“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Just as Ba Yan picked up Xiao Chen and left, two figures appeared on the messy second floor.
If Xiao Chen were still awake, he would definitely recognize the two men. They were the two figures he had seen at the city gates that day.
One of them was Zhao Feng, a descendant of the Divine Eye Sovereign, the second ranker of the Black Sea’s thirteen Great Bandits. The other person was Sima Lingxuan, the most dazzling outstanding young talent of the Black Sea, who had been hogging the limelight recently.
This was especially so after his adoptive father, Zong Boxiong, advanced to Sovereign Martial Emperor. Sima Lingxuan’s status rocketed as a result; no one could compete with him in fame.
The organizers of this gathering were precisely these two. For the sake of waiting for someone, they had arrived long ago. However, they did not reveal themselves.
Unexpectedly, the proper gathering devolved into such a state—an exceedingly surprising development.
The person the two waited for did not arrive. Instead, another character came, brandished his saber in drunkenness, and beat everyone up.
“It is indeed you!” Sima Lingxuan said through clenched teeth as he looked in the direction Xiao Chen and Ba Yan had taken.
After Sima Lingxuan heard the name White Robed Bladesman in the city, he wondered whether it was Xiao Chen. Seeing him with his own eyes verified his guess.
Unexpectedly, despite the ten-year interval, Xiao Chen was still so strong. He still appeared as impressive as he had during the Sky Dome Realm’s Five Nation Youth Competition, exuding an aura of indomitability.
If the story of what happened today got out, the name of the White Robed Bladesman Xiao Chen would resound throughout the entire Dark City, surpassing Sima Lingxuan’s again.
This was just like the Five Nation Youth Competition back then. In a sudden turn of events, Xiao Chen had overwhelmed Sima Lingxuan’s glory, completely covering it.
Are you here to participate in the Outstanding Talent Summit Meeting as well? That is great. I have waited for this day for a long time already!
Determination flashed in Sima Lingxuan’s eyes at that thought. Then, he slowly calmed down again.
Zhao Feng, who was at the side, did not notice the strange changes in Sima Lingxuan’s expressions. He looked at the many Great Bandits’ descendants sleeping on the floor in drunken stupors, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
All these people were famous outstanding talents of Dark City. Unexpectedly, an outsider put them in such sorry states.
Of course, their strength had greatly diminished as a result of drinking. However, Xiao Chen’s strength went without a doubt. He could only be described with one word: strong!
At the very least, Zhao Feng believed that if he fought with Xiao Chen, his chances of victory were only even at best.
However, Zhao Feng remained confident that if he met Xiao Chen at the Outstanding Talent Summit Meeting, he would still be the victor.
“How unfortunate! Huang Yun still did not appear. He already left for three years and probably forgot about the Outstanding Talent Summit Meeting!” Zhao Feng said in disappointment.
That was right. The purpose of this gathering was to draw out Huang Yun, the descendant of the top Great Bandit, the Blood Shark Sovereign. Even though he had already been gone for three years, Zhao Feng and Sima Lingxuan still could not get over him.
Sima Lingxuan retorted calmly, “It is indeed unfortunate. However, it is only unfortunate for you, Zhao Feng!”
“What do you mean?”
Sima Lingxuan revealed a mocking expression and replied indifferently, “Haha! It is unfortunate that your strength did not improve. You still ended up losing to me here; you did not notice that he actually came already.”
Zhao Feng’s expression changed as he looked around quickly. A spiraling azure light appeared in the depths of his eyes, spinning rapidly.
A vague scarlet figure appeared in his vision. This scarlet figure flickered and vanished, changing position in a flash.
“Whoosh!”
A figure revealed himself on the Conflagration Restaurant’s second floor. A large scarlet saber sat at the back of his yellow shirt, and his eyes appeared slightly scarlet. This man was Huang Yun, the descendant of the Blood Shark Sovereign.
“He returned!”
Some of the watching cultivators revealed expressions of horror when they saw that yellow-clad figure, which threw them into a fluster.
The Blood Shark Sovereign’s descendant, Huang Yun!
Three years ago, Huang Yun had been the absolute overlord of Dark City. Only after he left did Zhao Feng and Sima Lingxuan start to gain fame.
This was especially so for Sima Lingxuan. He grew exceptionally fast, showing hints that he might have surpassed Huang Yun.
Now that Huang Yun returned, arriving before the Outstanding Talent Summit Meeting, there would definitely be a fierce struggle.
First, the White Robed Bladesman appeared with strong momentum and defeated all the outstanding talents in a drunken state. Then, there were the foreign cultivators stirring up havoc and watching ferociously.
Finally, the old overlord returned to Dark City. Everyone would definitely be filled with anticipation for this Outstanding Talent Summit Meeting.
“After leaving for three years, I see that the Great Bandits’ descendants in Dark City all seem to have grown weaker.”
Huang Yun glanced at all the drunken outstanding talents sprawled on the floor and frowned slightly, not even attempting to hide his disdain.
After that, Huang Yun looked up at Zhao Feng and Sima Lingxuan, then finally fixed his gaze on Sima Lingxuan.
“The two of you are pretty good. I already anticipated that you would rise up three years ago, but I did not expect it to happen so fast. However, you have a heart demon. If you do not excise it, you will have a hard time making progress. You are not worthy of being my opponent.”
Sima Lingxuan’s heart sank. After three years, this Huang Yun was still as strong as ever, spotting his weakness with one glance.
Sima Lingxuan’s heart demon was precisely Xiao Chen. He had a grudge against Xiao Chen for trampling on him and killing his father. Without defeating Xiao Chen, he would have difficulty making any genuine improvements.
However…
“Heart demons can be a shackle, but they also can be motivators. If you really think that way, then you will lose very badly at the Outstanding Talent Summit Meeting.”
A strong fighting spirit appeared in Sima Lingxuan’s eyes, showing no fear of this returning overlord.
Huang Yun smiled faintly, appearing as confident as before. “You are no match for me.”
“Then, how about I be your opponent?!”
Just as Sima Lingxuan was about to retort, a voice suddenly rang out on the second floor. A figure with a powerful aura arrived quickly, knocking away many of the peeking cultivators in his way before landing heavily on the floor.
The expression in his eyes looked somewhat chaotic, and his skin appeared metallic, giving off a faint sheen. His bizarre countenance made it clear that he was neither a human nor Fiend.
This was a human-Demon mixed-blood, possessing the bloodlines of a human and a high-ranked Iron Demon.
“It is him! It’s Mo Ran. He is one of the foreign cultivators who caused the most commotion recently in Dark City!”
“Since he is here, then the Ice Sea’s Leng Xin and the Storm Sea’s Ouyang Feng are definitely here as well!”
[TL Note: This Ouyang Feng is different from the one from the Purple Night Sword Sect, who first appeared in chapter 953.]
“Now, this is a true gathering. This is just the start.”
The moment this person appeared, many cultivators immediately recognized him. This was Mo Ran, a young expert from the Human-Demon Sea.
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Amid strong chaotic winds, two more men appeared on the second floor as well. One of them was tall and possessed an aura similar to the wind—the Storm Sea’s Ouyang Feng. The other person showed a frosty emotionless expression; this was the Ice Sea’s Leng Xin.
The true gathering was just beginning; these words were not wrong at all.
The six people present represented nearly all the strongest outstanding talents currently in Dark City. If Xiao Chen and Ba Yan, who left already, were included, all the strongest outstanding talents would be counted.
Huang Yun revealed a cruel smile and said, “Dark City’s Outstanding Talent Summit Meeting has never had an outsider win it before. With me, Huang Yun, around, it will be impossible for you to change this and make history.”
“Is that so? Let me see how strong you are!”
The Human-Demon Sea’s Mo Ran laughed coldly and charged over. His body shimmered with light, appearing like metal, heavy and dense. As he stomped on the floor, he produced loud, explosive footfalls.
He sounded like a mountain running. His aura was startling, incomparably berserk, as he punched.
Huang Yun narrowed his eyes, and his somewhat scarlet eyes turned entirely scarlet. He did not draw his saber, sending out a punch as well, instead.
“Bang!”
The two fists clashed, producing an ear-shattering report. The two took ten steps back each, and the entire Conflagration Restaurant trembled without pause.
Huang Yun, who carried a scarlet saber on his back, said coldly, “You are only so-so. If that is all you have, you cannot force me to draw my saber.”
The expressions of the Storm Sea’s Ouyang Sea and the Ice Sea’s Leng Xin changed slightly. Huang Yun was indeed scarily strong. Despite being a bladesman, Huang Yun used his fist to receive Mo Ran’s move. If Huang Yun had used his saber, the results would definitely have been different.
“You all had better not come for the Outstanding Talent Summit Meeting happening in half a month. Otherwise, you will lose very miserably. Don’t blame me for being merciless then,” the boundlessly tyrannical Huang Yun said before disappearing in a scarlet flash, leaving the Conflagration Restaurant.
“How arrogant! Do you think that I showed you all my trump cards?” Mo Ran was not willing to accept his loss at all. He stomped on the floor and charged out immediately without showing any fear.
Now, only four people remained.
Sima Lingxuan glanced at the other two foreign cultivators, and a strong intent to fight blazed in his eyes. “Since you are here, how about we exchange a move or two? At least we can avoid this being a disappointment.”
“That was what I was thinking as well,” the Storm Sea’s Ouyang Feng and the Ice Sea’s Leng Xin both said in unison.
A probing exchange quickly unfolded in the restaurant. Everyone wanted to scope out their opponents, but they were not willing to expose their trump cards.
All this would only conclude at the Outstanding Talent Summit Meeting, ultimately erupting then.
—
At this moment, Xiao Chen was drunk and unconscious. He did not know what happened afterwards, that a few more experts appeared later.
This time, he was thoroughly drunk.
Back at the Flame Rock castle, Ba Yan hauled Xiao Chen back to the courtyard where he was staying. The sound startled Yue Bingyun, who was currently busy repairing the Dragon Subduing Platform.
At the sight of the unconscious Xiao Chen covered in wounds and his white robes stained with blood, Yue Bingyun’s expression changed. Her face turned cold, and a heavy murderous intent flashed in her eyes.
The moment that murderous intent appeared, it startled Ba Yan. It was very difficult to imagine that someone so cool and pure as Yue Bingyun would have such a horrifying side to her.
“How is he? Who injured him?”
Ba Yan quickly explained the matters in the Conflagration Restaurant, telling her every detail and clearing up Yue Bingyun’s suspicions.
“He drank a hundred cups of excellent wine in one go!”
The killing intent coming from Yue Bingyun disappeared, and she now appeared somewhat shocked. For a wine to be described as excellent, such wine would be very strong. Even quasi-Emperors could not drink too much of it.
Drinking one hundred cups like Xiao Chen had was unheard of. Even Martial Emperors did not dare to do that.
Xiao Chen’s later actions were even crazier, beating up all the outstanding talents in his drunken state. He must truly have been drunk to dare to fight so many alone.
If it had been the rational Xiao Chen, he would definitely not have done such a crazy thing.
“That was how everything happened. Don’t blame me for not helping. It already turned so chaotic. I was afraid that if I entered the fray, it would become even worse. I’ll leave him to you, then.”
