Chapter 2003: Probing
The words "Dragon Clan" caused a wave of exclamations.
Lie Qianhong's face changed color several times. He looked at Ximen Borong: "Alliance Leader Ximen has great ability, to actually get a Chi Dragon to condescend to help."
Ximen Borong smiled without speaking.
On the battlefield, Lie Zhuoyang and all other Lie Sha Sect disciples' faces turned ashen.
An Eighth-rank Divine Lord, and a Chi Dragon at that... just these words alone were enough to suffocate them. Where was any will to fight?
"So it's a revered guest from the Dragon Clan. No wonder your Worship Qilin Alliance is so confident." Lie Zhuoyang gritted his teeth slightly, his heart filled with endless unwillingness.
He also knew very well that if the Lie Sha Sect lost to the Worship Qilin Alliance, they might lose the qualification to enter the Lin Divine Realm... a consequence the Lie Sha Sect absolutely could not bear.
But earlier, when they rejected the joint entry of all five parties and decided to use ranking to expel the "unworthy," the Lie Sha Sect had not opposed it at all.
"However," the unwillingness in his heart was still spoken through gritted teeth: "Since the Lin Divine Realm is a gift from Yuan Huang, it should be entered by the capable. Seeking outside help... what kind of ability is that!"
Worship Qilin Young Master Ximen Hong smiled faintly: "If Young Sect Master Lie feels that inviting outside help should be forbidden at the Lin Divine Assembly, you may propose it before the next Lin Divine Assembly. Saying it now, isn't it too late?"
"Moreover, if inviting outside help doesn't count as ability, then how come your Lie Sha Sect can't invite even one?"
"..." Lie Zhuoyang's mouth twitched, unable to retort.
"Young Sect Master, what should we do?" All the Lie Sha disciples' gazes turned to Lie Zhuoyang. After confirming his father Lie Qianhong's expression once more, Lie Zhuoyang let out a long breath of turbid air and said in as calm a manner as possible: "This outside help of the Worship Qilin Alliance is a revered guest of the Dragon Clan, and also an Eighth-rank Divine Lord. The ten of us admit there's no possibility of contending, so we won't waste everyone's time any further. We are willing to concede."
He bit the words "outside help" very heavily.
And the words "Eighth-rank Divine Lord" caused another sustained outcry in the Qilin Divine Domain.
"Heh, a wise choice." Ximen Hong smiled faintly. From beginning to end, he hadn't released even a trace of profound energy.
Because he was sure that the moment Long Jiang appeared, even the Rock Mystery Sect on the other side would crumble without a fight, let alone the Lie Sha Sect.
"Lie Sha Sect concedes without a fight. This battle, Worship Qilin Alliance wins!"
The announcement rang out. But outside the battlefield, there were no boos, nor did anyone feel shame for the Lie Sha Sect... because that was an Eighth-rank Divine Lord Chi Dragon!
In the history of the Lin Divine Assembly, there had been many exceptionally talented outside helps who changed the course of battle. The existence of outside help brought various unpredictable variables to the Lin Divine Assembly, and also added color to it.
But never before had there been such an outrageous outside help in any Lin Divine Assembly.
Past Lin Divine Assemblies only involved ranking, but this time it also involved "elimination."
The Lie Sha Sect's unwillingness and resentment were understandable. But as Ximen Hong said, it was too late for them to raise objections now.
"Dragon Clan..." Ku Xian sighed: "As the last surviving beast clan in the present world, the Dragon Clan is said to have very little contact with the outside world. What price did the Worship Qilin Alliance pay to be able to invite such a powerful Chi Dragon as a helper?"
What Ku Xian sighed was the doubt in everyone's mind.
But when it reached Yun Che's ears, it shook him greatly.
The last surviving... beast clan?!
This sentence also made Yun Che suddenly realize a strange point he had never noticed before.
Before he unified the Divine Realm, the Divine Realm's million-year history had the Western Divine Region as the strongest, with the Dragon God Realm as the sovereign.
And the six great king realms that occupied the strongest Western Divine Region: Dragon God Realm, Qilin Realm, Azure Dragon Realm, Emperor Chi Realm, All-Elephant Realm, and Huilong Realm—all were beast clans.
But in the Abyss, those leading the six divine kingdoms were all humans!
Even Yuan Huang and the four divine officials, whom he could only vaguely recognize from the remnants of Mo Beichen's soul, were all humans.
The Dragon Clan, with bodies, talents, and lifespans far surpassing humans, were the undisputed supreme spirits of all things in the world he came from... yet in this Abyss world, they were not included in the ruling "Divine Kingdoms"?
Yun Che suddenly thought of the "last Qilin" of the Abyss, which dwelled in the Lin Divine Realm.
In the Divine Realm, beneath the Dragon Clan, the strongest were the Qilin Clan.
Yet in this Abyss, only one remnant remained?
Had the others all gone extinct?
But whether dragon or qilin, their bodies far surpassed humans of the same level. They should have been better able to resist Abyss Dust, so why...
With countless doubts in his heart, Yun Che did not try to ask. This should be basic knowledge in the Abyss, and asking publicly might invite unnecessary suspicion.
He glanced at Helian Lingzhu out of the corner of his eye... he would explore this privately with her later.
The second battle of the Lin Divine Assembly thus ended without a fight. The third battle was supposed to be a three-way melee among the defeated Rock Mystery, Ten Thousand Ren, and Lie Sha sects to determine the third, fourth, and fifth rankings.
According to the rules they had set before the war, the last place would lose the qualification to enter the Lin Divine Realm this time.
The entire Lie Sha Sect had darkened faces, while the Rock Mystery Sect and Ten Thousand Ren Sect each looked as if they had swallowed excrement.
They had held the first and second positions in the Lin Divine Assembly for several eras. But this time, even if they could enter, they would be in lower positions, and the number of people allowed in would be reduced by more than half.
This was something they had never expected before, and even less could they accept.
"Yang'er, don't be discouraged." Lie Qianhong said in a low voice: "We are not entirely without a chance."
His gaze swept over the Rock Mystery Sect and Ten Thousand Ren Sect... Yun Che had struck ruthlessly. Among the nine Divine Lords of Ten Thousand Ren Sect, five were still unconscious, and the remaining four were also injured.
Especially one... who was still kneeling on the ground, not having gotten up.
The strongest of Rock Mystery Sect, Zhai Liancheng, was severely injured and unconscious... probably even if he woke up, he would pretend to be unconscious. The other nine seemed lightly injured, but their spirits were scattered.
"I understand." Lie Zhuoyang clenched his fists and nodded heavily. Just as the Lie Sha Sect was trying to reignite their fighting spirit, Wan Wei, the sect master of Ten Thousand Ren Sect, said loudly: "Lord of Rock Mystery Sect, Lord of Lie Sha Sect, after the first round, both our Ten Thousand Ren Sect and Rock Mystery Sect have many disciples severely injured. If we proceed directly to the second round, it would undoubtedly be extremely unfair."
"Therefore, this second round should be delayed by at least twenty-four hours."
This remark immediately made Lie Qianhong furious, and he roared: "Disciples being injured can only be blamed on insufficient strength. How can you use that to postpone the Lin Divine Assembly? Wan Wei, have you lost all face?"
In the face of matters concerning the sect's future, what "alliance" and friendship meant nothing.
"Lie Sect Master, don't get agitated." Zhai Kexie was much calmer: "What Wan Sect Master said is all reasonable. However, this matter is not for us to decide; it must be left to the Knight."
The words Lie Qianhong was about to say got stuck in his throat.
Ximen Boyun spoke calmly: "The Lin Divine Realm is for the capable to enter. If fairness is compromised due to temporary injuries, it would betray the original intent of Yuan Huang's gift."
With one sentence, the light in Lie Qianhong's and the entire Lie Sha Sect's eyes was extinguished.
The Rock Mystery Sect and Ten Thousand Ren Sect breathed a small sigh of relief.
"Because many participating Xuan Adepts are injured, the second round for Rock Mystery, Ten Thousand Ren, and Lie Sha will be postponed to twelve hours later. How much they recover within twelve hours depends on their own skills and luck. No further postponements will be allowed."
Ximen Boyun's words did not end there. His gaze and tone shifted at the same time: "Although the three-sect battle must be delayed, the participating Xuan Adepts of the Helian Imperial Clan and the Worship Qilin Alliance are both in full readiness. The battle for first place can proceed first."
As soon as he finished, Ximen Borong said without hesitation: "The Worship Qilin Alliance obeys the Knight's will."
Helian Lingzhu turned her eyes to Yun Che. After seeing him nod slightly, she stepped forward and said: "The Helian Imperial Clan has no objections either."
"Good." Ximen Boyun nodded, a barely noticeable glint flashing in his eyes: "Then we will first begin the battle for the first position. However... the battle between the Helian Imperial Clan and the Worship Qilin Alliance does not need to be a full battle. One person from each side is enough. What do you think?"
Everyone understood these words, and everyone deeply agreed.
The Lin Divine Assembly was originally a contest among the ten most outstanding Xuan Adepts of the younger generation from each side. When they were on the same level, each person's power was important.
But if one side was too strong, so strong that there was a gap, enough for one person to easily crush all others...
Yun Che, who single-handedly wrecked the entire Rock Mystery and Ten Thousand Ren sects.
Long Jiang, who without even moving, intimidated Lie Sha Sect into surrender just by appearing.
How could anyone else step onto the battlefield... or rather, how could they even qualify to be on the same battlefield as them?
All eyes in the hall focused on Long Jiang and Yun Che.
"The Knight's proposal is reasonable and fair." Ximen Borong naturally couldn't object. He looked down at Long Jiang, his voice carrying a clear tone of respect and courtesy: "I wonder what the young Dragon Venerable thinks?"
"..." Long Jiang remained unmoved and unemotional. Even those closest to her could barely sense the existence of her aura.
Ximen Borong smiled slightly: "The young Dragon Venerable is not fond of speaking, but since she didn't refuse, it's taken as agreement. What about the Helian Imperial Clan..."
Yun Che stood up directly and walked out leisurely: "These eight rotten shrimps on this side stink to high heaven, and the nine miscellaneous fish on the other side, I don't even bother to clean up. This is perfect."
With one sentence, he insulted both his own side and the opponent. The Helian disciples were full of shame and didn't dare raise their heads. The nine Worship Qilin disciples on the other side showed anger... but after being angry for a while, not a single one made a move.
With a flicker, he was already standing in the middle of the battlefield, his gaze fixed directly on Long Jiang.
Compared to Yun Che's decisiveness, Long Jiang still stood in the distance, motionless and silent.
After a long silence, just as Ximen Borong was about to speak again, she finally moved.
Her gray-white wide robe billowed, and a stream of dead, heavy air swirled around her, carrying her into the battlefield, facing Yun Che from afar.
Mo Cangying's brow twitched slightly.
In his eyes, Yun Che had been mostly indifferent to everything before, crushing the Rock Mystery Sect and Ten Thousand Ren Sect as if playing with ants. But this time, he seemed to take the initiative for the first time.
He had some kind of interest in this person named Long Jiang?
Ximen Boyun slowly stood up. The curtain of this battle was being drawn open by him, the noble Knight of the Abyss.
"The second round of the Lin Divine Assembly. This battle will determine the first and second positions of this assembly. Although it is a single combat, the rules are the same as before."
"Both sides, begin the battle!"
His expression was calm, but his spiritual sense was locked tightly on Yun Che.
Long Jiang was an Eighth-rank Divine Lord, and moreover a Chi Dragon, which surpasses humans at the same realm.
And Yun Che... his previous performance required at least the cultivation of an Eighth-rank Divine Lord.
With a group of lower-rank Divine Lords, naturally they couldn't probe Yun Che's bottom. But what about Long Jiang?
He urgently wanted to know what background this Yun Che had!
High above the sky.
"Oh, these two..."
Hua Caili's face was already filled with irrepressible excitement and anticipation.
This contest, which she had previously thought would be boring, had turned out to be so unexpectedly thrilling.
"Aunt, aunt, who do you think will win between the two?" she couldn't help asking. "What if... a level ten Divine Lord defeats an Eighth-rank Divine Lord Chi Dragon? Would even Father be surprised to hear that?"
She couldn't wait to imagine her father's expression of disbelief and then surprise.
Hua Qingying's voice came: "She is neither an Eighth-rank Divine Lord, nor a Chi Dragon."
"??"
A hint of surprise colored the girl's expectant gaze.
"Scar-faced Dragon Lady." Hua Qingying's voice came again: "I have heard of this person."
"Ah!?" The girl turned her head, her lips parted in surprise.
Someone that even Aunt had "heard of"...
On the battlefield, Yun Che made the first move.
He charged forward without any flourish, crimson lightning rapidly swirling around him. Then, using his arm as a sword, he executed the simplest and most direct Heavenly Wolf Strike straight at Long Jiang.
The sword aura transformed into a wolf, emitting a roar that was awe-inspiring and soul-shaking.
Long Jiang slowly raised her hand. When her arm extended from under the gray robe, a pale dragon claw several zhang in size appeared, directly grabbing at the roaring wolf shadow.
Boom—crack!
The heavenly wolf tore at the dragon claw, the dragon claw ripped the heavenly wolf... In just one breath, both wolf shadow and dragon claw annihilated each other, scattering into nothing.
Only the earth showed traces of disaster.
Then, the two stood still, and no one made a move for a long time.
Although it looked like a very casual strike, it was still the dragon might of an Eighth-rank Divine Lord... When the battlefield suddenly fell silent, everyone's heartbeat seemed to stop. They all closed their mouths and stared wide-eyed, not daring to breathe.
Because in the next instant, the battlefield might erupt with supreme dragon might, as terrifying as a natural disaster or sea overturning.
Helian Lingzhu's fingers were deeply twisted into her sleeves, until her jade fingers deformed without her noticing.
The opponent was such a powerful Chi Dragon; how could she not be worried.
But, no one expected that the suffocating silence between the two was not about gathering power to strike, but rather... sending voice transmissions to each other.
"You... are indeed not a Chi Dragon." Yun Che spoke first.
"..." Long Jiang was silent, but after a few breaths, she gave him a reply: "You and I have never met, have no grudges, why expose each other's secrets?"
"I have no interest in exposing your secrets, otherwise I wouldn't have just sent a voice transmission." Yun Che's gaze was indifferent: "What I'm interested in is... what exactly is in this Lin Divine Realm that attracts you so much?"
"And what attracts you?" Long Jiang countered.
"Rest assured, what I want is definitely not the same thing as what you want." Yun Che's tone carried unshakable certainty.
"Best if that's the case." Long Jiang's tone was cold and emotionless, and she didn't answer Yun Che's question at all. Yun Che didn't press further and continued: "The Worship Qilin Alliance is already in the top two, destined to enter the Lin Divine Realm. Your goal is already achieved. This Ximen Boyun clearly wants to use you to probe my background. A person like you wouldn't be interested in being someone else's pawn, would you?"
"And," a faint, barely perceptible smile curled at the corner of his mouth, "you definitely don't want to reveal your true strength, right?"
"...You as well." Long Jiang replied coldly, as if she was naturally devoid of emotion.
Yun Che: "In that case, how about a draw?"
Long Jiang: "Excellent!"
Their auras moved simultaneously, and both struck out at the same time.
The hearts of everyone who had been holding their breath suddenly pounded wildly... but what they saw was their auras lightly colliding in the air, then each flying away.
As if carried by a gentle breeze.
Then, in the stunned gaze of everyone, as if measured, they landed outside the battlefield at exactly the same moment.
"It seems it's a draw." Yun Che spoke directly the moment his toes touched the ground: "Then both are first, each side selects three hundred and fifty people to enter the Lin Divine Realm. A happy outcome for all. Knight, please announce the result."
"~!@#$%^..." Ximen Boyun, who had been holding a breath, couldn't breathe out properly, his chest aching from the suffocation.
He glared heavily at Yun Che, but the other side didn't show the slightest change in expression, as if he hadn't seen it.
And on the other side, Long Jiang... directly turned around, her gray-white figure disappearing into the crowd behind, and in a moment, both her figure and aura were completely gone, as if she had vanished.
"Forget it," Ximen Borong transmitted to Ximen Boyun: "It can only be like this. As for Yun Che's background, there will be plenty of opportunities to investigate after leaving the Lin Divine Realm."
Ximen Boyun frowned slightly and said calmly: "The battle between the Helian Imperial Clan and the Worship Qilin Alliance has no victor, considered a draw, both rank first..."
"Wait!"
A sharp shout suddenly rang out.
All eyes instantly turned to the source of the voice, and they were astonished to find that the one who dared to interrupt the Knight of the Abyss was Lie Qianhong, the sect master of Lie Sha Sect.
Ximen Boyun's brow furrowed, and his voice also deepened a few points: "Lie Sect Master, do you have something to say?"
Zhai Kexie, Wan Wei, Ximen Borong... even the entire Lie Sha Sect were all startled and confused, not knowing what he intended to do.
Lie Qianhong took a deep breath, and when he looked up, his face was full of solemnity: "If it weren't important, would I dare to interrupt the Knight's announcement?" He turned his gaze, aiming directly at Yun Che: "This Yun Che is of unknown origin, and his cultivation is even more bizarre. The only information I know about him is that he appeared in Linyuan Realm a month ago and was brought to the Imperial Clan by the Helian Eldest Princess. Thus, I have reason to believe that the Helian Imperial Clan also knows nothing about his true origin and identity."
"..." Helian Lingzhu's expression changed, and she couldn't refute.
She indeed knew nothing about Yun Che. Because even Yun Che himself "knew nothing about himself."
How could the change in Helian Lingzhu's expression escape Lie Qianhong's eyes? The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, and his voice grew heavier: "Then, she probably doesn't know Yun Che's true age either."
"...!!" Helian Lingzhu suddenly realized something, and her face turned pale.
"..." Yun Che touched the tip of his nose.
"Moreover!" Lie Qianhong's confidence rose, and his gaze suddenly turned to the direction where Long Jiang had gone: "As everyone knows, the Dragon Clan's strength lies in their bodies and lifespans, but they are also limited by their bodies, so their growth is quite slow. With equal talent, it takes a dragon a much longer time to grow to the same realm as a human."
"To reach Eighth-rank Divine Lord level with a human's cultivation speed, to achieve this at the age of ten Jiazi is unprecedented in Linyuan Realm. Even in the Divine Kingdoms, it is as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns..."
"And this Long Jiang invited by the Worship Qilin Alliance is even a Chi Dragon!"
"So," Lie Qianhong's voice shook the entire hall, every word ringing like metal: "I suspect that the ages of these two are both not within ten Jiazi!"