AST 663 – Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death (1)
One month. It took nearly an entire month for Qing Shui absorb the remaining energy. He had absorbed more than half of it immediately after his strength had increased tremendously. Normally he couldn't feel remaining energy. He had to compress his power to a hair's breadth thickness before he could fully integrate with his body.
Qing Shui only breathed a sigh of relief after he exited the Realm of Violet Jade Immortal. He had finally managed to compress his power to the thickness of a hair. Next time he used his Hidden Weapon against opponents of Sima Sha's level, he wouldn't miss their vital points again like he did before.
There was still some time left for him so he casually took a look around the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal. The Triple-eyed Grass Green Frogs had grown into a big group by now and Qing Shui was extremely happy about it. After all, these things were hatched from eggs which meant their numbers were guaranteed. On top of that, they were extremely nimble and were living quite comfortably in the pond, except when they were intimidated by the Rainbow Trout Fish. At those times, they'd escape to the edge of the pond.
Vermillion Fruits, Plum Blossoms, and spices… Qing Shui had gathered a lot of them already and had been accumulating them in the realm. He didn't have to worry about them going bad or getting stolen and it was extremely convenient for him to use.
The sky had already turned bright after he exited the Realm of Violet Jade Immortal. He had already washed up in the realm before coming out so he started his morning practice immediately. One day. He only had one more day.
The Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death would be tomorrow. He could even feel the gloom in the atmosphere of the Di Clan. The people in the World of the Nine Continents knew that the Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death was extremely brutal.
The battle would go on until one party ran out of participants. The winners would possess everything the losers had to offer. Money, women and everything else.
Since they lacked confidence, the Di Clan basically couldn't afford to feel relaxed or happy. This Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death was like a thorn stuck in their throat.
Qing Shui had visited Old Madam Mo once and had confirmed that her condition was at its peak. He had also visited Lady Duanmu once and passed her some medicinal pills. Both of them had a very pleasant chat this time.
At one of the luxurious mansions in the Seven Stars Country!
"Big brother, who is going to participate in tomorrow's Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death? That Old Man Qianxi said that every clan has to send out one person that is at least a Grade Eight Martial Saint every round, until there are no Grade Eight Martial Saints left," Sima Chong frantically asked Sima Heng.
There were currently only four people with this level of ability among their generation in Sima Clan. The eldest son, Sima Heng and the next three would be Sima Chong, Sima Zhi, and Sima Zhuang.
"We will go. The Zuo Clan, Guan Clan, and Du Clan can still send people out. Don't tell me the Sima Clan is still worried about this?" said Sima Zhuang, who had been silent all this time.
Sima Heng furrowed his eyebrows as soon as the tall and burly Sima Zhuang finished speaking.
"Thirteenth Brother, haven't you notice yet? The Thousand Poisons Sect is actually thinking of using the Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death as an opportunity to weaken our clans." Sima Heng pointed out slowly.
Sima Zhuang was the thirteenth among his generation. Other than the five of them, the rest were either too much of an embarrassment or were no longer in the Sima Clan. The five of them were the remaining members of the Sima Clan younger generation.
"Weaken us? Why would they do that? Our clans have been very loyal to the Thousand Poisons Sect……." Sima Zhuang said in disbelief.
Sima Heng paced back and forth. This living room was splendorous and majestic. Normally, they'd only come here to discuss important issues.
"They wouldn't think that way. On top of that, our Sima Clan has indeed been developing a little too fast over the past few years. They must be worried that we will one day replace the Qianxi Clan as the master of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect".
Sima Zhuang became silent. He might be a straightforward person, but he wasn't stupid so he was able to quickly grasp the crucial point of this issue. For a moment, he was at loss of words.
"Big Brother, what should we do then?" asked Sima Zhi, who had remained quiet.
"We don't need to bother about this so much right now. Just do what we can and don't be reckless. Tell that bunch of brats not to go and do anything outrageous in the Sima Clan's name out there." Sima Heng didn't have any good ideas either.
"Let's get this Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death over and done with first. We'll think about the rest later. The Ten Thousand Poisons Sect will not do anything to us for now. Although the Sima Clan is gradually growing more powerful, there is still quite a disparity between us and the Qianxi Clan." Sima Heng tried to quickly gloss over this topic.
"That youth named Qing Shui didn't seem like a simple guy. Could it be that the people from the Residence of Sky Tyrant Lord's were taken care of by him?" Sima Zhong's eyes lit up as he spoke.
"That youth must have his forte. Otherwise, why would the Di Clan dare to fight with us in the Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death? That youth is why there are even people rooting for them. His strength must not be overlooked."
"Shouldn't we do something about it?"
"Let the Qianxi Clan handle that. We don't have to concern ourselves with it. Even if there's a slip up from the Qianxi Clan's side, this Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death still shouldn't have any problems." Sima Heng smiled.
……….
A day passed by very quickly. After Qing Shui woke up, he still practiced his Taichi Fists as he always did. The Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death would take place later in the morning.
The time was agreed on by both parties. Tardiness was tolerated, but they must arrive before noon. Otherwise, it would be considered a violation of the agreement and they would be condemned by everyone.
"Qing Shui, as I expected, you are here. You still have the mood to practice your fists? Everyone is waiting for you. We're going to be late," Di Chen said hurriedly as soon as she saw Qing Shui.
"What are you panicking about? Let them wait for awhile. It's still early. Tell everyone to take the medicinal pellets that I have prepared. Other than the three of us who are participating the fight, the rest have to listen to Lady Duanmu, Old Man Nian and Old Man Di's instructions," Qing Shui's opened his eyes slowly but his hands didn't stop moving.
Di Chen smiled without saying anything!
"Big sister, he's really keeping his cool." Di Qing laughed too when she realized that there really was no need for them to hurry. To any outsiders, the Di Clan were going to throw their lives away. If they were going to throw their lives away, what was the point of hurrying……?
"No need to hurry. Everyone should take their time to eat. Let them stay under the sun for awhile." Qing Shui said softly.
"So you can be this mean too," Di Qing pulled Di Chen and left with a lovely smile on her face.
Seven Stars Street!
Seven Stars Arena!
The area had already become very crowded for a period of time now. After all, this Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death was a duel between two sects that were both from the seven stars in the Seven Stars Country. Although the Di Clan was no longer as glorious as it was in the past, a starved camel was still bigger than a horse*, so they should still be able to put up a good fight.
[TL Note: A starved camel was still bigger than a horse is a chinese proverb that someone strong is still strong, even if they are weakened.]
The roads around the Seven Stars Arena had all been blocked. Nothing was allowed to pass except for pedestrians. The entire area was filled with folding umbrellas or tents that were pitched up with brocade fabrics. The imposing presence of Qianxi Clan, Sima Clan, Zuo Clan, Guan Clan, and Du Clan stood out among them.
Other than that, there were also many other tents or small sized platforms. There also some people with extraordinary bearings. By now, everyone knew that all kinds of people had flocked here. There were also many unknown and powerful cultivators.
"It's getting late, why isn't the Di Clan here yet?" Some people were already shouting impatiently.
"That's very normal. Who would rush their deaths?"
"If the Di Clan aren't coming, then we are wasting our time waiting here for nothing. I've been here for more than a day already just to watch this Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death." the person from earlier said gloomily.
"They should be coming. No one would choose to try and trick so many people. If they didn't intend to come, they shouldn't have accepted the fight in the first place."
It was already late in the morning. five people came out and went onto the arena stage. Three old men and two middle-aged men immediately soared onto the Seven Stars Arena.
The leading old man was completely dressed in a simple pitch black garb. His hair and beard were white. His long eyebrows were snowy white and as long as his beard. The contrast against his clothes caused his hair and beard to appear even whiter.
"Today, the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect and the Di Clan are going to conduct a Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death here. Thank you, everyone, for coming to witness this duel. This is a private matter between the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect and the Di Clan so I will skip the specific details. Now that it is time, the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect will come up first to respectfully wait for the arrival of the Di Clan."
The simple words of the old man announced the commencement of the Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death to everyone, that the Di Clan was tardy and the reason for the Fight of this Ultimate Life and Death between the two parties were due to a private matter.
The words of the old man could be considered as sufficient. The people who were here didn't care about who was correct or who was at fault. The didn't even care about the reason behind this duel. They simply wanted to watch the two parties fight and find out who would win in the end.
"So it begins. Too bad there isn't any movement from the Di Clan."
"Someone has brought news of the Di Clan. It seems like they are drinking right now and the banquet hasn't ended yet," someone interrupted.
More than ten people quickly surrounded him.
"A banquet? The Di Clan is still in the mood to hold a banquet?" a tall man exclaimed in puzzlement.
"Who knows? But it's true that they are holding a banquet. I have another friend telling me the same thing too. The people who are attending the banquet are all people from the Di Clan and those few people who came to help them," someone added in.
"What is the Di Clan doing? Could it be that they have really lost all hope and have decided to have a nice meal before dying…..?"
"Brother Cong, don't spout nonsense. Some things cannot be said lightly," a man quickly stopped him.
"Do you guys think that the Di Clan is escaping?" A thin fellow asked weakly.
"Escape? How amusing. What are those people from the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect doing? How could they let the Di Clan escape?" another voice immediately drowned out the softer voice from earlier.
Time passed by slowly. Some people grumbled, some felt sorry for the Di Clan, and of course, some were scolding the Di Clan for not having balls. After all, more people meant there'd be more talk.
"The Ten Thousand Poison Clan is really a bully. The Di Clan is no longer the same as before yet they forced them into the Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death all of a sudden," a scholarly-looking man told the beautiful woman beside her.
"This is how the natural world has always been. It would be weird if the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect didn't do this," the beautiful woman laughed. Her smiling face was as gorgeous as a flower.
"Guoguo, who do you think will win? The Di Clan or the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect?" the man smiled gently as he looked at the woman. His eyes were filled with affection.
"I have always thought that the Di Clan would stand no chance in this. But since you put it this way, I'll say the Di Clan will win," the beautiful woman laughed slyly.
"You're still the same as always. Too bad I only have a feeling that things might not be as simple as it seems this time. However, I can't be sure that the Di Clan will win either," the man said lightly.
"The third master of our Village of Longevity always has incredible foresight. Since this incident doesn't seem to be as simple as it appears on the surface, then that can only mean that it might be possible for the Di Clan to emerge victoriously or at least fight to a standstill with the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect" the woman blinked her bright and misty eyes.
At this exact moment, there was a commotion occurring in the distance.
"The Di Clan has arrived, the Di Clan has arrived….."
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AST 664 – Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death (2)
“Di Clan is here… Di Clan is here…”
The commotion seemed to be greater due to their late arrival. Even the five old men from the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect let out a sigh of relief in their hearts. To stand in the arena and do nothing while people stared at them for a full two hours was not a pleasant feeling.
Seeing that the people from the Di Clan had finally arrived, the five people on the arena felt as if they were about to cry. They had felt very uncomfortable standing there and there were too many people below. The gazes from numerous experts staring at them made them feel extremely uncomfortable. It felt as if they were demonic beasts who had been locked up in cages and were being appreciated by spectators.
There was still another hour before noon. The people from Di Clan were only late, not disqualified. Moreover, under such circumstances, the Di Clan’s late arrival seemed very natural. It was normal for the weaker party to be late.
Only a few more than 20 people from the Di Clan came. The rest of them had been scattered but they would all rush to the Seven Stars Arena progressively. They wouldn't be standing together but they would be split up into several batches.
Madam Duanmu led one group, Old Master Di led another, Nian Feng's grandfather and grandson led one, and Qianyu Dingjun led another. Silently, without anyone noticing, they would proceed near to the influential forces. This would prevent the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect from slyly using secret poison attacks.
The first to arrive were Qing Shui, Di Xuan, Old Madam Mo. Additionally, there was Di Chen, Di Qing, and the Di Clan’s core members led by Old Master Di.
There was no one to host the Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death because no one would be willing to. Even if one party gained an overwhelming victory, the victors wouldn't be unscathed and must definitely pay a big price. Therefore, such battles tended to be self-initiated. There was no need to say anything when they were in the fight.
“Why do I feel like the Di Clan aren't here to take part in the Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death? Are you guys able to tell who’ll be participating?” someone asked in a puzzled tone.
“That’s right. Since Di Xuan is standing there in front, he should be participating. But why are there only three of them? There’s even a young man amidst them.” an old man came to join the talk.
“You guys may not be aware, but this young man is the one who killed Sima Sha in a single blow. And he’s the main player in this Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death.”
“The main player in the Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death?”
In that instant, many people crowded around. The person who had spoken earlier was soon surrounded. Everyone started to ask all sorts of questions, trying to get him to share more details.
The person who had spoken was a strong young man. He wiped off the perspiration on his forehead and began to share what he had heard, which were coincidentally the truth of the matter.
“This is really surprising. To think that he’s one of the participants in the Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death at his young age. Even the people from Di Clan would need to listen to him.” many people could not help but exclaimed.
“Additionally, he’s also the Di Clan’s proud son-in-law. If the Di Clan can get out of this predicament, I reckon they would marry both their daughters to him. Where else would they find another outstanding man like him?”
“That’s right. My daughter doesn’t look that bad either. If she can be married to him…” a middle-aged man with a shrewd look said.
“If it’s your daughter, you can forget about it. He wouldn’t want her even if you were to pay him. Even across the whole World of the Nine Continents, there aren’t many who can rival the beauty of the Di Clan’s Young Misses.” someone immediately teased.
“3rd Brother Bu, even if my daughter is ugly, she’s still better than yours.” the shrewd looking man bellowed angrily.
“Although my lass is ugly, at least she’s my daughter. As for other people’s… that I wouldn’t be so sure.”
“You… you… I’ll fight it out with you…”
The whole place became an entire mess but everything calmed down very quickly. It was because they were all here to spectate the Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death. There were people who thought that they were too noisy and had thrown them out.
“Granny, father, Qing Shui, you guys must be careful.” Di Chen said worriedly.
Old Madam Mo nodded and took a step away.
Di Xuan patted Di Chen’s head and smiled to assure her.
Di Qing stood next to Di Xuan, grabbing onto one of his arms.
Qing Shui took Di Chen’s hand and said, “Don’t worry, just take care of yourself.”
After the time it took for an incense to burn had almost passed, Qing Shui and the other two stepped across the air and headed for the Seven Stars Arena.
“That can’t be true… The three of them are the ones in the Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death?”
Once Qing Shui and the other two stepped forth, someone from the crowd immediately exclaimed.
“What is the Di Clan thinking about this time? Are they not have any hopes for this fight? They don’t seem to be people who would resign to their fates so easily.” another person also shouted.
A few elder in their sixties stood a distance away. They were wearing plain white clothes, together with their white beards and hair, they seemed like celestial beings.
“Brother Ying, what do you think?” an old man whose eyes were filled with intelligence smiled.
“That young man?” the person addressed as Brother Ying was an elegant looking old man who seemed wise as well. He gave off a refreshing feeling like a spring breeze.
“Mmm!”
“To be honest, I don’t know. While everything seems to be decided on the surface. Although it seems like the Di Clan has no hopes of overthrowing this fate, I feel that things are not that simple. The reason it’s not that simple is because of that young man.” the old man smiled and replied.
“That’s right. I reckon you people are thinking along the same lines. I cannot sense that young man’s true level and he’s exuding a powerful resistive force. He should be able to give everyone a surprise today.” the old man who had spoken first looked at the other elder and said.
“It’ll be starting soon. Let’s just all wait and see!”
…
Qing Shui, Di Xuan, and Old Madam Mo were now standing on the Seven Stars Arena. Both parties hadn't spoken a word since the challenge was set. Sometimes, battles were really absurd.
“Qianxi Yong, your Qianxi Clan used underhanded means to force our Di Clan to this Seven Stars Arena. Are you satisfied now?” Di Xuan calmly looked at the white haired old man dressed in black clothes.
Qing Shui was trying to sense his opponents’ level, and the results of his probing left him quite happy. Two of them were at the Grade Ten Martial Saint level, but they were either at the same level as Old Madam Mo or only slightly stronger. Old Madam Mo had now recovered and was a Grade Ten Martial Saint expert herself.
Out of the remaining three, one was a Peak Grade Nine Martial Saint, while the other two were Peak Grade Eight Martial Saints.
This was within Qing Shui’s expectations. After all, to their knowledge, the Di Clan didn't have any Grade Ten Martial Saints. The enemies who knew that Qing Shui had the ability to weaken his opponent’s powers had all died. Moreover, even if they had a slight inkling of an idea, they would not believe that someone's ability could be so perverse.
“Di Clan, now that things have come down to this, let’s not talk about it. There is the grievance between us. Today, we’ll end things here, in front of everyone in the Seven Stars Country. Let’s end everything between the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect and the Di Clan.” Qianxi Yong said proudly.
He was forced to stand in this arena for far too long and was now very irritable.
“Since you guys have chosen the Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death, then our Di Clan will end everything with your Ten Thousand Poisons Sect today. Our Di Clan has never been bullied by other people, we have never been afraid of anything, and we will never bow down to evil.” Di Xuan’s voice was not only loud but everyone in the area could hear him. Di Clan’s reputation in the Seven Stars City was still quite good.
“Could it be that there’s no one else left in the Di Clan, or are you looking down on our Ten Thousand Poisons Sect?” Qianxi Yong smiled and said. He didn’t fly into a rage and instead tried to change the topic.
“The Ten Thousand Poisons Sect is only this much. To tell the truth, we feel that there’s too many of us even with just the three of us.” Qing Shui smiled as he replied.
This single sentence caused a thousand ripples. This line made many people momentarily fall into a stunned silence. But very quickly, a strong commotion broke out.
“This young man really doesn't know any better. To be honest, I’m surprised that you’re able to stand here and say this today. It couldn't have been easy for you to survive till now.” Qianxi Yong was stunned for a short moment before he chuckled.
Even the people behind him were smiling. It should have been a fight to the death, but now, there was no long an overwhelming aura. The people from Ten Thousand Poisons Sect seemed as if they were playing around.
Qing Shui smiled and looked at them, his heart was so calm that there wasn't even a single ripple. At the very least, these few people posed no threat to him.
“If everyone’s ready, then let’s just start!” Old Madam Mo said softly.
“Fight!”
“Start the fight!”
…
The crowd exploded. They had been waiting under the hot sun for over two hours. Now that both parties had finally arrived, they felt like they were just standing there and wasting time.
“Alright, then let’s start!”
After saying that, Qianxi Yong took the lead and leaped into the air, followed by the other four behind him. The only stopped after they’ve reached a thousand meters into the air.
Qing Shui and the other two did the same too.
After Qing Shui and the others rose up, a commotion broke out under the Seven Stars Arena. Those who were at the Martial Saint level stepped in the air to view the fight from a distance, while those with flying beasts rode them into the air. Everyone would look from a distance and not soar as high as those in the battle.
However, most of the people continued to watch from the ground. Because the distance was too far, they could not see them that clearly. Those who were weaker could only listen to the others telling them what was happening or wait for a corpse to drop.
Qing Shui and the other two kept a distance of 100 meters from their opponents. They were all on their guards, weapons readied. No matter how relaxed they seemed to be earlier, this was after all, a battle to the death. Most importantly, they could already start attacking now.
The Fight of the Ultimate Life and Death had already started from the moment they flew 500 meters above the ground.
Qing Shui, Di Xuan, and Old Madam Mo exchanged a glanced before they took a gradual step forward. This step seemed to cause the air in the surroundings to tremble.
Qing Shui’s aura scattered out in that moment. Even the opponents' countenances turned grim when Qing Shui’s expression was enough to force them to treat this battle seriously.
Hidden Weapon Twin Dragon Explosion!
Two Frosted Iron Balls shot out like shooting stars, projecting a heart throbbing gleam with its pitch black color. It was the epitome of the beauty of death itself.
Qing Shui’s skill in dealing with hidden weapons had already grown better than a few days ago. Even the hidden weapons themselves had leveled up tremendously qualitatively. They were much more formidable than when he killed Sima Sha previously.
Break!
Although the hidden weapons were powerful and the Frosted Iron Balls were tempered with a strong poison, it was still insufficient to rely on Twin Dragon Explosion to kill a Peak Grade Eight Martial Saint who was a distance away.
Furthermore, the opponents were experts in the use of poison themselves. However, they hadn't expected the two Frosted Iron Balls to suddenly explode.
The moment they were forced to desperately dodge the attack, Qing Shui suddenly pushed forth, shooting out another two Frosted Iron Balls.
Twin Dragon Pearls!
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