Talisman Emperor

Along with the Goldlake Meeting being about to start, the young cultivators of the various territories of the Darchu Dynasty had rushed over to Azure County City in succession, causing the business of the inns and restaurants in the city to be exceedingly explosive. Chen Xi brought Mu Kui along and searched for a long time before booking the last remaining room in a remote inn.

After having a hot bath, Chen Xi sat cross-legged on the bed and took out a jade slip before carefully reading through it. This was some information related to the Goldlake meeting, and it was thrown in with his registration.

The so-called Goldlake Meeting was actually a martial competition on combat rings, and its rules didn’t contain anything vague or difficult to understand. The first round was a one on one competition, and later on, it would be battles based upon challenges and there were no rules associated with this.

The location of the competition was on the Jadering Lake at the center of Azure County City, and this lake covered an area of a few thousands of kilometers. When the time came, the Darchu Dynasty’s Darchu Soulguard would build 18 combat rings and a circular shaped area on the lake and allow all the participants to enter this area.

After the one on one battles in the first round, those that were eliminated would leave, whereas the victors would be able to ascend to different combat rings at will and accept the challenges of anyone.

One that obtained 10 consecutive victories would be able to obtain 100,000 Nascent Condensation Pills as a reward.

One that obtained 20 consecutive victories would be able to obtain 200,000 Nascent Condensation Pills as a reward.

This would continue stacking on according to number until one obtained 100 consecutive victories, and the rewards would double instead, allowing one to obtain two million Nascent Condensation Pills as a reward!

These rewards were given by the various merchants that resided in Azure County City, and it was a rather attractive reward to any Golden Core Realm cultivator.

After all, 100,000 Nascent Condensation Pills were already sufficient to purchase a top-grade earth-rank Magic Treasure. If one was capable of obtaining 100 consecutive victories, one would obtain two million Nascent Condensation Pills, then wouldn’t one be able to purchase 20 top-grade earth-rank Magic Treasures?

There was probably not a single cultivator that was able to refuse such temptation.

When Chen Xi read until this point, he finally came to a slight understanding about why so many cultivators would make the journey to Azure County City to participate in the Goldlake Meeting. Merely these generous rewards would cause one to be unable to resist.

Besides this, for the sake of maintaining fairness in the Goldlake Meeting and for the sake of guaranteeing that no casualties occurred amongst the participants, every single combat ring would have two Rebirth Realm cultivators paying close attention at all times, and they would lend a hand at any moment.

This rule caused Chen Xi to be unable to help but frown. He was originally thinking that if he were able to encounter Su Chan, he would seize the opportunity to kill him, and the Goldlake Meeting was a good opportunity. But now it would look like this plan was obviously impossible to be carried out.

Looks like I can only find another chance. Chen Xi shook his head and continued reading through the jade slip in his hand, and he let out a long breath of air when he completely understood all of the rules like the back of his hand.

Right at this moment, Mu Kui walked in excitedly and laughed slyly. “Master, this is some information I bought from the market, and it records the information of some of the experts that are participating in the Goldlake Meeting this time. It’s just been freshly compiled, quickly take a look.” As he spoke, Mu Kui passed the jade slip in his hand to Chen Xi.

“Oh, there’s even something like this?” Chen Xi felt it was greatly novel, and he took the jade slip and started reading through it.

“The registration period of the Goldlake Meeting ended just a while ago, and this jade slip was obtained by a well informed illegal dealer from the Darchu Soulguard. I felt it was of assistance to you, so I bought it.” Mu Kui smiled as he finished speaking, and he didn’t continue disturbing Chen Xi when he saw Chen Xi was concentrated on the jade slip. He moved to the corner of the room and sat cross-legged there before taking out another jade slip and scanning through it with high spirits.

This jade slip possessed the information of all the cultivators that were participating in the Goldlake Meeting this time. Chen Xi roughly counted it and noticed there were 60,000 people. This number wasn’t much, but the meaning behind it was too shocking, because it represented that there were 60,000 Golden Core Realm cultivators below the age of 30!

What sort of notion was this?

After all, there were only just over 100 Golden Core Realm disciples in the number one power of the southern territory, the Wanderingcloud Sword Sect, and the number of these Golden Core Realm cultivators that were below the age of 30 were pitiably scarce and only numbered to a mere 10 plus people!

When both these numbers were compared in contrast, one would naturally understand how shocking this number was.

As he went on reading, Chen Xi became slightly excited. Shockingly, he’d seen many familiar people in the jade slip, like the Zhou Clan’s Fourth Young Master, the Skysplit Sword Sect’s An Qianyu, and the Brightray Sect’s Wang Daoxu. These people weren’t simple, and they were absolutely in the top ranks amongst the Golden Core Realm cultivators of the younger generation.

But people like the Earthly Heaven Sect’s Lin Moxuan and Su Jiankong, the Nine Cauldrons Immortal Sect’s Xiao Linger, and the others didn’t participate. It was unknown whether they were in closed door cultivation for the sake of the Allstar Meeting or they disdained to participate in the Goldlake Meeting.

Shockingly, Su Chan’s name was amongst these names, and he was at the perfection-stage of the Golden Core Realm. What caused Chen Xi to frown was that the information actually said that Su Chan was from the Warlord’s Estate!

The Warlord’s Estate!

Chen Xi faintly remembered that besides the central Imperial Family, there were also four great estates in the Darchu Dynasty, and they were respectively the Wise King’s Estate, the Warlord’s Estate, the Just King’s Estate, and the Governing King’s Estate. The owners of these four great estates were brothers of the current Emperor Chu and were related by blood. Thus, as kin of the Emperor, they possessed impressive authority and were revered extremely.

In terms of power, the Wise King’s Estate had faintly become the existence that was ranked at the top amongst the four great estates, yet if it was in terms of strength of each of the kings, then the Warlord, Huangfu Taiwu, was the first!

Supposedly, Huangfu Taiwu was an expert of the Darchu Dynasty’s Imperial Family that was merely inferior to the current Emperor Chu, and he possessed exceedingly high and unfathomable might. Coupled with him being brave and skillful in warfare, he’d rarely lost since cultivating until now, and this was how his reputation of Warlord was created.

Presently, Su Chan’s name had shockingly appeared amongst the Warlord’s Estate, and it instantly caused Chen Xi to realize something. The Pine Mist City’s Li Clan was instructed by the Su Clan to oppress my Chen Clan. Then could the Su Clan have been instructed by another? For example, the Warlord’s Estate?

Perhaps I should find a chance to capture Su Chen and torture him cruelly, and I’ll be able to learn everything… Because the clues were too few, Chen Xi pondered for a long time ye didn’t dare confirm his guess, so he could only store this matter within his heart, and his gaze descended onto the jade slip once again.

Eh!

Not long after, Chen Xi was instantly quite speechless when he finished looking through the information of all the cultivators.

Intermediate-stage, advanced-stage, perfection-stage… Amongst the 60,000 participants, besides Chen Xi himself and a few other initial-stage Golden Core Realm cultivators, everyone else was at the intermediate-stage of the Golden Core Realm and above!

Weird, why is it like this? Chen Xi pondered for a short while before coming to an understanding. In the eyes of most people, initial-stage Golden Core Realm participants could probably only be taken to be a group of cannon fodder, and all of them would possibly be eliminated during the one on one battles in the first round, so there wasn’t any meaning whether they participated or not.

Moreover, what caused Chen Xi to be even more speechless was there were only a mere 100 plus people from the southern territory’s cultivation world that were participating in the Goldlake Meeting, and it was so inconspicuous amongst the 60,000 participants.

Chen Xi didn’t notice any familiar people amongst these, but he’d recalled the powers behind them from seeing the names of these people. For example, a young man called Qi Jun was from the Wanderingcloud Sword Sect.

“Where did you get this jade slip from?” Chen Xi raised his head and asked after he finished looking through the contents of the jade slip.

“Hmm, all the merchants in the various markets of the city are selling these things.” Mu Kui hurriedly put away the jade slip in his hand and said, “Master, could it be that the information isn’t complete?”

Chen Xi pondered for a moment and said, “The jade slip only contains some names and origins. I want to see who’s my opponent in the first round so that I can make preparations beforehand.”

Mu Kui was stunned, and then slapped himself on the forehead as he said with regret. “When I’d just returned, I heard a merchant in the market shouting that the first round’s list will be out soon. I couldn’t wait so I returned first. Now it would seem like this list has already come out.”

“Let’s go take a look,” said Chen Xi right away.

Along with the conclusion of the registration for the Goldlake Meeting, various information and lists had come out, and coupled with the Goldlake Meeting being about to begin tomorrow, practically all the participants had come to the various markets under the cover of the night with the hopes of buying some useful information for when the competition began tomorrow.

Thus, the Azure County City of tonight seemed to be extremely bustling with bright lanterns hanging high up on the buildings to form numerous fiery dragons that were interwoven together, and pedestrians moved about endlessly. The entire city was bathed under the dazzling light of lanterns, causing it to be bright as day and extremely beautiful.

“Fellow Daoist, do you want the list of the one on one battles in the Goldlake Meeting that has just been compiled? I guarantee that you won’t miss any interesting battles during the competition!”

“Exclusive secrets! Exclusive secrets! Want to know which experts are capable of winning the honor of 100 consecutive victories in the Goldlake Meeting this time? My shop has specially invited a mysterious senior to personally present you with a ranking of the comprehensive strength of the experts. No matter if you’re spectating or betting, I guarantee you’ll be able to reap a great harvest and encounter repeated pleasant surprises with this list in your possession!”

“Thousand year old store, guaranteed quality! All the information provided by my store has been tacitly consented to and authorized by the internal members of the Darchu Soulguard, so please rest assured when you purchase it from us!”

As he walked on the streets of the city and heard the clamorous and bustling cries of the merchants, Chen Xi was filled with interest as well, and he casually bought a list of the one on one battles in the first round and a few strength rankings.

The list for the battles in the first round was fixed and without any variable, so their prices were uniform as well — 100 Nascent Condensation Pills.

But these strength rankings weren’t the same, as practically all the strength rankings released by the various merchants were different, and there were many versions. This was extremely easy to understand. After all, if strength could be accurately judged, then holding the Goldlake Meeting would be meaningless.

Chen Xi hastily scanned through them yet was slightly disappointed. Practically all the strength rankings had the Zhou Clan’s Fourth Young Master, Wang Daoxu, An Qianyu, and a few other names in the top 10, and there was utterly nothing worthy to be paid attention to.

Only later on did he come to an understanding. These ranks could be said to be ranked according to fame, all these people like Young Master Zhou were figures that were well renowned in the world since long ago, and compared to those people that weren’t famous, the rankings they appeared in would naturally be higher up.

Chen Xi looked at his own name and noticed that practically all the lists placed his name in the top 10 from the back, and he belonged to those at the bottom amongst the 60,000 participants.

“They’re truly bastards! How could Master’s strength possibly be at the bottom?” Mu Kui was looking at the lists as well, and after he noticed this situation, he couldn’t help but explode into rage and destroyed the list in his hand.

“Brother, why’re you so angry? This list can’t be taken to be real, and it’s only a form of reference for people that like to bet. You probably don’t know but all the betting rings of the city have been opened, and they intend to use the Goldlake Meeting to fiercely make a killing.” A nearby cultivator saw Mu Kui destroy the list, and he couldn’t help but explain happily.

“Betting?” Mu Kui spoke with astonishment.

“Exactly. Where do you think the prizes of the Goldlake Meeting are coming from? The various merchants wouldn’t give up a few million Nascent Condensation Pills for nothing. Conversely, they precisely want to seize this opportunity to start some bets and allow others to place their wagers so that they can make a killing.” This cultivator seemed like a know it all as he spoke with confidence.

So that’s how it is. Mu Kui thought in his heart and seemed to be lost in thought.

Chen Xi wasn’t interested in all this, and he wandered on the streets for a while longer before returning to his residence to get himself well prepared for the competition tomorrow.