Chapter 1243 – Loose Tongues Lead To Trouble
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“Someone from the first group has fallen down!”
“This is too terrifying! These are all top five ranked people of their own great world, extraordinary geniuses amongst extraordinary geniuses. Even so, they weren’t able to withstand the pressure of the 26th step!”
When Lin Ming fought Crimson Wishjade, there were around 1900 people competing, each equal to around the top 20 of a great world. Now, with just around 500 participants left, they were all the top five ranked geniuses of a great world.
If someone from the top five couldn’t climb up to the 26th step then the others could forget about it.
“At the 26th step! And it will become more and more difficult the further they climb! At the last several steps, the difficulty will surely soar to an unimaginable level!”
“Senior Xiao Daochild wasn’t joking when he said that it was infinitely hopeless that any of the participants would be able to reach the top. I thought it was an exaggeration, but now it seems that there really isn’t anyone that will be capable of mounting the summit!”
In the audience, there were some people that recalled Xiao Daochild’s words.
“Infinitely hopeless… is even Nether Limitless no good?” A martial artist from the Demondawn Great World asked. In his opinion, Nether Limitless was simply far too fierce.
“Nether Limitless? Hehe… it looks like you don’t know anything at all. Nether Limitless won’t be able to reach even the 32nd step!”
Within the audience, an old man with thinning white hair spoke up. His words caused some people to glower at him. Just who was this old man to speak as he wished?
“You ignorant juniors! What do you think the Divine Seal Altar is? When Xiao Daochild said that it was infinitely hopeless to reach the top, he was simply being polite. In truth, no one can reach the top! This is not the first time that the Divine Seal Altar has been used in the Divine Realm First Martial Meeting.”
As the old man spoke, the young elites around him immediately perked up, interested. “Are you saying this isn’t the first time the Divine Seal Altar has been used in the Divine Realm First Martial Meeting? When was it used in the past?”
Suddenly, everyone wanted to hear just how the geniuses of the past First Martial Meetings performed on the Divine Seal Altar.
“The Divine Seal Altar was used once 100,000 years ago, and the geniuses from hundreds of great worlds competed on it. I also know that back then, let alone reaching the 33rd step, there wasn’t even anyone capable of reaching the 32nd step! At that time, the rules of the competition were that it would only end once all martial artists were swept off the Divine Seal Altar. In other words, no one was able to crawl up!
“So it’s like that…”
“There wasn’t even anyone able to reach the 32nd step; isn’t that a bit too abnormal?”
Everyone suddenly realized that if this were true, then it was impossible to reach the summit of the Divine Seal Altar.
At this time, Xiao Daochild was floating atop the Divine Seal Altar, his eyes closed deep in meditation.
None of the discussion from the audience was able to affect him.
“The geniuses of this era are far better than I expected… only at the 26th step did someone from the first group fall down because they couldn’t withstand the Empyrean pressure of the Divine Seal Altar. Perhaps there really might be someone that can reach the 32nd step.”
Xiao Daochild thought to himself. Everything occurring on the Divine Seal Altar was caught within his sense.
From the first group, after the first person fell down because they weren’t able to resist the pressure of the Divine Seal Altar, in just half an hour, there were several more people that fell down from the 26th step of the Divine Seal Altar!
Finally, 478 martial artists were able to climb up the 26th step.
As they sat down and adjusted their condition for two to four hours, several more martial artists reached the top, with Crimson Wishjade included. These people were originally quite strong, but their luck was bad and they encountered extremely strong opponents and thus lost.
After Crimson Wishjade reached the 26th step, she didn’t speak at all. Rather, she found a secluded location where no one was and hid as far away from Lin Ming as she could.
After these several martial artists joined, no one else was able to reach the 26th step.
From the four God Beast Clans, Yan Littlemoon and Dragon One were also eliminated. Although there were still people struggling on the lower steps, it was impossible for them to pass the semifinals.
In other words, the 300 participants that would enter the finals would originate from these 490 some people. After winning here, it was possible that they would pass and enter the finals!
But once they lost, not only would they fall a level, but they would fall to the 25th step and struggle to return to the 26th step. Even after that, they would have to battle the martial artists that were eliminated from the 27th step to continue advancing. To lose here would mean a bitter struggle.
As the battle was about to break out, many participants had dignified expressions on their faces; this was a battle that would affect their future achievements.
“I choose… you, you will be my opponent.”
Lin Ming arrived in front of a martial artist. This martial artist was Wu Finalcloud’s ‘friend’, the green-haired swordsman who had prodded Wu Finalcloud into challenging Lin Ming.
After receiving Lin Ming’s challenge, the green-haired swordsman had an extremely peculiar expression.
Beside him, Wu Finalcloud was watching all this with a happy heart, gloating over it. Although they considered each other as ‘friends’, this was simply friendly on the surface.
“You deserve what you get!” Wu Finalcloud thought in this heart, “All you do is swagger around like an idiot, but let’s see just how you’ll be arrogant now. You should just sit down and take the beating. If you can win, I’ll walk backwards from now on.”
The green-haired swordsman’s face darkened. He suspected that Lin Ming somehow knew what he discussed with Wu Finalcloud, otherwise how could this be such a coincidence?
“Loose tongues lead to trouble, shit, I really stepped in it this time.” The green-haired swordsman thought, filled with so much regret that his intestines were turning green. He had a sneaking suspicion that Wu Finalcloud had already lost to Lin Ming. If so, then obtaining victory here was impossible, because his own strength was faintly inferior to Wu Finalcloud’s.
“Brother Finalcloud, could you tell me whether or not you fought with Lin Ming before?” The green-haired swordsman asked with a true essence sound transmission. He regretted not thoroughly investigating some information on Lin Ming before this. The main reason was because Lin Ming’s ending ranking in the preliminaries wasn’t too high, thus he didn’t care about him. Otherwise, if he inquired about the participants of the True Martial Great World, it wouldn’t be difficult to find out that Wu Finalcloud had lost to Lin Ming.
If Wu Finalcloud had really lost, then there was no need for him to run face on into a wall. He might as well just admit defeat and conserve his strength.
Wu Finalcloud scoffed at the green-haired swordsman’s question. He suppressed his gloating expression from showing on his face and asked instead, “Zhou Hong, didn’t you also try to provoke me to challenge Lin Ming before this? My strength is similar to yours, so if Lin Ming is coming to challenge you now, why would you just admit defeat like this?”
Hearing this, the green-haired swordsman’s complexion turned increasingly ugly. Wu Finalcloud simply wasn’t going to reveal anything.
Regardless of what happened between Wu Finalcloud and Lin Ming, the green-haired swordsman still found himself unwilling to just admit defeat like this. The green-haired swordsman was also the top ranked master of a second-order great world!
Moreover, even if he lost to Lin Ming he was still confident that he could pass the semifinals.
“Just because you don’t say anything, don’t think I’m too afraid to fight him!” The green-haired swordsman coldly coughed and then turned towards Lin Ming.
He grit his teeth and said, “Others may fear you, but I do not! Do you think I’m some noodle that you can just pinch around as you please? I will have you regret the choice you made in choosing me!”
The green-haired swordsman suddenly extracted his sword and pointed it towards Lin Ming. From the audience, disciples from his sect suddenly burst into cheers.
“Senior-apprentice Brother Zhou, you can do it!”
“You can win!”
“You have to win!”
“Senior-apprentice Brother Zhou’s sword can rule the world!”
This green-haired swordsman clearly came from a Great World King Holy Land, and the number of relatives and friends and fellow disciples he had was enormous; there were several thousand people in attendance. Even a peak Holy Land like the Ancient Phoenix Clan wasn’t able to obtain so many admission tickets.
With the green-haired swordsman facing such a dangerous enemy, he stepped forwards and released all of his sword potential, creating a sword domain.
A sharp energy cut through the air, whistling. This sort of sword domain was completely galvanized by a martial artist’s own sword potential, allowing one’s sword potential to naturally form sword energies. If a martial artist with insufficient cultivation were to be enveloped in this sword domain, they would be instantly killed by the chaotic and wild sword energy. Even stronger opponents would be influenced; they would have no choice but to divert their attention into defense.
“That’s the sword domain! Senior-apprentice Brother Zhou immediately used his sword domain!”
“Senior-apprentice Brother Zhou is serious this time. This is going to be a fierce battle between two rivals! That Lin Ming is indeed fierce, but I believe in Senior-apprentice Brother Zhou!”
People only knew of their own things. These weaker core disciples with less talent found it hard to distinguish who was weaker and stronger amongst these peak geniuses. They simply didn’t know where the limit of Zhou Hong’s strength lay, they only knew that their Senior-apprentice Brother Zhou was fierce.
As these disciples saw the sword domain they were all inexplicably excited.
Then, they only heard a loud explosive sound as an incomparably dense spear light cut through the skies and ripped apart that sword domain!
Their cheers were immediately dampened by over half.
That vaunted sword domain was broken just like that?
In the audience, all of Zhou Hong’s friends and relatives and fellow disciples weren’t able to react at all. At this time, Lin Ming has already grasped the Phoenix Blood Spear and rushed into the sword domain. His spear light covered his body, tearing apart all of that massive amount of sword energy.
The long spear swept out. The green-haired martial artist shouted out loud and all of that sword light fell downwards like a river of stars, overwhelming and dazzling.
As a top master of a great world this green-haired swordsman was indeed talented.
Rumble rumble rumble!
In that wild and savage collision, Lin Ming and the green-haired swordsman exchanged seven or eight moves Although the scene was intense, the truth was that Lin Ming steadily gained the upper hand. Every single spear light he sent out would crush apart three or four of the green-haired swordsman’s sword lights!
“Heart of the Sword!”
After being suppressed to the limit by Lin Ming’s spear light, the green-haired swordsman brought back his sword and then suddenly stabbed it outwards. The sword light formed a thin line that thrust straight towards Lin Ming’s chest.
This sort of highly compressed sword light was not just extremely sharp but also ridiculously quick; it was almost impossible to guard against. If one’s strength was lacking, they would be instantly defeated by this sword light.
However, no matter how sharp the green-haired swordsman’s sword light was, Lin Ming’s spear light was far too turbulent and fierce. He opened the Eight Inner Hidden Gates and the Heretical God Force and then thrust out his spear.
With a loud ringing sound, the Heart of the Sword that the green-haired swordsman shot out collapsed. Lin Ming’s spear light continued downwards like a falling mountain.
Bang!
The Phoenix Blood Spear heavily crashed into the Divine Seal Altar!
This was an Empyrean spirit treasure, thus it was unmarred. If this was a mountain or river then this spear strike would have caused a massive avalanche and the earth itself to give way.
The green-haired swordsman was sent flying backwards by the violent shockwave.
Before he could stabilize himself, an alarm went off in his mind. He suddenly shifted to the side.
However, it was too late. A wisp of spear light scratched past his shoulder, tearing through his protective true essence and causing blood to rain down!
“You still want to play around?”
Lin Ming stared at the green-haired swordsman.
“You are ruthless!” The green-haired swordsman looked at Lin Ming and then gnashed out several words. “I… I admit defeat!”
“Well fought.” Lin Ming said, putting away his spear.