Chapter 317 - 301: Clash of Auras

Zhaang Ye had sent a young expert from the Moon Country flying and then overwhelmed Fu Songcheng with his sheer presence. Although it all happened quickly, the formidable strength he revealed piqued the interest of many. Some of the more observant individuals gave Zhaang Ye a long, hard look before slowly making their way toward the arena.

At the end of the street, atop a large tree, a thin-faced elder and a short-haired young man with a longbow on his back stood side-by-side on the branches. The elder projected no aura whatsoever and looked like an ordinary person, yet his body seemed to subtly merge with the world around him. Despite the many pedestrians on the street below, not a single one noticed him.

The bowstring of the longbow on the short-haired young man’s back was as thick as a child’s arm; a single glance was enough to sense the immense power it contained. The young man himself was lean and wiry, and he exuded an incredibly sharp aura, like an arrow nocked and ready to fly.

The thin-faced elder watched the crowd slowly disperse and sighed. "The Six Eastern Countries have finally produced some real talent. That Fu Songcheng just now has a cultivation at the Martial Arts Ninth Level Middle Stage, and his combat strength seems only a little weaker than a Late-stage Martial Arts Ninth Layer expert. And the young man who confronted him... he looks younger than thirty, yet he’s already reached the Martial Arts Ninth Layer. Yu Xiang, this person’s natural talent is no less than yours!"

The short-haired young man nodded slightly. "That young man not only has a cultivation at the Martial Arts Ninth Layer, but he also possesses a formidable Body Refining Technique. Judging from their confrontation just now, his combat prowess is likely on par with Fu Songcheng’s. He is truly one of the most brilliant geniuses I have ever seen. However..."

The short-haired young man stared at Zhaang Ye’s departing figure and declared proudly, "My cultivation has already reached the Late-stage Martial Arts Ninth Layer. Even if he were to cultivate for another ten years, he would be no match for me. Across the entire Land of Divine Abandonment, the only members of the Younger Generation who are my rivals are Yangx Guyuan, Helian Bi Bi, and Ling Kongyun."

The thin-faced elder offered a reminder. "One can never be careless in battle. In this Newcomer Warm-up Match, besides Fu Songcheng, there is also Yann Wutian from the Great Chang Kingdom, Ou Qingxin from the Celestial Forest Kingdom, and Du Hong from the Great Bell Kingdom. They are all exceptionally powerful young masters of their era. You must handle them with care."

The short-haired young man smiled confidently. "Ninth Elder, you can rest assured. I, Chu Yuxiang, have cultivated bitterly for forty years. If I can’t even take first place in the warm-up match, I might as well take my bow and arrow and go back to being a hunter!"

After saying this, the short-haired young man let out a sly chuckle. "That young man from earlier revealed an incredibly domineering Body Refining Technique. He’s piqued the interest of quite a few young experts, and I admit, I’m interested in him too. In a little while, I, Chu Yuxiang, will challenge him and see how many of my arrows he can withstand."

The thin-faced elder chuckled, shaking his head. "For someone with your strength to challenge a youth at the Martial Arts Ninth Layer, it’s practically an adult bullying a child. But, this young man has risen far too quickly; I admit I’m quite interested in him as well. Heh, let’s hope he can withstand two or three of your arrows..."

...

By the time Zhaang Ye, Wei Jingtian, Xuli Long, Fang Caiying, and Feng Tongming arrived at the competition grounds, the venue was already packed with over ten thousand people. With so many crowded together, a chaotic din washed over them like a tidal wave, pouring into their ears.

The crowd below was buzzing with discussion, and up at the judges’ panel, the six judges were also whispering amongst themselves, commenting on the young experts as they filed in.

To ensure the competition’s fairness, each True Hall had sent an Elder to serve as a judge. Every one of these judges possessed the power of the Peak of Martial Arts Ninth Layer. Having lived for over a century, they were all quite familiar with one another, and their back-and-forth chatter was lively.

A coarse-featured judge laughed heartily. "Look! That red-haired young man is our Great Chang Kingdom’s Yann Wutian! Yann Wutian reached the Martial Arts Ninth Level Middle Stage half a year ago. That Bone Sword of his is made from the bone of a Medieval Fierce Beast. It’s incredibly hard and sharp, with power even slightly surpassing a Pseudo-True Artifact! His cultivation is exceptionally profound, and when paired with that Bone Sword, he’s truly peerless! For this newcomer warm-up match, I’d say he’s a lock for second place!"

Another judge with straw-colored hair chuckled. "Not necessarily! Look at that bare-chested young man. He is Ou Qingxin of my Celestial Forest Kingdom, and he also possesses a cultivation at the Martial Arts Ninth Level Middle Stage. Furthermore, he has cultivated his Little Celestial Star Fist technique to the point of Mastery. I’ve heard its power surpasses even that of a Top-Grade Combat Skill! If you ask me, second place in this newcomer warm-up match is definitely his!"

"Heheheh! Yann Wutian and Ou Qingxin are formidable, but I’m placing my bets on Du Hong from the Great Bell Kingdom. Du Hong’s cultivation reached the Martial Arts Ninth Level Middle Stage a full eight months ago. His Cloud-Breaking Scattering Hand is divinely unpredictable when executed. Even Chu Yuxiang, who is hailed as the number one of the Younger Generation in the Six Eastern Countries, was full of praise when he witnessed it. Therefore, I favor Du Hong. I believe he is the true number two among the Younger Generation of the Six Eastern Countries!"

"Heh, besides Yann Wutian, Ou Qingxin, and Du Hong, we shouldn’t underestimate Fu Songcheng from the Moon Country! Fu Songcheng’s cultivation has reached the Martial Arts Ninth Level Middle Stage, and he’s the only son of Fu Yuguang, the Great Hall Master of the Moon Country True Hall. With a father that powerful, this Fu Songcheng must have plenty of tricks up his sleeve. For instance, he’s certain to have an exceptionally powerful Combat Skill, an amazing Pseudo-True Artifact, and he might even be wearing something like a Treasure Armor. With all those advantages, even an opponent stronger than him would be no match for him. Therefore, I dare say that Fu Songcheng is the true number two of the Younger Generation in the Six Eastern Countries!"

As the judges argued, none of them mentioned the person in the number one spot of the Younger Generation. In their minds, the top position was already a foregone conclusion, a status that no one could possibly challenge.

Just then, Zhaang Ye’s party entered the competition grounds. Their appearance immediately ignited a massive wave of commentary.

A great clamor erupted.

"These are the young experts from the Wei Kingdom True Hall? They’re pathetic!"

"Heh heh, has the Wei Kingdom run out of talent? Among their five contestants, there isn’t a single expert at the Martial Arts Ninth Layer. And what’s this? How did a little girl at the Martial Arts Seventh Layer end up tagging along? What’s going on here?"

"Heh, I’d bet that in this Newcomer Warm-up Match of the Six Eastern Countries, not a single one of the Wei Kingdom’s young experts will even make it into the top twenty. Heh heh, any takers?"

The judges had received the contestant profiles ahead of time, so they weren’t surprised when Zhaang Ye’s group entered the arena. The Martial Artists in the crowd, however, burst into chatter the moment they saw them. Almost no one thought well of the group from Wei Kingdom.

A tide of ridicule and doubt washed over them. Hearing the insults, the expressions of both Wei Jingtian and Xuli Long darkened considerably, their fists clenched tightly. Fang Caiying and Feng Tongming also looked displeased, though they managed to maintain their composure.

The only one whose expression remained unchanged was Zhaang Ye. He was devoted to his cultivation, and his Soul Power was exceptionally strong; he paid no mind to such voices of ridicule and doubt. Great strength brought great confidence. Not only did his expression remain placid, but his gaze also swept coldly across the crowd. Some of the jeering Martial Artists who met his gaze instantly felt a chill run through them, and the words died in their throats.

As Zhaang Ye’s group walked slowly into the arena, the young experts from the other nations were also entering. The groups from the six countries met in the center of the competition grounds. The auras emanating from the thirty young experts instantly soared, their almost-tangible presence pressing down on the entire venue and kicking up wind and dust.

Among these six auras, Zhaang Ye took special note of a short-haired young man from the Great Rong Kingdom carrying a longbow. This man’s aura was like a keen arrow—sharp and aggressive. Nearly all the other young experts were suppressed by his presence.

’A longbow on his back, and an aura like an arrow... This must be Chu Yuxiang, the number one of the Younger Generation in the Six Eastern Countries! He looks to be no more than forty, yet he’s already cultivated to the Late-stage Martial Arts Ninth Layer. Such talent and comprehension are truly astonishing!’ Zhaang Ye thought, slightly startled as he sized up the man.

Suddenly—

Zhaang Ye felt two auras simultaneously press down on him.

It turned out that as Zhaang Ye had been observing Chu Yuxiang, Chu Yuxiang had also been observing him. The fact that Zhaang Ye had reached the Martial Arts Ninth Layer before the age of thirty intrigued Chu Yuxiang immensely, so he took this opportunity to use his presence to probe Zhaang Ye’s true strength.

The other aura belonged to Fu Songcheng. During their confrontation on the street, Fu Songcheng had found himself subtly at a disadvantage against Zhaang Ye. This left him feeling deeply indignant, so he seized this chance to clash with Zhaang Ye’s presence again, intending to overwhelm him this time.

Fu Songcheng was an expert at the Martial Arts Ninth Level Middle Stage, and his presence was astonishingly powerful. Chu Yuxiang was an even greater master at the Late-stage Martial Arts Ninth Layer, his presence so strong it was almost tangible. Now, the auras of both men were bearing down on Zhaang Ye simultaneously. This not only startled Zhaang Ye but also shocked the young experts from the Great Rong, Great Chang, Celestial Forest, Great Bell, and Moon Kingdoms. Their eyes locked onto Zhaang Ye, a single thought running through all their minds: ’This guy from Wei Kingdom managed to provoke aura attacks from both of them at once. He’s a dead man!’

Just as the other young experts believed Zhaang Ye would be crushed and forced to cough up blood under the pressure of the two auras, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. His mind suddenly recalled the sword that had traveled ten thousand miles. As he silently contemplated that heaven-piercing Sword Intent, his entire being instantly became sharp—as sharp as a sword, a divine sword that could sever anything in the world!

BOOM!

Before the disbelieving eyes of the other young experts, the combined presence of Chu Yuxiang and Fu Songcheng was forcefully cleaved in two by Zhaang Ye! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote with Recommendation Tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)