Free Web NovelChapter 1228: Chapter 408: Who Can Contend for the Title of Kui?
July 12th, still a day of gentle breeze and beautiful sunshine.
During the Yellow River Gathering, one can expect nothing but fair weather.
The Pillar of the Six Harmonies still towers high as people from Various Countries stream in.
Six transcendent Dharma Phases have descended, towering and imposing.
True Monarch Yu Xi presides over the main competition on this day, with Mr. Ao taking his seat once again.
Everything is the same as yesterday, except that the competitors are now from the Inner Mansion Realm.
Jiang Wang is still sitting in the front row.
Friends from Qi Territory are not far behind him.
The words of encouragement have been said, so no one comes to disturb him now.
Ye Lingxiao and his daughter sit in the northwest stands, whispering about something.
He has been following the instructions of True Man Ye, pretending not to recognize Du Ruhui as if deceiving himself.
Zhongxuan Zun has also arrived today, still sitting beside him. After a night of treatment, he still looks weak but is no longer in grave danger.
The scene is still triumphant, a fine day awaits the song.
Jiang Wang sits with his Longing resting crosswise on his lap, his hands gently placed on the sword, in silence.
In reality, his days of cultivation began at a young age.
But unlike the Disciples of famous sects, raised under the guidance of the strong to nurture their bodies and increase the chances of successful meridian opening, with every Cultivation Technique, secret technique, and even experiences arranged most suitably for them,
Jiang Wang had to practice hard on his own, starting with mundane martial arts, tempering himself bit by bit.
He officially opened his meridians on the 15th of June in the Year 3917 of the Taoist Calendar, achieving transcendence, and more than two years have passed since then.
Even before becoming Transcendent, he never slacked, regardless of the season. There is no need to mention all the hardships; the moment he returned from the Western Hills bathed in blood is something he will never forget.
In the more than two years since his Transcendence, he has experienced too much... the hard times, the pain, the moments of utter despair.
But no matter when or where, he has never given up trying. Facing anything, he has never given up on himself.
Finding hope in despair, carving out a path for life when trapped.
On this journey, every day, every hour, every moment, he has been moving forward.
Unwaveringly moving forward.
So today is the time to verify it all.
All eyes are on him today.
Today on the Guanhe Platform, talents from Various Countries gather.
Today, both he and his Longing have been waiting for a long time.
The whole world should be waiting for a name called "Jiang Wang."
A sword sharpened in its scabbard for ten years... should make the Human World acknowledge its brilliance!
Unlike the previous days filled with eagerness, Longing is surprisingly quiet at such a moment, without even a single cry.
It probably knows that today, it can fully blossom.
The Arena still consists of eight stages, named A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H.
After each round, they merge once more. Eight becomes four, four become one.
True Monarch Yu Xi stands on the stage, his voice reaching everyone’s ears: "Prepare yourselves for today’s Inner Court main competition, where sixteen talents compete for the title of Kui."
The names of the sixteen Inner Mansion Realm talents shine like stars on the light screen, unfurled like a scroll.
Each name on this list represents the pride of a nation, the most outstanding among millions in the Inner Mansion Realm.
But only one person can claim the title of Kui. freewёbnoνel.com
The names change on the screen, this very short moment feels unbearably long in the tense wait.
When the names on the light screen finally halted, many sighed in relief. The matchups were set, with no possibility for further changes.
Jingguo’s prodigy, Yellow Sheri, would face Liaoguo’s Ye Luzhi.
Chuguo’s prodigy, Xiang Bei, would face Yueguo’s prodigy, Bai Yuxia.
Qingguo’s prodigy, Qin Zhizhen, would confront Danguo’s prodigy, Xiao Shu.
The last-minute replacement prodigy of Mugu from the Inner Mansion Realm might have been the most watched. His name was Deng Qi, rumored to be from the Yuwen Clan, yet more details were scarce. His opponent would be Songguo’s prodigy, Yin Wenhua.
Rather than picking, as many had thought, a seemingly weaker opponent, he chose Songguo, a regional power, showcasing the confidence of an Overlord Country...
The facial expressions of the sixteen Inner Mansion Realm prodigies looking at the light screen varied greatly.
Some were composed and certain, others brimmed with confidence, and some were spirited and high in morale.
Yet none had a face as complex as Lin Zhengren at this moment...
It was that sort of facial expression controlled by tremendous will, mixed with the rapid fluctuations of emotion in his eyes... an intricate and conflicting impression it gave.
Originally polite and self-possessed, he took the approach of "one step further is a step gained, and no regret if not," sitting at the frontmost seat prepared for battle.
Among the sixteen countries in the Yellow River Gathering main competition, Zhuangguo was the least expected to squeeze in.
He had already created Zhuangguo’s best record in history, and the expectations of Zhuangguo for him were merely to "display elegance". Compared to the other fifteen prodigies, he should be considered to have a psychological advantage.
Moreover, he had meticulously analyzed several potential opponents he might encounter, preparing more than one contingency plan. There might still be a chance to advance further.
However...
Displayed on the light screen, his opponent was identified as Qiguo’s prodigy, Jiang Wang!
In contrast, Shen Country’s Jiang Shaohua breathed a sigh of relief.
Summer Country’s prodigy, despite maintaining a resolute facade of avenging his country’s grudge—he really thought he would be chosen by Qiguo’s prodigy and braced himself to fight desperately—his eyes clearly relaxed now.
Of course, there were also some who quietly snickered.
Qiguo’s prodigy, not targeting Summer Country nor striking at Shen Country, but selecting Zhuangguo’s prodigy, who seemed relatively weaker on paper... Did this show a lack of confidence?
However, the performances of Ji Zhaonan and Zhongxuan Zun were too impressive, leading these onlookers to remain cautious regarding Jiang Wang’s strength, and temporarily withholding their opinions.
As for Jiang Wang himself, he was composed and his eyes were tranquil.
He simply made the choice he wished to make; how others viewed it or judged it was irrelevant to him.
Standing up from his seat, he greeted Cao Jie, Ji Zhaonan, and Zhongxuan Zun with great politeness, exchanged glances with several friends in the stands, then, with his hand on the Longsword, he descended from the watching area towards the Geng-character Arena.
With his head held high and back straight, his stride was leisurely, as though strolling through his own courtyard, communing with flowers and trees he knew well; not a trace of nervousness, nor a hint of trepidation.
Those watching him could sense an ineffable beauty in his movements.
It was the ethereal charm of the Immortal Technique Walk in the Sky, "treading the void, as if walking on flat ground"; although now walking on flat ground, he still carried the demeanour of an ethereal immortal.
But in Lin Zhengren’s eyes alone.
He felt the opponent’s footsteps were heavy, every step seemingly pressing down upon his own heartbeat.
He sat in the spectator seat, watching that familiar figure that often appeared in his nightmares advance step by step from the viewing area toward the Arena.
Thump, thump; thump, thump.
The sound of his heartbeat was so clear.
He was beginning to find it difficult to breathe.
Starting from the moment he saw the matchup list, he’d found it hard to breathe.
As if an invisible hand was tightly... squeezing his heart.
Because with his intelligence, it was all too easy to figure out why he had to face Jiang Wang!
A voice in his heart was screaming—
"He wants to kill me!"
"He wants... to kill me!"
On this Yellow River Gathering main competition’s Arena, under the watchful eye of True Monarch Yu Xi, Jiang Wang wanted to kill him!
