Chapter 486 - 469: The War Begins
Human Cultivators held the absolute advantage, but whether they could stop those two was still a real question.
Starlight Academy was considered one of the weaker of the five great academies. The Demon Race was sending a total of five combatants. Besides the previously seen Snake Woman, Tiger King, and Leopard King, there were also Mengg Lord and the Lord of Punishment.
Within the Demon Race, the rank of "Lord" was nobler than that of "King." Mengg Lord and the Lord of Punishment were currently strong contenders for the position of Lord of Pure Land.
It was originally supposed to be the Saintess, but unfortunately, her body didn’t seem capable of shouldering such a heavy responsibility.
Reaching the level of a "Lord" was the pinnacle for a demon, comparable to the Imperial Family of the Dragon Race.
The two Lords of the Demon Race would also be making their first public appearance.
The battles were supervised by the soul mentors of the Cultivation Academies, and for the more important matches later on, the deans themselves would personally appear.
The rules of engagement were simple: defeat your opponent on the Dueling Platform. Death, incapacitation, or surrender all counted as a loss.
The main event at Star Academy was about to begin. The Human Cultivators’ top combatants, Lin Jinghao and Jii Wanli, alongside Princess Linglong of the Dragon Race and Mengg Lord of the Demon Race—all four top-tier experts—were set to make their appearance. Star Academy was truly abuzz with excitement.
In the current climate, news traveled, if not at the speed of lightning, then close to it. Any explosive news from any battlefield would spread to every corner of the Great Yuan Realm in a very short time.
This was an internal competition among Human Cultivators, but it also involved fending off formidable challenges from the Dragon Race and the Demon Race.
Quite a few Cultivators were participating over at Starlight Academy. Wang Meng and his group were stunned by the sea of people. There were young and old, men and women, all sorts of strange and eccentric individuals with unique styles and gimmicks. The scene could only be described as a chaotic "hundred flowers blooming." It seemed the Star Alliance had underestimated the depths of human ambition.
There were many participants, but even more spectators. Gazing at the massive crowds in Starlight City, Zhang Xiaojiang made a single, very practical remark: "The Star Alliance is making a killing."
This was undeniable. The genius of the Star Alliance was its ability to align its own development with the needs of Human Cultivators.
The massive Dueling Platforms had been built to near perfection over the past three years. For the Star Alliance, this was truly no difficult feat.
The current qualification matches, for instance, were being held simultaneously on ten Dueling Platforms, which of course gave the Cultivators plenty of places to enjoy the show.
Those who pursued Cultivation often liked to suppress themselves in search of a breakthrough. But as the saying goes, the longer the suppression, the more extreme the release.
When Ling Fei took the stage, the thunderous roar of the crowd nearly blew the roof off Starlight City.
Over the past three years, the representatives of the younger human generation had received frequent exposure, their fame skyrocketing. Those who had survived until now had all indeed put on astonishing performances.
These three years had perhaps been more ferocious than the previous thirty years of steady, conventional progress.
Three years later, Ling Fei had become more mature—not physically, but in her disposition. Her opponent was a Cultivator from some Small Thousand Realm or other; the word "some" is used because he was utterly unknown.
Ling Fei gracefully soared through the air and landed on the Dueling Platform. In contrast, the young, unknown Cultivator seemed so nervous that he nearly stumbled and fell while using his Flying Skill, drawing a roar of laughter from the surroundings.
Everyone was here to see Ling Fei: the bearer of the Peacock Ming King Saint Body, an outstanding human representative from the Flower Fairy Sect.
Ling Fei had always been a graceful woman. She showed no hint of ridicule, her face holding a gentle smile. She was still the same Ling Fei that Wang Meng knew.
The young Cultivator’s face turned beet red. He had made a complete and utter fool of himself. This was a grand stage; once you lost face here, there was no recovering. This was one of the downsides.
Ling Fei’s smile couldn’t reach him. The surrounding mockery and countless stares formed an immense web of pressure.
And then... the young Cultivator found he couldn’t breathe and, holding his breath, passed out cold.
The Peacock Princess’s first battle ended just like that, but the shouts of the Cultivators only grew louder.
A quick glance revealed that each Dueling Platform had at least several thousand Cultivators watching. For a Cultivator who spent all day in secluded meditation, it would be truly difficult to adapt to such an environment on their first visit.
Some people could perform beyond their limits under such circumstances, while others couldn’t even display half of their strength. A fellow like this one, who fainted from sheer nervousness, was truly one of a kind.
Amidst the laughter of others, none of the Holy Hall Beings laughed. They found nothing amusing about it, nor did they feel any sense of smugness or superiority. There was only a calm acceptance.
Zhang Xiaojiang probably felt this more deeply. At the same time, he felt a sense of pride for the Holy Hall, because the very thing the Star Alliance was doing now, the Holy Hall had done many years ago—and it had even produced a legend like Wang Meng.
Faced with such a scene, Zhang Xiaopang was completely unperturbed.
A few rounds after Ling Fei’s match, Tiger King Lishan made his appearance. The Cultivators were extremely interested in the legendary Demon Race, regarding them as one might a curious animal. The Demon Race had always existed in legends, and their recent emergence had not been in the public eye. For many, this was their first time seeing a member of the Demon Race.
"They don’t look any different. No three heads and four arms."
"Damn, the Demon Race doesn’t look that different from humans on the outside! It’s their insides that are different, okay? They’re born super strong, and they use Demon Power!"
"Tsk, this guy doesn’t look like much. The Demon Race has fallen this far and they still dare to show their faces?"
Pure Land was the Star Alliance’s number one Sect, but after it was exposed as being equivalent to a "breeding ground" for the Demon Race, Cultivators began to question its top position. They felt it wasn’t a step up for humans to associate with the Demon Race, as the Demon and Dragon Races had ruled over the Human Race in ancient times.
Tiger King Lishan showed no signs of a ferocious, demonic appearance. On the contrary, he looked much more normal than many Demon Cultivators. Moreover, the Tiger King seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the lively, attention-filled atmosphere.
Facing him was a middle-aged Human Cultivator. "I am the Boundless Longevity Master from Wanshou Mountain of the Qiankun Realm! Fiend, let this Master deal with you today!"
The middle-aged Cultivator chanted a Spell, and dozens of flying swords instantly shot out from his body. Lishan grinned, baring his teeth. ’I’ve seen plenty of interesting humans, but I’ve never met one this stupid,’ he thought. ’No wonder the old Lord of Pure Land often says the gap between the best and worst humans is as wide as heaven and earth.’
Boundless Longevity Master—what a frightening title. Dozens of flying swords completely enveloped Lishan. The Longevity Master’s small mustache twitched upwards as his Elemental Power erupted. His Elemental Power had reached the First Layer of Minor Perfection. In an ordinary Small Thousand Realm, the First Layer of Minor Perfection would make one a very formidable figure.
And this Longevity Master did have a few tricks up his sleeve. The flying swords in the air split from one into two, and then from two into four, projecting the domineering aura of a Sect Leader.
"Boundless Celestial Venerable! Fiend, taste my Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Root!"
An invisible aura of wind arose. At this moment, the Boundless Longevity Master truly had the air of an immortal Daoist master as the flying swords rained down upon Lishan.
The Tiger King had only just begun to raise his head when the flying swords came crashing down with a deafening ROAR.
BOOM...
Countless flying swords exploded against Lishan’s body. The Cultivators surrounding the Dueling Platform were stunned. ’Is there something wrong with this Demon Race member’s head? Why wouldn’t he dodge when his opponent attacked?’(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)