Food Fairy Lord

Chapter 813 Eyes flashing with swords and spears, hearts burning with hatred and enmity (Part 6)
On April 13th, the thirty-two-person scale test was held.

Over the past three days, the rarely seen heroes on the ranking list fought fiercely and gave their all, contributing countless spectacular performances that have been the talk of the town in the capital.

Once every three years, it is the focus of the entire Tang Dynasty. Anyone who can ascend this stage that attracts everyone's attention will have their name gilded, and the back of the hero's certificate will be clearly engraved with "Renwu Year Linshi · Zhengtai" and the stage they are in.

Nine hundred becomes six hundred, six hundred becomes three hundred, three hundred becomes one hundred...

Every opponent was so strong, every battle was so difficult, and with each step forward, the world changed dramatically.

When they returned to the martial world, they carried with them the fresh names of Crane and Duck, once again becoming legends scattered across various places.

No matter how hard people climb, only thirty-two people will be able to stand on the last two days.

The thirty-odd young cultivators of the Renwu year of the Tang Dynasty represent at least the most powerful cultivators in the martial arts world over the past three years. Ten years later, some of them may also stand at the top of the Crane Ranking.

The champion will be decided within two days, and his name will be sung throughout the Tang Dynasty.

The vast crowd swarmed like ants, surrounding Dongjiantai like a white jade plate.

Pei Ye arrived in a carriage. The Suzaku Avenue was blocked by the rising Winter Sword Platform, and for the past few days, pedestrians and carriages had been traveling along the arc from the east and west wards. He had been staying at the Shenxiao Villa for the past two days, and the lush bamboo forest truly brought him peace of mind.

He stepped down from the carriage, with Jiang Yin'er following beside him.

The matchups for the 32-person battle were announced yesterday. Previously, Xu Chuo asked him if he had any preferred routes, and Pei Ye shook his head and said that the assignments would be as usual. Yesterday, when he received the match schedule and saw that he was indeed in the 16-person battle, he went on stage.

The secluded rooftop nearby was quite comfortable. Pei Ye led the girl up and they gazed at the still empty sword platform under the shade of the willows.

"Yin'er didn't break in."

"I lost to Sister Zuoqiu." Jiang Yin'er sat down next to her with her knees drawn up. "They're all so amazing. Before, when we played in the sword tournament, we all seemed about the same level, but once we entered the Feather Scale Trial, they all became incredibly strong."

“The sword competition is all about testing the waters. Those who want to achieve a ranking in the Feather Scale competition certainly won’t go all out beforehand,” Pei Ye smiled. “That’s why the Feather Scale competition is especially exciting.”

“Yes, during the Winter Sword Tournament, I won by half a move against Yang Tongxiu with my ‘Phoenix Soaring’ sword technique. But that was my most powerful sword technique, while Yang Tongxiu didn’t use any sword techniques at the time,” Jiang Yin’er said seriously. “I still need to continue to cultivate diligently.”

Pei Ye lowered his head, opened the letter of the Lin Trial, and looked at the name on it.

"Did you perform on stage today, Brother Shi?"

"No, I don't think so," Pei Ye said, seemingly unconcerned.

“I think the last sixteen will decide the eight first, and then the eight will challenge the first sixteen for their spots.” Jiang Yin’er nodded. “Brother Shi is seventh, so he will have to wait until tomorrow when the sixteen decide the next round.”

"Yes."

Pei Ye looked at the sword platform; Yong Ji had already climbed up.

From here, one can probably only see two distant figures, but both of them have good eyesight and recognize an acquaintance. Their opponent is Xu Wensang from Kunlun Yanri Palace.

He had a peaceful appearance, and a tassel hung from his sword.

He no longer had the smiling look he had when they met at the Sword Academy. Xu Wensang's expression was serious and solemn. Since entering the capital, this true disciple of Kunlun in the Western Regions had probably suffered repeated setbacks, and he had even fallen out of the top twenty in the preliminary examination.

He stood quietly on the platform, watching the figure in black flowing across from him.

For anyone, being assigned to Yongji is not a fortunate thing.

The competition lasted for three days, with sixteen rounds of challenges and three days of main challenges. Although a total of nine hundred people from outside the top ranks participated, after six days of selection, they had all disappeared. Not to mention the thirty-two people in the top ranks, it was difficult to find anyone from outside the top ranks even in the top one hundred or three hundred.

The only exception is this Crown Prince of the Northern Kingdom.

Starting from the sixteenth arena, he won twenty-seven matches in six days and stood here.

At first, he defeated some outstanding talents from all over the country. Later, he began to win against the top geniuses from the ten major sects. Then, he won against the top disciples of the Thirty-Three Swords Sect.

The odds in the casino about when he would lose fluctuated wildly, but in reality, many people already felt that he would never lose.

His hair was bound by an iron band, he was dressed in black, armed with a sharp spear and sword, had terrifying strange eyes, and a faint ripple under his right sleeve... Every time you looked at him, he was always destroying his enemies.

Despite coming from behind, I still made it to the first match today.

"Scale Trial, thirty-two people compete, one round. Kunlun Yanri Palace, Xu Wensang, opposite, Yanwang Mansion, Yong Ji."

With three chimes, all eyes in front of the imperial city turned to the stage.

For the first time, Yong Ji did not stand his spear upright on the ground.

He picked it up, but the sword hung at his waist.

"Come on," he said in a low voice, without returning the greeting or saying anything more.

Xu Wensang closed her eyes briefly and floated up.

Many people have never seen the style of Kunlun Yanri Palace. In their impression, they are more like bright and violent people who prioritize killing. Such a gentle and breezy temperament is really rare.

Xu Wensang floated down from the height, and Yong Ji thrust his spear forward. Xu Wensang lightly stepped on the shaft of Yong Ji's spear, bent over, and thrust his long sword straight at Yong Ji's throat.

Countless swordsmen's eyes lit up—what a swift and graceful sword strike!
Many people were still reeling from the previous arena battles, where cultivators unleashed their most extraordinary true qi techniques and trump card sword skills, creating a dazzling spectacle. But the swordsmen in the thirty-two-person duel seemed to have no need for such ostentation to demonstrate their strength.

The more skilled a swordsman is, the more astonished they are by this seemingly effortless strike—Yong Ji's thrust was far more difficult to handle than it appeared.

With a flick of his spear, Yong Ji sent Xu Wensang soaring into the air once more, but as he left, he left a bloody gash on Yong Ji's shoulder. He then dodged the cunning spearhead and, as he landed, thrust his sword toward Yong Ji's heart.

Yongji parried with his spear, but the sword was completely unaffected. With a flick of his wrist, it cut another bloody gash from his shoulder.

The Seven Swords of Twilight Shadow is the most difficult sword technique to master in the Sun Palace. Firstly, it is extremely unpredictable and profound; secondly, it can only be learned after mastering all the sword techniques of the "Sun Realm". However, its power is not very great, it is just difficult to defend against.

Apart from the current senior brother who has mastered all kinds of swords, no one else has indeed put in the effort to practice.

Xu Wensang's reason for learning it was very simple—as the head of the Yanri Palace, he couldn't be a swordsman who didn't know how to use it.

He never drew his sword in Shenjing again.

Ever since Yi Jian was defeated by Pei Ye.

Yan Rigong ranked first this year, Fu Bang ranked eighteenth, but was defeated by a single sword strike.

Xu Wensang had nothing to say; he truly couldn't withstand that sword strike, and even after recalling it several times, the result remained the same.

But he wasn't actually that weak.

His swordsmanship was unparalleled in the Northwest, and he had spent five years honing his skills at the Sword Cultivation Academy. The depth and breadth of his swordsmanship were such that even among the top twenty on the Duck Ranking, he would only lag behind a handful of others such as Lu Wei, He Yaoyao, Mei Jianxi, and Yan Feiqing. He also knew several very powerful intent sword techniques, and at the realm of intent, he possessed earth-shattering abilities.

He just didn't have the chance to use it.

There's no point in saying these things; the Feather Scale Trial is the only and last chance.

Xu Wensang and his sword moved like drifting catkins in the twilight. This was clearly the sword technique he had prepared for Yong Ji. In the struggle of killing power and the confrontation of strength, he knew he was no match, but he knew "Twilight Shadow" and used it very well.

The clanging of swords echoed across the stage. In the twenty-eight rounds of the scale test, Yong Ji finally lost his overwhelming momentum, perhaps because he did not draw his sword.

Since the start of the Scale Trial, Xu Wensang has displayed the highest level of swordsmanship. His sword flowers, like snowflakes, enveloped Yongji, and bloodstains occasionally spurted from his body.

Yongji, relying solely on a spear, would indeed find it difficult to counter such a sword. This weapon was originally intended for breaking through enemy lines and killing the enemy, but it falls short in terms of subtle and exquisite details.

But his expression didn't change much, and he didn't even show any reaction to pain; the dripping blood seemed to be just a superficial wound.

He only watched Xu Wensang's swaying figure.

Xu Wensang gradually took control of the battle. Swordsmen are always more sensitive to this kind of breath than others, and in a long battle, swordsmen are always the first to discover the opponent's weakness.

Xu Wensang suddenly stared into Yong Ji's eyes, as if two suns were awakening in them.

Since Yong Ji's desire to break the deadlock was not strong, Xu Wensang decisively drew his sword.

The "Dawn Secret" records the "Golden Crow of the Sea".

At dawn, as the sun rose, golden rays began to flow from beneath their feet, silently and swiftly spreading across the entire sword platform... Everything exposed was illuminated by the golden crow's eyes.

First came Xu Wensang's sword, then the blood flowing from Yong Ji.

It turned golden, then burned intensely and fiercely—people couldn't tell if it was real or fake for a moment.

Many people don't understand it because "Xi Jue" is originally the supreme martial art of Yan Ri Palace.

This is both a sword technique of intent and a true qi technique.

Every wound inflicted by the sword contains the true energy refined by the "Dawn Technique".

All that remains is for this sword of intent to be unleashed.

It traps you under the golden crow's eyes while simultaneously scorching your body. The killing moves of the Intent Sword are often within the realm of intent, but this sword is similarly outside of intent.

If you cannot escape the realm of imagination, when you are burned to death within the realm of imagination, your body outside the realm of imagination will also turn into charcoal.

But that's still not enough. When a disciple of Yanri Palace decides to unleash his killing power, he will never sheathe his sword before his opponent is dead.

Within the intent of the sword, Xu Wensang's "Six Blades Cutting the Sun" erupted once more. His mastery of navigating between these two realms was truly unique. The violent sword light struck Yong Ji's throat directly.

For the first time, a sharp glint flashed in Yong Ji's silent eyes.

His clothes and hair were stained with blood. He roared in anger and pain, slammed his spear into the ground, and shouted, "Hou! Zhu Yan!"

The flames on his body suddenly intensified, as the surging blood flowed like a vast ocean, and the fuel seemed inexhaustible in an instant.

But the next moment, a powerful crimson true energy burst forth from the wound, intertwined with the eerie white. Almost like a strong wind, the fire was extinguished in an instant, and the true energy exploded within a five-zhang radius. Xu Wensang had already brought his sword to his side. His sword was extremely fierce and powerful, but he was actually blown away by this true energy.

He adjusted his stance in mid-air, when suddenly darkness fell before him. A man with black hair, dancing like a demon god, was already standing in front of him, his eyes covered by an additional iris, crimson like a monster's. The instant his eyes met those eyes, the Golden Crow's intent shattered with a deafening roar.

The spear crashed down with a terrifying gust of wind. Xu Wensang used "Twilight Shadow" to hide again, but the moment the spear and sword clashed, his true energy dissipated, and the sword almost flew out of his hand.

How could such power exist?!
The spear, surrounded by crimson true energy, possessed an untouchable, terrifying power. Xu Wensang could even hear the roaring sounds from the person in front of him, blood flowing like rivers, and his heart pounding like a drum.

When power is doubled, almost half of the techniques become ineffective.

Xu Wensang gritted his teeth, roared, and switched to "Six Blades Intercepting the Sun" again, unleashing a torrent of sharp sword light with madness and violence, because he knew best that retreating at this moment would mean total defeat.

The spear and sword clashed in a brutal manner, blood flying between the two. Yong Ji gradually revealed a set of white teeth. After twenty-nine exchanges, he thrust his spear forward, impaling the blood-stained man with multiple broken bones on the tip of his spear.

Xu Wensang's head drooped to his chest, and his long sword clattered to the ground, breaking in two.

No one spoke; in fact, people watching this scene were somewhat horrified.

At the sound of a bell, the inspectors and doctors rushed onto the stage.

Yong Ji slowly lowered his gun and placed him on the platform.

Then he held the gun upright beside him again, using his inner energy to close the wounds on his body. The bloodstains looked horrifying, but the prince showed no signs of weakness.

He tore off his tattered shirt, and a soft, wave-like gasp rose before the imperial city.

A faint crimson aura still lingered around the wound, and long hair, stained with blood, fell in front of and behind him. His well-defined muscles and straight, slender bones revealed a strong and beautiful body.

However, its right arm has already taken on the shape of a beast.

Sharp, jagged armor plates covered most of his arm, protruding like horns. His skin was entirely dark purple-red, with a hard texture like gold and jade.

Two golden hoops, one above and one below, locked his shoulders and wrists, preventing the spread of this mutation. That was probably why his right hand did not transform into a sharp claw.

He just used this arm to smash Xu Wensang's sealed sword in half with a single spear thrust, which then pierced through his body.

He certainly can't compete with swordsmanship in marksmanship, but he doesn't need to.

An unyielding force, a body as tough as iron, descended upon this sword-testing platform, and the swordsmen's painstakingly honed skills seemed to vanish instantly.

Moreover, he hadn't even drawn his sword at his waist during this fight.

Yong Ji took a deep breath, withdrawing all his inner energy. His wounds had completely closed into thin lines, and his eyes gradually returned to normal. Then, he casually tossed aside the tattered pieces of his clothing, picked up his spear, and stepped down from the sword platform.

"...Brother, what is that?" Jiang Yin'er stared in astonishment.

“Blood of Mountains and Seas,” Pei Ye said calmly. “It seems he did indeed receive the third type.”

The final sixteen-person competition took two hours, and Ji Jiuying, Chu Shuiting, Yu Qing, Gao Ge, Han Xiuben, Qin Shang, Zuoqiu Longhua, and Yong Ji were ranked in the top twenty-four.

The remaining seven all won easily, and of course, after Yong Ji left, there was never such a fierce battle again.

(End of this chapter)