The five powerhouses in the ring looked embarrassed. Normally, they would have left with a flick of their sleeves instead of staying to be mocked by the crowd. However, the five powerhouses stood still as though their feet were nailed to the ground; none of them were willing to back away.
One of them cupped his hands and said, “I’m Yin Xiangwen from Yongxiang County, and I’m here for a challenge, so please be considerate and give me the spot.”
Another person glanced coldly at him and asked, “We came up here together, so why should we let you have the chance?”
“He’s right. The Yi family from Yongxiang County might be famous, but you can’t control the Woo family from the capital!” A middle-aged man smiled with narrowed eyes and greeted Ou Yangming in a deep voice, “I’m Woo Lejia. Greetings, Brother Ou.”
The other powerhouses were startled for a while, then they quickly saluted Ou Yangming with their fists and greeted him.
After two Yang Grade powerhouses underwent a cultivation base advancement each, the other powerhouses became extremely stimulated. The chance that they were talking about was not an opportunity to challenge Ou Yangming, but to break through to a higher level.
“The Woo family?”
Everyone looked at the middle-aged man, who looked ordinary and could likely not be identified from a crowd.
Nevertheless, nobody here dared to underestimate the man.
The Woo family in the capital was the imperial family’s most loyal inherited family. It was said that their family’s first ancestor was of humble origins and was nameless, but he assisted the Wu family’s first ancestor in dominating the mountains and rivers, where he made distinguished contributions. As such, the surname Woo was bestowed on him by the Wu family’s first emperor.
Despite that, the Woo family’s fame did not come from their first ancestor; their reputation was built through generations by their powerful powerhouses.
The Wu imperial family was the strongest force in the country, but the Woo family was at least one of the top three families in the capital.
Although the Yin family from Yongxiang County was also one of the great forces, it would be wishful thinking if they wanted to suppress the Woo family in the capital.
Ou Yangming’s eyes wandered about as he glanced at the five men, then he asked, “It looks like you’re not going to attack me together?”
Woo Lejia and the other people froze and thought, ‘Attack you together at this event? Do you really think the imperial guards are stiff…’
They would have been displeased if another person had teased them, but none of them reproached Ou Yangming as though they did not sense the chill in his words.
“If that’s the case, the five of you can discuss the matter and find me when you’re done,” Ou Yangming added, then he stretched his body and walked leisurely to the middle of the ring, where he sat with his legs crossed and closed his eyes to refresh his spirit.
In actual fact, countless thoughts crossed his mind, especially the Air-striking Fist Technique, which gave him a deeper understanding of space.
If it was not because he was in public, he would have retrieved the Big Abdomen Ghost Spider’s remains to refine an interspatial bag.
This was because he had a hunch that he could successfully refine an interspatial bag for sure.
The feeling was so strong that he would have started the process right away if he did not know he could not reveal anything about the interspatial bag.
On the other hand, Woo Lejia and the four other men looked at each other. They were itching to challenge Ou Yangming. Yin Xiangwen suggested, “Gentlemen, if none of us are willing to leave, let’s have a battle among ourselves, and the last person standing will be able to challenge Brother Ou. What do you think?”
The crowd below the stage felt strange after they heard his suggestion.
They were in Ou Yangming’s ring at the moment. Theoretically, before Ou Yangming was defeated or became victorious in the end, he was the only one who could challenge the other opponents.
That said, seeing as how the five Yang Grade powerhouses were obviously unwilling to back away, the crowd subconsciously thought perhaps the suggestion was the best way to settle the issue.
All of a sudden, a loud and clear voice was heard. “Zuoqiu Hongyuan, would you like to fight Brother Ou?”
When everyone else turned to look, they realized that it was Princess Wu Hanning who spoke. As for Zuoqiu Hongyuan, who was called out, he answered with a faint smile, “Brother Ou has had many fights, so it’ll be a one-sided fight if I challenge him now.”
Zuoqiu Hongyuan witnessed Ou Yangming’s various wonderful abilities, but he was still confident and did not waver at all.
It seemed like Ou Yangming was not to be feared.
This was the remarkable bearing of a direct disciple, who was carefully brought up by a real influential family. They would not be afraid no matter how eye-catching and formidable their opponents were, and they would always be sure of themselves without wanting to admit defeat.
Wu Hanning grinned. She had expected that answer from him.
Similar to how she would not take advantage of another person’s difficulties, Zuoqiu Hongyuan was also proud and conceited.
After hearing Zuoqiu Hongyuan’s answer, Woo Lejia and the other men sighed breaths of relief.
They were Yang Grade powerhouses from different clans but in terms of talent and prestige, they could not compare with Princess Wu Hanning and Zuoqiu Hongyuan, who were favored by God. If the two of them were suddenly interested, the five powerhouses could only step aside.
Wu Hanning’s eyes glowed as she said, “Since Zuoqiu Hongyuan isn’t going to make a move, Woo Lejia can take up the challenge.”
The crowd was stunned because they did not expect Her Royal Majesty to intervene.
Yin Xiangwen was discontent, but he dared not contradict Princess Wu Hanning. As a result, he was so frustrated that he knitted his eyebrows.
Even though the other Yang Grade powerhouses on the ring did not object to the princess, they stayed on the ring to resist in silence.
Wu Hanning sneered and remarked, “Among the five of you, Woo Lejia is the only one at the peak of Yang Grade.”
The faces of the other powerhouses changed after they heard her. They quietly glanced at Woo Lejia, then they finally sighed and left the ring
Ou Yangming frowned and had a grave expression on his face.
The young fellow fathomed the imperial family’s Simulated Spiritual Attack Fist Technique-a lost art—by chance, where he merged the unpredictable purple light and his outstanding mental power to unleash a might that exceeded the imperial family’s original art. Through this, the two Yang Grade powerhouses who fought Ou Yangming underwent an advancement each.
Though their upgrades were astounding, they happened within the same grade, after all. It would be impossible for Woo Lejia, who was already at the peak of Yang Grade Class Five, to break through as well.
There was a huge gap between Yang Grade and Extreme Grade.
Countless geniuses failed to cross the threshold. Before this, one could only rely on one’s talent, comprehension, and fate to get over the threshold. It was also worth noting that even the imperial family, who were the lords of the world, did not have better ideas to achieve that.
Having said that, the crowd began to have new hope.
If Woo Lejia succeeded in breaking through to the next grade, a furious storm would be stirred up in the world.
Ou Yangming pondered and had numerous thoughts in that brief moment, but he finally calmed down and became resolute.
He came to the capital with two goals.
Firstly, he wanted to promote the upgrade of pieces of affordable equipment; secondly, he wanted to get to the bottom of the imperial family’s background. He would strive to invite the supreme powerhouses from the imperial family to fight the spirit beast, which would appear once in a century, in the immense forest.
Si
nce that was the case, Ou Yangming had to become famous; he had to become one of the indispensable figures.
Therefore, he would not miss the chance in front of him.
Woo Lejia was somehow thrilled too because he knew very well what he was about to face. It was a golden opportunity, and it was the greatest opportunity in his life, thus he needed to hold on to it tightly.
The man cupped his hands at Ou Yangming with respect, then he asked, “Brother Ou, I’d like to experience your Spiritual Fist, but what will it cost?”
“What?” Ou Yangming was dumbfounded.
“The Yan family’s body technique, the imperial family’s Spiritual Fist, and the Lin family’s Air-striking Fist Technique—they’re among the countable lost arts in the world,” Woo Lejia explained in a deep voice, then he flushed and expressed, “The Woo family doesn’t have a lost art like those, but we have high aspirations and will never concede defeat.”
Ou Yangming could not help but laugh. It turned out that Woo Lejia thought he could only experience the Spiritual Fist by performing a lost art. “Brother Ou, how about we make an arrangement?” The young fellow asked as he had an idea. Ou Yangming noted while fixing his gaze on Woo Lejia, “If you manage to gain something, please keep watch over Changlong County for 10 years and offer help to the people there.”
Woo Lejia nodded after some thought. “Okay, I promise you, Brother Ou. Regardless if I gain anything or not, I’ll head to Changlong County to serve the people for 10 years.”
The beast tide was not known to everyone in the world, but given that Woo Lejia was part of the Woo family, he naturally knew about it. Since he gave his word on the ring, he could not go back on what he said.
“Thank you, Brother Woo.” Ou Yangming nodded.
There was a huge disparity between their ages, but nobody thought it was inappropriate for him to address Woo Lejia as a brother.
Following that, Ou Yangming flashed and swung his fist forward at the man.
The punch did not seem forceful and there were no fluctuations of interspatial power, but a peculiar spiritual wave was formed around Ou Yangming’s fist.
Woo Lejia’s vision went black, but a tiny spot lit up in front of him after a while. Before long, the light expanded, and a big multicolored tiger was seen inside the light ring.
The big tiger glared at Woo Lejia with ferocious eyes and strong killing intent. Without warning, the tiger extended its tail from behind, revealing a tiger’s tail but a snake’s head at the tip.
Woo Lejia had a ghastly look on his face. He could tell through his senses that everything was the result of a simulated spiritual attack, but he could not find any loopholes.
He clenched his fists and smiled bitterly.
“Am I seeing an illusion or the reality…’
Chapter 312 - Nine-ringed Saber
Chapter 312 Nine-ringed Saber
“Woosh…”
The distinguished big multicolored tiger roared and pounced on Woo Lejia.
It carried the reign of terror as though the entire space was filled with its arrogant momentum.
Ou Yangming definitely possessed a great-ancestor-level power, and the energy that burst out once he successfully controlled the power was of the same level.
Woo Lejia flashed away. Since he could tell how formidable the big tiger was, he did not have the guts to go head-on against it. After the man dodged with all his might, he retrieved a weapon from his back. It was a nine-ringed saber, which would give off loud and clear sounds of metal clashes.
The sounds spread far and wide, causing everyone to feel refreshed.
Ou Yangming, who was at the center of the ring, furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head. He felt dizzy when he heard the sounds.
He cursed to himself, ‘Woo Lejia was being dishonest! He said the Woo family doesn’t have any inherited lost arts unlike the previous challengers but isn’t that Nine-ringed Saber Sound a secret technique? Even I, who has great mental power can’t resist it, let alone the other people.’
Nonetheless, Ou Yangming’s mental power was remarkable indeed. Before the dizziness could affect his body, it was completely suppressed. It was just a brief delay, but the simulated world that he built revealed some loopholes.
The main embodiment was the roaring big multicolored tiger suddenly became stiff, and Woo Lejia, who was battle-seasoned, was not going to let the chance slip away. He lunged to the side of the big tiger and gathered his strength to slash it with his saber.
It was worth noting that the nine-ringed saber’s ringing sounds were forceful enough to destroy the illusion, such that the virtual reality, which was constructed by Ou Yangming’s mental power, could be completely ruined. Nevertheless, Woo Lejia was still far from being able to execute that.
After all, Ou Yangming’s mental power was greater than his martial art cultivation base. Therefore, Woo Lejia could only cause a short delay even if he gave his all.
Nevertheless, Woo Lejia gathered all his power in the saber because he knew he would not get the same chance anymore.
With that, the saber was slashed deep into the big multicolored tiger’s back.
Woo Lejia was truly at the peak of Yang Grade, and his nine-ringed saber was a treasure from his clan. As such, the mightiness of the combination between him and the weapon could not be treated lightly. Even if a real big multicolored tiger was present, it would more or less be injured too, let alone the simulated version from Ou Yangming. Despite that, Ou Yangming recovered fully when the big tiger was slashed halfway, and he immediately sensed the enormous change in his spiritual world.
He scoffed angrily and turned his hands, turning the big multicolored tiger’s thick tail into a stream of light, which was being swept in Woo Lejia’s direction with a thunderous momentum.
Woo Lejia’s face took on a ghastly expression because he felt incredibly threatened. In particular, he felt that the snake’s head on the tiger’s tail was staring at him sinisterly. Moreover, the snake’s tongue appeared to be black and shiny as though it carried fatal poison.
He was certain that he would die if the snake bit him.
Without any hesitation, Woo Lejia instantly withdrew his saber and retreated. However, his wrist tensed up because his saber was being held back by the tiger’s tough bones before he could pull it out.
At the spur of the moment, he abandoned his saber and dodged. Woo Lejia made the right choice without any delay. Although he would be troubled about losing his clan’s treasure saber, it was more important to stay alive. The big multicolored tiger curled its tail to wrap it around the saber after it managed to force Woo Lejia to retreat.
It tugged at the nine-ringed saber hard to remove it from its back, then the weapon fell to the ground. Flesh, blood, and bone scraps were seen on the saber, which proved how mighty the saber was.
Woo Lejia’s eyes lit up. Any creature’s power would decline after suffering such damage, and it would not be able to unleash its full strength anymore. Furthermore, the injury would continue to spread until it became the last straw.
He was delighted to know that he could contend with a great-ancestor-level half-spirit beast. Just as he was feeling rather optimistic, he widened his eyes.
This was because he saw the big multicolored tiger’s injured and bloody body recovering at the speed of light; it only took a few breaths for the wounds on the tiger’s back to vanish.
On top of that, the big tiger cast a scornful look at Woo Lejia, whose previous efforts seemed to be in vain.
Woo Lejia’s lips trembled, and he was reminded of where he was.
Even so, the big multicolored tiger’s aura was so real that he almost could not distinguish real from fake.
“Roar…”
The big tiger roared again and turned into a bolt of lightning as it charged at Woo Lejia.
Woo Lejia flashed and did his best to deal with the beast.
It was dead silent because the spectators knew the meaning of what would happen next very wel
l.
From their perspective, Woo Lejia looked grim even though he was up against nothing. The man suddenly pulled out his saber and slashed.
He certainly exerted all his force and displayed his brilliance through the slash.
Seeing as the luster pierced the air, the Yang Grade powerhouses who fought for a spot with him earlier were taken aback. They wondered at the same time how they could resist the attack if they were up against him.
They were disheartened by their answers.
This was because they were not confident about taking advantage while being faced with the saber. In fact, they suspected they would be forced to be passive even if they managed to withstand the attack.
Sure enough, a powerhouse at the peak of Yang Grade had outstanding abilities.
If Woo Lejia were to exchange blows with the previous three Yang Grade powerhouses, he would likely have more wins than losses.
That said, the moment the other men were in awe of Woo Lejia’s abilities, they noticed that he paused for a split second. Following that, Woo Lejia abandoned his saber and retreated as if something was pursuing him, so he was forced to give up his treasure saber.
Having said that, nothing was in front of him at all.
A Yang Grade powerhouses among the crowd asked softly, “Brother Wu, is your clan’s Simulated Spiritual Attack Fist Technique so vivid?”
“It’s impossible. I’ve cultivated the fist technique too. While I didn’t succeed due to the lack of talent, I’ve witnessed the fist technique’s greatest might,” another Yang Grade powerhouse noted with a bitter smile. He shook his head and lowered his voice such that even his partner only heard him faintly. “Even if my clan’s great ancestor executes it, we can only see some blurry scenes.”
“Blurry scenes?” The first powerhouse looked at Woo Lejia and asked, “Can blurry scenes make Woo Lejia abandon his weapon?”
He fell silent for a while before he uttered faintly, “In one’s dreams!”
A martial artist’s weapon was the most important thing because it was a treasure that one relied on to survive and to resist enemies.
Immortal Path to Heaven c1-725 Page 186
