Chapter 1135 - 1132: Gathering of Dragons, Geniuses from All Sides

Above a sea of clouds, streaks of sword light shuttled through the layers of clouds, resembling lightning.

Upon careful observation, one could see a figure standing on each sword light. Nearly a hundred people were simultaneously flying with swords. The momentum was grand, and the sound of breaking through the air resembled thunder cracking, echoing far before gradually dissipating.

"Senior Brother Lu, you’ve stepped into the True Yuan Realm. You’ll definitely shine brightly in this New Dragon List Tournament!" A disciple of the Sky Sword Pavilion, dressed in blue, looked respectfully at a young man beside him.

The sword beneath the young man’s feet trailed a crimson sword light dozens of meters long in the void. His eyes were incredibly sharp. Wherever his gaze landed, the sharpness was rampant, causing the air to ripple faintly, containing incredible power. This was Lu Xiao Yun, known as the ’Crimson Cloud Fire Dragon.’

"Of course."

Lu Xiao Yun appeared calm and carefree, flicked his finger, and scattered a floating cloud beside him, revealing a figure.

The figure was tall and slender, not flying with a sword, but seemed to move slowly while far surpassing the others. The surrounding clouds that came within ten meters of him immediately dispersed as if an invisible aura enveloped him, making it impossible for anything to approach.

"Jian Wuji..."

Staring at the figure ahead, Lu Xiao Yun’s gaze was like lightning, darting around in the void, while the crimson Sword Gang beneath his feet suddenly surged, slicing through the air with thunderous noises.

The blue-clad disciple didn’t notice Lu Xiao Yun’s gaze and glanced to the left.

There, a girl with a cool demeanor was flying with her sword.

The girl wore a white dress as pure as snow, with a stunning face. The clouds near her condensed into crystal-clear snowflakes that fluttered down like a snow fairy. Many disciples of the Sky Sword Pavilion kept glancing over but dared not look too much.

The blue-clad disciple’s eyes flashed with envy, but it vanished quickly. He withdrew his gaze and said, "Senior Sister He Qin’s ice and snow Sword Intent is truly formidable. Along with Senior Brother and Senior Brother Jian Wuji, our Sky Sword Pavilion’s Three Heavenly Swords are highly likely to contend for a spot in the top ten of the New Dragon List!"

Hearing this, Lu Xiao Yun’s face turned cold, and he coldly said, "Never mention the Three Heavenly Swords in front of me again."

The blue-clad disciple noticed Lu Xiao Yun’s expression change and asked, "Senior Brother, did I say something wrong?"

Lu Xiao Yun glanced at He Qin and sneered, "Jian Wuji is one thing, but what qualifies her, He Qin, to stand on equal footing with me, Lu Xiao Yun? Her mere icy Sword Intent is nothing before me."

"You’re right, Senior Brother; it was my mistake."

The blue-clad disciple hurriedly smiled apologetically and remembered something, saying to Lu Xiao Yun, "Senior Brother, while you were in seclusion, something major happened in the Red Flame Desert. I’ve heard that Luo Feng was practicing in the Red Flame Desert when he was pursued by disciples of the Blood Demon Sect. The Blood Demon Sect even deployed ten Demon General-level experts, including the notorious Corpse Ghost Taoist. The rumors in the martial world suggest that Luo Feng already perished in the Red Flame Desert."

"Luo Feng is nothing but an overconfident little figure in my eyes. If he’s dead, he’s dead."

Lu Xiao Yun was calm and indifferent, not paying much attention, before suddenly asking, "By the way, have you found any leads on the masked saber man who appeared in the Red Dragon Mountain Range last time?"

The blue-clad disciple shook his head slightly, "No news yet."

"This matter must be thoroughly investigated. This person is one I must kill!"

Lu Xiao Yun’s aura suddenly turned cold, his eyes sharp as blades.

With half of the Single Horned Red Cloud Python Demon Core, the spiritual effect was limited. His realm has halted at the True Yuan Realm, early first-level. If it weren’t for that masked saber man who seized half of the Single Horned Red Cloud Python Demon Core, his cultivation should not have been inferior to Jian Wuji, who is at the mid-first-level True Yuan Realm!

"Yes!"

On the other side, He Qin glanced in Lu Xiao Yun’s direction, then withdrew her gaze silently.

The rain was falling in another part of the sky, with layers of illusions in the rain.

Many figures traveled through the rain. These figures seemed both real and illusory, making it seem as though they strolled leisurely, yet with each dash, they crossed a thousand meters in the sky, demonstrating extraordinary qinggong prowess.

"Xiao Shuang, we’re nearing Sky Water Port. Once there, I’ll find you an inn to rest. After the New Dragon List Tournament, I’ll come and find you," a serene and virtuous-looking lady with long legs said to a young girl beside her.

The girl, about fourteen or fifteen years old, had a delicate face with a pair of adorable and innocent eyes. If Luo Feng were here, he would undoubtedly recognize them as Ye Siyi and Ye Xiaoshuang, sisters he met during the Twelve Golden Palaces assessment.

Their auras were much stronger than before, clearly having made significant progress since entering the Golden Palace.

"No, I want to go to Group Dragon Island with Sister!"

Ye Xiaoshuang frowned her delicate brows, clinging to Ye Siyi, and excitedly laughed, "I want to watch Sister sweep across all in the New Dragon List Tournament and witness the moment when Sister becomes one of the top ten new dragons!"

"You’ve got quite an imagination. This New Dragon List Tournament is full of experts. I’ll be content to make it into the top twenty," Ye Siyi smiled helplessly, brushing Ye Xiaoshuang’s wind-tossed hair back behind her ear. "I don’t want to be apart from you either, but only Martial Artists at the Fifth Level of the Spiritual Rotation Realm or higher can enter Group Dragon Island; your cultivation isn’t enough yet. Don’t worry, as soon as the tournament is over, I’ll come find you."

Ye Xiaoshuang’s smile instantly froze, and she hung her head in silence.

"There’s no need."

Just as Ye Siyi considered offering comfort, a bright voice suddenly sounded beside them.

Ye Siyi turned to see a young man walking through the rain, approaching steadily as if treading on flat ground.

The young man appeared to be sixteen or seventeen years old, with a jade-like face, eyes as bright as the stars, clear and pure, exuding a noble and graceful temperament.

"Senior Brother Yue Haitang."

Ye Siyi offered a bow and asked, "What did you mean by what you just said?"

Yue Haitang smiled, glancing at Ye Xiaoshuang, and said, "New Dragon List competitors can bring up to three people into Group Dragon Island. She can come with me."

"Really?"

Ye Xiaoshuang beamed, lifting her head to look at Yue Haitang.

"Mm."

Yue Haitang nodded slightly.

"That’s fantastic!"

Ye Xiaoshuang’s eyes shone with joy, and she squeezed her little fists in excitement, looking at Yue Haitang with a smile, "Thank you, Senior Brother! I used to think your behavior was like a girl’s and assumed you were stingy. Now I see that you’re a truly nice person."

"Xiao Shuang!"

Ye Siyi scolded Ye Xiaoshuang and turned to Yue Haitang, apologizing, "Xiao Shuang can’t phrase herself well; please don’t be offended, Senior Brother."

Yue Haitang shook his head.

"When Senior Brother approached just now, I didn’t even notice. It seems that your Phantom Mirage Step has been mastered, along with understanding Sword Intent—your strength must certainly place you among the top ten new dragons this time," Ye Siyi observed, smiling at Yue Haitang.

Yue Haitang replied, "You flatter me, Junior Sister. Young talents are emerging from various Golden Palaces, and I’m not the only one making progress."

Beside her, Ye Xiaoshuang blinked her eyes and suddenly said:

"I wonder what level Brother Luo Feng’s cultivation has reached. He’ll participate in the New Dragon List Tournament too, won’t he?"

Hearing this, Ye Siyi’s brows furrowed slightly.

She had also heard of Luo Feng being besieged by numerous Blood Demon Sect experts in the Red Flame Desert.

"He will come."

Yue Haitang confidently replied.

Ye Siyi was about to inquire when a terrifying sound of something tearing through the air suddenly came from a distance, causing the rain curtain to start shaking violently.

The disciples of Jade Hall around were startled by this terrifying commotion, thinking it was some horrifying demon beast attacking, and they all turned their heads to look.

Yue Haitang looked to the left rear, a wry smile appearing on his handsome face, "It’s Yuangang Hall. Their Hall Master is still as flashy as ever, actually lifting a mountain for aerial flight."

Amidst the rain curtain several miles away, a mountain peak over a hundred meters high was shrouded in gang Qi, emitting intense golden light, which made it look like a golden mountain marching through the rain, with a domineering grandeur.

Atop the mountain, a stout middle-aged man in a golden battle robe stood with his hands behind his back, standing there casually, yet giving the impression of a towering mountain, involuntarily engendering a sense of awe, high above all. He was the Hall Master of Yuangang Hall.

On the flat ground at the top of the mountain, there were nearly a hundred silhouettes, all disciples of Yuangang Hall. Among them were Lin Hongyi, known as the ’Red-dusted Vajra’, Su Rui, the Princess of Out Cloud Country, and Zhou Jian, the ’Indestructible Golden Tiger’, whom Luo Feng recognized.

"In last year’s New Dragon List Tournament, our Yuangang Hall came in second, losing to the Sky Sword Pavilion. In my eyes, second place is no different from the last!"

The stout middle-aged man turned around, his commanding gaze sweeping over all the Yuangang Hall disciples present, saying, "This year’s New Dragon List Tournament is the most splendid in a hundred years. At that time, spectators from various nearby dynasties will come to watch. This New Dragon List Tournament is extremely important, both for your personal significance and for our Yuangang Hall. I don’t want you to let me down again. Yu Bufan, as the senior brother, do you have anything to say?"

A leading youth stepped forward in the plaza, and with just one step, the surrounding wind and clouds seemed to be influenced by him, changing and making the air feel heavy, containing unimaginable power.

"Hall Master, I, Yu Bufan, won’t lose twice!"

The youth cupped his hands, and when he lifted his head, threads of golden light flickered in his pupils, resembling glaze, as he firmly stated, "In this New Dragon List Tournament, I will definitely defeat Jian Wuji! Become the top of the Six Southern Domains!"

"Very good! As martial artists, you should have such an unyielding spirit!"

The stout middle-aged man laughed heartily, his voice making the rain curtain tremble incessantly for miles around.

Once the laughter stopped, the stout middle-aged man suddenly glanced at the red-clothed girl behind Yu Bufan, his eyes gleaming brightly, saying, "Lin Hongyi, although I don’t know why you keep holding back your strength, this is also your personal choice, and others cannot interfere. But you must realize that a sword kept in its sheath for too long will eventually lose its sharpness and become ordinary iron."

Swipe!

Numerous gazes turned to the red-clothed girl.

The red-clothed girl cupped her fists, saying, "Please rest assured, Hall Master. In the last New Dragon List Tournament, I wasn’t confident I could break into the top ten, so I didn’t go all out. This time, I won’t hold back my strength."

The red-clothed girl was indeed Lin Hongyi.

The stout middle-aged man nodded with satisfaction, "Very good. With this approach, our Yuangang Hall will surely have two among the top ten new dragons, contending with Sky Sword Pavilion’s Lu Xiao Yun and Jian Wuji!"

Upon hearing this, many people showed expressions of surprise, staring blankly at Lin Hongyi.

These words undeniably indicated that Lin Hongyi possessed the strength to stand on par with the top ten new dragons, and her ranking was not low! Judging from the Hall Master’s tone, Yu Bufan and Lin Hongyi were not inferior to Sky Sword Pavilion’s Jian Wuji and Lu Xiao Yun. This was extremely high praise.

Yu Bufan’s eyes flashed with surprise, and he smiled warmly at Lin Hongyi, saying, "Junior sister, in a year’s absence, your progress is remarkable!"

"Senior brother is the same."

Lin Hongyi responded with an impassive expression, then suddenly said, "Senior brother, if you wish to compete for the top ten new dragon leader this time, it might not be easy."

"Oh? You’re referring to Jian Wuji."

Yu Bufan raised an eyebrow, smilingly saying, "His Ruthless Heavenly Sword Technique is indeed strong, but over the past year, I’ve honed my skills outside, encountered countless swordsmen, among them some with swordsmanship even more terrifying than the Ruthless Heavenly Sword Technique. Now, in my eyes, he can’t be considered much."

Lin Hongyi’s lips moved slightly but she refrained from speaking further.

She was thinking of someone else, not Jian Wuji, but now was not the time for such pointless arguments.

Blue ocean, clear sky, as far as the eye can see, the sky and water are one.

In the far north of the Canglang Dynasty, within the vast sea, a tall, longbow-wielding young girl stood quietly on the surface of the water.

The water surface around her was calm and undisturbed; when the water reached a hundred-meter radius from her, it seemed blocked by an invisible force, unable to transmit further.

Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish...

Suddenly, a large shadow appeared beneath the water; it was like birds flying in the sky moving swiftly in the water towards the young girl.

When the shadow entered the hundred-meter radius, the girl’s surrounding Yuan Qi surged violently, making the air twist.

"Rise!"

With a cold shout, the girl’s simple left palm lifted high, as if carrying something, raising it in the air.

Splash!

The water surface within a hundred meters shook slightly, whirlpools forming out of thin air. The demon beasts approaching were all engulfed by violently spinning water streams, rising into the air.

Clumps of water spheres, like cages, trapped hundreds of demon beasts inside, regardless of how they struggled, unable to break free.

"Cold Chi Breaks Heaven!"

The girl’s gaze focused; her longbow instantly stretched into a full moon, as her Yuan Qi transformed into an icy Chi dragon.

Roar!

With a snap, the icy Chi dragon shook its head and tail, shooting out and weaving through the surroundings; where it passed, the water spheres froze instantly, turning into huge ice balls.

Boom, boom, boom...

The ice balls exploded, shattering into countless ice crystals, with the demon beasts inside also turning into fragments. Within a hundred-meter radius, cold air was biting, accompanied by swirling snowflakes.

"Excellent!"

The air twisted, and a woman with a cold, noble temperament appeared beside the girl, smiling, "Yunjing, you have flawlessly combined Cold Chi Vigor with Chaos Hole Ten Thousand Water Jue. Very good. This move earlier, even a True Yuan Realm First-Level Martial Artist, if caught off guard, might get injured."

The girl was Xia Yunjing, and the middle-aged woman was Linglong Hall Law Enforcement Elder Gu Xifeng.

"Thank you, Master. I will never forget the grace of your teachings," Xia Yunjing respectfully bowed and said.

"Since we are master and disciple, it is fate; no need for thanks."

The Law Enforcement Elder faintly smiled, her expression suddenly turning to sternness, "If you want to repay me, then at this New Dragon List Tournament, go and thoroughly defeat Luo Feng. Make him leave our Linglong. In this world, not a single man is a good thing; our Linglong Hall is not a place for them to meddle."

Xia Yunjing pursed her red lips, initially wanting to defend Luo Feng, but after a glance at Gu Xifeng’s expression, she swallowed her words and said:

"Understood. However, Luo Feng has grasped the grand momentum and is an exceptionally talented individual; I am just a late-stage Spiritual Rotation Realm Ninth Level, and might not be his match."

The Law Enforcement Elder casually said, "Do not worry. Though your cultivation is slightly weaker, with the Chaos Hole Ten Thousand Water Jue I taught you, it’s enough to defeat any Spiritual Rotation Realm Ninth Level martial artist. Luo Feng is by no means your opponent."

Swipe!

Just then, a sound of splitting through the air came from afar.

Xia Yunjing looked up, and in the distant sky, a silhouette tore through the clouds, moving like lightning, the clouds turning into millions of pieces as if pulverized by a mountain of blades.

"It’s the Divine Wind Saber Guest from Floating Snow Hall."

Gu Xifeng nodded and said:

"In two days, the New Dragon List Tournament starts, and the hall masters must have already arrived. We should also set out for Group Dragon Island immediately."