Chapter 1644: Extremely Ugly
As Hundred Flowers Fairy Ji Fanxin stepped out of the Golden Step Dragon Carriage, the entire Wangshen Mountain erupted in excitement. Unfortunately, no cultivator could clearly see her true face; they could only watch her back as she walked toward the Divine Gate.
A bitter smile appeared on Zhang Ruochen’s face. This Hundred Flowers Fairy was indeed not the least bit polite, actually treating the Golden Step Dragon Carriage as her own personal vehicle and using it so openly.
“I need to find an opportunity soon to redeem the Golden Step Dragon Carriage.”
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen noticed Mu Lingxi’s eyes fixed on his face.
His heart tightened slightly, understanding what was going on. “This is a long story. I’ll tell you the reason later.”
Mu Lingxi didn’t press him immediately, because she knew that the Golden Step Dragon Carriage held extraordinary significance for Zhang Ruochen as well. Unless absolutely necessary, how could it have fallen into another cultivator’s hands?
However, Mu Lingxi was quite curious in her heart—was the Hundred Flowers Fairy, whose beauty was renowned across the myriad realms and heavens, an enemy or a friend of Zhang Ruochen?
If she was an enemy, then the Golden Step Dragon Carriage must have been snatched from Zhang Ruochen.
If she was a friend, then what was their relationship…
Just as Mu Lingxi’s thoughts were wandering, Zhang Ruochen handed a stack of protective talismans to her. “Entering the Fengshen Platform will involve some danger. These are four Heavenly Sword Talismans. Each one, when unleashed, can unleash power comparable to a full-force strike from a Three-Step Saint King.”
Seeing Zhang Ruochen’s gesture, Mu Lingxi blinked her beautiful eyes and gave a wry smile. “You’re not feeling guilty and deliberately compensating me with Heavenly Sword Talismans, are you?”
Zhang Ruochen didn’t evade the question. “To be honest, these four Heavenly Sword Talismans were indeed purchased from Ji Fanxin.”
Mu Lingxi was very sharp. Hearing this, she immediately understood. “The talismans you used to attack the Yin Yang Hall—you bought them from her?”
“Most of them,” Zhang Ruochen said solemnly.
Mu Lingxi’s eyes reddened slightly; she had probably already guessed what had happened.
To attack the Moon God Dao Field and reclaim the heads of his senior brothers, sisters, and friends, Zhang Ruochen had most likely sold or mortgaged the Golden Step Dragon Carriage to the Hundred Flowers Fairy.
The number of major worlds willing to help Zhang Ruochen and the Guanghan Realm was very few. In this transaction, Zhang Ruochen must have suffered a great loss.
Yet, during the attack on the Moon God Dao Field, she had contributed nothing.
“What are you thinking about?” Zhang Ruochen asked with a smile.
“Nothing… nothing at all.”
Mu Lingxi took the four Heavenly Sword Talismans, her gaze shifting toward the Divine Gate, fixed on Ji Fanxin. No one knew what was going through her mind.
Beside them, Xiang Chunan shook his head and let out a long sigh. “The women of the Truth Heaven Domain are all so ugly it’s unbearable to look at. Luckily, she wore a veil, or else my eyes would probably go blind!”
Xiang Chunan’s voice was very loud, immediately drawing murderous glares from all around.
Even Ji Fanxin, who was about to step through the Divine Gate, twitched her ears slightly, as if she had heard him. A chilling cold aura emanated from her body.
No woman, regardless of her cultivation level, would be indifferent to comments about her appearance.
The Hundred Flowers Fairy had countless admirers and suitors. Some male cultivators who prided themselves on their strength rolled up their sleeves, releasing their Saintly Might, and surrounded Xiang Chunan.
Others who wanted to curry favor with the Hundred Flowers Fairy also showed anger, preparing to strike.
“How dare you blaspheme my goddess, the Hundred Flowers Fairy? You’re asking for death!”
“Who are you calling ugly? Say it again if you dare. I’ll knock your teeth out, believe it or not?”
…
Xiang Chunan clenched his fists, rolling his wrists, and said in a gruff voice, “Ugly is ugly—can’t I say it? Just because she wears a veil, you think no one can see she’s hideously ugly? That skin, that figure, that aura—none of it is even one ten-thousandth as good as my junior sister’s!”
Zhang Ruochen saw that Ji Fanxin had stopped in her tracks, her slender form trembling slightly, clearly furious.
Fearing that Xiang Chunan would cause a major disaster and be surrounded and attacked, Zhang Ruochen rushed over to stop him from continuing his verbal assault.
“Brother Zhang, why are you stopping me? Am I not telling the truth?” Xiang Chunan said indignantly.
“Shut your mouth first.”
Zhang Ruochen scolded him, then clasped his hands and explained to the crowd, “My brother here… his eyes are different from ordinary people’s. He didn’t mean to offend the fairy. Apologies, my sincere apologies.”
An Angel Clan cultivator with wings on his back snorted coldly, “Is an apology enough? This is a complete provocation—his tongue must be cut out.”
“Gouge out his eyes,” another cultivator shouted.
A young man with a pair of goat horns said coldly, “This cannot end so easily today. The fairy naturally wouldn’t deign to teach a lowly creature a lesson, but I, the young master, am willing to do it for her.”
Zhang Ruochen’s expression darkened. “Who are you calling a lowly creature?”
Xiang Chunan could no longer hold back and charged forward. “Brother Zhang, he’s talking about me. Don’t stop me—I’ll break every bone in his body, one by one.”
The goat-horned young man sneered contemptuously. “Fine, let’s see who breaks whose bones… ah!”
Before he could finish, Xiang Chunan punched him, sending him flying. His once handsome face twisted in pain.
Xiang Chunan felt wronged—he was just stating the truth, yet he was called a lowly creature. So, he struck with ferocity, venting all his anger. His iron fists pounded relentlessly into the goat-horned young man’s body.
“Thump, thump.”
The sounds of fists, breaking bones, and screams intermingled.
Zhang Ruochen didn’t stop him. After all, he had already apologized, but these people had no intention of letting Xiang Chunan off. Since that was the case, they had to suffer a bit.
“Why provoke someone with a twisted sense of aesthetics?” Zhang Ruochen sighed softly.
Moments later, the goat-horned young man was beaten black and blue, blood streaming from his seven orifices, curled up on the ground like a trembling little quail.
“A powerful Half-Saint King was beaten senseless by that dark brute without even a chance to fight back.”
“That dark brute’s physical body is incredibly strong—he might be an ancient relic beast.”
The cultivators who had wanted to denounce Xiang Chunan now showed wary expressions, hesitating. They didn’t want to follow the goat-horned young man’s fate.
If they failed to be heroes and ended up as cowards, it would be truly embarrassing.
Xiang Chunan’s aura was overwhelming, radiating a dark golden light as he roared, “What are you looking at? Anyone else want a beating? Come on!”
The cultivators quickly backed away, afraid to get too close and become Xiang Chunan’s target.
Ji Fanxin gave Xiang Chunan a deep, thoughtful look, then her graceful figure flickered and vanished through the Divine Gate.
After Ji Fanxin left, the cultivators lost all fighting spirit and slunk back into the crowd.
Only the goat-horned young man remained curled up on the ground, unable to move, looking pitiful.
His companions wanted to go over and help him up, but seeing Xiang Chunan’s fierce demeanor, they were immediately scared off.
Zhang Ruochen walked over to Xiang Chunan and transmitted a message to him: “You need to be more careful with your words from now on. Most importantly, never comment on a female cultivator’s appearance. Even if they’re… ugly, don’t say it out loud.”
“Alright, I’ll listen to you, brother.” Xiang Chunan patted his thick chest.
Zhang Ruochen knew that Xiang Chunan was a carefree person. He might agree now, but he’d likely forget it all in a moment. So, he just nodded with a wry smile.
Over the next hour, more and more cultivators arrived from all directions. Some held invitation letters and went straight through the Divine Gate. Most, however, stayed on Wangshen Mountain, waiting for the qualification test.
“I heard the qualification test is different every year. I wonder what form it will take this time?”
“Why hasn’t it started yet? If we wait any longer, the sacred fruits and sacred springs of the Fengshen Platform will all be taken by others.”
…
Just as the cultivators were growing impatient, Zhang Ruochen sensed something and looked up.
Above everyone’s heads, ten white halos appeared.
At first, the white halos were only the size of fists, but gradually they grew larger, turning into ten white clouds. On each cloud sat a white stone battle platform, a hundred zhang long and wide, suspended in midair.
The cultivators on the mountaintop all noticed this change and looked up, staring at the ten platforms, murmuring among themselves.
“Could it be a tournament-style battle?”
“I heard that in every Fengshen Platform assembly’s qualification test, only a very few cultivators pass. If it’s a tournament, maybe only the top three thousand will get in.”
With so many cultivators on Wangshen Mountain, even if the Truth Temple offered three thousand slots, it would be a drop in the bucket, making the competition extremely fierce.
Zhang Ruochen looked thoughtful, feeling that a tournament was unlikely.
There were only ten platforms in the air. Given the number of cultivators from various worlds, even if each one took a turn, it would take several days just to cycle through everyone. By then, the Fengshen Platform assembly would already be over.
What method would the Truth Temple use to test the cultivators’ qualifications?
Above the ten platforms, an old Confucian scholar with a three-foot white beard appeared.
The old scholar looked down at the crowd below, a kind smile on his wrinkled face. “I am the artifact spirit of the Saint Spirit Scroll and the host of this qualification test. Now, I will announce the rules of the test.”
“The test will last three hours. Within that time, everyone must ascend a battle platform and defeat a Saint Void Body of the same cultivation level. Those who succeed may enter the Fengshen Platform.”
Xiang Chunan looked stunned. “That simple?”
“Not simple at all.” Zhang Ruochen shook his head.
Xiang Chunan asked, “Why isn’t it simple? Are the Saint Void Bodies on the platforms very strong?”
Zhang Ruochen said solemnly, “The entire test only lasts three hours. With so many cultivators gathered here, just getting to the platform first won’t be easy. In other words, more than ninety percent of the cultivators here won’t even make it onto a platform.”
Mu Lingxi nodded. “That’s right. The difficulty of being the first to ascend a platform far exceeds the difficulty of fighting a Saint Void Body.”
Xiang Chunan finally understood and glared fiercely at the old scholar. “That damned old man—he’s given us such a tough problem! So that means no matter how strong someone is, it’s useless if they get attacked by hundreds of cultivators at once. They won’t be able to hold out.”
Mu Lingxi smiled. “Being strong still gives you an advantage.”
Zhang Ruochen grinned. “For other cultivators, being the first to ascend a platform might be as hard as reaching the heavens. But for us, it’s the easiest thing in the world.”
Xiang Chunan’s face lit up with joy. “Brother Zhang, do you have some brilliant plan?”