On the third day of the third month.
Two spacious carriages stopped outside the gates of Yuyang Palace. The principal of Jinghu Taoist Academy, Ge Yu, stepped down from the first carriage, while six people descended from the second carriage—Meng Chuan, Wu Qi, Wan Mang, and the other disciples of the academy. The carriage was spacious, comfortably seating all six without crowding.
"Yuyang Palace," Meng Chuan and the other five looked up at the palace.
Yuyang Palace was the sacred ground of Dongning City, and the Lord of Yuyang Palace was the most formidable presence in the city.
Legend had it that 'Primordial Mountain' had built a Yuyang Palace in every prefecture of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and each palace was guarded by a disciple of Primordial Mountain. The Lord of Yuyang Palace was the strongest force defending a prefecture! Over the past century, the most powerful Divine Lord in Dongning City, the ancestor of the Zhang family, had also joined Primordial Mountain and was now stationed elsewhere.
"Follow me inside," Ge Yu said, leading the way as Meng Chuan and the other five followed him through the gates of Yuyang Palace.
At that moment, several luxurious carriages arrived behind them, and people stepped out.
Meng Chuan and the others glanced back.
"Hmm?" Meng Chuan immediately spotted Yun Qingping and Yun Fu'an. Yun Fu'an had even brought his wife along.
"The Demon-Slaying Grand Assembly at Yuyang Palace is a grand and rare occasion in Dongning City. The imperial court and the five major Divine Lord families can send people to attend," Principal Ge Yu casually remarked. "However, each family is limited to sending no more than ten people."
...
"It's Meng Chuan," Yun Qingping, standing with her family, also saw Meng Chuan. At that moment, her feelings were a tangled mix.
After all, from the moment she could understand, she had been told—that was the person she would marry and spend her life with!
Although the engagement had been successfully called off, in her heart, he was still different from others. And not long after the engagement was broken off... Meng Chuan had soared to prominence, comprehending a secret technique and becoming a dazzling genius in all of Dongning City. Even her family and friends whispered about it, which naturally unsettled her.
However, Yun Qingping was clear that she didn't regret it, because no matter how remarkable Meng Chuan was, he wasn't what she wanted!
"You youngsters, pay close attention," said the Yun family patriarch, Yun Fucheng, a rather burly man, addressing the six young juniors. "When you turn twenty and enlist in the military, you'll be fighting demons to the death. This time, you'll witness the ferocity of demons firsthand. If anyone is so scared that they close their eyes, they'll be confined to a quiet room for ten days as punishment!"
"Yes, Father," "Yes, Uncle," Yun Qingping and the other five young men and women obediently replied.
Yun Fucheng, the eldest of the Yun family, was the most distinguished among the three brothers.
During his military service at Qinyang Pass, he had achieved remarkable feats, not only mastering the Momentum technique but also achieving Elixir Formation. However, during a prolonged battle with demons, he had used forbidden techniques for too long, damaging his foundation and forever losing the chance to become a Divine Lord.
"Brother, let's hurry inside. We shouldn't block the palace gates," Yun Fu'an said with a smile. In front of his elder brother, he always smiled, enduring any scolding without complaint. After all, in the military at Qinyang Pass and in the eyes of the imperial court, his elder brother Yun Fucheng was held in higher regard.
"Right, let's go in," Yun Fucheng nodded.
The two brothers, along with their wives and the six young family members, entered Yuyang Palace together.
In a vast square within Yuyang Palace, there stood a large arena, surrounded by numerous seats arranged neatly. The Eight Great Daoist Academies, the Five Great Families, the imperial court officials, and Yuyang Palace each had their designated seating areas. Meng Chuan naturally sat within the ranks of Jinghu Daoist Academy.
"Chuan'er," Clan Leader Meng Yanping and Meng Dajiang led eight juniors from the Meng family to broaden their horizons. Meng Dajiang even winked at Meng Chuan.
"My old man," Meng Chuan muttered to himself.
"Many juniors from the various families have come," Meng Chuan quickly noticed. Among the Five Great Families, it was common for two or three elders to lead a group of juniors, all here to gain experience. "Only the Yun family—both the clan leader and Yun Fu'an actually brought their wives along. Well... the Yun family only has six juniors between the ages of six and twenty."
The Yun family was too small in number. The founding ancestor of the Yun family was the first generation, the second generation consisted of five sons and one daughter, and the third generation was represented by Yun Qingping and her peers... The entire Yun family numbered only a few dozen people. For the Yuyang Palace Demon-Slaying Grand Event, all eligible juniors had come, and they could even bring their wives along. In contrast, the juniors of the other four families faced intense internal competition just to attend and watch the event.
"The Lord of Yuyang Palace has arrived."
In unison, everyone present stood up, including the prefect from the imperial court, who even stepped forward to greet him.
"The Lord of Yuyang Palace?" Meng Chuan also looked into the distance.
He was a tall and burly young man, as if carved from jade. With each step he took, he seemed like the most dazzling presence in the world. His gaze was radiant, and when he looked at someone, they couldn't help but lower their heads slightly, not daring to meet his eyes. This was the most powerful figure in Dongning City, the guardian deity who protected the city. He was also a Divine Lord who had emerged from Primordial Mountain!
The Lord of Yuyang Palace walked to the main seat and sat down directly. Even while seated, an invisible aura seemed to envelop the surroundings. Even the usually unrestrained Principal Ge Yu was cautious and proper in the presence of the Lord of Yuyang Palace.
"Hmm?" It was only then that Meng Chuan and the others noticed a frail young man and a youth in white standing on either side behind the Lord of Yuyang Palace.
"That frail young man is Mei Yuanzhi, but who is the youth in white?" Meng Chuan was somewhat puzzled.
"Senior Brother Meng, do you know who that youth in white is?" Wan Mang whispered.
"I don't recognize him," Meng Chuan shook his head.
"It's understandable that Mei Yuanzhi stands behind the Lord of Yuyang Palace, but who is that youth in white?" Others were also whispering, clearly everyone had noticed the youth in white.
At this moment, the prefect stepped forward a few paces, looked around, and said loudly, "Everyone, the Yuyang Palace's Demon-Slaying Festival, held once every three years, was established by the Primordial Mountain. Its purpose is to train young heroes from various prefectures, allowing them to face demons before entering the battlefield and truly experience their ferocity. This way, when they go to the battlefield in the future, they will have a better chance of survival. Everyone should appreciate the thoughtful intentions of the Primordial Mountain."
"The rules of the Demon-Slaying Festival, all you heroes must listen carefully," the prefect said loudly. "This time, when you go up to the arena to fight the demons to the death, if you find you cannot withstand it, just jump off the arena and you will survive. You also don't need to worry about accidents, because with the palace lord here, no accidents will occur."
As he spoke, the prefect smiled towards the Lord of Yuyang Palace.
"Of course, on the arena, outsiders are forbidden from intervening, and even if you die in battle, there will be no regrets. This is the rule of the Demon-Slaying Festival, and no one can violate it," the prefect said coldly. "I can tell you in advance, historically, there have been those who died on this arena, and those who lost arms and legs on the arena. If you are afraid, you can directly give up this opportunity."
No one would give up.
When serving in the military, the battlefield is much more dangerous than this. If they gave up this opportunity, they would be ridiculed and looked down upon by the entire Dongning City.
"Good, then let the Demon-Slaying Festival begin," the prefect said and returned to his seat.
A prison cart slowly approached.
Inside the cart was a pig demon in an upright form, about twelve feet tall, covered in fat and black fur, its eyes filled with hatred and killing intent as it stared at the many people sitting outside the cage.
"Behave," a one-armed man pulling the cart said.
Hearing the one-armed man's voice, the pig demon trembled, a hint of fear in its eyes.
"If you win in the arena, you can eat your fill. If you kill a human youth, you can enjoy ten days of fine food and wine," the one-armed man said. "But you must not leave the arena. If you dare to leave the arena, you will die by a thousand cuts!"
"I know," the pig demon said in a low voice, speaking human language.
The prison cart arrived beside the arena.
The cell door opened.
"Go up," the one-armed man said coldly.
The pig demon took a step, leaped onto the arena, and the heavy chains on its wrists and ankles clanged as it landed.
Meng Chuan watched carefully, vaguely sensing the surging power of the pig demon, whose black fur was as tough as heavy armor. The pig demon was filled with killing intent as it looked around; to it, every human around was an enemy! The madness in its eyes, along with the intense hatred and killing intent, made some human youths tremble, like the youngest eight-year-old from the Yun family, who turned pale with fear and clung tightly to his mother's side.
"No hugging," Yun Fu'an scolded his son, then glared coldly at his wife, "A doting mother spoils the child!"
At this time, the court official flipped through the list and said loudly, "Marrow Washing Realm disciples will go to the arena first, the first one, Zhang Rushang from Lie Yang Taoist Academy."