Translator: AnubisTL
A large number of cultivators mobilized, stirring up the winds and clouds in Tranquil Sky City. Some of the onlookers in the city spread the news far and wide. While the Spirit Nurturing Realm cultivators remained relatively calm, the disciples in the Innate Realm couldn't sit still.
Whether they were meditating, eating, drinking tea, chatting, or even those who were in the middle of relieving themselves, they didn't even have time to wipe themselves. The most exaggerated were some disciples who were in the middle of intimate moments; before they could even finish, they pulled up their pants and sprinted toward the city gate, fearing they might miss the scene of Gu Feng getting beaten up.
The crowd at the city gate grew larger and larger, almost to the point of breaking the city gate.
Those cultivators who couldn't afford the entrance fee and slept at the city gate were trampled by countless feet before they could even react, howling in pain.
"What's going on?"
"Brother, could you move your foot? It stinks! How long has it been since you washed it?"
"That's not my foot! Can't you see I'm being squeezed into the air?"
"Sorry, that's my foot. I tend to sweat a lot. Bear with it."
"You don't know? It's the Innate Realm Peak Challenge! All the major sects are mobilizing..."
"Good heavens, 100,000 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones for one match? Converted to Low-Grade Spirit Stones, that's 10 million! How can they be so extravagant?"
"These damned rich people! With so many Spirit Stones, couldn't they help out some poor cultivators?"
"Who is this Gu Feng? How can he make so many Heaven's Chosen throw down 10 million Low-Grade Spirit Stones just for a chance to challenge him?"
"A challenge match worth 10 billion Low-Grade Spirit Stones! Good heavens, strike these rich bastards with lightning!"
"..."
After learning about the challenge match, the poor cultivators began to wail as if they had lost their fathers.
While others' challenge matches were worth 10 billion, they were still trying to save a thousand Spirit Stones by sleeping at the city gate, enduring the torment of demonic insects every night, their bodies covered in unbearably itchy red spots.
They were all cultivators in the Innate Realm, but the difference was too vast. It felt like they were cultivating a fake path.
Comparing goods makes you throw them away; comparing people makes you want to die.
The city gate was packed, the noise deafening!
"Clear out some space, or there's no way to fight!" someone shouted. The current situation was several times more chaotic than during the usual city entry. People were squeezing and trampling each other, a complete mess.
Some weaker cultivators were being squeezed until their faces turned blue, struggling to breathe, their eyes rolling back, looking like they were about to keel over!
It was hard enough to move normally, let alone engage in a duel.
Gu Feng was utterly speechless. He hadn't expected that a mere Innate Realm challenge match would cause such a commotion.
The candidates who had paid 10 million Low-Grade Spirit Stones were shouting at the crowd around them.
"Move aside!"
"Get out of my way!"
"..."
"Everyone, as you can see, the situation is chaotic. None of us can make a move. How about we call it a draw and I refund half of your challenge fee?" Gu Feng shouted to the thousand people.
"Nonsense! Refund half? You must be dreaming! Admit defeat and pay us 10 million Spirit Stones, that's more like it!"
"How can you be so ungrateful? Refunding half counts as a draw, and we won't disqualify you from the exam!"
"Ah— I can't take it anymore! Get lost!" One challenger, boiling with anger, unleashed his cultivation.
However, with so many cultivators around, he didn't dare to actually hurt anyone, so it had almost no effect. He howled in frustration.
"Everyone, quiet down! If you don't mind, let me act as the referee!"
At that moment, a resounding voice rang out, a voice that seemed capable of striking the souls of the cultivators, leaving them utterly awestruck.
"It's the chief examiner for this grand examination, the Vice President of the Grand Harmony Academy—Ouyang Qi, a great cultivator who has surpassed the Sea Condensation Realm!"
Ouyang Qi, dressed in a green robe, with a youthful face and white hair, exuded an air of immortality, standing in mid-air like a blazing sun.
His appearance instantly calmed the crowd.
"I have understood the situation. As the examiner, I do not oppose mutual exchanges and sparring among the candidates.
There is only one requirement: no deaths!"
"Rest assured, Elder Ouyang, I will show mercy and try my best not to cause them irreparable injuries!" Hearing that Ouyang Qi was not here to stop the challenge, Gu Feng was overjoyed and immediately declared his stance.
"Arrogant!"
"Seeking death!"
"..."
His brief statement once again drew a wave of hostility.
"Very well!" Ouyang Qi nodded with a smile, knowing Gu Feng's strength. Winning a thousand matches might be a bit strenuous, but defeating a hundred or two hundred people would not be a problem.
"Then everyone, follow my instructions!"
"Gu Feng and the thousand challengers, stay on the ground!"
"Innate Realm first-level cultivators, leap to a height of twenty meters!"
"Innate Realm second-level cultivators, leap to a height of forty meters!"
"..."
In no time, under Ouyang Qi's command, all the spectators were suspended in the air, and looking around, the sky was densely packed with figures.
"Listen to my command, everyone, retreat one thousand meters in an orderly manner!"
Hearing this, everyone silently retreated, leaving a circular area with a diameter of two thousand meters in the middle.
Now, it was finally spacious.
Gu Feng stood straight on the ground, hands behind his back, a faint smile on his face.
On the other side, the thousand cultivators wore expressions of anger.
"Are you all ready?" Gu Feng asked with a light laugh.
"We've been ready for a long time. I said it would end in ten moves, not one more!" The first contestant, Xue Kai, strode forward with his head held high. His steps were steady, and with each step, his body emitted a series of cracking sounds.
His aura grew stronger and stronger, with circles of spiritual energy bursting forth.
The entire audience was shocked; this was a supreme powerhouse at the peak of the Innate Realm, whose combat strength might not be inferior to most at the first level of Spirit Nurturing!
"Then wait a bit longer, I'm not ready yet!" Just as the opponent's aura reached its peak, Gu Feng smiled faintly, "Where is my cheerleading squad?"
"Here, Sect Master!"
As Gu Feng's voice fell, twenty-eight female cultivators dressed in bright attire appeared in the arena!
They smiled like flowers, their voices melodious, jumping and dancing while chanting slogans like 'The Sect Master is invincible' and 'Make the enemies bow their heads'.
"Hahaha, beautiful, truly beautiful!"
"Let's not talk about the strength of the Sunset Glow Sect for now, but the level of beauty among the female cultivators is quite high!"
"Heaven's Chosen, don't be in a hurry, let's watch this so-called 'cheerleading squad' for a while first!"
"..."
Laughter and applause filled the air. It must be said, the level of the female cultivators from the Sunset Glow Sect was indeed top-notch, with high beauty standards and proficiency in singing and dancing, all thanks to their unique cultivation methods.
Some sect elders, supreme elders, and family ancestors also stroked their beards, showing appreciation for the performance in the arena, a rare sight in the Great Chu Dynasty.
Xue Kai's expression turned grim. He really wanted to rush to Gu Feng's side and punch his head off, but the audience's cheers were too overwhelming. He didn't dare to go against the crowd and interrupt their excitement.
So, clenching his fists and glaring at Gu Feng, he turned back to his original spot.
"Brother Xue, don't be in a hurry. He's just having his final hurrah!"
"Making such a big scene, only to get beaten up later—what's the point?"
"Brother Xue, please go easy on him later. After you beat him up, intentionally lose to him so I can have some fun too. We'll compensate you with ten million Spirit Stones!"
"Smart! Since Gu Feng wants to play, let's play along. Let him barely win ten matches and earn a hundred million Spirit Stones—what's the harm?"
"Exactly, exactly. Consider this hundred million Low-grade Spirit Stones as his humiliation fee. Such a rare character isn't something you see every day."
"..."
The thousand challengers whispered among themselves, occasionally letting out soft chuckles.
Gu Feng was destined to lose, but how to make his defeat utterly humiliating required some finesse.
The city walls were also packed with cultivators.
These people had received the news early and had secured the best vantage points to watch the battle.
Wind Cloud Pavilion had the keenest senses. Before Gu Feng even reached the city gates, they had already taken their positions on the city walls.
They had prepared over a dozen Image Stones to record this rare challenge match from every angle.
"Shan Feier! What do you think of Gu Feng's chances of winning?" Wu Mingbao asked with a smile, turning to Shan Feier, who was looking around.
"Uh—does he even have a chance?" Shan Feier was slightly stunned, her voice tinged with naivety.
"Feier, you really need to wise up!" Wu Mingbao lightly tapped Shan Feier's forehead, shaking his head with a sigh.
"Our Wind Cloud Pavilion specializes in information gathering. It may seem simple, but doing it well requires using your brain.
When I say 'use your brain,' I don't mean you should follow the example of other team members who go as far as seduction or bribery to gather information...
In my opinion, those are just shortcuts..." Seeing Shan Feier's clueless expression, Wu Mingbao reached out again, this time gently patting her head.
"In the past three years, you've never made any significant contributions. Do you know why I, as an Elder, haven't kicked you out of the Heaven's Chosen group? Because—"
"I know this!" Shan Feier interrupted excitedly before Wu Mingbao could finish. "Because my great-grandfather and grandfather died on the battlefield while collecting real-time combat information; my parents died in the mountains while gathering information about exotic beasts.
As a descendant of such meritorious service, Wind Cloud Pavilion has special policies to protect me. So, under normal circumstances, I won't be kicked out of Wind Cloud Pavilion, and I can stay in the Heaven's Chosen group forever!"
Shan Feier's tone was cheerful, her chubby face beaming with pride. Generals often die on the battlefield, and most information gatherers meet their end halfway through their missions. She felt honored for her parents and grandfather.
Her words left Wu Mingbao at a loss for words. The hand that had been patting her head clenched into a fist, and he lightly knocked her head a few more times, shouting:
"Do you think I kept you here because I had no choice? I kept you because I admire your persistence, hard work, and upright character..."
"Don't interrupt!" Seeing Shan Feier about to retort, Wu Mingbao cut her off in time.
"Let's get back to the topic. Take a closer look at the expressions on the faces of the Sunset Glow Sect members. The three Supreme Elders in the Sea Condensation Realm are standing there like pine trees, their eyes slightly closed, clearly not worried at all."
Looking at those disciples again, each of them standing tall and proud, are they fools? Do they not know what the Sect Master's defeat would mean?"
At this point, Wu Mingbao paused slightly, then placed his hands on Shan Feier's shoulders and turned her body to one side: "Do you recognize these people? They are all from Cloud Prefecture. Look at their expressions, their eyes filled with smiles, relaxed and chatting happily with each other.
You should know that in recent days, influenced by the Sunset Glow Sect, their disciples have also been surrounded and often faced forced challenges and ridicule.
It's no exaggeration to say that they look at the disciples of the major sects with resentment.
Yet now, they are all beaming with joy...
Even the Cloud Prefecture Lord is stroking his beard and smiling.
Can't you see the problem in all of this?"
"Hmm, I see. They don't have a good relationship with Gu Feng, and they all want to see him defeated!" Shan Feier's eyes lit up as she said this.
This statement made Wu Mingbao so angry that he wanted to give her a good beating.
Huff, huff, huff—
He took a few deep breaths to calm his emotions, then continued: "Do you think, why would Gu Feng be able to gain the trust of nearly a hundred thousand disciples of the Sunset Glow Sect?"
"Do you know who that female disciple is, pouting with a look of disdain, massaging Gu Feng's shoulders? She is the child of the Grand Harmony Academy's head, his own daughter.
She is just low-key and her identity is kept secret, so no one here recognizes her."
(End of the Chapter)
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