Immortality from Taming Elephant

Chapter 553 - 246: One Versus Three, Four Sage Script Towers, Raising Tigers as Future Troubles

The disciples with the qualification to challenge lined up on both sides, while many others who came to watch stood in the open space behind.Everyone in the Central Plaza, upon seeing the True King of Tianwu.

Immediately bowed in respect.

"Welcome, True King of Tianwu! May the martial path of the True King be boundless."

"Welcome, True King of Tianwu!"

The presence of the True King of Tianwu instantly elevated the standard of the challenge tournament.

Excitement flashed in the eyes of those present, as winning in an ordinary fight and winning in front of the True King had completely different impacts.

The True King made no significant movements. Upon landing, he simply sat quietly on the high platform built to the east, eyes closed to nourish his spirit.

His posture was upright, his breathing long.

He subdued his own sense of presence, but his identity ensured that no one could remain unfazed. He was like a looming Mount Tai, pressing on the plaza, on everyone’s hearts.

Heavy.

That feeling...

Somewhat oppressive, yet awe-inspiring.

Those qualified for the tournament looked at each other with eager eyes.

A belief of relentless pursuit emerged in their hearts.

Meeting the True King was a topic of conversation for many and would become an eternal memory point in their long lives over the centuries.

But for these people, the True King was the target they pursued.

Even though this target seemed somewhat unattainable.

...

Xu Guang, dressed in black, wore no armor, with General Wei eagerly waiting behind him.

Beside him stood Sui Donglai, Xiao Chen, and others.

In each realm, there were a hundred people qualified to participate in the challenge.

The three hundred strong team was quite significant, densely packed in the Central Plaza.

Xu Guang’s gaze fell on Shen Xu in the furthest corner. He was so low-profile he seemed almost like a shadow, with no sense of presence. As a person undefeated in a hundred battles, it was unusual that no one’s gaze lingered on him.

The True King of Tianwu did not speak, nor would the Saints host the event. The host of the challenge was a woman inspector from the Northern Imperial Academy, with a more exquisite appearance than Lin Aoxue.

The rules of the challenge were simple, with the Third Grade picking opponents first. Each day a person could choose a Second Grade expert, and this continued in cycles until they stopped.

However, one thing to note was that failing in the challenge would result in the deduction of certain points, and losing three times would mean losing the qualification for the challenge.

As an undefeated person, Xu Guang had the privilege to choose first.

With the host inspector looking at Xu Guang.

Xu Guang slowly walked out from the crowd.

The many Second Grade experts looked at Xu Guang with inquisitive and curious eyes, as if pondering his target.

Among the Second Grade crowd, Xu Guang had some acquaintances, including a few he met at a previous gathering, and Hong Zhen, who harbored hostility towards him.

The eyes of those around also fell on Xu Guang, all eager to see who this Northern Imperial Academy prodigy, who had already gained fame amidst the Third Grade realm, would choose as his opponent.

Even the True King of Tianwu watched Xu Guang with interest.

The weight of so many people’s gazes easily made one feel like they were the center.

Hong Zhen’s gaze was particularly intense, carrying a sense of provocation, his mouth holding a hint of mockery.

The crowd noticed Hong Zhen’s peculiarity and started whispering.

The conflict between Xu Guang and Hong Zhen that day was not intense, but in the Northern Imperial Academy, there were no big secrets, and such gossip and rumors were always enjoyed and passed on by the crowd.

"I heard Hong Zhen has a grudge against Xu Guang. Looks like the first challenge is a matter of enmity."

"What grudge?"

"Hong Zhen has a cousin named Hong Xu who used some unscrupulous means against Xu Guang and was confined within the academy. It hasn’t been decided how to deal with him yet, but he might be expelled from the Northern Imperial Academy. Naturally, Hong Zhen wants to avenge his cousin."

"Interesting."

The disciples below quietly discussed, while Hong Zhen looked at Xu Guang with increasing disdain.

Xu Guang’s attire was probably the simplest in the plaza; a clean, well-fitting but rather plain blue martial robe, his long hair simply tied up, with not much adornment except for a Dragon Robbing Seal hung at his waist.

He placed one hand on the Dragon Robbing Seal, lightly rubbing it.

Head held high, back straight, steps unhurried.

Quietly observing the many standing before him, he suddenly laughed.

"Hong Zhen, come down."

Hong Zhen’s eyes turned cold, and he said scornfully, "Sharp-tongued!"

Yet Xu Guang did not cast another glance at Hong Zhen, but continued, "And the two sneaky-eyed ones beside you, come down together."

He had a smile on his lips, making his words seem like a jest.

But in front of the True King, in front of six thousand disciples of the Northern Imperial Academy, he couldn’t be joking.

So he was serious.

Defying the hierarchy, and not in pairs, but intending to challenge three at once!

How arrogant!

Instantly, the crowd was in an uproar.

The high platforms on both sides fell silent.

"Arrogant!"

The two with Hong Zhen laughed in anger; Hong Zhen had been cultivating at the Northern Imperial Academy for years and naturally had friends. These two were Hong Zhen’s best, closest friends at the Northern Imperial Academy and, while their results in the Second Grade circular matches were not as impressive as Hong Zhen’s, obtaining the challenge qualification meant they were among the top of the Second Grade in the Northern Imperial Academy.

And Xu Guang, he was just a Third Grade.

"Just because someone said something casually, you think you’re a Saint now?"

Xie Bao, too, was a genius. How would it look to join Hong Zhen in besieging a Third Grade person?