Chapter 26
Undercurrents: A Tale Of The Babbling Brooks And The Lantern Tree.
Mortal Realm~
Ying-yang city~
Ying-yang dynasty's manor~
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The sun shone brilliantly above the clear blue sky, with not a single cloud in sight. The long-anticipated battle had finally arrived, and the designated location for this showdown was an arena with a chilling name and history: "The Pit Of The Damned." This arena was believed to have existed even before the great cataclysm. It spanned several miles in diameter and boasted a shocking capacity of tens of thousands.
The arena's architecture wasn't grand; it was dilapidated, but still one of the sturdiest structures in the whole domain of the Celeste. It was made of an unknown material, neither brick, rock, nor wood. The structure resembled something carved out of a pile of ash, dotted with white and black specks.
The arena had a grand, albeit gruesome, history. In the past, only duels to the death were held here; there was no tapping out or showing mercy, only cruel and bloody murder. These duels took place between individuals, groups, or even powers. Sometimes, people were forced to battle to the death for the entertainment of others, who would even place bets on the outcome.
Since time immemorial, countless souls had perished within the arena's walls, earning it its ominous name. However, on this particular day, the spectator's section was packed with people of all ages, genders, and powers, all converging to witness a "friendly match" between the Yan clan and the Ying-yang dynasty's youngsters.
"Look, the Ying-yang dynasty has arrived!" an unknown figure among the sea of spectators exclaimed, quickly gaining everyone's attention. People looked westward, and soon another declaration announced the arrival of the Yan clan, who were approaching from the east. Each group arrived riding on a flying stellar beast resembling a griffin.
As they flew down toward the battle section of the arena, which was located at its center and spanned a couple of kilometers, the atmosphere was palpable. In stark contrast to its grim history of bloody purgatory, the battle zone was a lush green, short-grass field teeming with life. Each blade of grass was almost translucent, like an emerald.
Each party dismounted their rides and stood across from one another. The younger generation of the Ying-yang dynasty was the first to line up side-by-side, clad in uniform black and white battle suits, fully geared with various weapons best suited to their fighting styles. Their auras superimposed on one another, making the air stifling for those around them. The spectating crowd cheered wildly at this display of valor.
On the other hand, the Yan clan's younger generation assembled themselves in an orderly fashion, garbed in Vanta black battle suits that struck a striking contrast to their pale faces, which seemed to lack the rosy touch of life. Furthermore, their auras were sinister and cold. No one cheered at their appearance; instead, the crowd burst into murmurs and whispering chats.
The Yan clan clearly had no supporters present, and the vast majority of the spectators didn't have a shred of goodwill towards them. In fact, one of the reasons why so many people had gathered was to watch the Yan clan's kids get defeated. In layman's terms, the Yan clan was public enemy number one. However, there was something to take note of: the Yan clan kids were only nine years old, and Yan Feitan had yet to make an appearance.
"Yan Youmei."
"Yin Fei Yu."
Each called the other's name in a perfunctory greeting dripping with venom, followed by a snort, as they turned to look anywhere but at each other. The bad blood between them was glaring, a melodramatic past that had Yang Jiang at its center. After all, he had been the most wanted bachelor back in his heyday and had first been betrothed to Yan Youmei before Yin Feiyu had cut in line. This had contributed majorly to Yan Youmei's foul temperament.
The elders and younglings of the Ying-yang dynasty also exchanged perfunctory greetings with one another, each wearing various emotions across their faces. Suddenly, Yin Feiyu's eyes glanced across the younglings of the Yan clan, noticing they were short of a single person. Upon noticing this, she spared no time to give a 'polite word of comfort' to her long-time rival.
"Say, Yan Youmei, why are there only nine of your Yan younglings? Couldn't you find a final youngster that fit the criteria? It must have been hard. Sad! Sad! Sad!"
"I could say the same for you; your team isn't complete either. I don't see Yang Wei anywhere," Yan Rouxi said.
"Oh no, I couldn't be that he experienced an accident while cultivating, and your dynasty has declined so much that you couldn't find a replacement, right?" Yan Rouxi retorted skillfully, mimicking Yan Youmei.
"You need not worry about my Wei'er. You might have a heart attack the next time you see him and beg me to put an end to this match, but I wouldn't go easy on you."
"But your clan has been the one in decline lately, especially after what's-his-name... Ha! Yes, Yan Feitian's sudden disappearance. How lamentable," Yin Feiyu retorted sarcastically.
"Oh, you jest. You should be called Yin Xiaochou. I think you're the one who'll end up with a heart attack at the end of today," Yan Rouxi smiled mysteriously.
Just then, Yan Feitian walked out from the back of the Yan clan's entourage, displaying his first-order level True Qi to the max. The crowd immediately burst into a frenzied state.
"Isn't he meant to still be missing? Has the Yan clan secretly hidden him? That means this match has been premeditated by the Yan clan." All sorts of speculations and conspiracy theories began flying about as the crowd felt that, for the first time, the Yan clan might really have the upper hand. Many were not happy about this development.
Yin Feiyu's brows creased dramatically as she thought, "Is he the ace?"
At that moment, Yang Jiang flew over before descending, accompanied by his eldest son, Yang Wei, currently the most talented youngster in the Ying-yang dynasty. Upon seeing him, a great clamor burst out amongst the crowd. One could sense his current cultivation as he unleashed his aura to the max. He had attained the Second Order of the True Qi stage at the age of nineteen, his talent surpassing even that of Yan Zhen.
Amongst the clamor, Yang Jiang stepped forward, greeting the Yan party amicably before stating, "Since we're all here, let's not dilly-dally and begin." The crowd cheered massively at this, anticipating the "friendly duel" even more.
Each party returned to their base. Upon arrival, Yan Zhen walked up to Yan Rouxi and asked, "Aren't you bothered by Yang Wei's sudden breakthrough?"
She paused in her steps, turning to look Yan Zhen in the eyes with a playful smile as she replied, "First order, Second Order, what's the difference? He's only a slightly bigger ant – nothing more, nothing less." Yan Zhen was left bamboozled by that shocking reply, saturated with confidence.
With everyone in place, the match was set. Yang Jiang announced the rules and penalties for breaking them. The match was simple: each combatant would be selected at random to face another in each round. At the end of each round, those eliminated could challenge any of the victors and take their place. One could not attack their opponents once they surrendered or didn't have the ability to fight; else, they would be eliminated. The last man standing would become the champion.
Just as the first lot was about to be drawn, an inconspicuous man wearing a conical straw hat arose from the audience, raising an objection. This quickly pulled everyone's attention to the daring fellow.
"We all know that the Ying-yang dynasty is to cede half of the city to the Yan clan if they lose, but what does the Yan clan have to give in return if they lose?" the daring fellow said at a pace neither fast nor slow, his tone neither severe nor submissive.
This question quickly sparked a new ground for speculations and conspiracy theories amongst the crowd, creating a buzz. The Yan clan frowned at this; they had used their Grand Matriarch as an excuse to pressure the Ying-yang dynasty, thankful they hadn't requested anything in return for losing, which had put them at ease. But all of a sudden, this no-named person had highlighted it for the whole world to see. One of the grand elders suddenly had the urge to smack him to death.
Upon making his move, he was stopped by Yan Rouxi, who blocked his path. Little did the grand elder know that she had just saved his life, as the conical-hatted man was Lu Huo Gui! Yan Rouxi turned to face this enigma with half a smile.
"Since you've mentioned this, what do you have in mind?" Yan Rouxi asked the enigma directly, ignoring the Ying-yang dynasty. She could sense he was no ordinary man, and her fear that the Ying-yang dynasty might ask for something absurd contributed to it. Hence, she had tactically redirected the question back.
"I heard there's a unique brook your clan hoards all to itself. If you lose, you are to relinquish that right to the Ying-yang dynasty," he replied.
Yan Rouxi's face suddenly warped into a multitude of shapes and colors, as she had thought herself clever by redirecting the question back. But it turned out to be her folly instead. The brook in question was known as the Babbling Brook, which grew a mysterious Lantern tree by its bank. There was a tale of a mortal man gaining divine comprehension from it and transcending the mortal realm. He had also comprehended a divine dao art from the tree, known as
The Dreamscape.
Until now, no one had been able to even comprehend a glimpse of that art. The most the Yan clan had gained was a subtle comprehension, which was why they could hold their place right next to the Ying-yang dynasty. Ceding it to the Ying-yang dynasty was no different from offering their lifeline to an enemy. The elders and Grand Elders of the Yan clan refused vehemently, cursing out the daring fellow's ten ancestors and ten generations.
However, Yan Rouxi suddenly made a shocking statement: "We agree; it's only a fair price."
"Matriarch!" Numerous voices suddenly thundered behind her, expressing their disapproval.
"Shut the hell up!!!" She retorted angrily. "You dare!" She added, shooting them a gaze colder than a thousand-year-old profound ice. They quickly reserved their comments upon feeling her cold gaze upon their souls.
Yin Feiyu quickly added with a smile, striking while the iron was hot, "Good! Since you've agreed, there's no taking back."
The crowd was too shocked to burst into another round of clamor, speculations, and conspiracy theories. Just like that, the first bout began…