Chapter 52
The biggest event in Tiansheng City in recent years had attracted the attention of countless people.
From the city lord’s mansion to the martial arts platform built in Tiansheng Square, both sides of the main road were densely packed with people. Many cultivators climbed on the roof, and even stepped on flying swords, hovering in the low altitude waiting to see the excitement.
The patrol team of the city had already initiated great measures for the protection around the square. All those who entered the arena were only filled with people who had great fame and extraordinary backgrounds.
Lin Suci went in with the large troops from the city lord’s mansion. Under the black covers that looked like a tent, there were a lot of stools. The cultivators invited by the city’s administrations sat down in pairs and trios, and stood apart from the other martial sect sheds surrounding the circle of the martial arts stage.
Lin Suci held a sword in his arms. It was a black sword sent by the city lord. At the moment, he raised his head, looked around, then bowed his head and rubbed the sword faintly. He spoke telepathically, “… Boshen, do you think they have a rule that stops the match when they think one party is winning?”
Lin Suci, who was less than two years old, was very worried about himself. No matter how talented he was, most of the people there were leading disciples of various sects, and he had to make sure he had the perfect plan as well.
“Whether they have, or not, I am always here.” Yan Boshen reassured him.
Lin Suci’s was shocked mentally. Indeed, his owner was sitting there looking at him. Was it even possible for someone to get past Yan Boshen and hurt him?
The little kitten immediately got rid of his worries as his whole body emitted an aura of confidence. He had no hesitations and he felt that it was time for everyone to know his name that day.
“Mr. Ye.”
The maid from the city lord’s mansion came with a tray in hand, “Please pick a number.”
Right there, Lin Suci, who was still using the domineering name of Ye Xingchen, randomly grabbed a wood board. He flipped it to see that it was the number twenty-seven.
The maid continued to hand out the numbered boards to others.
He was the twenty-seventh. Among the thirty cultivators who participated in the martial arts fight, he was considered one of the last.
Lin Suci flipped through the board casually, and tucked it into his sleeve.
In the east of the martial arts platform, a row of seats were set up. There were nine tables and chairs on top. In the middle, sat Chi Haina, the lord of Tiansheng City, while on the left and right were the representatives elected from the thirty-six sects.
Chi Haina, who was sitting high in the main seat, moved his foldable fan, and his eyes fell on the dark shed of the city lord’s mansion. Rows of cultivators had been recuperating in the city lord’s mansion long ago, and they were waiting for the moment to show their efforts. Holding weapons one by one, they maintained a passionate emotion. They glared into the distance as they walked with great dignity.
In the face of the blazing sun, an old cultivator with a long beard babbled with his higher-pitched voice. Focusing on the rules from the beginning till the end, he repeated it three to five times. When he finally retreated, the big drums placed on the side of the martial arts platform banged.
A total of thirty-six sects, one city lord, thirty-seven tents, and dozens of disciples in each sect, surrounded that area crowdedly. The representatives sent by each sect made several orders, and assigned one person according to the numbered boards distributed.
Thirty-six sects would be divided into pairs for two rounds, resulting in nine places for the winners from the two rounds. The cultivators from the city lord’s mansion must be included more than half among the nine winners before they could be considered as the victory of the city lord, otherwise they would need to admit defeat. If the cultivators from the city lord’s mansion lost, the winner of those nine people would be ranked.
That kind of martial arts battle would be carried out for thirty rounds, and the thirty winners selected would start with a mixed fight. In that case, if there were only a few winners from the city lord’s mansion, it would definitely be sufferable in the final battle.
In the martial arts arena, water was poured all over to wash away the dust. The water evaporated in the sun, thus, the first round began as the gongs and drums sounded.
Lin Suci had never seen that kind of martial arts battle. He stretched his neck with great interest as he stared at the martial arts stage without blinking, watching the battle as a spectator wholeheartedly.
The sequential boards were drawn randomly, which led to the involvement of numerous powerful characters in a round. They might stand high with their unique solo win, or they might peck each other till the round ended.
Generally speaking, the first round would be more exciting if it was controlled by a caring person, and it would be used to attract people’s attention. It was just that it was not a show of performances, and no one could tell who was against whom in the chaotic arrangement. The thirty-seven cultivators standing on the martial arts stage did not know each other’s depths, and the thirty-six people were all wary of the cultivators from the city lord’s mansion who were standing on one side, waiting for the third round of the battle.
Lin Suci’s attention was also placed on the cultivator who also came from the city lord’s mansion.
Lin Suci had been isolated from those people on the recent days. It had been more than a month, yet he was unsure who was in the city lord’s mansion. Nonetheless, he knew that Bai Qingkong must be in the group of cultivators, but he could not find him no matter what. That caused him to be very curious about every cultivator from the city lord’s mansion.
The first cultivator from the city lord’s mansion was a young man who stood in his thirties. He quietly watched on one side for three rounds, and understood the strength of his opponents. When he had to fight against the first opponent later, his fluent swordsmanship made it just right. In the eyes of opponents who were also in the same foundation building, he was a difficult opponent to face.
There were nine people in total. That young man had several victories and defeats, but he happened to win five rounds and got a place in the future matches.
When the cultivator jumped off the martial arts stage with a smile on his face, he returned to the black shed and seemed very relaxed.
Another round began on stage, and Lin Suci’s attention was still on the first person.
The cultivator had already sat behind him, and was chatting with his relatives and friends through whispering. The voices were fragmented and it was difficult to catch what they were talking about.
Lin Suci rubbed his ears, lowered his head and said to Yan Boshen, “Without my ears, my hearing is slightly worse.”
If it were his cat ears, he only needed to rise it up, and could easily hear the voices on the martial arts stage clearly.
“It’s all nonsense, what’s the use of listening?” Yan Boshen reached out his hand, held Lin Suci’s cheeks, and straightened Lin Suci’s posture, “If you have the effort, stop looking at them. Observe the opponent and remember their tactics.”
Lin Suci was facing the martial arts platform. The second match there had already begun.
Compared to the first cultivator, the second cultivator from the city lord’s mansion did not catch much of his attention. After losing three rounds in a row, he tried his best to win the fourth round. Finally, at the fifth round, he was immediately stuck to the ground.
Yan Boshen silently moved Lin Suci’s face to the side, “…Don’t look.”
Lin Suci turned his face obediently, “Oh.”
Although the selection of cultivators from the city lord’s mansion was to strive for perfection, the main sects were not weak either as the disciples they arranged to enter were somewhat capable. They were all martial cultivators, and their strength was relatively stable compared to the scattered cultivators from the city lord’s mansion with uneven strength.
The second cultivator got his deserved victory in his one round, but he immediately lost in the next round.
The second cultivator blushed and hurried back down the stage. He sat down in the most cornered position, not saying a word.
Chi Haina was chatting and laughing in his seat with the person next to him. They did not seem to care about the victories and losses. Moving his paper fan, he looked calm.
Afterwards, people passed by to and fros, and the winning or losing was basically tied.
“Number fourteen!”
“Coming, coming!” Lin Suci heard the voice, and his ears popped out in shock as he looked at the direction of the voice.
It was a young man dressed in tatters. Holding a sword that was even more tattered than him, he had a face full of panic as he stumbled out.
Lin Suci just stared blankly.
The young man buried his head as if he was very unconfident and a coward. When he met someone, he nodded and bent over. After dodging his way pass people, he finally stood at the preparation place on the side of the martial arts platform.
“Hmm…” Lin Suci thought for a while, turned to look back and forth from where the boy came out, and saw that there was another person beside the boy’s seat.
It was a young girl in a pale blue long dress, with gentle eyes. Holding a long sword in her arms, she gently caressed it, like her lover.
The corner of Lin Suci’s mouth twitched, and then shook Yan Boshen, “I saw…”
“Shh.”
Yan Boshen interrupted Lin Suci’s words, “Watch the competition.”
Lin Suci suppressed his excitement.
He had searched for Bai Qingkong for a long time, and he finally appeared. Not only that, he was also accompanied by Shu Changyi.
So far, in all the story plots involving Bai Qingkong, Shu Changyi would always be there, forcefully adding his presence to anywhere he went.
Anyway, Shu Changyi was a close friend of Bai Qingkong, and he never grabbed any advantages from him.
Not to mention…
Lin Suci could not help but glance back.
The exquisite figure of the woman was enthusiastic, but her appearance was so dignified and elegant, which was generally the kind that young lads would like.
So, could it be that Shu Changyi fancied Bai Qingkong in his past life, and rebirth to break turn Bai Qingkong into a *mosquito coil [T/N: turning a straight person to gay] ?
In Lin Suci’s mind, the fantasy of the majestic soaring swordsman Bai Qingkong and the wind rage swordsman Shu Changyi getting touchy with each other made him shuddered. He silently approached Yan Boshen in his spectator’s seat.
The cultivator from the city lord’s mansion of the thirteenth persisted till the eighth round, and before the ninth round, he had already lost five games and left the martial arts platform with a dark face, cursing with dissatisfaction.
On the stage, Chi Haina covered his face with a fan, and it was hard to see his expression.
At that time, Bai Qingkong, who was disguised as a shrivelled young boy, took a deep breath and climbed onto the martial arts platform with his tattered sword in his arms.
The stage for the martial arts battle was at least two-people-tall. Other cultivators stepped onto it lightly, but he was the only one who climbed up embarrassedly and babbled. He finally climbed up, and was panting with exhaustion.
Lin Suci saw a new light in him. He could not tell that Bai Qingkong was so great in acting. That awesome act was enough to let him grab the title of “Best Leading Actor”.
The other thirty-six people looked at Bai Qingkong as if they were looking at a monkey. The dirty young man covered in grey seemed to be shy. Holding his sword, he stuttered,”…I, I…”
He seemed like he was attempting to speak, but in the end he did not say anything. Holding the sword with difficulty and dragging his heavy steps, he retreated to the edge of the martial arts platform, waiting for the beginning of the first three rounds of the battle.
Among those thirty-six people, one young man stood up and said, “Hey, little kid, you are here to tie up the participator numbers, right? Since you are still young, there’s no need to come up and fight us. Just surrender and change with someone else. Otherwise, be careful of getting hurt. Sword blades don’t have eyes, you see?”
If he was really someone who came just to tie the participators’ numbers, then he would surely feel grateful of the young man’s statement. However, that was Bai Qingkong, the future majestic soaring swordsman, and the current little protagonist. How would he get off the stage after hearing that?
Bai Qingkong gave a cramped smile, “I…I won’t admit defeat.”
That young man looked at Bai Qingkong’s skinny figure, when he showed his rare act of kindness. But, since he was rejected, he had no words.
Thirty-six people no longer cared about Bai Qingkong, who was shrunk into a ball. Paired against each other, they began the first half of the match with a total of three rounds.
Among those people, there were at least a dozen good players who were gathered together, and they fought wonderfully. They drove away the drowsiness of the people who had been sleepy the whole time, and made them sat at the end of their seats, witnessing their awesome martial arts.
Lin Suci also took the match very seriously. He was learning to make gestures back and forth with his hands, chanting words with his mouth.
Among those people, a few of them were indeed very powerful, and each move was like flowing water. Between the segments of retreating and attacking, it could be seen that they were great Taoists. Although they were all in foundation-building, it was not difficult to see that they were about to advance to another level.
Bai Qingkong could not blink his eyes as he watched, even letting out an amazed voice.
After three rounds, those who stood on the martial arts stage were very powerful disciples among those people. Some of them were even more powerful than the previous ones combined.
“Little kid, there is a huge differences in level between you and them. It’s inevitable that you will lose your senses when you start your moves. You might as well admit defeat.”
Another young man persuaded him.
Bai Qingkong was moved by that kindness. He stood up with his sword in his arms and smiled, “Thank you for the kindness of this senior, but naturally, I can’t leave here.”
After repeatedly rejecting the other’s kindness twice, the urging expressions of the person there also faded.
“If that’s the case, then just hide.”
Bai Qingkong held the sword and stood in front of the first person to fight.
That person happened to be the first young man who tried to persuade him. That person was kind-hearted. Looking at Bai Qingkong, he could not bear to use his weapon, so he just went easy on him.
“Little kid, let’s finish this quickly.”
With a twist in his hand, he condensed his spirit energy. Thinking about not hurting the child, the young man planned to casually push him off the stage to end the battle, so as not to hurt the boy on the opposite side.
He pushed him gently.
That was a very humble and polite act. Anyone who witnessed that would praise that young man for his innocence.
Bai Qingkong was shocked, and hurriedly drew out the rusty copper and iron sword. He hesitately put it back and chose to raise his hands.
That was a trick to pick up the opponent head-on!
Fortunately, the young man was kind and gentle. Even if he did run into him, he would not hurt Bai Qingkong.
Many people saw that Bai Qingkong was about to be hit by that palm and being pushed down the martial arts platform, yet all he did was raising his hand, slowly approaching the palm.
At the next moment, the opponent could not control his body. He was impacted by external force and retreated three steps. His body stiffened, fell back, and instantly reached the edge of the stage. He was directly pushed off the martial arts platform by a strong wind!
Bai Qingkong watched the young man fell down from the platform with a panic. He put away his hands and was at a loss, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I can’t control myself!”
The expressions of the people on the stage suddenly changed, and their spirits rose. Only Lin Suci laughed scornfully.
He was clutching his stomach with joy.
At that time, Bai Qingkong must have just obtained the “Domineering Heart Code” and was at a state where he could not control himself. His every move carried a powerful and domineering spirit.
Nonetheless……
Lin Suci’s eyes fell on the tattered sword in his arms.
Was that the majestic soaring sword?
Bai Qingkong was someone who obtained an ancient and godly sword, but he still could not control it. Now that he also obtained the uncontrollable “Domineering Heart Code”, he had completely become the most terrifying weapon of the foundation-building level.
The young man who was pushed down stared blankly. He was unsure what had happened, yet he was eliminated.
“This kid is a ghost!”
“That’s impossible. You obviously have the strength but pretend to be a weakling. How can you find it interesting to come here and play trickery?”
The other monks grumbled fiercely with gloomy faces.
Bai Qingkong, who was on the stage, was obviously panicking. He was shrunk into a ball with his sword, like a little quail.
He was not as weak as he seemed, but the match had to continue.
The first young man had already lost, and the second one was very vigilant. With a rise of his hand, he used powerful fire spells and rushed towards Bai Qingkong!
“Oh my, his consequence is worse!” Lin Suci did not think that excitement was too big of a deal. He continued to anticipate other opponents getting “slapped” in their faces.
Although Bai Qingkong looked anxious when the fire approached him, he was already a foundation-building cultivator, so he could react quickly. Before the raging fire hit him, he drew his sword sharply.
The uncontrollable majestic soaring sword merged with the “Domineering Heart Code”, directly controlling the flame to go in the opposite direction! If the opponent made a blunt move, the opponent would certainly receive the same swift and violent backlash. In less than two short breaths, he was already pushed off the martial arts platform by the fire, speechless.
Bai Qingkong was holding the sword, trembling.
Yan Boshen turned his head silently, and asked, “…How did you know?”
Lin Suci, who was still clapping and laughing, suddenly became quiet, “…”
“Uh…” Lin Suci’s eyes rolled back and forth, “I just had a dream that he was very powerful. Yes, I dreamed it!”
To make up a better and complete lie, he had to lie till the end. If he dreamed of Bai Qingkong before, he had to continue explain that he dreamed of him now too.
Lin Suci became more assertive and confident as he spoke, “He is about the same age as me, yet he is so powerful at this age. Of course my heart would be envious and jealous. I want more dreams about him, so why not?”
A word drifted across Yan Boshen’s heart: Lies.
However, one thing he felt was that what Lin Suci said was true.
He had also seen Bai Qingkong before. When he was picking flowers and flying leaves, he was just practicing Qi. Not only that, his strength was far inferior compared how he was now. Now that he had quickly built the foundation, there seemed to be some strange technique on him. He merged with that technique with the sword into one, forcibly raising his cultivation state.
Yan Boshen looked at Lin Suci, “Stay further away from him.”
Lin Suci’s mouth was accustomed to agreeing with “Yes, yes, yes.” After he promised, he turned his head and forgotten his words. His serious eyes were full of the sight of Bai Qingkong.
Yan Boshen saw his nature clearly. Pressing his lips into a straight line, his jaw tightened and his eyes went gloomy.
“Wow, hahaha, that’s amazing, little cabbage (Bai Qingkong)!” Lin Suci’s eyes were shining, “He looked very weak, but he can fight well. His opponents are surely about to anger themselves to death!”
What he said was true. Bai Qingkong looked like a little baby who was about to cry on the stage, but it was unequivocal and stern when he started to fight back. He had beaten four people out of the platform, and simply won the match.
Those were all good players, yet they were so confused and lost. Standing in a row and staring at Bai Qingkong with dark faces, they wanted to find his ugly side.
Bai Qingkong did not bother that much. In the fifth round, a cultivator dealt with him, but the uncontrollable majestic soaring sword was impatient. Taking advantage of its master’s inability to control it, it dragged the master to domineer shots, and chased people into fire.
As a result, everyone could see that the seemingly weak Bai Qingkong was chasing the person in front of him with a sword as if he was killing a God. He was constantly choking in tears and apologizing, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
The fifth person fell off the martial arts stage in embarrassment after Bai Qingkong’s numerous sincere apologies.
The match ended with five consecutive victories. Regardless of the process, the ending was very beautiful.
Chi Haina in the seat above finally shook his fan and smiled, obviously in a very good mood.
When Bai Qingkong came back holding the broken copper sword, and everyone stared at him closely, like looking at a rare treasure.
Instead, Bai Qingkong’s face was bitter. When he returned to his seat, he sighed heavily.
Lin Suci thought for a while, turned around and waved, “Yo!”
Bai Qingkong was obviously taken aback, as if he did not know that Lin Suci was also there. He was stunned, hesitated for a while, and raised his hand to wave back.
Lin Suci decisively slipped from the front seat to Bai Qingkong’s side.
Watching the kitten next to him ran to the back, Yan Boshen stared at the vacant position. His expression went cold.
However, Lin Suci did not know what Yan Boshen was thinking about. He sat down next to Bai Qingkong and said with a smile, “Qingkong, Qingkong, you are amazing. You made great progress.”
Bai Qingkong was embarrassed to be praised, scratching his head and smiling, “No, it’s just…”
What he wanted to say was interrupted by Shu Changyi, “Little brother Ye, do you recognize me?”
“Of course, I do…” Lin Suci said slowly, “Big sister Shu?”
Shu Changyi also accepted the title calmly, “May I know why little brother Ye is here?”
It was obvious that neither of them knew that Lin Suci was there.
“I came out to gain experience in cultivation. I received a reward from the city lord, and I came here in a daze.”
Lin Suci was simple with his words and asked Bai Qingkong enthusiastically, “How about you?”
Bai Qingkong met his old friend from his hometown who was also a friend who fought side by side at the time. He relaxed a lot and smiled softly, “We sent little cousin sister Erdie home and passed by here.”
It turned out that after saving Na Erdie at that time, Shu Changyi suggested to send Na Erdie back to her home directly.
When Na Erdie was halfway back, she realized that she could not, so she had to stay there to get over her trauma. Bai Qingkong was walking not far from Na Erdie, but he accidentally fell off the cliff, and obtained the “Domineering Heart Code” and the majestic soaring sword.
Naturally, Bai Qingkong would not share that kind of thing, so he only said that they came to the city by chance. Lin Suci did not ask any further.
Obtaining the most precious treasure, Bai Qingkong casually followed Na Erdie to isolate himself. Shu Changyi had to take care of the two for more than half a month before Bai Qingkong finally regained his senses.
At that time, some practical assistance was necessary to make progress. Shu Changyi proposed to pick up a reward order to cultivate. He also defeated the rabbit and entered the city lord’s mansion.
After Lin Suci heard that, the first sentence was, “How about Ms. Na Erdie?”
The big killer of the future was a soft-hearted little girl now, which was very rare.
“Cousin Erdie is still isolating herself.” Bai Qingkong explained, “We are unsure what made her cocoon her body like that, but she is very safe and doesn’t need guards, so we came out.”
Lin Suci finally understood.
Na Erdie was said to have absorbed some demon body, and some demon power remained in her body. Every time after her isolation, she would break from cocoon and become a butterfly, making her cultivation realm rose to a higher level.
The previous grind might have slightly crushed Na Erdie’s mental state, causing her to cocoon at an earlier stage.
The three people lowered their heads to chat. Lin Suci asked, “How about Sister Shu, haven’t you built foundation too? Why don’t you go in the match?”
Shu Changyi smiled, “I’m not going.”
Lin Suci had many thoughts.
Compared to the original plot, Shu Changyi seemed to have built foundation earlier than expected.
“But, little brother Ye, you will be on stage later, right?” Shu Changyi asked with concern, “Those people may not be so easy to deal with, so it’s best for you to go all out.”
Lin Suci was surprised, “What do you mean?”
Shu Changyi implicitly said, “Isn’t little brother Ye a demon cultivator? It is said that the demon type of a demon cultivator can have more powerful demon power.”
Lin Suci twitched the corner of his mouth when he heard that, and decisively refused, “Sister Shu’s proposal is good, but it’s not suitable for me.”
“Why?” Shu Changyi was puzzled, “This is a good place to show everyone your demon-cultivation strength. Don’t think this is just a city of Tiansheng. It won’t be long before the news will spread to the surroundings. Before long, your parents will know the news and come to find you.”
Lin Suci was not interested in that at all and lazily refused, “It doesn’t matter for my parents or something. I have a big senior here anyways.”
Lin Suci did not want to talk to Shu Changyi anymore, and after a perfunctory sentence, the cat slipped back to Yan Boshen’s side.
“Having a good chat?” Yan Boshen asked with unclear meaning.
Lin Suci pouted, “The one surnamed Shu is too serious to talk with.”
Yan Boshen raised his hand and brushed along his hair bun, speaking softly, “His proposal is actually a good, in some ways.”
Lin Suci’s eyes widened, “Boshen, why did you eavesdrop?”
Yan Boshen was not at all embarrassed about getting caught eavesdropping and calmly answered, “I care about you, is that wrong?”
Lin Suci shook his head sensibly.
After a pause, Yan Boshen said, “It’s a good opportunity to find your parents, what do you think?”
Lin Suci shook his head, “Definitely not!”
“Oh, why?” Yan Boshen was uncertain of Lin Suci’s thoughts, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
Lin Suci looked serious, “You see, I’m still a young cat now, and my cat form is the size of your palm. How can I make my first appearance as an incomparably great person with a look that is not majestic at all?”
Yan Boshen: “…”
“I’m definitely going to wait until I grow up, and stun everyone with a handsome prototype, blinding their eyes!” Lin Suci imagined how he would grow up like a tiger sor leopard to greet everyone.
At that moment, Yan Boshen’s soft heart seemed to have been poured by cement. It was as cold as metal.
“Twenty-seven!”
Yan Boshen pointed to the martial arts stage with an expressionless face, “You go.”
Chapter 52
The biggest event in Tiansheng City in recent years had attracted the attention of countless people.
From the city lord’s mansion to the martial arts platform built in Tiansheng Square, both sides of the main road were densely packed with people. Many cultivators climbed on the roof, and even stepped on flying swords, hovering in the low altitude waiting to see the excitement.
The patrol team of the city had already initiated great measures for the protection around the square. All those who entered the arena were only filled with people who had great fame and extraordinary backgrounds.
Lin Suci went in with the large troops from the city lord’s mansion. Under the black covers that looked like a tent, there were a lot of stools. The cultivators invited by the city’s administrations sat down in pairs and trios, and stood apart from the other martial sect sheds surrounding the circle of the martial arts stage.
Lin Suci held a sword in his arms. It was a black sword sent by the city lord. At the moment, he raised his head, looked around, then bowed his head and rubbed the sword faintly. He spoke telepathically, “… Boshen, do you think they have a rule that stops the match when they think one party is winning?”
Lin Suci, who was less than two years old, was very worried about himself. No matter how talented he was, most of the people there were leading disciples of various sects, and he had to make sure he had the perfect plan as well.
“Whether they have, or not, I am always here.” Yan Boshen reassured him.
Lin Suci’s was shocked mentally. Indeed, his owner was sitting there looking at him. Was it even possible for someone to get past Yan Boshen and hurt him?
The little kitten immediately got rid of his worries as his whole body emitted an aura of confidence. He had no hesitations and he felt that it was time for everyone to know his name that day.
“Mr. Ye.”
The maid from the city lord’s mansion came with a tray in hand, “Please pick a number.”
Right there, Lin Suci, who was still using the domineering name of Ye Xingchen, randomly grabbed a wood board. He flipped it to see that it was the number twenty-seven.
The maid continued to hand out the numbered boards to others.
He was the twenty-seventh. Among the thirty cultivators who participated in the martial arts fight, he was considered one of the last.
Lin Suci flipped through the board casually, and tucked it into his sleeve.
In the east of the martial arts platform, a row of seats were set up. There were nine tables and chairs on top. In the middle, sat Chi Haina, the lord of Tiansheng City, while on the left and right were the representatives elected from the thirty-six sects.
Chi Haina, who was sitting high in the main seat, moved his foldable fan, and his eyes fell on the dark shed of the city lord’s mansion. Rows of cultivators had been recuperating in the city lord’s mansion long ago, and they were waiting for the moment to show their efforts. Holding weapons one by one, they maintained a passionate emotion. They glared into the distance as they walked with great dignity.
In the face of the blazing sun, an old cultivator with a long beard babbled with his higher-pitched voice. Focusing on the rules from the beginning till the end, he repeated it three to five times. When he finally retreated, the big drums placed on the side of the martial arts platform banged.
A total of thirty-six sects, one city lord, thirty-seven tents, and dozens of disciples in each sect, surrounded that area crowdedly. The representatives sent by each sect made several orders, and assigned one person according to the numbered boards distributed.
Thirty-six sects would be divided into pairs for two rounds, resulting in nine places for the winners from the two rounds. The cultivators from the city lord’s mansion must be included more than half among the nine winners before they could be considered as the victory of the city lord, otherwise they would need to admit defeat. If the cultivators from the city lord’s mansion lost, the winner of those nine people would be ranked.
That kind of martial arts battle would be carried out for thirty rounds, and the thirty winners selected would start with a mixed fight. In that case, if there were only a few winners from the city lord’s mansion, it would definitely be sufferable in the final battle.
In the martial arts arena, water was poured all over to wash away the dust. The water evaporated in the sun, thus, the first round began as the gongs and drums sounded.
Lin Suci had never seen that kind of martial arts battle. He stretched his neck with great interest as he stared at the martial arts stage without blinking, watching the battle as a spectator wholeheartedly.
The sequential boards were drawn randomly, which led to the involvement of numerous powerful characters in a round. They might stand high with their unique solo win, or they might peck each other till the round ended.
Generally speaking, the first round would be more exciting if it was controlled by a caring person, and it would be used to attract people’s attention. It was just that it was not a show of performances, and no one could tell who was against whom in the chaotic arrangement. The thirty-seven cultivators standing on the martial arts stage did not know each other’s depths, and the thirty-six people were all wary of the cultivators from the city lord’s mansion who were standing on one side, waiting for the third round of the battle.
Lin Suci’s attention was also placed on the cultivator who also came from the city lord’s mansion.
Lin Suci had been isolated from those people on the recent days. It had been more than a month, yet he was unsure who was in the city lord’s mansion. Nonetheless, he knew that Bai Qingkong must be in the group of cultivators, but he could not find him no matter what. That caused him to be very curious about every cultivator from the city lord’s mansion.
The first cultivator from the city lord’s mansion was a young man who stood in his thirties. He quietly watched on one side for three rounds, and understood the strength of his opponents. When he had to fight against the first opponent later, his fluent swordsmanship made it just right. In the eyes of opponents who were also in the same foundation building, he was a difficult opponent to face.
There were nine people in total. That young man had several victories and defeats, but he happened to win five rounds and got a place in the future matches.
When the cultivator jumped off the martial arts stage with a smile on his face, he returned to the black shed and seemed very relaxed.
Another round began on stage, and Lin Suci’s attention was still on the first person.
The cultivator had already sat behind him, and was chatting with his relatives and friends through whispering. The voices were fragmented and it was difficult to catch what they were talking about.
Lin Suci rubbed his ears, lowered his head and said to Yan Boshen, “Without my ears, my hearing is slightly worse.”
If it were his cat ears, he only needed to rise it up, and could easily hear the voices on the martial arts stage clearly.
“It’s all nonsense, what’s the use of listening?” Yan Boshen reached out his hand, held Lin Suci’s cheeks, and straightened Lin Suci’s posture, “If you have the effort, stop looking at them. Observe the opponent and remember their tactics.”
Lin Suci was facing the martial arts platform. The second match there had already begun.
Compared to the first cultivator, the second cultivator from the city lord’s mansion did not catch much of his attention. After losing three rounds in a row, he tried his best to win the fourth round. Finally, at the fifth round, he was immediately stuck to the ground.
Yan Boshen silently moved Lin Suci’s face to the side, “…Don’t look.”
Lin Suci turned his face obediently, “Oh.”
Although the selection of cultivators from the city lord’s mansion was to strive for perfection, the main sects were not weak either as the disciples they arranged to enter were somewhat capable. They were all martial cultivators, and their strength was relatively stable compared to the scattered cultivators from the city lord’s mansion with uneven strength.
The second cultivator got his deserved victory in his one round, but he immediately lost in the next round.
The second cultivator blushed and hurried back down the stage. He sat down in the most cornered position, not saying a word.
Chi Haina was chatting and laughing in his seat with the person next to him. They did not seem to care about the victories and losses. Moving his paper fan, he looked calm.
Afterwards, people passed by to and fros, and the winning or losing was basically tied.
“Number fourteen!”
“Coming, coming!” Lin Suci heard the voice, and his ears popped out in shock as he looked at the direction of the voice.
It was a young man dressed in tatters. Holding a sword that was even more tattered than him, he had a face full of panic as he stumbled out.
Lin Suci just stared blankly.
The young man buried his head as if he was very unconfident and a coward. When he met someone, he nodded and bent over. After dodging his way pass people, he finally stood at the preparation place on the side of the martial arts platform.
“Hmm…” Lin Suci thought for a while, turned to look back and forth from where the boy came out, and saw that there was another person beside the boy’s seat.
It was a young girl in a pale blue long dress, with gentle eyes. Holding a long sword in her arms, she gently caressed it, like her lover.
The corner of Lin Suci’s mouth twitched, and then shook Yan Boshen, “I saw…”
“Shh.”
Yan Boshen interrupted Lin Suci’s words, “Watch the competition.”
Lin Suci suppressed his excitement.
He had searched for Bai Qingkong for a long time, and he finally appeared. Not only that, he was also accompanied by Shu Changyi.
So far, in all the story plots involving Bai Qingkong, Shu Changyi would always be there, forcefully adding his presence to anywhere he went.
Anyway, Shu Changyi was a close friend of Bai Qingkong, and he never grabbed any advantages from him.
Not to mention…
Lin Suci could not help but glance back.
The exquisite figure of the woman was enthusiastic, but her appearance was so dignified and elegant, which was generally the kind that young lads would like.
So, could it be that Shu Changyi fancied Bai Qingkong in his past life, and rebirth to break turn Bai Qingkong into a *mosquito coil [T/N: turning a straight person to gay] ?
In Lin Suci’s mind, the fantasy of the majestic soaring swordsman Bai Qingkong and the wind rage swordsman Shu Changyi getting touchy with each other made him shuddered. He silently approached Yan Boshen in his spectator’s seat.
The cultivator from the city lord’s mansion of the thirteenth persisted till the eighth round, and before the ninth round, he had already lost five games and left the martial arts platform with a dark face, cursing with dissatisfaction.
On the stage, Chi Haina covered his face with a fan, and it was hard to see his expression.
At that time, Bai Qingkong, who was disguised as a shrivelled young boy, took a deep breath and climbed onto the martial arts platform with his tattered sword in his arms.
The stage for the martial arts battle was at least two-people-tall. Other cultivators stepped onto it lightly, but he was the only one who climbed up embarrassedly and babbled. He finally climbed up, and was panting with exhaustion.
Lin Suci saw a new light in him. He could not tell that Bai Qingkong was so great in acting. That awesome act was enough to let him grab the title of “Best Leading Actor”.
The other thirty-six people looked at Bai Qingkong as if they were looking at a monkey. The dirty young man covered in grey seemed to be shy. Holding his sword, he stuttered,”…I, I…”
He seemed like he was attempting to speak, but in the end he did not say anything. Holding the sword with difficulty and dragging his heavy steps, he retreated to the edge of the martial arts platform, waiting for the beginning of the first three rounds of the battle.
Among those thirty-six people, one young man stood up and said, “Hey, little kid, you are here to tie up the participator numbers, right? Since you are still young, there’s no need to come up and fight us. Just surrender and change with someone else. Otherwise, be careful of getting hurt. Sword blades don’t have eyes, you see?”
If he was really someone who came just to tie the participators’ numbers, then he would surely feel grateful of the young man’s statement. However, that was Bai Qingkong, the future majestic soaring swordsman, and the current little protagonist. How would he get off the stage after hearing that?
Bai Qingkong gave a cramped smile, “I…I won’t admit defeat.”
That young man looked at Bai Qingkong’s skinny figure, when he showed his rare act of kindness. But, since he was rejected, he had no words.
Thirty-six people no longer cared about Bai Qingkong, who was shrunk into a ball. Paired against each other, they began the first half of the match with a total of three rounds.
Among those people, there were at least a dozen good players who were gathered together, and they fought wonderfully. They drove away the drowsiness of the people who had been sleepy the whole time, and made them sat at the end of their seats, witnessing their awesome martial arts.
Lin Suci also took the match very seriously. He was learning to make gestures back and forth with his hands, chanting words with his mouth.
Among those people, a few of them were indeed very powerful, and each move was like flowing water. Between the segments of retreating and attacking, it could be seen that they were great Taoists. Although they were all in foundation-building, it was not difficult to see that they were about to advance to another level.
Bai Qingkong could not blink his eyes as he watched, even letting out an amazed voice.
After three rounds, those who stood on the martial arts stage were very powerful disciples among those people. Some of them were even more powerful than the previous ones combined.
“Little kid, there is a huge differences in level between you and them. It’s inevitable that you will lose your senses when you start your moves. You might as well admit defeat.”
Another young man persuaded him.
Bai Qingkong was moved by that kindness. He stood up with his sword in his arms and smiled, “Thank you for the kindness of this senior, but naturally, I can’t leave here.”
After repeatedly rejecting the other’s kindness twice, the urging expressions of the person there also faded.
“If that’s the case, then just hide.”
Bai Qingkong held the sword and stood in front of the first person to fight.
That person happened to be the first young man who tried to persuade him. That person was kind-hearted. Looking at Bai Qingkong, he could not bear to use his weapon, so he just went easy on him.
“Little kid, let’s finish this quickly.”
With a twist in his hand, he condensed his spirit energy. Thinking about not hurting the child, the young man planned to casually push him off the stage to end the battle, so as not to hurt the boy on the opposite side.
He pushed him gently.
That was a very humble and polite act. Anyone who witnessed that would praise that young man for his innocence.
Bai Qingkong was shocked, and hurriedly drew out the rusty copper and iron sword. He hesitately put it back and chose to raise his hands.
That was a trick to pick up the opponent head-on!
Fortunately, the young man was kind and gentle. Even if he did run into him, he would not hurt Bai Qingkong.
Many people saw that Bai Qingkong was about to be hit by that palm and being pushed down the martial arts platform, yet all he did was raising his hand, slowly approaching the palm.
At the next moment, the opponent could not control his body. He was impacted by external force and retreated three steps. His body stiffened, fell back, and instantly reached the edge of the stage. He was directly pushed off the martial arts platform by a strong wind!
Bai Qingkong watched the young man fell down from the platform with a panic. He put away his hands and was at a loss, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I can’t control myself!”
The expressions of the people on the stage suddenly changed, and their spirits rose. Only Lin Suci laughed scornfully.
He was clutching his stomach with joy.
At that time, Bai Qingkong must have just obtained the “Domineering Heart Code” and was at a state where he could not control himself. His every move carried a powerful and domineering spirit.
Nonetheless……
Lin Suci’s eyes fell on the tattered sword in his arms.
Was that the majestic soaring sword?
Bai Qingkong was someone who obtained an ancient and godly sword, but he still could not control it. Now that he also obtained the uncontrollable “Domineering Heart Code”, he had completely become the most terrifying weapon of the foundation-building level.
The young man who was pushed down stared blankly. He was unsure what had happened, yet he was eliminated.
“This kid is a ghost!”
“That’s impossible. You obviously have the strength but pretend to be a weakling. How can you find it interesting to come here and play trickery?”
The other monks grumbled fiercely with gloomy faces.
Bai Qingkong, who was on the stage, was obviously panicking. He was shrunk into a ball with his sword, like a little quail.
He was not as weak as he seemed, but the match had to continue.
The first young man had already lost, and the second one was very vigilant. With a rise of his hand, he used powerful fire spells and rushed towards Bai Qingkong!
“Oh my, his consequence is worse!” Lin Suci did not think that excitement was too big of a deal. He continued to anticipate other opponents getting “slapped” in their faces.
Although Bai Qingkong looked anxious when the fire approached him, he was already a foundation-building cultivator, so he could react quickly. Before the raging fire hit him, he drew his sword sharply.
The uncontrollable majestic soaring sword merged with the “Domineering Heart Code”, directly controlling the flame to go in the opposite direction! If the opponent made a blunt move, the opponent would certainly receive the same swift and violent backlash. In less than two short breaths, he was already pushed off the martial arts platform by the fire, speechless.
Bai Qingkong was holding the sword, trembling.
Yan Boshen turned his head silently, and asked, “…How did you know?”
Lin Suci, who was still clapping and laughing, suddenly became quiet, “…”
“Uh…” Lin Suci’s eyes rolled back and forth, “I just had a dream that he was very powerful. Yes, I dreamed it!”
To make up a better and complete lie, he had to lie till the end. If he dreamed of Bai Qingkong before, he had to continue explain that he dreamed of him now too.
Lin Suci became more assertive and confident as he spoke, “He is about the same age as me, yet he is so powerful at this age. Of course my heart would be envious and jealous. I want more dreams about him, so why not?”
A word drifted across Yan Boshen’s heart: Lies.
However, one thing he felt was that what Lin Suci said was true.
He had also seen Bai Qingkong before. When he was picking flowers and flying leaves, he was just practicing Qi. Not only that, his strength was far inferior compared how he was now. Now that he had quickly built the foundation, there seemed to be some strange technique on him. He merged with that technique with the sword into one, forcibly raising his cultivation state.
Yan Boshen looked at Lin Suci, “Stay further away from him.”
Lin Suci’s mouth was accustomed to agreeing with “Yes, yes, yes.” After he promised, he turned his head and forgotten his words. His serious eyes were full of the sight of Bai Qingkong.
Yan Boshen saw his nature clearly. Pressing his lips into a straight line, his jaw tightened and his eyes went gloomy.
“Wow, hahaha, that’s amazing, little cabbage (Bai Qingkong)!” Lin Suci’s eyes were shining, “He looked very weak, but he can fight well. His opponents are surely about to anger themselves to death!”
What he said was true. Bai Qingkong looked like a little baby who was about to cry on the stage, but it was unequivocal and stern when he started to fight back. He had beaten four people out of the platform, and simply won the match.
Those were all good players, yet they were so confused and lost. Standing in a row and staring at Bai Qingkong with dark faces, they wanted to find his ugly side.
Bai Qingkong did not bother that much. In the fifth round, a cultivator dealt with him, but the uncontrollable majestic soaring sword was impatient. Taking advantage of its master’s inability to control it, it dragged the master to domineer shots, and chased people into fire.
As a result, everyone could see that the seemingly weak Bai Qingkong was chasing the person in front of him with a sword as if he was killing a God. He was constantly choking in tears and apologizing, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
The fifth person fell off the martial arts stage in embarrassment after Bai Qingkong’s numerous sincere apologies.
The match ended with five consecutive victories. Regardless of the process, the ending was very beautiful.
Chi Haina in the seat above finally shook his fan and smiled, obviously in a very good mood.
When Bai Qingkong came back holding the broken copper sword, and everyone stared at him closely, like looking at a rare treasure.
Instead, Bai Qingkong’s face was bitter. When he returned to his seat, he sighed heavily.
Lin Suci thought for a while, turned around and waved, “Yo!”
Bai Qingkong was obviously taken aback, as if he did not know that Lin Suci was also there. He was stunned, hesitated for a while, and raised his hand to wave back.
Lin Suci decisively slipped from the front seat to Bai Qingkong’s side.
Watching the kitten next to him ran to the back, Yan Boshen stared at the vacant position. His expression went cold.
However, Lin Suci did not know what Yan Boshen was thinking about. He sat down next to Bai Qingkong and said with a smile, “Qingkong, Qingkong, you are amazing. You made great progress.”
Bai Qingkong was embarrassed to be praised, scratching his head and smiling, “No, it’s just…”
What he wanted to say was interrupted by Shu Changyi, “Little brother Ye, do you recognize me?”
“Of course, I do…” Lin Suci said slowly, “Big sister Shu?”
Shu Changyi also accepted the title calmly, “May I know why little brother Ye is here?”
It was obvious that neither of them knew that Lin Suci was there.
“I came out to gain experience in cultivation. I received a reward from the city lord, and I came here in a daze.”
Lin Suci was simple with his words and asked Bai Qingkong enthusiastically, “How about you?”
Bai Qingkong met his old friend from his hometown who was also a friend who fought side by side at the time. He relaxed a lot and smiled softly, “We sent little cousin sister Erdie home and passed by here.”
It turned out that after saving Na Erdie at that time, Shu Changyi suggested to send Na Erdie back to her home directly.
When Na Erdie was halfway back, she realized that she could not, so she had to stay there to get over her trauma. Bai Qingkong was walking not far from Na Erdie, but he accidentally fell off the cliff, and obtained the “Domineering Heart Code” and the majestic soaring sword.
Naturally, Bai Qingkong would not share that kind of thing, so he only said that they came to the city by chance. Lin Suci did not ask any further.
Obtaining the most precious treasure, Bai Qingkong casually followed Na Erdie to isolate himself. Shu Changyi had to take care of the two for more than half a month before Bai Qingkong finally regained his senses.
At that time, some practical assistance was necessary to make progress. Shu Changyi proposed to pick up a reward order to cultivate. He also defeated the rabbit and entered the city lord’s mansion.
After Lin Suci heard that, the first sentence was, “How about Ms. Na Erdie?”
The big killer of the future was a soft-hearted little girl now, which was very rare.
“Cousin Erdie is still isolating herself.” Bai Qingkong explained, “We are unsure what made her cocoon her body like that, but she is very safe and doesn’t need guards, so we came out.”
Lin Suci finally understood.
Na Erdie was said to have absorbed some demon body, and some demon power remained in her body. Every time after her isolation, she would break from cocoon and become a butterfly, making her cultivation realm rose to a higher level.
The previous grind might have slightly crushed Na Erdie’s mental state, causing her to cocoon at an earlier stage.
The three people lowered their heads to chat. Lin Suci asked, “How about Sister Shu, haven’t you built foundation too? Why don’t you go in the match?”
Shu Changyi smiled, “I’m not going.”
Lin Suci had many thoughts.
Compared to the original plot, Shu Changyi seemed to have built foundation earlier than expected.
“But, little brother Ye, you will be on stage later, right?” Shu Changyi asked with concern, “Those people may not be so easy to deal with, so it’s best for you to go all out.”
Lin Suci was surprised, “What do you mean?”
Shu Changyi implicitly said, “Isn’t little brother Ye a demon cultivator? It is said that the demon type of a demon cultivator can have more powerful demon power.”
Lin Suci twitched the corner of his mouth when he heard that, and decisively refused, “Sister Shu’s proposal is good, but it’s not suitable for me.”
“Why?” Shu Changyi was puzzled, “This is a good place to show everyone your demon-cultivation strength. Don’t think this is just a city of Tiansheng. It won’t be long before the news will spread to the surroundings. Before long, your parents will know the news and come to find you.”
Lin Suci was not interested in that at all and lazily refused, “It doesn’t matter for my parents or something. I have a big senior here anyways.”
Lin Suci did not want to talk to Shu Changyi anymore, and after a perfunctory sentence, the cat slipped back to Yan Boshen’s side.
“Having a good chat?” Yan Boshen asked with unclear meaning.
Lin Suci pouted, “The one surnamed Shu is too serious to talk with.”
Yan Boshen raised his hand and brushed along his hair bun, speaking softly, “His proposal is actually a good, in some ways.”
Lin Suci’s eyes widened, “Boshen, why did you eavesdrop?”
Yan Boshen was not at all embarrassed about getting caught eavesdropping and calmly answered, “I care about you, is that wrong?”
Lin Suci shook his head sensibly.
After a pause, Yan Boshen said, “It’s a good opportunity to find your parents, what do you think?”
Lin Suci shook his head, “Definitely not!”
“Oh, why?” Yan Boshen was uncertain of Lin Suci’s thoughts, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
Lin Suci looked serious, “You see, I’m still a young cat now, and my cat form is the size of your palm. How can I make my first appearance as an incomparably great person with a look that is not majestic at all?”
Yan Boshen: “…”
“I’m definitely going to wait until I grow up, and stun everyone with a handsome prototype, blinding their eyes!” Lin Suci imagined how he would grow up like a tiger sor leopard to greet everyone.
At that moment, Yan Boshen’s soft heart seemed to have been poured by cement. It was as cold as metal.
“Twenty-seven!”
Yan Boshen pointed to the martial arts stage with an expressionless face, “You go.”
