Seeing them, Huang Xiaolong carefully converged his aura before walking toward the ship with a mild expression.
Two disciples clad in the Elephant Genesis Sect’s law enforcement robes blocked Huang Xiaolong’s path, but noticing he was wearing the Barbarian God Sect’s outer disciple robe, they only asked a few perfunctory questions. Feeling there was nothing suspicious about Huang Xiaolong, they let him go.
After paying five hundred shenbi for the fare back to Winged Tiger City, Huang Xiaolong boarded the flying ship without looking back.
The ship filled up in a short time and soon departed from the docks.
Ten days of flight later, Huang Xiaolong was finally back in the Barbarian God Sect.
There were five days left until the outer disciples’ Submerging Dragon Ranking battle, however, the registration had already started a few days ago. So, upon his return, Huang Xiaolong did not return to his room, instead heading to the Submerging Dragon Hall to register for the ranking battle.
As he made his way to the Submerging Dragon Hall, the passersby disciples’ conversations entered Huang Xiaolong’s ears.
“This batch’s genius outer disciple Zhu Wanchen truly lives up to his reputation as the Zhu Family’s brightest star of the last ten millennia. He has already broken through to the Heavenly God Realm after just nine months in the Barbarian God Sect!”
“Some say he actually advanced two months ago. I also heard that Senior Brother Chen Hao invited him to join the Sky Dragon League. Senior Brother seems to place quite a high importance on Zhu Wanchen, he was even seen giving guidance to him.”
“For real? I didn’t expect Senior Brother would personally guide him. After all, Senior Brother Chen Hao is our sect’s number one most talented disciple of the last hundred thousand years!”
“Zhu Wanchen has registered for the Submerging Dragon Ranking battle, it looks like the first place is certainly his! The Sect Chief has returned from the Extraterritorial Devil Battlefield, I heard the he will observe the ranking battle and will accept Zhu Wanchen as his personal disciple in front of everyone when he wins the first place!”
Huang Xiaolong sneered inwardly as he listened to the words of admiration and envy around him.
‘Zhu Wanchen has broken through to the Heavenly God Realm? All the better!’ He would be worried if he hadn’t.
Slightly over an hour later, Huang Xiaolong arrived at the Submerging Dragon Hall.
Due to his performance during the disciple recruitment assessment, the new batch of outer disciples recognized him at a glance when he appeared in the hall.
Huang Xiaolong had just stepped into the hall when two new outer disciples stood in his way.
“Huang Xiaolong, where did you hide these past few months? You finally have the guts to show up now! What, you really came to register for the Submerging Dragon Ranking battle? Do you really think you’re qualified to be Big brother Zhu Wanchen’s opponent?” One of them sneered, sounding condescending.
“During the disciple recruitment assessment, you only got the second place because you cheated! A wastrel like you with a top rank eight godhead isn't qualified to challenge Big brother Zhu Wanchen!” The other joined in and added, “Big brother Zhu Wanchen doesn't even need to act personally, even one hand of mine can easily squash you to the floor!”
These two outer disciples were ranked fourth and fifth in the assessment. The fourth ranked was named Jiang Yi, while the fifth ranked disciple was Cui Zifan, both of whom possessed high rank nine godheads.
The result of the disciple recruitment assessment had birthed great dissatisfaction in their hearts when a person with a mere top rank eight godhead like Huang Xiaolong was standing above them in the list. Moreover, after these months of effort, both their strengths had improved greatly. Although they had yet to breakthrough to the Heavenly God Realm like Zhu Wanchen, they still reached perfection stage late-Tenth Order Highgod Realm.
Huang Xiaolong’s cold gaze swept over them, spitting out one word: “Scram!”
Jiang Yi and Cui Zifan’s expressions turned ugly in an instant.
“Huang Xiaolong, you’re courting death!” Jiang Yi’s face was distorted with anger, “Since you’re asking for it, this matter doesn’t need to wait for Big brother Zhu Wanchen to deal with you, I’ll cripple you right here and now!” He then attacked Huang Xiaolong with a sudden palm strike.
Palm force howled in the air, manifesting overlapping blurry shadows.
Jiang Yi was a member of the Green Cloud Island’s Jiang Family, and the palm strike he was executing was none other than their family’s Overlapping Shadows Palm, illusory yet real, making it hard for the enemy to distinguish where the actual palm attack was falling.
However, Huang Xiaolong didn’t even look at it, his palm casually struck out.
Noticing Huang Xiaolong’s unconcerned expression as if looking down on him, a ruthless glint flickered in Jiang Yi’s eyes as he increased the amount of godforce in his attack.
Pa! The two palms met in midair.
Before anyone could see what happened, the ferocious looking Jiang Yi was suddenly filled with fear. In the next second, he was sent flying back like a broken kite, slamming onto one of the stone pillars in the hall and plopping to the floor.
The surrounding disciples who were waiting for a good show quieted abruptly, especially Cui Zifan and other outer disciples of the same batch.
Jiang Yi had just registered for the Submerging Dragon Ranking battle earlier and had loudly proclaimed that he would obtain the second place.
Now, this self-proclaimed number two persona was spurting blood from his mouth like it wasn't worth anything.
Huang Xiaolong raised his eyes slightly in Cui Zifan’s direction. Sensing Huang Xiaolong’s gaze on him, Cui Zifan turned sickly green, his feet unconsciously moved back as he shook his head and hands, “Huang, Big brother Huang, just now it was only a joke, we were just joking.” Cui Zifan squeezed a smile that was uglier than a crying pig
Huang Xiaolong snapped coldly: “Scram!”
“I’m scramming, I’m scramming!” Cui Zifan nodded vigorously despite the ugly expression on his face. He scurried over to lift Jiang Yi before fleeing from the hall, disappearing a breath later.
Huang Xiaolong threw Cui Zifan and Jiang Yi out of his mind as he walked toward the inner hall where the registration for the Submerging Dragon Ranking battle was located.
After all, raising too much of a commotion here was unworthy of the troubles that would come after. The situation earlier was different, as Jiang Yi attacked first and Huang Xiaolong merely defended himself.
The disciples who were crowding in a circle around Huang Xiaolong opened a path for him, dread on their faces as if he would attack them for no good reason.
Reaching the counter, Huang Xiaolong proceeded to put his name in for the ranking battle, however, the inner disciple in charge of registration couldn’t help sneaking in a few curious glances at him.
After his registration was handed in, Huang Xiaolong left the Submerging Dragon Hall before a series of complicated gazes, returning to his own room.
While Huang Xiaolong stepped into his room, Cui Zifan carried Jiang Yi in front of Zhu Wanchen. With a pitiful wronged face, Cui Zifan whined, adding vinegar and salt to the story as he recounted what happened in the Submerging Dragon Hall.
“That Huang Xiaolong’s arrogance has grown higher than the sky! When he registered for the Submerging Dragon Ranking battle, he dared to declare he was going to defeat Big brother Zhu and take the first place. Jiang Yi and I couldn’t stand for his arrogance and politely advised him, but who knew he would attack and injure Jiang Yi!” Cui Zifan clenched his fists, eyes scarlet with hate, “Big brother Zhu, you must avenge us ah!”
Although Zhu Wanchen was well aware there were a lot of things added into Cui Zifan’s story, it was an undeniable fact that Huang Xiaolong heavily injured Jiang Yi.
“Don’t worry, I will settle this account with Huang Xiaolong on your behalf!” Zhu Wanchen promised, a sharp gleamed shining in the depth of his eyes.
“We’re grateful, Big brother Zhu!” Cui Zifan’s face beamed in happiness.
Zhu Wanchen added, “Let that Huang Xiaolong feel proud for a few more days. Five days later, on the battle stage, I will make him kneel on and kowtow to you two in apology!”
Cui Zifan quickly put on an ingratiating smile saying, “With Big brother Zhu’s strength, defeating Huang Xiaolong is a small matter, one finger is more than enough. When the ranking battle ends and Big brother Zhu holds the most glorious spot on the ranking list, the Sect Chief will receive you as his personal disciple on the spot. We will follow Big brother Zhu in the future!”
Zhu Wanchen chuckled at his words, “Those who follow me won't be mistreated.”
Five days soon passed.
As the time grew closer to the day of the ranking battle, the atmosphere around the sect became lively.
In the past, the higher echelon of the Barbarian God Sect wouldn’t pay so much attention to the outer disciples’ Submerging Dragon Ranking battle, but now, because of Zhu Wanchen, the Sect Chief and higher echelon would take the time to observe the battle.
Huang Xiaolong who had been staying in his room in cultivation for the last five days ended his practice. He then walked out from his room, walking toward the Submerging Dragon Ranking battle stage.
