Book 3 – The Ancient Battlefield
Four days later, the geniuses ranked in the top 30 positions of the Ascension Rankings had suddenly vanished from the Imperial Capital. They’d naturally headed to the Ancient Battlefield! It wasn’t just those profounders ranked on the Ascension Rankings, various other elites and secret troops from the Grand Qin Empire and genius disciples from the six great powers had headed to the Ancient Battlefield as well!
If the Ascension Rankings was related to the rise and decline of the various powers in the short term, then the fight for Karmic Luck at the Ancient Battlefield was related to the rise and fall of the various powers in the long term! So, the Grand Qin Empire and the six great powers. No, it should be said that the southern territory had dispatched all its elites, and it hadn’t held back at all!
Especially the sects in the southern territory. It wasn’t inner court disciples that they dispatched this time, and it was the elite disciples of their sects who had attained the King Realm!
There was an enormous teleportation formation on a mountain outside the Imperial Capital. At this moment, the figures of youths densely covered the area below the teleportation platform. Amongst these youths were independent cultivators, the disciples of the various clans, and the disciples of the sects. At this moment, their faces were covered in excitement and delight. Because the Grand Qin Empire and the six great powers hadn’t just given them countless cultivation resources this time, they were even provided guarantees that they would become elite disciples of their sects if they were able to ascend to the 2nd level of the Hidden Dragon Pagoda!
Elite disciples! This was something that they couldn’t help but be tempted by! Especially those independent cultivators. Even though it wasn’t a problem at all for the profounders standing here to join the six great powers, becoming an elite disciple of the six great powers wasn’t realistic. On the other hand, the difference in the treatment received by elite disciples and the inner court disciples could be said to be like the gap between the heavens and the earth!
So, countless profounders here, especially those independent cultivators were extraordinarily excited and delighted! As for the dangers of the Ancient Battlefield that the Grand Qin Empire and the six great powers had told them about, they’d completely disregarded it. Most times and especially when it was before enormous temptation, most people tended to forget the dangers they had to face!
As for the disciples of the sects, when they found out that they would encounter the monstrous geniuses of the other territories at the Ancient Battlefield, all of them weren’t fearful at all. Conversely, they were excited and elated. Most geniuses had a common characteristic, and it was pride! They didn’t feel that they were inferior to others at all!
On the teleportation platform, Li Si shook his head inwardly as he gazed at the crowd below the platform. How many of these youths would be able to return alive from the Ancient Battlefield?
“Everyone, I hope all of you’ll be able to attain great results at the Hidden Dragon Pagoda in the Ancient Battlefield. I’ve already told all of you about the dangers there, so if you intend to regret your decision and withdraw yourself, then you can do so right now. Once you’ve headed there, then you’ll have no chance to regret your decision,” said Li Si.
All the profounders below shook their heads upon hearing this. What a joke! Cultivating in the Hidden Dragon Pagoda for a day was comparable to a year of cultivation, and they’d even received the promise of rewards from the Grand Qin Empire and the six great powers. So, only an idiot would give up such a great opportunity!
Li Si nodded when he saw that no one intended to withdraw, and then he said, “Since all of you have no objections, then please enter the teleportation formation!”
However, no one in the crowd below had moved. The countless profounders shot their gazes towards the figures standing in the frontmost row. These figures belonged to the elite disciples of the Grand Qin Empire and the six great powers. Most of them were unfamiliar faces, but there were also some familiar faces like Yuan Tong, Leng Xinran, Wenren Yue, and Murong Yao!
Right when everyone was silent, the Origin School’s elite disciple stepped forward, swept everyone with his gaze, and then said, “In the past, the 1st position on the Ascension Ranking has always belonged to my Origin School. This year, it was seized by an outer court disciple of the Sword Sect. I, Yuan Xiu, would really like to meet this young man called Yang Ye. I wonder who is Yang Ye? Why don’t you step out from the crowd so that I can meet you?”
When he heard Yuan Xiu, Yuan Tong’s expression instantly turned slightly unsightly. However, he didn’t flare-up. After he lost his qualifications to become the Martial God, it meant that he was unable to obtain the inheritance on Martial God Mountain. Without that inheritance, he didn’t have any qualifications or right to be proud before these senior elite disciples of the Origin School!
After a short while, when he didn’t see Yang Ye, Yuan Xiu laughed coldly and said, “What? The 1st on the Ascension Rankings and the Quasi Sword Emperor doesn’t even have the courage to meet me?”
However, Yang Ye still didn’t show himself!
Yuan Xiu’s face fell, and then he gazed at the elite disciple that led the group from the Sword Sect and said, “Jian Wuji, so this is how the disciples of your Sword Sect act? He doesn’t even have the courage to meet me?”
The young man called Jian Wuji chuckled and said, “Yuan Xiu, you’re mistaken. Even though Yang Ye represented my Sword Sect during the Ascension Rankings, he isn’t a disciple of my Sword Sect. The enmity between him and both the Flower Palace and your Origin School isn’t related to my Sword Sect at all. Feel free to go look for him. My Sword Sect won’t interfere!”
Yuan Xiu laughed coldly and said, “It’s best if it’s like that, otherwise, don’t blame me for not giving consideration to the fact that we’re from the same territory!”
Jian Wuji smiled and didn’t say anything.
Right at this moment, a cold and gorgeous woman in a blue dress that led the group from the Flower Palace had suddenly stepped forward, and she glanced at Jian Wuji before she gazed at Yuan Xiu and said, “Yuan Xiu, Yang Ye is the son of a traitor from my Flower Palace. So, his life should be taken by my Flower Palace. What do you think?”
“Oh?” Yuan Xiu laughed coldly, and then he said, “Yan Wu, Yang Ye has attained the Enlightened Sword Heart and comprehended 4th level Sword intent. Moreover, he even possesses a mysterious King Rank Darkbeast. If you try to take his life, then don’t get killed by him in the end because that would really bring extraordinary shame to your Flower Palace!”
A wisp of ridicule arose on the corners of her mouth as she said, “Killed by him? So what if he possesses the Enlightened Sword Heart, so what if he has comprehended Sword Intent? He’s merely a First Heaven Realm profounder! Can he surmount a realm to do battle with me? Does he even possess the qualifications to accomplish that? I’m not a disciple of your Origin School!” As she spoke, she glanced at Yuan Tong!
Yuan Tong’s expression was gloomy, but he didn’t say anything. Indeed, the defeated had no right to speak at most times!
Yuan Xiu glanced at Yuan Tong, and then he retaliated. “Even though my Origin School’s Yuan Tong was defeated, he was defeated after trying his best. On the other hand, your Flower Palace surrendered without a fight. If it’s in terms of being humiliating, then it’s probably your Flower Palace that takes the cake, right?”
Right when Yan Wu was about to flare up, a woman from the Snow Palace that wore a white dress suddenly walked forward, and then she glanced indifferently at both Yuan Xiu and Yan Wu before she said, “Both of you make it sound like Yang Ye is someone both of you can squash at any time. If he attains the King Realm, then just the Enlightened Sword Heart he possesses would be sufficient for him to remain in an invincible state. How would the two of you kill him? How truly laughable!” As soon as she finished speaking, she didn’t say anything else before she led all the disciples of the Snow Palace onto the teleportation platform, and then they vanished from it!
Yuan Xiu and Yan Wu had slightly unsightly expressions. They wanted to retort yet were unable to do so. Because the woman from the Snow Palace was right. Besides the Martial God of Legend, there was practically no one at the same realm of cultivation who could suppress one who’d attained the Enlightened Sword Heart. However, the person in the southern territory that was most likely to become the Martial God had been defeated at Yang Ye’s hand, so if Yang Ye were to enter the King Realm, then could anyone in the King Realm be a match for him?
Yang Ye must be eliminated before he enters the King Realm!At this moment, Yuan Xiu and Yan Wu had a moment of extreme tacit understanding as they simultaneously thought of the same thing!
Suddenly, he seemed to have thought of something, and Yuan Xiu looked towards the place where the disciples of the Ghost Sect stood and said, “The Ghost Sect’s Li Xianhe has enmity with Yang Ye because of the death of his brother. Why hasn’t he come here yet?”
The disciples of the Ghost Sect didn’t dare ignore Yuan Xiu’s question, and a disciple of the Ghost Sect said, “My Ghost Sect receive news that Yang Ye has headed to the Ancient Battlefield by himself yesterday, so Senior Brother Xianhe has gone off in pursuit of him!”
“Yang Ye intends to traverse the Grand Myriad Mountains to head to the Ancient Battlefield?” asked Yan Wu with a frown on her face.
That disciple of the Ghost Sect nodded and said, “According to the information obtained by my Ghost Sect, that’s exactly what he intends to do!”
“Why is he exhausting such an effort to head to the Ancient Battlefield?” Yuan Xiu spoke in a low voice. After a short while, he seemed to have thought of something and sneered. “Could it be that he’s afraid of us. So, he didn’t hesitate to traverse the Grand Myriad Mountains and travel to the Ancient Battlefield by himself?”
“Perhaps!” Yan Wu said in agreement, “Besides the Grand Qin Empire, he has offended five out of the six great powers. So, he’s definitely aware that he wouldn’t be able to live past today if he came here. Thus, he chose to travel to the Ancient Battlefield by himself. This Yang Ye is pretty smart!”
Yuan Xiu spoke in a cold voice. “Hmph! It doesn’t matter anymore because he still wouldn’t be able to live for a few more days. With the strength and insane disposition Li Xianhe possesses, the Grand Myriad Mountains will be his grave! After all, Li Xianhe is already at the seventh rank of the King Realm, and he’s even an existence that fought his way out of the Asura Purgatory of the Ghost Sect. It’s definitely impossible for Yang Ye to surmount a realm of cultivation and challenge him!”
“He’s really getting off lightly by being able to die just like that!” Yan Wu grunted coldly.
“Don’t worry, with how cruel and bloodthirsty Li Xianhe is, he wouldn’t allow Yang Ye to die so quickly!” said Yuan Xiu.
“That’s true….” Yan Wu agreed.
When Wenren Yue and Murong Yao heard the conversation between Yan Wu and Yuan Xiu, a wisp of worry had simultaneously appeared in their eyes. It was extremely normal for geniuses to be able to surmount realms of cultivation to do battle. Because even they could accomplish it! However, this was towards a profounder that wasn’t a monstrous genius as well!
Just like them. It was probably impossible to find a profounder at the Mortal Realm who could defeat them! The difference in cultivation realms was extremely important when it came to a battle between monstrous geniuses!
Yang Ye had once relied on the might of a Dao Artifact to defeat Yuan Tong who was at the Half-step King Realm. Yet now, Li Xianhe wasn’t at the Half-step King Realm but a true King Realm expert. Moreover, Li Xianhe had attained the seventh rank of the King Realm! So, could Yang Ye survive Li Xianhe?
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At the moment that all the geniuses and elite disciples of the southern territory had headed to the Ancient Battlefield, Yang Ye was already in the Grand Myriad Mountains, and he was riding Grey that was dashing through a plain.
The reason he hadn’t taken the teleportation formation to the Ancient Battlefield was that he’d noticed that the little fellow was about to awaken! For the sake of avoiding any mishaps, he’d chosen to traverse the Grand Myriad Mountains and head to the Ancient Battlefield! On the other hand, the reason he hadn’t chosen to ride the Lightning Eagle was that he could practice his sword techniques while he traveled by land!