Instantly, the Helian Clan Head was astonished and he hastily got up. He pressed a hand against Helian Xingcheng’s back and sent Xiantian Qi into him. He suppressed the roiling qi and blood, preventing Xingcheng from immediately suffering a qi deviation [1].
Under such intensive care, Xingcheng’s unsightly complexion somewhat improved. This time, he closed his eyes tightly. Unexpectedly, he didn’t even dare watch the others’ fights for too long.
The other Great Clans’ younger generations all had strange looks on their faces.
That Helian Xingcheng’s anger had actually changed this much?
They were also part of the younger generation. Though they were younger than Xingcheng and the others, they all were part of the generation that bravely forged on ahead. They definitely didn’t completely understand this matter of vomiting blood out of anger. Yet, on the contrary, it was very obvious to the several Clan Heads and elders. Xingcheng’s psyche was abnormal for the time being, which led to twisted jealousy. If he could be properly taught to adjust his behavior later, then it would be possible to turn his temperament around. If they couldn’t, he would just be discarded.
— For the other Clans, an outstanding younger generation of the Helian Clan being discarded wasn’t a bad thing.
Gongyi Tianyang slowly moved next to Gu Zuo and whispered in a low voice: “Bro Ah Zuo, was big brother also like this?”
A younger brother’s feelings were deep, and others might feel that Tianyang always had such a demeanor. Helian Xingcheng reaped what he sowed. However, Tianyang had an insight that if his big brother gave Xingcheng a helping hand, then Xingcheng wouldn’t treat him like he was invisible. With his big brother’s wisdom, there were many methods of relieving his counterpart’s suffering so that it wouldn’t be as bad as this.
Gu Zuo forced a chuckle and similarly opened his mouth: “Big brother is intelligent and courageous.”
In fact, he also had such an insight. This surrogate big brother could provoke people without any words… Every time he provoked someone, it was always on point.
Gongyi Tianyang wiped his face: Big brother was doing well!
Gu Zuo: Ahaha…
Because of the matter of Tianheng, Tianyang and Gu Zuo’s relationship had recently drawn closer. As a result, the two shared a look and silently went back to watching the fight in the iron cage.
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In the cage.
Huangfu Zhanghao gradually approached the violent ape. Both fists were similarly clenched to give himself an air-tight guard. He simply didn’t dare let the strength of this violent ape smash him. Despite him dropping to a disadvantageous position at the beginning, the provoked violent ape didn’t seem to know exhaustion; the longer the fight dragged on, the better Zhanghao adapted to this fight’s tempo. Gradually, he was able to successfully exchange blows with the violent ape. After another period of fighting, he slowly took the upper hand.
The violent ape was incomparably ferocious. In the short-term, Huangfu Zhanghao couldn’t cope with it. However, it was also due to this that he was able to perceive how scary Gongyi Tianheng was.
After more than half an hour, the violent ape still had energy left over. Zhanghao wasn’t able to kill the violent ape, but he did manage to suppress it.
At last, the Cangyun Emperor said: “This match, Huangfu Zhanghao passes.”
After these words, the Xiantian expert stifled the violent ape, halting its attacks. Upon seeing this, Zhanghao released a sigh of relief and also stopped moving. Yet, deep in his heart, there was still a trace of regret — Gongyi Tianheng could easily kill the rhinoceros beast. Meanwhile, he strained himself in a contest of endurance against the violent ape.
As a martial artist who held a strong pursuit of the martial path, he was truly unwilling to leave things as they were!
Huangfu Zhanghao still had grace and poise. After cupping his fist and thanking the Xiantian martial artist, he returned to his seat by himself. No matter what was said, he looked much better than Helian Xingcheng.
In the back, Duanmu Qingrong ventured forth.
Because the violent ape already fought with Zhanghao for a long time, several fighting methods were understood clearly. So even though it didn’t die, it was still exchanged with another wild beast with a similar rank as the violent ape.
Just like Huangfu Zhanghao’s experience previously, Qingrong wasn’t able to immediately kill the wild beast. Rather, it was from falling to a disadvantageous position in the beginning, to entering a deadlock, and then holding the upper hand. Finally, after persevering for an hour, the Cangyun Emperor called the fight to stop.
Following that was Sima Yuanyou, who faced a similar situation.
The three famous young masters of the imperial capital were usually brilliant and lofty. But today, they were totally overshadowed by the presence of Gongyi Tianheng.
The other Clan’s martial artists saw this and inevitably sighed, while the Gongyi Clan’s younger generation saw this and beamed with pride.
For quite a few years, their young master was able to become one of the five great young masters, even with his weak body. There were many who respected him, yet also many who denounced him. It was also hard for them to escape from the occasional bullying and ridicule. However, all their resentment readily surged forth today. Those bullies, the cruelest Helian Clan suffered an unprecedented humiliation!
It truly warmed a person’s heart!
Afterwards, the three slightly weaker individuals entered the iron cage.
Unlike the previous couple of people who didn’t receive the slightest injury, they were all wounded in action the moment they entered the cage. Unfortunately, after struggling to survive and persevering for about fifteen minutes, they nearly received serious injuries and died. Ultimately, they had no choice but to cry for help and leave early.
There were seven matches in total, but eight finalists in view.
Helian Xingcheng was the last one to go in. At this moment, he didn’t have the same exposed state of mind like before. As for what could be seen, one could only say that there was a gloomy look on his face.
After entering the cage, there weren’t any abnormalities in his actions. He deserved to be known as the young master whose firepower was greater than the other three. In addition, he’d been holding back a mouthful of anger from the beginning. The moment he started fighting the wild beast, they were in a deadlock. After a barrage of stormy attacks, even though he ultimately wasn’t able to take that wild beast’s life, his strikes still left it confused and disoriented. As the time approached one hour, the match was called to a halt. Up until this moment, the wild beast was suppressed. His fist failed to stop short of breaking the wild beast’s arm bone, which almost caused the wild beast to go even more berserk.
With this kind of fighting strength, if the genius Gongyi Tianheng didn’t go first, Xingcheng would’ve been bound to have attracted the attention of many people. And even now, it wasn’t any more than Tianheng. He received a bit of distinction, more or less.
The Helian Clan Head was somewhat satisfied as he twirled his mustache and smiled: From now on, I hope Xingcheng can break through [2] and reforge his martial path and determination.
Reaching this point in time, all three rounds of tests were finished.
The three comparatively weaker martial artists were nervous since their fights with the wild beasts weren’t at all like the others’ fights, and they didn’t receive the Cangyun Emperor’s recognition of “passing.” As for the current outcomes, they couldn’t be sure. At this point, they could only hope that they didn’t lose their placements.
The Cangyun Emperor seemed to mutter to himself for a moment before nodding his head: “Everyone’s potential has been witnessed by this Emperor. As such, you all have passed. Merely, with your strength, it’s for the best that you all don’t get too close to the center of the Azure Dragon Pool once you’ve entered. Otherwise, I’m afraid that you won’t be able to bear it.”
Those three heard what he said and were ecstatic. They all hurriedly said: “Many thanks for Your Majesty’s benevolence!”
The three martial artist’s Families also all let loose huge sighs of relief.
Thus, this matter was completed and everyone could return to their respective Clans and Families.
It would still take two more days for the Azure Dragon Pool to open. They said their farewells to the Cangyun Emperor and left the main hall.
Once everyone left, Cang Yu’s gaze flashed slightly. Then he said: “Father-Emperor, you saw…”
The Cangyun Emperor sighed: “Helian Xingcheng and the others still require observation. Once they pass through the Dragon Qi Baptism, their strength will exceed three thousand five hundred kilograms. That’s considered to barely meet the requirements. As for the other three, only when they’re well-prepared can they enter half-step Xiantian and advance by leaps and bounds. If not, then they’ll merely be guests without any qualifications.”
After Cang Yu heard this, he smiled and cupped his fist: “I still haven’t congratulated Father-Emperor. You’ve obtained a capable person.”
The Cangyun Emperor broke into laughter: “Gongyi Tianheng. This man’s innate talents are terrifying. His temper is also very crafty. When the time comes, I’m afraid that I’ll need to tilt the resources in favor of the Gongyi Clan in exchange for his participation.”
Cang Yu’s eyebrows furrowed: “Father-Emperor understands Gongyi Tianheng?”
The Cangyun Emperor said: “He has a few tricks when doing business. Even if it’s your father, there are still one or two things to learn from on occasion. And his martial path and resolution all far surpass the others. He should be as capable as you in acting as the seed of my Cangyun Empire. Yet, even one day in the future, accomplishing father’s lifelong dream is still unknown…”
Cang Yu heard the preceding words and was still undisturbed. However, once he heard that last line, he couldn’t help startling: “Father-Emperor’s lifelong dream? Could you possible tell this child?”
The Cangyun Emperor faintly shook his head: “It still isn’t time… First, go finish Step One.”
Cang Yu heard this, and didn’t speak any longer.
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When they returned, they were still riding upon that grade five wild beast. This time, Helian Xingcheng was much more content with his lot, and the Helian Clan didn’t cause any more provocations.
A group of people smoothly returned home. Gongyi Tianheng also just arrived in the courtyard of his own ancestral residence.
Gu Zuo followed along and entered the study. He saw Tianheng take a folded sheet of paper from the desk and handed it over to him.
He stared at it blankly: “Big brother, what’s this?”
Tianheng raised his hand: “Read it and find out.”
Gu Zuo grunted and obediently yielded as he went to look at it.
Just from this one look, the pupils of his eyes shrank and he somewhat impatiently looked down to read.
That’s right. What was written on this paper were about his two “personal enemies.” Or to be more accurate, the personal enemies of the identity he borrowed.
Qi Feng and Bai Wenjun.
The first page’s writings were about Qi Feng.
After Qi Feng had his medical beads dug out, he was delivered to an inn by the city patrol and given to Bai Wenjun. When Bai Wenjun discovered that Qi Feng’s innate skills as a pharmacist were already crippled, Qi Feng fiendishly demanded that Wenjun would avenge him. Instead, Wenjun immediately called for a carriage to return Qi Feng back to the Qi Family. Although one couldn’t tell if there was a falling out during this period of time, Bai Wenjun did become very cold and detached.
Qi Feng bawled his eyes out as he pleaded, but it could be said that Bai Wenjun was as callous as iron. There wasn’t the least bit of pity. After he negligently handed Qi Feng over to his assistants, Wenjun immediately tossed him to the back of his mind.
Fortunately, those assistants still had some professional virtue and really took him back to the Qi Family. After Qi Feng returned, the Qi Family Head and Madam were naturally heartbroken. They promptly dispatched people to carefully tend to him.
Reading up to here, Gu Zuo couldn’t help smiling grimly.
Compared to Qi Tianyou, this Qi Feng, who was lovingly cared for despite venting even to the point of beating up the maidservants, was truly blessed with good fortune.
It made Gu Zuo’s heart a little pleased. In order to let Qi Feng experience the best of care, Madam Qi sent her most favored maidservant Cui’e, whom was beaten up by Qi Feng. This was precisely the same disrespectful Cui’e who delivered poisoned food to Qi Tianyou.
This was considered the cycle of the natural order of things. It was appropriate retribution.
Originally, Qi Feng was supposed to have lived a pampered life one hundred times longer than Qi Tianyou. However, he immediately issued a matter that especially courted disaster.
Because he suddenly had a thought: He intended on transplanting the medical beads of other people into his own body!
And what was even more bizarre was that the Qi Family Head and Madam actually agreed!
One should know that although ancient texts mentioned this conjecture of medical bead transplantation, in reality, there’d never been anyone who succeeded…
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[1] 走火入魔 - Zou huo ru mo, to catch fire and be possessed by demons. When the cultivation base becomes dangerously unstable, the martial artist may suffer internal damage or mental problems.
[2] Unlike the previous mentions of breakthroughs, the author uses 破而后立, which means to break one’s former conventions and draw insight from experience, laying new foundations.
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