Chapter 477: Chapter 476: You perform, then I take the stage (part 1)
The Flying Horse Dynasty covers a vast territory. Roughly divided, a territory could be considered a small Martial World, while a province reflects a larger Martial World. And a large province such as Xuanwu State, ranked within the top twenty, is considered superior to other provinces.
Therefore, unless a matter that occurs in the Martial World is earth-shattering, news of it would not be widely spread and is only known by martial artists of a specific region.
Fang Wanwan could imagine, once Divine Strategy Academy’s vision becomes a reality, and the so-called ’Martial World Journal’ is actually published, everyone across the Flying Horse Dynasty would be instantly aware of significant events from the past three months. There would no longer be regional restrictions!
This would considerably facilitate the unification of the Martial World.
"Can this be achieved?"
Fang Wanwan’s voice trembled.
Many renowned figures from the Martial World, who were invited, were also eagerly staring at Huangfu Duan.
"We at the Divine Strategy Academy have been preparing for this moment for hundreds of years, sparing no man power or resources!"
Huangfu Duan laughed proudly.
"Good! If the Martial World Journal really comes out, Fang here would like to pre-order one hundred thousand copies!"
Fang Wanwan smacked the table.
There was a moment of joy, a renowned figure from the Martial World got up, flew, and comfortably landed several hundred meters away on the Glazed Fairy Platform. He addressed the many boats around: "All of you, this time I, the old man, will act as the referee. This fairy meeting is about exchange and learning; intentional harm, concealed weapons are not allowed. Stop at the point of contact! Without further ado, which two outstanding young men will take the field first?"
This old man was known as the ’Iron-faced Ruthless’, a man who did not care about feelings, only about principles. Stubbornly scary. The things he judged were said to never be wrong.
There was a quiet moment all around.
"Since no one is willing for the time being, let me take the stage!"
A human figure landed on the Glazed Fairy Platform, giving a salute: "I am Bai Jun from Jinyang State, I am here to take instructions from you."
"From Jinyang State?"
Among the three hundred and sixty-five provinces of Shuntian Capital, martial arts power is generally divided into four grades. Among them, Xuanwu State stands alone, followed by the top ten strong states, after which are the states of medium strength. The fourth grade is the weakest.
Jinyang State is one of the top ten strong states. Among the outstanding young individuals participating in each Linjiang Fairy Meeting, about ten are from Jinyang State.
Don’t think this is a small number.
Among the five hundred ship owners, most would take the stage, while some who were previously unwilling to take action, would participate in the capacity of ’friends of ship owners’. This accounted for about thirty to fifty people.
In a place like the Linjiang Fairy Meeting, there wouldn’t be weak individuals added just to fill in the numbers. In the Martial World, face matters. If one low-grade Spiritual-Passage Realm dare take part just to gain fame, they would certainly become a public joke of the Martial World.
In other words, at each Linjiang Fairy Meeting, the number of participants are generally between five hundred and thirty to five hundred and fifty.
As for Xuanwu State being the largest province in Shuntian Capital, it accounts for seventy to eighty percent of the participants. The remaining three hundred and sixty-four provinces share about one hundred and fifty spots.
Having up to ten entrants is sufficient to showcase the strength of Jinyang State.
Whoosh!
Just as Bai Jun introduced himself, a second figure impatiently landed on the Glazed Fairy Platform. This was a young man whose aura was fiery, and he held a fiery red long spear in his hand.
"Red Flame State’s Gu Changsheng is here for instructions."
Many revealed intriguing expressions.
Red Flame State, also one of the top ten strong provinces of Shuntian Capital.
Interestingly enough, for a long time now, the geniuses of Jinyang State and Red Flame State have been competing at the Linjiang Fairy Meeting because of some dispute. Whenever one state sends someone to participate, there’ll immediately be a response from the other state.
Shi Xiaole looked around, and noticed that the five hundred boats had unconsciously divided into several factions.
Some had three to five boats, some had more than ten, some on their own, but the most exaggerated were on the east side, with nearly four hundred boats grouped together.
"It seems that regional mentality really is everywhere."
Shi Xiaole shook his head and chuckled bitterly.
The participants in the meeting are not nameless small troops. Everyone knows who came from where, so they could easily unite with just a slight order to the sailor.
Thinking about it, one could understand. For many young outstanding individuals, they’re inevitably friendlier towards people from the same state when alone in a foreign place. Hence, it wasn’t surprising for them to stick together.
While Shi Xiaole was contemplating, the two astounding men on the Glazed Fairy Platform had already begun their battle.
Both were of the first level of the Dragon Gate Realm, but their strength far surpassed the martial artists of the same level in the Martial World. In the midst of their fierce fight, white and red Vigorous Air were dancing wildly, causing the void to tremble violently. However, the Glazed Fairy Platform beneath their feet remained still.
At the same time, intense and lethal piano tones suddenly erupted from the ship of Fang Wanwan, where the musicians were playing, matching the atmosphere at the time.
Bai Jun wielded a long sword, and whenever he emitted Sword Qi, it carried a strong aura of death, making the spirits of many friends of the ship owners tremble.
However, the young man named Gu Changsheng did not flinch back. The heavy long spear in his hand was quite flexible and always able to block the tricky sword attacks.
"Senior brother, who do you think will win?"
On another boat, a woman in a pink dress looked at a scruffy, deep-contoured man beside her, her beautiful eyes containing a hint of affection.
This woman was Yu Meiren from the Pink Gang, who had once entered Jade Sword Palace.
The deep-contoured man drank some wine and said, "Bai Jun."
Yu Meiren nodded without asking why.
Because she knew that whatever her senior brother said would never be wrong.
The three top geniuses were distant stars to Yu Meiren, shining brightly but not as dazzling as the sun.
In her heart, the senior brother was the sun. Although his talent was not as good as the top three, he was a leader of the second tier, and there were fewer than five people who could rival him.
"Brother Shi, who do you guess will win this duel, and in how many moves?"
On another boat, Ai Wenhong was engrossed in the fight and casually asked a question.
"Bai Jun will win within 45 to 50 moves."
Shi Xiaole said.
Everyone looked at him with surprise.
Ren Mengzhen smiled and said, "Brother Shi, can you predict future by any chance?"
"Bai Jun’s sword technique appears to be light and fast, but it actually contains a subtle force. It doesn’t seem to matter initially, but as it accumulates, it’ll become effective. On the other hand, Gu Changsheng is too focused on responding to each of the opponent’s moves, which puts him at a disadvantage."
Shi Xiaole’s words caused the Crown Sword Marquis to frown slightly.
Subtle force?
Why hadn’t he noticed that?
"Breaking through a thousand troops!"
Another clash. Bai Jun shouted while his long sword, with his wrist as the origin, rotates rapidly, forming a ring of sword light that envelops Gu Changsheng across him.
"Such insignificant tricks. Flame rises a hundred feet!"
Retreating backward and then surging forward, Gu Changsheng’s arm and halberd form a straight line. The external vigorous air is like flames, burning fiercely, making the air sizzle.
Bang!
A circle of red and white ripples quickly spread towards the Glazed Fairy Platform.
Bai Jun retreated step by step, smoke rising from his arm under the partially burned sleeve.
"You have lost."
Gu Changsheng sneered as his halberd again descended, ready to take down his opponent in one fell swoop.
His true intend of fire had already reached its peak, combined with this killing move, usually Dragon Gate Realm’s third-level masters can only be instantly killed.
"The one who has lost is you."
Standing still in place, Bai Jun swung his sword.
Clang.
Gu Changsheng’s halberd fell on the stage, and his arm trembled. He stared in disbelief, "This can’t be!" Just a moment ago, his arm suddenly felt numb, which was how Bai Jun seized the opportunity.
"You don’t know, do you? My sword technique contains the true intention of vibration, and you were long hit by it."
Bai Jun’s face was cold.
The true intent of vibration is absolutely one of the top true intents. The horror of this intent lies not only in its lethality, but also in its insidiousness, eroding your body with each contact, and by the time you discover it, it’s too late.
Shi Xiaole could imagine that Bai Jun’s true meaning of vibration should be soft. If it was a hard vibration, Gu Changsheng would just be more than simply dropping his weapon.
Many people were surprised by Bai Jun’s sword technique, but on the eastern boat, Ai Wenhong, Crown Sword Marquis, Yang Feng, and even Ren Mengzhen, were mesmerized by Shi Xiaole.
From the moment Shi Xiaole spoke the number of moves the two would exchange to the current, it was exactly forty-nine moves.
"Brother Shi, how did you exactly figure it out?"
Ai Wenhong couldn’t help but ask.
"Actually, it’s not difficult. Just need to judge based on their moves and changes in their breath fluctuations. Estimate a range, I’m just lucky I guessed it right."
Shi Xiaole said.
"Guessed it right?"
The Crown Sword Marquis smiled bitterly and shook his head.
What Shi Xiaole said was simple, but they had exchanged hundreds of moves, and even if there were changes in their breath, they were very weak. It was difficult to sense, not to mention considering their next moves, and then estimating the number of exchanges.
At this moment, as Crown Sword Marquis looked at Shi Xiaole’s sculpted side profile, he felt that he could no longer understand him. After half a year, his temperament seemed to be more mysterious and unpredictable.
After Bai Jun’s victory, several boats erupted with noises.
"I am Wang Ping from Red Flame State, here to test you."
Just as Gu Changsheng had returned, a swordsman rushed out impatiently and attacked Bai Jun with his drawn sword.
Clang, clang, clang...
This man was also a first-level practitioner of the Dragon Gate Realm, unlike Bai Jun’s cunning, his sword technique was expansive and dense. Each strike seemed like a life-for-life trade-off that soon forced Bai Jun into a defensive position.
Red Flame State had many masters, several of whom had reached the third level of Dragon Gate Realm, but geniuses have their pride-if they win, they must win within the same realm. Otherwise, winning won’t mean anything.
The two fought for nearly a thousand moves, and Wang Ping was rendered weak by the power of vibration. In a critical moment, he spat out a sharp sword qi from his mouth, successfully knocking down Bai Jun’s long sword.
This battle ended with Wang Ping from Red Flame State winning.
The Linjiang Fairy Meeting obviously could not become a place for the two states’ geniuses to dispute. The two camps also had a tacit understanding. After each winning a round, they temporarily ceased fighting, probably wanting to catch their breath.
After that, many geniuses took the stage one after another. The sparkle of swords and the wind of fists and palms whizzed non-stop on the Glazed Fairy Platform. It was truly after one finished singing, the other would come on stage, without a moment’s rest.
Sometime, the sky gradually darkened, and the moon on Linjiang river ebbed and flowed.
The sound of string and bamboo instruments floated in the night, and the maids on each boat served fruit plates and cakes. The talents enjoyed food and drinks while watching the fierce battles on the Fairy Platform, which made them very satisfied.
"Xiaole, my hands are itching. I will go up and try."
After another battle ended, Yang Feng laughed, put down his wine glass, picked up the knife on the table, and dashed into the arena.
