Chapter 236: Chapter 178: Qingxia_2
The larger of these Qi Refining Families had over a hundred cultivators, while the smaller ones had only ten or twenty. In the eyes of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, such strength was insignificant.
However, the successive Clan Leaders of the Song Clan had never overlooked their usefulness. Lumped together, these families comprised nearly a thousand cultivators. Whether as cannon fodder in times of war or for other purposes, they were a very good option to have.
Besides them, the leaders of two Demon Hunting Squads had also been invited, one of whom was Song Changsheng’s old acquaintance, Shangguan Sword.
All the aforementioned groups were vassals of the Song Clan—underlings, so to speak, who weren’t exactly presentable on a grand stage.
In terms of standing, their allies, the Wang and Li Clans, carried far more weight.
The representative sent by the Wang Clan was also an old acquaintance of Song Changsheng’s, Wang Wanzhou, who had once done him a great favor. The Li Clan sent their Clan Leader, Li Siyang, which showed the Song Clan a great deal of respect.
Seeing that it was about time and the surrounding spectator stands were full, Song Changsheng made his entrance with the Song Clan’s leadership team.
In truth, besides him, it was just Song Luzhou, Xia Yunxue, and a few highly respected Clan Elders.
Their seats were arranged in the very front row. As the host, Song Changsheng took the seat of honor, with Wang Wanzhou and Li Siyang seated on either side of him.
Song Changsheng was not an arrogant man. He and Wang Wanzhou were distantly related, and the man had done him a great favor. Although they hadn’t met in years, he had always remained grateful. He quickly stepped forward to greet him. "I never expected you to come in person, Senior. Please forgive my poor reception."
"Hahaha, the Song and Wang Families are as close as brothers—practically one and the same! Young Clan Leader Song, you are far too polite," Wang Wanzhou said with a hearty laugh, lightly stroking his beard.
He could sense the sincere respect Song Changsheng held for him, which left him deeply gratified. He hadn’t misjudged this young man; helping him all those years ago had not been in vain.
"Young Clan Leader Song, I have heard tales of your reputation for a long time. It is a pleasure to finally meet you today. You are truly a heaven-sent talent."
Li Siyang appeared to be a refined and amiable middle-aged man. He looked less like a cultivator and more like a scholar.
His relationship with the Songs was actually much closer than Wang Wanzhou’s. One of his paternal aunts was Song Changsheng’s grandmother, and she had married Song Xianming.
By that relation, Song Changsheng would have to address him as a cousin-uncle of sorts.
"You flatter me. I was just lucky enough to make a small name for myself," Song Changsheng replied humbly.
Li Siyang smiled and pulled over a young man who looked rather nonchalant. "Allow me to introduce you. This is my son, Hengzong."
"Dad, it’s not like this is the first time the Young Clan Leader and I have met. What’s with the introduction?" Li Hengzong said with a look that was just asking for a smack. Li Siyang’s expression immediately darkened.
Song Changsheng smiled and cupped his fists. "I must thank Brother Hengzong for his help back in the Secret Realm."
"Eh, it was nothing. I couldn’t stand that bunch from the Earth Fire Sect anyway," Li Hengzong replied flippantly, making his old father frown.
Seeing this, Wang Wanzhou also pushed someone forward, chuckling. "This is my granddaughter, Qianqian. You two have also met before."
Song Changsheng turned his head and realized she was another acquaintance from the Wutong Secret Realm. Compared to back then, she had blossomed into an even more graceful and elegant young woman. While not quite on the level of Xia Qingxue or Xia Wanyun, she was still a rare beauty.
The two had only seen each other in passing before and had never even spoken. He never would have guessed she was Wang Wanzhou’s granddaughter.
Wang Qianqian’s cheeks flushed as she gave Song Changsheng a graceful curtsy. "Little sister greets you, Cousin," she said in a soft, gentle voice.
"It’s been years, Cousin. You’ve also broken through to Foundation Establishment. Congratulations." Because of his relationship with Wang Wanzhou, Song Changsheng felt a bit more warmly toward her.
Off to the side, Li Siyang was quite envious. Someone had once named the top young genius from each of the six great Foundation Establishment Influences in Ling Province.
Zhang Zhiyuan of the Earth Fire Sect, Qiu Wenwu of the Qiu Clan, Yu Xueqian of the Yu Clan, Wang Qianqian of the Wang Clan, Li Hengzong of the Li Clan, and Song Changsheng of the Song Clan.
Now, Zhang Zhiyuan was dead at Song Changsheng’s hands. Qiu Wenwu, Yu Xueqian, and Wang Qianqian had all successively broken through to Foundation Establishment. Song Changsheng was even more monstrous—strong enough to contend with cultivators of the older generation.
Only Li Hengzong was still stuck at the Qi Refining Great Perfection stage. Seeing the completely unconcerned look on his face, Li Siyang wished he could just beat the life out of him. ’How could I have such an unmotivated son?’
’If only you were a daughter,’ Li Siyang thought, glancing at Wang Qianqian and then back at Li Hengzong, who was gazing around aimlessly. He sighed deeply.
After exchanging pleasantries with them for a while, Song Changsheng saw that the time was right. He flew on his sword to a spot above the Martial Arts Arena, channeled his Spiritual Power, and announced in a clear voice, "The time has come! The Song Clan’s Grand Competition now officially begins! First up is the junior division. I will now announce the rules of the competition."
At his words, the entire crowd fell silent. The vast Martial Arts Arena became quiet enough to hear a pin drop.
"This competition will consist of one-on-one matches. Opponents will be decided by drawing lots. Those who draw the same number will be paired for an arena battle.
"During the matches, you are forbidden from using power that is not your own, such as High-Tier Magical Artifacts, Talismans, and so on. However, Talisman Masters may use Talismans they have personally crafted, Array Masters may use Arrays, and so forth.
"In Magical Combat, a contestant is considered defeated if they surrender or leave the bounds of the arena. Once a contestant has surrendered, their opponent may not continue to attack. Taking another person’s life is also forbidden. Violators will be severely punished without exception!
"The top twenty-four contestants in this competition will each receive a bottle of Qi Gathering Pills and fifty Contribution Points as a reward. The top twelve will receive an additional two bottles of Qi Gathering Pills and another fifty Contribution Points.
"The top six will receive an additional Qi Tempering Pill and one hundred Contribution Points. The top three will be awarded a Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill, plus an extra three hundred, two hundred, or one hundred Contribution Points according to their final rank!"
The moment Song Changsheng’s voice fell, the Song Clan disciples erupted in a deafening cheer. The eligible contestants were all rubbing their hands together, eager to begin.
"Those rewards are quite generous," Wang Wanzhou remarked with some surprise. These were just junior disciples, after all, who were still receiving a clan stipend. Such rewards were exceptionally lavish.
Hearing this, Song Luzhou’s face turned as black as the bottom of a wok. His heart was bleeding. If it were up to him, he would have slashed those rewards by more than half.
Song Changsheng had just returned to his seat and couldn’t help but feel amused. He had fought tooth and nail to pry these rewards out of Song Luzhou. ’In any case, it’s all staying within the clan,’ he thought. ’Keep the good stuff in the family.’
"Will all contestants please come forward to draw lots now," a white-haired Clan Elder announced as he walked onto the arena stage holding a large lottery tube. The contestants lined up to draw, and Song Changsheng’s eyes immediately fell on Song Qingxi.
She casually drew a lot. Song Changsheng glanced over and was slightly surprised. She was the only one left over, which meant she had a bye for this round. ’That little lass has some decent luck,’ he mused.
Song Qingxi, on the other hand, was a little deflated. She had been looking forward to testing her skills against the others, but she ended up with a bye.
If the other contestants knew what she was thinking, they would have burst into tears. ’If you don’t want a free win, you can give it to me!’
Soon, the first match began. It was between two plain-looking kids whose Cultivation was at the Early-stage Qi Refining, placing them at the bottom of the pack. Their Magical Combat experience was also average, making the whole affair a "pecking match between newbies."
The next few matches were much the same, with nothing particularly outstanding. The audience was starting to get drowsy.
But then came the tenth match, which featured a young girl who caught everyone’s eye. Wielding a Three-foot Cyan Blade, she defeated a cultivator of the same realm who was older than her in just five rounds. Her attacks were fierce and decisive, with no wasted movements, earning silent nods of approval from the observing Foundation Establishment Cultivators. She was the most naturally talented contestant so far.
Song Changsheng beckoned a Steward over. "Who was that little girl who just won?"
The Steward had clearly prepared for this question and quickly replied, "Reporting to the Young Clan Leader, her name is Qingxia. She is sixteen years old, possesses Gold and Fire Dual Spirit Roots, and is at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer."
"Qingxia." Song Changsheng silently committed the name to memory. To reach the Qi Refining Fifth Layer at sixteen without any preferential resource allocation was already quite impressive.
Besides, what Song Changsheng valued wasn’t her cultivation speed but her talent for Swordsmanship. While she couldn’t compare to Song Qingxing, she wasn’t far behind.
If nothing unexpected happened, she should be able to make it into the top ten, and perhaps even the top five.
This delighted him. After all, wasn’t the purpose of the clan’s grand competition to discover new talent?
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