Chapter 488 - 471: Everyone Advances
Clean and decisive, Master Zhang claimed a brilliant victory.
After Zhang Xiaojiang’s victory, Suo Ming and Zhou Qian took their turns on stage. They both had to fight their way through their matches, but they also advanced successfully.
Li Tianyi faced even less resistance and won with ease, not even needing to use his Holy Statue. He was already passionate about cultivation, and forging the Fire Heart Sword had made him even more formidable.
Although the Holy Hall Beings were all winning, these preliminary fights were merely a culling of the weak, making it impossible to gauge anyone’s true strength.
Hu Jing and Yang Ying also made their appearances. Other than their beauty, they didn’t cause much of a stir, securing their victories in a routine fashion. Moreover, their attacks were quite measured; they didn’t fight viciously just for a shocking effect.
It wasn’t until the afternoon that it was Wang Meng’s turn.
Wang Meng stood on the Dueling Platform with his eyes slightly closed. The match didn’t attract much attention; Wang Meng had been gone for too long.
But as luck would have it, his opponent remembered him.
"You’re that Wang Meng who used to hang around with Mingren?" The Sword Cultivator stood as proud and straight as a pine tree, his burning gaze fixed on Wang Meng.
Wang Meng smiled faintly. What he sensed was not his opponent, but the future. ’Who could be happier than I am right now?’ he thought.
Wang Meng was definitely one of the happiest. Why did he pursue cultivation? The Great Thousand World, defying the heavens—all of that was too remote. For him, the sheer joy of battle was his true passion.
Seeing Wang Meng remain silent, looking as if he were sunbathing with his eyes narrowed, the Sword Cultivator gave a cold smile. "I am Cold Sword, the direct disciple of the Sect Leader of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect. As a Sword Cultivator who plans to challenge Mingren, I’ll start by using you for a warm-up!"
The corners of Hu Jing’s and the others’ lips curved into a smile. The Holy Hall Disciples farther away couldn’t hear him; otherwise, they would have been howling with laughter.
Cold Sword had finished his speech and struck his pose, but when he saw that Wang Meng was still ignoring him, his temper flared. ’He’s just riding on Mingren’s coattails and already thinks he’s a big shot,’ he fumed.
An exceptionally long, slender sword appeared in his hand, covered from tip to hilt in a continuous line of Curse Talismans. It was a very special Talisman Sword. ’I’ll use this Wang Meng to kick things off with a bang!’
BOOM... Cold Sword’s Elemental Power erupted. His entire being merged with his sword. Second Layer of Minor Perfection. Perhaps this level of Elemental Power wasn’t particularly outstanding in the Other Shore War, but Cold Sword had considerable confidence in his unique Sword Technique.
Kill!
Cold Sword abruptly achieved the Unity of Man and Sword. The Curse Patterns on the Talisman Sword flared with a golden light, and then man and sword seemed to vanish completely.
That’s right—it was the Sword of Extreme Speed. From the circulation of his Life Mark to the aid of the Talisman, everything was dedicated to achieving this ultimate speed.
It was truly just a streak of light.
This dazzling flash of sword light did manage to attract the attention of a few Cultivators.
STEP, STEP, STEP...
Cold Sword stood dumbfounded, as if he’d been struck by lightning. His sword was gone!
As a Sword Cultivator, to have his Treasure Sword snatched away in the middle of executing a Sword Technique!
And that very sword was now resting leisurely against his neck. Wang Meng smiled faintly. "It’s a good sword."
Hu Jing and the others exchanged a smile. The Sword of Extreme Speed was quite impressive. Against anyone else, its wielder could have advanced a few rounds. Few could even follow that speed with their eyes, let alone react to it.
Too bad for him, he picked the wrong opponent today.
"This... impossible. How could this be..."
Cold Sword muttered, the mental blow staggering. He didn’t even know how his sword had been taken. The gap in their abilities... was as vast as the heavens and the sea.
Wang Meng placed the sword on the ground and turned to leave. After taking two steps, he suddenly looked back. "Let me correct you. Mingren used to follow me."
On the Dueling Platform, Cold Sword was left staring blankly at Wang Meng’s retreating figure. His journey to fame had been snuffed out at the very first stop.
However, Cold Sword did not fall into despair. He would later learn just how great the man who defeated him was, to the point that fighting him was an honor in itself. Losing was simply inevitable. But that is a story for another time.
The Holy Hall Beings didn’t celebrate excessively. Everything was within their expectations. It was a small test of their skills, a chance to get back into the rhythm of battle.
The second day of battles came to an end.
There were brilliant performances across all five battlefields, though most were one-sided affairs. Of course, a few sobering revelations came to light—figures at the Great Perfection level had appeared on the Dueling Platforms.
It seemed some lower-level Sect Leaders or Loose Cultivators had also joined this Other Shore War.
The Little Holy Hall was filled with cheerful laughter. Though Yan Yuyue and her companions weren’t part of the Holy Hall, they were friends and comrades-in-arms from the Great Yuan Realm. However, their victories had not come easily.
Amid the cheerful chatter, Yan Yuyue found herself watching people who had once been far inferior to her. Now, they were handling the Other Shore War with such ease, while she was already feeling the pressure after just the first round of fights.
’The opponents are all so strong,’ she reflected. ’They all have trump cards and are incredibly difficult to handle. Getting injured in this kind of Magical Combat is practically a death sentence for one’s future prospects.’
Ma Tian’Er did not participate. She disliked fighting and there was no need to force her; the Holy Hall was not lacking for combatants.
「Five days later」 The first round of the Other Shore War came to a complete close. All the top experts had taken the stage, and there had been no major upsets. In addition to the already known powerhouses, three masters at the Great Perfection Level had been revealed in the first round alone—and that didn’t even count those who might still be hiding their strength.
This was certainly a source of pressure for the younger generation of Cultivators, but the Dragon Race and Demon Race seemed to feel none at all.
The disciples representing the Taiyin Sect in battle were Zou Chuang and Xie Tianhua. Cheng Cheng was already strong enough to participate, but they decided not to let her fight in this Other Shore War. After all, she was still too young, and exposing her to such combat so early wasn’t necessarily a good thing. As a result, Little Chengcheng inevitably threw a huge tantrum, but this time everyone from the top down simply endured it, letting her make a scene until she wore herself out.
For the past three years, Zou Chuang had been training under an old ancestor of the Taiyin Sect. Beings of that level only existed within the top-tier sects, and among the Ten Great Sects, only two or three remained. They had all long since stopped meddling in worldly affairs, but an exception was made this time for the sake of the Taiyin Sect. It had to be said that Zou Chuang was deeply favored by this ancestor, as their personalities were very similar. Back in his day, this ancestor had also focused solely on cultivation, which was why he had lived the longest. Zou Chuang was much the same. He and Xie Tianhua were a perfect match, which was a fine tradition within the Taiyin Sect.
This generation of heirs for the Taiyin Sect was gradually taking shape. Cheng Cheng’s presence didn’t affect Xie Tianhua’s position, and Xie Tianhua himself had begun to exercise his authority in all respects. Only he could manage the... problematic figures... within the Taiyin Sect.
A disciple entered and gave a report to Xie Tianhua. Little Chengcheng, who had been bored out of her mind, immediately widened her eyes.
"Is it news about Big Brother? Did he advance?!"
Xie Tianhua smiled and nodded. "Not only did Martial Uncle Wang advance, but every participating Holy Hall Disciple has advanced past the first round."
Little Chengcheng was happier than if she herself had advanced. The crowds were a chaotic mix of all sorts of people, so Xie Tianhua couldn’t let the Little Princess wander off. If Wang Meng didn’t have a match, he could have watched her, but at such a critical juncture, it was best he not be distracted.
It wasn’t just information about the Holy Hall. Data on the battle performance of major figures from every city was being collected. Any particularly unique Magic or displays of skill were recorded. When they encountered an opponent of comparable strength, this data would be pulled up for analysis.
Xie Tianhua wasn’t being this meticulous for his own sake, but for Zou Chuang. It was clear that, barring any accidents, Zou Chuang was destined to go much further in the tournament.
He was the Taiyin Sect’s hope this time around.
Since these were the preliminary rounds, most of the attention came from Cultivators from the various Small Thousand Realms. The real powerhouses had yet to show up, and in their eyes, these one-sided Magical Combats were amateurish. For the participating Cultivators, however, it was a grand occasion.
The profits reaped by the five major cities during this period were comparable to those of the previous five years combined, showing explosive growth with no signs of slowing down.
There is strength in numbers, a fact made apparent in every respect.
After the first round ended, there was a day of rest. It was clear that from the second round onward, the pressure on everyone would intensify immensely.
From this point on, every step forward would depend not only on strength, but also on luck.
Some even say that luck is the most important kind of strength.
In the second round, the Holy Hall encountered stiff resistance. Zhou Qian ran into an ultra-violent Body Cultivator who was truly ferocious. Zhou Qian’s defense was impeccable; he had spent the last three years painstakingly training it. But his opponent seemed to have spent that time training his offense. It was a classic battle of an unstoppable force versus an immovable object, one that would not be over quickly.
In the second round, no one could pass with ease.
The second person from the Holy Hall to fight was Suo Ming. His opponent was a middle-aged Sword Cultivator.
At this time, Zhou Qian was still locked in a frantic, bitter struggle with his own opponent.
Suo Ming mounted the stage, Dual Hammers in hand. The middle-aged Sword Cultivator carried himself with an air of arrogance.
He glanced at the Dual Hammers in Suo Ming’s hands, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, and smiled faintly. "A decent Life Artifact. You must be from the Holy Hall."
Suo Ming nodded calmly and cupped his hands in salute. "Suo Ming of the Holy Hall. A Body Cultivator!"
"Heh heh. I am but a humble Loose Cultivator, here to join in the excitement. You may make the first move."
The Sword Cultivator was clearly conceited, but he had the misfortune of running into someone as straightforward as Suo Ming. When he said to make the first move, Suo Ming took him at his word... and attacked with his full power.
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE...
A huge explosion rocked the Dueling Platform, followed by a sudden uproar from the crowd.
"Great Perfection! Someone at the Great Perfection level has appeared!"
Instantly, countless gazes were drawn to the fight. Starlight Academy finally had a Great Perfection-level expert appear.
’Fucking hell, what rotten luck! He was so close! A few more hammer strikes would have been enough to finish him!’
After the second round began, disciples from sects that still had participants were granted better viewing positions. Anx Dao and his group were finally able to squeeze their way to the front.
Zhou Qian was still locked in his grueling battle, and the situation was not looking good; it was a race to see whether he or his opponent would collapse from exhaustion first. Meanwhile, Suo Ming had completely dominated the beginning of his fight, only for his opponent to suddenly reveal he was at the Great Perfection level.
Suo Ming was blasted back more than ten meters by a surge of Elemental Power before he could stop himself. The middle-aged Sword Cultivator looked utterly wretched; he had nearly been defeated by an underdog just a moment ago.
’Who could have possibly imagined that my opponent’s Life Artifact... could actually suppress Magic!’
’Gods, for such a heaven-defying ability to actually exist!’
It was a situation worth wringing one’s hands over. Against almost any other opponent, Suo Ming’s chances of advancing would have been extremely high. Of all of them, his progress over the past three years had been the greatest.
"Kid, remember my name: Moo Cangtian!" Moo Cangtian bellowed, his body radiating the immense pressure of a Great Perfection cultivator’s Elemental Power.