Chapter 3585: Attracting Attention

Chapter 3585: Attracting Attention

“Chang Yang. That’s not your true name. Your appearance and presence has been disguised as well,” the lady in white said without any emotion.

Jian Chen smiled and said with composure, “Don’t tell me the Observance Heaven City has a rule that all people who compete for an official post must use their true identities? Don’t tell me those who use false identities can no longer compete?”

Jian Chen had already familiarised himself with the rules of the Observance Heaven City when contending for an official post, and he had investigated the history of the Observance Heaven City. Many immortals who took posts disguised their identities due to various reasons.

As a result, he was extremely certain that the reason why the artifact spirit of the Observance Heaven City had appeared was primarily due to the sword spirits.

It was as if even the artifact spirit of the Observance Heaven City found it rather difficult to believe that the master of the twin swords had actually come to the Observance Heaven City to take a post.

“Have you considered it properly? Once you take a post in the city, you will be bound by the rules of the Observance Heaven City. Not only do these rules apply to you, but they also apply to your god artifacts,” the artifact spirit of the Observance Heaven City said sternly. As it said that, its gaze was extremely sharp as if it had already seen through everything, directly staring at the twin swords hiding deep within Jian Chen’s body.

It felt like it was not talking to Jian Chen but to the sword spirits in his body.

The artifact spirit of the Observance Heaven City clearly could not ignore existences that had once left it cowering in fear.

From beginning to end, the sword spirits never appeared, remaining hidden in Jian Chen’s body as if they were too ashamed to show themselves.

“I obviously understand the rules of the Observance Heaven City. Since I have decided to compete for a post, I will naturally abide by them,” Jian Chen said with his fist clasped.

The artifact spirit of the Observance Heaven City said nothing more. It disappeared silently, just like how it arrived, without any traces and without any disturbances.

Shortly afterwards, a participation tablet appeared before Jian Chen. It seemed to be forged from gold, glistening with golden light. It was enchanting.

Jian Chen gripped the tablet and immediately sent a wisp of the senses of his soul inside. He thought, “Chang Yang, independent cultivator!”

In the next moment, the participation tablet shone brightly. By the time the light had all subsided, four words had already appeared on the tablet—Chang Yang, independent cultivator!

Jian Chen had already recorded his information inside the tablet!

For the next three days, Jian Chen remained in his room the entire time, meditating with his eyes shut. He recalled his cultivation progress over the past decade and could not help but sigh gently.

During the past ten years, he had remained in the Sword Sect of Violet Heavens, comprehending the Way of the Sword. As the protective formation of the Sword Sect of Violet Heavens was far too low in quality, completely incapable of stopping stronger Immortal Emperors or Immortal Exalts, he did not use the Fortune God Jade to cultivate for the sake of safety.

As a result, despite submerging himself in the Laws of the Sword for the past decade, he made no progress at all.

Having reached his height, each step forward came with tremendous difficulty. Each breakthrough basically required luck. The difficulties and hardships involved could not be compared to the past.

On top of that, another problem deeply troubled Jian Chen, which was the future path of the Chaotic Body.

He had only grasped the path to the eighteenth layer. Now that his Chaotic Body had already reached the seventeenth layer, he was only another breakthrough away from the eighteenth layer. After the eighteenth layer was Great Perfection.

However, Great Perfection was a legend in the Immortals’ World, a realm that no one had ever managed to reach throughout history.

The eighteenth layer of the Chaotic Body was equivalent to Ninth Heavenly Layer Immortal Emperors of the Immortals’ World.

As a result, the path that Jian Chen could see so far only led to the Ninth Heavenly Layer of Immortal Emperor.

As for the path leading to Immortal Exalt, it was still a dead end right now. He had no direction.

“The path of cultivation for the Chaotic Body bears some similarity to the Martial Soul lineage’s path of cultivation. They both encounter a wall when progressing towards Immortal Exalt. However, the Chaotic Body seals the growth of cultivation, so your cultivation stops progressing, but your comprehension is unaffected.”

“On the other hand, the Martial Soul lineage seals the growth of comprehension. It is still possible to advance your cultivation through other methods.”

“However, not only do I practise the Chaotic Body, but I am also a successor of the Martial Soul lineage. Doesn’t that mean both my cultivation and comprehension will be blocked?”

As soon as he thought of that problem, Jian Chen felt troubled.

......

...

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. The drawn-out sound of a bell rang through the entire city, signalling the formal beginning of the competition for the Thousand Immortal General’s post!

Jian Chen remained in the inn. He was not the only one. This time, all the Immortal Emperors who had come to contend for the post were scattered throughout the Observance Heaven City.

When this competition formally began, the participation tablets in the hands of all of the contenders who had registered shone with dazzling light. In the next moment, all of them vanished with their participation tablets.

At the same time, a huge, golden ranking appeared above the Observance Heaven City. It stood three thousand metres tall like it could touch the sky, radiating with an invisible pressure.

Names appeared one after one on the golden rankings. These were all experts who were participating in the competition. Apart from the names, there were also the cultivations and organisations of the competitors listed out beside them.

“Zong Kong, Ancient Temple island, Ninth Heavenly Layer Immortal Emperor!”

“Xia Mingtian, Immortal Feather sect, Ninth Heavenly Layer Immortal Emperor!”

“Zhou Dan, Immortal Sect of Vicissitude, Ninth Heavenly Layer Immortal Emperor!”

“Zi Huaiyu, Luo clan, Ninth Heavenly Layer Immortal Emperor!”

“Ye Qingyun, Ye family, Ninth Heavenly Layer Immortal Emperor!”

......

...

A total of a hundred and seventy three names appeared on the golden rankings. They were all Ninth Heavenly Layer Immortal Emperors with plenty from peak organisations renowned through the Immortals’ World, even courts of heaven!

However, there was one exception!

“Chang Yang, independent cultivator, Sixth Heavenly Layer Immortal Emperor!”

At the very end of the golden rankings appeared a particularly conspicuous name that drew everyone’s attention.

It was not because of how resonant the name was, but because it was the only person that was not at the Ninth Heavenly Layer on the entire list.

And, they were an independent cultivator too!

“An independent cultivator? Even an independent cultivator has come to contend for the post of the Thousand Immortal General? He’s out of his mind.”

“If he’s just an independent cultivator, then so be it, but what really matters is he’s actually just a Sixth Heavenly Layer Immortal Emperor. He probably doesn’t even know how to spell the word ‘death’.”

“A Sixth Heavenly Layer Immortal Emperor can be considered an expert, but why don’t you take a look at where you are? What’s a Sixth Heavenly Layer Immortal Emperor doing here in a battlefield that only belongs to the Ninth Heavenly Layer? He sure is looking for trouble.”

“There’s only one spot for the Thousand Immortal General. Many peak organisations renowned throughout the Immortals’ World and even powerful existences from the courts of heaven are willing to shed blood for it. Which one of them doesn’t possess powerful god artifacts, practise ancient cultivation techniques, and have grasped profound secret techniques? When they actually start fighting, they’re powerful, alright. What is he thinking, getting involved as a Sixth Heavenly Layer independent cultivator? What a joke.”

“Just you wait. When the first round begins, this Sixth Heavenly Layer guy will be eliminated.”

......

...

Some of the immortals inside the Observance Heaven City were fixated on the name at the bottom and could not help but mumble. Most of them mocked him.

As the immortals in the Observance Heaven City discussed him, Jian Chen and the other one hundred and seventy two contenders had already entered an independent space.

As Jian Chen did not conceal his presence, the people around him discovered him very soon. They all looked over at him.

“Fellow, your cultivation seems a little low. Is it the Fifth Heavenly Layer? Or the Sixth Heavenly Layer? However, regardless of whether it’s the Fifth or the Sixth Heavenly Layer, it’s impossible for you to be a late Immortal Emperor. You want to contend for the position of the Thousand Immortal General even with strength like that? Aren’t you afraid someone might accidentally lose control and kill you?” an old man in the robes of a daoist priest said in surprise.

“Old priest Feng, stop frightening your juniors. The competition for the position in the Observance Heaven City might be intense, but there has never been a death. With the artifact spirit of the Observance Heaven City presiding over this personally, even Immortal Exalts won’t die if they fought, let alone us Immortal Emperors. Even in the worst case scenario, they’ll just lose their bodies. Their souls will remain intact.” A middle-aged man chuckled. Then he glanced at the golden rankings in the air and looked at the last name. He said to Jian Chen, “Fellow Chang Yang, please don’t take this as an insult. It truly is quite pointless for you to contend for the position of the Thousand Immortal General as a Sixth Heavenly Layer independent cultivator.”

“Thank you for your advice, fellow. I’m just here to try my luck. I don’t really care about winning or losing.” Jian Chen smiled awkwardly and clasped his fist.

“Try your luck? Hmph, this is not a place for you to try your luck. There are one hundred and seventy three participants. There’s one extra person, so someone won’t have to fight in the first round. Even if you’re fortunate enough to be that person, you won’t be able to escape being eliminated in the second round,” a young man sneered before saying, “Moreover, according to how it’s been in the past, it’s impossible for you to be the person with a free round.”

Jian Chen smiled without caring too much. He could not be bothered with these pointless arguments with these people. He simply sat down in the air with his legs crossed and shut his eyes, ignoring everything going on around him.

Very soon, numerous balls of light appeared in the surroundings. Each ball of light was protected by the power of the Observance Heaven City, such that it was impossible to see inside them.

Each ball of light contained a number. When two numbers matched, they were each other’s opponents.

Out of the one hundred and seventy three balls of light, only one of them was empty. The remaining one hundred and seventy two all contained a number.