The gates of Changan City opened slowly. Under the pure snow, the imperial city was bustling. The falling snow and the autumnal sense seemed to give the imperial city a different vibe.
The disciples of the various sects flooded into Changan like a surging river. Their arrival in the bustling city of Changan caused the atmosphere to become busier and more festive than usual, reaching a fever pitch!
People thronged the main street. Even though the streets were not as packed as when people came to watch the grand champion's parade, the crowd was still extremely excited and curious to see the disciples of the various sects.
The inns and taverns on both sides of the main street were filled with people. Some storytellers were performing to a rapt audience, captivating them with exciting stories of the upcoming event where various sects would be engaged in the Resource Battle. They drew cheers from the entire crowd.
The officials of the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Finance and the Imperial Court of Judicial Review were here to welcome the various disciples and sect leaders from sects all across the Tang Dynasty.
The various sect leaders of the Tang Dynasty all had conferred ranks and were of high statuses. The main reason they had come to Changan was for the Emperor's birthday celebration. Hence, the imperial court officers dare not offend any of the sect leaders.
Fang Lang, Ni Wen, Liu Bubai and the others were personally escorted by Princess Pei Shi into the Martial Arts King Manor. They were not staying at the inn prepared by the Ministry of Rites.
When they arrived at the Martial Arts King Manor, Fang Lang and the others got off the horse carriage. Jiang Lingling was a little furious from being ignored by her own mother—she gave off an extremely cold aura throughout the entire journey back. However, once she was home, her mood improved drastically.
Before the Martial Arts King Manor stood an ordinary-looking carriage. A girl slowly walked out of the manor right at that moment. The girl's complexion was extremely pale. Her figure looked frail and sickly. She would occasionally cough a couple of times.
When Princess Pei Shi and Jiang Linglong saw her, they slowed their pace and nodded in acknowledgment. The girl smiled in response and left the manor with the help of the servant girl beside her.
'Who was that girl?' Fang Lang was a little curious to know. She did not look too old yet she was able to freely enter and leave the Martial Arts King Manor. She must be of a venerable status.
Hence, Fang Lang was extremely intrigued and ran a Stats Scanner.
…
Age: 16
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Cultivation: Nine-Grade Sword Intent
Core: 15 (Starry)
Bloodline ability: ???
Introduction: Careful, this is an extremely careless character.
…
Fang Lang, '??? Wow! Who is this person!?'
This news made Fang Lang inhale sharply!
A starry core!
This was the first time Fang Lang had seen anyone with it, apart from Chao Xiaojian.
Sixteen years old, fourth-class sword intent realm. A real monster!
"Who is she?" Fang Lang could not help but ask.
He had a sense! He sensed that he had confirmed a binding target!
Princess Pei Shi glanced at Fang Lang. She seemed to find it strange that Fang Lang would be so curious about the girl. "It's understandable that you do not know her. She's relatively unknown in Changan City. However, her status is exceptionally noble.
"She is the poor fifth princess who suffers from the mysterious Dragon Lock Poison since she was young."
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})'The fifth princess?
'The fifth princess of the Tang Dynasty!'
Ripples of emotions stirred in Fang Lang's eyes. It was a shame that Princess Pei Shi did not mention her name. What was the name of the fifth princess?
Fang Lang did not know. He asked Princess Pei Shi inquisitively but she was immersed in her feelings of pity for the fifth princess and could not stop herself from sighing.
Hence, Fang Lang did not learn the name of the fifth princess.
The fifth princess appeared to have come to visit Martial Arts King Jiang. Martial Arts King Jiang was sitting quietly in the courtyard. Unlike the previous encounter, the Martial Arts King was dressed neatly and appeared rather tame.
Martial Arts King Jiang did not seem surprised by the arrival of the disciples. It seemed like nothing could shake his emotions. He maintained a blank face as he received everyone's salutation. He nodded his head slightly and left the courtyard.
Everyone stayed in the manor.
In response to the pressure of the Qianlong Resource Battle, everyone was got cultivating. They prepared themselves for the Resource Battle the next day.
Fang Lang stayed in the same house within the manor as he did previously. He took out a spirit crystal and began to absorb it as he cultivated.
He switched into Quintuple Binding Mode and with the 70% binding capacity, the speed of Fang Lang's cultivation drastically increased!
He was deeply immersed in his cultivation.
The entire night passed without a word.
…
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})The next day, the skies of Changan were filled with falling snow.
Fang Lang and the others finished eating the breakfast Princess Pei Shi had specially ordered the servants to prepare before leaving the manor together. They headed toward the palace of the Ministry of Rites.
There was a crowd standing before the Ministry of Rites palace. The disciples of second-class and above from 300 sects in the Tang Dynasty were gathered here.
The Minister of Rites, Zhou Yiyuan, wore a neat and respectful official robe. He stood among the snow and observed the disciples from the 300 sects. He slowly began to speak and the noisy atmosphere before the palace instantly became quiet.
"The Emperor's birthday is approaching. The Emperor has given me special orders to bring forward this year's Qianlong Resource Battle. However, since it is extremely close to the Emperor's birthday celebrations, the resources awarded in this Resource Battle will be more bountiful than last year's. It's a gift from the Emperor!
"Besides that, the Emperor will personally confer titles to the winning team during his birthday celebration! To celebrate with the Tang Dynasty!" The minister's voice was loud and resounding.
The breathing of many disciples standing before the Ministry of Rites' palace began to turn shallow. The chance for glory and resources! This battle might be exceptionally exciting. It might even be… tragic!
"Since the Resource Battle has been brought forward by six months, there are some changes to the rules. Each team will include a senior disciple from the sect. This is because the difficulty of the Resource Battle has increased.
"Cultivation is a challenging process. Striving for spirit crystals, fighting for practice methods and battling for resources! Everything needs to be earned!
"The location of this year's Resource Battle is the Youzhou Demon Portal.
"The Youzhou Demon Portal has recently been pacified. The huge armies of the demons have retreated but the demon beasts remain. Danger and opportunity coexist. As the arena for this year's competition, it will be an early rehearsal for the new disciples to try their hands at killing demons in the demon portal.
"After this, all the team leaders from the various sects will bring the disciples towards the large-scale teleportation spell," continued the Minister of Rites.
A couple of Ministry of Rites officials stepped out, leading the teams towards the large-scale teleportation spell that was prepared by the imperial palace's high-grade spell masters under the orders of the Minister of Rites.
As one of the ten great sects, the Sword Guild was the first team to be sent out.
Numerous high-grade spell masters stood at the edges of the massive square. Many inconceivably huge spirit crystal ores were placed next to them. The spirit crystal ores were carved with runes. The spiritual energy within the ores was withdrawn and directed into countless small-scaled spell charms within the teleportation spell. The large-scale runes were activated. After that, a powerful space ripple spread out.
The disciples of the ten great guilds who stood within the rune felt their vision go dark as a powerful tugging sensation manifested. They disappeared within the teleportation spell.
…
The Royal City of the Tang Dynasty.
Taiji Palace. On the steps of the White Jade Court.
The first prince, the third prince and the sickly fifth princess that Fang Lang took an interest in were seated.
Next to the fifth princess sat a man dressed in dragon robes. He laughed absentmindedly as he leaned close to her. He was the second prince of the Tang Dynasty.
The fifth princess would occasionally cough and gently pat the shoulder of the second prince. On the other side, the first prince and the third prince looked over, wearing smiles. They would occasionally make some snide remarks.
The grand chancellor, Lu Taixuan, the right administrator, Li Puyi, and the other officials were all sitting on chairs.
The sect leaders of the various sects were seated according to the order of their sects.
In the center of the White Jade Square, there were ten massive bronze mirrors. As the spirit crystals were drained, the ten bronze mirrors slowly floated in the air.
Deep within the Taiji Palace, the unfathomable Tang Dynasty Emperor turned his gaze toward the square.
This was different from the Imperial Examination of the Tang Dynasty. The various sect leaders paid great attention to the Qianlong Resource Battle because it determined the distribution of resources!
Ding!
The sound of the ancient bell rang out.
The surface of the ten bronze mirrors began to ripple like flowing waters. After a while, it slowly transformed into an image. The image showed the situation of the disciples of the various sects in the Resource Battle.
…
The Youzhou Demon Portal.
The portal door closed.
There was a huge palace floating in the sky. Strong winds and heavy snow howled from all directions. As the winds continued to blow unceasingly, the killing intent began to spread across the air. The area behind the magical-looking palace glowed red like an endless blood sky!
This was a passage between heaven and earth!
This was a floating passage in the sky that was drenched in the blood of countless cultivators, battered by the flame of war!
The Youzhou Demon Portal was a demon portal that had been subdued. Behind the demon portal, the two clashing forces faded. The energy at the barrier calmed down.
The glow from the teleportation spell disappeared. The disciples of the sects began to walk out of the huge teleportation square.
A boundless oppressive force that made one's heart tremble invaded the space.
Fang Lang took a deep breath and suddenly raised his head to look at the Youzhou Demon Portal. Within the demon portal, there were armies in garrison formation. The soldiers dressed in bloodstained armor wore cold and stern expressions.
"I didn't expect… this year's Qianlong Resource Battle to be the Youzhou Demon Portal!"
Huang Ying wore an expression of utmost solemnity.
"It's no wonder they've specified that each team will need a senior disciple as the leader. If the teams don't have a senior disciple with experience entering the demon portal, it would be extremely dangerous even if it's a demon portal that has been pacified."
Huang Ying took a deep breath after she spoke. Fang Lang could sense his senior was nervous.
Wen Ting was incomparably serious as he said, "The Qianlong Resource Battle this year… will be extremely tragic."
This did not seem to surprise anyone.
When all the disciples from the 300 sects arrived, the Minister of Rites, Zhou Yiyuan, put his hands behind his back and stepped into the sky with a spell. His eyes were cold and his body was filled with a surging force like the waves of the sea.
Zhou Yiyuan had ascended to the role of Minister of Rites by killing ruthlessly. He did not get this position without effort. He had previously slaughtered demons bravely in the demon portal!
He swept an eye across the entire arena. The soldiers in bloodstained armor who guarded Youzhou Demon Portal gave each disciple a rusty token.
"This is a resource token. It's carved with a space rune. There are a total of ten spaces! The Resource Battle is split into three rounds. The first round is the Hunting War!
"Once you enter the Youzhou Demon Portal, you will face demon realm beasts that have been infected with demonic energy. Hunt these demon realm beasts. There will be a Resource Station every thousand miles for you to restock your resources. You can use the token in your hand to replenish your resources.
"I'll let you know beforehand… you'll need ten demon hearts as an entry pass. Otherwise, the guards will not allow you to collect any resources.
"There are a total of six thousand miles and six Resource Stations. When you reach the sixth Resource Station, you will qualify for the second round. We'll inform you of the rules of the second round once you've reached there.
"I'll be waiting for you personally at the six-thousandth mile with your sect elders. Strive during the hunt! This is the main theme of the first round!"
Zhou Yiyuan's voice suddenly sounded grand as it reverberated across the entire demon portal.
After that, he turned around and waved his hand swiftly. Dozens of armored soldiers pushed open the demon portal doors that twenty feet tall!
A frightening compressive force emerged as the two worlds collided.
'Ding! The hunt mission is activated!
'The Hunt Mission: As you first enter the demon portal and face death head-on. Meet the upcoming hearty slaughter. Flourish in the killing just like the flowers before dawn! Please kill a hundred consecutive demons to receive the prize 'Seven Star Sword (Forging Method).
'Current mission progress: (0/100)'
This mission…
Fang Lang stroked the rusty token in his hand and turned his head to look at his teammates.
The demon portal… was a cultivator's battleground. It was the terror they would all have to face in the end.
From the moment they entered an academy and began cultivating, the moment their mentors began to instruct them—the demon portal was the sword that hunger over the heads of each cultivator. Each cultivator would need to undergo a demon portal experience in order to become a qualified cultivator.
The huge door leading to the demon portal was being opened.
Before the demon portal, Zhou Yiyuan removed his splendid robes and donned a golden full-body armor. Under his helmet, his eyes were blazing.
"In the demon portal, each team will have three chances to call for help. The signal talisman will be given to the leaders. Once the talisman is torn, the Imperial Court of Judicial Review and the soldiers stationed in Youzhou Demon Portal will arrive to help within ten breaths.
"Now, charge ahead, young ones!"
Zhou Yiyuan spread his arm forcefully as his voice rang through the demon portal.
"The Qianlong Resource Battle has begun! I wish you all the best of luck!"
Boom!
Boom!
The Youzhou Passage. The Youzhou Terrace.
Upon the terrace, soldiers stood playing the war drums. The sound of the war drums boomed through the air like howling thunder. The explosive music echoed in the ears of every disciples!
…
As soon as the war drums sounded, the blood of each disciple began to surge.
The Main Path Guild, which was among the ten great sects, was under the command of a handsome and strong man. They successively trodded on the steaming rune as it turned into a stream of light that shot towards the door of the Youzhou Demon Portal!
"Amitabha."
Among the All-Seeing Buddha Sect, there were disciples who were monks as well as disciples from secular families. They all dashed towards the demon portal as well.
The Karma Society, the Immortal Martial Association, the Meridian Guild and all the other sects' disciples stirred into action.
No one retreated and no one hesitated!
"Let's head off!"
Huang Ying took a deep breath and forcefully exhaled. She took her sword out from her sword box and swung it around. Her blade energy spread out to wrap around Ni Wen and Liu Bubai before spearing ahead into the portal.
Fang Lang, Jiang Linglong and Geshu Yuehua exuded the blade energy from their lungs and charge into the demon portal with their swords!
The Youzhou Demon Portal had been subdued and the armies of demons and devils had been forced to retreat. However, for these young-blooded disciples who had just graduated from their academies and entered their sects, it was still extremely dangerous!
There were close to 2,000 disciples who joined the Qianlong Resource Battle this year. They charged ahead fearlessly, not a single person retreated. The charging disciples looked like a surging river to the general who stood regally on top of the Youzhou Terrace.
