Talisman Emperor

At the first glimmer of dawn on the next day, Chen Xi and Mu Kui left the inn after washing up. At this moment, Azure County City was already crowded with people since long ago, and countless cultivators were moving about on the spacious streets, and they seemed like a black colored flood that converged towards the same direction.

These was no need to ask for directions, as Chen Xi followed along the tide of people to arrive at the center of Azure County City where a lake that covered a few thousands of kilometers stood. At this moment, an exceedingly vast space had been built atop the lake since long ago, and atop it stood 18 combat rings.

This space that covered the entire surface of the lake was sufficient to accommodate a few tens of thousands of people to spectate the battles. It was paved completely with hard Blackshell Steel, and its surface even had countless defensive formations set up on it by Talisman Formation Masters, causing it to be capable of withstanding the attacks of a Nether Transformation Realm cultivator.

The 18 combat rings were extremely hard as well, and when used for the competition, they were entirely capable of allowing everyone to not have to worry about energy leaking out from it or the situation of it collapsing.

At this moment, the entire space was already filled by the crowd since long ago, and a dense mass of people filled one’s field of vision while clamorous noises sounded out high into the sky, causing the layer of clouds to be shaken to dispersal.

“Hmph! So what if someone has passed the first round of the one on one competition? Most experts are perhaps capable of easily obtaining 10 successive victories, and even 20 successive victories are possible, yet 30 successive victories aren’t so easily obtained.”

“It’s indeed so. Along with the amount of victories obtained increasing, one’s moves, cultivation, level of comprehension in the Martial Dao, and combat habits will be completely understood by their opponents. So another opponent of the same level would be sufficient to defeat the person.”

“In this way, wouldn’t it be too difficult to obtain 100 successive victories?”

“It isn’t just difficult, it’s simply even more difficult than ascending the heavens. I heard from the cultivators of the older generation that in the previous Goldlake Meetings, it could be considered to be not bad if two or three people that obtained 100 successive victories appeared.”

“AH! I heard that cultivator that obtained 100 successive victories were sufficient to be ranked in the top 100 ranks in the Allstar Meeting one year from now. If it’s estimated like this, then aren’t all the cultivators who’re able to obtain the top 100 ranks in the Allstar meeting a group of freaks?”

“Of course. After all, there’s no lack of geniuses in this world.”

Chen Xi listened the discussions of the surrounding people as he lined up, yet his heart didn’t ripple in the slightest. His target was absolutely not merely restricted to the Goldlake Meeting nor the Allstar Meeting, so these words were entirely unable to affect his state of mind.

In next to no time, Chen Xi followed along the entrance to enter the grounds that the Goldlake Meeting would be held on.

He saw 18 combat rings being surrounded at the center by a circular spectating area. At this moment, the spectating area was filled by a dense mass of people since long ago, and clamorous noise and discussions shot into the sky and deafened the ear.

Chen Xi couldn’t be considered to have come late, yet the seats at the front and middle were already filled, and only the few most faraway seats were still empty.

There was actually an art to choosing the seats here. The good seats were capable of overlooking the entire competition of the combat arena, so one wouldn’t miss any interesting parts of the battle. Moreover, one also had the chance to learn many useful things like combat techniques, combat strategy, and so on and so forth.

But Chen Xi didn’t care about all this. He looked around in the surroundings and was just intending to find a remote place to sit down at when he abruptly noticed a young woman was waving at him from a seat at the front.

This young woman wore black clothes, had dark brows and starry eyes, skin that was white as snow, an appearance that was delicate and charming, and her white, round, and smooth forehead had a trace of a sheen of confidence and wisdom faintly revealed. It was the Treasure Heaven Pavilion’s Miss Ya Qing.

“Why have you come as well?” Chen Xi walked over and spoke with surprise.

“Could it be that only you’re allowed to come? Quickly sit down.” Ya Qing pointed at the empty seat beside her and seemed as if she’d intentionally left it for Chen Xi.

“Master, you go ahead and sit here. I’ll look for another empty seat.” Mu Kui was rather discerning, and he hadn’t finished speaking when he’d already vanished within the crowd.

Chen Xi naturally sat down boldly, and then he looked around and smiled. “This seat isn’t bad. It’s situated at the center, allowing for a vast field of vision, and it’s sufficient to clearly see the details of the battles on all 18 combat rings.”

As he spoke, he turned around and asked. “Right, you’re participating in the competition as well?”

“No, I only passed by this place and came over to see on the way. After that, I encountered you. Don’t you think it’s a coincidence?” Ya Qing smiled slightly as her cherry lips puckered lightly, causing her teeth to be partially revealed and seem cute.

“It’s really a coincidence indeed.” Chen Xi nodded.

“So this is called fate. The heavens arranged for us to meet, and it can’t be changed by anyone.” Ya Qing looked straight at Chen Xi as her starry eyes rippled with a meaning that was difficult to understand.

“Cough, cough.” When Xin Huan, who sat by the other side of Ya Qing and had an ordinary appearance and stiff expression heard this, he couldn’t help but cough dryly as he criticized in his heart. “This woman doesn’t even blink when lying. I wonder who it was that impatiently rushed over here overnight when she found out Chen Xi was participating in the Goldlake Meeting…”

Chen Xi was slightly unable to take it as he felt these words had too much meaning behind them, and it was easy to cause another’s imagination to run wild, so he could only change the topic and look at Xin Huan with a surprised expression. “He is?”

“Oh, he’s a guard of mine. Just take it as he doesn’t exist.” Ya Qing smiled, yet her eyes moved without a trace to glare fiercely at Xin Huan, and she seemed as if she was blaming him for disturbing a ‘good thing’ of hers.

Chen Xi smiled and didn’t say anything further. How could he be unable to discern that this middle aged man with an ordinary appearance was actually an expert that kept a low profile? But since Ya Qing didn’t mention it, it wasn’t good for him to ask.

“Your opponent in the first round is someone called Qiu Yan. This fellow is too detestable and spoke very badly about you in the Viburnum Restaurant last night. You must properly teach him a lesson.” Ya Qing grinned. “Not to mention I placed a bet of 100,000 Nascent Condensation Pills on you. So you have to compensate me if you lose!”

Chen Xi said with astonishment, “I don’t seem to have asked you to bet on my victory, right?”

“Then what you mean is you won’t compensate me even if you lose, right?” Ya Qing lightly bit her cherry lips as she spoke with a pitiable expression.

“Of course I’ll compensate you.” Chen Xi sighed, and he was extremely speechless. “Exactly what’s wrong with this woman? She isn’t like a normal person and is simply like a spoiled child.

“Are you sure you’ll compensate me?” Ya Qing intentionally placed emphasis on the word ‘compensate.’

“Yes!” Chen Xi entirely didn’t perceive the meaning behind her words and nodded in reply.

“Willingly?”

“Willingly.” Chen Xi felt a slight headache, and then said with a bewildered expression. “You… What happened to you?”

“I’m extremely happy from knowing you’re going to compensate me willingly.” Ya Qing giggled as she blinked her starry eyes repeatedly, and her charming and gorgeous flirtatious expression caused the surrounding people to be stunned as their minds wandered.

Chen Xi instantly reacted to this, causing strands of ripples to arise inexplicably in his calm heart. He felt slightly unaccustomed to this feeling, and he was hesitant to speak, as he truly didn’t know what to say.

“Eh, Chen Xi, you’re here as well? What a coincidence.” Right at this moment, a clear and musical voice sounded out as a young woman who wore a light blue dress, had her hair coiled into a bun, possessed a picturesque appearance, and a gorgeous face walked over with a beautiful bearing.

“Miss Zhen?” Chen Xi spoke in surprise. This young woman was precisely Zhen Liuqing, and he’d had the pleasure of meeting her once in Qian Yuan’s Treasure Vault. But due to both of them being unfamiliar with each other, they’d never communicated with each other, and she could only be considered to be a familiar face that was like a stranger to him. Yet never had he imagined that she would actually take the initiative to greet him.

Most surprising to Chen Xi was Zhen Liuqing had actually sat at the seat to his right. There was originally a cultivator seated here, yet not a trace of that person could be found any longer.

In this way, Ya Qing was on Chen Xi’s left, and Zhen Liuqing was on his right, forming the appearance as if he had many women. Moreover, both of them possessed different qualities and were able to be called unparalleled beauties. This scene drew countless jealous and envious gazes over, and those gazes wished for nothing more than to kill Chen Xi before replacing him…

“The eastern sea’s Mistwater Pavilion’s Zhen Liuqing?” On the other side, Ya Qing comb the hair on her ears and recovered her poised and confident appearance.

“Oh, you recognize me?” Zhen Liuqing spoke with slight surprise.

“If I didn’t recognize you, I’d have kicked you out long ago.” Ya Qing smiled slightly, yet it was a mystery if she was joking who spoke like this intentionally.

Zhen Liuqing was stunned, then burst into laughter. “I have the same feeling as you now. But I didn’t do that because I know Chen Xi.”

“Oh, looks like our thoughts are the same.” Ya Qing spoke in surprise.

“It’s not the same.” Zhen Liuqing explained seriously. “You didn’t kick me out because you recognized me, whereas I didn’t kick you out because I know Chen Xi. These two things are extremely different.”

“Do you think I don’t dare to do it?” Ya Qing unhurriedly.

“Do you?” Zhen Liuqing replied with a question.

The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder!

As he listened to these two young women arguing with each other, Chen Xi felt rather baffled. Why have they started arguing for no reason or rhyme? Could it be that some unpleasant incident had an occurred between the two of them in the past?

That’s not right as well. According to Ya Qing’s manner of speaking, she obviously hadn’t interacted with Zhen Liuqing in the past.

Could it be that it’s because of…me?

Chen Xi was shocked by this absurd thought of his, and he hurriedly concentrated his mind and meditated like a monk. It’s better if I don’t interfere in a competition like this that has occurred between two women.

However, what he didn’t want to happen had occurred. In the next moment, Ya Qing moved the head of the spear to Chen Xi and asked with a smile. “Chen Xi, do you think I would dare to do it?”

Chen Xi sighed in his heart. I came here today to participate in the Goldlake Meeting and not to be a judge…

“I’ll answer for him.” Zhen Liuqing’s clear eyes glanced at Chen Xi, and then she said, “He’s surely thinking of a way to satisfy both of us, and you might not be willing to hear an answer like this.”

“Who asked you to answer?” At this moment, Ya Qing had finally turned angry from embarrassment, and she glared at Zhen Liuqing. In the next moment, her gaze looked at Chen Xi instead. “I want to hear what you say.”

Chen Xi pondered over and over again, deliberated over and over again, and only then did he speak slowly. “It’s the second time that I and Zhen Liuqing have met. Moreover, it’s the first time we’re speaking.”

His answer evaded the question, yet when Ya Qing heard it, it caused the expression of embarrassment and rage to be completely wiped off her face, and she radiated cheerfulness.

On the other hand, even though Zhen Liuqing’s expression was indifferent and tranquil, yet her eyes had dimmed slightly.

“Of course, this is also the second time that I met you, Miss Ya Qing.” Chen Xi didn’t spare a glance at Ya Qing’s expression as he continued. “Alright, I’ve finished saying what I ought to say, and I should go compete. Oh, the cultivator that’s presiding over the combat ring over there is calling my name.”

As he spoke, Chen Xi stood up and walked towards a combat ring.

Ya Qing and Zhen Liuqing were stunned in unison, and when they turned their ears to listen attentively, wasn’t the combat ring in the distance calling Chen Xi’s name?

Both of them glanced at each other and were extremely upset. For the sake of bickering with a woman that has a detestable mouth, I actually forgot to pay attention to the situation in the surroundings. This really shouldn’t have happened…