The Yellow River Assembly had ended in July of Dao Calendar year 3919, but even in August, its ripples had yet to settle.
The main reason, of course, was that the champion of this year's Inner Palace Arena was suspected of colluding with demons.
The matter had caused an uproar. Jing, Qi, Mu, Chu, Yujing Mountain, and the Hanging Temple had all been drawn into it.
After Zhao Xuanyang, a prodigy of Jing Kingdom's Divine Presence Realm, had personally captured Jiang Wang in Zhongshan State, Ji Zhaonan of Qi had returned from beyond the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons and leveled his spear at Jing, demanding Jiang Wang's release. Then Chunyu Gui had suddenly appeared and fought Ji Zhaonan one-on-one... Qi's fierce reaction had pushed the matter to its climax, drawing the attention of all under heaven.
Chunyu Gui and Ji Zhaonan had fought a great battle in Zhongshan State. Both sides had fought in earnest, and the aftermath had nearly destroyed half the city before the enraged cultivators of Zhongshan State mobilized their armies to stop them.
As for who won, each side had its own view. In the end, both withdrew.
After the battle, however, both Qi and Jing paid Zhongshan State a considerable amount in compensation.
By comparison, fewer people knew of the great battle above the Nine Garrisons of the Long River between Pei Xinghe, commander of Jing Kingdom's Disaster Killing Army, and Shi Mingcheng, commander of Qi's Winter Silence Army.
There had been no spectators during the fight. No one knew when it had begun or when it had ended.
The reports that emerged were mostly vague. It was said that, at the height of the battle, the Long River had stopped flowing for three breaths, but no one knew whether that was true.
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