Chapter 90 – Duan Can Zu
As for the remaining Barbarian Ghost Sect disciples, with a “hong” sound, they split into ten groups and filled the few stone platforms.
Of course, the stone platforms that were lower ranked were surrounded by larger crowds.
This was a sure trend in the Large Competitions, when the challenges began, core disciples whose names were lower ranked were naturally challenged the most.
“Sou, sou!”
From underneath a stone platform which served as the arena, a number of gray clouds rose into the air. Each core Barbarian Ghost Sect disciple stood under his or her own banner each with a different expression. However, their aura was extraordinary and no one dared to belittle him or her.
Almost right away, from underneath the arena, people began to consecutively jump up and proceed to challenge someone. There was one arena where four or five people basically jumped up instantly, almost at the same time.
The Spirit Masters who were in charge of the arenas let each person sign the Life and Death Writ with his or her opponent before animating the defensive formation that was already in place around the stone platforms.
Layers of glossy white light appeared and enshrouded the stone platforms.
Each pair of competitors immediately began to fight as they started performing techniques or summoning ghosts. In a short while, it caused the audience outside of the layer of light to cry out in alarm at the dangerous fights.
Liu Ming did not stay near these low ranking arenas and instead directly walked to the arena for the top ten Core Disciples.
This arena was deathly quiet but the vicinity identically was packed with numerous people. Furthermore, myriad of people would look at the top ten core disciples on the stage while whispering to others in a hushed voice.
To Liu Ming, during this competition, he naturally had to at least take a spot within the top ten. By doing so, he could take part in the Life and Death Trials and seek even more resources and benefits. This would significantly help him cultivate to the peak of the Late Spirit Apostle and become a Perfect Spirit Apostle.
Because of this, in Liu Ming’s eyes, his opponents were the top ten core disciples as well as the other challengers who wanted to enter the same ranking.
Liu Ming’s gaze only briefly glanced at the arena’s surrounding before instantly discovering Gao Chong, Lei Zhen, Jia Lan, and a few other familiar faces. In addition, he saw a few disciples who seemed out of the ordinary.
When these people saw that Liu Ming had appeared at this area, there were some that remained expressionless while others held a faint shocked expression.
As for the top ten disciples in the arena, Liu Ming instantly looked at Yang Qian, who was wearing a silver mask.
This legendary Senior in the Barbarian Ghost Sect was currently sitting under his banner with his eyes closed. He seemed to be indifferent about everything that was happening outside.
Under the second banner was a shriveled and thin male with a head full of messy hair. A silver glint continued to flash in his eyes. As for the next person, it was a green-robed youth with a pale-faced expression without the slightest hint of blood. His eyes were slender, giving people an extremely dangerous feeling.
Under the fourth banner was a yellow-robed girl with a pretty complexion. It was Qian Hui Niang, or Senior Qian, whom Liu Ming had met before.
The fifth person was…
Liu Ming continued to examine these disciples as his mind incessantly processed the information rapidly.
In comparison with the arenas that already had people fighting in them, the first arena was dead silent since there wasn’t anybody who issued a challenge.
However, the Spirit Master who was in charge of this arena, an embroidered robed bearded large man, didn’t find this the least bit strange.
After a short while, his sleeve suddenly shook and a small and exquisite hourglass silently rolled out. He proceeded to insipidly say, “In fifteen minutes, if there is no one who comes on stage to issue a challenge, it will indicate that every disciple in this competition has renounced his or her right to challenge the core disciples in this arena. The time starts now!”
Inside the hourglass, the sand began to flow from the top to the bottom.
This scene caused the people below the arena to become restless.
Ultimately, after a brief moment, there were a person flew onto the stage.
“Disciple Du Yu wishes to challenge the tenth ranked disciple, Senior Ye!” The person who jumped onto the stage was a handsome youngster who was clutching a pink peach blossom fan in his hand. His expression was calm as he spoke to the embroidered robed large man.
“Hehe, you wish to challenge me. That’s good, my bone’s were starting to itch from restlessness.” Underneath the tenth banner, a robust youth wearing a gold ring around his head stood up and after listening to the challenge, replied with a sneer.
“Okay, sign your names on the Life and Death Writ!” The embroidered robed large man’s hand reached out and retracted the hourglass. His other hand created a multicolored light and from within, a blood-red tablet flew out and steadily floated in the air.
When the two youths saw this, they immediately walked over and each squeezed out a drop of Essence Blood onto the tablet. Then, they retreated a few steps and looked at each other from a distance.
A clear bird cry arose from the tablet and a blood-colored inscription rushed out before quickly returning to the tablet.
Seeing this, the embroidered robed Spirit Master lifted his hand and retracted the tablet. He then lightly spoke a sentence, “The competition will now begin!”
When the voice faded, he abruptly stamped his foot and a white inscription formation appeared in a flash. When the hazy layer of white light appeared and enshrouded the stone platform, his figure retreated and rushed to step outside of the white layer of light. Once outside, he rode on his cloud and flew to a point above the light shroud where he stopped.
“Pu!”
The youth clutching the fan moved his wrist and the Peach Blossom Fan instantly transformed into a pink cyclone. Simultaneously, his other sleeve shook and a fragrant aroma permeated the entire interior of the light shroud.
“Bewitching Scent! It seems you are Poisonous Spirit Faction’s disciple! Haha, coming across me can be considered your bad luck!” When the golden-ringed youth saw this, he let out a wild laugh. After reciting an incantation, a light black spirit inscription appeared on his body and he suddenly grew bigger. Soon he had morphed into a twenty feet tall giant. He proceeded to punch the air three times, producing a “hu” sound and an incorporeal fluctuation each time from the enormous strength.
When the pink tornado attempted to face the oppressive force of the enormous strength, it immediately congealed before returning back with a smothered sound.
The youth holding the fan was unable to condense a defense and all he could feel was his breath tightening up as an enormous strength slammed into his body. He resolutely smacked into the the light shroud wall. His expression was dispirited as he spit out a few gobs of pure blood.
The golden-ringed youth who had morphed into a giant and promptly walked over in an aggressive manner.
“That’s impossible, how did you not suffer from the Soul Fragrance’s effect? You… you are a Body Cultivator… I concede.” When the youth holding the fan made clear of the situation, he was instantly frightened stiff and at once, he conceded.
“Hmph, truly a piece of trash. Possessing only this mere amount of strength and you unexpectedly still dared challenge me!” The giant’s footsteps stopped and he snorted before stopping the secret technique. His body returned to its normal state as he turned around and walked back to his banner.
The inscription formation on the stone platform flashed and the light shroud disappeared without a trace. The youth holding the fan hastily jumped off the stage in embarrassment and in the blink of an eye, he had left the surrounding area.
The embroidered robed Spirit Master descended from the sky and calmly announced the golden ring youth’s victory. Next, he once again set up the hourglass and silently waited.
Perhaps it was because of the golden-ringed youth’s excessively effortless victory, but it wasn’t until the sand in the hourglass had almost flowed to the halfway mark when someone finally gave a light cough and climbed onto the stone platform.
It astonishingly was a sickly looking twenty-seven to twenty-eight year old youth. He was draped in a light green robe and once he appeared, he immediately bowed and spoke to the embroidered robed Spirit Master:
“Martial Uncle, this junior, Duan Can Zu, would like to challenge the sixth ranked Senior Fei!”
The words that came out of his mouth caused everyone else’s hearts to jump to their throats. Numerous people looked at the person with a shocked and abnormal expression.
The Lunar Monument’s sixth and tenth place had a shocking difference in their power.
“Duan Can Zu, has anyone heard of him before?”
“No, this is the first time I’ve heard this name.”
“It seems that he is a Refining Corpse Faction’s disciple, but he hasn’t been that reputable.”
……
Below the stone platform, the audience was in the middle of a heated discussion.
Sitting upright under the sixth banner was a female wearing a fiery red robe. Hearing her name, her eyebrows rose and she promptly stood up with a pair of short tridents on her back.
After a moment’s work, the two signed the Life and Death Writ and the light shroud once again appeared in a flash.
“You unexpectedly dared challenge me; your courage truly is not small. This Flying Fire Coral Trident is a pair and although it is not a totem, it is a pair of top quality Practitioner Weapons. You had better be careful, your life is on the line.” The red-robed young girl coldly spoke. When her voice faded, her shoulder suddenly shook and the scarlet trident transformed into a red light as it flew up like red lightning.
A frosty glaze flinted over Duan Can Zu’s eyes as he unexpectedly lifted his hand to resist the red ray of light.
“Peng.” The sound of something smacking a dead tree rang out and the red light once again became a fiery trident as it flew back.
As for the white cloth that was wrapped around the fist, it suddenly disintegrated into tiny pieces, revealing a tightly intertwined layer of yellow bandages that stretched from his palm to his armpit and even further beyond.
Under the second banner, the skinny male with long hair displayed a shocked expression when he saw the bandages on Duan Can Zu’s arm. He used an inaudible voice and spoke to himself, “Heavenly Imperial Corpse Clothing, this Junior Martial Brother unexpectedly is actually cultivating such a hegemonic secret technique. It also seems that his mastery is extremely profound.”
The opposing red-robed girl displayed a shocked expression when her flying trident was unexpectedly repelled by his fist. However, in the next moment, she pointed her a finger while reciting an incantation.
The scarlet trident instantly began rotating in a circle while the exterior red light flashed. “Pu”… it transformed into a scarlet red raging flame that frantically rushed at Duan Can Zu.
Seeing this, Duan Can Zu’s wrist shook and seven to eight long yellow ribbons shot out. Simultaneously, they began to wildly dance about and transformed into a yellow ribbon casing that protected him within.
The scarlet ball of flame struck the casing and after a loud rumbling sound, it split into countless raging flames that shot in all four directions.
The flying trident returned once again after emitting such a powerful force.
As for the yellow ribbon casing, it was unaffected and it seemed to be unafraid of the raging flames.
When the red-robed girl saw this, her face turned ugly and she began murmuring under her breath once again. Her shoulder shook and the other flaming trident flew up and transformed into a streak of raging flames as it flew with a rumbling sound.
In an instant, the two streaks of scarlet flames surrounded Duan Can Zu and continuously struck him. Scarlet light would suddenly brighten up before suddenly darkening as a burning smell condensed and dispersed. The power of the attack seemed incredibly strong!
Nonetheless, the long yellow ribbon seemed impermeable to water and fire and as it continued to hastily dance about, it unexpectedly managed to fully block the two streaks of raging flames on its exterior. It didn’t even let a fraction of the flame enter the interior.
Faced with this situation, the red-robed girls face was somewhat ashen but she suddenly performed a single-handed technique while muttering an incantation. She slowly raised one of her fingers pointed at the opposing party. Her finger tip abruptly turned a bloody scarlet red color.