Aside from the Four Seas Hero Gathering’s enormous influence allowing cultivators to gain fame here, there was still another reason for this scene’s aggrandizement.
Anyone who got onto the arena and defeated an opponent would obtain a prize that the Lunar Palace provided.
This was especially so for the first stage. The reward for defeating ten Lunar Palace female disciples yielded the highest reward. It was an uncommon opportunity to obtain all sorts of rare treasures.
In terms of wealth, as the largest city in the Heavenly Starry Ocean, the taxes that Bright Moon City received from the many large local businesses could easily overwhelm that of the other Holy Lands.
If another Holy Land hosted such a large event like this, they would not be able to be so generous.
The extraordinarily bustling scene lasted for a long time. After the many cultivators were knocked off by the sets of ten female disciples, the venue slowly calmed down.
It was obvious to Xiao Chen that anyone who was not a grandmaster-level Martial Sage would find defeating the ten female disciples exceedingly difficult. However, this stage would not hinder a real expert.
This was probably the threshold that the Lunar Palace set.
“I’m going. Wish me luck!”
Qi Wuxue laughed loudly as he soared into the air, heading towards a small arena.
In the wake of his departure, a few grandmaster-level Martial Sage youths could no longer hold themselves back. The true elites of the four seas started to appear.
Occasionally, someone would be recognized, and their popularity stirred up the crowd.
Xiao Chen and Long Fei did not have any intention of making a move at the moment. This was just the appetizer. The Holy Scions in the exquisite jade pavilions in the air also did not plan to take action just yet.
Long Fei smiled and said, “Qi Wuxue is about to succeed!”
Xiao Chen looked over. Only one Lunar Palace disciple remained on the arena that Qi Wuxue was on.
However, it seemed like Qi Wuxue was not in a rush for victory. As he exchanged moves with his opponent, he seemed to be saying something, causing the other party to become enraged out of embarrassment.
Xiao Chen smiled in amazement. “That fellow… It is really hard to change one’s true nature.”
Long Fei shook his head as well and said, “His talent is actually slightly better than mine. This is really a pity.”
As the Lunar Palace disciples fell off, Qi Wuxue’s arena attracted a lot of attention from others, angering many people.
When Qi Wuxue saw the situation, he stopped being so playful. He smiled and said, “Pretty girl, I’ll stop playing with you already. You go down first. I’ll come back for you later!”
After that, Qi Wuxue threw a palm strike and knocked that Lunar Palace disciple off the stage.
“There is no need to wait anymore!”
Xiao Chen had now gained a rough understanding of the Four Seas Hero Gathering’s rules, so he stood up and prepared to enter the fray.
The arena that Xiao Chen targeted was the highest and largest one where the ten elite Lunar Palace disciples led by Fang Qingxuan were. That was the arena that most people paid attention to, as well as the hardest.
From the very start, no one had gone to that arena. Even the most arrogant person would know that they could not handle it.
Several people waited in anticipation to see which Holy Scion would appear first. However, they also knew that it was not time yet; the Holy Scions would not make a move so soon.
Hence, most people did not keep their eyes on the arena that stood out the most.
Everyone knew that this arena was prepared for the Holy Scions. They were not qualified to enter it. Going there would just result in their humiliation.
Long Fei said quickly, “It is not good to go too early. If you expose too much of your strength, the subsequent battles will become increasingly harder.”
Xiao Chen smiled and said, “Brother Long, don’t worry. I know what I’m doing!”
If not for what Yue Bingyun said three days ago, Xiao Chen might not have behaved so rashly in such a high-profile manner. He would have waited and observed the situation first.
However, right now, he had to win the Dragon’s Gate’s mountain tablet; hence, he needed to be high-profile and rash. He needed to establish undeniable superiority!
Before Long Fei’s surprised eyes, Xiao Chen’s figure flashed. Then, Xiao Chen somersaulted three times in the air before landing on the highest and largest arena in Bright Moon Plaza.
Xiao Chen moved too fast. Furthermore, not many people were paying attention as they did not expect anyone to go to the highest arena so soon. Thus, only a small number of people realized that someone had turned up there.
The instant Xiao Chen landed, his field of view suddenly broadened. The surface of the arena was far larger than what was visible from a distance.
Fang Qingxuan held a flute in her hand. When she saw Xiao Chen arrive, she smiled faintly and said, “Azure Dragon King, you should not appear at this moment.”
Indeed, Xiao Chen should not appear at this moment. No matter how one considered the situation, someone who wanted to snatch the top prize should not come so soon.
However, to attract all the attention, Xiao Chen had to expose his strength uncommonly early.
He did not reply. He looked to the front and observed the group’s strength. He knew about Fang Qingxuan’s strength already; she was still a distance from Small Perfection quasi-Emperor.
As for the ten elite female disciples behind her, they were rather strong. All of them were grandmaster-level Martial Sages.
Upon close inspection, one would discover that the accumulations of the Lunar Palace were much, much more extensive than the Rank 9 Supreme Sky Sect’s.
At the very least, the Supreme Sky Sect would not have this many disciples that reached grandmaster-level Martial Sage.
Now that Xiao Chen had a rough understanding of the strength of this group of people, he performed a cupped-fist salute and said calmly, “There is no need to say anything more. Miss Fang, please make your move!”
“Sorry for the offense, then.”
The flute spun elegantly in Fang Qingxuan’s fingers as she drifted to the back. The ten white-clad female disciples held out their swords and split into two rows.
Then, the two rows of ladies moved out on either side of Fang Qingxuan. They raised their swords and soared into the air, charging at Xiao Chen in accordance with the rhythm of the flute music.
The moment the flute music sounded, it seemed to startle all the cultivators in Bright Moon Plaza awake. They discovered that someone had entered the highest arena at some point in time.
Countless eyes immediately shifted their focus over. Everyone felt this to be very incredible.
Why had someone chosen to go up at this point? Was that person extremely confident in their strength, or was it simply just a ploy to gain attention?
Was this person not afraid of exposing his strength too early by coming out now?
After thinking about it, everyone looked at the pavilions in the sky and saw that there was no activity among the many Holy Scions. They immediately concluded that this cultivator would make a joke of himself.
However, when everyone clearly saw the white figure on the arena, they were all shocked.
“It is the Azure Dragon King, Xiao Chen!”
“What is he thinking of doing? He is a little too arrogant like there is no one left in our Heavenly Starry Ocean to face him.”
“He is simply ruthlessly slapping the faces of our Heavenly Starry Ocean’s outstanding talents. The first to ascend the most eye-catching arena is actually the Azure Dragon King, an outsider.”
“Haha, so what if he is incredible? It is just a mere moment of glory. He will end up crying later!”
Various discussions arose. The entire venue nearly turned into a mess. Several people could not help standing up from their seats.
It even got to the point where the many people fighting in the small arenas all stopped to look over.
Everyone thought the same thing: What is he relying on? Even the outstanding talents of our Heavenly Starry Ocean do not think of ascending the highest arena.
Why is Xiao Chen, an outsider, riding roughshod over our heads? Does he really think he’s still the Azure Dragon King with unlimited potential?
Many of the Holy Scions had their eyes closed, resting in the many jade pavilions in the air. When their sect’s elders said something, they all opened their eyes.
The Five Poison Sect’s Holy Scion could not help cursing, “Damn, that is too arrogant!”
The Sun Palace’s Chu Yang narrowed his eyes, projecting boundless murderous intent. He snorted coldly and said, “He really does not fear death!”
In the jade pavilion of the Yinyang Paradise, many sweet voices rang out. A group of female disciples looked at Xiao Chen, who was in the arena, with eyes with barely discernible romantic interest.
“Elder Sister Susu, this Azure Dragon King sure puts on quite a show. This is a gathering of our Heavenly Starry Ocean. Yet, he, an outsider, got ahead of the many Holy Scions and stood on the highest arena.”
The Yinyang Paradise had always been rather open in their thinking. The sect did not treat relations between man and woman as taboo. When the disciples spoke, their tone contained much less murderous intent than the voices of those from the other Holy Lands.
Tong Susu revealed an expression of pity on her very pretty face. She said, “How unfortunate! If he does not advance to Martial Emperor in five years, he will be able to live for only twenty years. In the end, he is just a short-lived person. Otherwise, I might actually fall in love with him.”
Even until now, Tong Susu could not forget the scene of Xiao Chen forcefully drawing the sword before so many outstanding talents in Despair City.
However, her melancholic expression turned into a lovely and charming look as she smiled alluringly. “Later, this Elder Sister will make a move and personally defeat you. I will be gentler. Those smelly men never restrain themselves to an appropriate level when they act.”
In the Myriad Fiend Island’s jade pavilion, Yan Shisan, Di Xinhan, and Mu Qingyun all found this incredible.
Mu Qingyun asked, “First Brother, what do you think he is doing? Right now, our cultivation is no weaker than his. Is he really not afraid of exposing his trump cards?”
Di Xinhan was the strongest of the younger generation of the Myriad Fiend Island—someone that Chu Yang considered one of his two rivals. He pondered the situation but could not understand, either. So, he looked at Yan Shisan.
Yan Shisan shrugged his shoulders and said with a helpless smile, “Don’t look at me. I do not know, either. Based on what I understand of him from the Kunlun Continent, he is not someone who likes to stand in the limelight on purpose. He must have his reasons for doing this.”
“I don’t think so. I think he is going to suffer a setback here. He probably underestimated the strength of the Heavenly Starry Ocean’s outstanding talents somewhat. The others aside, now that First Brother is a Small Perfection quasi-Emperor, no one can block him with his Heavenly Spiritual Body.
“Speaking of which, Brother Shisan, your way of the killing sword already reached the peak; even the senior swordsmen of my Myriad Fiend Island have acknowledged that they cannot compare to you.”
Mu Qingyun, whom Xiao Chen once nearly killed with a chop, analyzed indignantly.
Yan Shisan and Di Xinhan did not deny what Mu Qingyun said. Although the two acknowledged that Xiao Chen was strong, they did not think that they were much weaker than Xiao Chen now that they were also quasi-Emperors.
The judges of the Lunar Palace remained at the most exquisite palace in the air at all times, paying attention to everything happening below. None of the details in Bright Moon Plaza escaped their eyes.
In the palace, Yue Bingyun watched as Xiao Chen entered the fray. She shook her head slightly. If this was the method that Xiao Chen thought of, entering the stage early to gain attention so that the judges would have nothing to say, then this was too disappointing. This move was just arrogant. There was no way he would be able to take away the Dragon’s Gate’s mountain tablet.
Killing Qi soared amid the flute music. In the highest arena, the ten white-clad ladies who leaped in the air danced with their swords, all moving about—a dazzling sight, too much for the eyes to take in.
As the ten ladies approached, Xiao Chen looked carefully and did not find any openings.