Taking the stage

"Five-Element Platform!?"

"Only those who overpower all rivals can obtain a Dragon Gate Token? They're actually awarding the Dragon Gate Tokens this way this time!"

"A combat contest... and a hold-the-arena battle at that, the most prestigious kind! Unless everyone acknowledges you and you beat everyone into submission, there's no clever shortcut!"

"Not necessarily. When their strength is close, people with distinguished status and powerful backing still have a considerable advantage!"

The moment Shen Chenzhou finished speaking, the crowd erupted.

Not only the martial masters participating in the Dragon Gate Convention and their friends and families, but even the elders and grandmasters of the Tai Xu Sword Palace, Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, and Sacred Martial Tower on the elevated pavilion, as well as the imperial elders, princes, and commandery princes, looked astonished.

"They're using the hold-the-arena form of Leaping Over the Dragon Gate again. I remember the last time they did this was sixty years ago."

"This kind of contest eliminates all the martial masters at blood exchange and marrow washing outright, leaving them no chance whatsoever. Even if those martial masters wanted to gamble on it, the price would be their lives, because every arena defender will absolutely kill without mercy to intimidate the others, lest a succession of challengers exhaust their stamina."

"That won't do much good. It's not as though losing disqualifies you. As long as you can still fight, you can step down, rest a little, and take the stage again once you've recovered."

"That leaves practically no suspense over who'll get the five Dragon Gate Tokens."

The elders and sect leaders who had cultivated true qi, or even opened all eight extraordinary meridians, offered their assessments.

Among the imperial representatives, Yan Shiri, the prince titled "Martial," smiled at the Sword Saint Guangyuan, who was also upstairs.

"It looks like that youngster you invested in won't be going to an immortal sect this time."

The Sword Saint Guangyuan knew whom he meant and replied with a smile, "He's still young. If he can't go, then he can't go. He can simply wait another five years. With his talent and foundations, cultivating true qi in five years shouldn't be an extravagant hope. When he attempts Leaping Over the Dragon Gate then, success will be his for the taking."

"Heh... five years. Neither long nor short. Any number of accidents could happen in that time. With his arrogant way of doing things, it wouldn't be surprising if someone slaughtered him one day."

Martial Prince Yan Shiri spoke indifferently.

"He's proud now because he's never suffered a setback. Once he witnesses the strength of the top five at this Dragon Gate Convention, he'll understand the gap between himself and others and come to recognize his own limits."

At this point, the master of the Sacred Martial Tower spoke.

Afterward, he turned directly to Xiao Ruqing. "Go tell Li Hidden Dragon again that the doors of our Sacred Martial Tower are always open to him."

"Yes."

Xiao Ruqing, seated nearby, promptly answered and withdrew.

Seeing this, the people from the Tai Xu Sword Palace and Heavenly Treasure Pavilion quickly signaled Li Qiong and Long Yu with their eyes.

The two likewise understood without a word and left the pavilion.

At this, Yan Shiri could no longer be bothered to argue. He turned directly toward a cold-faced woman who looked only twenty-four or twenty-five, his tone immediately becoming gentle. "Yu'er, go. For other warriors, a grand contest like this amounts to defying heaven and changing their fate. For you, it's merely a chance to stretch your limbs and go through the motions."

Yan Yu inclined her head slightly and said calmly, "Whatever form it takes, it's all the same."

Yan Shiri smiled at her words. "Exactly. Absolute strength naturally brings absolute confidence. The land of Great Zhou is ultimately too small for a daughter of heaven like you. Go, take a Dragon Gate Token and head to an immortal sect. Just as it was for the prodigies of our Yan Family in previous years, that's the stage where you truly belong."

Yan Yu nodded and left the pavilion.

Outside, her sword-bearing maids and personal attendants had long been waiting quietly. They clustered around her and headed straight for the Five-Element Platform.

Elsewhere, Nangong Zhaoyue, master of the Tai Xu Sword Palace, also turned his gaze toward Xiang Yangsheng.

He said nothing, merely nodding.

Xiang Yangsheng rose unhurriedly, bowed slightly to his palace master and teacher, then turned and left.

Throughout the entire process, neither exchanged a word.

But judging by their composed demeanor...

It seemed that for both Nangong Zhaoyue and Xiang Yangsheng, a mere Leaping Over the Dragon Gate had never been a problem.

Using the false to cultivate the true, with the cultivation to produce true qi...

Among Great Zhou's younger generation, that was invincible.

Just as Yan Shiri had said, this Dragon Gate Convention, which amounted to defying heaven and changing fate for ordinary warriors, was merely a formality to them.

The Five-Element Platform.

It stood nearly two meters high and thirty meters across.

At its center stood a stone pillar nine meters tall and one meter in diameter, carved with reliefs of five dragons. Resting atop it were the five Dragon Gate Tokens.

At this moment, crowds surged around the platform.

The participants who had researched previous Leaping Over the Dragon Gate contests already understood the rules of this grand competition.

Anyone who stood on the platform for the time it took an incense stick to burn without anyone daring to challenge them would win.

But...

Not a single person took the stage first.

Many even turned their eyes toward a particular pavilion.

It was both a resting place for the leaders of the great sects and members of the imperial family, and where Yan Yu, first on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, was resting her mind.

"Alas."

Zhou Juechen let out a long sigh.

Hongyu and another Zhou Family elder at internal organ refinement also looked deeply grave.

"Master..."

"Time and fate."

Zhou Juechen exhaled. "This form of Leaping Over the Dragon Gate allows no tricks. You have to crush every dissenting challenger with absolute strength. It carries the greatest weight, but likewise... it also reduces the element of luck to a minimum! In fact, it's not just luck. The contest itself is extremely unfriendly to those of us with ordinary status and backgrounds."

Li Xian understood what he meant.

In this sort of contest, when the difference in strength was small, status naturally became crucial.

Martial masters who knew they could not hold the arena until the end might decide that if they could not have it easy, neither would anyone else. They could wear down someone with a smaller advantage, dragging him down through a succession of challenges.

But if that person held exalted status...

Unless they were prepared to die, they certainly would not dare stir up trouble and thoroughly offend that person, lest they suffer retaliation.

This was why, after every Dragon Gate Convention, the martial world would remain turbulent for a year or two, and some sects and factions would be wiped out.

"Are you going up?"

Li Xian asked.

"Yes."

Zhou Juechen said heavily, "I've come all this way. If I don't fight a match and give it everything I have, I won't be reconciled!"

At this, he paused. "But... I'll have to choose the right moment."

Li Xian nodded.

Just then, something else occurred to Zhou Juechen. He glanced at Li Xian. "If you choose the right moment and wait until the very end to act, you might still have a sliver of hope. After all, everyone knows that even if you fail this time, you're certain to leap over the Dragon Gate next time. That deterrent is no weaker than the backing of martial masters from the greatest sects."

"Act at the very end?"

Li Xian shook his head.

By then, all the experts would have left. What point would there be in taking the stage?

Forget it.

Whoever goes up, I'll fight them.

Just then, a wave of subdued exclamations suddenly came from the crowd.

"She's here."

"Her Highness Yan Yu, the nineteenth princess, is here."

"First on the Hidden Dragon Ranking. Who would dare contend with her? Going up would probably be throwing your life away! Xiang Yangsheng, the only one who could threaten her, has no need to fight her to the bitter end either. Under these rules, her Dragon Gate Token is practically hers for the picking."

Amid the hushed exchanges, Yan Yu passed through the crowd, surrounded by her sword-bearing maids.

Wherever she went, everyone ahead of her made way of their own accord.

These people...

Whether they were participants' relatives, participants themselves, or even participants on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, all stepped aside without exception.

She was like a divine needle parting the waters. Wherever she walked, people scattered. No one dared obstruct her in the slightest.

Under everyone's gaze, she ignored all their stares, leaped up, and landed on the Five-Element Platform.

Then she sprang through the air, using the five dragon reliefs on the pillar as footholds. Like someone ascending to heaven upon dragons, she went straight to the pillar's summit and calmly took a Dragon Gate Token in hand.

Yan Yu turned toward a Rising Dragon Pavilion staff member beside her.

"May I leave now?"

The staff member was none other than Yang Xu.

"I'm sorry, but you need to wait up there for a while. We have to make sure no one is hurrying to devise tactics and prepare to challenge you."

Yang Xu replied.

"Challenge me? Is that possible?"

Yan Yu said indifferently, "Not to boast, but Xiang Yangsheng is the only decent one here. Everyone else isn't even qualified to be my opponent. Coming up would just mean coming to die."

Those words were wildly arrogant.

Yet among all those below the platform who considered themselves prodigies, not one spoke up to refute her.

They knew she spoke the truth.

Even prodigies came in different ranks.

And here, Yan Yu was undoubtedly the most dazzling prodigy.

Yang Xu understood this too.

Still, the required procedures had to be followed.

He immediately called down to the crowd, "The first Dragon Gate Token is now in Her Highness Yan Yu's hands. Does anyone wish to contend with her? If no one does, and everyone acknowledges that her skill surpasses all rivals, then..."

Whoosh!

The next instant, while almost no one had reacted at all...

While even Zhou Juechen felt this was merely dead time, Li Xian sprang up and landed directly on the Five-Element Platform.

(End of chapter)