Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Could a person who finished a divine piece of art please come forward?”
“Who would that be?!”
“Only a few people have finished divine pieces of art!”
What Ling Yushi said was absolutely shocking. Everyone was wondering who the person she had mentioned was. Even Tian Ling had lost her calm. Her pretty face looked puzzled.
“Junior Sword Venerable will come to the Title Battle,” Ling Yushi said. Her answer was not disappointing at all. People exclaimed. All of them were shocked. Jiang Chen was surprised too. The fact that this person was called Junior Sword Venerable meant he had participated in the Title Battle once, and he had gotten a great title.
“Why would Junior Sword Venerable come? Didn’t he go to the Three Upper Realms to practice?” Li Bai was very surprised. Knowing a lot about the Civil and Martial Arts Institute, he certainly knew who Junior Sword Venerable was. “His art went into the Martial Emperor’s collection. He also got the Martial Emperor’s personal instruction,” he said.
Jiang Chen was surprised to know it was this man they were talking about. He had heard a lot about this person in the Civil and Martial Arts Institute. Junior Sword Venerable’s achievements were apparently greater than any of those of the young generation of the Three Middle Realms. People like him usually would stop competing for any title. All they would focus on was how to break through to Great Venerable. Or they would go to the Three Upper Realms to have adventures, looking for the strongest rivals in the same state.
That was why the young people on the scene were not only surprised to hear he might come, but also thrilled and excited. Including the Spirits. As a human, it was not easy at all for a Junior Sword Venerable to gain respect from the proud Spirits.
“Junior Sword Venerable would like to meet the person who finished two divine pieces of art,” Ling Yushi added.
Many people smiled weirdly, while some others shook their heads. Jiang Chen had shocked the world by finishing two divine pieces of art in a row. Despite the controversy it caused, he had gained a great fame and brought himself troubles like this current incident with Han Qianye and Ling Yushi too. That being said, it was really surprising that he had even caught Junior Sword Venerable’s attention.
“Ha, ha, ha. This is what you get when you try to build yourself up too much. Let’s see how you will cover your lies,” Fan Yao said, laughing.
Han Qianye’s elegant manner was back again. He was beaming.
“Don’t worry.” Tian Ling comforted Jiang Chen, although she was startled to hear who was coming.
“And I have a divine piece of art here, an authentic one. Would you like to see it?” Leaving Tian Ling and Jiang Chen behind, Ling Yushi said to other people after having gotten enough attention.
Of course they would like to see it. She did not even have to ask.
“Since you are interested.” Ling Yushi took a scroll out of her spiritual storage-ware as she spoke.The young geniuses on the square all turned serious at once, even before the scroll was open. The mere sight of it sent the blood pulsing through their veins. People wondered what this divine piece of art would be about.
“It’s the Civil and Martial Arts Institute who established the standard for a divine piece of art. She really wants to replace them,” Li Bai said unhappily.
Ling Yushi opened the scroll little by little. A strong energy surged from it. People stared at the painting with their eyes wide open. So did Jiang Chen. He was as amazed as the others after seeing it.
Simplicity was what the calligraphy and the paintwork were after. Each character could be compared to a weapon. However, there were ten different weapons on this scroll! Jiang Chen felt it was very familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere else before.
“This divine piece of art was created by the new star of the Martial Victory School, a genius who has got into the top ten in the Fourth Palace, Ning Haotian.” Ling Yushi explained.
It dawned on Jiang Chen where he had seen the painting before. Ning Haotian had gotten an inheritance. The Natural Law War Case was one of the treasures contained in it. There were ten weapons in the case, and they were exactly the same ten weapons as on the scroll. However, as far as Jiang Chen knew, the Natural Law War Case was only a method of lore. It could help practitioners exert a very high level of martial arts techniques through their own strengths. Nevertheless, in terms of martial arts techniques, this was not even a fine piece of art.
Jiang Chen looked at the painting carefully. It did have some extraordinary things in it. However, it was closed before he could take a closer look at it. Other people who had been appreciating it complained involuntarily.
“This isn’t the right place to appreciate the painting. If you want, please come to the Water Moon Cottage after the qualification battle,” Ling Yushi said.
At this moment, Jiang Chen saw Ning Haotian striding over. Thanks to the divine piece of art, people were looking at him in awe. Ning Haotian, tall and large, quite enjoyed it. He looked elegant and sharp. His eyes were like blazing torches. You see? I’m as good as you in every aspect. His comportment said to Jiang Chen in silent communication.
Jiang Chen shrugged his shoulders, as if it was not a big deal. All of a sudden, something occurred to him. He said, “So you took the Natural Law War Case.”
Jiang Chen had gotten the Natural Law War Case after their fight in the Natural Law School. Since he did not need it, he left it in the Natural Law School. After all, he was the Natural Law School’s leader, although he had done nothing for it. Later, the Natural Law War Case was stolen, which created a great disturbance.
“The Natural Law War Case always belonged to me.”
“Yeah? But, as I recall, it’s the Natural Law School who got it in the first place. They thought you were a rare genius, so they gave it to you so that you could get the inheritance,” Jiang Chen said.
“The Natural Law War Case has recognized me as its master!”
Since the two were only talking through holy awareness, others could only see them staring at each other.
“The doctrine of martial arts is wonderfully interpreted in the calligraphy and in the painting. This scroll has ten weapons on it. They are knife, spear, sword, halberd, club, fist, palm, leg, claw, and finger.”
“Yeah. Why is that?”
Jiang Chen was not the only one who was confused. Other people also posed the question. Whoever finished a divine piece of art would get such treatment. Jiang Chen was not the only person whom they had doubted.His creation of two divine pieces of art was really a challenge for people’s common sense.
“I won’t be able to explain even one-tenth of what’s good about it. Why don’t we come back to this after the qualification battle? Or, maybe Ning Haotian will exert some unique movement today. In that case, you’ll see it with your own eyes too,” Ling Yushi said.
People were very curious. However, they had to hold their curiosity. After all, the scroll was there. It would not disappear automatically.
Not like Jiang Chen’s works. They were destroyed by the Jiangs even before they could be exhibited to the world.
“Okay! I declare the start of today’s qualification battle!” At this moment, a loud and clear voice came from the square. It was the Blood Shadow Royal Uncle who spoke. With a lot of strong people standing beside him, he gave out lots of pressure. “Participants will be eliminated or chosen in the same way as before. No one will be qualified just because of good luck. We only have 100 places. Only the strongest ones can get them.”
Jiang Chen wondered how the qualification battle would achieve what he had claimed. No matter what the rules were, some people would win simply because their rivals were too weak. That was inevitable. Or maybe two strong people met in the qualification battle. In that case, one of them would be eliminated anyway, and people weaker than the eliminated one would get a place, while he could not. He had learned all about the rules. He could not help but admire the wisdom of the inventor of these rules.
Crisscrossed lights appeared on the square after Blood Shadow Royal Uncle declared the start of the battle.
