Chapter 1283: Ring Challenge

The two men left the restaurant and hurried towards the Martial Arts Hall. He Lingchuan’s mount was stabled at the academy, so he walked there. He moved quickly; though not running, each stride covered seven feet. Xin Yi walked beside him, his demeanor calm and unhurried, showing no sign of discomfort.

This fellow’s cultivation was not weak; his agility skills, at least, were excellent, surpassing Lu Xun’s. He Lingchuan recalled what Xin Yi had just said: someone who could seclude themselves for fifteen years straight would likely be very capable.

Since he had been out of seclusion for less than two years, why had Mount Ling sent him to Dragon City as a special envoy? When it came to intelligence transmission, Mount Ling would surely dispatch its most trusted individual. Could Xin Yi have gained Mount Ling’s trust so quickly after only two years out of seclusion? Or had he, like Wang Xingyi from the Mou Kingdom, grown up on Mount Ling since childhood? Over a hundred years had passed; had Mount Ling’s method of cultivating confidantes changed at all?

He Lingchuan’s heart stirred, and he asked Xin Yi, “Have you met General Hong?”

“Not yet!” Xin Yi replied, a look of yearning on his face. “I heard General Hong just returned from the Northwest. I hope to meet her soon! She’s a Sky Demon, not just anyone gets the chance to see one in person.”

“Most of the time, she is General Hong,” He Lingchuan said, not believing Xin Yi was unaware of this.

“Understood!” Xin Yi nodded repeatedly. “I also hope to witness Mitiān in person!”

He Lingchuan’s gaze flickered. “Mr. Xin, have you ever seen a Sky Demon before?”

“How could I have seen one? They are all outside the heavens,” Xin Yi chuckled. “Even the Divine Descent ceremony was only witnessed by our ancestors and recorded in our family history; the descriptions make it sound extraordinary.” He paused. “I heard that Mitiān descends with a miracle every year on the Sky Sacrifice Day?”

“You’ve only just arrived in Dragon City, and your information is already so well-informed, Mr. Xin?” After Dragon City received Mitiān’s protection, Zhong Shengguang designated the day of gratitude as "Sky Sacrifice Day." Everyone in the city, young and old, would spontaneously go to the high ground outside the city to pay homage to Zhong Wuhān.

“Since I’ve been entrusted with such an important task, I must complete all these basic preparations,” Xin Yi said seriously. “To be frank, the relationship between Mitiān and General Hong is of great interest to Mount Ling—*ahem*, the Eastern region. I’ve been instructed to observe closely. After all, for thousands of years, no celestial deity has achieved a perfect divine descent.”

“Perfect divine descent”—these words were chilling upon closer thought, especially after He Lingchuan had read Immortal Minghui’s last words. It was understandable that Mount Ling had this concern.

“If there truly is such a thing as a ‘perfect divine descent,’ what consequences would it lead to?”

Xin Yi said gravely, “It would likely be another catastrophe for the mortal world.” His certainty made He Lingchuan’s heart skip a beat. Was he also privy to inside information?

“Mr. Xin is truly forthright.” He had revealed so much. If He Lingchuan hadn't harbored some doubts about his background, just these few words would have increased his favorable impression. Due to Mitiān, cooperation between Dragon City and Mount Ling was not without barriers; they could only agree to disagree on certain points. For Xin Yi to effectively serve as a liaison was, in fact, not easy.

He mused, “Mount Ling and Dragon City both benefit from cooperation. Since we share a common enemy, we should be more honest and less suspicious.”

He Lingchuan gave him a thumbs-up. “A discerning person! If everyone at Mount Ling thought like Mr. Xin, we would surely be the closest of comrades.” Then he immediately asked, “I’m also really curious, what do Immortals look like?”

“They look the same after becoming Immortals as they did before, as long as they don’t reveal their true forms. They don’t have an extra pair of eyes or another nose compared to us.”

“Mr. Xin, have you truly seen them?”

Xin Yi nodded with a smile. “Yes, I’ve had the good fortune.” As both an Immortal descendant and someone from Mount Ling, Xin Yi had long ago seen the true appearance of Immortals, who to the rest of the world seemed shrouded in mist.

As they spoke, they arrived at the Martial Arts Hall. The area, even its periphery, was packed. This was because Stage Eight, which faced the street, had been activated. Spectators could watch the arena matches simply by standing in the street.

He Lingchuan led Xin Yi directly towards the densest part of the crowd. When others saw He Lingchuan, they exclaimed, “General He is here!” The crowd automatically parted, creating a path for them to pass unhindered.

As soon as He Lingchuan entered the Martial Arts Hall, Menban hurried over. “Boss,” he quickly said, “they’re all on the stages.” He Lingchuan looked up and indeed, people stood on all three stages, each a new face.

Without asking about the matches, he pulled Menban aside and whispered, “Who won the fight inside the restaurant?”

Menban rubbed his nose and stepped back two paces. Behind him stood three soldiers, all with bruised and swollen faces. One of them was holding his arm. Menban pointed at him and said, “His shoulder was dislocated; I just set it back for him.”

Oh, so the other side had the upper hand? He Lingchuan glanced at them, his expression stern. “Fighting isn’t the problem; losing is. If you dare to fight, you must win!”

All three lowered their heads, not daring to speak.

“After your injuries heal, each of you will run five laps around the city!” Dragon City was quite large; five laps around it would be exhausting. But these three dared not utter a single word of protest.

“My men also injured two of theirs,” Menban said, pointing to the stage. “The others were nothing special, but that white-haired one is quite formidable; he alone took down these three youngsters.” The man he pointed to stood on Stage Eight. He was a lean, powerful man of about twenty-three or twenty-four, with a full head of white hair and hawk-like eyes that gleamed fiercely.

Menban continued, “When I arrived, both sides were cursing and fighting with real fury, just a step away from someone dying.” Lives were almost lost in the fight, and curses flew in torrents.

After asking his questions, He Lingchuan returned to Xin Yi. “Do you recognize any of these people on the stages, Mr. Xin?”

“Oh, it’s these lads,” Xin Yi nodded. “They arrived with me, no more than three days ago, and they’re from three different Daoist sects, all veterans of the battlefield.”

He Lingchuan pointed to Stage Eight. “Who is that white-haired one?”

“His name is Sha Wei. He was a deputy general in the army and volunteered when he heard there was an opportunity to come to Dragon City.”

“I hear this is a death match?” Sha Wei was challenging, “If you want to die, hurry up and get up here! Don’t just flap your gums in the tavern!” As soon as he spoke, the soldiers and civilians below the stage fell silent. Many looked indignant but didn’t utter a sound.

“What, you’re scared to get on a lawless stage?” Sha Wei sneered. “Before I came, I heard that Dragon City’s warriors were as resilient as poplars and as fierce as tigers and wolves. How is it that at this critical moment, you’ve all turned into cowards?”

This was too broad an insult; many Dragon City warriors’ shoulders twitched with anger, barely suppressing the urge to leap onto the stage. Xin Yi frowned, wanting to call down the arrogant young man, but He Lingchuan raised a hand to stop him.

“I like good warriors,” He Lingchuan chuckled softly. “Good warriors have character.” This was not an empty platitude. Warriors should be passionate, and he was not put off by Sha Wei’s challenge to fight in the arena. In fact, the people of Dragon City weren’t put off either. He wants fame, he wants to show off? Let him, as long as he has the skill.