Chapter 445: Zither Young Master’s Strength
Translator: KurazyTolanzuraytor Editor: Jay
In the life and death arena, a proud and aloof figure stood there as if having transformed into a statue.
Time silently elapsed.
Gradually, some of the Seven Star Sword Sect disciples surrounding the life and death arena were slightly impatient.
"Where’s Duan Ling Tian? Why hasn’t he come?"
"Supposedly, two years ago, it was he who personally agreed to the two year agreement, he wouldn’t be cowardly to the point he doesn’t dare come, right?’
"It’s possible. Two years ago, Zither Young Master was a seventh level Nascent Soul Stage martial artist… With Zither Young Master’s natural talent, I wouldn’t be surprised even if he has broken through to the ninth level of the Nascent Soul Stage."
"Ninth level of the Nascent Soul Stage… Duan Ling Tian who was only at the fourth level of the Nascent Soul Stage one years ago would probably be unable to compare with Zither Young Master after a mere year."
"Yeah, perhaps he’s able to surpass Zither Young Master after a few more years, but now they’re indeed far apart."
…
These Seven Star Sword Sect disciples didn’t look favorably upon Duan Ling Tian.
Of course, there were many Seven Star Sword Sect disciples that were blindly confident of Duan Ling Tian.
"Hmph! Senior Brother Duan Ling Tian will surely come."
"Exactly! Not only will Senior Brother Duan Ling Tian come, he will even create a miracle and defeat Zither Young Master, Zi Shang and become famous in the Azure Forest Imperial Kingdom!"
"Zither Young Master must become the stepping stone of Senior Brother Duan Ling Tian!"
"Senior Brother Duan Ling Tian is a creator of miracles, I believe in him."
…
These Seven Star Sword Sect were mostly outer court disciples of Megrez Peak.
They’d seen Duan Ling Tian’s rise with their own two eyes.
As far as they were concerned, Duan Ling Tian was the legend of Megrez Peak, the legend of the Seven Star Sword Sect, the legend they admired in their hearts.
"Hmph!" Suddenly, the proud and aloof young man on the life and death arena snorted coldly. "Duan Ling Tian, the number one genius of the Seven Star Sword Sect… Does he not dare come? Sect Leader Linghu, looks like that genius disciple of your Seven Star Sword Sect had an unearned reputation!" As he finished speaking, the proud and aloof young man’s gaze descended onto the person in the lead of the group of Seven Star Sword Sect higher-ups floating in the sky.
Linghu Jin Hong!
The Sect Leader of the Seven Star Sword Sect.
"Zither Young Master, calm down." Linghu Jin Hong smiled lightly with a carefree expression on his face. "I understand the way Duan Ling Tian’s conducts himself. Since he’s agreed to the two year agreement you set, he would naturally not go back on his word."
The proud and aloof young man, one of the five great young masters of the Azure Forest Imperial Kingdom, Zi Shang, said indifferently, "I hope so."
After a short moment.
"It’s Duan Ling Tian!"
"Duan Ling Tian has arrived!"
"It’s really Senior Brother Duan Ling Tian! Like I said, how could Senior Brother Duan Ling Tian possibly be afraid of Zither Young Master?"
…
A wave of clamor arose on the peak of Dubhe Peak.
The surging crowd quickly opened up a path that headed towards the life and death arena.
At the end of the road, two young men walked over shoulder to shoulder.
It was exactly Duan Ling Tian and Mo Yu.
"It’s really bustling." Duan Ling Tian couldn’t help but sigh with emotion when he saw practically all the Seven Star Sword Sect disciples were gathered here.
These Seven Star Sword Sect disciples had undoubtedly gather here because they wanted to see who was stronger in the two year agreement between him and Zither Young Master.
All the Seven Star Sword Sect disciples revealed expressions of reverence wherever Duan Ling Tian passed.
"I haven’t seen Senior Brother Duan Ling Tian for an entire year, his disposition seems to have changed again."
"Yeah, Senior Brother Duan Ling Tian has become even more mature, and his strength is surely stronger."
…
Many Seven Star Sword Sect disciples whispered in discussion.
"The person by Senior Brother Duan Ling Tian’s side seems to be the personal disciple the Sect Leader just took a year ago?"
"Exactly, he’s the new personal disciple the Sect Leader took after the Sect Leader’s previous personal disciple, Huang Ji, betrayed the sect."
"Hmph! Huang Ji is really an ungrateful bastard. The Sect Leader spent huge amounts of resources of the Seven Star Sword Sect to foster him into a genius, but in the end, all he got in return was betrayal."
…
The gazes of many Seven Star Sword Sect disciples descended onto Mo Yu, and within the discussions, many people were filled with righteous rage.
They extremely hated Huang Ji who’d betrayed the Seven Star Sword Sect.
In next to no time, Duan Ling Tian and Mo Yu had arrived near the life and death arena.
Duan Ling Tian saw many familiar figures around the life and death arena.
He Dong and Zuo Qing, who had become inner court disciples with him, the son of the Mizar Peak’s Master, Zheng Song, and He Chun that he’d gotten acquainted with on Megrez Peak.
Duan Ling Tian lightly smiled and nodded towards these familiar people.
After they returned a light smile, Duan Ling Tian stomped his feet on the ground and easily leaped up to the life and death arena.
For a time, the gazes of everyone converged onto the two figures in the life and death arena.
Duan Ling Tian, the peerless genius of their Seven Star Sword Sect who’d defeated the Saber Young Master at a young age and seized the honor of first in the Martial Competition of the five great sects.
Zither Young master, the genius martial artist of the younger generation that was ranked third amongst the five great young masters of the Azure Forest Imperial Kingdom, and was already at the seventh level of the Nascent Soul Stage two years ago.
The battle between the two was undoubtedly a grand occasion that was difficult to come by.
All of them anticipated it extremely.
Zither Young Master Zi Shang’s eyes went cold when he saw Duan Ling Tian ascend to the life and death arena, and he said in a cold voice, "Duan Ling Tian, you’ve finally come! I thought you wouldn’t dare."
But Duan Ling Tian seemed to have utterly not heard him and had completely disregarded him.
"Sect Leader, Peak Masters, Elders." Duan Ling Tian looked at Linghu Jin Hong and the others that stood in the sky and lightly smiled as he greeted.
Besides Zhao Lin, Linghu Jin Hong and the other higher ups of the Seven Star Sword Sect all lightly smiled and nodded to Duan Ling Tian.
"Duan Ling Tian!" Zhao Lin stared fixedly at Duan Ling Tian, and his emitted frightful killing intent that seemed ready to swallow Duan Ling Tian.
Although Zhao Lin’s killing intent was concealed extremely well, to the extent Linghu Jin Hong and the other higher-ups didn’t notice it, Duan Ling Tian was able to clearly sense it.
"The killing intent this Zhao Lin has for me seems to have increased. He said his son had dispersed his cultivation for the sake of cultivating the Muscle Meridian Rebirth Scroll I fabricated… Could it be that his son saw the dazzling words I casually added and castrated himself?" Duan Ling Tian glanced at Zhao Lin and his gaze became slightly strange.
"Duan Ling Tian!" Zither Young Master’s rage shot into the sky from being disregarded by Duan Ling Tian, and with a raise of his hand, a zither appeared out of thin air, and it was exactly the spirit zither he carried with him.
The spirit zither in Zither Young Master’s hand was a grade five spirit weapon…
A grade five spirit zither.
"Zither Young Master, don’t get flustered." Right when Origin Energy bloomed on Zither Young Master’s fingers and he intended to stroke the zither to attack, Linghu Jin Hong spoke. "Today, I hope that you can know when to stop when battling Duan Ling Tian today, and not affect the good relationship between each other! Zither Young Master, what do you think?"
"Hmph!" Zither Young Master looked at Duan Ling Tian with a slightly cold gaze. "Sect Leader Linghu, you’re wrong! If it’s a battle that I have to hold back and can’t fight unrestrainedly, then what’s the point of the two year agreement between me and Duan Ling Tian? Or perhaps, Duan Ling Tian is afraid of death and wants Sect Leader Linghu to interfere in the two year agreement between us?"
Zither Young Master’s words labelled Duan Ling Tian as afraid of death.
Linghu Jin Hong frowned.
Most of the remaining Seven Star Sword Sect higher-ups couldn’t refrain from frowning as well.
Duan Ling Tian’s natural talent was extraordinary, and he was the future hope of the Seven Star Sword Sect.
If possible, they wouldn’t allow Duan Ling Tian to take the risk.
Right when Linghu Jin Hong intended to speak.
"Zither Young Master, since you want to fight without restraint, then we’ll fight without restraint… Why should I, Duan Ling Tian, be afraid!?" Duan Ling Tian spoke resolutely. His imposing manner was awe-inspiring as he stood there, and he seemed to have transformed into a fearless war god.
As soon as Duan Ling Tian finished speaking, besides Zhao Lin who had an expression of taking pleasure in Duan Ling Tian’s misfortune, all the higher-ups of the Seven Star Sword Sect had expressions that went grim.
"Duan Ling Tian, don’t be rash!"
"You’re only at the sixth level of the Nascent Soul Stage. It’s absolutely impossible for you to be a match for Zither Young Master now… Where there is life, there is hope!"
"Duan Ling Tian, it’s alright to lose today, you’ll sooner or later be able to wash away the shame from today after a few years."
…
Numerous urgent voice transmissions entered into Duan Ling Tian’s ears.
Some of these voice transmissions came from the Seven Star Sword Sect higher-ups, and some even came from the Seven Star Sword Sect disciples, and it caused Duan Ling Tian’s heart to feel warm.
Sect!
This was his sect!
His, Duan Ling Tian’s, Sect!
For the first time, an incomparably strong sense of belonging to the Seven Star Sword Sect arose in Duan Ling Tian’s heart.
"Haha… Good!" Zither Young Master, Zi Shang, laughed loudly when he saw Duan Ling Tian actually agreed. "Duan Ling Tian, I heard you defeated the Demonic Lotusblade Sect’s Saber Young Master one year ago… Truthfully speaking, when I heard this news, I was extremely surprised, truly extremely surprised.
"It had been one year since I saw you for the first time that day, and you’d actually broken through to the fourth level of the Nascent Soul Stage! I have to admit, your natural talent is extremely strong. But unfortunately, now that another year has passed, your cultivation has probably not even stepped into the seventh level of the Nascent Soul Stage, right?" As he finished speaking, Zither Young Master’s eyes emitted a sense of complacency. "Am I correct?"
Duan Ling Tian refused to show weakness and said indifferently, "So what if I haven’t stepped into the seventh level of the Nascent Soul Stage?"
"He hasn’t stepped into the seventh level of the Nascent Soul Stage?" Many Seven Star Sword Sect higher-ups and Seven Star Sword Sect disciples broke out in cold sweat for Duan Ling Tian, and many people every prayed that Zither Young Master was still like two years ago, only at the seventh level of the Nascent Soul Stage.
But was this possible?
"You’re arrogant, truly extremely arrogant…" Zither Young Master swung his sleeve as he laughed loudly, and his laughter was filled with ridicule. "But unfortunately, you still don’t have the qualifications to be arrogant before me! Today, I’ll allow you to experience my improvement in these two years… I believe it will be a pleasant surprise to you!" Along with Zither Young Master’s unbridled words, the gazes of everyone descended onto Zither Young Master.
Whoosh!
The Origin Energy on Zither Young Master’s body roared, and the energy of heaven and earth shook up and down above him before gradually condensing into numerous ancient mammoth silhouettes…
1,000 ancient mammoths.
1,100 ancient mammoths.
1,200 ancient mammoths.
It was still increasing.
1,300 ancient mammoths.
…
1,500 ancient mammoths!
Zither Young Master didn’t utilize the amplification of the grade five spirit zither in his hand, and had only relied the pure energy within his body to draw upon the energy of heaven and earth to condense 1,500 ancient mammoth silhouettes.
"Half-step Void Stage!"
"My god! After two years, this Zither Young Master actually broke through to the Half-step Void Stage!"
…
The crowd of Seven Star Sword Sect disciples were all dumbstruck, and the expressions of the Seven Star Sword Sect higher-ups were all gloomy.