Chapter 366: Chapter 358: Advancing to Middle Upper Empire
So, you concede. The question was posed in the tone of a statement by Mu Chen. Liu Feiyuan gave a bitter laugh. His arm went slack, and the Red Broken Sword slowly fell from the air, landing at an angle in the churned-up earth.
"Do I concede? Yes, I concede. Wholeheartedly and without reservation..."
Taking a deep breath, Liu Feiyuan actually smiled, and it was a genuine smile. His Mental Realm suddenly cleared. ’In the past, maybe it was because of my Sword Intent. I had never known defeat, so I became arrogant and conceited. That must be why my Sword Intent has been unable to advance. The prodigy of the Cangyue Empire? Heh, what a joke I must be in front of this guy. *He’s* the real monster.’
"The winner! The Xuanling Empire!"
After a moment of silence, Elder Bai finally took a deep breath and announced the result that had defied everyone’s expectations.
"The match is over?"
At that moment, all the participants watching the match were in a complete fog, their faces a mask of bewilderment. They couldn’t understand how a First-Ring Martial Sect had managed to shatter a Seventh-Ring Martial Sect’s Strongest Battle Skill. This completely defied the continent’s division of Martial Artist Realms!
But then they looked at Liu Feiyuan on the stage, who was actually smiling from ear to ear, without a trace of the resentment or anger one would expect after a defeat. This couldn’t help but make people wonder if the guy had gotten his brain scrambled or suffered some kind of massive mental shock.
Mu Chen glanced at Liu Feiyuan, a little surprised. He smiled and said, "An interesting fellow."
With those words, Mu Chen leaped and landed lightly on the rest platform. With this battle won, the Xuanling Empire had directly advanced to the rank of a Middle Upper Empire, earning the right to participate in the ranking tournament for Middle-class Empires.
Seeing Mu Chen jump down, Qing Lei, Ye Shuangshuang, Mu Bingling, and Mo Qing quickly went up to meet him. Though their faces were filled with the joy of victory, they didn’t show the slightest hint of surprise, as if it were the most normal thing in the world for Mu Chen, a First-Ring Martial Sect, to defeat a Seventh-Ring Martial Sect.
"..."
Di Cang finally understood. ’So that’s why Qin Yuan was so certain Mu Chen would win. And because of that kid, the Xuanling Empire has finally returned to its most glorious rank! A Middle Upper Empire!’
...
In the special seating area, Shan Ziyan stared in disbelief at the blue-haired young man below. "Sister Jun Wu," she murmured, "that guy just defeated a Seventh-Ring Martial Sect. That... that can’t be real, can it?"
Jun Wu’s expression was extremely grave, but upon hearing Shan Ziyan’s words, she gradually relaxed. "What you saw," she said helplessly, "was all real."
"But!" Shan Ziyan immediately retorted, "The natural order of the continent is that strength is supreme! It’s an absolute Law that High-level Martial Artists can suppress Low-level Martial Artists. Even among the geniuses of Holy Tomb Mountain, there are people capable of Tier Jumping, but does someone who can leap six entire realms to fight like him really exist in this world?"
Jun Wu shook her head. She couldn’t explain this phenomenon either. In her ten years as the administrator of the Holy Tomb Mountain’s Secret Book Pavilion, the most powerful expert she had ever heard of had only managed to win a narrow, bitter victory after jumping three Small Realms. But a Tier-Jumping battle like Mu Chen’s—one he won so easily it seemed as if he hadn’t even used a tenth of his strength—was something she had never even heard of.
After resting for a moment, Dilaka’s drained Spirit finally recovered. Seeing the scene below, the shock in his heart was beyond words. He could only stare intently at Mu Chen, who was chatting casually on the rest platform. He understood now. This wasn’t just a case of him misjudging someone; he simply could have never predicted the other party would be such a monster!
’He’s a peerless monster! Holy Tomb Mountain absolutely cannot let someone like him get away.’
Having secretly made up his mind, Dilaka decided that no matter how far the Xuanling Empire went in this competition, whether they ultimately won or lost, he had to keep this young man at Holy Tomb Mountain and teach... him... *personally*!
’Jumping six realms, and with such ease... In all these years, Mu Chen is definitely the first to do so! What kind of place *is* this Xuanling Empire to produce such a monstrous talent?!’
"Damn! Finally! I’ve finally found a disciple fit for me! I, Shan Qiuhen, am claiming this kid!"
Dilaka’s thought had barely surfaced when Shan Qiuhen voiced it aloud. This immediately displeased Dilaka. He coughed twice and shot a sideways glance at Shan Qiuhen, his meaning self-evident.
Hearing Dilaka, Shan Qiuhen turned his head and asked in feigned confusion, "Oh? I say, Old Di, is your throat bothering you? And it looks like your eyes are on the fritz, too. When we get back, you should definitely have that old baldy Xiao Yao’er take a look at you."
Dilaka’s face flushed red. "Junior Brother Shan, are you really pretending not to understand me? How many years has it been since I’ve taken on a disciple?"
"It’s been many years for me, too."
"My position is higher than yours!"
"We’re both Elders. There’s no high or low."
"I’m older than you!"
"Then you should defer to me even more."
"You..."
"Me..."
"..."
Watching the two red-faced old men bickering, Jun Wu let out a long sigh. "It’s a good thing only the Grand Elder and Second Elder came today. If all seven Elders were here, they’d probably have blown the roof off by now."
"Still," Jun Wu said, her gaze shifting back to Mu Chen as she pondered for a moment, "the more I look at this Mu Chen, the more familiar he seems..."
Of course, Mu Chen, down below, had no idea he had become such a hot commodity. Even the Flame Dragon Emperor, Long Yuan, was beaming. ’Fighting across six tiers! For such a freak of nature, such a great monster, to come from my own Dynasty... This is a tremendous honor!’
"Mu Ya, where exactly is this Xuanling Empire located? Remind me when we get back—I absolutely must bestow a large fiefdom upon them! And send five—no, ten Venerable Level Elder Guardians! Regardless of who their Emperor is, have him come to my Dynasty for an audience! This Emperor shall bestow great rewards! Hahaha!"
Hearing this, Red Wood Cliff sighed in his heart. ’It looks like the Xuanling Empire is about to make a complete comeback.’ He thought of Mu Chen. ’Heh... what a freakish little guy. I just wonder if his Tier Jumping Ability has an even higher limit. If it does, then this kid might just be about to shatter the heavens.’
"’Di Cang, oh, Di Cang,’ he mused, ’let’s see if this monster you’ve brought can wash away your past disgrace.’ As he thought this, a flicker of anticipation flashed in Red Wood Cliff’s eyes.
"Mu Chen... where did this guy come from?"
At that very moment, with the exception of Shi Mu Hua, the elites from the High-class Empires of the Four Great Dynasties were all asking the same question. But could anyone answer it? The answer, naturally, was no. However, in that instant, a single thought surfaced in all their minds...
The Xuanling Empire... was about to rise!
...
"Everyone!" Seeing that the crowd was still buzzing, Elder Bai raised his right hand and shouted, "Quiet, please! We have now completed one-third of the Empire Tournament! At this time, I officially announce that the Xuanling Empire has successfully advanced to the ranks of the Middle-class Empires! Their Empire Level: Middle Upper! Let us congratulate them!"
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!
A torrent of applause rained down from the viewing stands. Mu Chen and his teammates smiled, basking in this special honor. They had earned it.
Only now did all the participants understand why the Xuanling Empire had dared to make such a blatant, bold proclamation before the tournament. Now they got it. A monstrous genius capable of fighting across six realms was more than enough reason!
"Hahaha..."
Di Cang was grinning so wide he couldn’t close his mouth. Following his lead, all the Holy Hall Students also rose from their seats, standing ramrod straight. To go from a Low-level Lower Empire to a Middle Upper Empire in just half a day—this had absolutely shattered the record for the greatest leap in advancement in the entire history of the Empire Tournament!
The applause went on for a very long time, only gradually quieting down when Elder Bai raised his hand once more. "The congratulations will end here. I must say, this year’s matches for the Low-class Empires have been more spectacular than in any previous Empire Tournament. But, spectacular or not, the tournament must continue. As per the schedule, we will now proceed with the matches for the Middle-class Empires. And since the Xuanling Empire has successfully advanced, they also have the right to participate!"
"And now! The ranking tournament for the Middle-class Empires begins! Participants from the Middle-class Empires, please take note of the number below your seat and await the referee’s call! Competing on Arena One will be... the Xuanling Empire versus Middle-class Empire Number 3!"
ROAR!
Their last match had just ended, and the Xuanling Empire was immediately being called to fight again. Although their participant, Little Tiger, was unconscious and his condition uncertain, no one in the audience believed the Xuanling Empire would lose. Mu Chen alone could probably fight his way straight to the final challenge matches!
"It’s our turn again."
Qing Lei smiled faintly. With Mu Chen on their side, they were brimming with confidence. Ye Shuangshuang was already cracking her knuckles, eager for a fight. Thanks to Di Cang’s medicinal pills and Primordial Power treatment, Little Tiger’s life was no longer in danger. They could finally fight without holding back.
But just as they were about to step onto the arena, Mu Chen shook his head. "You all don’t need to go," he said. "I’ll handle the upcoming battles by myself. I want to end today’s matches quickly so I can help Little Tiger heal. After all, the longer his injuries go untreated, the worse it will be for him."
The others were stunned for a moment, but then they understood. In Mu Chen’s eyes, Little Tiger would always be the little brother he needed to look after. Besides, with Mu Chen’s strength, he truly did have the ability to take on all the Middle-class Empires by himself and lead the Xuanling Empire into the ranks of the High-class Empires!
Seeing Mu Chen’s determined expression, Qing Lei and the others could only sigh helplessly. Mu Bingling shook her head. "Oh, you..."
Qing Lei laughed heartily. "Well, it can’t be helped. You’re the captain, after all! When the captain gives an order, we subordinates have no choice but to respectfully obey. Go on, then! Let the other Empires see just how powerful the captain of our Xuanling Empire truly is!"
"That’s right!" Ye Shuangshuang clenched her fists, baring her sharp canines. "You have to beat the crap out of all those guys who looked down on us!"
"Haha..."
With a small smile, Mu Chen waved at the four of them to reassure them. Then, with a light leap, he landed once again on the now-repaired arena stage.
"Elder Bai." After the previous battle, Mu Chen had learned the title of the white-haired elder of Arena One. He called out, then continued, "I would like to request that for the following matches, I fight alone and challenge the opposing Empire’s entire team. One of my brothers is gravely injured. As it happens, I am a Cauldron Master, and I must treat him as soon as possible. Therefore, I ask that you please grant my request."
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