Chapter 320: Demonic Dragon Lady! (2)
Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations
At the same time, Drunken Bao had the Light Attribute. Although the healing properties of the Light Attribute was no match for Tian'er's Divine Attribute, it was still not to be underestimated. At least, it was better than nothing in this case! Both of them quickly moved towards the backline, unleashing their Heavenly Energy towards the dragon.
With their help, Tian'er's expression grew better. Under their efforts, the rate of the Life force ebbing out of the mother dragon slowed drastically.
Right at that moment, a sudden burst of blue light shot past them and fell onto the mother dragon. The thick blue light was not hostile, gentle and filled with Life Attribute Heavenly Energy, imbued with life force. With this fresh infusion of immense life energy, the mother dragon's wounds finally stabilized, her scary looking wounds finally stopping their bleeding, and her ebbing life force finally started recovering slowly instead.
Tian'er turned around in surprise, only to see Little Witch. She did not know when or how Little Witch had arrived beside her, but the familiar blue hibiscus mutabilis was behind her, constantly infusing a large amount of life energy into the mother dragon. At the same time, a few rays of light shot forth from the hibiscus to wrap around a few nearby large trees, drawing their life force to replenish the mother dragon's.
In that moment, among all the Elemental Attributes, all the four which held any form of healing properties were present. Water, Light, Life and Divine. Instantly, the healing effect seemed to multiply, and take full effect on the mother dragon. Her eyes slowly turned from sorrow to a surprised delight, and with a slow lift of one of her claws, she pulled the large egg in front of her into her embrace before closing her eyes. Without question, she was cooperating with the four healers in circulating the energy in self recovery.
At that side, it seemed things had stabilized. But the ZhongTian Battle Team leader, Zhan LingTian, was growing more and more furious.
Originally, everything was going according to plan, everything falling in place perfectly for them. The dragon, the egg, both were pretty much in their bag. At most, they would have to give the BaoPo Battle Team some benefits to reward them for their help. Who could have expected that this Zhou Weiqing would jump out and ruin everything, followed by a Divine Heavenly Spirit Tiger and those Fei Li Battle Team members! They were actually somehow reversing that sure-win battle situation!
The moment he saw Zhou Weiqing, he instantly remembered what Shangguan Fei'er told him. It was this bastard that had stolen the first kiss of his goddess. Now, he was here once more to ruin his perfect time.
The more he thought about this, the more furious Zhan LingTian got, until it reached a breaking point.
All of a sudden, the God Tier Consolidated Long Spear in Zhan LingTian's hands swept out, forcing back his opponent in an abrupt motion. With a sudden flash, he appeared right before Zhou Weiqing, the spear striking out towards him!
The Elemental Jewels around Zhan LingTian's left wrist was also an Alexandrite stone! He had two Elemental Attributes, but although it was only two attributes, they were an unbelievably unique existence in their own right. His two Attributes were actually the Light and Darkness Attribute, two absolute opposites!
Ordinarily, if two opposite attributes like that appeared for a single person, then there should be no possibility for him to cultivate. In fact, there would exist the possibility of self imploding if he should try to force himself to cultivate.
However, this Zhan LingTian was truly unique. He had started cultivating from a young age, and had actually managed to cultivate these two opposing attributes through sheer talent and willpower. The entire left half of his body held the Darkness Attribute, while the entire right half of his body held the Light Attribute. The middle intersection of his body was the divider, protected by Heavenly Energy.
Indeed, the Light and Darkness Attributes were opposing, but if coordinated and mixed well with proper control, that opposing power could actually be taken advantage of, causing it to have an extremely great strength.
In the entire younger generation of the Heaven's Expanse Palace, if one were to ignore the Consolidated Equipment and just focus on cultivation level alone, Zhan LingTian was actually the top. It was only because Shangguan Xue'er had the Boundless Infinitum Set that her overall power was above his.
It was not without reason that Zhan LingTian was called the top genius within the past several hundred years in the Heaven's Expanse Palace. At least, he had shown he was able to take the upper hand in a fight with the leader of the Heavenly Snow Mountain. After all, he was facing another Heavenly Beast at the same time, a Snow Eagle.
Currently, Zhan LingTian's heart was filled with a violent killing intent, as he targeted Zhou Weiqing with all his might. That killing aura, almost coalesced into a tangible feeling caused Zhou Weiqing to almost suffocate.
A flash of yellow light. With a swift step, Lin TianAo appeared in front of Zhou Weiqing, his five-Jeweled Assembly Shield Set blocking the incoming blow unhesitatingly.
Zhan LingTian's Consolidated Equipment was also a specially designed Legendary Set, but with a maximum of nine pieces only. He currently had four pieces, just like Shangguan Fei'er.
The long spear in his hands was one of the Legendary Set pieces, 1.2 zhang long 1, as thick as an infant's arms. One half of it was gold, and the other half black, even down to the sharp end. In between the gold and black colour, there was a faint white line separating the two; it was almost a mirror image of his own internal body mechanism.
As the spear pierced out, it was imbued with both Light and Darkness Heavenly Energy. As soon as the two energies left the spear, they immediately caused an immense explosion.
When Light met Darkness, the effect was even more obvious than water meeting fire. This was even more so when considering Zhan LingTian's seven-Jeweled cultivation level.
In that massive explosion, even with Lin TianAo's powerful defenses, he was still knocked back by that powerful strike. The next instant, with a tilt of his spear, Zhan LingTian sent him flying back.
In terms of cultivation level, Zhan LingTian was above Shangguan Fei'er, and his absolute power was comparable or even higher than hers as well, especially with his battle experience, killing intent and resolution, it was not something that Shangguan Fei'er had within her, at least not currently.
Without Lin TianAo to block him, Zhan LingTian was now facing Zhou Weiqing directly. Having knocked Lin TianAo back with the front of the spear, he struck down savagely and swiftly towards Zhou Weiqing's chest with the butt of the spear.
However, Lin TianAo's block had given Zhou Weiqing the opportunity to unleash his Demonic Change State. Only under the Demonic Change State would he have the slightest chance of protecting himself from Zhan LingTian.
His Legendary Dual God Strength Hammers appeared unhesitatingly. Due to the fact that he had already used the Consolidating Equipment God Protective Aura once today, it did not appear once more. With the crying-face hammer, Zhou Weiqing struck upwards, forcibly blocking Zhan LingTian's attack. At the same time, the WanShou Battle Team leader recovered himself, striking out towards Zhan LingTian's back.
Another massive explosion. Zhou Weiqing felt himself swallowed by a previously incomparable explosion, as if he was in the midst of a maelstrom. In that moment, he could no longer hear anything from outside, as if he had been transported to another world by himself.
Even with his immense strength, the boost from the Demonic Change State and his Legendary Hammers, he was still unable to block Zhan LingTian's spear. The crying-face hammer was forcibly knocked back, smashing onto his own chest and sending him flying back.
The Immortal Deity Shield burst into effect at this moment, the fourteen energy whirlpools at his Death Acupuncture Points whirling at their maximum speed, combining efforts to accept the blow and reduce it.
Luckily, Zhan LingTian had been blocked by Lin TianAo earlier. Although he had easily knocked Lin TianAo away, and this blow was dealt with intense anger, he still had to focus some attention towards the dire threat from the WanShou Battle Team leader behind him. As such, he did not dare to use his full strength in the attack.
Thanks to that, Zhou Weiqing managed to survive it. Even so, when he was sent flying back, he could not help but vomit out a mouthful of fresh blood.
At the same time, he did not let Zhan LingTian get off scot-free. The crying-face hammer had been imbued with the boosted Curse of Doom, landing on him as well.
After knocking both Lin TianAo and Zhou Weiqing back, Zhan LingTian swept his right foot out, forcibly kicking Crow, who had been striking down with both her axes, and sending her flying back as well. In the next instant, he twisted his body, barely avoiding Xiao Yan's fireball. With his spear as a pivot, he vaulted back up again, and was once again clashing with the WanShou Battle Team leader without skipping a beat.
In just the few short moments, Zhan LingTian had used his full power to its maximum effect. Although he did not succeed in killing Zhou Weiqing as planned, he had managed to stop the young archer from shooting his harassing arrows, and also dealt him an injury. The power of his Light and Darkness Spear had definitely given Zhou Weiqing a heavy blow. If not for Lin TianAo, and the power of his Legendary hammer, he might have been blown into bits by now.
So Strong! Zhou Weiqing exclaimed in his heart. Although he had vomited out a mouthful of blood, his injury wasn't too serious, while Zhan LingTian's blow had also sparked the ferocity in his heart.
With a furious yell, Zhou Weiqing swung the Legendary Hammers in his hands, his right leg striking the ground savagely as he leapt up high.
The swirling thick black tiger tattoos on his body started to fluctuate violently, as if they were all coming to life. This was especially so for the 'King' word on his forehead, which was currently glowing brilliantly.
In mid air, Zhou Weiqing's eyes turned cold, his entire body giving forth a strange aura. In that instant, his gaze seemed to give others a noble arrogance, an unassuming yet exalted loftiness, as if the people below him were all merely lowly beings. His eyes, which had turned bloodshot earlier due to the Demonic Change State, had suddenly turned a deep purple.
Hammers in hand, his physique broadened further by the Demonic Change State, when his body rose up into the air to the maximum point as propelled by his kick, he suddenly stopped right there in the sky, hovering there instead of falling back down as if he could defy gravity.
A noble and proud air suddenly filled the air, and the two Legendary Hammers in his hands abruptly glowed with a purple-red light.
As Zhou Weiqing levitated in the sky, a five metre tall phantom illusory image slowly appeared behind him.
When that phantom illusory image appeared, everyone on the battlefield slowed down or stopped. Even the mother dragon, whose eyes had been closed as she was in the midst of healing, opened her eyes to stare at Zhou Weiqing in midair.
Zhan LingTian exclaimed in shock: "Heavenly Skill Image!"
As the name might suggest, Heavenly Skill Image referred to having the image of the Heavenly Beast primed and appearing when the Elemental Jewel Stored Skill was used. However, in order for this to happen, that Heavenly Beast had to be at the Heavenly God Stage!
Even an ordinary Heavenly God Stage Beast's Skill would be rated at twelve stars, definitely the very definition of terrifying.
How could it be? How could this be?!
At that moment, not just Zhan LingTian, but everyone present, had that in their mind. This Zhou Weiqing was merely a three-Jeweled Heavenly Jewel Master, how could he possibly have a Heavenly God Stage Skill?! Even in the Heavenly Jewel Island Skill Storing Palace, there were only very few Heavenly God Stage Heavenly Beasts, each of them gathered painstakingly by generations of Heaven's Expanse Palace powerhouses, expending much manpower and effort in doing so.
Chapter 321: Demonic Dragon Lady! (3)
Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations
Furthermore, the Heavenly Jewel Island Skill Storing Palace had a strict rule in place. For the Heavenly God Stage Heavenly Beasts, even the direct bloodline of the Heaven's Expanse Palace had to reach at least the Heavenly King Stage and above, and be given permission by the upper echelons of the Heaven's Expanse Palace before being allowed into try Skill Storing on them. No outsiders were actually even allowed to enter that portion of the Skill Storing Palace.
In the entire mainland, Heavenly God Stage Heavenly Beasts were extremely rare, though perhaps not as rare as Heavenly God Stage Jewel Masters, it could still be described as rare as the feathers of a phoenix and the horns of a qilin1. To even find a Heavenly God Stage Heavenly Beasts was something so rare, and to find one Sealed or willing to be Skill Stored, it could be said that even in the entire mainland, one could count on the fingers of a hand.
What was so great about this Zhou Weiqing? What sort of insane luck did he have to be able to find a Heavenly God Stage Heavenly Beast, and more so, to successfully Skill Store!
After all, even if it were a Heavenly King Stage powerhouse attempting to Skill Store from a Heavenly God Stage Heavenly Beast, the success rate was barely one in ten thousand. That was to say, if this Heavenly King Stage powerhouse were unlucky, it might take more than thirty years of continuous trying before succeeding. Even a lucky one might still take ten years or so.
In fact, for a Heavenly Emperor Stage powerhouse attempting to Skill Store from a Heavenly God Stage Heavenly Beast, the current known record in the entire mainland was five years and nine days!
Yet, on this Heavenly Jewel Tournament grounds, one such Skill had just appeared. How could everyone not be shocked to the core? No matter what Zhou Weiqing's cultivation level was, when he released this Skill that could summon the Heavenly Skill Image, he undoubtedly became the focal point of the entire battlefield.
The Heavenly Skill Image behind Zhou Weiqing was not very clear, just a vague silhouette, a dim purple-red in colour. Its upper body seemed to be that of a human female, long hair cascading down, but its lower body clearly had a large thick tail wrapped around.
Towards such an image, everyone was left puzzled. None of them had any idea what kind of Heavenly Beast looked like this.
Of course, it was normal for them to be clueless about this. This Heavenly Beast that Zhou Weiqing had Skill Stored from was indeed from the Heavenly Jewel Island Skill Storing Palace. However, it was a Heavenly Beast that no other person had Skill Stored from before, although the Heaven's Expanse Palace had actually caught this beast over four hundred years ago! Let alone the ZhongTian Battle Team members being unable to recognize it, even if the Heaven's Expanse Palace Master Shangguan Tianyang was here, he might not be able to recognize it as well!
In fact, the Heavenly Beast that Zhou Weiqing had Skill Stored from was actually not at the Heavenly God Stage. If it truly were, no matter how high ranked his and Fat Cat's Heavenly Beast auras were, with their current cultivation level it was not possible for him to succeed.
The Heavenly Beast he had Skill Stored from was actually a Heavenly Emperor Stage Heavenly Beast, but it was one of the most powerful amongst the ranks of Heavenly Emperor Stage beasts, with its power coming infinitely close to the Heavenly God Stage, though it had not broken through the final layer. In addition to that, due to the fact that it was an extremely powerful Dual Attribute Skill, when he had unleashed the Skill, it had actually generated the Heavenly Skill Image.
The Heavenly Beast which Zhou Weiqing had Skill Stored from was called the Demonic Dragon Lady, rumoured to be descendants of the offspring between the mating of dragon and human, a half-blood half dragon half human, with the cunning and intelligence of humans, and power close to that of a dragon. Even if a Heavenly God Stage Heavenly Beast faced off with it, it would still be able to hold its own.
Four hundred odd years ago, the Heaven's Expanse Palace had spent more than 30 years planning, arranging and finally capturing this Demonic Dragon Lady. Even so, they had expended many resources in doing so, with even the then-Palace Master perishing in the fight.
When they had caught the Demonic Dragon Lady, they had been overjoyed, thinking they could recoup their losses by Skill Storing powerful Skills from it. Alas, who knew that the Demonic Dragon Lady was not simply a Dual Attribute Heavenly Beast like they had judged previously, with the Darkness and Evil (Demonic) Attribute separate, but in fact, her both Attributes were intertwined closely, especially so for all her Skills.
As such, this resulted in an increased difficulty in Skill Storing in addition to the original difficulty of being a Heavenly Emperor Stage Beast. Not only that, the Heavenly Jewel Master had to have both the Demonic and Darkness Attributes in order to succeed, adding yet another layer of difficulty. Of course, those two Attributes were commonly found only in the Heavenly Demon Sect, and the Heaven's Expanse Palace did not have anyone with both those Attributes at the same time. Naturally, they did not want to give any advantage to the Heavenly Demon Sect, and would not be so foolish as to let the Heavenly Demon Sect benefit from this Heavenly Beast. As a result, in the past few hundred years, no one had successfully Skill Stored from it.
The first time that Zhou Weiqing had entered the Heavenly Jewel Island Skill Storing Palace and checked regarding his various Attributes, he had found out about the existence of this Demonic Dragon Lady, he had taken careful note for the future times that he visited the Skill Storing Palace. Although the Demonic Dragon Lady had already been Sealed for over four hundred years, and was extremely beaten down, it still gave him huge problems. If not for Fat Cat's help, as she suppressed the Demonic Dragon Lady with her Spirit and Divine Attributes, giving enough time for Zhou Weiqing to Devour the last bits of her energy before Skill Storing, he would not have stood a chance.
Even so, it had not been an easy task for them both. That was the reason why he had returned back to the inn so late after Skill Storing, and why the rest of the team saw him in such a shabby shape when he returned.
Zhou Weiqing pointed the Legendary Hammer in his right hand towards Zhan LingTian, who had just shown his impressive prowess, and a purple red light erupted from it towards him.
Zhan LingTian's heart sank. Facing Zhou Weiqing's Heavenly God Stage Skill, he knew that he had no chance to dodge it. Instantly, he reacted in the best way possible, channeling his Heavenly Energy with all his might; at the same time, he flew backward as far as possible, trying to put as much distance between him and Zhou Weiqing as he could.
A cold smirk appeared on Zhou Weiqing's lips. Although this Skill of his was not exactly at the Heavenly God Stage, it was still a top powered Dual Attribute Fusion Skill of the Heavenly Emperor Stage. In terms of its effects, it was definitely comparable to most ordinary Heavenly God Stage Skills.
The Demonic Dragon Lady had many powerful Skills, but in order to use many of them they had extremely harsh restrictions, amongst which was the amount of Heavenly Energy required was at the Heavenly King Stage or higher. As such, even if Zhou Weiqing had Skill Stored some of its more powerful Skills, he would be unable to use them at will, just like the Dark Demon God Lightning.
As such, after careful thinking and consideration, for the sake of the Heavenly Jewel Tournament, Zhou Weiqing had decided to Store an Absolute type Support-type Control Skill.
When his Legendary Hammer pointed towards Zhan LingTian, the surrounding people on the battlefield could clearly see a strange purple-red symbol appear above Zhan LingTian's head, swirling in a mixed purple and red light. It was soon followed by another purple-red light that was shot forth from the Hammer. Let alone dodging it, Zhan LingTian was not even able to see it clearly before his retreating body was struck by it, causing him to stiffen as his entire body was enveloped in the purple-red light.
A strange sight occurred next. The four God Tier Consolidated Equipment that Zhan LingTian had already summoned out disappeared like snow vanishing in the summer heat. At the same time, his entire body turned that same purple-red colour.
Zhan LingTian was struck by a sudden fear as he realised he was unable to do anything. His Consolidated Equipment had disappeared, as if he was totally cut off from them. When he tried to use any of his Stored Skills, he found that he was also cut off from his Elemental Jewels. As a result, he was unable to access any of his Elemental Attribute powers, only able to access the pure Heavenly Energy within his body.
"Thirty Seconds. He will not be able to use any Consolidated Equipment or Stored Skills. Leave it to me for now. Go handle the others." Zhou Weiqing shouted out loud while still in midair, right before he landed onto the ground. Clearly, he had been shouting out to the WanShou Battle Team leader.
The Skill that he Stored from the Demonic Dragon Lady was called the Dragon Silencing Seal, and its most powerful effect was that it was Absolute. As soon as it was unleashed, the target would not be able to dodge or block it; once Zhou Weiqing had locked onto his target, he or she would definitely have to withstand the effect of the Dragon Silencing Seal.
Dragon Silencing Seal did not have any offensive power at all, but it could Absolutely Silence and Restrict its target. Once afflicted by the Seal, the target would not be able to use any Consolidated Equipment or Stored Skills. At the three-Jeweled cultivation level, Zhou Weiqing was able to Seal his target for thirty seconds! Another benefit of the Dragon Silencing Seal was that it did not require him to use any of his own Heavenly Energy. However, at the same time, its usage was also highly restricted. Currently, he was only able to use it three times a day.
When his cultivation was higher, the Skill would naturally improve and evolve as well. According to the records, at the Heavenly King Stage, the Dragon Silencing Seal would turn from a single target Seal to an area of effect Seal, affecting everyone in a set area.
Thirty seconds. That was an extremely long time, especially in the heat of battle. Once a Heavenly Jewel Master lost the ability to summon his Consolidated Equipment or use his Stored Skills, that would be tantamount to losing almost sixty to eighty percent of his total power. This Dragon Silencing Seal might not have offensive power, but its use in combat was definitely top notch.
Like most Absolute Skills, the Dragon Silencing Seal would be much more useful and powerful when used against opponents of higher cultivation level; the higher the target, the better the effect. After all, the higher their cultivation usually meant their Consolidated Equipment and Stored Skill was much more powerful, and thus their reliance on them would also increase.
In such a way, Zhou Weiqing's very first Dragon Silencing Seal was given to Zhan LingTian. Hmph! Aren't you so powerful? Let's see how you fair without all your Consolidated Equipment and Stored Skills!
As soon as the Dragon Silencing Seal came into effect, Zhou Weiqing did not hesitate to charge towards Zhan LingTian. Thirty seconds. It might be a long time, but at the same time he could not dally in this period where Zhan LingTIan had been turned into a fangless tiger.
Of course, Zhan LingTIan was still able to access his own Heavenly Energy, and the huge gap between him and Zhou Weiqing still existed. However, Zhou Weiqing had the huge advantage granted to him by his sheer physical strength, while Zhan LingTian's Physical Jewel was that of Stamina. His defenses might be slightly tougher, but he was definitely the type of Heavenly Jewel Master that tended towards his Elemental Jewels. In this, he was the exact opposite of Shangguan Fei'er.
If Shangguan Fei'er had been the target of the Dragon Silencing Seal, she would not have been so affectd. After all, with her own Heavenly Energy and her formidable close combat skills, she was still able to unleash a large percentage of power.
However, Zhan LingTian was different. His greatest strength was the terrifying power of the Light and Darkness Attributes mixed together. Once his Elemental Jewel Stored Skills were Sealed, he would naturally be unable to access the two Elements, and his threat level with just the pure Heavenly Energy.
Furthermore, Zhou Weiqing was in the Demonic Change State, with the Dual Legendary Hammers in his hands and having Sealed Zhan LingTian, he had absolute confidence in taking on Zhan LingTian directly, especially since he still had the surprise factor in hand. WIthout a doubt, the cunning young fighter would not let such a chance go so easily and waste his thirty seconds.
Upon landing on the ground, Zhou Weiqing stomped down hard, and as he swiftly activated his Tornado Strike Skill, charging forth towards Zhan LingTian.
When the Wanshou Battle Team leader heard Zhou Weiqing's shout, he started momentarily. However, he reacted swiftly, turning and charging towards another one of the ZhongTian Battle Team members.
In terms of overall strength, he was actually above Zhan LingTian. After all, his Heavenly Beast was the huge ape fighting with Shangguan Fei'er. Although both fights resulted in a disadvantageous situation, it did not change the fact that he had taken on the top two powerhouses of his opposing team… All by himself! Currently, given a bit of time to recover, he was able to launch a fresh attack from an extremely advantageous position.
Chapter 322: Sealing a dragon?! (1)
Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations
The other members of the Fei Li Battle Team also took action swiftly. With Lin TianAo covering the rest, Xiao Yan and Crow were in charge of offense. Towards a powerhouse like Zhan LingTian or Shangguan Fei'er, they might not be of much use, but they would definitely not have any problems holding their own against some of the other ZhongTian Battle Team members. In that short moment, the tides of battle had turned, and for the first time, the ZhongTian and BaoPo Battle Teams were on the disadvantage.
Under the boost of the Tornado Strike, it took Zhou Weiqing barely a split second to reach Zhan LingTian. All the pent up vexed feelings and anger exploded forth in his single strike. Didn't it feel good to hit me just now? Now is my turn to show you my power!
The Dual Legendary Hammers, boosted by the Tornado Strike, smashed down savagely towards Zhan LingTian's head.
Facing an opponent of merely three-Jewels, especially since it was this Zhou Weiqing who had stolen his goddess, Shangguan Xue'er's first kiss, how could Zhan LingTian be willing to show any weakness in front him. Although he was still under the Dragon Silencing Seal, his body totally purple-red in colour as his abilities were Sealed, in his mind, he was still confident. After all, they were still more than twelve levels of Heavenly Energy apart, how could Zhou Weiqing possibly take him on directly.
Facing Zhou Weiqing's hammers, Zhan LingTian did not try to dodge; instead, both fists struck upwards, taking the blows head on.
*Poof* A soft sound rang out, and Zhan LingTian started, caught by surprise. He clearly saw his fists pass right through the huge Hammer that Zhou Weiqing had swung at him. What sort of rubbish is that?
As his Legendary Hammer's Consolidating Equipment God Protective Aura had been used during his fight with Shangguan Fei'er. As such, when Zhou Weiqing had unleashed his two Legendary Hammers earlier, the God Protective Aura had not appeared. This had also caused Zhan LingTian to greatly underestimate the power of the hammers. When his fists had hit the 'air', he had not tried to recover himself, and much of the strength of the blow was lost.
Just as he thought Zhou Weiqing's two Hammer was merely trash, the crying-face Hammer had followed suit behind the smiling-face Hammer.
Having suffered at the hands of these two hammers before, Shangguan Fei'er shouted out in the distance: "Bro Zhan, be careful!"
Alas, her shout had been a split second too late. The two hammers had struck down almost at the same time, and once again, the wily trickery of the two hammers had found another victim.
Without being able to use his Consolidated Equipment and Stored Skills, Zhan LingTIan's power had already been restricted to a large degree. Now, with most of the energy of this blow tricked away and dissipated, the crying-face Hammer smashed down savagely onto his hands.
*Boom* A loud crash. The Tornado Strike doubling his strength, the Demonic Change State boosting his strength, and even the Legendary Hammers boosted his strength. All of this added up to this one massive burst of power.
The terrifying strength combined together to form an unstoppable impact.
In that instant, Zhan LingTian felt as if his hands had been struck by an entire mountain range. In that critical moment of danger, his fists moved swiftly, almost vibrating as he struck out his palm ten times, circulating all his energy to his hands. Undoubtedly, this was the best reaction he could have, but alas it was just too late. The original blow of his fists had already been tricked away by the smiling-face hammer, and facing the full power of the crying-faced hammer, how could a last second defense be of much use?
A series of bone shattering sounds rang out, and Zhan LingTian flew back.
Zhou Weiqing laughed heartily, his body continuing his charge forward, a quick Touch of Darkness grabbing hold of Zhan LingTian. Once again, his hammers struck downwards, smashing into Zhan LingTian.
This time, Zhan LingTian's powerful Heavenly Xu Energy was released out, the thick energy forming a shield around his body automatically to protect himself.
Even so, the powerful shockwaves from the violent blow still caused him to vomit out a mouthful of fresh blood.
Earlier, the Heavenly Energy could only barely protect his arms, and currently both his palms were totally shattered. It would definitely take quite a long time to fully heal from such a heavy injury.
That second blow from the Hammers had actually sent Zhan LingTian into the earth itself, and Zhou Weiqing did not stop, his right foot following suit. Zhan LingTian was a top powerhouse, and now that he had the advantage, he pressed it through all the way, not wanting to give any quarter and end up losing to carelessness.
*Peng* The violent Demonic Right Foot kicked right into Zhan LingTian's chest. The power behind it was no weaker than the two hammers, and the scorpion hook actually pierced right through the Heavenly Energy Protective Shield around Zhan LingTian.
Once again, Zhou Weiqing completed the perfect timing by using his Time Interrupt Skill to disrupt his Dark Demon God Lightning, just like he had previously done with Ao Le. The Triple Attribute Poison of the Dark Demon God Lightning entered Zhan LingTian's body perfectly, and at the same time the kick sent him flying back once more.
"Zhou Little Fatty! Show mercy!" Shangguan Fei'er's urgent voice rang out; at the same time she abandoned the large ape, jumping swiftly and charging towards them.
Shangguan Tianyang and Shangguan Tianyue had so much hopes invested in Zhan LingTian. If this young talent really died here in the Heavenly Jewel Tournament, it would be an unbelievably huge blow to the entire Heaven's Expanse Palace. No matter how naughty or mischievous this Little Demon Girl of the Heaven's Expanse Palace was, she could not ignore the big picture and the interests of the Heaven's Expanse Palace. In that moment, she quickly jumped forward to stop Zhou Weiqing.
Zhou Weiqing laughed heartily, saying: "Second sis, give me a kiss and I'll let him go." Naturally, he was just teasing her. How could he possibly kill Zhan LingTian and breed a true hatred with the Heaven's Expanse Palace? Of course, Zhou Weiqing did not know about the killing intent that Zhan LingTian had against him, but for the sake of being with Bing'er, he would not easily kill anyone from the ZhongTian Battle Team.
"Are you asking to die?" Shangguan Fei'er yelled out in a mix of fury and bashfulness, right as she pounced towards Zhou Weiqing.
Zhou Weiqing grinned. Currently, the purple red Heavenly Skill Image of the Demonic Dragon Lady was still behind him, and with a swipe of his right hammer, a purple red ray of light shone directly on Shanguan Fei���er.
Shangguan Fei'Er had been pouncing forth with bared fangs and brandished claws 1. In order to prevent Zhou Weiqing from killing Zhan LingTian, she did not hesitate to use up more Heavenly Energy in summoning her God Tier Consolidated Wings.
As the Dragon Silencing Skill sprang into effect around her, all four of her Consolidated Equipment vanished. Her body, which had been flying forward, started falling down to the ground.
With another swipe of his hammer, Zhou Weiqing unleashed his Thousand Lightning Strikes Skill. Shangguan Fei'er had been circulating her Heavenly Energy to regain her balance, and struck with the Skill, she felt herself numbed for a split second as her body continued falling instead. Under any ordinary circumstances, even without her Consolidated Equipment, she would not be afraid of Zhou Weiqing's Skills. Alas, at this point, she was stuck in midair, caught by surprise. More importantly, she had been through several large battles today without any rest, and her Heavenly Energy was already heavily drained, with barely twenty or thirty percent left at best. In such a circumstance, she had been struck by Zhou Weiqing's Skill.
With a Blink, Zhou Weiqing appeared right above her, his left hand grabbing towards her shoulder as he unleashed his Devour Skill, draining her Heavenly Energy to replenish his own.
How could Shangguan Fei'er let him succeed so easily. Spinning her body around, she burst forth with her remaining Heavenly Energy. Alas, this was the time when Zhou Weiqing's large number of Control Skills could come into play. With the large loss of Heavenly Energy, and her Consolidated Equipment and Stored Skills Sealed away, Shangguan Fei'er's power had already been stripped down to almost the same level as Zhou Weiqing. Facing any opponent of the same level, Zhou Weiqing's massive number of Control Skills was definitely an easy key to victory.
Just as her body started spinning, she felt the air warp around her strangely, and all of her movements went awry. The next moment, Zhou Weiqing's palm slapped down hard on her pert little bottom, the resounding smack ringing in the air.
An unmarried innocent girl being struck in such a sensitive portion, anyone in her place would be shocked to the core. Furthermore, Zhou Weiqing's other hand was still Devouring her Heavenly Energy. When the palm struck her pert little bottom, it had also signalled the end of her struggles momentarily. As for the earlier warping of the air, it had been the Interlocking Time Skill of Zhou Weiqing once more.
En… The feel is so good, that elasticity! As Zhou Weiqing's palm struck down, this little rascal was suddenly entranced by the feeling. As his other hand Devoured her Heavenly Energy, his right hand smacked down discourteously a few more times. Of course, he did not go too far, and did not use any Heavenly Energy when striking down.
"Wasn't it just a little misunderstanding?! An accidental kiss? Did you really have to chase me down all the way into the Heavenly Jewel Tournament to beat me?! Let me teach you a lesson on behalf of your father!"
*Piak* *Piak*
"Hmph Hmph! If this tiger doesn't demonstrate his power, you'll think I'm just a sick cat! 2 Now you should know how formidable I am huh! Although I am your brother-in-law, that doesn't mean you can bully me at will."
*Piak* *Piak* Another two slaps down.
*Waah* Shangguan Fei'er could not break free of Zhou Weiqing's grasp no matter how hard she tried, and as she felt the sting in her buttocks, she felt so wronged and vexed in her heart, and all of a sudden, she burst out into tears.
It was Zhou Weiqing's turn to be dumbfounded. When he had slapped down with his palm originally, it had been because of a burst of righteous anger. This Shangguan Fei'er had sneaked into the Lustre Realm to take revenge on him, to ruin his entire Tournament Finals, totally directed at him alone. At that point, he had just been releasing his grievances that way. Who knew that this rascal, after striking down twice, had felt so good that his perverted nature caused him to strike twice more subconsciously…. Now in the end, he had caused her to cry!
As his mind suddenly cleared, Zhou Weiqing felt a sense of regret wash over him.
This Shangguan Fei'er had been beaten by him; if she went back and cried to Bing'er, and incite discord, wouldn't Bing'er be angry with him?
On seeing that, he did not dare continue hitting her, quickly releasing her hand.
"Zhou Little Fatty, just you wait!" Shangguan Fei'er was crying like a pear blossom bathed in the rain, a true weeping beauty 3, her hands to her buttocks protectively as she glared angrily at Zhou Weiqing. She did not stay here any longer, and in a gold flash, she had activated the Lustre Gem, disappearing instantly.
The other ZhongTian Battle Team members who were still fighting looked at Zhou Weiqing with a strange gaze. If he had examined their eyes closely at that point, he would have discovered that these ZhongTian Battle Team members were looking at him with respect, and a little pity.
Indeed! This Little Demon Girl of the Heaven's Expanse Palace that had always caused so much trouble had actually been hit, and to the point that she was crying! That was something they had never seen before! After all, they had all been bullied by Shangguan Fei'er before, and now that Zhou Weiqing had administered a beating to her, it had actually given them a favourable impression of their young opponent. Of course, that was clearly because he had not truly injured her, if not they would have pit their lives to attack him.
By this time, Zhan LingTian had crawled back up from the ground. In the short moment that Zhou Weiqing was facing Shangguan Fei'er, the Dragon Silencing Seal on him had worn off.
Chapter 323: Sealing a dragon?! (2)
Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations
However, the current Zhan LingTian was in dire straits. His arms hung limply by his side, the shattered and fractured bones unable to hold them up. His body had also sustained severe injuries, especially from the last kick from Zhou Weiqing, the Triple Attribute poison causing his face to turn a blue black colour.
Zhan LingTian's cultivation level and willpower was indeed strong. Even with the Triple Attribute poison and all his injuries, he had actually managed to force himself to stand up with the support of his powerful Heavenly Energy. At this moment, he was glaring at Zhou Weiqing, his eyes full of venom.
"Zhou Weiqing." He bit out the words viciously, before activating the Lustre Gem as well. In a flash of gold light, Zhan LingTian also vanished from the Lustre Spatial Realm.
As Zhou Weiqing burst forth with that surprising and powerful Dragon Silencing Seal, dealing with Zhan LingTian and Shangguan Fei' consecutively, the tables had turned drastically. By this point, another ZhongTian Battle Team member and a husband wife pair had all been forced to retreat from the Lustre Spatial Realm. The situation looked bleak, almost impossible, for their side, and Zhan LingTian naturally did not stay and embarrass himself further
In truth, the ones who had been the most shocked by Zhou Weiqing were the WanShou Battle Team members.
The WanShou Battle Team members may not speak much, but that did not mean they were stupid. Before entering the Lustre Spatial Realm, they had not seen any sign of Tian'er, obviously someone had to bring her in. Since she had jumped up from Zhou Weiqing, that in itself had spoken volumes.
Tian'er's disappearance had caused the Heavenly Snow Mountain Lord to be furious, and he had sent his men all around the Boundless Mainland in search for her, to no avail.
When they had seen Tian'er together with this mere three-Jeweled Zhou Weiqing, they had been rather shocked, especially since Tian'er had leaped out from his bosom. That in itself left them highly puzzled. However, when Zhou Weiqing showed his power and revealed his Dragon Silencing Seal, that had truly given them a rude shock.
What followed next had definitely proven the sheer power of that Dragon Silencing Seal. Even though it was without a doubt that Zhan LingTian and especially Shangguan Fei'er had been exhausted after their long fights, with much of their Heavenly Energy expended, they were after all still the strongest two in the entire ZhongTian Battle Team, perhaps even the top three within the entire young generation of the Heaven's Expanse Palace. For a three-Jeweled Heavenly Jewel Master to be able to defeat both of them, to force them to leave the Lustre Spatial Realm, it could be said that Zhou Weiqing had single handedly won them the fight. If not for him, even if the Fei Li battle Team joined the fray, the tides of battle might still end up in the ZhongTian and BaoPo Battle Teams' favour. With just the Dragon Silencing Seal, his Legendary Hammers, and a few Control Skills, Zhou Weiqing had critically injured Zhan LingTian, smacked Shangguan Fei'er's bottom, and forced the two strongest powerhouses to leave the Lustre Spatial Realm. If anyone had to guess that this little Upper Level Shi Stage Heavenly Jewel Master would be the deciding lynchpin of the entire Heavenly Jewel Tournament, to be the gem that glowed the brightest, who would have believed it?!
The remaining members of the BaoPo and ZhongTian Battle Teams knew that there was almost no point in fighting, as they had no chance in winning any longer. Of course, they were not satisfied with such an outcome, but nonetheless, there was almost no longer any suspense about the results.
Just as they were putting up the last resistance before the end, all of a sudden, they were all interrupted by a loud, clear dragon cry that rang out through the skies.
The dragon cry caused the entire Lustre Spatial Realm to reverberate, ringing with exasperation, urgency and a red hot rage.
The next moment, a massive figure appeared high up in the skies, which turned blood red along with its appearance. In mid air, a thick Fire Elemental Attribute gathered, causing everyone to feel as if they were bathed in a sea of fire.
A body length over hundred metres. It was the huge dragon that Zhou Weiqing had seen earlier. It was also the father of the dragon egg, and the husband of the mother dragon they were fighting over. Earlier, it had been guarding by its beloved wife's side, but there had been an abrupt change in the Lustre Spatial Realm, and it had been teleported to another area without warning. In order to seek its wife's aura, it had wasted too much time, and by the time it successfully detected its wife's aura, it was shocked to sense that she was already on the verge of death.
Filled with rage, pain and regret, the male adult dragon charged forth at full speed towards where it sensed its wife was. At the same time, it could sense that there were a large number of those hated humans there as well.
Without question, it had been those dratted humans that had forced its beloved wife into such danger. As such, as soon as it appeared, it angrily activated its Skill.
The WanShou Battle Team and the Fei Li Battle Team were protecting and helping the mother dragon with all their might. Alas, at this time, who could speak sense to an enraged dragon?
Gloating looks appeared in the eyes of the remaining members of the ZhongTian and BaoPo Battle Team. After all, they had already been facing a sure loss scenario, and the dragon coming in would not make things worse for them. On the other hand, it could possibly mean their opponents would lose out totally as well. Since we can not gain any benefits, you guys can forget about benefiting from that mother dragon as well! That was definitely the thought in their heads.
With a mindset like this, the ZhongTian and BaoPo Battle Team members did not hesitate to activate their Lustre Gems. They definitely did not want to risk waiting for the dragon to unleash its Skill before leaving… what if the dragon's Skill had some way of restricting Spatial Transfers, they would be left as a pile of ash. After all, that dragon was clearly a Heavenly God Stage Heavenly Beast!
Of course, it wasn't just them; both the Fei Li and WanShou Battle Team members did the same. Although their hearts were feeling extremely wronged and aggrieved, at this time, survival was much more important than any rewards. A continuous stream of gold lights lit up as the Lustre Gems brought contestant after contestant out of the Lustre Spatial Realm.
"Hurry up, Weiqing, we have to leave as well. That dragon has gone crazy with rage!" Tian'er's voice was filled with terror as she jumped right into Zhou Weiqing's arms, and actually disappeared right into his Spatial Ring without ceremony. She needed Zhou Weiqing to bring her out of the Lustre Spatial Realm, and did not waste any time. After all, facing a Heavenly God Stage powerhouse, and an angry one to boot like the dragon in front of them, no matter who it was, they would feel an uncontrollable fear.
With all those youthful powerhouses, all at a higher cultivation level than Zhou Weiqing, beating a hasty retreat in fear, how could he not be afraid as well?
He was afraid, definitely. Zhou Weiqing was just as afraid, or perhaps even more. However, he had one unique attribute that no one else in that battlefield had. From young, he had always been afraid of being beaten up, afraid of dying. Whenever he made a mistake, he would have to think of how not to be beaten by his father, or perhaps have his beating lessened. As a result, before any beating, he had to calm himself down, to search via any means possible to reduce the incoming pain. Crying, wailing, acting, misdirection etc etc. This had also resulted in Zhou Weiqing being able to react extremely calmly in any situation, to put his mind to work swiftly.
It was exactly this character that had allowed him to turn the tides in a critical moment of danger. Not once, but several times.
When the dragon had appeared, as it was bellowing in rage and preparing to let loose a powerful Skill, even under such a huge stress situation, immeasurable pressure and fear, he could still clearly notice that the mother dragon, who had been stabilized by the efforts of the four healers, had lifted its head urgently and cried out into the skies.
Due to her massive injuries, it was too weak and thus its voice was very soft, and many of the escaping competitors missed it. However, Zhou Weiqing still noticed that after that soft cry, the aura of the male dragon wavered a little. That was to say, the male dragon had actually heard what its mate had to say.
The others had all left, but Zhou Weiqing decided to lay down his life for a bet. Of course, he wouldn't joke around with his life so easily.
Raising his Legendary Hammers into the air, the Dragon Silencing Seal's last appearance for the day activated, as Zhou Weiqing gifted it to the huge and powerful male dragon high up in the skies.
As the purple red light arced up into the skies, it struck the dragon firmly. Towards Absolute effect Skills like this or the Absolute Delay, even the Legendary Hammers could not boost its effect. However, it was still able to able to help boost the cast distance to reach the dragon high above.
The massive dragon which was already unable to to stop itself from unleashing its Skill, but all of a sudden, its entire massive body was enveloped with a purple red colour. It did not have any Consolidated Equipment, but it had its own dragon race innate talents and skills. In that instance, the Dragon Silencing Seal had brought about a critical use, stopping the Skill which had just been about to come out. All purple and red, the massive dragon stared down in shock from up above.
Tian'er had been right indeed. Earlier, the dragon had been mad with rage. Because of that, even though it had heard its wife's shouts, it had still gone on stubbornly to try and kill all the humans. At this point, with its Skill suddenly disrupted, it had time to cool down from its unparalleled rage, assuaging its fury. Along with its wife urgent calls as well as sensing its wife's life force stabilizing, the large dragon finally calmed down.
Folding its wings back in, the massive dragon swooped down to land in the clearing in front of the cave.
At this moment, Zhou Weiqing was undoubtedly very nervous. The Lustre Gem was in his palm, which was soaked in cold sweat now, as his eyes locked on the massive dragon. As soon as things looked too terrible, he would instantly activate the Lustre Gem and escape.
However, since he had already forged his path to this step, Zhou Weiqing would not give up easily until there was no other choice. He truly believed that any race had the capacity for gratitude. He and the others had saved the mother dragon, and as soon as this male dragon calmed down, he believed that it would not attack him for no reason.
There were two reasons why Zhou Weiqing was taking such a huge risk in staying for so long. Firstly, it was for the Heavenly Jewel Tournament; by staying that long, it had allowed him to actually gain the championship of the Tournament now, as he was the only person left in the entire Lustre Spatial Realm. The second reason was because he wanted to take the risk, and to bet on the dragon; if it actually calmed down, perhaps it might actually reward him with something.
Feeling that pity for the dying mother dragon was Zhou Weiqing's inner kindness rising to the core; but at the same time, if there was any gain to be had, he would reject or abandon it. If the dragon was willing to reward him, that would be a legitimate gain, and he would be pleased and justified in accepting in. Such gains were something he would never reject, though it was not the basis of him helping it.
As the Dragon swooped down closer and closer, that invisible pressure also grew stronger. Fat Cat was in his Spatial Ring, and naturally did not know what was happening outside. However, Zhou Weiqing was betting; at this point, he would not leave until the last possible second.
Chapter 324: Sealing a dragon?! (3)
Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations
Another huge explosion. In the end, the male dragon did not smash directly into Zhou Weiqing, instead landing about fifty yards from him, and as it did so, the resulting tremors caused Zhou Weiqing to be knocked off his feet to land on his buttocks.
The violent, almost maniacal gaze of the male dragon fixated upon him, not hiding its hostility. However, at this moment, the mother dragon which was lying on the ground called out urgently. It even lifted up one claw in an attempt to pull her mate back, but it was just too weak at the moment, and could not even succeed in that full motion.
Upon hearing its wife's call, the male dragon finally gave up its threatening look at Zhou Weiqing, quickly turning back to its mate. Layer after layer of Divine Attribute Heavenly Energy surged out from its body, the shining brilliant gold light rays entering the mother dragon's body.
With its mate's help, the mother dragon's eyes grew gentler, looking once more at the male dragon with much love and sentiment, its eyes slowly closed as it rested its large head upon the male dragon's wings. Even despite that, the mother dragon did not forget the egg that had almost cost it its life, its wing wrapped protectively around it.
This was the greatest, most selfless love in the world. The great maternal love!
Seeing the dragon family wrapped together in such a peaceful sight, bathed in the Divine gold light, Zhou Weiqing could not help but look on with almost infatuated sentiment. He was clear that his actions today could possibly have severely offended the Heaven's Expanse Palace, and might even become a huge barrier towards himself and Bing'er.
However, he did not regret anything, especially after looking at the sight before him, he could not feel any sense of regret. He had saved a great mother. Looking at the mother dragon, he couldn't help but think of his own mother. It's been so long since I've gone home… I miss mother indeed. When I get back from the Heavenly Jewel Tournament, and the academy semester ends, I will definitely have to go back and look for mother.
Unknowingly, Zhou Weiqing's eyes had grown moist.
The male dragon's power and Divine Attribute was far beyond Tian'er, and it was a matter of moments before the mother dragon's scales once again glowed with a healthy brilliance.
Previously, the reason why the male dragon had been so bad tempered was because the mother dragon had been going through a terribly difficult labour, and even with all its power, it could do nothing to help its beloved mate. It was under such a circumstance that Little Four had become the first unlucky soul to be sent out of the Lustre Spatial Realm.
The male dragon had been guarding its wife all this time with all the feelings of anxiety, and seeing that the mother dragon was about to lay her egg… their child… it had also began preparations to heal and save its mate as soon as possible. Who knew that right at that critical moment, the entire Spatial Realm had gone through a strange change, and both dragons had been brutally separated. It was also this exact coincidence that had given the ZhongTian and BaoPo Battle Team members this unheard of opportunity to take action.
The time seemed to pass slowly in such an atmosphere. After a while, Fat Cat squirmed out of Zhou Weiqing's Spatial Realm. When she saw that she was still in the Lustre Spatial Realm, she was given a frightening shock. Soon after, she spotted the dragon family and their condition and breathed a sigh of relief as she instantly understood what had happened.
Morphing into her human form, Tian'er, she stood beside Zhou Weiqing and said in a soft complaint: "You are just too daring in this case."
Zhou Weiqing laughed heartily, saying: "With the Lustre Gem, that is not really a huge risk. After all, once I used the Dragon Silencing Seal on the dragon, it wouldn't be able to use any Skill. Of course, that won't affect the power difference between us much, but more importantly, it will not be able to restrict me from using the Lustre Gem. In such a case, once it calms down with the help of the mother dragon, there shouldn't be any danger. You know how scared of dying I am, this was a calculated risk that I decided to take, I would never joke around with my life!"
Tian'er held Zhou Weiqing's arm, saying softly: "Weiqing, what you did today has truly made me look at you in a whole different light. I thank you with all my heart for what you have done for that mother dragon. If you had chosen to stand on its opposing side earlier, I truly do not know what I would have done, but I know my heart would be broken. I didn't expect your heart would be so kindly as well. When we get out, I will definitely give you a reward."
Zhou Weiqing grinned, saying: "Heh heh, what reward? I wouldn't mind if the reward was you!"
Tian'er rolled her eyes at him, blushing as she muttered: "You scoundrel."
Since the time Zhou Weiqing had met Tian'er in her human form, this was the first time he had seen her with such an almost feminine action. Added to her alluring figure, that hint of shyness and charm was definitely a 'killing blow'.
Right at that moment, the male dragon sudden lifted its head and looked at Tian'er and Zhou Weiqing. Although it no longer gave off any sense of hostility, that pure powerful dragon aura still caused their hearts to skip a beat.
"Both of you, please come over." The deep rumbling voice seemed to come from all directions.
Tian'er continued clutching at Zhou Weiqing's arm like a drowning man would grasp a lifesaver. Both of them could sense that the dragon did not have any hostile intent towards them, but even as they walked towards it, they felt as if their legs were wobbling.
The two of them walked slowly to almost ten yards from the dragon family before they stopped.
The dragon turned its gaze on Tian'er first, nodding to her as he said: "You are of the Divine Heavenly Spirit Tiger bloodline right. I thank you sincerely, my friend, for extending a helping hand during my wife and child's most critical and dangerous moment. My wife told me that it was you and your kin who had helped to block our enemies' attacks."
Tian'er let go off Zhou Weiqing's arms and gave a respectful curtsey to it: "Honoured Senior Dragon, us Divine Heavenly Spirit Tigers have always been good friends and allies to the dragon kind, and it is our duty as the Heavenly Snow Mountain core disciples to extend a helping hand. There is no need for thanks."
The male dragon turned his gaze to Zhou Weiqing, saying: "What about you then? My wife said that it was you who truly turned the tide of the battle. Although your power is extremely puny, I can still sense the aura of a Demonic Dragon Lady on you, and more so, the strange of aura of an unknown tiger… of a bloodline that even makes my heart palpitate. So, young man, why did you save my wife and child?"
Zhou Weiqing knew that this male dragon was no less intelligent than any human. Its question was in itself a sort of test. If he did not answer correctly, all his previous efforts would have be for naught.
"Hello, honoured Senior Dragon. To be honest, I have no way to answer your question, because I myself do not know why I took action. In truth, it went against all logic for me to do so, but when I saw this Senior Lady Dragon looking at her child, those eyes of hers made me think of my own mother. At that moment, I could only think that if my mother was in the same position, she would also use all of her life to protect me. So, I just wanted to do my own bit to help out. Now that your family has been reunited, it is time for us to leave then."
As he said that, Zhou Weiqing grabbed hold of Tian'er's hand and 'pulled' her into his Spatial Realm. Without saying anything else, he activated the Lustre Gem in his hands.
At that moment, he was furious, because as soon as the male dragon asked the question, he knew that it suspected his motives in helping the mother dragon.
Without a doubt, he had stayed because he had wanted to get some form of reward. That was without question. However, when he had taken action to save the mother dragon, that had not been in his mind at all.
Now that the dragon family was reunited and safe, at least his original goal had been accomplished. Why would he need to gain anything from them? At that point, between gain and pride, Zhou Weiqing chose the latter. After all, even though he was still weak, he still had his dignity and pride.
The male dragon started a little, then it raised its left claw swiftly. A thick gold light enveloped Zhou Weiqing, forcibly breaking the transfer of the Lustre Gem. The thirty seconds of the Dragon Silencing Seal had already long ended.
Zhou Weiqing started, looking at the dragon curiously: "Senior, do you have anything else?"
The male dragon's gaze gentled, and it said apologetically: "I'm sorry young man, I should not have doubted your motives. You humans are just too notorious for being cunning, and it was not easy for me to trust any of you."
Zhou Weiqing smiled passively, saying: "In any case, it is up to you to believe or not. I have never thought of myself as a good person, and all I care about is being true to myself. Senior Dragon, if there is nothing else, please allow this young junior to take his leave."
No matter how he seemed on the surface, that pride that Zhou Weiqing had inherited from Admiral Zhou was ingrained deep in his bones. At this point, he no longer had any intention of gaining any benefit from the male dragon; his motives had already been suspected, if he stayed to try and get anything from them, wasn't it the same as saying that his motives was indeed impure?
The pride in his heart made him unwilling to wait any longer, and he activated the Lustre Gem once more without hesitation.
The dragon stared blankly as the gold light sprang forth once more. It could sense that pride in Zhou Weiqing's eyes and countenance, his raised head and straightened back as his actions spoke the same tale as his bearing. In that instant, the powerful beast felt a strange sensation in its heart.
This was just a mere insect-like human, but he was just so proud, not even willing to speak any further with itself.
In the flash of gold light, just as Zhou Weiqing was about to vanish, the huge dragon seemed to make up its mind. A red bolt of light shot out from its claws, striking Zhou Weiqing's back and forming a sigil. The next moment, Zhou Weiqing disappeared from the Lustre Spatial Realm.
Zhou Weiqing had totally not seen or sensed what the dragon had done; during the entire process he had only felt a slight heat on his back before he was transported out, and in the next moment he had vanished in the gold light of the transporting Lustre Gem. He had dismissed it as part of the teleportation, but little did he know that there was now a dark red sigil on his back.
As the Lustre Spatial Realm returned to its usual calm, the male dragon turned back its gaze to its mate, its gaze soft and gentle again. If there was anyone else there to examine it closely, he would be able to discover that one of the brightest reverse scales 1 around the dragon's neck had actually disappeared.
As the gold light flashed, the environment around Zhou Weiqing started to grow clearer, and he suddenly appeared in the shrouded portion of the Heavenly Jewel Island where they had begun their journey.
In front of Shangguan Longyin was Zhan LingTian, seated in a cross-legged meditation position.
Currently, Zhan LingTian had his eyes closed, his entire body covered with a layer of black-blue colour.
Besides him, all the members of the other Battle Teams were here as well. As soon as Zhou Weiqing appeared, he immediately became the focus of the entire assembly, as everyone turned to look at him. Anger, malice, both good and bad intentions, a mass of different emotions was palpable in the air. However, Zhou Weiqing was not in a good mood, and he could not care less what the others were thinking at that moment.
Seeing Zhou Weiqing appear, Shangguan Longyin furrowed his brow before saying: "Fei Li Battle Team member, Zhou Weiqing, was the last to leave the Lustre Spatial Realm. The Heavenly Jewel Tournament champion is the Fei Li Battle Team, the second position is the WanShou Battle Team, third position the ZhongTian Battle Team, and the fourth position is the BaoPo Battle Team. This round of Heavenly Jewel Tournament is complete, you may all return to your inns to rest for now, leave your wounded here for now, I will take care of them."
The WanShou Battle Team members glanced meaningfully at Zhou Weiqing before walking off. The BaoPo Battle Team members also took their leave, and the only remaining people there were the ZhongTian and Fei Li Battle Team members.
Chapter 325: Champion! (1)
Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations
Zhou Weiqing first spotted Ao Le in the midst of the crowd. Without speaking, he walked up to Ao Le, putting his hand to Ao Le's shoulder and released his Devour Technique, drawing out the poison from within.
After completing that, he spun around and walked towards Zhan LingTian. The process repeated itself silently, and the poison was also drawn out from Zhan LingTian's body. Finally, Zhou Weiqing turned to Shangguan Longyin, giving him a slight bow before turning around and walking off without saying a word.
Shangguan Longyin watched him leave, his brow slightly furrowed, though he remained silent.
One of the ZhongTian Battle Team members couldn't help but pipe out: "Elder, if not for this Zhou Weiqing, perhaps we would have succeeded today. That is an entire dragon's corpse and a dragon egg! Furthermore, that dragon egg has to be a mutated one, otherwise it shouldn't be that large."
Shangguan Longyin looked at him coldly, and the member who had spoken up felt a chill run down his spine, and quickly kept his mouth shut.
Shangguan Longyin said solemnly: "Bring LingTian to heal, his hand needs attention as soon as possible, go ask Sixth Elder to help."
The members of the Battle Team made a sound of acquiescence, and turned towards the Heaven's Expanse Palace. Shangguan Fei'er also tiptoed along, hoping to sneak away with the rest of the team.
"Fei'er, you stay here a while…"
Shangguan Fei'er winced slightly as she stopped in her tracks, before turning and saying sweetly: "Yes Fourth Uncle, is there anything I can help you with?"
Shangguan Longyin glared at her: "You are truly getting bolder and bolder! You actually sneaked into the Heavenly Jewel Tournament! Don't you know, if not for the fact that you sneaked into the Tournament, and also broke the rules, I could have severely punished that Little Witch from the Heavenly Demon Sect and that Divine Heavenly Spirit Tiger from the Heavenly Snow Mountain."
According to the rules that the Five Great Saint Lands had worked out for the Tournament, none of their direct bloodlines were allowed to join in the Tournament. This round, it was clear that the rules had been flouted.
Shangguan Fei'er lowered her head, silent, but her eyes continued darting around, watching the retreating figure of Zhou Weiqing in the distance.
Shangguan Longyin continued solemnly: "Zhou Weiqing, that child, actually has connection with the Heavenly Demon Sect and the Heavenly Snow Mountain. This was definitely out of my expectations. From your observations in the Lustre Spatial Realm, can you tell what is his actual relations with those two?"
Shangguan Fei'er finally spoke: "From what I can see, he is not very close with that Little Witch from the Heavenly Demon Sect, but it seems he is quite close to the Divine Heavenly Spirit Tiger from the Heavenly Snow Mountain. However it seems like even the other Heavenly Snow Mountain members do not know that she is with him. When she appeared, all the WanShou Battle Team members were shocked; that was clearly not an act, and they definitely did not know about this previously."
Shangguan Longyin nodded and said: "What about Zhou Weiqing himself? What do you think about him?"
Without hesitation, Shangguan Fei'er said: "He is a lot better than I had first thought. When he went to rescue that dying female dragon, it was clearly without any ulterior motive, just purely wanting to rescue an injured mother. It definitely surprised me, rather far from my previous first impression of him. Fourth Uncle, you should know that I have always had a good eye especially in sizing people up. At that moment when he took action, his body language, and more so, his eyes, definitely could not lie to anyone."
In that moment she spoke, she couldn't help but think of those resolute eyes of Zhou Weiqing's when he had taken action. Without knowing why, Shangguan Fei'er suddenly felt that her curiosity of him had overtaken the anger towards him… As she thought of those resolute eyes, and then his sheer presence when he had unleashed the Dragon Silencing Seal, she suddenly felt her heart race involuntarily.
Shangguan Longyin nodded, saying: "Indeed… but he did destroy such an unbelievably rare chance… perhaps the only chance of our lifetime. I'm afraid that in the next few hundred or even the next few thousand years, we will never get another chance like that again. Furthermore, from the way he rushed out of the Lustre Spatial Realm and the way he acted after that, it's likely he did not even gain anything from those dragons. Once again… that was out of my expectation.
Shangguan Fei'er burst into giggles as she said: "From his expression, I could see that too. Didn't you see, when he came out, he looked as if everyone owed him money. Bing'er has certainly found an interesting husband."
Shangguan Longyin gave a humph and said: "You are just too mischievous. This time I will definitely have to report this to Second Palace Master… this time you are too much! If he doesn't ground you for a few days, you will not learn!"
"Nooo! Fourth Uncle, please don't, I know I'm wrong already!" Shangguan Fei'er gave a heartrending cry and she turned and fled, disappearing swiftly into the distance.
Looking at her fleeing figure, a faint smile appeared on Shangguan Longyin's lips. Towards this mischievous 'little demon girl' of theirs, even the First and Second Palace Masters could not do anything about her, let alone himself.
…
When he returned to the inn, Zhou Weiqing did not speak to his companions, instead returning to his room. In truth, he had always been an easygoing person, and by this time most of his anger had already dissipated, though he just did not feel like speaking then. Sitting cross legged on his bed, he started cultivating once more.
This time in the Lustre Spatial Realm, he had fought several tough fights, especially against those much stronger than him. That had given him valuable combat experience, especially in the usage of his own skills, and their various mixes and combinations. Now, it was the perfect time for him to carefully consider them and properly assimilate that experience to his own combat styles.
Before this, who would have thought that the final champion of the Heavenly Jewel Tournament would be their Fei Li Battle Team? Even amongst their own team, it was likely that none of them had thought it would be possible. It could be said that he had actually brought about the result all by himself, forcibly dragging them to the top spot through sheer power, luck and judgement. Otherwise, with the overall power of their team, how could they possibly defeat the other three teams?
His cultivation lasted the entire night, and it was only until the next morning that Zhou Weiqing roused from his cultivation, brimming with energy. At the same time, he could sense that he was on the verge of breaking through to the next level.
As soon as he broke through the fifteenth Death Acupuncture Point, his Heavenly Energy would reach the fifteenth level, one step closer to his Fourth Jewel.
"Weiqing, are you awake?" All of a sudden, Lin TianAo's voice rang out from behind his room door.
Zhou Weiqing said: "Leader? Come on in."
The door opened, and Lin TianAo walked in. He was alone, and as he walked towards Zhou Weiqing, he suddenly opened his arms and gave Zhou Weiqing a big hug.
Zhou Weiqing was totally taken aback, shocked into silence.
Lin TianAo finally let go of him and said: "Thank you Weiqing. Thank you for letting me end my previous life on a perfect note."
"Do you know? At that time when I lost the bet to you and became your Lifetime Follower, I was so depressed, as if all my hopes and dreams had been dashed. Almost thirty years of hard work, cultivating, with my whole life and bright future ahead. I had a grand ambition. All that, gone, as I was just going to become someone's Follower. And all of that because I got too greedy. At that time, when I asked you for three months of time, it was for this very Heavenly Jewel Tournament. I had hoped to go all out, to test my limit and do my very best in this Tournament, to at least give my previous life a good ending."
"In the end, you actually joined the Fei Li Battle Team as well. As time went by, and the more I interacted with you, I slowly realised that being your Follower wasn't such a bad thing after all. Although your cultivation level is still far below mind, but with you around, it seems like things are always exciting, keeping my blood afire. Furthermore, your character is definitely trustworthy, and you have a talent that is far beyond myself, far beyond even what I imagined possible. Perhaps, being your Follower will be the luckiest thing that happened to me. Together with you, I believe that a few dozen years down the road, I will be able to witness a miracle happen… a miracle that belongs only to you…"
Chapter 326: Champion! (2)
Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations
"At least, that is currently so. After all, before we attended this Heavenly Jewel Tournament, who would have thought that our Fei Li Battle Team would even attend the finals, let alone end up as the champion right?"
Lin TianAo was clearly very agitated, at least Zhou Weiqing had never seen him in such an emotional state before.
"Leader, we have a long road ahead of us. Thank you for your trust. You are not just my Follower, but my big brother. I do not need you to witness me creating any miracles, instead I hope that you will join me in creating the miracle together. I trust that together, we will be able to do it!"
As he said that, Zhou Weiqing also gave Lin TianAo a big hug.
The final Champion position could be said to be the thing that dissolved the last remaining barrier between Lin TianAo and Zhou Weiqing from their previous bet.
In Lin TianAo's heart, it was Zhou Weiqing who had finally let him accomplish the greatest dream he had. At the same time, the last few months had built up a huge respect for this young man, not just in terms of his amazing talent in the Heavenly Jewel Master field, but his character, wit, power and intelligence. From what Zhou Weiqing had displayed, Lin TianAo even had a feeling like he had to look up to this younger man.
Although Zhou Weiqing was currently only at a mere three-Jeweled cultivation level, in truth his overall strength was at least comparable to any ordinary five-Jeweled Heavenly Jewel Master, or perhaps even greater. With his Immortal Deity Technique and the Devour Technique, his sustainability in combat was extremely strong. Adding to that his multiple powerful, highly rated Skills, especially ones like the Dragon Silencing Seal which were supreme Skills rated about the same as the Twelve Star Heavenly God Stage Skills, he could possibly even challenge six-Jeweled, or perhaps even seven-Jeweled Heavenly Jewel Masters. Even if he were to face Zhan LingTian at full power, he might still be able to hold his own, at least for some time. After all, that Dragon Silencing Seal alone was just too overbearingly powerful.
Of course, that was not to say that the Dragon Silencing Seal was invincible. If Zhan LingTian had been careful enough when facing Zhou Weiqing, just going full on defense mode after he had been Sealed, he could have lasted for the maximum ninety seconds of his daily three Dragon Silencing Seals' effects. Once that happened, Zhou Weiqing would not have a chance against him once more. Alas, perhaps caught by surprise, or just being too arrogant or lost in the moment, that had not happened.
Of course, hindsight was always twenty twenty, but there was no such thing as 'Regret Medicine'. At least in this Heavenly Jewel Tournament, Zhan LingTian had taken a huge loss.
Originally, when Lin TianAo first met Zhou Weiqing, his power levels were rather weak in his eyes. Even though at that time Zhou Weiqing was already at the three-Jeweled cultivation level, Lin TianAo had been highly confident of beating him.
It could be said that Lin TianAo had witnessed Zhou Weiqing's growth. Although he was still at the three-Jeweled cultivation level, but in terms of real combat ability, he had grown far beyond his original power. Lin TianAo knew that if he were to fight with Zhou Weiqing now and they both went all out, he would not have a chance. Just the Dragon Silencing Seal alone would destroy his greatest advantage, his Five Jeweled Assembly Set Shield; not to mention all the other powerful skills that Zhou Weiqing had and their combinations.
Lin TianAo truly believed that as time passed and Zhou Weiqing's cultivation level was raised, he would definitely become a supreme powerhouse that could rival any from the Five Great Saint Lands.
Zhou Weiqing stretched lazily, feeling his entire body comfortable and filled with strength. After finally having a great rest at night, all the fatigue, stress and exhausted spirit due to the entire Heavenly Jewel Tournament had finally been wiped out, leaving him in tip top condition.
"Leader, did the Heaven's Expanse Palace mention when we can get our Tournament rewards?"
Lin TianAo smiled bitterly: "No, they haven't mentioned anything yet. Yesterday, when we came back, none of the Heaven's Expanse Palace members came about. This is the Heavenly Jewel Island, and we did ruin their efforts. I think let alone getting our rewards, if we can live to get out of the island, it will already be a good result. No matter what, we still have the honour and pride of winning the Championship of the Heavenly Jewel Tournament. That is something that we will always have."
A light flashed in Zhou Weiqing's eyes. If the Heaven's Expanse Palace truly wanted to take revenge on them, even if they did not kill the team and just chased them out, it would still be a huge loss to them all, especially to Zhou Weiqing. Besides the rewards, just the trade he had with the Heaven's Expanse Palace was immense. After all, it was three God Tier Consolidated Equipment… and all part of his Legendary Set!
Still, Zhou Weiqing did not regret anything. After all, a man had to own his actions, and there were some thing that just could not be measured just by benefits alone. In one's youth, one had to have a few impulsive or rash moments, no matter if it were seemingly senseless, or even harmful to oneself… at least he had made his decision, taken action with resolution. If one had to live with pure reason the whole life, what colour would there be in life?
At the same time, Zhou Weiqing also believed that even if the Heaven's Expanse Palace cancelled their trade, they would still give out the Tournament Rewards. After all, it was their own promise, and the entire Heavenly Jewel Tournament was known to the entire mainland. As the top of the Great Saint Lands, if they did not have that basic integrity, how could they live up to their reputation as a Great Saint Land. Furthermore, the most important thing was, what had been done was already done, and there was no way of reversing things. Even if the Heaven's Expanse Palace wanted to take revenge on him or the Fei Li Battle Team, it would not give them back their losses. Under such a circumstance, what would they gain from taking revenge on them? As such, Zhou Weiqing was still more confident in the Heaven's Expanse Palace than Lin TianAo.
"Leader, do not worry, it should be fine. What has happened has happened, even if they kill us now, they will no longer be able to get that dragon. In such a case, what is the point? Furthermore, the fact is that I was the biggest factor for their loss, so they shouldn't take it out on the rest of team, and hopefully considering mine and Bing'er's relationship, I should be safe as well."
Lin TianAo nodded, saying: "I hope that is truly so."
Just at that moment, Little Four's voice traveled from outside the door: "Boss, the Heaven's Expanse Palace staff are here."
Lin TianAo's expression changed, looking at Zhou Weiqing with a serious look. Zhou Weiqing nodded back, and they left the room together.
As the pair headed out, they met with the staff representing the Heaven's Expanse Palace. This time, there were two of them, both middle aged men of about forty years of age. The rest of the Fei Li Battle Team also streamed out of their rooms; Lin TianAo's worry was also the same as theirs. That was also the reason why they had not been celebrating like crazy even after becoming the champion.
"Who is the leader of the Fei Li Battle Team? Please follow me to collect your rewards from the Heavenly Jewel Tournament." The white clad man on the left said.
Lin TianAo said: "Hi, I am the leader of the Fei Li Battle Team, Lin TianAo."
The white clad man nodded and said: "Alright, follow me then. Before that, please collect all the Lustre Gems and Spatial Rings that were given out to your team previously."
Lin TianAo did as instructed, swiftly collecting the Lustre Gems and Spatial Rings. Alas, as the time they had spent in the Lustre Spatial Realm was just too short, none of them had actually managed to collect anything from within.
As for the other white clad staff, he said: "Who is Zhou Weiqing, please follow me, our Palace Master wishes to see you."
Hearing his words, the other members of the Fei Li Battle Team grew nervous, subconsciously gathering behind Zhou Weiqing and Lin TianAo. In that moment, everyone's hearts were palpitating quickly. In their minds, they were thinking that was it a trap that only Lin TianAo and Zhou Weiqing were called?
Zhou Weiqing smiled faintly and said: "Everyone, do not worry, Leader and I will be back soon."
A faint smile appeared on Lin TianAo's face as well. After a short moment, he had also realised that what Zhou Weiqing said was right – it seemed like the Heaven's Expanse Palace had decided not to take any revenge on them, at least nothing directly. Since they had already sent someone to summon them, it meant they were not going to deal with them. Otherwise, this was the Heavenly Jewel Island after all, if the Heaven's Expanse Palace truly wanted to deal with them, it would be an easy task, and there was no need for any tricks or shenanigans.
Seeing the smiles on their faces, the remaining members, who had been so concerned that they had lost their cool, were relieved.
Zhou Weiqing and Lin TianAo each followed one of the white clad staff members out of the inn.
Both sides did not take the same route. The Heavenly Jewel Tournament was over, and the four teams would be awarded with their respective rewards today. After that, besides the ZhongTian Battle Team, the rest would likely leave the Heavenly Jewel Island. Of course, they could still stay around if they wanted, but the cost of living here was not something that most people could sustain. Previously, the team, and especially Zhou Weiqing, had won quite a large sum of gold from their bets. However, as soon as they entered the Heavenly Jewel Island's Consolidating Equipment Pavilion and Skill Storing Palace, they understood that bit of gold they had was merely a drop of water in the sea. That was not even considering the sheer prices of just food and lodging in the Heavenly Jewel Island.
Zhou Weiqing followed his white clad guide, and soon they arrived back at the mist where they had previously entered the Lustre Spatial Realm.
"Please hold this, and infuse your Heavenly Energy within." The white clad guide turned around and handed Zhou Weiqing a gold-red gemstone.
As Zhou Weiqing received the gemstone, he examined it. The gemstone was larger than the Lustre Gem they had been given in the Tournament, and as he infused his Heavenly Energy within, a bright golden red light shot forth from the stone. The swirling white mist around them instantly turned the same golden red hue, gathering towards his body.
The white clad guide also did the same with another gem, and the same thing happened as well. Zhou Weiqing had always been a fast thinker, and instantly inspiration struck him as he suddenly understood what was up with the Heaven's Expanse Palace. The current gemstone in his hands was somewhat similar in nature to the Lustre Gem, and it was likely that their effects were similar as well. Furthermore, he could sense the thick Spatial Energy around him swirling about as well.
As such, Zhou Weiqing immediately guessed that this white mist was possibly just the Heaven's Expanse Palace cover. The real Heaven's Expanse Palace was possibly in another separate Spatial Realm, something like the Lustre Spatial Realm. They truly deserved their name as one of the Great Saint Lands.
The golden red light persisted for almost ten seconds, before the two of them vanished in a bright flash.
In the next instant, Zhou Weiqing appeared in another area.
The moment the golden red light dissipated from around him, Zhou Weiqing's heart was filled with shock. In front of his eyes lay a whole new world, filled with a light blue hue.
Right above in the light blue skies, the sun was a strange orange red, though its light was not eye piercing. The entire ground seemed to be paved with some sort of jade, but it did not reflect light, seeming to have its own dull glow of its own. On that light blue surface, all sorts of rare and precious plants grew. However, all of that majestic beauty was eclipsed by a massive Palace right in front of him, shining brightly in a sky-blue colour.
In front of the Palace was a large patch of grass, and behind the Palace was actually a massive three hundred metre tall waterfall, pouring down as if from the skies, bringing the damp sensation to their faces. However, the surprising thing was that there was actually no sound.
This was like a saint's paradise on earth, and at the moment, everything just seemed so surreal, almost unreal.
The white clad guide gave Zhou Weiqing an inviting gesture, along with a respectful expression, and they both headed towards the Palace.
Chapter 327: Heaven's Expanse Palace Master! (1)
Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations
As he walked almost blankly towards the paradise-like Palace, Zhou Weiqing was still lost in shock. At the same time, he was filled with curiosity. Everything else aside, just the looks of this place was already enough to live up to its name of Great Saint Land.
Very quickly, they arrived in front of the Palace. Zhou Weiqing couldn't help but ask his guide: "Senior, don't you have guards here?" Naturally, the reason he asked was because he could not see or even sense any guards in front or around the massive Palace.
The white clad guide turned his head towards Zhou Weiqing and said passively: "Our Heavenly Palace does not require any guards."
Zhou Weiqing scolded himself inwardly for asking such a foolish question. Since he had already guessed that this Heaven's Expanse Palace was in a solitary Spatial Realm of its own, unless one had the gemstone he had previously used, who else could get in easily?
It was only after they entered the Palace that Zhou Weiqing finally saw other people – four youths dressed in light blue robes, standing at both sides of a large hall.
The decorations within the Palace were not very grand or resplendent, just a simple light blue colour with a few gems embedded to complete the simple but beautiful look. However, each of those gems were sufficient to give Zhou Weiqing a shock, as their size, hue and purity was definitely breathtaking. Any of these gems would be worth a fortune in the outside world.
The white clad guide walked to the center of the large hall, lifting his right hand and a light blue gemstone appeared in it. Soon after, a light blue light shone forth from the gemstone, spreading out swiftly and instantly covering every nook and cranny of this thousand metre large hall.
A magnificent sight accompanied the splendour of the blue light as it spread around the whole hall. The surrounding walls, ten metres tall, all with various gemstones inlaid. These gemstones seemed to be activated by the incoming blue light, and all of them burst forth with their own light as well. In that moment, the entire hall was filled with a cacophony of colours, strange yet beautiful.
On the floor, symbols and formations started to appear one after the other, varied colours, from simple designs to complicated formations. The thick Heavenly Energy filling the entire hall caused Zhou Weiqing's shocked heart to reverberate once more.
The white clad guide gestured towards Zhou Weiqing, signalling for him to follow behind, before turning and walking to one of the gold formations that had appeared in the midst of the hall floor.
Subconsciously, Zhou Weiqing followed suit. Before he could even see what the white clad guide had done, another gold ray of light appeared around them, and once again their surroundings seemed to blur. Another teleportation.
In that moment, Zhou Weiqing seemed to grasp a certain understanding of the structure of the Heaven's Expanse Palace. He understood that whether or not the actual Heaven's Expanse Palace was this Palace, or part of it, this grand hall was merely a transfer station. In order to reach the more important portions of the Heaven's Expanse Palace, the only way would be to go through these formations' teleportations. Furthermore, he guessed that depending on one's rank within the Heaven's Expanse Palace, the number of formations one could access would differ accordingly. No wonder the Heaven's Expanse Palace did not require guards; even ignoring the difficulty of accessing the Spatial Realm from the Heavenly Jewel Island, just differentiating and breaking through all of these teleportation formations was unbelievably difficult.
Another flash of gold light, and both Zhou Weiqing and his white clad guide appeared in another space. It was another wide hall, but this time the colouring was all different; from the light blue of the previous hall to a light gold colour. The entire hall was covered with a light mist, and on inner side of the hall there were three grand large chairs raised up slightly atop a dais. There were three men at the area, and Zhou Weiqing suddenly realised that he recognized two of the three men.
Of the three chairs, two were filled, the center and left one, with the one on the right empty. There was another man standing right below the left chair.
The man standing there was the most familiar to Zhou Weiqing; Shangguan Longyin, the ZhongTian Empire Skill Storing Palace Master.
The ZhongTian Skill Storing Palace could be said to be largest, most well stocked, and most powerful Skill Storing Palace in the entire Boundless Mainland. As its Palace Master, even ignoring Shangguan Longyin's own considerable personal power, just the resources and manpower he could mobilize and bring into play was absolutely terrifying. Yet, even so, in this hall, he did not even have a seat, instead standing there with his hands by his side.
As for the two seated, Zhou Weiqing also recognized one of them, the one seated on the left. He was dressed in a long white robe, a gold crown with an inlaid dragon symbol on his head. He looked young and handsome, but his eyes showed his maturity and profound insight. Just from appearance alone, it was definitely difficult to tell his real age.
This man had once left a deep impression on Zhou Weiqing. That was because he was the father of the beautiful triplet sisters, Shangguan Bing'er, Fei'er and Xue'er, the Second Palace Master of the Heaven's Expanse Palace, Shangguan Tianyue.
With men of power like Shangguan Longyin standing respectfully to the side and Shangguan Tianyue seated at the side, it was not difficult to guess the identity of the one seated in the main seat.
Seated up straight on the main seat was a middle aged man. His features were at least seventy percent similar to Shangguan Tianyue, though seeming warmer and gentler in comparison, giving forth a harmless, innocuous feel. This was especially so for his eyes; the moment Zhou Weiqing looked into those eyes, he felt as if he was bathed in warmth, like a fresh spring breeze had filled the room, giving him a feeling as if he were very close to the man.
The white clad guide who had brought Zhou Weiqing here gave a ninety degree bow to all three men before slowly moving back. Before long, he had disappeared into the mist behind.
After a short moment of analysis in his heart, Zhou Weiqing quickly readjusted himself. Bowing slightly, he said evenly, neither haughty nor humble: "Hello three Seniors…"
Shangguan Tianyue said coldly: "Zhou Weiqing, do you know what you have done wrong?!"
Zhou Weiqing looked at his future father in law, a surprised look on his face as he said: "Father in law, may I know what your little son in law has done wrong?"
Hearing this 'father in law', both Shangguan Longyin and the middle aged man in the middle started. Shangguan Tianyue's body froze in place. He had not expected that in the Heaven's Expanse Palace, this little rascal Zhou Weiqing would actually dare to call him that.
"Who's your father in law?!" Shangguan Tianyue shouted angrily. In truth, he was actually very good at controlling himself, but who knew why, every time he saw Zhou Weiqing, especially now with that surprised look on his face and the way he called him father in law, he just couldn't control his anger.
Zhou Weiqing grinned and said: "Father in law, you might as well accept my address of you. I will definitely marry Bing'er, and Bing'er will also definitely marry me. Since I will have to call you that in future, why not now than later?"
Hearing his words, both Shangguan Longyin and the middle aged man couldn't help but reveal a smile on their faces.
In using such shameless methods at this point, Zhou Weiqing actually had much deeper meaning, it was not just some senseless provocation of Shangguan Tianyue.
Since the Heaven's Expanse Palace was already willing to give them the Heavenly Jewel Tournament rewards, it already proved that they were not about to make things difficult for him. However, he had after all ruined their great chance in the Lustre Spatial Realm, so they would definitely have to pressure him a little, perhaps even make use of this chance to lower the price for the Immortal Deity Technique trade. Now, with him shamelessly calling Shangguan Tianyue his father in law, not only would it relax the entire atmosphere, it was also a subtle reminder to the three men of status in front of him – as if saying 'Don't try to scare me, my psyche is stronger than you think. Furthermore, I'm already your Heaven's Expanse Palace future son-in-law, we're all the same family, don't be too hard on me'.
Shangguan Tianyue smacked his palm on the armrest of his chair, an overbearing pressure instantly enveloping Zhou Weiqing, as if about to tear his body apart.
Zhou Weiqing immediately felt as if the air around his body was congealed into a solid, pressuring against him from all directions like several mountains were pressing down. His entire bloodstream seemed to slow, as if following suit with the air around him and congealing.
However, the smile on his face did not break, and he stood there smiling faintly at Shangguan Tianyue.
How could Shangguan Tianyue not understand that smile. This little rascal clearly knew that he could not kill him. In truth, Shangguan Tianyue indeed could not kill him. After all, his own beloved daughter had already been taken advantage of by this little rascal, and was fully head over heels in love with him. What would happen to her if he was really killed off?
"Alright, enough, Tianyue." The middle aged man in the middle lifted his right hand slightly, and instantly Zhou Weiqing felt his body lighten, all the pressure disappearing in an instant. Shangguan Tianyue gave an angry humph, glaring at him coldly for a moment before turning his gaze away.
"Weiqing, before you actually become our Heaven's Expanse Palace son in law, I'll call you this first." the middle aged man smiled faintly as he said. It was as if he would never ever lose his temper, his voice as gentle as his gaze. Along with his intimate addressing, it was easy for anyone to have a favourable, close impression of him.
Zhou Weiqing's observation skills were not to be trifled with. When the middle aged man opened his mouth, he felt his heart skip a beat. Even when compared to Shangguan Tianyue, this smiling, gentle middle aged man gave him an even greater pressure inside. The reason was simple – as soon as he started speaking, Zhou Weiqing could clearly see that Shangguan Longyin, standing at the side, revealed a respectful look on his face. Even when Shangguan Tianyue was speaking earlier or putting pressure on him, Shangguan Longyin had been smiling as he watched. That could only mean that Shangguan Longyin's respect towards this middle aged man was far beyond that towards Shangguan Tianyue.
Zhou Weiqing's judgement was pretty accurate. The gentle warmth of the middle aged man was not actually due to his own character, but a natural phenomenon caused by the Heaven's Expanse Palace main training technique, the Boundless Infinitum Technique, being cultivated to the maximum. As for Shangguan Tianyue, his cultivation was still quite a distance from the middle aged man's.
"My name is Shangguan Tianyang, the Heaven's Expanse Palace Master. I believe you should know very clearly the reason why we have called you here. Now that the Heavenly Jewel Tournament has ended, the trade that we have agreed upon can be carried out."
This Heaven's Expanse Palace Master, the leader of the top of the Five Great Saint Lands, one of the strongest people in the entire Boundless Mainland. With just a simple, almost casual statement, he dismissed the entire incident of Zhou Weiqing ruining the ZhongTian Battle Team's actions in the Lustre Spatial Realm, as if nothing had happened. Just this generous bearing of his alone, it was definitely enough to make one admire him deeply.
Zhou Weiqing bowed slightly towards Shangguan Tianyang before saying: "Hello Senior Shangguan. In that case, we can start our trade then. However, before that, I have another small request, would Senior be okay with that?"