Chapter 308: A Gathering of Prodigies, The 2 Northwestern Cities

Chapter 308 -306: A Gathering of Prodigies, The 2 Northwestern Cities

All of Chen Yuan’s friends had made progress during this time. Not counting Cui Xuanye, who dedicated himself to cultivation and stargazing, the others had all led quite exciting lives.

Of course, Gu Lichuan’s experiences were the most exciting of all.

The man’s luck was boundless. He seemed to spend all his time running around the Jianghu stirring up trouble, which led to opportunities, which led to him stirring up more trouble, which led to even more opportunities.

Chen Yuan already considered himself a magnet for trouble, but Gu Lichuan was on another level entirely.

Not long ago, he’d even paid a visit to the Central Province Capital City and castrated the son of a Duke.

Lu Chuanshan was curious. “Brother Gu, how did you manage to provoke someone from the Court?”

Gu Lichuan pursed his lips. “Brother Qin had gone to the Six Gates in the Capital City, and I figured since I’d never been to a place that bustling, I’d go take a look and catch up with him.

Speaking of Brother Qin, he’s the same old stick-in-the-mud. He didn’t even invite me for a stroll down the Capital City’s famous Flower Street, so I had no choice but to go myself.

The Capital City certainly lives up to its reputation. That Flower Street was unbelievably vibrant, packed with hundreds of brothels and taverns. It was like a paradise on earth.

I was enjoying myself on Flower Street for a few days, having a great time, until I ran into some punk claiming to be the Young Master of Duke Wei. He was insisting that a young songstress keep him company.

The girl was only twelve or thirteen, singing in the brothel to earn tips to pay for her grandfather’s tuberculosis treatment. Even the brothel madam took pity on her and didn’t take a cut of her earnings. But this beast wanted to force himself on her. How could I stand by and do nothing?

Still, we were in the Capital City, so I held back. I didn’t want to go overboard. I just castrated the bastard, making sure that from now on, all he can do in a brothel is stare.

You all know what happened after that. That damn Duke Wei turned out to be pretty powerful, and I ended up on the Court’s most-wanted list. Fortunately, Brother Qin warned me just in time, and I was able to escape the Capital City.”

The corners of everyone’s mouths twitched.

‘Good lord. Castrating a man isn’t ‘going overboard’? He might as well have just killed him with a single slash. At least that would’ve been a clean death.’

Luo Lie smiled wryly. “Brother Gu, you’ve got some serious nerve. ‘Pretty powerful’? Duke Wei’s influence in the Capital City is practically absolute!

The line of Duke Wei, Xu Shicheng, descends from one of the Four Kings and Eight Dukes who founded the dynasty. He’s a powerhouse in the military, with several of the Court’s top generals having served under him. On top of that, he’s a Ninth Realm Celestial Profound master who is currently putting down a rebellion in the West Sea.

The Duke Wei lineage has always had few heirs. The one you… dealt with… was likely the last male in their entire line.

Barring any surprises, the Duke Wei lineage is now, for all intents and purposes, finished.”

The Sun-Swapping Alliance was locked in a fierce struggle with the Court, so Luo the Thirteenth Lang was quite knowledgeable about its key figures.

Gu Lichuan was taken aback. “If this Duke Wei is so formidable, why was his son such a worthless degenerate?”

“Apparently, Xu Shicheng had his son late in life. He left for war right after the boy was born, so the son was raised entirely by women and never amounted to much.”

Just then, Yue Ling’Er, who had been listening from the side, suddenly asked, “What are the brothels on Flower Street like? Brother Gu, tell me all about them!”

She looked positively eager to find out.

Everyone shot Yue Ling’Er a strange look.

‘Girl, there’s something a little off about you.’

In the end, of course, Gu Lichuan didn’t describe the goings-on of Flower Street to Yue Ling’Er. The man had some sense of propriety, after all.

As the opening of the Heaven-Reaching Tower drew nearer, Chen Yuan and his friends passed the time with casual conversation, occasionally sparring to test each other’s progress in the Martial Dao.

While Chen Yuan’s group was lively and close-knit, the same couldn’t be said for their adversaries. Ming Chong and the others who had attacked Chen Yuan earlier were not true allies, and by now, they had all gone their separate ways.

Meanwhile, Mei Niang was nestled in Han Chang’s arms, sobbing softly with red-rimmed eyes. She was the very picture of pitiable beauty.

“I thought I could finally avenge my kin, but it all fell apart at the last second. Now I can only watch as the man who annihilated my clan stands there, smug and carefree.

My lord, my heart is filled with such hatred. Why is the world so unfair?”

Han Chang comforted her in a low voice. “Don’t worry, Mei Niang. Too many Ninth Realm Celestial Profound masters intervened just now. We couldn’t continue the fight.

We’ll let that Chen Jiutian run free for a little longer. But after the Heaven-Reaching Tower event, I’ll find an opportunity to deal with him properly!”

A cold glint flashed in Han Chang’s eyes.

If he had only attacked before to kick Chen Jiutian while he was down for Mei Niang’s sake, now he felt he had to eliminate the man for good.

Having already made an enemy of him, a chain of cause and effect had been forged between them.

‘This Chen Jiutian truly lives up to his name,’ Han Chang thought. ‘I could feel his formidable power after exchanging just one blow.’

‘Letting an opponent like that live to grow stronger will inevitably create a dire threat in the future!’

‘He must be eliminated while I’m still confident I can win.’

Han Chang had always been a pragmatist who cared little for his reputation. His philosophy was simple: either don’t provoke an enemy, or if you do, make sure to utterly eradicate them.

「Three days later.」

The miasma on Yanfu Mountain had receded somewhat, and a steady stream of Martial Artists from the outside world began to arrive.

Many of these Martial Artists were not young prodigies. Some were quite old, their only commonality being that they had not yet reached the Primordial Pill Realm.

However, Martial Artists of this caliber were unlikely to even pass the first trial of the Heaven-Reaching Tower. They were simply here to try their luck, hoping for a fortunate break.

Of course, there were some late-bloomers among them—cultivators who, despite being over thirty and no longer considered young talents, possessed considerable cultivation. But such individuals were few and far between.

Besides these hopefuls, representatives from the other Major Sects also began to arrive, including the top five prodigies of the Hidden Dragon Rankings.

“Brother Cui, you’re always well-informed. What’s the story with the top-ranked people on the Hidden Dragon Rankings?”

Gu Lichuan asked, nudging Cui Xuanye curiously.

He was a Loose Cultivator through and through. He knew the names of the Major Sects on the Jianghu Wind and Cloud Rankings, but nothing of their true strength or history.

Cui Xuanye glanced around and said, “You all saw Ming Chong and the others attack earlier. They’re not weak by any means, but with Brother Chen’s strength, he can easily hold his own against them. Brother Chen’s rank on the Hidden Dragon Rankings is a serious underestimation of his power.

However, starting from sixth place, the talents on the Hidden Dragon Rankings become truly unfathomable.

Qingchen of Yellow Court Temple, ranked sixth. His last recorded battle was three years ago. No one knows what level he’s at now, but you can be sure he hasn’t been idle.

See that ornate carriage to the west? The noble-looking young master in fine robes who arrived in it is Ji Man of the Ji Family from Celestial Bright City. They’re the foremost of the Eight Great Noble Families. He’s ranked fifth on the Hidden Dragon Rankings.

The Ji Family is the leader of the Eight Great Noble Families. Legend says their ancestors were descendants of the very first dynasty of the Human Race to unite the world. With a heritage spanning ten thousand years, their nobility is beyond description.

As the direct successor of the Ji Family, Ji Man’s status is immense, and he possesses countless trump cards and Secret Treasures.

Let me put it this way: Ji Man is guaranteed to have a Divine Artifact Incarnation. But he definitely has more than one trump card or Secret Treasure that can match its power.

On top of that, it’s rumored he reached the Half-Step Primordial Pill Realm long ago and has been suppressing his Realm ever since.”

Cui Xuanye then pointed to a Daoist standing with Qingchen.

Although the man wore a Daoist Robe, he was tall and powerfully built. The loose robe failed to hide his bulging muscles.

His features were even somewhat menacing. If he stood next to Han Chang, you’d think *he* was the one from the Demon Dao.

“That’s Zhong Li from True Martial Temple, one of the Four Daoist Courts. He’s ranked fourth on the Hidden Dragon Rankings.

Among the Four Daoist Courts, True Martial Temple is the only Sect that focuses on Body Refining Techniques. Their Daoist Profound Skill is said to be on par with the Buddhist Golden Body.

Zhong Li reached the Half-Step Primordial Pill Realm a year ago. He is an exceptionally fierce combatant who frequently travels to chaotic lands like the Southern Border and Western Border to hone his skills against the Alien Races.

He fights a small battle every three days and a major one every five. The Celestial Wind Listening Rain Tower even has a dedicated reporter following him just to record his exploits.

His rank on the Hidden Dragon Rankings is well-earned; he fought his way up with his own two fists.”

Cui Xuanye then turned and pointed to a young monk standing not far from the members of Vajra Prajna Temple.

The young monk looked to be in his early twenties. He was exceedingly handsome, with ruby lips and pearly teeth. He wore a moon-white robe, and a crimson mark was dotted between his eyebrows.

“This next one… is someone I’ve never been able to figure out.

He is Tan Wujie, a disciple of Longshu Zen Temple—one of the Three Buddhist Temples—and he’s ranked third on the Hidden Dragon Rankings.

Longshu Zen Temple is unique; its disciples train in both the Zen and Esoteric Sects. Tan Wujie embodies the strengths of both, and it’s said he can instantly grasp the full meaning of any Buddhist Scripture he reads. Some even call him the reincarnation of a Buddha’s Son.

His most famous accomplishment was when he accompanied the high monks of Longshu Zen Temple to the Venerable Dharma Ability Temple for a scriptural debate. He single-handedly defeated every disciple of their younger generation, humiliating them to the point they couldn’t even look up.

Aside from that, he rarely roams the Jianghu, so his true combat strength is difficult to gauge. I suspect, however, that he could have achieved Pill Solidification long ago but has been actively suppressing his Realm.”

Just as Cui Xuanye finished his long explanation and took a breath, he spotted two retinues approaching side-by-side at the end of the mountain path.

Most of the factions present had sent just one elder accompanied by a junior disciple.

The Ji Family of Celestial Bright City was the only exception with a larger retinue, which included carriage drivers, guards, and even two Maids for Ji Man.

But the pageantry of these new arrivals was on another level entirely. Each procession had three magnificent carriages.

The first carriage cleared the path and the last one guarded the rear. The master resided in an enormous central carriage pulled by eight horses. Their escort numbered over a hundred, each clad in splendid Battle Armor, exuding a dense, formidable aura.

“Who are they, to make such a grand entrance?”

Gu Lichuan sneered. “Making such a fuss over a mere Heaven-Reaching Tower trial. Anyone who didn’t know better would think the Emperor himself was on a royal tour.”

Cui Xuanye’s expression was odd. “You know, you’re not entirely wrong. The retinues of these two families are indeed grander than even the Emperor’s.

The one with ice-blue carriages and Battle Armor is West Pole Divine Light City, one of the Northwest Two Cities.

The one with silver-white carriages and Battle Armor is Northern Unrivaled City, the other of the Northwest Two Cities.

Given the heritage and background of these two families, no amount of pageantry could be considered an exaggeration.

To put it bluntly, no matter how revered the current Great Xia Royal Family is, their heirs are not as prestigious as the heirs of these two families. We’re talking about powers that are truly above it all.”