CHAPTER 226: CHAPTER 223: FIRST BATTLE_1

"The match between Zhu Kai from the Great Wind Divine Court and Qin Wudao from the Qin Dynasty Divine Court now officially begins!" the referee on Arena Number Fifty loudly declared, standing on the sidelines to observe. In reality, the outcome of this battle was already decided; victory and defeat were clear at a glance.

"Please!" Zhu Kai, a handsome young man dressed in a青色長袍 (cyan robe) and a青色玉冠 (cyan jade crown), slightly raised his head. A hint of arrogance touched his features, embodying the attitude of one who had already savored victory.

"Please!" Qin Wudao offered a slight, warm, and gentlemanly smile.

BOOM!

The ring of a sword vibrated through the air.

Zhu Kai attacked first. His cyan Sword Qi, as dense as a raging storm, tore through the Void, creating an extraordinary spectacle.

The Great Wind Sword Technique! It was a superior-grade Earth-level martial skill imbued with the power of wind. Its speed was immense, demanding a one-hit kill. To draw the sword meant to injure; to sheath it signified the end of battle.

"Too slow!" Qin Wudao shook his head. Perhaps this Sword Qi seemed like lightning to others, but in his eyes, it was as slow as a tortoise and riddled with openings.

His right hand gripped the Emperor Sword!

The sword was unsheathed!

A golden dragon tore through the sky, its sharp, imposing aura on full display. It shattered the cyan Sword Qi, then flew out of the arena and crashed into the barrier, causing a world-shaking explosion.

"What?" Zhu Kai’s pupils contracted violently, his expression one of utter shock. He found it somewhat difficult to accept that his all-out attack had actually been nullified so easily by Qin Wudao.

This was hard for him to accept! After all, the Great Wind Sword Technique was his strongest attack. In previous battles, he had always achieved a one-hit kill with it.

"King Sword!" Qin Wudao called out softly. The Emperor Sword in his hand bloomed with golden light. The aura of a King erupted, cloaking him like a peerless sovereign, ready to annihilate all.

Golden Sword Qi flashed!

Zhu Kai felt an icy chill run through him, enveloped by the aura of death, but this feeling was fleeting. Then, all unusual phenomena vanished.

He looked forward. Qin Wudao had already sheathed his war sword and turned to leave.

What happened?

"Qin Wudao of the Qin Dynasty Divine Court wins!" the referee announced loudly, stepping onto the arena.

Zhu Kai was stunned. How did I lose?

At that moment, he felt a cold sensation at his throat, as if some liquid was flowing down. He instinctively reached up to touch it and found his hand covered in blinding crimson. A chill instantly ran through his entire body.

Blood!

GULP.

Zhu Kai swallowed hard. So Qin Wudao’s attack sliced my throat. If it had been any deeper, my life would have been...

At this thought, Zhu Kai slunk off the arena in humiliation, all traces of his earlier arrogance gone.

「Three days later, the first round of the competition officially ended!」

Of the eleven prodigies from the Qin Dynasty Divine Court, only three advanced: Wu Ming, Peng Shizhuang, and Qin Xiaolong! Including Qin Wudao, that made four of them. The results were quite good!

It was worth noting, however, that nine members of the Green Stripe Sect advanced, most of whom had won through unorthodox and despicable means, earning widespread disdain.

"Rest for the night. The competition continues tomorrow morning!" Lin WuFeng flew high into the sky. After making his loud announcement, he swayed slightly before departing with the prodigies of the Kylin Sacred Land.

Out of two hundred prodigies from the Sacred Lands, only twenty-three were eliminated!

"Let’s go back too!" Qin Wudao led the group back to Qilin Tour Peak. After a brief discussion, they returned to their respective rooms.

"I hope to encounter a prodigy with a special physique in tomorrow’s battles!" Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Qin Wudao’s majestic eyes flashed with a brilliant light. This East Border Grand Ceremony, wasn’t it also an opportunity for me? By defeating a prodigy with a special physique, I can gain a chance to sign in!

The East Border had 639 Dao Domains, meaning, theoretically, there should be 639 special physiques. Excluding those already defeated or unable to attend, there should still be over three hundred remaining! In the previous round alone, more than seventy individuals had utilized their special physique’s Divine Skills!

「This night, the majority of the powerful factions kept their lights burning brightly!」

"I am very satisfied with this battle. If you encounter anyone from the Qin Dynasty Divine Court tomorrow, you absolutely must not let them off easily. Do you understand?" In the Green Stripe Sect’s quarters, Dong Changcheng sat at the head, his injuries already healed. He commanded in a沉声 (deep voice), his aura frigid, like an eternally frozen mountain of ice.

The smaller a person’s mind, the more they bear grudges! After being injured by Xiang Yu, his heart was consumed by resentment towards the Qin Dynasty Divine Court. Having researched and discovered that the Qin Dynasty’s prodigies were generally weaker, he had specifically ordered them to be targeted on the eve of the competition. This was what led to the scene of Wang Yuan Jing toying with Wang Lingling!

"Please rest assured, Ancestor, we know what to do!" the nine promoted disciples said with狰狞的 (ferocious) grins. They were experts at this sort of thing.

"Yuyang, Qin Wudao, Monarch of the Qin Dynasty, has just reached the Holy Realm. He is surely no match for you. If you face him, cripple him for me!" Dong Changcheng nodded in satisfaction, instructing the young prodigy in the middle with a very amiable tone.

Prodigies always enjoyed different treatment!

"As you command!" Tian Yuyang saluted respectfully. His green hair stirred without any wind, and murderous intent uncontrollably poured from his eyes.

He had grown up in the Green Stripe Sect from childhood! The sect was his home! Since the Qin Dynasty Divine Court dared to provoke his family, then even without Dong Changcheng’s command, if he encountered Qin Wudao, he would ensure the latter experienced a fate worse than death.

「Dozens of miles away stood a Male Mountain even more imposing than Qilin Tour Peak.」

Thirty-two ancient-tier factions had set up camp there. Wave after wave of terrifying auras surged into the heavens, each faction occupying its own celestial domain.

The Purple Cloud Sect’s encampment was here. As the second most powerful faction in the East Border, their strength was beyond doubt!

"Yufeng, the upcoming matches are crucial for the sect’s future. I will entrust the sect’s legacy Imperial Armament, the ’Purple Cloud Sword,’ to you. When you face Shen Youlin, you will not be at a disadvantage!" Shu Qingyun, the Sect Master of the Purple Cloud Sect, produced an ancient war sword. It emitted a faint purple glow and was wreathed in the terrifying might of an Imperial Armament.

"Please rest assured, Sect Master. Having failed once, Zige will not fail a second time!" Song Yufeng extended his hands and respectfully accepted the Purple Cloud Sword, speaking with confidence.

The last time he battled Shen Youlin, the world only knew of his defeat, unaware that Shen Youlin had deployed an Imperial Armament! This time, with the Purple Cloud Sword in hand, I will definitely defeat Shen Youlin!

「The Ice Emperor Bear Clan’s encampment!」

Clan Leader Xiong Lie was alone in his room, using Spiritual Energy to conjure over a dozen ethereal figures—they were all past ancestors of the Ice Emperor Bear Clan. Their appearances varied, but they shared one commonality: all had died in battle for their clan.

"Respected past Emperors, may your spirits in heaven bless our clan, allowing us to obtain more slots to enter the heritage land! Otherwise, within the vast East Border, there might no longer be a peaceful haven for us non-human races!" Xiong Lie knelt on the ground, his attitude exceptionally devout.

This was a tradition of the Ice Emperor Bear Clan: whenever a major event occurred, they would pay respects to their ancestors.

In his view, the fate of the Ice Emperor Bear Clan had reached a turning point! If the Kylin Sacred Land obtained the inheritance of the Kunlun Supreme, the younger generation of prodigies will come to revere the Kylin Sacred Land as their leader! At that point, the Ice Emperor Bear Clan’s living space would be further compressed! Only by seizing the inheritance would there be a sliver of hope for their resurgence!

「This night was long, yet it passed in a fleeting moment!」

The struggle for fate!

The fight for the future!

And so, the fighting spirit in the hearts of all the prodigies grew ever more intense!