Xia Jiuyou looked up and slashed out with the blade that had formed in his hand. A jet-black glint swept past the void, which separated like simple paper as the blade light glided towards Lei Nü.
Lei Nü’s star energy gathered in front of her to block the Triple Blade Will while she simultaneously tried to dodge to the side.
However, Xia Jiuyou’s blade severed her star energy and moved through the sea, splitting it in two.
The next blade fell soon after, and the strength of the attack had doubled.
Lei Nü’s pupils were pinpricks now, and she charged straight at Xia Jiuyou with a look of determination on her face.
Xia Jiuyou’s blade struck, but then it suddenly changed directions. The attack that should have cut Lei Nü down had shifted the tiniest bit, and the attack once again parted the sea. Meanwhile, Lei Nü suddenly froze and stopped her mad dash towards Xia Jiuyou.
Although Xia Jiuyou’s Triple Blade Will had not finished, Lei Nü’s expression gradually calmed down.
The place fell silent.
At that moment, a figure had appeared on the previously unoccupied golden screen that was off in the distance. At this new development, the two youths turned to look.
It was Lu Yin.
The Ghost Monkey had swallowed the drop of Progenitor’s blood atop one of the split mountains, and Lu Yin had ascended that same mountain. Step by step, he had arrived atop the golden screen.
His appearance grabbed everyone’s attention.
Shang Qing was shocked. Ever since he had first arrived in the Mountain and Seas Zone, he had remained indifferent no matter what happened. However, at this moment, Lu Yin had surprised him.
Burial Garden’s top disciple should have appeared on that screen, so why was Lu Yin standing there instead?
Although Shang Qing had once mentioned that he hoped that Lu Yin would become one of the Cosmic Five, Shang Qing did not actually believe that Lu Yin was capable of defeating Burial Garden’s top disciple.
When Qiu Shi saw Lu Yin standing on the golden screen, her expression grew cold. She was reminded of the incident in the tablet world, particularly how Lu Yin had managed to suddenly fully recover from all of his injuries and how he had repeatedly used a secret technique more times that should be possible. This person was a royal pain.
Yuhua Mavis looked at Lu Yin with curiosity; was this the classmate that Lulu had mentioned?
For someone of Lulu’s age to reach this stage was very mysterious.
In another part of the Mountain and Seas Zone, Jin He saw Lu Yin step onto the golden screen. He looked casual and relaxed, but the depths of his eyes contained a profound terror. He was the third member of the Ten Arbiters who had been defeated by Lu Yin, and if not for those fools from Gods’ Origin, Jin He would have been in mortal danger.
If Lu Yin was really able to become one of the Cosmic Five, then that would be terrible news for Jin He. Not even his status as one of the Ten Arbiters would be enough to save him in that case.
Tai Yuanjun watched Lu Yin up on the golden screen. Envy, jealousy, and hatred all flashed through his eyes. This creature who had once been a mere ant had actually surpassed him in just a few short years, and he had even surpassed most of the Ten Arbiters. What a monster.
Qing Longlong, the Little Leaf King, Shu Jing, Mu Ziying, Hua Xiao, Yao Ji, God Taiyi, God Qingguang, Ku Lei, Hui Santong, Ce Jiu, Xie Xiaoxian, and more were all staring at the people on the golden screens. These people represented the true peak of the Fifth Mainland’s youth.
Lu Yin’s appearance left many people shocked, though those who had exchanged blows with him were not as stunned. They knew that Lu Yin’s talent was truly peerless. Thus, they were not surprised to see him climb up no matter what stage it might be.
On top of the golden screen, Lu Yin walked over, step by step. From this height, he could clearly see the Mountain and Seas Zone, and atop the golden screen, he seemed to be observing everything through a magnifying glass. Here he could clearly see every corner and inch of the Mountain and Seas Zone.
He saw Mu Ziying’s trio, Tai Yishen, Ku Lei, Jin He, and even the fight taking place between Xia Jiuyou and Lei Nü.
Upon seeing the confrontation between those two, Lu Yin suddenly realized why Lei Nü had retreated from her screen—she had an opponent to face.
Lu Yin had never met Lei Nü’s opponent, but the young man’s appearance was very similar to Xia Luo’s. Thus, he should be someone from the Xia family.
The Xia family was the leader of the Court of Seven Names, but recently, rumors that the current Xia family heir, Xia Jiuyou, was quite lacking and that he was destroying the Xia family’s reputation had been spreading rampantly. But at this moment, he did not seem like the weakest of the heirs, but rather the most powerful. Lu Yin was well aware of Lei Nü’s strength, and it looked like she was actually at a disadvantage in her fight against Xia Jiuyou.
Shang Qing and the others who had glanced at Lu Yin just now ignored him again. They all turned to continue watching the showdown between Xia Jiuyou and Lei Nü.
There were three layers of golden screens. The first layer started at the peak of each mountain and the second spread towards the center of the Mountain and Seas Zone, covering nearly half of the entire continent.
The third layer was the highest point of the Mountain and Seas Zone, and it lay in the center. Only those who could reach this highest screen would have proven their qualifications to be one of the Cosmic Five. There were some rumors that it was possible to become one of the Cosmic Five through fate, but that was just false hope offered by the Hall of Honor. Rather than obtaining it through destiny, the Cosmic Five were positions that had always been internally decided long before the contest ever started.
Shang Qing and the others did not move from where they were standing on the golden screens that formed the first layer. Lu Yin did not move either, and they all watched the battle between Xia Jiuyou and Lei Nü take place. This battle would determine who was qualified to climb the mountain and the golden screens.
Hold on, where were Wen Sansi and the others?
Lu Yin suddenly remembered the other Arbiters: Wen Sansi, Liu Tianmu, Ling Gong, Liquor Hero, and Unseen Light. Not one of them could be seen from his vantage point. Were they all at the bottom of the sea? Or had they been killed?
Off in the distance, Xia Jiuyou looked away from Lu Yin and focused on Lei Nü again. “If I haven’t guessed wrongly, then you were planning to take my second Will of the Blade while using the secret technique Discipline to transfer that injury back to me.”
Lei Nü calmly answered, “So that’s why you gave up on the third blade.”
“There aren’t many people who are as capable as you. Aren’t you afraid to die?” Xia Jiuyou was curious.
Lei Nü replied, “I am, but you can’t kill me.”
Xia Jiuyou laughed. “Those who should have revealed themselves have all come out, and I don’t want to waste any more time. This battle should end now.”
After saying that, the gloomy radiance formed over the center of his hand once again as he leaped towards Lei Nü and slapped out.
Ripples spread out from Lei Nü’s body. She was still trying to use her innate gift of hypnosis, but this time, she was not successful. Xia Jiuyou thrust his palm at an empty area, but he struck Lei Nü.
Lei Nü was struck by the palm, and her body was smacked back a hundred meters. Xia Jiuyou did not pause his assault as he quickly released another palm. Right before he seemed to be about to land a hit on Lei Nü, he turned around as his palm moved half a body width to the side. Then, it landed, hitting Lei Nü once again.
Lei Nü had already been struck by four of Xia Jiuyou’s Yōu Reinforced Palms, and half of her body had been frozen. She was only able to sluggishly move around now, and she suddenly understood what had happened; Xia Jiuyou was able to find her through sensing the location of the frost left behind by the Yōu Reinforced Palm.
She had previously been struck by two of his palms, and the frost from those two meant that she was no longer able to evade any more of Xia Jiuyou’s attacks.
Xia Jiuyou stared at Lei Nü. “It looks like you’ve figured it out. The moment you were struck by my first Yōu Reinforced Palm, the battle’s outcome had already been determined.”
Lei Nü’s eyes were cold. “Not necessarily.”
She then raised a hand and pointed it at Xia Jiuyou. “Secret technique: Discipline.”
Xia Jiuyou suddenly felt a burst of agony on his back as the air chilled and froze while a palm print appeared on his back.
Xia Jiuyou frowned, but he did not even try to dodge it. This was one of the Hall of Honor’s secret techniques, Discipline, and it could not be evaded.
The Hall of Honor’s most infuriating secret technique was precisely this Discipline, as it allowed the user to transfer their injuries to their attacker. This technique could not be dodged or blocked in any manner, and it could only be endured.
This was the Hall of Honor’s secret technique that had shocked the Neoverse: Discipline.
Within the Neoverse, whenever the Hall of Honor was mentioned, countless people would first think of the Honor Zone. Then, they would think of the hall as the masters of the Human Domain. Finally, their third thought would be of the secret technique Discipline.
The Hall of Honor had more than just one secret technique, but Discipline was the only one that universally induced fear and disgust.
Nobody wanted to suffer from their own attacks, but this secret technique forced them to do so. Just the fear of potentially suffering from this technique could cause many people to hold back and not put their full force into their attacks. Using more power in their attack could backfire on them. However, if they did not put forth their full efforts into the fight, then how could they win?
Discipline was the most frustrating secret technique.
Nobody knew which Progenitor had developed this secret technique, but if it were to become known, then that Progenitor would be cursed for countless ages.
Xia Jiuyou was forced to endure the bitter result of being struck with his own Yōu Reinforced Palm. He had not allowed the Second Will of the Blade to land as he had precisely been worried about this secret technique.
Lei Nü continued to point at Xia Jiuyou. “Secret technique: Discipline.”
Xia Jiuyou did not move a muscle, but his shoulder absorbed the force of his Yōu Reinforced Palms and quickly frosted over.
Next was the third Yōu Reinforced Palm, which struck his chest.
He was in the same condition as Lei Nü now, and half of his body was frozen.
Lei Nü panted heavily as she stared at Xia Jiuyou, unwilling to accept her situation. Secret techniques were not battle techniques, and she could not use Discipline however she wished. This was her limit.
Xia Jiuyou’s lips curled up. “Have you finished venting? You can admit defeat now.”
Lei Nü closed her eyes and silently stood atop the sea. “I’ve lost.”
A Yōu Reinforced Palm dealt a great deal of damage, but its more troubling aspect was the cold that froze the opponent and impeded their movements. The frost could also be used to detect the opponent’s location, which was how Xia Jiuyou had countered Lei Nü’s innate gift of hypnosis.
Lei Nü had been able to give Xia Jiuyou the same injuries as she had suffered from the Yōu Reinforced Palms, but she could not borrow the Yōu Reinforced Palm itself to attack him. In Xia Jiuyou’s eyes, Lei Nü’s actions were nothing more than venting her anger, which was fairly accurate.
Lei Nü had been defeated, and Xia Jiuyou’s body suddenly trembled. The ice covering him shattered and fell into the sea. It turns out that the Yōu Reinforced Palm was actually ineffective against Xia Jiuyou.
He smiled at Lei Nü and then started making his way toward the tall mountain. He had replaced Lei Nü and become one of the five people qualified to stand atop the golden screens. If nothing unexpected happened, he would become one of the Cosmic Five.
Outside the Mountain and Seas Zone, the group of older powerhouses were all silent, especially Mu En.
The appointment of the Cosmic Five needed to be seen as a contest to the outside world, and it should be something that required destiny. However, to the Hall of Honor, these contests were merely a formality, as they had already decided on the youths who would be the Cosmic Five. This time, they were supposed to have been Shang Qing, Lei Nü, Yuhua Mavis, Qiu Shi, and Yōu Qi.
This decision had not been made with just the consideration of the Cosmic Five’s matchless strength. More importantly, there was the distribution of benefits for the powers behind them.
The Hall of Honor controlled the Honor Zone, and it was the power that ruled over the entire Human Domain. However, despite being the most powerful organization, they could not possibly rule over the Human Domain all by themselves, and there was a power balance. That was why there had previously been some people from the Seven Courts who had become a part of the Cosmic Five.
This balance had not been broken in many years, and it could not be allowed to be broken.
This Astral Tower contest was no different, and the power of the various heirs of the Seven Courts were all known. None of them should have presented a threat to the five youths who had been preselected to become the Cosmic Five.
The other powers of the Neoverse, and even the Innerverse’s Ten Arbiters, had all been evaluated by the Hall of Honor. They had determined that there were no threats to the appointed five, which was why this Astral Tower contest had been allowed. However, noen of them had expected that Xia Jiuyou would suddenly spike in strength to reveal an astounding power that allowed him to defeat Lei Nü. Her defeat had not been a simple thing in Mu En’s eyes, as he had watched her be crushed by her opponent.
Lei Nü’s Autumn’s Sorrow was very difficult to defend against, and she also had two secret techniques, her innate gift, and various battle techniques that she had received from the Hall of Honor. Whether it was her physical strength or spiritual force, every aspect of her was practically perfect. However, all of that had been completely neutralized by the combination of Xia Jiuyou’s Yōu Reinforced Palm and his innate gift. Although Xia Jiuyou had been injured during the fight, it was nothing much that would affect his future battles.
To the Hall of Honor, this was not an outcome they had predicted, but rather an accident that had broken the equilibrium.
This was an accident that could actually threaten the others.
Also, it had not only been Xia Jiuyou who had upset the balance, as there was also Lu Yin. He had actually managed to defeat Yōu Qi and take his place as another one of the Cosmic Five, which was something that had shocked Mu En and the others even more badly.
