A cold glint flitted across Huang Xiaolongâs eyes as he recalled that Wangu Ziyi had deliberately bought all the chaos spiritual liquids from the Infinite Circles Commerce Hall that Huang Xiaolong needed for repairing the Pill Blending Tower.
Five strikes!
At the Ten Thousand Elephant Royal City, Huang Xiaolong also remembered clearly that Wangu Ziyi had said he would defeat him in five strikes.
The Four Mainlandsâ New Disciples Battle was about two weeks away, yet Huang Xiaolong suddenly felt like the time was moving too slow, as he was eager for the New Disciples Battle to begin.
Huang Xiaolong had heard from Luo Yunjie that Wangu Ziyi, Wangu Dongchen, and other Wangu Clan members had already arrived at the Golden Wheel City.
On top of that, Wangu Ziyi and Guo Gang had grown close lately. From what Luo Yunjie had mentioned, someone had seen the two of them drinking wine together at a restaurant, while Guo Gang had been clamoring to Wangu Ziyi to help him teach Huang Xiaolong a lesson on the battle stage.
In the days after, Huang Xiaolong remained in his courtyard, swallowing thirty golden beads and cultivating the Grandmist Parasitic Medium.
After he had successfully cultivated the Grandmist Parasitic Medium, his three supreme godheadsâ speed in refining the purple grandmist aura dragon was many times faster. Additionally, with the Moon Jade Heavenly Spiral Shellâs moon essence and the four divine firesâ chaos spiritual energy, Huang Xiaolong felt his strength was enhancing every day.
Occasionally, Huang Xiaolong would go visit Li Lu. On one of these occasions, he gave Li Lu several hundred golden beads. Based on Li Luâs cultivation speed, several hundred golden beads were enough to last her a decade.
Li Lu had dazed for half a day in shock after she had seen the several hundred golden beads in Huang Xiaolongâs hand. As for Wu Qianâer, Huang Xiaolong only gave her five golden beads.
Two weeks went by in the blink of an eye. The day of the Four Mainlandsâ New Disciples Battle had finally arrived.
In the main hall, Golden Brow Ancestor scrutinized Huang Xiaolong, Zhou Xu, and the others, then said, âOnce we return to the Fortune Gate, whoever can enter the top ten ranks in the New Disciples Battle, will be given additional rewards by our Fortune Gate on top of the New Disciples Battleâs rewards.â
The ten disciplesâ eyes brightened visibly as they wondered what would be the Fortune Gateâs luxurious rewards.
Blood Knife Ancestor, Sky Sword Ancestor, Myriad Flames Ancestor, and Black Ice Ancestor also said some encouraging words to the disciples, before twenty plus people departed the Golden Wheel City and flew to the Ten Thousand Elephant Mountain peak.
The Golden Wheel City was located on the slope of the Ten Thousand Elephant Mountain. Given their speed, the group would reach the peak in two hours.
At this moment, the first rays of dawn were peeking from the horizon.
Two hours later, the group reached the mountainâs peak, and the sky had brightened by then.
There was an enormous square on the peak of the Ten Thousand Elephant Mountain that could accommodate more than ten thousand people. A large crowd had gathered at the center of the square, and most of these people were Vientiane Worldâs top forcesâ experts.
Vientiane Worldâs top forcesâ experts would always come to spectate stage battles of this magnitude that involved the four mainlands. However, there was an area that was guarded by the Golden Wheel Cityâs army, where only the sectsâ Elders and above could enter.
When Huang Xiaolongâs group arrived, it stirred the crowd at the square.
"Fortune Gateâs people are here!â
âThe black-haired young man behind Golden Brow Ancestorâis that Huang Xiaolong? I have heard that during the All-Islands Great War, Huang Xiaolong defeated Dragon Origin Sectâs Zhou Xu, while he was still a peak late-Tenth Order Heavenly God Realm. Not to mention, Zhou Xuâs cultivation was already at early Third Order Ancient God Realm at that time!â
âMaybe the Fortune Gate deliberately made such a rumor. How can a peak late-Tenth Order Heavenly God Realm defeat an early Third Order Ancient God Realm master?!â
Everyone gossiped amongst themselves. Almost everyoneâs gaze fell on Huang Xiaolongâs body.
Hearing these talks, Zhou Xuâs expression turned increasingly ugly.
Three years ago, he, the Dragon Origin Sectâs number one genius disciple who had already reached early Third Order Ancient God Realm was defeated by Huang Xiaolong, an unknown disciple who was still a peak late-Tenth Order Heavenly God Realm from a small Barbarian God Sect. That was the biggest humiliation of his life!
âHuang Xiaolong, just wait! On the battle stage, I will wash away the previous humiliation by defeating you miserably!â A cruel gleam shone in the depth of Zhou Xuâs eyes.
Huang Xiaolong just ignored Zhou Xu.
Around the battle stage, on the east, west, north, and south there were newly erected viewing stages; the Fortune Gateâs viewing stage was located on the east.
Huang Xiaolong and the others went up to the viewing stage on the east side. Wang Shi was already waiting on the viewing stage. He quickly walked up to greet Golden Brow Ancestor, Blood Knife Ancestor, and the other Ancestors.
The five Ancestors nodded in acknowledgement, and then sat down on the chairs that were arranged in a row on the stage. Huang Xiaolong, Li Lu, and the others stood behind them. As for Wang Shi, he took a seat below the five Ancestors.
There was some time before the stage battles began, the Wangu Clan, Dark Elf Tribe, and Primal Chaos Mainlandâs forces had yet to arrive.
Huang Xiaolong took the time to observe the battle stage. The battle stage was square-shaped, twenty zhang tall, and about twenty meters wide on each side. The four sides of the battle stage were filled with carvings of divine elephants, as if they were carved by nature itself.
Looking at these carvings of divine elephants, it inevitably reminded Huang Xiaolong of the petrified divine elephant at the Ten Thousand Elephant Royal City square.
Each of these divine elephant carvings looked exactly the same as the petrified divine elephant at the square. Huang Xiaolong thought that these divine elephant carvings were exact copies of the petrified divine elephant, merely a smaller version.
While Huang Xiaolong was observing these divine elephant carvings, all of a sudden, the crowd was in a commotion.
"Itâs the Wangu Clan people! Wangu Clan Patriarch Wangu Rui, and thereâs also the three Ancestors, Wangu Junfei, Wangu Ren, and Wangu Haoren!"
"The scarlet-haired young man behind Wangu Rui is Wangu Ziyi! I have heard that he has already broken through to the Sixth Order Ancient God Realm! Moreover, with his innate talent, his actual battle prowess is comparable to a Seventh Order Ancient God Realm ah!"
"Although Huang Xiaolong is the Fortune Gate All-Island Great War champion, heâs far from being comparable to Wangu Ziyi. He probably wonât be able to take even one hit from Wangu Ziyi!"
Wangu Ziyi who was following behind Wangu Rui furtively glanced in Huang Xiaolongâs direction as if to say, âDo you hear that? Even various forcesâ experts believe that you wonât be able to take one strike from me! The five strikes that I gave you earlier were to save you some dignity.â
Wangu Ruiâs group went up to the viewing stage on the west side, right opposite the Fortune Gateâs viewing stage.
"Golden Brow Ancestor!" Wangu Rui cupped his fists at Golden Brow Ancestor in greeting after sitting down.
Amongst the Fortune Gateâs Ancestors, only Golden Brow Ancestor was worthy of his greeting.
Golden Brow Ancestor cupped his fists and returned the greeting, âPatriarch Wangu.â
On the surface, both Fortune Gate and Wangu Clanâs relationship was still courteous and amiable.
Not long after the Wangu Clan had arrived, the Dark Elf Tribe and the people from the Primal Chaos Mainland arrived consecutively.
The Dark Elf Tribeâs Patriarch was a tall and lean old man with green eyes and sharp pointed ears named You Kui [1]. A very strange name.
The person leading the Primal Chaos Mainland group was the Black Wind Cult Leader as well as the Sect Chief of Barbarian Shaman Sect.
The Primal Chaos Mainlands, just like its name suggests, was a chaotic land, with its forces always fighting without unity. The Black Wind Cult and Barbarian Shaman Sect forces were the two strongest forces of Primal Chaos Mainland. The disciples participating in the New Disciples Battle were these two forcesâ genius disciples.
Although the Black Wind Cult and Barbarian Shaman Sect were the two strongest forces of Primal Chaos Mainland, they couldnât be compared to Fortune Gate, Wangu Clan, and Dark Elf Tribe. Even if the Black Wind Cult and Barbarian Shaman Sect joined forces, they were still a mile behind Fortune Gate.
[1] [ You Kui can be translated as the Underworld Head]