Chapter 52 – The Time Of The Martial Compet.i.tion
Translator: Mr Voltaire
Editor: Phoobiee
After chatting for a while, the other Xiao family members left. Xiao Yun went and spent some time with Yan Shi Fei and the others, and did not continue to train.
Early the next morning, just as the first rays of light broke through the clouds, the entire Violet Cloud County became lively and bustling.
There were cultivators from each of the large families gathered in one place and they were all getting ready. This was because today was the Violet Cloud County’s Martial Compet.i.tion.
If any of the younger generation performed well in the compet.i.tion, they would be given the opportunity to head to the Imperial Capital to take the Heaven Origin Sect’s examination. Once a family’s descendant was chosen by an important figure, their entire family would be like the fish that leapt through the dragon’s gate and rose to prominence.
The Xiao family was also lively and full of action, and all of the older generation were gathered together, full of hope. 5 days ago, they would have been filled with worry. This was because there would have been no one who would be able to fight against Fang Hao!
However, Xiao Hai and Xiao Hong were completely confident.
Nevertheless, there were still other family members who were quite worried, because they didn’t know just how powerful Xiao Yun was.
“Young master Xiao Yun, do you have a way to beat that Fang Hao?”
“It’s said that Fang Hao stepped into the Innate realm long ago!”
After seeing Xiao Yun, some of the family members started to question him out of concern.
“Haha, you’ll see soon.” Xiao Yun didn’t bother saying anything superfluous and simply smiled.
Yan Shi Fei was by Xiao Yun’s side, radiating health and vigour. She looked like a woman of unmatched beauty, and a simple smile could cause the heavens and earth to lose their l.u.s.tre. Her smile was filled with confidence towards Xiao Yun. This youth had not only regained his talent, but now controlled a Fire Martial Spirit. How could he be inferior to that Fang Hao?
Everyone else felt slightly better when they saw how confident Xiao Yun looked. However, some of the elders were still incredibly anxious.
The Head Elder asked, “How come the old patriarch hasn’t come?”
Everyone else agreed, “That’s right!” The Xiao family’s old patriarch had the highest cultivation in the whole family, and without him here, everyone else felt quite nervous. After all, with so many large families present, how could they not have someone to keep the situation under control?
“Father’s in closed door training; there’s no need to disturb him,” Xiao Hai said. “Let’s go. I’m sure that the Fang family is waiting to make a mockery of us.”
“Mm,” Xiao Hong agreed. “Let’s set out.”
Seeing how confident these 2 brothers looked, everyone else felt slightly surprised.
The Head Elder asked in surprise, “Y-You’ve both broken through?” After sending his senses out, he suddenly discovered something.
“What? They broke through?” Hearing this, the other elders also looked quite dismayed.
How was this possible? These 2 brothers had been stuck at the complete stage of the Innate realm for over 10 years!
In response, Xiao Hong and Xiao Hai only calmly smiled.
“Xiao Hui, you’ll be responsible for protecting the family,” Xiao Hong said to Xiao Hu beside him.
“Yes!” Xiao Hu nodded. “Rest a.s.sured Lord Patriarch, Xiao Hu will definitely protect the family.”
He understood what Xiao Hong meant.
Because the old patriarch was in closed door training, he needed to stay back and protect him, and prevent anyone from interfering.
“Let’s go!” Xiao Hong swept out his hand and led the family’s people out.
“Today, I’ll prove to your parents that I, Xiao Yun, am not trash,” Xiao Yun said to Yan Shi Fei as he held her soft and supple hand.
“I believe in you.” Yan Shi Fei blinked, a look of joyful bliss on her beautiful face. After today, she would no longer have to worry about her parents disagreeing; she could proudly be with this youth.
The Xiao family’s people marched towards the Violet Cloud County’s Martial Arena; it could accommodate over 100,000 people, and was already filled with countless people. The sounds of talking and discussions were simply deafening.
There was a tall platform reserved for the large families which was slowly filling up. At the centre of the tall platform was the Violet Cloud County’s Duke, Yan Rong. Yan Rong was wearing embroidered clothes and had a solemn and dignified expression on his face.
The Duke had a cultivation at the complete stage of the True Essence realm; he was in his early forties, which made him an expert. There were very few people in the Violet Cloud County that dared to make trouble for him.
Beside Yan Rong was Madam Yan, who had a pretty young girl seated beside her. Naturally, that girl was Yan Shi Yan.
“Why hasn’t big brother Xiao Yun come yet?” Yan Shi Yan’s beautiful eyes blinked as she bit her lips, her crystal-clear eyes sweeping around the cloud, as if she was trying to find the youth. However, she was disappointed again and again.
Madam Yan frowned, feeling quite disturbed. “This girl… Could it be that she also likes that brat Xiao Yun?” Her face started to darken.
At this moment, a crowd of people arrived and started to make their way up the platform.
“Haha, Duke Yan, I trust that you have been well since we last met!” An elder with a whiting beard walked up, his eyes burning like torches as a smile filled his face. His face was quite amicable, but there was a formless pressure emanating from him, which made people reluctant to meet his gaze.
“Fang Kun?” Yan Rong frowned. He could feel a sense of pressure from this elderly man. “Could it be that he broke through?”
Yan Rong felt quite uneasy.
“Haha, Fang Clan’s old patriarch! You’re looking more and more spirited!” Yan Rong rose as he smiled at the elderly man. He was the leader of the Fang family, and was quite a prominent figure.
“I’m getting old.” Fang Kun smiled as he strode towards a row of seats on the platform. Behind Fang Kun were many of the Fang family’s people, which included Fang Xun and Fang Hao.
Beside Fang Hao was someone who was not from the Fang family, Qiu Yu Chen. As a disciple of the Heaven Origin Sect, he had the right to sit with these seniors.
After sitting down, the Fang family’s old patriarch smiled as he asked Duke Yan, “How come I don’t see your family’s Shi Fei?”
Everyone else from the Fang family also looked over. Yan Rong frowned, not sure how to answer.
“My big sis is with the Xiao family.” Yan Shi Yan pouted, feeling quite unhappy towards the Fang family’s old patriarch.
Qiu Yu Chen had long since known about Yan Shi Fei leaving her home, yet still asked about this; it made her feel quite disgusted.
The Fang family’s old patriarch said with his eyes narrowed, “The Xiao family… Duke Yan, times have changed, and it’s not so good for your honoured daughter to be so close with that Xiao Yun. This old man advises you to quickly bring Shi Fei back.”
Duke Yan felt slightly awkward and gave an apologetic smile. “Haha, that girl’s been quite unruly recently, and I should teach her a lesson some time.”
“This is Duke Yan’s family’s matter; this old man won’t say anymore.” After saying this, the Fang family’s old patriarch did not say anymore.
“Is that old monster really going to act against the Xiao family?” Duke Yan thought to himself.
Beside them, Qiu Yu Chen had a calm look on his face, looking as if he didn’t care about this. However, there was a trace of coldness in his lips.
Fang Hao had sword-like eyebrows and a handsome appearance. His eyes were narrowed, and he gave off a cold and arrogant sensation.
Seeing this, Yan Rong felt quite restless – these people were simply too calm.
This was especially so for Qiu Yu Chen – he had asked to marry his daughter, but after being refused by Yan Shi Fei, he hadn’t said anything. It was simply too abnormal.
Following this, the Zhou family arrived. The person at the head was also an elderly man, who immediately came to greet the Fang family’s old patriarch.
“Haha, brother Fang, you’ve come quite early!” The Zhou family’s old patriarch was almost 50-years-old, but he still had a ruddy appearance and looked quite healthy.
“Brother Zhou isn’t late either!” The Fang family’s old patriarch calmly smiled.
After greeting the Fang family’s old patriarch, the Zhou family’s old patriarch came to greet Duke Yan. This abnormal gesture made everyone feel quite shocked.
Afterwards, the Lin family also arrived. Lin Xiao Man was among them, her beauty rivalling Yan Shi Fei’s.
Following this, some of the smaller families also came to the tall platform.
“Haha, brother Fang, what a good grandson you have there. From young master Fang Hao’s aura, he has most likely stepped into the middle stage of the Innate realm, right?” Some elders smiled, looking at the youth in admiration.
This was the Violet Cloud County’s current generation’s genius!
“Hao’Er’s talent is remarkable and his cultivation indeed surpa.s.ses that of everyone else in his generation,” the Fang family’s old patriarch said as he gave a calm smile. However, he did not say much more.
Someone asked, “It’s said that young master Fang Hao has been looked on favourably by the Heaven Origin Sect’s Elder Qiu; will he be partic.i.p.ating in this year’s Martial Compet.i.tion?”
The elders and youths from a few other families looked over, paying close attention. The person who won this Martial Compet.i.tion would have the right to go to the Imperial Capital to take the Heaven Origin Sect’s examination, which concerned their future! As such, if Fang Hao partic.i.p.ated, they would have another powerful opponent, making it as difficult as scaling the heavens for them to win.
“If there is anyone worthy, perhaps Hao’Er will partic.i.p.ate,” the Fang family’s old patriarch blandly replied.
This caused everyone else to frown.
“He’s already going to be a disciple of the Heaven Origin Sect, so what’s he partic.i.p.ating for?” Everyone grumbled, but no one dared to voice this.
Currently, the Fang family was like the sun in the sky, and no one dared to offend them in public.
“Big brother Xiao Yun’s here.” Just as everyone began muttering among themselves, Yan Shi Yan smiled, her eyes shining. Far away, Xiao Yun was walking over to the platform with Xiao Hong and the others.
“He’s just a piece of trash; is there such need for you to be so excited?” Lin Xiao Man raised her eyebrows as she calmly spoke.
“Big brother Xiao Yun’s not trash.” Yan Shi Yan smiled, showing her cute teeth as she looked at the youth below. She had a look of infatuation within her eyes. However, her nose wrinkled as she pouted at the sight of him holding her big sister’s hand; she was incredibly jealous.
“Love-struck fool.” Lin Xiao Man rolled her eyes at the girl next to her, but when she looked down, a trace of shock was in her eyes. “Why would big sister Shi Fei come in with that Xiao Yun? And they seem very intimate together!”
For some unknown reason, when she saw that youth holding Yan Shi Fei’s hand, she felt a strange sense of annoyance.
“Hmph, he’s fated to just be trash. Who cares who he’s with?” After shaking her head, Lin Xiao Man stopped paying attention to the youth below, and couldn’t help but look at Fang Hao, whose eyes were closed. She muttered, “This is a true dragon among men. It’s a pity that his standards are too high, and is not someone I can attain.”
“Is that Xiao Yun?” When Xiao Yun walked past within the crowd, countless gazes fell on him.
“Haha, it’s said that Xiao Yun hasn’t broken through in 8 years!”
“Could it be that he wants to partic.i.p.ate in this Martial Compet.i.tion?”
“It’s said that he used poison to injure young master Fang Wei, causing the Fang family and the Xiao family to go at each other’s throats. Isn’t him partic.i.p.ating in this Martial Compet.i.tion simply just seeking death?”
“Back then, this Xiao Yun was our Violet Cloud County’s publicly acknowledged genius, but now he’s fallen to such a state.”
“What genius? He just has a trash Martial Spirit.” Many people coldly laughed, not caring about him at all.
Suddenly, someone called out, “Look, that big miss Yan is together with him!”
“What, big miss Yan is together with him?” Hearing this, countless gazes once again fell on Xiao Yun.
“Ai, she’s been taken by a pig!” Following this, the crowd sighed, with many of them casting over looks of envy.