Martial Conquest of the Nine Desolates
Chapter 144 - 142 Xiao Ye’s Opponent

Chapter 144: Chapter 142 Xiao Ye’s Opponent

Great Competition Square was enveloped in dead silence; everyone held their breath, eyes blazing with anticipation for the Vice Sect Leader’s arrival.

Swoosh!

From the depths of the Chongyang Mountain Range, a massive column of light tore through the void straight into the Nine Heavens, illuminating the entire sky as powerful fluctuations swept in all directions.

Within that colossal beam of light, a figure bathed in glory ascended slowly, heading towards the direction of the Great Competition Square.

True levitation, the hallmark of a Xuanwu Realm powerhouse!

The figure was a man who appeared to be in his prime, with a tall stature and a stern face. His dense black hair danced wildly behind him, while his eyes sparkled with stars being extinguished and reborn, evolving an entire world - a sight so stunning.

At this moment, everything else faded from Xiao Ye’s vision, leaving only the existence of the man, as if he were the sole deity of this world, invoking in others the thoughts of reverence and worship.

"Is this what Xuanwu Realm powerhouses are like?" Xiao Ye muttered to himself; the majesty of such an exalted level of strength was truly terrifying, leaving him with not even a hint of resistance.

"Greetings to the Vice Sect Leader!"

On the Great Competition Square, all the disciples shouted in unison spontaneously, their eyes feverish with zeal.

A powerhouse, no matter where they are, will always be respected, let alone when that person is the Vice Sect Leader.

"Vice Sect Leader!" The four Black-Robed Elders also bent down to salute.

The Vice Sect Leader of Chongyang Sect descended onto the square, his gaze sweeping over the numerous direct disciples, finally resting on Xiao Ye, causing Xiao Ye’s heart to tremble.

"Are you Xiao Ye?" came the Vice Sect Leader’s authoritative voice.

"Yes!" Xiao Ye saluted in response.

"While it is not wrong for martial artists to kill each other due to grudges, your mistake lies in having killed the child of the Sun and Moon Sect, bringing great calamity upon our sect. Many of our disciples have fallen because of you," said the Vice Sect Leader indifferently.

Xiao Ye bowed his head, saying no more; indeed, this was his fault, and he would make no excuses.

"In light of your promising talents, I specially provide you this opportunity. As long as you rank within the top three among the direct disciples, I will naturally protect you."

"Should you fail, I will not show the slightest mercy - to do otherwise would not quell the masses. I hope you take heed," declared the Vice Sect Leader.

"Thank you, Vice Sect Leader; your disciple understands," Xiao Ye nodded.

The Vice Sect Leader making such a fair decision was something for which he was very grateful.

The Vice Sect Leader retracted his gaze and sat down in a chair that had been prepared in advance.

At this time, the Great Elder stepped forward unhurriedly, announcing the official start of the Great Contest, arranging for the direct disciples to draw lots to determine the order of appearance and their opponents.

For fairness, the Great Elder also segregated the newly inducted direct disciples under the Black-Robed Elders, having them draw lots separately for their own matches — the newcomer contests, to prevent early elimination.

Xiao Ye, Leng Feng, Zhang Huwei, Gu Dapeng, these four were among those in the newcomer contest. Only one of them would advance to face the other direct disciples.

The four stepped forward to draw lots; Xiao Ye found himself to be the first to go on stage, facing Gu Dapeng who had pledged to the Third Elder.

Xiao Ye’s demeanor was entirely calm, while Gu Dapeng wore a gloomy expression.

With the lowest cultivation among the direct disciples, he was bound to be defeated by anyone he faced.

Sure enough, as soon as Gu Dapeng stepped onto the stage, he was promptly and effortlessly sent flying by Xiao Ye, who defeated him with a single palm strike.

Next up was Leng Feng versus Zhang Huwei!

After becoming the direct disciple of the Great Elder, Leng Feng received many Primordial Stones. Combined with his innate prowess, his cultivation soared, almost stepping into the Mid Eighth Level of the Innate Realm.

Zhang Huwei met Leng Feng and was similarly defeated in one move.

As Xiao Ye and Leng Feng both emerged victorious with ease, they met again in the newcomer contest.

"Xiao Ye!" Clutching a long spear, Leng Feng’s eyes were somewhat complicated.

At the time of becoming direct disciples, his cultivation had been above Xiao Ye’s, but now it seemed the other had far surpassed him, comparable to those highly senior direct disciples.

"I know I’m not your match, but I will still give it my all in this battle!" Leng Feng clenched his spear, his gaze becoming resolute, as a surge of powerful Martial Arts True Intent rose to the heavens, captivating the entire arena.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The weapons in the hands of many disciples unsheathed themselves involuntarily, constricted by Leng Feng’s Martial Arts True Intent, spiraling above his head and forming a weapon deluge, an intimidating sea of black that sent shivers down one’s spine.

One must realize that nearly all Chongyang Sect disciples had gathered for this contest of direct disciples, which made the number of weapons Leng Feng could control shockingly immense.

Thousands of weapons gleamed threateningly, and if all shot down at once, just the thought of it would make one’s scalp tingle.

However, Xiao Ye’s Flame Saber behind him remained motionless.

"First Senior Brother, this Leng Feng is quite a character to have grasped such an unpredictable Martial Arts True Intent," the plump Second Elder exclaimed in admiration.

"Hehe..." The Great Elder smiled slightly.

Indeed, the Martial Arts True Intent Leng Feng had mastered was tremendously powerful, making him virtually invincible in his level.

"Thirty percent of Martial Arts True Intent, you’ve made quite some progress, Leng Feng," Xiao Ye said lightly, face composed.

"Now!" At that moment, Leng Feng shouted loudly, his long spear thrusting forward. Immediately, the weapon deluge heeded his command, raining down towards Xiao Ye like droplets.

But the one he was facing was Xiao Ye!

"Flame True Intent!" Xiao Ye shouted, a more intense Martial Arts True Intent erupted, causing the temperature around the arena to surge dramatically.

40% Martial Arts True Intent!

Sssss!

The Flame True Intent materialized, forming fifteen gently spinning flame lotuses, rapidly arranging a defense around Xiao Ye like a fortress, protecting him at the center.

This was something Xiao Ye had learned from Bing Ya.

Although his Martial Arts True Intent hadn’t improved at all over the past year, his application of it had reached a masterful level.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh!

A multitude of weapons clashed against the flame lotuses, only sparking minor ripples before being deflected, unable to breach the defense.

"Get out of my way!" Xiao Ye roared, and instantly the flame lotuses on his body expanded, knocking all the weapons away in a spectacular scene.

"I’ve lost." Leng Feng helplessly put down his spear, his face full of a bitter smile.

His strongest move could not even break Xiao Ye’s defense, and his defeat was certain.

"When my Martial Arts True Intent breaks through to 40%, I will challenge you again. Then, I will definitely break your defense!" Having said that, Leng Feng walked out of the Great Competition Square, weapon in hand.

"Break my defense?" Xiao Ye shook his head slightly.

His strongest defense was not his Martial Arts True Intent, but his physical body. There were probably only a few among those present who could break through his bodily defense, let alone Leng Feng.

Wow!

Leng Feng’s concession led to an uproar, with everyone shocked at Xiao Ye’s display of might, akin to a Flame Monarch.

"This kid’s strength is truly unfathomable." The Third Elder, who had been watching coldly, had a glint in her phoenix eyes.

In the newcomer competition, Xiao Ye had revealed his Martial Arts True Intent but not his cultivation.

"But he’s definitely no match for Wentian." The Third Elder thought to herself, having great confidence in the strongest direct disciple of her sect.

Xiao Ye emerged victorious from the newcomer competition and began drawing lots alongside the other direct disciples for their real duels.

Aside from the eliminated Leng Feng, Zhang Huwei, and Gu Dapeng, there were a total of forty direct disciples remaining. They were the true pride of their sect, each with formidable strength.

The first round of duels was to select the top twenty from forty contestants, with each needing to defeat their opponent to advance.

Xiao Ye drew number eight, meaning he would fight in the eighth match of the first round.

"I wonder who my opponent will be," Xiao Ye thought to himself.

At that moment, the two direct disciples who had drawn the first match had already taken to the stage.

"Fu Zongshan, we’ve not seen each other for three years since our last journey outside. I wonder how much you’ve improved over these years?"

"Hmph, Lin Yi, I’ve traveled beyond Black Dragon Country during my recent venture and gained many opportunities. Today, I shall defeat you!"

The two powerful youths confronted each other, their auras causing the void to tremble.

All the disciples held their breath in excitement, eagerly awaiting the upcoming battle.

Boom!

At a certain moment, both charged at each other, immediately unleashing earth-shaking power that engulfed their figures in blazing light.

"Both are at the Early Stage of Innate Realm Ninth Layer." Xiao Ye frowned slightly, realizing that the strength of these direct disciples was not to be underestimated.

"One Chongyang Sect possesses several formidable young talents, and the entire Black Dragon Country must have even more, with many probably having the strength to be listed on the Hidden Dragon List," Xiao Ye thought to himself.

Black Dragon Country only listed the more renowned young talents; those whose fame had yet to surface were unknown to the masses. It would probably not be until the Heavenly Pride Battle of Black Dragon Country in two years that they would come into the public eye.

Hence, the competition then would surely be incredibly fierce.

An hour later, the direct disciple named Fu Zongshan seized an opportunity and overwhelmed Lin Yi, claiming victory.

With Xiao Ye’s strength, such a level of combat did not interest him much, but it was different for the other disciples, who cheered loudly, their faces filled with fervor.

The duel continued, and the direct disciples that entered the stage next had a cultivation level at most at the Early Stage of Innate Realm Ninth Layer, with slightly weaker ones at about the Mid Stage of Innate Realm Eighth Layer.

"It seems I was overthinking; direct disciples that have reached the Innate Realm Ninth Layer are indeed rare," Xiao Ye thought as he lost interest after a while and closed his eyes to rest, concentrating on preparing for his own battle.

"Next up, the disciple who drew number eight, please take the stage!" Suddenly, the voice of the Great Elder awakened Xiao Ye.

"It’s my turn!" Xiao Ye’s spirits lifted, and he strode into the center of the square.

"It’s Xiao Ye, he’s on stage now!" As soon as Xiao Ye entered, the atmosphere in the square grew even hotter.

From his performance in the previous newcomer competition, it was clear Xiao Ye had unfathomable strength, so everyone was looking forward to his showing.

Even the always calm Vice Sect Leader showed a hint of interest on his face.

"Who will be my opponent?" Xiao Ye surveyed the crowd.

Tap!

Just then, a graceful figure stepped into the area, her purple dress dancing in the wind like a fairy.

"Liu Yiyi!" Eyeing the figure, Xiao Ye’s expression darkened.

He was finally about to have a real showdown with Liu Yiyi!