Chapter 175: This Is No Grand Banquet
Yin Ten said, “What, you want to participate?”
“With my cultivation, I can’t compete for the Longevity Pill, but competing for a Dragon Seed should be no problem, right? If I can’t get the Dragon Seed, getting a piece of Dragon Bone might still allow me to transform into a dragon or flood dragon in the future.” Yin Eleven said.
Yin Ten clearly had learned some inside information in the Immortal Forest: “The arena competitions can only select martial cultivators with higher current stage combat power; they don’t touch even one word of the ‘Hidden Dragon’.”
“The current generation’s number one under heaven doesn’t mean they’ll still be number one among their peers in a hundred years, or even necessarily still alive.”
“So, a true Hidden Dragon not only needs leading martial way cultivation and combat power among their peers, but also the support of wisdom and temperament.”
“Wisdom and temperament can give them a greater probability of always leading their peers. It also gives them a greater chance of surviving to the end, becoming a transcendent figure for a millennium on this land, or even the Son of Heaven.”
“In short, talent, intellect, and martial arts—none can be lacking.”
Yin Eleven said, “How do you define wisdom and temperament? It can’t be that they’ll have us martial cultivators guessing lantern riddles, right?”
Li Weiyi was dumbfounded and chuckled, but he was equally curious in his heart.
Yin Ten said, “From what I’ve learned, to participate in this Hidden Dragon Competition, first you need to get an invitation from the Du’e Temple Immortal Master before New Year’s Eve.”
“There are two hundred invitations in total, fifty each for martial cultivators from the Eastern Territory, Southern Territory, Western Territory, and Northern Territory.”
“The martial cultivators from the Twenty-eight Prefectures of the Four Territories have already been divided into the four cities of southeast, south, west, and north.”
Li Weiyi suddenly understood; no wonder they were told upon entering the city that martial cultivators from the Seven Prefectures of the Southern Territory could only live in the south of the city: “I get it! The young martial cultivators from the Seven Prefectures of the Southern Territory who came to Qiu Prefecture City have been grouped into one competition unit, together vying for fifty invitation spots. If they don’t get an invitation before New Year’s Eve, they’ll probably really only be able to watch the lantern festival in the city, without even the qualification to enter the game.”
Li Weiyi’s mood instantly grew heavy; the young martial cultivators from the Seven Prefectures of the Southern Territory gathered in Qiu Prefecture City numbered in the tens of thousands, all competing for fifty spots.
Too cruel!
Yin Eleven said, “So that means, as long as one’s strength can rank in the top ten of a single prefecture, they should basically get an invitation?”
“Probably need top five to be relatively secure.” Li Weiyi said, “For example, in the Southern Territory, Zuo Qiu Gatehouse and Jiu Li Clan alone will take quite a few spots. Plus the Heaven’s Chosen secretly nurtured by the major powers and sects; they’re very likely to participate in this Hidden Dragon Competition because of the generous rewards.”
Yin Ten said, “Not likely, but certain.”
“The significance of one Longevity Pill is enough to drive any force mad. One Dragon Seed means the strongest Dao Seed, meaning they’ll progress extremely fast in the Dao Seed Realm—which Five Seas Realm martial cultivator wouldn’t want to compete for it? They’d even bet their lives to do so.”
“If one could seize both a Dragon Seed and a Longevity Pill at the same time… hmph, then today you might still have the qualification to compete with me, and we could call each other brothers, but perhaps in just five years, or ten years, when you see me again, you’d have to kneel and kowtow, calling me a longevity tycoon, watching my lifespan stretch centuries like an immortal. While you still struggle in the shackles of a hundred years of life, where I could crush you with one finger.”
“Jia Zi Forge Longevity is already stunning beyond compare.”
“But a peak Heaven’s Chosen with both Dragon Seed and Longevity Pill support really has a chance to forge longevity within ten years.”
Not only was Yin Eleven excited, but even Yin Fifteen and Yin Sixteen outside the room took deep breaths, gazing at the long sky, lost in the dream of forging longevity in ten years that Yin Ten described.
Only Yin Thirteen and Li Weiyi felt more and more uncomfortable the more they heard.
Time was too tight; with only about twenty days until New Year’s Eve, wanting to elevate their cultivation to top fifty in the Southern Territory was simply a pipe dream.
Yin Eleven said, “So how exactly does the Du’e Temple Immortal Master distribute the invitations? For people like us from the Hidden Sect, who aren’t well-known, won’t we just be directly overlooked?”
Yin Ten said, “The successors of the ten million gateways definitely won’t worry about getting invitations. I heard a group of martial cultivators in the Immortal Forest discussing that next, those with strength but not enough fame will intensively challenge strong practitioners to boost their battle records and reputation.”
“Everyone can’t contact the Immortal Master directly, but the Immortal Master is certainly in the city. The only way is to let their name and battle records reach the Immortal Master’s ears this way.”
The always silent Yin Nine said, “The meaning from above is that only I and Yin Ten can compete for this Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival; you all are not allowed to participate.”
“Boom!”
Yin Eleven fell from the beam, emotions surging with agitation: “What do you mean? After saying all this, you’re telling us only you two are allowed to strive for Du’e Temple’s generous rewards, while we can only watch? Looking down on whom? I can’t beat you, but surely I can enter the top fifty of the Southern Territory.”
“It’s indeed a bit unreasonable! Our hopes might be slim, but not completely hopeless.” Yin Fifteen’s voice came from the courtyard.
Yin Sixteen said, “Is this the meaning from above, or you and Yin Ten’s meaning?”
These Hidden People were each ruthless characters who survived to the end among batches of people; though Yin Nine was strong, he wasn’t a God Hidden Person yet, and couldn’t make them absolutely obey.
Yin Nine stood up, walked to the door, his majestic figure standing under the Bone Lamp, proudly saying, “I knew you wouldn’t be willing. Then let’s fight—whoever beats me can participate. I won’t use the battle axe.”
Immediately, three powerful battle intents rose in the courtyard.
The three walked up.
“I’ll go first!”
Yin Eleven’s strength was very strong; he was a Deformed Humanoid Race at the Seventh Sea of the Five Seas Realm, cultivating fundamental martial arts, had swallowed the Hidden Sect’s treasured Flood Dragon Blood, forging a powerful physical body.
“Enough!”
Yin Ten shouted delicately: “Above doesn’t want you to participate because they don’t want you going to your deaths. This isn’t a feast, not a feast, but a slaughter feast!”
“Didn’t you say Du’e Temple should set up an arena for everyone to fight?”
“They did; the entire Qiu Prefecture City is an arena! Beneath this Eight Trigrams-like city, formation scripts are densely arrayed. As early as three months ago, Zuo Qiu Gatehouse and Du’e Temple added new defense formations to every street and every building.”
“On New Year’s Eve, Zuo Qiu Gatehouse will issue two decrees.”
“The first allows martial cultivators below Dao Seed Realm to engage in martial combat in the city before the Lantern Festival, but they must compensate for all losses and console those accidentally injured. And it restricts slaughter, forbidding the indiscriminate killing of innocents, or they’ll be struck down on the spot. Zuo Qiu Gatehouse calls it the kill limit decree, but those who understand, understand— the kill limit decree is actually a kill license.”
“The second prohibits martial cultivators at Dao Seed Realm and above from fighting in the city before the Lantern Festival, called the martial ban decree.”
“Once the martial ban decree is out, even the qualification for elder strong practitioners to intervene and save people is stripped away.”
“Now the entire Qiu Prefecture City has become a chessboard mirroring the world situation. Du’e Temple wants to see the struggles of the various powers, the most authentic battlefield slaughter; the elder strong practitioners can only be spectators outside the chessboard.”
“Originally, the young martial cultivators of the major powers, even in strife, wouldn’t aim for slaughter—after all, killing a thousand enemies costs eight hundred of your own. Everyone is for the generous rewards, to win Du’e Temple’s support for their own righteous armies.”
“But disruptors have appeared!”
“The Far West Ash Region has come; the Four Great Demon Kings want in too, and the Imperial Court wants to stir up a bloody storm.”
Yin Eleven, Yin Fifteen, and Yin Sixteen all calmed down, their eyes grave.
Once the kill limit decree and martial ban decree are issued, this Qiu Prefecture City will become a paradise for top Five Seas Realm masters, holding the power of life and death, even able to set their own rules.
This is too dangerous!
Li Weiyi asked, “The people from the Far West Ash Region should count toward the Western Territory, right? They can’t be placed in our south city.”
Yin Ten shook her head lightly: “Who knows! This group led by the Young Esteemed One is extremely terrifying; some among them take pleasure in eating the flesh and blood of Pure Immortal Bodies, some like collecting beautiful human skins—of course they definitely also want to seize Dragon Bones, Dragon Seeds, Longevity Pills, but they… act completely without pattern, the biggest uncertain factor.”
“The major powers of the Lingxiao Life Realm might mutually attack due to past grudges, fighting fiercely, just like our Jiu Li Clan and the three great sects. But would we for no reason attack and kill other powers, making enemies?”
“But the Young Esteemed One’s group might.”
“Zuo Qiu Gatehouse’s higher-ups are probably very worried about this, so they’re preparing to clear hidden dangers as much as possible before the New Year.”
Yin Fifteen said, “The meaning from above is to have us fully assist you two in getting results at the Lantern Festival?”
“It’s too early to talk about that now; we haven’t even gotten the invitations yet—who knows what the situation will be like then.”
Yin Nine said, “First complete the mission, investigate the Ash Spirit. But if you encounter the Young Esteemed One and the four great experts under him—Hua, Qi Jin, Ming, Zang—absolutely do not act rashly.”
The list of suspicious martial cultivators was distributed by Yin Thirteen.
Li Weiyi was naturally excluded; Yin Nine told him he just needed to stay in Qin Garden and cultivate well.
A fragrant breeze brushed his face; Yin Ten’s eyes were stern, warning in tone: “You seem more obedient than anyone, but actually you’re the least obedient. Though the kill limit decree won’t be issued until New Year’s Eve, Qiu Prefecture City is already very unsafe now, with fights, slaughter, and death happening every day.”
Li Weiyi smiled: “I cherish my life a lot!”
Yin Ten said, “Did you use the Disguise Art to transform into Huo Qiankun?”
Li Weiyi didn’t hide it from her, surprised: “How did you know?”
“Huo Qiankun and Yuwen Chao haven’t appeared since going to pursue and kill you, and twenty days later you appeared, so naturally they were dead! That’s the first reason.”
Yin Ten continued, “Some martial cultivators in the Immortal Forest chatted about an amusing story, saying Qi Jin under the Young Esteemed One has already killed over a dozen people called Huo Qiankun in Qiu Prefecture City, and everyone’s guessing the reason. I reckon it must be related to you.”
Li Weiyi was both speechless and deeply puzzled: “That shouldn’t be; when I was in Huo Qiankun’s identity, I chatted well with her, complimented her beauty multiple times. Could it be…”
Li Weiyi suspected that when he transformed into Cang Li and used the Ghost Flag to give it to Jiang Ning, he had exposed some trace somewhere, letting her see through it.
Could it be that silver spear?
“Sigh, my fault! I only killed one Huo Qiankun, but caused over a dozen Huo Qiankun to die.” Li Weiyi sighed deeply.
Yin Ten snorted coldly: “Good that you know; don’t show yourself easily again, hide well in Qin Garden. If Qi Jin finds you, even I and Yin Nine might not be able to save you.”
From beginning to end, Yin Ten never asked Li Weiyi who killed Huo Qiankun and Yuwen Chao. Because Yin Nine seemed to know some inside story; when the two discussed it together, Yin Nine had once murmured meaningfully to himself: “Li Ling traveling with him explains everything!”
Yin Ten said, “Right, one more thing! Zuo Qiu Ting has already come to the Immortal Forest to find me twice, asking about your news. Should I tell him you’ve arrived in the prefectural city?”
