“How do you feel?”
“Very strong.”
The instant Jian Xiaohong overtook them, Zhou Hong sensed an extremely powerful sword dao aura, which made him eager to battle her.
“This seat isn’t asking about strength.”
“Then what?”
“Just… the feeling!”
“Very strong!”
Jun Changxiao leaned against the dragon horn and said speechlessly, “Is this guy deliberately playing dumb?”
Jian Xiaohong winked at Zhou Hong, which he naturally caught, so when she asked how he felt, this feeling wasn’t about cultivation level, but… did he feel a spark, did any kind of resonance arise?
“Sigh.”
The System said speechlessly, “A person who’s always been avoiding his own feelings is instead particularly concerned about his disciple’s emotional issues.”
Was Zhou Hong deliberately playing dumb?
No!
He genuinely didn’t know.
As for memorizing that scene of Jian Xiaohong winking earlier, it wasn’t spring fever—he simply felt the other party was a strong sword dao cultivator who deserved sufficient respect.
Sword cultivators.
Only have eyes for the sword.
So after joining the Eternal Sect, Zhou Hong always cultivated the sword dao alone, going year after year without saying two words to his fellow disciples, no different from a wooden block.
In other words, in the entire sect, only Li Qingyang and Su Xiaomo were normal—one dared to kiss his fiancée in front of the world, the other cohabited for five years while traveling the Eternal Realm. As for the other male disciples, they were all about the same as Gou Sheng, with Ye Xingchen as the outstanding representative.
“Kid.”
Gu Tianxing said seriously, “If your disciple wants to win the championship, this top favorite must be defeated.”
“Is there a problem?” Jun Changxiao looked at Zhou Hong.
Zhou Hong considered briefly and said, “I’ll need to cross blades with her to be certain.”
He didn’t believe that the sword qi the woman unleashed was her current strongest level, so naturally he wouldn’t rashly conclude about this unknown factor.
“Whoosh!”
“Whoosh!”
Just then, martial artists riding various strange and wondrous flying treasures successively overtook them from behind.
They all looked very young, probably no more than a thousand years old.
“Uncle.”
Jun Changxiao asked, “Are these the contestants?”
“That’s right.”
Gu Tianxing pointed at the tokens hanging from everyone’s waists and said, “All outstanding talents who obtained spots through preliminary selection in various realms.”
“Just a star system competition, won’t there be even more masters at the finals two years from now?” Jun Changxiao said.
“Inevitably.”
Gu Tianxing said, “Based on the previous ten tournaments, those talents who made it to the finals already possessed strength just below the Half-Step Heavenly Mystery Realm.”
“No half-step?”
“There are.”
Gu Tianxing said, “But relatively few.”
“That makes sense.”
Jun Changxiao thought to himself, “Ye Xingchen and the others have been stuck at peak Truth-Seeking Realm for so many years without breaking through to half-step. It would be even harder for others.”
“Don’t think like that.” The System promptly threw cold water: “There are countless fortunes in this world. Just because your disciples haven’t encountered them doesn’t mean others won’t pick up a random stone by the roadside that turns out to be a supreme divine artifact.”
“This…”
Jun Changxiao was left speechless.
Fortune was truly unpredictable.
Take himself for example—if not for the good luck of transmigrating to another world and activating the System, he definitely would be as some readers say, nothing without the System.
…
A magnificent hall.
A disheveled man with his upper body exposed, displaying grotesque demon beast tattoos, walked over and knelt on one knee: “Greetings, adoptive father!”
“Rise.”
A resonant voice came from within the hall.
Because the camera remained locked on the disheveled man, one could only determine the speaker was male but couldn’t see his appearance.
“Adoptive father.”
The man said respectfully, “What are your orders?”
“As your father, I’ve enrolled you in the Universal Sacred War. Depart immediately for the Cang Cloud System to participate in the main competition.” The resonant voice came.
“Yes!”
The disheveled man cupped his hands.
“Ling Li.”
The resonant voice rang out: “You are the adoptive son your father values most. In this star system main competition, you must obtain the championship.”
The disheveled man’s gaze became resolute: “This child will definitely not disappoint adoptive father!”
“Depart.”
“Yes!”
The disheveled man left the magnificent hall, then walked to a spacious area, summoned a spherical air capsule and merged into it.
“Whoosh—”
The air capsule pierced through the void, merging into the endless universe.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Shortly after, more air capsules flew out from the realm heading in different directions.
The disheveled man sat in the cockpit, first locking the coordinates of the Cang Cloud System tournament venue on the star map, then looking at the starry scenery flashing past the window, his gaze gradually turning cold: “I will let adoptive father know that I am the most excellent wolf in his wolf-raising plan!”
“The Cang Cloud System main competition championship—I, Ling Li, am determined to obtain it!”
…
Shang Yuan Realm.
Jun Changxiao stopped in the main city where the star system main competition was being held, then recalled the Nine-Horned Thunder Cloud Dragon and swaggered into the city following Gu Tianxing.
Nearby passersby started discussing.
“My heavens, wasn’t that big fellow just now a Nine-Horned Thunder Cloud Beast born in the thunder cloud layer!”
“A rare-level demon beast!”
“Tsk tsk, these people’s identities must be quite extraordinary.”
Just as they were discussing, the Dragon-Tiger Immortal Beast landed, and the handsome men and beautiful women it carried jumped down, their legs trembling uncontrollably.
All along the way.
Being surrounded on all sides by demon beasts with powerful auras, that terrifying pressure was imaginable.
“Whoosh!”
“Whoosh!”
Just then, dozens of martial artists wearing light blue garments flew over gracefully, the men heroic and extraordinary, the women fresh and transcendent.
“Disciples of the Dao Yuan Sect!”
The passersby’s gazes immediately filled with admiration.
Shang Yuan Realm was also a realm filled with sects, and the power that ruled supreme was the Dao Yuan Sect.
Since the star system main competition was being held here, they were fighting on home turf.
“Senior Brother.”
A Dao Yuan Sect disciple said, “The elder has already reserved guest rooms. We can enter the city and check in.”
“Mm.”
The senior brother standing at the forefront of his fellow disciples nodded.
Strangely enough, this person emanated waves of cold aura throughout his body, clearly an ice-element martial cultivator, but the smile on his face made people feel especially warm.
“Could this be the Dao Yuan Sect’s historically strongest disciple, Nangong Qingxian?”
“It’s him!”
“Indeed, ice-cold for ten thousand miles, yet one smile warms the heart!”
“I heard that this Dao Yuan Sect eldest disciple and the granddaughter of the Guixu Sword Saint are both top favorites to win this Universal main competition.”
“Boom!”
“Boom!”
As everyone discussed, the ground transmitted vibrations.
Everyone turned to look, and saw a youth on the official road under the setting sun carrying a giant boulder, leaving behind sunken footprints.
“Make way.”
“…”
The passersby stepped aside.
The youth walked to the city gate, then held the token in his mouth.
The gate-guarding soldier verified its authenticity, glanced at the stone he was carrying, and said, “People can enter, but you’ll need to put that thing down.”
“Alright.”
The youth let go.
“Boom!”
The stone that appeared to weigh only a thousand pounds crashed to the ground, instantly shaking the earth and raising dust everywhere.
The passersby waved their hands to disperse it. When the dust settled and they looked again, their eyes widened, because most of the stone had sunk into the ground.
My heavens!
How heavy must it be to pierce through the ground just from falling naturally!
“A top-tier body cultivator!”
Everyone looked at the youth’s retreating figure entering the city, once again showing expressions of solemn respect.
“Did you see?”
Jun Changxiao, who had already found lodging at an inn, withdrew the spiritual sense he’d spread to the city gate, turned to face several core disciples in the room, and said, “The star system main competition is a gathering of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. On the day of the matches, you must give it your all.”
“Yes!”
Li Qingyang, Xiao Zuiji and the others responded in unison.
In that moment, their blood seemed to ignite with flames, anticipating the main competition to be held in a few days, then competing for supremacy with formidable opponents!
“Wudi.”
Jun Changxiao looked at the consistently silent He Wudi and specifically reminded him, “You need to get serious too.”
“Whoosh!” He Wudi immediately stood up straight from his Ge You sprawl, chest out and head high: “This disciple will definitely give it his all!”
—