Chapter 117: When the Cloud Devouring Method Emerges, Who Dares to Compete?!

"The second trial today is the Cloud Law test." Zuo Zizhi's voice rang out.

"Within the four boundary markers of the eastern suburbs, Lord Lu will employ the Cloud Law to blanket-press the eastern suburbs."

"Challengers must rise upon the clouds; if one's cloud drops below a hundred meters, it counts as failure."

"Between challengers, only Cloud Law may be used to fight. Anyone who employs other spells to attack others will be dealt with by military law."

"Those whose clouds dissipate, fail."

"Those who faint from insufficient vital energy, fail."

"Those who are squeezed out beyond the boundary, fail."

After Zuo Zizhi finished reciting the rules of the second trial, the more than nine hundred people below immediately showed varied expressions.

Because some were skilled in Cloud Law, and some were not.

Those confident in Cloud Law were secretly pleased.

Those who felt they could not hold on hung their heads in dejection.

But no one questioned this trial method.

Because no matter what direction you specialized in as a Military Agricultural Officer.

Cloud Law is the foundation and basis of the Four Laws of Heaven's Timing.

An Agricultural Officer might not know the spells of the Dili Sect and the Benwo Sect, but they cannot not know the spells of the Heaven's Timing Sect, because nowadays the Heaven's Timing Sect is the mainstream.

The Four Laws of Heaven's Timing are the foundation within the mainstream.

"The first trial already eliminated ninety percent; I wonder how many this trial will eliminate." Zhao Xing was eager to try. "Still, when it comes to Cloud Law, I do have confidence."

Although the Cloud Devouring Method was only at the eighth revolution, this spell was the strongest among Cloud Laws—without equal!

Even at the eighth revolution, Zhao Xing was not inferior to other perfected-level mid-grade Cloud Laws.

When Zuo Zizhi finished reciting the rules for the first time, the others began to scatter, seeking positions, striving not to crowd together with anyone else.

After all, their main opponent was Lu Bang.

Being able to maintain their clouds under Lu Bang's pressure was enough.

There was no need to clash with others.

The eastern suburbs of Yangcheng covered quite a large area; with more than nine hundred people, if everyone compressed their cloud range a little, each person could have their own patch of sky.

Zhao Xing also looked around and put some distance between himself and the others.

When Zuo Zizhi recited the rules for the second time, the people below had nearly finished taking their positions, each having found a spot they considered suitable.

But Zhao Xing saw a familiar figure walking over.

Li Feng.

Wherever Zhao Xing went, he followed.

Watching closely, maintaining a distance of fifty meters.

For employing the Cloud Law, a distance of fifty meters was already a very crowded, even dangerous, distance.

"It seems there's no way to settle this peacefully." Zhao Xing looked at Li Feng's gaze and knew this guy definitely held a grudge.

"Run then, the eastern suburbs are only this big—where can you run to?" Li Feng's gaze was playful.

"Are you so certain you can beat me in Cloud Law?" Zhao Xing said. "Let me give you a piece of advice: now is not the time."

"Scared?" Li Feng snorted. "I've made inquiries—you're Zhao Xing of the Divine Might Army, right? Hmph, if you're scared, get out of the trial grounds yourself!"

His voice was not quiet. The trial had not yet officially begun, and Li Feng used wind to transmit his voice, spreading his words far and wide.

Thus many people heard Li Feng's voice and also saw the scene of Li Feng and Zhao Xing squaring off.

"There's a good show to watch."

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

"From what Li Feng said, he's from the Divine Might Army, named Zhao Xing or something?"

"The Divine Might Army still has experts? Isn't there only Han Bing? Why is Li Feng picking a fight with some unknown person?"

"It's been a month since they arrived; some friction is normal."

◆ttkan◆co

"Li Feng is sixth in the internal selection of the Tiger Jiao Army. Zhao Xing of the Divine Might Army—I haven't really heard of him."

"I remember, Zhao Xing of the Divine Might Army, ranked twenty-ninth when he reported in."

"Interesting."

Li Feng being so loud drew the attention of many people.

This was exactly the effect he wanted.

He wanted to put Zhao Xing on the spot, forcing him to fight.

Otherwise, chasing him all over later would inevitably lead to interference from others.

"Scared?" Zhao Xing scoffed. "Fine, I'll give you a chance for revenge! Later, whoever runs is the grandson!"

The other party had mentioned the Divine Might Army; this was no longer just a matter of one person. If Zhao Xing fled without fighting, not to mention others looking down on him, the people of the Divine Might Army themselves would look down on him.

Li Feng had indeed forced Zhao Xing into having to fight, but Zhao Xing had simply been too lazy to engage—not that he didn't dare.

If there was no way to avoid it, then fight!

"Good!" Li Feng's eyes shone. "Whoever runs is the grandson!"

Seeing the two so thick with the smell of gunpowder, the people nearby also backed off a little, afraid of being caught up in it.

Han Bing thought for a moment, then stood not far behind Zhao Xing.

He did not intend to intervene, but to guard against Li Feng going too far.

On a hillside, Zhuo Li of the Blazing Sun Army also saw the scene of Zhao Xing and Li Feng squaring off: "It's him. I ran into him that day at Dayuan Prefecture."

"Divine Might Army, Zhao Xing? I didn't expect him to rank twenty-ninth when he reported in."

Zhuo Li also secretly committed this name to memory.

After Li Feng's commotion.

Zhao Xing of the Divine Might Army, who had originally kept a very low profile with no one knowing his name, was now remembered by many.

After Zuo Zizhi repeated the rules a third time, the second trial officially began.

In the cloudless sky, the next instant, centered on the flying boat, a dark-golden cloud was born, rapidly spreading in all directions.

The cloud layer hovered at a thousand meters high, its surface incomparably smooth, like a sheet of paper that had been ironed flat.

Everyone who saw it felt a tightness in their chest.

A cloud that was too smooth gave a suffocating feeling, like a slab of iron suspended in the sky, about to plummet down the next moment.

"Moving Cloud!"

"Four Seas Flowing Cloud!"

?

"Seven Star Cloud Formation!"

"Blood Shadows Layer Upon Layer!"

"……"

The moment the trial began, everyone unleashed the cloud arts they had learned, propping up clouds and rising.

The eastern outskirts of Yangcheng instantly erupted in clouds of every color, all manner of clouds vying to outshine each other; with so many people, collisions were inevitable.

Not everyone wanted peaceful development, because Zuo Zizhi had not mentioned when the trial would end.

Since it didn't end by time.

Then it ended by number of people!

A certain number had to be eliminated before the trial could end.

"Boom boom boom boom boom boom!"

Many cloud layers collided; before they had risen past a hundred meters, fierce clashes erupted all over the eastern outskirts.

Cloud qi interwove with one another; nearly a thousand people propping up clouds at once, the primal energy reached a state of utter chaos in an instant.

Anyone whose cloud-control technique was even slightly lacking could not hold steady through this first wave of eruption.

And once one's cloud art scattered, that meant elimination.

In the very first wave alone, several dozen people were eliminated!

"Whoosh~"

The moment one's cloud art dispersed, they were immediately teleported out.

One Si Nong was wrapped in a gust of gentle wind; before he could react, he had already appeared outside the boundary stele.

"Your trial is over. Go report to another academy—pick any one you like. Once you've chosen, you can compete for rankings within that academy; there are plenty of benefits to be had." A man in armor looked at this eliminated youth with an indifferent expression.

"I…"

He still wanted to say something, but the armored man had already walked away.

The next moment, at the edge of the boundary stele, someone accidentally crossed the line and was likewise pulled out by a gentle gust of wind.

"Eliminated!"

"Eliminated!"

"Eliminated!"

Many people were thrown out and told they had no fate with the Four Great Academies; they could only leave in dejection.

In the initial and most intense phase, both Zhao Xing and Li Feng performed steadily, propping their cloud layers up to a hundred meters high.

First, because they had heard the two were about to fight, the people nearby had moved away, leaving genuinely more space around them.

Second, both men's realm in cloud arts was not low; even though the primal energy churned violently, it could not make their clouds collapse.

"The two men's cloud-control techniques are evenly matched." Zhuang Ziqing watched Li Feng's side leisurely.

When Li Feng had called out earlier, many people had kept their distance; he was ranked second, so naturally no one dared to provoke him, and so the strong all very smoothly propped their clouds up to a hundred meters.

Zhuang Ziqing even had the leisure to observe the battle situation on Li Feng's side.

"Li Feng's cloud layer is rising faster." Feng Qiu also stared coldly; after all, they were both members of the Tiger Jiao Army, and Li Feng's challenge this time carried the names of both the Tiger Jiao Army and the Divine Might Army, so naturally he had to pay attention.

As for Shi Yong, ranked first, although he was also of the Tiger Jiao Army, he paid no attention at all; he stood alone atop a giant rock on a distant hillside, aloof and detached, as if everything were unrelated to him.

In the span of two breaths, Zhao Xing's cloud layer shot up past a hundred meters.

Li Feng's cloud layer did the same, and was even faintly a head higher.

"He does have some real skill. Judging by his cloud-control speed, it's nearly on par with mine." Li Feng glanced over and slightly restrained his contempt.

"However, this is as far as you go!"

"Cloud Armor Giant, appear!"

Li Feng struck first. Within his cloud layer, a sudden churning occurred, and then a giant clad in silver armor coalesced from within.

The giant's form was extremely lifelike, like an armored warrior.

The armor on its body was silver, but the long spear in its hands was purple-black!

"It's the Cloud Armor Giant from the Weapon Cloud Art, and he's even cultivated a Thunder Spear!" Someone immediately recognized that what Li Feng was employing was the Weapon Cloud Art.

"No wonder Li Feng was so confident, and could still rank sixth in the Tiger Jiao Army's internal selection—his Weapon Cloud Art is at least above the mid-stage seventh revolution."

"The Weapon Cloud Art is renowned as the foremost in killing power; among cloud arts, few can match it in direct confrontation."

"Bullshit, the Blood Cloud Art is the real deal!"

"You two heretics, the Lei Yun Art is the true way! If you disagree, come fight!"

"……"

Discussion rose all around.

Li Feng's cloud technique truly amazed everyone — worthy of being the genius chosen by the Tiger Jiao Army!

But Zhao Xing remained very calm.

Watching Li Feng condense a cloud-armored giant, he merely commented offhandedly: "All flash, no substance."

He watched as the opponent's cloud-armored giant charged over.

Zhao Xing's clouds neither dodged nor evaded, as if he had been scared stiff.

Amid the crowd's exclamations, the cloud-armored giant thrust a spear into the cloud layer.

"Boom boom boom!"

With a light thrust, Lei Ting raged violently within the cloud layer.

It had nothing to do with a thunder technique, but rather the inherent properties of the cloud technique — it didn't count as casting a separate spell.

The cloud-armored giant's thrust merely used the power of Lei Ting to wreak havoc within the enemy's cloud layer, breaking the cloud technique's balance and causing it to collapse.

But the collapse he had imagined never happened.

Lei Ting flickered within the cloud layer, and Zhao Xing's cloud layer did tremble, but it was still far from dispersing.

"Can't even hit a person with any force, and you call yourself a Tiger Jiao Army genius."

"Put in a little more effort, I can still take it."

Zhao Xing's voice, languid and lazy, drifted over.

"Huh? How is he holding on?"

"Can any of you tell what cloud technique Zhao Xing is using?"

"Looks like a Lei Yun technique."

"It should be a Lei Yun technique — otherwise how could he withstand Lei Ting's rampage?"

The Devouring Cloud technique can devour ten thousand kinds of cloud techniques, and can also transform into ten thousand kinds of cloud techniques. When Zhao Xing first comprehended it within the Ten Thousand Techniques Cloud Map, what he saw was the Devouring Cloud technique swallowing the other cloud layers one by one.

Able to devour, and also to transform, he easily neutralized this move, and naturally people assumed it was a Lei Yun technique.

"Hmph, still daring to talk tough!"

A glint flashed in Li Feng's eyes, and his cloud layer churned seven more times.

Seven more cloud-armored giants wielding purple-black thunder spears appeared, surrounding Zhao Xing's cloud layer and stabbing at it frantically.

"Boom Boom Boom!"

Eight revolutions of the Soldier Cloud technique — eight cloud-armored thunder-spear giants in total — advanced on Zhao Xing's cloud layer.

The crackling of Lei Ting exploding was incessant.

A very peculiar scene — as if eight people were surrounding a haystack, stabbing at it madly.

On the surface, Li Feng held the upper hand.

But the more he stabbed, the more he felt something was off.

His first thought was: Why isn't Zhao Xing fighting back? He can't be that weak, can he?

His second thought was: Why are my cloud-armored giants getting smaller and smaller? They're being consumed far too quickly!

When Li Feng realized that Zhao Xing's cloud layer was growing larger the more it was stabbed, he immediately sensed something was wrong.

"Crap, this definitely isn't a Lei Yun technique — could it be…"

Li Feng immediately tried to withdraw his cloud-armored giants.

But just then, he discovered he could no longer pull them back.

On the final thrust, the eight cloud-armored giants' purple-black thunder spears became completely embedded, as if plunged into stone.

"Boom~"

On the purple-black thunder spears, a streak of even darker color suddenly appeared, crawling up along the spears onto the cloud-armored giants' bodies and spreading rapidly.

In no time, these eight cloud-armored giants had turned pure black.

"Hum~" Li Feng's mind jolted, and he stared in disbelief toward Zhao Xing.

He had lost control of the eight cloud-armored giants.

"Huh?" Zhuang Ziqing, watching from afar, looked at this scene with some surprise in his eyes. "Could this be… the Devouring Cloud technique?"

"The cloud-armored giants have become Zhao Xing's." On Feng Qiu's cold, stern expression, a hint of solemn and heavy also appeared. "At first I thought only a Lei Yun technique could withstand it — I never expected it to actually be the Devouring Cloud technique."

"Now, his cloud layer has already taken on the outward form of the Soldier Cloud."

"H-he cultivates the Devouring Cloud technique." Li Feng had already begun to break out in a cold sweat.

The reversal came too fast — he had thought victory was in his grasp, only to discover that what Zhao Xing was employing was actually the Devouring Cloud technique!

The Devouring Cloud technique is the most domineering of all cloud techniques — not only can it devour another's cloud Qi, but after devouring it, it can also employ the enemy's cloud technique. For instance, Zhao Xing's cloud layer had now transformed into the Soldier Cloud.

Those eight black-armored spear-wielding giants turned around and advanced on Li Feng's cloud layer.

"Hold on — as long as his Devouring Cloud technique isn't at too high a level, I at least won't lose!" Li Feng's eyes were bloodshot, but deep down he vaguely knew things had taken a bad turn.

He had cultivated the Devouring Cloud technique, but only to the third revolution. Not just him — most others chose to cultivate the Devouring Cloud technique as a secondary practice.

His original plan had been to use the Soldier Cloud to crush Zhao Xing, then use the Devouring Cloud technique to absorb Zhao Xing's cloud Qi and strengthen himself.

The fact that Zhao Xing could forcibly absorb his cloud-armored giants and turn them to his own use proved that the opponent's Devouring Cloud technique was at least at the seventh revolution — otherwise it would be impossible to devour his eight-revolution cloud-armored giants so easily.

"Still trying to make a last stand?"

Seeing Li Feng still resisting, Zhao Xing unhesitatingly controlled his cloud layer to instantly expand. At the same time, a massive vortex appeared within the dark clouds, like a gaping maw of an abyss, swallowing toward Li Feng's cloud layer.

"Show mercy!" At that moment, a cloud sword came speeding from the south, attempting to block Zhao Xing.

"Wait!" From the north, a mass of thunder clouds also came to support Li Feng.

Zhao Xing looked closely and saw that they were the brothers ranked in the top ten of the previous report — Jiang He and Jiang Hai, these two brothers, also geniuses chosen by the Tiger Jiao Army.

Shi Yong, Zhuang Ziqing, Feng Qiu, Jiang He, Jiang Hai — these five from the Tiger Jiao Army occupied half of the top ten in the previous report's trial.

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

"Giving face?" Zhao Xing said coldly. "Your faces really are something — two reserve recruits, and you think you can represent the Tiger Jiao Army? If he wins, do you think I won't be eliminated?"

"If you lose, you accept it. If you're not afraid of being eliminated, then come on!"

Having said that, Zhao Xing swallowed Li Feng's cloud layer whole in one gulp.

"Boom~"

The cloud layer instantly swelled, and Zhao Xing's cloud layer also transformed into a soldier-cloud state, then from the vortex, he spat out a full eighteen cloud-armored giants.

The giants, pitch-black as ink, looked at a glance to be far stronger than the ones Li Feng had deployed.

"Puchi~"

With his cloud technique broken, Li Feng's primordial energy backlashed, and fresh blood immediately spilled from the corner of his mouth; his face turned pale.

Originally he wouldn't have been this wretched, but being defeated in public, rage attacked his heart, and that was why he failed to control the backlash of his primordial energy.

"Whoosh~" A wisp of gentle breeze blew past Li Feng, and the next moment he appeared outside the boundary stele.

Jiang He and Jiang Hai saw this, immediately snorted coldly, and could only let it go.

"Li Feng actually lost?"

"Cloud-Swallowing Technique — what a powerful Cloud-Swallowing Technique. That has to be at least seven revolutions of Cloud-Swallowing, right?"

"Shenwei Army's Zhao Xing — how come I've never heard of him?"

"On the path of cloud techniques, I alone stand supreme. The Cloud-Swallowing Technique is the strongest among all cloud techniques, but it's just too hard to practice. I've only cultivated to the four-revolutions level."

"Who would dare to primarily cultivate the Cloud-Swallowing Technique? It delays cultivation progress too much. Everyone primarily cultivates other cloud techniques and secondarily cultivates Cloud-Swallowing."

"Once Cloud-Swallowing emerges, who can contend with it?"

"It looks like in this round of cloud techniques, no one can compare to Zhao Xing."

Many gazes all turned to watch the pitch-black dark cloud vortex in the sky, and at the same time thoroughly committed to memory the name Zhao Xing of the Shenwei Army.

………

On the flying vessel, Zuo Zizhi and Lu Bang quietly watched the commotion below.

"Cloud-Swallowing Technique, eight revolutions." Zuo Zizhi said in surprise: "No wonder as soon as his clerk appointment was made permanent, he was chosen by the Shenwei Army. He truly does have some unusual qualities."

"Li Feng was far too arrogant — only competing in cloud techniques, and he still dared to make bold claims. It seems those consecutive victories before had made him a bit too cocky." Lu Bang snorted coldly. "Losing here is a good way to sober up. If he goes to the army later and is still this arrogant, the harm won't be limited to himself alone — it'll drag down the entire army."

"I think the people below are too idle. There are still quite a few watching the fight and chatting. Should we speed up the elimination progress?" Zuo Zizhi asked.

"I was just thinking the same." Lu Bang nodded, then pressed down with both hands in the air.

The stiff, dark-golden cloud layer in the sky suddenly descended.