Chapter 304 - 289: Grand Tournament Registration, A Gathering of Masters

DONG! DONG! DONG!

Nine melodious bell chimes suddenly rang out, lingering high above the Wei Kingdom True Hall. After the nine chimes ended, a gentle voice spoke: "I am Wei Changyu, the Third Elder of the True Hall. I have an announcement to make. The Newcomer King Selection Tournament, held once every twenty years, is about to begin. All disciples under the age of forty-five are eligible to participate. Those who wish to compete should proceed to the Steward Hall to register. Registration will be open for one day, after which the tournament will officially commence!"

Following Third Elder Wei Changyu’s announcement, the usually tranquil Wei Kingdom True Hall burst into activity. Figures materialized out of thin air in the open grounds, all heading toward the Steward Hall. In less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the area outside the Steward Hall was already densely packed with people.

Most of the Martial Artists gathered outside the Steward Hall possessed strength at the Martial Arts Seventh Layer or above. A few with outstanding talent and great fortuitous opportunities had even reached the Martial Arts Eighth Layer. The stronger disciples queued up at the front, while the weaker ones could only line up obediently at the back.

Some new disciples, who had not even reached the Martial Arts Seventh Layer, could only stand aside in envy, watching the others register.

WHOOSH! A young man carrying a large Cyan Light Shovel on his back slowly approached. He appeared to be walking at a leisurely pace, but each step covered dozens of feet. In just over twenty steps, he traversed hundreds of yards, arriving before the Steward Hall.

Seeing the young man with the Cyan Light Shovel, some people couldn’t help but inquire, "Who is that? He looks like a new disciple, doesn’t he?"

Someone nearby chuckled. "That’s him. His name is Situ Houtu, a once-in-a-millennium genius. He took second place in the entrance exam, and now, after only a few years of cultivation, his cultivation has already reached the Seventh Layer Peak of the Martial Dao. It’s truly terrifying."

"To reach the Seventh Layer Peak of the Martial Dao in just four or five short years... He’s worthy of being called a once-in-a-millennium genius. However, the competitors in the Newcomer King Tournament are all experts at the Martial Arts Eighth Layer, some even at the Martial Arts Ninth Layer. Although Situ Houtu’s strength is impressive, it’s still far from enough."

"Exactly. People like Wei Jingtian, Fang Caiying, and Xuli Long—the top figures of our True Hall’s younger generation—are all grandmasters at the Martial Arts Ninth Layer. Even the next tier, Jiang An, Mu Shuqing, Jiang Fang, and Mei Xiangyun, are experts at the Eighth Layer Peak of the Martial Dao. A mere cultivation at the Seventh Layer Peak is completely insignificant before them!"

"Heh, Situ Houtu probably counts as a fourth-tier contender. If he’s lucky, he might have a shot at the top thirty, but getting into the top twenty is absolutely impossible."

As the crowd murmured, two young women drifted in from the horizon. They had bright eyes, pearly teeth, and long, flowing hair. It was as if they were treading on clouds, their movements as graceful as willow branches dancing in the wind. Though both were incomparably beautiful, they exuded a faint but persistent Suppression that made them unforgettable at first glance.

At the sight of these two women, the eyes of the disciples outside the Steward Hall lit up, and their chatter diminished to a whisper. Only after the pair reached the front of the Steward Hall did the volume of the crowd’s conversations slowly rise again.

"Heh, Mu Shuqing and Mei Xiangyun. Their strength has grown even more unfathomable! By the looks of it, they could break through to the Martial Arts Ninth Layer at any time. To reach such a level before the age of forty... in the entire Wei Kingdom True Hall, only Senior Sister Fang surpasses them."

"That’s right. They definitely have the strength to place in the top five. The question is whether they can defeat Jiang Fang and Jiang An. Both of their cultivation levels are at the Eighth Layer Peak of the Martial Dao, making them incredibly tough opponents. Heh, after all this time, I wonder if they’ve managed to break through to the Martial Arts Ninth Layer yet?"

"Heh, we’ll see. Look, Jiang Fang has arrived!"

The crowd shifted their gazes just outside the Steward Hall, where a young man in white appeared. He seemed to be carved from ice, emanating a coldness that was almost tangible. He looked like a man-shaped block of ice, and even from dozens of feet away, people could feel the frigid aura wafting from his body.

"The Jiang Family’s Ice Qi, when cultivated to the stage of Great Success, is on par with a Martial Arts Seventh Layer expert. But after that comes the even more powerful Profound Ice Qi. Cultivating Profound Ice Qi to the 3rd Layer makes one equivalent to an Early Stage Martial Arts Eighth Layer expert. It seems Jiang Fang has already cultivated his Profound Ice Qi to the 5th Layer! Even an expert at the Eighth Layer Peak of the Martial Dao might not be his match!" one disciple remarked, clicking his tongue in amazement.

Another disciple nodded. "Heh, indeed. The Jiang Family truly lives up to its reputation as one of the four great families of the Wei Kingdom; their cultivation techniques are something else. It seems the only one who could best Jiang Fang is Jiang An, the man known as the strongest below the Ninth Layer. Oh, by the way, I heard the Jiang Family has another genius, a fellow named Jiang Ailiang. He’s quite a character, too. I wonder what level his cultivation has reached by now?"

"I’ve heard of him. He was supposedly in the top five among the new disciples. But his innate talent is still inferior to Situ Houtu’s. Unless he had some great stroke of luck, his strength could never surpass Situ Houtu’s. Huh? It seems another expert is coming..."

The disciple’s words had barely faded when a hearty laugh boomed from the horizon. Following the sound, a colossal figure suddenly appeared outside the Steward Hall. The man was clad from head to toe in thick armor, resembling a Metal Man. With each step he took, the ground shook, and the hearts of the crowd quaked along with it. An incredibly domineering aura bore down on the surrounding disciples, leaving them breathless.

Without anyone needing to say it, the name of this giant surfaced in everyone’s mind: Jiang An. Hailed as the strongest below the Ninth Layer, his aura was just as tyrannical as the rumors claimed. A single distant glance was enough to make one feel ill at ease; one could only imagine how dreadful it would be to face him on the tournament stage.

Jiang An strode forward, his sharp eyes sweeping across the crowd with an air of absolute supremacy. With every step he took, disciples scrambled to part a path for him, as if for a king.

As Jiang An strode confidently through the crowd, another young man dressed in white arrived, instantly capturing everyone’s gaze.

His clothes, his hair, his very skin—everything about him was white. A faint mist clung to his body, and he seemed to be borne along by it as he moved, creating an exceptionally bizarre sight.

"Who is that? He seems to be just as strong as Jiang Fang!"

"Indeed, how strange! Do we even have someone like that in our True Hall?"

"Strange! The cultivation technique he’s using seems to be Profound Ice Qi, just like Jiang Fang. Is he from the Jiang Family? When did the Jiang Family produce another master of this caliber?"

The disciples murmured amongst themselves at the sight of the ghastly white figure, trying to learn his name. Just then, a relatively new disciple cried out, "Jiang Ailiang! That’s Jiang Ailiang! Strange... how did his Ice Qi cultivation become so powerful? And why has he turned completely white?"

"It really is Jiang Ailiang! Heavens, how is this possible!" Another new disciple, also recognizing the deathly pale man, exclaimed in shock, "When Jiang Ailiang entered the True Hall, his strength was only ranked fourth, far below Situ Houtu. To think his power has become this formidable in just a few short years! Judging by the icy aura he’s emitting, his strength is on par with Jiang Fang’s! It’s incredible!"

Jiang Ailiang walked slowly, leaving a wake of astonished gasps. Though only a new disciple, the attention he commanded had already far surpassed that of renowned experts like Mu Shuqing, Mei Xiangyun, and Jiang Fang. In that moment, even Jiang An, hailed as the strongest below the Ninth Layer, couldn’t compare to him.

A cold sneer played on Jiang Ailiang’s lips. ’Heh heh! Are you surprised? Just wait until the fights tomorrow. I’ll give you something to really be surprised about! For the past ten months, I’ve cultivated like a dog. I will reclaim everything I’ve sacrificed, starting today! Zhaang Ye, I’m going to beat you to within an inch of your life!’

For the past ten months, that Steward from the main Jiang Family branch had, for some unknown reason, gone into a frenzy, desperately funneling Elixirs and Essence Stones to Jiang Ailiang for his cultivation. Aided by a massive supply of Elixirs and Essence Stones, Jiang Ailiang’s cultivation skyrocketed, allowing him to cultivate his Profound Ice Qi to the 5th Layer in just ten short months.

His cultivation had progressed so rapidly that Jiang Ailiang had nearly suffered a cultivation deviation. Although Steward Jiang’s help allowed him to avert disaster, he was left with a permanent side effect: his skin had turned completely white, as had his hair.

But to Jiang Ailiang, it was all worth it. He had successfully cultivated his Profound Ice Qi to the 5th Layer, which made him as strong as an expert at the Eighth Layer Peak of the Martial Dao. With such immense power, Jiang Ailiang was completely confident that he could defeat Zhaang Ye—he could even kill him discreetly right on the tournament stage!

Jiang Ailiang’s gaze swept slowly through the crowd, searching for a sign of Zhaang Ye. To his disappointment, he couldn’t find him anywhere. It was as if Zhaang Ye had simply vanished.

Jiang Ailiang felt a surge of disappointment. ’That brat Zhaang Ye probably hasn’t returned to the True Hall yet,’ he thought. ’If he dares show his face, I’ll humiliate him in front of the thousands of disciples here! I’ll make him understand the power of Jiang Ailiang!’

Jiang Ailiang swung his arm fiercely and began to stride forward when a rumbling sound suddenly echoed from the horizon. All the disciples looked toward the sky and saw a figure flying slowly among the clouds, heading directly for the Steward Hall! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with Recommendation Tickets or monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)