Chapter 606: Chapter 605: The Name on the Stone Tablet
"Wu Siming, it seems you have improved a lot. Once the test is over, I look forward to sparring with you."
A cold smile crept onto the resolute face of Huan Yundu. Engaging in combat before the test begins would inadvertently affect one’s condition, which would be unwise.
When the time is right, he would teach Wu Siming a lesson!
As his gaze fell on Qiu Yuchu, a deep sense of possession and impulse flickered in Huan Yundu’s eyes.
From the moment he first laid eyes on Qiu Yuchu, he had sworn to win her over. This obsession had turned into a inner demon. That’s why when he heard that Qiu Yuchu was coming to Mount Wanxiang, he eagerly emerged from isolation.
Huan Yundu had a premonition that once he overcame this inner demon, his swordsmanship would take yet another leap forward.
"As if I’m afraid of you, I’m ready for your challenge anytime."
Wu Siming’s face was grim.
He has noticed Huan Yundu’s glances earlier. This fellow dared to covet the woman he desired, and for that, he must die!
Perfect, the opening of Mount Wanxiang was exactly the opportunity he needed to trample down Huan Yundu once and for all and prove to Qiu Yuchu who was the strongest.
"Tsk tsk, this is going to be a good show."
Although there were many geniuses at the foot of Mount Wanxiang, a significant portion of them were attracted by the commotion taking place.
Both Wu Siming and Huan Yundu were ranked individuals on the list of martial talents, placed thirteenth and sixteenth respectively.
Don’t forget, this list includes individuals under the age of thirty, from the entire Flying Horse Dynasty, with only fifty people in total. In other words, both were among the top twenty talents in the empire, and their competition will undoubtedly be fierce.
Not to mention, a point worth mentioning is the cross-relation between the genius list and the rankings of Mount Wanxiang.
For instance, out of the fifty geniuses on the list, more than half have participated in the Mount Wanxiang examination, but quite a few of them rank lower than Wu Siming and Huan Yundu.
Only Divine Strategy Academy dares to sort these rankings, other scouting organisations would surely be lambasted by the martial world.
So when Wu Siming and Huan Yundu appeared, many geniuses were secretly on alert, speculating about the results they could achieve in the competition. Needless to say, both of them were considered the strong favourites for this trial.
"Two men, both spinning like tops for a woman, it’s completely shameful."
Just as the crowd thought this sequence of events would end, a voice filled with sarcasm echoed.
Wu Siming and Huan Yundu quickly turned their heads. Their originally angry expressions immediately changed when they recognised the newcomer.
This was a young man with red hair, wearing a blood-coloured robe. The blood spots embroidered on his clothes seemed to be flowing slowly with his movements, spreading a strange fragrance mixed with the stench of blood.
Some people immediately backed away, their faces pale as if they were about to vomit.
"’Blood Butcher’ Fu Tong!"
Someone murmured in a low voice, shock clearly written on their faces.
This was a genius who was even more renowned than Wu Siming and Huan Yundu.
In terms of background, he was the young master of one of the infamous seven sects, the Blood Emperor’s Cave. In terms of talent, he was ranked sixth on the Flying Horse Dynasty’s genius ranking. It was said that two years ago, he singlehandedly defeated six top-class lords within ten moves, setting a martial record.
Many were puzzled as to why Fu Tong hadn’t participated in the Mount Wanxiang examination earlier. After all, after two more years, he would no longer be eligible. But unexpectedly, he decided to participate in this round.
"Fu Tong, what do you mean by that?"
Huan Yundu knitted his brows.
Fu Tong’s mouth curved into a smirk, his eyes glaring, "I was just making a passing comment. What, do you want to fight me too?" As he spoke, a tyrannical aura erupted from him, assaulting the people nearby.
"There will be a chance for that later."
Huan Yundu had no fear of anyone, but for now, he had no confidence in besting Fu Tong. If it came down to a competition, it would be wiser to see who scores better in this round.
Smiling, Fu Tong directly found a place to sit down. Nobody dared to approach within a radius of three feet.
In the ensuing time, several more prodigies from the genius list successively arrived, triggering a wave of awe from the crowd.
A person’s talent is not always the same, so many people who were absent in the previous rounds waited until they were in their best condition. It was clear that many people this round were at the age limit and had fully prepared to participate, thus they were full of confidence.
"Tian State is truly a place where crouching tigers and hidden dragons lie."
In the crowd, two young men took in a deep breath.
The young man on the left was clad in a grey robe, possessed an average appearance but bore the aura typical of the nobility. The young man on the right was dressed in a long robe embroidered with red leaves, with a long sword hanging from his waist, an evident swordsman.
It was none other than Yu Zhao and Li Zifeng, the once brilliant minds from Xuanwu State.
Upon hearing that Mount Wanxiang was opening, these two traveled great distances to this place, wanting to see where they would stand among royalty.
They never knew until they compared with others, and it was frightening. In Xuanwu State, they were unparalleled, the movers and shakers behind Shi Xiaole. However, at this moment, they didn’t seem any different from the people around them.
These were the absolute elites from all over, genius among geniuses, and to stand out was harder than hard.
Three days flew by quickly.
At some unknown time, a stone staircase appeared on the left side of the mountain foot. Five feet wide, it spiraled upwards into the clouds, seemingly leading to the peak of Mount Wanxiang.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please ascend."
A voice echoed from the heights.
Excitement flashed in the eyes of all the geniuses present, but nobody showed ill-regulated emotions. They orderly climbed the stairs, taking about half of a two-hour period to reach halfway up the mountain.
A stone stele stood straight in front of a mountain wall, thirty-three feet tall and three feet wide, defiantly drawing everyone’s attention.
Some showed red faces, some trembled all over, and some looked lost.
There were rows of names on the stele. Some rows had many names, others had fewer, and the rows thinned towards the top. Carefully count, there were exactly seven hundred and sixty-two names in total.
These seven hundred and sixty-two names seemed insignificant in the shadow of the massive stele, but when they fell in people’s hearts, they were as imposing as mountains, weighing more than a ton.
These names represented the real elites of the Flying Horse Dynasty since the establishment of the Array System at Mount Wanxiang!
Some had disappeared from public view, some had risen to prominence in the Martial World, some had made a name for themselves. Yet, there were some still in their heyday, resembling a dawn, with infinite potential!
Even the names at the very bottom of the stele were like a formidable uncrossable chasm, defining the boundary between ordinary people and real elites.
As they scanned row after row, everyone’s focus settled on the top of the stele — four names lofty and haughty.
"Those four guys!"
Fu Tong could no longer maintain his composure, his fists so tightly clenched that veins were visible on the surface.
’Young Dragon’ Zhang Xiangfeng.
’Heavenly Phoenix’ Duanmu Keren.
’Jade Lion’ Mu Ling.
’Mysterious Sparrow’ Gui Zhihang.
The four tremendous talents!
If the other names on the stele were admirable, then these four would let people lose all hopes.
They formed a row by themselves. Compared to them, the row behind, even the second best, would be short by two ranks. This signified that according to the standard of Celestial Phenomenon Mountain, the second-grade genius was two sub-grades lower than these four.
How terrifying! It was simply unprecedented.
For such exceptional talents, it would be a great fortune to have one every few hundred years. However, in this generation, four talents have emerged in one breath. Many people even said that in the next fifty years, the Martial World would be dominated by these four.
"The former Martial Emperor never took the Celestial Phenomenon Mountain Examination. However, comparing the four tremendous talents’ progress with that of the Martial Emperor shows that they are no less illustrious."
Someone whispered, their voice tingling with undisguised envy and admiration.
Shi Xiaole was also staring at the names on the stele, slightly entranced.
Where would he rank?
A fire was burning in his heart, which slowly spread throughout his whole body, causing his skin to prickle with goosebumps.
He was not nervous or afraid, but it was a kind of intense anticipation he had never experienced before.
Initially, Shi Xiaole was somewhat indifferent, but now, under the invisible impact of the stone stele, he was all fired up, determined to push his limits and see how far he could go!
"Everyone, please step onto the flat ground halfway up the mountain for the first round of testing."
The previous voice rang out again.
On the left side of the stone stairs, and to the right of the stone stele was a vast plain. There was not a single blade of grass, and as the voice dropped, an unfathomable Array System aura surged from the ground.
