Chapter 731: The Universe Spirit Pool Struggle
Dong! Dong!
As time flowed on and Lin Langtian spent each day honing the Silver Mist Guard and cultivating the Eight Directions Primordial Art, the day for the opening of the Universe Spirit Pool finally arrived.
When the first ray of dawn shone upon heaven and earth, a deep, low drumbeat slowly resounded across the vast Heaven of the Universe.
In an instant, countless figures swept out like a tide, an awe-inspiring sight.
The struggle over the Universe Spirit Pool could be considered a grand event within the entire Universe Sect.
After all, although the Universe Sect, once the overlord of the continent, had now declined, the competition among its many factions remained fiercely intense.
In order to achieve good results and secure sufficient benefits, the various factions would all dispatch their strongest subordinates to fight for prestige and profit.
The Universe Spirit Pool possessed a miraculous ability to further perfect Sovereign Law Bodies, and that alone was enough to make countless Sovereigns covet it.
Deep within the Universe Sect, there rose a towering mountain peak.
The peak was lush and verdant, and its summit shone with dazzling green light. That place was where the Universe Spirit Pool was located.
This mountain was called Spirit Pool Peak and was considered a forbidden land within the Universe Sect, only temporarily opened when the struggle over the Universe Spirit Pool commenced.
At the foot of Spirit Pool Peak, battle intent surged. Boisterous noise brimming with fighting spirit soared into the sky.
A dense sea of people stretched from the base of the mountain to the very limits of sight, a truly spectacular scene.
Below the mountain stood nine enormous stone platforms.
The platforms were broad and imposing, overflowing with murderous intent. Eight mighty armies stood upon them in silence, their killing aura enough to make onlookers tremble.
Thrones had been set up on each stone platform.
Eight figures sat quietly upon them, looking down like wolves and eagles, their gazes so sharp that many experts dared not meet their eyes.
The Nine Kings of the Universe Sect were renowned throughout the Northern Region and even across the entire Universe Continent.
Boom!
Just as many were glancing at the empty silver throne at the end, a terrifying murderous aura suddenly erupted from the distant horizon.
Countless people looked up in surprise to see a mass of white clouds rolling toward them before crashing down heavily upon that ninth stone platform.
They were nearly a thousand soldiers clad in silver-white armor. They stood as still as bedrock, completely motionless, while a fierce and baleful aura rose straight into the sky.
At the very front of this force stood a handsome man in green robes, tall and slender.
He lifted his head with a calm expression, his gaze meeting the other eight stone platforms without the slightest ripple in his tranquil black eyes.
As they looked upon this elite silver-armored army, the original clamor of heaven and earth quietly subsided a little.
Many people could not help the flicker of surprise that passed through their eyes.
This Silver Mist Guard before them seemed in no way weaker than the signature armies under the other eight Kings.
"Who would've thought the Silver Mist Guard would have such momentum? Weren't they saying Silver Mist Palace ranked last among the Nine Palaces? This aura is nothing like that."
"Indeed. It seems rumors can't be trusted. Silver Mist Palace is still one of the Nine Palaces, after all. It can't be that far behind."
"A struggle among the Nine Kings makes things far more interesting."
"…"
On Spirit Pool Peak, numerous gazes locked onto the Silver Mist Guard, standing as steady as a rock, and hushed discussions broke out.
Silver Mist Palace's reputation within the Universe Sect was not high. After all, Jiang Yinlan, though a disciple of the Great Elder, was young and inexperienced. If not for the Great Elder's strong support, she likely would not have become a Palace Master at all.
"That young man in green… he's probably that lucky fellow who joined the Universe Sect through a Universe Gold Token and became the Commander of Silver Mist Palace."
As the crowd's attention remained on the Silver Mist Guard, their gazes also dipped toward the calm, tall figure in green standing at the very front.
"Yes, that's the new Commander of Silver Mist Palace, Lin Langtian. It's said he's from a lower plane."
"A lower plane? Since when did people from lower planes qualify to become Commanders in the Universe Sect?" one long-secluded expert demanded indignantly, clearly unaware of recent events.
"Enough complaining. Although Lin Langtian comes from a lower plane, he's reportedly already stepped into the Second Grade Sovereign realm. Two months ago, a Commander under the Calamity King attacked him and was directly defeated."
"I see. Then it seems he does have some skill. Even so, thinking Silver Mist Palace can seize a Universe Spirit Pool quota is still a joke."
"That seems about right. This time the Silver Mist King appears rather impatient. If she fails to show off and instead loses face, even the Great Elder will find it awkward."
"…"
Whoosh!
Following the Silver Mist Guard's arrival, two more streaks of light shot over. One of them landed directly on the silver throne of the ninth stone platform, drawing countless eyes.
The figure that appeared was slender and graceful. She wore a suit of silver battle armor and held a long sword in her jade-like hand. The tight-fitting armor accentuated her exquisite curves.
Her silver hair was casually tied up, giving her a heroic air, while the snow-white, shapely legs beneath her battle skirt drew many sidelong, covetous glances.
Those legs alone were enough to make throats run dry, not to mention the fact that the owner of those legs possessed such a proud figure, coldly beautiful face, and lofty status.
This woman was, of course, Jiang Yinlan.
Her beautiful eyes swept around once before she sat down upon the throne, Mu Honglian taking her place at Jiang Yinlan's left.
"Hehe, so it's the Silver Mist King. Any later and this king would have thought you had decided to withdraw."
As soon as Jiang Yinlan appeared, a faint chuckle sounded. On a nearby stone platform, the Calamity King's lips curved strangely as he spoke.
Jiang Yinlan's eyes turned frosty as she glanced at him. "The affairs of Silver Mist Palace do not require Lord Calamity King's concern."
The Calamity King simply smiled. His fingers slowly brushed the armrest, but deep in his eyes, as dark as black holes, a biting chill flashed, vicious to the extreme.
No one present could fail to sense the tension between Jiang Yinlan and the Calamity King.
The other Kings, however, merely watched coldly, showing no intention of intervening.
Lin Langtian stood silently at the head of the Silver Mist Guard, his calm gaze sweeping toward the stone platform where Calamity Palace was gathered.
There, another army in pitch-black armor stood armored and ready.
A baleful aura coiled about them, clearly marking them as a battle-hardened force that had seen much bloodshed.
"Commander, that is the Calamity Guard of Calamity Palace, commanded by Dong Kui, the foremost of the five great Commanders.
"In recent years, many of the cities belonging to our Silver Mist Palace have been completely ravaged by the Calamity Guard. Quite a few had no choice but to defect to Calamity Palace," Hou Yuan said quietly from behind Lin Langtian, resentment lacing his tone.
The Silver Mist Guard had three First Grade Sovereigns. Because of their strength, Lin Langtian had promoted them all to Vice Commanders, and as Hou Yuan was particularly adept at reading people and catering to their wishes, Lin Langtian had taken him in as a trusted aide.
"So that's the Calamity Guard…"
Lin Langtian nodded calmly. The next instant, he sensed a gaze filled with killing intent.
He tilted his head slightly and saw Dong Kui, standing at the forefront of the Calamity Guard, looking straight at him.
Their gazes met, and a cruel, disdainful smile tugged at the corner of Dong Kui's mouth, as though he already saw Lin Langtian as prey.
Seeing this, Lin Langtian's lips also lifted in a playful arc.
In this Universe Spirit Pool contest, it remained to be seen who was truly the hunter and who was the hunted.
As that thought passed through Lin Langtian's mind, a faint fragrance drifted over as Mu Honglian quietly approached his side.
"Honglian, what is it?" Lin Langtian asked with a smile.
Over the past two months, and at Mu Honglian's persistent request, Lin Langtian had dropped the formal address and begun calling her by name.
Mu Honglian pressed her red lips together, looking at him with concern. "Silver Mist Sister asked me to tell you that nearly a hundred people are taking part in this Spirit Pool struggle, and not one of them is weak."
"Oh? That many?" Lin Langtian asked, puzzled. Weren't the quotas supposed to be strictly limited?
"This time, the three Elders decided to expand the number of slots. So, in addition to the subordinates of the Nine Kings, some of the Universe Sect's affiliated factions have also been given a quota."
At that, Mu Honglian's pretty eyes slid toward Calamity Palace's platform, a trace of worry surfacing in them.
"This is not good news for you. Among those affiliated factions, some have close ties with Calamity Palace, so they may well join forces against you."
Lin Langtian was taken aback. He had not expected Calamity Palace's influence to be so vast. Compared to them, Silver Mist Palace did indeed seem rather immature.
Even so, he had full confidence that, under his guidance, Silver Mist Palace would one day far surpass Calamity Palace.
The corner of his mouth lifted as he looked at Mu Honglian and said with a smile, "Don't worry. They're just a motley rabble. In this Spirit Pool contest, I will not bring shame to Silver Mist Palace, nor will I disappoint the Palace Master."
As he spoke, he could not help looking up at the cold, graceful figure seated upon the silver throne. In Lin Langtian's view, whether in beauty or temperament, Jiang Yinlan was in no way inferior to the trio of Ling Qingzhu, Tang Xinlian, and the others.
Just as Lin Langtian was quietly taking in her appearance, Jiang Yinlan's eyes happened to turn his way.
Their gazes met for a brief moment. Then Lin Langtian's lips curved in a faint smile as he cupped his hands slightly toward her before turning back with a calm expression to face the Calamity Guard.
Jiang Yinlan watched this utterly composed and seemingly assured Lin Langtian, and a flicker of light passed through her eyes.
Over the past weeks, she had found this new Commander from a lower plane growing ever more enigmatic.
His entire being seemed shrouded in fog, always bringing unexpected surprises. Even someone as proud and aloof as she was could not help but feel curious, unconsciously paying him closer attention.
The more she watched, the more she realized that in both conduct and talent, Lin Langtian was far from ordinary.
She knew that back in the lower plane, Lin Langtian had undoubtedly been one of the most dazzling prodigies on his continent.
What Jiang Yinlan did not realize was that a woman's downfall for a man often began with a spark of interest and curiosity…
(END CHAPTER)
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