The Number One of the Younger Generation

The martial demonstration was over.

The Grand Elder announced that the martial meet was a draw: the Vast Heaven Sect had lost the first match, drawn the second, and won the third.

But as soon as the Grand Elder spoke, Cheng Xiaotian shook his head.

"Grand Elder... the Vast Heaven Sect can afford to lose, and so can Martial Emperor City. Under these circumstances, Martial Emperor City can't afford the disgrace of accepting a draw. We lost this time, and we're utterly convinced of our defeat."

There was nothing wrong with what Cheng Xiaotian said.

Of the three matches, the third had always been the one that truly decided victory or defeat.

The Seven-Colored Glazed Body against the Haotian Sword Casket: one battle would decide who was king.

But now, not only had Zheng Yu been defeated, Chu Xinghe had also taken out Big Rhinoceros and Xiao Ling together with a single Purple Lightning Flash.

Anyone could see that there was no way to call this a draw!

Even Cheng Xiaotian himself had to admit that Chu Xinghe was unfathomable, the number one of the younger generation in the world today. Even if Zheng Yu and the other two joined forces, they would surely be no match for him.

Chu Xinghe had crushed all of Martial Emperor City with an almost invincible bearing. If Martial Emperor City cared about its face at all, it could not accept a draw.

Martial Emperor City had admitted defeat of its own accord, so naturally the Grand Elder could say no more.

He took out some pills and offered them to Cheng Xiaotian.

"There's no need for the pills. Cancel tonight's banquet as well. Martial Emperor City has urgent matters to attend to, and we'll leave the Vast Heaven Sect tonight."

Cheng Xiaotian's face was as grim as if he had just lost a child.

He left the Vast Heaven Sect at once, taking Zheng Yu, who looked back every three steps, as well as the unconscious Big Rhinoceros and the weakened Xiao Ling.

Before leaving, however, Cheng Xiaotian looked at Chu Xinghe and said that Zheng Yu would return to challenge him again someday. He hoped Chu Xinghe would be generous with his guidance.

Chu Xinghe nodded blankly... because that was not what he was thinking about at all.

I just want to know what the Star Shifting Technique is! How the hell did I win...

And why wouldn't you accept the draw... Can't I just admit I was wrong...? If I'd known this would happen, I absolutely wouldn't have gotten angry. I absolutely wouldn't have used Purple Lightning Flash on Big Rhinoceros. Couldn't I have just let him send me flying?

Hey, hey, hey... don't go... come back and let's talk this over. Can we have one more match? Whoever beats you is a grandson!

Chu Xinghe really wanted to cough up blood...

I'm such an idiot!

Going on about showing my strength and my bottom line...

Who needs strength? Who the fuck needs a bottom line...? Now I've won so hard I've lost my underpants.

If I'd known, wouldn't it have been better to lie down as soon as he started the fire?

Zhurong Divine Fire—wouldn't it be perfectly reasonable for it to be a little fiercer than Vermilion Bird Spirit Fire?

So it wouldn't be too far-fetched for the Vermilion Bird to fail to withstand it and go on strike, right?

Well, look at me now... I've fucking lost everything... and even driven them away in anger... Thunder Shadow, oh Thunder Shadow, you have to take the blame for this. How can you be so strong and still face me?

Martial Emperor City had left, but the Vast Heaven Sect's banquet was not canceled.

What a joke! If they had lost today, forget a banquet—there would have been nothing at all.

But not only had they won today, this victory felt better than all their wins in the previous fifteen meets put together.

The Vast Heaven Sect had defeated Martial Emperor City before, but every victory had been narrow, and Cheng Xiaotian had always left looking unwilling to accept his defeat.

This time, however, was completely different.

Zheng Yu had personally declared that he was utterly convinced of his defeat. Even when the Grand Elder called it a draw, Cheng Xiaotian could not bring himself to brazen it out and agree.

Because they had lost too miserably...

Junior Brother Xinghe had practically taken out Martial Emperor City's three strongest fighters single-handedly.

Even more frightening was the fact that Zheng Yu, Junior Brother Xinghe's opponent, had obtained the Seven-Colored Glazed Body.

Four hundred years ago, when the Vast Heaven Sect had taken the throne of the world's number one from Martial Emperor City, the latter had declared, "It is only because our Seven-Colored Glazed Body has been lost. The day the Seven-Colored Glazed Body is reforged shall be the day Martial Emperor City returns!"

This time, Zheng Yu had obtained the inheritance of the Seven-Colored Glazed Body and entered the Vast Heaven Sect to issue his challenge. The eyes of the world were upon him.

Everyone had been discussing whether this battle would mark the triumphant return of Martial Emperor City or the continuation of the Vast Heaven Sect's legend!

Now the answer had been revealed.

Chu Xinghe had fought Zheng Yu and his Seven-Colored Glazed Body alone. Without even needing to use his full strength, he had defeated Zheng Yu and made him say that Senior Brother had shown mercy and that he was utterly convinced of his defeat.

Then Thunder Shadow's Purple Lightning Flash had taken out the Ancient Dragon Rhinoceros Bloodline and Sword Intent duo in one strike—a battle that shook the heavens!

Such a record could only be called glorious!

"Heaven bless Vast Heaven!"

At the banquet, Sect Master Gu Mingchao raised his cup and personally shouted those words... and everyone below joined in!

"Heaven bless Vast Heaven!"

"Heaven blesh Vash Heaven..." Chu Xinghe joined in with a helpless look, mumbling the words.

Countless senior brothers, senior sisters, junior brothers, and junior sisters came to congratulate Chu Xinghe. Even many elders came to congratulate him.

But Chu Xinghe had no interest in any of it. He only wanted to know what the fuck the Star Shifting Technique was!

Finally, Chu Xinghe found the Grand Elder.

"Grand Elder... what's the Star Shifting Technique?"

"Blergh..." The Grand Elder, who normally disliked drinking, looked at Chu Xinghe blankly as he burped. "It's the technique you broke..."

"Uh... Grand Elder, could you explain it in more detail?"

"Oh... the Seven-Colored Glazed Body is formed from seven gods, and each god has its own corresponding divine ability. The divine ability of Mysterious God Plumbs the Profound is the Star Shifting Technique... not only can it create three identical clones, but it can also activate the Star Domain Technique to create an illusory puppet and hide it somewhere. After that, all damage the user suffers will be transferred to the person or object where the puppet is hidden."

"Damage transfer?"

"That's exactly it!" With that, the Grand Elder went back to drinking with the others.

Chu Xinghe was so angry he was ready to pull down his pants and throw a tantrum!

Damn it! I misjudged Zheng Yu...

I thought that bastard was acting... when the four Zheng Yus were hitting themselves together, I thought he was trying to put on an act for me.

But I was wrong, completely wrong... that bastard must have transferred the damage to me, so when he hit himself, I would be the one hurt, not Zheng Yu.

And conversely, if I got hurt, it would bounce back and hurt Zheng Yu instead.

That was also why Thunder Shadow's Purple Lightning Flash had taken Zheng Yu out in one strike.

Tears streamed down Chu Xinghe's face. He had calculated every possibility except Zheng Yu pulling something like this!

Zheng Yu, oh Zheng Yu, why did you have to pull this? Couldn't you have just fought normally?

If you'd been even a little more normal, you'd be the star of tonight's banquet... young man, you mustn't stray onto crooked paths!

Chu Xinghe drank a great deal. Whoever came to toast him, he accepted every cup.

Fortune-bringer Ma Liang was not idle. He went around telling everyone how wise and mighty Senior Brother Xinghe was.

"Do you know... that Big Rhinoceros's defense was monstrously strong, but what good did it do him? Senior Brother Xinghe still took him out with one sword strike!"

Wan Lin was not idle either. After comprehending Staff Intent, she had actually considered testing her skills against Senior Brother Xinghe. After all, she had comprehended Staff Intent—the strongest form of it, Nine Nines Return to One, no less.

Although she owed it all to Senior Brother Xinghe, Wan Lin had gotten just a tiny bit full of herself.

But after that Purple Lightning Flash, Wan Lin understood completely... how could Staff Intent possibly bridge the gap between her and someone as formidable as Senior Brother Xinghe?

And the final strike with which Senior Brother Xinghe had broken their opponent's Sword Intent had surely been for her sake. Senior Brother Xinghe knew she could not fight that opponent again, but he had still dealt with him for her in that way.

Senior Brother Xinghe truly was the number one of the younger generation!

Chu Xinghe did not know how the banquet ended, but as he was carried back drunk, he kept shouting, "I just want to lose! I really want to lose! Let me lose! Please!"

Hearing such outrageous words from Senior Brother Xinghe, the many drunken junior brothers were filled with respect.

"Senior Brother Xinghe defeated Zheng Yu today and can rightly be called the number one of the younger generation. Yet even so, he isn't the least bit conceited or arrogant. He's even prepared to fail at any moment. We must learn from such a state of mind!"

"Exactly! I heard that Senior Brother Xinghe once told Senior Sister Wan Lin and Senior Brother Ma Liang that they were nervous and apprehensive about the martial meet because they feared failure. And because they feared failure, they didn't dare to desire victory!"

"Yes, yes! Look at Senior Brother Xinghe: he never carries failure with him. That way, failure can never catch up with him!"

"Senior Brother Xinghe's level is something we should spend our whole lives learning from!"

Finally, Chu Xinghe was taken back to his room. Feng Fei, who was just as drunk, proudly tucked in Junior Brother Xinghe as he shouted that all he sought was a single defeat...

Meanwhile, news of the battle between the Vast Heaven Sect and Martial Emperor City spread rapidly in all directions.

When they saw the result, almost everyone was stunned for a moment. With one win, one loss, and one draw in three matches, why had the Vast Heaven Sect won?

Many people's first reaction was to wonder whether the Vast Heaven Sect could really be so shameless.

But when they read on and learned that Chu Xinghe had taken out two people with one sword strike and had not even used his full strength against Zheng Yu, all sides were astonished!

The major sects naturally knew Chu Xinghe's name, but with Zheng Yu having obtained the Seven-Colored Glazed Body and entered the Vast Heaven Sect to challenge it, more people had honestly favored Zheng Yu.

After all, Martial Emperor City had once been king, and the Seven-Colored Glazed Body was the foundation of its invincibility.

But Zheng Yu had lost this battle so miserably, and Chu Xinghe had even managed to easily defeat Martial Emperor City's three finest disciples single-handedly. It truly made countless jaws drop.

There was no telling how many people lay awake that night, or how many little notebooks had the name Chu Xinghe written in them.

And likewise, the name Chu Xinghe became the imagined adversary of the younger generation in the great sects and even throughout the world!

Defeat Chu Xinghe, and one could ascend to the throne of the younger generation's number one.

There was no telling how many young dreamers tossed and turned that night.

They fantasized about defeating Chu Xinghe, but the more they did, the greater the pressure his name brought them.

Without anyone noticing, the name Chu Xinghe had become a great mountain—a mountain the younger generation of the world all dreamed of crossing...

In the outer sect of the Vast Heaven Sect, Chu Cheng also tossed and turned all night...

Wrapped up like a zongzi, he muttered to himself through lips that looked like sausages.

"Why... I'm the number one of Kaoshan Village... Chu Xinghe ranks second... I, Chu Cheng, am a man with the potential of a great emperor! I refuse to accept this! I'm only a dragon swimming in the shallows. How could a golden-scaled creature belong in a pond? Once it meets wind and clouds, it will transform into a dragon!"

Bang! The door was kicked open by a Fathead Fish.

"Who the fuck is making all that noise in here?! Are you going to let me sleep or not? You've got a death wish, do you? Beat him!"

Once again, no one knew how long the beating lasted, but that golden-scaled creature would definitely have to stay in the pond for another six months to a year...