NOVPUB"Him? What about him? Are you interested too?"
The Elder beside him laughed and replied, "His name is Dugu Ao.
He came to the Sect Gate a year ago, and his cultivation was outstanding from the very beginning.
He has challenged almost all the top disciples on the Hidden Dragon List and defeated them without a single loss.
He is the most promising disciple of this generation."
"Interesting," Xu Zimei narrowed his eyes and asked.
"Does he have a master?"
Hearing Xu Zimei’s words, that Elder glanced towards the Great Elder, seemingly hesitant to speak.
"What’s the matter?" Xu Zimei asked curiously.
"There’s no harm in saying, it’s nothing," the Great Elder replied indifferently.
"I wanted to take him as my direct disciple, but unfortunately, he refused."
"That’s quite a story," Xu Zimei smiled with interest as he watched the youth in the arena.
The Elder beside nodded and replied, "It is said that his master is a hidden expert.
His emergence this time is also to make his master’s name known."
"Then he will probably challenge the direct disciples," Xu Zimei smiled.
...
The midday sun pierced through the clouds.
The once clear sky suddenly became overcast in an instant.
The azure sky started to turn grey.
The sun was obscured by dark clouds, and occasional thunder could be heard from deep within the clouds.
The Inner Sect Disciple tournament had ended, and the top three had been decided.
They were Dugu Ao, Ji Baiyu, and a youth named Zhuo Yan.
Gao Xiong was very strong too, but due to a slightly lower realm, he ultimately lost to Zhuo Yan.
The Elder stepped forward and said solemnly to the three, "As per the rules, all three of you have one chance to challenge a direct disciple.
If you win the challenge, you will be granted one use of the Mythical Furnace.
Will you challenge?"
"I’ll pass," Zhuo Yan shook his head.
Ji Baiyu hesitated for a moment and eventually shook her head as well.
She was so troubled by the Seven Elders of the North Sea lately that she was almost disinterested in cultivation.
Only Dugu Ao, with a piercing gaze, looked towards the place where the direct disciples were.
Xiang Qianheng leaned against a nearby stone platform and chuckled, "Looks like we’ve got a thorn among this batch of Inner Sect Disciples after all!"
"I wonder who will be looked down upon," Xia Zihe said nonchalantly, wiping the broadsword in his hand.
Sword Twenty-One slightly raised his head, his gaze filled with Sword Intent, as if countless Sword Qi was bursting forth.
He only stared at Xiang Qianheng, uncaring about anyone else.
...
"I challenge Xu Ze," Dugu Ao paused for a moment before saying slowly.
Upon hearing that name, everyone’s eyes turned to the youth in white robes beside them.
Xu Ze, the youngest among the second Elder’s direct disciples.
Although his aptitude wasn’t considered very good, he had just entered the Emperor Pulse Realm.
Now, hearing Dugu Ao’s words, his face flushed with embarrassment, and a sense of shame arose in his heart.
"Xiaozhe, it seems someone is looking down on you," Dao Yang said with a gentle smile.
Xu Ze let out a deep breath, picked up the long blade in his hand, and stepped towards the stage.
"I will break his legs."
...…
The dark clouds in the sky grew denser, casting the day into deepening darkness.
Looking up, the rolling thunder seemed to roar in anger.
On the Mysterious Iron-made stage, Xu Ze and Dugu Ao stood opposite each other at a distance.
"I will make you regret your choice," Xu Ze said, as Blade Intent surged around him.
All six Vein Gates in his body were opened, enveloping him in the imposing might unique to the Emperor Pulse Realm warriors.
The Mad Wind howled around him as he spoke.
"You will lose," Dugu Ao said with an ordinary expression.
The war halberd in his hands was trembling slightly, as if begging for battle, beyond his control.
From the chief seat, Xu Zimei turned to the Great Elder beside him and asked.
"Great Elder, who do you think will win?"
"Theoretically, Xu Ze should win," the Great Elder replied indifferently.
"Unless Dugu Ao has some unexpected trump card."
"Then this match will be worth watching," Xu Zimei stretched and said with a laugh.
......
Xu Ze, holding a long saber, unleashed a blade intent several meters in length from the tip.
He soared into the air and with both hands wielding the saber, he slashed directly toward Dugu Ao.
Dugu Ao was not to be outdone; spinning his iron halberd a few times, the aura of the Esteem Vein Realm surged.
A dark spiritual energy enveloped his right hand as the tip of the iron halberd thrust out fiercely.
With a "bang,"
Endless blade intent and spiritual energy spread out.
Dugu Ao staggered backward several steps, the mysterious iron platform beneath him cracking with multiple fissures.
His hands gripping the iron halberd were trembling slightly.
"It’s still a bit forced!"
Even Xu Ze was slightly stunned by the scene.
It was known that there was an entire realm’s difference between the two.
Yet the opponent had managed to withstand his strike without injury; the strength was only slightly diminished.
His grip on the long saber tightened. If they had been of equal realms, he could hardly imagine.
"You’re only this much," Xu Ze said unwilling to show weakness.
His spiritual energy surged as he pressed forward aggressively, not giving Dugu Ao any chance to catch his breath.
......
Dugu Ao gripped the iron halberd, an inch longer meant an inch stronger; the halberd tip glowed with endless spiritual energy, dissecting the space around it.
However, Xu Ze’s moves were too ferocious, and as time went on, Dugu Ao began to struggle to keep up.
Just as he was about to be pushed off the platform by Xu Ze, Dugu Ao let out a sharp cry.
With a roll to the ground, he narrowly avoided the blade, moving to the other side of the platform.
"What’s the matter? You were so arrogant before, and now you only know how to dodge?" Xu Ze said disdainfully, as his body was enveloped with crisscrossing sword qi.
Dugu Ao took a deep breath; he plunged his iron halberd forcefully into the ground.
The platform shattered beneath him as the iron halberd penetrated several centimeters deep.
The originally dark spiritual energy around him began to surge violently.
He closed his eyes slightly, his hands grasping the central part of the iron halberd.
As dark spiritual energy flowed around him, it transformed into the shape of a flying dragon at the tip of the halberd.
At the same time, the dragon-shaped pattern engraved on the halberd began to glow faintly.
.........
"A’o, I started practicing this Heavenly Transforming Halberd at the age of seven.
By the age of forty, with my War Halberd Technique, I could dominate half of the Eastern Continent.
At the age of a hundred, I abandoned the Heavenly Transforming Halberd.
Grass, wood, bamboo, stone, anything could be a weapon.
To prevent the divine weapon from gathering dust, today I grant it to you.
I hope you will not fail my name."
Dugu Ao slowly opened his eyes as the Mad Wind howled before him.
It was as if he could hear once again his master’s earnest teachings from when he first started learning.
"The War Halberd Technique," he said with a forceful and resonant tone.
Then, with a slight stamp of his right foot, the Heavenly Transforming Halberd that was embedded in the platform flew into the air.
He seemed to merge with the Heavenly Transforming Halberd, becoming one with it.
His right hand firmly grasped the soaring halberd, thrusting it directly at Xu Ze.
With a "boom,"
The halberd tip carried an endless sharpness and spiritual energy.
