Chapter 341 - 198 Special Market Competition (1/3)

Words : 1712 Updated : Oct 15th, 2025

Chapter 341: Chapter 198 Special Market Competition (1/3)The Black Market, or as it is now called, the special competition in Xuanye City, is divided into two categories: the youth group and the adult group. The youth group consists of competitors from various high schools, most of whom are at the peak of Spirit Awakening, with only a few who have just started Qi Refinement, but at most they are at the third level of Qi Refinement. The adult group is different, with most of the competitors being preparatory students from various academies, the minimum qualification for participation being the middle stage of Qi Refinement, starting from the fourth level of Qi Refinement. In reality, the majority of the competitors are at the sixth level of Qi Refinement or even have broken through to the higher stages and possess Divine Sense. Recently, Nian Quan’s strength has advanced to Essence Qi like tide, reaching the peak of Spirit Awakening. For someone with a Heavenly Spiritual Root, this is only natural. The previous lag in his cultivation was merely due to a lack of resources and guidance, which led to poor development. Now, with the command over Sword Intent and a cultivation like a surging tide, Nian Quan has virtually no rivals in the youth group. Even if he encounters young talents who have similar abilities but have already broken through to Qi Refinement, most of them are no match for Nian Quan under the augmentation of Sword Intent. Ultimately, the advantage of Qi Refinement over Inner Breath lies in their ability to wield Spiritual Power, conjure various truly lethal and intimidating Spells, even employing methods like wind-riding flights and adding protective golden glows, rather than merely utilizing their own Essence Qi in minor skills. However, Sword Intent itself is a fearsome Divine Sense that uses the Artifact to shape Intent, and its derived "Sword Qi" is a special type of Spiritual Fiend, which is very useful even during the Foundation Establishment Stage. It can slice through Spells and barriers, and even aid in advancing through Foundation Establishment. To Nian Quan, the advantage of early-stage Qi Refinement does not exist at all. With this, Nian Quan won first place in the solo category of the Ten Schools Association trial, prominently boosting the reputation of Third Middle School. Principal He Yongzhi also kept his promise, according to the contract, providing Nian Quan with extremely generous cultivation resources, and all kinds of prizes for his exclusive enjoyment. The only thing Nian Quan needs to do is assist Third Middle School in various promotions and participate in competitions that the school requires him to. This Xuanye City special market competition was also included in the contract. "I might not be able to take first place this time," Nian Quan said. In the flying shuttle, Nian Quan sat in the back seat with Principal He. Watching the streets and tall buildings gradually shrink through the window, with no one else nearby, Nian Quan’s words were even simpler and more straightforward, "The people from First Middle School all have Heavenly Spiritual Roots or are descendants of Purple Mansion immortals, and most of them have refined their Qi, simply overpowering me in cultivation." "And at the very least, they have Foundation Establishment cultivators to guide them and provide resources... Even though I possess Sword Intent, they also have superior Cultivation Techniques. If it were any other minor competition, Nian Quan, for the sake of his cultivation resources, would certainly strive to compete, naturally not uttering words that could undermine his own morale. It’s known that in major competitions, instances have occurred where a third-stage Qi Refinement cultivator was defeated by someone at the peak of Spirit Awakening, though that was because the latter had True Spirit Bloodlines. It also shows that the gap between early-stage Qi Refinement and peak Spirit Awakening isn’t insurmountably wide. However, the students from First Middle School are simply not on the same level as those from other schools. First Middle School in Xuanye City gathers the most talented individuals of Xuanye City, each student possessing Family Inherited Secret Techniques and their own unique talents and Skills, historically not participating in any exams or competitions. This is not only because the prizes from those exams and tests are probably less than their pocket money, but also because each of them is an immensely proud genius, all aiming to get into the four major Daoist Academies to become the nominal successors of the four Primordial Spirits of the Tianyuan Realm, naturally not wanting to waste time. But if they were to participate, they would generally dominate any regular competition effortlessly. However, according to past interviews, these students from First Middle School, even winning championships, feel disappointed as they consider taking part in competitions a waste of time, believing it is nowhere near as challenging as the internal exams in their schools. The special city competition would normally not attract their attention. But this time, to revive its popularity, the special market has put up a Spiritual Artifact and has appearances from major figures from the Sky Surveillance Bureau and Luofu. With such generous prizes, even First Middle School students cannot ignore it. "You don’t need to be first," Principal He said. Principal Gu had evidently considered this issue before, his eyes narrowed as the light in his pupils flickered, clearly communicating and gathering information, "Top ten. For this mission, you’re only required to place in the top ten and exhibit your ’Heart Sea Sword Intent,’ which shouldn’t be difficult for you." "The nature of your Heart Sea Sword Intent is of a very high caliber, originating from the Heavenly Spiritual Root’s Enlightenment. As long as you can draw the attention of the higher-ups, whether it’s the Sky Surveillance Bureau or Luofu, it will be a win for both you and me." "Mmm." Upon hearing this, Nian Quan lowered his eyelashes, his gaze deep and unemotional. Sky Surveillance Bureau... To defeat an opponent, to destroy an organization, the quickest method is definitely not to oppose it. Even a corrupted yet powerful organization could wield its vast resources and power to crush dissenters, whereby a sufficiently formidable opposition might give it a chance to rejuvenate through strife. To truly defeat an adversary... one must penetrate its ranks. Sky Surveillance Bureau and Luofu... indeed, this provides an excellent opportunity to legitimately infiltrate their ranks. While conversing, Nian Quan and Principal Gu had arrived at the Special Market. The abandoned urban areas and unfinished buildings surrounding the Special Market had been leveled and completely remade. This place remained a shadowy area difficult for Divine Sense to penetrate, but the Sky Surveillance Bureau had recognized that, rather than neglect it and allow it to serve as a wedge for other forces into Xuanye City, it’d be better to seize control and conduct activities that were unsuitable for public view. Human testing, experimental drugs, unauthorized alterations, Demon Dao weapons, assassination assignments... Officially, there were too many matters that couldn’t be handled, so why not make the ’Black Market’, allow the Special Market to be a gray area? Here, people could buy Magic Artifacts and resources unavailable in the standard markets, tax-free and cheaply... Likewise, many theoretically illegal actions could be carried out extensively here. Nian Quan watched the flying shuttle slowly descend at its docking point, where the head teachers of Third Middle School and other competitors were waiting for the captain and principal to arrive. "Captain Nian is here!" "Good day, Principal!" As soon as they stepped off the flying shuttle, a slightly noisy clamor of young voices arose. As the captain of Third Middle School, Nian Quan had solidified his position through several championship victories. By now, even those who had previously looked down on him or doubted him had no choice but to acknowledge his strength and uniqueness. Not to mention the male and female students who had become his fans, even the scions of the great families, though still envious in private, would still put on a smiling face and welcome his arrival. Nian Quan didn’t care about those who continued to slander and insult him behind his back, just as he didn’t care about the barking of dogs. He even largely disregarded the cheering voices that greeted him; such trivialities were too vulgar for him, having matured too quickly, he had moved past the stage where he was affected by the opinions of people he didn’t care about. This indifferent attitude even extended to his opponents on the field, as every time Nian Quan downed an opponent with a single sword stroke, he never spoke extra words or offered a helping hand but simply turned and walked off the stage or let the referee raise his hand to declare the victory. Some thought Nian Quan’s disposition was too proud and cold, not a positive trait, but others believed that a swordsman should be sharp and detached, a befitting attribute for someone who had understood Sword Intent at such a young age. "Captain, could you spar with me later?" "Captain, do you have time later? We could tour the new market together?" "Yes. No time." As the team moved toward the underground level five combat arena area, Nian Quan indifferently responded to his teammates. The Special City Tournament had both team and individual competitions. Third Middle School’s performance in the team competitions was average but not poor. Sometimes, strategic sacrifices were made in team scores to conceal the ace moves for the individual matches coming in half a month. The teammates from Third Middle School had already gotten used to Nian Quan’s reticent nature, asking ten questions without expecting a single answer. Regardless, having Nian Quan as the captain was far preferable to those scions commanding everyone as if they were dogs, so even if Nian Quan maintained a stern face, they just admired his true character. However, abruptly, Nian Quan stopped walking midway. For a moment, the surrounding Third Middle School team also paused slightly. Nian Quan stared somewhat blankly toward a figure not far away, sensing a familiar aura, yet he wasn’t sure. On the other side, An Jing also had a faint premonition and looked up towards the direction where Nian Quan was.

Chapter 341 - 198 Special Market Competition (1/3)

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