Chapter 578: At the Center of the Dragon Battle Arena
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
The white clouds crossed through the void and quickly reached the Dragon Battle Arena. People from the Great Qin Empire went up to receive them as they landed on a patch of ground.
The Great Qin Empire had arranged the seating of all powers that were there to view the battle, regardless whether they supported Shi Tianhao and the Celestial Sect of Wonders or if they supported Shi Tianyi of the Great Void Sect.
For the Celestial Sect of Wonders and the Great Void Sect, they sat facing each other in the eastern and western side of the arena.
The Great Qin Empire, as the host, took the northern side. The many cultivators who came to spectate occupied the remaining seats.
The Great Void Sect was led by someone who looked like a child. His expression was calm and his gaze was ageless.
However, no one on scene would underestimate him. Everyone knew who he was. This person who looked like a child was actually a member of the Great Void Sect's Supreme Elder Council and a central figure of the Radical Faction, Kuang Heng.
Kuang Heng's fame had been established more than ten thousand years ago. He was well-known before the Xuan Lin Holy Man and the incumbent Great Void Sect Sect Leader Yan Nanlai. He personally took part in the war against the demons.
During the last War of the Two Worlds, the contemporary sect leader, the Tai Yi Holy Man, was seriously injured and hence, he retired to the Supreme Elder Council. At that time, the two most likely candidates for the title of Sect Leader was Yan Nanlai and Kuang Heng.
In the end, Yan Nanlai ascended the throne and Kuang Heng entered the Supreme Elder Council.
However, everyone knew that the reason Kuang Heng was not elected was not that he was inferior to Yan Nanlai. Instead, it was because he was from the Radical Faction and Yan Nanlai was from the Conservative Faction. The Great Void Sect preferred stability.
Kuang Heng's expression was calm and his gaze fell upon Lin Feng. He was neither sad nor happy. He just nodded his head in acknowledgment.
Lin Feng smiled back at him and nodded his head too.
Two people stood by Kuang Heng's side. One of them was a middle-aged man, the Xuan Li Holy Man and the other was a woman in white. She was the Elegant Cloud Holy Woman.
Without talking about anyone else, the three of them exerted a huge amount of pressure.
Two of them were Immortal Soul Third Level cultivators while one of them was an Immortal Soul Second Level cultivator. No sect could field so many high-level cultivators at one go. Even the Great Qin Empire and the Great Zhou Empire would find this hard to match.
The only sect with more cultivators in today's world was probably the Mount Shu Sword Sect. However, the Kuang Heng and the other two were only a small part of the Great Void Sect. They had yet to deploy every member of the Radical Faction.
The older and more well-informed ones knew that the actual helmsman of the Great Void Sect was the 'uncle' of the Xuan Li Holy Man and Kuang Heng's master. He belonged to the same generation as the Tai Yi Holy Man. He was the Zheng Yi Holy Man.
The person who brought the Xuan Lin Holy Man and the Elegant Clouds Holy Woman away from the Yu Ancestral Home was him. It was also him who chose not to leave Mount Baiyun. He entrusted the affairs of the Radical Faction to Kuang Heng and friends.
The Great Void Sect hardly revealed itself. While it commanded awe and respect, many people did not exactly feel its presence. Only today did they fully experience it.
The Celestial Sword Elder of the Heavenly Master Sword Sect sighed and thought, "The Radical Faction of the Great Void Sect is already much stronger than the Mount Shu Sword Sect. The many sects of the Divine Lands should thank the Conservative Faction for reining the Radical Faction in..."
The Heavenly Master Sword Sect he was from was aided by the Great Void Sect to act as a check against the Mount Shu Sword Sect. He understood the Great Void Sect better than most people.
Today, everyone who was supposed to be on-scene was present. The presence of so many powerful Great Void Sect cultivators caught everyone's attention.
In the Celestial Sect's camp, the Fatty Yan Wuwei twitched his mouth and said, "What's so special about it? It's all for show."
Liu Xiafeng shook his head and said, "That may not be the case. While they are in a dominant position, it was dishonorable for them to take in Shi Tianyi despite the blood debt he bore."
Right as he said that, Zhu Yi, who was sitting behind him, said, "One can say that the Great Void Sect is power-hungry and Machiavellian, but one can't say that they're dishonorable."
"Here, no matter whether you belong to the Radical Faction or the Conservative Faction, no one will act honorably," said Zhu Yi without turning around. "The Conservative Faction plots through alliances while the Radical Faction seeks hegemonic dominance. The aim of the Great Void Sect has always been clear and they will use all methods at their disposal. They are truly Machiavellian in this aspect."
"After they set a goal, they will advance towards it without fail. Their fame and acclaim are given by outsiders who hope that they can live up to the lofty values that are supposedly attributed to them."
"Because to outsiders, this will be the most beneficial outcome. This will reduce the perceived threat of this powerful organization to the minimum."
As Zhu Yi spoke, he laughed quietly and said, "Worldly fame and reputation are like a chain around one's neck. Funnily, the younger generation of Great Void Sect disciples actually put on this chain."
"However, the elders who truly helm the sect are clear. They know that they did not get to their current positions by listening to the opinions of others."
Ever since he knew about his parents' past, Zhu Yi spent time researching the Great Void Sect and hence, his understanding of him exceeded that of a normal person.
Yan Wuwei withdrew his fat neck and said nothing. Liu Xiafeng ruffled his own hair and asked, "But, Second Uncle, if that's the case, then why is the Great Void Sect, the Mount Shu Sword Sect and the Great Thunderclap Temple known as the Three Holy Great Holy Land that destroyed the Satanic Way in the Middle Ages?"
"According to what you said, what's the difference between the Satanic Way and the Just Way? Is it a simple matter of the victor writing the history books?"
While Liu Xiafeng cultivated on Mount Yujing, he was still cognisant about the affairs of the outside world.
In response to Liu Xiafeng's question, Zhu Yi was not angry. Instead, he turned his head nodded his head in approval and said, "You are right. This is not a simple of winners taking it all. However, the difference between the Just Way and the Satanic Way is not as clear-cut as black and white."
"There are many ways of the Tao as human nature is similar."
Liu Xiafeng and the rest pondered Zhu Yi's words as Xiao Yan laughed, "Sit tight and calm yourself. For these matters, he who laughs in the end laughs the loudest."
As everyone looked at Lin Feng, they themselves felt calm. The Fatty Yan Wuwei felt Lin Feng's serenity and lowered his head and said, "I was rash."
Lin Feng's back was facing them as his expression did not change. Looking at the eye-catching and pressurizing group from the Great Void Sect, he almost laughed as he thought, "Just as Xiao Yan said, he who laughs in the end laughs the loudest. The higher one stands, the greater one will fall."
As Kuang Heng and company took seat, they were surrounded by a group of Great Void Sect disciples. Many of them brimmed with the vitality of life and they all appeared exceptional. One could see the pure Yang entity, Ding Runfeng, amongst them but not Bai Xiqian.
As everyone looked at the Great Void Sect disciples, they thought, "No wonder they are known as the place of genii."
Amongst the Great Void Sect disciple, one of them was particularly eye-catching. His expression was solemn and his two eyes were shut. It was Shi Tianyi.
Everyone who previously saw him realized something strange when they looked at him again. There was something different about him as if something had fundamentally changed.
Shi Tianyi looked at the three of them and bowed. Then, he jumped down from the platform and landed in the canyon at the bottom. He placed his hands behind his back and stood quietly.
"Is my dear brother not yet here?" Shi Tianyi projected his voice.
The younger cultivators of the Dragon Battle Arena shifted restlessly. This was the first time Shi Tianyi goaded Shi Tianhao into battle so directly.
After a long while, no one heard Shi Tianhao's reply.
In the Dragon Battle Arena, waves of mana began to simmer. No one spoke out but everyone discussed silently.
On the day of the battle, Shi Tianyi arrived on scene but not his opponents. This raised many eyebrows.
Shi Tianyi waited for a long while before he tilted his head slightly. "Do you not intend to show up?"
"Why are you so anxious? Is your right eye even ready?" A cold voice came from the Celestial Sect's camp.
At this moment, everyone's gaze fell onto Lin Feng and company. However, other than Lin Feng, everyone looked at the youth in purple robes with a head full of white hair.
"That's the Third Disciple of the Celestial Sect, Wang Lin. He was the one who blinded Shi Tianyi's left eye!"
Those who understood what had transpired were all shocked.
"Earlier on, he was still in his Aurous Core stage and he managed to partially blind Shi Tianyi. Now, he had formed his nascent soul. Isn't he stronger that Shi Tianyi now?"
"That may not be the case. Shi Tianyi also became stronger and one can only tell after a fight. However, he is definitely someone to watch out for. I heard that he killed Nascent SOul stage cultivators in the Void Battleground like man culling curs."
Now, Wang Lin had become something of a legend in the Divine Lands. With one bold move, he made himself go from zero to hero.
Initially, he was the disciple with the slowest progress Lin Feng. Some even mocked that Wang Lin was Lin Feng's only mistake in choosing disciples.
Then, he slowly became famous during the Spiritual Conference of Huanghai. Then, his progress shot up exponentially. In the span of a few months, he ascended to the early Aurous Core stage and shocked everyone.
If his previous actions weren't impressive enough, his battle against Shi Tianyi in the Void Battleground, where he blinded him with only a mid-Aurous Core stage mastery, was enough to make him famous throughout the Divine Lands.
Finally, Wang Lin, who had never been an eye-catching disciple of Lin Feng, was the first to form his nascent soul. He finally became one of the upcoming cultivators in the world that would make Immortal Soul stage elders look twice.
As everyone around them discussed, Shi Tianyi suddenly opened both his eyes and stared at Wang Lin. His left eye, which had only one pupil, shrunk.
This white-haired youth was the one who ended his legend, partially blinding him in the process.
However, it was also because of him that motivated him to progress even further.
Shi Tianyi's right eye dazzled with a stunning light. The golden light enveloped the entire Dragon Battle Arena and in the light, one can see many forms rising and falling. It was like a world by itself.