Feeling relieved, Xiao Chen made his way back to the yard. Thank goodness that the green robe elder took his side which prevented the rest of the elders from diving deep into the topic. As he reached the yard, he saw that Yu Yifeng and the rest were all there raving about something.
“Why… are you guys here?”
Seeing his return, Qingyu trotted across to him and said joyfully, “Junior Brother Xiao, Elder of the Immortals’ League has decided to let you join the Summit Finals that’s happening 3 days later!”
Yu Yifeng smiled and said, “Did the elders make things hard for you on purpose?”
Xiao Chen grinned and said, “Not at all. But hey, regarding the Immortal’s Sword Assembly this time, who have made it into the top 10?”
Zhou Li scratched his head and replied awkwardly, “All of us have been disqualified for top 10 except for Senior Brother Yu.”
“I see. Congratulations, Brother Yifeng.”
Then Xiao Chen was told by the rest that Xiaoyue and Huangfu Xin’er who represented the East Continent; Zuoqiu Yang, Su Zimu from the Su family, Yang Shaochen from the Yang family who represented the Middle Continent had all made it into the top 10. For the remaining 4 people of the top 10, they were all from the Fallen Immortals Sect, respectively, One-dot Red, Sanzhan Li, Sixiang Shu and Traceless for Ten Miles.
As for the North Continent, South Continent and West Continent, none of which made it into the top 10. Undeniably, the overall strength of Fallen Immortals Sect was pretty strong to have 4 out of 10 people from the sect getting into the top 10. Also, that was under the circumstances whereby 2 of them had to battle against each other unfortunately.
Because of Xiao Chen’s return, it was needed to take someone out of the top 20 from earlier. As luck would have it, that someone happened to be Li Muxue who failed to get into the top 10.
Li Muxue was in a dress that was as white as snow and her smile was as beautiful as a flower. She said as she raised her fist, “Well, don’t let me bump into you 3 days later. I will show no mercy okay.”
Xiao Chen forced a smile. To be honest, he was not afraid of bumping into Li Muxue. Although the opponent was decided by drawing lots, it was sure that there would be a battle between Zuoqiu Yang and him. These were all nothing big actually. But, there was one thing that he was concerned about.
“What are you guys making noise about?”
At this moment, an elderly’s voice on the outside of the yard was heard. Yu Yifeng and the rest immediately stood in one row and greeted with respect, “Martial Uncle Xiaoyao!”
“Oh, forget it. Don’t do it in the Qing Chen way,” Zi Mo waved as he walked into the yard. Yu Yifeng was as quiet as a cicada in winter right away. He did not even dare to breathe.
Although on normal days Zi Mo appeared to be full of jokes and loved to fool around with the disciples, as the Eldest Senior Brother, Yu Yifeng felt kind of dreadful to be around Zi Mo. Zi Mo loved to smack his head whenever he felt like it while saying, “Didn’t see you being good at other things besides being as overly-rigid Qing Chen with his stupid rules!”
“What are you guys still standing here like a bunch of wooden stakes for?” said Zi Mo as he glanced at each and every one of them.
“There’s something I have to do. I will take my leave now!” said Zhou Li while being the first to run out of the yard.
“Senior Brother Zhou, wait for me!” said Qingyu while being the second to run out.
Yu Yifeng gave a stiffed smile before making his way to the entrance of the yard. Luo Shangyan took a look at Xiao Chen and went out too as well. It the end, it was just left with Li Muxue.
Zi Mo grinned and said cheerfully, “Little Xue’er, you go back too, okay? I have some matters to discuss with this brat.”
“Hee, okay,” said Li Muxue with a smile. Then she gave Xiao Chen a brief stare while raising her fist at him before she left the yard.
After everyone else left the yard, Xiao Chen walked up to Zi Mo and asked, “Senior Xiaoyao, may I know what you need me for?”
Zi Mo tip-toed and took a peep at the outside of the yard to make sure that those few little rascals were already a distance away. Then he moved up closer to the front of Xiao Chen with a beaming smile and said, “Kiddo, how much money do you have there?”
Xiao Chen took a moment before he reacted and asked, “You said you have matters to discuss with me and this is the matter you were talking about?”
“Cut the bullsh*t! Hurry up! This time I’m going to win a few million Spirit Stones for sure!”
Xiao Chen forced a smile. It was such a shame that Bai Ying was missing out on this. He said, “What about the 100,000 Spirit Stones that I gave you the last time, don’t tell me you have lost all of it?”
Zi Mo puffed and glared at Xiao Chen as he said, “You dare to even bring this matter up, kiddo! If you didn’t play a trick and go missing, do you think I will lose these many Spirit Stones? If you play a trick and go missing again this time, then I will really be bankrupt…”
After hearing him out, Xiao Chen felt a little guilty about it so he took out a Tier Six Spirit Stone. As he was about to pass the stone to Zi Mo, he pulled back his hand suddenly.
“That’s not right. How are we going to split it if I win?”
“Of course it is 50-50.”
“What if I lose?”
“Of course it is on yours if you lose!”
“The heck!” Xiao Chen immediately put back the Spirit Stone and said, “If that’s the case, then why don’t I just place the bet myself?”
Zi Mo smiled slyly, “Ahah! This gamble is facilitated by Fengxi, Tai Yi and I. We have made a rule that the contestants can’t place the bet themselves.”
Xiao Chen grinned and said, “I can get Xian’er to help me place it for me.”
Murong Xian’er walked towards them and said, “That’s right. I can help Brother Xiao Chen to place the bet. Brother Xiao Chen is going to win for sure!”
“Shoo, shoo, shoo! Kids can’t be involved in gambling,” Zi Mo said as he shoved her aside.
Murong Xian’er put her hands on her waist and said, “If you don’t let me buy, I will tell you off to Grandpa Qing Chen! Humph! ”
Anyway, Xiao Chen decided to let Zi Mo take the stone in the end for the gamble since it would not hurt to earn more Spirit Stones. On the second day, it was one of the liveliest days the Jade Terrace Mountain had. The grounds were crowded with people waiting for the announcement on the groupings of the strongest 12.
Finally, a grey-robed elder flew up to the platform with everyone’s attention on him and waited for the crowds to quiet down before he announced the contestants of the Summit Finals.
“The first group, Su Zimu from Su family against Sixiang Shu from Fallen Immortals Sect!”
As soon as he finished his sentence, the crowds started to hubbub. Many turned their heads northwest to look at a dashingly handsome man in a white robe. This man was Su Zimu. He smiled with a folding fan on hand. At this moment, he looked confident and at ease.
Not too far away, someone in Fallen Immortals Sect with a scroll in hand was focused on reading. It was the number 4 out of the 10 people in the Fallen Immortals Sect, Sixiang Shu. He did not seem to care who his opponent was.
The grey-robed elder took a look at crowds below before he continued saying, “The second group, One-dot Red from Fallen Immortals Sect against Traceless for Ten Miles from Fallen Immortals…”
Before he could finish his sentence, a voice came out from Fallen Immortals Sect, “I renounce!”
It was Traceless for Ten Miles who said those words. The grey-robed elder took a look at him and said loudly, “Traceless for Ten Miles from Fallen Immortals Sect in the second group has renounced voluntarily. One-dot Red from Fallen Immortals Sect enters in the top 6 of the Summit Finals directly! The third group, Sanzhan Li from Fallen Immortals Sect against Yang Shaochen from Yang family!”
At a distance away, Chu Hanyan frowned and said, “This Fallen Immortals Sect has always been mysterious with where they came from. Shaochen, do you have the confidence to win?” Yang Shaochen chuckled and replied, “Don’t worry about it.”
“The fourth group, Xiaoyue from Thousand Feathers Sect against Yu Yifeng from Jade Qing Sect!”
Xiao Chen frowned deeply, and he never thought that Brother Yifeng would have to fight against Xiaoyue. The odds would not be in Brother Yifeng’s favor. Suddenly something hit his mind, “Oh sh*t!”
At the moment, it was just left with Zuoqiu Yang, Huangfu Xin’er, Li Muxue and himself. It was definite that he would be fighting against Zuoqiu Yang which meant that Huangfu Xin’er would be fighting against Li Muxue. The thing that he had been worrying about was still going to happen after all.
“The fifth group, Huangfu Xin’er from Heartless Palace against Li Muxue from Jade Qing Sect!”
Xiao Chen felt a shiver down his spine. Muxue would never be a match for Xin’er and it would not matter at all if she admitted defeat. He was just afraid that they would…
At a distance away stood Huangfu Xin’er in a red dress. Her face was as cold as ice and frost. Aside from the few Heartless Palace disciples behind her, no one dared to stand close to her. On the other side, Zuoqiu Yang let a loud laugh and said, “Xiao Chen! There’s no escape for you this time!”
Xiao Chen was so distraught by the thought of Muxue battling against Xin’er, he did not have the time to care about what Zuoqiu Yang had said. Then the grey-robed elder on platform finally announced the last group of the list as he said, “The sixth group, Xiao Chen from Jade Qing Sect against Zuoqiu Yang from Divine Mist Sect!”
As the contestants of the Summit Finals were confirmed, the crowds at the grounds began to discuss it. Certainly, there would be some who loathed, grinding their teeth with hate about the finalists. The most obvious one from that group of people would be Ling Fei, the number 1 young man from Ling Family. Earlier on at the Immortals’ League, he was boasting that he would fight Xiao Chen in a life or death battle. But during the selection round where only 10 out of 20 could make it in, he was knocked off the Floating Platform with one strike by Su Zimu. He did not even qualify for the Summit Finals.
Two hours later, the 3 old men who were up to no good had even begun to have an open sale on the gambling tickets. Many of the disciples from the different sects had secretly gone to place their bets behind the back of their elders. Needless to say, the hot-seller was Huangfu Xin’er’s group. Most of the bets were placed on Huangfu Xin’er as the winner.
The second hot-seller was the group of Xiao Chen and Zuoqiu Yang. In the afternoon of the third day, Zuoqiu Yang had a gambling ticket in his hand. He was in such a rage that the veins on his forehead popped. He smashed the sandalwood table in front of him with one hand. Frightened, the 3 disciples from Zuoqiu family next to him were as quiet as a cicada in winter. They did not even dare to look at him in the eyes.