Chapter 89 – The Beginning of the Large Competition
After he examined it fully and furthermore, remembered all of it in his heart, he moved his sight to the gathering place of the other disciples which was on top of the rock mountain.
The older disciples who were above thirty years old were all standing away from the Lunar Monument and gathered in groups of two or three. They pointed toward people in the crowd while continuously discussing with each other in whispers.
Most of the disciples who were attending the competition were having a straight face, but there were still some disciples who had the enthusiasm and the excitement of a teenager, carrying a expression which said, “I want to try!”
After Liu Ming scanned through the crowd once, he realized that there were faces that were no stranger to him. For example, Du Hai, Mu Yun Xian, Jia Lan, Lei Zhen, and Shi Chuan were all standing shoulder to shoulder.
Suddenly, Liu Ming felt that there were people around who were also looking at him. He turned his head and looked.
Among the disciples, Sima Tian was looking coldly at Liu Ming. Only when Liu Ming locked gazes with Sima Tian did he moved his sight away without even being flustered.
When Liu Ming saw this, he thought of something.
“Senior Bai, so you are here. Perhaps this time you are planning to try and participate?” A woman’s greeting voice followed by the sound of footsteps came from behind Liu Ming.
Shocked, Liu Ming turned his head, seeing a man and a woman walking together toward Liu Ming. They were Xue Shan and Wan Xiao Qing.
The Xue Shan now had grown in stature since last time. Wan Xiao Qing was also carrying a girl’s embarrassing expression on her face.
Seeing the two people so close in relationship, it was obvious that their relationship now was different from when they first entered the sect.
“So it was Junior Xue and Wan! If I have the chance, I was thinking of trying it out.” Replied Liu Ming with a smile.
“Senior Bai already became a Middle Spirit Apostle over a year ago. Your Fa Li must be even stronger now. There is still hope for you to leave your own name on the monument by the end. After all, the amount of Late Spirit Apostles in our sect has not reached one hundred people.” Wan Xiao Qing spoke while smiling.
Wan Xiao Qing had also become a Middle Spirit Apostle at the last Small Competition, but the time between the Small Competition and now was too short. It was obvious that she could not participate in the battle for placements as a core disciple.
“Humph, only a new disciple, and you want to fight for a placement of a core disciple? You better spend another three or four years cultivating in the sect before speaking.” A young man with a long, light gold ruler on his waist walked over, and spoke coldly to the three.
“Hm, so it is Senior Xi. Senior has already gained a placement as a core disciple from last time, this time senior will definitely once again leave his name on the Lunar Monument.” After hearing what was said, Xue Shan originally became slightly angry, but after properly seeing the face of the young man with arched eyebrows, he could not help but force a smile while talking.
This Senior Xi was one of the elder disciples of the Nine Infants Mountain that appeared in the previous two Small Competitions. He showed great strength, and among the elder disciples, he was only below Shi Chuan — the eldest disciple of Nine Infants — in terms of strength. Toward Xue Shan and other new disciples, he always had an arrogant attitude as if he looking at them from above.
Liu Ming knit his brows and just as he wanted to say something, a cold voice could be heard from the other direction.
“Hmph, who said we, the new disciples, are completely unable to gain a place on the Lunar Monument.”
Xue Shan and Wan Xiao Qing looked across in surprise. It was Xiao Feng, who had been nearby for an unknown time. He had a cold expression, looking at the “Senior Xi”
“Xiao Feng, if it weren’t for Master Gui’s extra attention to you, to the point of generously giving of his training area to you as well as personally give pointers, how can you have become a Late Spirit Apostle so fast?” After seeing Xiao Feng, Senior Xi did not hide the resentment in his voice by the smallest part and spoke viciously.
To him, Xiao Feng, who was a Nine Spiritual Pulse disciple, immediately claimed a large portion of the resources in the Faction after entering the Faction. Therefore, Xiao Feng was naturally more hated than Liu Ming, Xue Shan, and the other people.
“Hmph, no matter what method is used, do you think just any person is able to reach Late Spirit Apostle in three or four years after entering the sect?! I wonder how many years Senior Xi used before he was able to reach this level?” Xiao Feng gave a cold laugh and spoke. It seemed as if he did not want to give any face to the opposition.
“You…”
After hearing this, Senior Xi became extremely angry, but did not know how he should reply to the question asked in such a short time.
“Juniors, why argue at this time!” After a light sigh, another person from nearby entered the group.
Liu Ming looked carefully, and was slightly surprised. It was actually Shi Chuan, the eldest senior of Nine Infants Faction.
What he was surprised about, naturally was not due to the fact that Shi Chuan was there, but rather, under perception of his extremely powerful mental strength, he could feel that Shi Chuan’s aura was completely different from before. It was as if there was an extra, indescribable, cold feeling.
Liu Ming’s eyes flashed, and his gaze landed on around Shi Chuan’s waist. Surprisingly, there was a leather pouch with green and red inscriptions and it felt like the source of the cold feeling.
“Senior Shi.”
Whether it was Xue Shan, Wan Xiao Qing, Senior Xi, or Xiao Feng, after seeing Shi Chuan appear, they all immediately cried out, afraid to neglect in greeting him.
Liu Ming naturally also gave a small greeting with the others.
“Juniors, this Large Competition is extremely important to our Nine Infants Faction. All people that are able to place on the Lunar Monument, whether old or new disciples, will all be heavily rewarded by Master Gui and the others. If we can let the Nine Infants Faction escape from being ranked at the bottom, our faction will have a large increase in resources for the next three years, which is good news for all juniors. Therefore, Master Gui has already instructed that the disciples of our faction must not challenge core disciples of our faction to guarantee a rise in placements.” Shi Chuan said slowly.
“Since Master Gui has instructions, I will naturally follow them!” Xiao Feng’s expression froze and he replied.
The other people could only agree while nodding their heads.
At the same time, on a rock stage far away from where Liu Ming and the others were, a person was currently looking at this matter from far away. He then said to the people beside him plainly, “The Bai Cong Tian now is indeed not the same person as what I remember. No wonder he could create a bit of reputation, making Sima Tian be unwilling to fight him due to the risks involved.”
The person speaking wore white robes and had a jade belt. Behind him was a long, light gold sword strapped to his back. This was Gao Chong, the Earth Rank Spiritual Pulse genius from the Blood Control Faction.
As for the beautiful looking young female next to him, it was Mu Ming Zhu.
According to the rules, outer sect disciples had no opportunity to enter or view the Large Competition which was an extremely large event in the Barbarian Ghost Sect. However, with an unknown method, Gao Chong was actually able to safely bring her inside.
Behind the two people, the youth with hoops on his arms, Senior Wu and Shi Jian couple also stood there.
“How do you plan on doing it? If he does not enter the Large Competition, there is absolutely no way to meet him.” Mu Ming Zhu stared at Liu Ming viciously and spoke slightly worriedly.
“To not enter the Large Competition? This is impossible. If he really does have the strength to cause Sima Tian, who is a core disciple ranked in the top twenty to not want to fight him, how could he not fight for the placement and resources that he ought to have. As long as he does fight, and leaves a place on the Lunar Monument, I naturally will fight against him.” It seemed Gao Chong already had thought about it, and spoke without hesitation.
Only after hearing this did Mu Ming Zhu relax. She revealed a smile on her face.
“However, the real enemy this time, is not Bai Cong Tian, but that person!” Gao Chong looked away, toward another stone stage. On there, a gray-robed male that wore a silver mask was surrounded by various disciple of the Baleful Yin Faction. Gao Chong’s expression became extremely serious as he saw this scene.
“That girl actually ignored what I said and is even mingling with Gao Chong at a place like this. It is as if she has no worries at all.” When Mu Xian Yun saw Mu Ming Zhu standing side by side with Gao Chong, her expression became extremely ugly.
“You clearly have told her the matter about being a Human Cauldron but Mu Ming Zhu does not believe you, and it seems that there was even a contradictory effect. This matter is becoming abnormally hard to deal with.” Du Hai knit his brows tightly and spoke.
“That girl cannot be counted as stupid but how can she be deceived by that brat to such a level. Elder Brother always dearly loved Ming Zhu and clearly told me to look after her when she joined the sect. If something happens, how can I justify myself when I return.” Mu Yun Xian said with some frustration at how Mu Ming Zhu never listened to her.
“For the current situation, it seems the place Junior Bai is in is not good. You seriously cannot think that with Gao Chong bringing Ming Zhu here, he will still turn a blind eye to Junior Bai, who is engaged to her?” Du Hai sighed, and started smiling coldly.
“Are you saying that Gao Chong will personally fight Junior Bai?” Mu Yun Xian was startled.
“Why personally fight, perhaps it is enough for him to just order other people to fight.” Du Hai looked deeply at the young male with hoops on his arms who was behind Gao Chong and spoke fearfully.
“Then if it is so, we can only have Junior Bai to withdraw from the Large Competition this time to protect himself.” Mu Yun Xian replied after thinking.
“The Large Competition is only held once every three years, do you think that it is possible for Junior Bai to quit now? Right now, we can only hope that Junior Bai is unable to leave his name on the Lunar Monument. This way, Gao Chong’s group will have no chance to fight him.” Du Hai shook his head, and replied in such a way.
“We can only hope so. To speak of it, we bear most of the responsibilities for putting Junior Bai in such a situation.” Mu Yun Xian revealed a remote expression.
“This cannot be blamed on you! After all, you only wanted to save Ming Zhu from the dangers.” Du Hai naturally responded warmly and attempted to comfort Mu Yun Xian.
However, just at this time, the incense stick on the jade platform that was mid-air finally finished burning. The Barbarian Ghost Sect Leader immediately took a step forward, and announced loudly.
“The time has come, the Large Competition will now start.”
At the same time, another Spirit Master immediately instructed loudly, “Disciples with placements on the Lunar Monument, according to the order of rankings, form groups of ten on the steps of the ten elevated stages. The ordinary disciples will challenge these core disciples to a battle, where the winner stays and the loser leaves the stage. A normal disciple has three chances to challenge and once he uses up all of them, he will lose the right to challenge. As for the same core disciple, each person can only challenge them once and is not allowed to continuously challenge the same core disciple. There is a Spirit Master deacon conducting the battle on each stage. All disciples must not ignore their decision of loss or victory.”
After hearing this, the disciples on the stone mountain were naturally in an uproar.
As for the ten Spirit Masters, they all directly leaped down from the air, landing in the center of the ten largest stone stages.
Afterward, small flags flew out from their body, and transformed into banners that were inserted into the ground, forming neat rows of banners.
These banners were black and red in color, and all of them had silver markings inscribed on their surfaces. They each had a different symbol, symbolizing the numbers from one to one hundred.