Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“No… No thanks.” Chen Ge hesitated. He was suspicious of Lonemoon’s sudden politeness. Yet, he smiled courteously and said, “Exalted Immortal Lonemoon must be joking. Little Ling may be of low cultivation, but she is already an immortal and does not fall sick that easily. This must be due to the nerves of participating in a competition with immortals from other continents.”
He turned and looked at Hui Ling with a comforting gaze. Hui Ling did not react. Instead, she turned pale and looked panicked. She looked like she had a million and one things that she was holding back from saying.
This was the first time Chen Ge had ever seen her this bothered. He could not help but say, “Little Ling, just take this as another ordinary competition. Just fight as how you normally would and it will be okay. Your master has faith in you. Don’t get too stressed out.”
“… Yes, Master.” She became even paler. She did not know how to ask if she could back out of the competition.
“Your Majesty has a point,” Lonemoon said, grinning until his eyes became slits. He glanced at Hui Ling, then turned to address his own disciples. “Did you hear that? Just fight as you normally would. I have faith in you too!”
The five disciples behind him answered, “Yes, Elder!”
Their voices resonated in the hall. Hui Ling repressed the sudden hesitation and doubt she was feeling.
Hui Ling’s expression turned nastier.
Even Chen Ge frowned. Was he imagining this? Why did he feel like Lonemoon’s words were dripping with sarcasm?
Just as Chen Ge started to clarify this with Lonemoon, a white beam of light appeared in front of him. The people from He Chuan continent arrived.
There was a huge stage between them and the light, so Chen Ge and the others could see clearly this time. The white light illuminated a huge transportation array. After awhile, more than ten people appeared in the white light. At the forefront was Chu Xuan.
His gaze swept over where Chen Ge and the others were. Then, he laughed mirthlessly. “Chen Ge, I thought you would not dare to appear, just like you did the previous few times we were supposed to battle. I see that you arrived earlier today.”
Chen Ge ignored this challenge. He maintained his gentlemanly demeanour and answered in a low tone, “Celestial Emperor Chu Xuan invited us here in the name of the He Chuan continent – how can Feng Cang continent not show up?”
“Oh, it looks like you are very confident!” Chu Xuan looked at him with contempt. Unwillingly, he continued, “Since that is the case, let me see how skilful the fighters from Feng Cang continent are!”
When he finished speaking, he waved his hand and three immortals flew out from behind him, landing atop the stage. All three of them were Stygian Immortals.
“It is far too troublesome to compete one-by-one. Why don’t we let everyone of the same cultivation level battle?” Chu Xuan suggested.
Chen Ge did not object. He nodded at the three Stygian Immortals who were taking part in this competition. The three of them flew toward the center of the stage.
Lonemoon glanced at the six people on the stage. He pondered for awhile and figured out why Chu Xuan wanted all three immortals to fight at once. The three Stygian Immortals from He Chuan continent may not have looked as skilful as the other three Stygian Immortals from Feng Cang, but it was obvious that they were used to co-operating with one another in battle. The Stygian Immortals from Feng Cang, on the other hand, were picked out from different countries. It was likely that they had never fought together before. Their teamwork and chemistry was obviously lacking.
Indeed, in a few moments, the three Stygian Immortals were broken apart. It could be said that they were shamefully defeated. The three of them were kicked off the stage. Suddenly, the expressions of the various emperors present changed.
The Mystic Immortal group’s competition was much the same. This time, it came to an end far more quickly. The few Stygian Immortals could at least hold on for an hour, but the Mystic Immortals were defeated in little over a minute.
Chu Xuan was absolutely delighted by now. He had already expected this outcome. He was only awaiting to see Chen Ge’s shameful expression. That was until… the Golden Immortal round.
If the key was co-operation, the few immortals from Invincible Sect definitely did not lose out to anyone. They trained together from the beginning. The most powerful among them, Si Yu, did not even have to transform. They depended on Yu Hong and the other disciple alone to force the three disciples from the other side to desperation. In about ten minutes, the oppositions were thrown off the stage. They looked… more pitiful than the immortals that they had defeated prior.
“Body cultivators!” Chu Xuan had not expected this outcome. He was initially extremely confident of winning every single group, but he left this possibility out of his calculations. The people from He Chuan continent did not know how to react.
This was freaking unfair. Where exactly did these body cultivators come from? They were female immortals, no less. How did they even make the decision to become body cultivators?
The crowd from Feng Cang continent had already overcome their initial shock at seeing the body cultivators, so they did not express any shock this time. Instead, they were celebrating the victory in their hearts. They were not silly — it became obvious to them after the Stygian Immortal round that the opponents had done their calculations. They were just ashamed to change the rules of the battle after agreeing to letting the immortals compete in groups at the start. Thankfully, the group from Invincible Sect could transform… Wait, they were body cultivators. If the Invincible Sect managed to win the next round, they would at least be able to draw.
At last, it was time for the Earth Immortal group.
“Master, I don’t want to…” Hui Ling, who had been trying to suppress her panic, could not hide her fear any longer. It was written all over her face. Subconsciously, she tugged at Chen Ge’s sleeve.
“LIttle Ling.” Chen Ge patted her hand and felt his heart sink. He very much wanted to allow Hui Ling to back out of the competition, but he was the Celestial Emperor after all. His own disciple had won the Earth Immortal group. If he allowed her not to fight, he would not be able to answer to the other emperors. His voice became much softer as he comforted her, “Just try your best. Trust Master – you will be alright.” Hui Ling had never worked together with anyone to fight before. It was normal for her to feel nervous. Looking at how the previous round turned out, however, Chen Ge was confident that she would be alright.
Subconsciously, he turned to look at the Invincible Sect. He thought to say something encouraging to them, but he saw Lonemoon mutter instructions to his disciples and even set up an isolation array to protect them.
In his heart, he wondered if they were just discussing the strategy to defeat the opponents. He did not think too much of it. That was until the three of them went up the stage and Lonemoon broke the isolation array before saying, “Remember what I said to you.”
“Yes, Elder.” The two disciples bowed and flew to the stage.
Hui Ling straightened up, gritted her teeth and followed suit.
The moment she landed, Hui Ling drew her immortal weapon, a red paper fan. She gave it a gentle wave and bursts of fiery light flew toward the sky and charged at their opponents. It was the Fire Subduer Fan, another top-grade immortal weapon.
Lonemoon lowered his gaze. She was indeed the Celestial Emperor’s disciple – so well-equipped!
The three opponents did not expect her to carry such a formidable weapon either. They quickly retreated and dodged the bursts of fiery light, but it hit them nonetheless. One of their robes got singed so that only half of it was left. The Fire Subduer Fan was an immortal weapon which produced unnatural flames. Ordinary water-elemental techniques would not work on the flames. The opponents became far more serious, yet they had no choice but to keep retreating.
Hui Ling gained confidence. The panic that she felt earlier disappeared in an instant. She lifted her other hand and there was a sound of a bell. She drew another immortal weapon. It was a golden bangle. The moment Hui Ling drew it out, it multiplied by a million times so that they seemed to cover the heavens and the earth. A wall of bangles charged toward the opponents. The opponents who were already busy trying to avoid the flames hid further away from the wall of bangles.
Hui Ling smirked. She thought too much earlier on. The opponents may have been sent by Celestial Emperor Chu Xuan, but they were nothing more than ordinary cultivators. They were not the body cultivators sent by Invincible Sect. Even if they did not help her, the opponents were not her match. As she thought about this, the hatred toward that Sect Master Shen grew in her chest. If not for her, Hui Ling would not have lost that necklace.
She turned and glared at the other two disciples who had ascended the stage with her. She realised that the two of them were on the other side. Each one of them was holding an immortal sword and were trying to block off the sorcery cast by the opponents. Hui Ling could not help but scoff. So what if they were body cultivators? They were from a small sect afterall. No matter how strong they were, they would never compare to immortals from the Heavens beyond Heaven. She alone could help them win this round.
Suddenly, her attack became much more aggressive. The entire stage was filled with red deviant flames. Even the two disciples from Invincible Sect had no choice but to retreat to a corner. The three opponents had no room on the stage to stand anymore – they were forced to fly up into the air while fighting the dense wall of golden hoops.
