Chapter 184: First Hundred Eighty‑Four: Consecutive Victories

The first match was not lost.

Xu Yun Lao Dao laughed joyfully, and Su Gaoxuan blew his nose and glared.

Zhang Xingyu cheerfully took a storage bag, which was filled with a heap of bottles and jars.

"Senior, still betting?" Zhang Xingyu asked Su Gaoxuan.

"Bet. But you must win to count as a win," Su Gaoxuan said, staring at Zhang Xingyu.

Losing a bet to an unknown junior was something Su Gaoxuan could not accept.

What he could not tolerate even more was that the kid cheated, using sugar‑coated shells to force his own daughter into a draw.

With the clang of a gong, the second round's seventh bout began, pitting Zhang Xingyu against Xiao Tieshou of the Longmen Martial Lecture Hall.

The formation rose, shrouded in white mist.

The crowd below the cloud platform still could not see the duel.

Half an hour later, Zhang Xingyu hoisted the heavily drunk Xiao Tieshou and leapt down from the platform.

In the second round's seventh bout, Nan Hua Immortal Academy's Zhang Xingyu faced Xiao Tieshou of the Longyin Sect, and Zhang Xingyu won.

Zhang Xingyu cheerfully took the storage bag from Su Gaoxuan's hand.

"Senior, still daring to bet?" Zhang Xingyu asked Su Gaoxuan.

"Bet. But you kid only know crooked tricks. If you have the skill, defeat your opponent honorably," Su Gaoxuan said viciously.

"Fine. As you wish, senior," Zhang Xingyu loudly agreed.

In the third round's fifth bout, Nan Hua Immortal Academy's Zhang Xingyu faced Mu Xiansheng of Nan Yun Immortal Academy.

At the moment both sides announced their names, the Flying Sword Fire Dragon halted on Mu Xiansheng's chest.

In the third round's fifth bout, Nan Hua Immortal Academy's Zhang Xingyu won.

Zhang Xingyu smiled as he took the storage bag from the sour‑faced Su Gaoxuan.

"Senior, are you still betting?"

"Bet. But you kid are too rogue, drawing your sword while the opponent is bowing."

Xu Yun Lao Dao laughed from the side: "Old Ghost Su, that's not right. In a duel, victory is decided in an instant. Striking when the enemy is unprepared and taking them lightly is the most proper method."

Su Gaoxuan snorted coldly: "Old Xu Yun, the disciples you trained are just like you, only using underhanded tactics."

After the scolding, he turned his head to Zhang Xingyu: "Kid, if you have the skill, wait until the opponent draws before you strike."

"As you wish!" Zhang Xingyu nodded in agreement.

In the fourth round's third bout, Nan Hua Immortal Academy's Zhang Xingyu won again.

Right after the opponent drew, Zhang Xingyu's Flying Sword arrived first, securing another easy victory.

Below the cloud platform, Zhang Xingyu took the storage bag and asked cheerfully, "Senior, still betting?"

Su Gaoxuan stared at Zhang Xingyu as if looking at a monster: "Betting on you, you big‑head ghost, do you expect this old Daoist to even lose his underwear to you? After decades of ruling the gambling houses, I can't believe I keep losing to a kid like you. How infuriating, how maddening, how lamentable!"

At the ninth cloud platform of the Xianlin Convention, Zhang Xingyu, with a record of four fights, three wins and one draw, entered the top hundred of this session's Xianlin Convention.

The top‑hundred tournament will be held the next day.

Bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, the group sailed back to Dan Tai Immortal City.

In this Xianlin Convention, only two people from Nan Hua Immortal Academy made the top hundred.

Besides Zhang Xingyu, the other was Hong Ruofei.

After sharing food and drink at the inn, everyone returned to their rooms to rest.

Zhang Xingyu returned to his room, set up a simple warning formation, and sat cross‑legged to cultivate.

Today he obtained three hundred fourth‑grade Spirit Pills from Su Gaoxuan, just right for replenishing the Divine Sea's Divine Essence consumption.

Taking the pills was like munching candy beans.

Soon, after the pills were exhausted, a lump of golden, translucent divine liquid again filled Zhang Xingyu's Divine Sea.

After finishing the pills, Zhang Xingyu became radiant.

He pushed open the window.

Outside, the moonlight was like snow.

Zhang Xingyu leapt onto the roof and took out Spirit Liquor.

Moonlight is like wine; after drinking, there is still more.

There is wine, and there are people.

Unnoticed, it became midnight.

Around the full moon, black clouds churned.

A black shadow pounced fiercely at the moon.

The moon's edge was first gnawed away, gradually leaving only half, then just a thin curved line.

A lunar eclipse, also called the Celestial Dog devouring the moon.

Who would have thought that in this Xianxia World, one could actually witness a lunar eclipse.

Since ancient times, a lunar eclipse has been regarded as an ominous omen.

When the sky shows a lunar eclipse, great disaster befalls the mortal realm.

The surroundings gradually darkened.

Zhang Xingyu frowned, watching the dark shadow swallow the moon entirely.

At the instant the moon was devoured, a long howl suddenly echoed from the western city direction.

At the same time, Zhang Xingyu felt the house beneath him shaking violently.

I—

Lunar eclipse plus earthquake.

Zhang Xingyu instantly jumped.

At the same time, dazzling sword beams shot across the city, like the multicolored fireworks of summer.

The lunar eclipse lasted less than a quarter hour.

A quarter hour later, a crescent moon emerged.

At the center of the crescent, an oval star‑diamond glittered.

With the crescent and the star‑diamond appearing, the surroundings gradually brightened.

The crescent continuously fought the black shadow.

Finally, the crescent defeated the shadow, and a full moon hung in the sky again.

Moonlight, like water, dispersed the black clouds that had shrouded the surroundings.

The solar eclipse ended, and the earthquake ceased.

The heavenly cultivator Luo Yan returned to his nest, and the others followed.

The surroundings once again fell into silence.

Zhang Xingyu took a sip of wine, glanced at the moon, and prepared to return to his room to sleep.

Just as he turned, a black silhouette swooped swiftly through the moonlight.

In the black figure's hand was a woman dressed in white as snow.

The woman's eyes were tightly shut, as if she were sleeping.

Zhang Xingyu went back to his room and slept soundly, covering his head.

That night, his sleep was restless.

In his dream, a black shadow kept swooping and howling behind him.

He kept running, yet could never escape.

The next morning, Zhang Xingyu awoke from his dream.

His cheeks were slightly swollen, his eye sockets darkened, and he could hardly summon any spirit.

Zhang Xingyu went downstairs and found Xu Yun Lao Dao and the other senior and junior brothers already waiting below.

Except for Xu Yun Lao Dao, the other brothers also had darkened eye sockets, clearly having not slept well last night.

The few of them boarded a boat and returned to Pearl Lake.

Today's competition venue is on Three Pearl Island.

From today onward, Zhang Xingyu will have to face not only the disciples of the Four Great Academy and the Medium and Small Sects.

Today, his opponents will be disciples from the Ten Great Sects and from cultivation families.

These people are elites from the various great sects of Southern Zhanzhou.

The opponents Zhang Xingyu faces will be even stronger, and his chances of victory even more slim.

In Xu Yun Lao Dao's words: "It's the participation that counts."

Zhang Xingyu smiled, turned, and patted Hong Ruofei, whose face was full of smug satisfaction.

"Junior brother, go for it!"

"Senior brother, go for it!"

Beside them, Fang Shiwen's eyes flashed briefly, then dimmed as if the power had gone out.

Zhang Xingyu looked at Fang Shiwen and thought, "Brother Fang is so decadent, I fear he will waste his whole life. Unless a great opportunity comes, I doubt he can rally himself again."

While he was pondering, a gong sounded from above the cloud platform, followed by a voice shouting: "Fairy Seedling Conference Top‑Hundred Match, Group 3, Round 1: Moon Hidden Pear Blossom Palace's Cloud Chasing Moon versus Nan Hua Academy's Zhang Xingyu."