Chapter 175

Yin Ten said: "What, you want to participate?"

"With my cultivation base, I can't compete for the Longevity Pill, but there's no problem competing for a Dragon Seed, right? If I can't get a Dragon Seed, getting a piece of Dragon Bone, who knows, maybe I can turn into a dragon or a flood dragon in the future," Yin Eleven said.

Yin Ten had clearly learned some inside information in the Immortal Forest: "Ring competitions can only select martial artists with higher combat power at the current stage; they don't have anything to do with the word 'Hidden Dragon'."

"The world's number one of the younger generation at the current stage does not mean they will still be the number one of their generation a hundred years later, or even that they will still be alive."

"Therefore, a true Hidden Dragon not only needs to lead their generation in martial arts cultivation and combat power, but also needs the assistance of wisdom and character."

"Wisdom and character can give them a greater probability of always leading their generation. There is also a greater possibility of surviving to the end and becoming a thousand-year transcendent on this land, or even the Son of Heaven."

"In a word, neither intelligence nor martial arts can be lacking."

Yin Eleven said: "How is wisdom and character defined? It's impossible for us to be a group of martial cultivators guessing lantern riddles, right?"

Li Youyi laughed in spite of himself, but he was equally curious in his heart.

Yin Ten said: "The situation I learned is that if you want to participate in this Hidden Dragon struggle, first you must get an invitation from the Immortal Master of the Due Temple before New Year's Eve."

"There are two hundred invitations in total, fifty for martial cultivators from the Eastern, Southern, Western, and Northern Regions each."

"The martial cultivators from the twenty-eight states of the four regions have already been divided into the four cities of East, South, West, and North."

Li Youyi suddenly realized; no wonder he was told when entering the city that martial cultivators from the seven states of the Southern Region could only live in the Chengnan: "I understand! The young martial cultivators who came to the state city from the seven states of the Southern Region were divided into a competitive unit, collectively vying for fifty invitation quotas. If you can't get an invitation before New Year's Eve, I guess you really can only watch the lantern festival in the city, without even the qualifications to enter the game."

Li Youyi's mood instantly became heavy; the young martial cultivators from the seven states of the Southern Region gathered in Qiuzhouzhoucheng numbered in the tens of thousands, all vying for fifty spots.

Too cruel!

Yin Eleven said: "In other words, as long as one's strength can rank in the top ten in a state, one can basically get an invitation?"

"I guess top five is safer," Li Youyi said: "For example, in the Southern Region, the Zuoqiu Sect and the Jiuli clan will take away quite a few spots. And the heaven-favored children secretly cultivated by major forces and sects will very likely also participate in this Hidden Dragon struggle because of the generous rewards."

Yin Ten said: "It's not likely, it's certain."

"The significance of a Longevity Pill is enough to make any force go crazy for it. A Dragon Seed means the strongest Dao Seed, meaning one will walk extremely fast in the Dao Seed Realm; which Five Seas Realm martial cultivator wouldn't want to compete? They would bet their lives to compete."

"If one can simultaneously seize a Dragon Seed and a Longevity Pill... humph, then today you still have the qualifications to compete with me, and we can still call each other brothers, but maybe in just five years, ten years, when you see me again, you will have to kneel and kowtow, call me a Longevity Giant, watch me live for a hundred years, living like an immortal. While you are still struggling in the shackles of a hundred-year lifespan, I could crush you to death with a single finger."

"Forging longevity in a sixty-year cycle is already stunning."

"But a top-tier heaven-favored child blessed with both a Dragon Seed and a Longevity Pill really has the possibility of forging longevity within ten years."

Not only was Yin Eleven excited, but even Yin Fifteen and Yin Sixteen outside the house breathed deeply, looking at the long sky, falling into the fantasy of forging longevity in ten years described by Yin Ten.

Only Yin Thirteen and Li Youyi felt more and more uncomfortable the more they heard.

Time was too tight, with only twenty-some days left until New Year's Eve; wanting to raise their cultivation base to the top fifty in the Southern Region was simply a dream.

Yin Eleven said: "Then how does the Immortal Master of the Due Temple distribute the invitations? For people like us in the Hidden Sect, whose names are not prominent, wouldn't we just be ignored?"

Yin Ten said: "The successors of the major million-strong sects definitely don't have to worry about not getting an invitation. I heard a group of martial cultivators in the Immortal Forest discussing that next, those martial cultivators who have strength but not enough fame will densely challenge experts to improve their battle records and popularity."

"Everyone can't reach the Immortal Master, but the Immortal Master must be in the city. They can only use this method to let their names and battle records reach the ears of the Immortal Master."

Yin Nine, who had been silent, said: "The meaning from above is that only Yin Ten and I can go to compete in this Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival; you are not allowed to participate."

"Boom!"

Yin Eleven fell from the beam, his emotions indignant: "What does that mean? After saying so much, you tell us that only you two are allowed to compete for the generous rewards of the Due Temple, and we can only watch? Who are you looking down on? If I can't beat you, does that mean I can't even get into the top fifty of the Southern Region?"

"It really is a bit unreasonable! We might not have much hope, but it's not like we have no hope at all," Yin Fifteen's voice came from the courtyard.

Yin Sixteen said: "Is it the meaning from above, or is it your and Yin Ten's meaning?"

These hidden people were all ruthless characters who survived to the end in their respective batches; although Yin Nine was strong, she was not a Divine Hidden Person and could not make them obey her absolutely.

Yin Nine stood up, walked outside the door, her magnificent figure standing under the bone lamp, and said proudly: "I knew you wouldn't be reconciled. Then fight; whoever beats me can participate, and I won't use my battle axe."

Immediately, three powerful battle-method intentions rose in the courtyard.

The three walked up.

"I'll go first!"

Yin Eleven was very strong, a deformed person of the seventh realm of the Five Seas, cultivating fundamental martial arts and having swallowed the flood dragon blood treasured by the Hidden Sect, forging a powerful physical body.

"Enough!"

Yin Ten gave a sharp cry: "The reason they won't let you participate from above is that they don't want you to go to your deaths. This is not a grand gathering, this is not a grand gathering, but a slaughter feast!"

"Didn't you say that the Due Temple should set up a ring and let everyone fight?"

"They did; the entire Qiuzhouzhoucheng is a ring! Beneath this Eight Trigrams-like city, formation scripts are densely laid. As early as three months ago, the Zuoqiu Sect and the Due Temple added new defensive arrays to every street and every building."

"On New Year's Eve, the Zuoqiu Sect will promulgate two decrees."

"The first one allows martial cultivators below the Dao Seed Realm to fight in the city before the Lantern Festival, but they must compensate for all losses and provide relief to those accidentally injured. And it limits slaughter; one must not kill innocent people indiscriminately, otherwise, they will be executed on the spot. The Zuoqiu Sect calls it the Slaughter Limitation Decree, but those who understand know that the Slaughter Limitation Decree is actually an Opening Slaughter Decree."

"The second one is to prohibit martial cultivators at or above the Dao Seed Realm from using force in the city before the Lantern Festival, called the Martial Prohibition Decree."

"Once the Martial Prohibition Decree is issued, even the qualifications of older experts to intervene and save people will be stripped away."

"Now the entire Qiuzhouzhoucheng has become a chessboard that is a microcosm of the world situation. What the Due Temple wants to see is the struggle of all parties, the most real battlefield slaughter; older experts can only be observers outside the chessboard."

"Originally, the young martial cultivators of major forces, even if they fought, would not aim for slaughter; after all, killing a thousand enemies means losing eight hundred. Everyone is for the generous rewards, for the sake of their own righteous armies, to compete for the support of the Due Temple."

"But the disruptors have appeared!"

"The Far West Cinder Region has come, the Four Demon Kings also want to enter the game, and the imperial court wants to stir up a bloody storm."

Yin Eleven, Yin Fifteen, and Yin Sixteen all calmed down, their eyes grave.

Once the Slaughter Limitation Decree and the Martial Prohibition Decree are issued, this Qiuzhouzhoucheng will surely become a paradise for top experts of the Five Seas Realm, who will hold the power of life and death and can even formulate rules that belong to them.

This is too dangerous!

Li Youyi asked: "People from the Far West Cinder Region should count as the Western Region, right? They can't be put in our Chengnan."

Yin Ten shook her head gently: "I don't know about that! This group of people led by the Young Venerable is very terrifying; some of them take pleasure in eating the flesh and blood of pure immortal bodies, some like to collect beautiful human skin, and of course, they certainly want to seize the Dragon Bone, Dragon Seed, and Longevity Pill, but they... act without any rules, and are the biggest uncertain factor."

"Major forces in the Lingxiao Life Realm might attack each other because of past grudges, fighting fiercely, just like our Jiuli clan and the Three Sects. But would we attack other forces for no reason and make enemies for ourselves?"

"But the Young Venerable and these people might."

"The high-level figures of the Zuoqiu Sect must be very worried, so they are preparing to eliminate hidden dangers as much as possible before the end of the year."

Yin Fifteen said: "The meaning from above is for us to fully assist you two in getting the results at the Lantern Festival?"

"It's too early to talk about this now; we haven't even gotten the invitations, and we don't know what the situation will be like by then."

Yin Nine said: "Complete the mission first and track down the Cinder Spirits. But if you encounter the Young Venerable and the four great experts under his seat, Hua, Qi, Ming, and Cang, don't act rashly."

The list of suspicious martial cultivators was distributed by Yin Thirteen.

Li Youyi was naturally excluded; Yin Nine told him he only needed to stay in Qin Garden and cultivate well.

A fragrant breeze brushed his face, and Yin Ten's eyes were stern, warning: "You seem more obedient than anyone else, but in reality, you are the most disobedient one. Although the Slaughter Limitation Decree will only be promulgated on New Year's Eve, the current Qiuzhouzhoucheng is already very unsafe, with fighting, slaughter, and death happening every day."

Li Youyi smiled: "I cherish my life very much!"

Yin Ten said: "Did you use the Disguise Technique to change into Huo Qiankun?"

Li Youyi didn't hide it from her and said in surprise: "How did you know?"

"Huo Qiankun and Yuwen Chao haven't appeared since they went to hunt you down; twenty days have passed, you appeared, so they naturally died! That's one thing."

Yin Ten added: "A martial cultivator in the Immortal Forest chatted about an interesting story, saying that Qi Jin under the Young Venerable has already killed more than a dozen people named Huo Qiankun in Qiuzhouzhoucheng, and everyone is guessing the reason. I reckon it must have something to do with you."

Li Youyi was speechless and very confused: "That shouldn't be; I chatted with her very well in the identity of Huo Qiankun and praised her beauty many times. Could it be..."

Li Youyi suspected that when he changed into Cang Li and lent the Ghost Flag to Jiang Ning, he exposed traces somewhere, letting her see through it.

Could it be that silver spear?

"Sigh, blame me! I only killed one Huo Qiankun, but I caused the deaths of more than a dozen Huo Qiankuns," Li Youyi sighed long.

Yin Ten gave a deep snort: "Knowing that is enough, don't appear easily, hide well in Qin Garden. If Qi Jin finds you, Yin Nine and I might not be able to save you."

From beginning to end, Yin Ten never asked Li Youyi who killed Huo Qiankun and Yuwen Chao. Because Yin Nine seemed to know some inside information; when the two of them discussed it together, Yin Nine once said to herself meaningfully: "Li Ling is traveling with him, everything is explained!"

Yin Ten said: "By the way, there is one more thing! Zuoqiu Ting has already been to the Immortal Forest twice to find me, asking for news about you. Should I tell him you came to the state city?"

(End of chapter)