Chapter 185 - 185 182 The Challenge from Lan Qinhu
Chapter 185: Chapter 182: The Challenge from Lan Qinhu Chapter 185: Chapter 182: The Challenge from Lan Qinhu Soon, under the protection of the Golden Core Elders of the Outer Peak and the watchful eyes of the Law Enforcement Disciples in the Law Enforcement Hall, the disciples on the stage announced their names and then began to fight.
The platform was large, each one spanning dozens of meters in circumference, arranged in several rows and occupying more than half of the plaza.
However, the disciples watching the matches did not approach too closely.
For one thing, there were too many people and it would seem too crowded if they all moved close.
Furthermore, there were many disciples from various peaks participating in the tournament, with few from peaks like Creation Peak, where only a handful of disciples competed, to many like Spiritual Snake Peak, where nearly a hundred disciples entered—adding up to several thousand participants.
To facilitate these competitors’ access to the stage, the disciples who were not participating in the tournament consciously left space in the plaza for those who were.
The battles on the platforms were extremely exciting in the eyes of many disciples, especially since there were quite a few disciples who could subdue rare exotic beasts and display various wondrous spells and divine skills.
…
The spectacle of roaring tigers, bellowing lions, birds and beasts chiming in unison, and the cacophony of lightning, gales, and the elements of earth, water, fire, and wind, presented tactics aplenty that received cheers from the cultivators who had long been in the Mountain Gate.
However, for the disciples participating in the tournament, competing on the platform was not entirely fair.
Their methods were too multifarious, and although the platform was not small, it was not that large either, often limiting their performance.
Some disciples’ spiritual beasts were best suited for warfare in the mountains and forests, and some water element spiritual beasts, when on the stage, could hardly unleash half of their strength, but some creatures made for head-on battles, such as the Great Strength Divine Ape and Fierce Giant Bear, were able to perform beyond their normal capabilities on this small stage.
The higher-ups of the Beast Taming Sect were aware of this, but they still chose to select disciples through the platform tournament.
It wasn’t for convenience, but because in their view, every disciple of the Beast Taming Sect should develop in all aspects, able to subdue several spiritual beasts suited for combat in various terrains.
Any disciple who overly specialized in one aspect was considered unqualified.
Only those who covered all bases—whether it was combat in the sky, on land, underwater, using poisons, stealth, or delivering fatal blows—were deemed qualified disciples of the Beast Taming Sect.
So it wasn’t long before some disciples performing poorly on the platforms were defeated and sent packing.
Some performances on the platforms were eye-catching, with a few disciples’ spiritual beasts displaying tremendous war power that impressed onlookers.
What was most striking, however, was that among those defending the stages, there were actually Qi Refining Realm disciples.
This was rare because those participating in the tournament were mostly disciples who had been in the sect for a longer time.
Those with decent aptitudes, after nearly a decade of accumulation, had already covered much ground in the Foundation Establishment Stage, and even mid-stage Foundation Establishment was not uncommon.
Under such circumstances, very few dared to take the stage in the late Qi Refining stage.
Those Qi Refining Realm disciples who did dare to compete were without exception the geniuses of various peaks, not only possessing exquisite spells but also having at least one Foundation Establishment spirit beast backing them.
Otherwise, they would not have dared to challenge others on the stage.
Qin Feng felt that these Qi Refining Realm disciples did not expect to enter the Inner Sect this time around, as it was practically impossible.
So their intention must have been to garner some reputation through this Outer Disciple tournament and gain the cultivation from their peak’s Elders.
Of course, it would be even better if they could catch the eye of an Inner Sect Elder.
On the platform, Qin Feng also saw a few familiar faces, such as Lan Qinhu from Tiger Roar Peak and the talented disciple Ma Xingkong from Heavenly Horse Peak.
Ma Xingkong had already advanced to Foundation Establishment after such a long time.
Usually, a talented disciple like him would not take the stage so early, but Young Master Ma was different—he always loved being in the spotlight.
So he stepped onto the stage early to challenge others, and after merging with his Heavenly Horse, he became as fast as a shooting star.
With a single kick at a time, he knocked off his opponents’ spiritual beasts and even bruised and bloodied the Qi Refining Realm disciples he faced, winning with ease.
After being kicked off the stage, one of the disciples, holding his bleeding nose and spitting out a tooth that had been kicked out, lamented in anger, “Ma Xingkong, you bastard, this is personal vengeance; you dare to spoil my good fortune in the tournament, I won’t let this go.”
Young Master Ma took out his folded fan with a flourish and gently waved it a few times before saying with feigned nonchalance, “Lang Shanghong, you should take a look at yourself.
You dare to covet Sister Kong with your sheer audacity.
You truly do not know your own limitations.
Beating you serves as a lesson.
In the future, stop shamelessly fawning over Sister Kong.”
He said with a mocking shake of his head, “You don’t even consider your own looks; you’re so ugly and still have the gall to approach Sister Kong.
Don’t you feel ashamed?”
“You…”
Lang Shanghong seethed with anger, “Even if I look worse, I am still much better than you.
You’re only bullying me now because I haven’t reached Foundation Establishment.
Just you wait; when I do establish my foundation, I won’t let you off the hook.”
He was a descendant of the Flat Peak Mountain’s Lang Family.
He had originally intended to make a name for himself during this tournament, yet right as he entered the stage, Ma Xingkong ruined his plan, so he was furious and indignant.
“Pah, a defeated underling dares to speak bravely?”
Ma Xingkong scorned, too lazy to pay any further attention to the defeated opponent he had knocked down from the stage.
Instead, he swept his gaze across the crowd, awaiting the next challenger.
Qin Feng glanced a few times but didn’t care much; there were some unwritten rules among the different peaks.
That is, talented disciples like Ma Xingkong and Kong Xuan wouldn’t casually challenge each other before the competition slots were determined, as it would certainly result in one party’s defeat, a loss greater than the gain.
If these talented disciples wanted to determine the victor, they would typically wait until after the slots were confirmed, before sparring in the ranking competition to decide the superior.
Thus, it was mostly older disciples, who had been in the sect for eight or nine years, who challenged these talents.
With their more profound accumulation, they attempted to defeat the talents through their depth of cultivation and thereby secure a slot.
As Qin Feng stood by the side, looking around and watching the other disciples’ battles, a loud roar came from Lan Qinhu on a stage not far from Ma Xingkong.
His figure surged violently, and he sent a fierce blow that shattered his opponent’s defense, sending a disciple wrapped in vines flying out of the ring.
Then, the man stood on the stage, looking around proudly, laughing loudly a few times, and inadvertently caught a glimpse of Qin Feng, who was watching other battles not far from the stage.
His eyes lit up, and without waiting for someone else to challenge him, he bellowed, “Qin Feng, do you dare to come up and fight?”
His voice was so loud that it immediately attracted the attention of many.
Although Qin Feng’s reputation wasn’t as sensational as it was at the beginning, the fact that he, an Outer Disciple, had been taken under the wing of the Spiritual Snake Lineage’s Great Elder, was still a topic of discussion among many Outer Disciples.
Previously, there had been quite a few disciples who went to the Spiritual Snake Peak trying to challenge Qin Feng, but he had always refused to appear, leaving those challengers vexed, believing that Qin Feng was afraid of them and therefore dared not respond to the challenge.
As a result, many gossips about Qin Feng’s cowardice spread among the Outer Peaks.
Lan Qinhu, too, was influenced by such talk; he believed that if Qin Feng were truly talented, he would not consistently avoid challenges.
What Lan Qinhu didn’t know was that Qin Feng simply didn’t dare to start this precedent; once he accepted any challenge, an endless stream of challengers would follow.
He needed to cultivate and couldn’t be bothered to waste time building others’ reputations, which is why he kept his door closed.
But now, during the Outer Sect competition, he could no longer afford to hide in the cultivation room.
Fearful that someone else might challenge Qin Feng first, Lan Qinhu bellowed out his challenge, drawing the gaze of most Outer Disciples to his side.
Enjoying the sensation of being the center of attention, he felt that once he defeated Qin Feng, the crowd’s admiration for him would increase even more.
Moreover, with numerous Inner Sect Elders present, if they saw him defeat a disciple of the Spiritual Snake Lineage’s Great Elder, perhaps one would recognize his potential and take him as an apprentice.
With this thought, he felt even more that challenging Qin Feng now was the best choice.
Seeing Qin Feng hadn’t moved, he pointed directly and said, “Qin Feng, you might have been afraid to accept challenges before, but now it’s the Sect’s grand competition.
Surely you can’t avoid a fight today, can you?”
As he pointed, the disciples around Qin Feng stepped back with a swish, revealing Qin Feng to everyone.
When Qin Feng had first become well-known, few knew him by sight.
Later, as his fame spread among the peaks, he had always been cultivating in his courtyard, so aside from the Spiritual Snake Peak, very few from the other peaks had actually seen him.
Now, many disciples looked over, curious to see what this disciple taken in by Martial Uncle Ning Wuxu looked like.
Atop a platform in front of the grand hall, a middle-aged Elder turned to Zhao Qiankun beside him and smiled, “Junior Brother Zhao, is that the young disciple Martial Uncle Ning has taken in?
Hmm, he looks not bad.
Reaching the Early Stage Peak of Foundation Establishment in two years, his cultivation speed is indeed fast, already comparable to those top geniuses.
However, his reputation in the Outer Sect is not small.
Once he steps on the stage, I suppose there will be no shortage of challengers.”
Zhao Qiankun shook his large head and then chuckled, “This is also my first time seeing this little junior brother.
But Junior Brother Hao told me that our master intends to toughen up this junior brother a bit, so he deliberately let those words out, to invite challenges.
Hehe, I didn’t expect him to be so forbearing; he’s managed to lie low on the Spiritual Snake Peak for a long time and hasn’t accepted any challenges from the others.
Quite smart, he hasn’t been blinded by sudden fame.
I heard he achieved Foundation Establishment in the Heavenly Pool Secret Realm, and now he has already reached the Early Stage Peak of Foundation Establishment.
It seems he gained a lot in the Secret Realm, though his aura seems somewhat unsubstantial.”
“Just be content.”
The neighboring Elder laughed and said, “He has improved so much in only a few months; it’s clear he must have used abundant resources and Spirit Pills to boost his cultivation.
It’s normal to be a bit unsubstantial.
If he could improve so rapidly and still have a solid foundation, what chance would others have?”