Chapter 568: Goodbye, Lu Yao

Chapter 568: Goodbye, Lu Yao

Night had fallen! The second round of the Thunder Department's Immortal Tournament began in earnest!Thê source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))

By afternoon's end, of the almost 10,000 participants, half had already been eliminated. Less than 5,000 remained.

It was said that this year, the geniuses from the Thunder Department were more ferocious than ever.

Among them, close to 2,000 Arbiters from various cities had come, and by the end of the first round, nearly 1,600 returned home.

The pair of sisters from Sky Soaring City were also ousted in the first round.

Even Jiang Haiyan, who was in the Early Divine Self Realm, hadn’t passed the first round, illustrating the brutal nature of this selection.

At this moment, with the fall of night, the dazzling thunderclouds became even more blinding.

The entire Thunder Department, under the illumination of the Thunder Immortal Formation, seemed still in daylight, only brighter and more explosive, with everyone’s faces flickering with electric light.

BUZZ! Before the start of the second round, the 5,000 thunderclouds began to merge two by two, forming 2,500 larger thunderclouds.

This meant that after the second round, only 2,500 geniuses would remain!

After the fusion of the thunderclouds, Thunder Emissary Cao appeared and publicly declared the beginning of the second round! With her figure clad in armor, her curves were even more pronounced, the breastplate thrust forward as if ready to burst forth.

The young geniuses, looking up at such a figure, felt both awe and longing.

Under the rigid hierarchy of the Celestial Court, such a goddess was something most could only dream of, never to approach.

As the battle commenced, the Thunder Rankings began to flash with nine-colored lights again, announcing each combat pairing, the names igniting the fervor of the young warriors who faced their matches with solemn, tense expressions!

At that moment, Yun Xiao arrived at the scene of the Nine Thunders Arena.

He stood to the side, his mind filled with thoughts of the two celestial techniques he'd received, quietly waiting.

“Those two jade amulets...” Liu Mumu approached, immediately noticing the two jade amulets hanging from Yun Xiao's waist.

One was violet and sword-shaped, the other blue and talisman-shaped.

In the glittering night, these two amulets were like lanterns hanging on Yun Xiao, conspicuously bright.

"Do you recognize them?" Yun Xiao asked.

“The signature celestial techniques of Cao Sheng and Gu Suwan, Mid Vast Heaven grade, Ascending the Heavens and Misty Rebirth,” Liu Mumu concluded after a moment’s observation.

"Is it that obvious?" Yun Xiao asked in surprise.

"These techniques are well-known," Liu Mumu admitted with a touch of admiration. "I must say, they are valuable. My own family couldn’t produce such techniques."

"That’s good then," Yun Xiao said with a slight smile.

Liu Mumu glanced at him and said, "Hey, you're not blaming me, your teacher, for not passing on celestial techniques to you, are you? They just recognized you as their foster son and have already shown you such favor."

"You're overthinking it," Yun Xiao replied calmly. "Gifts come with expectations. I receive favors, and in return, I add to their prestige. It’s a transaction. They pay, and I deliver."

"It's good you understand that," Liu Mumu noted. "Just don’t become overly grateful for every little favor."

"Speaking of which, are their reputations really that terrible?" Yun Xiao asked casually.

"Their reputations aren’t bad, it’s just..." Liu Mumu started, then paused and shook her head. "Forget it, all the Thunder Department officials are like this, nothing more to say... Oh, I came to tell you, I'm heading back to Sky Soaring City."

"Leaving so soon?" Yun Xiao obviously felt a pang of reluctance.

"My father has registered me for the Rank 7 Sky Protector examination. I need to go back and give it my all," Liu Mumu explained.

"To put it plainly," Mo Ruoyu continued with a light laugh, "the only standard in the Thunder Department is fairness. So, even if someone tries to game the system, when the tide recedes, their inadequacies will be exposed."

"How do you plan to make the tide recede?" the girl asked curiously.

"What do you think?" Mo Ruoyu shrugged. "Whack-a-mole, that's all. Once he's hammered down and bleeding, he won't dare to show his face again."

"From what you're saying, nearly a thousand young Arbiters from your Grand Firmament Academy are ready to take on this challenge?" The girl looked amused as she spoke, then smirked, "It's quite fitting you call him a mole, a creature that really does come from the dirt."

"Don't exaggerate," Mo Ruoyu replied calmly. "Everyone just wants a fair chance, that's all."

The girl in the peach dress asked curiously, "But the Supreme General himself came to watch this mole perform. Doesn't your Grand Firmament Academy's action amount to challenging him? Didn't Lightning Lord Bo Hong try stop you?"

Mo Ruoyu glanced at her and responded in a quiet tone, "Why ask such a trivial question? Do you really think the Thunder Department is ruled by the Supreme General alone? After all, the Lightning Lord is a disciple of the Nine Thunders Sovereign."

The girl in the peach dress chuckled softly without saying more, whispering to herself, "What a spectacle, quite the drama."

As the two were speaking, suddenly, the Nine Heavens Thunder Rankings flickered with electric sparks, and two names rang out along with the sound of thunder.

"Mo Ruoyu and Lu Yao, proceed to Thundercloud 103!"

Upon hearing their names, the participants had 30 breaths to enter the arena, or they would be treated as having surrendered.

"Eh?" Mo Ruoyu thought he had misheard, and upon checking the Nine Heavens Thunder Rankings, he confirmed it. He chuckled wryly. "Ah, what a coincidence this is!"

"Wow, you're about to become a celebrity in the Thunder Department!" the girl in the peach dress teased with a gentle laugh.

"Ha." Mo Ruoyu shrugged helplessly.

"Brother Mo!"

Several talented Arbiters around them looked at Mo Ruoyu with smiling eyes.

"After the match, let's go for late-night snacks. My treat," Mo Ruoyu laughed.

"Long live Brother Mo!"

The Arbiters from the Grand Firmament Academy all laughed.

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Atop the Celestial Thunder Platform, General Cao heard the combat lineup and turned back to the Nine Heavens Thunder Duke, who was dozing off. "Supreme General, Lu Yao is entering the battle."

"Oh?" The hawk-nosed old man with thunderous wings on his back shook his head slightly. "Who’s the opponent?"

General Cao glanced and said, "It's the beloved son of Thunder Emissary Mo."

"Ruoyu, ah, a fine seedling." The Supreme General smiled as he mentioned his name.

Sitting below Bo Hong, a scholarly-looking middle-aged man with a fair face and a valiant appearance stood up quickly. "General, indeed, it is my son, Ruoyu."

"Ruoyu has reached the Establishment Divine Self Realm, hasn’t he? This battle might be tough for Lil Cao’s foster son," the Supreme General said with a smile.

Thunder Emissary Mo hurriedly responded, "My son is dull, far inferior to General Cao's formidable foster son."

Hearing this, the Supreme General laughed. "Don't be insincere. Excessive modesty isn't great either. Isn't that right, Lil Cao?"

General Cao quickly added, "In the Thunder Department selection, fairness, and justice prevail. Regardless of victory or defeat, doing one's best is enough."

"Fair point, Lil Mo, take your seat." The Supreme General nodded sagely, his deep gaze falling on Thundercloud 103, and he suddenly exclaimed, "Those two jade amulets on his waist... Did you and your wife give them to him?"