1248 The First Selection

Chapter 1248: The First Selection

Translator: EndlessFantasy TranslationEditor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Duan Ling Tian." Soon after, a familiar voice rang by Duan Ling Tian's ears. He did not need to look, he knew who the owner of the voice was.

It was none other than Nangong Yi who came to Ling Xuan Peak to participate in the Selection of the Martial Emperor's disciples and followers.

There were two faint sounds of wind whistling approaching him. He could easily guess that Nangong Chen was with Nangong Yi as well.

"You're here." Duan Ling Tian nodded slightly.

After Nangong Yi appeared behind Duan Ling Tian, his gaze unconsciously landed on Lu Zhong who was standing behind Song Ting in the distance. He asked with dread in his voice, "Duan Ling Tian, did Lu Zhong look for you?"

"Yes, he did." Duan Ling Tian nodded in response to Nangong Yi's question.

"Did you win him?" Nangong Yi asked, surprised.

"We didn't battle." Duan Ling Tian shook his head.

Although Lu Zhong did look for him, he did not attack him all. Due to this reason, there was no winner or loser.

"Didn't battle?" Nangong Yi was surprised.

In fact, when Lu Zhong came to find him, he was furious. If it was not because Lu Zhong was wary of the fact that he was a participant of the Selection of the Martial Emperor's disciples and followers and he was not the real killer, Lu Zhong would have attacked him immediately.

Duan Ling Tian, on the other hand, was different.

Lu Zhong's younger blood brother had died directly in Duan Ling Tian's hands. By right, Lu Zhong would not let him go so easily.

"Are you confident in going against him?" Nangong Yi did not ask for the reason, he was more curious about this matter.

Although Duan Ling Tian had killed Lu Yi, Lu Zhong's younger brother who was a Martial Emperor's disciple, his attack at that time was sudden and took his opponent by surprise.

If Lu Yi had been prepared, it would have been almost impossible for Duan Ling Tian to kill him.

After all, Duan Ling Tian's cultivation base was just too low. The strength boost that his Spirit Weapon could grant was just too limited.

Lu Yi had died due to his own recklessness.

If it was the Duan Ling Tian from six months ago, Nangong Yi was certain he would not win if he went against Lu Zhong, the Martial Emperor's disciple, who was stronger than his younger brother, Lu Yi.

Among all the Martial Emperor's disciples, his strength was in the top three.

However, six months had gone by. He had no idea how much Duan Ling Tian had raised his cultivation base. Due to this reason, he did not carelessly come to a conclusion.

After all, it only took Duan Ling Tian a month to restore his cultivation base to the First Level Void Interpretation Stage from the First Level Core Formation Stage previously.

Six months had gone by, just how much did Duan Ling Tian restore his cultivation base?

He had no clue at all.

"Confident?" When Duan Ling Tian heard Nangong Yi's question, he was momentarily stunned before he smiled faintly. His smile was so mysterious that it made Nangong Yi feel even more curious.

Nangong Yi could not suppress his curiosity and ask again, "What? You're confident?"

However, Duan Ling Tian still did not answer him, causing him to feel a little frustrated.

In the distance, Song Ting and Zhong An, the Martial Emperor's second and third direct disciples in Ling Xuan Peak, gathered together. This was a sign that the Selection of the Martial Emperor's disciples and followers of Ling Xuan Peak was about to begin.

Song Ting and Zhong An were the two great judges for the Selection of the Martial Emperor's disciples and followers today.

Naturally, apart from the two who were the judges, there was another group of Martial Emperor's disciples who would work together with them in the Selection of the Martial Emperor's disciples and followers.

As the supervisors today, the group of Martial Emperor's disciples would supervise the selection today.

"Third Junior Brother, it has been a long time since I last saw you," Song Ting greeted Zhong An with a smile. Those who did not know any better would really think that he and Zhong An had a good brotherly relationship with each other. After all, they were both apprentices to the same master.

"That's right, it has been such a long time… Second Senior Brother," Zhong An responded faintly. A smile could be seen on his face as well. However, the smile did not reach his eyes.

A hint of hostility gleamed in the depth of both their eyes.

"Since we're both here, should we begin the Selection of the Martial Emperor's disciples and followers?" Song Ting asked.

"Yeah, let's begin." Zhong An nodded. He glanced at the surroundings before announcing loudly, "All the martial artists who are participating in the Selection of the Martial Emperor's disciples and followers today, descend on the stone platform below… The first selection will begin in fifteen minutes."

The moment Zhong An's words spread out, a group of people descended one after another like dumplings being dropped down on the vast stone platform.

Duan Ling Tian and the Nangong brothers did not join the crowd.

It was only until the crowd descending began to thin that they descended. They landed on the side of the stone platform firmly and waited for the Selection of the Martial Emperor's disciples and followers to begin.

Not long after Duan Ling Tian and the two others landed, an annoying voice resonated in the air. His voice was filled with mockery. "Tsk tsk… Nangong Chen, they're your companions?"

A middle-aged man who was dressed in a silver robe appeared before the three of them. From the beginning until the end, he did not look at Nangong Chen at all. His gaze was firmly fixed on Duan Ling Tian and Nangong Yi instead.

"I've not seen the two of them before… Hmmm, I guess this means their cultivation base must be below the Seventh Level Martial Monarch Stage huh?" A mocking smile appeared on the silver-robed middle-aged man's face when he reached the end of his sentence.

Based on his words, it was obvious that he had stayed at the same place with Nangong Chen for his cultivation during these six months.

When Duan Ling Tian and the other two first arrived in Ling Xuan Peak, each of them had been arranged to stay in different cultivation places.

Duan Ling Tian, whose cultivation base was below the Fourth Level Martial Monarch Stage, was assigned to one place.

Nangong Yi, whose cultivation base was above the Fourth Level but below the Seventh Level Martial Monarch Stage, had been assigned to another place.

And Nangong Chen, whose cultivation base was above the Seventh Level Martial Monarch Stage, had been assigned to another place away from Duan Ling Tian and Nangong Yi.

Since the silver-robed middle-aged man was assigned to the same place as Nangong Chen, it meant that his cultivation base was at the Seventh Level Martial Monarch Stage six months ago.

Moreover, since he dared to ignore Nangong Chen in such way and blatantly provoked Duan Ling Tian and Nangong Yi in front of him, it meant that he did not fear him. His strength must be at least on par with Nangong Chen or he might be even stronger.

Nangong Chen who usually did not talk much had an aloof expression on his face as he snarled loudly, "Scram!"

When Nangong Chen snarled at the silver-robed middle-aged man, his face turned grave immediately. He glared at Nangong Chen and snapped loudly, "Nangong Chen, let's hope none of your companions faces me in the selection later… Otherwise, I'll beat them to death until they don't even have an intact body to be buried!"

The silver-robed middle-aged man's piercing eyes shone as though he was about to devour somebody when he reached the end of his sentence.

"Well, we'll have to see if you have that ability to beat us until there are no bodies left to be buried." Nangong Yi who was initially clueless snorted when he heard the silver-robed middle-aged man's words.

Only Duan Ling Tian remained silent from the beginning until the end. He merely cast a cold glance at the silver-robed middle-aged man before retracting his gaze again.

An unnoticeable killing intent flashed in the depth of his eyes.

"You'll soon find out if I have that ability or not! Even Nangong Chen doesn't dare to guarantee that he can win me, let alone a little boy like you who haven't even entered the Seventh Level Martial Monarch Stage! If I want to kill you, it'll be as easy as stepping on an ant!" Upon hearing Nangong Yi's words, the silver-robed middle-aged man continued to mock him. Finally, he left under Nangong Yi's furious gaze and stood at the side.

Nangong Yi retracted his gaze and instantly looked at Nangong Chen before he asked, "Nangong Chen, you can't defeat him?"

"We're well-matched," Nangong Chen replied nonchalantly, taciturn as always.

"No wonder he's so mad and dares to provoke you, Duan Ling Tian, and me." Nangong Yi snorted. "However, it's okay for him to provoke you and me, but how dare he provoke Duan Ling Tian! He really wants to die!"

When Nangong Yi reached the end of his sentence, he looked at Duan Ling Tian and saw that Duan Ling Tian was calm. It was as though he was not infuriated by the silver-robed middle-aged man's provocation.

Nangong Yi immediately felt slightly disappointed.

To Duan Ling Tian, the incident with the silver-robed middle-aged man's was just a minor issue. He had forgotten about it quickly.

Fifteen minutes quickly passed by.

"Fifteen minutes have gone by."

"The first selection is going to begin soon… I wonder what it's going to be!"

"We'll soon find out."

…

Many people whispered among each other. They were nervous and filled with anticipation in regards to the Selection of the Martial Emperor's disciples and followers.

There were no more than ten people, including Duan Ling Tian, who could remain calm.

Even Nangong Yi looked glum as he waited attentively for the first round of the Selection of the Martial Emperor's disciples and followers to begin.

Under the watchful eyes of the others, Song Ting and Zhong An flew out at the same time and arrived at the sky above Duan Ling Tian and the others. They did not say anything for a long time as they hovered in the air.

"What's going on?"

"What are they trying to do now?"

…

When the crowd was still puzzling over the situation, Song Ting and Zhong An finally made their moves. Their bodies moved slightly, and a tremendous wave of aura surged out of their bodies.

The aura belonged to a powerhouse who had reached the peak of the Martial Monarch Stage spread toward Duan Ling Tian and the others.

It was not simply a matter of one plus one when the auras of the two powerhouses who had reached the peak of the Martial Monarch Stage merged.

The aura enveloped the ground, everyone became shaky apart from Duan Ling Tian and several dozens of people.

Boom!

Soon after, some people could no longer endure it. With a slam, they fell on the ground on their backs, and their faces were utterly grave.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

…

In the next instant, more and more people fell.

The people who fell first were mostly from the same cultivation place as Duan Ling Tian. They were all martial artists below the Fourth Level Martial Monarch Stage.

They could not endure the auras from the two powerhouses who had reached the peak of the Martial Monarch Stage that enveloped them.

Soon after, apart from Duan Ling Tian, everyone from the same cultivation place as him for the past six months fell to the ground. They were all eliminated.

"Hurmph! They're all trash!" Song Ting snorted in disdain as he looked at the scene from above.

"This is also because our Ling Xuan Peak didn't set a requirement for the participants of the Selection of the Martial Emperor's disciples and followers this time… Otherwise, they wouldn't have the qualifications to participate at all. However, it seems like they've bitten off more than they can chew even if they successfully came here," Zhong An chimed in nonchalantly. He did not find it surprising as he watched the scene below him.

"With this feeble strength, all of you want to be the Martial Emperor's disciples and followers in our Ling Xuan Peak?"

"You've overestimated yourselves!"

Many Ling Xuan Peak's Martial Emperor's disciples and followers who were watching from the sky smirked disdainfully.