Myriad Dragon Divine Sovereign

”Place your bets! Place your bets! Lang Feng to win the championship, one hundred to one! Ren Hua to win, ten to one! Guu Lei to win, ten to one... Xia Moyu to make it to the second round, fifty to one! Lu Hongfei to make it to the second round, one hundred to one! Wen Qingye to make it to the second round, one hundred to one...”

”I’m betting on Lang Feng! He’s definitely going to be the champion!”

”I’m betting on Xia Moyu. With his strength, if he gets a bit of luck, he might just make it past the first round.”

”I’m betting on Ren Hua...”

Down below, many of the older students had started setting up betting stalls. It was clear they didn’t have much faith in the new students. The only one they seemed to favor was Xia Moyu, likely because he was often active in the Outer Courtyard, unlike Wen Qingye, who kept a low profile.

Guu Xiong hesitated for a moment, then slowly walked up to a betting stall. Gritting his teeth, he said, ”I’ll bet that Wen Qingye passes the first round. One hundred Top-Grade Primordial Stones!”

Everyone stared at Guu Xiong in astonishment, completely baffled. ’Even if this guy has some confidence in Wen Qingye, this is going too far, isn’t it? He actually wagered one hundred Top-Grade Primordial Stones.’

...

Next, everyone began to draw lots.

Thousands of people watched from below without blinking, their eyes fixed on the thirty-one people standing on the platform.

First, one person had to be drawn for a bye. Lil Ya stared at Wen Qingye’s lot, his heart pounding with excitement. If Wen Qingye drew the bye, he would advance directly, and Lil Ya would instantly win his bet with Gong Tianshun.

Unfortunately, fate did not favor Lil Ya. In the end, Yann Xiangyang drew the bye. A sigh of disappointment rippled through the crowd.

The Mountain Masters of the Four Mountains and Vice Director Nie Qinglan walked onto the viewing platform. Many teachers and Stewards from Qig Mountain Academy’s Inner Courtyard also made their way to the platform, eagerly awaiting the start of the Four Mountains Martial Arts Gathering. They knew that while these participants might not be strong now, they were the hope for North Mountain’s next decade.

After the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, another long, resonant bell toll echoed across the martial arts field.

DONG!

The thrilling Four Mountains Martial Arts Gathering had finally, officially begun.

Soon, the bracket for the first round was posted on the Announcement Stele in the very center of the martial arts field. There would be a total of fifteen matches today: seven in the morning and eight in the afternoon.

For now, everyone could only see the matchup for the first match. The others would be posted later, one by one.

The first match began. It was Lu Hongfei, a new student from East Mountain, against an older student from West Mountain. This older student was quite skilled, ranking in the middle tier among the nine older students representing West Mountain.

The two stood upon the Purple Stone Arena, surrounded by thousands of students below. On the platform above were the Mountain Masters of the Four Mountains, the Vice Director, teachers from the Inner Courtyard, and others.

Everyone watched with anticipation. This was the first match of the Four Mountains Martial Arts Gathering and a confrontation between a new student and an older one. They were all curious: would Lu Hongfei’s astounding talent prevail, or would the older student’s profound strength crush him outright?

Wen Qingye stood below the Purple Stone Arena, his expression unchanging.

Xiaxia watched the two on the stage, asking with the curiosity of a child, ”Master, who do you think will win?”

Wen Qingye’s expression was calm as he replied slowly, ”The older student from West Mountain will win.”

As the starting signal sounded, the battle between the two began.

The West Mountain student looked at Lu Hongfei, a cold sneer playing on his lips. His long spear shot out like a bolt of lightning—a straightforward, unadorned thrust.

Lu Hongfei hadn’t expected the older student’s spear to be so fast. Horrified, he hastily raised his sword to block.

CLANG!

After the sharp sound of metal on metal, Lu Hongfei stumbled back four or five steps. Suddenly, he saw a flash of white light, felt a brutal impact on his right chest, and his entire body was sent flying off the Purple Stone Arena.

It was all over in an instant!

A sudden silence fell.

All the new students were stunned. ’He... he lost just like that!?’

Lu Hongfei was supposed to be one of the top representatives of this year’s new students, yet he had been defeated by an older student in the blink of an eye. ’Are the older students really that much stronger than us?’

”You’re too weak. That wasn’t satisfying at all. My Spear Skill is only second-rate, yet you couldn’t even take a single move.”

With that, the older student from West Mountain calmly walked off the arena, his expression casual, as if the outcome was only natural.

The new students below erupted in an uproar!

Lu Hongfei gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. Though he was unwilling to accept it, he knew there was still a significant gap between his strength and that of the older students.

Amid the new students’ sighs and sounds of disappointment, Lu Hongfei slowly walked down from the stage.

The matches continued. With only four new students participating, most of the subsequent fights were between older students. Some of them were truly powerful, scoring decisive victories even against their peers. To make matters more complicated, many were intentionally holding back, so Wen Qingye couldn’t gauge their true strength for the time being.

”One move! It was one move again!”

”Guu Xiong was defeated in a single move. It seems the gap between new and older students is just insurmountable.”

”Yeah, both Guu Xiong and Lu Hongfei were beaten in one move. I doubt Wen Qingye can win either. Xia Moyu from South Mountain is probably the only one with a chance, and even that’s just a chance.”

”That’s not necessarily true. I think Wen Qingye is more likely to make it through the first round. Xia Moyu might not. After all, Wen Qingye is the one who passed the eleventh floor of the Heaven-Reaching Martial Pavilion.”

Wen Qingye ignored the discussions around him, his eyes fixed on the Announcement Stele.

Just then, a Steward walked up and revealed the names on the stele.

Wen Qingye spotted his own name immediately. ’Looks like it’s my turn.’ He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, then glanced at the name of his opponent. He couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh.

”My god, it’s a clash between the new student kings!”

”Xia Moyu versus Wen Qingye! Who do you think will win?”

”I think Xia Moyu. His strength is truly immense, plus he just recently comprehended a Seventh-Grade Martial Arts.”

”Alright, I’m going to bet on Xia Moyu right now.”

”Yeah, let’s all go bet on Xia Moyu!”

”I’m going to bet on Wen Qingye. Among the new students, his strength is...”

Xia Moyu was ecstatic. He knew that if he had to fight one of the older students, his chances of winning would be low, even if not zero. But against Wen Qingye, another new student, Xia Moyu was filled with confidence.

Guu Xiong stood near the Purple Stone Arena, not far away. Hearing most of the people around him quietly assuming Xia Moyu would win, he couldn’t help but shake his head. A sense of helplessness rose in him as he watched Wen Qingye’s back.

Wen Qingye walked onto the arena at a slow, unhurried pace. Xia Moyu, on the other hand, leaped up in a single bound, looking somewhat impatient.

”A match between two new students. They’re quite lucky,” a young man from the East Mountain section remarked with a smile, watching the two of them.

This man was none other than Ren Hua, the number one student of East Mountain in the Outer Courtyard. His strength was unfathomable, and he was renowned throughout the Outer Courtyard. Standing next to him was a fat man with a body as round as a ball, who was currently tearing into a roast chicken. This was East Mountain’s second-strongest expert, Wei Qiutong.

Wei Qiutong nodded as he ate. ”Yeah. It means one of them is guaranteed to advance. That’s good news for the new students. At least they won’t get completely wiped out.”

Xia Moyu looked at Wen Qingye and smiled. ”I’ve heard for a while that you’re quite strong. Today, I’ll see for myself just how much of the rumors are true.”

Xia Moyu hated two things: first, that Gao Yuerou was close to Wen Qingye, and second, that Wen Qingye had stolen his fame by clearing the Heaven-Reaching Martial Pavilion. Because of this, he was desperate to defeat Wen Qingye and prove who was truly the head of this year’s new students.

Wen Qingye’s gaze fell on the sword on Xia Moyu’s back, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes. The sword was the very same Ancient Moon Sword that Wen Qingye had once used.

”Today, I’m not just taking back my sword. I’m here to settle a score.”

”Wen Qingye? You? Today, I’ll show you that there’s always someone better, a sky beyond the sky!” Xia Moyu clearly knew Wen Qingye was referring to the matter with Gao Yuerou.

Under the gazes of the entire crowd, the older students looked on with indifference, but the new students were incredibly excited, their hearts pounding without end. ’Who is stronger, and who is weaker?’ They waited with bated breath.

”Tiger Roar Fist!”

In the next instant, Xia Moyu charged forward with great strides and threw a punch. A violent power erupted, causing the air to churn and hiss. The faint sound of a tiger’s roar and a dragon’s cry could be heard as the attack nearly blasted the air itself apart.

’What a direct Fist Technique!’

’What immense power!’

Many of the new students below were stunned, praising the move in their hearts.

”Celestial Hand!”

Wen Qingye’s expression didn’t change, and he showed no intention of dodging. He took a single step forward, raising his right palm from his abdomen. With a twist of his wrist, a blast of white energy shot out, and a massive hand seal flew forward.

BANG!

The violent explosion shook the students from the Three Mountains around the arena, making them feel as if a thunderclap had gone off right next to their ears.

Many of the new students turned pale, their heads ringing.

A fierce wind erupted as the two figures crossed.

The crowd saw Xia Moyu’s face turn deathly pale as he stumbled back four or five steps. Wen Qingye, however, simply pivoted, redirecting the force of the impact into the Purple Stone Arena itself.

Comparing the two, the superior and inferior party was clear at a glance.

Almost no one could believe it. After just one exchange, Xia Moyu had been soundly put at a disadvantage. It was too shocking.

”Wen Qingye, my greatest strength is Swordsmanship! Don’t get cocky!”

Even Xia Moyu himself couldn’t believe he had been bested in a single exchange. He abruptly drew the Ancient Moon Sword from his back.

”Profound Light Swordsmanship!”

The sword in Xia Moyu’s hand seemed to transform into a blinding white light, flashing so intensely it could daze an onlooker’s eyes.

Wen Qingye felt the piercing glare and couldn’t help but close his eyes. A flicker of delight flashed in Xia Moyu’s eyes as he struck like lightning, sweeping his blade toward Wen Qingye without mercy.