CHAPTER 974: CHAPTER 548: SCHEMES EVERYWHERE

"Big brother, did you see how Chen Mingpan lost? Logically, he shouldn’t be defeated so easily. Could it be... Big brother, be careful, that Chen Mingxi is very peculiar!"

"Tsk tsk, first the Sword Qi Thunder Sound, then the Sword Light Division... Congratulations, the main branch has produced another True Sword Dao Seed. If this boy is properly nurtured in the future, he might at least become a Sword Core True Immortal." The beautiful woman said with a light laugh.

Chen Dacheng, who was listening beside her, couldn’t help but show a smug expression, thinking to himself: "This old woman underestimates Xi’er too much. If she knew Xi’er’s true talent, she’d be shocked."

"Cough cough!"

Feeling the gaze from the Ancestor, Family Head Chen Daqian felt uneasy, couldn’t help but cough, and then turned to give the short and stout elder a stern look.

The short and stout elder shuddered all over, quickly slipped off the high platform, and personally arranged matters to prevent any more mistakes.

Zhao Sheng walked down from the stage without a drop of sweat on his face.

However, the seven women each took out a pink cloth and rushed forward to wipe his sweat, attracting glances from the surrounding people.

The next match started soon.

But Zhao Sheng had already lost interest in watching, as dealing with the seven girls around him was enough to give him a headache.

Near noon, the family competition decided sixteen finalists, one of whom was chosen from the losers.

...

An hour later, Zhao Sheng stood confronting a burly man in a black robe.

As soon as the Foundation Establishment Referee announced the start of the match, the burly man in a black robe immediately patted his waist, causing two groups of black evil mist to suddenly fill the air.

The black mist surged, and from within each leaped out a sinister copper-armored corpse, each over a yard tall, with iron bones and faint coercion.

The copper-armored corpses’ strength is comparable to Foundation Establishment cultivators, let alone there being two of them at once.

"Damn, this is cheating! I protest, protest against cheating!"

"Oh, who can defeat these two copper-armored corpses! I smell a rat!"

"It’s so bad, so bad... my hundred spirit stones!"

Below the stage, there was a wave of protests, but the referee on the stage turned a deaf ear, and the family elders on the White Jade High Platform remained silent as well.

The smart ones had already seen some clues and naturally wouldn’t speak up foolishly.

As the burly man in a black robe pointed with his finger, one of the copper-armored corpses suddenly leaped dozens of yards, coming down with a might like Mount Tai, crashing towards Zhao Sheng’s head.

The other copper-armored corpse stepped back two paces, its mouth spewing black corpse evil mist, engulfing a few yards around it and concealing its master’s figure.

Zhao Sheng’s gaze sharpened, his right hand brushed his waist, and a three-foot long, completely charred thousand-year-old thunderstruck wooden sword appeared in his hand.

With one swing, the sword emitted intense electric light, and the sword tip had a three-inch long sword light flickering continuously.

Snap!

The wooden sword struck like lightning, its tip pinpointing the copper-armored corpse’s chest tuanzhong acupoint, instantly covering the zombie’s entire body with dense electric light, causing it to tremble and freeze.

Immediately, the thousand-year-old Thunder Wood Sword, containing the power of Supreme Yang and thunder, emitted dazzling electric light, with most of its blade piercing into the copper-armored corpse’s chest as easily as piercing a sheet of paper.

The next second, a large blaze of thunder fire suddenly consumed the entire copper-armored corpse, burning it to ashes in an instant.

Before the battle started, no one could have imagined that the formidable copper-armored corpse would be so easily defeated by Chen Mingxi.

After Zhao Sheng struck successfully, he decisively threw the wooden sword in his hand.

The thousand-year-old Thunder Wood Sword, like a Thunder Python, rushed into the black evil mist with sizzling electric light.

Roar!

The next moment, a miserable roar came from the fog, and a bright light suddenly burst deep within the black mist, followed by hundreds of dazzling electric lights shooting out.

In a blink of an eye, the black corpse mist was erased by the electric lights, leaving the stage unobscured for everyone to see clearly.

Below the stage, there was uproar, eyes wide open in shock. Because the remaining copper-armored corpse was burned to ashes by thunder fire in front of everyone’s eyes,

and the thousand-year Thunder Wood Sword was not only intact but rested under the black-robed man’s throat, its blade flickering with faint thunder light.

Having gone through the tribulation thunder baptism, the Thunderstruck Wood is inherently the nemesis of all demons and ghosts.

Furthermore, Zhao Sheng operated his spiritual power and employed a secret technique to draw out the remaining tribulation lightning power within the Thunder Wood Sword, resulting in the astounding scene of killing two corpses with two sword strokes.

At this moment, everyone’s attention was drawn to the thousand-year Thunder Wood Sword, no one even realized that Zhao Sheng was actually a Thunder Cultivator.

Seeing Chen Mingxi easily slay two copper-armored corpses, the remaining fifteen contestants all changed their expressions, secretly praying that they wouldn’t face this fiend.

On the White Jade High Platform, the crowd’s expressions were varied. Chen Daqian frowned slightly, Chen Dacheng smiled silently, and the beautiful woman’s eyes sparkled brightly...

At this moment, Bai Mei was also slightly surprised, not at Zhao Sheng’s easy victory, but at the fact that this child could induce the power of tribulation thunder with just Qi Refining Realm strength.

After the surprise, Bai Mei felt a sense of delight, and with more faith in the future path of this child, he couldn’t help but ponder in his heart: "If this child can pass the Nascent Soul Thunder Tribulation before the great calamity, then... wouldn’t there be a thirty percent hope for the Divine Tree... Alas, it’s a pity that three hundred years is ultimately too short, just hope this child doesn’t disappoint us..."

"I... concede." The black-robed man glanced at the wooden sword under his neck and had no choice but to admit defeat with reluctance.

"Thank you for letting me win." Zhao Sheng slightly cupped his hands, summoned back the wooden sword, then turned and jumped off the arena, finally surrounded by seven women as he returned to his seat.

"Why doesn’t this old man have such an outstanding foster son! Now Chen Dacheng has picked up an immense advantage. If this continues, within a hundred years this child will definitely be able to establish his own branch and continue to protect our clan for centuries." The red-bearded elder of the Northern Land Chen Family stroked his beard and transmitted his thoughts to the beautiful woman beside him.

"The Ancestor seems to particularly focus on this child!" The beautiful woman’s eyes twinkled as she secretly replied.

"Huh, is that true? Could it be... the Ancestor is again eager to recruit him and raise him personally?"

"That possibility cannot be ruled out!"

"Hiss, if that’s true, we should show goodwill early on!"

"I’m just afraid that once the tournament ends, this child will soar to great heights."

While all the big shots on the high platform were moved by this, the short and stout elder was anxious, scratching his ears in distress.

The Family Head secretly instructed him to keep Chen Mingxi out of the top ten.

He initially thought it was an easy task, but who knew this child’s strength was beyond imagination, even two copper-armored corpses couldn’t stop him.

This child’s two consecutive wins have already destined him to enter the top ten, which leaves him in a predicament, not knowing what to do.

At this moment, the short and stout elder’s ears perked up, his face suddenly filled with joy as he nodded repeatedly, then his figure flickered, and he vanished without a trace.

...

As the last match on the arena determined victory or defeat, the top ten of this family tournament became clear.

Thus today’s tournament came to a temporary halt.

The ten strongest would rotate challenges tomorrow to decide the final rankings of the tournament.

Zhao Sheng, with seven women, was about to leave when he came across Chen Mingyan approaching as he reached the edge of the terrace.

With a face full of smiles, he cupped his hands and said, "Congratulations to Brother Mingxi for smoothly entering the top ten of the tournament."

"Brother Yan, you flatter me. It was just luck on my part," Zhao Sheng replied with a slight smile, modestly.

Chen Mingyan smiled back but didn’t take it seriously, suddenly changing the subject to discuss the other nine contenders.

This person had a keen mind and had long since gathered comprehensive information about the strengths, spells, and magic artifacts of the other nine top contenders.

Thus, when he spoke, it was with great eloquence, as if enumerating his family’s cherished treasures.

Unfortunately, his gesture of goodwill was destined to yield half the desired result with double the effort.

Zhao Sheng didn’t regard a bunch of little kids as worth mentioning at all.

Instead, it was Chen Ying and the seven women listening intently, seemingly highly concerned about Zhao Sheng’s opponents being too strong.

Due to this small delay, many peers quickly gathered around to congratulate Zhao Sheng, each speaking more flatteringly than the last.

Some were reserved and left quickly after giving their congratulations.

But there were also those who shamelessly lingered, constantly trying to ingratiate themselves with Zhao Sheng, repeatedly flattering him.

Before long, a large circle of people had formed around Zhao Sheng as the center.

Zhao Sheng originally paid no mind to this group of sycophants, but seeing the joy and pride on the seven women’s faces, he patiently responded casually to those who tried to curry favor with him.

It wasn’t until nightfall, when even the main crowd grew increasingly impatient, that they gradually dispersed out of consideration.

Before boarding the flying car, Chen Mingyan secretly handed over a Jade Scroll, secretly indicating for Zhao Sheng to read it later.

Watching this person’s figure fade into the distance, Zhao Sheng used his divine sense to probe into the Jade Scroll, and as a piece of information surged into his mind, his eyebrow raised slightly.

"Tsk tsk, they actually want me to fix a match!"