Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
After discovering what happened, Duan Ling Tian finally understood why the woman’s voice in his mind wanted him to inform Ling Jue Yun that she was alright.
“Ling Jue Yun!” Duan Ling Tian sent a message through Voice Transmission.
Ling Jue Yun looked at Duan Ling Tian, perplexed, as Duan Ling Tian informed him about what happened when they were in the lower realm of the Southern Heaven Ancient Temple. From when they passed the first trial in the Celestial Lord Temple until Huang’er left Ling Jue Yun’s sea of consciousness and entered Duan Ling Tian’s sea of consciousness and what happened afterward, he recounted everything in detail.
To prove the veracity of his words, Duan Ling Tian also brought up the purely defensive Royal Grade Celestial Weapon that Ling Jue Yun used in the Celestial Lord Temple and the Devata artifact he had used in Time Valley. Indeed, the sword Ling Jue Yun had used in Time Valley was a Devata artifact. Although it was only a primitive Devata artifact, its powers were on par with an Emperor Grade Celestial Weapon. Ling Jue Yun’s expression eased. He no longer doubted Duan Ling Tian’s words.
With this, Duan Ling Tian and Ling Jue Yun were the only ones who knew about the Celestial Lord Temple, everyone, including Murong Xiao Xiao, did not and could not remember anything at all.
Meanwhile, Murong Xiao Xiao checked her Accumulative Points Jade before she looked at the top three names on the scoreboard. ‘I’ve accumulated 232 points, but I still didn’t rank first?’
‘First place, Ling Jue Yun with 298 points? Second place, Duan Ling Tian with 286 points?’ Murong Xiao Xiao frowned. She had never heard of these two names before. It was obvious they were not known in the Profound Nether Mansion. She was shocked and confused that these two unknown young men managed to claim the top two spots in the lower realm of the Southern Heaven Ancient Realm.
At this moment, the two elders from the Murong Clan approached Murong Xiao Xiao and greeted her, “Second miss.”
Not only was Murong Xiao Xiao a genius disciple of the Murong Clan, but she was also the clan leader’s only daughter. She was a woman who could hold her own among men.
One of the elders from the Murong Clan asked, “Second Miss, y-you really can’t remember what happened?”
“I only remember how I accumulated 12 points. What happened afterward, I have no recollection of it at all. Nonetheless, I didn’t expect I’d fail to rank first even after accumulating 232 points,” Murong Xiao Xiao said with a sigh as she shook her head. She looked at the two names at the top of the scoreboard again and asked, “Elders, does anyone know those two who rank at the top?”
“Second Miss, Ling Jue Yun represents the East Ming Nation, and Duan Ling Tian represents the Supporting Fall Nation. Both of them are sectless cultivators,” one of the elders replied.
“Second Miss, they’re no ordinary sectless cultivators. Not only did they rank at the top, but both of them haven’t even reached the age of 100!” the other elder said.
“What?! They haven’t even reached the age of 100?!” Murong Xiao Xiao was slightly surprised at the first elder’s remark, but she was thoroughly shocked when she heard the second elder’s words. Not only were they unknown sectless cultivators, but they were also younger than 100 years old?
‘Ling Jue Yun…’ Murong Xiao Xiao followed the crowd’s gaze and saw Ling Jue Yun. Then, she probed him with her Divine Consciousness. Indeed, he was not even 100 years old!
‘And Duan Ling Tian…’ Then, Murong Xiao Xiao shifted her gaze to Duan Ling Tian. Similarly, she discovered he was also younger than 100 years old!
Duan Ling Tian could tell someone had probed him with their Divine Consciousness. When he looked up, he saw Murong Xiao Xiao staring at him.
At this moment, the Chaos Divine Earth’s voice rang in his mind. “This woman is Murong Xiao Xiao.”
Murong Xiao Xiao. The Chaos Divine Earth had spoken briefly about her earlier. She had tried to curry favor with him when they were in Time Valley and had given up after he ignored her.
‘Based on the look on her face, she doesn’t remember me…’ When their eyes met, Duan Ling Tian could tell she was looking at him as though she was looking at a stranger.
“The participants who have come out, please return to the force you represent.” The voice of Zhangsun Xiong Qi, an elder from the Zhangsun Clan, rang in the air again.
One after another, the participants returned to their respective forces. Duan Ling Tian and Huang Jia Chao returned to the Supporting Fall Nation whereas Ling Jue Yun returned to the East Ming Nation.
“Congratulations, Duan Ling Tian.” Hu Lin Yi, the Emperor of the Supporting Fall Nation, greeted Duan Ling Tian with a beaming smile on his face. It seemed as though he had temporarily forgotten about the death of his son, Hu Ji Yong.
“Congratulations to you as well, Jia Chao. You made it to the top hundred,” Hu Lin Yi said with a smile as he looked at Huang Jia Chao.
‘Hm? I can’t seem to find the fourth prince’s name…’ Huang Jia Chao thought to himself as he looked through the names on the scoreboard. Since Hu Ji Yong’s name was not on the scoreboard, it could only mean one thing: Hu Ji Yong had died in the lower realm of the Southern Heaven Ancient Realm! He gasped inwardly as he looked at Hu Lin Yi furtively.
“Yong’er is dead,” Hu Lin Yi muttered softly after sensing Huang Jia Chao’s gaze.
“I’m sorry for your loss, Your Majesty,” Huang Jia Chao said.
Meanwhile, a crowd had gathered around Hu Lin Yi to congratulate him after Duan Ling Tian returned to his side.
“Congratulations, Emperor Hu!”
“Emperor Hu, you’re really fortunate to be able to recruit such a monstrous talent! There’s no doubt that you’ll be handsomely rewarded.”
“Second place… Emperor Hu, with such a remarkable outcome, your rewards will surely fill everyone with envy.”
Traces of jealousy could be seen in the eyes of the people who had come forth to congratulate Hu Lin Yi. Some of them were even cursing him inwardly for his luck. After all, the Three Sects and Two Clans would generously reward the factions of the top-ranking participants. The higher the ranks of the participants, the more generous the rewards would be. Since Duan Ling Tian ranked second, Hu Lin Yi’s rewards would only be second to the Emperor of the East Ming Nation. The Emperor of the East Ming Nation would, naturally, have the best rewards since Ling Jue Yun was ranked first in the lower realm of the Southern Heaven Ancient Realm.
“Jue Yun, you truly didn’t let me down!” The Emperor of the East Ming Nation grinned ear to ear as he welcomed Ling Jue Yun with open arms. He was clearly overjoyed. He was still shocked that Ling Jue Yun had ranked first. Although he knew Ling Jue Yun was powerful, he did not expect Ling Jue Yun to make it to the top ten, let alone first place.
Meanwhile, people were also gathered around Murong Xiao Xiao who was ranked third to congratulate her. They did not forget to flatter her as well.
“Congratulations, Miss Murong, for ranking third!”
“With the help from the Three Sects and Two Clans and your innate talent, it’d be fairly easy for you to enter the Profound Nether Mansion and accomplish amazing feats!”
“Congratulations, Miss Murong!”
Murong Xiao Xiao nodded perfunctorily when faced with congratulatory words and flattery. Her gaze remained fixed on Duan Ling Tian and Ling Jue Yun, the duo who surpassed her and claimed the top two rankings.
At this moment, a gray-clad old man standing among the throng of people shifted his gaze between Ling Jue Yun Duan Ling Tian, Murong Xiao Xiao, and the other participants. ‘Which of them killed Chun’er?’ He was none other than the Grand Elder of the Sima Clan, Sima Ping Dong. He was searching through the participants for the person who killed his beloved grandson, Sima Chun.
Similarly, the people of the Dongfang Clan were looking at the participants in search of the person who killed Dongfang Jin Lun.
The grade-eight sects Li Yuan and Yu Zhan belonged to were also searching for their murderers.
“Who killed Li Yuan?”
“Who killed Elder Yun Zhan?”
At this moment, Sima Dong Ping’s voice rang thunderously in the center of Scaling Cloud Lake as he declared, “No matter who you are, if you’re able to provide us with clues about the person who killed my grandson, Sima Chun, I, Sima Ping Dong, and the Sima Clan will be indebted to you!”
Everyone was taken aback by Sima Dong Ping’s sudden outburst. It did not take long before they were shocked again.
The people from the grade-seven Dongfang Clan followed in Sima Dong Ping’s footsteps and declared, “Whoever’s able to provide us with clues about the person who killed Dongfang Jin Lun, the Dongfang Clan will be indebted to you as well!”
The two clans publicly declared their determination to find the killers because Sima Chun and Dongfang Jin Lun were no ordinary disciples of the clans; they were their brightest disciples!
“Hmph!” A cold snort rang in the air at this moment, drowning out all the voices immediately.
Chills ran up everyone’s spines.
