Chapter 434: The Momentum of Utter Trampling
The three gray robed men stood in a row. Each one had one star, two stars, and three stars respectively embroidered on their chests. Their formation abreast indicated the difference in their positions and levels.
The blue clad man stood in front of them with his arms crossed, superiority in every line of his body. “None of my underlings are over thirty years old. They are, respectively, of the ninth level spirit realm, peak of the ninth level, and spirit king. Each person will take the field three times. You three sects can first discuss amongst yourselves and send out those you think has the highest chance for victory.”
The gray clad individual with one star embroidered on his chest was the one who’d just defeated Tang Hong.
He was also the youngest, roughly twenty or so years old. His brows were as sharply defined as a sword, and hints of frosty arrogance and cockiness played about his thin lips.
“I am Wu Chen, ninth level spirit realm, who dares challenge me?”
Wu Chen’s gaze was haughty as he swept his eyes dismissively across the entire assembly. Unconcealed mockery dripped from his tone as he spoke, “Are the so-called three great sects all turtles who prefer to cower in their shells?”
There were groups of ninth level spirit realm cultivators in each of the four sects. However, no one dared take the initiative at this critical moment.
Everyone held some reservations in their hearts. This matter had to do with the future of the three great sects. In the face of such titanic repercussions, a single failure would result in immense pressure and may even cause one to be remembered as a traitor through the ages.
Wu Chen’s gaze was full of disdain as he looked around once more. He laughed heartily, “Do the so-called three great sects have not even the courage to fight? Are cowards like these worthy of learning martial dao?”
He actually sat down cross legged after these words and planted himself in the middle of the field, laughing deliberately, “Since you’re all so chicken-hearted, I’ll wait here until you build up enough courage. Wake me up when you have the guts to walk down here!”
Wu Chen closed his eyes and began to meditate.
This move completely triggered an acrimonious wave to spread amongst the cultivators from the three sects. This was an enormous humiliation!
That Wu Chen was holding this kind of attitude in a match between cultivators was without a doubt the great insult possible to the three great sects, one that left them no face whatsoever.
Zuo Lan wore a faint smile. He didn’t disapprove of Wu Chen’s actions at all, but rather looked upon him with a hint of admiration.
This kind of blatant provocation would whittle away at the morale and mindset of the three great sects.
The sect forefathers could no longer pay heed to posturing or face anymore. They grouped together and began discussing nervously.
“Those who have come are not friends and neither is Wu Chen’s strength simple. We should send out our strongest ninth level cultivators. Even if the first one up doesn’t win, we must aim to tire him out and win a fight at all costs. If we don’t prevail over Wu Chen, then we’ll have even less hope when it comes to dealing with the peak of the ninth level and spirit king realms.”
The three sects had cultivators at the peak of the spirit realm as well.
However, they didn’t actually have any cultivators who were a half step into the origin realm, those who could be called a spirit king!
They used to have Ye Chonglou, but now he had stepped into the origin realm as well.
This meant that the three sects’ only hope was to win a match at the ninth level spirit realm or peak of the ninth level.
If they didn’t, they wouldn’t have a chance to win at all.
“Forefather, I am willing to fight.” A ninth level spirit realm cultivator spoke up behind Precious Tree Sect head Xie Tianshu. Eyes turned to look at the speaker, vice head Lee Yuan.
At the ninth level spirit realm, Lee Yuan counted as his sect’s strongest fighting power.
The head elder of the Flowing Wind Sect also stepped out. “I too am willing to fight.”
Another vice head on the Myriad Spirit Sect also volunteered out of a strong sense of duty.
They were all of the ninth level spirit realm—the highest fighting power that the sects could bring to bear.
If they wouldn’t, then the rest would do even less.
This was Precious Tree Sect territory, so vice head Lee Yuan would naturally be the vanguard. He raised a cupped fist salute to everyone else, “Everyone, the sect stands above all. I will seek the farthest limits of my ability with this fight even upon pain of death. If I so happen to fall, please take care of my family for me.”
It was apparent that Lee Yuan knew that his opponent came from some momentous place. His sheer arrogance was a measure of his ability. Lee Yuan had a premonition that no matter what, he would absolutely be unable to triumph in this match.
But even though he felt this premonition wash over him, Lee Yuan wasn’t willing to shrink back. As long as he was able to force his opponent to expend enough energy to drag him down in the match, it wouldn’t be a waste of a battle.
“Wu Chen, save your arrogance! I, Lee Yuan, will fight with you!”
Wu Chen’s eyes suddenly opened, a celestial light shooting out. A bark of laughter rang through the air as he rose.
“Have you made your choice?”
Wu Chen suddenly shook his finger, casting his gaze up and down Lee Yuan. He leered and pointed with a finger, “Ten moves, I need only ten moves. If I don’t beat you into the ground with ten moves, then count it as my loss!”
Presumptuous, domineering, yet full of confidence.
Lee Yuan was one of the top cultivators in the sixteen kingdom alliance if one set aside the forefathers. He’d always been one of the few standing at the peak of power.
And now, he was being thus humiliated by a young man who only looked around twenty years old. As shrewd as he was, even he felt the blood rush to his head in that moment.
“Arrogant thug, do you really feel that there’s no talent left in our three sects?!”
Lee Yuan glared ferociously and grasped the air, a mace appearing in his hand.
Lee Yuan’s mace was a bit longer than ordinary maces. It’d been crafted from the fossilized bone of an ancient beast. Its might was not to be underestimated—it was a nine times refined spirit weapon!
A beam of yellow light pierced through the air as the mace stabbed forward. It formed a vortex that grew rapidly, spreading out through the air.
Dots that were images of Lee Yuan’s mace materialized from the vortex, appearing everywhere in the surroundings. It was like countless needles were rushing towards his opponent, eye-catching to the extreme.
Wu Chen laughed heartily, “Parlor tricks!”
He didn’t retreat, instead striding forward, not even using a weapon. He rubbed his hands together, causing golden sparks to coat his hands, appearing as if he’d automatically put on gloves.
His hands seemed to resemble the claws of a golden dragon as he clawed the air in front of him. Numerous claw shadows reached out towards the mace like countless hands.
Crack!
As Wu Chen’s body shifted between a fast advance and retreat, he reached out with two fingers and unerringly grasped the tip of Lee Yuan’s mace with his right hand.
Wu Chen snickered as he then reached out with his left hand, his middle finger flicking forward from his thumb as fast as lightning.
Ding!
A tragic breaking sound rang out.
Lee Yuan hurriedly backed up but it was too late. The mace in his hand had been broken in two by the force behind that flick!
The fingers on Wu Chen’s right hand were still holding the broken segment of the mace, the look in his eyes dismissive beyond belief. He threw away the broken segment as if he were throwing away scrap metal.
“Are the so-called four great sects all as trashy as this?
Wu Chen shook his head lightly, disdain writ over his face. “A ninth level spirit realm as useless as you should just stay home instead of sticking your neck out to make up the numbers. Don’t come out and make a fool of yourself.”
Wu Chen’s body surged forward after speaking as the shimmering golden gloves on his hands sparkled faintly, all sorts of illusions and glyphs transforming as his hands formed several seals.
The golden light suddenly radiated outwards and formed the shape of an ancient, fierce beast that rose up and pounced towards Lee Yuan.
“No!”
Turbulent waves of emotion rose in the hearts of the forefathers beneath the ring as they watched this development.
They knew that the newcomers had uncommon cultivation and immense strength, but realized just how large a gap could exist between peers of the same level after exchanging moves.
Apart from the forefathers, only Xie Tianshu and Iron Long dared say that they were confidently stronger than Lee Yuan in the Precious Tree Sect. However, those two were of the peak of the spirit realm.
Lee Yuan’s single move just now had resulted in his nine times refined spirit weapon being destroyed. His opponent had used only that move to force Lee Yuan into dire straits.
The difference between the two wasn’t one of a spar between two in the same level, but a one sided trampling!
A despairing thought appeared in the forefathers’ minds at this moment, not to mention Lee Yuan’s—would they win against Wu Chen even if they sent out those of the peak of the spirit realm?
And this Wu Chen was the weakest, lowest ranked, and most junior amongst the three from their opponent’s side.
If the other two took the field, would they roll over everyone below the origin realm?
Lee Yuan was enveloped by the golden light and retreated madly, but discovered there was no place to retreat to. The fear in his heart was easy to imagine. He hadn’t thought that his nine times refined spirit weapon would be destroyed with a single move and that he would then be forced into this desperate situations with a second move.
Lee Yuan lost hope, feeling only that everything was over in that moment. He hadn’t thought that he would lose so thoroughly and utterly.
He’d been ready to taste defeat before he took the field. He had been ready to fight to the death.
But when he truly faced off with his opponent, he realized that the other was so much, so much stronger than he’d thought.
To put it bluntly, he hadn’t even had the chance to lay his life on the line before being instantly taken out by the other.
Thousandleaf could also put on a thick skin and step forward to push with his hand when he saw the situation. A green light surged out of his hand and dispelled the other’s attack.
He then reached out and pulled Lee Yuan to the back.
Zuo Lan smiled mockingly, his tone remote, “Are you all kids and need adults to step in when you can’t win?”
Lee Yuan was ashamed beyond measure. He felt that even if all the humiliation in his life were combined, it still wouldn’t match up to how he felt at this moment.
Wu Chen became even more cocky. His gaze was sharp and flinty as he looked at the two candidates from the Myriad Spirit and Flowing Wind Sect side.
“Do the two of you want to come one by one or do both of you want a go together?”
“Don’t be too cocky, arrogant thug! I am Wang Tuo, vice head of the Myriad Spirit Sect. I will do battle with you.”
Wang Tuo was precisely the person who’d openly recruited Jiang Chen during the initial selection. His position was second to only forefather Ninelion and the sect head. His strength and position were all top tier.
Whenever one of the Myriad Spirit Sect battled, they were always accompanied with their contracted spirit beast. A fierce beast like a tiger or panther bounded out with Wang Tuo, its eyes gleaming with a ruthless, violent light and giving others the feeling of extreme hunger.
“What, you brought a helper because one isn’t enough?” Wu Chen jeered. “What do I have to fear even so? I gave him ten moves, and so do I also give you ten moves!”
Having learned his lesson from Lee Yuan’s fight, Wang Tuo was in no hurry to attack.
He’d observed things for a bit and noticed that Wu Chen’s strength came from his gloves. If he was guessing correctly, those gloves should be an origin realm spirit weapon.
Otherwise, it would’ve never broken apart Lee Yuan’s mace so easily!