Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Three days went by, and Ling Han headed toward Thousand Peak Mountain. This was the location of their duel.
This duel had attracted a huge amount of attention, and thus many people turned up to spectate the battle. Not only did students from the academy come, but all kinds of people from the Imperial Capital also appeared. They all went to great lengths to enter the Academy so they could personally witness the duel.
Even Zhao Lun turned up to spectate the battle. He stood atop a mountain peak with his hands clasped behind his back, and there were another four people standing beside him.
They were Sha Yuan, Liu Huilan, Jing Wuxue, and Shangguan Yuanji. Each of them was renowned in the Academy. Originally, Zhao Lun had been slightly weaker than these four individuals. However, after he advanced into the consummate level of the Mountain River Tier, his standing became equal with the four of them.
Sha Yuan chuckled, and asked, “How many exchanges do you guys think that brat can last?”
“He’s only at the low extreme, let’s say at the peak stage,” Liu Huilan said. “Even if he’s a four-star genius, that’s only equivalent to a battle prowess on par with the peak stage of the medium extreme. Bai Yuansi would easily suppress him even if he was only an ordinary cultivator at the high extreme. Not to mention, Bai Yuansi is already at the middle stage of the medium extreme, and is even close to a three-star genius.”
The Liu Clan had many members who were loyal subordinates to Great General Zhao; thus, Liu Huilan was naturally inclined to fully support Zhao Lun. However, she had spoken the truth, and both Jing Wuxue and Shangguan Yuanji nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, Zhao Lun wore a look of contempt and disdain.
“Then let’s make a bet,” Sha Yuan said with a chuckle.
“How so? What are the stakes?” Zhao Lun asked. He and Sha Yuan were both sons of Great Generals, and often clashed to determine who was the superior one among the two. As such, Zhao Lun naturally wasn’t willing to back down.
“I wager that the brat can last for over 500 exchanges.” Sha Yuan smiled, and said, “In fact, he might even win!”
Zhao Lun and the others were all astonished.
‘How is that possible?’
The difference in power between Ling Han and Bai Yuansi was as clear as day. No matter what he did, there was not a single shred of chance that Ling Han could win. In fact, it was hard to say if he could even last for more than 10 exchanges. So, how could he last for 500 exchanges, much less win?
“Brother Sha, are you really going to persist with your wager?” Jing Wuxue asked in a frosty voice. He was naturally cold and indifferent; it wasn’t as if he held a strong animosity for everyone else.
A smile stretched across Sha Yuan’s face, and he said, “I’ll just make a bet with you guys.”
“Since you’re insistent on giving us a gift, count me in,” Zhao Lun said. “I’ll wager White Cloud Star Metal!”
Gasp!
Liu Huilan, Jing Wuxue, and Shangguan Yuanji were all stunned. White Cloud Star Metal was an extremely precious Level Seven G.o.dly metal.
Even Sha Yuan was slightly startled. “Zhao Lun, how bold!”
“Are you afraid?” Zhao Lun chuckled coldly.
“I accept your wager!” Sha Yuan said confidently.
Liu Huilan immediately said, “Since Brother Sha is so bold, I can’t let him down. I’ll wager three drops of Cloud Phoenix True Blood.”
It was another huge stake.
Of course, the Cloud Phoenix True Blood that Liu Huilan wagered couldn’t have come from a True Phoenix, an Ancient Divine Beast. Rather, it was from its descendant whose bloodline was already extremely diluted. Even so, having the term “Phoenix” in its name reflected its strength and rarity.
“Hehe, then I’ll wager a Three Rhino Dark Jade,” Shangguan Yuanji said with a smile.
“One blade of Yang Xing Gra.s.s,” Jing Wuxue said coldly.
Even though Sha Yuan had a relatively strong understanding of Ling Han, his mouth still went dry when he heard the stakes that the others brought in. If he lost, paying out the value of those four treasures would cause him to be short of money for the next 10,000 years.
But what if he won? He would win huge!
Riches were found in danger.
“Then, let us wait and see!” Sha Yuan said with a chuckle. However, Zhao Lun and the others could all hear the nervousness in his voice. This was normal as the stakes were simply too high. Moreover, Ling Han’s chances of winning were extremely slim.
***
“Ling Han!” Tang Feng leaped out from the crowd and stood in Ling Han’s path. He had already been waiting here for a long time.
Ling Han glanced at him, and said indifferently, “Who are you?”
Tang Feng almost fainted in anger.
‘I’m the undisputed number one in the Low Extreme Division, yet you actually don’t know me?’
“Do you dare battle me?” he asked loudly.
Ling Han shook his head as he smiled, and said, “Forget about it. I don’t want to bully you!”
“How arrogant!” Tang Feng was fuming as he threw a palm toward Ling Han’s head.
He and Ling Han were both of the Low Extreme Division, so he didn’t need to seek Ling Han’s agreement before engaging in battle. He could attack without worries, and was free to do as he pleased as long as he didn’t cripple or kill his opponent.
Ling Han leaned sideways to dodge, and he said, “This is the only warning I’ll give. Don’t provoke me, or else you’re merely digging yourself a hole!”
“Humph!” Tang Feng ignored his words, and divine light started to ripple from his body. When he extended his arm again, there were already three divine patterns etched on his palm, each radiating an ancient and primitive aura.
“This is the Three One Return to Origin Technique, right?” Someone in the crowd speculated.
“That’s right. I’ve heard that Tang Feng entered an ancient site once, and he received this profound technique there. Its might is astonis.h.i.+ng, and it’s part of the reason why he’s become the number one in the Low Extreme Division of the Northern Inst.i.tution.”
“I’m curious to see how Ling Han will block it.”
“Heh, it should be no problem. Otherwise, how can he duel Bai Yuansi if he can’t even deal with Tang Feng? If he can’t block this, then he’ll be insta-killed by Bai Yuansi!”
Boom!
Tang Feng charged over; he appeared extremely mighty as he bathed in the glow of the divine light.
“You asked for this!” Ling Han said as he attacked.
Boom!
He didn’t suppress his aura any longer, and the image of two huge mountains appeared behind his back. There were divine patterns etched on these mountains, with the earthen-yellow ones being divine patterns of gravity, and the fiery-red ones divine patterns of flames.
Peng!
Tang Feng was sent flying by Ling Han’s fist, and crashed into a nearby mountain face, instantly creating a deep human-shaped crater. His entire body was embedded in the mountain.
His physique wasn’t on the level of G.o.dly metals, so dark spots started to swim before his eyes even though he had used his Origin Power to hastily block Ling Han’s strike. His skin started to crack, and blood gushed from his wounds.
At this moment, everyone fell silent. However, after a short moment, it instantly became noisy again.
“Who’d have thought? Ling Han has actually advanced to the medium extreme!”
“Amazing! He was still only at the Shattering Void Tier when he entered the Mystery Realm. It’s only been half a year, yet he’s already broken through to the medium extreme of the Mountain River Tier. His cultivation speed is incredible!”
“Indeed! Even with the help of Mountain River Stones, he still needed to comprehend the two extremes of the Mountain River Tier by himself. Even 100 years is a short time to spend. However, he only needed half a year!”
“He’s… an absolute freak!”
“Haha! No wonder Ling Han ignored Tang Feng’s challenge for such a long time. He was cultivating in seclusion in order to break through to the medium extreme!”
“Tang Feng’s so unfortunate. Ling Han is clearly more talented than him, and now he even enjoys an advantage in cultivation level. No wonder Tang Feng was defeated in a single strike.”
“Normally, students at the medium extreme aren’t allowed to actively attack students at the low extreme. However, he actively provoked Ling Han, so even if his teeth are knocked out, he can only swallow them along with his blood.”
The spectators were both surprised and amused, while Tang Feng had become nothing more than a clown at this moment. His sole purpose was to highlight Ling Han’s strength.
Atop the mountain peak, apart from Sha Yuan, Zhao Lun and the others all wore expressions of astonishment. Even they were unable to fathom Ling Han’s tremendous cultivation speed.
Zhao Lun chuckled coldly, and asked, “Sha Yuan, is this the reason for your confidence?”
So what if Ling Han had broken through to the medium extreme? He was only at the early stage, and even if he was a freak and a five-star genius, his battle prowess could only be on par with the middle stage of the high extreme.
Bai Yuansi, on the other hand? His cultivation level was already at the middle stage of the high extreme, and he was even a three-star genius on top of that!
There was a difference of almost three sub-minor levels, so no matter what happened, it would definitely be a one-sided duel.