were no chances to enter the upper realm, such things would not happen.
When Old Li heard the question, he smiled gently, "I know about this matter. The older generation Supreme Elders in the sects behind you know as well. Since they have not told you, naturally, I will say nothing."
"Why?" confusion swept through the crowd as they asked.
Old Li shook his head and said, "It is not time yet. This is currently the budding period of this era of geniuses. Your generation has not matured yet. Telling you now will only harm you and have no benefits.
"I can only advise you to, advance with all your might. The fortunate ones will certainly be in for a big surprise."
Towards the back on the right side, Jin Wuji and Ding Fengchou sat behind a table. Jin Wuji felt somewhat suspicious as he said, "That is strength. Why are his words the same as Master's? First Senior Brother, you are the apple of Master's eye. Do you have any inside news?"
Ding Fengchou took a sip of wine, and a deep look flashed in his eyes. It was very mysterious.
Ding Fengchou set his wine cup aside and shook his head. He said, "I am not sure either. Don't overthink this. If your strength or talent is not sufficient, reaching that realm will not benefit you."
The banquet continued. In the meantime, someone asked about the detailed rules of the Rank A Wrestling Rings. Old Li answered all of the questions without hiding anything.
"When we reach the Wrestling Rings, this old man will no longer be in charge. Let me tell all of you this first; if there is any danger, please pull out and do not force yourself. As for the rules, they will use the standard rules of the Wrestling Ring. You do not have any special privileges. You just have to think of how to obtain sixty victories."
"Dong! Dong! Dong!"
Just at this moment, urgent footsteps came rushing over. An attendant outside the hall held an engraved card and quickly walked over to Old, whispering something in his ear.
Old Li's expression changed slightly. He instructed, "Go down and bring him to me. Let me see for myself."
The assistants at the side were astonished when they saw the engraved card. They said, "That is Elder Huang's engraved card. Who is he recommending?"
Old Li put the engraved card away, and a sullen look crossed his face. He said indifferently, "It's that brat we debated so heavily on. I want to see why this Old Huang has vouched for this insignificant Inferior Grade Martial King repeatedly."
When the outstanding talents in the hall saw Old Li's expression, they could not figure out what was happening. However, they sensed that something big was about to happen.
The atmosphere immediately became very strange. The hall became extremely quiet. Everyone's gazes fixed on the entrance of the hall. They wanted to see who had offended Old Li.
Mu Xinya whispered to Jiang Zimo, "Do you think the person you spoke of is here?"
Jiang Zimo whispered back, "It's hard to say. However, if it is really him, I cannot do much. This Elder Li is not from our Myriad Fiend Palace's faction."
"Ta! Ta!"
Soft footsteps came from outside the doors. Xiao Chen, who wore blue robes, stepped into the hall with the Lunar Shadow Saber in his hand.
Xiao Chen swept the hall with his eyes, scanning everybody's faces. He saw a few that were familiar.
There was Xia Xiyan who he had once fought with, Jiang Zimo who he had once met, and the girl with silver hair beside Jiang Zimo seemed familiar, but Xiao Chen could not recall where he had seen her.
His two friends, Jin Wuji and Ding Fengchou, were also here. When he felt Jin Wuji's malicious gaze, he ignored the cultivator.
The atmosphere in the hall seemed odd, but Xiao Chen did not think much about it. He looked up to Old Li in front and cupped his hands in respect, "Junior Xiao Chen greets Senior."
Old Li ignored Xiao Chen's words and said unhurriedly, "Personally, I have always thought that Cultivation Realm was the foundation of a cultivator. Back then, I had suggested the requirement of Medial Grade Martial King. I want to know; what is an Inferior Grade Martial King like you doing here? Seeking death?"
Xiao Chen's face sank, and he remembered the words of the old man from the Heavenly Extermination Union. It seemed like he was not very lucky. The old man before him was a member of the faction against him qualifying for the Ancient Desolate Tower.
"Go back to where you came from. Entering the Wrestling Ring requires you to sign a life-and-death contract. Come back when you are a Medial Grade Martial King. It will be too unfortunate if you fall here at such a young age.
"Don't think that, after becoming famous in the Great Qin nation, you have outstanding talent and can ignore the rules. The Great Qin Nation is the weakest amongst the five great nations."
When the people below heard Old Li's words, playful expressions appeared on their faces. It turned out that this person had used his connections to enter, trying to compete with them for spots.
Unfortunate, his backer did not seem to have any power here. Not only did Elder Li not allow it, but he also humiliated him.
An intelligent young cultivator in the crowd saw that Older Li did not like Xiao Chen. He immediately picked up from where Elder Li left off and mocked, "An Inferior Grade Martial King wants to fight for spots to the Ancient Desolate Tower against us? You overestimate yourself."
The others instantly chimed in, "Indeed, go home. If you die in the Wrestling Ring, there will be nothing left for you."
"This is not the Great Qin Nation. You may be a genius there, but you are nothing here."
Xiao Chen maintained a calm expression. He would not respond to the surrounding people's words, but he did commit them to memory. He looked directly at Old Li and said, "Cultivation Realm is indeed the foundation of a cultivator. However, combat experience, Marital Technique, and Cultivation Techniques are equally important. In fact, they might even be more important."
Old Li snorted coldly and said, "You think you are qualified to speak to me? I do not need you to teach me what is important. Scram!"
Jiang Zimo could not bear to continue watching. He said, "Senior Li, as far as I know, Elder Huang has an engraved card. He is within his rights to recommend someone."
Old Li seemed to fear Jiang Zimo's identity somewhat, so he gave no rebuttal. Jiang Zimo's words were also correct.
However, back then, he was the one who suggested setting Medial Grade Martial King as the requirement. He had also done his best to prevent an invitation from being sent to Xiao Chen. If he agreed to let Xiao Chen participate, he would feel very uncomfortable in his heart.
If Old Li could persuade Xiao Chen to leave, he could claim that Xiao Chen left of his own accord. Elder Huang could do nothing to him.
However, given the situation, Xiao Chen was very patient, and Jiang Zimo had spoken up for him. It was no longer possible to chase Xiao Chen away.
Old Li's gaze focused on Xiao Chen. Suddenly, a countermeasure came to him. He smiled gently and said, "Very well; I will give you a chance. Since you say that combat experience and Cultivation Techniques are more important that Cultivation Realm, choose a cultivator in his hall. If you can obtain a victory in ten moves, I will give you this chance. Let's show everyone how exquisite your combat techniques are."
The hall fell silent. When they looked at Xiao Chen, they took joy in his misfortune. Clearly, this person had offended Old Li.
It was impossible for Xiao Chen to defeat any of them in ten moves. The weakest cultivator here was a peak Medial Grade Martial King.
Chapter 432: He Who Shames Will Be Shamed
Everyone present was a genius of a great sect. They would lack high-ranked Martial Techniques. Regarding combat experience, they did not think they were inferior to Xiao Chen.
Jin Wuji said happily, "This brat finally has his day. The anger in my heart has soothed a little by the Ancient Desolate Pass Elder humiliating him."
A girl beside Xia Xiyan whispered, "Senior Sister, who is this person? Why is an Inferior Grade Martial King here to join the excitement?"
Xia Yiyan's expression had not fluctuated much. She said, "Xiao Rou, don't think this way. He is not an ordinary Inferior Grade Martial King."
A slight trace of killing intent flashed in Xiao Chen's calm gaze. He looked at Old Li and said, "Might I ask for Senior's great name?"
Old Li said indifferently, "This old man is Li Xiuzhu. If you are afraid, you should leave. If you stay, that means you agree to my request."
Li Xiuzhu…Li Xiuzhu…. Xiao Chen memorized this name firmly in his heart. He swore that he would pay back this humiliation a hundredfold in the future.
Xiao Chen's expression did not change as he said, "As you wish. I hope you will not regret your decision."
Liu Xiuzhu smiled coldly and said, "I will feel regret? This old man has seen many geniuses. I have seen many ignorant fools like yourself. Even if I give you ten years, you will never be a threat to me."
"Bang!"
Li Xiuzhu slammed his hand down on the table. He snorted coldly and said, "Anyone who defeats him will immediately pass the first round!"
The moment Li Xiuzhu spoke, the hall erupted into chaos. Many people headed for Xiao Chen, trying to arrive first.
By being able to skip the first round, they could save a lot of their strength. Furthermore, they could glimpse the trump cards of others without revealing their own.
There were many benefits. They would have a massive advantage in the second round. No one would mind this opportunity.
"Xiu!"
However, one person rushed ahead of the others. It was the Heavenly Sword Gate's Jin Wuji. His gaze had always fixed on Xiao Chen.
The moment Li Xiuzhi spoke, Jin Wuji's figure flashed forward, immediately appearing across from Xiao Chen.
Ding Fengchou's hand hovered in the air. He had tried to hold back Jin Wuji. Unexpectedly, Jin Wuji exploded forth in an instant, not even allowing him the chance to react. So, he withdrew his hand.
"I cannot even stop him. How stupid. Never mind; since you want to offer yourself up as a stepping stone, go ahead."
Ding Fengchou downed his wine in one gulp, shaking his head as he mumbled to himself. However, this was a good opportunity to see how much Xiao Chen had grown.
Jin Wuji emitted killing Qi from his body relentlessly. He laughed maniacally and said, "Xiao Chen, you did not expect that you would end up like this today. Back then, when you sneak-attacked and trampled on me, you had not expected that I would personally crush your hopes one day."
Jin Wuji laughed happily. Back when Xiao Chen had trampled on him, he could not even retaliate. It had been a nightmare for him.
After that, when he cultivated, the image of Xiao Chen always appeared in his mind, causing him to fail.
Jin Wuji knew this was a heart demon. Xiao Chen had become his heart demon. If he did not resolve this, the heart demon would always exist. His strength would halt and possibly regress.
Today, all Jin Wuji had to do was last ten moves, and he could end Xiao Chen's hopes of entering the Ancient Desolate Tower. This was undoubtedly a good chance for him to get rid of his heart demon. This was definitely worth rejoicing.
Jin Wuji drew his sword and smiled. He had a sinister expression as he said, "White Robed Bladesman, today, I will make you realize that, without a sneak attack, you would have no chance against me."
Xiao Chen flipped his hand, and the Lunar Shadow Saber appeared in his right hand. He said indifferently, "What a joke! You really think that you lost only because it was a sneak attack?"
Seeing Xiao Chen take out the Lunar Shadow Saber from the Universe Ring, Mu Xinya's expressions fluctuated. She muttered, "It's really him. Song Que was unable to kill him with that palm strike that day."
Ever since Xiao Chen had stepped into the hall, Mu Xinya's gaze had never left the cultivator. He had felt similar to that person in her memories.
He was calm, decisive, unhurried, had an expression that would not change in any situation, and unyielding regardless of the situation.
When Xiao Chen took out the Lunar Shadow Saber, the saber that Mu Xinya remembered, she finally verified Xiao Chen's identity.
"Senior Sister, do you think this Xiao Chen can win?" Xia Xiyan's Junior Sister asked.
Xia Xiyan felt uncertain as she responded, "It's hard to say. His overall power is definitely stronger than Jin Wuji's. However, it is too difficult for him to defeat Jin Wuji in ten moves. Even I have no confidence in doing so."
Most of the cultivators present had similar views. They thought that Jin Wuji would gain a great benefit, skipping the first round entirely.
Li Xiuzhu had a faint smile as he watched from above. His only expectation of Xiao Chen was failure.
Such an ignorant cultivator would not climb very high in the future.
"Chi!"
Within the hall, a resonant sword hum echoed suddenly. Jin Wuji could no longer resist and made the first move.
Jin Wuji pointed his sword at Xiao Chen as it trembled. The air rippled like water.
The sharp state of metal spread out from the edge of the sword. Before the sword moved, wind had already arrived.
An extremely sharp sword intent headed for Xiao Chen. It tore through the air and struck Xiao Chen's forehead. It clearly intended to disturb Xiao Chen's state of mind and break him.
The state of metal only had one attribute: an extremely pure sharpness. Given Jin Wuji's aura, he had comprehended his state of metal to Great Perfection.
"He has no more chances. Jin Wuji's state of metal has reached Great Perfection. Although it has not reached Consummation yet, it would be impossible to defeat him in ten moves," Xia Xiyan sighed.
The others watching also shook their head. From the very start, this fight had not been fair. Now, Xiao Chen had no chance at all.
Li Xiuzhu's frown faded, and he relaxed completely. He smiled as he muttered, "The result is clear already."
When Xiao Chen felt that sharp sword intent, with a thought, he used a Qi that he had never used before.
Since the time Xiao Chen had condensed his Martial Spirit, he had experienced failure, torment, confusion, worry, and all sorts of twists and turns. However, he never lost that sharpness within him. That was the Qi that belonged to a bladesman.
"Dang!"
A metallic clanging sound resounded in the air like blades clashing.
The sword intent JIn Wuji had sent out had been blocked instantly. The state of metal in the sword intent vanished.
"Saber intent?"
A few people in the crowd wondered doubtfully when they heard the melodious ring and felt the Qi from Xiao Chen.
Saber had evolved from swords. Hence, saber intent was derived from sword intent. However, it was harder to form than sword intent.
If one were to assign a probability to it, the odds of successfully comprehending sword intent were one in a hundred thousand. However, for saber intent, it was one in a million.
Furthermore, in the past thousand years, there were no stories of anyone comprehending saber intent under the age of thirty.
Even the ten great bladesmen of the Ancient Desolate Land had only comprehended saber intent after they reached forty. Such outstanding bladesmen only existed in the generation of the Thunder Emperor.
If they wanted to search for other examples, they would have to look back to the Tianwu Dynasty or the Ancient Era.
Ding Fengchou's expression relaxed slightly. He said, "Fortunately, it is not saber intent. It is merely some Qi. However, if some Qi can block Jin Wuji's sword intent, how powerful would a completely formed saber intent be?"
The other people in the hall heaved a sigh of relief as well. If it were truly saber intent, that would be too shocking.
Jin Wuji is not weak. If I have to fight him under normal circumstances, we will have to exchange at least a hundred moves.
If I want to defeat him in ten moves, I have to catch him off guard and attack with a spurt of energy, allowing him no time to react.
Fortunately, I have a Saber Technique that can attack with a great spurt of energy, the Rushing Thunder Chop.
Although it is not highly ranked, I can make up for the difference with my Essence and states. It is more than sufficient to deal with Jin Wuji!
After smashing Jin Wuji's sword intent, Xiao Chen took advantage of the moment his opponent was caught off guard. He quickly raised his right foot and stomped.
"Bang!"
Xiao Chen merged his Vital Qi and Essence into this stomp. He held nothing back and sent out 350,000 kilograms of force. The ground cracked.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The entire hall started to shake. All the wine cups on the wooden tables shattered.
The crack in the ground quickly extended towards Jin Wuji. As the ground cracked, a sharp shockwave shot upwards for half a meter.
As the crack in the ground extended, it sped towards Jin Wuji like a sharp knife intending to split him in half.
Jin Wuji's expression became one of shock. He had not expected Xiao Chen to make such a move.
This was the so-called 'catching Jin Wuji off guard.'
Jin Wuji's body swayed as the ground shook. When he saw the shockwaves, he quickly dodged to the side.
The shockwave brushed past Jin Wuji and continued for Li Xiuzhu. Li Xiuzhu merely stomped on the ground expressionlessly, and the sharp shockwave dissipated.
At the same time, the ground also stopped cracking right before the fissure reached Li Xiuzhu's table.
"Xiu!"
Jin Wuji had just stabilized himself but had no time to catch his breath as when he saw Xiao Chen rushing at him with the Lunar Shadow Saber in his right hand. His gaze looked as sharp as an eagle's.
"Dong! Dong! Dong!"
Xiao Chen's footsteps sounded like the roar of thunder. He moved as fast as lightning. A strong wind blew as he dashed forward, forcing Jin Wuji to squint.
Jin Wuji had a bad feeling. He pushed off the ground and retreated.
You think you can run? It's already too late.
Xiao Chen snorted coldly. He placed his hand on the saber hilt and drew, "Drawing the Saber!"
It seemed like a bolt of lightning had emerged from the scabbard. It was very dazzling, hurting everyone's eyes.
In the time for a spark to fly, Jin Wuji's sword spun quickly and guarded his chest, blocking the saber.
"Dang!"
Sparks flew when the weapons clashed.
As Xiao Chen rushed forward, he raised his momentum to the limits. As for Jin Wuji, after retreating, his momentum harshly fell.
Jin Wuji felt his arm go numb, and his sword trembled. He nearly dropped his sword.
"Arclight Chop!"
Xiao Chen activated the Blood Flame Shoes, and his speed increased again. Soon, he reached Jin Wuji's side. The Lunar Shadow Saber sent an arclight that flickered with relentless electricity.
Chapter 433: Rushing Thunder Saber Technique
Retreat!
The arclight sealed off all possibilities of counterattacking; there were no weaknesses. So, Jin Wuji had to retreat once again.
I cannot retreat anymore. If I keep retreating, I will lose all my momentum, Jin Wuji thought anxiously. I have to go on the offensive and control the rhythm again.
Jin Wuji swung his sword and prepared his killing move. However, just as he was about to make his move, he saw Xiao Chen rushing at him with his saber.
If Jin Wuji did not retreat, Xiao Chen would slash him in the chest. He would cut him in half, and he would die without a corpse.
Retreat!
How hateful! Jin Wuji was utterly depressed. He dispersed his killing move and retreated once again.
Xiao Chen's figure paused in the air, and he watched Jin Wuji retreat below. It looked as if he were frozen.
"Rushing Thunder Chop!"
In the next instant, thunder roared behind Xiao Chen. It shook the dust from the roof as his momentum increased again.
Xiao Chen's saber hacked down as it carried the boundless might of thunder.
Jin Wuji wore a horrified expression. This saber felt like lightning; there was no opportunity to dodge at all. Xiao Chen's aura locked down on him as though he had predicted where he would land.
A sword light flashed, Jin Wuji exhausted his Essence without holding back. He quickly sent out multiple solid walls made of swords, trying to block the saber strike.
However, Jin Wuji had already exhausted his momentum. No matter how strong the sword walls were, it would be useless against Xiao Chen at his peak momentum.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The sword walls crumbled like dead branches on a tree. The intense shockwaves spread into the surrounding. All the watching cultivators quickly defended themselves.
"Pu ci!" The force of the saber entered Jin Wuji's body. He vomited a mouthful of blood and grew very pale.
"Rushing Thunder Second Chain Chop!"
After Xiao Chen landed, he did not hesitate. The accumulated lightning-attributed energy from four moves exploded forth in an instant. The saber lit up with a resplendent electric light.
Jin Wuji did his best to block, but the saber strike knocked him flying. His clothes were tattered, and blood flowed from his wounds.
Jin Wuji lay miserably on the ground. The electric light on his body had yet to scatter, crackling relentlessly.
The hall became incredibly quiet. All the cultivators who had mocked Xiao Chen earlier were stunned.
Xiao Chen had not even used ten moves. He only used five to defeat Jin Wuji utterly. Even if they counted that first stomp, that was only six moves.
"Bang!"
Li Xiuzhu flushed with anger. He smashed his palm on the wooden table and shattered it. When he watched Jin Wuji climb to his feet arduously, his gaze filled with disgust.
"Trash, you cannot even deal with in Inferior Grade Martial King. How are you qualified to participate in his selection? Scram!"
Li Xiuzhu punched the air and struck Jin Wuji heavily. He vomited another large mouthful of blood and was blasted out of the hall. After that, he rolled down the steps before coming to a stop.
Li Xiuzhu glared at Xiao Chen. Then, he stood expressionlessly before leaving the hall without a word.
Liu Xiuzhu left piqued. His three assistance followed after him. Naturally, this banquet had ended on an unpleasant note.
Within the hall, all of the outstanding talents looked towards Xiao Chen. They no longer dismissed him as before. They now saw him as a strong competitor.
They all wore depressed expressions. There was yet another competitor to worry about. Clearly, that was not a good thing.
However, there were about ten people whose eyes lit up with a blazing fighting spirit. They were not afraid of a challenge. The more competitors they had, the more excited they became.
"Pei Shaoxuan, what do you think?" the Holy Fire Manor's Young Manor Lord, Leng Yun, looked at the Beast Taming Abode's Pei Shaoxuan as he asked indifferently.
Pei Shaoxuan played with the scarlet ring he wore on his index finger. He said softly, "He is very strong. However, there is no need to be astonished. If you can catch Jin Wuji off guard as well, you can also defeat him within ten moves."
Leng Yun nodded and said, "Naturally, I understand this principle. Unfortunately, it is hard to seize the initiative against someone whose cultivation realm is higher than yours. This is where he displays his brilliance."
Pei Shaoxuan stood. Before he left, he said, "A hundred battles all have to be fought with strength. He might be able to catch someone off guard once or twice. However, if he wants to continue fighting, his foundational strength is the most important. I'll see you tomorrow."
All of the outstanding talents in the hall discussed the earlier fight before they left. The banquet had ended there was no reason to remain.
Xia Xiyan led her Junior Sister over and congratulated Xiao Chen, "Congratulations. It looks like I have another competitor for a spot in the Ancient Desolate Tower."
Xiao Chen smiled gently, "Miss Xia, you praise me too much. If I fight against you, my odds of winning are only fifty percent."
"Hmm! My First Senior Sister had comprehended sword intent at the age of sixteen. Now, she is a Superior Grade Martial King. Her Cultivation Technique is a peak Earth Ranked Cultivation Technique, and her Martial Techniques are peak Earth Ranked Martial Techniques. Within the same generation, she is not inferior to anyone. You overestimate yourself."
When Xiao Rou, who stood beside Xia Xiyan, heard Xiao Chen claim to be about equal to Xia Xiyan, she felt somewhat dissatisfied.
In Xiao Rou's opinion, even though Xiao Chen was strong and managed to defeat Jin Wuji in six moves, he mostly relied on tricks.
If it were not for that stomp delaying Jin Wuji and forcing him back over and over again, there was no way Xiao Chen could defeat Jin Wuji within then moves.
Xiao Rou had not considered Xiao Chen's tactics as a form of strength.
Xiao Chen looked at Xiao Rou but was not angry. He could tell that she only defended First Senior Sister like a little girl defending her idol.
When Xia Xiyan heard Xiao Rou's words, she glared at Xiao Rou before saying apologetically, "I'm sorry., This girl always speaks without thinking. Don't mind her."
Xiao Chen smiled faintly in response.
"I shall take my leave first. I'll see you tomorrow."
Seeing that Xiao Rou was about to say something else, Xia Xiyan pulled her to the side and quickly took her leave.
Xiao Chen sheathed his Lunar Shadow Saber. He did not intend to linger and was about to leave. The fight in the Wrestling Ring tomorrow was the true battle. This was only an appetizer.
"Brother Xiao, please wait a moment."
Just as Xiao Chen reached the doors of the hall, Jiang Zimo stopped him and walked over with Mu Xinya.
Although Xiao Chen did not know the cultivator well, Jiang Zimo had helped him once again, displaying intentions of friendship.
This was especially so after Jiang Zimo had risked offending Li Xiuzhu. Compared to those who tried to pander to the old man, such a friend was even more precious.
Xiao Chen stopped and turned. Then, he cupped his hand and gave thanks, "Thank you, Brother Zimo, for speaking up for me, helping me fight for this chance."
Jiang Zimo smiled gently and said, "It was just a small matter. I am not afraid of Li Xiuzhu. He does not dare act against me."
Jiang Zimo seemed very confident. It appeared as though a large power supported him, a power that even Li Xiuzhu feared.
Xiao Chen did not continue with the niceties and asked directly, "Why are you looking for me? If it is something that I can help you with, just say it."
"I shall remember that. For now, there is nothing," Jiang Zimo said with a smile before pointing to the silver-haired girl beside him. He said, "She is the one looking for you. I shall take my leave first."
After Jiang Zimo left, Xiao Chen suspiciously examined the silver-haired girl before him. Although she seemed familiar, he could not recall seeing her before.
"Have we met before?" Xiao Chen probed.
Mu Xinya looked at Xiao Chen. A bitter smile appeared on her exquisite face. "Tell me this; will you kill me again?"
Xiao Chen felt astonished. When he heard Mu Xinya's voice, he finally recalled who this silver-haired girl was.
Back in the Heavenly Saber Pavilion, for the sake of rescuing the Heavenly Wolf King, she had pretended to be the human girl, Mu Xinya. They had spent more than a month together.
No wonder the moment I entered the hall, this girl's gaze had never left me. She must have recognized me.
Xiao Chen recalled the previous events clearly. The expressions of those miners begging him appeared in his mind.
However, Xiao Chen had a different view of the matters of the past. Those miners were people the Heavenly Saber Pavilion sacrificed on purpose. It was hard to differentiate who was in the right or wrong.
Xiao Chen collected his thoughts and shook his head, "I won't. Let's not mention the past again. Everyone has their own beliefs. It's just the angles which they look from are different."
When Mu Xinya heard this, she heaved a sigh of relief. She asked, "Can we talk?"
Xiao Chen nodded, and the two flew out.
---
Outside the hall, Jin Wuji's clothes were tattered as he lay miserably on the ground. Occasionally, a light flickered on his body.
The bones in Jin Wuji's chest were indented. That was the result of Li Xiuzhu's punch. As a Martial Monarch, his punch was far more destructive than Xiao Chen's attacks.
Furthermore, when considering the injuries Xiao Chen had caused, without the aid of Medicinal Pills and half a year to recuperate, it would be difficult to recover to his peak state.
To these geniuses, wasting half a year was a cruel matter. It would result in a gap that they could never close.
When the passing cultivators saw this, they felt that he was very ill-fated.
Fifteen minutes ago, everyone envied him. As long as he could withstand ten moves, he would easily clear the first round.
However, fifteen minutes later, an Inferior Grade Martial King had defeated him in six moves. His reputation had taken a great hit.
Then, Li Xiuzhu had injured him further, destroying his qualifications to participate in the selections. This was such a tragic sight. He had experienced disaster after disaster.
The crowd had learned a big lesson; never to underestimate someone with a lower cultivation realm than you in the future. That person might be another Xiao Chen.
The miserable Jin Wuji was the best example.
Ding Fengchou slowly walked to Jin Wuji and sighed. Jin Wuji was now a cripple. He had lost the rights to stand amongst the first-rate geniuses forever.
This era of geniuses was just budding. This was an age were geniuses came forth in great numbers. This was undoubtedly a tragedy for him.
"I told you long ago; you should know yourself well. If you do not have sufficient strength, do not use the name of the Heavenly Sword Gate to flaunt your might. You had asked for it."
Ding Fengchou placed his hand on Jin Wuji's chest. He circulated his Essence, and the electric light in Jin Wuji's body quickly moved towards Ding Fengchou's palm.
Chapter 434: Mu Xinya Fell in Love?
Ding Fengchou raised his palm, and a ball of lightning-attributed Essence floated below his hand. The unconscious Jin Wuji immediately felt more comfortable.
"Bang!"
Ding Fengchou casually tossed the ball of electricity onto the ground. It exploded and created a deep pit, sending dust into the air.
"What a strong lightning-attributed energy. This person might cultivate a Heaven Ranked Cultivation Technique. Otherwise, he would not have such surging energy as an Inferior Grade Martial King."
Ding Fengchou frowned slightly and muttered to himself, "This is only the remnant energy. If this were his full power, it would be even stronger."
Ding Fengchou had incredible insight. Even though it was only some remnant energy, he could make a rough estimation of Xiao Chen's strength.
"Ding Fengchou, I told you long ago not to bring trash here. Now you have embarrassed yourself." Beast Taming Abode's Pei Shaoxuan laughed as he walked over.
Seeking death! Ding Fengchou's expression chilled. His use two fingers as a sword and pointed them at Pei Shaoxuan.
"Xiu!"
The long sword at Ding Fengchou's waist hummed and quickly emerged from its sheath. Under Ding Fengchou's control, it flew towards Pei Shaoxuan with a surging sword intent.
"Wu! Wu!"
The air rang out with sword hums. Water-like ripples spread out from the sword. Space seemed to blur.
Pei Shaoxuan's expression changed. He had not expected Dong Fengchou to attack. He quickly formed hand seals.
Circular formation markings appeared behind Pei Shaoxuan. A realistic ape with muscles and skin like metal appeared before him and blocked the strike.
"Bang!"
The moment the ape appeared, a huge bloody hole appeared on its chest. The sword had pierced through it, and it died on the spot.
"Hu chi!"
Clearly, Pei Shaoxuan had not expected the attack to destroy the Steel Ape with strong defenses in an instant.
Pei Shaoxuan quickly did his best to dodge. However, the sword still slashed a wound on his right shoulder. Blood gushed from the wound. Soon, his entire right shoulder was covered in the scarlet liquid.
"Pei Shaoxuan, on account of your First Senior Brother, I will not kill you now. Watch what you say in the future. It is not your turn to disrespect the people of the Heavenly Sword Gate."
"Ka ca!"
Ding Fengchou waved his hand, and the sword returned to its scabbard. He picked up Jin Wuji's body and did not bother looking at Pei Shaoxuan before leaving.
As Pei Shaoxuan looked at the other party's face, revealing a hateful glare. His hatred of Ding Fengchou had begun long ago.
During their first encounter, they fought each other over natural treasures. Pei Shaoxuan received severe injuries, and Ding Fengchou snatched all of the treasures. He had always viewed it as an extraordinary shame and humiliation.
Otherwise, Pei Shaoxuan would not have eliminated Jin Wuji in such a miserable fashion during the previous Five Nation Youth Competition.
Pei Shaoxuan withdrew his gaze and stopped the bleeding on his shoulder. He knelt down and pointed at the bleeding Steel Ape lying into a pool of blood with the finger wearing a scarlet ring.
"Chi! Chi!"
The ring flashed red, and it sucked in the Steel Ape's corpse and blood.
"Ka ca! Ka ca!" The ring emitted bone-chilling sounds and looked quite odd.
---
The moon hung high in the sky like a silver plate illuminating the world. Xiao Chen and Mu Xinya sat on a rooftop in the city.
Even though Mu Xinya had asked if they could talk, she had done most of the talking.
Xiao Chen, more or less, understood what happened after Mu Xinya left the Heavenly Saber Pavilion. After she inherited the Heavenly Wolf King's strength, her strength had rapidly soared.
Now, Mu Xinya was a peak Superior Grade Martial King. Most importantly, she would not encounter any bottlenecks. As long as she faithfully continued to absorb the Heavenly Wolf King's strength, her strength would soar; her potential was limitless.
When Mu Xinya fought an enemy, she could draw from the Heavenly Wolf King's energy and even challenge a half-step Martial Monarch.
Furthermore, it was not like how Xiao Chen had managed, needing an opportunity to flee.
Because of Mu Xinya, the Heavenly Wolf Race, which was in a precarious position, had gained a large number of resources from the Myriad Fiend Palace, and the overall strength of her clan had increased.
"Ye Chen, did you know that the month in that underground world was the most relatively ordinary moment of my life?"
Mu Xinya looked up at the bright moon as the moonlight illuminated her silver hair, adding a layer of radiance and looking like an illusion.
"Ha ha…however, I cannot stop. The burden of my clan falls on me alone. There are twenty spots for the Ancient Desolate Tower, and I must obtain one."
Xiao Chen smiled faintly and said, "Then, I wish you success. Out of the twenty spots, I have to obtain one as well."
Mu Xinya smiled embarrassedly, "Let's work hard together, then. After that, we can work together in the Ancient Desolate Tower once again. The tacit understanding we have might even reach a level no one else has ever reached before."
"I'm going now. Thank you for accompanying me for so long. I finally can dismiss the worry I have held on to from that time."
Mu Xinya waved her hand, and her exquisite figure jumped off of the rooftop and into the distance.
Xiao Chen got up and watched the distant Mu Xinya. He sighed gently, "There are more than a thousand peak geniuses. This group alone has people like Ding Fengchou, Jing Zimo, and Mu Xinya, geniuses amongst geniuses. These twenty spots are going to be difficult to obtain."
However, regardless of the situation, Xiao Chen had to obtain one. There were a total of nine floors in the Ancient Desolate Tower. In the past, the genius Thunder Emperor climbed to the seventh floor before he rose to prominence.
In the past years, although there were not many who managed to climb to the fifth floor, without exception, they all had gained great benefits.
Some had obtained an increase in their cultivation; some found ancient Heaven Ranked Martial Techniques, or even Heaven Ranked Cultivation Techniques.
There were people who were stuck at bottlenecks in the comprehension of various Martial Techniques. They had made breakthroughs in the tower, massively increasing their combat prowess after they left.
None of these stories were exaggerations. Without the Ancient Desolate Tower, the cultivators of the other four nations would find it hard to enter the top fifty of the Tianwu Rankings.
------
The second day, the sun had just broken through the darkness. The radiance of dawn shone on every corner of Wrestling City.
The two hundred-odd outstanding talents from various places had gathered in the hall of the residence Li Xiuzhu had led them to.
Xiao Chen stood in the corner of the crowd, waiting calmly for Li Xiuzhu's arrival. This was only the first round of the selection. He believed that he could pass it with his strength.
After a long time, Li Xiuzhu emerged from the back. Aside from his three assistants, there was also an unknown cultivator beside him.
That person wore tight cultivator robes. Muscles bulged throughout his body; he looked very strong. He seemed to be forty-odd years old and was a half-step Martial Monarch.
A faint scar on his right cheek gave him a fierce and tough appearance. His eyes were dim and without light, giving the same impression as a gloomy forest.
Li Xiuzhu looked for Xiao Chen's figure in the crowd. He smiled coldly before he withdrew his gaze. He said, "Let me introduce this person to everyone. This is the City Lord of Wrestling City, Gao Yangyu. We are no longer governing the following matters. After six days, I will return to pick up the people who have obtained sixty victories.
"I will bring those who meet the standard to Desolate City and meet up with the other three groups to proceed with the second round of selection. For those who fail, you will have to return home."
After Li Xiuzhu spoke, he departed with his three assistants, handing everything over to Gao Yangyu.
Gao Yangyu looked at the crowd calmly. Then, with the flip of his hand, he took out stacks of contracts before distribution them to the crowd.
Xiao Chen took the contract and examined it. It was a life-and-death contract. The main contents were: 'I participate in the Rank A wrestling ring willingly, and my life or death is unrelated to Wrestling City.'
"Let me say this first; Wrestling City is not connected to the Heavenly Extermination Union. They do not have any authority over us.
"In fact, news of you undergoing the first round of selection in the Rank A wrestling ring had only reached me one week ago. I will not give any of you special privileges. You are all the same as the other cultivators in the Rank A wrestling Ring. Life and death are in your own hands. If you want to participate in the wrestling ring, you have to sign this contract."
Gao Yangyu's statement was calm and firm.
Li Xiuzhu had explained most of this to the crowd already. All of the outstanding talents present had calm expressions. They signed the contract without hesitation.
Perhaps people would die in the Rank A wrestling ring. However, everyone here was an outstanding talent of their region. They were all very strong. No one believed they would actually die.
After signing the life-and-death contract, Xiao Chen joined the back of the queue and was the last to hand over his contract.
Gao Yangyu looked at the name on the life-and-death contract and could not help but glance at Xiao Chen. A hard-to-trace killing Qi flashed in his eyes.
Xiao Chen felt this killing Qi. His expression did not change as he slowly moved to the back.
Xiao Chen had no grievances with Gao Yangyu. Logically, he should not have any murderous intent for Xiao Chen. The only explanation was that Li Xiuzhu had given him some instructions.
This old man really seems to have a problem with me, Xiao Chen thought to himself. I have endured this before and will keep an eye out.
After Gao Yangyu collected all the contracts, he smiled faintly, "Very good. No one backed out. I shall wish you all good luck, then."
Gao Yangyu activated the ring on his right hand and space fluctuated intensely. A door of light appeared in the hall.
"Let's go!" Gao Yangyu took the lead and stepped through the doorway of light.
No one here was an ordinary cultivator, and they knew that this was the rarely-seen Transportation Gate. There was nothing to make a fuss over. They all followed Gao Yangyu, one after another.
Xiao Chen was still the last one to cross the threshold. When he stepped through the doorway of light, he felt a mysterious force pulling him forward. Every sensation vanished.
If felt like, for an instant, an eternity had passed before Xiao Chen regained control over his movements.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"
Just as Xiao Chen regained his footing, earth-shattering roars resounded in his ears.
Xiao Chen looked up and discovered that he and the others had appeared in a vast wrestling ring. The circular wrestling ring seemed to be at least ten thousand square meters.
Spectator stands surrounded the Wrestling Ring. There were several ten thousand seats filled to the last. It looked very lively.
Gao Yangyu summoned the crowd and pointed in a direction, "Later, there will be a thousand Demonic Beasts coming out from that cage. There are a total of two hundred iron medallions on the Beasts' bodies. You have to kill the Demonic Beasts and obtain an iron medallion before you qualify to compete in the Rank A wrestling ring."
Chapter 435: A Thousand Rank 7 Demonic Beasts
The crowd looked to where Gao Yangyu pointed. They only saw a dark space behind a metal barrier. Within the darkness were countless scarlet eyes.
A strong aura seeped from the dark space, and bestial roars echoed throughout the arena, making one tremble in fear.
"Damn it! They are all Rank 7 Demonic Beasts!"
When someone felt the ranks of the Demonic Beasts, their expression changed. They seemed rather horrified.
Gao Yangyu smiled faintly and said, "That's right; they are all Rank 7 Demonic Beasts. Furthermore, they are extremely hungry Rank 7 Demonic Beasts."
A Rank 7 Demonic Beast was not very scary. Everyone here could deal with one easily. However, even if they split a thousand Rank 7 evenly amongst themselves, each cultivator would have to fight four Rank 7 Demonic Beasts. Furthermore, snatching the iron medallions would also serve as a distraction. The danger was extraordinary.
Xia Xiyan's expression turned grave. She whispered to Xiao Rou, "Don't get separated; stick close to me."
Although Xiao Rou was strong, she had no experience. This time, as she participated in the selection, the Thousand Sword Pavilion had other intentions for her. They wanted to use this as experiential training. At the same time, they wanted to see if she would be lucky enough to earn a spot in the Ancient Desolate Tower.
However, no one expected there to be so much danger at the very start of the selection.
The other people present began to look for partners. Under such circumstances, being alone was very risky.
Jiang Zimo and Mu Xinya extended an invitation to Xiao Chen, but he shook his head in rejection.
Xiao Chen knew that the other party had kind intentions. However, he had the advantage of speed and was not afraid of such situations. There was no need to owe Jiang Zimo another favor over this.
Gao Yangyu was very pleased with the atmosphere. After he silenced everyone, he said, "After you obtain the iron medallion, anyone here can challenge you, as long as their cultivation is lower than half-step Martial Monarch. You must defeat them and obtain sixty victories."
"Open the barriers!"
Without giving the crowd too much time to react, Gao Yangyu leaped out of the wrestling ring and waved his hands.
The meal barrier holding the thousand Rank 7 Demonic Beasts immediately opened. Thunderous footsteps resounded as all of the Demonic Beasts rushed out.
The Demonic Beasts salivated as their eyes gleamed scarlet, and they launched themselves into the crowd.
There were all sorts of Demonic Beasts. Some crawled on the ground, and some flew in the air. Some were wind-attributed, some were fire-attributed, and some were ice-attributed. There were all sorts of Demonic Beasts.
Suddenly, they all rushed at the crowd. A black Qi rushed into the sky, covering it. Their aura was frightening.
The crowd did not hesitate at all. They urgently retreated. At this point, no one dared test might of the horde of Demonic Beasts.
When the extremely hungry Demonic Beasts caught a whiff of the humans' aura, they grew even more ferocious. No one would be foolish enough to test them now.
"Retreat!"
Everyone executed their Movement Techniques and moved quickly to the back, scattering.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
However, there were simply too many Demonic Beasts. The wrestling ring was only large enough to hold the Demonic Beasts without giving them too much space. Soon, cultivators and Demonic Beasts began to fight.
Four Beasts surrounded Xiao Chen. There was one several-meters-long Scarlet Metallic Snake as thick as an elephant's leg with metallic scales, two Flame Wolves covered in black Qi and walking on their hind legs, and an extremely ferocious Lightning Ox.
"Hu Chi!"
The Scarlet Metallic Snake moved very fast, taking the initiative to attack. It opened its huge jaws and shot towards Xiao Chen, trying to swallow him whole.
"Xiu!"
Xiao Chen pushed off the ground and activated the Blood Flame Shoes. His speed instantly reached Mach 3.5 as he moved in an arc.
Xiao Chen's figure flashed, and he landed on the Scarlet Metallic Snake's head, stomping hard when he did.
"Dang! Dang!"
When the huge force struck the Scarlet Metallic Snake's head, it gave off a loud, metallic ring. He had kicked its upper body into the ground.
"Rumble…!"
A deep pit appeared in the ground. Cracks extended from it into the surroundings.
Xiao Chen hovered in the air. His sole felt somewhat numb. He sensed that the Scarlet Metallic Snake had not received any fatal damage.
The Rank 7 Scarlet Metallic Snake specialized in defense. Its scales were as hard as Superior Grade Frost Iron. Weapons could not penetrate it, and it was difficult to deal with.
"Chi!"
A purple bolt of lightning flew towards Xiao Chen. The Lightning Ox had attacked as well. The two Flame Wolves, covered in black flames, rushed over alongside the bolt of lightning.
Xiao Chen smiled faintly and pulled his palm in. The purple lighting transformed into a whirlpool that spun on his palm, becoming a ball of purple flames.
Without the protection of states, Xiao Chen could collect as much lightning-attributed energy as he wanted.
Xiao Chen leaped into the air, moving back instead of forward. Then, he punched the two Flame Wolves. The purple flames on his hand slowly spread and encased the two Flame Wolves.
The Demonic Beasts were very intelligent. The two Flame Wolves had planned to take advantage of the moment Xiao Chen blocked the lightning, attacking.
Unfortunately, Xiao Chen was not afraid of the lightning. He pulled it in with the flip of the palm. The attack, which the two Demonic Beasts stored power for, would forever remain at this stage.
"Boom!"
The purple and black flames clashed relentlessly on the Flame Wolves. They exploded with intense heat, and the Flame Wolves were knocked to the ground.
After tumbling across the ground for a while, the Flame Wolves crawled to their feet miserably. Their fur was burnt to a crisp, emitting black smoke.
"Roar! Roar!"
When the Lightning Ox saw that the lightning it was so proud of had not damaged Xiao Chen, it angrily pressed forward with its colossal body.
The bodies of Demonic Beasts were, for the most part, stronger than cultivators'. When clashing using their physical bodies, humans usually suffered a disadvantage.
This was a move that many Demonic Beasts liked to use. If they used it well, they could even cause the cultivator internal injuries.
Unfortunately, the Lightning Ox faced Xiao Chen. He clenched his fist, and the image of a tiger and dragon spiraled around his arm, roaring ferociously.
"Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon!" Xiao Chen shouted and crossed his arms, receiving the Lightning Ox's mad charge head-on.
"Bang!"
A loud crash resounded, but Xiao Chen did not move. The Lightning Ox bounced back at the same speed it crashed into Xiao Chen with.
"Dragon Hisses Tiger Roars!"
Xiao Chen leaped up. When he landed next to the Lightning Ox, he punched it with the power stored by the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"
As Xiao Chen punched, the roars of the tiger and dragon rang out. The sound was ear-splitting. Intense explosions echoed within the Lightning Ox's body.
"Hu chi! Hu chi!"
The Lightning Ox struggled as its entire body exploded with electricity. A purple light radiated as boundless electric sparks jumped across its body.
When the electric light surged, Xiao Chen's hair and clothes fluttered. There even seemed to be some arcs of electricity jumping between them.
Xiao Chen felt no fear. He punched the Lightning Ox with his right fist. As the tiger and dragon roared, he continued pummelling it.
The Purple Thunder Divine Incantation circulated rapidly, and he constantly absorbed the electric light with his left hand. The electricity became a whirlpool, spinning rapidly.
After a while, Xiao Chen's fist had shattered all of the Lightning Ox's internal organs. The electric light finally faded.
The Scarlet Metallic Snake and the Flame Wolves took advantage of this opportunity to launch themselves at Xiao Chen. The three Demonic Beasts used their best moves.
The Scarlet Metallic Snake's long tail slammed down with a huge force. The two Flame Wolves' paws lit up with black flames, leaving a black comet tail as they swung their paws.
Xiao Chen turned around and looked at the fierce purple flames in his palm. Suddenly a thought occurred to him.
Can I use this purple flames to cast the Life Bestowal Spell? In theory, the Life Bestowal Spell can use anything as a focus. When it is at Great Perfection, it can even use the air.
Since Xiao Chen thought of it, there was no problem trying it out. He used his Spiritual Sense to split a strand of purple flame and quickly molded it into an electric flame eagle.
"Hu chi!"
Xiao Chen's right hand made hand seals as he continued to exhaust the Mental Energy in his sea of consciousness and the Essence in the Qi whirlpool.
Using energy to cast the Life Bestowal Spell resulted in double the exhaustion. It was due to Essence and Mental Energy merging.
"Life Bestowal Spell!" Xiao Chen shouted, and the electric flame eagle instantly came to life. When it spread its wings, its wingspan reached ten meters.
The eagle crashed towards the descending snake tail. There was a shattering sound. The harder-than-Frost-Iron scales had shattered. The entire snake tail broke off.
"It really is possible. Furthermore, its might is so impressive." Xiao Chen revealed a happy expression.
In the spectator stands, when Gao Yangyu saw this, his expression changed, "This move seems to merge Mental Energy and Essence. How did this brat do it?"
The Mental Energy of Martial Kings could not bear the berserk nature of Essence. This was something that only Martial Monarchs and above could grasp. Even a half-step Martial Monarch like himself had only a small grasp on it.
The Lightning Ox was dead, and the Scarlet Metallic Snake was severely injured. Xiao Chen only had to deal with the two Flame Wolves. Victory was almost guaranteed.
If Xiao Chen were not unlucky, there would be one iron medallion within each of the Demonic Beasts.
However, Xiao Chen's performance was not the most impressive, but someone else's.
The many cultivators in the spectator stands focused on the battle below. They observed and tried to figure out who to pick as their opponents.
