Chapter 354 - 336: The Trump Cards of the Da Ling Kingdom and the Moon Country

In the Da Ling Kingdom’s True Hall, a white-bearded, white-robed elder sat meditating silently on a rock beneath a massive waterfall. Below him, Ling Kongyun stood respectfully, awaiting the elder’s guidance.

Although Ling Kongyun had failed to obtain the Water Spirit Stone from Python Marsh, his talent was exceptional, and he had an endless supply of elixirs and various medicinal herbs. Aided by these countless resources, Ling Kongyun had finally advanced to the Late-stage Martial Arts Ninth Layer. His very presence now exuded an unfathomable aura.

After a while, the white-robed elder on the rock finally spoke. He said slowly, "The Newcomer King Tournament is very important for you. Placing in the top five will give you a chance to leave the Land of Divine Abandonment and travel to the outside world. Kongyun, for this Thirteen Countries’ Newcomer King Tournament, are you confident you can take first place?"

Ling Kongyun pondered for a moment before replying with a wry smile, "Master, I am not confident. Among my opponents, Yangx Guyuan has likely cultivated his Nine Heavens Ten Earths Burning Celestial True Force to the Great Success Realm. I fear that even an expert at the Peak of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer would be no match for him."

"And besides Yangx Guyuan, there is also Zhaang Ye. Although Zhaang Ye only recently made a name for himself, his strength is exceptionally formidable. Half a year ago, he was able to contend with the Ninth Elder of the Moon Country’s True Hall and even defeated Chu Yuxiang, who is at the Late-stage Martial Arts Ninth Layer. His combat power is likely on par with an expert at the Peak of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer."

"Beyond Zhaang Ye, there are others like Helian Bi Bi and Chu Yuxiang, who all possess a Late-stage Martial Arts Ninth Layer cultivation and are powerful opponents. While I am not inferior to them, achieving victory will still be quite difficult. In addition, there is Fu Songcheng of the Moon Country’s True Hall. After his previous defeat, he has grown even stronger, and his cultivation is more refined. If he has a Meteor True Artifact, he will also be a formidable rival..."

The white-robed elder nodded slightly. "You are very level-headed and haven’t underestimated any of your opponents. That is good. However, being level-headed alone is not enough. You need a powerful trump card to distinguish yourself from the other young experts and claim first place."

Ling Kongyun’s heart leaped with joy. "Yes, Master."

The white-robed elder’s eyes suddenly snapped open, shooting out an intimidating glint of light. He said slowly, "Right now, the old fossils from the other True Halls of the Thirteen Countries are surely handing over their most precious treasures to their own disciples. As your master, I also have two items for you. As long as you use them well, first place in the Newcomer King Tournament will be yours for the taking."

As he spoke, the white-robed elder flicked his sleeve, and a small shield, about two feet in diameter, suddenly flew toward Ling Kongyun.

Ling Kongyun caught the shield and found it was unusually heavy. Various arrays were carved upon its surface, though most of them were damaged. Despite the damage, the shield still exuded a sense of being as solid as a mountain. It was clearly no ordinary item.

The white-robed elder said, "This is a damaged True Artifact. Although it can no longer display its full power, its materials and craftsmanship are first-class. It can even withstand a direct blow from a Meteor True Artifact."

Ling Kongyun was overjoyed. "Thank you, Master!"

The white-robed elder nodded, and with a slight flick of his hand, sent a mysterious token flying over. Ling Kongyun caught it and saw a purple beast carved upon it. The beast wasn’t large, but it emanated a terrifying, malevolent aura. Even with Ling Kongyun’s cultivation, he was startled by it.

Looking at the token in his hand, Ling Kongyun’s face showed his confusion. "This token doesn’t seem to be a Pseudo-True Artifact, nor a Meteor True Artifact. Forgive my ignorance, Master, but what is its purpose?"

A faint smile appeared on the white-robed elder’s face. He didn’t answer Ling Kongyun’s question, instead asking one of his own. "Kongyun, do you know of the Five Great Fierce Beasts within the Little World?"

Ling Kongyun nodded. "Within the Little World, there are five powerful Fierce Beasts. First is the Green-eyed Golden Eagle, with combat power comparable to a Half-Step True Dao Expert. Second is the Purple-haired Wild Boar. This beast is as fast as lightning, excels at concealing its presence, possesses immense strength, and is impervious to weapons. In the Little World, its power is second only to the Green-eyed Golden Eagle."

"Third is the Sharp-headed Mongoose, which can travel underground. Even an expert at the Peak of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer would have no choice but to flee from it. The fourth Fierce Beast is the Two-winged Flying Crocodile. This creature is incredibly dangerous, able to attack from underwater, the sky, or on land. The final dangerous beast is the Death Bee. Even a warrior at the Late-stage of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer cannot withstand its sting..."

The smile on the white-robed elder’s face deepened. He pointed at the token in Ling Kongyun’s hand and said, "Kongyun, take another close look at the beast on this token."

Confused, Ling Kongyun examined it again. Suddenly, realization dawned. "The beast on this token... it’s purple and brimming with a malevolent aura, just like the legendary Purple-haired Wild Boar. Could it be that the beast on this token *is* the Purple-haired Wild Boar from the Little World?"

The white-robed elder smiled and said proudly, "You are correct. The beast on this token is precisely the Purple-haired Wild Boar from the Little World. With this token, you can control it as you please. With such a powerful ally, taking first place in the Thirteen Countries’ Newcomer King Tournament will be a simple matter."

Ling Kongyun was ecstatic. "Master, how is this possible? The Purple-haired Wild Boar in the Little World is even more powerful than an expert at the Peak of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer! How can we control it?"

The white-robed elder said proudly, "It’s quite simple. That Purple-haired Wild Boar was placed there by experts from our very own Da Ling Kingdom True Hall. Over three hundred years ago, I happened to acquire a Purple-haired Wild Boar egg. I then devised a way to send the egg into the Little World to hatch and subsequently refined this Beast Taming Order."

"This Beast Taming Order was refined using the Purple-haired Wild Boar’s own Essence Blood. No matter how powerful it becomes, it must obey the Order’s commands."

"The Purple-haired Wild Boar is a rare beast from ancient times. After entering the Little World, it absorbed the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi and grew very quickly. Furthermore, experts from our Da Ling Kingdom True Hall entered the Little World every few decades to teach it Combat Skills and Cultivation Techniques. In just over three hundred years, it has become one of the overlords of the Little World..."

Listening to his master’s explanation, Ling Kongyun was utterly shaken. He never could have imagined that the second most powerful beast in the Little World, the Purple-haired Wild Boar, was a creation of his master’s own design. After a long moment, Ling Kongyun recovered his wits and said with heartfelt sincerity, "Master, your foresight is truly unparalleled! My eyes have been opened. I am in absolute awe!"

Seeing Ling Kongyun’s stunned expression, the white-robed elder chuckled and said lightly, "Now, you should have the confidence to take first place in the Newcomer King Tournament, shouldn’t you?"

Ling Kongyun snapped back to reality and declared confidently, "Of course! With the help of the Purple-haired Wild Boar, no one in the younger generation will be a match for me. No matter how strong Yangx Guyuan and Zhaang Ye are, they will face certain death. The first-place title in the Thirteen Countries’ Newcomer King Tournament is as good as mine!"

...

「Moon Country True Hall.」

Fu Songcheng, the top expert of the Moon Country’s younger generation, sat across from his father, Fu Yuguang. A bitter expression was etched on Fu Songcheng’s face, and a glint of hatred would flash in his eyes from time to time.

After a moment, Fu Songcheng spoke with a bitter smile. "Father, perhaps I should sit out the Thirteen Countries’ Newcomer King Tournament this time. That man, Zhaang Ye, killed my senior brother and the Seven Blood Generals. I’m no match for him at all. Once we’re in the Little World, if he decides to come after me, ten lives wouldn’t be enough to save me."

Fu Yuguang flicked his sleeve. "You must participate in this Newcomer King Tournament."

Fu Songcheng gave a bitter smile. "But..."

"No buts," Fu Yuguang said coldly. "The Thirteen Countries’ Newcomer King Tournament is your only chance to get out. You cannot give up, no matter how dangerous it may be."

At his father’s insistence, a look of terror filled Fu Songcheng’s eyes. The terrifying power Zhaang Ye had displayed when he killed his senior brother and the Seven Blood Generals made his skin crawl. The mere thought of facing Zhaang Ye filled his heart with such dread that he wanted to withdraw from the tournament entirely.

Fu Yuguang glanced at his son and sighed inwardly. "Rest assured. Zhaang Ye’s strength may be formidable, but I have already made arrangements. He will not be able to kill you, no matter how powerful he is."

Fu Songcheng was taken aback. "With Zhaang Ye’s current power, who in the younger generation can possibly stop him? Even if Yangx Guyuan, the number one expert of our generation, were to act, he might not be able to kill Zhaang Ye."

Fu Yuguang smiled faintly. "It’s true that no young expert from the Thirteen Countries of the Land Abandoned by God can kill Zhaang Ye. However, the person I have found comes from outside this land. He will take the place of one of our Moon Country True Hall disciples and enter the Little World..."

Fu Songcheng’s eyes lit up. As the son of the Great Hall Master, he was naturally aware that a much vaster world existed outside the Land of Divine Abandonment—a world where the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi was far richer and experts were far more numerous. If a young expert from the outside world was involved, his safety would be assured.

Fu Songcheng quickly asked, "Father, what is this young expert’s cultivation level?"

Fu Yuguang glanced at his son. "His cultivation is at the Peak of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer. However, the Cultivation Technique he practices is quite profound, making his combat power far greater than that of an ordinary expert at the same level. As long as you stay by his side, you will be perfectly safe."

Fu Songcheng was overjoyed. "Can we have him kill Zhaang Ye?"

A grim expression flashed across Fu Yuguang’s face. He nodded slowly. "Of course that whelp Zhaang Ye must be killed! Heh heh... My own prized disciple, whom I painstakingly nurtured, and the Seven Blood Generals all died by his hand. If I don’t kill him, how can I face Qingyun in the afterlife!"