Immortal Path to Heaven

Chapter 317 Mass Production

Zuoqiu Hongyuan heaved a long sigh and left the ring like a defeated phantom.

Although he was no longer the center of everyone’s attention, there were still some who shot a glance at him from time to time.

It was to be expected. After all, he was the first martial artist to dominate a ring in this year’s Myriad Treasure Meet, and he was even publicly acknowledged as one of the strongest geniuses within his generation.

As such, the moment he leaped off the ring, many were left at a loss for words.

To dominate a ring is to essentially hog the ring for oneself. Those who manage to do so are referred to as ring defenders, and aside from their downtime at night, the ring defenders must never leave the ring. Should they ever step out of bounds, they would instantly lose their ring domination qualification.

Had Zuoqiu Hongyuan been ousted from the ring due to battle, the audience would likely not be as shocked as they were.

However, that was not the case at that moment. Zuoqiu Hongyuan was clearly the only one present in the ring, and as such, his sudden departure from the stage had sparked an uproar.

Wu Hanning swept her gaze at him and coldly asked, “Why did you abandon the ring, Zuoqiu Hongyuan?” Zuoqiu Hongyuan paused, but he did not turn his head back. He groaned, “Your Royal Highness, do you still think that there’s any meaning to the ring domination?” Following this, he then shot a glance towards Ou Yangming’s direction and stated, “Brother Ou, should we meet again in the future, I’ll challenge you to a fight!” With that, he then drifted away like a breeze.

He was proud and free-spirited by nature. As such, even though he was displeased at Ou Yangming, he had chosen not to challenge him while the event was still going on.

As Qin Xingchen and the others observed Zuoqiu Hongyuan’s receding figure, they mentally heaved a sigh of relief. Although they were also Yang Grade Class Five powerhouses, if one were to ask whether they could defeat Zuoqiu Hongyuan in battle, none of them would confidently state yes.

It was also partially for this reason that no one was willing to challenge him after he had dominated the ring.

Wu Hanning shifted her beautiful gaze onto Ou Yangming. Underneath the veil she was wearing across her face, her lips curled into a smile, and a moment later, she too, had left her ring.

Just as Zuoqiu Hongyuan had suggested, Ou Yangming’s sudden debut and his ability to forcibly make martial artists advance their grades had robbed Zuoqiu Hongyuan and herself of their thunder. As a result of this, there was no longer any meaning to the Martial Arts battle.

This was even after they had accounted for their potential ten-day reign over the ring and their victory by the end of the event.

After all, if someone were to mention this year’s Myriad Treasure Meet in the future, the first thing that would come to mind would undoubtedly be Ou Yangming the freakshow, followed by the Supreme Great Ancestors who were created during the event.

As for the Martial Arts Battle…

Even if a Yang Grade powerhouse were to claim victory in the Martial Arts Battle, when compared to the birth of several Supreme Great Ancestors, who would even bother to pay attention to them?

Zuoqiu Hongyuan and Wu Hanning had made plenty of preparations so they could shine in the Myriad Treasure Meet. However, Ou Yangming’s sudden appearance had rendered all of it for naught.

What frustrated them even more, however, was that they could do nothing towards Ou Yangming. It was to such an extent that they dared not even challenge him on the spot.

After all, there were 30-odd Yang Grade Class Five powerhouses glaring wolfishly at them, and with this many future Supreme Great Ancestors standing in their way, even one-in-a-million geniuses would think twice before instigating him.

As such, even though leaving the ring had vexed them greatly, it was still, without a doubt, the best course of action to take.

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Under the rings, the crowd had once again returned to their heated discussions. Although they were overwhelmed with all sorts of emotions, their gaze was now razor-focused on a single ring. After picking up his newly-crafted military saber and mold, Ou Yangming turned to look at the powerhouses and announced, “Due to my limited amount of mental power, I can only use my Simulated Spiritual Fist at most three times a day.” After a brief pause, he added, “Since the Myriad Treasure Meet is only held for ten days, you guys can draw lots to determine your order. As for those who are left out…” Ou Yangming turned and asked Bai Shixue with a smile, “Young pavilion master, I assume you have preparations in place for them?”

Bai Shixue laughed coquettishly and replied, “Rest assured, Master Ou. The Yi Pavilion will definitely provide a satisfying arrangement for everyone.”

Being a business establishment, the Yi Pavilion had already formed several connections with various major families. However, since having more connections would result in an even wider pool of income, there was no way the Yi Pavilion would let go of the opportunity to befriend these future Supreme Great Ancestors. As such, the issue of organizing the venue was of little trouble to them, and they would do their best to fulfill their end of the bargain.

Meanwhile, Qin Xingchen and the other Yang Grade powerhouses were also equally overjoyed. Upon hearing Ou Yangming’s verbal promise, they had finally set their hearts at ease.

Although the three-time daily limit of the Simulated Spiritual Fist was slightly cumbersome, they dared not ask for more. As for the downtime between these three Spiritual Fist bouts… They believed that no one was foolish or bold enough to challenge Ou Yangming during these timings.

As the Yang Grade powerhouses in the ring were all influential figures of great status, once they made their decision, they would not waver in carrying out their roles.

A stack of bamboo sticks was placed in the ring. After each of the powerhouses had written down their names on the stick, they then placed them into a wooden box.

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Qin Xingchen and the others respectfully set the box in front of Ou Yangming, and at this point, to avoid suspicion, no one else aside from Ou Yangming was allowed to touch it.

Naturally, Ou Yangming was free from this psychological burden, and as such, he pulled out the bamboo sticks from the box without any hesitation. Every time he pulled out a stick, someone would record the person’s name for him.

Although the powerhouses had already experienced many things in life, the gravity of the situation had still struck them with all sorts of emotions. Whenever Ou Yangming pulled out a bamboo stick, these battle-hardened powerhouses would either leap for joy like a child or sigh and chuckle bitterly.

Nevertheless, throughout the entire lot-drawing process, no one had voiced a single word of objection. This was true even for those who were left out in the end, as even though they were frustrated, they did not let it show on their faces.

After all, anyone with half-a-brain cell could tell that Ou Yangming was not to be angered, no matter the circumstances.

Once he had finished drawing lots, Ou Yangming then looked up into the sky and said, “It’s getting late now. I’ll take on one more challenger and we’ll call it a day.”

The powerhouses exchanged odd looks at one another as they mentally complained, ‘Even if a match were to last two hours, we would still have time for two rounds, right?’ Despite that, no one had voiced out their objection. This was true even for the imperial guards posted on the scene. They had purposely kept their eyes close to the situation as they feared the consequences of angering Ou Yangming. As for the audience beneath the ring, no one would even pay a single thought to them even if they had mustered the courage to object.

Ou Yangming then returned to the center of the ring and glared at the powerhouses.

Fortunately, the powerhouses immediately understood his intention, and aside from a middle-aged man with a large stature, the others hastily left as they feared that dawdling around would displease Ou Yangming.

The middle-aged man wrapped his fists together and introduced himself with a smile, “Master Ou, my name is Chen Yixian, and I’d like to take this opportunity to greet you in the stead of my family’s great ancestor and brethren.”

Ou Yangming was slightly startled by this. He exclaimed, “Are you a relative of Chen Dishou and General Chen Yifan?”

Chen Yixian nodded and said, “Yes I am.”

Ou Yangming’s lips curled up into an honest smile. Be it Chen Dishou or Chen Yifan, they were both considered prized individuals to him.

As such, it was no surprise that he treated their relatives differently.

Qin Xingchen and the other powerhouses had a visible change in their expressions. Although they had also investigated Ou Yangming’s background, all they managed to dig out was his hometown and his movements within the capital.

In other words, they had no clue what Ou Yangming had been through in Changlong County, and because of this, they felt an ominous sense of danger when they saw Ou Yangming speaking cheerfully with Chen Yixian.

After exchanging a few more words, Ou Yangming said, “Brother Chen, I’m going to start attacking now. Please be careful.” At his current strength and status plus the performance he had displayed that day, this warning towards Brother Chen was well warranted.

Chen Yixian retracted his smile and immediately turned serious. “Please come at me, Master Ou.”

The moment his voice subsided; his vision abruptly changed.

There was a drastic difference in his surroundings, as everything had vanished, including the ring, the powerhouses, and even the audience. Instead, they were replaced by a massive tiger that inched lazily towards him. Its eyes were eerie and ruthless, and the pressure it exerted was so heavy that it was suffocating. It felt as if the sky had crashed down on him, and it was all he could do to resist bending down.

The color drained from Chen Yixian’s face, and his heart thumped with great trepidation.

After seeing Woo Lejia’s reaction in the ring, Chen Yixian had purposely mentally prepared himself for Ou Yangming’s Spiritual Fist as he could sense that there was a certain potency to it.

However, once he experienced it firsthand, he instantly realized his mistake. Ou Yangming’s technique had gone beyond being potent, as it was essentially an out-of-world experience.

This was especially true when the half-spirit tiger glared at him. He could feel death oozing from its gaze, and the tiger itself had felt authentic.

“ROAR…”

After unleashing a thunderous howl, the multicolored tiger then bent back and sprung forward towards Chen Yixian.

There was a mighty strength behind the lunge, as it felt as if space itself had warped due to its movements.

Back in the ring, Chen Yixian began to move. Under the watchful gazes of the audience, he pulled out the spear behind his back.

The Chen family’s prized Lethal Chokehold Spear shone brilliantly in his hands. However, the cruelty of the spear’s techniques had instilled an irresistible sense of dread and fear within the spectators’ hearts. Nevertheless. their feelings were placated somewhat when they observed Chen Yixian attacking empty air.

After an hour had gone by, Chen Yixian finally collapsed. He was utterly drained of energy, and he lacked the strength to even stand. Despite that, he still maintained an iron grip on his spear.

The spear was his life, and losing it was akin to losing his life!

As such, even though his life was in jeopardy, he still refused to let go.

That was his determination; his tenacity, to protect the things he valued greatly

Ou Yangming pulled back his hands, and with that, the illusion vanished, and Ou Yangming’s eyes gleamed with a newfound respect for Chen Yixian.

Under Ou Yangming’s control of the multicolored tiger during the illusion, Chen Yixian was pushed to the end of his rope early on. Nevertheless, his iron will and unwavering grit had kept him strong. This was especially true near the end, as at that point, his eyes had gleamed with an intellectual radiance, as if he had seen beyond the boundaries of life-and-death.

Although he lacked the inborn talent that Zuoqiu Hongyuan and Wu Hanning were blessed with, nothing was holding him back from surpassing both of them in the future.

Chen Yixian sat cross-legged on the ground, and after giving his thanks to Ou Yangming, he then started his cultivation.

Once an enormous wave of energy had erupted from his body, the audience beneath the ring erupted in an uproar once again.

The other Yang Grade Class Five powerhouses were also delighted by this sight. After all, it proved that Ou Yangming was indeed capable of mass-producing Supreme Great Ancestors!