Book 5: Chapter 12 – Begin
Eastern Area, more and more Transcendents arrived at Hall of Life and Death. Demigods also came one by one.
A bald, skinny old man also strolled inside.
“Old brother Chao,” greeted Faction Head Si Kong Yang. When he spied the bald, skinny old man from a distance, he immediately came and greeted him. Although Si Kong Yang was the Head of the Water Daoist Faction, one of the three strongest Transcendents, but when he was still young and weak, Chao Qing had already become an almighty Demigod! Moreover, Chao Qing was quite supportive towards him. He also saved Si Kong Yang’s life before, so Si Kong Yang was filled with veneration for Chao Qing.
“Faction Head.” Chao Qing’s shriveled face smiled. He slightly nodded but did not approach Si Kong Yang. Instead, he walked in the other direction.
Xue Ying and the other Transcendents from Tranquil Sun Province were sitting and chatting together. When they saw Vice Head Chao Qing, all of them, one by one, stood up.
“Sit.” Chao Qing laughed, then looked at Xue Ying, “Lad, don’t embarrass our Water Daoist Faction. Whatever happens, you have to win the first three matches. Of course the best outcome was to win eight or nine matches.”
“Understood,” replied Xue Ying.
Chao Qing didn’t stop, he continue to walk into the distance.
A hunchbacked old madam sat in a corner of the eastern viewing platform. A layer of faint red mist hovered around the old madam. No Transcendents dared to stay within ten meters around the old madam, but Chao Qing went directly into the mist. The red mist automatically made a way for him, allowing Chao Qing to walk until he arrived and sat beside the old madam.
“Beautiful Ye, you also came,” chuckled Chao Qing.
It was indeed interesting that he called a hunchbacked, wrinkled elderly woman beautiful.
But if you looked at this old madam carefully, you could faintly see that she was indeed a very beautiful lady when she was young.
She was the number ten in Demigod ranking, “Killer Goddess” Ye Mei, Great Leader of Bloodshed Tavern! The number one assassin, and also the only one that both the Temple of the Earth God and the Bloodshed Tavern, these two extraordinary powers, listed in their top ten ranking.
Being in the Demigod ranking couldn’t completely illustrate their strength.
For example, Ye Gui, her killing and slaughtering methods were extremely terrifying. Her fighting strength was ranked as tenth strongest, but her killing… everyone under the heavens trembled upon viewing her.
The Sea Deity Palace Empress was another oddity. Although she was only number eight in the Demigod ranking, her battle prowess within the ocean was unparalleled! No one could beat her in the ocean, even if the top three Demigods worked together. On the ocean, their combined power still wouldn’t beat the Sea Deity Palace Empress.
Because everyone had their own comprehension towards the nature of heaven and earth!
Because of the Deity treasure they wielded!
Every Demigod had their own specialty!
“You, this old rotten man also came?” snickered Madam Ye.
“This is my Water Daoist Faction’s young talent. Of course I’m coming,” said Chao Qing proudly.
“Yes, the youngest one.” Old Madam Ye sighed, “Looking at the young Transcendents and feeling their youthfulness, sigh, we’re already old. The friends we knew when we were young, have already died one by one. Some died young and some died old, but not many are left. Thankfully, there’s still you, this rotten old man that’s older than me.”
“You and I have not much different in age. You are the second oldest under the heavens,” replied Chao Qing.
“You rotten old man want to especially annoy me? Look at your proud self. Wait until your Water Daoist Faction young talent fails at an early match. Let’s see if you are still full of pride when that time comes,” sneered Madam Ye.
“Fail? At the worst, he will win six matches!” glared Chao Qing.
“Says you.” Madam Ye’s eyes lit up, “Let both of us make a bet. I’ll bet this child can’t win more than six matches!”
“You want to bet. Just bet. Who’s afraid?”
An old man and old woman bickered.
But no Transcendents in the distance dared to disturb them. Because the older the Demigod, the more frightening they became. These kinds of old people… no one clearly knew the limits of their strength. Just like how the Mountain Lord He, Faction Head Si Kong Yang, and the others venerated Chao Qing, they also venerated Madam Ye.
Of course, these two were the two oldest among humankind, not including the Beast race and Transcendent world natives.
Beast race and Transcendent world natives, because of their physical body structure, had different life spans from humankind!
……
There was another Demigod who approached Faction Head Si Kong Yang and Mountain Lord He. Wearing white clothes, her appearance was extremely breathtaking. She floated down and then sat. Although she was a beautiful lady, she had a pair of sword-like eyebrows, making her have a heroic aura.
“City Lord Bu.” Si Kong Yang and Mountain Lord He politely greeted her.
The one who came was from one of the six great Transcendents organizations, Cloud Mist City. She was the city lord. Hailed as the most beautiful among Demigods, there were currently two Demigods pursuing her.
“Si Kong Yang, you’re looking very proud,” commented City Lord Bu after she sat down, “but young talent does not always represent formidability. Since ancient times, many young talents who become Transcendents when they were still young … later all vanished. Maybe your Water Daoist Faction’s Dong Bo Xue Ying will also be like that. Maybe he can’t win more than three matches.”
“What City Lord Bu said is true!” Si Kong Yang immediately echoed her.
Mountain Lord He also nodded.
Among these Demigods, who didn’t know City Lord Bu’s temper? She was hailed as the most beautiful Demigod, and was also a top expert listed within the Demigod ranking. But no human Transcendents could defeat her competitiveness and aggressiveness.
“Really boring.” City Lord Bu took a cup of wine; she then sat leisurely while drinking,. waiting for the Transcendent Battle of Life and Death to get started.
******
Hong Long Long… The Hall of Life and Death’s great doors closed slowly. At the same time, the whole Hall fell silent. Hundreds of thousands of Transcendents on the east side grew quiet, and everyone’s gaze turned towards the battle arena.
“ Xue Ying, it is starting.” Chi Qiu Bai, Peng Shan, Cheng Ling Shu, Hai Ru Zhen, all of them looked at Xue Ying.
“This battle is your way to show your battle prowess in front of all the Human Transcendents.” Said Chi Qiu Bai, “Infernal Palace will use this battle to assess your potential. Likewise, Bloodshed Tavern will do the same. If you have high potential and if someone wants to put a bounty on you… Bloodshed Tavern will quote them a high price for your bounty! The Infernal Palace also will pay attention to you, allocating some resources for you.”
“Becoming a Transcendent at a young age does not guarantee that person to have a bright future.”
“But a Transcendent that performs brilliantly at the Transcendent Life and Death Battle, not one of them is ordinary.” Encouraged Chi Qiu Bai.
Xue Ying grinned, “I will try my hardest.”
Suddenly
Dong. A sound resonated within the Hall of Life and Death.
Xue Ying already knew the Life and Death Battle rules. He knew this sound was a signal for him to enter the arena.
“Everyone, I will enter now.” Xue Ying stood up, his body changing into a streak of flame and flying into the arena.
The battleground was enveloped by a magic array, completely separating its inside and outside.
But this magic array was controlled by the Infernal Palace’s staff. So when Xue Ying flew, he easily could pass through and land inside the battleground. No matter if it was the Transcendents that sat in the east part or the numerous mortals who sat in the west part, all of them cast their eyes at the black-clothed young man that stood inside the battleground!
At this moment, numerous people inside the Hall of Life and Death looked at the black clothed young man. Seventy percent of the Human Transcendents and eight Demigods had come to spectate! Strictly speaking, in the past two thousand years, this number of spectators was the most numerous. The spectators had their own thoughts. Some of them wanted to be surprised, and some of them wanted to see a joke.
If Xue Ying lost in the second match… it would indeed be a joke of a show.
All of them were waiting. Waiting for this young Transcendent named “Dong Bo Xue Ying” to show his strength.
……
Wearing ordinary black clothes, Xue Ying walked barefoot to the weapon rack at the side of the arena.
Except for storage treasures, it was prohibited to take one’s own Transcendent items or weapons into the Life and Death Battle. Fighting boots, protective inner vest, clothing, and so on were also prohibited. The Transcendent Life and Death Battle was designed to depend on one’s own strength. Xue Ying only wore ordinary clothes and was also barefoot.
‘These weapons.’ Xue Ying looked at numerous weapons, swords, spears, rods, sticks, sabres, lances, exotics weapons, and also secret weapons. It seemed like all kinds of weapons were displayed in the weapon rack. Those weapons had nice material, but they were nothing special. A good weapon was fundamental in allowing him to exert his full power, but he could only choose from these weapons in front of him.
‘Hua.’ With a wave of his hand, all the weapons from the weapon rack went into his storage treasure.
Take them all first. If needed, use whichever one is appropriate when in battle.
‘Dong!’
Another sound resounded.
Xue Ying knew this signaled his opponent to enter.
“Is it here? The first match?” Using Earth Energy, Xue Ying enveloped the arena, sensing his surroundings.