Chapter 152 - 149: The Challenge of the Wildfire Sect

Chapter 152: Chapter 149: The Challenge of the Wildfire SectIn the center of Heavenly Martial Hall, there were exceptionally tall mountains reaching straight into the heavens, with clouds and mist swirling around them, exuding an otherworldly air. Atop these mountains was the location of the main hall of Heavenly Martial Hall, which had the largest martial arts plaza. Today, with the arrival of disciples from the Wildfire Sect, this martial arts plaza was crowded with a terrifying number of disciples. Most of the disciples from the Qiankun Yin Yang Four Halls had unconsciously gathered here. The battle today was a matter of honor for Heavenly Martial Hall, as true disciples from two prestigious Third Grade sects would face off. This was no joke. By the time Ye Xuan arrived, the outskirts of the plaza were already occupied by a sea of people. The closer one looked toward the center of the plaza, the denser the crowd became, and there were occasional noises of anger and clamor spilling out. From a distance, Ye Xuan could vaguely see the fighting on the high stage. It seemed that Wildfire Sect’s challenge had already begun. "Brother Ye Xuan has arrived." Ye Xuan’s arrival instantly attracted quite a bit of attention. The outer disciples of Heavenly Martial Hall, surrounding the area, consciously made way for him to proceed to the inner field. After all, Ye Xuan was now seen by many disciples as second only to the four true disciples, and the position of true disciple was bound to fall upon him in the future. Looking at those somewhat respectful gazes, Ye Xuan couldn’t help but give a wry smile. He had only come to join in on the excitement and play a minor role, but the way these disciples looked at him was as if they were watching a warrior about to go to battle. They had mistaken him; he was not here to fight today. It seemed unlikely that the occasion would call for him to take action. Approaching the base of the high platform, there were two rows of seats. Seated there were faces familiar to Ye Xuan, including Leng Ruofeng, whom he had met before, Ruan Jingtian, Xiang Fanchen, and others, all striking figures. Seated together with Leng Ruofeng, besides the peerlessly beautiful Ling Qianxue, was a particularly burly young man. After asking someone nearby, Ye Xuan learned that this person was the second senior brother of Qian Hall, one of the four true disciples, Yang Ting. At the other end of the high platform sat a group of young figures dressed in black and red robes. These people must be the disciples of the Wildfire Sect. In the front row of the Wildfire Sect, there were also four imposing figures seated, likely the true disciples of the Wildfire Hall. Unexpectedly, they also had as many as four. Judging by this, the gap between the Wildfire Sect and Heavenly Martial Hall didn’t seem that significant. At this moment, on the platform, two figures were engaged in intense combat. One of them was Wan Luo, who had previously fought with Ye Xuan, and the other was a red-haired youth about the same age as Ye Xuan, not yet twenty. However, in combat, he was extremely cunning and currently had the upper hand. "Taiyin Triple Waves!" Being pushed back to a defensive position, Wan Luo mustered all his strength and seized the opportunity to unleash his most powerful strike. "Child’s play, break!" The red-haired youth bellowed and sent out a punch, both wild and domineering, shattering the Taiyin Triple Waves and striking Wan Luo, blasting him off the high platform. "Wildfire Sect, Lin Yan wins!" A loud shout spread through the area as the referee announced the winner. Below the stage, the crowd became abuzz with commentary. "This Lin Yan is the strongest inner sect disciple of the Wildfire Sect, indeed powerful. He has already secured two consecutive victories." "Yes, even Brother Wan Luo is no match for him. If no one stops him, his arrogance will only grow stronger." "Right, we can’t let him continue to win. Otherwise, wouldn’t it suggest that our Heavenly Martial Hall’s inner hall disciples are inferior to their Wildfire Sect’s inner sect disciples?" Many disciples were filled with righteous indignation. Losing several matches in a row made them anxious, and their gaze began to wander to Ye Xuan, the foremost among the inner hall disciples. If there was no one to match Lin Yan in the end, Ye Xuan would inevitably have to step up. Confronted with this situation, Ye Xuan couldn’t help but frown. It looked like the outlook for this year’s challenge was not good. He had only come to enjoy the atmosphere, but judging from the current state of affairs, things seemed dire. There was a real possibility that Heavenly Martial Hall might lose this year. "The inner hall disciples of Heavenly Martial Hall, that’s all they are. Isn’t there anyone slightly more formidable?" Lin Yan scanned the seats of Heavenly Martial Hall with deliberate disdain, as if he did not take the people of Heavenly Martial Hall seriously. "Let me take you on!" From among the inner hall disciples, a figure shot up and landed on the high platform. It was none other than Qian Hall’s chief inner sect disciple, Ruan Jingtian. Ruan Jingtian’s entrance also set off a wave of cheers in the venue. Nearly everyone was clear about Ruan Jingtian’s strength. Before his battle with Ye Xuan, he had always been one of the most outstanding individuals among the inner hall disciples. Even now, no one dared to underestimate Ruan Jingtian’s prowess. "It seems we finally have someone slightly useful, make your move." Lin Yan appeared to take the situation a bit more seriously, yet there was still a hint of arrogance on his face, not taking Ruan Jingtian seriously at all. "At such a young age, you’re so arrogant. Today, I will teach you a proper lesson." Ruan Jingtian’s expression darkened, rage surging in his eyes. His long saber flashed out of its sheath in an instant, and he unleashed the Sky One Absolute Void Saber Skill, slashing towards Lin Yan. Faced with Ruan Jingtian’s saber technique, Lin Yan didn’t dodge or evade but leaned back, punching upward from below. His punch seemed to split the earth asunder, with magma churning and a fire wave condensing like a mini sun, blistering hot. It not only shattered the saber light instantly but also sent Ruan Jingtian flying. "What tremendous brute strength!" Seeing Ruan Jingtian sent flying with a single punch, Ye Xuan’s pupils also constricted slightly. This disciple from the Wildfire Sect named Lin Yan must possess innate Divine Power. That last punch was at least as powerful as fifteen hundred galloping horses, capable of crushing a small mountain to fragments. "Wildfire Encompassing the Heavens!" Taking the advantage with his punch, Lin Yan didn’t pause as he leaped into the air, throwing out thirteen punches consecutively. The scorching power of the punches crisscrossed in the air, forming a fiery net that tightly ensnared Ruan Jingtian. Ruan Jingtian tried to react, sweeping his saber in an attempt to break through, but his speed was far from matching Lin Yan’s punches, and he quickly found himself trapped. "Three-Transformation Glazed Body, break!" With a great roar, a glaze-like luster spread rapidly over his body. A massive wave of energy surged crazily toward the dense fire net in an attempt to explode it open. "It’s futile, explode!" A fierce look flashed in Lin Yan’s eyes. As he uttered "explode," the fire net also exploded violently, and Ruan Jingtian’s original glaze-colored body instantly turned into a man ablaze. Spurt! The threefold glaze body was broken, and Ruan Jingtian was also blasted off the high platform, suffering a crushing defeat. The faces of the many disciples from the Heavenly Martial Hall also turned ugly in the blink of an eye. Ruan Jingtian, the strongest of the Qian Hall Inner Hall Disciples, had lost so quickly to the opponent. How monstrous was this disciple named Lin Yan from the Wildfire Sect? Now they wondered if even Ye Xuan would struggle to be Lin Yan’s match, given that Ye Xuan had to rely on perfect unity of realm to defeat the combined forces of Ruan Jingtian and Xiang Fanchen earlier and had exerted a great deal of effort. In a one-on-one match, it was uncertain if he could have won over Ruan Jingtian so quickly. If no Inner Hall Disciple could match this Lin Yan, the Wildfire Sect would undoubtedly win the first bout. As for the upcoming true disciples’ showdown, if they won again, the Heavenly Martial Hall would really lose face this time. "Good, this Ruan Jingtian is said to be the second only to Lu Yan of Yang Hall among the Inner Hall Disciples. Now that he has fallen to Lin Yan, there’s no one left in the Heavenly Martial Hall’s Inner Hall who can match him." One of the four people in the front row from the Wildfire Sect, a burly man clad in red robes, also cracked a smile. This time they came to challenge and pay homage to the mountain, with the Inner Sect Disciples as the first phase and the True Disciples as the second. Winning the first phase would give them the upper hand, and with the Heavenly Martial Hall down one person for the second phase, their chances of victory were substantial. If they could secure victory in this challenge, they could announce to the world that the Wildfire Sect’s strength was in no way inferior to that of the Heavenly Martial Hall and that even their disciples’ quality surpassed that of the Heavenly Martial Hall. In future discussions about who should be the number one sect in the Tiannan Region, the title should lean toward the Wildfire Sect. No one wants to be second forever. The Wildfire Sect and the Heavenly Martial Hall, both Third Grade Sects, naturally engaged in intense overt and covert struggles. "That kid Lin Yan, truly a demon talent we at the Heavenly Martial Hall are focused on nurturing, by defeating Ruan Jingtian, he can really show off now. This is payback for our repeated losses in recent years." The tall and thin man beside him also revealed a brilliant smile on his face. This time, they needed to give those disciples from the Heavenly Martial Hall a good slap in the face. "Times have changed. Last year, we narrowly lost to them. This year, every one of us has improved in strength. Winning this battle should not be an issue." The True Disciples from the Wildfire Sect looked eager and spirited, as if they already envisioned their moment of victory. "Is there anyone else who wants to challenge? If not, then we may announce the results of the first phase." Lin Yan looked down at the many disciples from the Heavenly Martial Hall and then turned to the nearby referee, speaking coldly. At this moment, nearly all eyes uniformly fell on the same person, the same spot—Ye Xuan. Feeling so many eyes upon him, Ye Xuan felt quite uncomfortable, but he knew he’d be drowned by spit from the crowd if he decided to flee instead of stepping up at this critical moment. He sighed softly. With one strong push from his feet, amidst the many hopeful gazes, he shot up abruptly and landed on the high platform.