Martial Arts Overlord

"No one’s challenged me yet, how can the first round already be over?"

Hearing the announcement that the first round of the advancement tournament had ended, Yan Hu, who’d still been eagerly waiting for someone to challenge him, sprang up from the ground, eyes bulging as he pointed at the contestants on the eighth level and shouted, "You, which one of you is going to hurry up and come challenge me?"

Seeing no one respond, Yan Hu turned and said to Luo Feng, "Luo Feng, let’s have a bout."

Luo Feng’s expression turned wry. In the advancement tournament, only those ranked lower could issue challenges to those ranked higher. Unfortunately, Yan Hu was last on the ninth level, the highest-ranked person in the advancement tournament. Others could challenge him, but he couldn’t challenge anyone.

"Yan Hu, there are still three rounds left in the advancement tournament. Let’s save our fight for the ranking matches. When the time comes I’ll be sure to have a good, thorough battle with you."

Luo Feng had yet to formally cross hands with the Wild tribe and didn’t know how deep Yan Hu’s strength ran, but his intuition told him the other was very strong. It wouldn’t be easy to take victory; even using the Demon Form Technique might not be enough—he might have to rely on the Grand Momentum or the dragon-vein True Yuan in his Dantian. To fight now would be somewhat premature.

"Fine... I’ll wait a little longer then."

Yan Hu sat down again, unwillingly, making the ground thud with a bang.

Luo Feng’s gaze lowered, falling on Xia Yunjing, who was seated in meditation cultivating.

He had originally thought Xia Yunjing would challenge him in the first round, but she hadn’t.

At that moment, Xia Yunjing opened her eyes, meeting Luo Feng’s gaze. Her red lips parted slightly, and a soft, twisting voice drifted into Luo Feng’s ears: I’ll challenge you in the second round. Prepare yourself—when the time comes I won’t hold back.

Luo Feng smiled. So the reason Xia Yunjing hadn’t challenged him was that she wanted both of them to be in peak condition. He nodded and accepted.

The first round of the advancement tournament ended. Aside from one Sky Sword Pavilion disciple being eliminated, the rest of the contestants on the ninth level had scarcely shifted.

On the Linglong Hall side.

"Yan Feihua, Yang Wanyi, Luo Feng, and Xia Yunjing should all have a chance to break into the top twenty. To have five people enter the top twenty of the New Dragon List Conference—this session is undoubtedly the flourishing peak of our Linglong Hall." A Linglong Hall elder looked toward Luo Feng and the others on the Hundred Dragon Pillars, eyes full of satisfaction.

Another elder, a voluptuous beauty, nodded. "Indeed, how many years has it been since we saw such splendor? Compared to last year, it’s practically like a dream."

Thinking of Linglong Hall’s results last year, several elders couldn’t help but chuckle.

At the previous New Dragon List Conference, Linglong Hall’s several young experts had all passed twenty years of age and could no longer participate; the younger generation was weak, and in the end only Yan Feihua made it into the top twenty of the New Dragon List—their record could only be described as miserable.

"It’s a pity Ling Qingwu was injured at the hunting conference and her cultivation delayed. Otherwise, she should also have been able to squeeze into the top twenty."

One elder sighed and said to Gu Xifeng, "Gu Xifeng, Xia Yunjing didn’t just now use the Chaos Hole Ten Thousand Water Jue you passed down to her. How much of her strength do you think she showed?"

Gu Xifeng pondered a moment. "Probably less than fifty percent."

At that, several elders looked at each other in dismay.

Xia Yunjing had just defeated a top-twenty expert from the previous New Dragon List Conference, yet she’d only used less than half her strength!

The beautiful elder glanced at Luo Feng, hesitated slightly, then said, "Gu Xifeng, can’t the agreement between you and Luo Feng simply be annulled?"

She knew very well how formidable the Chaos Hole Ten Thousand Water Jue was—Yuan Qi taking form, water engendering all things—methods far from ordinary, easily capable of challenging opponents above one’s level.

If things were truly as Gu Xifeng said and Xia Yunjing had just displayed less than half her strength, then Luo Feng very likely would be defeated.

Luo Feng’s potential and strength were plain for all to see; looking across the entire younger generation of the Canglang Dynasty, he was outstanding. For Linglong Hall to lose such a genius disciple would be a great loss.

Gu Xifeng’s expression was indifferent. "An agreement is an agreement; how could it be treated like child’s play? If Luo Feng is defeated, he must leave the Golden Palace. If he happens to win, I will fulfill my promise and henceforth acknowledge him as a disciple of our Linglong Hall, and grant him immense benefits. Qin Hua, could it be you fear I would go back on my word?"

The beautiful elder wore a bitter smile. She knew Gu Xifeng’s hatred of men; she had only spoken up for Luo Feng on a faint hope. But things had unfolded just as she’d expected, and now all they could do was pray for a miracle—that Luo Feng could defeat Xia Yunjing.

At the side, Shui Linglong’s rosy lips curved in a faint smile; she didn’t worry for Luo Feng in the least.

Just then, an elder said, "The second round has begun."

Everyone’s attention once more focused on the Hundred Dragon Pillars.

The matches again started from the first level, advancing layer by layer.

After the first round, each contestant had gained a certain understanding of their own strength. They no longer blindly challenged the level above, but chose opponents they had confidence in defeating, seizing ranks.

The strength of the combatants was now evenly matched; victory and defeat were no longer foregone conclusions, and it often took several dozen, even over a hundred exchanges before a winner emerged.

Such ever-changing duels were obviously more watchable. The fierce battles set blood boiling; cries of astonishment rose now and then from the islands, and on the summit, the disciples of the twelve Golden Palaces shouted loudly, cheering on their senior brothers and sisters.

However, with the brilliance of the earlier eighth and ninth level matches as a benchmark, no matter how intense the fights on the lower levels were, in the eyes of the crowd they still paled considerably. Everyone was waiting for the battles on the eighth and ninth levels.

Challenges began and ended, and amid the crowd’s anticipation, the flames of war soon again spread to the eighth level.

Whoosh!

In an instant, the atmosphere across the entire Group Dragon Island boiled over, shouts surging one after another.

And then, those high and fervent voices eerily fell silent. On the vast Group Dragon Island, only the sound of the sea wind stirring the waves remained.

Everyone was looking in the same direction: the dragon pillar where Luo Feng stood.

On the platform, aside from Luo Feng, there was another tall, slender figure—it was Xia Yunjing!

Yang Wanyi’s Daimei knit slightly. This moment had come after all.

On the tenth level, Jian Wuji, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them at this moment, expressionless as he looked at the two figures facing off on the dragon pillar.

"Xia Yunjing, are you sure you want to challenge Luo Feng?"

An elder of the Purple Extreme Palace in charge of the matches couldn’t help but ask.

It was too strange. The two were both disciples of Linglong Hall, and compared to the others on the ninth level, Luo Feng’s strength was not weak—he was even on the stronger side. From any angle, Xia Yunjing shouldn’t be challenging Luo Feng.

Xia Yunjing’s fingers brushed her storage ring; she drew out a long bow nearly as tall as a person, faint blue light flowing along its surface. She nodded. "I’m certain."

"What exactly is going on? Xia Yunjing is actually challenging Luo Feng!" At last, a spectator couldn’t resist asking those nearby.

"Could it be the two of them bear a grudge? But it doesn’t look that way. Earlier, when they were breaking through the Three Gates, Xia Yunjing even helped Luo Feng drive off Leng Feifan. Could it be the two of them... hehe."

"Who cares, we just have to watch the match. They’re both genius disciples of Linglong Hall; this battle will be interesting."

"Who do you think will win this one?"

"I think it’ll be Luo Feng. His cultivation is a whole level higher than Xia Yunjing’s, and he’s solid in all aspects. It won’t be difficult for him to defeat her."

"Not necessarily. Back at the Profound Weight Gate, Xia Yunjing repelled Leng Feifan, the head of the Eight New Stars, with a single arrow. She’s a veteran New Dragon List expert; her experience can make up for the gap in cultivation. Bow Cultivators generally all have their own finishing move. I think Xia Yunjing has the better chance."

"Stop arguing, the match is about to begin. Let’s just wait and see."

Seeing Xia Yunjing challenge Luo Feng, the chatter on the various islands rose higher and higher. In the face of this development that had caught everyone completely off guard, quite a few blush-inducing rumors began to spread.

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