Chapter 475: Challenge
Translator: Yukidaruma Translations Editor: Yukidaruma Translations
In the next two days, Fang Xingjian made arrangements for all his subordinates. They would continue to gather the materials for the ninth and tenth level of the mystical prints, make arrangements for the blacksmith team from the Eastern Sand Region's Wang Clan, and make preparations for the forging of the Divine Remains Equipment.
During these two days, Fang Xingjian had also helped Lilia experience the feeling of Heaven's Perception three times in a row.
Having experienced it for three times, in addition to the effect of the mystical prints, Lilia entered a state of a daze, as if she would be able to enter a whole new realm any moment now.
It was also during these two days that a tremendous amount of materials that could be used to accelerate the rate of condensing specialty seeds were stored in Fang Xingjian's Gates of the Netherworld, allowing him to carry the materials with him at all times and helping him condense specialty seeds at all times.
After everything was taken care of, Fang Xingjian announced that he would go into complete seclusion.
During the time when Fang Xingjian had suppressed all the factions of the Great Western City, searched for the desert base, defeated Number 10, returned to the Great Western City to make the necessary arrangements, and thereafter entered seclusion, a man by the name of Tian Yi appeared in the Great Western City.
This man by the name of Tian Yi, who claimed to be the Preeminent Sect's Sect Master, displayed terrifying powers the moment he appeared. He was not a Demigod, yet seemed to be extremely close to one.
He repeatedly challenged the eight strongest martial arts factions in the Great Western City, and not only did he win all of his challenges, he never had to use a second move to defeat his opponents.
What that had truly made him famous was that he had headed to the headquarters of the Illumination Society all alone, and defeated the Illumination Society's Chief and many other experts who had just returned.
It took him only two moves to defeat the Illumination Society's Chief.
Although many members of the Illumination Society claimed at a later time that their Chief had suffered from serious injuries, a win was a win. Tian Yi had become yet another talented expert of his generation in the Great Western Region.
He then consecutively defeated the top three students of the Great Western Region's Regional Academy, further raising his reputation. He was now reputed to be the strongest genius after Fang Xingjian among the younger generation in the Great Western Region.
Being in the midst of such a storm, Tian Yi issued a letter of challenge to Fang Xingjian, who had gone into seclusion.
...
In the room of the highest story of the the tallest inn in the Great Western City, Tian Yi smiled as he looked at the scenery of the entire city. It was as if he wanted to hold the entire Great Western City into his embrace.
Just then, the door behind him was slowly pushed opened. Hoult, a student of the Myriad Star Palace, walked over slowly. The moment he came in, he frowned and asked, "Brother Tian Yi, why have you thought to challenge Fang Xingjian?"
Hoult and Tian Yi had gotten to know each other at a gathering. Tian Yi thought highly of this student under the teachings of a Divine level expert. Furthermore, the Myriad Star Palace that Hoult had belonged to had a weighty legacy. Tian Yi had been told much information which he had not known before this. There was information which had allowed him to understand the difference between Demigods and Divine level experts. His Stalwart Eidolon Conviction had even progressed one further step, now having various elements of unbelievable profoundness.
"Oh? Why can't I challenge Fang Xingjian?" Tian Yi smiled and said, "He is thought of as the strongest genius of the current generation in the Great Western Region, while I'm ranked second. Of course I would want to challenge him and receive my deserving title of being number one."
"But Fang Xingjian has defeated the Supreme Chief and two other experts. He has already reached the cultivation level of a Demigod." Hoult was trying to persuade Tian Yi to give up on the challenge. "Why don't you continue to work hard on your cultivation for a bit longer, and then challenge him after you've become a Demigod?"
"Two days ago, I made a trip to the Governor's manor at night."
"What?!" Hoult abruptly lifted his head. The Great Western Region's Governor Devitt was a second tier expert among all of level 29. Although he had yet to become a Demigod, he was extremely powerful and his Killing technique was profound. And after he had learned Fang Xingjian's Prodigious Astral Divine Powers Waves, he had gotten even stronger and was an unfathomable existence to Hoult.
Hoult asked nervously, "You fought with the Governor?"
Tian Yi nodded and said, "We exchanged three moves. Just as I was about to defeat him, another two experts who were in no way weaker than him appeared. However, they weren't important. With my current cultivation, I would only have to put in a little bit more effort to defeat them.
"However, I sensed that there was a broad and profound consciousness hidden in the Governor's manor that had focused his attention on me. I would be put at a disadvantage if the fight were to continue. Therefore, I retreated."
Hearing what Tian Yi had said, Hoult was in a state of great astonishment. He had not expected Tian Yi to be so audacious.
Hoult guessed that the two experts whom Tian Yi said were no weaker than Devitt were likely to be the Governor from two generations ago, as well as the current generation's Deputy Governor.
As for that hidden consciousness...
"Thankfully you did not take action against that powerful concealed consciousness. It's very likely that it's from the Second Prince's technique, Thoughts Across A Thousand Li."
"The Second Prince?" Tian Yi let out a soft laugh, "There'll be one day when we'll have to fight each other."
Hoult sighed, "To think that you could escape so easily from the attacks of the Governor's and the other two. It's true that you have some hopes against Fang Xingjian.
"However, Fang Xingjian has defeated The School of Sword Arts's Supreme Chief after all, and his sword arts cultivation is unfathomable..."
Hearing Hoult's worries, the smile on Tian Yi's face grew increasingly confident and at ease.
He took several steps forward and with each step he took, the surrounding space seemed to be trembling, as if it was shattering. The ground under his feet seemed to have been turned into seawater, fluctuating incessantly.
Under Hoult's astonished gaze, the colors in the space around them started to peel off in bits, like shattered camera lenses, with a layer of shattered images on the exterior. The entire space in the inn's room seemed to have become the streets along the Great Western Region.
Seeing that he had ended up on the streets when he was at the inn to begin with, Hoult was a little surprised when he saw the crowd in the surroundings. He looked at Tian Yi and asked, "What on earth did you do?"
"Ever since you told me about how powerful Demigods and Divine level experts are the other time, I've thought about it for very long and finally understood a theory." Tian Yi said slowly, "There's a limit on one's physical strength and only one's willpower can grow stronger endlessly. And because of this, I've truly understood the true profoundness of the Stalwart Eidolon Conviction.
"In the past, I've focused all my attention on the power of the physical body. I had really been foolish.
"Before slashing a person, first slash the soul. A physical impact is far from comparable to various attacks using our consciousness."
As Tian Yi spoke, the scenes before Hoult continued to change ceaselessly. Streets, grass plains, rivers, snowy mountains...
Various sceneries flashed very quickly.
No matter how hard Hoult tried to use his Heaven's Perception, no matter how sharp his five senses were, he was unable to sense anything strange.
Hoult asked in astonishment, "You've completely controlled my consciousness?"
"That's right. A fight between cultivators is a fight between two wills," Tian Yi said nonchalantly. "In the path of Knights, the will is prioritized. And my Stalwart Eidolon Conviction excels in using the power of my will. As long as I'm willing, I'll be able to let you see or sense anything I want.
"I name this God's Senses."
Hoult had his eyes agape as the surrounding space continued to change rapidly. The world continued to shrink until it became small enough to fit into Tian Yi's palm.
"This is the number one power in the world."
Right now, Tian Yi had almost completely given up on physical reinforcements and had fully channeled the power of the Stalwart Eidolon Conviction onto his spirit and will. He had thus become unbelievably powerful.
...
On the day when Tian Yi had set for the challenge against Fang Xingjian, Zhou Xingwen stood outside Fang Xingjian's training room and mumbled to himself, "As expected, Xingjian isn't going to come out and face the challenge?"
Just as he was thinking this, he lowered his head and saw that a letter had unknowingly appeared on his palm. He had not even realized when this letter had come to be in his hand.
In the same way, although he had not heard Fang Xingjian talking to him, he knew that this letter was what Fang Xingjian had wanted him to hand over to Tian Yi. It was as if this matter had been in his memories all along.