Volume 1, Chapter 390 – A Game of Wits

Chu Hanzhou accepted the jade token Shi Lan handed over. With a single thought, he swept through its contents and took everything in.

“There are far too many different items. Even for me, gathering them will take quite some time. I will do my best to assemble a batch for you as soon as possible.”

Among the information Shi Lan had provided were many things that even Chu Hanzhou had never heard of. Still, since he had agreed to it, he would not go back on his word.

Buzz…

The enormous ancient mirror suspended above the plaza burst forth with radiant light, manifesting more than a hundred images and clearly reflecting the scenes on the arena platforms.

Not far in front of the arenas stood a raised platform. On it were more than ten seats, with more than ten figures standing there. Several Emperor laws intertwined, and there was more than one Human Emperor among them.

With Shi Lan’s current eyesight, even from a hundred li away, she could still see as clearly as if viewing lines on her palm. Seated in the central position was a young man wearing a jade crown, holding a jade fan, and dressed in a dark blue python-dragon robe.

Among the more than ten people on the raised platform, he alone was dressed differently. It was impossible for Shi Lan not to notice him.

“That is Li Jingzhou, invested by the Sovereign with the title of King Ling.”

“Since Taishi ascended the imperial throne, he has been the one to enter Emperor level at the fastest speed. He was only a little over three hundred years old at the time, so compared with the other emperors, he looks younger as well.”

Following Shi Lan’s gaze, Chu Hanzhou spoke casually, a trace of mockery in his eyes.

“He entered the Dao-Severing Realm a hundred years ago. Now he is only a hair’s breadth from the absolute limit of Emperor level. As the youngest Human Emperor, he believes he is the best candidate to succeed as ruler of the Imperial Court.”

Sensing the implication in Chu Hanzhou’s words, Shi Lan raised a brow.

“But didn’t you just say…”

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“Not everyone is convinced by Taishi’s decision. Yunlai Immortal Palace clearly also believes that Li Jingzhou has a strong chance of ascending the imperial throne.”

At this point, Chu Hanzhou’s expression changed slightly. Looking at Shi Lan, a faint smile appeared on his face.

“The various princes and marquises are all drawing in allies and gathering their own followers. Emperor Taishi is turning a blind eye to it. In a certain sense, they will all be your competitors.”

“Li Jingzhou already has two first-grade forces standing behind him, the Taiyi Ancient Sect and the Danxia Alliance. If Yunlai Immortal Palace is added as well, then he is already the prince with the greatest backing…”

“Why don’t you try to fight for the throne yourself?”

Shi Lan was somewhat puzzled. By intuition alone, the Chu Hanzhou before her was even more unfathomable than Li Jingzhou on the raised platform in the distance.

Chu Hanzhou lifted a finger and lightly tapped his forehead.

“In Taishi’s eyes, everything these princes and marquises are doing is just a farce.”

The imperial throne had never been something that could be seized through power and factions alone. In the Vast Land of Shenzhou, there was no force that could compare with the Imperial Court.

Anything taken by force would not truly be the imperial throne. To gain the recognition of the Human Race Annals was by no means so simple.

…

“Today is the grand internal competition of Yunlai Immortal Palace. It is our good fortune that all of you have come to observe. After the competition, if any of you prodigies wish to spar and exchange pointers, feel free to do so. But the point is to make friends through martial arts, so do not let it injure harmony.”

On the raised platform, an old man in white slowly spoke. His voice suppressed the noise of the several hundred thousand people in the square and reached the ears of every single person present.

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Within the mirrored surface above the arenas, the scenes on the hundred-plus platforms were displayed with perfect clarity.

The grand competition of Yunlai Immortal Palace was divided into three stages. First came the outer sect, then the inner sect, and finally the battles of the true inheritance disciples.

Among these, the examination of the true inheritance disciples was the harshest. If they showed no progress within a year, it was entirely possible for them to be expelled from the ranks of the true inheritance.

The arena matches were the most common kind of king-of-the-hill battle.

Step onto the arena and hold it for one hour, or defeat ten disciples of the same level in succession, and one could advance to the next round and receive rewards.

The second round was determined by drawing lots. There was no repechage and only a single chance. Luck, too, was a part of strength.

Within Yunlai Immortal Palace, there were more than a hundred thousand outer sect disciples. This first round of selection alone would take nearly two full days and nights.

All around were martial artists full of vigor and spirit, so there was no need for rest at all. At night, the radiant light cast by the treasure mirror in the sky illuminated the surroundings as brightly as day, so the matches were not affected in the slightest.

For two full days, Shi Lan did not move an inch. Watching the battles on those arena platforms, she felt a great deal.

Combat between martial artists was often flesh against flesh, every blow carrying killing intent.

The fighting on the arenas was far too bloody and iron-blooded, entirely unlike the sect competitions she had imagined. It was hardly rare to see people have their limbs broken and their blood spilled across the platform.

Under the protection of the Sovereign Weapon, there was no danger of death, so these disciples held back almost nothing, each move aimed as if they were staking their lives on it.

The people of Yunlai Immortal Palace seemed long accustomed to this. Among the many spectators, only some of the younger ones showed alarm, while everyone else treated it as ordinary.

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Martial artists were all tempered through blood and fire. Without enduring such tempering, it was hard to become a great talent.

What the human race needed was not empty shells with high cultivation but no corresponding battle strength. This was almost a shared understanding among all martial artists.

The disciples of Yunlai Immortal Palace were terrifyingly high in quality. Among the outer sect disciples, not one had a cultivation below the Innate Realm. Earth Fiend Realm cultivators were not uncommon either, though no one at the Heavenly Astral Realm had appeared.

Even within Yunlai Immortal Palace’s inner sect, those at the Heavenly Astral Realm counted as outstanding figures.

Most of the young martial artists attending such a grand gathering for the first time were stirred by the intense battles on the arenas, their fighting spirit roused and their faces flushed red.

Among the already famous prodigies, some also faced one another from afar, the atmosphere taut as drawn blades and bent bows.

Seeing this scene, Shi Lan’s heart stirred, and she gained some understanding of why a gathering centered on an internal disciple competition could become such a grand occasion.

Chu Hanzhou watched the increasingly heated atmosphere before him, his eyes calm and unruffled.

He had not left at all. He had only summoned his subordinates and passed on Shi Lan’s list of needed spiritual materials.

As a Human Emperor, with a single word from him, tens of millions would be willing to die on his behalf. Many things required no personal effort from him at all.

…

“King Ling, do the disciples of my Yunlai Immortal Palace still meet your standards?”

On the raised platform, an old man stroked his beard with a smile and looked toward the young man seated in the central position.

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“With a little more tempering, they can shoulder great responsibility.”

A faint smile hung on Li Jingzhou’s face, but it did not reach his eyes.

…

Inside one of the towers around the plaza, the group from the Sacred Martial Immortal Sect was gathered in a room.

The view from this tower was not the best, but it still allowed them to see most of the scenes on the arena platforms.

Fang Chan stared without blinking at the images. Whenever the fighting reached a critical moment, she could not help letting out a soft cry. Yet Shi Feng, standing beside her, had remained motionless the whole time. She instinctively turned her head to look at him.

Shi Feng’s attention was not on the arenas at all. His gaze drifted among the various towers, as if searching for something.

“Senior Brother Shi, Senior Brother Shi?”

“Hm?”

“What are you looking for?”

“Nothing.”

Shi Feng slowly shook his head, gathered his thoughts back in, and looked toward the arenas.

The outer sect disciples had entered the final selection for the top ten. Before long, a new generation of inner sect disciples would be born.