Chapter 143: Chapter 142: Battle of the Celestial Pride List

Fang Han and the other four listened in silence. Elder Chen Xuan had already told them about these people before, and the information he’d given was even more detailed.

However, just as these people said, the new Entry Level disciples from the other six Sects were all extremely strong—definitely formidable rivals.

Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted in the tavern.

A piece of news spread like wildfire.

"Quick, get out of the city! Outside the city! Liu Bai, the top disciple of the Lingyun Sword Sect and second on the Celestial Pride List, is going to duel Mad Saber, the top disciple of the Overlord Blade Sect and third on the Celestial Pride List, outside the city!"

The moment the news broke, the entire tavern fell silent for a second before exploding into an uproar.

"Liu Bai versus Mad Saber?!"

"Heavens! How did those two end up facing off?"

"A clash of saber and sword! This is a rare duel between Celestial Prides!"

"Let’s go, let’s go! If we’re late, we won’t get a good spot!"

Many Martial Artists didn’t even bother to finish their meals. They threw down their silver coins and rushed downstairs.

A battle between the second and third on the Celestial Pride List was extremely rare. Fang Han and the other four exchanged glances, each seeing a strong desire in the others’ eyes.

This was true even for Shi Meng, who had been disinterested until now.

"Do you wish to go and watch the battle?"

Steward Wu Hao noticed their eagerness and looked at the five of them, asking.

Huang Ling’er immediately nodded furiously. "Yes, yes, yes! Steward Wu, please take us to see it!"

Although Yun Qianyue and Li Feng didn’t speak, the anticipation in their eyes was obvious.

Shi Meng was even rubbing his palms together in excitement.

Fang Han also felt an extremely strong interest.

The value of a match between the second and third on the Celestial Pride List was unquestionable. For disciples like them who had yet to reach that level, it was a golden opportunity to glimpse the power of top-level geniuses.

Seeing that all five were interested, Steward Wu Hao nodded.

"Very well. A clash of this level will be greatly beneficial for broadening your horizons. However, remember that you may only watch. Do not get close, and certainly do not get involved."

"Yes!" the five of them responded in unison.

With that, the six of them hastily paid their bill and followed the crowd, hurrying out of the city.

Outside the Commandery City, a dense crowd had already gathered.

Fang Han and his group of six found a slightly elevated earthen mound to stand on and gazed out.

A large open space had been cleared in the center of the field, which no one dared approach.

Before long, the crowd suddenly parted to form a path.

Two young men were seen walking slowly forward.

One was dressed in a moon-white long gown, with a handsome face and an elegant, otherworldly temperament.

He carried a sheathed longsword on his back and walked with a composed gait, seeming to merge with the heavens and earth around him. This was the top disciple of the Lingyun Sword Sect, Liu Bai.

The other man was burly and imposing, half a head taller than even Shi Meng. He wore a sleeveless tunic, revealing his bronze, muscular physique. His features were rugged and his eyes were wild.

On his shoulder, he carried a broad-bladed great saber that looked like a door panel. With every step he took, the ground seemed to tremble slightly. This was the top disciple of the Overlord Blade Sect, Mad Saber.

When the two arrived, they exchanged no words. Their eyes simply met, and it was as if invisible sabers and swords were clashing in the air, filling it with a suffocating pressure.

The noisy chatter from the surrounding crowd instantly died down. Everyone held their breath in concentration.

"Mad Saber, the Celestial Pride List ranked me second and you third. That already illustrates the gap in our strength. You cannot defeat me."

Liu Bai said faintly.

"Liu Bai, I hope your sword is sharper than your tongue!"

Mad Saber’s voice boomed like a great bell, his fighting spirit surging. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Before his words had even faded, the two of them moved almost simultaneously!

"CLANG!"

The longsword left its sheath with the cry of a dragon soaring through the nine heavens, its light as cold and clear as autumn water.

"VMMMM!"

The great saber tore through the air, stirring up a vicious, whistling wind. Its Saber Momentum was as heavy as a mountain.

There were no probing moves; the battle began with earth-shattering power!

Liu Bai’s Swordsmanship was agile and ethereal. As his Sword Momentum unfurled, it seemed to transform into a flowing cloud, all-pervasive yet carrying an indescribable sharpness, as if it could slice through anything.

In contrast, Mad Saber’s Saber Technique was wide and sweeping, incomparably domineering. Every slash contained terrifying power, and the wind from his blade stirred up clouds of dust from the ground.

The two figures weaved around each other, a dazzling blur of sword light and saber shadows.

The sound of clashing metal was as dense as falling rain, and terrifying Qi Force radiated outwards.

The mere shockwaves carved one gash after another into the surrounding ground, forcing the spectators to retreat again and again.

Some who were too close were even injured by the Qi Force, crying out in pain.

The Martial Artists who had come to watch were by no means weak, yet they were injured by the stray shockwaves from the battle, a testament to the terrifying power of the two combatants.

’What terrifying Momentum!’

Fang Han’s pupils constricted. He stared at the clash in the arena without blinking.

He could clearly sense that both Liu Bai’s sword and Mad Saber’s saber contained a kind of "Momentum" that far surpassed his own.

Liu Bai’s Sword Momentum was like clouds and mist—vast and ethereal, yet concealing an endless killing intent.

Mad Saber’s Saber Momentum, on the other hand, was like a volcanic eruption—fierce and violent, carrying the will to destroy everything.

Before this level of "Momentum," Fang Han felt that the "Wind Momentum" he had grasped was like a firefly’s glow against the bright moon—so weak and immature.

He was shocked, but not discouraged. Instead, a strong fighting spirit and yearning surged within him.

’I firmly believe that if I just give myself time and keep moving forward, one day, I too can reach or even surpass this level!’

Beside him, Yun Qianyue’s lips were pressed tightly together beneath her purple veil, and the fingers holding her sword tightened slightly.

Li Feng’s gaze was as sharp as a blade, as if he wanted to burn every single technique of the exchange into his mind.

Huang Ling’er’s small face was tense, and she didn’t dare to breathe.

Shi Meng, however, watched with his blood boiling, his fists clenched tightly.

Steward Wu Hao’s expression was grave as he said in a low voice,

"The Momentum of these two has already reached the Great Success Realm. Although they have not yet reached the Upper Three Grades, they likely both have the strength to fight above their rank against those in the Upper Three Grades. They truly are figures at the top of the Celestial Pride List."

The fierce battle lasted for the time it takes for several incense sticks to burn. The two had already exchanged over a thousand moves.

"DING!"

Liu Bai’s Sword Technique changed. The sword light suddenly converged, transforming into an extremely condensed white line, like a ray of heavenly light piercing through the clouds.

In an instant, it struck a tiny flaw in the flow of Mad Saber’s Saber Momentum.

It knocked aside Mad Saber’s long saber and slashed towards him.

Mad Saber let out a muffled grunt. His sturdy figure leaned back slightly and he staggered back three steps before steadying himself.

The clothing on his shoulder had been sliced open, revealing a gruesome wound from which blood gushed.

He glanced at his shoulder, then at Liu Bai, who stood with his sword sheathed and his aura still calm. Although there was reluctance in his eyes, there was even more of the exhilaration from a satisfying battle.

"Liu Bai, you won by half a move this time. Next time, I will definitely shatter your Flowing Cloud Sword Momentum!"

Mad Saber’s voice boomed like a great bell as he spoke with some unwillingness.

"You won’t be able to."

Liu Bai sheathed his sword and replied coldly.

The two exchanged a cold glance, then said no more. They turned and left under the awestruck gazes of the crowd.

A duel between top-level Celestial Prides had thus come to an end.

The crowd of spectators buzzed with excited discussion, only gradually dispersing after a long while.

Fang Han, Yun Qianyue, Li Feng, Huang Ling’er, and Shi Meng stood in place, their hearts turbulent, unable to calm down for a long time.

What they had seen today gave them a much clearer understanding of just how terrifying the top-level strength of Qingyang County’s younger generation was.

"Let’s go back."

Steward Wu Hao’s voice pulled the five of them back to reality from their shock.

"Digest what you’ve seen today. It will be beneficial to your Cultivation."

Fang Han and the other four nodded silently and followed Steward Wu Hao back into the city, returning to the Qingxuan Villa.

Returning to their respective rooms, they all, by unspoken agreement, immersed themselves in Cultivation once again, making final preparations for the great battle to come.

...

「The first day of the eleventh month, early morning.」

In the center of Qingyang Commandery City, the massive Martial Arts Arena was already buzzing with people.

The tiered, circular stands could accommodate tens of thousands of people and were currently a sea of black.

Besides the clearly demarcated areas for the Seven Major Sects, many other factions had also been permitted to observe.

There were officials from the Governor’s Mansion dressed in official robes, with calm and steady demeanors.

There were the Patriarchs of several major families in the city, dressed in lavish clothing and followed by guards with sharp auras, such as the Zhang Family, which controlled the mining operations around the Commandery City, and the Tiejiang Gang, which started in shipping.

There were also some sects that, while not on the level of the Seven Sects, were quite famous in Qingyang County, such as the "Thousand Skills Pavilion," which specialized in mechanisms and Hidden Weapons.

And the "Iron Fist Sect," whose disciples were mostly famous for their Fist and Palm techniques.

The Seven Sects did not block them, but were actually happy to see it. This was a perfect opportunity to display the Sects’ strength and the flair of the younger generation to the outside world.

As Fang Han entered the Martial Arts Arena with the members of the Qingxuan Sect, his gaze swept over the stands and fell upon the other six teams in the arena.

The disciples of the Lingyun Sword Sect were all dressed in white, with longswords on their backs. They all stood as straight as pines, with sharp gazes and a natural arrogance, as if they themselves were unsheathed blades.

’The disciple in the lead has a handsome face and eyes that are calm yet bottomless. That must be Lin Zihua.’

The Overlord Blade Sect was the complete opposite. Their disciples were mostly burly, dressed casually, either cradling or shouldering their sabers. Their gazes were wild and untamed, exuding a sense of primal power.

The one leading them, Guo Lie, was like a humanoid bear. Just by standing there, he naturally radiated a sense of pressure.

The Vajra Temple’s group was composed entirely of young monks in gray robes. They stood with their palms pressed together, their eyes clear and their auras as heavy as mountains. They seemed out of place amidst the surrounding clamor, yet it was impossible to ignore them.

The young monk, Wu Fan, stood at the very front, a simple and honest smile on his face, but a sharp glint would occasionally flash in his eyes as they opened and closed.

The Baihua Valley was mostly female disciples. Their clothes were brightly colored and their figures were graceful, adding a touch of softness to the stark Martial Arts Arena.

But the confidence and agile wit in their eyes showed they were by no means mere decorations.

Their leader, Liu Yiyi, had limpid autumn eyes that held a natural charm in their gaze, yet they also carried a hint of unapproachable coldness.

The Disciple’s Robes of Tingyu Building were predominantly aqua-colored. Its disciples were generally slim and moved silently, their gazes somewhat scrutinizing as they looked at the disciples from other Sects.

’That Mo Chen is standing in the crowd, not at all conspicuous, but I can feel a faint, dangerous aura from him.’

Finally, Fang Han’s gaze fell on the group from the Netherworld Pavilion.

They were uniformly dressed in tight-fitting black outfits, with flame patterns dancing on their cuffs. Most of them had cold, gloomy eyes.

Among them, he saw a familiar figure—Mo Yuan.

Mo Yuan saw him at almost the same time, and a strong fighting spirit instantly erupted in his eyes. He raised his hand toward Fang Han, slowly curled his five fingers into a fist, and punched the air emphatically.

The corner of his mouth curled into a provocative arc. His intention was self-evident: to avenge his past defeat!

Fang Han’s expression was calm. He met Mo Yuan’s gaze for a moment before casually looking away, giving no response.

This dismissal, however, only made the anger in Mo Yuan’s eyes burn brighter.

"I, Xuanyuan Jing, have been invited by the Seven Sects to serve as the referee for this event!"

An old man serving as the referee ascended the central stage. His voice was not loud, yet it carried clearly throughout the entire arena.

"The competition for the new disciples of the Seven Sects now begins! First match: Qingxuan Sect versus the Netherworld Pavilion!"