Free Web NovelChapter 205: Chapter 204: 16 Kingdoms
The Thousand Rivers Secret Land was located to the east of the Celestial Martial Country, in the central region of the Sixteen Countries. It belonged to no single country or power, a separate, unregulated place.
The Thousand Rivers Secret Land was surrounded by arrays, and one could only enter after someone from the Celestial Profound Sect opened them.
The group rode the giant bird at the Refining Essence Eighth Layer Heaven, flying for a full four and a half days before they finally arrived at the Thousand Rivers Secret Land.
Before Wen Qingye was a wide-open space, vast and boundless, with no end in sight. A field of white light emanated from ahead. Many people were already gathered here, their expressions and attire all different.
When those people saw Ling Xiao and his group arrive, all eyes turned toward them.
"Ling Xiao, it’s been many years!"
At that moment, an old man walked over slowly. Though his words were for Ling Xiao, his eyes were on Wen Qingye and the others behind him.
Seeing the old man approach, Ling Xiao’s eyes clearly grew cold, and he said nothing.
Wen Qingye’s gaze fell on a person behind the old man. This man had rough hands, broad shoulders, and an unremarkable face, but his eyes swept over Wen Qingye’s group with a hint of chilling light. Wen Qingye saw this and thought, ’This person’s strength is not to be underestimated. If he’s an enemy, he will be a formidable one.’
Just then, a middle-aged woman also walked over. She looked at the group behind Ling Xiao and tsked with a laugh. "The people from the Celestial Martial Country get worse with every generation. I remember in years past there were quite a few at the Refining Spirit Fourth Layer, but now, a quick glance shows hardly any." freeweɓnovel.cѳm
"The Lan Country, is it?" Hearing this, Wen Tongyu took a step forward, his eyes filled with pride. "I wonder how many people from the Lan Country will be able to walk out of this Thousand Rivers Secret Land this year."
The middle-aged woman was slightly stunned. She glanced at Wen Tongyu. "I didn’t expect the Celestial Martial Country to still have someone with your kind of backbone."
The middle-aged woman was none other than the steward from the Lan Country, Ren Yu, while the old man was the steward from the Divine Wind Country, Guan Hong.
The people behind Ren Yu all showed a hint of anger on their faces after hearing Wen Tongyu’s words.
Wen Qingye observed the people behind Ren Yu. They were all the chosen prodigies of the Lan Country, their cultivation impressive and a cut above even Ling Quan. One woman, in particular, stood out. She was beautiful, with a springtime charm in her eyes and an exquisite figure. Moreover, her cultivation was not far off from Wen Qingye’s own—at least at the Refining Spirit Fifth Layer Heaven or higher.
But Wen Qingye knew in his heart, ’She’s definitely stronger than the Refining Spirit Fifth Layer Heaven.’
From just these two countries, Wen Qingye had already seen many individuals with profound cultivation. It seemed this trip to the Thousand Rivers Secret Land was truly a gathering of geniuses.
Wen Qingye then looked at the people from the other surrounding countries. Their strength was also impressive, with most having cultivation levels higher than his own. However, when their eyes fell on his group, they held a hint of mocking interest.
Guan Hong sneered at Wen Tongyu. "What? Is the Celestial Martial Country on the rise? You’ve got a big mouth, kid. I wonder if your strength matches it."
Ling Xiao stretched out a hand, stopping Wen Tongyu, who was about to erupt. He took a deep breath and stared at Guan Hong. "The Divine Wind Country has suppressed the Celestial Martial Country for decades. All these years, you have been plotting to stir up conflict between our nations. But we in the Celestial Martial Country have always believed in friendly relations, so we have continuously been patient and yielding. Don’t you dare think that we’re afraid of you!"
The faces of Nie Shuang, Shu Nan of Celestial Academy, Yann Chuxue, Yann Xiangyang, Wang Jie of Qig Mountain Academy, and the others from the Purple Sun Prefecture all flushed red with anger as they glared at Guan Hong and the prodigies of the Divine Wind Country behind him.
"Do you really think we’re afraid of the Divine Wind Country?"
"In the Thousand Rivers Secret Land this time, we’ll show you the might of the Celestial Martial Country!"
"We would rather die than retreat, rather perish than yield!"
...
Seeing the righteous fury of the crowd behind Ling Xiao, Guan Hong’s expression darkened with anger. When had he ever been berated like this, and by people from the Celestial Martial Country of all places?
Guan Hong glared harshly at the group and said in a chilling tone, "Tong Tian, I want not a single person from the Celestial Martial Country to leave the Thousand Rivers Secret Land alive this year."
The young man behind Guan Hong merely nodded calmly and said, "Rest assured, Lord Guan. I will take ’special care’ of the people from the Celestial Martial Country."
"Guan Hong!" Ling Xiao’s voice was low and menacing as he stared at Guan Hong, his eyes as red as blood. "If not one person from my Celestial Martial Country makes it out, I swear we will fight your Divine Wind Country to the death!"
"The dirty deeds your Divine Wind Country has committed—don’t think we don’t know about them. You search for orphans and beggars in the Celestial Martial Country, then secretly use them as pill catalysts and test subjects for your medicines, not even sparing the children! And in the border villages between our countries, bandits frequently appear, slaughtering the men of our villages and selling the women to your Divine Wind Country. Let me tell you, if you don’t want anyone to know, you shouldn’t have done it in the first place!"
As soon as Ling Xiao spoke, the surrounding crowd grew somewhat surprised. freewebnσvel.cѳm
Using children and beggars as pill catalysts, slaughtering civilians, and trafficking women—this was simply too cruel.
Guan Hong was completely unfazed, sneering, "Do you have any proof?"
"Proof!?" Ling Xiao spat, gritting his teeth as he watched Guan Hong’s smug expression.
’And what good would proof be? The Celestial Profound Sect wouldn’t interfere in such matters. Besides, there are no Celestial Martial Country disciples within the sect, while the Divine Wind Country has several. If the Celestial Martial Country couldn’t produce irrefutable evidence, the outcome would only be counterproductive.’
Guan Hong shook his head with a cold laugh. "Back then, someone from your Celestial Martial Country killed so many people from our Sixteen Countries. If not for a sliver of lingering sentiment, the Celestial Martial Country would have been annihilated long ago."
"That’s right, Old Guan is correct! People from the Celestial Martial Country shouldn’t even be allowed in the Thousand Rivers Secret Land!"
"We should just kill everyone from the Celestial Martial Country. It’ll save us the trouble and solve the problem once and for all."
Guan Hong’s words seemed to have incited the vicious nature of the surrounding crowd. Everyone turned to stare at Wen Qingye and his group with hateful expressions.
Ling Xiao hadn’t expected Guan Hong to bring up the old grudge directly—the incident where the Moonfall Sword God, with a single sword, slaughtered the geniuses of the Fifteen Countries. That event had caused a massive uproar. In an instant, the strength of the entire Fifteen Countries had dropped by a whole level, leaving them unable to recover. To this day, the Fifteen Countries still held a deep-seated grudge, the memory seared into their minds.
Faced with the crowd’s furious gazes, the expressions of everyone from the Celestial Martial Country changed.
Ling Xiao’s heart sank. ’This is bad. It seems our group from the Celestial Martial Country will surely face the hostility, and even murderous intent, of the surrounding countries in the Thousand Rivers Secret Land.’
Ling Xiao stared into Guan Hong’s eyes. ’You are vicious, Guan Hong.’
Guan Hong’s eyes were dark, a cold smirk playing on his lips. ’Hmph, if I weren’t afraid you people from the Celestial Martial Country would scatter, my Divine Wind Country could have easily annihilated you bunch of weaklings. Why would I need anyone else’s help?’
Some of the Celestial Martial Country’s chosen prodigies began to tremble involuntarily as they saw the looks in the eyes of the surrounding crowd.
Back in the Celestial Martial Country, they were all chosen prodigies, admired and praised by all. But looking closely now, who here had a low cultivation level? Which one of them wasn’t at the Refining Spirit Third Layer Heaven or higher? Moreover, most of them radiated a sharp aura, a clear sign that their skills were also extraordinary.
