Chapter 125: Swallowing the Clouds Emerges, Who Can Compete?

Chapter 118: When Devouring Cloud Emerges, Who Can Compete?!

"The second stage today is a test of cloud magic," Zuo Zizhi's voice announced. "Using the four boundary markers of the Eastern Suburbs as limits, Lord Lu will conjure a cloud to cover the area. Competitors must ascend by manipulating clouds. Anyone whose cloud is below a hundred meters will be deemed to have failed. Competitors may only engage in cloud magic against each other. Using any other spells to attack others will result in military discipline. Those whose clouds dissipate will fail. Those who collapse from insufficient energy will fail. Those pushed out of bounds will fail."

As Zuo Zizhi read out the rules for the second stage, the expressions of the over nine hundred participants below varied greatly. Some were skilled in cloud magic, while others were not. Those confident in their cloud magic felt smug, while those who thought they couldn't endure it were dejected. However, no one questioned the test method. Regardless of their main specialization as military agriculturists, cloud magic was fundamental to the Four Arts of Timing, and indeed, a basic skill. While agriculturists might not master the spells of the Geomancy or Introspection factions, they absolutely needed to know those of the Timing faction, which was the mainstream. And the Four Arts of Timing formed the very foundation of this mainstream.

"The first stage eliminated ninety percent. I wonder how many will be eliminated in this one," Zhao Xing murmured, eager to compete. "But I'm confident in my cloud magic." Although his Devouring Cloud magic was only at the eighth rotation, it was the strongest cloud magic, bar none. Even at the eighth rotation, Zhao Xing felt no inferiority to other mid-tier cloud magic at full mastery.

As Zuo Zizhi finished reading the rules for the first time, others began to spread out, finding positions where they wouldn't be crowded by others. After all, their primary opponent was Lu Bang. Simply being able to maintain their cloud magic under Lord Lu's influence would suffice. There was no need to clash with others. Yang City's Eastern Suburbs were quite vast. If the over nine hundred participants compressed their cloud control to a smaller area, everyone could have their own patch of sky.

Zhao Xing also looked around, creating some distance between himself and others. By the time Zuo Zizhi read the rules a second time, most participants had found suitable positions. However, Zhao Xing saw a familiar figure approaching. It was Li Feng. Wherever Zhao Xing went, Li Feng followed. He kept a constant watch, maintaining a fifty-meter distance. For wielding cloud magic, a fifty-meter distance was already quite cramped, even dangerous.

"It seems this won't end well," Zhao Xing thought, seeing the resentment in Li Feng's eyes. He knew the man harbored a grudge.

"Go on, run. The Eastern Suburbs are only so big. Where can you go?" Li Feng's eyes held a playful glint.

"Are you so sure you can beat me in cloud magic?" Zhao Xing asked. "Let me give you some advice: now is not the time."

"Scared?" Li Feng sneered. "I've found out you're Zhao Xing from the Divine Might Army, aren't you? Hmph, if you're scared, then get out of the assessment area yourself!" His voice was quite loud. With the assessment not yet officially started, Li Feng used wind-transmission to project his voice. Many people heard Li Feng's voice and witnessed the confrontation between him and Zhao Xing.

"Looks like we're in for a show."

"That's Li Feng. Who's the other guy?"

"Li Feng said he's from the Divine Might Army, someone named Zhao Xing?"

"The Divine Might Army has other masters? Isn't it just Han Bing? Why is Li Feng picking a fight with someone unknown?"

"They've been here a month; some friction is normal."

"Li Feng was ranked sixth in the Tiger Jiao Army's internal selection. Zhao Xing from the Divine Might Army? Never really heard of him."

"I remember, Zhao Xing from the Divine Might Army was ranked twenty-ninth when they reported."

"Interesting."

Li Feng's loud challenge attracted significant attention. This was precisely the effect he wanted. He wanted to put Zhao Xing on the spot, forcing him to accept the challenge. Otherwise, if he had to chase Zhao Xing later, he might be interfered with by others.

"Scared?" Zhao Xing scoffed. "Alright, I'll give you a chance for revenge! Whoever runs away later is a coward!" The opponent had brought up the Divine Might Army; this was no longer just a personal matter. If Zhao Xing fled without a fight, not only would others look down on him, but even his own Divine Might Army comrades would. Li Feng had indeed forced Zhao Xing to fight, but Zhao Xing was merely disinclined to fight, not afraid. If there was no escape, then he would fight!

"Good!" Li Feng's eyes blazed. "Whoever runs away is a coward!"

Seeing the intense animosity between the two, bystanders retreated, fearing they might get caught in the crossfire. Han Bing pondered for a moment, then stood not far behind Zhao Xing. He didn't intend to interfere, but rather to prevent Li Feng from going too far. On a hillside, Zhuo Yue of the Scorching Sun Army also witnessed the confrontation between Zhao Xing and Li Feng. "It's him," he muttered. "I saw him at Dayuan Prefecture that day."

"Zhao Xing from the Divine Might Army? I didn't expect him to be ranked twenty-ninth in the report." Zhuo Yue secretly noted the name. Thanks to Li Feng's commotion, Zhao Xing of the Divine Might Army, who had been very low-key and unknown, was now remembered by many.

After Zuo Zizhi repeated the rules for the third time, the second stage of the assessment officially began. The previously cloudless sky, in the next moment, centered around the flying boat, gave birth to a dark golden cloud that rapidly spread outwards. The cloud hovered a thousand meters high, its surface incredibly smooth, like a pressed sheet of paper. Everyone who saw it felt a tightness in their chest. Such an unnaturally flat cloud gave a suffocating sensation, like an iron plate suspended in the sky, ready to drop at any moment.

"Cloudwalking!"

"Four Seas Flowing Cloud!"

"Seven Star Cloud Array!"

"Layers of Blood Shadow!"

At the moment the assessment began, everyone unleashed their learned cloud magic, rising by manipulating clouds. Yang City's Eastern Suburbs instantly erupted with colorful clouds, various types vying for attention. Due to the sheer number of participants, collisions were inevitable. Not everyone sought peaceful progression, as Zuo Zizhi hadn't specified an end time for the test. Since the test wasn't ending by time, it would end by the number of participants! A certain number of people had to be eliminated for the test to conclude.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Many clouds collided, and fierce clashes occurred throughout the Eastern Suburbs even before they reached a hundred meters in height. Cloud energies intertwined; with nearly a thousand people manipulating clouds simultaneously, the ambient energy became chaotic in an instant. Those with slightly inferior cloud manipulation skills couldn't stabilize their clouds in this initial burst. And if their cloud magic dissipated, they were eliminated. In this first wave alone, dozens of people were eliminated!

"Whoosh!" Once their cloud magic dispersed, they were immediately teleported out. One agriculturist was enveloped by a gentle breeze and, before he could react, found himself beyond the boundary marker.

"Your test is over. Report to another academy," a man in armor calmly told the eliminated youth. "You can choose any other academy, compete for rank within it, and there are many benefits."

"I..." He wanted to say more, but the armored man had already walked away. The next moment, at the edge of the boundary marker, someone accidentally crossed the line and was similarly pulled out by a gentle breeze.

"Eliminated!"

"Eliminated!"

"Eliminated!"

Many were cast out, informed they had no chance with the four academies, and could only leave dejectedly.

In the initial, most chaotic phase, both Zhao Xing and Li Feng performed steadily, pushing their clouds to a hundred meters in height. Firstly, because others had heard the two were about to fight, they moved away, giving them more space. Secondly, both had considerable skill in cloud magic; even with intense energy fluctuations, it couldn't disperse their clouds.

"Their cloud control techniques are evenly matched," Zhuang Ziqing observed leisurely, watching Li Feng's area. Even when Li Feng made his challenge, many kept their distance. As the second-ranked participant, no one dared to provoke Zhuang Ziqing, so strong individuals like him smoothly propelled their clouds to a hundred meters. Zhuang Ziqing even had the leisure to observe the battle between Li Feng and Zhao Xing.

"Li Feng's cloud is rising a bit faster," Feng Qiu remarked, watching coldly. As members of the Tiger Jiao Army, and with Li Feng's challenge invoking the names of both the Tiger Jiao and Divine Might armies, he naturally paid attention. The first-ranked Shi Yong, also from the Tiger Jiao Army, paid no attention at all. He stood alone on a distant hillside boulder, detached and independent, as if everything was irrelevant to him.

Within two breaths, Zhao Xing's cloud ascended above a hundred meters. Li Feng's cloud did the same, subtly rising a bit higher.

"He does have some skill. His cloud control speed seems comparable to mine," Li Feng thought, glancing at Zhao Xing and slightly dropping his guard. "But this is as far as you go!"

"Cloud Armored Giant, appear!"

Li Feng attacked first. His cloud suddenly churned, then condensed into a silver-armored giant. The giant's form was remarkably lifelike, like a warrior clad in armor. Its armor was silver, but its long spear was purplish-black!

"It's the Cloud Armored Giant from Military Cloud magic, and he's even manifested a lightning spear!" Someone immediately recognized Li Feng's technique as Military Cloud magic.

"No wonder Li Feng is so confident and was ranked sixth in the Tiger Jiao Army's internal selection. His Military Cloud magic must be at least mid-tier seven rotations or higher."

"Military Cloud magic is known as supreme for combat. In a direct confrontation among cloud magic users, it has few rivals."

"Nonsense! Blood Cloud magic is the strongest!"

"You two heretics! Lightning Cloud magic is the true path! Fight me if you dare!"

Discussions erupted all around. Li Feng's cloud magic truly astonished the crowd; he was indeed a genius selected by the Tiger Jiao Army! But Zhao Xing remained calm. Watching Li Feng conjure the Cloud Armored Giant, he merely commented blandly, "Flashy."

He watched as the opponent's Cloud Armored Giant charged forward. Zhao Xing's cloud neither dodged nor retreated, as if it were paralyzed with fear. Amidst the exclamations of the crowd, the Cloud Armored Giant thrust its spear into Zhao Xing's cloud.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

With a light thrust, thunder erupted within the cloud. This wasn't separate lightning magic, but a characteristic of cloud magic, not considered another spell. The Cloud Armored Giant's thrust simply unleashed lightning to wreak havoc within the enemy's cloud, aiming to disrupt its balance and cause it to collapse. However, the anticipated collapse did not occur. Lightning flashed within the cloud, and Zhao Xing's cloud indeed swayed, but it was far from dissipating.

"You can't even hit properly, and you call yourself a Tiger Jiao Army genius?"

"Try harder, I can take more." Zhao Xing's lazy voice drifted over.

"Huh? How is he holding on?"

"Can you tell what kind of cloud magic Zhao Xing is using?"

"It looks like Lightning Cloud magic."

"It must be Lightning Cloud magic, otherwise how could he withstand the raging lightning?"

Devouring Cloud magic could devour ten thousand types of cloud magic and also manifest them. When Zhao Xing comprehended it from the Myriad Magic Cloud Diagram, he saw Devouring Cloud magic, swallowing other clouds one by one. Capable of both devouring and transforming, he easily neutralized the attack, naturally leading others to assume it was Lightning Cloud magic.

"Hmph, still talking tough!" A glint of light flashed in Li Feng's eyes as his cloud churned seven more times. Seven more Cloud Armored Giants, each wielding a purplish-black lightning spear, appeared and began frantically stabbing at Zhao Xing's cloud.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Military Cloud magic at the eighth rotation: a total of eight Cloud Armored Lightning Spear Giants attacked Zhao Xing's cloud. The sound of lightning exploding was ceaseless. It was a peculiar sight, as if eight people were frantically stabbing at a haystack. Outwardly, Li Feng seemed to have the upper hand. But the more he stabbed, the more he felt something was wrong. His first thought was: "Why isn't Zhao Xing fighting back? He can't be this useless, can he?" His second thought: "Why are my Cloud Armored Giants getting smaller and smaller? They're depleting too quickly!"

When Li Feng realized that Zhao Xing's cloud was growing larger with every stab, he immediately knew something was amiss. "Damn, this definitely isn't Lightning Cloud magic. Could it be..." Li Feng immediately tried to recall his Cloud Armored Giants. But at that moment, he found they wouldn't retreat. As the eight Cloud Armored Giants made their final thrust, their purplish-black lightning spears became fully embedded, as if stuck in stone.

"Boom!" Suddenly, a darker hue than the purplish-black spread from the lightning spears, crawling up the Cloud Armored Giants' bodies and rapidly expanding. In no time, these eight Cloud Armored Giants turned completely black.

"Buzz!" Li Feng's mind reeled as he stared in disbelief at Zhao Xing's direction. He had lost control of the eight Cloud Armored Giants.

"Huh?" Zhuang Ziqing, observing from afar, looked surprised. "Could that be... Devouring Cloud magic?"

"The Cloud Armored Giants became Zhao Xing's," a trace of solemnity appeared on Feng Qiu's usually stern face. "At first, I thought it was Lightning Cloud magic that let him withstand, but I didn't expect it to be Devouring Cloud magic. Now, his cloud has transformed into an external manifestation of Military Cloud."

"He... he practices Devouring Cloud magic," Li Feng began to sweat profusely. The reversal came too quickly. He had thought victory was within his grasp, only to discover Zhao Xing was using Devouring Cloud magic! Devouring Cloud magic was the most domineering type of cloud magic. Not only could it consume others' cloud energy, but after consumption, it could also utilize the opponent's cloud magic. For instance, Zhao Xing's cloud had now transformed into Military Cloud. Those eight black-armored, spear-wielding giants then turned and attacked Li Feng's cloud.

"Hold on! As long as his Devouring Cloud magic isn't too high-level, I won't lose!" Li Feng's eyes were bloodshot, but he vaguely knew things were going badly. He had cultivated Devouring Cloud magic, but only to the third rotation. Not just him, but most others chose to cultivate Devouring Cloud as a secondary skill. His original plan was to defeat Zhao Xing with Military Cloud, then use Devouring Cloud to absorb Zhao Xing's cloud energy to strengthen himself. The fact that Zhao Xing could forcibly absorb his Cloud Armored Giants and turn them to his own use proved that Zhao Xing's Devouring Cloud magic was at least at the seventh rotation. Otherwise, it would be impossible to so easily devour his own eighth-rotation Cloud Armored Giants.

"Still resisting?" Seeing Li Feng still resisting, Zhao Xing unhesitatingly expanded his cloud, which simultaneously formed a massive vortex, like a gaping maw of the abyss, and moved to engulf Li Feng's cloud.

"Mercy!" At that moment, a cloud sword darted from the south, aiming to stop Zhao Xing.

"Wait!" From the north, a mass of lightning cloud also approached, coming to Li Feng's aid. Zhao Xing looked closely and saw the Jiang brothers, Jiang He and Jiang Hai, who were among the top ten in the last report—also talents selected by the Tiger Jiao Army. Shi Yong, Zhuang Ziqing, Feng Qiu, Jiang He, and Jiang Hai – these five from the Tiger Jiao Army accounted for half of the top ten in the previous assessment report.

"Zhao Xing, you've already won. Please give the Tiger Jiao Army some face and don't eliminate Li Feng," Jiang He and Jiang Hai pleaded.

"Give face?" Zhao Xing said coldly. "You two reserve recruits certainly have a lot of nerve, thinking you can represent the Tiger Jiao Army? If he had won, would I not have been eliminated? If you lose, you admit it. If you're not afraid of elimination, then come forward!"

With that, Zhao Xing completely devoured Li Feng's cloud in one gulp.

"Boom!"

The cloud instantly expanded, and Zhao Xing's cloud transformed into the Military Cloud state. Then, from the vortex, it unleashed a full eighteen Cloud Armored Giants. The ink-black giants were clearly much stronger than those conjured by Li Feng.

"Pfft!" His cloud magic shattered, Li Feng suffered an energy backlash, blood immediately trickling from the corner of his mouth, his face pale. He wouldn't have been so severely affected normally, but being defeated so publicly, coupled with anger affecting his heart, prevented him from controlling the energy backlash.

"Whoosh!" A gentle breeze swept over Li Feng, and the next moment, he appeared beyond the boundary marker. Seeing this, Jiang He and Jiang Hai immediately snorted coldly and had no choice but to give up.

"Li Feng actually lost?"

"Devouring Cloud magic, such powerful Devouring Cloud magic! That must be at least seventh-rotation Devouring Cloud, right?"

"Zhao Xing from the Divine Might Army? How come I've never heard of him?"

"In the path of cloud magic, I am supreme... and Devouring Cloud magic is the strongest of all. But it's too difficult to cultivate; I've only reached the fourth rotation."

"Who dares to primarily cultivate Devouring Cloud magic? It delays cultivation progress too much. Everyone mainly cultivates other cloud magic and supplements with Devouring Cloud."

"When Devouring Cloud emerges, who can compete?"

"It seems no one can surpass Zhao Xing in this cloud magic stage."

Many gazes turned to the dark, swirling cloud in the sky, and at the same time, they completely remembered the name Zhao Xing of the Divine Might Army.

On the flying boat, Zuo Zizhi and Lu Bang quietly observed the commotion below.

"Devouring Cloud magic at the eighth rotation," Zuo Zizhi said in surprise. "No wonder he was selected by the Divine Might Army right after becoming a full-fledged official. He truly has unique qualities."

"Li Feng was too arrogant," Lu Bang snorted. "He dared to make such bold declarations just relying on cloud magic. It seems his previous winning streak made him a bit too conceited. A defeat here is good for him to sober up. If he were to be so arrogant in the military later, it wouldn't just harm himself, but the entire army."

"I think the people below are too idle," Zuo Zizhi remarked. "Many are still spectating and chatting. Should we speed up the elimination process?"

"Precisely what I was thinking," Lu Bang nodded, then pressed his hands down in the air. The perfectly flat, dark golden cloud in the sky abruptly descended.