Chapter 368 – Disdaining All Heroes
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After Lin Ming brutally beat up Shi Hanshan and defeated Shi Zhongkun in a war of words, the morale of the Divine Phoenix Island disciples sharply rose, the morose atmosphere that surrounded them instantly swept away.
After suffering the indignity of the six sects’ actions and then also being suppressed by their joint effort, a simmering rage had been brewing within their chests.
This wasn’t only Lin Ming’s victory, but a victory that emboldened everyone. With just a few words, he had been able to give voice to the thoughts of the Divine Phoenix Island disciples, and vent out their frustrations for them.
At this moment, Lin Ming’s previous status as an outsider had been fully accepted by everyone else; no one envied him anymore. Instead, their admiration and fondness for him continued to grow. Several young girls gazed at Lin Ming, ooh-ing and aah-ing at him, talking about him, their young and pretty faces flushed red with excitement.
But the complexions of the Five Element Region disciples were actually not good at all. Their hearts were full of jealousy that showed on their faces.
“This Lin Ming is far too arrogant!”
“Humph. His arrogance won’t last for long. Since he has a Houtian realm strength, he’ll be drawn into the battle of Houtian masters. Lin Ming’s talent is real, but he’s still far too young and naïve.”
“Yes, Shi Hanshan is a core disciple, but his talent is just so-so. There are also direct disciples stronger than him, and above that are even disciples like Huo Ruyan, Zhou Lie, Bai Aoxuan, and other such characters.”
“Mm. The six sects’ chief disciples aren’t to be messed with. Not mentioning the other sects, Shi Hanshan’s senior-apprentice brother Shi Dingtian won’t stand idly by after this.”
“A beautiful tree in a forest will be destroyed by the wind. The six great sects won’t let things end so simply.”
Now that things had come to this, the simmering anger between Divine Phoenix Island and the six great sects had reached the boiling point. Now it was no longer just a comparison of skills. As soon as one went onstage, they would be using their full strength and all of their special skills until the other party was defeated.
Once they were defeated, it would be a miserable end.
Onstage, Shi Zhongkun’s complexion had fallen to the ground. He was a Revolving Core master, since when did he have to suffer the berating words of a junior? Wasn’t this even more embarrassing than losing to those other old bags?
“Good, very good! Heroes always come from the young; this old man has truly experienced a wonderful scene! Hanshan’s character is honest and his talent is low. He cultivates diligently every day and seeks the martial path with his whole heart, but now he was actually bullied by your strength today and wounded to this point! Since Hanshan is weaker than you, this old man has nothing to say! But, let me tell you, there is always a higher mountain and always a stronger human. When you use your greater strength to bully others in such a cruel fashion, you should also expect that someone else with an even deeper cultivation will one day use you as a stepping stone and crush you under their feet!”
“My Five Element Region’s six great sects have countless masters all around. This old man wants to see, for just how long will you be able to win?”
Shi Zhongkun’s words could be considered harsh, but Lin Ming only sneered. What a well said ‘honest character, low talent’. If such a scumbag could be considered honest and simple, then the master Netherworld Demon Emperor of Silent Demon Emperor City could be considered the most kind and merciful of individuals.
Lin Ming said loud and clearly, “The world is vast, and there are as many geniuses as clouds in the sky. I’ve never thought that I am among the top heroic elites of this world’s youths. Even at my age, there are many powerful people that already surpass me. You said that I use my strength to bully others, and you’re not wrong, but that’s because I always wish to beat up the scum of the earth. If there are people of your Five Element Region that wants to rely on their cultivation to crush me under their heel, then I, Lin Ming, am standing right here! I will receive all comers! Whoever many come, I’ll fight that many!”
Lin Ming’s words were like a divine clarion bell; they reached the clouds, split the earth, and resounded through the entire audience.
Even Shi Zhongkun was stunned. He stared speechless at Lin Ming, this boy was crazy! He wanted to single-handedly resist all the masters of the six great sects?
With Lin Ming’s word, the disciples of Divine Phoenix Island were seething in an elated frenzy. The men were yelling, and the women were screaming.
“Big Brother Lin is too awesome!”
“Big Brother Lin, well said!”
“Senior-apprentice Brother Lin is too sexy! Aah!!”
Whether or not Lin Ming could fulfill his words, no one knew. But presently, when Lin Ming had spoken, his heroic spirit had speared straight into the skies, causing the Divine Phoenix Island disciples’ blood to boil, as if their entire bodies had been lit with an explosive passion.
People were creatures that were easily infected with emotion. But to those that were able to incite the mood of the crowd, this was the most charming time of their lives.
At this time, Even Mu Qianyu, who was sitting beside old lady Yuhuang, felt her heart speed up a bit. She lightly said, “This fellow Lin Ming really knows how to stir up trouble.”
Old lady Yuhuang showed a rare smile. She knew that the reason Lin Ming had said these words was that he wanted to repay her gratitude. She laughed a bit and said, “This kid, he hasn’t even bothered with the rabbit but wants to shoo the eagle. If he wins the next five or six matches, all the treasures I’ve been saving will be robbed by him.”
Mu Qianyu covered her mouth as she giggled, not saying anything.
Old lady Yuhuang glanced at Mu Qianyu with a sarcastic eye, “Yu’er, how come you’re smiling? Don’t you feel bad? These things were meant to be passed to you later.”
Mu Qianyu was a Saintess of Divine Phoenix Island, and the Vermillion Bird blood essence would naturally be passed to her later. As for Mu Bingyun, although she too was a Saintess, she had the bloodline of the Blue Luan within her body; the Vermillion Bird blood essence was useless to her.
Mu Qianyu said, “Yu’er doesn’t feel bad at all. Although the Vermillion Bird blood essence will be beneficial to my cultivation, it will be of far greater benefit to Lin Ming. Using it on Lin Ming would be the best use of it. Honorable Master will surely not regret this decision.”
Mu Qianyu was born with a very pure and rich Vermillion Bird bloodline. With the fusion of some Vermillion Bird blood essence, her bloodline concentration wouldn’t increase by much; at best it would enhance her fire-attribute true essence fusion compatibility by a bit. But, if given to Lin Ming, it would greatly increase his Vermillion Bird bloodline to the point where he would be able to practice the core sections of the ‘Vermillion Bird Forbidden Divine Chronicle’, and thus greatly enhance his strength.
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t give it to him, but you actually feared that I would go back on my promise…” Mu Yuhuang meaningfully glanced at Mu Qianyu. Mu Qianyu instantly panicked, and then quickly calmed her manner and restrained herself.
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Shi Zhongkun sneered, saying, “Boy, remember the words you just said. Words that you speak are the same as water that’s thrown out – it can’t be taken back. Now you’ve flaunted your fast tongue and made such a ridiculous and foolish challenge! This old man wants to take a good, hard look at just how many of the heroic elites from the six great sects you will be able to challenge!”
When Shi Zhongkun spoke to this point, he didn’t bother to speak anymore. He lifted the half-dead Shi Hanshan and stepped offstage. Against a stupid junior that was soon going be turned into a complete fool, there was simply no need to argue.
Of course, this was only a method of consoling his own mind. In fact, after he stepped down from the stage, his face remained livid, to the point where the many disciples of the Deep Earth Sect were afraid to even take a breath.
As all the disciples of the banquet exploded in a range of emotions, the disciples of Divine Phoenix Island madly cheered on Lin Ming. No matter whether or not he would be able to fulfill the words of his declaration, their anger had been vented.
As for the Five Element Region disciples, they were completely dismissive of Lin Ming. They held the mindset of watching the matches and waiting to see Lin Ming be tormented.
“I wonder how long Lin Ming can last?”
“I’m guessing at most two or three matches. The six great sects will not allow Lin Ming to keep showing off his arrogance. Once one is defeated, the next one to go up will be stronger. But as for the six chief disciples, they won’t participate in this demeaning show, or else Lin Ming won’t even be able to last past the first round.”
“Mm, Senior-apprentice Brother Sun is right. Lin Ming is just disgracing himself. Senior-apprentice Brother Sun has extraordinary strength, and has also stepped into the Houtian realm. Perhaps Senior-apprentice Brother Sun would like to go onstage yourself and have a good match against this Lin Ming!”
“Well, uh…” The voice of the youth surnamed Sun paused. He wished he could slap this ass-kissing idiotic junior-apprentice brother to death. He hesitated, and then pretended to ponder for a moment before finally saying, “I’ll have a look at how things go first.”
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The Deep Earth Sect disciples were suppressed too much by Shi Zhongkun’s incensed expression. Finally, one disciple couldn’t bear it any longer and jumped onstage. He stood at the center of the stage and clearly said, “Deep Earth Sect’s Chen Kun, currently 19 years old. Please advise!”
“Chen Kun! He’s a Deep Earth Sect direct disciple!”
“I didn’t think that the first one to go onstage would be a direct disciple! This banquet competition has developed too quickly. It’s been an hour or two, but the level of the participants has already risen to the level of direct disciples; the other people hadn’t even had a chance to go onstage.”
“Who knew that this random factor Lin Ming would show up from nowhere. But, this Chen Kun is not someone who can be easily played with. The outcome of this match is hard to determine, but he will definitely be able to force Lin Ming into using his full strength.”
Chen Kun extracted a long staff from his spatial ring. This staff was one of the common weapons of the Deep Earth Sect.
“Boy, it’s not that I, Chen Kun, am bullying you, but it is that you are far too arrogant. You don’t even place my Five Element Region’s six great sects in your eyes. Since you dare to challenge the six great sects with your lone strength, how could I fear you? Watch my staff!”
Chen Kun fired his staff. This staff was naturally an elastic staff. The staff danced in the sky, creating brown phantoms that connected into a single stretch, as if sand had covered the entire sky. It was impossible to tell where Chen Kun’s attack would come from.
Against these overwhelming staff phantoms, Lin Ming only thrust out his spear. This spear brought forth 10,000 filaments of vibrating true essence. The azure vibrating true essence flushed out like a tide. Under such a tide, all of the staff phantoms were dispelled, turning into nothing.
In an instant, Lin Ming arrived in front of Chen Kun, stabbing his spear towards Chen Kun’s stomach!
“Mm!?” Chen Kun’s complexion changed, “Cliff Rock Barrier!”
As a disciple of the Deep Earth Sect, he naturally knew several defensive martial skills. Chen Kun waved his hand, and a thick wall of earth appeared in front of him. Lin Ming’s spear smashed into the wall, shaking the origin energy that created it!
Chen Kun insidiously smiled. He took advantage of when Lin Ming’s weapon was caught in the wall and raised his staff, pounding down on Lin Ming’s shoulder. “Earth Opening Staff!”
The long staff howled as it came down, the origin energy twisted around it, turning into a three foot thick staff shade. As it came down, it looked like a golden pillar that was about to smash Lin Ming. If this staff struck, it would definitely break his collarbone, causing Lin Ming to lose his combat strength.
In that split-second, Lin Ming cried out, “Explode!”
Flow like Silk erupted. The foot thick earth wall was actually blown into powder by 10,000 vibrating azure true essence filaments!
Lin Ming’s spear swept out, his spear potential like an unstoppable wave!
It collided with the golden staff shade!
Bang!
As the staff and spear intersected, the golden pillar staff shade broke apart, but Lin Ming’s Heavy Profound Soft Spear curved into a crescent moon, as if it were about to break.
“Body Tearing Bone Shattering Fist!”
In that last moment, Lin Ming had actually held onto the spear with a single hand. With his free right hand, his punched out!
At this moment, Chen Kun was using his full strength to support the staff in his hands – where would he have the strength to defend? He could only stare with disbelief as Lin Ming’s fist punched his chest.
Chen Kun only saw his eyes go dark for a moment as he flew backwards.
