Chapter 490 - 473: Might
The Holy Statue gradually faded. The way the cultivators looked at Hu Jing had completely changed; their minds had even gone blank.
’Who is she? What is all this?’
’Why is this happening?’
Hu Jing, however, was perfectly calm. Placing her right hand over her heart, she said, "Glory to the Holy Hall."
’The Holy Hall... It’s the Holy Hall again!’
This battle was the prelude to madness. Then Yang Ying took the stage, and yet another Holy Statue appeared. The cultivators’ minds were reeling. They felt as if their understanding of the world was about to shatter.
’Is the Holy Hall the number one sect in the Star Alliance?’
’Why have we never heard of it before?’
Wang Meng took the stage. By now, all the cultivators knew that this young man before them was the Holy Hall Master.
Could anyone believe it?
Such a young Holy Hall Master. As secrets never stay secret for long, people were only now finding out that he had become a two-star member of the Star Alliance three years ago—a status that many at the Great Perfection level were not even qualified for.
To think such a figure had been hidden here all along.
Wang Meng simply stood there. Now, gathered around the Dueling Platform, were not only the Holy Hall Beings but also Purple Dragon of the Dragon Race. He was as aloof and arrogant as ever, but he had clearly come for Wang Meng.
Others might not know of Wang Meng, but Purple Dragon certainly did.
Li Mountain had also arrived. He had known about Wang Meng from the very beginning for a simple reason: Mingren only ever mentioned one human’s name, and that name was Wang Meng.
Li Mountain was far from convinced. Mingren’s pride was galling; he looked down on even the Mengg Lord, yet he held this human in such high regard.
’What’s so damned special about this human?!’
Li Mountain and Purple Dragon exchanged a glance, then quickly looked away. After their battle at the Other Shore, it was obvious they were not on the same level.
Wang Meng’s opponent was riddled with shock and uncertainty. The Holy Hall Disciples’ performance had been terrifying enough, and the man before him was their Sect Leader.
But since he was here, he could not bring shame upon his sect.
"Qiang Wu of the Iron Hill Sect! I have come to request a lesson!"
"Wang Meng of the Holy Hall."
Wang Meng’s voice was calm, but strangely, an absolute silence had fallen over the area around the Dueling Platform.
Wang Meng just stood there, seemingly full of openings. He had no defenses up and wasn’t even gathering his Elemental Power. Facing a Body Cultivator like this... wasn’t he asking for death?
Qiang Wu felt a crushing pressure. As a Body Cultivator at the Second Layer of Minor Perfection with exceptional talent, it was impressive that he had made it to the second round. But right now, that very talent was proving to be a terrible burden.
Sweat dripped down his face, one drop at a time. As the seconds ticked by, the pressure grew heavier. He gritted his teeth, staring at the man before him. He had to attack. It hadn’t been easy to get this far; he couldn’t fall here.
But... but... a pressure as heavy as a mountain enveloped him, threatening to crash down like a tsunami. His intuition screamed at him that the figure before him was as immense as a great mountain range. The moment he attacked, he would trigger a cataclysmic counterattack that would instantly swallow him whole.
’Completely irresistible.’
Each second was as torturous as a year. Qiang Wu clenched his fists so tightly they began to crack. His knees felt like they were bearing a tremendous weight, and he gritted his teeth so hard they started to bleed.
All he had to do was throw a single punch. He carried the hopes of countless disciples from the Iron Hill Sect, all of them wanting the Star Alliance—and all the cultivators—to know of their remarkable sect.
He hadn’t come here for himself.
ROAR...
But the roar was silent. If he were weaker, if his talent weren’t so sharp, he would have thrown that punch long ago. But such is fate.
CRACK...
Everyone was horrified. His leg bones had shattered.
On the Dueling Platform, Qiang Wu’s legs had broken, as if he had suffered some terrible force.
...And Wang Meng hadn’t done a single thing.
Bracing himself on the ground with both hands, Qiang Wu felt a despair beyond tears. ’I’m too weak. Far too weak. I’ve let down my fellow disciples.’
’He’s too powerful... too terrifying. How can someone so terrifying exist in this world?’
The physical pain was nothing compared to the pain of his disappointment—his disappointment in himself.
Suddenly, someone helped him to his feet.
"You have great potential. Come to Starlight Academy. In two years, you’ll be completely transformed."
Wang Meng sighed softly. ’For him to be able to sense my terrifying presence... his potential is truly excellent.’
No one said a word; everyone was stunned into silence by his powerful aura. Even Shan Lin couldn’t bring himself to speak. When this man said something, it was simply accepted as law.
Ma Tian’Er smiled faintly and fed Qiang Wu a Pill. But an injury like that would almost certainly leave him crippled. ’There’s no point,’ someone thought.
WHOOSH...
The Life Tree Holy Statue appeared. Its light of life washed over Qiang Wu, causing his pain to vanish. He barely noticed, his mind still replaying Wang Meng’s words. "You have great potential." ’Is it really true?’
"Hey man, our Boss rarely praises anyone!" Zhang Xiaojiang chimed in.
’The Boss has a soft spot for talent,’ he thought. ’Seeing Qiang Wu must remind him of how we used to be.’
You can’t block a person’s dream with just a look.
The cultivators, however, weren’t focused on that. ’This is absurd! A fourth Holy Statue, and a rare healing type at that! What in the world *is* the Holy Hall???’
For such a powerful sect to be completely unknown...
Meanwhile, on another Dueling Platform where a bitter battle had been raging for some time, Suo Ming and his opponent had both reached their limits. But when Suo Ming let out a furious roar of "Glory to the Holy Hall!" his opponent finally collapsed.
Suo Ming had finally won. It was an exhausting battle, and he might not have the strength for the next round, but as he gazed up at the sky, he was filled with a sense of peace. He had no regrets.
He had defeated the Sect Leader’s Disciple from the Ten Thousand Talisman Sect—a sect hailed as the ultimate authority on Talisman Cultivation and ranked eighteenth in the Star Alliance.
After this battle, the glory of the Holy Hall would surely shine throughout the Star Alliance.
Though the number of participants had been greatly reduced, the second round was far more intense and didn’t conclude as quickly. It lasted for five days, a period in which all the various masters began to unleash their explosive strength.
But without a doubt, aside from the established powerhouses, a new sect had captured the cultivators’ attention.
Not just one or two cultivators, but an entire sect: the Holy Hall!
One sect with four Holy Statues and three Life Artifacts had displayed horrifying strength in the second round. And their Sect Leader, Wang Meng, was just a young man who, so far... hadn’t shown much of anything.
Even though no one knew what level Wang Meng was truly at, it did nothing to hinder Hu Jing and Suo Ming from making a name for themselves.
For those with true strength, all they need is an opportunity—a stage on which to shine!
The Dawn Goddess Holy Statue had finally come to the attention of the Star Alliance. This was real, tangible power!
The unlucky Hua Jianyu had been reduced to a mere stepping stone. So far, everyone who had opposed the Holy Hall had been crushed. Hua Jianyu was not the first, and she would not be the last.
Suo Ming was even more ridiculously overpowered. His Forbidden Hammer was now a famous Life Artifact. Forbidden Magic—the ability was simply fatal. Any cultivator who wasn’t a Body Cultivator had to seriously reconsider facing him. He had even pummeled a Great Perfection expert into submission. The crowd wondered, ’What if it were me?’
A genius? A super genius?
Suo Ming didn’t feel that way at all. After being thrown around and beaten up for so long, he would never have dreamed of linking himself to the word "genius." But his persistence was unmatched.
The second round was only the second round. Those who could still advance with ease into the third round were the true experts.
The time had come for every sect to display its true strength.
Here, luck was no longer enough!
「The third round」
The third round began to great anticipation. Even some Sect Leaders had shown up to watch. After all, by this stage, with the exception of a few extraordinary individuals, no cultivator could expect an easy victory.
In the Magical Combat zones, the emblems of the various sects became more prominent. None of the major sects would miss such a golden opportunity to display their power.
Yi Fan of the Cyan Cloud Sect encountered fierce resistance. His opponent was only a Loose Cultivator, but he was incredibly formidable. His attacks were sharp, his sword style was unorthodox, and his gaze was eerily demonic. As a disciple of the Cyan Cloud Sect, Yi Fan was mostly immune to common Charm-type magic that affected one’s Heart Spirit. Nevertheless, his opponent was simply too powerful, and Yi Fan was ultimately defeated.
The Wind Celestial Venerable’s expression remained as placid as an undisturbed well, but everyone knew the great master was in a foul mood.
Having a main disciple eliminated in the third round was not a good sign.
The problem wasn’t unique to the Cyan Cloud Sect. All of the Ten Great Sects faced powerful challenges. Indeed, some disciples from completely unknown and minor sects displayed extraordinary talent and combat prowess. One could only imagine how much they would grow, given time and assistance from the Star Alliance.
Anyone who made it to the third round had to be prepared for the possibility of defeat.
Amidst this overarching theme of hard-fought battles, there were still some who completely defied the trend.
The Demon Race’s Mengg Lord and Lord of Punishment continued to settle their matches in a single move, showing no intention of dragging things out. The deeper they advanced in the competition, the more easily they won, beginning to reveal the tyrannical power of the Demon Race.
The two Dragon Race masters led by Princess Linglong continued in the same vein as the first two rounds. They remained unperturbed, winning their matches as if on schedule, completely unaffected by their opponents’ strength.
If their level hadn’t been clear before, it was now. Both the Dragon Race and the Demon Race began to exude an overwhelming, oppressive power.
The leading figures among the Human Cultivators—Mingren, Lin Jinghao, Ji Wanli, Zou Chuang, and others—were also beginning to reveal the true depth of their foundations. There was a reason for the Dragon Race’s and Demon Race’s nonchalance; their power stemmed from singular sources, Dragon Power and Demon Power respectively, unlike humans who had the added complexity of their Life Marks. At the very least, the third round posed no real obstacle for any of these young powerhouses.
Within Starlight City, as Li Mountain and Purple Dragon advanced with overwhelming force, the dwindling number of Human Cultivators began to create a palpable pressure. It would be a true tragedy if the other races, after sending only a few representatives, ended up completely dominating all of humanity.
Ling Fei’s performance remained strong and stable, and she passed the third round smoothly and without issue. Ji Rushan encountered some resistance but also successfully advanced.
Despite the intense challenges of the third round, the members of the Holy Hall continued their dominant performance. Hu Jing was the first to fight. Having already proven her strength by crushing Hua Jianyu in the previous round, she won with ease. After all, opponents of Hua Jianyu’s caliber were few and far between.
Zhang Xiaojiang and the others also advanced smoothly. Suo Ming had the easiest victory of all. The intimidating aura from his victory over a Great Perfection cultivator still lingered, and his opponent was not a Body Cultivator, leaving him with little ability to resist the ridiculously powerful Forbidden Hammer.
The Forbidden Hammer could not nullify magic that originated from Holy Statues and Life Artifacts, but it wasn’t often one encountered such powerful items.
Master Wang passed with ease. His opponent couldn’t affect him in the slightest, and the fight was utterly one-sided.
The fight was more difficult for Zhou Qian. His defensive style was truly draining in every battle. Still, he managed to push through the third round on sheer willpower. After all, everyone else had advanced, and gritting his teeth, he refused to be left behind.
The third round came to a close. The various major sects had all encountered problems of one kind or another, and the difference between the high and low-level participants had become clear.
The qualifiers were complete, and the main tournament was about to begin. Ten people from each city would enter the Pure Land to compete for the title of the absolute strongest.
And the true carnage would begin in the main tournament. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)