Empyrean Zha stayed in the ring, beaming. “Crane!”
They patiently waited, but no crane ever came. Empyrean Zha stopped budging when he saw the yellow crane he prepared in Shen Yiren’s hand, and she was giving him a prankster’s smile.
Why is Boss at Xiao Huangquan’s pavilion? Oh, sheet, she must be ticked off I didn’t notify her. Okay, guess this crane-riding gig is cancelled. Let’s just strut out like a boss.
Shen Yiren performed a palm strike, sending a sparrow to Empyrean Zha. Empyrean Zha appeared as though he was weighing the feasibility of riding the crane as he watched it fly over.
“Hyah!”
The sparrow tried futilely to escape from Empyrean Zha; however, an imperceptible energy forced it onto a trajectory it didn’t want to go. To its dismay and everyone else’s amazement, Empyrean Zha rode atop the sparrow back to his pavilion. Nobody thought it was odd to hear howling and grunts from behind the curtain, assuming it was Empyrean Zha communicating with deities or something.
“Siming?” Luo Ming’s brain was flooded with questions upon hearing his subordinate mention his son’s name. He regretted dismissing Empyrean Zha as a fraud when he heard about the latter’s appearance at his clan’s manor, but it still didn’t answer where Empyrean Zha came from.
Luo Ming’s initial conclusion was that Empyrean Zha was some elite posing as a disciple of Quanzhen Sect and Zhou Botong as it was a preposterous story. Thing was, Luo Ming couldn’t name anyone with the style Empyrean Zha used. He could defeat Feng Jian without revealing his own style, but that was predicated on the fact that he knew all the flaws of Feng Jian’s style and as another individual. If Abels was Feng Jian’s opponent, the former would’ve only won after several hundreds of exchanges.
Jin Caitan, despite his wealth of experience, couldn’t provide any commentary. In his defence, that wasn’t even a fight; it was a deity fighting a measly human. He even rode a sparrow…
“Elder Xiao’s group wins the third round. If there are no objections, the first round of Refining Divine Convention is hereby over. The second round shall be between the three victors.” Remembering Dugu was injured, Jin Caitan looked over to Emperor Yuansheng’s group and continued, “Injured competitors can switch.”
The reason that switching competitors was allowed was to ensure enough fighting spirit would be collected for the sword nerve. After all, if one couldn’t fight, how could they produce fighting spirit in a scrap? As for Jin Caitan, he only encouraged it out of the goodness of his heart.
While the audience was busy discussing the competition, Ming Feizhen was changing as he went on the move again. “Everything is set, then?” Ming Feizhen asked.
Shen Yiren helped Ming Feizhen with his clothing. “Yep, we’ve made contact with all factions present and read out what you penned. Everyone has agreed to join once someone ignites the flame. Where… did you get the secret code on the sheet from? Why were they all inconsolably dreaded upon hearing the code?”
My shifu owes all of them. If they didn’t freak out when I threatened not to pay back any of the debts, the sun would rise from the west.
“Who knows?” Ming Feizhen responded.
Shen Yiren gave up on the topic since it was evident Ming Feizhen wasn’t going to tell the truth. “According to Dugu and the others, His Majesty is held on Luo Clan’s platform, and it’s heavily guarded – not to mention Luo Ming’s presence. It’s likely he’ll leverage His Majesty as a hostage when his plan goes south.”
Ming Feizhen stripped his outer garments, returning to his usual dress up and then joined Shen Yiren in the crowded passage. “I’ll stall Luo Ming after the second round. Use 20% of the gathered forces to rescue His Majesty. We should be able to outnumber Luo Clan with this many elites.”
“What are the others going to be doing?”
“Saving me. What else?! You telling me hundreds of you are just going to watch Luo Ming make a spectacle of me until I die? Does your heart not know pain?!”
Although Shen Yiren had yet to grasp Ming Feizhen’s true abilities, she was sure he wouldn’t offer to stall Luo Ming if he couldn’t hack it. “… Just don’t die. I’ll speed over to help you as soon as I free His Majesty.
“Long Zaitian told me there were another three swordsmen in addition to Feng Jian on the day they were assailed, all of whom are Luo Ming’s disciples. If Luo Ming is absent, they must be the ones keeping watch over His Majesty. We must remove them if we are to save His Majesty.”
“That’s why I’ve already dispatched a team.”
“You’ve already worked it out with someone? Who can beat those three?”
“Hehe, they’ve already set out. Just enjoy the show.”
Mountain Monster and River Monster’s faces upon seeing Ming Feizhen come back with Shen Yiren read, “Is he really not mentally handicapped?”
Hong Jiu, wiping his tears and runny nose with a handkerchief, exclaimed, “I told you he’s invincible! The only person he can’t beat is himself! Oi, a hundred thousand! Don’t think you can get away, lass!”
Shen Yiren and Ming Feizhen regarded each other, then turned to the ring.
Jin Caitan declared, “Okay, this one has finalised the finalists. The champion of today’s tournament shall be decided among the following three people. Please welcome Wudang’s direct disciple, Huan Xinglai, impromptu team member Empyrean Zha and Li Clan’s ace, Ming Feizhen!”
Ming Feizhen turned back to the others: “Who, who and who?”
