Chapter 81: Sickly Person

The Peak

Not until a gap, about a mile long, opened in the shield-like wall did a man in golden armor, holding a command arrow, cast a spell and shout, “Everyone, enter within the next quarter of an hour! Those who are late will be severely punished!”

As soon as these words were uttered, the people in front immediately surged like a tide towards the opened gap.

“Go!”

Bai Shuchuan, without hesitation, issued a command to the group gathered around him. The twenty or so sect members under his command quickly followed him towards the opening.

Shi Chun was naturally among them. Wu Jinliang reached out and supported one of his arms, knowing that Shi Chun’s body was currently enduring immense pain and he was struggling against it, having seen how Shi Chun could barely walk when he had his first episode.

Bian Weiying, who occasionally looked back to check if her Wukang Mountain group had kept up, noticed Shi Chun’s pale face. It wasn't the first time she had seen him in such a state, and she felt immediate surprise and doubt, trying to ask, “What’s wrong with you?”

Shi Chun shook his head, “I’m fine.”

Hearing this, Bai Shuchuan also turned around. Seeing the situation, he was amused and teased, “Looks like this brother is scared. It hasn’t even started, and his legs are already weak?”

This wasn’t the first time he had teased Shi Chun; it was like toying with a defenseless child.

The leaders of several accompanying sects heard this and turned their heads. Seeing the situation, they all laughed along, having learned from Bai Shuchuan that Shi Chun was a useless fellow at the initial martial arts level, brought along by Wukang Mountain just to make up the numbers.

Relatively speaking, the Wukang Mountain group was still at the core of this team because this small group surprisingly had two great beauties. Bian Weiying was already attractive with her distinctive beauty, and as for Xiang Lan’er, the top courtesan of Liyun Pavilion, her beauty was even more captivating.

Also through Bai Shuchuan’s words, everyone knew that Xiang Lan’er was originally a courtesan, which left much to the imagination. A group of men frequently, whether intentionally or unintentionally, eyed her figure and appearance.

Besides that, Wukang Mountain’s proximity to the core was also due to their strength. The incredibly powerful auxiliary effects of their talismans were also a form of strength.

Shi Chun could only act as if nothing was wrong and accept everyone’s mockery. As he walked, he surveyed the surrounding crowd, continuing to use his right eye’s ability to search for any demonic cultivators.

Wu Jinliang, who was supporting him, saw everyone laughing and chuckled along in polite accompaniment. However, the hand gripping his saber hilt tightened noticeably.

Bian Weiying became slightly silent, secretly blaming herself for speaking too much.

“Xuyuan Sect.”

“Look quickly, it’s the Xuyuan Sect.”

A sudden commotion arose within the training ground. The noise wasn’t loud, but it seemed to stir up a wave.

The panoramic view in the Sky-Gazing Mirror, which had been periodically jumping between groups, suddenly ended and abruptly switched to a close-up of a few individuals.

The screen showed one woman and four men, all dressed in snow-white robes, all handsome men and beautiful women. Their attire was elegant and otherworldly, adorned with swords. The woman leading them was unparalleled in her pure beauty, with an ice-cold expression, clearly an absolute ice queen.

The Xuyuan Sect’s ability to evoke such a strong reaction from everyone was simply because it was the undisputed number one sect within Shengshen Prefecture. The sect was filled with masters, and many of its disciples held high positions in the Heavenly Court.

These individuals from the Xuyuan Sect were also widely recognized as the top contenders for victory, second to none.

The demeanor displayed by these individuals at this moment indeed matched the renowned reputation of Shengshen Prefecture’s number one sect.

Just then, someone in the training ground used a booming spell to transmit a message: “Sects wishing to check the competition status of their disciples can come to the hilltop on the right side of the training ground entrance. As shown in the image above, timed by water clock, fifty counts of time costs ten thousand gold. The red dot on the Mountains and Rivers Map indicates the location of Xuyuan Sect disciples, and one location query also costs ten thousand gold. For both image and location simultaneously, it’s twenty thousand gold per session. Haha, the opportunity to utilize such a treasure is once in a thousand years. It’s not expensive; the price is fair, oh!”

Only then did everyone notice a prominent red dot on the Ultimate Mountains and Rivers Map, and only then did they understand that the footage of the Xuyuan Sect disciples was being used for promotional purposes.

“Haha, Old Yang really knows how to play this game. It’s hilarious; he’s so shameless for money. I can’t believe he came up with that idea. The Royal Court picked the right person for the job, haha.”

On the mountain with pavilions and towers, Miao Dingyi heard Young Master Nan’s laughter from behind him and looked back. His family of three sat in a row by the railing at the edge of the terrace, watching the holographic image.

Young Master Nan walked over and stood beside the family of three, observing them with interest. Most of the nobles present had little interest in the initial entry scenes shown in the mirror; they barely bothered to look, preferring to socialize. This family of three was indeed a bit unusual.

Little did he know, Miao Dingyi also had no interest; he was purely accompanying his wife and daughter. Seeing someone standing by, he immediately raised his hand to gesture.

Miao Yilan, sitting next to her father, quickly stood up and offered her seat to the elder, then stood behind her mother’s seat.

Young Master Nan didn’t stand on ceremony; he nodded to Miao Yilan in acknowledgment and sat down. His sitting posture wasn’t very elegant; he sat at an angle, with one leg slung over an armrest, and chuckled. “Actually, Old Yang was the one who instigated me to reserve this hilltop for everyone. He said that since friends were showing up for you, you ought to do something in return. Ah, that fellow just had to get some money out of my pocket. Now he’s even using the Ultimate Mountains and Rivers Map and the Sky-Gazing Mirror. He’s truly desperate for money.”

Miao Dingyi smiled faintly and gestured with his chin towards the ice queen in the mirror. “This must be the top contender in the betting pool, right? What was her name again? Mulan something?”

Young Master Nan: “Mulan Qingqing. These five will be very hard to find opponents for in the arena. Barring any surprises, they will not only help Xuyuan Sect secure first place but also sweep the top five individual spots.”

Miao Dingyi wondered, “Then you still dare to accept their bets?”

Young Master Nan: “Why wouldn’t I dare? Even with reduced payouts, it’s still worth betting on. Besides, while it’s true they have no rivals, finding things isn’t something that can always be solved purely with martial prowess.” He raised a hand and tapped his head, indicating that brains were also very important. “The Western Extremity is such a vast area, with so many people. If there’s a slight mishap…” He made a grabbing motion with both hands, “I’ll make a killing!”

Miao Dingyi teased, “You, my friend, aren’t secretly manipulating things, are you?”

Young Master Nan quickly waved his hand and looked around. “My dear Miao, you can’t just say things like that. Even if I were to manipulate someone, I wouldn’t dare mess with the Xuyuan Sect. Otherwise, the old coots from the Xuyuan Sect would surely kill me.”

He then turned his head and glanced at the family of three. Changing the subject, he asked, “Miao, are there any acquaintances among the competitors in the Western Extremity arena?”

Miao Dingyi calmly replied, “I don’t have any acquaintances.”

He wasn’t lying.

Young Master Nan turned to the other side and waved his hand. The person in charge of this hilltop immediately ran over and asked with a smile, “Young Master Nan, how may I help you?”

Young Master Nan pointed at the mirror and said, “Shi Chun, number four from Wukang Mountain in Shengzhou. Put it on my tab and display his view. If someone is ahead in the queue, tell Old Yang to let him cut in.”

As soon as these words were uttered, Miao Dingyi and his family of three were all startled and uniformly turned to look at him.

Miao Dingyi and Lan Qiaoyan, in particular, were secretly shocked.

“Okay.” The person bowed repeatedly and then repeated, “Shi Chun, number four from Wukang Mountain in Shengzhou. Young Master Nan, is that correct?”

“That’s him, quickly.” Young Master Nan waved his hand, urging him to hurry.

“Understood.” The person acknowledged and quickly left.

Turning back again, seeing the reaction of the family of three, Young Master Nan already had a good idea. It seemed his bet wasn’t made without reason. He chuckled, “Don’t be offended, I just wanted to see what kind of person could make my dear Miao place a bet.”

Miao Dingyi composed himself, hiding his surprise, and praised, “Good memory.”

He turned to Lan Qiaoyan, giving her a look, as if saying, “Now you know why we need to be careful in our everyday actions, don’t you?”

Before long, the image of the elegant and ethereal handsome men and beautiful women disciples from Shengshen Prefecture’s top sect, Xuyuan Sect, suddenly disappeared and abruptly switched to the image of an unknown person. It showed a frail, sickly man who needed support, while the man supporting him carried an unusually exaggerated large saber, looking somewhat foolish.

Someone in the training ground immediately chuckled, “Who is that?”

Yes, everyone wanted to know who this was. The previous display featured the top contender for victory, but the one immediately following looked so unimpressive. Not only was he frail and weak, but he was also really dark-skinned. Two dark figures huddled together—did they really deserve to appear right after the Xuyuan Sect?

Elder Ke, who was sitting on the steps, couldn’t help but stand up, stunned. Why was Shi Chun the main character in the center of the image? Had someone paid to view Shi Chun, of all people?

He subconsciously looked around, but couldn’t discern anything.

On the other side, Feng Chi, who was also sitting on the steps, cloaked and hooded, was also stunned. She also saw Xiang Lan’er, who was in the same image. But judging by the central position of the figures in the image, Xiang Lan’er was clearly not the main focus.

She quickly regained her composure and whispered to the person next to her, “Find out who requested this view.”

Young Master Nan on the hilltop terrace watched for a while, failing to understand. He turned to the family of three beside him and asked, “Shi Chun? Is that the sickly fellow?”

Miao Dingyi was also a bit surprised. “I don’t know, this is truly my first time seeing him.”

Miao Yilan softly asked, “Mother, what’s wrong with Shi Chun?”

Lan Qiaoyan shook her head, indicating she didn’t know. She didn’t want to speak carelessly anymore.

Young Master Nan observed the family’s reactions and smiled faintly. His gaze returned to the person in the mirror. It seemed the background of this Wukang Mountain Number Four was indeed worth looking into.

The fifty counts of time passed quickly, essentially just fifty seconds. The image of the sickly man and the saber-wielding giant abruptly disappeared, and the images of other individuals switched into view.

In the Western Extremity, Shi Chun and the others looked back. They saw that the opened barrier entrance had already closed again, the barrier had vanished, and the massive contingent of tens of thousands of people had all entered.

The tens of thousands of people began to spread out further and further ahead.

The group led by Bai Shuchuan did the same. Someone took out a map to confirm their current location and discussed which way to go.

Shi Chun occasionally looked back and noticed that Sun Shigang’s group seemed to be following them. He didn’t mind; in fact, his expression held a sense of anticipation.